Last week, some of the top boy’s basketball players in the country gathered for the McDonald’s All-American game. Now jump a week later and players like Jayson Tatum, De’Aaron Fox, Josh Jackson and Terrance Ferguson come together for the Nike Hoop Summit.
One player that’s standing out in a group filled with potential NBA players is DeMatha Catholic High School point guard Markelle Fultz. Mike Schmitz of Draft Express really liked how the Washington signee can be both a scorer and distributor.
“Markelle Fultz also impressed with his combination of scoring and distributing. At 6′ 4” with a 6′ 8.5” wingspan, big hands and a nice frame, Fultz has the tools and game to play either guard spot, although he shined most as a primary ball handler on Wednesday,” Schmitz said in his Scouting report. “He’s slippery with the ball thanks to his ability to change speeds and directions on a dime, and plays with a level of creativity you don’t often see among kids his age.”
During his senior season, Markelle led DeMatha in scoring with 17.6 points per game and was the team leader in assist. He helped the Stags reach the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game where they lost to St. John’s. Fultz also guided DeMatha to win back to back Maryland Private Schools and Alhambra titles. The McDonald’s All-American received WCAC and All-Met first team honors.
“Fultz is a capable shooter off the catch and does a tremendous job setting up his pull ups with hesitations, sudden dribble moves and solid footwork. Although more smooth than explosive, he’s crafty around the rim, often employing wrong foot floaters to keep the defense off-balance,” Schmitz said. “Fultz also showed impressive vision and timing as a passer, and made plays in the passing lanes with his length. He continued to prove why he’s considered one of the top guard prospects in the 2016 class.”
In the Draft Express 2017 NBA Mock Draft, Markelle Fultz is the No. 4 pick. You can watch him play for the USA team in the Nike Hoop Summit on Saturday at 3pm on ESPN2.
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