North Carolina's top-ranked uncommitted senior Kuluel Mading is peaking at the right time for The Burlington School
Chapel Fowler The Fayetteville Observer
BURLINGTON – On Jan. 4, Kuluel Mading bet on himself. Nearly two months later, it’s looking like a wise gamble.
Since decommitting from Howard University early this year, Mading, a 6-foot-9 power forward and three-star recruit at The Burlington School, has been riding a serious second wave of recruiting buzz.
Georgia, Georgetown, Wichita State and UNC-Greensboro are among the schools to reach back out to Mading. He expects things to pick up further as more teams wrap up their 2020-21 regular seasons.
And take it from TBS head coach Ryan Bernardi: that renewed interest didn’t just magically appear for Mading, who in January became the top uncommitted player in North Carolina’s class of 2021.
“He’s really stepped up his game since he’s de-committed, I think, because of that factor,” Bernardi said. “Because it’s scary. Because it’s, ‘Hey, I have nothing right now.’ Lucky for him, his potential and what he's done on the court has garnered plenty of attention. He’ll for sure go to college for free.”
Mading’s timely jump has been mutually beneficial, too. It’s one of the reasons the Spartans are surging in the new year, with big wins over some household-name prep schools (Word of God, Greensboro Day), razor-thin losses to others (Moravian Prep, Combine Academy) and a No. 29 national rank in January.
The Burlington School also advanced to the NCISAA 2-A semifinals with 80-49 home win over Gaston Day on Monday. A year after coming up three points short of a state title – the 2019-20 runner-up banner hanging in their gym serves as a prescient reminder – the Spartans are just two games away.
“None of us that were on the team last year want to have that feeling again,” Mading said.
No TBS starter played more than two quarters in Monday’s blowout, but Mading still showcased the skillset that’s made him the No. 10 senior in North Carolina, according to 247Sports composite rankings.
He anchored the Spartans’ defense down low, blocked multiple shots while avoiding fouls and altered Gaston Day’s offense with his sheer presence in the paint. He started slow on offense, missing a few short jump hooks, but still nabbed rebounds and chipped in on TBS’s crisp ball movement.
Then, in the third quarter, Mading poured in nine of his 11 points on a variety of moves that all looked equally natural: an offensive rebound followed by a put-back down low, an effortless alley-oop dunk, a lefty layup that started with a drive from the top of the key and a corner 3-pointer on a fast break.
“He’s productive now, and he’s still got so much to get better at,” Bernardi said. “That’s what’s exciting. He’s so far away from his potential, it’s not even funny.”
Mading, who spent three years at High Point Central before transferring to The Burlington School and reclassifying to 2021, has always seen versatility as a crucial part of his game and future in basketball.
At 190 pounds, he takes plenty of inspiration from a group of NBA players he loosely defines as “skinny guys with guard skills that can do a little bit of everything.” That includes Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and especially Brandon Ingram, the former Kinston High and Duke star.
“I used to watch him on Ballislife all the time in middle school,” Mading said, laughing.
Plenty of schools picked up on Mading’s talent once he entered high school. By last summer, he’d racked up close to 20 offers from Division I schools. Howard, an HBCU in Washington, D.C., offered Mading in August, and he committed to the Bison on Nov. 14, early in his senior season at TBS.
Decommitting from Howard a month and half later was hard, Mading said, but the correct move. He and his family wanted to find the “best fit possible,” as he wrote in a Jan. 4 tweet announcing the news.
“The people at Howard, those are my guys,” Mading said. “I’ve still got love for them … like I said, it’s hard, but I’m just trying to move past it and find a better fit – even though that was a great fit.”
Since decommitting, Mading has been uber-focused on the final stretch of his senior season. If he puts in the necessary work, everything else – including his eventual college choice – will come in due time.
And considering The Burlington School hosts Wayne Country Day on Wednesday for a spot in Saturday’s NCISAA 2-A title game, that’s been yet another wise gamble for Mading, a prospect on a roll.
Chapel Fowler is a recruiting reporter for The Fayetteville Observer and the USA TODAY Network. Reach him by email at cfowler@gannett.com or on Twitter at @chapelfowler.
Chapel Fowler The Fayetteville Observer
BURLINGTON – On Jan. 4, Kuluel Mading bet on himself. Nearly two months later, it’s looking like a wise gamble.
Since decommitting from Howard University early this year, Mading, a 6-foot-9 power forward and three-star recruit at The Burlington School, has been riding a serious second wave of recruiting buzz.
Georgia, Georgetown, Wichita State and UNC-Greensboro are among the schools to reach back out to Mading. He expects things to pick up further as more teams wrap up their 2020-21 regular seasons.
And take it from TBS head coach Ryan Bernardi: that renewed interest didn’t just magically appear for Mading, who in January became the top uncommitted player in North Carolina’s class of 2021.
“He’s really stepped up his game since he’s de-committed, I think, because of that factor,” Bernardi said. “Because it’s scary. Because it’s, ‘Hey, I have nothing right now.’ Lucky for him, his potential and what he's done on the court has garnered plenty of attention. He’ll for sure go to college for free.”
Mading’s timely jump has been mutually beneficial, too. It’s one of the reasons the Spartans are surging in the new year, with big wins over some household-name prep schools (Word of God, Greensboro Day), razor-thin losses to others (Moravian Prep, Combine Academy) and a No. 29 national rank in January.
The Burlington School also advanced to the NCISAA 2-A semifinals with 80-49 home win over Gaston Day on Monday. A year after coming up three points short of a state title – the 2019-20 runner-up banner hanging in their gym serves as a prescient reminder – the Spartans are just two games away.
“None of us that were on the team last year want to have that feeling again,” Mading said.
No TBS starter played more than two quarters in Monday’s blowout, but Mading still showcased the skillset that’s made him the No. 10 senior in North Carolina, according to 247Sports composite rankings.
He anchored the Spartans’ defense down low, blocked multiple shots while avoiding fouls and altered Gaston Day’s offense with his sheer presence in the paint. He started slow on offense, missing a few short jump hooks, but still nabbed rebounds and chipped in on TBS’s crisp ball movement.
Then, in the third quarter, Mading poured in nine of his 11 points on a variety of moves that all looked equally natural: an offensive rebound followed by a put-back down low, an effortless alley-oop dunk, a lefty layup that started with a drive from the top of the key and a corner 3-pointer on a fast break.
“He’s productive now, and he’s still got so much to get better at,” Bernardi said. “That’s what’s exciting. He’s so far away from his potential, it’s not even funny.”
Mading, who spent three years at High Point Central before transferring to The Burlington School and reclassifying to 2021, has always seen versatility as a crucial part of his game and future in basketball.
At 190 pounds, he takes plenty of inspiration from a group of NBA players he loosely defines as “skinny guys with guard skills that can do a little bit of everything.” That includes Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and especially Brandon Ingram, the former Kinston High and Duke star.
“I used to watch him on Ballislife all the time in middle school,” Mading said, laughing.
Plenty of schools picked up on Mading’s talent once he entered high school. By last summer, he’d racked up close to 20 offers from Division I schools. Howard, an HBCU in Washington, D.C., offered Mading in August, and he committed to the Bison on Nov. 14, early in his senior season at TBS.
Decommitting from Howard a month and half later was hard, Mading said, but the correct move. He and his family wanted to find the “best fit possible,” as he wrote in a Jan. 4 tweet announcing the news.
“The people at Howard, those are my guys,” Mading said. “I’ve still got love for them … like I said, it’s hard, but I’m just trying to move past it and find a better fit – even though that was a great fit.”
Since decommitting, Mading has been uber-focused on the final stretch of his senior season. If he puts in the necessary work, everything else – including his eventual college choice – will come in due time.
And considering The Burlington School hosts Wayne Country Day on Wednesday for a spot in Saturday’s NCISAA 2-A title game, that’s been yet another wise gamble for Mading, a prospect on a roll.
Chapel Fowler is a recruiting reporter for The Fayetteville Observer and the USA TODAY Network. Reach him by email at cfowler@gannett.com or on Twitter at @chapelfowler.
