Healthy Baxter taking off
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Troy Baxter has elite athleticism. The 6-foot-9 three-star who is ranked No. 128 in the Rivals150 for 2016, is capable of producing a gym-clearing highlight play on any transition possession. His jump shot and ball-handling are both improving. But the knock on Baxter, for some time, has been his motor.
A recent visit to a Gainesville, Florida, hospital revealed why his energy waned so frequently.
"A lot of his problems was that he has asthma," his father Troy Baxter, Sr. said. "We had to see one of the top specialists in the country, a pulmonary doctor. He has a lower lung disease, that was an issue and he was taking the medication wrong. So the fatigue was a big deal. He cleared that up and we're getting a lot more energy out of him right now."
Troy Jr. feels that it's almost a new day for him.
"It (the medication) helped me a lot," he said. "I feel new. All of the (college coaches) said I played with energy (last weekend). They like my defense, scoring ability, versatility, and athleticism."
Baxter received high praise from his Team Breakdown coaches following his performance in New Orleans last weekend where he averaged 9.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks one steal and just one turnover per game.
Following the weekend, Baxter told Rivals.com that he picked up offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut and Temple to go along with previous offers from Arizona State, Florida International, Kansas State, South Florida and Texas Tech. Baxter is also hearing from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech and West Virginia.
Baxter missed half of his high school season at The Rock School in Gainesville, but still averaged 13.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest. When he was on the floor, he showed new confidence in his jump shot, particularly beyond the arc where he shot 38.8 percent.
"I think it was one of my worst seasons of basketball," Troy Jr. said. "I couldn't play half the year. This year was a disappointment for everybody being 6-21. We learned a lot and we can do big things next year."
Best suited for the small forward position at the next level, Baxter can play power forward in a pinch. He has the quickness and athleticism to get by bigger power forwards. This season, he showed that he is also capable of stepping out away from the basket to knock down shots off the catch.
In addition to working on his basketball skills, Baxter is focused in the classroom and will soon be preparing for college entrance exams.
"I'm trying to schedule him with someone who teaches kids how to prepare for the test first and then take a couple of prep tests," Troy Sr. said. "That way we'll know where we're at."
Russ Wood is a basketball recruiting analyst for Rivals.com and Inside the Gators. You can click here to follow him on Twitter.