Recruiting Report: Branden Lilley
Photo Credit: Don Tate Just last week, Branden Lilley (2017) from Fairborn High School joined an exclusive club. Against the Greenville Green Wave, Branden scored his 1,000th point as a Fairborn Skyhawk. That has been just one of the…
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Continue ReadingPhoto Credit: Don Tate
Just last week, Branden Lilley (2017) from Fairborn High School joined an exclusive club. Against the Greenville Green Wave, Branden scored his 1,000th point as a Fairborn Skyhawk. That has been just one of the many things that makes this sharp shooting guard an excellent basketball player. Branden is currently ranked #139 in Ohio’s Class of 2017 rankings.
The one thing people will notice about Branden is he is a jack of all trades when it comes to the skills in his arsenal. Being a guard, he told me his greatest strengths are “shooting three pointers and having good vision of the court”. Of these two named skills, Branden’s three point shooting is most impressive. Earlier this season, in a win against Piqua, Branden set the school record with 9 three pointers in the game. Not to mention he is shooting 40% for the season from long-range. He is able to pull up from long range, as well as being a catch-and-shoot guard as well. In regards to his court vision, Branden can beat his man one-on-one with either hands and even beats his defenders without the basketball. In their game against Greenville, Branden got back-to-back layups and both times he scored, he used a backdoor cut to get open and finished in the paint.
Branden also shows incredible work ethic and physicality on the glass. He shows he can outrebound opposing big men, and he is only 6’0”. Not only does he get rebounds, but Branden also is a great on-the-ball defender. He is also one of the top players in the GWOC when it comes to steals. The one thing Branden wants to improve on is his leadership. “Since I’m a senior, I’m always trying to improve on my leadership skills”.
One of the luxuries Branden has had over his four years at Fairborn is playing in the GWOC. I asked him how playing teams in the GWOC has helped prepare him for the next level. He told me, “A lot of guys that I’ve played against are good enough to play at the next level, which has helped me both offensively and defensively prepare. We’ve played against some very athletic teams, just like I’ll see in college next year”. One of these athletic teams he faced was Moeller his freshman year when Fairborn made it to the District finals, which Branden says was one of his most memorable moments as a Skyhawk. Some of the players he has played against are playing college ball in the Big Ten and Atlantic 10 among others.
As a team, Fairborn has won 8 of their last 10, including over teams like Centerville, Greenville, and Xenia. Branden also told me the Skyhawks are in 2nd in their division, only behind top team Trotwood-Madison. This momentum should carry over into the tournament later this month, and Branden and the rest of the Fairborn team should be a team to keep an eye on.
Branden has received an offer from Otterbein University, as well as interest from Wittenberg, Marietta, Bluffton, and Mount St. Joseph. Expect to hear Branden commit soon and keep an eye on this young guard as he begins his career at the collegiate level.