#OTRHoopsReport: Underclassman Watch – February 8, 2017

Class of 2019 post Charles Bassey is already considered one of the nation’s best at his position. Photo – @CoachHemi / Hoop Hall Classic

Our #OTRHoopsReport team hit the road tough during the high school season tracking the nation’s top prospects. While many upperclassmen have signed NLI or have offers waiting, there were a handful of underclassmen that we identified as the next big targets. Here are some new names for our staff after this winter.

By: @JLHemingwayPSB

Charles Bassey – St. Anthony (Texas), 6-11 PF/C – 2019

Evaluation (Hoop Hall Classic)

Bassey is a skilled post player who can play at either end of the hi-lo. He has length, makes shots and will rebound in his area. His performance today reminded me of how T.J. Leaf played last year. He has soft touch and can finish with a man behind him. He scored 17 points on 7-11 shooting, but did not attempt a 3pt shot. He added 14 rebounds and 5 blocked shots in a loss to Hudson Catholic.

Recruiting

Indiana head coach, Tom Crean, has been in to see Bassey multiple times this season. Kansas has also reportedly been in to see the 6-foot-11 post per Jerry Meyer of 247 Sports.

Antavion Collum – Memphis East (Tennessee), 6’7″ SF – 2019

Evaluation (City of Palms)

Collum is a combo forward who has length, strength and skill. He displayed range to the arc in this game. Teammate TJ Moss might have had a bigger impact in this game, but Collum could project as a better prospect in the long term.

@AntavionCollum talks versatility & confidence. Full interview & more on #SUVtv. #CP3RS @AntavionC @JHillsman pic.twitter.com/saXKWGWTgq

— SUVtv (@SUVtv) August 8, 2015

Recruiting

Per Shun Williams, Collum picked up an offer from Memphis last fall.

Makur Maker – The Tech Academy (Canada), 6’11” PF – 2020

Evaluation (Marshall County Hoop Fest)

Makur is a cousin of Thon and Matur Maker who also filtered through the Canadian Prep Schools. He appears to have a little more bounce and ball skill than Matur. He is not as dominating as Thon was at this level. He scored 6 points and had 6 rebounds in 26 minutes in a match up versus Hillcrest (without DeAndre Ayton). It is not a lot to get excited about, but he is just a freshman and worth watching moving forward.

Andrew Nembhard – Montverde Academy (Florida), 6’3″ PG – 2019

Evaluation (Hoop Hall Classic)

Nemhard burst onto the scene today with a very efficient game from the PG position. He scored a game high 22 points on 9-11 shooting which included two from long range. He is physically strong and a good finisher at the bucket. He is Canadian born.

Recruiting

Per Corey Evans of Rivals.com, Nembhard has picked up interest from Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma, Stanford, Villanova, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

PJ Fuller – Nathan Hale HS (Washington), 6’3″ SG – 2019

Evaluation (Hoop Hall Classic)

Fuller had a nice day with 17 points on 5-12 shooting. He is best in transition where he can finish at the rim. He did hit 3-8 3 pointers today, but his release looked a little flat. He will need to demonstrate some PG skills in the future as he is a bit undersized to be a true SG.

Recruiting

Per Evan Daniels of Scout.com, Fuller recently picked up an offer from USC. He also holds offers from Montana, Washington and TCU.

Jonathan Hemingway is a National Evaluator for the OTRHoopsReport. Hemingway serves on the Board of Selectors for the Naismith Trophy. He is also the publisher of CoachHemi.com. He has been involved in the community since 1996 as a coach, camp director and evaluator. You can reach him via email at JonathanHemingway@PeachStateBasketball.com and follow him on  twitter @JLHemingwayPSB