Rim protection and shooting are buzz words but also are skill sets, skill sets that are big in basketball these days. When you add in buzz words like late bloomer and “his best basketball is ahead of him” things can look promising.

Last year was Rock Hill, SC/Westminster Catawba Christian’s best season in recent memory as the program’s 20 wins were more than the previous five seasons combined. A large part of that success was 6’8” 2021 AJ Hamrick, who averaged nearly 10 points and 6 rebounds per game while shooting 39% from beyond the arc and adding in 2.5 blocked shots per game.

As we have established, I love unique players. A player who is not like others, who can produce in ways that others may not be able to. Not many players stand at 6’8” and wield a 7’0” wingspan while shooting almost 40% from three and blocking 2.5 shots per game. This is the type of unique that opens my eyes, and it has for college coaches as well.

Even though we have been in quarantine since April, the grind did not stop for Hamrick.