Immanuel Quickley finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in his first game of the adidas Uprising Gauntlet Finale, proving to Coach Cal that he deserved the most attention at the point guard spot in the 2017 recruiting class.
Even though Quickley filled up the stat sheet,
he was not extremely impressed with his play.
"(I was) not that good," he said. "I’d probably give myself a D or a C. But we just have to come out and compete tomorrow.”
Quickley's Team BBC squad lost 71-60, and will start in the loser's bracket tomorrow morning. The five-star guard just returned from his trip to Egypt playing for Coach Cal's U19 team, so a bit of fatigue is to be expected. In his eyes, however, it's not an excuse.
"No. Even if it was that’s never an excuse for playing and taking an L," he said. "
That’s an L and that’s on me as a point guard. I’ll come back and be ready tomorrow. I’m really competitive. I don’t like losing at all.”
When asked about his experience playing for Calipari in Egypt, Quickley said he was extremely impressed with Coach Cal both on and off the floor.
"It was good. We wanted to win the gold but obviously came up a little short. It was a good experience overall on and off the floor.
(Calipari) is a great coach on and off the floor. I think it was really cool to get to learn from him. When you spend time for three or four weeks, almost a month with one person you get to know them pretty well," said Quickley.
[caption id="attachment_224654" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
Quickley channels his inner Coach Cal, recruiting star guard Romeo Langford at the event.[/caption]
When it came to Calipari's coaching in Egypt, Quickley said he loved the way he runs his point guards.
“I love the pace of play.
I see all his point guards playing a similar role of getting up-and-down the floor and that’s a big part of what he does. They all play fast and that was the biggest takeaway for me,” he said.
Both Calipari and assistant coach Joel Justus were in attendance at the first game at adidas Uprising, something that resonated well with Quickley.
“I think that’s a major pro.
Any coach that’s coming around should keep coming and showing love and as a player I really appreciated that" he said.
Rumors have spread that Quickley and elite prospect Cameron Reddish have discussed playing together in college, but he said he's not ready to say they are a package deal.
“I won’t go that far but me and Cam were roommates in Egypt," said Quickley. "We talked a lot and he’s a great person to get to know.”
Like Zion Williamson, a college decision may come for Quickley sooner rather than later. Though no date is set, many recruiting analysts expect a decision to come in August.
“
I don't have a date but it will be before the basketball year I’m sure," Quickley said. "I do plan on visiting each school one more time before I do make my decision.”
Check out Quickley's highlights from the game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGaQsEjXBIA
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