Recruiting Report: Ronnie DeGray III (2019)
Few players in the 2019 class in Colorado have demonstrated the versatility possessed by Billups Elite forward Ronnie DeGray III.
At 6-foot-6 and growing quickly, DeGray, who already has a scholarship in hand from the University of Denver, can beat teams inside and out. DeGray uses his size and strength when he needs it to battle inside, but his game isn’t only brute force. He can handle it well and is often able to run the ball up the break to create mismatches in transition. He’s also got an effective jumper that he can knock down outside the 3-point line.
All of these tools were on display during the Prep Hoops Spring Kick Off earlier this month, when DeGray was named second team All-16U Tournament.
“I want to show schools how versatile I am,” DeGray said. “How I can beat other guards by posting up or beat bigger men by being quicker off the dribble. I want to show that I can still shoot it, too.”
It’s DeGray’s feel for the game that stands out. As a player capable of impacting the game in multiple ways, he knows where to insert himself without forcing action and he’s able to create a lot of mismatches because of that.
Though just a sophomore, DeGray set the tone for a Chaparral that made big strides in the Continental League last season, averaging 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. The Wolverines knew where to turn when they needed a big bucket.
“I think I grew more as a team leader,” DeGray said. “Defensive presence, talking to our guys and being like a point guard running the team, but also being a scorer when we need help.”
DeGray is taking that same leadership mentality into the spring with Billups Elite, which made the semifinals of the Kick Off Platinum Championship Bracket, narrowly losing to the eventual champion Las Vegas Prospects, 66-60.
“The sky’s the limit for us,” DeGray said.
The same would seem true for the versatile player who can affect the game in multiple ways. He knows he’s heading into a big spring and summer and is anxious to show schools what he brings to the table.
“I’m really excited for it,” he said.