'24 George Turkson has Rutgers and Providence prioritizing early

Every time 6-foot-6 George Turkson steps on the floor, he seems to have added another little piece to his game. The late-blooming sophomore at Haverhill (MA) Bradford Christian Academy is already averaging a double-double against some of New England’s best talent. So the intrigue lies in the hard work he continues to put in.

“I am a defensive player, help-side defense, deflections, provide for my team,” Turkson told On3. “Before coming to Bradford Academy, I was five at a traditional public school. Here, I have started to develop my perimeter game, getting more confident with the ball in my hands and shooting it more. I am confident to make a play.”

Playing with the Mass Rivals program on Adidas’ 3SSB 17u circuit certainly helped college coaches notice. On3 sat down with George Turkson at the National Prep School Championships to discuss which schools prioritize him early.

“Providence is the program that has offered I am hearing from the most right now,” Turkson said. “I visited Providence as well as Rutgers so far.”

Turkson talks recruitment

Providence: “They like to develop their players, and I am still growing as a basketball player, so that really stands out for me. They are really a gritty team, and they play really hard; that is an upside for me looking into a program. The coach is tough on his players, which I like. Coming from coach (Vin) Pastore, I like to be coached hard, and I don’t want my coaches to hold anything back for me.”

Rutgers: “When I visited there, I saw they were a really energetic team who liked to play together. There was a lot of charisma on the team, energy; they liked to have fun during practices, and occasionally you had the coaches getting on the floor to play with the players, which was cool to see.”

Turkson’s take

“I want to go to a program that will help me continue developing,” Turkson said. “I would like to play early as a freshman because I want to be able to impact the game wherever I go. When I go on visits, I try to see behind the scenes of the teams. I want to see the reality of the program. I want to see how the players are playing together and communicating with one another.”

On3’s take

George Turkson is a lengthy athlete with a lot of explosive pop. He is a natural defender with instincts both at the rim and in the passing lanes. He is a sneaky weak-side shot-blocker and understands angles and rotations on that end. Offensively, he is most comfortable in the mid-range and playing from the mid-and high-post areas. He has a smooth catch and shoot jumper from 18-feet. Turkson will need to continue developing the ball skills and extending the range on his jumper, but there is something about his workmanlike demeanor and current production that you trust.