Skinner Waiting for Summer

Nathan Skinner, the No. 70 player in the Rivals100 for the class of 2005, had to sit out his junior season after transferring to Bishop Laughan High School in Brooklyn, New York. Although he could not play this season, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound small forward is receiving some high major interest. Look for that interest to grow during the AAU season.

"He's a bit of a sleeper,” said Coach Kevin Scarlett of Skinner’s AAU team the Ontario Cyclones. “He didn't play high school ball this year. He transferred from Father Redmond High School in Toronto, Canada to Bishop Laughan High School in New York. The state of New York makes a player sit out if they've transferred in before their junior year. He's receiving some attention, but I don''t think everyone knows about Nathan. Right now Florida, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Indiana, and Arizona are showing the most interest."

Skinner impressed RivalsHoops.com last summer at the Adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas with his physical and athletic play. Coach Scarlett had this assessment of Skinner’s game.

"He has big time potential,” he said. “I've seen him play at a high level. Sometimes he has a tendency to take some plays off, but he's getting better about that. He was always used to being a lot better than everybody, but now he knows it's time to step up his game."

"His biggest strength is attacking the basket. I haven't seen to many people able to stop him once he makes up his mind to go to the hole. He's a strong guard and is very physical. A couple years ago against Al Jefferson and the Jackson Tigers, Nathan scored 46 points in a game. He has an unbelievable verticle and is a good shooter although sometimes he's a little streaky."