By ARTHUR WARNER-KAMSLER
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Every year at the National Prep Showcase a lesser-known player makes his name.
Last year it was Donovan Mitchell of Brewster (N.H.) Academy — who is heading to Louisville next year.
And this year it was Travis Atson, the former Christ the King forward now at South Kent (Conn.).
A 6-foot-5 junior combo guard from Brooklyn, Atson scored 31 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and was clearly the best player on the court in a 66-61 win over Vermont Academy in a game that featured at least nine Division I prospects.
Atson scored his 31 points in every way imaginable: he hit his jumpers, converted putbacks on his own misses, and had two monster dunks, one where he went coast-to-coast and freed himself with a behind the back dribble and another where he dunked on Vermont’s 6-11 center.
Beyond just his scoring Atson really impressed with his energy and mental toughness. Atson never backed down from the numerous defenders Vermont threw at him and consistently dove for loose balls and sacrificed his body in a game that was close until the final buzzer.
Atson picked up offers from DePaul and Towson to go with offers from “Duquesne, St. Bonaventure, Fordham, Quinnipiac, UC-Santa Barbra, Iona, Sacred Heart, UT-Arlington, Binghamton, and Fairfield,” he said. But he expects Xavier to offer “sometime in the next week.” Along with the offers Atson already has he said he has been receiving interest from numerous Big East, ACC, and Atlantic 10 schools.
Atson transferred to South Kent from Christ the King High School in Queens and could not be happier with his decision.
“I like it a lot, I improved a lot the past couple months,” Atson said. He also credited his move with helping to increase the amount of recruiting interest he has received.
Atson plans to play a waiting game with his recruitment and pans to wait until next November to commit.
