Recruiting Report: Kenton Eskridge (2018)
As kids grow older and their bodies develop, it’s much easier to get a handle on what position fits them best on the basketball court. During this time, many adjustments may have to be made in order to fill their potential and make them as effective as possible in hopes to play a the collegiate level. For Mt. Zion 2018 guard Kenton Eskridge, he’s making what could be the hardest adjustment in basketball. Eskridge has been an explosive scorer throughout his career, but at 6’2, he knows in college he’ll be expected to play the point guard position.
Eskridge made this transition a focus throughout his spring and summer before arriving on Mt. Zion’s campus to do fulfill a prep year.
“I was more of an overweight shooting guard,” Eskridge said as he chuckled. “This summer I really worked on fixing my body and skill so I wouldn’t be labeled as a combo guard. I wanted to be known as a point guard. So that what I told myself all summer was to stay focused on fixing my body and become a point guard.”
The 6’2 guard has played the role of floor general quite well for the Warriors this season. He’s averaging nine points, six assists and four rebounds per game. When you watch Eskridge, you can tell he has a great understanding for the pace of the game and how to approach almost any situation. He’s the type of player that brings a calmness to the floor because he’s so dependable.
Because he was leaned on heavily at his previous schools to score, he can feel it up when he feels the need to. Mt. Zion has great size and their big men are good at finding open teammates out of the post, so it’s a common side to see Eskridge knock down triples throughout the game off of those situations. With that being said, he is also good at finding seams and openings without the ball to get those open shots.
His offensive game isn’t limited to perimeter shooting. Eskridge uses his body well when attacking the rim in transition or half court play. He has good vision and understands defensive rotations well enough to anticipate which one of his teammates will be open due to him driving in the lane.
This is the first time he’s been away from home and he’s already seeing the benefits both on and off the floor.
“Just becoming more mature,” Eskridge claimed when speaking on what has improve most since coming to Mt. Zion. “Being on my own up here and 13 hours away from my home has been tough. It’s more so the process of becoming a man. Being here and being home are two different things.”
Towson, TCU, LaSalle and Siena have all expressed interest in the Atlanta native, but none have offered. Eskridge continues to stay focused on the task at hand, but also has a blueprint of what he’ll do this summer in order to prepare for his next destination.
“I’m gonna continue to focus on conditioning and staying with my diet that I’ve been on since the summer,” Eskridge said. “Lifting, running, lifting and running. I just want to be in the gym as much as possible.”