Will Pruitt Player Evaluation
Will Pruitt looked like a small college, possibly Division 1 player for the last year. Mt. Juliet High School guard Will Pruitt is now firmly a D1 prospect, after earning an offer from Campbell University. He will graduate with his…
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Continue ReadingWill Pruitt looked like a small college, possibly Division 1 player for the last year.
Mt. Juliet High School guard Will Pruitt is now firmly a D1 prospect, after earning an offer from Campbell University. He will graduate with his Class of 2020.
State Rankings are based on what a player will be. Where will he be at his pinnacle? This evaluation is more of an analysis of where a player is right now. There is some speculation embedded, but consider what he is now more than what he might become.
What skills and attributes make Will Pruitt a college prospect? What does he need to work on?
Offense (0-15): 13
Exceptional passer. High percentage shooter, but he doesn’t shoot often. Pruitt is a pass-first point guard that can shoot, not the modern point guard that needs to score.
Like Michigan State point guards of yore, Pruitt hits the inbounds pass running. From the second the ball falls through the net, Will is already dashing up floor. Pruitt changes direction pretty well, not expertly. He really thrives with an uncanny awareness of the defender’s position.
His handles are quirky and defenders struggle to keep him in check for this reason.
Defense (0-10): 7
Will Pruitt is a taller point guard and thus prone to be a minus defender. Short, quick point guards give up height when they defend Will, but the tradeoff is that 5-foot-10 blurs used to spin him in circles. Pruitt is much, much more adept defending lead guards now.
Still, this will probably be the area that determines his ceiling. Can he keep those blurs from slicing up his entire team? Perimeter defense is a determining factor for many evaluators. Will is quicker than last year. Will it be quick enough?
Tenacity and basketball brains help Pruitt line up in solid position. He can “sit down” with the best of them and grits out possessions defensively.
Rebounding (0-10): 3
Will is not typically found in the lane rebounding. For his position he is maybe average as a rebounder? As a positional player, Will Pruitt can more often be found providing his team’s last defender out high (as the opponent attempts to counter). He is not a great leaper and doesn’t hunt down loose rebounds too often.
Gritty, yes. Will Pruitt is more valuable as a passer and scorer than he is as a rebounder.
Passing (0-10): 9
There are not five better passers in the state than Will Pruitt. He has always enjoyed delivering that late, penetrating pass to a finisher. Will Pruitt will be asked to score a little this season for Mt. Juliet, but in college he projects as a double-figure assist man.
Pruitt’s height enables him to see over defenses. More importantly, he understands his teammates. Pruitt thinks quickly and makes passes early and sharp. Wonderful in the halfcourt.
Intangibles (0-5): 4
Ok, not overly explosive athlete. Perfect size for position. Coachable. High basketball IQ.
Never shies away from competition.
Will Pruitt wins basketball games. His AAU team was wonderful all summer. Pruitt’s high school team regularly wins 25+ games. Point guards are entrusted with leading an entire team. Few statewide do this better than Will Pruitt.
Grateful and excited to receive an offer from Campbell University after a great talk with @KCMcGeehan pic.twitter.com/lGN9M2T4MZ
— Will Pruitt (@willpruitt99) July 31, 2019
FINAL SCORE (0-50): 36
The future of Will Pruitt depends upon college fit and lateral mobility. Many college programs want 6-foot-4 point guards and Will Pruitt is a player that coaches gradually fall in love with.
Visionary passer with D1 ambitions and low-major potential. His senior year will be special for certain.
Previous evaluations
36 Brandon Miller (2022 Cane Ridge)
35 Jacob Roberts (2021 White Station)
33 B.J. Marable (2020 Grace Christian)
33 Brandon Thomas (2018 Blackman)
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