Recruiting Report 2018: Kesean Hobbs
Kesean Hobbs, 6’1″,PG, 2018. Duval Tigers HS. Lanham, MD.
Grassroots Team: Bowie Magic
We got our 2nd look at Kesean this September at the Prep Hoops 250 Expo where he was named one the top under the radar players for 2018. In the prior week Kesean played very well at the DMV Elite 80 in Bowie, MD. The first thing you observe with Kesean is his very powerful 200 pound frame which he puts to very good use. He plays big with a very high motor the entire game. He can power his way to the rim where Kesean is an excellent finisher from both sides. He is a true PG who is very crafty, creative, smooth & possesses an excellent handle which is very compact & strong. Kesean uses his patented a hesitation & go, or a change of pace to beat his defenders from 94 feet. He can score from coast to coast using an excellent Euro Step to attack the rim in transition. He is very quick with a very nice burst to the rim. Many of Kesean’s dribble moves are very complicated & effective in breaking down his defenders. He has great crossover then goes behind the back to his left hand to finish at he rim from the left side off glass. Other ball handling moves in Kesean’s arsenal include an in & out crossover, double behind the back, between the legs sidestep hesitation, simple stop n go which he can add between the legs move on the go. He protects the ball at a very high level & never gets stripped. Kesean splits traps & gets thru seams in the defense at a high level.
On the dribble Kesean keeps his head up, plays with excellent court vision & a high IQ. He is a great ball mover & facilitator & Kesean distributes precision passes on & off the dribble. We have seen Kesean convert successful no look pinpoint bounce passes from the key & reverse trailer drop back passes. When he is in rim attack mode, Kesean can execute wrap around passes, kick outs, & drop offs very well.
Kesean can score from all 3 levels very well. Utilizing his power he can back down the opposition & score in the paint or post up. Kesean possesses excellent shot mechanics & he can score from beyond the 3 point line on or off the dribble. He has superb ball fakes which he uses from all 3 levels. Kesean knows his surrounding very well & when needed he uses a very, very quick release to score. Off the dribble he can utilize a hesitation step back & go up for a shot. He has perfected a complicated 3 part ball handling move to shoot off the dribble : 1. a quick behind the back dribble 2. then into a crossover 3. still dribbling he then makes a step back & rises up for a shot & score. Kesean can convert in the mid range with 1 or 2 dribble pull ups or score in the paint with a floater. He can get to the rim with a blow byes, spin moves, & once in lane he can use a very effective jump stop. We really like his spin move to the basket where Kesean goes up & under to score off the backboard. Off the ball he gets open & into the passing lanes very well.
In his pregame preparation Kesean scouts his opposition on video & sometimes in person to develops his strategy. He takes great pride in defense & plays lock down defense the entire 94 feet. His closeout speed & help-side defense are very solid. He utilizes positioning, his long wingspan, superb timing, quickness & power for offensive & defensive rebounds. He is very quick to the ball with great reactions & wins the 50/50 battles. We chatted with Kesean this week & he adds,”I am a verbal leader & my teammates know it is all about winning, playing with 100% effort & intelligence. I will do all the intangibles, setting screens, making the extra pass, & energize my teammates. When the game is on the line I can make clutch plays & I want the ball in my hands. While I am a dominant ball handler I want to run our Flex with precision & create fast ball movement. My scoring could go up this season, but I will not force shots. If I get doubled I will find my open teammates. I will do whatever it takes to get a W.”
Throughout the year Kesean works on his basketball development 6 days a week & he says, “My lateral quickness & shot have improved this spring & summer. I work very hard to hard to improve my game. I do a lot of pushups, pull ups, & dips & I preform plyos during the week. I work on my basketball skills 6 days week in addition to flexibility,explosion & speed & agility. During the week I mix in 2 mile runs & my plyos. The resistance band training. box jumps, power skips & jumping rope have helped my lateral quickness & explosion. I am always working to improve my game.”
In the classroom Kesean is very close to a 3.0 GPA & is interested in majoring in Business Administration. He names his mom & dad as his primary role models in addition to Bowie Magic Coach Leon Rivers who he has known since age 8. In downtime Kesean likes to study Nick Van Exel, Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, & Baron Davis. This season Kesean believes Duval will be much improved & move up the very tough PG 4A standings.. Kesean says, “The team chemistry is getting better on and off the court and we added a few more pieces to the team. Last season Kesean averaged 13 points per game & 6 assists despite lot of double teams & gimmick defenses. His scoring could go up this season but Kesean says,”I do not focus on stats. We will surprise a lot to of teams this year. I am expecting a very good season for Duval & we have potential to make a run in the PG 4A Regionals.” We will be covering Duval this season with live game reports & player articles. Stay Tuned.