As we continue to take a much harder and closer look into Arizona's talented 2021 Class of prospects, there are numerous performers that would have made a big splash this spring and summer, pre-COVID-19 pandemic. One of the elite prospects in the class that was definitely set to take off this spring and summer is 6-foot-8, 190-pound junior wing prospect Maxwell Lewis. Lewis has already received loads of college recruitment early, and he was ready to explode this spring on the shoe circuit. Lewis generated a lot of attention last spring and summer, so his final club season was definitely set to be one to remember. This young man is among the elite overall prospects in Arizona's junior class, and has become one of the top overall prospects in the West.
This week, Hillcrest Prep announced that Maxwell Lewis has decided to change schools, and will now be attending their program next season, after Lewis had numerous very strong performances last season for AZ Compass Prep. It is nothing new for top-rated prospects to change schools, but the announcement of the departure of Lewis from AZ Compass to Hillcrest Prep this week did shock the Arizona basketball community. In his final senior season, Lewis will now look to team up with Hillcrest's 2021 stud Michael Foster and 6-foot-8 freshman wing Omaha Biliew, whom Hillcrest recently announced the transfer of from Des Moines, Iowa.
Lewis transferred from Somerset Academy (NV) a year ago to AZ Compass Prep, joining fellow Nevada-native and club teammate Frankie Collins at the program. Both prospects played for the heavily Adidas-sponsored Dream Vision (NV) club program last spring and summer. Collins still plays for a loaded AZ Compass Prep program.
Since moving to the state, many college programs have shown strong interest in Lewis, who has unlimited future potential and an ability to make plays on both ends of the floor, as a result of his unique size, length and athleticism. Lewis has college coaches excited about his promise as a player and unique body and athleticism. Lewis is a very unique talent with a super long, rangy frame that is very athletic and strong, which allows him to bounce off the floor quickly and play well above the rim. He can do things on the floor that many prospects his size cannot. He runs the floor hard and is an excellent finisher in transition, where he is able to dunk the basketball at a high level and over defenders. Lewis is a high-flying prospect and a joy to watch in the open court.
Currently, Lewis has offers from St. John's, USC, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Washington State, TCU and DePaul. Many more schools will continue to look to make offers and get involved with Lewis over the next few months, although the cancellation of spring competition definitely slowed down Lewis' recruitment, as he has become one of the hotter prospects in the West. It is still unclear as to whether Lewis has a leader currently in his college recruitment.
It is still unclear as to whether summer competition will take place, and, either way, Lewis should begin to garner much more recruiting interest this summer, as he prepares for his final senior season.
I will continue to follow the recruitment and progress of Lewis closely this summer, and bring you any updates as they continue to develop.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Lewis is a very unique talent with a super long, rangy frame that is very athletic and strong, which allows him to bounce off the floor quickly and play well above the rim. He can do things on the floor that many prospects his size cannot. He runs the floor hard and is an excellent finisher in transition, where he is able to dunk the basketball at a high level and over defenders. Lewis is a high-flying prospect and a joy to watch in the open court. He is a skilled, bigger wing prospect with a good overall offensive repertoire, that allows him to make plays off the dribble and also score from the perimeter with a developing perimeter shooting stroke. He will need to add consistency to his shot to be much more of a threat offensively, but his length and athleticism allow him to make plays while slashing or in the open court. He is an active rebounder that rebounds outside of his area, but he could focus more in this area to raise his overall play. He is an active and very good shotblocker, one of his best attributes. A very good overall defender that shares a striking resemblance as a player physically to a young NBA superstar Scottie Pippen. Has unlimited potential over time.
