Only on the job for a few weeks now, Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes continues to assemble his roster. On Wednesday night, Wake Forest added Jonah Antonio, a 6-foot-5 graduate transfer guard from UNLV.
During the 2019-20 season, Antonio appeared in 25 games (13) starts; he averaged 6.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
Antonio, who hails from Australia, started his college career with Mount St. Mary’s in the 2017-18 season: 32 games, 11.3 points per game. However, Antonio transferred to South Plains College in Texas after the season. Here, he averaged 11.6 points (40.9 3P%) per game. After one season with South Plains, Antonio transferred to UNLV.
BREAKING: Wake Forest lands UNLV grad transfer Jonah Antonio.
— Les Johns (@Les_Johns) May 14, 2020
Offensively, Antonio is a bit of specialist — with a crucial skill, though: 3-point shooting. Antonio attempted 519 field goals across two seasons of hoops: 434 of those attempts (32.9 3P% career) are of the 3-point variety. For his career (in major college basketball), close to 84 percent of Antonio’s field goal attempts have come from beyond the arc.
According to Synergy Sports, Antonio scored 0.99 points per spot-up possession (49.6 eFG%), which is a solid number on good volume (132 possessions). Antonio ranked inside the top 12 of the Mountain West Conference in both total spot-ups possessions (132) and spot-up points (131).
During his freshman season at Mount St. Mary’s, Antonio was just as efficient with even greater spot-up volume: 0.99 points per spot-up possession (51 eFG%) — on 199 field goal attempts (209 possessions). Antonio is one of 11 players in Synergy’s database from that season to score 200+ points on spot-up possessions.
Combine Antonio with sophomore forward Ismael Massoud: Wake Forest has two proven spot-up threats on offense.
Massoud as a freshman: 69.7 eFG% on spot-up no-dribble jumpers this season, No. 5 in the ACC (50+ possessions) https://t.co/dbxNhWVMyv
— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) May 11, 2020
Mostly a catch-and-shoot-player, Antonio has averaged just 0.7 turnovers per 40 minutes during his career. Over 98 percent of his 3-pointers this season were assisted.
Antonio will join fellow transfers Ian DuBose and Isaiah Wilkins (a big wing) in a backcourt that will also feature Jahcobi Neath, a key returning piece, too.
Antonio committed to Wake Forest over BYU, DePaul and Rhode Island.