Prospect Watch: Luke Hicks (2019)
Class of 2019 guard Luke Hicks of Hallsville will have a lot on his plate during the upcoming season.
The 6’2″ Hicks has been one of the top scorers and key players on a Hallsville team that has registered more than 20 victories during each of the past two seasons.
Hallsville will have a different look in 2019 with eight very productive seniors having graduated from those very successful teams. However, Hicks is back and he embraces the new challenge of leading a rebuilding team, which also means a different mindset for him.
“Over the summer, I really looked to become a more aggressive player,” he said. “Last year, we had all of the seniors. Now, I’m only one of two returning players, so I know I have to step up big next year.”
During the summer, Hicks joined the TEM Select 17U team and enjoyed a very good grassroots season. An outstanding shooter from 3-point territory, Hicks got a chance to display his long distance marksmanship against some of the region’s top talent over the course of the summer.
The good shooting and overall productivity paid off for Hicks as he earned his first collegiate offer from Missouri Baptist at the end of the summer.
“It was really fun to get out there and play against all of those top players,” Hicks said. “It’s a big world out there and a lot of good competition.”
While watching Hicks play with his Hallsville teammates during the month of June, he still displays that sweet stroke from long distance, but he has also become a multi-tasker. He is also the primary ball handler and chief facilitator to make sure everyone is involved in the offense. His passing skills are also very good and he is also an underrated athlete. During the summer with TEM Select, they ran several alley-oop plays for him where he finished right at the rim.”
“I’ve been working on a little bit of everything to get ready for the season,” he said. “I’m finding different ways to score and I have to become more of a leader.”