Panoramic Preview: 1A Prospects

I have been able to gather some film and study a ton of HS standouts strengths and weaknesses over the course of several games.  I was able to get a panoramic view of a number of prospects and assess how they play against teams and players of different calibers, of every size and how they handle adversity when things aren’t going as normal. Several of these prospects stood out and consistently showed improvement as seasonal play went on. Over the years, many Eastern NC 1A prospects (and others) unfortunately tend to slip through the cracks of college recruiting each season more often than others. Listed below are 2 standouts competing in the 1A classification that really stood out to me and I believe possess the talent, skill, work ethic and academic excellence to attract Division 1 attention in the immediate future.

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Jack Garrison IV | 6’2” 185 PG | East Carteret | Class of 2017

Strengths: Ball Handling | 3 Point Shooting | Free Throw Shooting | Leadership | Attack Mode

Areas To Improve: Core | Finishing

Jack comes from a storied East Carteret HS program that has seen tons of success in recent years. He appears to be next in line to head the attack for the Mariners. Offensively, Jack possesses an air-tight handle and can control the pace of a game from the lead guard position. He has a much improved body that enables him to play a physical brand of basketball combined with good speed. Excellent rebounder from the point guard position and matches up well physically with some bigger athletic combo guards. When in attack mode, he’s extremely difficult to contain due to the combination of his marksman 3 point shooting ability, handle & strength. When he pushes the tempo it often results in easy trips to the charity stripe where he converts around 90 percent of his attempts. Defensively, he does an excellent job playing passing lanes & anticipating in passing lanes.

Over the course of his junior season, he improved exponentially all around. However, I would like to see him convert more around the basket over longer defenders. He has no issues creating for others or getting into the paint. Should he begin converting more contested shots around the basket, he’ll efficiently put up huge scoring outbursts on a nightly basis without forcing the issue. Improving his core would better his body control around the basket and defensively it would help him to stay low and harass bigger guards with his ball pressure. Low to Mid-Major D1 schools should check in now to do their own further evaluations. I will not be surprised to see several D1 programs pull the trigger as his senior season progresses.

YouTube Link via TheHoopsColumn: https://youtu.be/booNyZ9ralY

Marcus Richardson | 6’8” 180 SF | Raleigh Homeschool | Class of 2018

Strengths: Length | Shooting | Passing | IQ | Youth

Areas To Improve: Athleticism | Lateral Movement | Experience

Marcus is a young wing that is loaded with potential. At the moment, his bread and butter is in catch and shoot situations where he is extremely consistent and deadly from beyond the arc. An elite marksman from mid-range and from three-point range. He has also shown the ability to handle the basketball in spurts, running the offense and directing traffic when necessary. In transition, he can handle the ball well enough to push the ball and make the correct play, executing excellent passes. Defensively, Marcus has a ton of length and changes a lot of shots on close-outs. In the post, he stands his ground and doesn’t bite on head fakes often. He is only 15 years of age. Young for his class and coming off of an 6 inch growth spurt over the past year.

As with most prospects that go through extensive growth spurts, Marcus is still adjusting to his newfound lengthy frame. He must continue to work on his strength and conditioning while improving his end to end speed and leaping ability. When on the perimeter, wings that possess above average quickness will tend to drive it right at him where he often times is caught standing too upright. He must strive to stay low to move his feet and use his length and quick hands to his advantage defensively on the wing. Should he continue upward in developing more explosiveness while gaining valuable experience with his HS team, I expect his recruitment to pick up steam. Has all of the tools and skill to develop into a versatile wing man with great size and uncanny shooting ability for a player with his size & age.

YouTube Link via BucketReel: https://youtu.be/MUjdUIyfT8k

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