Aspire Academy HS-Louisville, KY.
Aspire Academy made headlines this off-season when they moved the program from Arizona to Louisville, a traditional basketball hotbed with major fanfare and an established basketball culture.
Aspire again generated buzz when highly-touted recruit Charles Bassey, a 7-foot-1 Class of 2019 prospect who has offers from Kansas, UCLA, Kentucky and countless others, transferred in from St. Anthony’s (TX). While Bassey is the known commodity of the group, Aspire has plenty of depth and actively pursued prospects across the roster.
Ousmane Ndim (2018) (Pictured Above)
Also a transfer via St. Anthony’s (TX), Ndim brings a menacing interior threat at 7-feet and 225 pounds. With soft hands and both an adeptness and efficiency around the rim, Ndim has all the essential attributes to be a supplementary piece to Bassey down low.
While he still has a ways to go with his back to the bucket game, Ndim has the make-up of a one-dribble, back to the basket threat. A native of the Senegal, Ndim is committed to Long Island University-Brooklyn in the Northeast Conference.
Sean Flanigan (2018)
A 6-foot-4, 175-pound guard from Georgia, Flanigan is an underrated as a shooter. He’s a near 50 percent field goal shooter and 80 percent free throw shooter.
Crafty off the dribble and flashing a pull-up game, a nifty step-back jumper, and on the jump-stop, Flanigan will play meaningful minutes in the backcourt against national competition this season. As head coach Jeremy Kipness points out, Flanagan has deceptive athleticism.
T.J. Smith (2018)
Class of 2018 Smith is another knockdown shooter at 6-foot-9, 190. Also a multi-positional talent who can play the two, three, and a little stretch four. Guards multiple positions and creates mismatches. If he can develop a sturdy handle and some ball skills, Smith is a surefire high-major talent. Missouri State, Siena, Toledo, and several others have offered. Programs such as Dayton, Louisville, and Xavier are currently showing interest.
Joel Ntambwe (2018)
Versatile 6-foot-8 point guard is gifted passer and establishes a radiant inside-outside tandem with Bassey. Ntambwe is also a threat for his multi-positional abilities, as he can guard the 1-5 and spark the break fresh off a defensive rebound. Consistent scorer when he gets into the lane and backs down smaller defenders. Currently has offers from Cincinnati, Providence, Rhode Island, UNLV, Tennessee, Wichita State, Arkansas, and several others.
Nygal Russell (2018)
Tough, hard-nosed guard scored game-best 28 points en route to MVP honors at the Memphis Classic. Russell is a crafty ball-handler who can get into the teeth of defenses and score. His jumper and beyond the arc game were on display this weekend, as he scored during pivotal junctures. Russell is severely undervalued and Kipness envisions him as a steal at the Division-I level.
Charles Bassey (2019)
Built like a linebacker, Bassey is a buoyed by innate athletic ability. This makes the 7-foot-1 behemoth a constant threat to score the ball. Beyond point-blank buckets, authoritative dunks, and post moves, he’s improved his range and can step out and hit the 3-point shot. Programs such as UCLA, Kansas, and Kentucky are in pursuit of one of the most gifted bigs in the country. Scored an efficient 23 points and impacted both sides of the ball in leading Aspire to 2017 Memphis Classic victory.