Top-50 forward Winston Shepard adds Big East offers

• Tweet

• Tweet

Winston Shepard - Findlay Prep

6′-7″ combo forward Winston Shepard has showcased his unorthodox, but effective game, for several seasons at Findlay Prep (NV). The native of Texas is one of a few top-50 prospects still remaining as undecided prospects, with a West Coast leaning school list that included New Mexico, UNLV, and San Diego State, among other programs.

Now, UConn and St. John’s are attempting to jump into Shepard’s recruitment as he recently added scholarship offers from both schools to add to a list that could get longer before it gets shorter.

Shepard is still building his overall skill level, but his ranking and value comes from the fact he is energetic, athletic, and can lock down opponents on defense. He came in ranked in the top-50 prior to the season in the Hoopniks consensus rankings.

He is still slender, and Shepard uses his long arms to be a frustrating defender for opponents. His offensive game is still developing, but he can defend either forward position due to his size, length and commitment to locking down known scorers. On the offensive end of the floor, Shepard is primarily known for baskets in transition, energy points and mid-range and closer shots.

A decision does not appear to be imminent for Shepard, and he will likely be faced with the decision of being an immediate impact player in the Mountain West, or potentially biding his time in the Big East. To be sure, he’s a huge talent, and it’s not a bad problem to have for the combo forward.

Interestingly, the recruiting rivalry extends beyond the conference ties and Shepard for the Mountain West rivals. Both San Diego State and UNLV are believed to be contenders for former 2011 St. John’s signee Norvel Pelle, who is at prep school this year. The Aztecs recently landed James Johnson, a transfer forward from Virginia, as well.

UNLV, in particular, is putting in work on the Findlay Prep roster. They are believed to have one scholarship opening remaining, and are attempting to land Findlay Prep Pilots like Shepard, and top-10 power forward Anthony Bennett. UNLV is also in the hunt for the nation’s top 2012 player, Shabazz Muhammad.

1. Big East Class of 2012 Early Signing Period Recap The Big East didn’t reach the upper echelon in early signing period college basketball recruiting classes, but don’t let that factor...
2. Unsigned Hype: A Look at the 20 Uncommitted Top 100 Players It’s crunch time on the college basketball recruiting trail – with three days left for your favorite college basketball program...
3. 2011 Big East Recruiting Recap and Rankings There’s little doubt that the Big East is the big beast in college basketball, for now and for the near...
4. Early Signing Period Recap: Big East Big East basketball has been solid for decades, but unusual names drew headlines in the recruiting sphere prior to, and...
5. Big East Adds Wings Notre Dame and Georgetown both added potent prospects to their respective wing arsenals over the weekend, scoring their first pledges...