Just a Handful after Hawes

The No. 46 ranked player in the class of 2006 Spencer Hawes made a strong case at the Nike Hoop Jamboree for his ranking to skyrocket upward. Surprisingly, the 6-foot-11, 205-pound center from Seattle (Wash.) Prep is only receiving mail from a few schools right now. Look for schools nationwide to begin their pursuit of the skilled big man.

“Since school has been out, I have been getting mail from Washington, UCLA, and Gonzaga,” said Hawes.

Still growing, Hawes is an extremely skilled post man. At the Hoop Jamboree he scored on a variety of advanced post moves ending in both right and lefthand jump hooks. He also passed the ball well and sparked the fast break by busting out with the dribble after defensive rebounds.

“I though I did pretty well at the camp,” he said. “I maybe could have scored more, but being a big guy at a camp like this makes it tough to get the ball sometimes. But my teammates did a pretty good job getting me the ball, and I tried to focus on passing, rebounding, and running the break.”

Hawes’ advanced skill level makes it quite apparent that he has a very specific focus on developing his game.

“I just need to fine tune some stuff,” he said. “I need to keep working on my left jump hook around eight to ten feet out. My fade away, especially to my right shoulder, needs work. And hitting the weights, definitely.”

Living ten minutes away from the Washington campus and having a father that played for the Huskies puts Washington in an advantageous position but does not necessarily mean they are Hawes’ leader.

“I don’t know that Washington is my favorite school,” he said. “They are recruiting me the hardest right now, so they are one of my favorites out of a few schools I like. I am not cutting down my list.”

When asked if there are any schools that he would like to hear from, Hawes was quick to mention two.

“Duke and Stanford are my dream schools for what they offer academically and the level of their basketball,” he said.

Hawes has a 3.8 GPA and will play with his Friends of Hoop team at the Peach Jam.