Florida State Basketball: Seminoles offer high-flying 7-footer Quincy Ballard
Florida State Basketball offers unheralded 2020 prospect, Quincy Ballard.
Florida State Basketball currently has two scholarships available in 2020 and depth issues in the frontcourt– particularly if freshman Patrick Williams declares for the NBA Draft — which is possibly why the Seminoles became the highest-profile program to offer relatively unknown prospect Quincy Ballard on April 4. Prior to the Seminoles’ overture, Ballard had received just three D-I offers, and all have come in the last month.
The 7-foot center hails from Syracuse (NY) and has just started playing organized basketball a few years ago. Ballard played the 2018-19 season for Henninger HS in Syracuse, but he transferred to Quality Education Academy in Winston-Salem last summer.
Ballard, who is unranked by the major recruiting services, is an athletic big man who can dunk from the foul line. But Ballard is more than a high-flyer though he is still very raw on both ends. He is excellent around the rim and has shown the ability to be a superb shot-blocker when he doesn’t allow the offensive player to get into his body. Ballard also has a nice feel for the game while also possessing the capability of knocking down perimeter shots on occasion.
UNC-Wilmington was the first D-I team to offer Ballard (March 18). However, offers from Missouri State and UNC Asheville soon followed. Cincinnati also offered him on April 5.
Next. Early top-25 rankings for 2020-21. dark
Florida State has a hole to fill up front with 7-foot Dominik Olejniczak graduating, thus leaving just soon-to-be sophomore Balsa Koprivica at the center. Seven-foot-3 2019 commit Naheem McCloud will not be available for coach Leonard Hamilton until 2021 as he will be playing at Chipola College this upcoming campaign. On a positive note, Hamilton will have 2020 five-star Scottie Barnes in the fold along with RaiQuan Gray and Malik Osborne as well as perhaps Williams.