Trey Patterson now
stands 6’9; he operates inside and out with impunity – “dominating”,” multi-dimensional”,
“pro-potential” are just some of the words that are being attached to what
consider to be the forgone future #1 player in the class of 2021.
He not just ‘dunking
a basketball’ he is dunking on, over, and through players; his upside and
ceiling still remain high as he begins to realize his star qualities and
potential. Patterson is oozing potential at the wing position, but at his size
and the strength and weight he is beginning to develop he will undoubtedly be
able to play a stretch-4 as well. No matter what position you want to list him
as - he runs like a deer, handles the ball like a guard, and is quickly
developing catapult-like explosiveness. He has a quick 1st step and is a long
strider who has a nice floater to go with his three level knockdowns shooting.
He rebounds well in his area and can lead the break due to his nifty handle and
astute court vision. He handed out a number of high-level passes and he can
knock down the 3-point shot with distance making him one of the toughest
match-ups you will find due to his skill set.
But this article isn’t
about the greatness of Patterson; anyone following the sport knows the name,
the game, and his likely end destination at the professional level. In this
sport there are players and then there are players. The same can be said about school and
institutions – there are many great, phenomenal, extraordinary schools that
have produce immensely talented players throughout the United States. Many also boast exemplary academic records
producing the complete products, the ultimate weapons, high level student-athletes.
In the world of
basketball there are schools that consistently recruit, develop, and produce
the best in the game – the last two years producing the one of the top two
picks in the NBA Draft (assuming in less than 24-hours Ben Simmons is in fact
drafted within the first two picks in 2016) Montverde Academy is arguably the
best basketball school in the country. In
2014/15 Montverde brought in as a freshman top 3 and current 2018 #13 player in
the country 6’10 EJ Montgomery (rated #2 by P2Bball.com prior to HS), in 2015/16
they brought in current 2019 #1 player in country 6’7 Rowan Barrett (rated #1
by P2Bball.com prior to HS).
Well it has been
rumored via reliable sources that his trend will continue with respect to
Montverde Academy, P2Bball.com, and the country’s top prospect in the class of
2021. Reports have Patterson accepting an offer to Montverde Academy which is
in Montverde, Florida and his family relocating to support his personal growth
and basketball development. A fixture in
the New Jersey area since coming onto the scene with Team Nation 4-years ago
this would represent a huge potential loss to the many high quality programs in
that area; where he undoubtedly would have been a highly sought after 8th
grader. 
If rumors prove
true the genius of Kevin Boyle who spent many years in the New Jersey and is a
personal friend of the Patterson well before the youngest stepped foot onto a
basketball court – to lock up the star prospect before anyone else left the
starting line would only speak to why he has and continues to be the leader of
the best of the best.
If not for reliability
of the source, there would not have been any consideration of posting such
information but news comes with great credibility. Such that before the
Patterson’s pack up and move to the Sunshine state they will have to listen to
a litany of offers not just in New Jersey but from all across the country.
The player, the
person, the family are special, humble, and rooted in the game for the right
reasons and their son plays the game the right way. They are all good people in the truest since
of the word and if these rumors are in fact true no one is more deserving of an
opportunity such as this than them. Regardless of their final destination high
school or otherwise the expectation is that Patterson will be tremendously
successful.
24 to 36 months
from now some pundit undoubtedly will take credit for discovering Patterson as one
of the top high school players in the country, they will tell you about his
skill set, his person, his frame and athleticism and no one will remember the guy
who said in 2014 as 6th grader that Trey Patterson would be one of
the best in the game in the country.
Those guys certainly can’t tell that early, those rankings – so what
they are 70% correct don’t mean anything at that age, and Patterson it must have
just been a lucky guess. Well before it’s
asked and answered, Trey Patterson was never a guess we knew and now the rest
of the world knows right along with the best program in the country.
#DROPSMIC
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