Each year, the grassroots scene is full of prospects who receive varying amounts of attention from college coaches. Generally speaking, these programs know who they should be targeting and find ways to act accordingly. However, it seems like there’s always a select grouping of players who get brushed aside by appropriate-level coaches. The souring on prospects is usually a result of their own preference as opposed to a lack of playing ability. This instance also seems to occur due to this notion of schools wanting to offer kids as underclassmen simply just to do it. It leaves obvious Division I players, like Jordyn Surratt, in limbo with their decision-making process at the end of the day. We tell kids to go where you are most wanted, but it must be frustrating when a player’s abilities arguably exceed the level of schools who are actually interested. While earning a scholarship from any level is the ultimate goal, Surratt should still be regarded as an obvious Division I player.
To answer our initial question presented in the title: there is no logical explanation as to why a long, athletic, versatile 6-foot-6 wing prospect like Surratt is so overlooked. The overall lack of interest can only be attributed to two possible things: every program in the country is prioritizing transfers for short-term gain or coaches have absolutely zero confidence in their development team. It’s also perplexing to try and make sense out of what folks want from Surratt. People want him to demand the ball and look to dictate the action, but that is simply not his identity. Being an incredible complementary player is not a negative thing. Expecting more from someone who consistently outworks and outperforms his assignment as a defender, rebounder, and low-maintenance offensive option doesn’t really seem fair. Surratt is capable of scoring in various different ways, (especially as a cutter, finisher, and transition threat) but typically doesn’t need to dominate the ball in order to make a lasting impact. Additionally, there seem to be questions regarding his three-point shooting. As we’ve stated with countless others: he would be absolutely unattainable to anyone other than high-major programs if he were a knockdown threat. That being said, Surratt is not a broken shooter. He possesses very workable mechanics (especially given his physical tools) and is capable of knocking down shots at a respectable clip.
Although he’s extremely talented, Surratt has more than proven his value without needing to be the undisputed focal point on a nightly basis. If raising his three-point accuracy by a few percentage points is the project, then what are we really talking about' The kid hasn’t digressed. Between his size, feel, and understanding of how to be impactful within a role, Surratt truly possesses all the tools to appeal to a variety of high-level programs. He earned three offers last July (Presbyterian, Old Dominion, and USC Upstate) and then saw his recruitment stall for twelve months. After receiving a few others (Voorhees, Benedict, Youngstown State, and Emory & Henry), it’s becoming increasingly difficult to understand his overall recruitment. Only time will tell, but hopefully it’ll dawn on coaches that a given player should look different in the transition from complementary piece (to Myles Tate and PJ Hall) to taking on a heavier workload. Add in the fact that he’s a quality teammate, and whatever school secures Surratt will be getting a legitimate winner.