Arizona State goes cross-country for Kimani Lawrence
New Hampton, NH
One of the top wing prospects left on the board and a top-50 recruit within his own right, Kimani Lawrence came to an end with his college recruitment on Saturday. The 6-foot-6 small forward out of New Hampton School, announced that he would be taking his talents to Arizona State next year where the 2017 small forward should immediately aid the Sun Devils’ forces on the perimeter.
Super hard playing and a highly potent small forward born and raised in Rhode Island, Lawrence has suffered through some injuries in the past but now fully healthy on the hardwood, the New England native flourished this past summer. Capable of producing without seeing the ball as the New Hampton star is someone that can protect his basket out of a perimeter position, rebound the basketball within the taller trees, and defend various spots on the floor, the physical tangibles are clearly in line with the top-50 recruit.
A 6-foot-6 prospect boasting neatly a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Lawrence’s versatility is what has made him such a highly coveted prospect, one that was previously down a final five schools that included ASU, Texas, Florida, Pitt, and USC. The valuable 3-and-D type of prospect is definitely trending at the current moment, adding further to the upside out of Lawrence. A solid straight line athlete at the rim with the body that should only get stronger as he matures physically, the productive wing still has his best days ahead of him.
Running on the Nike EYBL circuit this past summer with the Expressions Elite squad, Lawrence showed just how much he can really do. Making over half of his field goal tries and over 40-percent of his 3-point attempts, all of which aided in his near 16 points per game averages, Sun Devil fans should expect an instant scorer off of the ball. Toss in Lawrence’s six rebound numbers, over two of which coming on the offensive glass, and the Rhode Island native’s willingness and ability to defend various spots, and the immediate production of the top-50 recruit should be felt day one.
The second commitment in the 2017 class, Lawrence joins fellow top-125 recruit Remy Martin in creating a strong duo of talent headed to the desert next fall. Look for Bobby Hurley and his staff to stay on the prowl but also remain optimistic about what they already have in the fold as both Lawrence and Martin have the abilities and a chip on their shoulder that should enable for immediate production during their freshmen campaigns.
