Auraum Nuiriankh's original plan called for a college visit to Buffalo for a few days followed by a trip to Tulane.
The 2009 Arundel graduate completed the first part of his itinerary last Tuesday, but never made it to New Orleans for the second visit.
"I liked Buffalo. It's a great atmosphere," said Nuiriankh, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound shooting guard. "So I called the head coach this past weekend [and committed]. He was ecstatic. He said 'congratulations' and I made the right decision."
Nuiriankh, a Baltimore Sun All-Anne Arundel County first-team selection in 2009, plans to sign his letter of intent to Buffalo this week. He also received interest from Boston College.Coming out of high school, Nuiriankh attracted just a few Division II scholarships and a walk-on offer from The Citadel. The lack of Division I attention prompted his move to North Carolina, where he spent the past school year playing for Charis Prep.
A forward in high school, Nuiriankh was able to refine his game as a 2-guard this year in prep school. He averaged 18 points and eight rebounds, helping Charis to a 35-6 record, all while attracting attention from several mid-major programs. Arundel coach Jeff Starr said it was just a matter of time for schools to notice Nuiriankh's potential.
"In high school, he played forward based on his size," Starr said. "He knew at the next level, he was going to have to be on the perimeter. So over the summer and during the fall, he really worked on his perimeter skills and it really paid off for him during the winter. Offensively, even though he was a forward in high school, he would still knock down 3-pointers with consistency, which made him a tough matchup at the high school level. ... He's going to bring a lot of energy. He increased his vertical, he increased his range [and] he improved his ball-handling skills. He's going to bring a lot to the table at Buffalo."
Buffalo emerged as Nuiriankh's favorite over the winter. His trip up to Western New York last week confirmed those feelings. Nuiriankh toured Niagara Falls, visited the place where Buffalo wings were invented, and spent an ample amount of time with the players and coaches.
"It's a family atmosphere and they're a winning program," Nuiriankh said. "Tulane was 8-22 last year, so it was a rebuilding process. I want the chance to go to the NCAA tournament and everything like that. [Buffalo] won 18 games last year. They were pretty good and had a chance at a couple postseason tournaments. They had a chance at the CBI and the NIT."
Nuiriankh is back in Maryland now, working on his game and preparing for college. The Buffalo coaches told him he'll compete for a starting position immediately.
"It's really crazy to me," Nuiriankh said. "I always knew with my size … and being able to shoot the ball that I was a Division I player. It was just a matter of exposure, but I never thought I would be possibly starting [at a Div. I school] in a year. ... It's a big weight off my shoulders."
Note: Arundel center Zach Lynch will play at Hood College next year, according to Starr. Lynch averaged 8.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists for the Wildcats. He led Arundel with 34 blocked shots, and also recorded 23 steals on the season.
Baltimore Sun photo of Auraum Nuiriankh by Doug Kapustin / Dec. 30, 2008