When it comes to high school hoops in California, Los Angeles, not the San Francisco Bay Area, is the destination for finding top recruits. The legacies of Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Drew Gooden, "Coach Carter," Leon Powe, and Jeremy Lin are the short list of locals that define the Bay Area's hoops history, but the scene isn't quite as storied as other places along the West Coast. Nationally ranked sophomore talent from Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California, Aaron Gordon could be the next in line to join the pantheon of great high school players that only seem to surface in the Bay Area once every five years at most. Who exactly is this kid who is part of the U.S. 16 and under national team that recently blew out international competition by an average of 42 points? Click on to find out more.
At the recent FIBA qualifying tournament, Aaron Gordon averaged 17 points, 11 boards, and a little over 4 assists a game. Standing at 6'7, Gordon possess swingman talent and play either the 3 or 4 at the college level. Apparently he can put it on the floor and has a very well-rounded game (if his assists are any indication of his willingness to pass). ESPN U's assessment of his weaknesses suggests that he chooses instead to start the one man fast break versus outlet passing. With that said, his decision making is suspect when it comes to this aspect of his very young game, but it also suggests that he's comfortable and able to put the ball down on the floor (hopefully not in an overdribbling JaVale McGee kind of way). At any rate, Gordon could be the next big local recruit and looks like, so far, he's considering some top notch teams in Washington, Arizona, Kansas, Texas and New Mexico. Is Gordon the next Jeremy Lin or Ray Young of the South Bay? Better?
Also, why isn't Stanford or Cal on his list of teams? Oh yea, for his future prospects as an NBA player, I guess that's a no brainer.