Perry strives for special season.
EL DORADO – Czar Perry intends to make his final season of high school basketball, a special one.
Perry plans to give maximum effort en route to garnering his ultimate athletic goal: an opportunity to compete collegiately.
“The college coaches told me the same things they always have about Czar: he’s high energy, and that it’s hard to put a defender in front of him,” said El Dorado Coach Gary Simmons. “Northwestern State (La.) is the hardest after Czar. UALR is interested. I’ve visited with coach Wes Flanigan at length about Czar.
“I received a call from Missouri this summer, right before the school-year started. I have heard that he was in Hogs Illustrated not long ago. I don’t know how heavy that is. But if he’s in there, (Arkansas) is still evaluating him.”
Aside from Northwestern State, coaches from two other programs have recently spoken with Perry.
“I’m visiting Northwestern State (today). Abilene Christian is coming to El Dorado, September 12. I don’t know about Jackson State yet,” he stated. “I talked with them (earlier this week). The coach at Jackson State saw my video and he likes my ability. He believes that I’m definitely a D-1 player.”
Which school is currently atop Perry’s list?
“Maybe Northwestern State, because they’ve been on me so long,” he answered. “They’ve shown interest in me for three years. Also, I have a good relationship with the coach.”
The attention Perry receives is not new. Over the years, he has steadily made a name for himself on the AAU circuit.
This summer – as a member of the Arkansas Wings Elite (AAO) – Perry participated in what has become a life-changing experience.
“My summer went well. I had a good time. I did a lot of traveling,” he said. “I got to play in front of coaches I never dreamed of playing in front of. I got to play in front of Kentucky Coach John Calipari, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina Coach Roy Williams, just a bunch of different top coaches from across the country.”
Perry admitted that partaking in the AAU campaign has made him a better player.
“Playing against some of the top players, it shows you where you’re at and what you need to work on,” he said. “The games were played at a faster pace than the regular high school games. You’re playing against some of the top players in the nation.”
When speaking about Perry’s evolution, Simmons expressed that the 6-foot guard is now a better floor general.
“He’s now turning into the kind of guard who will break a player down and get his teammate open. If the defender slides out to his buddy, Czar will go to the hole and score,” the coach stated. “His jump shot is unbelievable. Czar has a lot of confidence. He knows he’s a good player.
“But he also spends hours in the gym. He’ll meet me or coach Reggie Turner at the gym at five in the morning and get shots up. He’ll then still have energy for practice. Czar is not done in regard to his development. He’s going to keep getting better and better.”