Prospect Spotlight: Keaton Bassett (2021)
Prospect Spotlight: Keaton Bassett (2021) Oskaloosa guard Keaton Bassett is coming off a rising sophomore season in which he played in 22 varsity games for the Bears helping the program to an 11-11 record. A 6’0 lead guard, Bassett averaged…
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Continue ReadingProspect Spotlight: Keaton Bassett (2021)
Oskaloosa guard Keaton Bassett is coming off a rising sophomore season in which he played in 22 varsity games for the Bears helping the program to an 11-11 record.
A 6’0 lead guard, Bassett averaged 5.1 points to go along with 3.2 rebounds and describes his game as aggressive and fast paced.
Running with the Kansas Cagers 16U squad this spring and summer has been an eye opening experience for Bassett as he prepares for what he hopes is a breakout junior season.
“Playing for an AAU team has really made me think about how hard I need to push my limits and work even harder to keep up with the elite teams we might face,” he says. “Playing for the Kansas Cagers has made me a better basketball player and a better teammate. but it will be a big change going from a faster paced AAU.”
Bassett says he has been working on improving all aspects of his game this offseason>
“I’ve been trying to work on a little of everything between improving my jump shot, free throws, my ability to jump for a smaller guard, I’ve also been working on my balance and my core and making my hips stronger,” he said.
Bassett says that while going 11-11 this season for Oskaloosa may not sound like much, it was a big improvement over the 1-20 campaign the previous season.
“This past season was my favorite season of basketball I’ve ever had,” he said. “We all worked as a unit and it was fun how the seniors would help you up if you got knocked down instead of putting you down or if I missed a shot they would just say get the next one. My freshman year we were 1-20, my sophomore year we were 11-11. I think this has to do a lot with the senior class.”
Bassett says the biggest influence on his basketball career to date has been Oskaloosa head coach Jeremy Rockhold and his dad.
“Coach is always giving me little hints on the court if I don’t see it first and it’s nice to have a coach that will push his players to do there best and coach Rock has been pushing me to get better everyday I’m in the gym or the weight room,” Bassett said. “But my dad he was my first basketball coach back in the 3rd grade and he is the reason I fell in love with the game, I know I’m not a big D1 player yet but I play my heart out every time I step on that court and my dad works a lot so he’s not always there but I always play for him cause he made me the ball player I am and the man I am today.”
A fan of NBA guard Kyrie Irving, Bassett says he has tried to model his game after him.
“I never really watched the NBA when I was little but when he got drafted that changed a lot of things for me, just the way he can crossover defenders, drive right around them to get to the open lane for that jelly fam finish and that he can shoot the ball very well is another big thing for me,” Bassett said. “Every time I watch him play he has a couple of new moves whether that be a new crossover with a new finishing move I study them and go outside and ty it till I got it down I’ve stayed many out side on our court till 1 or 2 in the morning working on my shot learning new moves and getting better.”