In case you’re new here, I’ve probably championed Buonanno as much as any recruit since our launch in December, the same month he earned five-star status and completely took over at the Best In Class Committed event. Here’s what I wrote when Buonanno and two more ’24s added a fifth star:rn

Buonanno has taken his game to another level in the last six months to position himself as one of the very best players in the class, having checked in as the No. 35 recruit in last August’s initial class rankings but due for a big promotion. Now a postgrad at Deerfield (Mass.), the Princeton-bound lefty was a three-time First Team All-State selection at Moses Brown (R.I.) and has developed at a rapid pace, so he’s likely to put on a show with the Big Green in 2024.

There was some initial skepticism about his slight frame, however, Buonanno looked bigger, faster, and stronger — not to mention utterly dominant — during a stellar summer with 3d New England. In the two-man game, he’s as poised and proficient as they come. On the ride or when the ball is on the ground, he’s all over it and can quickly make things happen in an eye-popping fashion before the opposition can adjust. His savvy playmaking ability, slickness, and elusiveness are attributes that are on display at all times, and he’s just a blast to watch. At the Best In Class Committed event this weekend, Buonnano took home MVP honors and was a steady force both in skill sessions and games, even if he’d already cemented five-star status long before that.

It took him a little time to get going as a postgrad for the Big Green (based purely on what I’ve been able to watch), but as expected, he’s been a steady force and has had tremendous success against the high-caliber defensemen on Deerfield’s schedule. On Saturday, he had perhaps his best game of the year in a dominant win over Taft. On a team full of talent, he’s been incredibly reliable, further demonstrating his high IQ and ability to excel at everything he’s asked to do.

Of course, I’m incredibly bullish on Buonanno at the next level, especially since he’s gotten a lot bigger since his recruitment. That being said, Coulter Mackesy has another year left and Colin Burns and Nate Kabiri have been sensational as freshmen, so there’s no chance any of the three will get bumped up to the midfield. We’re in a positionless era anyway, and upon Buonanno’s arrival for the 2025 season, Princeton offensive coordinator Jim Mitchell is likely to have Buonanno run out of the box and work to get him shortstick matchups as much as possible.

Prep Lacrosse isn’t even three months old, yet we’re already close to ‘what more can we say?’ territory when it comes to heaping Buonanno with praise, having highlighted him when we added the electric lefty as a 5-star when the site launched in December and again after the future Tiger was named MVP at the Best In Class Committed event. That being said, there’s a high level of anticipation heading into his PG year with the Big Green, in part because he rarely went up against Division I defensive recruits during his time at Moses Brown. Now, he’s in a league overflowing with them. If he’s this dangerous now, it’s exciting to think about how much better he could become after a full season with Deerfield.

View Buonanno’s profile or click the links provided above for more on what he brings to the table.

Named a five-star last week, the lefty attackman from Deerfield was able to completely steal the show in a talent-loaded event. Buonanno was not able to just meet expectations but exceed them. With an unorthodox dodging style, he was able to beat defensemen at will and make his way to the goal. Beginning his dodges from any part of the field, he would slowly set up his defenseman and then explode out of his dodge. What separated him was his sense for the slide coming and his ability to readjust. This was shown by his ability to soak the check and then stop on a dime and re-dodge to cut the double team. To top all of this off were his almost acrobatic finishes consisting of him torquing his body to score or getting knocked on his back and still getting the shot off. With a motor that didn’t seem to run out of gas, Buonanno was relentless in his attack and left defensemen hopeless all weekend. Heading into a loaded Princeton squad, this is a player that we’ll continue to hear about for a long time, and he has the potential to be a special player at the next level.

Buonanno has taken his game to another level in the last six months to position himself as one of the very best players in the class, having checked in as the No. 35 recruit in last August’s initial class rankings but due for a big promotion. Now a postgrad at Deerfield (Mass.), the Princeton-bound lefty was a three-time First Team All-State selection at Moses Brown (R.I.) and has developed at a rapid pace, so he’s likely to put on a show with the Big Green in 2024.

There was some initial skepticism about his slight frame, however, Buonanno looked bigger, faster, and stronger — not to mention utterly dominant — during a stellar summer with 3d New England. In the two-man game, he’s as poised and proficient as they come. On the ride or when the ball is on the ground, he’s all over it and can quickly make things happen in an eye-popping fashion before the opposition can adjust. His savvy playmaking ability, slickness, and elusiveness are attributes that are on display at all times, and he’s just a blast to watch. At the Best In Class Committed event this weekend (look out for a more extensive writeup in the coming days), Buonnano took home MVP honors and was a steady force both in skill sessions and games, even if he’d already cemented five-star status long before that.