Each travel ball season, there are several prospects who elevate their play and eventually emerge as overlooked or under-recruited. Given college coaches’ increased emphasis on the transfer portal and acquiring more experienced players, it’s clearly been more difficult for most high school prospects to get noticed. That being said, recruiting appears to be gradually trending back to some sense of normalcy. Lots of guys are starting to receive appropriate-level offers again. However, there’s really no explanation or justification for Israel “Izzy” Eatman (Green Level/SW15H Elite) to have zero scholarships.
We were able to watch Eatman at our Hoop State Challenge, and offered praise regarding his all-around game, “It’s pretty clear that SW15H Elite’s entire roster will be coveted by college coaches, and Eatman is a guy who should generate considerable buzz over these next few months. His combination of IQ, shooting ability, and defensive prowess make him a real issue for opponents on both ends of the floor. Eatman scores the ball from all levels, displays playmaking instincts, and consistently fills in the gaps for this group. Eatman is capable of expanding his production as needed but truly does a little bit of everything on the court. He definitely stood out as a difference-maker and should be a priority for various programs going forward.”
Add in the fact that he’s coming off a high school season where he averaged 16.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 1.5 SPG with incredibly impressive 58/51/70 splits, and his recruitment is definitely perplexing. It’s worth clarifying that these numbers came for a team who went 29-2 with the likes of Isaac Ericksen, Trevor Manhertz, and multiple college-level seniors (Tye Cain, Trey Manhertz). The film doesn’t lie either, as his game-to-game clips simply reinforce the legitimacy of his statistical makeup.
It’s easy to get excited about the entire SW15H Elite roster, but Eatman is someone who clearly deserves more attention from the masses. Whether running the team, asserting his scoring presence, or reliably filling in the gaps, he does so much to be an impactful piece. The 6-foot-4 Eatman is a quality athlete and polished scorer with the ability to spot up, attack closeouts, and generate clean looks off the bounce. He sees the floor well and displays great decision-making instincts with the ball in his hands. Unlike so many other skilled players, Eatman is also an excellent defender with the combination of motor, toughness, and quickness to cause a ton of problems for opponents. It’s becoming difficult to overlook his production, and college coaches should feel similarly. Eatman should start collecting offers sooner than later, as he’s slowly becoming one of the more under-recruited prospects in North Carolina.