Boynton Says Moncrieffe would be a Top 20 Recruit if He Played in the U.S.

Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN all rate Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe as a four-star prospect, but that’s still too low to Mike Boynton.

Moncrieffe, an OSU signee, is the 150th-ranked player in the 2020 class, according to 247Sports’ composite ranking, but Moncrieffe’s new coach said if Moncrieffe, out of Orangeville Prep in Canada, played high school ball in the United States, he would rocket up those boards.

“If Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe was a U.S. high school basketball player, he would be a top-20 player in the country,” Boynton said. “He is really, really good. The thing that I like the most is he wants to be the best he can be, and nothing else matters.

“He doesn’t care what position he plays or how hard he has to work or what sacrifices he has to make, he just wants to work and will himself to being the best he’s capable of. I think because of that attitude and because of his approach, he’ll get pretty close to maximizing his ability.”

For reference, Oklahoman and Kansas signee Bryce Thompson is the 20th prospect in the class, according to the composite ranking. The top 25 players in the class are all five-star recruits.

Boynton mentioning Moncrieffe not caring about what position he plays could be a solid attribute for OSU. Recruiting sites list Moncrieffe as a small forward, but he could play a good bit of power forward this season in Stillwater as OSU’s roster sits now.

At a long 6-foot-7, Moncrieffe will be able to guard shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards, and offensively he has quite a bit of control when attacking the basket.

As a senior at Orangeville Prep, Moncrieffe averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals a game while shooting 57 percent.

“From a pure basketball standpoint, he continues to add to our length, our range, our athleticism, our defensive versatility,” Boynton said. “Talk about a kid from a great family, a great program in Orangeville. He was coached hard, so nothing’s gonna really shock him. He’s a guy who understands, in some ways similar to Rondel [Walker], that right now, when he steps on the court his best ability to impact a game is on the defensive end.

“Some of the other stuff he has to continue to learn, but when you got guys who walk in the door and relish in the opportunity to be defensive stoppers, you got something that you can build with.”