Ranked #1 in California, 12-year-old Oakland basketball phenom turning heads

OAKLAND, Calif. - Ranked at the top in his age group, a 12-year-old basketball phenom from Oakland is turning heads and is the first in his team’s history to receive an "offer" from a Division 1 college while in middle school.

The 7th grader plays in the junior youth division of Bay Area-based Team Arsenal, an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) club.

Last month, he and his team announced that he received an "offer" from the University of San Francisco.

"2031 Kam Potts (12yrs old) has received a D1 offer from the University of San Francisco! He is the first JR Arsenal player in the history of the program to receive a middle school offer while in middle school! Congrats to Kam! Hard work pays off!" the team posted on social media.

#1 in California

Top 25 Scouts told KTVU Kameron Potts is #1 in California in his age group in its state-by-state ranking.

Nationally, he's ranked #5 both by Top 25 Scouts, as well as by another similar site, Coast to Coast Preps. Both rank the country's elite and most talented youth basketball players.

What they're saying:

The left-handed point guard is described as a versatile and team-oriented playmaker, unselfish to the core, with phenomenal handles, extraordinary court vision and an incredible shot. 

Watching his highlights, it’s hard to believe he’s only 12. 

Wearing the definitive jersey number 0, he stands out and dominates with his impressive ball handling skills, his explosive and shifty moves that make him difficult to guard, and he’s a great passer. 

‘Unselfish player’

"He's a leader and a very unselfish player," his father, Kelvin Potts shared with KTVU. "He sets the table, but he also can score," he added.

The dad said his son is an exceptional student of the game.

"He's that kid that I think a lot of coaches will appreciate, you know, at the next level because of his approach," Potts said, noting that it’s an approach that involves respect for the game and pure dedication. "He wants to be coachable," the dad said. 

Kelvin Potts knows what he’s talking about when it comes to not only his son, but the game of basketball.

Dig deeper:

Potts is Kameron’s coach, and he’s also the president and director of Team Arsenal. Furthermore, he’s experienced success on the court himself.

He was a star on Fremont High School’s basketball team in Oakland. After graduation in 2005, he went on to play for Clark Atlanta University, in Atlanta, and later at the College of Idaho, outside Boise. 

The dad said it has been very meaningful to see his son achieve successes and be so passionate about the game he loves.

With a dad who’s a coach, the child has known basketball his whole life. He played his first game with a team at age 7. 

"He's just a kid that truly fell in love and found out that that's what he really enjoys and found out that that's something he really wants to do in life – be a good basketball player," Potts said.

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Kameron truly appreciates the culture of the game and has developed a very insightful understanding of what it takes to get to the top, according to the dad and coach.  

"He fell in love with working hard and getting results from working hard," Potts shared.

The dad also highlighted that with him being a coach, his son essentially grew up in the gym. And that allowed Kameron to witness up close the celebrated success stories as well as players’ hoops journeys that fell short of the dreams they pursued.

"So he knows both sides," the dad said, noting that has led to a perspective that’s helped drive the young player. 

"Sometimes it's a common question, like, dad… why didn't so-and-so make it to the NBA? Or was Stephen Curry good in high school? So he understands what it means to be the good player that did make it, and he also understands what it means to be the not so good player early on and actually make it due to, you know, discipline or whatever you have there," Potts explained.

Knowing your ‘own story’

And in turn, the young player uses this understanding to shape his approach on how to be the best, which involves being aware of individual challenges and knowing that means building strengths in other areas. 

"Everyone has their own race, their own story," the coach said. "God makes everyone different."

He shared how he emphasized this message to his son: "For you, you're a shorter guard. What do you need to do to make it? You need discipline. You're not going to have the big muscles and the six-pack without doing sit ups. Some guys have it, some people don’t. You're one of the ones that don't. You want to dunk the ball? You can shoot. God gave you a nice jumper, a kind of natural jumper. Great! But if you want to jump, you want to dunk, you're gonna have to really work towards that," the dad said, adding, "So there's different things that he knows that he has to work on personally." 

Kam's inspirations

As for the players that the young star looks up to or those he wants to model his game after, naturally, the Bay Area influence is strong. 

His father said they include Oakland High’s own and now Portland Trail Blazer Damian Lillard. Of course, Warriors' Stephen Curry is high on that list. He’s also inspired by standout player James Akinjo, an alum of Salesian College Preparatory in Richmond.

Interest from USF

Potts said his son was approached by the University of San Francisco’s basketball program after he attended the school’s Elite basketball camp for high school players.

"That's where they saw him playing amongst some of the top players in the Bay, in high school," the dad explained.

The young Pott's impressive performance prompted what amounts to a verbal expression of interest from the NCAA Division 1 basketball program. 

Potts noted that under NCAA rules, college recruiting coaches can’t reach out to youth players until the June after their sophomore year of high school. 

And even then, "There's only verbal offers. The only thing that is official is signing day. So you can only sign your senior year," the coach explained.  

Nonetheless, his son clearly stood out in a group of talented, older, more experienced players.

KTVU reached out to USF Basketball for a statement, but the program declined to comment.

Youth sports recruiting

Mike Allen Sports, a youth basketball organization that focuses on development, recruiting, and coaching, acknowledged that there is often confusion around early recruiting language at the youth sports level.

Founder Mike Allen explained to KTVU that an offer extended to a 12-year-old player "typically means a college coach or program has told the athlete and their family that they like the player’s long-term potential and would like to continue tracking their development." 

He went on to say that for gifted stand-out players, it’s not unusual to get this type of look from colleges at a young age. 

"From a development and parent-education standpoint," said Allen, it should be viewed as encouragement, not a guarantee," said Allen, adding, at this age, the focus should be trained on developing skills, love for the game, and doing well in school.

Allen is also a basketball coach himself, who was a star player at Ohio University and played overseas. 

"The player’s academic progress, physical development, character, work ethic, and on-court growth over the next 5–6 years are what will ultimately determine real recruiting outcomes," Allen explained.

‘Humble’ and down to earth

Despite Kameron’s early success and all the attention he’s received, his dad praised his son as a grounded and respectful kid who works hard.

Some of the most notable qualities about Kam are his leadership skills, how he treats other players and how down-to-earth he is. 

"That’s what I think is unique about him, and also supports his peers," the dad said. "The thing that impresses people the most, and I won't downplay it, it's more so about how humble he is through the success. He's ranked one of the top players in the country, one of the top players in the world at a young age. It doesn't change how he treats other people. And he still goes hard in the gym."

Sights set on the NBA

And the sky is the limit. Potts said his son wants to take his skills all the way to the NBA. And he's willing to put the work and dedication in to take that journey.

"He wants to go all the way," the dad said. 

For his part, the coach and dad said, his role is to be there for his son and back him up as he goes after his dreams, whatever they may be.

"He just wants to be the best version of the best basketball player he can possibly be," the coach and dad said. "I just support him and whatever he wants to do with basketball, whether it's college, high school, NBA, whatever he wants to do, I'm just here to help him reach his goals."