Under-Recruited & Very Much Available (2018)
All over the country, we see players slip through the cracks. Whether it is simply because the player is on a bad team or college coaches haven’t made their way over to a game during high school season or the summer of travel ball, it happens.
With the summer coming to an end and players training hard for the season ahead, I take a look 10 prospects from the class of 2018 that are under appreciated and under recruited currently.
Credit T.J. Rushing over in Iowa with this story idea.
Tim Carter (Tampa Catholic)
Growing in mature and height, Tim Carter is going to be the main ballhandler for Tampa Catholic. The 6’1″ guard excelled in a contributing role alongside Kentucky commit Kevin Knox in 2016. With Knox now off to college, Carter has been in command of the Crusaders offense all summer. He should boost his stock with more opportunities this season.
Thierry Moliere (Jesuit)
Over at Jesuit, it seems head coach Neal Goldman can plug anyone into his system and make it work. It has been that way for quite a while. Senior guard Thierry Moliere is someone who arrived on the scene as a sophomore with some really solid games. He grew up a ton as a junior playing with Stevie Darst. Now, this is Moliere’s squad. He’s savvy, smooth and has a chance to earn a lot of college looks with so much responsibility on his shoulders.
Nick Jiles (Lake Gibson)
Lake Gibson’s Nick Jiles gets labeled as an undersized guard. The 5’11” senior can score in bunches and he’s done that for the past two seasons for a very sound Braves group. Jiles is a high IQ basketball player who puts himself in the position to succeed more often than not. I expect him to find a place to play college ball by the end of his senior campaign.
Nick Baskin (St. Francis Catholic)
Strong, balanced and gifted. Those are three words that describe St. Francis Catholic guard Nick Baskin. He is a steady 3-point shooter and is someone who plays tough defense. A quarterback and safety for the Wolves football team as well, it is clear he’s a weight room warrior. Baskin stands at 6’0″ and is someone I’ve valued for quite some time for his all around play.
Justin Smith (Middleton)
Middleton has not been good the past few seasons. That is just a fact. But someone who has been good for them in that time is forward Justin Smith. I watched him hold his own against Hillsborough forward and current University of Florida defensive end Zach Carter last season. Carter is a man of an athlete and Smith put up points against him and didn’t let up easy buckets defensively. Smith is in line for a monster senior season.
Kaleb Karnes (Berkeley Prep)
Berkeley Prep already has a different feel to them with Renaldo Garcia taking over as the head coach. Kaleb Karnes has filled the ballhandling duties very well. He distributed the ball often in summer league ball. At 5’10”, Karnes is certainly undersized, but his intelligence and ability to read defenses show up often. If he is more aggressive, he will propel his stock. I see him as a Division-III prospect.
Jake Hershkowitz (Coral Glades)
Just last week, Jake Hershkowitz took an unofficial visit to Navy. The 2018 Coral Glades product has been a big factor for the Jaguars the past two years. He flashed the first time I saw him this summer. He is a good decision maker and has the looks of a low Division I/Division II player. At 6’0″, Hershkowitz has a quick first step.
Isaiah Islam (Newsome)
One of my favorite players in all of Tampa is Isaiah Islam. The 6’3″ guard/forward played tremendous basketball last season alongside Emory commit Nick Stuck. Islam takes over the main piece for the Wolves with Stuck now in college. I can’t see Islam failing to take advantage. He’s a very talented scorer and a guy who never slacks off defensively.
Dejuon Small (Florida Prep)
The interest is there from Georgia Southern, Georgia State, American and Louisiana Lafayette, but no offers have come yet for Dejuon Small. A 5’11” speedy guard played a crucial role for the Falcons last season as they lost a heartbreaking Class 2A title game to Miami Christian, 51-48 this season. Small is simply too good to be ignored by colleges much longer.
Sean Halloran (Boone)
Much like Small, Halloran has drawn plenty of Divison I and Division II interest, but no offers have been delivered to him. The 6’0″ guard had one heck of a summer with Team M.O.A.M. playing alongside Central Florida Christian’s Dante Treacy. At times, Halloran was just as good as his backcourt mate. He played very well at Boone as a junior and should once again in his final high school season.
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