Each year, the grassroots landscape sees hundreds upon thousands of players who look to make the transition from the middle school game to the high school ranks. The Carolinas are well-known for producing a ton of noteworthy kids at such an early age. Think about guys like Jaden Bradley, London Johnson, Carter Whitt, and countless others, and it’s easy to appreciate the sheer number of prospects who have maintained an elite status throughout their individual journey. Now, the Class of 2025 is set to make the aforementioned leap and subsequently begin the next phase of the overall separation process amongst their peers. While various names already hold merit, Zymicah Wilkins has the chance to be as special as anyone in the class.
Rewinding back to his seventh-grade season, Wilkins’ name was already being circulated throughout North Carolina—and for good reason. He attended our Jr. Phenom 150 and, although he was nearly five inches shorter at the time, dominated in an effortless fashion. Usually, these young kids will have a notable skill or two to build their foundation on. However, between his IQ, size, fluidity, rebounding, defensive instincts, and undeniably polished skillset, Wilkins appeared to possess the full toolkit before even turning 14 years old.
Aside from continued physical growth, very little changed over the next calendar year for the talented young forward and his status as an incredible prospect. He returned to camp two more times in that span and yielded similar results in terms of dominance. It’s certainly not a hot-take to consider Wilkins an obvious Division I prospect at this point in time, but it seems incredibly difficult to envision a scenario where he doesn’t become a priority for all types of programs.
Regarding his on-court identity, Wilkins is already a legitimate matchup problem. For starters, his understanding of how to utilize his strong, mobile 6-foot-8 frame allows him to annihilate opponents inside the paint. He’s an excellent finisher with soft hands and the ability to reliably score over either shoulder. Though Wilkins is able to score at will from the block, his skill level and perimeter ability only make him tougher for opponents to contain. He’s extremely smart and unselfish, which is only further evidenced in the way he sets up others and dictates the action with the ball in his hands. Wilkins is also a terrific shooting threat and possesses the necessary ball-handling skills to consistently generate clean looks off the bounce. He rebounds and alters shots at a seemingly nonstop rate, able to force turnovers and push the break himself or run the floor in transition. Wilkins is also a quality athlete, especially at his current age, and will only continue to develop over the coming years. He already has the makings of a special prospect, but there is truly no telling the bounds of his abilities.