Four-Star Forward Nic Claxton Picks Up Irish Offer
Notre Dame’s trip to Atlanta for the adidas circuit proved a productive one.
The Irish offered two juniors, four-star forward Aamir Sims (link) and four-star forward Nic Claxton, after head coach Mike Brey and some of his assistants spent time over the April 23 weekend evaluating prospects on the adidas gauntlet.
Claxton told Rivals.com’s Dan McDonald, who saw the junior in Atlanta and reports he has grown to 6-10, that the Irish conducted an in-home visit in April.
“You would assume because of his height that he’d spend most of his time in the paint and would be most comfortable there,” McDonald wrote. “That’s not the case.
“He’s very skilled player on the perimeter. He handles the ball very well, can shoot from deep, and can make plays off the bounce.
“He’s not a super explosive player, but plays with great pace. At this point, the schools recruiting are banking more on potential than his current production, but that seems like a calculated risk.”
The four-star junior averaged 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game for Legacy Charter as a junior in 24 games with recorded stats, according to MaxPreps, and the team finished 26-11 overall through the 2015-16 season.
Claxton listed Notre Dame, Florida State, Georgia, Baylor, Maryland and Wake Forest, among others, to McDonald as schools currently pursuing him.
Like Brey, North Carolina State head coach Mark Gottfried was also present in Atlanta, after the Wolfpack offered a scholarship April 20.
Claxton, who is ranked as the No. 102 prospect nationally by Rivals.com, will miss tournaments with his Team South Carolina squad during the July evaluation period because he is slated to play for the U.S. Virgin Islands Junior National Team.
The four-star junior’s father is Charles Claxton, who was an All-SEC player at Georgia before being selected by the Phoenix Suns with the No. 50 overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft.
Claxton told McDonald over the weekend that he is wide open in recruiting right now, and also told him in November that he has no timeline set for a decision.