Deion Speaks '12 Recruiting Profile

Around the age of eight, I was a fan of the University of Maryland basketball team. My brother was a fan of rival Georgetown University. Whenever we went to the court by our house, we pretended to be those respective teams. That inspired me to think about playing basketball. I never really played legitimate basketball until seventh grade. Seventh grade was a funny year, because that was my first year at this new school called the Washington Latin Public Charter School. We didn't have much, but we made the best of what was there. Basketball in seventh grade was my greatest year. In a school where the only grades at the time were the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades, I was the only seventh grader. In that instance, I played center at 5'6". It actually was not hard playing center. I grabbed rebounds, blocked many shots, and stole the ball with ease. I had the most experience on that team.I had to be leader. My mindstate was to help the others become better players and encourage them to lead themselves. I'll have to admit it, I haven't played in a while, and now I have to make adjustments. I'm seventeen years old and I'm 5'9". I can't play center anymore. I am currently training for my final year of basketball in high school. I'm also doing this for my family. With three kids, the oldest trying to find a job, one born almost a year ago, and myself. I'm looking for as much as can get in terms of financial need. I am willing to play as hard as I can to contribute to whatever team I end up with.