Published Jun 3, 2004
Blatche Preparing for the League
Jerry Meyer
RivalsHoops.com Recruiting Analyst
The No. 12 ranked player in the class of 2005 Andray Blatche was pretty much having his way at the TOC until he ran into Greg Oden and the Spiece Indy Heat in the semifinals. Despite struggling against arguably the best player in the country not in the NBA, the 6-foot-11, 230-pound power forward is one of the best college prospects in the class of 2005 if he does indeed go to college.
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“Right now I just want to play AAU and get better and prepare for prep school where I want to get stronger for the draft,” said Blatche, who will prep at South Kent.
When it comes to a colleges, Blatche has a list of five schools that he termed as “pretty solid,” and he is favoring his hometown school.
“My list is UNC, Syracuse, Connecticut, West Virginia, and Georgetown,” he said. “Syracuse is talking more to me and that is where I am leaning. My leader was North Carolina, but I am not getting a lot of attention. But that could all change.”
When asked if he felt that North Carolina had cooled on him because of the high probability he would enter the draft, Blatche conceded that it was a possibility.
“Probably, but it is not really a good enough reason because I might not be ready to go to the draft,” he said. “If I am not going to be a first round pick, it makes no sense for me to go.”
Blatche claims offers from everyone on his list except for North Carolina, and he knows he must do some improving to be ready for the league.
“Besides getting stronger, I need to work on my dribbling and outside jumper,” he said. “If I get those down I should be ready.”
At the TOC Blatche appears to be on his way to being ready as an offensive player. The questions about his game center more around his defensive aggressiveness and emotional composure.