At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over fifty players from South 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 Raekwon Horton of Keenan High School and Upward Stars.
Often times, a given prospect won't necessarily get his 'just due' until they are gone or in the twilight of their high school career. Fortunately, Horton is not going to become a victim to those circumstances. He didn't start to receive legitimate attention until last summer but make no mistake, he was already a noteworthy college prospect prior to obtaining his first offer. Horton is a long, smart, skilled wing prospect that has gone from a very capable glue-guy to a clear two-way leader capable of pure dominance. He's a quality perimeter shooter with craftiness and decisiveness off the bounce. Horton scores efficiently from all three levels while constantly standing out as a rebounder on both ends of the floor. He can do a strong amount of everything on the court and isn't afraid to set up when the lights are brightest.
We've seen Horton throughout his recruitment and overall progression as a prospect, including in our South Carolina Stockrisers in the Class of 2020 back in December of 2018, where we stated: 'It seems like a broken record at this point, but Raekwon Horton is a really intriguing, yet productive, Division I prospect. Charleston Southern just recently extended a scholarship to the forward prospect, which marked his first offer, but it feels like he should already have three to four more. He's a vital part of this powerhouse Keenan squad, given his offensive versatility and ability to cause matchup problems for opponents. Horton shoots the ball exceptionally well while utilizing his size and length nicely to get where he desires on the court. He's still somewhat wiry and should start showing more extended flashes of dominance with additional strength, especially on defense. Horton should be a major breakout candidate during this season, as he seems to look more poised than ever before.'
Horton becomes yet another prospect to soar under the radar and then rapidly blow up before our very eyes. After the aforementioned Charleston Southern offer, he collected just two more over the next six months. However, Horton was just getting started. He asserted himself as the clear leader of Keenan and a true wing prospect with a very translatable skillset. Horton went on to average 22 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and 2.5 SPG while shooting 53% from the floor and a more than respectable 37% from beyond the arc. Keep in mind, those numbers largely came while seeing double-teams on a nightly basis. Horton continues to highlight all the makings of an obvious impact player at the next level, wherever he should end up. He could become even more of a priority for college coaches during this post-season period.
