2021 Providence F James Lee Repass talks summer with E1T1, recruitment and more
An emerging threat up in the north region of Florida is James Lee Repass.
The 2021 forward made the most of his chances as a freshman for an always contending in Class 4A.
Lee Repass is 6’10”, 250 lbs. He played at 280 lbs. last season and is looking to shed 10 more pounds before his sophomore campaign starts. Lee Repass is currently the No. 17 overall prospect in the recently updated 2021 Florida class rankings.
He talked about his freshman season in-depth.
“My freshman year at Providence I started around half our games and played pretty good minutes throughout the season, providing a great presence in the paint on defense, along with the ability to pretty much score in the post at will,” Lee Repass told Prep Hoops.
“I was playing around a ton of great players like Ahren Freeman, so my touches in the post were somewhat limited, but when I was fed the ball, I was a great offensive weapon.
I think because I was a freshman, I didn’t have a ton of pressure on me to have an outstanding game all the time and be the leader of the team. This is what really got my confidence going to where I could relax and just play my game. This is especially important when playing under coach [Jim] Martin. He is a high-intensity guy that won’t tolerate many, if any mistakes from any of his players, especially a freshman. Providence has always had a great basketball program and I am only one of the very few freshmen under coach Martin’s 20 plus year career coaching there to have the chance to play on the varsity team. After this years’ summer league and team camps, I am starting every game and have become a main part of our offense.”
This summer, Lee Repass played for E1T1 15U. It was his first season with the program.
“I could have played for a team like E1T1 in past years, but I figured travel basketball wasn’t that important at a young age like that, so I stayed in Jacksonville and worked on my game. Coming in from out of town, everyone has there eye on me because very few people from other parts of Florida have seen me play before. At the start of Spring, we played in Scott Golden’s Travel Team Jamboree, where we beat CP25 and Team Knight,” he said. “It was my first time playing for a sponsored team like E1T1 with tons of talent, so I was a little nervous going into that weekend. But it was those two games that were probably the best two games I’ve played in my life so far up to this point. I mean I had 25+ points and 15+ rebounds each game. I was just playing like I had nothing to worry about and like it was just some pick up game. The second game I think I had like six or seven dunks or something crazy.
Currently, Lee Repass holds one offer from UNF.
“After playing in their UNF’s team camp without senior Ahren Freema, I was our leading scorer and the main source of our offense. It was after this that coach [Matthew] Driscoll talked to my dad and me for a while about my game,” Lee Repass said. “He said that he loves the way I am unstoppable in the paint, but that I can also do something many bigs can’t do in shooting the ball well.”
His dream is to play at the University of Florida where his dad played football. He also mentioned Duke as a school that intrigues him since they had Grayson Allen, a former Providence standout.
During the spring and summer, Lee Repass shot over 80 percent from the free throw line.
“I really worked on my 3-point game and mid range shot in my own time because I know that if I want to play high-Division 1 basketball, I am going to need those skills to separate myself from the average post players,” he said.
In terms of his biggest strengths, Lee Repass pointed to his offensive abilities and passing when he is covered.
“I feel like me being on the court opens up so much more for other players on my team because when the ball goes inside to me and people collapse on me, my teammates cut to the basket or spit up for a shot,” he said. “It is sort of an unstoppable offense if you ask me because if I’m in single coverage, I’m scoring and if defenders leave their man to come help with me, I just kick it to my wide open teammates and they score.”
As for areas that he can improve, he pointed to his jumper, rebounding and perimeter defense.
“It is not often that I have to do this at the high school/AAU level, but in college especially everyone has to be able to defend anywhere on the court,” Lee Repass said, “I am in the gym during the summer every day, sometimes up to seven and eight hours a day, shooting, lifting weights and training to become the best player I can be and improve in these areas.”
Lee Repass knows what he needs to do to succeed on the court. He’s been thinking about the collegiate level well before his name was recognized. He’s determined, quietly confident and a true threat to score every time he touches the ball inside whether on his shot attempt or drawing a trip to the free throw line. Lee Repass has one of the biggest ceilings of any 2021 prospect in the state.
2021 Providence F James Repass finishes the bucket. He’s a tough big bodied kid who has a bright future ahead. @jamessrepass @Wayne_Smith4 @reale1t1 pic.twitter.com/qhC7uSRywY
— ᴊᴀᴋᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴘᴇʀ (@JakePerper) April 7, 2018
Photo credit: Amp Up Media