The current state of high school recruiting is weirder than ever. It’s become virtually impossible for any non-high-major player to get flooded with scholarship offers. While this is primarily due to college players being allowed to compete for additional years, there’s nothing preventing or combating this practice. College rosters are determined to be as old as possible and, with no contracts or bylaws in place, it’s only going to continue hurting deserving kids who properly advanced through the process. Sure, times change and people are forced to adapt—that’s life. However, it doesn’t make things any easier for someone like Desmon Rose. We watched the 6-foot-6 smooth, athletic, versatile wing prospect from John Marshall (VA) and Team Loaded 757 throughout the weekend. We spoke briefly about his game, upcoming prep year, and what he can bring to a college program…
It’s actually quite shocking that someone with Rose’s ability, status, and constant success isn’t being more aggressively pursued by Division I coaches. In addition to his meaningful per-game numbers, Rose has been a key cog on three consecutive state championship-winning teams. During that span, he and John Marshall went 78-5. This past season, Rose averaged 9.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.6 APG, and 1.0 SPG with 55/33/74 splits. When asked about his game and plans for the future, Rose stated, “I am planning on doing a prep year as of right now. I feel like I’m an athletic, 6-foot-6 guy who has the ability to play the 2, 3, and small-ball 4 if needed. I like to get downhill and I love to defend. I feel like I have a smooth jump shot so I have the ability to catch and shoot as well.”
In terms of what he showcased at our 757 Showcase, it’s pretty aligned with how Rose sees himself. He’s an incredibly smooth creator with the size, athleticism, and general versatility to be a legitimate matchup problem for opponents. Rose is basically a big guard whose physical attributes naturally make him a mismatch. He overpowers smaller guards and is too explosive to be contained by most wings or forwards. That being said, Rose is a smart, fundamental player who utilizes the basics to his advantage. Although he can highlight impressive dribbling combos or explosive finishes at the rim, he’s proven reliable at getting to the basket, finishing through contact, hitting jumpers along the perimeter, or setting up others as a playmaker. Rose is versatile enough to actively toggle between various roles or positions on both ends of the floor. Add in his rebounding sense and transition ability, and it’s easy to see the appeal. All signs point to Rose blowing up during his prep year and collecting a ton of Division I offers before deciding where he’ll further his playing career.