蜜柚直播

Nico Mannion was born on March 14, 2001, about six weeks early. Fourteen years later, Nico was just 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed about 130 pounds.

Pace and his wife, Gaia, didn鈥檛 think their son had caught up yet.

鈥淗e鈥檚 always been tiny,鈥� Pace said.

Nico was talented, there was no doubt. Bloodlines made sure of that. Pace played professionally in the NBA and in Europe, and Gaia was a professional volleyball player in Italy. The parents could see elite skills emerging out of their red-topped boy as early as third grade.

So to hope that talent had a better chance to pair with a developed body, they put Nico through a second year of eighth grade, a deceleration Nico reversed last week when he announced he would skip a grade and join the class of 2019, instantly making him a top priority among the rising high school seniors 蜜柚直播 is recruiting.

鈥淭he doctor says he鈥檒l probably grow until he鈥檚 20 because he was a preemie,鈥� Pace said. 鈥淲e just didn鈥檛 know what his growth was going to be so we held him back. We told him, 鈥榊ou can always go back if you feel it鈥檚 right.鈥� It was the maturity and all of those things. Now we don鈥檛 feel there鈥檚 any need to play the last year of high school.鈥�

This summer, Pace said, it became obvious. Nico was already a five-star prospect in the class of 2020 and playing well for the high-level West Coast Elite club in the Under Armour travel-ball circuit, even as he wasn鈥檛 sure if wanted to reclassify.

鈥淚 really wasn鈥檛 into doing it until two or three months ago,鈥� Nico says. 鈥淢y dad had kind of got it in my mind, like 鈥楬ey, you should think about reclassifying.鈥� He didn鈥檛 force me but he told me, 鈥楾hese are the pros, these are he cons.鈥�

鈥淥nce he told me, it was more towards the pros so I figured I might as well do it and get it over with. It鈥檚 about development and not having to spend another year in high school. I鈥檇 rather just get to college and take a year there.鈥�

The decision was cemented when Nico trained with and played for Italy鈥檚 national team in the FIBA World Cup qualifying game earlier this month (he鈥檚 a dual U.S.-Italian citizen, with Gaia being Italian and Pace having played professionally in the country). He had nine points and two rebounds while playing a team-high 29 minutes in Italy鈥檚 81-66 loss to the Netherlands.

The preemie, suddenly, was thriving against the big boys.

鈥淗e played in Italy with grown men for a month. Once we saw that, we knew he could play at the college level,鈥� Pace said. 鈥淭he college game will never be as physical as what he went through over in Europe. They don鈥檛 call moving screens and they let you handcheck. It鈥檚 much more physical.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 when we really realized 鈥極K, there鈥檚 no doubt he鈥檚 ready to play at the college level.鈥欌��

The Italian experience also gave Mannion another opportunity to take advantage of: Lots of time in between practices, meetings and meals to hop online and take courses.

Knowing he might reclassify, Nico took courses in English and math over the summer. He and his parents went through Pinnacle High School to find an online program that could help him get ahead.

Nico says he has to take two more extra courses during what is now his senior year, and he doesn鈥檛 appear a bit worried about it.

鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 been so crazy,鈥� Mannion said. 鈥淐lasses went pretty smooth. Whenever I had downtime I鈥檇 knock some hours out and go from there. When I was in Italy, I had a lot of downtime. If I鈥檓 on an airplane and I can connect, I鈥檒l do it, or if I鈥檓 at home and have nothing to do.鈥�

But the athletic and scholastic hurdles aren鈥檛 the only ones Nico is clearing. He鈥檚 also mature and confident, having been aware since he started excelling in the sport that his skills and appearance make him something of a target.

That all became more intense after Sports Illustrated approached him during his freshman season to write a longform profile on him as a teenager straddling the lines between normalcy and athletic stardom. But that鈥檚 also when Pace realized his son could handle that spotlight.

The story, published in Feb. 2017, was headlined: 鈥淎 15-year-old (sorta maybe) basketball prodigy.鈥�

鈥淚 talked to Nico before the article and we discussed do you want to do it?鈥� Pace said. 鈥淚 said to him, 鈥業f you do it, it just puts a bigger bullseye on your back.鈥� He said, 鈥楧ad, I鈥檓 a white kid with red hair. I鈥檝e got a bullseye already. 鈥� Everybody knows me. There鈥檚 no hiding. He handled it really well.鈥�

鈥淣ico鈥檚 been in the limelight for a long time. He鈥檚 not the arrogant kid. He just handles it how you鈥檙e supposed to handle it. We鈥檝e always told him, 鈥榊ou don鈥檛鈥� need to celebrate a 3. You don鈥檛 need to show somebody up when you get a dunk. You just need to get back and play defense.鈥� He鈥檚 taking that to heart and trying to do that.鈥�

He just plays very well. So much so that Nico鈥檚 reclassification actually set back his plans to announce a list of five finalist this week, because, well, Roy Williams and John Calipari suddenly decided to pick up the phone.

鈥淣orth Carolina did call, Kentucky called,鈥� Mannion said Wednesday, after leading West Coast Elite to a 79-71 win in the Under Armour tournament. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get to talk to Roy (the UNC coach) but my dad talked to him. I talked to Calipari (of Kentucky) twice in the last week.鈥�

That鈥檚 probably not good news for 蜜柚直播, although the Wildcats have impressed the Pinnacle High School star during several unofficial visits, including last season鈥檚 Red-Blue Game and regular-season games against UConn and UCLA.

鈥淚鈥檝e been there quite a few times,鈥� Mannion said. 鈥淭he environment is great. Even the Red-Blue Game is just a scrimmage and a dunk contest but it鈥檚 sold out. There鈥檚 not much you can say about it 鈥� it鈥檚 just a great environment.鈥�

Mannion said he鈥檚 planning to cut his list down sometime after the July evaluation period ends this weekend and then start scheduling visits. But he said he isn鈥檛 planning to make a commitment until January or February because he wants to take official visits during the season in order to get a feel for the regular-season environment.

Mannion said he thinks 蜜柚直播 might change to a more perimeter-oriented, faster style next season and that he鈥檚 curious to see how it plays out.

鈥淚 want to watch them play and see how their style changes, if it changes,鈥� Mannion said, and 鈥渟ee who they recruit, who鈥檚 coming in and who鈥檚 staying and stuff like that.鈥�

While Nico is watching his final choices play next season, everyone will keep watching him, too. He鈥檒l be busy, and under the spotlight as much as ever.

But, in more ways than one, Nico is now big enough to handle it.

鈥淚 believe he鈥檚 the best point guard in the country, so (reclassifying) is something we鈥檝e been thinking about for years,鈥� said Ryan Silver, director of the West Coast Elite club. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a special, special kid.

鈥淗e鈥檚 ready. He鈥檚 ready.鈥�