WS Chronicle

Photo by Craig T. Greenlee

QEA’s Deshawn Corprew has the quickness and strength to get his shot off in tight spaces on drives to the basket.

BY CRAIG T. GREENLEE 

FOR THE CHRONICLE

It was 10 months ago when Deshawn Corprew of Quality Education Academy made a summer trip that planted the seeds for what proved to be a spectacular basketball season. The 6’-5”, 180-pound shooting guard opened a lot of eyes at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, which annually attracts the best of the best college prospects.

As a late selection to the camp, Corprew came in without any fanfare to speak of. But after four days of showcasing his talents against elite-level players, there was no doubt that he deserved to be ranked among the nation’s best. Some scouting services have him ranked among the top 60. He was 98th in ESPN’s Top 100.

Corprew added to his resume considerably as the prime factor for the Pharaohs, who recently advanced to the Grind Session’s national championship game before bowing out to Victory Rock  Prep (Fla.). Over the course of the season, Cornrow became a prize recruit for a host of major-college programs, which included Kansas, Florida State, Cincinnati, Texas A&M, Nebraska and Missouri – to name a few. Here’s a brief summary of observations from the college scouts: Corprew is athletic and quick enough to defend any position on the perimeter. Offensively, he has the complete package as a ball handler who can score off the bounce and from mid-range, as well as from beyond the 3-point arc. He is a physical player who routinely finishes at the basket in spite of body contact.

For the season, Corprew, a senior from Norfolk, Va., averaged 32 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

There was never a question in coach Isaac Pitts’s mind that Corprew would prove himself as one of the top high school players in the country. “Deshawn has always been a very good player,” Pitts said. “The biggest area of improvement is basketball IQ. For him, it became a thinking game.

“He performed at a level which made everybody around him better. Not only that, but he learned how to pick his spots (to take over a game) and make the right plays at the right time.”

Looking back on last summer, Corprew realized that compared to many of his camp counterparts, he was an unknown and definitely not on the recruiting radar screen of a lot of big-time college basketball schools. As far as he was concerned, that was never an issue. All he wanted was the chance to show what he could do.

“They gave me a chance, so I had to take advantage of it,” said Corprew. “I went out and played and people respected my game. That’s why I kept doing the things it takes to get better and I continue to develop my game. I wasn’t really surprised by what happened at camp last summer. I always knew that I had it in me. So, I just brought it out when my opportunity presented itself.”

Now that the basketball season is over, Corprew is going through the process of deciding where he will play in college. If he has narrowed his choices of schools, he’s not making that known at this time. The signing period for Division I basketball is April 13 through May 18.

Initially, there was nothing for Corprew to consider in terms of picking a college. That’s because prior to the start of the season, he verbally committed to Arkansas-Little Rock. Two months later, however, he rescinded his commitment. “I didn’t take my (recruiting) visit, so I think I made the decision too early,” Corprew said in November. “So, I’ll take all of my visits and see what they have to offer.”