Cunningham first in his class, holds Duke offer
Currently the top rated sophomore in the country, 6-foot-8 Naasir Cunningham, holds an offer from Duke.
On Jan. 23, Naasir Cunningham announced on social media that he’d received an offer from Duke.
The 2024 prospect is rated by ESPN as the No. 1 sophomore in the USA — one that is showing early signs of dominance and a high skill level at 6-foot-8.
The rangy wing from Gill St. Bernard in New Jersey has all of the tools and the demeanor to be pushed to the fullest of his potential. He has long arms and length, he’s a skilled slasher with pro moves to the rim, he can shoot the ball well, and on the move with a high release point. He’s also a versatile and willing defender.
In a role reversal of sorts for our staff here at Bull City Hoops, Brian McLawhorn has seen more of Cunningham, so we spoke with him on his takeaways from watching the top sophomore recently.
OBSERVATIONS
“I did watch him, and since it was on TV it’s really hard to gauge the intangibles: presence, mentality, communication and connection with his teammates,” he disclosed. “But, aside from the obvious physical traits, his confidence was the first thing to jump out. Here we’re talking about a sophomore who did not take a backseat to his older teammates, including Mackenzie Mgbako, nor did he shy away from Dereck Lively. That confidence is an important component to what he can ultimately become.
“From a skill standpoint, he can do a lot on the floor. This is obviously from one game, so it’s difficult to put an accurate scout together, but he’s a good enough shooter - not great - to be a threat, which makes his ability to get to the basket an even more dangerous tool.
“He has great length and uses it to his advantage to get shots off over defenders. The basketball IQ seems to be there as well, as he adjusted well to Lively’s aggressiveness in trying to block shots. He did a good job floating it over top.
“Defensively, his length really helps him, both in defending the perimeter and in the post.
“He’s slender, and will surely bulk up as he goes through high school, but I can see why he’s getting the No. 1 accolades that he is right now.
“I can’t wait to see more of him, and get a better sense of what he really is as a player. But the initial thought is he really fits into that mold that Duke looks for in wings,” McLawhorn finished.
By the description from our publisher, Cunningham already seems to fit into the mold of the long, versatile forward with guard skills that Jon Scheyer and his bunch generally like.