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Good story on Wilson


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Sure.

 

Cedar Rapids Prairie (Iowa) forward Brent Wilson recently made a verbal commitment to Albany.  This talented athlete saw his stock increase throughout the summer while playing for a talented Martin Bros. team.  Wilson was receiving looks from a number of Division One programs, but decided to join his summer teammate, Brian Lillis of West Des Moines Dowling, and make a verbal pledge to Albany.  IowaPreps.com caught up with Prairie head basketball coach John Gianforte and talked to him about his talented forward.

 

Can you describe his playing style?

"He is a 6-foot-8, 210 pound forward who is an extremely skilled basketball player.  He does well facing the basketball.  One of his biggest strengths, besides his outside shooting, is his passing and unselfishness."

 

What are some of his strengths?

"He is a great passer, very unselfish, highly coachable, and will be a team leader this season.  Everybody in the conference will be gunning for him.  He is going to defer a lot of lot of the pressure off to his teammates, and that is where his unselfish shows.  They are going to double and triple team, but he will be ready for that."

 

What areas does he need to improve on before college?

"All these areas that he needs to work on before college I have talked to him about many times.  His overall strength in the weight room is an area.  He really needs to take strength training seriously.  He has the frame to put on 15-20 pounds in a heart beat.  If he can put on that weight, he can be a 6-foot-8 guy who can pass, shoot, dribble, and be a power player as well."

 

How do you plan on using him this season?

"We are going to use Brent as an inside-outside type of player.  Defensively, we'll have him guard anyone from a shooting guard to a center.  We will get him the ball in the lowpost, but also let him shoot over people on the perimeter.  I have told him that it is not where you start with the ball, it's where you finish with it.  Great players have three phases of their game, inside game, long range, and medium range.  Great players can do it from all over the court, and that is what I am asking Brent to do." 

 

How is his work ethic?

"Since I have known him, and this will be my second year coaching him at the varsity level, it has increased 100 percent.  He started off as a tall, skinny kid who would get some easy buckets each game.  Now as the defense picks up, he is having to work harder for it.  His work ethic has increased to match his skill level."

 

How is he away from the court?

"Brent is a great guy.  He is the typical Iowa kid.  He has a good family and is a good student.  He gets in no trouble whatsoever.

 

How was his recruiting process?

"Albany was one of his first suitors way back in the summer.  He had a number of other looks, from North Dakota State and just about every Division Two program in the region.  He also had a couple of Missouri Valley schools interested, mostly Indiana State and UNI, but I don't think Brent wanted to wait.  He decided to go to the school that was loyal to him from the start.  We went through the whole gambit of schools coming in.  UNI and Indiana State both came and watched him play in open gyms.  But when it was all said and done, Albany had him take an official visit and showed him the most attention.  He remembered that."

 

What were his stats from last season?

"He was just over 16 points, ten rebounds, and two and a half blocks per game.  He also led the team in charges, and all that was as a junior.  He is going to have everyone gunning for him this season, especially with four starters graduated.  He did take the team to the substate final, but he is going to have to burden a lot of pressure this season."

 

*A special thank you to Coach John Gianforte for taking his time for the interview.

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Brent Wilson will probably put on some pounds and strength by next year and play mostly the 4.

 

With his size and skills he'll make space for Zoellner on the offensive end and keep people from doubling down on "Das Big Man".

 

Defensively he will be very able to defend AE 4 men and the Great Danes go from being the smallest front line in the AE to it's biggest in a flash!!!!!

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