Recruiting Report: Darren Buchanan Jr. (2022)

Colby Giacubeno December 4, 2020 @ 12:18 PM

The pandemic put a stranglehold on all shoe circuit AAU events this past spring and summer, but along the way other pop-up events were put into action in order for prospects to gain exposure and film. A number of DMV players took advantage of the stage and used it to as a springboard for recruitment.

Darren Buchanan Jr. Darren Buchanan Jr. 6'7" | PF Woodrow Wilson | 2022 State #101 Nation MD , a 6-foot-6 wing who plays for Woodrow Wilson High School and Team Durant , happened to be one of the players who witnessed quite the uptick in college attention. Currently ranked as the No. 5 player in the MD/DC 2022 player rankings, Buchanan brings valuable aspects to the table that translate well to the college level including effort, toughness and competitiveness.

"This summer was fun for me, especially since I got to play with Team Durant 16U," Buchanan told Prep Hoops. "Playing with some of the top players in the country and learning from them. We got to play in the I-95 League up at St. James and that was real fun and got us a lot of exposure."

Buchanan was a staple on a talented Team Durant squad that features plenty of talent being pursued by mid and high major programs.

"My recruitment, I just thank God for it because coming where I come from not a lot of people have a tough time getting noticed. I'm just blessed to be in the position right now and I'll never take it for granted."

Buchanan continued by informing us that George Washington, Seton Hall, VCU, Rhode Island and Virginia Tech are the schools who reach out consistently. Georgetown also seems to be entering the picture slowly.

There's no timetable for a decision as Buchanan would prefer to take visits so he can grasp the overall atmosphere of each campus before committing. With all the uncertainty in the world at this point, nothing is set in stone, but don't be surprised if he waits until after the early signing period in 2021 to make a decision.

At 6-foot-6 with a strong and athletic body, Buchanan fits the mold of being a versatile defender who can guard shooting guards, wings and power forwards (in smaller lineups) at the college level. He brings tremendous energy to the defensive end as a rebounder and has drastically improved his timing as a shot-blocker.

Offensively he's at his best getting downhill and attacking the rim where his strength and athleticism come into play. He can finish above the rim in traffic and has the body control to convert through contact.

"Definitely my pull-up game and my mid-range shot," Buchanan said as he reflected on what improvements he needs to make. "My ball-handling as well and I want to become a better decision maker on the court. Basketball is 90 percent mental, so just being as smart as I can is most important. I'm a versatile player so I want to be able to play as both a screener and the ball-handler coming off of a screen."

Buchanan recently took the floor against the Black Panthers (team comprised of St. Frances players) and looked polished overall. His jumper is looking more fluid and comes out of his hand better than it did in the summer. The rotation on the ball is more crisp off of his release. He was a shot-blocking menace in transition and guarded a number of different players at different positions.

I think Buchanan can become even more aggressive as a scorer. His size puts him in mismatch scenarios, especially at the high school level. Going forward, I'd like to see him make teams pay for ever putting a smaller player against him.

Projecting Buchanan's development and level, I think he can be an impact player at the exact level of the programs recruiting him. He has plenty of tools to work with and intangibles that will put him in a position to complete a productive college career.