Andrew Force:
Future150 National Analyst. Covering High and Middle School basketball.
Las Vegas, NV (Future150) -- A name is a curious thing. With each word worn as a moniker a person gains notoriety, fame, or reputation.
Some young men are not allowed to be just who they are.
A guy like Charles O'Bannon Jr. was forced from Day One to live up to a lofty reputation. You see his father was an international pro. His uncle was a pro. His uncle, Ed O'Bannon Jr. is the figurehead of a movement likely to topple the NCAA basketball machine.
So, O'Bannon Jr. had to live up to his name in more ways than one.
Still he might just surpass all the athletic exploits accomplished by his famous family. O'Bannon Jr. pulled in a Kansas offer minutes ago.
Other than perhaps Arizona and UCLA there is not a more meaningful 'West Coast' offer than Kansas University and O'Bannon has two years to improve his already Top 50-caliber game.
Game Beyond the Name
O'Bannon Jr. is a volume scorer playing for an exceptional AAU coach and an insanely wealthy high school athletics program.
For Bishop Gorman High, O'Bannon Jr. scores all over the floor. For the Las Vegas Prospects he likes to hover around the arc. Outside shooting is a major strength.
The junior-to-be features a natural fade to his jumper with a high arc. According to his mother it used to be much, much higher. But he learned to shoot in a Japanese gym where his father was earning a living. The ceiling was so low that he was forced to bring the arc down to a more ordinary parabola.
Like the dasiy through concrete, O'Bannon's shot adapted to a less than ideal environment. Still it flowered and is blossoming in front of life-changing recruiters.
Charles (14.1 ppg) rounds out the deepest backcourt in EYBL with Troy Brown (14.6 ppg), Markus Howard (20.2 pgg), and he. That is three top 50 guys playing up. The triumvirate advanced to Peach Jam, with another year to play on the circuit.
When he chooses to slash he does very well. It appears his favored shot is in the 15-20' range. At 6'5" and 200 pounds he is on his way to an NBA-body.
Defensively O'Bannon Jr. does a fine job. There is not much to criticize. Maybe he could hit the defensive glass harder. Everybody can improve their handle and O'Bannon Jr. will only be more potent when he can break down the elite point guards too.
Look for O'Bannon Jr. to teeter on the edge of All-Conference honors his first year of college. At that point he will have the option to jump or return. Guessing the roster makeup and coaching influence of his future team seems hopeless.
Suffice it to say O'Bannon Jr. is a future pro. Just like his name always suggested.
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