Prospect Spotlight: Joshua Lee 2020
The Price Knights have gotten off to a much better start this season. Last year, they finished with a 12-17 record. This year, they currently sit at 13-2. A big part of the turnaround is new head coach Chans Smyth.…
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Continue ReadingThe Price Knights have gotten off to a much better start this season. Last year, they finished with a 12-17 record. This year, they currently sit at 13-2.
A big part of the turnaround is new head coach Chans Smyth. Smyth has the team playing very hard and together as a unit. But another big reason for the team’s success is the addition of former Bishop Montgomery wing Joshua Lee.
Lee is a senior and has stepped into a leading role for the Knights. He’s certainly one of the top unsigned seniors in the Los Angeles area. As of right now, he’s only heard from one Division 1 college, The Master’s University.
He’s adjusted well to his new teammates and coach, and he’s embraced his role as a focal point for the team.
“My role on the team is to be a leader and get everybody together,” Lee told Prep Hoops. “To make sure everybody is in their spot and to just help us win games.”
Lee had a big offseason this summer in preparation for this season. As part of the NCAA’s attempt to reshape college basketball recruiting, they offered for the first time specific camps geared towards allowing high school players the opportunity to showcase their game in front of college coaches.
Four different camps were held over a seven-day period in late July at UConn, Illinois, Houston, and Grand Canyon. High school players were admitted to the camps by invitation only. Lee was among the players selected to participate in the Grand Canyon session.
It was a bit of a radical change to the high school basketball recruiting landscape as it effectively eliminated one of the prime ‘live’ periods in favor of the new camps. For Lee though, the camp was a very good learning opportunity.
“That was a good experience. I enjoyed going out to Grand Canyon and just seeing what college players do every day. I got to play with different teammates and play in front of different colleges. That was a blessing,” Lee said. “It just shows me that everybody is working every day so I just have to work ten times harder.”
Like most high school players, Lee also got work in over the summer on the AAU circuit. He played with Los Angeles Elite, one of the best AAU programs in the Southern California area.
AAU is often a time for players to develop other aspects of their game besides just scoring as they’re often playing with similarly talented players. For Lee, Los Angeles Elite helped set the foundation for the role stepped into with the Knights.
“Leadership, being a leader and just playing hard every possession,” Lee said. “That’s what my coaches taught me on that team. That’s what I pulled from the team during the summer.”
Lee has emerged into one of the top-scoring threats for Price. He can create his own shot on the perimeter and he can shoot well from the three-point line. He’s got a solid off the dribble game. He keeps the ball moving and doesn’t let the offense stagnate.
He knows the strengths in his game and he plays to them. He also has some areas of his game that he’d like to improve upon as the season progresses.
“Definitely passing is a strength and I think I have a pretty good three-point shot right now. And my pull-up jumper is pretty good right now,” Lee said. “I still want to work on my perimeter shooting. Also talking more on the court and my finishing ability.”
Price has certainly emerged as a possible threat once CIF playoffs role around. Once it’s all said and done, and the curtain closes on Lee’s high school career, he’s hoping that the team’s early success eventually leads to postseason glory.
“I just want to enjoy it and have a great season with my teammates,” Lee said. “We’re trying to win a championship this year, that’s the goal.”