Recruiting Report: Phil Hughes (2019)
The trajectory of Phil Hughes’ (2019) recruitment process, which just got underway in late June, proves that hard work and gradual improvement is still a means to accomplishing your goals.
Hughes isn’t on Twitter sharing his stats and highlights every two weeks. He’s not on Twitter at all, actually. There wasn’t a viral moment that kick-started his recruitment frenzy. The 6’7” forward from Marysville also didn’t express any contempt when asked about his lack of post touches in the winter during high school ball.
Instead, Hughes brought his proverbial lunch box these past few weekends and worked his tail off in the post for Nova (Morgan) against quality grassroots competition.
Although there still wasn’t a whisper from college coaches through mid-June, Hughes finally broke through.
“Ohio Dominican has talked to me. Ashland has talked to me. Ohio Northern and Wittenberg have, and Ohio Wesleyan,” Hughes told us. “I’ve talked to the coaches and they said they’d be at this tournament I’m going to right now,” Hughes said, in reference to the adidas Invitational in Indianapolis.
Going into the Live Period, he stayed busy in June with “exposure events” in Lancaster and Ashland. Marysville also competed in the Findlay elite camp, where Hughes saw touches more frequently than his junior year.
As far as college choice is concerned, Hughes seems to be a pretty low-maintenance young man who is just starting to figure it out.
“I really don’t know yet. I’m kind of undecided on my major,” Hughes responded when asked what he’s looking for in a college. He continued, “I’m just kind of looking for a scholarship.”
The picture could become clearer for Hughes in the months following July where he plans on going to “visit some places and one more exposure event.”
Hughes carries a 3.15 GPA and is awaiting his ACT score.
As a player, Hughes has impressed all spring with his hustle, rebounding, and ability to run the floor.
We really started paying more attention to him the last time they were in Indianapolis. It was Sunday afternoon and Nova was playing in the Elevate Hoops event on the same weekend where all the circuits were in Indy. Hughes was matched up with a broad-shouldered seven-footer from Illinois. Instead of letting up in their, probably, sixth game of the weekend, Hughes battled to the point of having a bloodied nose. By the end of the game, Hughes’ white jersey was red all down the side from him wiping it off. He never came off the court and was truly giving the kid fits as a rebounder and floor-runner.
Hughes doesn’t end every game with blood on the jersey, but he does also keep it edgy out there on the floor.
“My best strengths [are] just being physical and finishing,” Hughes confirmed. “I think I can knock down the 3 and some mid-range shots too.”
Defensively, he’s most proud of his help-side efforts at the rim.
Going forward, Hughes wants to be able to put it on the floor to become a scorer on the drive.