Prospect Spotlight: Eric Batson (2018)
KANSAS CITY — A rising senior, Blue Valley North forward Eric Batson is coming off a strong summer competing for the KC Spurs.
He is a long, rangy 6’6 wing player with a versatile skill set who can defend multiple positions. He can get to the rim and gets to the free throw line, can knock down open 3-point shots as well as hit mid-range shots.
He says playing for coach Todd White and the KC Spurs has helped his game grow after mostly playing a reserve role for his high school team as a junior.
“He (White) really opened up my game and showed me that I’m capable of scoring the ball consistently,” Batson said. “Also by putting me in situations playing against bigger guys, I’ve learned new post moves, better post defense, and my rebounding skills have improved tremendously.
“Traveling to Orlando this summer and placing fourth in Nationals showed me that it takes a team effort to achieve any goal.”
Batson has high expectations for the upcoming season and says he and Kansas football recruit Miles Emery figure to be a tough 1-2 punch this season at Blue Valley North.
“We will be good for setting each other up to score in the post and outside of the perimeter,” he said. “It will be a really good season for norths basketball team.”
Batson says he is looking forward to playing defending state champion Blue Valley Northwest.
“With a lot of good player feeding into the program they will be a very tough matchup for us,” Batson said. “I like the hard competition they put up. It will be a very challenging game, but nothing we can’t handle.”
Batson says thhe person who’s had the most impact and influence on his game is his older cousin Jawan Emery, who is currently playing at Emporia State.
“He’s the reason why I fell in love with the game,” Batson said. “When he comes back from school we spend hours upon hours everyday working on our game, playing pick up games, and bonding with each other.”
A fan of another left hander, Batson enjoys watching James Harden play basketball and says he looks to make several elements of his game his own.
“I’ve take a lot from his game, such as his dribble drive moves and his quick jab step pull up from mid-range,” he says.
Although he hasn’t drawn much interest from any colleges yet, Batson hopes that will change in the upcoming weeks.
“I’m really hoping to make some noise this up coming season,” he says.