In the coming weeks, we will be looking at several under-the-radar prospects that were primed to use the travel circuit to boost their recruiting stock this summer. Now, with grassroots basketball on hold as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, these prospects may not get the exposure in the coming months as they would have otherwise.
Today, we take a look at RJ Keene.
WHO IS HE?
Keen is a 6-foot-7, good sized wing-forward that is a member of the 2021 class. He possesses great positional versatility thanks to his size and athleticism along the perimeter. He calls the city of Houston, Texas, as home, and just completed his junior year at Concordia Lutheran High School.
He comes from great bloodlines in which his father, Richard Keene, was a former standout at Illinois in the 1990s. The elder Keene appeared in over 100 games and scored over 1,000 points during his time in Champaign.
During his junior season campaign, RJ Keene averaged close to 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals per game. He is planning on running with the Houston Hoops 17-under squad this summer on the Nike EYBL circuit.
RECRUITING SNAPSHOT
Keene has already begun to emerge without the use of a travel circuit this spring. Within the past few weeks, Iona, Louisiana, McNeese State, Oral Roberts and Wyoming have offered, as they join Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, and UIW who had offered earlier in the year.
A number of other suitors have also shown heavy interest in Keene including Belmont, Boise State, BYU, Colorado State, Creighton, Illinois, Iowa, North Texas, Princeton, Purdue, Texas A&M, Utah State, Virginia Tech and Yale.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, Keene was forced to cancel a number of visits that he had planned to take, though he has already taken unofficial visits to the campuses at Purdue, Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M within the past 12 months.
WHY I LIKE HIM
A bouncy shot maker is who Keene is. He brings great size and versatility along the perimeter and is nearly drop-dead from off the catch and shoot to 22-feet. Keene plays with loads of confidence on the offensive end which translate into a lot of made baskets.
He has to improve in the quickness category, off of his one-foot leaping skills and becoming more dynamic off the bounce but he also possesses a solid feel for the game, incorporates some craftiness off the dribble-drive and has as a strong motor.
Keene should only get stronger and fill out further as he gets older but already, he has shown the toughness to play through contact off the drive and at the bucket. He is a quality two-footed athlete that excels in the open floor and is also an underrated distributor that can make the right play in the half-court setting.
It all comes down to Keene’s ability to hit jumpers. His mechanics and prep work are sound throughout and any time or space given is enough for Keene to get his shot off. Thanks to his size and strong grades in the classroom, expect for his recruitment to only expand in the coming months, even if a summer travel season fails to begin.
