Indiana enters fray for five-star Billy Preston
Dinos Trigonis doesn’t see many guys come along with the offensive talent of Billy Preston.
Trigonis has watched and coached Preston for years, most recently at the Fab 48 in Las Vegas. Preston showcased his impressive inside-outside game for the Trigonis-led Belmont Shore squad. Trigonis, who runs the Fab 48 and prestigious Pangos Camp in late May/early June, named Preston the co-MVP of the Pangos event.
Preston moved from his Los Angeles home to attend Dallas (Texas) Prime Prep last year, and is now attending Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy, where he’ll likely get a few nationally televised ESPNU games to showcase his skills.
Rivals.com ranks the 6-foot-9, 220-pound Preston the No. 8 overall player in the class of 2017, and Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, NC State and USC are his newest version of a top five.
“I wasn’t surprised he changed his list,” Trigonis said. “Arizona just got DeAndre Ayton. A lot of times lists are based on how dominoes might fall. Most of these schools will recruit three-to-five guys [at a position], but others even more than that.”
Trigonis talked to Indiana coach Tom Crean in the past, and knows the Hoosiers have a good offensive system to take advantage of Preston’s skills. IU assistant coach Chuck Martin is the point man on the recruitment.
The longer the recruitment goes, the more of an opportunity for newcomers Indiana and NC State to make up ground.
“He is a matchup problem for smaller players offensively because he’s bigger and stronger,” Trigonis said. “He is a matchup problem for players as big or bigger because they can’t stay with him on the perimeter.
“Coach Crean coaches with a lot of passion. Noah Vonleh went for a year and got drafted. His NBA guys are doing well. He is a scoring-oriented coach.”
Trigonis said if Preston takes care of business off the court, then the rest will take care of itself and he’ll be a top 10 player in the class of 2017. Trigonis could see Preston playing power forward on defense and then have the freedom to play along the perimeter or the paint offensively in a position-less style.
“He is a man who could be like former Kansas player Thomas Robinson, but with a better handle,” Trigonis said. “He is a big matchup problem. He and Michael Porter (Washington senior commit) are the two most skilled forwards in that class.”
Preston had played with RM5 Elite and Houston Hoops in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, but ended his summer with Belmont Shore. He averaged 14.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, and shot 51.5 percent from the field with the Houston Hoops.
“He wasn’t himself with the Houston Hoops team,” Trigonis said. “He is a Carmelo Anthony scoring forward. I had a coach who isn’t recruiting him, and he went to Oak Hill the other day, and said, ‘There is not a better player in the country right now.’
“He is a grown man in high school. He has the strength, the athleticism, skill level, and scoring instincts.”