Recruiting Report 2019: Cameron Heard
Cameron Heard, 5’9″, PG, 2019. Chapelgate Christian Academy Yellow Jackets HS. Marriottsville, MD.
Grassroots Team: Crusader Nation
In events such as our Prep Hoops 250 Expo which was held in Owings Mills, MD this September, we discover hidden gems. Cameron Heard is a perfect example & has had to overcome some adversity due to injury. Cameron is a very under the radar true PG with excellent all around basketball skills. He can facilitate, score, make his teammates better & is an excellent college prospect who can impact the game without scoring. While watching Cameron live, on video & thru conversations with Coaches, we conclude that Cameron is a very heady & clutch player who delivers in crunch time.
In his freshmen year Cameron began receiving notoriety while playing for Marriot Ridge HS in Howard County, MD just outside of Baltimore. The Baltimore Sun newspaper awarded Cameron as runner up for the most improved player since the beginning of the season in Howard County. At the start he was averaging 6 points per game & in the final 4 weeks Cameron was scoring at over 13 points per game. Cameron was acknowledged as one of the best rising underclassman players in Howard County. Cameron suffered a wrist injury in February but played thru it & finished the season. He played Grassroots with Team Metro 15U with the injury thru mid July of 2016. Previous xrays did not disclose an injury, but his right became so bothersome he went with his Dad to Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore. His doctors ordered a detailed CT Scan for Cameron which revealed a right wrist fracture. He received surgery & a pin was inserted for stabilization. During the summer Cameron transferred to nearby Chapelgate Christian Academy who are members of the MIAA B Red & play an advanced schedule which includes MIAA teams from Anne Arundel County, MD & Baltimore. Cameron wore his cast thru mid October 2016 & after 2 weeks of rehab he was cleared by his Doctors for dribbling & shooting only. In mid November during the preseason, Cameron was given the green light with no restrictions. Just one week later Cameron was playing in a preseason scrimmage & while going up for a shot at the rim he was fouled. When he attempted to brace his fall & protect his surgically repaired right wrist, Cameron fell full force on his left wrist which is shooting hand. He tried to play thru the injury & finish the game, but Chapelgate Head Coach Frick Frierson sensed Cameron was injured seriously & shut him down immediately. Cameron & his Dad made the trip back to Union Memorial Hospital & another CAT Scan was performed disclosing Cameron sustained a left wrist fracture. He was placed in a soft cast for 6 weeks, but the wrist was not healing properly. Therefore, his Doctors completely immobilized Cameron’s wrist & installed a hard cast which he wore until the end of January 2017. His next step was 4 weeks of Physical Therapy which included stretching, range of motion & strengthening only. From the onset of his injury last November thru the end of Chaplegate’s season in March, Cameron attended every Chapelgate game. He recorded statistics, game notes & supported his teammates. In early March 2017, his Doctors announced that Cameron made a full recovery without surgery. Cameron then began his his journey back for a a full recovery on the court.
After losing his entire sophomore season @ Chapelgate, Cameron began playing for Crusader Nation 16U this March, just weeks after performing basketball drills after a year off. He had to play catch up after losing his timing, on court conditioning , shot mechanics & other skills which became out of sync due to his layoff. Cameron worked his way back & in June he became the Crusader Nation starting PG. In July Cameron was back at full strength & pain free in both wrists. In late July Cameron directed Crusader Nation to the Under Armour UAA Finals in Atlanta, Georgia.
When we scouted Cameron at the Prep Hoops 250 Expo, we did not fully understand his history & wondered where Cameron had been hiding. During the Expo Cameron displayed an excellent handle, facilitation skills, & a very high IQ as a pure PG. While this is the 1st time we scouted Cameron live, we firmly believe he is a scholarship player at the next level. Cameron possesses a very versatile overall basketball skill-set. He has many ball handling moves & he can beat his opponents from coast to coast off the dribble from his speed & quickness alone. Cameron has many options & a diverse ball handling arsenal to choose from on his intended route end to end to the rim On one sequence Cameron was weaving in out of traffic with an array of quick lateral moves & explosive bursts to the rim. Cameron impressed us on how fast he can get into top gear after a lateral move or cut. He can split double teams very well & his court & peripheral vision are extremely high. Cameron made some very advanced passes with precision accuracy. He is an fantastic ball mover & his reads are quick & accurate. Cameron scored from all 3 levels & he can get to the rim with a set of very crafty moves using both hands. He displayed a beautiful mid range & pull-up game and an excellent stroke from 3 on or off the dribble. Cameron can knock 3 point shots from both with a sides with a step back, between leg/ go & in & out quick crossover off dribble.
Despite his injury history, Cameron is tough as nails & will go into traffic or to the floor for a loose ball. He appears to be a very tough on ball defender & ball hawks his opponent & with his long wingspan. Cameron is always a threat to come up with steals & deflections.
After the Prep Hoops 250, we chatted with Cameron several times & we learned of his past history which made an already very good upside, higher. It is easy to evaluate that Cameron has a great passion for basketball & winning. With his past injuries now behind him, we asked Cameron about his offensive skill set & he says,” I consider myself a true PG & my 1st goal is to create ball movement, spacing & getting my teammates involved thru facilitation. I am a leader thru example & vocally. My ball handling is creative & I use the in & out crossover, hesitation & go & step back for creating space or resetting the half court sets. Off the dribble I use my quickness & explosion to blow my defenders. Recently I have developed a right hand floater & I like to set my defender up and freeze my opponent then go past him. One my strengths is going to the rim where I can score from both sides thru contact or make the kick out or drop off pass. I have great confidence in my mid range game where I can score off the fast break, one or dribble pull ups or off back screens & going right up. I can score or pass from the triple threat. One of my best moves is when I jab step left then crossover to my right & finish.” On the defensive end Cameron adds, ” I want to be a complete player that competes the entire game. Currently, I am very good defender & can guard multiple positions, but I want to get better. The same holds true for all my basketball skills & I will always try to improve my overall game. I will go the floor for looses balls & can grab rebounds rebounds in the paint over much bigger opponents. During the game I am always trying to energize the team thru my aggressive play.
For the last 4 years Cameron has worked with his Trainer Don Aaron at Leadership thru Athletics. Cameron credits Coach Aaron with much of his basketball development. Coach Aaron trains many elite players including Jalen Smith who is rated @ #15 in the nation for 2018 & committed to University of Maryland. Cameron has worked out together with Jalen (Sticks) 7 many other elite players with Coach Aaron. In his workout sessions with Coach Aaron Cameron says, “Since my injury I needed a lot of assistance with my shot mechanics due to my wrist injury. Since I was cleared in March, Coach Aaron helped get my right arm angle back to its proper position. In the past he taught me proper shot mechanics which include a quick & high release, proper back spin,focusing on squaring up & correct balance which I have developed. My Crusader Nation Coaches helped me a lot after our practices with my shot & Coach Frierson set up the shooting gun for me at Chapelgate. During my workouts with Coach Aaron we focus on all my basketball skills which include, ball handling, strength & conditioning, plyometrics with resistance bands & jumping rope. Coach Arron emphasizes hip movements & flexibility for our entire body. In the last 6 months I am using the flexibility roller to release muscle tightness. Some of my current goals are to improve consistency of my jump shot, increase my stamina & continue to become the best all around player I can be. I am very,very grateful to have Coach Aaron as my Trainer. We have a very close bond & in addition to basketball development he is an excellent mentor & leadership on an off the court. My parents are great & are always there for me. They give total support on & off the court & my Mom & Dad attend all of my basketball events & games. They have helped me so much in all aspects of life.”
In the classroom Cameron is an excellent student & maintains a 3.2 GPA. His current interests are Business & Mathematics. Cameron is playing in the fall league for Chapelgate Christian & performing at a very high level. We look forward to covering The Chapelgate Christian Academy & their players this season with live game reports & player articles. We believe Cameron will have a very successful season on & off the court at Chapelgate & look forward to watching him develop the next 2 seasons. We want to scout Cameron 5 plus times season & we believe he stays engaged the entire game blocking out distractions, not losing focus and is a true floor general that is a total team player & winner.
Check out Cam Heard Marriotts Ridge sophomore by Cam Heard on @hudl http://www.hudl.com/v/27giQD #hudl
Cameron is #11 in white playing for Team Metro in the DMV Elite Showcase June 2016 , Cameron appears @4:30 in the video below.