One of the top junior college transfers in the country could be joining the UB men’s basketball team next season.
Chipola College point guard Malik Zachery has offers from 17 schools and has narrowed his options to Ole Miss, California and UB. He is set to make his decision on April 15, according to Stockrisers.
Zachery has three years of NCAA eligibility remaining, which makes him an enticing get for mid- and high-major programs.
Zachery is from Syracuse, but as a senior at West Genesee High School, he didn’t have a single scholarship offer. He decided to go to prep school at Commonwealth Academy in Springfield, MA, where he spent one season before transferring to Chipola College in Marianna, FL.
In his freshman season, he averaged 8.5 points, 5.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds per-game for the 27-5 Indians. He was looking to build on this success during his sophomore campaign, but he hyperextended his knee and was forced to miss the start of the season. While working back from that injury, he sliced his finger while cooking in his kitchen, which required surgery.
Still, Zachery is considered one of the top players on the JuCo circuit, and has received a lot of attention from Division-I programs. Zachery was named an honorable mention in the 2020 JucoRecruiting.com Top 100 Player Rankings.
Zachery is considered a true point guard and has been praised for his mid-range jumper and high basketball IQ. UB has three point guards on the roster, including junior Jayvon Graves, sophomore Ronaldo Segu and incoming freshman Chanse Robinson.
The Bulls are honing in on guards, since Davonta Jordan and Antwain Johnson are both graduating in June. Three-star recruit Josiah Freeman decommitted from UB in mid-March, so the Bulls still have two scholarships they can offer.
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Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
