A Long 6’6″ With A Confident and Pure Stroke
A great perk about having a great reputation running events that spread over a wide realm of environment, is that we have kids that come to us that we have not heard of before. We go into all these events with open eyes and we, many times, come away impressed. It is a great opportunity of exposure.
One such situation was at the Phenom Hoops Challenge, our first April Live Period AAU event, and 6’6” 2017 Kaiden Rice walked through the doors. At first look, Rice has the same build as a Klay Thompson or Eddie Jones. Now we realize that both Thompson and Jones are NBA All-Stars, but when it comes to frame there are a lot of similarities. Rice carries a slender broad shouldered frame, which looks like weight will eventually come easily. He has long arms that hang from his shoulders, giving him great length. He had a swagger, not a cockiness, but a smooth confidence about himself.
Once the game started, Rice left no doubt about his ability to play. Rice averaged a smooth twenty (20) points per game through five (5) games in the event. From the moment the game started Rice showed that he was wired to score.
Rice showed comfort and ability at all three (3) levels. When in transition he attacked the basket and finished above the rim. In the half-court, he showed a good pull-up jump shot going right. From range, he showed he is a good knock down shooter from beyond the arc.
As a sophomore last season, Rice did not get much burn for the Ridge View High School varsity team. He played behind some seniors, averaging about three (3) or four (4) points per game. This year, expect a large difference in his production.
At the Phenom Hoops Challenge, Rice picked up interest from multiple Division 1 programs. We expect that interest to continue to grow, as more coaches see him. You can watch Rice with his Ridge View High School team at Phenom Summer Jam on June 20th at Proehlific Park in Greensboro, NC.