Prospect Spotlight 2020: Raef Hetherington
Raef Hetherington, 6’2″, CG, 2020. Blake Bengals HS, Sliver Spring, MD.
Grassroots Team: Team Flight 15U
Raef is one of the top sophomores in MOCO this season. He made a statement this spring with an excellent showing in the Capitol Hoopfest 15U Tournament earning Honorable Mention All Star in a loaded field. This summer Team Flight made it to the Elite 8 of the Hoop Group Jam Fest where Raef averaged 16 points, 5 rebounds & 3 assists per game. We saw him play in the MD Elite Summer League playing for Blake HS where Raef stood out. Last season he led the Blake JV averaging 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists & 2 steals per game. During the year Raef was moved up to the varsity. Practice begins on November 15 for Blake & Raef is a lock to start.
We believe Raef will have a breakout year this season. he is a very high IQ player who possesses excellent fundamentals. Last season All MOCO PG Kobe Colson took Raef under his wings. They worked on Raef’s ball handling & PG skills where Raef learned howto beat full court pressure & break down his defender off the dribble in the half court on a varsity level. He developed a very effective hesitation & go, between the legs, behind the back, & some crossover dribble moves. Raef looks capable of running the point this year, but Blake will most likely place 6’0″ 2019 impact transfer Brendan Adams at PG. Raef always keeps his head up off the dribble & proved to be a superb facilitator with great court vision. Inside the paint he can make kick outs or drop off passes off the dribble. In the half court Raef can make very accurate post entry feeds, low lobs, bounce passes, & length of the court passes with excellent timing.
For a sophomore Raef is a very strong 175 pounds & he utilizes his lean power very well. He is a good finisher at the rim from both sides using either hand & can uses his very nice spin moves to convert a basket in the paint. Raef can split double teams & he makes very quick & correct decisions with the ball. He likes to create space going into his defenders body then stepping back for a mid range pull up. He can hit floaters, 1 or 2 dribble pull ups & pull ups in transition. Raef possesses great poise in heavy traffic & is high level ball mover. He can post up & uses pump fakes very well. On the perimeter Raef can knock down 3 point shots from the college 3 point line, but he doses not settle & shoots his 3s from the HS line. Currently Reaf is better at shooting the 3 ball off the dribble which he can convert from both sides. This summer he developed a very nice step back 3. Although Raef’s shot is unorthodox he can hit shots.
At the MD Elite basketball tournament 2 1/2 weeks ago Reaf was very impressive on defense. He is blessed with a very long wingspan & puts it to very good use where he can make deflections, get steals & collect rebounds. Raef plays with a high motor & has very good lateral movement, maneuverability & stays low on D. He has excellent reactions to the ball, can make blocks & gets the 50/50s. He showed very good closeout & help side defense. While Raef is very smooth he is very tough & he gets IT. He can impact the game without scoring & knows the game very well playing years beyond his young age. Raef performs all the intangibles & is an energizer who will start out the year as a lead by example teammate.
We have chatted with Raef numerous times & we can see & feel his passion for basketball. We asked how he improved since April & he says,” My athleticism & vertical went up. I can dunk easily now. Performing squats, using resistance bands & the vertimax have helped me a lot. My upper body strength went up & I played a lot of pickups with my Dad.” Raef adds, “I am attacking the rim much better & can now finish thru contact. My shooting range is much deeper & I improved my passing skills since the end of our season at Blake. Also, I improved across the board on my overall skills.”
Over the week Raef works out 6 days & takes Sunday off. His father & several Trainers work him. He has one Trainer for strength & conditioning & another Trainer works with Raef on his basketball skills. Raef adds,”I run hills, some sprints & mix in plyos. The resistance bands really work & helped my explosion. In addition to lifting weights we work a lot on my core & natural movements such as pull-ups & push-ups. During the week I play 5 on 5 pickups at various gyms with local players & adults. This fall I have been focusing on my shot mechanics, getting stronger & continue to work on my vertical. My game took a major jump this spring & summer when I became stronger & more athletic. I know I have several more jumps of improvement, I can feel them inside.” We can see them on the outside & Raef possesses a lot of upside. We predict another hyper jump coming this off season & we see Raef improving just by getting varsity reps & experience this season.
In the classroom Raef is a very good student with a 3.0 GPA with an interest in Business & Marketing. His family is very close knit & Raef names his mother & father as his role models. His younger sister looks up to him. Raef likes to study Grayson Allen, Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles & Kyrie Irving. It is easy to conclude Raef is a huge Duke Blue Devils fan.
We will be covering Blake & MOCO 3A this season which includes Magruder, Seneca Valley, Northwood & Wheaton. 1st year Blake Head Coach Dondrell Whitmore Bengals will be small but talented. 6’1″ senior Donnell Whitmore, 6’0″ junior PG Brendan Adams, 6’0″ sophomore Miles Samuels & Raef will start. 6’0″ junior Ezana Fenere, & 5’9″ senior Phil Ellis will start or see major minutes.