Prospect Profile: Quentin Bolton Jr.
Quentin Bolton Jr.’s status changed from underdog to on the rise from the start of writing this article to the end of it. As I made phone calls, sent emails, and watched him at the Top 250 Expo, Bolton started…
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Continue ReadingQuentin Bolton Jr.’s status changed from underdog to on the rise from the start of writing this article to the end of it. As I made phone calls, sent emails, and watched him at the Top 250 Expo, Bolton started gaining traction on the recruiting trail.
The Shoreland Lutheran guard is cut from an athletic cloth shared by some of the better athletes in the state. He wears a sturdy 6’6” frame with limbs corded with muscle. He’s a peak physical specimen with elite skill on the floor, so I asked myself if colleges are buying into that stock. Well, my answer persisted down the improvement-oriented path this piece is built on.
According to a World Hoops staff member who covered Bolton since freshman year (and requested anonymity for this interview), Eastern Washington is the early recruiting frontrunner. It’s only, “a matter of time before a visit and an offer,” he asserted. The Bolton family, “likes the coach,” and Eastern Washington has, “shown love.” Wright State and Portland have also jumped in the mix, along with a throng of underdog-hungry division two and three schools. And, almost as if he knew I’d be doubling down on Bolton’s recent ascension in this article, he followed up those statements with, “If you don’t get on him now he will start buzzing.”
I went on to interview a few others who could offer insider viewpoints. Shoreland Lutheran’s head coach, Paul Strutz, spoke nothing but praise about the guard, calling him “a gifted athlete with an extremely focused work ethic”. The Martin Luther coach, Paul Wollersheim, offered similar praise, particularly for his potential in the coming seasons.
But, that’s coming from people inside his conference, inside his circle. Sure, Bolton shined, but it was within his region. The Prep Hoops Expo broke that barrier, and his skills were displayed to basketball fixtures and players across the state.
The pull-up savant shot his way into standouts lists and Twitter prominence. Bolton’s isolation game became his most flashy trait, and it caught the eye of senior Prep Hoops analyst Evan Flood. His ball-handling abilities also showed up out of the blue. Though he’s not a quick, overly-fancy dribbler, he can create looks off the bounce, which worked in tandem with his jump shot.
Those two things helped launch his stock higher than ever. But if he’s to scratch the surface of his potential, it’s the consensus among the people I interviewed to advocate for his physicality.
With his frame and size advantage, a ferocious inside ability would make for an unprecedented one-two punch of outside and inside play. That juxtaposition between playstyle and frame would create a kind of versatility unmatched by anyone in the state.
But, for right now, let’s rest on the laurels of tweets, laudatory interviews, and this article. For a guy that had been cut from top grassroots teams and a footnote coming up through the years, the recent recognition can serve as an ideal start to future success. Now, we just wait for his breakout junior season.