Recruiting Report: Brandon Willis (2016)
It’s been an eventful past six months for one of Maryland’s best senior guards Brandon Willis. After announcing he’d be transferring from Atholton to Hammond last spring, he spent the rest of his summer playing with Maryland 3D on the…
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Continue ReadingIt’s been an eventful past six months for one of Maryland’s best senior guards Brandon Willis.
After announcing he’d be transferring from Atholton to Hammond last spring, he spent the rest of his summer playing with Maryland 3D on the 17U grassroots circuit — picking up a ton of Division I and Division II interest in the process.
“Some schools that have shown interest are; The Citadel, Mount Saint Mary’s still, NJIT, St. Thomas Aquinas, Wheeling Jesuit, UMBC, Towson, Alderson-Broaddus, Savannah State, Livingstone, and Coppin State – those are the main ones. And I’ve been talking to some prep schools too,” said the 6-foot guard.
“I have one offer from Livingstone. I’m definitely focused on Division I basketball though, I don’t want to settle for D2.”
He mentioned which schools may be closest to extending him offers, and adding to his one D2 offer.
“Coppin State, St. Thomas Aquinas, Alderson-Broaddus, UMBC, and The Citadel are definitely recruiting the heaviest. I’m not sure if they’ll offer, but the way they’ve been talking it seems like they might offer soon.”
Depending on how the rest of his recruitment plays out this winter, Willis mentioned prep school could be something he’d be interested in pursuing next season.
“Prep school is definitely an option, you could play in front of more exposure that you never really got in high school. I’ve been contacted by Washington Academy, Mount Zion Prep, and then I’m trying to get into contact with Brewster Academy.”
The talented senior is having a great season with his new team so far, and credits his success to his dedication and improvement from last offseason.
“Definitely my ball-handling has improved, that’s a very key part of my game that I’ve been working on, and my jump shot. Those are two areas that I’ve improved most since we last spoke,” said Willis.
“Where I still need to improve most is definitely working on my strength, and moving my feet on defense, getting lateral with my opponent, stuff like that.”
His senior season with Hammond now in full-swing, Willis says that the team chemistry has started to peak, something that took time with new players joining the team this season – himself included.
“Our team chemistry has come together and we’re playing very well right now,” said Willis. “Individually I’m averaging 23 points per game, so it’s been going very well for me. I’m just working on the fundamentals every day, and conditioning has made a big difference, being able to run up-and-down the floor for all four quarters has made a big difference.”