Name: Shaun Potter
Height: 5’10
Position: Point Guard
High School: Our Lady Of Lourdes Regional High School, Class of 2022
AAU Club: Team Pennsylvania/25th Hour Athlete AAU
Status: Uncommitted
Current GPA: 3.5
Favorite hobbies outside of basketball: Hiking, swimming, and playing with his dogs.
Expectations for junior season: "Win Districts, improve as much as possible, and lead the team in scoring and assists."
Shaun Potter is a 5'10 Point Guard from Danville, Pennsylvania. He's currently a junior at Our Lady Of Lourdes Regional High School and ran with Team Pennsylvania and 25th Hour on the AAU circuit. I met Shaun over the fall while I was helping out Gerald Jarmon in his Nothin' But Next classes. Shaun is one of the hardest working young players that I have been around in the past couple of years. His attention to detail and will to get better is second to none. Fun fact about the Danville native, he travels 2 hours to train with Coach Jarmon whenever he can make time. Traveling that far to enhance your skills and open your eyes to a new experience, that's determination. Shaun is looking forward to leading the Red Raiders to a successful season and has a desire to play at the next level. Here is my breakdown of the Danville product!
BREAKDOWN:
STRENGTHS
Always wants to get better.
Creating Space on offense
High IQ Guard
Moving without the basketball
Set Shooter
Solid Ball Handler/Facilitator
Shooting off the dribble
Shaun Potter is a very unique prospect. He may not be the strongest, or fastest, but his determination to get better and his winning mindset separates him from many young players. If I was a college coach, I'd have this young man on my list any day and build with him. Over the off-season, Potter has been improving on his jumpshot, working on shooting off of the dribble and spotting up from the perimeter. Potter has also been working on the little things such as moving without the ball and creating space off of defenders so he can react quickly and make a move. Potter is still in transformation into becoming a solid prospect, but his work ethic and determination will take him far in his career. As long as he sticks to a plan and soaks in as much basketball knowledge as possible along the way.
WEAKNESSES/THINGS TO IMPROVE ON
Agility
Consistency as a player
Getting stronger
Mid Range Shooting
Working through being fatigued
The things that Shaun can work on are pretty simple. From observing over the fall even until now, Potter has a couple of things that he can improve on moving forward:
Potter can work on agility in the offensive game and working through being tired, or fatigued. Agility in this scenario meaning knowing what you're doing with the ball and not making mental mistakes. Sometimes when he would catch the ball he would be so quick to go and at times it was pretty predictable for a defender to know which move he was making. If Potter learns how to play with pace and use his body working in a triple threat or face up situation while reading where a defender's playing him, he can become so much more dangerous with the ball in his hands. Also working through tiredness can help out the youngster on his journey.
Consistency in his shooting is also another factor to improve on. I noticed in workouts that when Potter's feet are set and he goes straight up and down, it's a swish every time. But once he comes off his release stiff and with no hand in the cookie jar, it's a miss. Potter is still continuing to work on his jumpshot from all three levels to make sure he is a threat on the floor.
Last thing, Potter will need to work on getting stronger in his upper body moving forward. Getting stronger is a must by this time in your young basketball career and the next off-season will be crucial for Potter in that area. I'd recommend the weight room, on the track workouts, yoga, doing core workouts working on the abdominals and in-home stuff such as pushups in between tv commercials or something reasonable to take care of the body.
Shaun has a bright future if he keeps putting in the work. Like I said earlier, he may not be the strongest or the fastest, but his heart is big and he makes a lot of sacrifices to get better. Shaun is currently looking for a AAU team in the Central or Southeastern Pennsylvania area for the 2021 AAU season!
Below is my interview with Shaun Potter ↓
Shaun Potter Q&A
When did you first start playing basketball?
"It started in 5th grade. I was 11 years old and during recess I saw some kids playing Basketball and got interested in the sport because at the time I only played Football. So I picked up the nearest ball being a kickball and started trying to dribble between my legs. After that day I fell in love and never stopped playing and practicing. My motivation comes from the love of the sport. Wanting to constantly get better, and seeking to play at the highest level."
Describe your game.
"As a point guard, I'm always looking down the court for my teammates or looking to set them up for a good look. But when needed, I can score and create in Iso situations."
What is your role on Lourdes Regional’s basketball team?
"My role is to do whatever it takes to get the win, whether that's feeding the bigs in the post or scoring myself and shooting the 3 ball, but my main responsibility is to control the game and slow down or speed up the pace when needed."
How was the summer for you?
"Although my AAU season was cut short I was able to get shots up and do dribbling drills in my basement, during the summer I also prioritized getting my vert up by doing box jumps and just different plyometrics in general."
How has your experience been training with Gerald Jarmon?
"It’s been great, I’ve been training with Gerald Jarmon for around 5 years now and in that time he’s helped me improve tremendously. It’s also a great experience because he’s played at the level I want to get to and provides me with great insight and trains me accordingly. He’s also been a great mentor to me."
You’re still at a very early stage of your career. What kinds of things are you doing to make yourself the best player you can be?
"Aside from getting into the gym everyday and training, I also watch film and find out what I can improve on. I look at the things I did wrong and what would have been a better option in that scenario, and then I apply that to my training sessions with Coach G."
Which athlete do you look up to the most?
"The athlete I look up to most would be Sharife Cooper. I look up to him because he’s an undersized guard like me that wasn’t always highly recruited and continued to work hard through that adversity. I also am always trying to mimic his great work ethic."
What do you look for in a college?
"The first thing I look for is if they will provide me with the opportunity to continue my athletic career as that is my ultimate goal to play at the next level. Then I will look into the academic side of things and make sure it matches what I want to pursue academically. School environment isn’t a big factor for me, I don’t really have a preference."
Which coach, teammate or any other figure do you look up to as role model?
"I look up to my trainer Gerald Jarmon as my role model."
How has the preseason been for you?
"My preseason was a little unusual as my team wasn’t allowed to really get into our schools gym for open gyms, but I was still able to get into the gym and train which was good. The transition back to school was good. It wasn't difficult and I was excited to have class with my friends."
What are your expectations for your junior year?
"My expectations for my junior year are to improve as much as I can as a player and to take my team to the district championship and win."
What is one message of encouragement or motivation that you would give to people?
"Never give up and always work hard. It may not look like it at the time and you may want to give up, but your hard work will pay off. Just stay patient and work hard it will be worth it in the end."
Shaun with trainer Gerald Jarmon on January 23, 2021.
High School Coach Information
James Sandri - Email
Comments