ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — For the last few weeks, there’d been an air of disappointment mixed with acceptance.
That, of course, was the product of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team’s five senior starters opting to play their final collegiate seasons at bigger programs after it appeared as if one or more may return.
In the most tangible instance since the offseason began, however, that feeling has been replaced by one that had become familiar for Bona fans this time of year: genuine excitement. That’s what happens when you’ve landed one of the highest ranked recruits of the Mark Schmit era.
Yann Farell, a 6-foot-7, 180-pound small forward who played last season at Keystone Athletic Academy in Erie, has committed to Bona, he announced on social media Monday night. Originally from Gabon, Africa, he’ll have four years of eligibility beginning next season.
Farell is the seventh member of the Bonnies’ 2022 recruiting class, joining a growing list that includes Division I transfers Moses Flowers (Hartford), Daryl Banks II (Saint Peter’s) and Kyrell Luc (Holy Cross) and former Putnam Science Academy prep star Barry Evans. And on paper, anyway, he appears to be the most intriguing of the bunch.
FARELL IS listed as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, making him just the second four-star guy to come to Bona under Schmidt (with former Putnam forward Justin Winston being the other). He was a highly coveted prospect, holding offers from an array of high-major programs, including Syracuse, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Texas A&M and Miami, before deciding on the Bonnies.
Farell seems to check just about every box that Schmidt looks for in a prep player.
The Keystone product is a long, athletic forward who’s defensive-minded, can guard multiple positions and has greatly improved his ability to shoot and finish around the rim. According to New Jersey-area reporter Adam Zagoria, “with his length and ability to guard the 1-4, Farell oozes upside.”
“He’s developed a reliable catch-and-shoot presence, deepening his range to the NBA 3-point line,” Zagoria said in a story about Farell’s commitment. “His ability to create opportunity off the dribble and pull-up game have been noteworthy as well.”
Farell is considered to be a borderline top 100 player according to multiple services, ranking No. 135 in the entire Class of 2022 by On3.com and No. 127 by Rivals. By March, he’d made visits to St. John’s, Maryland and Georgetown, per On3 reporter Jamie Shaw.
What went into the decision to choose Bona over a host of high-profile programs?
“The prospect of authoring an instant impact with the Bonnies was ultimately a major factor in his decision,” Zagoria wrote. “He’s stoked about the opportunity to utilize his wild open-floor athleticism and two-way versatility, as he’s capable of playing the 2-4.”
IN ZAGORIA’S piece, Munch Williams, Farell’s AAU coach with the PSA Cardinals, also cites Bona’s “culture of winning, recent NCAA Tournament appearances and the fact that multiple NBA players have emerged from the A-10 in the last few years as appealing factors to Farell.”
With Farell, who boasts a 6-foot-11 wingspan on board, Bona now has 10 scholarship players for the 2022-23 campaign and three rides still remaining. He’s the next in what has become a stable of versatile Bona forwards, including rising sophomore Justin Ndjock-Tadjore and Evans.
“Yann is one of the most mature young men we’ve come across,” Williams is quoted as saying. “He’s got a unique blend of athletics and academics. He’s got the skill set and size that’s a great fit for and aligns with the Atlantic 10.”
Said Zagoria, “Yann’s instinctive defensive style, tenacity and timeliness as a shot blockerare aspects which make him such a unique, jack-of-all-trades threat defensively.”
