Jairus Hamilton Talks Offer
The state of North Carolina has long produced high level basketball talent. That’s a trend that doesn’t look to end anytime soon and North Carolina Coach Roy Williams is taking notice.
While he’s known for working hard to keep top talent in state, Williams’ recent focus on players in the younger classes has recently increased. One player in particular is class of 2018 prospect, Jairus Hamilton.
The 6-8, 205-pound small forward shows a high ceiling for development. His effort to improve all aspects of his game shows a strong work ethic that will help his progression. Roy Williams has taken notice and on Saturday after the Boston College game offered Hamilton a scholarship.
“I didn’t get to talk to him much before the game,” Hamilton explained. “I just got to shake his hand and tell him good luck. But we got to talk after the game and he said that he really liked my game and that he hopes to see me in Carolina blue.”
The UNC coach has long been known for his methodical approach to offering scholarships, but it seems as though the Hall of Fame coach could be changing his approach. Hamilton acknowledged that it’s not very often that Coach Williams offers sophomore players.
“To be honest, at first I was surprised,” Hamilton said. “He hasn’t offered a lot of sophomores and I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”
Other sophomore players with scholarships offers include two of Hamilton’s friends in Rechon “Leaky” Black and Devon Dotson.
“I’ve known them since we were kids,” Hamilton said when talking about his relationship with Black and Dotson. “We’ve always been friends and we keep up with each other when something good happens.”
Hamilton has already received scholarship offers from Hampton, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Wake Forest and now North Carolina. He’s unofficially visited Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and UNC.
“My family always leaned a little bit to UNC because of their players and history,” Hamilton said of the UNC program. “But now I have to start looking at things not as a fan but as what’s the best basketball decision for me. I haven’t thought much about recruiting at this point but I’ll probably start doing that.”
One thing is for sure, Hamilton is very familiar with the UNC basketball team and was quickly able to mention several of the players he liked to watch over the years.
“I loved Tyler Hansbrough because he was such a great competitor. I remember watching Ty Lawson, Danny Green, Ray Felton, Ed Davis and now with Justin Jackson and Marcus Paige. I’ve always liked watching them play.”
Hamilton’s game is well rounded as he’s effective in his mid-range game, attacking the basket and making plays on the defensive end.
“Most people expect me to just play down low or just play on the wing, but I can do both. And I can guard any position. That’s why I think my game is kind of like Paul George because he’s a great scorer but he’s also a great defender,” Hamilton said of his game. “I also like to watch LeBron James because he can do it all on the court. I like to watch what they do and how they work to get better. I really just want to try and keep improving on everything so there’s really nothing that I can’t do on the court.”
Whatever he’s doing, it’s working. Well enough that Roy Williams offered him a scholarship after only watching him play one time. For now, Hamilton said he’s just focused on finishing his season strong and trying to bring a winning culture back to his school.