Bryan Knapp commits to Cornell
senior guard Bryan Knapp, a standout performer this summer, ended his recruitment late last month with a verbal commitment to Cornell University. Knapp, who averaged 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists per game as a junior for CESJDS, is the school’s first division one basketball commit since 2009.
Excited to announce I have committed to Cornell University! Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way. pic.twitter.com/Xy7dO2WdGX
— Bryan Knapp (@bpkbaseball) September 21, 2016
Knapp saw an uptick in his recruitment during the latter part of the summer where he helped lead Team Legacy, his AAU squad, to the Championship at Hoop Group Summer Jam Fest. Knapp’s affiliation with his grassroots club dates back to when he was around 8 or 9.
“A friend of mine recommended I join an AAU team at the time,” Knapp recalled. “I joined the team, and I’ve been with the same AAU team since. So we’ve been together for many years now.
Knapp saw his recruitment heat up not long after Team Legacy’s Hoop Group Summer Jam Fest title run. He received scholarship offers from a handful of programs, making his college decision a bit more complicated than initially anticipated.
“It was very long and tiresome and tedious at times. I had a lot of help throughout the way,” Knapp said about the recruiting process. “My sister, she was a soccer player so she knows a bit about the process. I was able to talk to her.”
Knapp sat down and ran through his options after he made all his visits. That’s when he decided Cornell was the right fit. A big factor in Knapp’s decision was the rapport he was able to build with the coaching staff at Cornell.
“Coach (Brian) Earl coming over from Princeton. This is his first year. I really like him, all he has to offer,” Knapp stated. “I really like the assistant coach. Coach (Jon) Jacques. He’s been instrumental in recruiting me. I like the campus, it was a good size. It ultimately felt like the right place.
Knapp is a quick, athletic guard who is a very effective pull up jump shooter. Knapp made just 18 threes as a junior, but one thing he’s been working on is extending his range.
“That’s something I work a lot on. That pull up jumper. If I catch in triple threat, take one hard dribble and see that I have space to rise up I will,” said Knapp. “I think I’ll shoot a lot more threes this season. I also like to attack the rim.”
JDS doesn’t feature many big men on it’s roster, but a relatively unknown part of Knapp’s game is how well he works with big men. Knapp was able to showcase this attribute with the big men on his grassroots club.
“People know that I’m a good passer but I think I’m a great passer. I think that I can find the open guy,” he began. “One thing I want to work on is breaking down my defender and If i’m up near the rim passing out for a shooter. Another thing that people don’t know about me is that I can work well with big men. If I have a big guy setting picks and rolling: I can pull it, I can fake and pop, or I can pass it to them. I’m pretty good with big guys.”
Another thing that’s evident about Knapp’s game is how hard he goes, and how well he gets along with his teammates. He’s a vocal player who understands the value that consistent communication brings. What can Big Red fans expect from Knapp at Cornell?
“I think I can bring to the program someone that can score. They’re losing seven seniors so there’s a pretty big opening in terms of points. I think I can definitely help in that aspect,” Knapp said. “I think I can also help leading the team. Passing, dishing the ball. I know there’s some good big guys over there. Some other good recruits. So I think I have a lot to offer in that regard. Also, I want to win. I have a very competitive personality. I know the Ivy league is drastically improving over the past couple of years. Really good competition. High level players. Just trying to compete.”
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