Class of 2023 Small School Finds

<p>Smaller schools and schools in rural areas of Pennsylvania are often overlooked by colleges for talent, but the small schools and rural areas also produce some talented players who shine, especially in the post season.</p> <p>Today, we look at four that college coaches should be watching next year.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1185995" first="Christian" last="Hinson"]</strong> | 6’1” | G | Chestnut Ridge</p> <p>Chestnut Ridge had a good year in both football and basketball last year. Hinson led the charge on the hardwood. Hinson is a lights out shooter with a quick release. He can’t be left much space or he will make opponents pay—He lit up Wash High for 5 threes and 22 pts in states. Runs the fast break well and can finish in contact. CR plays in the more visible Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference and went 19-8 last year. LHAC is the premier league in D-6, so he should be at least a recognized name by coaches at regional D3 programs. Also plays baseball.</p> <p><strong>Zaki Alston</strong> | 6’4” | G | Sankofa Charter</p> <p>Alston was asked to shoulder a big load as a number of Sankofa’s top players departed. He responded by having a strong junior season. He went over 20 on a half dozen occasions, including an impressive 24 in his season opener against Life Center. He also took to the boards and had several 10+ rebound games. He gets out in transition well. He’s a rock solid three point shooter and the glass work he did as a guard was also a strong showcase point that college coaches should be interested in following.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1187871" first="Garrett" last="Harrold"]</strong> | 6’3” | G | Penn Cambria</p> <p>A second LHAC player on this list. Harrold averaged just under 18PPG as a junior. He’s a big bodied guard who also can rough it up in the post. He finishes strong through contact and his court vision is at a high level—That also translates to the football field, where he’s a sought after QB. He runs the floor well and has good ball handling skills. He can also get above the rim. Numerous double doubles last year. He had good games vs WPIAL teams(22 v Deer Lakes, 17 v Montour) in states. Over 20 on the regular, he had a season high of 32 against Richland.  </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1185972" first="Mason" last="Kargo"]</strong>| 5’11” | G | Portage</p> <p>Kargo is a strong point guard who can facilitate but also score the ball. He’s comfortable in the mid range at pulling up and can also attack the rim against larger defenders. Active and makes good reads on defense to create turnovers. He has good court vision and played some of his more well-rounded basketball against the better teams Portage faced, including Sto-Rox and Kennedy Catholic. The D3s in the area should check him out.</p>