Over a year and a half ago, Phenom Hoops was on deck in Rock Hill for the Teammate Nationals, bringing in some intriguing talent to check out. Roaming around the courts to find new names, at that time, 2024 6’4 Elijah Kelly for SWV Hustle was a name that we had to jot down.
At that point, we said: “Intrigued by the future of 2024 6’4 Elijah Kelly. Great length, comfortable putting it on the floor, good mobility, and runs the floor. Nice touch as well.” – Patrick O’Brien
Fast forward to 2022 at the Chance Harman Classic, we had a chance to watch Kelly once again, as he now stands at 6’6. From the event, we said this:
“Only a sophomore for this Radford team, Kelly has grown into a 6’6 wing prospect that can score in a variety of ways. He is long, versatile, has a tremendous skill set, can handle, rise over defenders, and use his length to finish well. And it is really only the start for this young man but he is one to watch here in Virginia.”
The sophomore has only continued to develop his overall feel and when you watch him operate on the court, his 6’6 long frame, ability to get downhill, and attack the basket as well as rise over defenders makes him an intriguing rising talent in the state of Virginia. You can see that he has continued to expand his game and become more comfortable with his overall skill set. And Kelly would say the same thing when speaking to him.
“I think overall, my game has improved in many ways. My shot has gotten a lot better from mid-range and three. I’ve gotten way more athletic, thanks to the weight room. But I think the biggest thing is my aggressiveness and being confident enough to take a game over when necessary.”
Kelly has a ways to go and still has a ton of time when it comes to his recruitment but he did just earn his first offer from Lees-McRae, one he was very excited about.
“That was my first offer,” Kelly said. “It felt great, I actually got told during halftime of our game the other night. I was mainly excited and just felt like my hard work is starting to pay off. All I can do now is keep working and staying humble.”
It is just the start for this young sophomore but Kelly is yet another player to keep tabs on in the state of Virginia.
