ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The NCAA has informed St. Bonaventure that the waiver for immediate eligibility submitted on behalf of freshman guard Noah Bolanga has been approved. He will be eligible to compete during the 2024-25 season and have two years of eligibility.

Bolanga spent the past two seasons playing with Orleans Loiret Basket, a team in the second division of French basketball in his native country. He played for the team's under-21 squad from 2019-20 through 2022-23 beginning when he was 16.

"We are very pleased with the NCAA's ruling on Noah's immediate eligibility. He is a versatile player who can play multiple positions on the floor," St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt said. "Noah is long and athletic, can really shoot the ball and is a good passer. His experience in Europe has helped him develop a good feel for the game. Noah will have the opportunity to help us have a successful season, starting next week."    

Last season, he averaged 5.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and just under an assist per game and shot just under 40 percent from the floor. He shot over 38 percent from beyond the arc in 2023-24 and set a single-game high scoring of 14 points. Bolanga suited up for France's U-20 national team in the FIBA U-20 EuroBasket tournament where he scored 41 total points in seven games and shot 46 percent from the floor.

NCAA officials had previously ruled that Bolanga would need to sit a year of residency following multiple seasons played in France.

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