Prospect Spotlight: Matthew Ragsdale (2019)
Matthew Ragsdale just kept going to work last season. As a sophomore at Lewis-Palmer, a team that would eventually finish as the runner-up in the 4A state tournament, Ragsdale was stuck behind a logjam of upperclassmen at the guard position.
With varsity playing time rarely available, he simply went about the work of getting better, averaging 20 points to lead the junior-varsity squad and continuing to prove his game to be ready for his next opportunity.
It’s safe to say Ragsdale hasn’t missed that opportunity now that it has arrived.
The 6-foot-1 guard had one of the top performances of any Colorado player during the first live period last weekend, scoring 37 points in a victory for The Force 16U squad at the Lone Star Invitational on Saturday. That offensive explosion came on the heels of an impressive performance at the Prep Hoops Spring Kick Off in Thornton two weeks earlier.
“I thought it was really good because I wasn’t able to show what I can do at the varsity level a lot this year,” Ragsdale told Prep Hoops Colorado. “Being able to play club against the talent that was out in Dallas and at national tournaments, and to be able to have a game like that, it’s something that I live for.”
Ragsdale began his scoring simply by sprinting in transition as The Force converted turnovers into easy offense. Soon, though, the sharpshooting guard caught fire from 3-point range, dropping one deep bomb after another. When defenders began running out on him hard, Ragsdale went to the rack — an element of his game to which he’s been aiming to improve.
“I’m a shooter, and with being that I can create my own shot and be able to ready to sit and knock down shots,” he said. “But I’ve also been improving being able to drive and kick and get into the late. When people know you can shoot, they are going to come out and collapse on you. You know you have to get by them and be able to score and find teammates open as well.”
There’s no doubt Ragsdale is on the rise. He said his focus now is concentrating on locking down on every possession defensively, an area he conceded needs improvement. He’s also focusing on rebounding more consistently from his guard spot. He produces a lot of his offense by getting out and running, but he knows he’s also got to show that he can be a reliable defender when he needs to be.
Once he puts those two things together, there’s no telling how high the ceiling is for a player just starting to turn heads after his big performance in Dallas.
“That was a fun night,” he said.
Here’s guessing there are more on the way for the rising guard prospect.