We’ve seen a lot of players come through our doors over the years, varying in appearance, skill level, and everything in between. We decided to put forth a “Getting to Know” series on some players who have attended events over the past few years but still remain on the lesser-known side of things. Each of these prospects embody being a student-athlete and getting it done in the classroom as well as on the basketball court, and today’s edition will take a closer look at Alex Gruber of Lake Norman.
We’ve seen Gruber in all types of settings, including at Lake Norman’s open gym prior to the season, where we stated, “This roster has a phenomenal mix of ages, including Gruber, who is already one of their most polished prospects despite being the youngest on the team. We’ve seen him in various different settings and Gruber has been the best player on the floor basically every time. Offensively, he’s already pretty advanced for his age, given his craftiness and ability to reliable create shots from all three levels. His IQ is evident in nearly everything he does, from how he sees the floor to how he positions himself without the ball, which is uncommon for most rising freshmen. Gruber can handle, pass, shoot, defend, rebound, and push the break, all while showcasing some high-level flashes. In terms of raw talent, Gruber could be the best long-term prospect on this roster.”
Despite logging most of his minutes on JV last season, Gruber has the mentality and skillset to make a quality impact for this group. He’s a smart, unselfish, high-motor guard prospect with vision and shot-creation ability. Gruber can turn defense into offense with his anticipation and overall understanding of angles and positioning. He’s great in transition and knows how to make plays without requiring the ball in his hands. Gruber rebounds the ball well for his size and can apply scoring pressure in a variety of different ways.