While the majority of the names on this list are guards, including the first two previewed on here, there are a few frontcourt players as well. The biggest name (yes I mean in terms of size) is Malcolm Gilbert. Gilbert, a 6'11 center, played last season on a high school team with an NBA-sized frontcourt. Sophomore Savon Goodman is considered one of the best small forwards in his high school class, while junior Roc Christmas is also considered an elite-level recruit. While Gilbert does not have quite the national name of his teammates, he is still receiving a significant amount of recruiting interest.
Gilbert's college interest is wide-ranging, from the Ivy League to the Big East. At the beginning of May, Malcolm was interviewed by Rivals.com, and he listed over a dozen schools as being involved. Among the schools listed was Saint Joseph's. During the interview, Malcolm explained that he was giving serious consideration to the Ivy League, stating that academics come first, and basketball second. Big East and ACC schools like Pitt, Florida, Georgia Tech, and Georgetown were also listed.
Malcolm has a reputation as a defensive stopper, with shot-blocking as his specialty. I got to see Malcolm play twice this year, once during the Gym Rats Midnight Madness event and once against Plymouth-Whitemarsh. In both games, Malcolm faced off against highly-regarded centers. At Gym Rats Midnight Madness, he went head-to-head with 2010 Syracuse commit Fab Melo. Against Plymouth-Whitemarsh, he faced off against 2010 Saint Joseph's recruit CJ Aiken.
Gilbert plays a smart brand of basketball, which makes sense considering his Ivy League interest. Over the coming months, he will have an interesting decision to make. While most high school prospects are more interested in the basketball side of things, Malcolm's decision will be more complex. Will he choose a school like Penn or Harvard due to the academics, a school like Florida or Pitt for the national recognition as a basketball powerhouse, or possibly stay local at a school like Saint Joseph's, La Salle, or Temple?
Whatever school Gilbert selects will be getting a shot-blocking presence in the paint with a developing offensive game.
For more information on Gilbert's game, check out the two links below. They will take you to the game recaps from when I saw Malcolm over the winter.
Gym Rats Recap- Malcolm Gilbert
Plymouth-Whitemarsh Bests Savon Goodman, ANC
Photo Courtesy of Scout.com
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