Recruiting Report: Carson Basham (2021)
Many seem to believe that Sunnyslope’s time as the champs for 5A have concluded due to the graduation of many prospects who saw significant playing time, including 3 state championship games. However, anyone who followed Sunnyslope this summer knows they are alive and well.
Coach Ray Portela is without a doubt one of the top coaches in the state. He gets his guys to compete at a high level. This team will be no different. Further, believe it or not, this group will be longer and might be more athletic.
One of the prospects who will aid in giving this team length and depth is Carson Basham Carson Basham 6'10" | C AZ Compass Prep | 2021 State AZ . Basham, a 6’10 2021 C, is one of the most intriguing prospects in the state due to his size. Unfortunately, he sustained an injury at the end of the spring live period which kept him out most of June. He is finally getting back into shape currently.
While this is the case, it has not stopped Basham from earning his fair share of offers and creating quite the buzz across the state.
Carson Basham Carson Basham 6'10" | C AZ Compass Prep | 2021 State AZ Recruiting
In addition to playing well on the court, Basham has done his job early in the classroom as he has a “3.8 [GPA] and straight a’s in core classes.” A big man with those types of grades is extremely intriguing to every school at every level.
Currently, Basham has an offer from “Louisiana Monroe.” Further, he noted that he has interest from “Stanford and Portland.” Moreover, he noted that he has been on unofficial visits to UCLA, Arizona, and LMU.
Basham is looking for a program with “a great coaching staff to progress my game as much as possible.” Further, he wants the opportunity to showcase that he has a well-rounded game as well.
As far as school is concerned, he wants to “become a bio medical engineer.” If that does not work out, his intention is “to major in anything science related.
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Carson Basham Carson Basham 6'10" | C AZ Compass Prep | 2021 State AZ Projection
Basham has all of the potential in the world to be a mid to high major NCAA Division-I prospect. He has soft hands, good footwork, and length. However, he needs to continue to work on his motor and play with more physicality in order to maximize his potential.
One of the areas that he noted that he would like to work on as a means of improving his stock is his versatility. Specifically, he wants to demonstrate his athleticism and ability to shoot it from 3 while improving his ability to guard 3-5.
Basham is really early in his recruitment and my bet is that his best days are yet to come. With that said, Basham has as high of a ceiling as any 2021 prospect in the state.