6’10 Xavier Booker – Cathedral HS (IN) – exploded onto the national scene last spring with George Hill All-Indy playing on the NY2LA Basketball Association. The long, athletic, stretch 4 went from a relative unknown to consensus top 100 recruit nationally, and his rise is not done yet. One of the highest upside prospects in the 2023 class, Booker has the shooting touch, ball handling ability, and is the type of fluid athlete on the perimeter at his size that will have NBA scouts checking in over the next year.
NY2LA Sports caught up with Booker to talk about his game, goals, motivations and update his recruitment.
How would you describe yourself as a player and what makes you different?
“I’m a stretch 4 type of big. I like to shoot the three, and my mid-range pull up is becoming really good. I like putting the ball on the floor and I can break my defender down really well for someone my height. I am a good playmaker, I see the floor very well, and know how to set my teammates up. My post game is pretty strong too. When I’m attacking the rim I rarely ever get stopped, I use my height and length to my advantage. My IQ is going up over time as I learn more about the game and how to deal with certain situations. I’m different from the rest because there’s not really people my height who can handle the ball and make smart decisions with the ball at a high level. Also, there isn’t many players my height who can shoot as well as me.”
What are your goals right now? And what is your biggest motivation?
“Just to improve my game in every aspect. I’m good at a lot of things but you can always be better. I am going to be working to get more offers from schools like Duke and Kentucky. Also, getting stronger physically. My biggest motivation is my parents. They push me to do great things all the time and not just when its convenient.”
How was your experience playing with George Hill All-Indy last year on the NY2LA Association?
“My experience was great. Competition, gear, the team, coaches, everything was all I could ask for. My coaches let me play, they didn’t limit me. They made me comfortable with being able to play and guard any positions on the floor and Coach Mike (Saunders) has helped a bunch with my recruiting process. Sending film out to coaches and stuff, so I want to give a huge shoutout to him for believing in me and taking the time to do all the things he did for me and the rest of the team.”
Booker has a long list of high major offers and tells NY2LA Sports he is hearing the most from Notre Dame, Indiana, Xavier, Michigan St, Cincinnati, Ohio St, Purdue, Illinois and Marquette. Two new schools that have reached out that have not yet offered are Michigan and Kansas.
Booker is the type of talent that can be successful at any school in the country and expect his stock to continue to rise this spring and summer during the grassroots season. 5-star status is not out of the question for Booker down the road if he continues on his current trajectory.