Recruiting Report: Shea Rush (2016)
KANSAS CITY — The son of a legendary high school player in Kansas City, Barstowsenior Shea Rush is drawing interest from a wide range of schools. His father, JaRon Rush, was ranked at the top of his class in the…
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Continue ReadingKANSAS CITY — The son of a legendary high school player in Kansas City, Barstowsenior Shea Rush is drawing interest from a wide range of schools.
His father, JaRon Rush, was ranked at the top of his class in the mid-1990s as a legendary player at Pembroke Hill and later played at UCLA. The younger Rush says he looks looks up to Kevin Durant and LeBron James, but finds himself patterning his game after his father.
“I watch his old tapes and see the way he moved on the floor which gives me a sense of how to use my own skills better,” Shea Rush said. “He had strong fundamentals, incredible athleticism and intuitiveness for the game. I also look up to (former Kansas City area and NBA player) Earl Watson for his unending drive, for his dedication to hard work and his generosity of spirit.”
A long, athletic 6-foot-7 wing, Rush is a versatile player who can play shooting guard and small forward. Offensively, Rush is a slasher who drives to the basket hard. Armed with an explosive first step, he can get by guards and bigs off the dribble.
“And I can use my length to get off tough shots and make them feel easy,” Rush said. “I also use my athleticism to finish above the rim whenever there is a chance. I spot up for the kick out three and knock it down. I also can also come off the pick and roll to find gaps in the defense with a drive or pass.”
However, defense is where Rush says he excels the most. With quick feet and length, he can guard all five positions.
“My length gives me an advantage and lets me adapt to the offender standing before me. I help win games with stopping the ball or causing turnovers,” he said.
Rush has drawn interest from a wide range of schools and has been in contact with all eight Ivy League schools.
“I’m looking for a school that will be a great opportunity to play at a high competitive level, as well as be an opportunity for an excellent education,” Rush said. “I have heard from a great variety of other interesting schools. Even ones on the west coast too, such as Saint Mary’s and UC Riverside and more.
“I have had a lot of great DII and DIII interest, as well, and I never want to overlook the success players have coming from all levels. I hold multiple D2 offers.”
Rush said his dad has given him some unique insight into the recruiting process, but Shea Rush said he is experiencing a different level of recruiting than his father did.
“My Dad has helped with great moral support and encouragement, but to be honest, his recruiting path was not like mine is,” Shea Rush said. “Everyone knew who he was already. He was the No. 1 player. So he doesn’t have experience for how one goes about it from a different perspective. And that is okay with me, because that lets him be just my dad and not my coach, which is really nice. He gets just as excited for me when a coach calls, as I do. It’s awesome.”
For now, however, Shea Rush says he is excited about helping Barstow repeat as Missouri Class 3 state champions alongside future Division I players Jeriah Horne and Jacob Gilyard. Horne has already signed to play at Nebraka.
“It would be incredible to repeat state … I think the big difference this year will be that last year we were trying to prove we could go all the way, since we had been so close the year before,” Rush said. “This year, we know we can do it and most of us are seniors, so we really want to enjoy the whole journey! It will be the most fun high school season yet, for me, my team and the fans.”