Recruiting Report: Henry Coleman (2020)
There’s always going to be young players that look the part, but those that look the part, speak the part and back it up aren’t always as easy to find. For Trinity sophomore Henry Coleman, that’s exactly what you get.
The 6’6” forward is extremely mature both physically and mentally for a 15 year old sophomore that hasn’t reclassified, and so far in his career he has gotten it done both in the classroom and on the court. After transferring to the defending state champion Trinity Titans from Benedictine this summer, Coleman has joined two fellow division one recruits and has fit in from the jump on a talented team.
“The whole Trinity community has embraced me with open arms,” he said. “From a basketball perspective, being a leader and being able to score at all three levels and bringing a lot of energy. Last year Zach [Jacobs] brought a lot of energy to the table, he shot the three very well and I’m working on that. But for now, just getting in the lane, looking for teammates and being another guy that can score when [Jason] Wade and Armando [Bacot] need help.”
Despite joining a team that already had seen so much success, Coleman fit the bill perfectly and has bought in 100% moving forward. Playing in a fun, uptempo style that features a lot of dunks, transition opportunities and effort on both ends, he’s quickly become a fan favorite and an impact player on both ends of the floor. The “team” mentality is one that he understands and loves being a part of.
“Coach really emphasizes chemistry,” Coleman said. “He said that’s how we’re going to beat teams. A lot of teams at this level don’t have chemistry, they just have one or two guys, but when you have 12 guys that all play together and with energy, you can win a lot of games and that’s all we want to do is win games.”
Coleman already has multiple high major offers and has many more coming on his radar.Coleman is already a hot name among college coaches, as he was one of the best players and most highly recruited guys on a talented Team Loaded 15U team last year. He has 10 offers so far, his most recent coming from VCU and LSU, and he has high major offers including Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech and Penn State. Other high major schools that have expressed interest already include Boston College, UNC,Wake Forest, UVA and Creighton.
While he’s seeing a lot of attention early, Coleman’s maturity really shows in the way that he says he’s handling everything that’s coming his way.
“I’m just focused on playing, all of that is down the road for now. I’m only 15 and a sophomore so I have a lot of time to develop and make my decision. My family preaches that I need to remain humble, not stress and just have fun because I’m only going to get this opportunity once.”
While he’s a guy who’s ahead of a lot of people in his class, the forward still has a ways to go to be able to play at the highest of levels moving forward. He has a great frame, a high motor and plays with above the rim athleticism, but he still needs to work on fully transferring to the wing on both ends of the floor. It’s all things he understands and will continue to work on.
“Shooting the three ball is the biggest thing I’m working on. It’s all about consistency, I can shoot it when I’m wide open but working on making it against close outs. I’m also working on being able to put it on the floor in open space and continuing to become more of a leader.”
While he’s a talented guy on the court, it’s his maturity and unselfishness that makes me believe that Coleman will succeed at a high level both in high school and at the next level. There will continue to be high major coaches that recruit him and others in this area, and if he continues to improve his perimeter skill set the sky is the limit for this young man.