It’s been a rapid rise for 6’9” 2016 John Fulkerson. Our first time putting eyes on him was in the beginning of the 2014-2015 high school season, in a near empty gym at Christ School. We were floored with what we saw. We immediately started texting and calling around about the kid, and no one (AAU programs, college coaches, local scouts, etc…) had heard of him. We were astonished.
Fast forward to the Phenom Summer Havoc, and Fulkerson has 24 offers coaches like Georgia’s Mark Fox, South Carolina’s Frank Martin, Tennessee’s Rick Barnes, UNC’s Hubert Davis, and Virginia Tech’s Buzz Williams all sitting front and center to catch a glimpse of what he’s got.
Fulkerson finished his natural junior season at Dobbyns-Bennett high school in Eastern Tennessee (Kingsport). The Tennessee native then transferred to Christ School where he decided to reclassify as a 2016 prospect. It was soon after this transfer (to the remote all male boarding school, who produced all 3 Plumlee brothers, and countless other Division 1 prospects) that Phenom Hoops first saw him in an Open Gym.
After first watching Fulkerson last school year, we wrote, “Get to know the name of Junior John Fulkerson. At this point he is a slender, left handed, 6’8″ skilled forward who has a 7″ wing span. Fulkerson can post on the low block and finish with a jump hook, over his right shoulder. He can face up from the arc, and make a jump shot or attack the rim. Fulkerson also possesses great explosion, he is good for at least one breathtaking dunk in traffic per game. He also carries great timing blocking numerous shots in the paint. Expect Fulkerson to explode during the summer, and be a common name in recruiting circles heading into his Senior season.”
After picking up his most recent offers from Clemson and Georgia, Fulkerson now carries 24 total offers. Appalachian State was the first school to put their name in the mix, early in the 2014-2015 school season and it seems like there has been a steady stream of offers since then. The very polite Fulkerson stated, “Yes sir, it all came quickly. I will look to start taking my official visits here in the next few weeks.”
Phenom Hoops has said multiple times that had Fulkerson played on a shoe sponsored team, he would be without question a Top 100 kid. Look for Fulkerson to take a major leap in the rankings our next go around. The lefties best basketball is ahead of him, he carries all the intangible traits that you cannot teach, including touch, length, and timing.
Make sure to watch Fulkerson and his Christ School team take on Greensboro Day (2015 Dicks Sporting Goods National Championship participant) in the Phenom National Showcase on November 13