Coming off of an impressive showing in the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Virginia, highly touted 2010 SF Casey Prather decided to stop in on the Blues City. Getting ready for the Vince Carter Camp in Orlando, FL, Prather is in Memphis hanging out with a friend until he leaves later this week for the camp.
After flying into Memphis Sunday afternoon, Prather and his mother decided to stop by the University of Memphis. Monday night, MemphisRoar had a chance to catch up with Prather to talk about his time in Memphis, his experience at the Top 100 Camp, his Elite Camp a few weeks ago and his plans for the summer.
At the NBPA Top 100 Camp, Prather (Jackson Northside) went off for 13 points in Friday mornings action after scoring 7 and 8 on the first day. Prather was outstanding Friday afternoon, taking charges, grabbing rebounds and loose balls, and finishing off the dribble. Talk about a kid who only got better as the camp wore on, Prather’s conditioning is as good as it gets. While most other kids were sucking wind, the 6′5″ Prather showed that he was still at the top of his game going into the playoff rounds. The rising senior scored 17 points on Saturday night to lead his team, then notched 9 markers in playoff action keeping his Rockets squad as the only unbeaten team in the camp. After completing his impressive performance in Virginia, Prather flew back to Memphis, allowing for him and his mom to stop by the University of Memphis for an “unofficial visit”.
“I’m in Memphis right now getting ready for the Vince Carter camp in Orlando, FL,” said Prather. “Last night, my mom and I stopped by campus. We stopped by to talk about the academics and see what it’s all about.”
It has been apparent from the get-go that academics will be very important to Prather and his family in choosing a school. Explaining what he’s looking for in a course of study, Prather said, “I want to study for physical therapy and minor in business or psychology.”
Other than the academics at the University of Memphis, Casey was a part of the University of Memphis Elite Camp two weeks ago. During his time at the camp, Prather was able to see how the new Memphis coaching staff works.
“I went really well,” replied Prather. “We did a whole lot of drills to work on my skills. I really feel like I got better with my skills. I got to hang out with the coaches and see what they were like, so it was good.”
Other than academics, Prather also spoke on other factors that may or may not play a role in his decision. “Distance is not really a factor,” said Prather. “I mean, I like the city of Memphis, so that’s good. It’s really where I feel comfortable I guess.”
In addition to his affinity for the city, Prather said he enjoyed playing with fellow 2010 star, Tarik Black of Memphis, TN. “I was recently on a team with Tarik Black and it was really good,” Prather said.
Prather said that he will be playing in either the LeBron James camp or the Adidas Take 5 camp, depending on which one he and his dad choose. In addition, he said he’ll be in Memphis for a tournament in July and the Adidas Super 64 in Las Vegas. With regard to his decision, he said that he doesn’t have a timeline and is considering, “Clemson, North Carolina, Memphis, Michigan, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, and a couple more. Alabama. Virginia.”
In terms of what Prather hopes to bring, he said that it is a balance. “I play defense. I am working on my shot consistency and my ball handling,” explained Prather. “I bring a lot of energy and I love to win.”
BONUS ROUND
Q: Tell our readers one thing about yourself that a whole lot of people do not know.
A: “I go to church a whole lot. I have been around church my whole life and I’ve been going since a really young age. It’s just something I enjoy doing.”
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