At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over fifty players from South 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 and underrated, and today’s edition will highlight Keyan Mims of Fort Mill and Team CP3.
Versatility arguably means as much in today’s game as anything, even shooting, and has become a main attraction point for most college coaches. Possessing size with the ability to pass, handle, shoot, and defend multiple positions immediately vaults a prospect into valued territory—which should be the exact case with Mims. Possibly the most versatile unsigned senior in either of the Carolinas, Mims is a proven entity in camps, high school, and the travel ball circuit. There’s nothing outside of his comfort zone, which allows him to make his presence felt in a variety of ways without necessarily needing to be a focal point.
We’ve seen Mims in various different settings, including at our JMAC Showcase, where we stated: “As mentioned above, this team is full of exciting prospects, but Keyan Mims is the most unique player on the entire roster. He stands at 6-foot-6 and is somewhat positionless, given his two-way versatility and ability to affect so many facets of the game. Mims is able to be featured on the perimeter or inside the arc—usually around the high post—but also scores quite well around the basket. He has a strong, athletic frame and fights pretty hard on the glass, frequently earning (and converting) second-chance opportunities. Mims has an expanding skillset as a ball-handler and overall creator, but he’s pretty efficient with his touches and rarely forces the action on offense. There aren’t many guys more capable of securing a defensive rebound, pushing the break in transition, and then finishing with a bucket or assist. He displays a solid IQ and makes quality decisions with the ball. Right now, Mims can defend three positions comfortably, given the way he moves laterally and utilizes his length to alter shots. There is a lot of promise and upside with the two-way forward, yet he’s already quite productive, so it’ll be interesting to see how much Mims’ develops over the next year.”
For some reason, Mims recruitment hasn’t taken off like expected. That being said, he’s still a clear Division I talent that could genuinely thrive in multiple positions at a variety of different levels. Mims has played (and fit seamlessly) alongside cousin Jacobi Wright for his first three high school seasons but was tasked with carrying his own squad this year. Mims was more than prepared and put out nightly averages of 15 PPG, 8 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, and 1 BPG while shooting 51% from the floor and 41% from beyond the arc. He will find success at the next level, now it’s just a matter of figuring out which coach will outsmart their colleagues.