Change should be good for Pugh

Few players capitalized on the 2015 travel season the way small forward Kodye Pugh did. Pugh transferred from Baltimore (Md.) Boys Latin to Blair Academy (N.J.)

and reclassified to the 2017 class and played impressively on a loaded WeR1 AAU

team that featured several high major prospects including the No. 2 ranked

player in his class, Trevon Duval.

Considered a late bloomer by some, Pugh opened up about his decision to transfer and reclassify.

"That was one of the hardest decisions, leaving Boys Latin because that was my home," Pugh said. "I had a great time there, great coach. We just won a championship there, so of course there are memories there. So of course it was hard to leave there after what I've been through there. Overall I felt like making that move would be better for me and give me a better opportunity to go where I want to go in life. So I thought I needed to put myself first and make that move. Reclassifying to 2017, the extra year would help to prepare my body and help me to get prepared in order for me to step on the court and be ready to make an impact right away."

The schools that had offered Pugh before he reclassified maintained contact as he picked up additional offers including

Florida, Vanderbilt, Penn State, UCF, Miami and

Seton Hall.

Blair Academy head coach Joe Mantegna said interest in Pugh is strong.

"In terms of who has been in, everybody's been in," Mantegna said. "Stanford, Florida,

Northwestern, Seton Hall, Rutgers is coming next week, Georgetown, I'm sure I'm forgetting a few people. Central Florida and

Minnesota's been in, so all of those have been in.

Mantegna has been at Blair Academy since 1999 and has coached three NBA players believes that Pugh's ceiling is high.

"Has tremendous upside," said Mantegna. "He has length, he has grit, he's determined, he's a hard worker, has the right make up, he's a good team guy. I think he's a real late bloomer, not that people don't know him. "He'll be playing all over the court. He can come off the staggers he can trail, we can post him against smaller guards. He's an unbelievable luxury to have because you can move him all over the floor."

The four-star wing was measured at the Under Armour All-America camp at 6-foot-7, 192-pounds, an 8-foot-9 reach and 7-foot wing span. Eye popping numbers that give Pugh the type of on-court versatility that make college coaches pay close attention. While those coaches evaluate Pugh's fit for their system, they'll also need to make sure their school offers the programs is interested in majoring in

-- digital engineering or architecture.

"I want to major in those because I'm also good in math so that would be a good combination for art and math," Pugh said. "I really do like buildings, that's something that's always interested me. Digital engineering, I like animation and all that stuff so those are just two of the topics that intrigue me."

For now Pugh has been focused on school work and preparing for his first season at Blair Academy.

"We should be a force to be reckoned with," said Pugh. "We have a 6-foot-11 Australian named

Deng Gak, we have Anthony Mack, he's sort of a power forward and he's also a shooter. We have

Matt Turner from New York Lightning he's also another scorer at shooting guard.

Zedrek Farrell is a crafty point guard who likes to dish the ball. So we should have the squad."

Pugh is rated the No. 73 ranked prospect in the Rivals150 for the class of 2017.

 

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