Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
By JACK LeGWINSpecial to ZAGSBLOGWhile he is quite far away from playing on a college floor, rising freshman Will Dillard is already showing why he could carry on the legacy of top guards from North Carolina.
The 6-foot-1 Dillard shook up the basketball world a bit in Louisville, where he played significant minutes for Team Felton 17U (3 age groups up), scored 7 points and added 7 assists in a 3-point win over Ohio Elite, and led Team Felton to the Championship game in the Bronze bracket at the Super Showcase.
“It feels really good,” Dillard told SNY.tv after the win. “Being able to play on the 17U team and to have a leadership role is pretty big, but I feel like I was ready for it.”
An ultra skilled lefty, Dillard has high-major athleticism and vision, coupled with a high motor and great defensive skills that had college coaches shaking their heads in amazement as his level of maturity on the court.
Dillard will attend Greensboro Day School (N.C.) next year as a freshman, a year after he played there as an eighth grader.
“It was really unbelievable playing there as an eighth grader,” Dillard said. “Being able to play against some of the talent that we played against, it was very helpful as well.”
Dillard’s older brother Reggie, a rising sophomore at Presbyterian, played with some of the best players in North Carolina, often bringing Will along.
“I looked up to a lot of the guys that my brother (Reggie) played with,” Dillard said. “John Wall, J.T. Terrell, P.J. Hairston, Reggie Bullock.”
Dillard has an extremely high ceiling, and there is no doubt that he has a very bright future ahead of him.
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Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
While he is quite far away from playing on a college floor, rising freshman Will Dillard is already showing why he could carry on the legacy of top guards from North Carolina.
The 6-foot-1 Dillard shook up the basketball world a bit in Louisville, where he played significant minutes for Team Felton 17U (3 age groups up), scored 7 points and added 7 assists in a 3-point win over Ohio Elite, and led Team Felton to the Championship game in the Bronze bracket at the Super Showcase.
“It feels really good,” Dillard told SNY.tv after the win. “Being able to play on the 17U team and to have a leadership role is pretty big, but I feel like I was ready for it.”
