PG Year Makes Sense For Hialeah’s Romer
Having grown into 6-foot-10 and showing a fleet of foot and an evolving guard skill-set, Hialeah native J.J. Romer showed flashes of potential last season. While his body was still a work-in-progress and Romer still needs to make the weight room and strength a priority, the raw talent reared its head during several performances.
At the tail end of his senior season and during the embryonic stages of Romer’s post-graduate season at Believe Prep Academy (TN), Romer has improved by leaps and bounds.
Given his fleet of foot and the sneaky bounce he’s shown during several fast break dunks, Romer has “late bloomer” all but etched across his forehead. UNC-Asheville recently inquired about Romer during an open gym run.
With the official season right around the corner, the product of South Florida’s Hialeah High School could find his niche as a long, multi-dimensional threat who could see meaningful minutes at point forward.
With a serviceable jumper and flashes of explosion, Romer needs to employ a sustainable commitment to relentlessness. If he buys in and gains muscle during the five-month period that lies ahead, he could potentially be sifting through Division-I offers.
The game is changing and evolving. The emergence of Kevin Durant as a long, tall guard who can shoot it from deep and put the ball on the deck and score has changed the culture of basketball. Guys who were once pigeonholed as rim protectors and interior scorers are placing more emphasis on developing a versatile skill-set.
The best comparison for Romer is another Believe Prep Academy player of a more advanced style in Joel Ntambwe.
Currently sifting through offers from Cincinnati, UNLV, Rhode Island, Iona, Tennessee, and a barrage of others, Ntambwe is a classic case of a multi-positional threat. If Romer pans out and produces on the bigger stages the prep experience has to offer, he will pose a similar threat for defenses. His shot release, ability to facilitate the break off a rebound, and athleticism is where the comparison becomes realistic.
Versatility is a weapon.
Ntambwe has been likened to Lamar Odom during his Christ The King (N.Y.) High School heyday for his ability to run the point and dole out deft passes. He’s a rare case of a 6-foot-8 prospect who is creator first, a scorer and interior banger second.
If Romer can cultivate a passing game and continue to flash his feathery mid-range game, he could be a similar product. Conventional Wisdom and his raw body type indicates that Romer will never be a banger. Yet he still has time to add on European guard skills, which would make him an enticing recruit at the mid-major level. Just how well he works on his craft and buys into the around-the-clock basketball focus while away at prep school will gauge his readiness.
There is plenty of Miami area flavor spread across all rosters (from high school to post-graduate) at Believe. With his size and soft touch, along with his above-average ball skills, Romer has the essential ingredients to be the most sought after recruit of them all.