Curtis Blair is the highest rated recruit of this Liberty freshman class based on 247Sports’ ratings. A 3-star guard/wing prospect out of Richmond, he had offers from Richmond (his father’s alma mater), Virginia Tech and Florida. He was voted as First Team All-State for his high school division and also to the All-Metro Richmond First Team for the 22-23 season as one of the best players in that area. He also won the TCIS Player of the Year Award.
At 6’5, Blair has solid length for a player with his skillset. His game can be described as chill or relaxed, but I prefer the term methodical. He is not one to beat you with pure speed and athleticism (though he has plenty of those traits) but by a high level of skill as a ball handler and shooter. He isn’t panicked by ball pressure but uses his smooth handle to read his defender and beat him with angles and movement.
I watched several times as Blair handled the ball and continued to read the defense, making moves with purpose and intention before he finds the space to rise up and knock down a mid-range jumper. He was deadly on hand off actions, moving constantly off the ball and getting open enough to hit deep threes with a high flick of his wrist.
Blair also showed he could be quite a threat putting pressure on the rim. He would run in transition while the defense is reeling and throw down lobs available to him through his smart cutting and finding open lanes. He was no stranger to hitting jumpers with hands in his face as he got to his spots on the floor and knocked down tough shots.
He’s got a clean transition from his dribble to his jumper in addition to being a threat as a spot up guy. He has soft touch from all areas, showing it off on turnaround bank shots along with the rest of his repertoire. Liberty seems to be collecting guys who can be scoring threats from all 3 levels, and Blair is no exception.
As a defender, he hustles on that end and gets some impressive blocks, pinning the ball against the backboard as a help defender. He can cover some ground with his length even if he is on some smaller, quicker guards. The real things you want to see from guys coming in are effort and tools, and Blair showed both of those things in his high school years.
He has high level scoring potential considering his notable traits as a cerebral scorer, handler, and shooter. Not to hyperbolize, but Liberty is now looking for its lead perimeter scorer with the departure of Darius McGhee, and considering the talent right here, this guy could be very exciting for Flames fans.
