Prospect Spotlight: Brandon Watson (2018)
The Mount Carmel Cougars had a terrific season in 2016-17 finishing with a 29-11 record that included appearances in both the MIAA and BCL Championship games. Although they lost in both games to a great Mt. St. Joseph team, it doesn’t take away the overall success that was had.
The Cougars were led by George Washington signee Terry Nolan Jr., but he was surrounded with a very stout supporting cast. Heading into next season, they’ll be expected to step up and become the stars for 2017-18. One of those players in forward Brandon Watson.
The 6’8 big man held down the paint in terms of being a shot-blocking presence and a good rebounder. Offensively, he’s versatile with the ability to stretch out to the three-point line and knock down shots consistently. Because of that skill, he becomes a major threat in ball-screen sets with the option to pop out on the perimeter, or roll to the basket with the athleticism to finish over opposing bigs.
The loss of Nolan Jr. will definitely be felt, but luckily head coach Hakim Hibbert has guys like Watson, Will Thomas, and Jordan Jones who will look to lead the Cougars back to the MIAA A Conference championship game.
Every time Watson steps on the floor, the chance of finishing with a double-double is extremely high given his energy and length. The 2018 forward is playing his AAU ball with Team BBC alongside players like Immanuel Quickley and Montez Mathis.
I caught up with Watson after a recent summer league game and he told me one thing he’s focusing on this summer is polishing his ball handling skills. There were instances in the game when he corralled a rebound and immediately started the fast break himself. A few times he went coast-to-coast after a few nice moves that proved his hard work is bleeding into his game. Watson and Thomas proved to be an effective duo in the pick-and-roll game. Watson displayed soft touch whether it was popping out to the three, or slipping in the mid-range and converting catch-and-shoot situations.
Watson doesn’t hold any offers at the moment, but New Hampshire and Delaware are two schools that have shown interest. As a 3.5 student, Watson doesn’t have any specific things he is looking for in a school, just being able to fit in the system and improve as a player and a man each year will be key.