Down in South Carolina, 2024 Julen Iturbe has had a very strong summer as schools have been recognizing his talent and skill set as a forward. Many schools have come his way but recently, Iturbe announced that he is down to five schools: Lehigh, American, Boston, Vermont, and Bradley. We spoke to Iturbe about his announcement, why he picked those schools, and also when he may be looking to ultimately decide.
Top 80 Evaluation:
“He’s a big, strong-bodied forward with a high IQ, active motor, and an extremely unselfish approach to the game. Iturbe is skilled like a guard but possesses the sturdy frame of an interior player, commonly making him a matchup problem for most opponents. He possesses touch, perimeter shooting, and the ability to create for himself and others with relative ease. Iturbe is a brilliant passer with phenomenal vision and an understanding of how to initiate the offense, make plays in transition as a ball-handler, or set up teammates from the post. He utilizes his body well to absorb contact on both ends of the floor. Iturbe is a quality defender and an excellent two-way rebounder. Coach Wilson on Iturbe: “Julen can really shoot it. He has a good feel for the game. Very high IQ. Rebounds and pushes the ball extremely well. Very talkative on defense. Displayed a great attitude.” Iturbe proved to be a top performer at camp, securing the Mr. Playmaker award, and should be a prospect for various college coaches to monitor over the upcoming season.”
Breaking Down Top 5:
Lehigh: “Lehigh stands out because they have been on my recruitment since the start. They are really confident in my game and how well I would fit into the program. As well they are high academic.”
American: “I really enjoyed my visit there in June. Coach Simpkins being the new hire for them, I really like what he has to say and I think he will put the program back on the map. The style of play is the right fit as well as all the other schools.”
Vermont: “Their program is very successful over there. They really stick out to me, how consistent they are every year. They have had very successful forwards through their program, and they say they vision the same thing for me.”
Bradley: “They showed me a lot on a zoom call. The way they play their frontcourt is my style, 4’s and 5’s are inside-out guys. The culture over there seems awesome and also a high academic school.”
Boston: “I really like how intrigued the coaches are with my game. I’ve also been in touch with assistant Coach Paul for a while now before he was at Yale. Boston has been on my recruitment since the start as well.”
When talking with Iturbe about his ultimate decision, he said that he is in the middle of finalizing all his visits as of right now but he hopes to decide once he talks all his visits, possibly sometime before the high school season.