I made the seven-and-a-half hour trip for my second time earlier this fall. I had only been in the gym for about three minutes when I knew the trip was definitely worth the while.
Anthony Joseph Perez Cortesia is a 6-foot-9 junior who just arrived in the United States from his home country of Venezuela. His size and fluidity immediately caught my attention, but once he started raining 25-footers with a silky smooth stroke I felt a little like Don Nelson must have the first time he laid eyes on Dirk Nowitzki.
The fact that Cortesia then went on to handle the ball in the open floor, make dribble pull-ups, show phenomenal footwork and pass off the dribble was simply icing on the cake. By the time the workout was finished I came away convinced that I had just seen one of the best kept secrets in the country.
That isn't to say that Cortesia doesn't have work to do because he certainly does. He needs to add a significant amount of muscle to his frame, play stronger with the ball, establish a position for himself defensively and adjust to the speed and physicality of the American game.
Having said all that, they don't make many 6-9 kids who can come close to matching his skill set, length and innate feel for the game.
"I think the biggest thing is his versatility," said first-year Lee coach Andrew Papaefthemiou. "He will play one through four for us. He can shoot and pass the basketball and his overall skill set is probably the best the school has ever seen."
Papaefthemiou says Kansas State is the early leader in Cortesia's recruitment, but Providence and Wake Forest are also involved.
My own first impression tells me that Cortesia may ultimately be able to play at any school in the country.
After only two weeks of being in the United States, he dominated a gym that was full of college prospects, including seven others who project as Division I players. Give him two more years and his upside is scary good.
