Few college basketball recruits have as compelling a backstory as John Bol, let alone the charisma and intelligence he also exudes.
First, let’s establish the specifics that have already made Bol a sought-after college recruit, despite being in only his third year of playing organized basketball.
Bol, a class of 2024 recruit originally from South Sudan, stands 7-foot-2, weighs 205 pounds and has a wingspan that measures nearly 8 feet.
The 247Sports Composite ranks Bol as the No. 24 recruit in the country in his class.
He plays for Christian Brothers College High School (CBC) just outside St. Louis, and plays up an age level for MoKan Elite on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit.
Now let’s discuss the rest of John Bol’s story.
He speaks five languages (including Arabic, English and Swahili) and speaks fondly of learning about basketball by watching Kevin Garnett highlights on YouTube.
He went from South Sudan to Kenya to St. Louis, and already has fans lining up for photos after games.
Those around Bol believe these are the early days of what will become a fruitful college career ⁠— potentially at Kentucky ⁠— followed by one at the professional level.
“He’s literally writing his story of success, and he will be successful because of how intelligent he is,” said Dave Milliren, one of Bol’s coaches at MoKan Elite. “The fame is about to come, because of how hard he works, how smart he is.”
MoKan Elite’s John Bol (11) waits for a pass in the middle of the court during the recent Nike EYBL event in Louisville. Bol is a highly ranked prospect in the 2024 class.
Blossoming quickly
Bol is from South Sudan, but began playing basketball a couple years ago in Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya.
He arrived in the United States in March 2021 to continue his basketball development.
This process would occur in the suburbs of St. Louis, as Bol began playing for CBC, where the head coach is Justin Tatum, the father of Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
Milliren watched Bol play early in his sophomore season at CBC and took note of Bol’s height, length and in-game work ethic.
Bol’s motor has become a hallmark of his playing style.
Story continues
“I was shocked to find out this is his third year of organized basketball,” Milliren recalled. “I was like, flabbergasted by that. He picks up stuff really fast. To be where he’s at, I never would have guessed that.”
As a sophomore at CBC, Bol averaged 10 points and nine rebounds per game in 27 games played.
Also noteworthy? The nearly four blocks per game he averaged.
This combination of rebounding prowess and rim protection were two key reasons why Milliren wanted Bol to play for MoKan Elite during this summer’s EYBL circuit.
“Not even blocking the shot, but just (Bol’s) presence alone is important because it will deter a lot of people when they (see) a 7-footer back there,” Milliren said, noting past MoKan Elite big men like N’Faly Dante (a former UK recruit now at Oregon) and Davion Bradford (formerly of Kansas State and now at Wake Forest).
During the five-game May EYBL session in Louisville, Bol averaged 6.4 points and 6 rebounds per game, while shooting better than 68% from the field.
In the EYBL season so far, Bol has been one of the top rim protectors, averaging 1.4 blocks per game for MoKan Elite, which is based in the Kansas City metro area.
“He’s one of the most mobile big men I’ve ever watched, especially for his size. (He) just runs extremely light on his feet,” 247Sports analyst Travis Branham said of Bol. “I was watching him (in Louisville) and there was a ball thrown into the corner, (Bol) was underneath the rim and took one step, and was able to not only contest it, but block the shot.”
“It was like one of those Zion Williamson contests,” Branham continued. “That similar ability to just cover so much ground and not only contest, but block a shot on the perimeter from underneath the basket basically.”
So in his own words, what does Bol think he does best as a basketball player right now?
“I believe I’m good at defense. If I keep doing what I’m doing on the defensive end, it’s going to take me to a whole other level,” Bol said between games at the Louisville EYBL session. “I can literally guard anyone from the one to five. If I’m on top I can contain you, I can move with you. It’s very easy for me.”
MoKan Elite’s John Bol (11) loses possession of the ball during a Nike EYBL session in Louisville. The 7-foot-2 Bol is in only his third season of organized basketball but is already attracting major college attention.
NBA legend is Bol’s basketball idol
While he was back in Africa, Bol first took basketball inspiration from Kevin Garnett.
The foul-mouthed, talismanic legend with the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves was the subject of frequent YouTube searches by Bol.
“He’s a guy that I can say has almost the same motor as me, but not that much. I have a lot more motor than him. But this is the dude that made me play basketball,” Bol said. “He’s my idol, I look up to him. I’ve watched and seen the clips of him on YouTube, every single play. I always look for Kevin Garnett’s clips.”
What appeals most to Bol about Garnett?
“He doesn’t fear no one, he doesn’t care who you are. He doesn’t care if you’re 4-11 or 7-2, he’s coming at you with all his might, with everything he has,” Bol explained. “That’s something that I value a lot. Whenever I play, I always play not caring if this dude is 5-2 or 6-10. I’m coming at you with the same energy, that’s something I picked up from Kevin Garnett.”
While Bol claims to have also picked up Garnett’s trash-talking skills, that’s disputed by Milliren, one of his coaches with MoKan Elite.
“That kid, he doesn’t talk smack,” Milliren said while laughing. “He’s so nice. He likes to be around people. He’s conscious of his surroundings. He’s a good dude. . . . I think he’d be worried about hurting somebody’s feelings.”
But in the moments when Bol does talk, Milliren said jokes are always sprinkled in.
“People really enjoy being around him, because he’s hilarious too,” Milliren said. “He’s a funny, smart, hardworking kid. The story is being written for him. . . . So it’s going to be a good story.”
Bol’s recruitment days away from truly starting
Bol’s college recruitment, and his development as a college prospect, remain a work in progress.
NCAA rules allow college basketball coaches to make unlimited calls and texts to recruits starting June 15 after their sophomore year, a date fast approaching for Bol and others in the class of 2024.
Bol already has scholarship offers from several high-major schools and blue-blood programs, including Illinois, Kansas State, Michigan and Missouri.
Interest from Kentucky also exists, although that was mainly facilitated through former assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Jai Lucas, who recently left UK for Duke.
Still, Bol is already well versed in what he is looking for in his college choice.
“A school that will utilize my skills, utilize my talents. A school like Kentucky or Duke or Purdue, schools that use big men, not just for screening and for lobs and stuff, but actually being a part of the play,” Bol said. “Being able to get the ball outside on the perimeter and do one, two, three things. That’s the kind of school I’m looking for right now.”
In the same way Bol is looking for these elements in a college program, there are certain things he must improve on to rise to that level.
“Right now what he does so well is defend, block shots and rebound. He runs the floor, he’s going to finish at the rim, but his offensive skill set, he’s not one of those guys (that) you’re going to throw the ball to in the post and he’s going to go get you a bucket,” said Branham, the 247Sports analyst. “He’s just going to do all the little things that you want out of the big man, and whatever offense he brings you is just kind of a cherry on top.”
“He’s going to have to invest more time in his body. With a big guy like that he’s going to have to eat a ton of calories to gain muscle mass because he’s prone to injury (with) just how skinny he is,” added Milliren. “Obviously he’s going to play at the next level. It’s what he wants to do at that next level to get to the NBA, or play professionally.”
Bol has enough self-awareness to understand.
Among the improvements Bol is working on are finishing around the rim, post moves and the ability to defend at the rim without fouling.
“It’s something that doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something that gradually happens, so I take it step by step everyday,” Bol said.
On the cusp of the explosion of his college recruitment, extreme confidence exists in Bol’s ability to continue his on-court improvement while dealing with the off-court exposure.
“I’ve been around some high-level kids that don’t like to practice. He likes to practice, he wants to get better,” Milliren said. “Everywhere we go people want pictures with him. They don’t even know who he is, they just want pictures. He’s been dealing with that a long time. . . . But the fame is about to come, because of how hard he works, how smart he is.”

Source: Yahoo Entertainment

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