6’8 ’18 KC Hankton of United Faith picked up his first D1 offer this weekend from Utah State. Hankton has participated in two NC Top 80 events. One in 2015 and yet again in 2016. Back in 2015, we wrote the following. “KC has the size and length that college coaches salivate for. He has upside and potential that is matched by a solid skill set. The next step for Hankton is to play with a higher motor. That being said, he has a smooth and fluid approach to the game. We particularly like his mobility and ability to run the floor. The tools are definitely there to be a hot prospect at the D1 level.” To put it bluntly, we have been somewhat surprised that the D1 offers didn’t come sooner for the “reclassed” junior.
Last year at the 2016 NC Top 80, we saw a much stronger and improved player in KC Hankton. He was more forceful on the glass and the added strength allowed his to rebound better and be more effective as a scorer. We have always been impressed with his soft shooting touch and excellent range for his size/position. In our NC Top 80 report, we wrote, “KC is getting his shot off better and his 3-pointer is more consistent. We honestly think KC is vastly undervalued and under recruited. If he continues to work hard, his best days are ahead of him. He has the ability to even be more productive at the collegiate level than the high school level.”
This past summer United Faith participated in our Summer Jam Fest which featured high school teams. Phenom’s Jeff Bendel wrote the following. “Some players just carry themselves with smoothness, and 6’8 KC Hankton (2018) was just that, especially on offense. He’s super long and thin, but despite him logging minutes as a big man, I think he’d be an interesting fit on the perimeter. Hankton is definitely a three level scorer and can even take defenders off the dribble if he so pleases. If there are improvements to be made, it’ll have to be on the defensive end. While his length is nice, Hankton’s toughness/aggression affects his rebounding. Should he become willing to get his hands dirty then he should feel a huge rise in interest, considering he’s already a very nice offense player. If he reaches his ceiling, whichever team grabs him will be doing themselves a favor.”
We have often stated, “it’s not where you start that matters, but where you finish.” This quote is custom made for KC Hankton. KC is definitely a “Buy Now” stock. His stock is on the rise. As we stated in 2015, “KC has the size and length that college coaches salivate for.” More importantly, KC is a different player. He has put in the hard work and will start to see the benefits of his labor sooner rather than later. Utah State was the first and a really tremendous offer. Now, we expect schools in the surrounding area to jump on board too. We have always felt this best days are ahead and his development would be seen at the collegiate level. KC has two more years of high school. A lot can happen and we expect it all to be good! Buy now!