The Coronavirus pandemic has shuttered nearly all levels of basketball - the NBA has indefinitely postponed its season, the NCAA cancelled March Madness, and High-School players watched their seasons end before championships could be awarded.

Even though Roddy Gayle's season ended before the pandemic, he's still stuck in limbo. The Lewiston-Porter sophomore has several Division-I offers in the bank, but was looking for more elite programs to put him on their radar.

"I think that this year was supposed to be my breakout year," he says. "I get to show different scouts and recruiters that I can play with people who are my age and the same talent level as me. I’m just hoping, waiting that I still get a chance this summer."

Several recruiting websites have tabbed Gayle as the top sophomore prospect in the state. Most have him listed as a four-star recruit, albeit one who can't work on shooting anymore. Rims at his local parks have all been removed, leaving him to focus on strength training.

"One of my teammates, Jalen Duff, he has a garage where he has free weights. Any time I can, I shoot up there, we just go lift weights," he says. "Do upper-body strength, lower-body strength…If I want to stay at home, I do push-ups and calisthenics. Push-ups, pull-ups, stuff like that."

Interest in Gayle begins in upstate New York and extends throughout the country. He's received offers from schools like Syracuse, Oklahoma and Alabama. With the sports world on hold, Gayle can't play in front of college recruiters, nor can he visit other schools.

"I lose the opportunity to see what the school looks like, and the type of environment that it has," he says. "Especially with the virus going on, I can’t experience the campus lifestyle that other students are going to." 

AAU hoops is also on hold - Gayle was slated to practice with the New York Renaissance earlier this month, the same team that helped Jordan Nwora land at Louisville. Gayle has thought about leaving Lew-Port and boosting his profile at a prep school, but he's heard differently from some recruiters.

"Some coaches suggested that I don’t go prep. They want to see me stay around here, face double-teams, and get better that way. Go play for a prep school where they have like seven high DI players, and me struggle for playing time. Just play in the backseat to a star player? They suggested that I stay home and find new ways to be better here."

Before a concussion slowed him down in January, Gayle averaged nearly 28 points per game. He says an elite program is part of what he wants from his college choice - Gayle also wants a school with strong business and accounting programs.