2018 Names to Know for D2/NAIA/D3 Schools
The 2018 class has a lot of talent at the top but there are many players flying under the radars of small colleges across the region. The young men listed below are all capable of playing and contributing at the collegiate level and need more love from colleges.
Will Philpot (George Rogers Clark) – Standing 6’5″ and strong as an ox, Philpot is a load in the post. He had 8 points and 6 rebounds in the season opening win on Tuesday in very limited action. Will is a little stiff but is a good athlete and is capable of pushing the ball on the break after a rebound. Will averaged 12 points and 10 boards as a junior last year while shooting an impressive 61% from the floor. Will had 31 points and 20 rebounds in a scrimmage two weeks ago. D2 and NAIA schools should be recruiting him hard.
Bryce Slone (Boyle County) – As a junior, Bryce averaged 18 points and 5 rebounds while shooting 39% from behind the 3 point line. Those numbers are likely to improve this year. He opened with 17 points and 7 rebounds on Tuesday while shooting 5/10 from 3. Once Boyle gets their football players, Bryce should see fewer double teams and more open looks. D2s and D3s should be stopping in Danville to see Bryce.
Photo Courtesy of BullittCountySports.comLuke Ezell (Bullitt East) – Last season Ezell averaged 15 points and 3 rebounds from the point guard spot. More impressively, Luke shot 49% from 3 on 80 attempts. Luke will still need to add bulk and strength to his frame in college but he can be a 4 year contributor at the D3 level.
Billy Dyer (Monroe County) – As a junior last season, Dyer averaged 22.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He shot 54% from the field and 41% from 3-point range (on 169 attempts). Dyer can shoot it and put it on the floor, scoring with the dribble pull up or at the rim. His size also allows him to post up on smaller guards. He could be a kid who shows up on the list of top 15 scorers in the state throughout his senior year.
Jared Coomer (Barren County) – In his junior season, Coomer averaged right at 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. He currently holds an offer from Lindsey Wilson College and interest from Asbury University. Coomer is younger for his grade and could potentially wind up at a prep school next season. He played down on 16u all AAU season this year and could see more recruiting with a consistent 17u season.