Prospect Spotlight: Jimma Gatwech (2019)
Very much an unknown and with a ways to go physically, Class of 2019 guard Jimma Gatwech is looking to make a statement this season.
At a rail-thin 160 pounds, many are startled at the hyper-athleticism the 6-foot-3 Gatwech has a tendency to erupt with. Possessing a prodigious vertical and often turning in plays on a select few are capable of, Gatwech’s flourishing above the rim game is as promising as it is eye-opening. You just don’t expect it.
This season, in addition to expanding his handle, Gatwech will look to establish a consistent mid-range game and 3-point shot.
“Basically bringing a guard skill set, that’s what I am working on,” said Gatwech, a native of Lincoln, Nebraska.
“I’ve got to get more consistency in my shot and I’ve got to get bigger. Those are some of the things I’m working on and using my time to really focus on. I’ve got handles but I need to tighten them up a notch. I want to play at the Division-I level. I’ve always said Kentucky and Kansas are my dream schools, it’s been like that since the third grade. I’ve also had aspirations of playing basketball at that level.”
Gatwech knows packing muscle onto a bone-thin frame is not just a priority but a requirement and a necessity for survival at the ensuing level.
Especially for a shifty player of Gatwech’s style, whose game is predicated on slashing and finishing through traffic. He’ll need to get bigger in order to absorb the brutal hits from 7-footers who will inevitably be waiting for him at the rim.
The junior stuck timely 3-pointers, leaked out in transition and finished, and knifed to the rim during Hoop Exchange’s All-American jamboree in Apopka, Fla. last month. During the Grind Session’s Memphis Classic, Gatwech scored 14 points in Believe Prep’s end-to-end 91-32 slaying of Royal Ambassadors (MS).
Currently, the under the radar prospect has interest from Tennessee Tech, UT-Martin, and several others.