Recruiting Report: Javonte Perkins (2017)

Class of 2017 small forward Javonte Perkins was one of the breakout performers at last week's Adidas All-American Tournament at the Center of St. Louis. The 6'7" Perkins led the Gateway Basketball Club to the championship in the 17U Division. His consistent performance throughout the tournament earned him the Prep Hoops Missouri Most Valuable Player honors. Perkins scored a team-high 16 points in Gateway's 69-63 victory over the Illinois Bears in the championship game. Perkins, who attends Miller Career Academy, is receiving interest from low-major schools so far, but his stock will rise considerably if he continues the excellent play on the Adidas Uprising Circuit. Gateway plays in The Gauntlet. "This was probably the best I've played since the high school season ended," Perkins said. "I felt pretty good throughout the entire tournament. I just had a lot of confidence." Gateway head coach Scott Schroepfer added, "He's getting a lot of low-major looks, but that's going to turn into mid-major looks as he gets on the circuit. He has been playing tremendous." A long, slender athlete, Perkins is one of the best in the state of Missouri when it comes to shooting the mid-range jumper. He gets good elevation on his jumper and his size enables him to get it off against any kind of defense. "His mid-range game is just awesome," Schroepfer said. "That's what's going to get him to the mid-major level." Perkins also looked good attacking the basket and knocking down 3-pointers. He was able to display his athleticism by getting out on the break and throwing down a few resounding slam dunks. As a junior, Perkins averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.0 steals in leading the Phoenix to a 21-5 record. He is also a good 3-point shooter, making 31 of his 62 attempts on the season, which is good for 50 percent. As a sophomore, Perkins led Career Academy to a berth in the Class 4 state quarterfinals. The next step for Perkins is to tackle The Gauntlet with the same zeal and enthusiasm that he has during the high school season. "I'm looking forward to playing against the best competition in the country," Perkins said. "Hopefully, I get get to a high-level Division I."