The Montverde Academy Center for Basketball Development (CBD) had a successful 2018-2019 season in facilitating their college process goals as four postgraduate athletes signed National Letters of Intent to compete at the collegiate level.

Russian native and four-star athlete Pavel Zakharov committed to the University of Gonzaga. He is rated No. 37 overall, No. 9 among centers in the US, and is also ranked 89th is ESPN's Top 100 nationally ranked players. Zakharov will now join elite players such as forward Anton Watson, Kittitas High School guard Brock Ravet, Texas prep forward Drew Timme and Lithuanian small forward Martynas Arlauskas in Gonzaga's 2019 incoming class.

"Pavel has the size and strength to dominate in the paint, but he also has great outside touch and feel for the game," said Head CBD Coach Kevin Boyle Jr. said. "Once he adjusts to playing in the U.S., I expect him to really start putting his athleticism and ability to run the floor and play on the perimeter on display. He's as good as any true big man we have had at Montverde offensively, and at 17 years old he has the potential to be a major impact player at the highest levels of college basketball."

Point guard Trae Broadnax signed with the United States Naval Academy and will look to compete in the Patriot League (PL). Broadnax received over 15 collegiate offers from Division I institutions such as Florida State, University of Georgia, Xavier, and Yale. As a three-star recruit, Broadnax looks to become one of the leading scorers in the PL and take his game to the professional level.

"Signing with the Naval Academy is definitely one of the biggest moments in my basketball career," said Broadnax. "Coming to Montverde made me want to compete at a higher level and demand more from myself. I am ready for the next level."

Former MVA athlete of the week Gibson Jimerson committed to St. Louis University. Jimerson led the CBD post-graduate team not only in points made but also in field goal percentage. In the summer of 2018, Jimerson was named one of the best shooters in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) shooting 44.7 percent from behind the arc. Jimerson's game expands beyond the basketball court as he maintained a cumulative GPA of 4.32 earning Summa Cum Laude and is in the top percentile of the postgraduate class.

"He is a super efficient player, he is a player you don't want to take out of the game even if he needs a break, he's that good," said Kevin Boyle Jr. "From a classroom standpoint, he is the most consistent player who is always eligible to play because he's even better in his academics. Not everyone has a chance to play in the NBA or overseas, but if I had to pick someone to have a successful pro career, it would be him."

Center Seth Pinkney committed to Quinnipiac University. Previously, Pinkney was pursued by Georgetown University but after talks with Quinnipiac University Head Coach Baker Dunleavy, Pinkney decided the Bobcats were a better fit for him. Listed as a 7-footer, Dunleavy believes Pinkney's athleticism and length will give the Bobcats the edge over their competition.

"We are very excited to have Seth and his family join our program," said Dunleavy. "Seth has played for two high school powers — Archbishop Wood and Montverde Academy which has allowed him to compete against some of the top competition in the country. He is a hard-playing young man who will help us with his length and athletic ability right away. We can't wait to get him on campus and get to work."