Shumpert fields offers from Division 1 schools
By Nick Prevenas, Sahuarita SunThe Adidas Super 64 tournament - which took place in Las Vegas July 22-26 - featured some of the best high school basketball talent America has to offer. Former Sahuarita standout Darnell Shumpert threw his name into the mix, hoping that some of the coaches on hand would take notice of his talent. It worked. After Shumpert helped the Compton Magic to a second-place showing, Oregon State, George Washington and the University of Alabama-Birmingham have jumped onto the Shumpert recruitment bandwagon. "It’s just been crazy," Shumpert said. "It’s a little bit overwhelming, but it’s been so much fun." Shumpert earned All-Region honors as a junior at Sahuarita, but elected to transfer to Santa Rita for his senior season. Even though he switched sides in what is developing into a heated rivalry, Shumpert still remains close with many of his former Mustang teammates and said they have been rooting him on in his quest for a Divison 1 college scholarship. The 6-foot-8 Shumpert was forced to play inside for most of his high school career, but says his position at the next level will be small forward. He displayed strong natural shot-blocking instincts as a Mustang and an Eagle, but Shumpert spends most of his time working on his ball-handling and shooting skills. He is still a bit on the scrawny side - the Adidas media guide generously listed him at 200 pounds - so a weight-training regiment will pay serious dividends at the next level. He hooked up with the Compton Magic prior to the squad’s trip to the Cactus Classic in Tucson and spent the summer circuit with the Southern California AAU team. He says the high level of exposure and the top-flight competition this squad faces each summer made it an enjoyable and productive summer. "I really wanted to go up against the best players in the country, as often as I could," Shumpert said. "I wanted to see how I stacked up and what I needed to do to get better." In the semifinals of the Adidas Super 64 event, he would face the player many consider one of the top players in the 2009 class - Atlanta’s Derrick Favors. Shumpert admits his eyes were a bit wide when he stepped into the jump circle with him, but the flow of the game soon took hold. "It was crazy," Shumpert said. "Favors is something else, but I felt like I held my own." Shumpert and the Magic scored a surprising upset over the Atlanta Celtics, setting the table for a showdown with Grassroots Canada for the Adidas title. Next up for Shumpert? Top 2010 recruit Tristan Thompson. The Magic couldn’t overcome the Canadian squad’s athleticism, falling in a hard-fought contest and settling for runner-up. Still, Shumpert said the experience taught him a great deal about what it takes to compete at this level. "Everyone we faced had a ton of talent," Shumpert said. "That’s how it’s going to be in college, so I have to prepare myself for that." He has visits scheduled to each of his three schools throughout the next few days and hopes to find a home by the end of the month. "I feel like every school who has talked to me has a fantastic program with an excellent coaching staff," Shumpert said. "It’s been a dream come true." nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747 | ||
