JACOB RIGONI (2017, Quinnipiac Commit in the MAAC)

6'6'' SF, Class of 2017

Committed 5 May 2017

Plays like Charles Barkley (in his prime and with a 3 pt shot)

• February 2017 - U20 Australian National Championships with South Australia.  Gold medal won.  Bob Staunton Medal Winner (IE Tournament MVP Award).  Footage here.

• December 2016 - U18 FIBA Oceania Championships - Qualifiers for U19 World Championships in July 2017

• September 2016 - U19 "Baby Boomers" Australian National Team Training Camp

• September 2016 - Premier League Grand Finals

• July 2016 - Elite Prospects Camp at AIS/COE

• February 2016 - Current - Premier League Team Member with Sturt Sabres in South Australia

• April 2016 - Albert Schweitzer International tournament, Germany, with Australian U18 National Team

• February 2016 - South Australian u20 State Representative – Australian National Championships

Tough, versatile, high iq, team focussed, can score in paint and beyond 3 pt line, perfect fundamentals

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"Very proud to announce that Jacob Rigoni has committed to Quinnipiac University in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Jacob continues a long line of successful players from the Sturt Sabres basketball club, playing at the club since 11 yrs of age. Sturt are well known nationally for developing talent to collegiate and professional levels. He also played for his Father Paul in Sturt's premier League team for the past couple of years making the Championship Game in both years. He graduated Mercedes College in December 2016, leading their basketball program.

I was fortunate to work with Jacob as his U18 Div 1 men's coach in 2014/15 at the Sturt Sabres basketball club and also coach him for South Australia's High Performance program at the East Coast Challenge in 2015. A tournament that included some of the countries' Division 1 prospects such as Deng Gak (University of Miami Commit), Brent Hank (University of Albany commit) and Gabe Hadley (New Mexico State Commit), amongst others.

Our U18 Div 1 team, a part of Sturt Sabres basketball club (the most successful junior club in South Australia), led by the likes of Jacob, Isaac White (Stanford commit), Lat Mayen (TCU commit) Alex Mudronja (6'5'' PG, Class of 2018 prospect), Ben Carter (6'10'' Power Forward, Class of 2018 prospect), went 50-3 that year. This team emerging to dominate South Australian junior basketball at a level rarely seen before and onto become one of the best teams in the country.

Jacob is a tough, versatile, high IQ wing that can go inside and out punishing bigger defenders with a crafty jab and drive on the rim, ability to pull up at mid range at an elite level and post up smaller defenders with the best post moves and footwork I've ever seen. He has quietly gone about his business in his journey emerging as one our countries' best college prospects for 2017 (along with the likes of Isaac White and Lat Mayen) with an MVP award at U20 National Championships, captaining the state of South Australia to their first Championship since 1993 at this level. He has also had success at the International level with great performances playing for Australia at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament and FIBA Oceania Championships

This is a great pickup for Quinnipiac but also a great opportunity for Jacob to play under new coach Baker Dunleavy. Coach Dunleavy was formerly Associate Head Coach at the heralded Villanova, helping them win a national championship in 2016. The Dunleavy family name needs no introduction to basketball fans and we are very excited by the program Coach Dunleavy and his staff, including Shaun Morris and Anthony Goins, are building."