Graham Wooden '20 Recruiting Profile

    Moving up to Varsity at the end of my 8th grade year really motivated me and gave me confidence that has carried with me ever since. As a freshman I started for my high school team at point guard, which gave me a valuable experience which has contributed to my skill development and development as a leader.  As a point guard, the ability to lead and learn is very important. In games, I try to get my teammates involved by assisting them. I believe I am a good distributor, which boosts my teammates confidence, which is important down the stretch in games and the season. I believe I have the ability to score at will and take over games when my team needs me. I have continued to improve on my skill set and leadership, which infiltrated into my sophomore season. As a team, we significantly improved our record and even won our first sectional game in three years. Unfortunately, I had a brief halt in my season. I got whooping cough and was unable to perform in a couple games and practices. Luckily the sickness subsided quickly and I was able to come back in full health after a couple of weeks. The sickness aloud me to get a new perspective on basketball and on life. I realized that basketball can be taken away at any time and that I should never take it for granted. I continued to work hard to get back to full health for my teammates. At the end of the season I was fortunate enough to be named to the All Section IV Team as well as All State Honorable Mention. I wouldn't have been able to accomplish these honors without my family, teammates, and coaches. I thank them and appreciate their support.

    This year for AAU, I competed in many high level tournaments. These tournaments included the Battle of Saratoga, Hall of Fame tournament, and the Gymrat Challenge. I was blessed to obtain All Gymrat First Team honors and an evaluation by one of their scouts. Recently, I earned a spot on the Section IV Summer Hoop Festival team that consists of the top players in the Southern Tier of NY.  We will be playing in the BCANY Summer Hoop Festival in August, where we will compete against the top players in the state of New York. I am very fortunate to be given opportunities to play high level competition.

    I am looking for an institution with an outstanding academic and athletic reputation. I'm unsure on a specific major, but I'm interested in Health Sciences, Biology, and Sports Management. Academics is very important to me as I work hard to maintain a high GPA and involving myself in school activities. As a Member of National Honor Society and the President of the Student Council, I possess the characteristics to lead and influence others positively. I have a desire to work with others to reach a common goal of success. I would ideally like to be a part of a program where I can make an immediate impact. I believe my basketball skills, ability to be coachable, leadership skills, and work ethic will allow me to make an impact on your college basketball program.