Gaines Stock Rising
Anthony Gaines is one of the biggest stock-risers in the Nike EYBL this year, not just in terms of New England, but in terms of the entire league.
One of four local prep products to play with the Albany City Rocks, he took the league by storm from day one of the first session in New York. By the time the month of April was over he had six double-doubles in seven games and had established himself as one of the top rebounding wings in the entire country.
It was more of the same this past weekend at session III in Virginia as Gaines shot 68% from the floor while averaging 20 points and 9 rebounds per game.
On the season, he’s leading a City Rocks team that currently has an 8-3 record in both scoring (17.9 points per game) and rebounding (10.4 boards per game) while his aggressive driving style is also getting him to the free-throw line at an unmatched rate.
Gaines’ value exceeds beyond just the individual stats though. He’s an elite defender who can already guard as many as four different positions in a high school or EYBL game and is also known for having high character and being a great teammate.
From a recruiting standpoint, his opportunities have picked up significantly relative to his production so far this spring.
Vermont and Buffalo both offered during his junior season at New Hampton School while George Mason and Northeastern jumped in following the first weekend in New York. A week later brought new offers from Toledo, Hofstra, Kennesaw State, Monmouth and Dayton.
His stock has only continued to rise in the days since session III as coaches might not have been able to be in attendance this weekend but were nonetheless able to see that Gaines sustained his level of production.
Providence became the first high-major school to offer less than 24 hours later while Cincinnati followed suit a day later.
Anthony Gaines