The recruiting process for Sunnyslope High School’s talented 6-foot-10 senior post Michael Humphrey has been a very long one - beginning at this year's Reebok Breakout Camp in Philadelphia, PA in July during the NCAA evaluation period. Humphrey went into the camp with very little to no college offers and left the camp as one of the hottest prospects in the West.
Humphrey would then earn more than 40 different division-I scholarship offers during the busy recruiting month of July, while playing for his club program - the Arizona Magic, coached by Kenny Mullins and Gino Crump.
Humphrey would then narrow down his list of college programs a great deal in the next few months - taking four different official recruiting visits before finally reaching a college decision on Wednesday evening. On Wednesday night, Humphrey chose to give a verbal commitment to the Stanford Cardinal and head coach Johnny Dawkins. Humphrey will sign with the school during the early fall signing period.
Stanford assistant coach Mike Schrage was instrumental in the recruitment of Humphrey, and was the first high-major division-I program to show interest in Humphrey during the spring evaluation period. The lure to play for a college program with superior academics seemed to be too much for Humphrey to pass up.
"I would say it was a great process to go through," Humphrey told Rivals.com. "Stanford is the place that will give me the best opportunities."
Humphrey kept his recruiting process close to his vest, before making his final decision this week.
Humphrey chose Stanford over heavy interest from the University of Arizona, and also considered UCLA, Vanderbilt and Notre Dame among his final five programs. Humphrey took official recruiting visits to Stanford, Arizona, Vanderbilt and Notre Dame. He surprisingly cancelled his official recruiting visit to UCLA during the recruiting process to focus more on Arizona.
Humphrey is currently playing football for his high school program, where he is the team’s starting quarterback. Humphrey has led his high school football program currently to a 9-0 start to the high school season.
Humphrey missed the spring evaluation period as a result of an injury to his thumb, but he returned in super fine fashion for his first event of the 2013 off-season – the Pangos All-American Camp held at Cabrillo High School in Los Angeles, CA. In the event, Humphrey would have a coming-out-party, as he would gain serious national attention for his play in the camp. As a result, Humphrey would receive the vote as the camp’s Sleeper of the Event.
In both the Reebok and Pangos camps, Humphrey would block shots, score the basketball in the paint and from the perimeter, run the floor, rebound hard and finish strong around the rim – showcasing his versatility and productive ability to get a lot done.
Humphrey was previously selected as our 2013 Arizona Preps Most Improved Player of the Year. Humphrey developed into one of the state’s most gifted post prospects last season. He was also recently regarded by numerous scouting services as the hottest prospect on the West Coast for the 2014 class.
Humphrey is also an impressive student and carries a 4.6 CUM GPA. Humphrey has never finished with less than an A grade since entering high school. An impressive student-athlete with loads of potential.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Humphrey has developed into a long, athletic and very skilled low post talent that is capable of scoring from almost anywhere on the floor. Humphrey has grown physically a full 3 inches over the past year of high school – an intriguing attribute which shows that he is still growing a great deal. His fluidity as a player is most intriguing as he is able to make plays from the post or from the wing position, and out to three-point distance. Humphrey possesses a sweet shooting stroke with a soft touch and also has nice footwork inside the painted area, where he also has a nice jump hook and gets off the floor quite easily. Humphrey dunks the basketball with ease and is able to finish strong over defenders in the paint, an aspect of his game that will only continue to strengthen for him as he adds more size and strength to his thin frame. Humphrey is also an excellent shot blocker with excellent length and very good timing. He keeps balls in play and is capable of playing much bigger than his size suggests. He also runs the floor like a guard and is a very good finisher in transition. As a member of the state’s very loaded 2014 junior class, Humphrey is one prospect that has flown well below the recruiting radar until now. Look for Humphrey to continue to develop a great deal over the next several years as he matures. Humphrey is such a great kid with an infectious smile and a humble attitude that you want him to do well. In an age where so many kids have a ridiculous sense of entitlement, Humphrey is the exception. His sheer improvement as a player has come from his hard work and dedication to the game of basketball. He does not cheat the sport with a lack of intensity and selfishness, but rather plays hard and seems to always be enjoying his craft.
