By SAM LANCE
The recruitment of four-star shooting guard Junior County is starting to take shape.
County, the 6-foot-5 guard out of Wasatch Academy (UT) and the Utah Prospects Nike EYBL AAU program, plans to make some big decisions soon.
“After Peach Jam, I think I’m going to cut down my list and then schedule visits,” County told ZAGSBLOG. “Right now, I kind of got a mental [idea], but none of it’s really official. But I think by the end of July I’ll know.”
The guard has been a standout for the Prospects so far this summer, averaging 13.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. County plays both sides of the ball and uses his size to shoot and finish over smaller guards.
“I think I’ve been able to use my size more to my advantage and just show that I can play on and off the ball, play both ends,” County said of his summer. “Really I’ve just improved my overall game. I’m looking forward to next week and Peach and the fourth session. We have four good games before we can roll into Peach. So I’m looking forward to that. Should be exciting and we’re starting to come along.”
The Prospects sit at 7-4 heading into the last session and will be looking to improve its standing heading into Peach Jam from July 15-20.
“We just need to play together and we won’t have any problems,” County said. “When we play together, we make more shots and I think we’ll be able to make a run. So just playing unselfish.”
County was also able to attend NBPA Top 100 Camp in June, where he averaged 10.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists for Team Jones. County shot 64.3% from the field across five games, which ranked No. 9 overall at the camp.
“It was a really good experience, having all the coaches out there,” County said. “I earned a lot of knowledge, and it was good to learn from all the NBA players that were there.”
One lesson that really stood out at Top 100 Camp came from Kyrie Irving, who said your attitude is the biggest separator in college. Having a good mental heading into games is now something County is working on, along with his leadership.
“A personal goal that I’ve set for myself is to be a better leader, and I think by the end of July I would have gotten to my goal,” County said. “I’m still working on it, but I feel like I’ve just become such a better overall player.”
With County nearing his list cut, several schools are in the mix. County has previously taken official visits to Purdue and Texas A&M under Buzz Williams (now at Maryland). He also took an unofficial visit to Tennessee after Top 100 Camp on June 13.
“I just drove up there to meet some of the coaches and see the campus a little bit for a couple hours, but I did enjoy that,” County said. “I got to talk with everybody except for the head coach, because he wasn’t there. But I got to see Nate Ament and another freshman work out. So that was cool to see. And I got to see around campus. It was a quick visit, so I didn’t really get to see too much, but it was cool to see the coaches in person.”
Last time ZAGSBLOG chatted with County, schools like BYU, Houston, Purdue, Stanford, Maryland and Utah were in the mix. Those schools are still in there for County, and other programs like Arizona, Mississippi State, Texas, UConn and Virginia have joined his recruitment. All of those schools have offered besides Arizona. Indiana has also offered recently.
County broke down some of these new programs in the mix, and gave updated thoughts on Maryland:
Arizona: “I’ve talked to most of the coaches. The first one to reach out was Brandon Chappell. But I’ve talked to them a lot throughout the summer. They showed me their playing style, how they play the fast and the guards who have played there.”
Maryland: “It’s been great. I’ve been in touch with them a lot too. And yeah, I think I’ll plan to visit their campus.”
Mississippi State: “I’ve talked to them a lot too, just getting to know coach [Patrice] Days and coach [Chris] Jans. It’s been great to get to know them. They’re great people.”
Texas: “I had a zoom with them actually this past week. They just showed me more of their campus and what their school is about. So that was a good experience to have with the coaching staff and just learn more about them.”
UConn: “It’s been great to meet and get to know the UConn staff and coach [Dan] Hurley. It was great to be able to have that opportunity and to keep building my relationship with them. It’s really exciting for sure.”
Virginia: “I had a zoom with Virginia too. I just got to see their playing style, how they operated at VCU before they went to Virginia. It was just great to see that with my eyes and talk to them.”
You can find County’s thoughts on the other schools involved here. County has also given some thought to a decision timeline.
“I think I’m going to commit in October as of right now,” County said. “That’s my plan. I’m not sure when in October, but it’ll probably be mid-October.”
The four-star guard is ranked the No. 27 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports. He’ll return to action with the Utah Prospects against the Oakland Soldiers on July 10. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. ET.
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