Recruiting Report: Bryson Spell (2021)

Standing at about 5’9” and a healthy 210 lbs. (about 40 up from my playing days), sometimes it’s hard for me to relate to kids who have growth spurts or see their bodies change. It makes it easy for me to notice however, and that was the first thing I noticed as I watched Cape Henry sophomore Bryson Spell with Team Loaded VA 16U this spring.

The 6’8” forward says that he’s been working on his body trying to fill out, and it hasn’t hurt that he’s seen a natural growth spurt as well.

“I think I’ve put on about 5 or 6 pounds of muscle since the school season has come to an end and I think I’ve grown about an inch and a half,” he said happily.

Spell has been one of the most intriguing prospects in the 757 for a few years now, and the continued maturation of his body should be a very welcoming sign for some schools that have been keeping tabs on him early. When I watched him he looked more confident and aggressive, and of course he showed that sweet stroke from deep that makes him a mismatch for others bigs and opens driving lanes for his teammates.

However, it isn’t just his body he’s working on, as Spell has been in the gym working hard and trying to become a more all-around player instead of just a stretch four man.

“I’ve really been working on my ball handling, especially pushing in transition because I’m trying to become more of a wing,” Spell said. “I’m starting to see results and it’s been really good.”

As he continues to work on his game, he believes it will help him become the most important thing in this new era of basketball which is versatile. When I asked him how he would describe his game that’s the first thing to come to mind.

“Versatile. I can play anything from the 3-5 is what I feel like. I can shoot the ball well, I can take it inside and score and I think that’s my biggest strength is my versatility.”

While Spell still can’t talk with college coaches until later this month, he has received letters and his coaches have received calls from a number of schools already that include ODU, UVA, ECU and Purdue. As he continues to develop both physically and from a skill set standpoint, he should see his recruitment continue to grow from schools who like big guys who can shoot.

While many kids would already be worried about recruitment at this point in their high school career, it’s the furthest thing from Spell’s mind, as he wants to spend the summer improving so he can be ready to make a major impact in the TCIS this summer.

‘I’m trying to put on another 10-15 pounds this summer, and I think as my body comes around so will my confidence and I’ll start to play well. When that happens I’m going to be really excited for the Cape Henry basketball season coming up.”

While he’s still a work in progress, Spell is a kid that coaches should already have on their radar, because once it all clicks he’s going to blow up on the recruiting trail.