In ESPN’s class of 2024 rankings, West Orange native and Gill St. Bernard’s forward Naas Cunningham is ranked as the country’s number one overall recruit, and he is looking for a breakout sophomore season in the near future.
“It feels good knowing people are acknowledging the hard work I put in to get to this point,” Cunningham said about the ranking. “I still have a lot of work to do, but I feel like I earned the spot I’m at. I’m still ready to work for more.”
Despite having nobody ranked ahead of him, the 6’8” small forward said he is not slowing down.
“Holding the number one spot definitely puts a chip on my shoulder,” Cunningham said. “My goal is to stay where I am right now. I want to be number one throughout my high school career, and the top player regardless of class. That is something I’m going to continue to work for.”
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Along with the nation’s #1 spot, Cunningham says his recruitment is also going very well.
“Right now, there are no colleges speaking with me personally, but I know they are constantly in contact with my parents and coaches,” he said. “UConn, Illinois and North Carolina have shown some interest without offering yet.”
The Knights only played 11 games last year, but this summer was when Cunningham really saw his recruitment take off.
“Since there wasn’t that much high school basketball last year, there wasn’t much for coaches to see,” he said. “Through tournaments with the New York Renaissance over the summer, many coaches were able to see what I am capable of.”
This season however, Gill St. Bernard’s will be back to their usual packed schedule, facing some of the top teams throughout the country. Cunningham mentioned one of the things he is looking forward to most is the team’s City of Palms Classic appearance, which features some of the nation’s best programs.
“This will really be my first year getting the real high school basketball experience,” he said. “I’m ready to take on whatever comes with the new season, and we will do the best we can do.”