Northwestern, Davidson expected in for 6-10 senior Tai Hamilton

Tai Hamilton is one of the more intriguing prospects in North Carolina this season. He is still virtually unknown but is quickly generating a lot of interest. So much so that Northwestern and Davidson will be among the handful of schools watching the unsigned Charlotte (NC) 1 of 1 Academy senior today.

The 6-foot-10 center started the Fall live evaluation period with no offers. In the three weeks since, he has picked up four, William & Mary, Radford, Charlotte, and Elon. Most of the schools that come by to watch are intrigued by the lengthy player who runs, jumps, and moves like a wing.

When the 6-10 guy is the bounciest dude in the gym 🥶 @TaiHamilton_

‘23 Tai Hamilton could be North Carolina’s biggest sleeper@NickyJallday @CoachMiami pic.twitter.com/dQOqUB1zJ6

— Jamie Shaw (@JamieShaw5) September 22, 2022

Hamilton is new to basketball, only playing one year of organized high school ball. In that one year, he led the state of North Carolina with 4.6 blocks per game. He also added a team-high 7.7 rebounds.

More schools at every level of D-I will be interested in Hamilton, and throughout the year, he will continue to have more flash plays, simply doing things others his size cannot. 1 of 1 Academy is LaMelo Ball’s high school program.

Hamilton’s scouting report

Tai Hamilton is a long and lengthy 6-foot-10 post player. The standout quality, the thing you notice first about him, is the way he moves. Hamilton has a quick-twitch bounce that gets his elbows to the rim, and he has lateral fluidity that allows him to effortlessly switch to defend along the perimeter. A lefty, he is still raw and needs strength. Hamilton has only been playing organized basketball for a year. He is a natural rim protector. He has high-level timing, both hands, and is able to contest every shot without fouling. The post is able to aggressively play in the passing lanes and get out in transition. He has touch, but the jump shot needs continued work. Hamilton is good out of the dunker spots and great in transition. Patience is the key here; there is an upside here that many bigs simply do not possess.