At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, hundreds of players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and underrated, and today’s edition will highlight Amari Pearson of Fayetteville Academy.
We’ve written about Pearson various times, including after our Hoops and Dreams Showcase, where we stated, “By staying at Fayetteville Academy, Pearson is going to be the undisputed leader on a nightly basis—and his production will reflect this notion. Upon actually watching the Eagles, his status is evident from the opening tip. His long, strong, athletic two-way identity is arguably at its best when operating within a specific role, but Pearson is more than capable of dictating the action as the focal point. He does a great job of getting downhill and attacking the basket, both in transition and the half-court, and can knock down jumpers at a respectable rate along the perimeter. Pearson’s general toughness and ability to physically overwhelm opponents allows him to truly shine on either side of the ball. He’s a suffocating defender at the point of attack, positions himself well to force a ton of turnovers, and rebounds the ball at a nice volume for his size/position. It’s easy to appreciate everything he does for this squad, but Pearson was already an obvious scholarship-level prospect prior to the high school season. The lack of schools extending offers to the two-way guard is legitimately perplexing. He’s shown the ability to lead or be an exceptional complementary player, and is currently better than plenty of other prospects who are receiving similar opportunities. Regardless, expect Pearson to continue putting on a nightly show as one of the more productive all-around players across North Carolina.”
Since then, Pearson has only continued to carry the load as the clear leader for Fayetteville Academy. His nightly averages of 22.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 2.3 SPG with impressive shooting splits of 63/41/79 should appeal to various types of programs. Add in the fact that he’s setting the tone defensively and as a rebounder, and it’s confusing as to why he hasn’t earned more respect from college coaches. Even without having an overwhelming amount of surrounding talent, Pearson has done an amazing job of dictating the action for this group. The lack of offers doesn’t make sense, but the two-way guard will ultimately be an asset at the next level.