Kansas Basketball: Recruiting News From Nike EYBL
By Ryan Noel
California Supreme – California
Top Target: Deandre Ayton, 2017
The other “top target” on the Kansas basketball staff’s board is 7’0″ center Deandre Ayton. Ayton is widely considered the top prospect and player in the country.
The matchup of the weekend took place Saturday morning between the Supreme and Team CP3, which features Top 5 overall player Wendell Carter, a massive 6’9 power forward. The battle between Ayton and Carter was fun to watch, as both players showed an impressive array of skills. Ayton finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists for the game.
What impressed me the most about Ayton was the varying ways he was able to get his shot off against Carter’s defense. While Ayton has a few inches on Carter, he gives up a good bit in weight to the CP3 big man. But Ayton showed incredible versatility in his shot-making, as he was able to make post moves down low and in the mid-post. The best shot we saw was a step-back jumper off a jab-step in the mid-post – a move that a 7’0″ center just doesn’t usually make – and it worked for a bucket. Those are the types of things Ayton does fairly regularly, and why most consider him the best prospect in the country.
But his skill is supplemented by his athleticism and fluidity on the floor. For a guy that tall, he’s an effortless runner in transition that is both fast and has great body control in the open floor. Long term, this makes him more likely to be a power forward prospect, but that doesn’t really apply to what will only be a one-year stop in the college game.
Name to Monitor: Brandon McCoy, 2017
The other half of California Supreme’s twin towers is 6’10 center Brandon McCoy. McCoy has made a name for himself over the past year for his rapid improvement and rise into the national spotlight as a Top 20 overall player in the class.
McCoy is a hard-working shotblocker and dunker that has great length and leaping ability. He is now starting to show the basics of a good offensive game, though he still needs work on his touch around the rim. In the matchup with Team CP3, he also put up a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds (including 6 offensive boards).
UNC, Louisville, Duke, Kansas, and a host of others are all closely tracking him. The rumor going around the gym was that UNC had offered him, but we weren’t able to confirm it.
Next: Las Vegas Prospects