Prospect Intro: Jeremiah Belton (2021)
Jeremiah Belton completed a rare feat for a Kentucky high school basketball player. Belton saw the floor in all 32 games for a top team in the 5th region. It isn’t uncommon for a freshman to see the floor in Kentucky but it is uncommon for a freshman to be given the keys to run a veteran team as a 15 year old. Jeremiah is a two sport athlete who has college potential in both basketball and football. I recently caught up with Jeremiah to discuss his freshman season for the Hawks and what lies ahead for him in his athletic career.
PHKY: Describe your game for people who may never have seen you play. What are your strengths? What do you need to improve?
JB: My game is flashy and fundamental at the same time. I like to get the crowd involved with the way I pass the and I like to create open shots for my teammates and also myself. My strengths are my passing, my defense, and my overall knowledge of the game. Thing that I need to improve on is my shooting especially when my team needs someone to make a play. Another thing I need to improve on is my leadership and attitude towards my coaches and my teammates.
PHKY: Reflect on your high school season. Were you happy with your individual performance? Were you happy with your team results?
JB: I am happy with my individual performance throughout my high school season. I got to experience what most freshman dream of experiencing while being a freshman on a varsity team. I was also very pleased with our record as a team throughout the course of the season (29-3 school win record and 5th Region Runner Up). We did what nobody thought we could do we even surprised ourselves with our outcome of this season.
PHKY: Who are you playing AAU with? How is your season going so far?
JB: I am playing AAU with central Kentucky Vision. Our season is going well throughout the tournaments I’ve been able to play with them. Our coach really pushes us to play our best each time we step on the floor. The team is very unselfish and everyone likes sharing the ball with one another.
PHKY: What schools are recruiting you? Any offers? If you have offers, do you have a leader right now?
JB: I’ve been invited to several elite camps to different colleges for both football and basketball. Right now I don’t have any offers but I’m determined to get more than a few throughout my high school career.
PHKY: What can you take from your AAU season and apply to your next high school season?
JB: I can take the pressure in all sorts of situations that I have encountered throughout my AAU and high school seasons. I’ve also learned how to play basketball at a whole new level of speed and a whole new level of understanding what to do in certain situations on either the offensive side of the ball or the defensive side of the ball.
PHKY: What are your goals for your next high school season?
JB: My goals for next year are to become more of a leader and score the ball more than I did last year. Last year I was very passive.This upcoming season as a team and as an individual I want to show everyone that we have improved a lot over the summer and it’s gonna start at the King of the Bluegrass by hopefully winning it then winning the district championship, regional championship, and making it far into the state tournament.
Jeremiah is a pass first point guard who is going to be more of a distributor for a veteran LaRue County team that’s going to be predicted by many to win the region next season. As a sophomore, Belton should be the starter for the Hawks and will be counted on to facilitate the offense and increase his scoring output from a year ago. Jeremiah should be more than up to the challenge after spending the summer running the show for Team Vision. In order for LaRue County to reach their goals of competing for a state title at Rupp Arena next March, Jeremiah’s growth and development is going to be pivotal. That’s a lot of pressure on a sophomore but he appears up to the task.