July is supposed to be the month when high school players prove themselves nationally.
But for Montrose Christian’s Ishmail Wainright, July will be spent on the mend. Wainright, who is ranked 18th by ESPN in the Class of 2013, has a stress fracture in his left ankle and will be undergoing surgery next weekend.
“I’m out all of July,” Wainright told NBCSports.com. He was scheduled to play in Nike’s Skills University event in Alexandria, VA, during the first live evaluation period in July.
The 6-foot-6, 220 lb forward has already been out a month, but he says he is still in shape and has actually added a couple pounds of muscle -- “good weight”, he called it -- to his already sturdy frame. The time off has also allowed him to focus on schoolwork.
Wainright goes to school in Rockville, MD, but is a native of Raytown, MO. The list of schools that have offered him is as long as it is impressive: UCLA, Texas, Arizona, Baylor, Duke, Florida, Syracuse.
Does he want to stay east coast? Does he want to head back to middle america?
“Doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “I really want a good fit.”
His ankle may need work, but Wainright’s ability to give vague quotes to the media seems to be well-refined.
(Image via ESPN.com Recruiting)
Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.