Henricksen: Geneva’s Nate Navigato back on open market

The senior year of Geneva star Nate Navigato was nearly picture-perfect.

Navigato was excited to sign with Buffalo and coach Bobby Hurley last November. He then embarked on a senior year that included an all-state season while leading Geneva to a historic year, which ended with a school record 30 wins and a fourth-place finish in Class 4A.

But now late in his senior year, Navigato is back to square one with his recruitment as Hurley, his future coach at Buffalo, left to take the Arizona State job earlier this month.

Although Buffalo did promote assistant coach Nate Oats, there was too much uncertainty for Navigato, thus leading him to seek a release from his letter-of-intent.

“I’m disappointed, because I was looking forward to playing for coach Hurley,” says Navigato, who says he has yet to speak with Hurley since he took the Arizona State job. “I just felt there were too many uncertainties at Buffalo, as far as what players would be staying or leaving. It didn’t feel the same or right anymore.”

The 6-7 Navigato put together a terrific senior season. He averaged 21 points and 6 rebounds a game, while knocking down 77 three-pointers. He will now wait and see what schools show interest as he awaits his official release from Buffalo. Schools are not allowed to officially contact Navigato until he is granted the release.

Navigato does think he would like to “stay more in the Midwest” this time around, but says he’s wide open.

“I will look for a lot of the things I looked for the first time, which is a school with a good education, a good basketball school and a connection with the coach,” says Navigato.

Navigato, who is among the top 25 prospects in Illinois in the Class of 2015, was a City/Suburban Hoops Report first-team all-stater and a Chicago Sun-Times all-area selection.

Follow Joe Henricksen and the Hoops Report on Twitter @joehoopsreport