College Commitment – Kavon Bradford (2023 Benson/WCPA)
Sometimes the path to college basketball’s highest level isn’t necessarily linear. That was certainly the case with Kavon Bradford. Despite a storied four-year career at Benson, the athletic 6-foot-2 guard really didn’t get recruited out of high school. Bradford decided to bet on himself and spent this past season at Western Canada Preparatory Academy in Edmonton, Alberta and got some of the interest he rightfully deserved. As a result, he’s now a full-fledged future D-I basketball player as he recently signed with Buffalo.
“Once I talked with Coach G (Buffalo head coach George Halcovage) and (Assistant) Coach (Jake) Presutti, I knew it was the right fit,” Bradford said. “Basketball wise it is a perfect fit. They are really big on culture and being a good person, which is always good when entering a new place, knowing the people you will be around are good.”
Buffalo had initially seen Bradford play with WCPA at a tournament in December and started actively recruiting him at that time. While some other programs came in and out of the picture, the Bulls remained consistent with their contact and approach and the relationship they built with Bradford helped him feel comfortable with signing with the Bulls sight unseen.
Obviously, cold weather comes to mind when one thinks of Buffalo but Bradford isn’t phased. His time will be spent in the gym and he also described how he sees himself fitting in with what Buffalo does on the court. “You get used to (the cold weather) when you live in Edmonton with -20 degree weather,” Bradford said. “I believe I can be really disruptive on the defensive end matching up with guards and offensively my ability to get downhill and make plays for others.”
To be quite frank, Bradford probably should have gotten a lot more recruiting attention during his senior year at Benson in 2022-23. He ended up leading the state in assists and with his scoring and rebounding abilities, was often putting up Russell Westbrook at his peak-like numbers in games. He’s grateful for the experience at WCPA this past season though – he averaged 20.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists while shooting over 39 percent from three-point range – as he feels it has certainly helped him in the long run.
“Playing at WCPA under Coach Sunny (Sooch) really prepared me for the next level,” Bradford said. “Last year I was pretty sure I could play at this level, now however I have no doubt in mind I can play D-I. He spent many hours breaking down pick-n-roll reads and just teaching me how to be an even better point guard.”
Our congratulations go out to Bradford and his family on his commitment.