The wait is now officially over for Chandler-Gilbert Junior College 6-foot-5, 180-pound unsigned sophomore wing Kingdom Artis. After waiting for some time to figure out his college program of choice, this weekend, Artis finally found his right college fit - giving a nice verbal commitment to Dominican University in California and Head Coach Justin Argenal and his basketball staff.
This is an excellent opportunity for Artis, who seemed to hang around in his college recruitment for some time - waiting for the right college suitor for himself, after having a very good sophomore season for Chandler-Gilbert JC and Head Coach Steve Silsby. Artis was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) this past season, which made it very surprising that he was still available this late in the recruiting process.
Artis is coming off an excellent sophomore season for himself, and was among the best available overall prospects still on the board. While he is one of the lesser known junior college prospects in the West, Artis is definitely one of the hardest working and has an elite-level motor that is among the best I have ever seen. He plays with a passion on the court and competes super hard on both ends of the floor. As a result of his tremendous motor, Artis simply makes plays happen as a result of his tenacity on the floor and the joy in which he plays with.
Artis averaged 9 points and 7 rebounds as a sophomore for Head Coach Steve Silsby this season, while also shooting 58% from the field. He helped lead Chandler-Gilbert Junior College to a 21-10 overall record this junior college season, as Chandler-Gilbert competed all season for an ACCAC Division-II Conference Championship, before falling late in the season.
Regardless of my relationship with Artis, he has an amazing smile and an exceptional personality that is very rare in sports. He lights up a room when he is present. He also has an amazing attitude, on and off the court. He is a true leader that will be successful in life after basketball as well, as he enjoys life. Artis is the son of former Arizona State football and basketball player Carlos Artis, one of the state's top overall athletes of all-time.
Congratulations to Artis and his family on this accomplishment, as well as the Chandler-Gilbert basketball program from our staff here at Arizona Preps.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Artis is a nice talent and a skilled wing prospect with a nice overall skillset. He has a good perimeter shooting stroke although he does need to add more consistency from longer ranges. He has a very good mid-range game that allows him to play strong inside the arc, and finish very strong at the rim over defenders. He has a very quick first step and is quick off the ground as well. He is able to make plays for himself and others off the dribble, where he is a good finisher in the lane against bigger defenders. He is very good in the open floor, and is a good slasher. An active rebounder with good size for the wing position. A good passer that sees the floor and is willing to make plays for others. Artis has as good a motor as a player that I have ever seen. His tremendous motor allows him to make plays on both ends of the floor, and are inspirational to his teammates. A very good sleeper prospect.
