SMU wraps up Bruno Fernando
Southern Methodist made major noise on Friday evening, the eve of the Final Four, by gaining a commitment out of Bruno Fernando, in hopes that the Montverde product can one day land the Mustangs to a championship grouping of its own.
A 6-foot-9 center with super broad shoulders, a college ready body, and prospering skillset from 15-feet and in, Fernando should immediately help out at SMU next season. One of the best uncommitted seniors that was left on the board, Fernando is the true essence of an interior presence.
Coming over from his native country of Angola in January, 2015, Fernando first hit it off on the high school scene running with the Montverde Academy squad. On the travel circuit, the productive big man began to show his developments with his back to the basket playing alongside such other top tier recruits as Tony Bradley and Jon Isaac with the Each 1 Teach 1 crew.
Where Fernando works best is in the low post where he can score with a go-to hook over his left shoulder while also displaying good awareness and passing skills out of the double team. He is a ferocious rebounder of the ball, especially on the offensive end, and has shown good mechanics on his foul shot attempts, a shot that he tends to shoot a good amount due to how hard he plays and the violence that ensues.
The 67th ranked prospect within the HoopSeen 2016 Rankings, Fernando joins 81st ranked Ted Kapita, along with DeShawn McDowell, Tom Wilson, and Harry Froling in making up a top-25 recruiting class and one with quite the international flair that should allow for sustained success for Larry Brown and company in Dallas.