Now that we’ve finally reached the conclusion of travel ball and are starting to look forward to the high school season, there are numerous subplots and storylines worthy of attention. Among these topics is how The Burlington School retooled its roster in such an efficient manner. We’ve already had multiple opportunities to see the new-look group, and they definitely impressed. Guys like Charles Pur, Geren Holmes, Julian Lowe, Kamari Nicholson, and several others consistently stood out for the Spartans. However, it’s important to note that they’ll be reinserting a Division I player in Karon Watlington back into the mix very soon.
Folks might forget that he suffered an injury earlier in the travel ball season, which sidelined him right as he was hitting his stride. He possesses excellent size, feel, and balance from the guard position. Watlington is able to reliably and unselfishly dictate the offensive action while showing the ability to set up others while picking his spots as a scorer. He handles the ball with poise, applies pressure as a penetrator, and stands out as a quality decision-maker. Watlington mixes it up well from all levels and shows the ability to cut or knock down spot-up jumpers when playing without the ball in his hands. Add in his defensive instincts and useful rebounding for his size/position, and it’s easy to see his appeal.
Regarding the upcoming high school season, he should be a seamless fit to this loaded roster. He should only continue to progress as he gets back to full health. Watlington already has terrific chemistry with Pur, especially after playing together for the last few years, and has a variety of talented teammates at his disposal. The Spartans’ depth of talent is real and should make them easily one of the top contenders in North Carolina.