Prospect Spotlight: Devonte Pettaway
Name: Devonte Pettaway
Class: Senior (2017)
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 165
High School: North Pitt HS (NC)
Position: Point Guard
Projected Level: Division 2 / Low Major D1
Video Link: youtu.be/_AanOPPaEnE
Devonte Pettaway is a top notch point guard that scores at will and has ample court vision. He is a 3 year varsity starter in the North Pitt HS program and just recently reached the 1000 points scored mark in his career. He’s managed to fly under the radar for quite some time but in his senior season he’s been putting up staggering numbers all around, averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game midway through his final campaign. He is a great student, a great kid and with the right fit will be a steal at the next level in college.
Strengths:
Scoring Ability – Extremely confident scorer. Whether it’s off the dribble or off the catch, Pettaway gets the job done scoring wise while also displaying a very solid court vision. In transition, if he isn’t picked up full court, chances are he will get all the way to the rim. In addition he’s great at finishing, finds open teammates and draws fouls where he converts over 80% of his free-throw attempts. He has somewhat of an unorthodox shot that appears to have an early flick, but it’s hard to argue with the results. He’s very consistent from mid-range and beyond the arc.
Clutch Play – North Pitt has been in some very tight games early on this season and Pettaway hasn’t let his team down yet in any contest. Even in a tight contest early versus Southern Wayne HS, despite being in deep foul trouble and sitting nearly the entire 1st half, with his team trailing, Pettaway scored 20+ points in the 2nd half and willed his team to a tight victory. He has the “it” factor when it comes to taking and making the big shots. Defensively he makes good plays in crunch time as well. If you’re a team in a tight game, you definitely want to have Pettaway on your team especially if you need to drive the length of the floor to score the ball.
Areas for Improvement:
Size – Standing a legitimate 5’11 and weighing 165 lbs, Pettaway early on in college will need some time in the weight-room in order to maintain his ability to finish over length at the next level. He’s a solid leaper, but added explosion and ability to take off the ground using 1 foot could speed up his production as a freshman.
Experience – While he plays a ton of point guard, Pettaway also slides to the shooting guard position for big stretches currently in HS. Depending on the level he eventually ends up playing at, whether it’s a small D1 or a D2 school, he’ll probably have to learn to be a full time point guard unless he can prove his merit early on as an undersized scoring threat.
Conclusion:
Devonte Pettaway is without a doubt a surefire college level point guard. He currently doesn’t hold any offers. Division 2 schools and small D1 schools should definitely come take a look to see this kid in person. Highlight reels don’t do his game any justice. He plays in a relentless attack mode while remaining under control and controls the flow of games. College coaches especially in NC, don’t let this one slip away.