Again, the 2022 Class of prospects in Arizona is absolutely loaded with college prospects for the future, and another prospect in the class that has already positioned himself as one of the elite guard prospects in the state is AZ Compass Prep's 6-foot-3 rising junior prospect Nate Pickens. Pickens recently decided to transfer schools this summer from Paradise Honors High School in the AIA to a powerhouse prep school program in the state, where he will now look to gain more exposure and also compete on a national schedule.
Pickens is a unique find in the state, as while competing for a loaded Paradise Honors HS program, he gained strong recruitment early in the recruiting process for himself - building numerous offers for himself and positioning himself early in the class as a top-rated prospect.
Currently, Pickens holds offers already from Loyola Marymount, UC-Santa Barbara, Southern Utah and Robert Morris, and he is merely entering his junior season this year, where he will now look to land many more offers for himself over the next (18) months.
Potentially, Pickens could build double-digit offers for himself over time, and with the ability to now play on the Grind Session and compete against the nation's best talent, he will now gain much more recruiting exposure for himself, although the Paradise Honors basketball program, under the strong leadership of Head Coach Zach Hettel provides excellent recruitment to their respective players, as evidenced by the recent huge commitment given by rising senior guard Jalen Scott to Colorado State.
Pickens will now team up with a loaded group of college prospects as AZ Compass Prep, as it has been projected that the program will have (2) different national teams this high school season. It is still unclear as to what student-athletes will compete on which teams next season, or even when the season will commence, but, one thing is for sure, Pickens will boost a loaded group of prospects that already includes numerous division-I prospects.
Pickens is a bigger guard prospect that is athletic, skilled and crafty in his offensive approach to the game. A three-level scorer, Pickens plays with excellent pace and feel for the game, and is a very good play maker for his teammates. A very good passer that sees the floor. He has a very good handle of the basketball and is very shifty with the ball in his hands. Very good in transition and in the open floor. A streaky scorer though. Pickens competes hard on both ends of the floor and is a two-way player.
I look for Pickens to continue on his strong pace of development as a player, as he also comes from excellent basketball bloodlines in his family, as his father was an excellent player himself, and also has a younger brother that is also a future problem in the 2024 Class.
I will continue to follow his college recruitment and development as a player and prospect closely, and continue to bring you updates on Pickens as they continue to develop.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Pickens is an athletic guard prospect who can impact the game in a variety of ways. He can score from all three levels and might be one of the best pure scorers in Arizona's 2022 Class of players. He can score in a variety of ways on or off the ball, as he can shoot it at a high level, can create off the bounce and he can finish at the rim. He is crafty and plays with good pace. He makes others better with his ability to make plays off the pass. He has a good IQ as well. Nate is also a good defender, as he uses his speed and agility well. Nate is a top-rated prospect early in the class, and should see his recruitment continue to soar over time, as he’s a very intriguing college prospect for the future.
