Alabama Breakout Players
It was a big summer for many talented Alabama prospects, as several guys reeled in new scholarship offers and new loads of interest. Here are the three players that had the most productive summers on the grassroots circuit.
Kevin Morris, 2016 PF, Southeast Elite (pictured above): Not only has Morris been one of the most popular guys from Alabama, but he was also a hot prospect for most of the Southeast. Heading into the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions in May, the 6-foot-8 big man held five scholarship offers. Fast-forward to now, and the talented big man is on the verge of 30 offers.
Morris is a priority guy for mid-major programs searching for a big. His biggest game of July came at the UA Finals a few weeks ago, as he posted 20 points and 15 rebounds. Following that, he earned MVP honors at Alabama’s annual North-South All-Star game. Morris led the South with 13 points and seven rebounds.
Troy, Samford, South Alabama, and Murray State followed him closely during the evaluation periods with head coaches and assistants. Plenty of other schools are going to try to vault themselves into the picture, too.
Jacob Winston, 2016 SG, Alabama Challenge: The Alabama Challenge played July without five-star stud John Petty, but that opening just gave another player the opportunity to shine. Just ask 2016 shooting guard Jacob Winston.
Winston, a 6-foot-4 scoring guard, torched the nets on the opening day of Best of the South and got plenty of attention from college coaches. He displayed his high-powered scoring ability from all three levels throughout #BOTS.
Originally a member of the Class of 2015, Winston is planning to do a year of prep school before heading off to college. Prior to July, his only offers were from Samford and Tennessee Tech, However, after a couple of productive weekends, Jacksonville, Tennessee State, and Western Kentucky extended offers, with plenty of other schools showing interest.
Bradley Belt, 2017 SG, Atlanta Celtics: Belt is another high-powered scorer that can get hot in a hurry – just ask some of the teams the Atlanta Celtics matched up with at #BOTS.
Belt, a 6-foot-2 guard, is wired to score the basketball and he displayed it all summer. The lefty hit shots consistently from the mid-range and 3, attracting a number of college coaches’ eyes. He lit up the nets at Suwanee Sports Academy for 20+ points several times.
His recruitment is still taking shape, but expect a mixture of mid-majors and high-majors to be involved.