Ian Boyd has been on the local radar for quite some time. It started when he broke out his freshman year, on the football field. He was a quarter back that amassed 4,000 total yards and showed to be a competitive, athletic game changer.
It was the following year, that saw Boyd lead his Apex High School team to the North Carolina 4A Public School state championship. While senior team mate TJ Evans got all the hardware, it was Boyd that played the winning piece.
Boyd drew the opposing team’s best player, defensively, every night not matter the position. One night it was Cincinnati’s forward Gary Clark, followed by Campbell’s point guard Chris Clemons, then the following game it was Davidson’s wing Kishawn Pritchett. His versatility and tenacity, as a sophomore, was the deciding factor in the title run, not to mention his 22 points in the championship game.
After the prestigious NC Top 80 our staff wrote this of Boyd’s performance, “Ian is a physically mature “man amongst boys” on the basketball court. He almost single handedly led Apex to a NCHSAA 4A state championship. Ian has the intangibles that are missing in many young ball players today. He is fearless and leads by example. His work ethic is second to none and he plays the game with a full throttle approach. Coach Duane Lewis stated it best, saying, “Ian is a winner! He is a strong athlete who finishes well in traffic. He has the ability to stretch the defense by making 3’s. He rebounds very well and I expect to see great things from Ian in his final two seasons.” While many scouts have Ian pegged as an undersized PF, we simply have Ian as someone who knows how to play the game and his work ethic, determination and desire will earn him a D1 scholarship. Without question, he is simply “A PLAYER!”
Boyd’s recruitment has been a curious one up until this point, as many schools have backed off a little because of his success on the football field. Boyd picked up two early offers from Virginia Tech and East Carolina, and has since grabbed Georgia Southern, Appalachian State and a few other offers. However, he has remained steadfast that he wants to play basketball.
Finally, last week during CP3’s Peach Jam run the offers came in. Radford, George Mason, and Western Carolina were the first three to step up. However, we are certain that now schools see he is serious about playing basketball, many more will come.
Last season, Boyd averaged 16 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game and on the EYBL circuit this year Boyd put up averages of 5 points, 3 boards, and 1 assist. All of this while defending the opposing team’s best player, no matter the position.
College Coaches: See Boyd play with CP3 17U at Chris Paul Live July 17-19 in Winston Salem. Radford, George Mason, and Western Carolina are just the tip of the ice burg in terms of basketball offers for this young man. There is so much he can do on the court, it will be interesting to see him blow up.