Recruiting Report: Cameron Pearson (2016)
For basketball players harboring visions of playing in college, playing with a club team offers numerous benefits. Many clubs feature coaches who can help players strengthen their games and provide exposure with connections to tournaments and the competition they provide.…
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Continue ReadingFor basketball players harboring visions of playing in college, playing with a club team offers numerous benefits. Many clubs feature coaches who can help players strengthen their games and provide exposure with connections to tournaments and the competition they provide.
Cameron Pearson, a 6-foot-2 senior Chatfield guard, got all those things and more, he said, while playing the past season with B&B Academy.
But his biggest improvement playing under coach and club director Stephen Bahl may have come between the ears.
“The biggest thing he’s helped me with is the mental aspect,” Pearson said of Bahl. “He’s really prepared me for the college style of coaching. You can’t get down on yourself, and I had a bad habit of getting down on myself. He took me right out of that and made me a much more positive player. I’ve learned to work better with teammates, even when we’re struggling.”
Pearson’s mentally maturity has coincided with steady physical growth – he’s grown almost 3 inches since last season – and he’s hopeful the two are going to put him on the path to a college opportunity.
“I can’t even remember when I started dreaming about playing college basketball,” he said. “It’s always been one of those things I’ve wanted to do.”
Pearson said he has only had some light interest from small schools so far, but he’s hopeful a strong start to the season can put him on the map.
“I’m hoping to grow a little bit more, and Division II is definitely a spot that I would want to be,” he said.
Pearson had a strong junior season at Chatfield, averaging 12.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game for a Chargers team that earned a berth in the Class 5A state tournament.
Pearson said he has moved from the point-guard spot to more of a two-guard role this season.
“I’m excited for that role,” he said. “I can maybe take over a little bit more of the scoring if that’s what the team needs. I’ve really been working on my jump shot, off the catch-and-shoot and from the corner. I’ve really been working on trying to play a little bit bigger now that I’ve grown, so I can help us get more rebounding in and finish around the rim.”