More prone to attacking the rim and having developed a knack for dunking it with either hand, Choate Academy's Hayden Peek is sneaky explosive.
He's added strength and know how to his game, which should catapult him to a meaningful role at Choate Academy this season.
A high academic prospect, Peek prides himself on always winning the plus/minus component of the stat sheet. With a vastly improved pull up jumper and having finely tuned both his mid-range game and outside shooting, the Class of 2020 prospect's style aligns with a perimeter-oriented offense and uptempo attack.
"At Choate, we are guard heavy and we'll have to run the floor fast," said Peek, now at 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds.
"We plan on running a four out and one in offense."
After establishing himself as a multi-dimensional scorer who can guard multiple positions at Trinity Pawling (N.Y.), Peek finds himself flanked by more talent at Choate. The team will feature a high-rising wing in Chuma Azinge and a stretch four type who can really dial in from deep with consistency in Andrew Kenny. Peek will also have the luxury of playing alongside a dish-first facilitator in point guard Aaron Gao, a cerebral game manager who knows how to get his teammates involved and make good reads.
Preparing Peek for the rigors of high level New England prep basketball was his experience playing for Team Rio, with an ensemble of Division-I talent and one of the nation's premiere molders of talent in fiery head coach Mike Rice.
"Playing for Team Rio was an amazing experience," Peek recalled. "Practicing and playing with the best players in the country really helped my game. It allowed me to learn from the best. Being coached by Mike Rice was unbelievable. The knowledge he has for the game is rare to find. His intensity rubs off on the guys he is coaching, which is awesome to be a part of."
With his unique blend of high academics and still evolving game, Peek has the potential to be a quintessential "safe bet" prospect. With his attention to detail and how well he takes to new concepts and his work ethic, his upside is appealing as he heads into his junior season. By becoming more adept at putting the ball on the floor and creating space for his shot, he's got the tools to really manufacture offense in a variety of ways this season. With his newly discovered bounce and knack for knifing to the rim, he'll be able to manufacture points in a variety of ways.
Choate Academy has plenty of depth in the backcourt. They will get quality minutes out of Hunter Jameson and Noah Delorme. Jameson is a sharpshooting guard with the potential to get hot in a hurry, who additionally brings a natural feel for the game. Delorme, a sophomore, has displayed good two-way tenacity and all around athleticism.