Elijah Buchanan
verbally commits
to Manhattan College
Manhattan College has always been there for Woodstock Academy Gold prep player, Elijah Buchanan.
The Jaspers’ persistence paid off.
Unlike most, Buchanan will be going home to college.
Over the weekend, the 6-foot-3 guard verbally committed to play for what could be considered his hometown college. Buchanan hails from the Bronx in New York City and that’s where Manhattan College is located.
 “I miss home,” Buchanan said.
Next year, home will be 20 minutes away.
“My parents will be able to come to my games. It’s hard for her (his mother, Patsy) to come out (to Woodstock). It’s like three hours away and she’s a judge so it’s hard for her to find time to come to games. It will be easier for her to come to games now,” Buchanan said.
This year, he was more than three hours away from the city.
But it was a good experience for the shooting guard.
“I’m happy,” Buchanan said. “Coming here got me stronger, faster, built up my confidence and helped me to score quicker in less minutes. Helped me a lot, taught me a lot.”
It also opened up his eyes a lot as far as the competitive level he will be dealing with at the Division I level.
“The game is much quicker, the guys are much bigger, and almost everybody on every basketball team is good. On a regular high school team, there might be two or three good players, but here, everyone coming off the bench, even the 12th man, is good,” said Buchanan.
Buchanan led the team in scoring five times this season and has scored in double figures over 20 times.
He averages 10 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and two deflections per game. He makes 45 percent of his field goal attempts and 38 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Woodstock Academy Gold Prep coach Tony Bergeron said Buchanan has improved greatly in his short stay at The Academy.
“He has made unbelievable strides in the classroom and on the court. He greatly improved his SAT score and has made some solid strides in the weight room,” Bergeron said.
Bergeron said he is going to a program that needs his skill set.
The Jaspers, of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, were 14-16 coming into the week and they need someone who can fill the basket.
“I already have a bond with (Manhattan) coach (Steve Masiello). He is like my regular high school coach (at St. Michaels High School),” Buchanan said. “He told me the offense is just like (St. Michael’s). I love that offense. It got me a lot of buckets.”
Buchanan becomes the sixth member of the Gold squad to commit to a Division I program. Two, Chaylyn Martin and Jeameril Wilson have already signed their National Letters of Intent.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director

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