Four-star junior Xavier Booker talks recruitment, game, & more
I made a trip down to Indy on Jan. 24 for the Indianapolis City Championship, thinking it was going to be headlined by Top-100 junior Xavier Booker. Unfortunately, Booker saw limited minutes in the win for Cathedral Prep.
But man, in the limited minutes for the 6’10, 210-pound forward, his major potential and freak athleticism were put on display. I watched the Indiana big man on multiple occasions including last Spring and this past Summer, and most recently after seeing his limited minutes in that championship game, Booker has also made some huge physical improvements.
He looked like he added a few more pounds and looked even more versatile running down the floor.
Yes, I would’ve loved to see more game action for the Top-100 prospect, but, it was good to see that he’s in the weight room getting his body right as the end of the season is near and AAU ball is approaching for the talented junior.
With Cathedral being very balanced this year, Booker has seen 19.4 minutes of game action per game and is still putting up very nice numbers which include 12.5 points and nearly 6.5 rebounds per game. College coaches are extremely interested in the dynamic four-man and the list of schools continues to grow.
He most recently saw himself on Indiana’s campus, as well as Notre Dame’s campus, both were visits of the unofficial capacity. It’s currently TBD as to when Booker will begin taking his official visits, but, he dove into that in his interview with Stockrisers.com.
Which schools are heavily involved in your recruitment?
“Notre Dame, Indiana, Xavier, Michigan, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Ohio State, Purdue, and Illinois.”
Any new schools?
“Not right now. I expect it to pick up during the summer.”
What’s Indiana’s pitch and your relationship with Mike Woodson?
“The pitch really is them wanting me to just keep developing my body and my skills and just growing as an individual. They want me ready as soon as I come in (not committed) and they talk all the time about how they need a big who can space the floor, put it on the floor, shoot, defend, and of course finish. They think I would fit in perfectly. My relationship with Coach Woodson is pretty good, he checks in on me every week and he calls me sometimes, they are normally great conversations.”
Notre Dame’s pitch?
“It’s pretty much the exact same thing [As Indiana] but, I really like and have a great relationship with Coach Soloman, the assistant coach, and Coach Brey as well.”
Is Michigan State still heavily involved?
“They are heavily involved, as well. Coach Montgomery reaches out the most and Coach Izzo reaches out sometimes as well.”
Current visit plans?
“I don’t have any scheduled as of now but I will start taking officials when my season is over.”
A full breakdown of your game?
“I would say I’m a stretch-four type of big. I like to shoot the three and my mid-range pull-up is becoming really good. I like putting the ball on the floor, I can break my defender down really well for someone my height. I’m a very good playmaker also, I see the floor very well and know how to set my teammates up. My post-game is pretty strong too. When I’m attacking the rim I rarely ever get stopped because I use my height and length to my advantage. My IQ is going up over time and as I learn more about the game and learn how to deal with certain situations, but, I would say I have a pretty high IQ.”
Goals for AAU basketball this year?
“Just improve my game in every aspect. I'm good at a lot of thing but you can always be better and I am going to be working to earn more offers from schools like Duke and Kentucky. Also, just getting stronger physically.”
Early commitment timeline?
“Undecided right now, but, probably when I just know the time is right.”
What are you looking for in a college program?
“Somewhere I know I’ll fit into every aspect of the school. I want to have a family type of bond with the coaches and players and I wanna go somewhere where I know I’ll be able to play right away. Obviously, it takes work, but just a coach who believes in my ability and lets me play my game, and doesn’t limit me. Also somewhere the education is very high level.”