Recruiting Report: Hafiz Turay (2018)
With two dynamic guards moving onto college and a Division I State Championship defense on the horizon, a lot could fall onto the shoulders of Westerville South’s Hafiz Turay (2018). The 5’10” point guard, who plays AAU ball for 270…
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Continue ReadingWith two dynamic guards moving onto college and a Division I State Championship defense on the horizon, a lot could fall onto the shoulders of Westerville South’s Hafiz Turay (2018).
The 5’10” point guard, who plays AAU ball for 270 Hoops Select, is confident that he will come through as an upperclassman.
“I’m supposed to be stepping into a much bigger role. I have been told that I have a lot of ground to cover. Got to get better. Not fill their shoes, but so I can help our team be a better team … I’m looking forward to it a lot. Playing on the biggest stages against the best competition,” Turay said.
Thus far, Turay has only received camp invitations from colleges. But there’s a lot of time to change that narrative and that’s only done by, simply, improving.
What’s his approach?
“Trying to get better at the dribble drive. Stay defensively sound, fundamentally sound. I’m going to a lot of camps … and just being in the gym with my team.”
Turay plays with an intensity which is on display when he pounds the ball on his way to the rack. However, hardly ever is out of control, meaning he hits the open guy and knows his role as a floor general.
“I can attack you. Most of the time easily. When the spacing is good and I can find open shooters, I can knock down open shots, and I can finish through contact,” Turay said.
“The mentality I bring is, I try to pull people along with me. Try to make everybody else play harder … More vocal. Because when the team is vocal, it’s easier to play, easier to switch out and rotate the defense. And I like to play defense, get into people.”
That’s an answer coming from a true point guard.
Being around other quality players at Westerville South and consistently getting the other team’s best shot will only help Turay’s development. At 5’10”, finding more finishing moves and hitting the pull-up will be crucial to make a scoring impact, but he knows that.
Turay understands who he is as a player: both his skills and shortcomings. He’s an intelligent point guard, and he’s smart enough to figure out how to improve. Will be a treat to watch him go against the premier point guards in Columbus over the next few seasons.