Recruiting Report: Keondre Weinand (2016)

<p>One of the state’s more productive inside players is shifting to the perimeter.</p><p><strong>Keondre Weinand</strong>, a 6-foot-5, 185-pound senior at Thornton, averaged 10.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game last season.</p> <p>This year, new coach Bailey Clark wants to run, and that necessitated moving his best player to a position more central to an up-and-down offense.</p> <p>“As of right now, I’ll be a two-guard,” said Weinand, who was selected as a member of Prep Hoops Colorado’s Preseason All-East Metro Athletic League First Team. “The style of play, he wants to have a lot of running. So he felt like the best spot for me to be was the two.”</p> <p>The move could be a win-win situation for Weinand, a high-academic student-athlete who is being recruited, he said, by a number of Division-III schools. While his strength and aggressiveness helped him excel on the block in high school, his height has him better suited to be a perimeter player at the next level.</p> <p>“Every coach that I’ve talked to, when I bring (the position switch) up they say it’s a good thing,” Weinand said. “I’m improving my other skills others than staying in the post all the time. Handling the ball has been a big focus. And shooting from further than 15 feet away. Those two things, mainly.”</p> <p>Weinand, who played with the Colorado Celtics club team, said he put up at least 300 shots from 3-point range in the offseason as he prepared for the switch. It will be a big change after attempting only two 3-point field goals as a junior last season. But overall, Weinand shot 54 percent from the field and demonstrated good feel on his mid-range jump shot.</p> <p>Weinand said he is excited about Thornton’s move to a more up-tempo style, one that falls in line with much of the rest of the EMAC. The Trojans are trying to bounce back after finishing 6-17 overall last season and 3-6 in the league.</p> <p>“It’s going to be a nice change,” he said. “It’s a fun way to play.”</p> <p>Weinand said his conditioning level -- and those of the rest of his teammates -- has certainly improved.</p> <p>“Oh, yeah,” he said with a chuckle, “(Coach Clark) definitely runs us.”</p> <p>Weinand said he has a 3.58 weighted grade-point average. He said the Division-III level will be the perfect fit because of his high academic goals. Weinand said that, as of right now, he’s planning to major in computer science. </p> <p>“Education is my main focus, so a D-III school would be really nice because they’re more often the top education schools. So a place where after college I can get a good job in the field I want to get into, would be best.”</p>