In part one of this fantastic two-part interview, Krysten Peek of Rivals.com and Yahoo Sports takes me behind the scenes on the high school and AAU circuit to discuss her experience covering Bol Bol, a player who she says is misunderstood by most casual fans and draft analysts. In segments one and two, we start by discussing the high school / AAU circuit and the unique aspects of covering teenage athletes.

The conversation lays the foundation for understanding who these elite youth basketball prospects are, the process of ranking and analyzing talent, and how kids wind up on certain AAU teams as a feeder into college programs. In segment three, we begin really getting into Bol Bol and how Krysten came to meet him and what she learned about him over the years.

In part two, we continue our discussion of Bol Bol and look at what things the Denver Nuggets can do to improve his chances of succeeding in the NBA. We then turn our attention to Michael Porter Jr. and Jarred Vanderbilt, two players who Krysten got to know very well throughout their high school careers. Krysten talks about getting to know both of their families and explains why she called MPJ the best high school prospect of the last three years. Lastly, we look ahead to next year’s point-guard heavy draft class and hear why Krysten thinks the 2021 and 2022 draft classes will be among the best we’ve seen in a long time.

Music: Riza Penjoel.

PART ONE

PART TWO