Before he takes his talents to college basketball, five-star 2017 shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. has opted to play his final season of high school basketball at Findley Prep in Nevada.
No. 1 SG Gary Trent Jr. tells ESPN will attend Findlay Prep for his senior season. Top-10 2017 prospect. https://t.co/9QJX8dfwbo
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) July 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/THAT_KID_GARY/status/754039221287948288
“First and foremost, I would like to thank the faculty and staff at Apple Valley High School, your support has been a driving force for my growth. I would also like to thank my past and present teammates and the coaching staff for pushing (me) beyond my limits. The last three years have been phenomenal and I have accomplished a lot on and off the court. We have been fortunate enough to win conference and state championships, and we have won a countless amount of games. Most importantly, I have made lifelong bonds with both teammates and students. Although it was very difficult, my family and I have made the best decision for me. We have decided that I will be attending Findlay Prep High School and playing basketball for the Findley Prep Pilots for my senior year of high school. I will truly appreciate all of your continued support.”
Trent is native of Apple Valley, Minn and is currently ranked 9th in ESPN’s top 100 for the class of 2017. He is the number one shooting guard in the nation, and was the top off-guard in Minnesota.
The 6’5″, 200 pounder has offers from Alabama, Arizona, Baylor, Duke, Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas Tech and UCLA.
The Blue Devils seem to be the favorite at this point, but even if he doesn’t chose Duke, Trent will almost certainly head to a blue blood program that has the potential to eventually win a National Title. Trent has had discussions with Wendell Carter Jr. and Mohamed Bamba about teaming up at the college level, however, they are not expected to form a package deal.
Trent was a member of Team USA, who won the gold medal at the U17 World Championships in Spain. He averaged 12.7 points per game and shot 43 percent from the field.
While Trent shot just 26 percent from long range, he is typically an efficient shooter from beyond the arc due to his nice shooting stroke and ability to get his feet set quickly. The Minnesota native is strong, athletic and aggressive, and uses those traits to attack the rim and finish amongst the big men.
Trent is not the greatest defender in the world, but his size and strength give him the upside to potentially mold into a multi-positional defender. He is an excellent player in transition and is capable of playing effectively in pick-and-roll situations.
While West Coast teams like Arizona, Oregon and UCLA will feel good about their chances (Trent is moving to Nevada for a year), I still believe Coach K and the Blue Devils have the upper hand and are likely to land the shooting guard regardless of what region he plays in.