The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ALREADY billed as one of the top recruits of the class of 2017, DeAndre Ayton continues to showcase his development in his junior season.

With some of the top NCAA coaches in attendance and going head-to-head with Thon Maker, one of the top recruits in the class of 2016, Ayton proved he has added legit three-point range to his skillset.

At the Bluegrass Showcase in Lexington, Kentucky, Ayton finished with 24 points, 19 rebounds and four blocked shots, but most notably made five three pointers.

The Bahamian native came out on top in the individual matchup and his Hillcrest Hoops Bruins topped Maker and the Athlete Institute Basketball Academy.

Members of the coaching staffs from Arizona State, Indiana, Kentucky and Louisville were on hand at the tournament.

Ayton is averaging 27.7 points, 17.3 rebounds and three blocks per game on the season, his first with Hillcrest.

After a dominant series of performances in the preseason, Ayton continued that trend in the regular season opener with 23 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks in a win over Elite 1 Academy. He followed with a season high 36 points,16 rebounds and three blocks in a win over Pro Vision.

Ayton previously attended the Balboa City School in San Diego, California after he left the Bahamas just over three years ago to complete his education and compete against better basketball talent.

At Balboa City, he rose to national prominence and was evaluated as one of the top ranked players in his class by ESPN, Scout, Rivals and several other recruiting services.

In his inaugural season at the varsity level, Ayton averaged 21.1 points, 16 rebounds and 3.8 blocked shots per game. He went on to finish with double doubles in 21 of his 22 regular season games.