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Prather coming on strong

2010 prospect Casey Prather of Jackson (Tenn.) North Side High School is making a name for himself amongst coaches with his athletic all around play. A number of high-majors have begun recruiting the 6-foot-5, 189-pound wing, including his long time favorite ACC school.
Ole Miss has an offer on the table and Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Missouri are all planning on watching Prather in the coming weeks according to his travel team coach Jonathan Henderson of the Nashville Celtics. Georgia, Virginia, Georgia Tech and North Carolina have all recently been in contact with Prather's coach.
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Prather, who is in no hurry to commit, gave Rivals.com a run down on the schools that standout to him at this point.
"My favorite school is North Carolina," said Prather. "I like everything about the program. I love the way Coach Williams runs the team and their fast style of play. They have been in touch with my coaches and have sent me a letter.
"I also like Florida, Georgetown, Texas, Tennessee, Memphis and Ole Miss."
Averaging 18 points and 15 rebounds per game as a sophomore, Prather is coming off an impressive weekend. Friday he registered 26 points and 15 rebounds, and then Saturday went for 21 points, 12 rebounds, five steals, five blocks and two assists.
Coach Henderson feels like Saturday's stat line is a true indication of Prather's abilities.
"I think that is the kind of player he is- full effort in every aspect of his game," said Henderson. "He fills the stat sheet every game. He is an electric athlete with long arms and good quickness. I had a SEC coach tell me that Casey (as a freshman) was already one of the top 25 athletes in the country in any class. He has a chance to be a really special player. He wants to be the best and is willing to work and listen to get there which is refreshing."
As with many athletic wings, Prather is making the transition from being a post player to being a perimeter player. Prather is excited about the progress he is making as a perimeter player.
"I plan on playing the two or the three in college," said Prather. "I've really improved my shooting, driving and defense. Those are the areas I've been focused on."
A willingness to listen and a top notch work ethic are producing results for Prather according to Coach Henderson.
"He wants to be the best and is willing to work and listen to get there which is refreshing," said Henderson. "We told him after the summer he had to improve his handling and perimeter shooting to get to that elite level, and he has busted his tail on his own. It is certainly paying off as he has improved dramatically in all those areas scoring off a ton of midrange shots this year and knocking down some threes, including hitting four threes in his last two games. However, he isn't abandoning his ability to dunk anywhere and at anytime, either. Some of the moves he did last summer up over the rim were unreal for anyone, especially for a freshman."
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