One of the elite prospects in Arizona's talented 2017 class is Gilbert Christian High School's gifted 6-foot-8, 195-pound sophomore forward Nate Graville. The class is very talented and also very top-heavy, and Graville is at the top of the class - alongside some fellow top-rated guard prospects.
I recently saw Graville perform in Chad Groth's Super 80 Showcase at Arizona Christian University, and I was very impressed with this young man's size and skill level. Graville is a rare find, as a result of his size, length and ability to make shots from all over the floor. He has a very good shooting stroke with unlimited range already, and also a good mid-range game which allows him to make plays for himself off the dribble. Graville has the body and the potential for the futue to become a serious high-major division-I prospect.
Last season at Gilbert Christian, Graville competed as a freshman for a very talented team that would win the state's Division-II state championship. Gilbert Christian HS has become a basketball power in the state over a short period of time, and Graville is one of the next players in line to reap the rewards of a strong program. Last season Graville averaged 5.8 points and 4 rebounds per/game on the season. Expect him to raise those numbers considerably this high school season, as he looks to help lead his team to another state title.
Graville will develop into the one of the elite prospects in this state quickly, as he has already shown the ability to play the game of basketball at a high level and he also possesses the confidence as well. Now it is just a fact of him putting it all together on the basketball court, and against top-rated competition - the final step in the process of developing into a top performer. Judging from what I have seen from Graville, it is just a matter of time.
I will be keeping a very close eye on Graville for the next two years, as he becomes one of the state's elite level prospects, and begins to generate many division-I scholarship offers for himself.
