After Wake Christian’s unforeseen roster turnover, the Bulldogs’ direction as a program became quite blurry. Graduating two key seniors and losing their two most productive returners would impact any roster—especially when they account for over 90% of the total offense. However, the negative ultimately became a positive for Paxton Coon. He received playing opportunities as an eighth-grader but has seamlessly transitioned into a leadership role. Despite some (expected) struggles as a group, Coon has been a bright spot.
Right now, the freshman is averaging 21.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, and 1.4 SPG with 41/40/91 shooting splits. His volume and efficiency as a three-point shooter (49-123) is undeniably impressive. Sure, Coon will need to cut down his turnovers but there should already be a ton of optimism looking towards the future. He’s currently second in scoring and third in made three-pointers among the freshman class (per MaxPreps). Coon is a smart, crafty shot-maker with the ability to apply pressure with or without the ball in his hands. He generates space well for himself off the dribble and displays deep range as a shooter. Coon is more than comfortable in spot-up situations but can consistently create for himself and others. Additionally, he provides solid vision and energy on defense. Coon has also tallied scoring performances of 39 and 41 points.
His uptick in production over the last calendar year has been nothing short of phenomenal. The Bulldogs will need to continue leaning on Coon’s production throughout the remainder of the year. That being said, it’ll be interesting to see their roster construction going forward. Wake Christian has a variety of intriguing contributors and could get back on track with the additions of a few more pieces. Regardless, Coon is someone who isn’t being talked about enough. The freshman should certainly warrant increased attention over the coming months.