Duke is the latest powerhouse school to get involved with Alex Poythress, the 6-foot-8 forward from the Georgia Stars who scored 26 points in Monday’s loss to Texas Pro in the Orlando Super Showcase ESPNU game.
“He likes Duke,” Georgia Stars coach Norm Parker said Tuesday by phone. “I think he’s pleased that they offered him.”
Vanderbilt, UConn, Kentucky, Florida, Texas, Louisville, Memphis, Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia Tech and Georgia are among the other schools Poythress is considering.
“He’s got a lot of great offers on the table,” Parker said. “I’m surprised every team in the country hasn’t offered that young man.”
Parker believes Poythress’s upside is virtually unlimited.
“The young man doesn’t really understand how good he can be,” Parker said. “He’s a very humble young man.
“He just attacks the basket with so much speed. He can cover the court as quickly as anyone I’ve ever seen to be 6-8 because he’s got long strides. His first step is like watching a professional.”
For a big man, Poythress has a sweet stroke from beyond the 3-point arc, and Parker said the young man projects to be a small forward at the next level.
“I think he’ll be a three,” Parker said. “He will post up. He prefers the perimeter, prefers the perimeter at the three position. Especially if you have an offense that runs four out and one in. He shoots the ball so well from the perimeter.”
As for his college plans, Poythress will head home during August and discuss his college options with his parents.
“I think Alex’s plan is to finish up this week and he’ll be done by the 31st and get back with his family and they’ll make a decision as a family,” Parker said.
Parker said that while most of his players plan on taking all five official visits, they often don’t end up taking all five.
“They’ll go to two or three vistis and they say ‘This is pretty tough,'” Parker said. “They normally go to the schools they want to go to first.
“Wherever he goes first they’re not going to want him to go make a second visit.”
