Georgetown Recruiting, Ray Mernagh

SLEEPERS WAKING UP: QEA’S JUVONTE REDDIC & CHARLES MCKINNEY

by RAY MERNAGH

Quality Education Academy (NC) is so stacked another scout and I were trying to figure out how many juniors they had that should be high-major players — we settled on at least four and possibly five.

Everybody is aware of Quincy Miller, the 2011, 6-foot-9 hybrid forward. Miller, who was fabulous in scoring 36 points in a Saturday win over OSNA in the Primetime Shootout, will probably end up at Kentucky according to the latest rumor on the street, continuing the recruiting dominance Calipari started with the 2009 class that brought in Wall, Cousins and Bledsoe plus others. If any coach is in position to do that it’s most certainly Cal in his current position at Kentucky.

But I want to focus on QEA’s most underrated prospects, senior big Juvonte Reddic (6′10″) and junior guard Charles McKinney (6′4″). Both are surprisingly under-recruited right now but I’ll be shocked if things stay that way.

Reddic has athleticism to match his size, and though he’s listed at 210 pounds I find it hard to believe he isn’t at least 220 right now from the solid body he exhibits. He’s far from skinny and with about six months of serious weight training he will be the highest mix of strength and athleticism on whatever college roster he eventually finds himself on. Reddic dunks anything close to the rim offensively and rejects close to everything defensively. He runs the court with ease and has a serious demeanor that lets you know he’s all business.

He was also completely candid when asked about his offers up to this point. “VCU, Georgetown, James Madison and Oral Roberts,” said Reddic. Props to JT3 for being the only high-major with apparently enough sense to offer this kid so far. Reddic is a player who runs the floor and seems most comfortable from 15 feet and in. He hit a mid-range jumper and looked smooth doing it. He also got pissed when his shot was blocked, retreived the ball and banged violently on the poor guy who blocked it from Our Savior New American school.

Reddic is without question one of the best bigs still available for 2010. This video taken by Dan Poneman and posted on Youtube shows how athletic the kid is. Reddic could be a steal as a Spring-time addition for a BCS school. Or he could go mid-major and beat a lot of them throughout his college career. His recruitment will be one we’ll follow closely.

While Reddic is business-like on the floor, McKinney gives the appearance of a cold-blooded killer. To quote a former college coach watching McKinney alongside me “he’s not F-ing around.” McKinney dunked in transition and in the halfcourt. He’s solid offensively through his length, athleticism and moxie. Although I only saw him take one jumper and he shoots it out in front of his body a little bit, it wasn’t horrible. He got in the lane and scored on some leaners as well. However, where this kid stands out is defensively. He puts you in jail and doesn’t give you the keys to the cuffs until the buzzer sounds. He also knows, understands and executes team-defense/help-defense fundamentals on every possession. He was always aware and pointing out ball, man and where his teammates needed to place their concentration as well.

Charles McKinney can be a high-major stopper right now…today! His work ethic, hustle, and nose for the ball coupled with his athleticism will get him enough points offensively. The things he does defensively are the same things most kids don’t do and that’s what benefits him the most — right now — offensively. He’s intuitive and smart beyond his years and for a kid with his athletic abilities that should be a big flashing light bulb for coaches to recognize.

McKinney had two schools for me when I asked him about offers/interest from colleges: “Northern Iowa and Indiana State.” So maybe Charles McKinney will go mid-major and have a great four-year career.

But with guards like Scottie Reynolds, Jerome Dyson, Kalin Lucas, John Wall always inhabiting the high-major universe, it seems to me you might want to check out a kid who has at least a chance at defending those types of talents. Something tells me, in the end, that will be the case with Charles McKinney.

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