At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked or underrated, and today’s edition will highlight Zachary Bessette of Central Cabarrus and Charlotte Nets.
We’ve seen similar situations occur various times throughout the recent years at Phenom Hoops, but Bessette’s lack of recruitment is somewhat surprising. Typically, players are overlooked based on size or location above all else. However, those can’t be varying factors for someone like Bessette, who lives in Charlotte and stands at 6-foot-4 with an all-around skillset. Those types of players are coveted every single year, so why not Bessette' He’s a consistent glue-guy in every setting and simply knows how to affect the game on both ends of the floor. Bessette is a reliable defender, rebounder, ball-handler, creator for himself or others, and three-level scorer. He really possesses no glaring weaknesses and has only continued to maximize his skillset over the last calendar year.
We’ve seen Bessette throughout his progression, notably at our NC Phenom 150 camp, when he was still just starting to blossom: “Next, we look at a player that worked incredibly hard on both ends of the floor during camp, Zach Bessette. He’s a strong-bodied wing with the ability to be coached; he provided a positive attitude on and off the floor while consistently encouraging his teammates. Offensively, Bessette is capable of efficiently knocking down shots from all three levels and fights through contact when driving to the rim. On the other end, Bessette plays with an undeniable motor, which allows him to force turnovers and make plays in transition. Next in his development process is continuing to work on his ability to move without the ball, as it would open up a significant amount of catch-and-shoot chances that he could easily knock down. Coach Sinclair on Bessette: “Zach plays so hard on both sides of the floor. He runs the floor well and finished well at the basket, even through contact. He needs to work on his ball handling, as it would allow him to create more shots for himself and teammates.” Bessette is just beginning to scratch the surface of his ability, and he will definitely be one to watch develop over these next few seasons.”
Furthermore, Bessette is a quality prospect off the court, sporting a nice GPA and always showing respect/gratitude for any type of recognition. This season, Bessette has posted nightly averages of 12.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.8 SPG. He’s been effective with every type of supporting cast, so there’s nothing but optimism for his game in the college ranks. To put it bluntly, Bessette is being overlooked while others with lesser ability have already committed at the next level. Only time will tell, but coaches would be smart to get involved with Bessette before it’s too late.