The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

One of the most sought after high school basketball recruits of the past decade, Bahamian standout DeAndre Ayton reminded scouts, coaches and the media of goals as his highly anticipated recruitment gains momentum.

“Win as many games as I can to be honest and just show these people that I’m really the No.1 player in the country and the most dominant player,” he said in a recent interview with NBAdraft.net. “I’m pretty competitive. I run the floor a lot. I’m very vocal and I love defence, and I always execute what I have to do. I’m a post player but I’m also a perimeter player, and I can shoot the three ball as well.”

As for where he sees himself in five years: “Hopefully in the league becoming a superstar in the making.”

Ayton, the versatile 7-foot-tall, 235-pound front court player out of Hillcrest Academy in Phoenix, Arizona, is widely regarded as the top player in high school basketball, irrespective of class, and tops the ESPN 60 list for the class of 2017.

That versatility leads Ayton to draw comparisons to current and future Hall of Famers as he looks to continue that growth in his senior year.

“(In terms of comparisons) I get a little bit of both David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon. Kevin Garnett, definitely Kevin Garnett, and a little bit of LeBron, his leadership and how he attacks the basket,” he said. “Just putting the ball more on the floor. Pushing it up when I get a rebound to get more transition points and just settling down, go in the post. As soon as I get the rebound just go with it.”

Ayton delivered an historic performance last week with 52 points, 33 rebounds and 10 blocks in his Hillcrest Bruins’ 71-67 win over the Sunrise Academy Buffaloes at the Lawrence Hoop Duel. On the season he is averaging 29.2 points, 16.7 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game.

Ayton previously attended the Balboa City School in San Diego, California, since 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 as a middle school sophomore. His decision to transfer to Hillcrest has been met with criticism.

“It wasn’t that hard. It was hard for my mom when she came from the Bahamas but we did a lot of travelling to the schools but to me, it was just I’ve got to move on,” he said. “I’m on a mission. If it was a bad decision I just have to deal with it. Just fix it, fix it and be on my way.”

Thus far, Ayton has received official offers from Kentucky,  Kansas, Arizona and San Diego State.

“My recruiting…I think it’s pretty calm. It’s not wild, it’s not out there really. I don’t really talk to college coaches that much,” he said. “I just stay low key. Just try to stay underneath the radar and just do what I got to do on the court.”