Who does Ole Miss sign as new Brazilian point guard Eduardo Klafke?
The NBA Academy Latin America showcases its capabilities as a home for elite young talent throughout Central and South America. Eduardo Klafke, a 17-year-old Brazilian point guard playing in the academy, chose Ole Miss. ESPN reported.
Klafke is Ole Miss’ third commitment in the class of 2024. The Rebels are breaking new ground in recruiting as none of the three play for traditional US high schools: Jason Jackson and John Bol are both at Overtime Elite, while Klafke is from Brazil .
Who is this new Ole Miss recruit?
A lot is known about Klafke, who is described as a sniper by analysts such as Jonathan Givony. According to 247Sports, he averaged 8.6 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals per game in seven games at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup. The recruiting site described him as a “notable standout” at the NBA Basketball Without Boarders Global Camp in Utah during the NBA All-Star break.
At the 2022 U18 Americas Championship, he averaged 13.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 42% from the floor and 45% from 3, according to 247Sports.
According to the Clarion LedgerSources do not agree on Klafke’s size. 247Sport and the FIBA On the basketball site he is both listed at 1.80m, but On3 has him at 1.90m and the NBA Academy says he is a whopping 1.90 meters tall.
In addition to Ole Miss, Klafke also had offers from Creighton and Xavier. He has yet to receive any stars in the 247Sports rankings.
The Brazilian will help rebuild Ole Miss men’s basketball when he starts at the school in a year. The Rebels have been under .500 the past two years and have not been to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament since 2019.
