Recruiting Report: Tommy Chatman (2019)
Park Center junior guard Tommy Chatman played at the 17u level this off-season with Minnesota Phenom and has an excellent spring and summer.
“Our season went pretty good,” Tommy said. “We got some good wins and our team as a whole was getting looks. The biggest takeaway from this past AAU season is learning you can’t have an off game because everyone is good at this level and you have to bring your A game night in and night out.”
Playing at the 17U level opened Chatman’s eyes to what he wants to improve as he enters his upperclassmen years in the Northwest Suburban as a key piece in the Pirates line-up.
“I’m probably going to work a lot on my pull up midrange game off the dribble and working on having a knockdown jump shot,” Chatman said.
With Dain Dainja back in the middle, athletic Emmanuel Tamba on the wing, Khari Broadway in the backcourt, DJ Purnell battling and giving numbers, a host of young talent close to prime years, D1 talent Jarius Cook leading the way, and Chatman joining the group, expectations are high.
“Our outlook is to make it to state,” said Chatman. “We have a lot of talent on our team, more than the previous years and I think we will make it to state.”
Park Center is the favorite to make it to state as they are likely a top 4-5 team entering the preseason rankings and a team that is one the short list as title contenders.
Chatman is starting to hear from college programs after playing with the Phenom 17u squad and then going to Baylor Elite Camp recently.
“Probably the biggest (interest) being Baylor,” Chatman said colleges looking at him. “I’m also hearing from Western Illinois, Augustana, Grand Valley State, Davenport and some other mid majors division one and big division two schools.”
Many of you would know Tommy’s father also named Tommy Chatman. The elder Chatman is one of the better basketball trainers in the Twin Cities area and had a nice local college basketball career.
“My dad has probably influenced my game the most because I play pretty close to how he did,” Tommy said. “My favorite players are LeBron and Jason Williams.”