Jonathan Kuminga, No. 1 Player in 2021, Is Enrolled at The Patrick School

By ADAM ZAGORIA

Jonathan Kuminga, the No. 1 player in the Class of 2021 and arguably the top high school basketball player in the nation regardless of class, has been enrolled since March at The Patrick School in Hillside, N.J., and will play for the Celtics during the 2019-20 high school season.

The 6-foot-9, 218-pound wing from the Congo was previously at Our Savior New American in Centerreach, N.Y. He and teammate Adama Sanogo, a 6- 9 Class of 2021 forward, are both now at The Patrick School, making the Celtics the favorites to win the prestigious New Jersey Tournament of Champions title next March. The Celtics also added former IMG Academy point guard Noah Farrakhan.

Kuminga and the new-look Celtics will be featured at several high-profile tournaments, including the prestigious Hoophall Classic over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.

“Over the next couple of years, Jonathan has an opportunity to become one of the greatest players to don a Celtic uniform, as well as one of the best players to ever play in New Jersey,” Patrick School coach Chris Chavannes told ZAGSBLOG. “

The school has won six TOC titles, most recently in 2017, and has produced a slew of NBA and Division 1 talent, including Kyrie Irving, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Al Harrington.

Playing with the NY Rens on the Nike EYBL circuit, Kuminga averaged 27.4 points and 6.0 rebounds at the Peach Jam in July.

“He’s the best player in the country regardless of class,” Rens coach Andy Borman said at Peach Jam. “He’s 16 years old. So let’s give him a little time just because he plays a very mature game and his athleticism is very mature. He’s got a bright future ahead of him and the best thing about him is that he works his tail off, man. When we’re not practicing during the week, he’s up at 5 a.m. to do conditioning and overall sports performance to work on his body.” He’s put on 15 pounds of lean muscle in recent months.

Oh look @JonathanKuming6 is dunking again. It’s @NYRhoops vs @MokanBasketball in the Peach Jam quarters pic.twitter.com/me7GsIHK8s

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) July 13, 2019

“[Kuminga] is the best player in the country,” one high-major Division 1 assistant told me at Peach Jam. “I don’t think there’s any debate.”

2021 @NYRhoops wing @JonathanKuming6 is out here putting on a show in front of half the college basketball world. Kid is among the best players at Peach Jam. pic.twitter.com/BNF10oEM8e

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) July 12, 2019

Duke offered Kuminga several days after Peach Jam, where head coach Mike Krzyzewski and assistants Nate James and Jon Scheyer scouted him.

“I love everybody,” he said, speaking generally of his recruitment. “I consider everybody.”

Jonathan Kuminga is digging graves at Peach Jam ☠️? @JonathanKuming6 pic.twitter.com/IzMRcW5JaM

— Who’s Next (@WhosNextHS) July 12, 2019

Kuminga holds a Kentucky offer and Calipari and Kenny Payne were frequent fixtures at his games this summer.

“I love Kentucky because that’s a good school,” Kuminga said. “It might be a good fit for me. That’s a good school, that’s why I love it. The coach is a good coach.”

Meantime, his brother, Joel Ntambwe, is now at Texas Tech and they are recruiting him, too.

“Yeah,” Kuminga said, “everybody is.”

Asked how it felt to have so much interest from elite colleges, Kuminga said, “That’s going to be my motivation to just keep working out, have my name everywhere.”

Photo: @D1 Circuit

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