Prospect Spotlight: T.J. Wainwright 2021
The summertime, particularly AAU season, is when a lot of high school basketball players boost their stock and raise their profiles. One Southern California player in particular who did just that is T.J Wainwright. Wainwright just recently transferred from Santa…
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Continue ReadingThe summertime, particularly AAU season, is when a lot of high school basketball players boost their stock and raise their profiles. One Southern California player in particular who did just that is T.J Wainwright.
Wainwright just recently transferred from Santa Monica High School to Westchester, and he’s poised to continue his summer success once the high school regular season rolls around. This summer, he was able to participate in a few high profile events such as the Pangos All-American Camp, Earl Watson’s Fantastic 40, the Fullcourt Press Cream of the Crop Challenge, and Pangos Premier 80.
Many big-name Division 1 schools were well represented at those events, and at each event, Wainwright relished the challenge of competing in front of them against some of the top high school talent in the nation.
“I love the competition, I love making a name for myself,” Wainwright told Prep Hoops. “I love going at people, I love it all, it’s great.”
Some of those Division 1 schools have begun to put Wainwright on their radar. He currently holds offers from both Pepperdine and UC Santa Barbara. But he’s also heard from quite a few schools including Arizona, Arizona State, Vanderbilt, Oregon, Cal, Tulane, and LSU.
He still has one more year of high school basketball and one more summer of AAU after this one, but choosing a school to play at the next level is something he’s already given a lot of thought.
When it does come time to decide where he’ll take his talents after high school, there are a few things he’s going to be looking for.
“I’ve heard from a lot of schools. I can’t name them all but I’ve talked to a lot of schools,” Wainwright said. “I want a great relationship with the coaches, a great city, and great fans. All around whatever suits me, a friendly atmosphere.”
Wainwright is known primarily as a shooter, but his offensive game has definitely expanded to become more well-rounded. He is a shooter in every sense of the word though. He can light it up from pretty much anywhere on the court. He’s an incredibly tough cover when he has it going offensively.
He’s very crafty on the floor and can knock down jumpers with defenders in his face. He also has a solid handle, he can put the ball on the floor and attack the rim with ease. He’s a bit slight for a guard at the next level though, but that’s something he’s looking to address this coming season.
“My conditioning and strength, I just got to get bigger, faster and stronger,” Wainwright said. “I feel like that’s what I’m missing right now. I’m working on that as we speak.”
In high school basketball, player rankings can be a little bit contentious. Wainwright is a player who hasn’t seen his name mentioned all that often in national rankings. Despite that, he’s continued to go out there and put up big performances against many players ranked higher than him.
Back at the Pangos All-American Camp, he starred in the backcourt with fellow 2021 California guard Isa Silva. The duo had some outstanding games. At an event where the best high school talent in the country was assembled, Wainwright stood out as an explosive scorer and deadly shooter.
While he tries not to dwell on things out of his control, such as player rankings, he does keep that in mind a bit each time he takes the court.
“I’m making a name for myself really. I feel like I’m undervalued. I just want to come to these big events and show what I can do,” Wainwright said. “I feel like me and them, I’m just as good as them or better. That’s always my mindset. Rankings really don’t mean much when we’re all on the same court. That doesn’t affect the way we’re going to play.”
Wainwright played this past season at Santa Monica High School, but for the 2019-2020 season, he will be suiting up for the famed Westchester Comets and legendary head coach Ed Azzam.
It’s only his junior year, so he’ll still have one more year of high school basketball ahead of him, but he’s got some goals he’s focused on for this season.
“I really want to get scholarships,” Wainwright said. “I just want to get noticed, get on the map, get on the radar and just be known.”