Gerald Liddell goes off at GASO Fall Classic, talks recruitment
His first two performances of the GASO Fall Classic were a little lackluster by his high standards, but Gerald Liddell went into his third game with something to prove. And the No.3 prospect in the class of 2018 proved exactly why he's a top 5 player in the state. The following 32 minutes of game time were dominated by Liddell. His Cibolo Steele squad trailed Vista Ridge at the half, but Liddell exploded in the 2nd half to wrench away control of the game and give his team the win. After the game, Liddell spoke with TexasHoops.com's Lyndon Cook about his performance and his recruitment.
"I knew I had to lead my team in this game," Liddell said. "The two earlier games we weren't playing well and something needed to change. I started off the game playing well and just kept at it and I'm glad it got my team the win."
Entering his junior season, Liddell sits on 19 offers from the likes of Arizona, Baylor, California, Creighton, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Marquette, Memphis, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, SMU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, and Wichita State.
Liddell has already visited Texas, and been visited by Baylor, UCLA, Creighton, Virginia, and Arizona, and plans to go Tucson to watch a Wildcats game next month.
"The most important thing for me is my relationship with the coaches and my teammates," Liddell said of what he's looking for in a school. "It's gonna be a decision I have to put a lot of thought into. I'm gonna go somewhere that I'm comfortable, and academics is also an important factor for me and my mom."
Liddell is a very skilled, very smooth player who can score at will when he's feeling it. In his sophomore season, he led Steele to the state tournament with his inspired play. Standing at six-foot-6, Liddell has the length to be a solid rebounder for his position and can effect passing lanes on the defensive end. Liddell will shoot it from all over the court but is at his best on the drive, where he will use a series of eurosteps and pro hops to finish. He is a capable pull up shooter and has an eye for a backdoor pass.
"The goal is always to make it to the state tournament," Liddell said of his expectations for the season. "Last year we made it to state so that has to be the base goal for this season."