Prospect Spotlight: Ratez Roberts (2019)
Photo Credit: Julie McMaken Wright
Sidney HS has a very impressive junior class led by Andre Gordon and defensive star Ratez Roberts. Ratez is known for being a defensive presence especially as a rim protector. He has been working hard the past several months working on his game and using this offseason to continue to develop into a better player.
Ratez has spent this offseason working on his ball handling and shooting. He credits the coaching he’s received as the reason why he has seen improvement.
“My coach and I…we’re really close. Every practice he’s always working me hard to make me better than the day before with the drills”.
Another aspect he is wanting to improve is his 3PT shooting. As a 6’2 forward, Ratez will be asked to step up more as a leader in the coming years. Especially if he intends to play at the next level. I can see Ratez playing as a 2 guard in the future, and he will need the 3PT shooting to do that. Last year he attempted 6 shots from behind the arc all year.
Overall, Ratez is an absolute athlete. When it comes to defense, he is a tremendous on-the-ball defender with great lateral speed. He is athletic enough to defend opposing guards or forwards. Also known for his shot-blocking, Ratez was 2nd in the GWOC with nearly 3 blocks per game last year. Offensively, Ratez has a great basketball IQ and knows how to find gaps in zones and other defensive looks. He also is a talented rebounder and was a top 10 player when it came to offensive rebounds in the GWOC. Another reason Ratez is such a dominate player is he has been playing with one of the top PGs in the state of Ohio, Andre Gordon.
“Me and Dre have very good chemistry…we’ve been playing together since the 4th grade and I always know what decision he’s going to make on the offensive side”.
Because of this trust, Ratez always knows when to crash the boards. The two of them pick each other up and push each other to improve during practices and games. The two of them will attempt to lead Sidney to another divisional title and Ratez will try to pick up his first college offer. Currently, he has none but has been attending some camps and has a few schools taking a look at him. With his defensive talent, I’m sure one school will give him that first offer sooner than later.