NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Looking ahead to the top 2020 prospects

Cade Cunningham – Montverde, FL

SF | 6-foot-6 | 215 lbs | No. 8 overall

Cade Cunningham already has a college-ready body at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds. Even though he is just a junior in high school right now, he is developing his skills as either an elite wing or small-ball power forward. He brings plenty of size to the court and flashes the ability to play with either fluidity or strength. He is extremely talented off the bounce and he often draws extra defenders. Cunningham has the potential to either finish through traffic or dish to the open man whenever this situation occurs.

While playing for Montverde Academy, he is tested tremendously throughout the year and his game is constantly growing. His team features several other top-tier recruits, including Precious Achiuwa (No. 13 in 2019) and Omar Payne (No. 43 in 2019). The worry, though, is that he is not a major threat from 3-point range yet and that limits his ceiling in the current state of college basketball. It is reasonable to expect that this facet of his game will develop and his floor is extremely high as a prospect.

In addition to Cunningham’s offensive game, he can be a strong defender as well. He might not possess the elite-level quickness needed to be a lockdown perimeter defender but he should more than hold his own in one-on-one matchups at the very least. Cunningham’s combination of size, athleticism, and strength make him capable of defending at a relatively high level.

Cunningham has mentioned that he is not planning on cutting his list of schools until after his high school season.