Class Of 2011 Player Watch: Ryan Boatright

July 8, 2007

11:30 A.M. CST

We have to admit that when Ryan Boatright made an early commitment to USC before even deciding where he would be attending high school, it provided us with the incentive to make sure that we see him play right away.  On that note, that is all that we are going to say in this story about the 5'10 freshman point guard from East Aurora High School in Aurora, IL as it relates to his recruitment.

Instead, we would rather focus on breaking down Boatright's game, as Illinois Prep Bulls-eye had the opportunity to see Boatright in action on the second day of the Morris Shootout this past Friday.  

Simply put, Boatright is as good as advertised and it didn't take us long to see why he has already generated considerable buzz among high school basketball fans throughout the state of Illinois.  Boatright was spectacular in leading East Aurora to the semifinals of the Gold Tournament (for teams that finished either first or second in pool play on the first day).

The highlight of Boatright's second day at Morris came in East Aurora's second round tournament victory over Bolingbrook.  With the score tied with less than 20 seconds to go, Boatright slashed through the Bolingbrook defense and scored the game winning layup in leading his team to a 59-56 win.  The play was typical of someone who wants the ball in his hands with the game on the line.

Based on what we saw at Morris, there is no question that Boatright is extremely skilled at both guard spots.  While point guard is undoubtedly his natural position and that is where he will play at the next level, he also showed that he is more than adept as an off-guard, and at Morris he played both positions. 

Boatright has exceptional quickness, which is the primary reason why he is effective with the ball.  His quickness enables him to blow by defenders and his superb ballhandling and playmaking skills allow him to consistently get to the basket and convert easy baskets or make the easy dish to an open teammate.  In addition, Boatright also showed that he has shooting range and is more than capable of knocking down shots with accuracy from beyond the arc.

What impresses us about Boatright above everything else is the high degree of intangibles that he already possesses, traits that are rare for a player so young, but are certainly indicative of a player who falls into the elite category.  These include an extreme amount of confidence (as opposed to cockiness), a huge competitive fire and the fact that he knows how to win.

All in all, other than nit-picking over the fact that he will need to continue working on getting stronger, we couldn't find anything not to like about Boatright after watching him at Morris.  What it means is that Boatright has all the makings of being an elite player certainly at the high school level and in all likelihood the college level as well. 

Additional Note

... Illinois Prep Bulls-eye has confirmed through multiple sources that Matt Roth, the 6'3 shooting guard from Washington High School in Washington, IL, is indeed down to either St. Louis or Bradley as far as his recruiting goes, with neither school enjoying an edge at this time.  Roth had initially said that he would be visiting Wichita State some time this summer, but now all indications are that the visit will not take place and that his decision will be made some time in August.  Roth was spectacular when we watched him in Washington's opening round tournament win over Pekin at Morris, as he was not only on fire from 3-point range, but also showed that he has greatly improved his ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket.

Continue to check in with Illinois Prep Bulls-eye for all of the latest as it pertains to high school basketball and recruiting in Illinois.