Recruiting Report: Josh Baker (AZ-2019)
One of the hottest names this June was Josh Baker, 5’11” 2019 of McClintock High School. McClintock lost some very talented players in Amiri Chukwuemeka and Malique Washington. Chukwuemeka and Washington combined to create one of the toughest back courts…
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Continue ReadingOne of the hottest names this June was Josh Baker, 5’11” 2019 of McClintock High School. McClintock lost some very talented players in Amiri Chukwuemeka and Malique Washington. Chukwuemeka and Washington combined to create one of the toughest back courts in the entire state. In fact, they averaged to score more than half of the teams total points per game. If McClintock is going to experience success this next season, a lot will be needed from Baker.
Although he is only a Sophomore, Baker has received a lot of praise from scouts and coaches. He has already received interest from “ASU and Portland State”. This list will definitely grow as he gets more exposure at the Varsity level and he continues to improve his game.
One of the biggest transitions to playing at the next level is understanding the speed, stamina, and strength that is necessary to be successful at that level. Baker openly admitted that he understands that he must improve his stamina and strength in order to play at the next level. In addition, he is a good athlete with decent height and length for a point guard.
As far as his strengths are concerned, Baker is a very well-rounded player. He is capable of shooting the basketball from deep, but also does a good job of being physical and attacking the paint. I have also been quite impressed with his aggressiveness and toughness when rebounding the basketball. He is an above average on-ball defender as well.
In addition to having a number of skills that translate directly to being successful on the court, he has the right mentality as well. When asked what makes his a college caliber player, he immediately responded, “Good attitude, coachable, [fun] personality, good grades, and good behavior.” I observed all of these traits at the games that I was able to watch.
This such be a fun season for Baker as he went from a freshman who had a little role on the Varsity level to potentially being relied on greatly. If June was any indication, he is ready to embrace this role and have a productive season.