Long Overdue!
After a long and sometimes windy road, Joe Bramanti fulfilled his division I aspirations on Friday with a commitment to Wright State University, a mid-major division I program in the Horizon League.
Bramanti had a storied high school career under head coach Dave Fazio at Andover High School, and took MVP honors last year in the Merrimack Valley Conference after averaging 22 poitns, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. He was also named to ESPN Boston’s first ever MIAA All-State Team as well as their All-Defensive team.
Following his graduation from Andover, Bramanti opted for a post-graduate year at Brewster Academy, where, under head coach Jason Smith, he proved to be an irreplaceable player on a star studded roster and was a critical part of the Bobcat’s run to their second National Prep Championship.
Bramanti was no less important on the grassroots circuit where he starred for the New England Playaz for the last two summers, helping them to numerous championships including the Providence Jam Fest and West Virginia Jam Fest while also making a final four run at the Adidas Invitational.
The consensus on Bramanti is that he is the total team player – an outstanding competitor who thrives on the defensive end and is willing to do absolutely anything to help his team earn the victory.
“He is one of the toughest players I have ever coached. He does whatever it takes to win and won’t back down from anyone,” former NBA and division I head coach John Carroll was quoted as saying last summer when coaching Bramanti with the Playaz. “He is a lock down defender. Every game he is assigned the opposition’s best perimeter player and he takes that as a challenge.”
Smith echoed those sentiments in comments to the Dayton Daily News on Friday, “He was our best perimeter defender [this year]. He just knows how to play. He makes the extra pass. He knows when to shoot the ball, when to move the ball. He’s a coach on the floor.”
Ultimately, Bramanti chose Wright State from among other schools including Rider, Jacksonville, Wofford, and the Citadel, giving head coach Billy Donlon a hard-nosed competitor, fantastic teammate, and a player with a long resume of winning basketball games.
Joe Bramanti