Central Arizona JC's 6-foot-6, 195-pound sophomore forward Lonnie Pearson was among the best basketball talents in the conference this past season, after helping lead the team to a 19-10 overall record and a 12-8 record in the conference. While being our pre-season favorite to win the conference last season, the team would finish fifth in the ACCAC.
Pearson, a native of Seattle, Washington, had a solid season for first year head coach Jordan Dreiling. While not putting up major numbers this season, Pearson was a nice talent and among the most versatile prospects in the conference.
I caught up with Dreiling this week and he informed me that Pearson is currently being recruited hard by numerous division-II programs, as five of the top diviison-II programs in the country are in hot pursuit of the talented and versatile wing prospect.
While Pearson would have liked to go to a division-I program, there was still some work needed to be done in the classroom before moving on to a four-year college, which has hindered his recruitment at a higher level.
Arizona Preps will continue to follow Pearson's recruitment closely and bring you any updates as they continue to develop.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Pearson is an athletic 3/4 prospect that likes to handle the basketball in the open floor, and is capable of playing as a point forward - especially in the open floor or in transition, where Pearson is able to make plays for himself and others. His strong handle of the basketball allows him to create scoring opportunities in the halfcourt set as well, where he can be a mismatch for smaller forwards or guards. Pearson will need to continue to improve his ability to make shots from the perimeter to see his overall game develop, but he does have a good mid-range game. An active rebounder that rebounds outside of his area. Solid shotblocker. Competes. Has very good versatility as a player and also nice length. A solid prospect with a nice frame and good athleticism.
