Painter Finishes Season with a Flourish

Click here to view the player profile of DeShawn Painter

Booker T. Washington (Norfolk, VA) power forward DeShawn Painter entered the 2007/2008 season with high expectations as one of the most highly rated prospects in the 2009 class. The season did not go as planned for Painter, who admittedly struggled against top competition and defenses focused on taking him out of the game. However, by the end of the season, the 6-8, 215-pound prospect regained his swagger and is excited heading into the AAU season.

“I struggled in the beginning, but in the end I pulled through,” Painter said of his junior season. “This year, teams game-planned to shut me down. Last year, we had another player who was the focal point so I was able to do my work. This year, we saw a lot of zone defense. Teams were coming at me hard, but we really learned how to play against the zone.”

Painter and the rest of his teammates eventually found their groove, especially towards the end of the season.

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