Prospect Watch: Dareon Graham (2019)
Class of 2019 guard Dareon Graham of McCluer has developed his offensive game over the past three years of his varsity career to become quite a matchup problem for opposing defenders.
The 6’5″ Graham is a smooth jump shooter with 3-point range and he combines that with the ability to beat defenders off the dribble to get to the rim or stop for short jumpers and floaters. With his size, he can also take smaller players into the post to get buckets.
“It’s a big advantage for me because I can use my quickness against the bigger guys and drive to the basket,” said Graham on his versatile skill set. “I drive to the hole and it’s either going to be a basket or a foul. And with smaller guards, I will just take them into the paint.”
As a junior, Graham averaged 11 points a game for the Comets, who finished 7-20 last season, but made a postseason surge that nearly resulted in a district championship. McCluer upset St. Charles West and St. Charles in the playoffs and nearly upset eventual Class 4 third-place Jennings in the district finals.
“We started off very slow and lost a lot of games, but we fought hard and strong and got to the district championship game,” he said. “We hope to come out and fight harder this year and have a great season.”
Graham improved his game during the summer while playing for the St. Louis Majestics 17U during the grassroots season. Graham showcased his scoring ability throughout the summer as the Majestics enjoyed a lot of success in winning three different tournaments and getting to the Final Four of the Jayhawk Summer Finale in late July.
“The summer helped me out a lot because I was able to play against a lot of strong competition,” he said. “I got to learn how to play at different speeds.”