5-Star Prospect Scoot Henderson Will Bypass College, Sign with G League Ignite

Men's college basketball has missed out on one of the crown jewels of the 2022 recruiting class.

Scoot Henderson will turn pro as a member of the NBA G League Ignite, Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported on Friday.

The 17-year-old Henderson is "believed to be" the youngest-ever American professional basketball player, per Charania, who also wrote that the guard is signing for $1 million.

Per Travis Branham of 247Sports, Henderson has reclassified to the 2021 class with the decision. He also declined an offer to sign with the Overtime Elite program.

Henderson, who checks in at 6'3" and 180 pounds, was a 5-star prospect and the No. 13 overall player, No. 2 point guard and No. 1 player from the state of Georgia in the 2022 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The Kell High School standout was a Sports Illustrated All-American nominee, and he wrote a blog for the publication that delved into life as a top recruit.

In February, he revealed Memphis, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia and Georgia Tech were among the schools recruiting him the hardest. At the time, he was averaging around 31.0 points, 5.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Henderson was also the school's all-time leading scorer at the time with 1,493 career points that was helped, in part, by a 53-point outburst in a single game.

His athleticism immediately stands out, helping him blow past defenders in the open floor to create looks for himself and his teammates. His speed also helps him stay in front of opposing ball-handlers on the defensive side, which will be important at the professional level to ensure teams don't seek him out as a mismatch on the outside.

Henderson also impresses with his ability to get to the rim in half-court sets and finish through contact with his physicality.

That skill set should help him contribute as a key part of the Ignite's rotation before attention turns to a future NBA career.