Offers or not, Perry produces
Oak Ridge has five-star power forward Emmitt Williams being recruited by some of the bluebloods of college basketball.
It also has Texas A&M recruit Antwann Jones and recent Texas Southern commit Damon Harge in its spectacular senior class.
The one veteran college coaches haven’t seemed to notice yet is Rob Perry, a guard who appears to possess more than enough size, skill and shooting ability to play at the next level.
Perry, a 6-foot-4 senior, has been a consistent performer against top-tier competition for the Pioneers (13-3), who enter today’s Showdown in OTown at Orlando Christian Prep as the No. 1-ranked team in the Sentinel’s area and Class 9A state rankings.
Oak Ridge returns from a December stretch against out-of-state competition to face Florida 5A No. 5 Lake Highland Prep (9-3) at 6:30 p.m. in the third of four consecutive games at OCP.
“The highlight for me so far this season has been the exposure,” Perry said, “playing the national-level competition we’ve been playing and how we’ve been playing against the national competition.”
Perry came into the season believing that strong performances against the likes of Memphis East of Tennessee, Paul VI of Virginia and DeMatha Catholic of suburban D.C. would help his team gain national notoriety and boost his stock as a prospect. Both of those goals seem to have been achieved while Oak Ridge was posting wins over nationally ranked Paul VI and Hudson Catholic of New Jersey and losing a 62-60 heartbreaker to Memphis East — which was No. 1 according to several polls at the time.
But the scholarship offers haven’t yet arrived.
“I have none,” Perry said Thursday. “I honestly don’t know why. I just stay humble and keep going.”
Oak Ridge coach Steve Reece has said since the preseason that Perry will end up on a Division 1 roster.
“Coach Reece keeps telling me that college coaches like winners,” Perry said. “He has been telling me I have a lot more assets to my game that I don’t always show. I’m starting to bring that out.”
Perry surprised many when he was one of the leading rebounders at the loaded City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers. He has a reputation as a sharpshooter, not as an inside force.
“I’ve definitely improved on my speed and my athleticism,” he said.
The settings will differ now that Oak Ridge is off the road and lined up to play mostly familiar local teams from now into the playoffs, which tip off in February.
That starts this week against a Lake Highland team featuring senior point guard Nick Honor, who Perry has played against and alongside of on various youth and travel teams throughout the years.
While Perry played for Nike South Beach on the 2017 travel circuit, Honor teamed up with Williams and Jones on the Each 1 Teach 1 team coached by Reece.
“As we play local teams there’s not as much competition,” Perry said. “It’s harder for us to concentrate but we have to do that.
“January is basically locking in. Finishing the season winning the rest of our games.” As for college options? “Everything eventually is going to fall into place,” Perry said.
Today’s play begins with Sentinel Super 16 No. 10 Bishop Moore and junior guard Hunter Cattoor playing Melbourne at 3.
Master’s Academy, with senior guard Jose Placer, meets DeLand and 6-foot-8 senior Wyatt Hollmann at 4:45.
The nightcap pits 9A Apopka against OCP, which is ranked No. 1 in 3A.
The host Warriors are deep in talent, including North Carolina signee Nassir Little and guard Ronald “Rondo” Segu.