With Pettiford Jr. heading off to play for Coach Chris Mack and Louisville, it is time to turn the page, say our goodbyes to Bobby, and focus on the next Point Guard targets.
It appears that Bensley Joseph from Putnam Science Academy will be the primary PG recruit moving forward. Coach Ed Cooley and the Friar staff will be speaking with Bensley virtually later today, apparently.
Bensley is ironically consistently ranked higher than Pettiford Jr., coming in at 68 nationally on ESPN and 122 on Rivals.
Bensley is a much different player than Pettiford Jr. The athleticism of Pettiford Jr. jumped out to me when watching some of his film. Bensley, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to possess that same athleticism, but makes up for it in many other ways.
Joseph is a compact, well built point guard. His body composition is similar to a Maliek White, who often looked like a bruising running back when driving into the lane.
While Joseph doesn’t necessarily play above the rim at this juncture in his career, he is really creative around the rim and in the paint.
What stood out to me most was his vision in the lane. He appears to have an innate passing ability in a crowded area, often finding his teammates for easy lay-ups and dunks. He will penetrate the lane, draw the opposition to him, and then fire off a quick pass for an easy bucket.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSBwbXOCkbw&feature=share
He also has a nice stroke from the perimeter, showcasing a 3 point ability. He’s a lefty, which will inevitably draw comparisons to The King of Compton, Kyron Cartwright.
Bensley is listed at 6’1, but I’d like to see him in-person and gauge his actual height, as he appears smaller than that listed 6’1 in his highlights. With all that said, he makes up for it with his build.
Putnam Science hasn’t been that welcoming to Providence, as we’ve lost out on a few recruits from there over the years (Josh Gray to LSU – how is Will Wade still getting players – and Akok Akok to UCONN). We’ll see if this is just a coincidence or a larger trend.
In conclusion, while Joseph may not have the raw athletic ability of a Pettiford, he appears to be a more true point guard who can set the table for his teammates. When watching Pettiford, you saw a fantastic athlete first and point guard second. With Joseph, this guy is more of a true point guard who can secondarily help out with scoring.
The Friars would be lucky to nab a point guard of this ability, especially one hailing from New England who can appreciate the allure of playing in the Big East.
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