The hand fracture which has shelved Arlington Country Day (Fla.) point guard Luguentz Dort has done nothing to slow down the versatile 6-foot-3 guard’s high-major recruitment.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The hand fracture which has shelved Arlington Country Day (Fla.) point guard Luguentz Dort has done nothing to slow down the versatile 6-foot-3 guard’s high-major recruitment.
Baylor and Missouri have offered the Class of 2018 prospect. Ohio State and Virginia have each been in steady pursuit of the Canadian-bred Dort, with Ohio State assistant coach Jeff Boals becoming a consistent presence in his recruitment.
“Love him,” one D-1 assistant coach said. “Big-time scorer. Grown man already.”
“Ohio State liked what they saw in Lu during the game he got injured,” said Nelson Osse, Dort’s AAU coach.
That game was ACD’s dizzying 72-70 victory over blood rival West Oaks (Orlando) on Jan. 21.
One of the game’s more compelling subplots was the anticipated matchup between Dort and his cousin, 6-foot-2 West Oaks guard Richardson Maitre. Maitre, a three-year starter at the school which produced flashy Corey Sanders (Rutgers), was recently offered by Boston College.
The two went at each other in that marquee and heated first half. Richardson scored 17 of his team-best 20 points and Dort turned in several big plays, attacking the rim in furious and fearless fashion.
The action came to a screeching halt when Dort landed hard on a drive, eventually leaving the game to a loud applause on a stretcher.
“It feels good when I play against my cousin, a guy who I grew up with and a guy who taught me a little bit of my basketball,” Dort said.
“It’s a blessed feeling. All of the family is proud of us.”
That family includes Kenny Chery, the former Baylor guard. Chery, known for his shiftiness and a lethal 15-footer, played for the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2015 NBA summer league.
Dort said he is extremely close with Chery. Adept at speaking multiple languages, Dort is multi-faceted threat on the court.
“He just makes plays,” Osse said. “He could attack the paint. He could shoot it, he’s been working on his shot. There’s all these little things he does that people don’t see. He could guard, he rebounds well. To me he’s an elite rebounder, offensively and defensively.”
Osse describes Dort’s on court demeanor as business-like. He rarely gauges the magnitude of the game, turning in the same level of energy and effort every night.
“He doesn’t care who he plays against,” said Osse. “He scored 33 points against Josh Jackson’s team. I asked him after the game, ‘do you know you just played against the no.3 player in the nation in 2016 and he didn’t know. He’s not a groupie type. Lu just goes out and plays.”
