Amari Baylor 6'4 210 2022 Varina High School, Richmond VA
Amari is a strong and powerful yet agile and fluid athlete who plays much taller than his 6'4 210-pound frame. He is an almost immovable post presence who impacts games on the glass because of his ability to overpower most opponents and establish position inside and a great motor that allows him to stay active and persistent in pursuit of rebounds. He is also a punishing finisher who is near-automatic when he catches the ball near the rim showing great touch and the ability to aggressively play through contact. Amari has made great strides over the last year increasing the range on his jumper and is a reliable shot maker inside 15 feet on catch and shoot opportunities. He can also get his shot off the bounce showing a reliable handle, nimble feet and solid footwork with excellent body control. His first step is surprisingly quick going right and he can blow by bigger defenders while also bullying smaller defenders. He can hit the pull up at a good rate but often uses powerful and fairly quick strides to either muscle his way to the rim or flash some creativity using jabs, quick rips, athleticism and mobility maneuvering through traffic.
Amari is an undersized, yet productive face-up post who mixes power with some finesse on finishes. He scored a career-high 40 points last summer in AAU and had a high school career-high 30 points on 12-15 shooting in a February 25, 2020 game against Hermitage High School. Amari will wear opponents out on the glass on both ends of the floor not only relying on his powerful frame and strength but good quickness getting off the floor, his solid footwork and instincts. He is amazingly quick off his feet given his size, has very good bounce and is a good repeat jumper. Amari had a number of double-figure rebounding games including a 14 rebound effort in the VHSL state quarterfinal against eventual state champion Green Run! He runs the floor exceptionally well and has great hands and footwork. I saw him finish a fast break with very good speed sprinting up the floor, great catch and a euro step finish that showed off his great coordination and athleticism. I've also seen him pull a rebound off the glass and lead the break!
Defensively he rebounds the ball at a good rate because he takes position inside using his solid footwork and strength and does a great job holding position on the defensive glass. He defends the post well and is very good in passing lanes for steals showing excellent anticipation and good quickness. Amari is a two-sport star who also plays wide receiver and defensive end on the Varina High School football team. As in basketball, he has established himself as one of the state's top sophomore prospects in football and will be an exciting player to follow going forward as he begins to draw attention from colleges on the court and on the football field.