Tag Archives: Kabongo opens his recruitment

Will top prospect Myck Kabongo re-open his recruitment? Yes, he will!

Myck Kabongo is a Texas commit but many are saying he might de-commit. BDN caught up to Kabongo after hearing he might be interested in Duke and North Carolina to get his thoughts.

The following interview was originally printed for BDN Premium members in September of this year .  This article, now free to the public shows that BDN Premium had the foresight to interview a kid openly interested in Duke.  So, check out Varand's work and see for yourself that we saw this one coming.  Join BDN Premium today for full site access and stay ahead of the cvrve.

From Toronto to Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada, Myck Kabongo has been showing everyone that he is one of the elite players in the 2011 class.  The 2011 prospect displays a tight handle and great court vision, often making passes through tiny windows of space.  But what people really want to know is if Kabongo will open his recruitment back up as has been rumored and you can hear what Myck has to say about the Elite 24 event and more in our third premium interview this week.

BDN: We’re here with Myck Kabongo at the Elite 24 Midnight Run. Myck how’s it feel to be selected to the Elite 24?

MK: Oh man I’m blessed and I thank god first and foremost.  You know being selected as one of the top 24 guys in the country is something that every kid that plays basketball dreams of. I’m just happy to be here and I’m excited”

BDN: That is awesome, it’s a big honor.  It’s a big event going from the East coast in Rucker Park out to the West Coast in Venice Beach. Going into the game on Saturday is there anything you want to try to do?

MK: Really it’s just about giving them a good show because that’s what they came out for, but I just want to win, I’m so competitive, and at the end of the day I hope I win. As far as showing out, I’m just gonna try and do the best that I can do and hopefully I just come out on the winning end, that’s [private] all I really care about.

BDN: Definitely. Now something that we’ve got in common, you’re from Canada, I’m from Canada.

MK: (raises the roof) woot woot!

BDN: Yea! You’re from Toronto, right? I was from Hamilton.

MK: Oh yea right around the corner.

BDN: Yea I just moved out here a few months ago and am making L.A my home. So how is the transition from basketball in Canada to the U.S?

MK: Obviously I think the athleticism. You know it’s just a whole different ball park, guys are built like men at 15-16 years old, it’s crazy! You look at my body and I’m frail, and I got a long ways to go until my body fills out. Some of these guys just fill out so early and the game is so fast.  You know, it’s like they made it a culture, it’s their life. That’s what we’re starting to do in Canada now, that’s why you see the progress we have now. I’m just excited to be a part of it really.

BDN: I saw you earlier this summer at the Pangos camp and something I noticed is you were very vocal and it really impressed me.  You probably hadn’t played with most of those guys on the same team but you had no problem being vocal with them.  Is that something you’ve learned over time or did you always have it?

MK: I really learned over time but I’ve always had it in me. You know to see me teammates succeed like me on the court; the more vocal you are the easier it will come.  Not every outcome is going to be good but the more vocal you are it helps open up things on the court, like on defense, the helps side and on offense getting everybody involved. So you know that’s something I believe every point guard deserves to have.  You got to be vocal because they look at you like the leader, so I feel like it’s my job to talk to everybody on the team and make them comfortable.

BDN: So you are committed to Texas, you have a recent Canadian who committed to Texas in Cory Joseph.  Do you guys talk about playing with each other at all?

MK: Yea we always talk about it, but yet again they (Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson) have a chance to do something special and have a chance to go to the NBA after this year given the minutes that they’ll play.  A lot is expected of them and I just hope the best for them. You know I’d love to play with them but if it doesn’t happen then you know I’ll be happy for my brothers to go to the NBA.

BDN: You've been committed to Texas for awhile, do you have a hypothetical list (he laughs) of schools that you'd be interested in if anything was to ever happen? 
 
MK: (laughs) Yea, yea of course. I'd look at Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse, Kentucky and Texas obviously. You always gotta think of them, those are the 5 teams I've always adored. Really, all those schools they’re all programs, they develop players and you know if anything was to ever happen like Coach Barnes left, or something crazy, or I just felt the best for me was to do that[decommit] I'd look at those schools.

BDN: Right, right.  Did you have a favorite NBA team growing up?

MK: Toronto Raptors really! (laughs) It’s right at home, I love the Raptors until the day I die. You gotta go with your hometown team, you just have to. And L.A [Lakers] is my second favorite team, so being out here I just feel like I’ve won the championship a couple months ago!

BDN: Thanks a lot for your time, Myck.

MK: No problem.