He likes to listen to music, hang out with his friends and family, but Darius Garland is anything, but your average high school Sophomore. With over 10 scholarship offers from some of the most elite basketball schools in the country, Darius Garland is already proving to be one of the top point guards in the Class of 2018. Only a sophomore, Garland is being compared to players such as last year’s NBA MVP, Stephen Curry. “I’m compared to Stephen Curry a lot because I can shoot the ball well and lead the team.” He continued. “My greatest strengths are leading the team, controlling the tempo, and getting everybody where they’re supposed to be.”

 

Ranked by ESPN as being the #16 prospect in his class, Garland is one of the youngest prospects in the ESPN 25. Born on January 26, 2000, he is the highest ranked player to be born in the 21st century. Garland’s high ranking has also benefited him on the recruiting trail. With offers from schools such as Virginia, Louisville, and Vanderbilt, he is receiving attention from universities all over the country. Despite the influx of offers, Garland hasn’t began to narrow into the recruiting process quite yet, saying, “I haven’t really been thinking about it yet. Hopefully, I will commit the summer before my senior year.” Garland Revealed.

With Garland still has a couple years left in high school, there is no doubt that he is going to be offered from more schools before he is ready to commit. Some of the schools that Garland mentioned that he would like to receive an offer from before he commits include Duke, Kentucky, and North Carolina. After his stellar Sophomore campaign, those offers are sure to follow.

 

Darius Garland’s emergence as a highly recruited point guard should come as no surprise to avid NBA fans. Darius’ father, Winston Garland played in the NBA for eight years appearing in 511 career games, but the younger Garland, has made it clear that he doesn’t want his dad’s success to overshadow his own, saying, “I want to make my own path, be better than my dad and get to the NBA.”

He is well on his way towards making that a reality. Although Garland has put himself in a good position for the future, he knows that his work isn’t done yet. As a point guard, he is constantly looking to take his game to new heights, saying, “I just try to keep being in the gym more and more. I need that drive to just keep getting better and better. I just want to be the best that I can be.”

 

Stepping out of the his father’s shadow is not the only obstacle that Garland has had to overcome. Garland has received attention from the media ever since he began playing AAU basketball with We All Can Go All Stars. Forming a dynamic duo with the current #1 player in the Class of 2018, Marvin Bagley III, Garland provided college scouts with their first glimpse of what was to come. Since Garland has been playing on such a big stage for so long, he definitely knows how to handle the pressure of being a top prospect in his class. “I do it by just being humble. Of course I want to get better, I don’t let it get to my head.” Said the WACG All Star.

 

As Darius Garland caps off a remarkable sophomore season, he is bound to make some noise this AAU season and for the future to come. With a devoted work ethic and a great motivation for success, Garland’s name should be on the minds of high school basketball fans all over the country. If there’s one thing for sure, Darius Garland is “Paving His Own Path.”