Men’s Basketball Signs Three to Letter of Intent at Fordham University

Bronx, NY (November 12, 2014) - Fordham University men's basketball head coach Tom Pecora announced the signing of Jesse Bunting (Plymouth, Mass./Tabor Academy), Joseph Chartouny (Saint-Hubert, Quebec/ Collège Jean-De-Brébeuf) and Matt Zignorski (Oak Ridge, N.J./Pope John XXIII) to National Letters of Intent for the 2015-2016 season.
 

"We are excited that all three young men have decided to join the Fordham basketball family," said Pecora. "They all will be a solid fit at Fordham, both on and off the basketball court. We look for all three having very successful senior seasons with their respective programs."
 
Bunting, a 6'7 power forward, is in his final year at Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts, where he plays for head coach Chris Millette. He transferred to Tabor after playing for Plymouth North High School where he averaged 20 points and eleven rebounds per game for the Blue Eagles in 2012-13.
 
Bunting, who played for the Expressions Elite AAU program, also had interest from 12 other Division I programs, including Saint Joseph's, Duquesne and Quinnipiac. His uncle, Allen Bunting, played collegiately at San Diego State (class of '76) and then in the top-tier men's league in France in the 1980s.
 
"I'm thrilled to be able to play basketball in the Atlantic 10 at a prestigious school like Fordham," said Bunting. "The feeling I got from the coaching staff and players was that they all want to make the team better and the focus they place on academics is great. I'm looking forward to being a part of the Fordham program."
 

Chartouny, a 6'3" guard, is completing his education at Montreal's Collège Jean-De-Brébeuf where he played with current Fordham freshman Nemanja Zarkovic for head coach Mike Chmielewski. Chartouny is the number four-ranked prospect in Canada by Northpolehoops.com.
 
Chartouny also played on the Canadian AAU circuit with Zarkovic for the Brookwood Elite.
 
"I'm very happy to have picked Fordham to further my education and basketball career," said Chartouny. "I'm already preparing myself for next year and my goal is to get better every day and be ready for what comes next. To attend Fordham is a great decision for both my basketball future and for my career after college. And to be able to attend school with my best friend makes it even better."
 
A 6'3", guard, Zignorski is currently a senior at Pope John XXIII High School in Sparta, New Jersey, where he plays for head coach Jason Hasson. He averaged 12 points, 3.1 assists and made 53 three-pointers as a junior last season for the Lions, leading the squad to a 20-8 record and the NJAC American Division title. Pope John also won the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament for the third-straight year, with Zignorski earning MVP honors in last year's tournament, and moved onto the semifinals of the Non-Public North A Tournament.
 
Zignorski had some big games for Pope John last year, netting 20 points in a game against St. Anthony's and 18 in a win over Mount Olive. In the semifinals of the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament, he poured in 19 points and in the semifinals of the Non-Public A championship Zignorski finished with 20 points against Don Bosco Prep.
 

"I had a middle school coach who always told me that my brain would take me further than my knees, which is why I chose Fordham," said Zignorski. "Fordham is a great academic school with an outstanding business school. Coach Pecora and his staff also played a big part in my decision as they made me feel comfortable and I'm excited to have them be responsible for my progression both as a basketball player and as a man."
 
The Rams open the 2014-2015 season on Friday night, November 14, as they host the New York Institute of Technology in the Rose Hill Gym at 8:00 p.m.