Prospect Spotlight: Austyn Shipps (2020 Cleveland HS)
Austyn Shipps did things a little differently this off-season. The all-around 6-foot-1, 160-pound guard eschewed playing club ball this summer, deciding to run with his Cleveland High School teammates instead. It’s a move he believes will pay off for the…
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Continue ReadingAustyn Shipps did things a little differently this off-season. The all-around 6-foot-1, 160-pound guard eschewed playing club ball this summer, deciding to run with his Cleveland High School teammates instead. It’s a move he believes will pay off for the Warriors this season and he’s hopeful it will help lead to some collegiate opportunities for him individually as well.
Cleveland played as a team at AAU tournaments in July and Shipps was happy about the way things went. “Last year our chemistry was kind of back and forth, so that’s why we had not quite the season we wanted,” Shipps said. “This year I wanted it to be different. So I wanted to get in with the guys, be there in the summer and get that chemistry going. We had a really productive summer together and I’m excited – I think the season is going to be good.”
On an individual basis, Shipps was focused on improving himself in a number of areas, physically, mentally, and skill-wise. “I think the main thing for me was maturing and getting a little bigger,” Shipps said. “Also maturing my IQ – I watched a lot of game film this summer. And my shot – it was inconsistent last year, so that’s the main thing that I worked on. So it was getting stronger, getting a better IQ, and getting my shot down.”
Shipps is hopeful everything will pay off this season with college interest. This summer he camped at Western Oregon and schools such as Southern Oregon and Barry University in Florida have gotten in touch. Some junior college programs in California have also shown interest. He enjoyed the competition at the recent PrepHoops Oregon Top 250 Expo and is hopeful it will lead to more looks. His dream of course is Division I basketball but he’s staying open to all possibilities.
“One of the biggest things I hear is go somewhere where you’re going to play,” Shipps said. “If my option is to go play at a D-II and get playing time, then I’m going to go to a D-II other than go to a D-I and sitting for three years. If I play I can get film, I can get experience, I can mature and go to a D-I from there.”
A returning starter from last year’s team, Shipps is looking forward to this upcoming season, one in which he believes the Warriors will shock some people. “I think we can have a really good season and we can get a pretty decent spot in the playoffs,” Shipps said. “My goal since freshman year has been to get to the Chiles Center and I think this team can do it for sure. A whole lot of people are doubting us right now but I think that’s going to work to our advantage.”
Shipps currently ranks as the #77 player in the updated PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2020 rankings.