Prospect Spotlight: Jamal West (2020)
JamaI West, a class of 2020 forward from Dunbar High School, emerged as a dominant paint presence during the Poets’ state title run last weekend. The sturdily built 6-foot-4 sophomore, who boasts a ridiculous 6-foot-10 wingspan, was arguably the best rebounder we saw all weekend. In the two games, West averaged nearly 17 rebounds per game to go along with a scoring average of nearly 12 points per game.
After just two years of high school ball, West is already establishing himself as one of the best rebounders in the state.“My role is to get the rebound. I play the 5, but I’m not a 5,” West explained. “My position on the team is to get the rebound, either push it, give it up and run the floor.”
West believes that his ability to play outside is an underrated aspect of his game. He mentioned that his improved ball-handling has given him added confidence.
“Last year, I wasn’t pushing the ball or doing stop and moves,” said West. “It was just all right, but now I can go left and finish left.”
Right now, West says he’s working on everything. Specifically his stop and pop, and mid range jumper.
“My whole shooting game needs to improve because I can finish inside, but I’m just trying to develop a perimeter game too.”
One thing we really admired about West is how often he communicates while on the floor. This aspect of the game can be difficult for young players to grasp.
“My father tells me I’m gonna have to step up and become a leader one day. At first I was leading with actions, and he told me I need to get the vocal part down,” West stated. “Ever since I just tried my best to communicate with my team.”
Another thing we love about the sophomore is that he appears to remain even keeled throughout the game. His body language is hard to decipher. This trait comes as a result of his father’s advice as well.
“He just told me when coming into a game I gotta keep my head straight and in the game. I gotta stay calm and play the game.”
https://twitter.com/AyalewAdam/status/972556412227391490
West has a “Barkley-esque” type game, in that he’s very versatile, strong as an ox, long-limbed, and a relentless rebounder with terrific hands. If he continues to work hard both on and off the floor, we think that he has a great shot to make an impact for a the division one program. What can he bring to a college program down the road?
“I can bring a lot to the table. Especially my energy. My energy and my hustle is what gets me where i need to go. I rely on that for a lot. A lot of people try to take away from my game by being more tough than I am, but it’s not gonna stop me.”
Jamal West is ranked by Prep Hoops as a top 50 prospect in his class. To see the full ranking of Maryland and DC’s 2020 class, click here.