Recruiting Report: Alec Pfriem (2019)

It’s only April, but Alec Pfriem (2019) may have just become the most prominent transfer in Southwest Ohio. The emerging 6’4” guard told us on Monday that he’s leaving Roger Bacon for Archbishop Moeller. “I’m transferring to Moeller High School next year,” Pfriem said. He continued, “I’m definitely very excited … I’ll more than likely have to sit out eleven games. But we’re obviously working on that right now to see what we can do.” Last season, Archbishop Moeller was nationally ranked by a few publications. Their season concluded in a close loss to Massillon Jackson in the Division I State Championship. They will graduate a few players who are going on to play college ball. The departure of Keegan McDowell and Caleb Canter is what makes this decision by Pfriem most intriguing. With two back-court/wing positions to be filled, Pfriem and Jeremiah Davenport should be able to step in smoothly and thrive in the Moeller system, alongside Miles McBride, Isaiah Payton, and Jaxson Hayes. While Pfriem will likely be in contention for a State Title next season with the Crusaders, he’s competing at a high level this summer also. Pfriem is playing on the Adidas Gauntlet with the Ohio Basketball Club. They’ll be in Dallas, Texas, for their first tournament this weekend. “We’re going to Dallas this weekend … In eighth grade I played in the NYBL. And then last year, I also played in the Adidas Gauntlet with OBC,” Pfriem said. Pfriem enjoys both brands of basketball, AAU and high school, but he’s excited about getting reps this summer against some of the best players around the country. “I probably prefer the AAU season because there’s so many opportunities to show what I can do. So many opportunities to make up for a mistake. If you made a mistake in the high school season, you may not be able to make up for it for like another week,” Pfriem said.

Recruiting

The 4.0 GPA student-athlete is currently in the initial stages of the recruiting process. He’s received mostly letters in the mail, but from an impressive list of schools. “Yeah I’ve had some interest: Xavier, Davidson, Miami, Northern Kentucky, Harvard, Brown, and Army West Point,” Pfriem said. “Duquesne University, one of their assistant coaches, Brian Walsh, he was just talking to me earlier today,” Pfriem said. With it being only the beginning, Pfriem is soaking everything in right now. He’ll eventually try to identify the school that is the best fit for him.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Pfriem impressed us during the State Final Four with his ability to force turnovers in passing lanes and on the ball. Even so, he’s most focused on improving his defense going forward. “Defense and on the ball, like picking up full-court,” Pfriem said, when asked what he’s focused on improving right now. On offense, he’s a player that utilizes the jumper to set up the rest of his game. “Getting to the rim is probably what I can do best. But I’m also a shooter. So what I like to do a lot of times, is once I make one or two jump shots, I can use my pump fake and get to the rim very easily,” Pfriem said. At the moment, Pfriem already has enough height to play the two-guard in college. He did mention that it’s likely he’ll gain another inch or so. As far as strength, that’s another area he’s looking to develop during the summer.