Recruiting Report: Jonathan Mpanzu (2018)
Photo Credit: Xenia Gazette
Stebbins HS senior big man Jonathan Mpanzu (2018) is becoming a well-known name in the Dayton area. Known for his raw athleticism and rebounding skill, Mpanzu is slowly but surely making his name know to colleges all around the state, and they are taking note of him too.
Mpanzu is a point forward with great skill. Offensively he finishes in traffic and is long enough to score over defenders. He has the size and speed to beat his man off the dribble and finish in the lane. When in the post, he has great footwork and knows how to use his body to put him in the best positions to score. On the defensive end, Mpanzu rebounds and rebounds well. He is difficult to box out because of his athleticism. Bigger, slower defends can’t keep him boxed out and smaller defenders get rebounded over from him. The intensity and passion he plays with is incredible to see, and he is making Stebbins a team to watch moving forward.
One area Mpanzu wishes to improve is his shooting, specifically 3PT shots. He did not attempt a single 3PT shot a year ago and if he could add that skill to his arsenal, he would become an absolutely incredible offensive scorer.
Mpanzu felt the Indians transition from CBC to GWOC last year went smoothly for him.
“I played against the GWOC guys during AAU, but I really had to help get my teammates used to the change”.
The Indians had a few growing pains a year ago as they finished 5-9 in conference play, but Mpanzu has confidence that Stebbins will be just fine moving forward. He wants to see Stebbins finish above .500 and win their side of the GWOC. Individually, he wants to lead the conference in scoring, rebounding, and shots, and end his career by committing to a 4 year college.
As of now, Mpanzu owns 2 offers from Marian University and Ohio Northern University. He also has heavy interest from 8 other schools including Findlay, Holy Cross, and Tiffin among others.