MILWAUKEE -- ESPN 60 center Diamond Stone (Milwaukee/Dominican), who is running with the Young Legends 16U team this week at the Under Armour Summer Jam presented by NY2LA Sports, has had a number of dominating performances, including a 31-point, 12-rebound, five-block outburst on Saturday morning against the LV Prospects.
And there have been plenty of college coaches on hand to take in his strong play.
The five-star center, who is ranked the nation’s No. 4 prospect in the Class of 2015, has displayed a much better motor and is running the floor extremely well in addition to his excellent skill in the post and ability to hit shots to the 3-point arc. Stone's rebounding and shot-blocking have increased as well.
There is a big reason why the No. 1 player in the state of Wisconsin has improved his overall production.
"I have lost 23 pounds,” Stone said. “I am running the floor, blocking shots and rebounding better. I am doing everything quicker.”
Stone, who is 6-foot-10 and was previously around 252 pounds, has made himself into even more of a matchup nightmare for opponents. He scores with his back to the basket on jump hooks with either hand and can hit the 3 when trailing the play in a slow transition. He has the unique ability to both score inside and stretch the defense from the center position.
A who's who of high-major head and assistant college coaches have been in attendance at each of Stone's games this week. Stone’s list of offers is long and includes Duke, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Marquette, Indiana, Georgetown, Illinois, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UCLA, DePaul, Connecticut and Arizona, among others.
His play this week has done nothing but cement those offers. Considering he is an extremely nice and approachable young man with off-the-charts upside, some serious recruiting battles will be forthcoming for this skilled center.