ATLANTA – It happens every July. A prospect who had been on the fringe of receiving high-major offers has a strong first open period and sees his stock take off in a big way. This year, Nate Hinton of Team Loaded North Carolina was that guy after a great performance at the adidas Gauntlet Finale. He continued to play at a high level on the opening night of the On the Radar Hoops Super 6 event in Atlanta.
Florida State, Miami, Auburn, Arkansas and Clemson jumped into the mix. Houston had been in the picture for a while now and the Cougars already had an official visit date set with the 6-foot-6 wing.
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IN HIS OWN WORDS
Florida State: “The head coach (Leonard Hamilton) is actually from my hometown. He’s really excited about recruiting me. They like to play uptempo and play hard defense. They develop pros there.”
Miami: “Their facilities are nice. Their coach is really good and trying to build a relationship with me.”
Arkansas: “They are dogs. They get after it and turn on the full-court press.”
Houston: “They are a pro-like program. They have a pro coach, it’s a pro city and they really have a plan for me right from the start.”
Clemson: “The assistant coach, Antonio Reynolds-Dean, was recruiting me at Rhode Island and now he’s on me at Clemson. Their coach is really excited about me.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Hinton’s first move after the July recruiting periods end is to take an official visit to Houston. He also plans to make the drive down to Clemson for an unofficial visit to see the Tigers. He originally planned on deciding in November, but says the increased attention of late has caused him to take a step back and see where the process goes this month.
RIVALS’ REACTION
The offer from Florida State appears to be a big one for Hinton. The Seminoles have been tough in North Carolina for under-the-radar prospects and Hamilton can recruit with the best of them. His relationship with the Clemson staff will have the Tigers in the mix as well and distance certainly helps here. Houston did a great job heading into July, but it’s going to be tough for the Cougars to hold on here.
