Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Class of 2022 wing Bube Momah says four schools working hardest
By JACOB POLACHECKEmmanuel “Bube” Momah has been busy this past month, picking up 12 offers since college coaches began reaching out to Class of 2022 prospects on June 15.
“It’s been good for me,” Momah told ZAGSBLOG Monday by phone. “It’s definitely been hectic at times because prior to it, I didn’t know what schools were interested in me.
“Without a question, it’s been a blessing,” he said. “These are all great schools academically and basketball-wise. That’s my goal, just to play at the next level and see how far I can get.”
Momah, the 6-foot-7, 215-pound wing from Phillip’s Andover (MA) Academy and the PSA Cardinals, said that Yale, George Washington, Dartmouth and Harvard are the four schools that have been in contact the most.
Of the four, all but Harvard have extended offers.
“That’s not an official [offer], but because of what I’ve been told, that’s just how their program operates,” Momah said. “They sort of believe in that with underclassmen just because of [test] scores and all of that. That one’s not really an official one.”
He broke down his thoughts on Harvard:
“Their head coach [Tommy] Amaker was able to watch me play in a tournament,” he said. “I started building a relationship with him around then. I’ve been in constant contact with coach [Donny Guerinoni], the assistant over there.
“They just like me because I’m super versatile. I’m athletic and I have a unique body for my age. They like all those things and can definitely see me playing for them in the future.”
Momah says his head coach at Andover Academy, Terrell Ivory has a good relationship with coach Amaker.
“We’ve all kind of been in contact and they really like my game,” he said.
Momah’s most recent offer came from Yale on July 8 during a Zoom call with head coach James Jones and staff.
“They’ve been recruiting me for over a year now,” he said. “Before I transferred, I got to go up to campus there, meet the coaching staff, see the weight rooms, see their facilities. I like Yale a lot because it’s close to where I live. It’s up in New Haven. I’m from Farmington, so it’s not far at all.
“Their pitch has just been that in the Ivy League you can accomplish two great things in academics and you can do whatever you want outside of basketball. The Ivy League is just a solid basketball league in general. They had a player, Miye Oni, and they were somewhat comparing me to him. If you want to play pro and do all that stuff after college, that’s definitely an option going there.”
Momah also received an offer from George Washington on July 7.
“One thing I like about them right off the bat is that they play in the Atlantic 10, which is a super competitive conference,” he said. “Their head coach said that it’s the sixth or seventh best conference in the country, so that’s pretty intriguing to me.
“I know they’re in D.C. which is a good spot just because a lot of things nationally and worldwide occur in D.C., outside of basketball. Their pitch has been that I get to play in a great conference.”
Momah also mentioned George Washington’s academics as a selling point.
“They’re a great academic school,” he said. “Outside of basketball, they have a good mentorship program. Like I said, D.C. is a national spot where a lot of things go on, so I’d be able to make an impact in a place like that.”
Momah picked up an offer from Dartmouth on June 30. His older sister recently graduated from Dartmouth in the spring.
“She has a lot of insight about the school,” he said. “She’s not an athlete, but I’ve been on Dartmouth’s campus a few times.
“It’s a nice place. It’s in New Hampshire and it’s a little bit secluded. It’s definitely a high-academic school. The Ivy League in general is just a solid academic and basketball league. I actually got to talk to the head coach [David] McLaughlin. I’ve been building a relationship over there.”
Momah says coach McLaughlin has a good relationship with coach Terrance ‘Munch’ Williams, the program director for Momah’s AAU team, the PSA Cardinals.
“He really likes my game and has said he would like to have me on campus as soon as possible,” Momah said. “That would’ve been something we had already done, but during the coronavirus pandemic that’s obviously not possible. So, the offer was through the phone, but he said he really likes my game as well.”
All in all, Momah currently holds offers from Yale, George Washington, Columbia, Fairfield, Dartmouth, Little Rock, Holy Cross, Marist, Quinnipiac, Siena, Manhattan and Bryant.
He has taken unofficial visits to Dartmouth, Yale and Harvard.
However, during the coronavirus pandemic, Momah has been unable to take any in-person visits. He says he plans on taking visits when he can.
“One of my first visits is going to be Harvard,” he said. “They’ve been talking with me about getting up and that’s been in the works for a while.”
Momah may also take visits to Yale, Siena and Dartmouth.
“Yale, I’ve already been to, but it wouldn’t hurt to get back on campus, maybe watch a practice or something,” he said. “Dartmouth would be one that I want to go to and see their coaching staff, the campus, their facilities and all that. That’s definitely another.
“And probably Siena, which is in the MAC,” he said. “I have a good relationship with coach Carmen [Maciariello] over there, who’s been recruiting me.”
With the Ivy League opting to cancel fall sports on July 8, Momah is unsure whether or not he’ll be able take visits in the fall.
“I really don’t know the answer to that,” he said. “I’ve been texting the coaches on and off. They pretty much said when it’s safe and all the regulations are put in place then that’s something they’ll have me do and they’ll let me know.”
With a number of high-academic schools reaching out in the past month, Momah says he’s working to gauge which schools are showing ‘genuine interest’.
“The first thing for me is identifying who’s sort of ‘just riding the wave’ and who’s actually genuinely interested in me,” he said ” I’m kind of distinguishing those type of schools versus schools that may have offered me or called me after they’ve seen that I’ve been offered by another school. Just a coaching staff that truly believes in me and is not just trying to ride the wave.”
Momah also said he’s looking at fit, strength and conditioning programs and mentorship programs.
“I’m taking into consideration all the schools and what they have to offer,” he said.
After spending his freshman at Farmington (CT) High School, Momah spent his sophomore year at Philip’s Andover Academy, citing their education and resources as a key factor in his transfer.
On Instagram, Farmington rising junior All-Courant center and Div. III state champion Bube Momah (officially) announces his transfer to Phillips Andover #ctbb. pic.twitter.com/fzju4BXw9e
“I kind of just thought ‘why not transfer if I can get a better education and also have a lot of resources available to me’,” he said. “A school like Phillips Academy has a lot of resources in terms of ice baths, the weight room facilities, the gym. Just being able to have all those things available to me all the time, that just made it a real easy decision for me.”
Off the court this offseason, Momah says he’s picked up an interest in finance.
“It’s not really something I knew I was interested in, but I was talking to one of my friends and it sparked an interest in me,” he said. “I’ve been looking at different stocks, doing research and stuff like that. I’m just figuring out how people should manage their money and assets, wealth management in a sense.”
Photo: Rob Noonan
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