By Ron P. Coderre

Coach Tom Espinosa, whose team will apparently be playing this coming season as the Putnam Science Academy Mustangs, announced on July 9 the signing of another recruit from the New York City area.

Jaheam Cornwall,  a 6-foot guard who last played for Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows, N.Y., will join the school and team as a junior in the class of 2017.  Cornwall joins a corps of recruits that currently boast a number of players from the New York City area.

“We like Jahean because he’s only a junior and will be with us for two, possibly three years.  He’s quick and versatile and has proven to be a leader on the court in high school and in PSAL competition,” said coach Espinosa.

Cornwall has shown that he has scoring ability from the point guard position, averaging 22 points per game in leading his school to the New York City PSAL A West title in 2014-2015.  The team posted a 16-0 record.  The team made it all the way to the NYC PSAL A City semifinals.  

In addition to his scoring ability, Cornwall is unselfish, proving he can distribute the basketball as he averaged seven assists a game.  He also possesses long range shooting ability and is an accurate free throw shooter at 80% from the charity stripe. At 6 feet, Cornwall has great leaping ability and posted seven rebounds per game, second on the team in that department.

Cornwall joins Mamadou Diarra, who committed to UConn and coach Kevin Ollie in May in the Class of 2016 and Hamidou Diallo, a 6’-4” guard who is also being recruited by UConn and a number of other NCAA Division I schools.