Recruiting Report: Aaron Bokol
Aaron Bokol has waited patiently for two years at Eaglecrest for his shot to prove himself at the premier program.
That time has almost arrived for the 6-2 rising sophomore guard, and it’s fair to say he’s champing at the bit to get started.
“I’ve been waiting for this for two years, just watching the guys the past two years,” Bokol said of a group that won the 5A title last year and was the runner-up two years ago. “I’m ready to get going.”
Bokol will surely get his shot after swinging between varsity and JV last year. He’s a sharpshooting guard who appears to be growing quickly. His older brother Nate was a 6-5 senior on the Raptors’ state title team, and Aaron appears as if he could get at least that tall. That could make him an ideal small-college three because he shows some good instincts in spurts defensively. He’s pretty long and we watched him block several shots during a game last weekend at the University of Team Camp, where he helped Eaglecrest go 9-1 and win the gold bracket championship.
Bokol earned praise from the Colorado Hawks 16U staff during the spring for his contributions to a team that went 6-2 on the Adidas Gauntlet Circuit and qualified for the Finale in South Carolina during the first live period in July.
“It’s a great opportunity to get a lot of college coaches to see you,” Bokol said. “It’s just a great experience all together. Being successful in the Adidas Gauntlet isn’t that easy to do, and I’m just lucky we have a lot of guys who got the job done. I feel like I played well. I improved my defense. I didn’t play that well in Atlanta, but I’m trying to move past that. I played well in Dallas and I’m going to play well this summer.”
Already Bokol has heard from Concordia, an NAIA program in Nebraska, and Division I University of South Dakota. He’s aiming to show more coaches this July that he can do more than just shoot the ball.
“My heart,” Bokol said when asked for the biggest thing he wants to show he can bring to the table. “I hustle for loose balls, rebound, I can shoot. I just play with my heart.”
Once the three live periods in July wrap up, Bokol will turn his attention to his role under new Eaglecrest coach Jarris Krapcha, who has the unenviable task of following a coach in John Olander who won two big-school championships in five seasons and was perennially in the Final Four. Rising senior Xai’Vion Jackson and guard Victor Garnes are among the only projected returners who have played major varsity minutes for the team. There is talent there, but it could take time to gel. Bokol is eager for that challenge.
“It’s exciting because you’re coming in with a new team and a fresh start,” Bokol said. “It’s a lot different, though, coming from Coach O and having a new coaching staff come in with a bunch of new teammates. It’s a lot different but I’m excited to hopefully get back to where we ended last year.”