When it comes to assessing and laying out projections for underclassmen, Shooting 4 Greatness (NC) head coach Kyle Solomon tends to shy away from lofty expectations.
There's always the risk factor of putting too much on a callow freshman or sophomore's shoulders.
Some underclassmen thrive off the early buzz, even exceeding the expectations heaped on them. Others wallow under the weight of it all, faltering under the pressure.
When it comes to Micah Henderson, however, the seasoned head coach assures us there is no illusions of how good he is.
The 16-year-old has emerged as a heady, crafty guard with reliable shooting and playmaking. Solomon cited Henderson as the most talented player he's had at his age.
"He's a modern day Pistol Pete," said Solomon of Henderson, who is from North Carolina originally.
"The way he's playing right now, he's showing not a trace of fear in his heart. He wants the pressure. He wants to be the guy taking that big shot at the end of the game. With getting bigger and with buying into our physical conditioning process, he's got the chance to be really special down the road."
Henderson has outdueled several bigger and more experienced players throughout the pre-season.
With his work rate and desire, Solomon said he eventually envisions Henderson as a 2,000-point scorer and the unrivaled face of the program.
The pre-season performances could be a harbinger of things to come.
Henderson, who is adept at scoring off the dribble and has flashed a trustworthy mid-range game, recently shot it at an 8-for-11 clip.
That's one of the noteworthy components of his game: efficiency.
Most freshmen are vulnerable to jitters and bone-headed mistakes and a suspect shot selection.
Henderson sheds any of the stereotypes associated with promising freshmen and sophmores thrown into pressure-spiked moments.
He followed the 8-for-11 sequence up with an 11-for-15 performance.
Then, most recently during an intra-squad scrimmage, Henderson opened up a prodigious deep jumper and knocked back 3-pointers with ease.
"He's got three years left and he's made it clear he wants to be the focal point," Solomon said.
"He's the classic case of a tone-setter type of kid. He gets the energy going in practice. He looks to get his teammates involved first as he's able to playmake, but puts his stamp on the game by hitting big shots late."
Solomon stopped himself in mid sentence when speaking of Henderson's upside, as he did not want to go into a hyperbole.
Yet with Henderson's pre-season shooting onslaughts and smooth, creative passing ability, it's clear he will have the opportunity to take game-changing matters into his own hands.
Solomon rattled off a bevy of the more prized players who have graduated from S4G.
Chief among this list of notable alum are Dequon Miller and Mike Medlin.
Miller thrived as a gritty 5-foot-10 guard at Missouri State. He was instrumental in MSU's wild upset victory over Oklahoma, scoring 21 points and turning in the game-winning layup with 7.3 seconds remaining.
Medlin, a deftly skilled forward who has attracted mid to high major interest, has prospered as a scoring threat and key presence on the glass at Hill (JUCO) in Texas.
A stretch four at 6-foot-9, Medlin has a multi-positional game similar to a Lamar Odom type. He can put the ball on the floor, dish, create his own shot, and hit 3-pointers with consistency.
If Henderson can gain muscle and get bigger throughout the next three years, Solomon envisions the Class of 2021 prospect leaving a similar lasting legacy.