Unsigned Senior Spotlight - Rafael Velasquez
Just over the New York border, in Rye, lies a player who aspires to play in a high academic college basketball program.
A year ago, that might have seemed like a lofty goal for Rafael Velasquez, but now it is clearly well within his grasp.
Velasquez is coming off a breakout senior year in which he ran the show for a Rye team that featured two other All-Section guards. Velasquez, who is universally raved about by every coach he has encountered, did all the little things and was a huge factor in Rye's 20-4 record and their first New York State Section 1 Class A championship in the last 31 years.
However, with the coronavirus taking away spring basketball, he's now also willing to consider a post-graduate year in order to further his chances of playing college basketball at a top academic institution.
Prospect Profile
Hght: 5'10"
Position: Point Guard
School: Rye High School (NY)
AAU: Athletes in Action
Contact Info: 201-970-8744, rafaelv17@icloud.com
By the Numbers
Stats: 9.4pts, 3.9reb, 3.0ast, 2stls (led team), 42% 3p (led team), 87.5% FT (led team)
Academics: 3.7 GPA (13 AP/Honors Classes) & 1370 SAT
Awards & Accolades
- 2020 NY Section 1 Class A All-League
- 2020 Mamaroneck Tiger All-Tournament Team
- 2019 Cliff Clifton Classic All-Tournament Team
Quote/Personal Statement
“Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard”
That quote from Kevin Durant in his 2013 MVP speech has always been on my mind as I worked on developing as a student athlete. I am a 5’10” Filipino-American point guard who isn’t the fastest nor the strongest, but what I do bring is my work ethic. In the summer of 2019, I put in the work to gain ten pounds of muscle. I went from the 7th man to the starting point guard of my high school team that won the Section championship. I focused on doing the little things on the court: from having quick hands (led our team in steals) to boxing out (second in defensive rebounds), I made up for being undersized by doing my best to be the smartest one on the court. Overall, I believe that the best feeling is getting the results from putting in hours of hard work while everyone is partying. I love the game of basketball. It has been a big part of who I have become as a person.
What They Are Saying
“Here comes Rafael Velasquez who I think has really been the difference maker…Velasquez has been the guy to come on and put this Rye team over the top.”
-Kevin Devaney, LocalLive Networks during broadcast of NY State Section 1 Class A championship game
“When you have a guy like Velasquez step up and give you the first half that he did, that calms everybody down and gives everybody else confidence. He was really, really good in that first half.”
-Mike Auerbach, LocalLive Networks Guest Analyst during broadcast of NY State Section 1 Class A championship game
“An underrated late bloomer whose complete game, great playmaking and feel for the game make everyone on his team better. Also an excellent student, this is a kid you want somewhere on your roster if you want to win games and beat teams you shouldn’t beat. After proving himself in a PG year against higher level competition, there will be some college coaches who wish they’d taken him now. He’s exactly what most of the prep schools are looking for.”
-Mike Stone, Prep School Sports Connection
Recommendations
“Rafael is one of the hardest working players I have ever coached! He transformed himself from a player with solid skills into one of the best PGs in the section!! Rafael devoted himself to his strength and conditioning in the off season and his improvement was on full display on both ends of the court this year as he maintained his lethal shooting while developing into a terrific defender and a player who was able to finish tremendously in traffic. His basketball IQ is through the roof, and he is just scratching the surface of the college level player he can be!!”
-John Aguilar, Head Coach, Rye High School
“Heart, faith, love, purest of point guards, game-on-the-line shot maker, creative stop-dead-in-your-tracks-in-awe assists, relentless work ethic, extreme passion, miraculous achievements on and off the court, championships...Those traits and accomplishments coupled with his will, and desire to achieve excellence in all facets of his life, just scratch the surface of who this young man is. Rafael’s innate ability to make his teammates better is why he has seen great success. His leadership, and basketball abilities go beyond the game. He not only has a 360-degree vision of the court, he has that in all aspects of his life: education, school campus, community, those in need. In coaching him in various settings, elite national tournaments, AIA Global Leadership Camp, and Basketball Mission Tour to Puerto Rico, Rafael has achieved, displayed and excelled in every one of these ventures. For any campus that invites him to be a part of their team will be blessed by his presence above and beyond their expectations.”
-Will Michaels, Athletes in Action Regional Leadership Director and Coach
Scout's Take
Everyone who has been around Rafael Velasques absolutely raves about him. It's very clear that his character, competitiveness, and intangibles aren't just an added bonus but a major part of what makes him unique. Beyond that though he's an efficient scorer on the offensive end who runs the team first and foremost but can convert himself when necessary. He's a timely shot-maker who is also effective in transition, sees the floor well, and has a solid basketball IQ. Physically, he's still just growing into his body and so as his frame continues to mature, so too will his game, which means his best basketball is very clearly still in front of him.
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