Men’s Basketball Announces 2024 Signing Class
7/8/2024 3:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Lions welcome Cobb, Ritter, O’Keefe, Cunningham, Clarkson, and Vessey to the program
NEW YORK — Columbia men's basketball coach Jim Engles officially announced Gianni Cobb, Mason Ritter, Gerard O'Keefe, Josiah Cunningham, and Nigel Clarkson as the program's 2024 signees that will enroll as first-years, along with transfer Daniel Vessey.
"I am thrilled to introduce the six exceptional newcomers joining our team this season," Engles said. "Each of these young men bring unique talents and accomplishments that will undoubtedly contribute to our success on and off the court."
Cobb, Ritter, O'Keefe, Cunningham, Clarkson, and Vessey join 12 returning letterwinners to the 2024-25 Columbia men's basketball team.
2024 Men's Basketball Signees
#12 Gianni Cobb
Guard | 6-0 | 145 lbs | Chicago, Illinois | Homewood-Flossmoor
High School: A June 2024 graduate of Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Homewood, Illinois… Scored over 1,200 career points… Sun Times All-Area selection… Southtown All-Area selection… Conference Player of the Year… IBCA First Team selection… AP All-State First Team selection… Led team to first state title in school history.
Personal: Son of Marlon and Maribel Cobb… Has two sisters Aniyah and Layla… Has a brother Kamarion... Is Puerto Rican and African American… Has been playing organized basketball since he was four years old… Has also played youth soccer and football…. Nicknamed "G"... Chose Columbia University to pursue a higher quality education…. His ambition is to one day make it to the NBA... Is big on fashion and is a sneakerhead.
#14 Mason Ritter
Forward | 6-8 | 230 lbs | Bowling Green, Kentucky | Bowling Green
High School: A June 2024 graduate of Bowling Green High School in Bowling Green, Kentucky… Three-year All-Region Team selection… Two-Years All-State Team selection… Dropped a career-high 28 points… Had one game with seven dunks in the first half... Averaged 15 points and 9.5 rebounds per game his senior year… Academic All-State selection all four years… Was top 5 in his class.
Personal: Son of Beth and Larkin Ritter… Mother played basketball and recruited for women's basketball at Auburn University… Has played basketball all his life and his mother was his first coach… When not playing basketball, he is either cooking something or fishing as basketball, cooking, and fishing are his three main hobbies.
#4 Gerard O'Keefe
Guard | 6-3 | 195 lbs | Nashville, Tennessee | IMG Academy
High School: A June 2024 graduate of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida… McDonald's All-American Basketball Game selection… IMG Academy Ascender… 2023 IMG Varsity MVP… Valedictorian at IMG Academy… National Merit Scholarship Finalist… Presidential Scholar Nominee… AP Scholar… Led Hoop City 17U to 3SSB Final Four.
Personal: Son of Mike and Chandra O'Keefe… Has a brother Louis and a sister Annabel… Father played basketball at Kent State.
#8 Josiah Cunningham
Guard | 6-2 | 190 lbs | Long Beach, California | Coronado
High School: A June 2024 graduate of Coronado High School in Henderson, Nevada… 5A Defensive Player of the Year in 2023… 5A All-Conference selection in 2023 and 2024… 2024 Big City Showdown MVP… Tarkanian Classic All Tournament Team selection… 2024 McDonald's All-American nominee… Coronado Athlete of the Year in 2024… Las Vegas Sun Super Seven in 2023 and 2024… Honors graduate.
Personal: Father played professionally overseas and was in the movies "Coach Carter" and "Rebound"... Father coached college and high school basketball for over 20 years… Played for Vegas Elite 17u EYBL (Was the No. 1 AAU team in the country in 2022-2023)... Also played in the Peach Jam Championship 2024… Prefers being called Jo or JoJo.
#11 Nigel Clarkson
Forward | 6-7 | 195 lbs | Fayetteville, North Carolina | Hargrave Military Academy
High School: A June 2024 graduate of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia… Played a post-graduate year at Hargrave Military Academy… A June 2023 graduate of Cosby High School in Richmond, Virginia… First Team All-Region selection… Second Team All-Metro selection… All-County selection… Averaged 20 points and eight rebounds a game in his high school career... Had a career-high 43 points in an EAU game where he made 10 three-pointers.
Personal: Son of Nikeya and Jami Clarkson… Father served in the Army… Has an older sister, J'nai, and two younger brothers, Jaylen and Nikholas… Likes playing PS5 or watching cartoons in his free time... Likes watching old Cartoon Network shows and bowling… Loves listening to music.
#21 Daniel Vessey
Guard | 6-3 | 190 lbs | Plainsboro, New Jersey | The Hun School / Rutgers
Before Columbia: A June 2023 graduate from The Hun School in Princeton, New Jersey… Three-time First Team All-MAPL selection… Two-time All-State Prep First Team selection… N.J. Prep Player of the Year… Two-time Team Captain at The Hun School… 1,000 point scorer at The Hun School… McDonald's All American Game Nominee- East Region… Four Year Honor Roll student at The Hun School… Spent the 2023-24 season playing for Rutgers… Member of the Dean's List at Rutgers.
Personal: Born in Plainsboro, New Jersey… Son of Rupert and Laura Vessey… Father Rupert played rugby for Oxford… Has three siblings: Jon Pearson, Kate Penney, and Sarah Pearson… Parents now live in Kalamazoo, Michigan... Started playing basketball with his sister Kate when he was two years old.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on X, Instagram, or on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
"I am thrilled to introduce the six exceptional newcomers joining our team this season," Engles said. "Each of these young men bring unique talents and accomplishments that will undoubtedly contribute to our success on and off the court."
Cobb, Ritter, O'Keefe, Cunningham, Clarkson, and Vessey join 12 returning letterwinners to the 2024-25 Columbia men's basketball team.
2024 Men's Basketball Signees
#12 Gianni Cobb
Guard | 6-0 | 145 lbs | Chicago, Illinois | Homewood-Flossmoor
High School: A June 2024 graduate of Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Homewood, Illinois… Scored over 1,200 career points… Sun Times All-Area selection… Southtown All-Area selection… Conference Player of the Year… IBCA First Team selection… AP All-State First Team selection… Led team to first state title in school history.
Personal: Son of Marlon and Maribel Cobb… Has two sisters Aniyah and Layla… Has a brother Kamarion... Is Puerto Rican and African American… Has been playing organized basketball since he was four years old… Has also played youth soccer and football…. Nicknamed "G"... Chose Columbia University to pursue a higher quality education…. His ambition is to one day make it to the NBA... Is big on fashion and is a sneakerhead.
#14 Mason Ritter
Forward | 6-8 | 230 lbs | Bowling Green, Kentucky | Bowling Green
High School: A June 2024 graduate of Bowling Green High School in Bowling Green, Kentucky… Three-year All-Region Team selection… Two-Years All-State Team selection… Dropped a career-high 28 points… Had one game with seven dunks in the first half... Averaged 15 points and 9.5 rebounds per game his senior year… Academic All-State selection all four years… Was top 5 in his class.
Personal: Son of Beth and Larkin Ritter… Mother played basketball and recruited for women's basketball at Auburn University… Has played basketball all his life and his mother was his first coach… When not playing basketball, he is either cooking something or fishing as basketball, cooking, and fishing are his three main hobbies.
#4 Gerard O'Keefe
Guard | 6-3 | 195 lbs | Nashville, Tennessee | IMG Academy
High School: A June 2024 graduate of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida… McDonald's All-American Basketball Game selection… IMG Academy Ascender… 2023 IMG Varsity MVP… Valedictorian at IMG Academy… National Merit Scholarship Finalist… Presidential Scholar Nominee… AP Scholar… Led Hoop City 17U to 3SSB Final Four.
Personal: Son of Mike and Chandra O'Keefe… Has a brother Louis and a sister Annabel… Father played basketball at Kent State.
#8 Josiah Cunningham
Guard | 6-2 | 190 lbs | Long Beach, California | Coronado
High School: A June 2024 graduate of Coronado High School in Henderson, Nevada… 5A Defensive Player of the Year in 2023… 5A All-Conference selection in 2023 and 2024… 2024 Big City Showdown MVP… Tarkanian Classic All Tournament Team selection… 2024 McDonald's All-American nominee… Coronado Athlete of the Year in 2024… Las Vegas Sun Super Seven in 2023 and 2024… Honors graduate.
Personal: Father played professionally overseas and was in the movies "Coach Carter" and "Rebound"... Father coached college and high school basketball for over 20 years… Played for Vegas Elite 17u EYBL (Was the No. 1 AAU team in the country in 2022-2023)... Also played in the Peach Jam Championship 2024… Prefers being called Jo or JoJo.
#11 Nigel Clarkson
Forward | 6-7 | 195 lbs | Fayetteville, North Carolina | Hargrave Military Academy
High School: A June 2024 graduate of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia… Played a post-graduate year at Hargrave Military Academy… A June 2023 graduate of Cosby High School in Richmond, Virginia… First Team All-Region selection… Second Team All-Metro selection… All-County selection… Averaged 20 points and eight rebounds a game in his high school career... Had a career-high 43 points in an EAU game where he made 10 three-pointers.
Personal: Son of Nikeya and Jami Clarkson… Father served in the Army… Has an older sister, J'nai, and two younger brothers, Jaylen and Nikholas… Likes playing PS5 or watching cartoons in his free time... Likes watching old Cartoon Network shows and bowling… Loves listening to music.
#21 Daniel Vessey
Guard | 6-3 | 190 lbs | Plainsboro, New Jersey | The Hun School / Rutgers
Before Columbia: A June 2023 graduate from The Hun School in Princeton, New Jersey… Three-time First Team All-MAPL selection… Two-time All-State Prep First Team selection… N.J. Prep Player of the Year… Two-time Team Captain at The Hun School… 1,000 point scorer at The Hun School… McDonald's All American Game Nominee- East Region… Four Year Honor Roll student at The Hun School… Spent the 2023-24 season playing for Rutgers… Member of the Dean's List at Rutgers.
Personal: Born in Plainsboro, New Jersey… Son of Rupert and Laura Vessey… Father Rupert played rugby for Oxford… Has three siblings: Jon Pearson, Kate Penney, and Sarah Pearson… Parents now live in Kalamazoo, Michigan... Started playing basketball with his sister Kate when he was two years old.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on X, Instagram, or on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
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