Sleepers: Committed And Uncommitted 2023s
Alex Hawkins: As a quintessential glue guy, Hawkins was a significant role player for a No.1 nationally ranked Hargrave Military Academy post grad team teeming with Division-I bound talent.
The uncommitted Hawkins laid down and took charges throughout the 2022-23 campaign. He applied confrontational and physical defense, with multiple games of four steals or more.
A catch-and-shoot presence with an ability to finish through hard contact, Hawkins sparked a high horsepower offense featuring 6-foot-7, high-scoring lefty and Indiana State-commit Jaden Daughtry.
A safe bet caliber recruit who holds a 4.4 GPA, Hawkins adapted instantly to the high level prep environment. He's able to score without requiring a lot of dribbles and has significant elevation on his shot.
He embodied Hargrave's blanketing pressure by shrinking the passing lanes, getting deflections and instigating turnovers.
The Hargrave experience allowed Hawkins to sacrifice self-interest for team glory and grasp the buy-in process of the collegiate level.
He arrived at the program from Oakdale HS in Maryland, where he played an integral role in spearheading a No.8 seed to an improbable state championship.
Hawkins put his stamp on a wild post-season power surge, scoring 24 points and tearing down 11 rebounds en route to a thorough 60-41 thrashing of No.3 Huntingtown.
The combo guard's coach-ability and seasoned experience at an elite prep level are noteworthy, immeasurable intangibles.
With the current emphasis on transfers on the NCAA recruiting landscape, a recruit of Hawkins' ilk tends to get overlooked throughout the process.
There has been a significant trickle down effect from the additional year granted to the NCAA student-athletes with the Covid pandemic.
Older, proven, and ultra-experienced guys are now prioritized on the transfer portal.
And, with a whirlwind of unpredictability hovering over the ongoing transfer frenzy in 2023, many current senior prospects are currently lost in the shuffle.
Hawkins has become the brand ambassador for MySportzpage, an innovative new sports App which is slated to launch later this year.
The App will be instrumental in helping athletes control, create, post, promote, fund, raise and collaborate with brands they are most passionate about. It will be performed with help from sports writers, bloggers, and story tellers.
He recently secured an NIL deal with a new energy drink, Vigor.
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Aaron Talbert--A well-built Long Island-bred guard with a purity of vision as a play-maker and a three-level scoring aptitude, Talbert made his commitment official recently, choosing St. Francis (PA) of the Northeast Conference.
After averaging 13 points and eight assists while shooting it at 40 percent from beyond the arc at Combine Academy, Talbert has readied himself for the rigors of the Division-I level.
The NEC has historically and recently been predicated on gritty guard play.
Talbert, who plays with Long Island-based Boys 2 Men on the AAU circuit, has a chance to play a significant role instantly at St. Francis.
Ryan Leonardo--The 6-foot-6 forward has gone unsung and rather under the radar this season, without the same maximized exposure and visibility as some of the acclaimed recruits of the NYC area.
The Bronx native, who played at JFK this past season, is a lefty with a deep jumper and more athleticism than credited for.
He's comfortable putting the ball on the floor and triggering the transition attack after snaring a defensive board.
A crude rim protector, Leonardo possesses the instinctive timing and wingspan to block and really influence shots.
As a lesser known Class of 2023 product, Leonardo oozes of long term upside.
Kalifa Ouattara--The 6-foot-7 Class of 2023 forward out of Murray Bergtraum HS in NYC has registered his presence as an under the radar play creator with his wide ranging offensive skill set and ability to put the ball on the deck.
Outtara is an inside-outside scoring threat who displayed a consistent outside shot this past season, as he relished the role of focal point.
He uses his size to his advantage, exploiting mismatches by backing smaller defenders down to the rim.
Outtara is an underrated passer with an innate knack for locating an astonishingly open teammate for an easy bucket.
He's an open court finisher who knows how to score and dish it in traffic.