At this point, it should be no secret that our neighbors to the south have some of the most underrated basketball talent of any state in the country. Sure, South Carolina might not necessarily have the depth of prospects like North Carolina but their top grouping could consistently go toe-to-toe against the best players from almost any other state (including North Carolina). Even looking back at the previous classes, there are guys who went from widely underrated in high school to absolutely thriving'like Aaron Nesmith, Ja Morant, James Reese, etc. Now, there's an incredibly loaded collection of point guards stacked up within the Class of 2022 and this series will take a closer look at each one. Next, we look at Russell Branch of Barnwell High School.
As we've stated many times before, South Carolina's collection of point guards is nothing short of impressive. We've already taken a closer look at numerous guys that college coaches should start pursuing, but we might've finally reached the most underrated of the group. In comparison to the others, Branch probably has the smallest reputation and most enticing per-game averages of anyone thus far. The pass-first point guard has thrived in multiple camp settings, where he seems to show up, dominate both sides of the floor, and exit with an award. Though Branch isn't a necessarily vocal presence, his IQ, maturity, and humbled demeanor are still quite evident from afar.
His blend of scoring and playmaking could rival that of any other high-level point guard in this class. Branch is so quick and precise with his ability to breakdown opposing defenses, which allows him to open things up and attack the seams whenever available. He's a smart, timely passer with a tendency to always make the right play. Last season, he posted nightly averages of 19.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.9 APG, and 2.3 SPG. Branch is a very capable scorer but will need to continue improving his consistency in order to reach his full potential. Only time will tell, but Branch truly has the tools to thrive in a variety of systems at the next level.