Recruiting Report Allin Blunt (2018) & Anthony Blunt (2019)
This fall we have been to Gonzaga numerous times to watch the superbly coached, talented & very deep Gonzaga players run 5 on 5 pick ups. Allin & Anthony Blunt were standouts & the brothers have taken their game to…
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Continue ReadingThis fall we have been to Gonzaga numerous times to watch the superbly coached, talented & very deep Gonzaga players run 5 on 5 pick ups. Allin & Anthony Blunt were standouts & the brothers have taken their game to another level. Additionally, we firmly believe Allin & Anthony still have more upside & will achieve it. Already, the brother duo are excellent college prospects. Growing up Allin & Anthony were & are very close to each other & their parents. However, basketball was not their sport of choice. The brother duo were standout football players & Allin began playing at a young age The pair would throw the ball to each other & play touch football in their earlier years. Allin & Anthony played football for the Bowie Bulldogs thru the 8th grade & Allin played one yer of football at Gonzaga. Anthony was more athletic & faster. He was a star RB & WR who played in an ESPN All Star game. When Allin was in the 9th grade he began to focus on basketball after growing to 6’2″. Anthony was 5’7″ but grew to 6’0″ at age 13. Allin grew to 6’4″ as a sophomore, then 6’5″ last season & is now a legitimate long 6’7″ & could grow more. Anthony is currently 6’2″ and his growth plates indicate he could grow to over 6’5″. Even at their current height, both Allin & Anthony are fantastic college recruit prospects. We have written separate reports for them below.
Allin Blunt, 6’7″, F/WG, 2018. Gonzaga College Eagles HS. 19 I Street, NW Washington, DC. 20001 Head Coach: Stephen Turner
Grassroots Team : MD 3D
This summer Allin was very impressive in the DeMatha BSN Summer League & we believed a potential starting candidate as the 5th starter to join 6’3″ 50th ranked 2019 CG & Notre Dame commit Prentiss Hubb, 6’5″ 2018 WG Myles Dread ranked @ #147 & who is committed to Penn State, 6’7, 2020 power forward Terrance Lewis ranked in the top 25 nationally & emerging 2019 star 6’5″ WG/WF Anwar Gill who is a high major recruit. In the summer Allin stated he was in the best shape of his life & that his footwork was much improved. When we scouted Allin this fall we were very impressed at his physique & conditioning which Allin took to another level. He was very, very lean & his current weight is now 185 down, 15 pounds from this summer. Allin is now 6’7″ & previous very long wingspan looked longer. He passes the look test for an elite recruit by miles. In the 5 on 5 scrimmages he showed the agility of a guard & was knocking down jumpers from all angles which included deep 3s. Allin’s shot mechanics are excellent. His elevation high release point, square up & follow thru look great. Allin showed a very improved handle & superb passing skills. In our opinion we can envision Allin playing guard in college. Each time we scout him he improves & Allin still has untapped upside. Some people believe Allin is D2 recruit, but we (I) do not & place him as a D1 recruit.
When we scouted Gonzaga this fall, Allin’s improvements stood out after only a few minutes of play. He was able to play 4 plus games with excellent consistency on all levels. Allin showed his versatility as a scorer converting his mid range & drives to the rim at very high %. He went coast to coast off the dribble with his very long strides on straight blow byes or hesitation & go dribbles. Allin went into his crossover to break down defenders successfully off the dribble several times. He converted a superb basket when he went into a spin mover, then crossed over & spun back for a bucket. Allin has developed a great jab step & is now a triple threat player.
We asked Allin about his improvements since the conclusion of last season & he says,” My jump shot & explosiveness have gone up & I am now stronger across the board. Also, my ball handling is much better & my much improved conditioning has had a huge impact on my game. My wind & aerobic capacity have gone way up because Anthony & I ran a lot this off-season. My current goals are to continue improve my vertical,play with a higher motor, get ball handling to a CG level. Allin made a huge jump in his overall game since April & he agrees with us that it was a hyper-jump. We see another hyper jump coming for Allin & his current goals are well within reach.
Allin is becoming one of the most versatile players in the DC DMV. He can guard 1 thru 5 & he is an excellent re-bounder & shot blocker. He has learned how to utilize his wingspan to get deflections & steals. Allin can guard the entire 94 feet & has potential to become a superb & possibly elite defender. Allin performs all the intangibles & is now a very complete player as combo forward, but will transition into CG in the near future. In his downtime he likes to study Kawhi Leonard, Paul Pierce & Gordon Hayward.
Anthony Blunt, 6’2″, CG. 2019. Gonzaga College Eagles HS. 19 I Street, NW Washington, DC. 20001 Head Coach: Stephen Turner
Grassroots Team : MD 3D
Last season Anthony was the top player om the Gonzaga JV & now moves up to the varsity. Each time we have visited Gonzaga this fall Anthony stood out. He caught our eye with is high rising jumpers, ability to make plays in the mid range & a very nice handle. Anthony dished out many superb passes & showed he has the potential to become a full time PG in the future. Anthony can break down defenders using both hands with between the legs crossovers, a straight in & out crossover, & a double behind the back. In all his handle moves Anthony can either pull up, facilitate or go into another move. In the full court Anthony can utilize a straight blow bye, or hesitation & go to advance past half court & or go all the way to the rim. His jump shot is excellent, with a high release, nice follow thru & elevation. Anthony’s range is well beyond the 3 point line where he can score on step backs or his other moves. Anthony possesses a fantastic mid range game where he can power his way to the paint & shoot a high rising jumper. He can score from 15 feet in using a side step or step back pull ups. His jab step allows Anthony to be a lethal scorer or facilitator form the triple threat. He can finish at the rim from both sides & hands utilizing his Euro Step in the full or half court. Using his excellent vertical Anthony can dunk off one leg going hard to the rim.
Regarding defense Anthony says,” I take great pride playing tough on ball defense which I can play the entire 94 feet. In most situations I go over screens. My lateral movement, quickness & reflexes help me beat my opponent to their desired destination. I play very tough, hard-nosed defense & want to take the challenge to cover our opponents best offensive player. With my strength & athleticism I can guard 1 thru 3. Using my wingspan I can get steals & deflections. On missed shots I can crash the boards & get rebounds. I have very good reactions to the ball & timing. If there is a 50/50 I will get it, and do anything to help Gonzaga win. When I am on the court I lead vocally & by example. If I am on the bench I am dialed into the game & give encouragement to our team & players. I study basketball & I know I can make a difference without scoring. I do all the intangibles.”
This week we asked Anthony what he needs to work on, “My goals are to develop into high level PG. I want to improve my basketball IQ & court vision from a PG perspective by study. Currently I shoot better off the dribble & I need to become a knockdown spot up 3 point shooter.” At some point in his high school career we believe Anthony will achieve these goals due to his excellent work ethic & intelligence. Like Allin, Anthony gets “IT”. He likes to study Kyrie Irving, Jamal Carawford & Dennis Smith Jr. who play in the NBA.
Allin & Anthony have been working out 6 days a week this fall. Every morning the brothers run a mile or more with weighted vests, then run 100 meters without them. They run hills & perform plyos such as resistance bands, hop steps, ladders & jumping rope. Once or twice a week they go to hot yoga & work on flexibility multiple times each day. We firmly believe that running daily, performing plyos, & flexibility has a had a tremendous positive impact for Allin & Anthony. Both brothers play tirelessly & with passion. Their father helps out with basketball drills & all of their overall basketball development. It is very easy to concluded that Mr. Blunt is doing a fantastic job with his sons. The Blunt brothers lift weights such as squats, curls, bench lunges, & dips, plus pull ups & sit ups. Additionally, they focus on core strength, balance & agility.
In the classroom Allin is very close to a 3.0 GPA while Anthony maintains a superb 3.8 GPA & excels in Math. Anthony is a very talented artist. He likes to draw & writes short stories in his spare time. Currently. Allin is receiving interest from Assumption, Chowan, Bowie State, Concordia, Navy, Colgate, Manhattan & Colgate while Anthony is being monitored by several schools. We expect the recruiting to heat up for Allin & Anthony this season.
Allin & Anthony must be commended for their dedication on & off court. They arise at 5AM to make their daily 1 hour commute from Crownsville, MD to Gonzaga in downtown Washington, DC. The excellent academic curriculum & daily itinerary at Gonzaga is not for the light hearted. The brothers are now thriving & we believe Allin & Anthony will be very successful on & off the court long after they graduate from Gonzaga. They have a very close knit family & have almost every dinner together with their motherm father & many times with both sets of grand parents all of whom Allin & Anthony name as role models.
In a very sad development, Gonzaga star PG & Notre Dame commit Prentiss Hubb tore his ACL & is out for the season. We have placed Prentiss in our prayers & wish him a 110% recovery & the best. This is certainly a big blow to the Eagles, but we still rate Gonzaga as top 4 tier WCAC team & top 5 team in the DC DMV. There are many options for Head Coach Stephen Turner & his staff to develop a starting 5. We know Myles Dread, Anwar Gill & Terrance Williams will start. We believe the remaining 2 starters will be 2 of the following 3 excellent players: Allin Blunt, 6’2′ sophomore PG Chuck Harris & 6’5″ junior CG Josh Watts. All 3 players will see significant playing time & will be huge factors in determining if Gonzaga can repeat as the WCAC Champions. The Eagles season opener is vs St. Frances of Baltimore who have one the most talented teams on the east coast. The game will be played at UMBC at 7pm in the nightcap game of the BCL/WCAC Challenge & we will be in attendance for all 4 games.