We've seen a lot of players come through our doors over the years, varying in appearance, skill level, and everything in between. We decided to put forth a 'Getting to Know' series on some players who have attended events over the past few years but still remain on the lesser-known side of things. Each of these prospects embody being a student-athlete and getting it done in the classroom as well as on the basketball court, and today's edition will take a closer look at Keenan Wilkins of Hendersonville High School.
We've seen Wilkins in every possible setting, including at our NC Phenom 150 Camp prior to last season, where we stated, 'Starting things off, we look at a player that has the chance to become a really high-level floor general, Keenan Wilkins. He's a somewhat undersized point guard with great two-way instincts and an exceptional feel for the game. Wilkins is a smart, unselfish ball-handler that can get by basically any opponent and enter the paint at will. He possesses terrific vision and overall playmaking skills, which allow him to truly manipulate defenses with the ball in his hands. Wilkins is also a capable scorer from all three levels, but doesn't force the action and knows when to defer to others. Next in his development process is adding strength in order to physically prepare himself for the high school level. Coach Walker on Wilkins: 'Keenan is a very coachable kid that listens and tries to apply it to the game. His team play is outstanding, but he could continue working on going left.' Wilkins has a really smooth game and should certainly be a prospect to watch grow going forward, as he could be special.'
The 'heart over height' notion is somewhat clich' at this point, but it certainly fits the bill for Wilkins. Despite being an undersized freshman, he was among the most productive players for a very successful Hendersonville squad last season. Wilkins posted nightly averages of 17.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 2.9 SPG while leading the team in three-point percentage at 36%. He's a capable ball-handler and playmaker, but can also thrive without the ball in his hands as a spot-up threat. Wilkins has been a consistent leader and steady contributor dating back to his middle school days, which only brings encouragement for the years to come. It's still early, but there is a lot of optimism surrounding the guard prospect.
