Ramel Lloyd, Jr. Q&A
Updated: Jun 11, 2022
Big, athletic, guards and wings have shown incredible value in the NBA, whether it be as franchise players or as complementary pieces to give an extra kick off of the bench. With the game being so much about manipulating space, having someone who can shoot from deep, attack closeouts or create looks for themselves is of major value. These are all facets that make Ramel Lloyd, Jr. a very enticing prospect.
The son of a former high school All-American, Ramel Lloyd, Sr., who played basketball at Syracuse and Long Beach State as well as having a decade-plus career internationally, Lloyd, Jr. is coming off a big-time sophomore campaign with high hopes moving forward. Transferring from Taft to Rancho Christian, Lloyd, Jr. will have some big shoes to fill as seniors Evan Mobley (USC) and Dominick Harris (Gonzaga) both have graduated. At around 6’7 with impressive length, Lloyd, Jr. has an impressive handle, above-average passing ability and can make plays defensively, as well.
Another factor with Lloyd, Jr. is his ability to affect the game offensively at all three levels. It seems he can create on the ball and has a chance to be quite impactful off of the catch as well as a spot-up shooter. It certainly seems like some of these facets are being fine-tuned, but the early returns were impressive for the class of 2022 prospect who was named West Valley League Co-MVP as a sophomore at Taft. While Lloyd, Jr. has run with multiple AAU teams in the past, he spent this past summer focused on training with some very well-regarded trainers and equally high-level competition.
Lloyd, Jr. will be one of the headliners at the HoopSeen West Preview Camp powered by Pro Insight later this month, where he hopes to further exemplify why he is regarded as one of the top prospects on the west coast, regardless of class. He already has numerous college offers with more to come, and the showcase event in Lehi, Utah should further increase the national attention Lloyd, Jr. will inevitably continue to receive.
In this interview, Lloyd, Jr. shares his love for the game of basketball, his close relationship with his father, a look at how he has been training throughout COVID-19, why he decided to stay in California rather than head to Dream City Christian (AZ), some schools that stand out in his recruitment, what he looks for and studies as a player, and much more.
For the next installment of the Pro Insight Q&A series, we present 2022 prospect Ramel Lloyd, Jr., from Long Beach, California:
Pro Insight: Talk about your background and your story.
Ramel Lloyd, Jr.: I was born and raised in Long Beach, California. I have two older sisters, one played basketball at Long Beach Poly and Long Beach for four years. My dad played at Long Beach State and Syracuse, and also played overseas for about 15 years. Was one of the top high school players in the country, All-American.
PI: Did you play other sports growing up?
RL: No, it’s always been basketball. Grew up in gyms with my dad so I was pretty set on playing basketball.
PI: Any coaches try to recruit you to play football?
RL: Yeah, coaches, when you walk around school and they see you’re tall the coaches definitely ask. When I was at Sierra Canyon High School they asked me to play Lacrosse one year — so yeah, a couple times with different little things.
PI: What made you fall in love with basketball?
RL: From an early age, like I said just being in the gym with him all the time and at the end of his pro career I would always be there just watching, always involved. I kind of just grew into it, it was just natural.
PI: For those who aren’t super familiar with your game, what are some of your greatest strengths?
RL: For me I’m a really big combo guard at 6’7”. I can score the ball at all three levels. I have a great pace to my game. Length, I have a lot of length and use it on defense, rebounding, things like that. So I’m an all-around player: I get to the rim, shoot the mid-range, shoot 3’s. I feel like I have an all-around package in terms of scoring.
PI: What are your current measurements?
RL: 6’7” with shoes, 190 pounds, and about a 6’10.5” wingspan.
PI: Which areas do you feel like you can improve on as a player?
RL: For me, I’m usually the leader of the team, the main scorer, but I feel like leadership-wise I need to be more vocal and make my teammates better in every sense of the game. Just be more of a leader.
PI: What is your leadership style?
RL: I tend to lead by example. I do my thing and hope everybody else follows. I’m not as vocal as I should be so I’m going to try and be a bit more vocal and encourage guys more this upcoming year.
PI: Would you consider yourself more of an introvert or an extrovert?
RL: I can go both ways, it depends. I can be with my friends and be active socially or be myself.
PI: What would you say is most underrated about your game?
RL: Definitely my playmaking skills and vision. Last year I got pegged a lot as a scorer and wasn’t able to show my full ability to pass. So I feel like my playmaking.