The Warriors men's basketball program and Head Coach Justin Gunter is thrilled to announce the Warriors fifth commitment of 2017. Highly recruited 6-foot-6 wing forward Jeff Baradziej from Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah has joined the Warriors. Baradziej, hails from Grimsby, Ontario, but has spent the past three season as the powerhouse Prep School, will add much needed skill and size to the wing for the Warriors.
"I have known Jeff for about five years now, going back to my days as a club coach in the Blessed Sacrament (Hamilton) system and we are thrilled that Jeff has decided to pursue his post-secondary education and basketball with us at the University of Waterloo," said Head Coach Justin Gunter. "Jeff's size and ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter will allow him to make an immediate impact on our program, we can play Jeff at multiple positions and we will use his unique skill set to our advantage."
Prior to spending the past three seasons at famed Wasatch Academy, Baradziej spent the early part of his high school career at Cardinal Newman Catholic High School (Stoney Creek) learning from two of the best high school coaches in the province in Andrew Sergi & Jeff Joseph. In his three years at Wasatch, Baradziej was a two-year starter and one of the main contributors on the top team in Utah and one of the top teams in the Nation.
In the past three seasons, Wasatch has amassed a record of 70-18 while competing against the top teams from across the United States. They participated in the Hoop Hall of Fame Game held annually at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, Wasatch also participated in the Dick's Sporting Goods High School Nationals the past two seasons, an annual tournament held in New York City featuring the top eight high school programs from across the United States. Baradziej also has represented Team Ontario in 2013 winning a National Championship at the U15 Nationals which were held in St. John's, Newfoundland.
"Waterloo is a perfect fit for me both academically and athletically, I am excited to join the young nucleus that Coach Gunter and Coach Stevenson have put together. I have played lots of basketball versus Simon Petrov (Waterloo/Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary), Justin Hardy (Waterloo/Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary) and some of the other incoming freshmen like Justin Malnerich and Evan Rodenburg and I am thrilled that I get to join them on the court and help in the building of the Warriors program," said Baradziej. I have been away from home for 3 years and to be able to attend such a prestigious academic institution only an hour away and play for an up and coming program is a perfect fit for me and I am excited to get started with my new coaches and teammates."
Baradziej has been accepted in Waterloo's Honours Arts & Business co-op program and will begin his studies in September, 2017.
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO 2017 MEN'S BASKETBALL RECRUITING CLASS
- Jeff Baradziej – 6'6 Wing – Wasatch Academy (Utah) – Grimsby, ON
- Jayden Grewal – 6'2 Guard – King's Christian Collegiate – Oakville, ON
- Evan Rodenburg – 6'10 Centre – St. Benedicts Catholic Secondary School – Cambridge, ON
- Justin Malnerich – 6'2 Guard – St. Benedicts Catholic Secondary School – Cambridge, ON
- Cameron Penner – 6'7 Forward – Collingwood Collegiate Institute – Collingwood, ON
