Prospect Spotlight: Evan Bainbridge (2019)
In the SMAC Running Rebels’ blow-out upset over Ohio Basketball Club 16U last weekend in Louisville, 6’8” forward Evan Bainbridge (2019) catapulted onto the Prep Hoops Ohio radar.
In our first time watching his game up front and personal, Bainbridge showed the ability to blow by defenders from the elbow for dunks and hit the jumper.
However, the 4.2 GPA student-athlete (21 ACT score on first try) hasn’t quite attracted college interest.
“In that game, I saw a lot of people watching. But, before this weekend, my team and I haven’t really been exposed to any recruiters. So this was our first big weekend in front of that many eyes,” Bainbridge explained.
The All In Hoopfest was their final weekend of the grassroots season.
Heading into his junior year at Stow, is the skilled and mobile forward concerned with his lack of exposure?
“Next year, I definitely want to do more of those tournaments, like last weekend, that we played in … I’m just trying to work hard and hopefully get something. Hopefully someone will see something in me and that they’ll take a chance on me to see what I have. I think I’d be able to work hard at the next level and be able to push myself to be a good college basketball player,” Bainbridge said.
Chances are that “someone will see something in” Bainbridge. Against two high-major 6’8”-6’9” prospects in Brison Waller and Alonzo Gaffney, the kid was winning rebound battles, getting to the rim for dunks, and hitting spot up jumpers.
“A strength for me, being how tall I am, is my ability to shoot and get by people pretty easily,” Bainbridge said.
He also mentioned that he averaged about seven boards per game last season at Stow, playing alongside Mason McMurray (2018). He hopes to boost that number to 10-12 per contest as a junior.
Bainbridge could benefit from playing with McMurray in many ways, including getting looks during the high school season. Additionally, on the court Bainbridge and McMurray are improving their high-low abilities.
“Me and Mason play pretty well together. We have this offense where we go high-low and we basically just dominate everyone since we’re both 6’8”. So we just kind of beat up on teams,” Bainbridge said, later explaining that the positions are interchangeable in this action.
Going forward, Bainbridge is focused on becoming quicker, in order to defend more perimeter-oriented players.
Projection wise, we’d expect a prospect like Bainbridge to end up as a scholarship kid. We encourage in-state D-IIs and NAIAs to take a visit to Stow at some point to see their pair of 6’8” forwards. If that game against OBC is any indication, the incoming junior can get buckets against anyone.
Bainbridge also plays baseball and has a “couple looks” on that side of the aisle.