Syracuse and West Virginia are viewed as the leaders in Thomas Bryant's recruitment, according to 247Sports.com's famed Crystal Ball.
Photo by Ralph Thompson
joined New York-based Team SCAN for Nike Elite Youth Basketball League play last weekend in Sacramento, California.
The 6-foot-9, 230-pound Bryant, a junior at
Huntington St. Joseph Prep (W.Va.), will also join Team SCAN for EYBL sessions in Texas, Virginia and Minnesota later this spring. Pending qualification, the league's championship tourney is held in July at the Peach Jam in South Carolina.
Another trip to California for the Pangos All-American Camp is in the works and Bryant expects to be in Las Vegas for the LeBron James Skills Academy in July.
But the highlight of Bryant's summer itinerary will be — potentially — two trips to Dubai, the face of oil wealth in the United Arab Emirates and perhaps the entire Middle East.
While Dubai is best known in the United States for its lavish building projects, Bryant is looking forward to something else.
"I know it's the second-richest city in the world and they drive Lamborghinis and Ferraris for cop cars," Bryant said. "I would like to see that."
Bryant's first journey to the Middle East will take place in late June with Huntington St. Joseph Prep, where he averaged 14.1 points and 13.1 rebounds per game during the 2013-14 season. The Irish will participate in the MPAC Elite International Tournament, which is being used to prime the city for the FIBA U17 World Championship hosting duties in August.
Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) and
Montverde Academy (Fla.) have also been linked to the event.
The second trip to Dubai will have to be earned. In late July, Bryant will head to Colorado Springs, Colorado for USA Basketball's U17 training camp. There, he hopes to earn one of 12 roster spots for the World Championship team.
Bryant made the cut last summer, helping the U16 squad win a gold medal at the FIBA Americas competition in Uruguay.
"I never thought I would be traveling around the country, let alone the whole world," Bryant said. "Going down to South America and Uruguay and winning a gold medal, I never thought that would happen. I'm blessed and I'm proud of myself for getting this far."
The
247Sports Composite lists Bryant as the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2015 class. Playing alongside fellow Top 10 prospect
Cheick Diallo in the Team SCAN frountcourt, the rising junior post averaged 7.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game during EYBL play in Sacramento. He had a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double in a key Friday night win over CIA bounce.
