Rarely after a player decommits to reopen recruiting does he still choose the school he originally committed. Even if part of the circumstances included reclassifying to the following year.
With that, it is still hard to believe Jaylen Bond will re-sign an NLI with Pitt for 2012 after a year of prep school. When Bond first committed in April 2010, he was a tweener forward. Not quite a 4 or a 3. A strong physical player, that really didn’t have the outside shot (yes, sounds a lot like Nasir Robinson). But the perimeter game was something he was working on. It didn’t happen too much during his senior season.
It appears to finally be coming along.
The 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward was playing almost entirely on the perimeter and looking pretty comfortable doing it. Unlike most big men attempting to prove themselves away from the basket, Bond was surprisingly smooth with a pretty good feel for the game.
Bond credits his expanded game to his offseason workout regimen that includes work in the weight room and on the court.
“I’ve been doing a lot of weight lifting since the offseason began,” he said. “From a skill standpoint I have a trainer and I work with him every day on the court.”
Despite his intention to prove himself on the wing, Bond was hardly settling for longrange jumpers this weekend. He proved himself capable of making a 3-pointer when catching the ball in rhythm but his game was primarily based around utilizing his athleticism and physical strength to get to the rim.
“I play more of a perimeter game now,” he said, “but I attack the basket. I’ve gotten a lot stronger and I can play above the rim.”
If he can actually develop a perimeter game, then he can be more Sam Young than Nas. That still remains to be seen.
As for his recruiting, Bond says his grandfather, William Bond, fields the majority of the calls but that he would continue to look for two things — the opportunity to play the perimeter and contribute right away.
One school Bond did mention specifically was Pittsburgh as it remains very much still in play for his services in 2012.
“I would still have interest in Pittsburgh,” Bond said. “They have a great program.”
The immediate playing time would still be an issue at Pitt. He would be battling with J.J. Moore and Lamar Patterson in the rotation to play wing/small forward. So, while having Bond would be nice, I don’t see it.
The center spot is set for 2012 with Steve Adams, so I don’t really think Khem Birch’s former teammate at Brewster is a serious target for Pitt.
