Tristan Maxwell “Wired to Score”
Tristan Maxwell has excellent family genes. His father Vernon is a retired NBA player. Vernon played 13 seasons professionally and starred at the University of Florida and led the Gators to their first ever NCAA tournament appearance. In addition, Vernon earned the nickname “Mad Max” for his clutch 3-point shooting and scored a career high 51 points. For Tristan Maxwell, the old saying “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” is quite appropriate.
Sporting offers from Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Gonzaga, NC State, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Providence, South Florida, St. Louis, Temple, and Texas A&M, he is still searching for respect on the national level. In our latest North Carolina 2020 rankings, Maxwell checks in at no. six behind Isaiah Todd, Day’Ron Sharpe (UNC), Josh Hall Shakeel Moore and Carson McCorkle (Virginia). Last season, Maxwell averaged 22 PPG for NCHSAA 4A power North Mecklenburg High School, not to mention he averaged 18 PPG with Team Charlotte in the Under Armor circuit. In the Under Armor circuit, Maxwell shot 39% from the 3-point line, 74% from the free throw line and was the fourth leading scorer. This summer, Maxwell was invited to the prestigious NBPA Top 100 camp and averaged 15.7 PPG.
One thing is crystal clear, no matter the venue, no matter the setting, no matter who he is playing for, Tristan Maxwell is an elite level scorer. Some things never change. Maxwell has a knack for scoring, it’s in his DNA. It just comes natural for the silky smooth shooting guard who has unlimited range. While many of the national pundits have questioned his overall athleticism, Maxwell has all the ingredients to play at the highest level. While Tristan is blessed with a father that played in the NBA, he is still looking to create his own identity. In our article two years, his high school coach Duane Lewis stated the following. “Tristan has a burning desire to be the best he can be. He’s an ultra competitive player and plays at a high pace. What separates Tristan from this peers is his ability to get his shot off so quickly. He does his work early. He has all the proper footwork and has his hands ready which results in a quick release.”
We have often stated shooters translate at every level and this statement is custom made for Tristan. He has enjoyed an excellent high school career and we look for another banner season for the talented young man. That being said, we strongly feel is best days are ahead and don’t be surprised that Tristan has a better college career than most project and has the potential to be a four year star at a Power Five school.