Recruiting Report: Macauley Young (2019)
Shiloh Christian will go into the season with a top-five ranking and be viewed as a state title contender. Four returning starters, experienced guards and star power will do that. Macauley Young provides that star power inside.
Young, a 6-foot-8 senior center, averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds as a junior, leading the Skyhawks to the state tournament. He’ll be an all-state candidate as a senior after spending the grassroots season with several programs including ECI.
“My summer was great,” said Young. “I played with a couple teams including ECI and went on a mission trip to Guatemala. It was an amazing experience.”
Young is one of the dominant bigs in North Dakota and few teams – especially at the Class B level – can challenge him inside. Playing AAU basketball offered him that challenge as he saw high-end bigs from all over the midwest.
“Playing against other bigs is really the only way to learn so it was priceless,” said Young. “I feel I learn more when I’m challenged. You go up against more really good bigs in one AAU tournament than you might in an entire high school season.”
Young isn’t going to steer far from what he does well. He’s a presence in the paint on both ends of the floor. He’s a factor on the offensive glass and has solid footwork and post moves. He’s also a willing passer from inside and doesn’t overextend himself trying to do too much.
“I have been working on my post moves and I want to continue adding more and have a full arsenal to pick from,” said Young.
Young’s combination of size, footwork, solid hands and basketball smarts makes him a fairly intriguing prospect when it comes to the next level.
“I have spoken with several colleges and absolutely want to play at that level,” Young said.
In the meantime, Young has one more year at Shiloh where he’s hoping for a big senior year and to lead the Skyhawks back to the state tournament.
“I am very excited about the upcoming season,” said Young. “We have four starters returning and we believe we can make it all the way. That is the goal. Our returners have been playing together since third grade and we have great chemistry.”