Ohio High School Hoops stopped over at Columbus Africentric High School this evening to watch All-Ohio Red's U-14 team partake in a two-hour practice session. In doing so, we were introduced to one of the best young talents in the country.
It only took 15 to 20 seconds to recognize who he was upon entering the gym. Tonight, Ohio welcomed Vincent "VJ" King to the Buckeye State. The 6-5 seventh grader oozes with long-term potential, but he is very good right now.
His father, Vincent, told his son "be good now, but great later."
If you could create a young prospect on a video game, Vincent's frame and length would be the ideal start. The kid's IQ for the game is far beyond his years. He is highly skilled and understands how to play especially against older competition. There were several things we saw him do this evening that crafty guys do in the over-30 league and he was doing it against guys who will be playing in college next year.
"VJ's game isn't going to wow you, but he just gets it done," explained his father. "We always talk about making the simple play, and that is usually what he does. Just keep it simple."
We certainly don't want to put pressure on this kid, but the talent is undeniable and big time colleges are already very familiar with his name. If they aren't, they soon will be. He still looks very young in terms of his facial and body features, so more growth is likely to be coming. His athleticism is really starting to surface, which will be scary when he adds that to his skill, IQ, and shooting ability.
King, who is a straight-A student and oh so humble, played jayvee basketball and dressed varsity as a seventh grader for nationally-ranked United Faith Christian (NC) this past year. He has been playing AAU for the Charlotte Royals U-16 squad.
King will be with All-Ohio Red's U-14 team for the rest of the summer, while residing in the Cleveland-area for the next three months. King's father is a graduate of Beachwood High School and played his college ball at Indiana University Pennsylvania before playing 10 years overseas. He, his wife, daughter, and VJ reside in Charlotte, North Carolina.
