Kevin Durant. Carmelo Anthony. Rajon Rondo.

 

Okay, admittedly that list did progressively get a bit worse, but all of these NBA stars (once again a stretch but…okay fine! Rondo shouldn’t be there, but tough, he’s staying!) have something in common.

 

They all attended the highly prestigious Oak Hill Academy at the High School level.

And this is where 6’10, 250 lbs high school JUNIOR (yes, JUNIOR) Dylan Cardwell is currently attending and posterizing nearly every other big man in the country. In a Three Point Play UK exclusive, we were lucky enough to catch up with the Oak Hill big-man and discuss all things hoops.

Even as a high school junior, Dylan is already receiving huge interest from a variety of D1 schools including a recent visit to Tennessee and offers from both Georgia and Penn State on top of the aforementioned Tennessee offering the big man a spot.

Cardwell at his visit to Tennessee
Cardwell at his visit to Tennessee

When discussing the prospect of playing for such a prestigious school, he explained: 

“It’s a blessing truly. Where I’m from, not many people make it out for anything so I’m pretty much trying to pioneer to show these young kids from Augusta Georgia that they can make it too”.

For a man who’s just 17 years old, he shows maturity far beyond his years. Prioritising how he can inspire younger people from Augusta Georgia is testament to his character but displays the ambition and drive to be successful in his career.

On the subject of his future goals, the young man from Augusta Georgia has set his standards high, claiming:

“I want to be a 10X All-Star in the NBA and be remembered. Also, I want to use my platform to spread the word of God cause he’s what keeps me going”.

Some of his most impressive qualities are that, while he clearly has dreams of making it to the pros like most 17-year-old kids, he stays grounded and his values are something that both inspires and motivates him.

Now on to the topic of his actual play. He’s a true rim-running big who plays the pick ‘n’ roll to a tee alongside ESPN ranked number 2 player in the country Cole Anthony at the point. Coming off the bench in his junior year for the number two ranked high school in the nation and providing them with great rim protection and someone who will crash the boards on both ends is certainly a good place to start his NBA dream.

When asked if there was any current or former NBA player he’d compare his game to, Dylan didn’t pick a huge, big time player to go with. No, that’s not his style. He modestly selected Bulls rookie Wendell Carter Jr:

“I’m pretty athletic and I’m very versatile – my best comparison is with Wendell Carter Jr”

Cardwell X Wendell?
Cardwell X Wendell?

Because that’s exactly what Dylan Cardwell is; humble and modest. He quietly believes in his own ability – you have to if you want to make it as far as Dylan wants to – but isn’t overstated or brash in any way in his deminer.

The calm and modest man that Dylan is off the court however is thrown straight out the window the minute he laces up and takes to the floor. Aside from praying the night before a big game, Dylan listens to songs that “get me in my beast mentality”.

He elaborates, “I listen to songs where I imagine myself dunking on people and just being a killer on the court”

This clearly works for him (see highlights below) as his dominating physical presence allows him to bully everyone aside in the paint and throw it down with force. This, coupled with his relaxed deminer off the court and his determination on it will most certainly serve him well when he’s inevitably vying for a spot on an NBA team.

Remember the name. Dylan Cardwell.