By JACK LeGWIN
Special to ZAGSBLOG
Taking the place of a high school superstar like Shabazz Muhammad is never easy.
But if anyone can do it, Stephen Zimmerman is a fantastic candidate.
Zimmerman, a 7-foot, 220-pound sophomore center from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High School has helped the Gaels to back-to-back state championship titles, and not only wants continue the winning in his last two years at Bishop Gorman, but also in college.
“I think I’d feel comfortable with a school that has a history of using their big men successfully,” he told SNY.tv. “I want a team that isn’t just individuals playing together, with a coach who is firm and holds the team to a high standard.”
Zimmerman has most recently drawn comparisons to Mitch McGary, the power forward from Michigan, and it isn’t hard to see why. A smooth lefty with great vision, a consistent jumper, and generous amount of explosiveness for a guy his size, Zimmerman has a basketball IQ off the charts and has huge potential.
When he rattles off players that he molds his game after, one will start to get a sense of his style of play.
“I like to take things from multiple players,” he said. “Like Tim Duncan’s footwork, Blake Griffin’s athleticism and Dirk Nowitzki’s shot.”
Ranked number 5 in the Class of 2015 by ESPN, trailing only Diamond Stone at the center position, Zimmerman currently holds scholarship offers from Arizona, Auburn, UConn, Florida State, Kansas, Memphis, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, UTEP, USC and UNLV.
He feels like he could fit in with a variety of different styles of play as well.
“I can run in the full court or operate in a half court set,” he said.
Coming from a winning background at Bishop Gorman, as well as AAU with Dream Vision, there is little doubt that Zimmerman will continue to win wherever he goes after he finishes high school.
But the question that college coaches all over the country want to know is “where will he go?”
That has yet to be decided.
Photo: LarryBrownSports.com
