By ADAM ZAGORIA
Jonathan Kuminga and Adama Sanogo are both expected to move on from The Patrick School following their season-ending loss to rival Roselle Catholic on Saturday night in the New Jersey North Non-Public B semifinals, sources said.
After losing to The Patrick School three times this season, including in last weekend’s Union County Tournament final, the Lions won the game that mattered most, 56-49, behind 15 points from Xavier commit C.J. Wilcher and 15 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks from uncommitted big man Cliff Omoruyi, who is down to Arizona State, Auburn and Rutgers.
Roselle Catholic, the No. 3 seed in the bracket, advances to play No. 1 Gill St. Bernard’s in the North final on Wednesday. Led by coach Dave Boff, RC remains alive for its fourth New Jersey Tournament of Champions title since 2013.
The 6-foot-8 Kuminga, the No. 1 junior in the nation, and the 6-10 Sanogo, also a junior, both have the option of reclassifying into the Class of 2020 and going to college next fall.
A projected lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by ESPN.com, Kuminga could also opt to sit out next year and train on his own or play professionally somewhere before entering the NBA Draft in ’21. He could also do a prep year somewhere.
“I don’t even know, I have no idea,” Kuminga, a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo who has his own Wikipedia page, said last month. “All I say is just my focus [is] here, finish out my school year.”
In the fall, Kuminga issued a list of 10 schools he’s considering: Kentucky, Duke, Washington, Florida State, Memphis, Texas Tech, Michigan, Georgia, Maryland, and Auburn.
Kentucky coach John Calipari, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and Auburn’s Bruce Pearl are among the head coaches who watched him this season.
He visited Georgia unofficially this week and said he hopes to visit all 10 schools on his list.
“I got 10 schools, that was the first [visit],” Kuminga said earlier this week. “Coach [Chris Chavannes] just let me go because I asked coach and he was like alright, you’re fine to go but you just gotta come back before the game. So I just went out there to visit.”
Sanogo, a native of Mali ranked the No. 7 center in the Class of ’21 by 247Sports.com, has no shortage of suitors.
Seton Hall, UConn, Maryland and Nebraska have all been actively involved, while he also holds offers from many others.
Maryland assistant Matt Brady watched Sanogo on Thursday, while Nebraska’s Matt Abdelmassih was at Saturday’s game.
Sanogo attended Seton Hall’s game with Villanova on Wednesday and has attended several Seton Hall games this season. UConn has also been actively involved.
He and his camp are planning official visits.
“Soon I’m going to start to go visit,” he said last month. “Right now I don’t know yet, but soon.”
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