Virginia Top-50 Prospect Henry Coleman Announces Decision Timeline

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Posted on Wednesday, Jun. 12, 2019, 11:07 pm

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By Jerry Ratcliffe

Henry Coleman speaks to media members during NBPA Top 100 Camp Wednesday at John Paul Jones Arena.

The night Virginia won the NCAA national basketball championship, barely two months ago, Henry Coleman was at his high school prom.

As much as he wanted to enjoy that high school moment, basketball got the best of him. He found a way to watch some of the game on his phone while in the car.

“It was unbelievable,” Coleman smiled before adding, “My mom called me right after and was just screaming.”

Cynthia Coleman is a UVA grad, and like her fellow Wahoos, had been waiting a lifetime to enjoy “One Shining Moment” when it meant something special.

Her son, Henry, is one of the Top 50 high school basketball recruits in the country, the eighth-ranked forward according to 247 Sports.

The more I watched Coleman during Wednesday’s 25th Annual NBA Top 100 Camp, I could see why. He is a 6-foot-7, 238-pound forward from Richmond’s Trinity Espiscopal School, and most everybody seems to want him.

He’s a big, physical kid, but has finesse as well. He can shoot, he can score, he can rebound, he can defend. He moves well and showed some passing skills, particularly on a fast break bounce pass that ended up assisting on a basket.

What Coleman said after the game is what caught my eye, or rather my ears.

He was asked what Virginia’s message has been to him during this recruiting war for the four-star prospect.

“[Virginia] likes me off the court,” Coleman beamed. “[Tony Bennett] said he knows I can play basketball, but that he likes the character I can bring to his team and the program.”

We all know what that means. Malcolm Brogdon, Joe Harris, Justin Anderson, Devon Hall, Isaiah Wilkins, De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy. Need we say more?

When Coleman was asked what hearing that from Bennett was like, the kid didn’t flinch.

“It’s amazing,” Coleman said. “Coach Bennett is an unbelievable person. People like him all across the world. It means a lot coming from him. I’m just blessed.”

While he looks, acts, plays, talks like a player who would fit perfectly in Bennett’s system, there are no guarantees, even though Cynthia would love to see him in orange and blue. Daddy, Hank, prefers a different shade of orange. He was a football player at Virginia Tech, so both parents could tug at their elite son’s heart if they wished.

Both have elected to let him decide where he would be comfortable and happy, preferably in-state, but if he chooses to go elsewhere, they will support the Top 50 prospect’s wishes.

Coleman has at least 18 official offers, including the Cavaliers and the Hokies, but if he’s leaning to any school, he’s keeping it to himself.

He tweeted on May 28 that, “there are no frontrunners,” and that he was keeping his options open. In fact, he said that every school that had offered him to that point was still in the running for his services.

Let’s see, that’s UVA, Tech, Wake Forest, VCU, Vanderbilt, TCU, Pitt, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, NC State, Minnesota, Maryland, LSU, Kansas, Georgetown, Florida, Clemson and Cincinnati.

This spring, Coleman told us that both Duke and UCLA have jumped on the bandwagon, but there are no reports of either making an official offer at this point.

“Duke is coming the hardest and UCLA has come in at the last minute,” Coleman said. “I guess they see the talent and the potential.”

We will all have a little clearer picture just who is in the hunt for his services next month.

“I plan on making a top seven (list) at the end of July, after that live [recruiting] period,” Coleman said. “Between October and November, I’ll be making my final decision about where I will be going.”

Both Virginia and Virginia Tech are expected to be among the final seven when the big man narrows his choices. He will take his official visits to as many of those seven finalists as he deems necessary.

The rest of this week, though, is about learning and competing at the Top 100, which actually has around 120 of the nation’s best high school recruits. While Wednesday was limited to family and media in the stands, Thursday will take on a greater meaning because for the first time in the event’s history, college coaches will get a chance to observe the players.

Coleman is here, though, to play. It’s his second straight invite to the NBA’s event that showcases the country’s top prep talent.

“It’s pretty exciting to be here,” Coleman said. “I’ve come up here (to UVA) since I was little. My mom’s a big fan, my dad’s rival school, so it’s a lot of fun.”

Since last year’s Top 100, the Richmonder said his shooting and ball handling have been the biggest improvements in his game. He works hard in the gym with two or three coaches on all facets of his play, even on hip mobility, so that he can defend all five positions on the floor, particularly one through three.

Virginia had its in-home visit with the Coleman’s on April 30, and the Cavaliers’ coaching staff is hoping that come the fall they can add him to the fold.

Maybe then, Coleman will give his mom something else to scream about.