At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over a 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 under-recruited, and today’s edition will highlight Antonio Perkins of Northside Christian.
We’ve seen Perkins throughout his high school journey, recently stating, “Whether due to transfers, redshirts, or something else, it seems like a lot of guys are being unfairly overlooked within the state of North Carolina. Take Antonio Perkins, for example. He’s someone who has consistently produced, adapted, and taken lesser for the betterment of the team. Sure, Perkins could’ve stayed at his local public high school and averaged twenty points, but he chose a more challenging path instead. He’s always been a natural glue-guy who can do a quality amount of everything on the floor. Perkins embraces his role on both ends of the floor, but can reliably expand his production as needed. He’s an excellent three-point shooter who plays hard, defends multiple positions, and consistently does the dirty work. Perkins rebounds very well for his size, sets up others whenever possible, and scores the ball at an efficient rate from all levels. It’s difficult to point out any weaknesses or negatives within his overall skillset, as he’s simply a smart, unselfish, well-rounded player. Kudos to Milligan for being his first offer, but Perkins should collect even more over the coming months.”
This season, Perkins has only reaffirmed everything he brings to a team. He’s a smart, tough, well-rounded wing/forward prospect with the ability to operate in a variety of different roles on the court. Currently, he’s posting nightly averages of 15.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.9 SPG, and 1.2 BPG with incredible 65/53/78 shooting splits. Perkins is a useful initiator with the combination of poise, vision, and calm demeanor to reliably set up the action. However, he’s great working without the ball, spotting-up, and finding ways to make an impact as an off-ball cutter. Perkins is an excellent three-point shooter, but also consistently attacks closeouts and finishes or sets up others. He’s a versatile defender and steady rebounder with a high motor and willingness to make hustle plays whenever possible. Perkins’ skillset, leadership, and general approach have quietly been a massive part of their overall success as a group. Expect various schools to be vying for his commitment over these next few months.