6’8 senior Jacob Skidmore of Kings Mountain High School has informed Phenom Hoop Report that he has verbally committed to Lenoir Rhyne College and coach Ryan Odom. This is a particularly great commitment for Coach Odom and his staff. First of all, one of the major goals of any D2 program is to sneak in and grab a D1 prospect and they did just that!
First of all, Skidmore is a 4.0 GPA student. He is a lengthy prospect that grabbed the attention of several programs around the country. The 6’8 prospect was the team’s second leading scorer from last season as he averaged over 10 PPG and 6 RPB. In addition, he was the ultimate rim protector as he averaged 4.5 blocks per game.
In speaking with Skidmore this morning, he stated, “Their new coaching staff is absolutely amazing. I was impressed the first day they came in and saw me. We developed a great relationship from the beginning. I liked the way they see the game should be played and also the way they want to get out in transition. My first visit to LR was terrific. Once I met all the players, it was a no brainer. I just knew they were going to put the time in to make me a better player. Coach Odom and Coach Dixon are like family now. They will max me out as a student, as an athlete and also as a young man. I loved the LR community and it seemed like the perfect fit.”
Skidmore recently played in the prestigious NC Top 80 event this past March and this is what we had to say. “Jacob is very active on both ends of the court. He runs the floor extremely well and has a really good understanding of the game. We really like his intensity and ability to make plays on both ends of the court. While not the strongest player on the court, Jacob uses his length and anticipation well for rebounds and blocking shots. More importantly, he is a hard nose competitor that exerts a lot of effort and takes personal pride in his game, which is refreshing to see.”
Coach Ryan Odom is getting a tremendous prospect. He’s a high character young man that gets it done in the classroom (4.0 GPA) as well as the basketball court. More importantly, Skidmore will provide instant shot blocking and the ability to deflect shots. Offensively, Skidmore can step out and knock down the 15 foot jumper, but is more effective around the rim. In addition, Skidmore is a late bloomer and his better days are ahead. In an age where prospects try to go to the higher level, it’s refreshing to see a young prospect looking for the right fit. For Jacob Skidmore and Lenoir Rhyne, the fit is “just right”