Purdue, UNLV, Cincinnati Pursue JUCO
Aaron Patterson is one of those players people come to appreciate once he's gone and moved on to bigger and better things.
At the Insiders Report, the 6-5 Patterson first came to our attention with the Municipal Gardens AAU program out of Indiana, where he did all of the dirty work on a squad that featured Michigan State freshman Chris Hill.
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So when we saw Patterson at the Jayhawk Shootout this past weekend in Coffeyville, Kan., with the Barton County squad, we were well prepared to know what he brings to the table and a basketball team.
Simply put, Patterson has a nose for the ball. If there's a loose ball out on the court, chances are he's around it. When he's out on the court, he is stuffing the stat sheet.
While he may be just a slightly better than average athlete and lacks great speed (which hurts him a bit defensively), Patterson uses his smarts on the basketball court to outwit opponents.
In two games at the Jayhawk Shootout, he averaged 14 points and seven rebounds in just 21 minutes of play as Barton romped to a pair of lopsided victories. He also shot 50 percent from the floor.
For the season, Patterson averages 12.2 points and 7.5 rebounds, and shoots 51 percent from the field.
Though he has several more high profile teammates, his play has not gone unnoticed to Division I coaches. According to Barton Head Coach Ryan Wolf, Patterson has generated interest from Purdue, UNLV and Cincinnati.
Patterson is just a freshman at Barton, and will need to earn his associates degree before moving on to the Division I ranks. It's likely his list will change quite a bit in the coming year, and we'll try to keep you posted on that information as it becomes more relevant.