Bruce’s Best: Top 8 Small College Sleepers

Bruce&#8217;s Best: Top 8 Small College Sleepers

Bruce Williams

January 23, 2020 @ 09:14 PM

I get it. In this day and age, everyone wants to go D1. There are, however, other schools that offer free education for basketball players. These schools consist of some of the finest academic institutions in the country. There are a ton of talented players in the state, that may not get an opportunity to go D1, however, someone's loss is someone else's gain. In this article, we look at some of the best small college senior sleepers in the state. <ol> <li>Braden Lamar 6'5 SG Bishop Gorman (#10PHN 2020) - Lamar cracks the top spot because he has a couple of skills that I think will serve him well at the next level. He has a signature skill, and he's used to winning against high level competition. Players like this usually translate well to the D2 level. A lot of times this may be the first time in their career that they are the focal point of the offense, and the competition is not significantly higher than what they faced in high school. I can see Lamar being an All-Conference type performer in the right program. </li> <li>Jaylon Lee 6'8 C Arbor View (#14PHN 2020) -Size is always at a premium. Someone with the size and strength of Lee has the opportunity to impact a program right away. He's an elite level rebounder with the ability to step on the floor today and grab boards. He could make an early impact for several D2 schools. </li> <li>Larry Holmes 6'2 SG Arbor View (#29PHN 2020) -Electrifying scorer, with the ability to change the scoreboard in a hurry. Holmes falls into the mold of a guy that doesn't always play with the ball in his hands at the high school level. He is a good defender, that should be able to adjust to college-level speed and quickness. For the right program, he can also provide instant offense off the bench.</li> <li>Kendrick GIlbert 6'5 PF Durango 2020 (#32PHN 2020) - Gilbert has the potential to be an absolute stud in the right program. He is a high IQ player, that is willing to do all the intangibles to help his team win. I can very easily see him as a contributing starter on a team that competes for titles at the National level.</li> <li>Jaxon Pillich 6'5 SF Trinity International (#17PHN 2020) - Sometimes it feels as if Daishen Nix is both Batman and Robin. So one can be forgiven if the play of Pillich goes unnoticed. Thanks to his highlight run and jump ability he has managed to make a name for himself. Pillich's athletic ability is easily D1 certified. This makes him an even more intriguing prospect for the right small college program. I can see a guy like this stepping in right away and providing rebounding and defense for several schools.</li> <li>Luis Avila 6'8 PF SECTA 2020 - After watching him play a couple of weeks ago, I'm extremely intrigued by Avila. At 6'8 he has wing skills, and post size. He has a feathery touch out past the college 3. He has received interest from some small schools recently and has a standing offer from CSN.</li> <li>Cade Savell 6'5 SF Desert Oasis (#21PHN 2020) - Savell has bounce. A lot of people don't realize it, however at least once a game he will try somebody. At 6'5 he has terrific size for his position. Perhaps his best aspect is his IQ. Savell is one of the top High Academic players in the state. As such, he has picked up interest from several top institutions. I think he can be a four-year guy, that highlights the best aspects of a program. </li> <li>Londan Coleman 6'4 SF Silverado (#25PHN 2020) - I have been so impressed with Coleman this season. He's just a gamer. Coleman has shown up everyday and went to work. He and Martell Williams form one of the top 1-2 punches in the state. He's been big for the Skyhawks this year with games of 32 and 23 respectively. I think that he could be a sleeper at the D2 level. A player that just consistently gets better year after year. </li> </ol> <a href="https://twitter.com/7outzbballclub1">Follow PrepHoopsNevada</a>