Advertisement
basketball Edit

Five-star Wilkes in no hurry; hosted UCLA, Maryland

Kris Wilkes
Kris Wilkes
Under Armour/Kelly Kline

As the No. 12 ranked player in the class of 2017, 6-foot-7 small forward Kris Wilkes of Indianapolis (Ind.) North Central has to keep on progressing as a prospect if he wants to retain his lofty status. So far this spring, the five-star junior has been up to the task.

One of the Under Armour Association's premier performers, Wilkes averaged 20.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while playing with the Indy Hoosiers during April's two live evaluation periods. He showed strength near the rim, ability to hit more jumpers than in the past and an under control but plenty effective all around game.

Wilkes recently hosted UCLA and Maryland for in-home visits while Xavier, Michigan, Michigan State and Illinois have been in to see him recently and local programs like Indiana, Purdue and Notre Dame keep close tabs.

IN HIS OWN WORDS...

Advertisement

Wilkes discussed the development of his game and his plans for cutting down his list and setting official visits.

"I think I've gotten better at shooting the ball and being more aggressive. I really have to keep working hard because there is a lot of fatigue not coming out the whole game. I've got to learn how to keep making my free throws and keep playing hard even when I know I'm not coming out."

"Probably at the end of the summer I will see who hasn't offered yet and start cutting it down from there. First, I'll cut it to whatever schools have offered me and keep it there. Then I'll keep going down from there."

"I think I'll visit UCLA for sure and maybe Maryland too. I want to use my official visits to see the schools that are a longer distance."

RIVALS' REACTION...

After watching Wilkes play this spring it's somewhat surprising that his recruitment hasn't been even more heated.

He is a big wing who is strong and polished enough to play some as a power forward in a smaller lineup and he allows a coach to play many different styles.

While Wilkes has improved tremendously as a jump shooter from between 12 and 17 feet, he needs to continue to extend his range and he has to become a more reliable free throw shooter.


WHAT'S NEXT?

Wilkes told Rivals.com that he's set to take the SAT on the first weekend of May. After he takes the test he said he's interested in setting up his first official visit and that he would likely try to set it to UCLA.

Advertisement