Houston wins big recruiting battle to land Gaston County star; hear the coach tell it | Charlotte Observer

Gaston Day senior point guard Nate Hinton surprised a lot of recruiting experts when he turned down ACC, SEC and Big 10 schools to pick Houston.

Hinton signed with the Cougars Wednesday on the first day of National Signing Day.

LINK: How Nate Hinton became the hottest name on the recruiting trail last summer

Hinton picked up the Houston offer last spring, but kept them in mind, even after he had a magnificent summer season playing with Team Loaded NC, the former AAU travel team of 2017 NBA lottery picks Dennis Smith and Bam Adebayo. Hinton wanted a chance to play a significant role right away, with the ball in his hands. He’ll get both in Houston.

Playing in the adidas summer championships in Spartanburg last July, Hinton played five games in three days, and his performance made a strong impression throughout college basketball recruiting circles.

Hinton led Team Loaded NC averaging 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Over the next 48 hours, he got nearly two dozen scholarship offers. He also landed inside the top 100 college basketball recruits.