Recruiting Report: Jah Bennett (2018)

Africentric Early College’s premier forward, Jah Bennett (2018), has scholarship-level size and athleticism at 6’7”-6’8”, not to mention a promising catch-and-shoot jumper to package along with it. His fluidity around the perimeter, as an on-ball screener and shooter, is recognized easily. As it turns out though, Bennett landed his first scholarship once Kentucky State watched him dominate the painted area. “They’d been watching me for a long time and I showed up for that one game. I did everything that I was supposed to do — I ran the floor, I rebounded, I finished, and I blocked shots. That what they wanted me to do, and I did it,” Bennett said. As Bennett continues to prove himself capable around the rim, more scholarships could open up. He won’t have to wait until the winter to do that either; Bennett is taking a trip down to Philippi, West Virginia, this very weekend to showcase his talents for a Division II program. “Alderson Broaddus, they want me to go to their camp this weekend. That’s where I’m going this weekend. They said that if I rebound and run the floor, that there’s a high chance that I could get an offer from them,” Bennett told Prep Hoops. Bennett later continued that he is pushing himself in the weight room, in order to cement his dreams of the next level. Also, Bennett mentioned that he's drawn interest from Ohio Dominican and Central State. Unfortunately, an ongoing issue with Bennett’s phone has made it difficult for him to establish and maintain relationships with coaching staffs, as of late. Bennett plans to step foot on Kentucky State’s campus in October in what will be his first campus visit. He seems hopeful on building a stronger bond with their coaches from there, as the phone has been a real nuisance thus far. However, this doesn’t mean the end of the world for Bennett. He has an entire senior season before he needs to make a college decision. In the meantime, he’s working on post moves, ball-handling, and, as mentioned, his physicality. But most importantly, Bennett is focused on bringing up his ACT score of 14. “I did it one time without tutoring. Now I’m tutoring and I’m taking it next month,” Bennett said. He carries a 2.6 GPA. Expect Bennett and Africentric to be a team to watch in Division III next season. He and fellow senior Manning “Tre” Baumgardner, the team’s point guard, should pose a threatening two-man game for Nubian opponents. As Bennett puts it, “I think we can go pretty far in the tournament. We’re looking nice this year.”