by Alex Schwartz

I first saw on Scout that Myck Kabongo '11 of St. Benedict's (NJ) had verbally committed to Texas yesterday, which was his birthday, according to the site. The gifted sophomore point guard is a native of Canada and runs with Ro Russell's prestigious Grassroots Canada AAU program, so Kabongo has gotten a lot of exposure during his high school career. That has lad to numerous scholarship offers, from programs such as Villanova, Rutgers, and Seton Hall, according to Kabongo, who I got off the phone with about 15 minutes ago. "I’ve been thinking about [committing to Texas] for a long time. . . . I wanted to do it [on] my birthday. . . . A week ago [I really made up my mind]," said Myck when I asked him when he knew Austin was the right place for him. Another St. Ben's player, Tristan Thompson '10, who is considered one of the best juniors in America, is also committed to Texas. Kabongo and Thompson not only go to school together, but both are Canadian, and play for Grassroots Canada. How big of a factor was the fact that Thompson was bound for Texas in Kabongo's decision? “It played a little bit, and thought about it as, ‘if Tristan was not going to Texas, would I still want to go there?’ and the answer was yes, with their style of play,  . . . [and the point guards they produce, such as] DJ [Augustin], Royal Ivey, . . . I want be the next one, . . . I like living up to challenges.” With two Canadian St. Benedict's Gray Bees already in the fold, what does Kabongo think about the possibility of maybe another one, JP Kambola '10, a gifted, but raw big man, eventually donning burnt orange? “If they [JP Kambola and his younger brother are] getting recruiting by Texas, it would be a good thing. . . . Having additional guys from the same country as [me] would be cool too.” About a week ago, Kabongo had cut his long list of suitors down to five schools, with the general thought being that he would follow Thompson to Texas. I inquired of Myck why he chose to cut the list down prior to verbally committing just a week later: “I wanted to wait and see what the other coaches were about, but it seemed like they weren’t really—I didn’t feel a connection . . . I didn’t seem like their first priority. . . . I called Coach Barnes and he picks up his phone at anytime. . . . [I have] been getting recruited by Texas since last summer, . . . [and they have] been loyal to me.”

After I finished talking to Myck about his decision to attend Texas in three years, we discussed where he stands amongst the class of 2011's elite ballers and what he thinks about St. Benedict's on a national level and his role on the team. “I’m friends with some of the [guys at the top of my class, like], Tony [Wroten, Jr.], LaQuinton [Ross, and] I know Mike [Gilchrist] a little bit. I know them from camps and AAU. . . . We have a talented class, and it’s good to be a part of it. . . . [Many of the guys] play on not as talented teams so they get to really show their stuff. . . . I don’t really get to show my scoring. Scouts say I can’t score. . . . I’ll keep developing," said Kabongo when I asked him how he thought he measured up with class of 2011 players such as Wroten, Jr., Ross, Gilchrist, and Austin Rivers. From there, I proceeded to ask the floor general where he thought St. Ben's (#3 ESPN Rise, #3 USA Today) should be ranked nationally: “We should be number one right now, but obviously Mater Dei is number one right now, but I don’t think there’s a team that plays as hard as us and practices as hard as us. . . . We’re talented one through 12. . . . We have a really talented bunch of guys, so we should be number one.” It's hard to argue with Kabongo's logic. The Gray Bees, coach by Danny Hurley, are probably the deepest team in America, though Mater Dei (CA) may have more star power. St. Benedict's, Mater Dei, Findlay College Prep (NV), and Oak Hill Academy (VA) could all make claims as to why they should be in the top spot, but for now Mater Dei, which won the City of Palms event, is ranked number one. Myck mentioned the depth that his team has, so I asked him what it is like for the guys who could be stars at their public schools to sit on the bench for three years, to which he responded, “They get better at practice, they get to go against the best at practice. Every day [we] get better. . . . For me it’s easy because I don’t have to do as much, I don’t have to score as much [on this team] . . . It’s a pleasure to play with guys of a high caliber. . . . We’re like a real family.” Kabongo is in rare air when one considers what he will accomplish as a Gray Bee, as he will be a three year starter. Not even fellow Canadian and future Longhorn Tristan Thompson can claim that. “I’ve been put in a beautiful situation and I want to thank God for that. . . . [I am] stepping in this year [after] a very good summer. . . . Obviously the great guys at our school have done it, [such as] Corey Stokes, obviously Samardo [Samuels]. . . . I’m going to make sure I go out with a bang for the three years I’m [starting] at St. Benedict’s Prep and take advantage of it.” He has already begun to do just that, as in a few years, Myck Kabongo will be a Texas Longhorn, and maybe, just maybe, he will be lucky enough to start there for three years too.

Note- photo is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/