We have not even reached the end of the college basketball regular season but can already start wondering about the stars of tomorrow as the best high school players in the country prepare to receive some national exposure. The McDonald’s All-American Game will take place in Houston on March 28th in Houston, TX, and the Nike Hoop Summit will tip off on April 8th in Portland, OR. Several of this year’s college basketball super-freshmen played in last year’s Nike Hoop Summit including Amari Bailey (UCLA)/Gradey Dick (Kansas)/Jarace Walker (Houston). Yesterday HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Blake Buchanan about trying to go undefeated this season and choosing the Cavaliers.
You were born/raised in Idaho: what is the basketball scene like in the great Northwest? It is not as competitive as other states that have a ton of D-1 players but it has gotten a lot better recently. We can still accomplish what we want to get done and have done well on the AAU circuit.
You left Moscow High School after your freshman season: why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Lake City High School? The main factor was COVID: Moscow shut down all of its sports but I still wanted to play so we moved 90 minutes away to Coeur d’Alene.
Last year you earned 1st-Team All-State honors and were the North Idaho POY after leading your team to a 23-3 record, then were named Defensive MVP at the 2022 Idaho state tournament: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It was great…but at the end of the day we did not reach our goal, which was to win the state tourney. At least I got to showcase all of my hard work.
You received offers from several great schools including Gonzaga/Iowa but signed with Virginia last July: what was the biggest factor in your decision, and how far do you think the Cavaliers will go this March? The biggest factor was the coaching staff: they put a lot of time into me and when I showed up for my visit it just had a family feel. The facilities are great and the academics are also a huge part: it just felt right. Gonzaga is only 30 minutes from my house so that was the main thing keeping me here. I think Virginia can go far next month if they are hitting their shots.
1 of the other highly-ranked recruits heading to Charlottesville this fall is Elijah Gertrude from New Jersey: I know you guys live on opposite ends of the country but how well do you know each other? We took our official visits to Virginia at the same time and we still call/text each other occasionally. We got to play together a little while we were on campus and he is a super-good athlete so I am happy to be in the same class as him.
You are 6’10”: what position do you play now, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in college? Right now I play the 5 because I am the tallest person in Idaho! Once I get to Virginia I think that I will have to become a stretch-4 so I am working on my perimeter game.
Your high school team is currently 21-0: is it too early to start thinking about an undefeated state title? That is the goal! We finished our regular season and just need to keep doing the same thing on defense because the offense will come for us.
Earlier this week you were named to the Nike Hoop Summit roster for Team USA: where does that rank among the highlights of your career so far, and what will it mean to you to represent your country? I think this is the highest honor of my career so far. Just having the chance to wear the USA jersey with my name on the back as 1 of only 12 guys on the team is super-cool.
Many of the other guys on the roster are also McDonald’s All-Americans: do you know any of them or is there any 1 that you are most excited to play with? I have played with a few of them at different camps but do not know any of them too well. We all have the same goals to be playing at a high level so it will be fun to be out there on the court together.
Your mother Debbie earned a volleyball scholarship to USC before a knee injury ended her career, your father Buck played tight end at Idaho, and your brother Austin won an NCAA volleyball title at Hawaii last year: who is the best athlete in the family? That is a tricky 1: my dad had speed and my mom could jump. We are all good athletes but we all do different things. Personally, I think I am better than Austin…but that is what all little brothers would say!