Yale lands the services of Paul Atkinson
The talent continues to infiltrate the Ivy League and on Sunday morning, Yale picked up a massive piece from within the 2017 class in Paul Atkinson. The 6-foot-8 center out of Florida chose the defending conference champs over the likes of Richmond, Dayton, and UNC-Wilmington as he currently sits as a top-20 recruit from the loaded state of Florida.
A very active and productive big man down low, Atkinson is a fine interior piece for James Jones’ bunch. Where he lacks for supreme athleticism, the Sunshine State native more than makes up for it with his toughness and grit around the basket, super soft hands and instincts that he uses on the glass, and intellect in playing angles on counters moves prior to the finish.
Running on the Nike EYBL circuit this past summer with the Nike South Beach program, Atkinson was a model of efficiency. While he didn’t attempt a single 3-point jumper, displaying his willingness to play to his strengths, the Westminster Academy senior did do some damage inside. He converted on over 64-percent of his field goal tries while nearly corralling seven boards per contest. The efficient producer is someone that can play good defense without fouling hence his less than two fouls per contest numbers.
While the lure of playing for those at the higher levels was strong, the South Beach producer felt like the Ivy program was the perfect fit. "I really like Yale and I think that we can do something special on the court as well as off the court," he told HoopSeen. "It is also great academics where it was hard to give up on a Yale diploma."
The fourth commitment in the 2017 class for the Bulldogs, Atkinson, who was joined this weekend on his official visit bylead guard commitment Azar Swain, create a great start headed into the fall for the New Haven based program. Wyatt Yess and Jalen Gabiddon will also join the duo next fall at Yale, though the staff continues to hastily pursue Jordan Usher, a top-125 wing that was on campus this weekend as he is also looking at USC and Arizona State for where he might attend school next year.
Atkinson, the number-18 ranked prospect from the state of Florida in the 2017 class, is a tremendous pick-up for the Ivy squad and should ensure for further success for James Jones and crew.