Prospect Spotlight: Jeremiah Bembry
The Pango’s All-East Frosh/Soph Camp was a great experience. The overall talent level was excellent as players were desperately trying to get an invitation to the main camp in the summer of 2020. One of those players was Jeremiah Bembry, a 6’6 point guard who had a great showing at the camp.
Bembry showed tremendous poise on the floor and set up his teammates for easy baskets in all three games. He has a high basketball IQ, which he showed at the end of his second game. With his team trailing by two, Bembry could have taken a contested shot to either win or tie, but found a wide open teammate to win the game.
His smart decision-making did not go unnoticed at the camp as Bembry played in both the Cream of the Crop Top 30 game and Top 60-plus Cream of the Crop game. With the Pango’s camp over, Bembry turns his attention to the upcoming high school basketball season, where he will be suiting up for Point Pleasant Beach. He joins a Garnet Gulls team that won Central Jersey Group I in 2018.
Bembry gives his new team a true floor general, something that Point Pleasant Beach lacked last season. The sophomore guard embraces his role as floor general as he likes to get his teammates involved. His ability to lead is something that his new coach Mike Catania has already picked up on.
“Jeremiah is a natural leader; super skilled guard who has a tremendous upside,” Catania said. “His work ethic is tremendous and he is an excellent student as well as being a great kid.”
Bembry boasts a 3.9 GPA and decided to go to Point Pleasant Beach because of its academics. According to the 2019 U.S. World and News Report, Point Pleasant Beach is the second best public school in Ocean County behind only the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) in Manahawkin.
Harvard, Columbia, Penn and Stanford are all interested in Bembry to be a part of their basketball teams. LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi Valley State, Lafayette and Howard are also interested in Bembry, but the first four schools do not drastically lower their admissions standards for student athletes. Their interest in him is a sign of not only his ability on the court, but also his ability in the classroom.
Bembry was not the only Point Pleasant Beach player to attend the Pango’s All-East Frosh/Soph Camp as freshman Chris Venturoso Chris Venturoso 6'3" | SG Lacey | 2023 State NJ participated in it as well. He moved well off the ball as Venturoso got himself open on numerous occasions throughout the three games. His teammates did not get him the ball enough in his three games, but his ability to get open is a huge skill that will help Point Pleasant Beach.
Bembry will find Venturoso if he gets open. This year could be the start of a three-year dynamic duo at Point Pleasant Beach as Bembry is only a sophomore. Junior guard Jake Clark had an injury-filled sophomore season, but he played in 20 games as a freshman for the Central Jersey Group 1 champions.
Bembry is ready to explode onto the high school basketball scene and should shock the Shore Conference this season. He is one of the most talented players in the sophomore class and it would not be a surprise to see him make first team All-Shore as a sophomore.