Blanks: A Spirit Hard To Hold Down

Keith Blanks, a 6-4, 180 pound swingman from National Christian Academy in Ft. Washington, Md., was again his usual versatile self last weekend at the Rumble in the Bronx. Blanks is just a good player. He can handle the ball in transition, finish in a fastbreak, knock down a jumper for you or steal a pass.

A lefty with a knack for putting points up in bunches, Blanks can score effectively from beyond the three point arc and driving to the tin. He typically plays with a high degree of intensity. Sometimes he will overcompensate when trying to drive through defenders. But he is a top 75 player in the 2003 class.

Charlotte and George Washington have offered the D.C. Assault sniper, while Wake Forest, Connecticut and Cincinnati are also high on his list.

After transferring to NCA from Dunbar H.S. in Washington, D.C., Blanks averaged 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals per game in 2001-2002. He was reclassified academically upon his transfer, so he will be a fifth-year senior in 2002-2003.

Blanks will be in action this summer at the adidas ABCD Camp, the adidas Big Time Tournament and the Best of the Summer Tournament in Los Angeles.

"I don't have a clear leader," Blanks told us. "But once the summer is over and I can think about it more, I think I will sign in the Fall."