At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and underrated, and today’s edition will highlight Jimmy Forte of Community Christian High School.
Production is often one of the most effective tools to project players’ ability at the next level, which is what makes Forte’s situation one of the most perplexing across North Carolina. He’s the only player to average at least 30 PPG in each of the previous two seasons but has also showed more than just a knack for scoring. He’s a strong, skilled, athletic guard prospect that possesses a quality feel for the game and the ability to fill up the stat sheet in various areas. Forte is an efficient offensive option from literally everywhere on the floor, shooting over 50% from the floor, 40% from beyond the arc, and 75% from the line multiple times. He’s doing all this while being an undisputed leader and the focal point for opposing defenses on a nightly basis.
We’ve seen Forte multiple times, including at our last NC Top 80, where we stated: “Continuing onto a player that caught a lot of folks’ eye with his tough, active two-way presence, Jimmy Forte. He’s a strong, athletic wing prospect that plays with a high motor and looks to involve himself in the action on both ends of the floor. Forte is smart and does a terrific job of getting by his man and attacking the rim with force. He is great in transition, utilizes his body well through traffic, and consistently looks to pass to the open man. Next in his development process is working on his ability to move without the ball, as it would make him an even more complete scorer. Coach Kelly on Forte: “Jimmy is a strong, tough-nosed player. He penetrates to the basket hard and has the ability to finish over opposing big men. He plays extremely hard, which is especially evident in his ability to defend the ball. He loves a challenge, loves to compete, and hustles on both ends of the floor. Jimmy needs to continue to work on his consistency from outside, as he’s a very capable shooter. He has a great attitude, is a great team player, and gives tremendous effort.” Forte displayed a lot of useful tools during camp, which should carry over and allow him to start piquing the interest of college coaches.”
The fact that Forte isn’t seeing a ton of action within his recruitment is very strange, seeing how many other similar, far less productive players have collected offers over the years. He has the tools to be a possible Division I talent but should certainly see a plethora of interest/offers from Division II programs, as he would be extremely useful at a strong variety of programs. There is certainly a lot to like with Forte, so it’ll be exciting to monitor his recruitment over the coming months.