Scouting Report: Grant Jerrett

Grant Jerrett was part of Arizona's very talented recruiting class this past season, when they brought in three big men all in the top 15 by RSCI rankings. As expected, playing time was a problem and Jerrett ended up splitting time at power forward with fellow freshman Brandon Ashley. By the end of the year, playing time was still inconsistent for Jerrett and it looked more like Ashley would earn the starting spot heading into next year. With two more talented forwards coming to Tuscon next year (Aaron Gordon and Rondae Jefferson), Jerrett's playing time situation didn't look like it would improve much. So instead of settling for another year of playing 20 minutes a game at the most, Jerrett decided to declare for the NBA Draft.

It is an interesting decision for sure. Generally, if you have to leave your college team because of playing time, that isn't a good sign. But this Arizona Wildcat team is very talented up front and filled with multiple NBA prospects. Ashley, Tarczewski, and incoming forwards Rondae Jefferson and Aaron Gordon may have more upside than Jerrett, but Jerrett has NBA size and a skillset fit for the power forward position.

This year at Arizona, Jerrett was mainly a pick and pop threat. He has an odd looking shot, but a very consistent stroke without any unnecessary movement. He also has a fairly high release point and his jumper looks similar to the Spurs' Matt Bonner. Over half of his shot attempts this season were three point attempts, which should give you a good idea of what kind of player he projects to be as a pro.

He shot 40% from 3-pt range and 82% at the line, both very impressive numbers for a freshman big man. He has a big body that helps him set screens and he does a good job getting himself open when popping out behind the 3-pt line. He doesn't force up any shots and has a very pure, balanced stroke.

As an athlete, Jerrett doesn't have the body you'd expect from a NBA player. He looks very unathletic, uncoordinated, and out of shape. He's a little chubby, has high shoulder, and will never be the most explosive or quickest big on a team. But Jerrett is more athletic than he looks and moves pretty well once you can get past looking at his awkward running style.

The biggest asset he has physically is his size. Even though his frame isn't that of a normal basketball player, he does have a body that can take up space and bang inside. At this point, Jerrett shies away from contact and doesn't have much of a post game, but that can change once he gets stronger. Its obvious that his frame hasn't had any kind of weight training and he gets backed down in the post too easily for a guy his size. His height may never be used to its full capabilities inside, but it will allow him to get his jumper off with ease.

Unsurprisingly, Jerrett was just an average at best finisher at the rim. He didn't show he could finish with contact nor was he very explosive. But he did show good touch around the rim and the ability to move around the baseline without the ball. You have to keep in mind that Jerrett wasn't featured in the offense much this year so there may be some things he is capable of that he just hasn't shown yet.

Still, up to this point there is no notable mid-range game or post game. He shot poorly on his 2-pt jumpers, although they were scarce.

Jerrett does have a fairly good feel for the game though and is able to put the ball on the floor when the defense closes out on him. He is a skilled player who can finish with both hands as well. Compared to Brandon Ashley, Jerrett relies on his size and skills more while Ashley lives more off of athleticism and feel for the game.

In the NBA, Jerrett will be more suited for a team that wants to spread the court and run pick and pop plays. Unlike other stretch 4s, he isn't a guy who can also beat you in transition, so a halfcourt offense is more suited for his needs. His conditioning needs a lot of work as he was seen with his hands on his hips and breathing heavily often at Arizona.

Defensively, Jerrett doesn't have the strength to handle back to the basket guys yet, but did a surprisingly good job getting out and defending the pick and roll in space. His footwork improved throughout the year and he did a good job recovering and picking up block shots. He averaged 2 blocks per 40 minutes which is a testament to his timing and ability to not take himself out of defensive plays. There is also some truth that defenders weren't intimidated by his presence inside.

Overall, Jerrett isn't your typical one and done prospect despite his high ranking out of high school. It was a shock to see him enter the draft and while it may not have been the wisest decision, it is now too late to turn back. Getting an invite to the Chicago combine was a good sign and he was able to show his size and shooting ability there. He was said to be one of the best shooting big men at the event.

When it comes to stretch 4s, I like his upside more than Kenny Kadhi or Ryan Kelly, but teams don't usually look to develop a stretch 4. Teams generally take a stretch 4 with the idea of them contributing to their team sooner than later. For Jerrett, he still needs to gain plenty of experience and get himself in shape before contributing. Thats what makes his draft stock interesting - I don't think a team wants to use a first rounder on a stretch four that will be in the D-League the next two years. Its more likely to see Jerrett go towards the mid to late second round range. His game actually fits Europe well so that could be a good option for him to develop the next couple of years if he believes he has the maturity to play overseas. 

Marcus Smart to Return to Stillwater

In a weak draft like the one expected this season, the decision to take the easy money has been, well, easy for some guys. Basically every fringe first rounder has put their name into the draft so far, including all of the lottery guys.

That is, except for Marcus Smart.

Earlier tonight, Chad Ford reported that Smart would be holding a press conference tomorrow during lunch time in the student union area. Lots of Oklahoma State students would be present, so there quickly became some hope for fans that maybe he would defy logic and come back next season. Certainly he wouldn't pull a LeBron James and hold a press conference in front of his fellow students, only to end it by ripping their hearts out...right?

It wasn't long after that thought that Adrian Wojnarowski, the king of sources, had the official scoop that Smart indeed was going to opt for a second year at Stillwater. And when Wojnarowski reports it, it might as well be fact.

Smart's decision has already been subjected to much criticism and he's likely to hear more throughout next season. The general thinking is - weak draft, guaranteed top 5 pick, potentially a historically strong draft next season - he would be stupid to risk it all for another year in college.

But ultimately it is Smart's decision to be made and as long as he made an informed decision, I have no problem with it. This decision is a little look into just how different Smart is. He's special. Smart isn't a guy who is going to worry about his draft stock. He's confident in his abilities. What he wants to do is win. And he's done that at every level up until college and I imagine after the loss against Oregon he felt he had some unfinished business to take care of.

Maybe it just wasn't natural for Smart to spend a season with a team and leave after not accomplishing anything. He has multiple HS championships, AAU banners, and even lead U18 USA Team to a victory in the FIBA Americas last summer. Returning to school, likely as the Big 12 favorites, Smart will have one thing in mind and it sure won't be how is draft stock is looking. He'll be looking to win a NCAA title.

This decision also put Smart in a position where he would leave his best friend, longtime teammate, and practically brother - Phil Forte behind. Smart grew up with his family and the thought of abandoning Forte after one year may have not sat well with him. Knowing the kind of player and point guard Smart is, he may not feel his job is done as a leader until he elevates both of them to professional prospects.

Smart also sat in on the USBWA awards dinner on Monday and listened to Tom Izzo talk about how much Trey Burke improved between his freshman and sophomore years. ESPN's Fran Fraschilla said he was "all ears".

Whether or not Smart's draft stock remains as a top 5 pick next year is certainly debatable. He has holes in his game that could be exposed farther the same way Sullinger, McAdoo, Willie Warren, Zeller, and others fell victim to in recent years. But there is more to a player's life than where he gets picked. All we know about player's are their basketball lives, but there are other factors. And as far as I'm concerned, experiences are greater than 3-5 pick difference in the NBA Draft. College life only comes around once.

And if Smart ends up a good NBA player - which as a player, there should be no other thought than that - then a couple years from now, nobody will even talk about this decision. And if he is terrible and flames out of the league in a few years, at least he will have some more memories in college to fall back on.

In the end, Smart is a competitor and its hard to ask him to be competitive, but at the same time consider the fact of failing by coming back a season. If Smart did that, Marcus Smart wouldn't be Marcus Smart. Part of what makes Smart great is his competitiveness, confidence, and intangibles. You can't just ask him to change his way of thinking. It why he is a great athlete and we all are just commenting on his decision - different mind sets.

Which Teams Will Reign Supreme in 2013-14?

I'll admit, looking ahead to next year's college basketball season already is a little unmindful. Conference tournaments still have yet to start and the NCAA tournament is still a month away. However, there is a curious side to me and I imagine many fans as well, that want to see what the following season has in store for us. Next year will be a big year for conference realignment with Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Memphis, and Temple among the movers. For one year at the very least, the power off the ACC will be restored and the Big East will remain relevant.

There is still a lot up in the air for next year - we don't know about transfer, players declaring for the draft, and we are still waiting on 3 of the 4 class of 2013 recruits to commit. The only top 4 player committed already is Jabari Parker who committed to Duke back in December.

And with that - I suppose Duke and Jabari Parker are a good place to start when looking at next year. Parker's final decision came down to Michigan State and the Blue Devils and he ultimately chose to head south. Parker cited Branden Dawson's presence at forward as a big factor in his decision. But looking at the rosters, Michigan State has a greater need for Parker than Duke does.

Michigan State and Duke appear to be early favorites for next year and you can throw in Kentucky into that conversation as well - with or without Andrew Wiggins. Michigan State will return everyone except Derrick Nix and should be the most cohesive group from the start. Kentucky will obviously be the most talented, but also the least experienced. Duke finds themselves in the middle of the two teams - loaded with talent but also a fair amount of experience.

Here is what Duke's projected depth chart looks like:

Quinn Cook/Tyler Thornton

Rasheed Sulaimon/Andre Dawkins/Matt Jones

Rodney Hood/Alex Murphy/Semi Ojeleye

Jabari Parker/Amile Jefferson

Marshall Plumlee/Josh Hairston

Cook, Thornton, Hairston, and even Andre Dawkins, who should return to the team, will offer veteran leadership. And just about every rotation guy except for Parker has spent a season practicing with the team (Rodney Hood has practiced all year with the team and has been impressive by all accounts). The thing that stands out for this Duke team is how stacked they are on the wing. I can't remember a team as loaded as they are. 

Yet Jabari Parker felt that he would have an easier time fitting in with Duke than Michigan State.

Who does Michigan State have on the wing?

Well with Nix leaving, you can expect Branden Dawson to get even more minutes next year as their power forward. That leaves them with Gary Harris, Russell Byrd, and Denzel Valentine to split up about 80 minutes of playing time. Parker seems like a huge asset for them and he would even be able to spend much more time out on the perimeter playing his NBA small forward position. 

Perhaps it wasn't necessarily playing time that Parker was worried about as it was fit. On Michigan State, Parker would have been asked to compliment Dawson - a guy without much ability handling or shooting the ball. Parker would've been expected to make plays on the perimeter and that just isn't his bread and butter currently. Duke has the shooters and ball handlers that should make Parker's life easier.

Nevertheless, Michigan State still figures into the top 5 conversation. Their backcourt with Keith Appling and Gary Harris will be very tough to beat and I see Denzel Valentine sliding over to play small forward. Dawson and Payne make up a good tandem inside.

The only thing that could hurt Michigan State is if Gary Harris enters the draft. Chad Ford seems to be trying to push him that way - saying that he is a potential lottery pick. I've always envisioned Harris as a guy who stays a couple of years though, even though he has played like a first rounder through conference play. Duke could afford a surprise draft early entrant like Rasheed Sulaimon and not miss a stride, but Gary Harris very well could be the Spartan's most important player next season.

Michigan State's projected depth chart looks like this:

Keith Appling/Travis Trice
Gary Harris
Denzel Valentine/Russell Byrd
Brendan Dawson/Alex Gauna
Adriean Payne/Matt Costello

Kentucky is the final team that should get #1 consideration heading into next season. This year has been a disappointed for them, but this next recruiting class they have coming in is on a different level of special. The Harrison Twins, James Young, Dakari Johnson, Marcus Lee, and homegrown Derek Willis figure to fit much better together than this year's current squad.

For one, they have a point guard and to top it off, he already has plenty of chemistry with his backcourt mate. The Harrison Twins are not only athlete, but have a good understanding of the game and can spread the floor. Andrew has no problem leading a team and getting everyone involved and has always embraced the point guard role. His brother Aaron will join James Young as another athletic wing with good size and unlimited range on jumpers.

The difference between these guys and their soon to be incumbents is skill level. Goodwin and Poythress were athletes with limited skills and a poor understanding of the game. You can't say that about any of these three perimeter players.

And on the inside, a guy like Marcus Lee is exactly who you want on a stacked team. Lee is an exception athlete with a high IQ and is very unselfish as well. He is perfectly fine anchoring a defense, running the court, and crashing the glass for his contributions on offense. He is also a sneaky good passer for his size, although the rest of his skills are a work in progress. 

Dakari Johnson will work well with him as he can handle the scoring load while Lee provides the shotblocking threat. There is also a chance that Willie Cauley-Stein could be back to add depth. 

One guy who is sure to be back is Kyle Wiltjer, who will give them an experienced returnee that they lacked last year. His 3-pt shooting next to the other sharpshooters will be a lethal combination. Especially when Andrew Harrison starts making plays in the lane and the big men are finishing inside.

Ryan Harrow should be back as well and he's in an interesting situation. The idea, or hope at least, for him this year was to start at PG and lead this Kentucky team to another deep run before heading to the draft. Now with Kentucky struggling to even make the tournament, he is kind of in no-man's land. If he declares for the draft, he won't be selected and he's not even a likely candidate to walk onto an NBA roster or a strong overseas team. 

His other choice is to stay with Kentucky and accept the backup point guard role behind Andrew Harrison. He's kind of like the kid who failed 7th grade and had to repeat it over, except this time his new classmates are even smarter. 

The scary thing is that Kentucky still has a good chance to land another blue chipper like Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, or Aaron Gordon.

Other teams with top 5 potential include Louisville, Ohio State, Syracuse, Georgetown, Memphis, Indiana, and Arizona. A lot of the usual suspects.

While Duke, Michigan State, and Kentucky are early favorites to win the conferences they've been a part of for decades - the Big East loses Pittsburgh and Syracuse, while picking up Memphis, Houston, SMU, and UCF. The Big East is in for an obvious drop off once the Catholic 7 leaves, but the 2013 season still looks strong.

Battling for the top spot will be Louisville, Georgetown, and Memphis while Villanova, Connecticut, and St. John's should all be improved next season. Marquette will find a way into the top 25 as well.

Louisville may have the best shot at the Big East title, but whether Russ Smith and Gorgui Dieng stay or declare for the NBA Draft is still up in the air. Regardless, they have the talent to lose both along with senior Peyton Siva and still remain a contender.

Montrezl Harrell is ready to take over the center role for Dieng and nobody can replicate what Russ Smith brings, the insertion of Luke Hancock into the lineup would offer them a different look. Smith could shoot them out of the game just as he could shoot them into one - with Hancock they will have a player who is unselfish and able to make teammates better.

The rest of the Cardinal's players are expected to return and will be joined by a loaded recruiting class. Chris Jones was the top Juco in the country and should be ready to handle point guard early. He will have help from Terry Rozier, a post-grad player, who should also be ready for immediate action. Anton Gill is another stud who played with Rozier and Hargrave Military Academy and will be more ready for the step up to college basketball than most recruits.

It will be up to Chane Behanan and Wayne Blackshear to step up and provide some leadership, but if they do, this Louisville team can just be as good - if not better - than the current one. And if Russ Smith and Dieng do come back? Then they are even scarier.

Syracuse is next in line in the Big East, even with the expected departures of Brandon Triche, Michael Carter-Williams, and James Southerland. Freshman Tyler Ennis will be asked to take over the point guard role and he is more than capable. While Ennis isn't as flashy as MCW, he may be the most college ready freshman guard Syracuse has had in awhile. Ennis will provide balance, leadership, and plenty of experience winning to the table. He will need help from Trevor Cooney, Ron Patterson, and Duke transfer Michael Gbinjie though as they look to be the only options at guard.

Next year, the strength of the Orange will shift to the inside where Fair, Grant, Christmas, Coleman, and Keita all already find themselves in this year's rotation. Fair and Grant will need to continue to develop their perimeter skills to slide over and play small forward, while a jump in production from DaJuan Coleman would be nice. Coleman brings the most offensive potential out of the center rotation.

Then there is Georgetown - who you may think I am projecting Otto Porter returning to school based on my lofty ranking of them - but I think they will be good with or without him. Porter is certainly their best player this year, but he likely will be unable to pass up a spot in the lottery of the NBA Draft.

That is where Greg Whittington can step up and re-establish his name with the Hoya faithful. Georgetown has played much better with him out of the lineup, but that doesn't have anything to do with him being a bad player. Instead, the pairing of Whittington and Porter together preventing them from pressing and adding another dynamic scoring guard on the floor. Since he's gone down, Georgetown has been great and next year it can be Whittington that steps in for a departed Porter. Whittington isn't as good as Porter, but can provide similar versatility. The rest of the Georgetown roster will all be back which is scary considering it already looks like the young guys have established great chemistry and have the offense mastered.

Memphis will be the newcomer in the Big East and while they will have to get used to a higher level of competition on a nightly basis, they will have all the talent to compete for a top spot. Josh Pastner has the second best recruiting class in the nation, but the biggest contributors are already on the roster. None of the top 100 recruits will come in and start right away, but the will provide nice depth and an insurance policy in case Adonis Thomas decides to leave for the draft.

Memphis will have a balanced team from 1-5 with Joe Jackson, Geron Johnson, Adonis Thomas, Shaq Goodwin, and Tariq Black as the starter. Austin Nichols will be able to add to the big man rotation right away, taking over the undersized DJ Stephens role and you can expect a lot of small ball lineups with Thomas at the PF spot as well. Freshman small forwards Nick King and Kuran Iverson are both intriguing players - King may be more ready and does a nice job in the mid-range area and drawing fouls, while Iverson is a very long wing with a skillset he is still learning to use efficiently.

As far as other power conferences, it looks like Arizona will be a big favorite out west and Ohio State and Indiana will once again be near the top in Big Ten play. Kansas still holds the keys to the Big 12 - a very weak Big 12 to be honest.

Maybe the biggest wildcard in the Big Ten is Michigan who came into this year having the youngest team in the league. The only question is just how much will they lose to the draft. Burke, Hardaway Jr, and Robinson III all have seen their stock soar thanks to Michigan's play. Burke was nearly gone last year, so he's a sure thing to move on this season. Hardaway Jr likely follows him. Glenn Robinson III will be faced with an interesting decision of leaving while his stock is high or coming back and trying to lead Michigan himself.

From Robinson's game, I think his best option may be to follow Hardaway Jr and Burke out the door. Robinson III was known in high school for taking a back seat and rarely fully imposing his will on games and that is something he will be expected to do if he comes back next year. Right now, he isn't getting questions about his assertiveness or ability to create plays because he hasn't had to alongside two ball dominant guards. Next year will be a completely different monster for Robinson III and Im not quite sure he is cut out for it.

Michigan has a strong recruiting class coming in, but it isn't as star studded as the past two. If those three leave Michigan, the Wolverines won't be contending for the Big Ten title next year.

Indiana and Ohio State both have NBA Draft concerns as well, but they have insurance policies in place. Indiana has probably already come to grips that next year will be a chapter without both Oladipo and Zeller. Ohio State probably will get Craft back, but Thomas could flirt with putting his name into the draft. Fortunately for Ohio State, they have two up and coming forwards itching for an expanded role in LaQuinton Ross and Sam Thompson.

Indiana's projected team looks like this:

Yogi Ferrell/Maurice Creek
Remy Abel/Stanford Robinson
Will Sheehey/Troy Williams/Austin Etherington
Noah Vonleh/Hanner Mosquera-Perea
Peter Jurkin/Luke Fischer

The perimeter play of this group should be solid - Ferrell is ready for a starring role, Abel has potential, and Sheehey is already one of the best 6 men in the country. Stanford Robinson and Troy Williams are both strong recruits that will give the Hoosiers even more size on the wings.

There is more mystery around their big men as we still aren't sure what Indiana has with Hanner Mosquera-Perea and Peter Jurkin. Between those two and Fischer though, Indiana should find a decent starter to fit beside top 10 recruit Noah Vonleh. You can even say Vonleh is a bit of a mystery as its hard to say whether he will have the impact of a Freshman of the Year candidate or not.

For the Buckeyes, Evan Ravenel and his 19 minutes per game will be gone. If Thomas comes back, he will step into the full time power forward role - something he has already done a good bit this season while showing some toughness on the block in the process. Ravenel's minutes would likely be redistributed to Sam Thompson, LaQuinton Ross, and Shannon Scott who all are definitely deserving of a chance to play more than 20 minutes a game. And if Thomas leaves they will lose a dimension to their offense, but Ohio State has plenty of capable players to share his minutes. Either way, Ohio State will be a very good team. With Thomas, they should be the favorite over Indiana in the Big Ten and a top 5 team.

Early 2013-14 Top Ten Prediction

1. Duke
2. Kentucky
3. Michigan State
4. Louisville
5. Syracuse
6. Georgetown
7. Ohio State
8. Arizona
9. Memphis
10. Indiana

20 More to Watch:


Florida
Gonzaga
Iowa
Maryland
Louisiana Tech
Indiana State
Virginia
Kansas
VCU
LSU
Colorado
Marquette
Villanova
UConn
Baylor
St. John's
BYU
Alabama
Michigan
North Carolina

Introducing Glenn Robinson III

In the biggest game of the night, especially from an NBA draft perspective, Trey Burke led the way with 17 points. Steven Adams only played 10 unspectacular minutes. Hardaway was Michigan's second leading scorer with 16 points for Michigan, who won a close one 67-62.

But Glenn Robinson III will be the biggest mover on my big board after last night. Before last night, I had him ranked 27th. I hadn't seen him enough to feel comfortable moving him higher than that, but I had seen him enough for him to stand out to me.

After a early blocked shot in the first half, I acknowledged on twitter that I probably had him too low. I actually had felt that all along, but there is no sense is rushing things.

But now?

Now, I'm ready to move him up towards the lottery. At this point, finding holes in his game is simply nitpicking. Someone tweeted last night that GRIII is better than Shabazz and I surprisingly couldn't argue. I couldn't point out flaws in Robinson's game. There really aren't even many things to make you have the slightest doubt that he will be a great player.

Part of it may be expectations. Shabazz is expected to save UCLA while all Robinson has to do his pick his spots.

But Robinson has been excellent in that role. He was a late bloomer in high school and analysts questioned his aggressiveness on offense. He wasn't the player who would go off for 40 points like Shabazz. But Robinson was efficient and knew how to play on the offensive end.

And boy is that evident now. Robinson has shown a terrific feel on offense - his awareness and ability to pick his spots is off the charts. Its early, but I have yet to see him out of control or force up a shot. His points come so effortlessly. Everything he does reminds you of a prototypical SF.

Right now, Robinson is shooting 64.5% from the field and hitting 3s at a 50% clip. His jumpshot looks very good and he always displays perfect balance when going up for a shot. He has shown the ability to put it on the floor for one or two dribbles to either side. He's hitting his jumpers at an exceptional rate, as thats where a good percentage of his field goals are coming from.

But only 25% are from long range. Robinson is far from a spot up shooter. He uses his mind to get shit shot attempts. He also does a nice job cutting to the hoop and hitting the offensive glass. His body has come a long way to the point where it is actually a strength. He can finish through contact and has the potential to be a great rebounding wing.

His game is just so mature for his age. And he's only 18.

No need to jump the gun, but as the season goes on Robinson's hype should increase dramatically. His numbers may not stay the way they are, but even a 18 year old SF with a perfect frame and great touch on a top 5 team....

posting a line of 14ppg on over 50% shooting and 40% from 3? With 6 boards per game and a positive A/TO ratio?

There will come a point when more people start to ask what Shabazz can do that Robinson can't. And once that happens, maybe Robinson could even push himself into the top 5.

Honestly, the sky is the limit with this kid.

Scouting Report: Ricky Ledo

Height: 6'6''
Wingspan: 6'7''
Weight: 193lb
Bday: 9/10/1992
NBA Comparison: Rudy Fernandez

Team: Providence
Class of 2017 (This season will be a redshirt year)

With news that Ricky Ledo will be ineligible to play basketball for Providence this season, I decided it was time to look at Ledo's NBA prospects as he could end up declaring after the end of this season without any college game experience. His ban from playing this year wasn't much of a surprise and it seemed as though Coach Ed Cooley was just happy to hear he would be eligible to practice all year with the team. The ability to practice has convinced Ledo to stay at school for the time being, although with Ledo, you never know where he will end up. Ledo went to 4 different high schools in 5 years, raising red flags along the way. He could explore options in both the D-League and overseas if he is serious about entering the upcoming draft.

As a college basketball fan, it is a disappointment that Ledo won't be playing this season. Ledo is an exciting scoring guard who can put up points with ease. At 6'7'', Ledo has great size for the position and the offensive repertoire one romanticizes about upon hearing of a top notch shooting guard prospect. Ledo is a great shooter, showing deep range on his jumpers and plenty of range. He can get his shots off at anytime, thanks to a combination of his shooter's lean, craftiness, and fluidity with the ball.

Ledo also moves well without the basketball and his team made it a point to feature him on a lot of curls off the ball. He worked hard to get open and proved he can play without the ball. Some think Ledo is more of a combo guard or even a point guard down the line, but I see him strictly as a 2 guard who can handle it. His movement off the ball is a big reason why.

With the ball, Ledo is extremely creative. He doesn't possess a lethal first step but his craftiness is more than enough for him to drive by defenders with ease. He has a slew of advanced ball handling moves and changes directions and speeds well. He is a very smooth looking scorer and has incorporated the Euro-step into his game. Ledo also likes to use a spin move at the time of the catch to make up for his lack of super explosive first step and he also uses one closer to the hoop - sometimes adding one step too many.

Ledo wasn't asked to play point guard as much last season as in previous years, but he is capable of bringing the ball up. Still to me, he seemed like he could get rattled by the press and make some terrible passes and have trouble slowing up at the top of the key and initiating the halfcourt offense. Ledo appears much more comfortable when he can catch the ball in the halfcourt and have a chance to size up the defense before making a move. When he brings the ball up the court, Ledo doesn't have a chance to do that.

Settled into the halfcourt offense, Ledo is very much a triple threat. Although he can make some terrible passes, Ledo also flashes impressive vision on drives and sets up his teammates for easy buckets. He is fairly unselfish, despite having the skillset of a one on one player. At times, Ledo will overextend himself with too many dribbles and make plays harder than they should be. There is a concern with his efficiency at higher levels. It would have been nice to see how he would have shot in a college season. If I had to guess, I would imagine around a 42% field goal shooting to go along with 38% from 3 and 80% at the line would be realistic.

The thing about his efficiency is the kind of shots he takes. He is a high volume shooter who can get up shots from anywhere. When he you can shoot from anywhere, you tend to end up taking some bad shots. Ledo needs to be careful and make sure he doesn't end up taking a lot of low percentage long 2-pt shots. He also needs to finish better at the rim. As I said, Ledo does a great job penetrating the lane, but blows too many lay-ups. Lack of concentration could be one of the culprits, as he is creative around the rim and gets a lot of hangtime. Ledo isn't a top level explosive athlete around the rim, but he can be on the receiving end of impressive dunks. He also can finish with both hands. His struggle to finish may also have to involve him trying to be too "cute" at the rim instead of going for the easy finish.

Where Ledo has to make the most improvements is his defense. In some of the games I saw Ledo, he made zero effort in that end of the floor. Ledo would gamble for steals and never venture inside of the 3-pt arc, choosing to cherry pick for easy buckets instead. Ledo has been cited on multiple occasions for bad body language and his lack of effort on defense doesn't help. To his defense, Ledo's prep school team was on the right end of a lot of blowouts and defense wasn't always necessary. In closer games, Ledo would focus more on defense, but his lack of experience playing real defense shows. He can't stay in front of his defenders and has to rely on his ability to play passing lanes. Ledo also rarely plays a role on the glass, staying out of the lane for the most part. For Ledo to get minutes in the NBA, this will have to change.

Moving forward, Ledo still has a lot of questions to his game and without a season to answer them, he may end up actually playing a season for Providence. The offensive upside Ledo offers however, dwarfs many of the current shooting guards projected to be drafted. He will get drafted alone just based on his offense even if he can't defend, has character red flags, and hasn't played above prep school. If he does answer some of those question though, then Ledo is a first round pick with potential to go in the lottery. Shooting guards with complete offensive games are a rare breed nowadays.