Utah Prep’s JJ Mandaquit Talks BYU, Latest On Recruitment
Aug 4, 2024, 11:03 PM
Utah Prep guard JJ Mandaquit discussed his recruitment with KSL Sports. (Photo courtesy of KSL Sports)
(Photo courtesy of KSL Sports)
HURRICANE, Utah – Utah Prep’s JJ Mandaquit is one of the top point guards in the country for the class of 2025.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard settled into Southern Utah in May after completing his first season with the Utah Prep program last year in the Salt Lake Valley.
This upcoming season projects to be a year with many eyeballs on him. The Hilo, Hawaii native, is fresh off a record-setting performance at the U17 World Cup for Team USA, where he dished out 10 assists in the Gold Medal game.
AJ Dybantsa and JJ Mandaquit from Utah Prep have formed great chemistry since playing for Team USA at the U17 World Cup. pic.twitter.com/emc1kmrhyh
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) August 2, 2024
Mandaquit enters his senior year as the 8th-ranked point guard in the country by the 247Sports Composite ratings.
JJ Mandaquit is gearing up for his senior year at Utah Prep
Then you add that his teammate on Utah Prep is No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa; It’s a big year coming up for Mandaquit.
“It’s a great opportunity to showcase our skills and talent. That’s why we made the move to come here [to Utah Prep],” Mandaquit said last week after Utah Prep’s intrasquad scrimmage.
Coming up this week, Mandaquit and his star-studded Utah Prep team will be in Shanghai, China, for an international tour.
Can’t wait for Shanghai! pic.twitter.com/SrVtMQpbRt
— Utah Prep Boys Basketball (@UtahPrepMBB) July 31, 2024
“I’m really excited. As far as the goals, I mean, just to win. Have fun and win. But I think it’s gonna be a great experience overall. Just continue to connect with my guys. When you travel abroad, it’s a different type of bond. So it’ll be fun.”
Offers continue to pile up for Mandaquit
While he gears up for the international matchups, Mandaquit’s recruiting interest continues. He recently received an offer from the Virginia Cavaliers.
Along with the Hoos, Mandaquit has received offers from Louisville, USC, Hawaii, San Diego State, Tennessee, Utah, Utah State, and BYU, among others.
One week after Kevin Young was named BYU’s head coach in April, they extended an offer to Mandaquit.
Mandaquit provided an update on his recruitment to KSL Sports.
“I’m open right now. We’re having conversations with family, just trying to see what’s best for me,” Mandaquit said. “I’m trying to narrow it down here in the next couple of weeks, maybe even in the next week, possibly. But just trying to have these conversations, see what’s best for me and we’ll see what happens.”
Thoughts on BYU, Kevin Young
KSL Sports also asked his thoughts on BYU and first-year head coach Kevin Young.
“I think there’s a lot of buzz around BYU, for sure. I think Coach Young is going to do a lot of great things. Obviously, him coming from the NBA is intriguing,” said Mandaquit. “But, you know, he’s created a lot of buzz around the program, so I think it’s exciting. I’m interested to follow them throughout the year and see how they do.”
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
