Recruiting Report: Mickey Pearson (2018)
We are on the tail end of summer basketball and around the country, college prospects at all levels are working on their game and working toward earning an opportunity to play at the next level. Prep Hoops Kentucky puts the spotlight on prospects around the Bluegrass State.
A 6’8″ Wing Forward holding over a dozen Division I offers, Mickey Pearson has consistently been a top 5-8 player in the 2018 class in Kentucky. The rising senior at John Hardin is coming off a year where he averaged 22.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and led the Bulldogs to a district championship before falling in the regional semifinals. Pearson spent his 17u AAU season with the newest program in Kentucky, Twenty Two Vision. Playing alongside Romeo Langford, Trevon Faulkner, Jaxson Hayes, Adam Kunkel, Tre King and others, Pearson had a good AAU season that peaked with a really strong July.
According to Mickey, he had his best tournament with Twenty Two Vision in the Adidas Summer Invitational in Las Vegas. He averaged almost 15 points and 7 rebounds per game while shooting almost 40% from 3 for the tournament. He also showcased his defensive abilities and versatility by guarding wings and bigs and also providing rim protection. Pearson’s offer list features Lipscomb, Samford, Ball State, EKU, Troy, Tennessee Tech, St. Bonaventure, Robert Morris, Wofford, Saint Louis, Stony Brook, Bradley and Campbell. Mickey told me “A couple schools stand out to me and I should have my list narrowed down by mid to late August.”
Pearson doesn’t have a timetable for scheduling his official visits but does plan to take few before making any decisions about his basketball future. Mickey does have some goals for himself and his teammates for the 2018 season. ” I definitely need to step my play up and become a better leader. I think we can make a run at Rupp Arena and our goal is to win a state championship. My individual goal is the be Mr. Basketball. John Hardin will have an opportunity to win the 5th region. They return Anthony Witherspoon to go with Pearson. They will also benefit from the new addition of senior athletic swingman Malik Wright. Rising Sophomore Preston Murrell is a legitimate 6’8″ and could provide big minutes for the Bulldogs from the center position.
John Hardin vs Meade CountyThe addition of 2021 phenom Zion Harmon to Adair County definitely causes a wrinkle in the 5th region power rankings while Larue County, Taylor County and Bardstown figure to have some say in who emerges from the 5th region to make the trip to Rupp Arena in March. Mickey figures to be a finalist for Mr. Basketball and could be a favorite along with longstanding names like his former AAU teammate Andrew Taylor and his Twenty Two Vision teammate Trevon Faulkner.
The bottom line is that for John Hardin to reach their team goals, Mickey Pearson needs to reach his potential as a basketball player. If he bulks up and continues developing his ball handling and wing skills, the Bulldogs should finish their season at Rupp Arena in March. Of all the kids in the 2018 class in Kentucky, Mickey has the most potential of all because of his size and skill set. But as he starts his senior year, the time for potential has passed. It’s time to go and show he’s better than his current #7 ranking in our current PHKY rankings.