Scouting timeline for Ashton Hagans
Another morning, another five-star commitment for Kentucky.
Cats Illustrated takes a look back at Ashton Hagans' development through the eyes of scouts who have watched him play the most.
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- Monday night's insider notes on Matt Hurt and Keion Brooks
Hagans to UK
"A member of the 2019 class that is expected to reclassify in the 2018 class and enroll this fall, Hagans is arguably the best perimeter defender in America and should be leaned upon for such an elite asset immediately."
- Corey Evans, April 2018
Hagans Shines After UGA Commitment
"The five-star point guard in the 2019 class has recorded several triple-doubles this year, but Saturday night he came up one rebound short of securing another one as he tallied 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Hagans set the tone defensively in the second half of a tight game and set up teammates for open threes in transition to help break open a close game in the third quarter."
- Dan McDonald, December 2017
Holiday Hoopsgiving
"Ashton Hagans might just be the meanest, most competitive dude around. After finishing with a triple-double on Friday, there was no sleepwalking out of the top-10 junior on Saturday, finishing two assists shy of another triple-double. He has begun to erase the major deficiency in his game, as his jumper is something that must be accounted for, but it is his lock-down defense, elite passing skills and leadership that will make him a college star from his first day on a college campus."
- Corey Evans, November 2017
Top Underclassmen in July's Live Period
"Already the No. 2 point guard in the class of 2019, Hagans is putting some heat on No. 1 PGCole Anthony. We’ve know that he can set guys up and defend at a high level, but seeing him operate as a high-level scorer really opened our eyes."
- Eric Bossi, August 2017
Evans' Takeaways: What we learned at the NY2LA Summer Jam
"Hagans has continued his rise within his class’ rankings and now solidly sitting within the top-10 of his class. Now the Peach State native is shooting to be the best point guard prospect in his class. A few coaches even agreed with this sentiment and while overtaking Cole Anthony atop of the point guard rankings may be difficult, it is not impossible. Hagans is a lethal defender, arguably the best that there is in high school ball."
- Corey Evans, July 2017
Bossi's Takeaways: Adidas in Vegas Wednesday
"It's hard to accurately explain just how good Ashton Hagans was while leading Game Elite 2019 to a win.
Time and time again, Hagans was making plays on both ends of the floor while looking like an elite point guard prospect. At one point a coach I was sitting with looked at me and said "This kid could play in the NBA. Tonight."
What impressed me the most is Hagans development as a scorer and how physical he is.
- Eric Bossi, July 2017
The Headache Inducer
"Hagans led the entire camp in assists by a wide margin, but what really separates him is just how dominant he is on the defensive end of the floor. Very rarely does a young prospect like Hagans base his basketball identity around his defensive efforts, but that is exactly what the Game Elite product is all about. He will lock you up for 94 feet and use his energy, length, lateral skills and quick twitch abilities to achieve 10-second calls, that is if his defender can even get that far. Averaging close to two steals per game, Hagans has shades of Elfrid Payton to his game and for his opponents, makes life a living hell, forcing them to bring Advil courtside."
- Corey Evans, June 2017
NBPA Top 100
"Rising junior point guard Ashton Hagans is well on his way toward five-star status and may be one of the top two floor generals in his class. Much of it has to do with his defense. He talked about his commitment on that end, heading to Oak Hill next season and a recent visit.
Make no mistake about it, Hagans is a pure point guard. He's all about getting others involved first and playing tough, in your face defense, which helped set him apart at the NBPA Top 100 Camp even though he didn't put up huge scoring numbers.
“I just came in and my mindset was just playing defense because I know it’s the only thing that can really stand out," said Hagans. "I just wanted to play aggressive and pick up 94 feet because I know my team will pick up off of me and pick up the energy.
“Offensively I’m a pass first guard. I like attacking off the screen and finding the open man for the three ball or my big rolling. I need to add my mid range but it’s coming.”
- Eric Bossi, June 2017
Adidas Atlanta Saturday
"On Friday night, Hagans made some huge plays down the stretch to help Game Elite win a close, but overall, it was just an average game by his standards. On Saturday night, Hagans made a case for being the best point guard in the 2019 class as he made big time plays against a really good Team BBC squad."
- Dan McDonald, April 2017
Adidas Gauntlet Atlanta
"Much like Akot, Hagans started the night off slow. Down the stretch though, he was terrific for Game Elite in their win over YIIS Texas Future. He had several tough finished in the paint and did a great job distributing the ball to his teammates. His size and quickness can be overwhelming for opposing point guards."
- Dan McDonald, April 2017
Georgia Stars: Top Performers in Atlanta
"Hagans did what he usually does. He’s the consummate point guard in that he knows how to keep his teammates involved while also picking his spots to create for himself. He scored a lot of tough buckets in a tight semifinal game, but also made sureJosh Nickelberry kept getting the ball when he got hot in a stretch that broke a tight game open."
- Dan McDonald, April 2017
Nike Elite 100
"There is still a long time left for prospects in the class of 2019 to grow and establish themselves, but thus far Hagans is one of the top point guards. Hagans plays with confidence, has great size, gets to the rim and he won't back down from a challenge. He's a potential top 25 player in the rising sophomore class."
- Eric Bossi, June 2016
Norman Parker Showcase
"Matched up on Moore, the 6-foot-4 point guard didn’t back down from the 2018 five-star prospect. Hagans is a very talented prospect in his own right and will likely be ranked among the best point guards in the country down the line. Like Moore, he’s a terrific play-maker with a shot that still needs some work at this point. What we learned most about Hagans this weekend is that he’s a highly competitive kid that doesn’t mind putting in serious effort defensively."
- Dan McDonald, April 2016