Kris Monroe is a matchup nightmare. Do you defend him with a perimeter player because of his skill set or do you go at him with a big guy because of his size. It’s a tough dilemma every team who faces up against Monroe faces, however it seems Monroe is figuring how to take advantage of either situation.
Monroe has been coming to our camps for a while. Back in 2014, when he first stepped foot through our doors the talent was obvious to anyone who was looking. After his performance in that first NC Phenom 150 Camp we wrote, “The first word that comes to mind in describing Kristopher is potential. Standing a firm and strong 6’5, he has the ability to play multiple positions and can score from all levels on the court. In our viewing, Kristopher was clicking on all cylinders from the perimeter. He averaged 13 PPG and two 3-pointers in all three camp games. Coach Lindell echoed by sentiments, “Kristopher has tremendous unrealized potential. He has a great frame and even more potential to grow in the game of basketball. When he understands that he can be a complete player inside and out, he will become dominant.” The next step for Kristopher is to continue working on his game and realizing his long range upside and potential. The sky’s the limit for him!”
It seems like Kris Monroe was the forgotten player this past season. He carried a lot of buzz during his sophomore year it kind of fizzled during the summer and you didn’t hear much of him throughout his junior season. We are not sure why that happened, he carried his team to a 21-8 record averaging 18.8 points (52% FG/35% 3P), 8.6 boards, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
However, Monroe came to the prestigious North Carolina Top 80 and announced emphatically that he is still here. After watching him and coaching him all day, Monroe’s camp coach stated, “Kris had to be one of the best players in camp. At his size with his ball handling and ability to score on all three levels makes him a top tier player in North Carolina. He can play multiple positions well on both sides of the court, is a must-see.”
We agreed, just look at his stat line from this previous year. He scores on all levels, he distributes well, he is tough on the boards and, as his camp coach stated, he is able to handle the ball in the half and full court.
Now Monroe should be firmly planted on high major school’s watch lists. “He is a player that is already near the top of his class and will only continue to project upward as an explosive wing that can simply do it all on either end of the floor. Offensively, he’s a three-level scorer that punishes opponents however he chooses; opposing defenses must respect his jumper or else he will rise, if they closeout too hard, he will soar to the rim. Monroe’s ability to create and distribute to teammates is key because it allows him to slide into a ball-dominant role whenever needed.”
Monroe carries offers from the likes of Boston College, Providence, NC State, Rhode Island, Charlotte and a hand full of others. Expect the recent high major trend to stick.