2020 A.J. Hoggard sets his five official visits
This past Saturday, the Will Barton Elite Camp took place at University of Maryland-Baltimore. Among a star-studded roster was A.J. Hoggard, a highly coveted prospect out of Pennsylvania. Hoggard is considered as one of the best point guard prospects in the nation, and continued to prove that over this spring and summer.
I had the chance to catch up with Hoggard and get an update with his recruitment.
Hoggard has compiled a total of 22 offers and although he told me that his recruitment remains wide open, he has scheduled his five official visits:
Providence-August 30
Ole Miss-September 6
Michigan State-September 13
Marquette-September 17
Florida-September 21
Hoggard doesn’t have a timetable for when he will make his decision or even cut his list, but the fact that he chose these five schools gives indication that this is what his final list should look like.
Through 18 games this summer with the PSA Cardinals on the EYBL Circuit, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 15.2 points per game on 47.9 percent shooting from the field. He also averaged 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds.
When it comes to scoring, Hoggard makes the process look very easy. He gets to the basket in the most efficient ways. Breaking his man down off the dribble, Hoggard is always attacking straight towards the rim. There’s no messing around once he sees an opportunity. He uses an array of finishes once he gets into the paint, all of which are supplied with soft touch. Despite shooting 32.5 percent from deep this summer on the circuit, Hoggard isn’t a player you can ignore on the perimeter. While playing in a downhill fashion is when he is at his best, he can knock down the three-ball when in rhythm.
Hoggard is no stranger to making his defender look silly with crossovers or spin moves. At first glace, he doesn’t look like an elite athlete, but his first step is extremely quick and he utilizes his strong frame to keep his man out of position.
“During my freshman and sophomore years I was trying to dunk it, but I just realize that it’s all worth two points,” Hoggard said. “I really haven’t had that mindset of going up and dunking, but I can definitely get up there when I want to get up there.”
Whatever program Hoggard chooses is going to get a very solid point guard for years to come. While he makes the game look easy, he still has three things in his mind to improve on this upcoming season with Huntington Prep:
“Just continuing to get in better shape, working on my shot and playing defense consistently.”