Scouting Report: Richard Howell

Richard Howell led a solid North Carolina State recruiting class in 2009, a class that also brought in sharpshooter Scott Wood. Howell and Wood helped lay the foundation for a North Carolina State team that enjoyed a rise into the top half of the ACC during his 4 year tenure. After Howell and Wood came in, the Wolfpack brought in an even talented class with more star potential, with the likes of Lorenzo Brown and CJ Leslie joining the team in 2010. The addition of a couple of potential stars allowed Richard Howell to settle into a role as the garbage man, a role that he has crafted into an artform over the years.

"Do what you do the best that you can do it". Thats what Howell has done and it has enabled him to have a good shot at getting drafted this year. Often times Howell was one of the least talented players on the court for the Wolfpack, but found a way to be the most valuable. On a team with plenty of offensive talent, Howell ended up being their second leading scorer this year despite not having any plays ran for him. He was also their best rebounder (all four years), highly efficient, and was actually their leading scorer at one point in the season. Because of how physical and tough he plays, Howell got a little banged up as the season went on and a knee injury slowed him down in the final month of play.

Even though North Carolina State had a disappointing season - they entered the year ranked 6th in preseason polls but ended up losing in the Round of 64 - Howell was the one guy on the team who never disappointed and raised his draft stock through his play this season. He was the one guy whose energy was never questioned as well as the most consistent decision maker.

Playing for a talented North Carolina State team might have been the best thing for him to prepare him for the next level. The role he played at North Carolina State will be very similar to what he will do in the NBA. That is rebound, finish inside, and bring energy and toughness. Howell has plenty of experience playing without the ball in his hands and knows how to impact that game without getting touches. He worked for the ball by attacking the offensive glass. The things he was asked to do - he did them just about as well as anyone could. He excelled in a role and that is very appealing to NBA coaches. All coaches need a lunch pail type guy.

Offensively as a I mentioned, he does his best work on the offensive glass. You have got to make sure you put a body on him because he will be running to the rim every time a shot goes up. He's physical and a solid athlete for his size. He's quicker off his feet than he looks and also moves pretty well. He has good body control in the air and excellent touch and hands on putbacks at the rim.

Often times, Richard Howell will snatch an offensive rebound powerfully in the air and put the ball on the floor with one power dribble to gather himself. He's not necessarily a guy who will just rebound the ball and rise above everyone and dunk on them. He doesn't have that kind of vertical, size, or length. He's quick off the ground, but isnt a high/above the rim leaper.

Constantly bringing the ball down in the NBA may not be as easy as it was in college. But he does do a good job of using his body to create space - more space than even his size would suggest - and seeking out contact. He finishes well for a below the rim player, but will struggle against NBA athletes at the rim.

Howell even has trouble finishing over college players at times, but when he does miss, there is nobody better at chasing down his own shot. He is relentless and knows where to be to get the ball. He attacks the ball and is constantly moving which other college players really struggle with. If Howell doesnt make his first attempt, there is a good shot he will get the ball back and have another opportunity. Thats the level of his motor. It also shows that he is fairly quick off of his feet and can rebound outside of his territory.

From a skilled perspective, Howell isn't necessarily that bad. No, you won't see Howell getting many - if any - touches with his back to the basket. He has good footwork and a nice spin move, but he is better facing up. With his back to the basket, he hasn't shown a hook shot or turnaround jumper to consistently score the ball.

But as a face up player, Howell is pretty good from the high post. He's a turn and face guy when he gets it with his back to the basket. Part of the reason for his decent skill level with the ball may date back to his high school days when he was viewed as a tweener forward. There was talk that he was perhaps too small to play inside. He developed decent handles and has a pretty good first step to the rim.

His handles have improved throughout his college career and has helped him improve his field goal percentage in the process. He is able to now be more aggressive getting to the rim when he gets the ball in the high post. Howell doesn't like to settle for jumpshots anymore and is constantly looking for the highest percentage shot. He is right hand dominant, but is able to spin off the dribble to get defenders off his back. Its very hard to stay in front of a good spin move. He has a strong power dribble and likes to steady himself with a big jumpstop once he gets near the rim. His off the dribble game won't be featured in the NBA, but he does have some skills in this area.

He has enough skills where he should be able to play in the high post area. In addition to his handles, he also has good vision as a passer and a solid jumpshot. If he is able to his from 15 feet consistently - which is possible - he could have a career as a Udonis Haslem type.

Howell also has a good feel of sneaking around in open space to get easy buckets. He also rim runs in transition and gets down the court well for a big, bulky guy. North Carolina State wasn't pick and roll heavy, but Howell looked like a solid option as a pick and pop threat. He also did a good job coming off screens and rolling towards the basket. The jumpstop he has is really valuable to help him gather himself - something that Howell has a habit of doing. Between the jumpstop or one dribble, it seems Howell feels the need to get his legs underneath him before going up for a shot at the rim.

Howell is a high IQ player on the offensive end and most importantly, unselfish and willing to do the dirty work. His IQ carries over on the defensive end too. He is a saavy defender who is able to beat drivers to their spots on the court. He's a guy without a ton of lateral quickness, but is smart enough to get in good position to draw a lot of charges. He is certainly not afraid to give up his body. Howell may struggle against quicker PFs, but did average a steal per game in college. He will be able to hold his own in post defense, although his 8'9.9'' standing reach will make it easy to shoot over him. Howell also isn't a shot blocking threat.

Howell will make his worth on defense as a team defender. He does a very good job covering the pick and roll and recovering to his man. He also can get out and contest the guard if he decides to shoot. Drawing charges and controlling the defensive boards will help him carve out a role as a junkyard dog type guy. Something he is more than OK with doing.

He is the 6th best rebounder in my top 100, trailing only Mike Muscala, Trevor Mbakwe, Jack Cooley, Colton Iverson, and Andre Roberson. Considering Muscala and Iverson are both small school guys, Mbakwe is already 24, and Roberson is more of a combo forward - Howell's numbers look even better.

Overall, Howell isn't a guy who is very flashy or exciting. He doesn't have the same allure to teammates CJ Leslie or Lorenzo Brown who are also in the draft. All of them look like second rounders right now, but Leslie and Brown both could work their way into the first round. For Howell, he just isn't sexy as a first round pick. However, there is reason to believe that Howell will end up being the best North Carolina State player out of this draft. He was arguably their most valuable player this year and showed more improvement year to year than either of the other two. So while everyone may get caught up in the potential of Leslie and Brown, it seems as if Howell is doing a better job of improving himself as a player. Howell is the only one who has already shown that he can play a role in the NBA and excels as a rebounder - the most easily translatable stat from college to the pros. He will be a guy any NBA coach will be happy to have on their team and should most definitely get drafted in the second round.

Video Highlights of TJ Warren vs Western Michigan

Freshman forward TJ Warren has a knack for scoring the basketball and doesn't need to dominate the ball to do so. He does a great job finding holes in the middle of the defense and sneaking around the baseline to get open without the ball. Warren is one of those guys who is terrific moving without the ball - not because of his non-stop energy, but because of his awareness. Warren's skillset is perfect for his ability to get open in the mid-range area. He has quick floaters, a turnaround game, and the body strength needed to finish at the rim. All skills allow him to quickly find a weakness in the defense and then quickly shoot the ball as the defense closes in on him. Warren also runs the court well and displays great body control.

He has came off the bench in most games and has accepted him role. He has shown versatility, scoring both inside and out, while logging minutes at both forward positions. Warren is one of the smoothest scorers in the country, but doesn't get the attention he deserves because he isn't flashy with the ball. Once he gets the ball, he has already done most of the work to get himself in position to score. Its just a matter of using his array of shots and quick release to get the ball in the hoop from there. He has a really smooth stroke and can hit the three, but oddly enough is shooting below 50% from the foul line.

Scouting Report: CJ Leslie

Height: 6'8.5''
Wingspan: 7'1.5''
Weight: 198lbs
Bday: 6/25/91

Team: North Carolina State
Class of 2014

Leslie had a rough freshman year and it showed in his body language

It seems like we have been waiting forever for CJ Leslie to turn into the dominating force he has the potential to be, but in reality, he is just coming off of his sophomore season. And if you look at the numbers during the final stretch, Leslie might have quietly already become the polarizing star we hoped for.

For Leslie, it has been a roller coaster ride. Tim Crothers did an excellent job providing a window into the mind and heart of Leslie a few days ago for SI while explaining the ups and downs of his stay in Raleigh. No need to rehash that article, but while the overall conclusion was that CJ (or Calvin) has matured a great deal since his freshman year, there still are some worrisome concerns about his character.

First off, Leslie isn't even a year removed from his "old self". The player who would sulk during practices, play selfish basketball, give up and down effort, and distance himself from those around him. The guy who didn't show up to his very first class of college. The CJ who Mark Gottfried aimed to change. He sought out to improve his body language, engage him in the game, and hold him accountable for his level of play.

Leslie was a different player at the second half of last year, helping lead the Pack to the NCAA tournament

Gottfried has been able to turn Leslie around, but it hasn't been an overnight process. You can tell Leslie is a lot more comfortable now at NC State, which is the reason he cites in coming back for his junior year. He likes where he is at now. He calls North Carolina State his "comfort zone". But what happens when he has to go to the next level? If he gets a coach he doesn't like? If things aren't going good for him? It is hard to say that he wouldn't revert back to the old CJ Leslie. In the NBA, he is going to be expected to practice hard, play games with energy, and be consistent for 82 games. Nobody will be holding his hand. Its a concern that NBA personnel will have to pry at during the interview process and this upcoming season.

At the end of last season though, everything was going good for NC State and himself. This year you can expect the same with a team that is one of the favorites to win the ACC. This year won't answer some of the questions about his ability to handle adversity and play hard at all times.

The way he performed at the end of last year though, averaging 18.3 points and 9 rebounds per game, showed what his potential is all about. CJ Leslie may be the best athlete in college basketball. He's a ridiculous leaper, very long and rangy, and has great coordination for a man his size.

His game thrives in transition. He runs the court very well for easy baskets and can also handle it coast to coast himself. He patterns his game after Kevin Garnett and offensively, there are a lot of similarities.

His form certainly needs some refining, but notice the KG-esque lean

He also operates in the halfcourt like his idol. He likes to get the ball around the foul line extended area and face up like a guard. He can go in isolation mode from this area, using risky crossovers in crowded areas to create room, in effort to get to the hoop or shoot a jumper. In this respect, CJ Leslie makes things too difficult for himself as the added flare is not necessary. Leslie is such a special athlete that his first step and explosiveness is enough to get by college power forwards. There is no need to overdribble. He also makes his shots more difficult. He has plenty of size and lift on his jumper that he can get if off over anyone, yet he chooses to crossover defenders and shoot off balance fadeaways way too much. He takes too many long 2-pters in general, but getting rid of the habit to fadeaway like KG does, should make him more efficient.

Efficiency is one area that Leslie can struggle from. He doesn't have the best shot selection or a power post game inside. His only post moves rely on his quickness. He shot 43% from the field his freshman year but did a great job getting above 50% last season (one thing he did was cut out nearly 2/3rds of his 3-pt attempts from the year before). And in his last 11 games, he was even better. Still,  when projecting him to the NBA, he needs a more defined offensive skillset. He can't rely on long jumpers and pure athleticism around the rim completely. It has been shown time and time again to be a death sentence for athletic power forwards. Also, his turnovers have not improved at all. Leslie tries to make too many plays and can be wild with his dribble. Finding a in-between game would be a great help. Right now he has the long jumper and the drive to the hoop. A little one handed floater or hook shot would make him very tough to defend.

Leslie getting low and exercising his tremendous first step

For a big man, Leslie is very slithery. He can turn corners and drive by defenders while slipping through small cracks in the defense. He does a good job of using his body and absorbing contact as well. He shows excellent body control at the rim, much more control than he shows on drives, and gets a lot of "and-1" opportunities. His athleticism is obvious a big key in his ability to finish, but he doesn't strictly rely on that.

His footwork leaves a lot to be desired and he travels way too much, but he does have one reliable basic move in the post. He likes to get deep position and quickly turn the corner over his left shoulder and finish with a reverse lay-up. Its simple, yet very effective. Farther away from the hoop near the baseline Leslie can start facing up and then use a pump fake or spin move to get close to the hoop with his back towards the basket. From there, he is pretty much money.

In his sophomore season, Gottfried gave Leslie a lot more freedom than he had in Lowe's offense. Leslie wasn't just a transition and putback guy anymore, he was able to create his own offense and he responded positively. Gottfried and Leslie are developing a good relationship. You could see Leslie get more and more confident in his skills as the season went on, ultimately having the mindset that nobody could stop him. And for the most part, that was true. In those last 11 games, he scored 14 or more points 10 times.

His offensive game needs a lot of refining, toning down, reshaping, and improvement but he has the tools to work with. He can develop a more consistent jumper. He can add some counter moves and more strength to his post game. He can pick his spots better. He can do all of this stuff, but its going to take a lot of work and a good coach. Leslie will never be the smartest player on offense, but he can eventually be good scorer and show decent efficiency.

Defensively, he needs similar work. He puts himself in bad position to defend the post by gambling for steals on entry passes. He trusts his ability to get a steal more than his ability to get a stop defending man to man in the post. He also stands too upright, shows wavering effort, and poor fundamentals. With more consistent effort, Leslie can be a solid defender. He definitely can make big time plays out that end - thanks to block shots, steals, and the ability to come up with the ball and start the break himself. He's a playmaker on the defense end more than he is a reliable man to man defender.

Overall, Leslie possessing insane physical gifts that give him the ability to dominate college competition even without a polished game. He has great lateral quickness, is a quick and explosive leaper, and runs the court as well as anyone. He is a good straight line driver even though his handles are shaky when trying to do anything more than that, which prohibits him from starting his drives out by the 3-pt line. His shot is still a work in progress, but his tendency to take terrible jumpers his freshman year was toned down to the point where he became more consistent and focused more on his post game.

Moving forward, you can expect Leslie to continue to "wow" you while leaving you wanting more. His character, playing style, effort level, and work ethic will all be obstacles in that could prevent him from going in the lottery. This season Leslie's goals should be to play with 100% effort on defense, cut down his turnovers, and expand his post game. That will be his best shot in getting him to the lottery.

Scouting Report: Lorenzo Brown

Height: 6'5''
Weight:  180
Bday: 8/26/1990

Team: North Carolina State
Class of 2014

Lorenzo Brown made steady improvements to his game last year, partly due to Ryan Harrow's transfer and Mark Gottfried's trust in him to call him the Wolfpack's starting point guard from day one. Lorenzo Brown came into NC State in the same recruiting class as Harrow, another prized point guard recruit, but he was supposed to show up to Raleigh a year earlier. However, grades forced him to attend a year at prep school. Him and Harrow shared point guard duties and both had their moments, but ended up going separate paths. Both paths could cross again as the two of them are potential first round picks in the 2013 draft.

This year, Lorenzo Brown is joined by an excellent recruiting class, including Rodney Purvis, and a great returning core including Richard Howell, CJ Leslie, and Scott Wood. After making the tournament in the first time in 5 years, they now look to be one of, if not the favorite in the ACC.

Brown will have a ton of talent around him, but also a lot of expectations. No longer are they going to sneak up on anybody. His role may also be a little different. With graduate student Alex Johnson gone and Rodney Purvis seemingly taking his place in the lineup, Brown is going to be asked to act even more like a point guard and less like a scoring guard.

Brown has shown plenty of potential in doing that and has improved greatly. He came to North Carolina State as a combo guard whose career could go either way - shooting guard or point guard. Fortunately for his NBA stock, point guard is looking like a good bet for him now. He went from 5 assists per 40 minute last year to over 7 his sophomore season.

As a point guard, Brown exhibits great passing skills. He is able to get into the lane without a problem and does an excellent job setting up his teammates. When he drives, he has a pass first mind set and is very creative at delivering the ball. Brown doesn't simply kick the ball out to shooters, Brown likes to drive and dish down low to set up easy shots. He passes it into the post, finds cutters, and sets up teammates for good looks in the mid-range area.

Brown is his best at full speed. When he is asked to bring the ball up, he loves to get a running start and be on the attack before he even crosses halfcourt. When Brown gets you back pedaling, you will be hard pressed to stop him. Brown also likes to get a head start on his defender because he does struggle at times when he is pressed. His handle, while very crafty, tends to be lose. He does get the ball stolen cleanly from him at times when he has a defender at his hip pocket.

Brown's ball handling ability overall though, is what defines him as a player. his crossover allows him to change directions with ease. He is a natural dribbling the ball with either hand and his crossover is effortless yet extremely effective. He uses it all the time and it never fails to create space. He loves to use it to get in the mid-range area where he will look for a teammate first, but does have a solid mid-range game for himself to fall back on. His combination of ball fakes, hesitations, and effectiveness of his crossover make him very hard to stay in front of once he gets going. His ball handling ability allows him to virtually get where he wants on the court. He has improved his pull up jumper since his freshman season, resulting in an increased shooting percentage from 41% to 45%. He also has a very pretty floater that he can shooter of any ACC guard due to his elite size. Thanks to his size, Brown also can use his body to shield off defenders and he knows how to do this well. His long strides are also a plus.

Brown is also a bit of a throwback in the sense that he will take advantage of his size by posting up smaller defenders. He generally looks to pass out of these situations, but has flashed a turnaround jumper as well. Some of the things he does offensively remind me of Andre Miller.

Like Miller as shown late in his career, he can play off ball. Brown has a history of playing off the basketball and it shows. He does a great job getting open and also plays in a well coached NC State offense. He is great running around screens, due to his fluidness, slim frame, and terrific top end speed.  He has a great feel off the ball - cutting to the hoop when the opportunity arises.

In transition, Brown can take it all the way to tthe hoop without anyone being able to stop him. I think its hard to understand his speed since he is a taller guy, but he really gets from end to end in a hurry.

Physically, Brown has excellent size and I believe he is a legit 6'5''. He was noticeably bigger than most PGs and SGs in the ACC. His frame right now is slender. Speed wise, he is very good at full speed. He has a long, quick first step and his quickness is enhanced by his deception and ball skills. His lateral quickness suffers on the defensive end. Brown isn't explosive at the hoop, but will finish with dunks from time to time. He isn't terrible at finishing with contact, but strength is definitely something he needs to improve.

Brown has just about everything needed to be a point guard, but the majority of the questions about his game still center around whether or not he can be a point guard full time. Some believe he is just a really good ball handler who can pass, but does not exhibit the kind of intangibles needed. To me, he does have some AAU characteristics to his game, but I think he generally does a good job of picking his spots, playing under control, and making his teammates better. He does need to do a lot better job at control the tempo of games, so they don't blow 20 points leads like they did last year.

The things I am more worried about his his finesse game and ability to deal with a defender up in his face. Brown does a good job avoiding these situations, but pro scouting won't fail to capitalize on his loose handles. In college, he uses ball screens to initially get him open and doesn't bring the ball up regularly. He also likes to reset himself by taking a few steps back in order to separate from the defender. In the NBA, he may benefit from the lapse defense, but he will initially have to prove he can handle to pressure. Right now, that may be the biggest thing holding him back as a point guard. His intangibles are OK. He has a good feel for the game and makes his teammates better. He stays interested in the game and shows some leadership abilities. I dont generally like a point guard to fail to qualify for college academically, but it is what it is. Its something to be considered. Also, Id like to see him in more pick and roll opportunities. We know he can come of screens very well without the ball, but NC State doesn't do enough on ball screens. To be honest, most of the time Brown doesn't need them but in order to be an NBA point guard you have to excel in the pick and roll game. Brown's game should translate, but Gottfried's offense is more based around motion and cuts.

His finesse play is more worrisome on the defense end. Offensively, Id like to see him be stronger and more explosive at the rim, but his floater and passing ability make it so he can get around it. Defensively though, he treats screens like bombs and stays far away from them. Brown creates way too much work for himself on defense, as he refuses to fight through screens and instead tries to rely on his speed to run around everything. He switches on screens whenever he can. Brown's refusal to battle through contact will be an absolute death sentence if he continues to keep it up. He needs to add weight to his frame, but even so, Brown shouldn't be avoiding contact like he is in the college game.

His finesse style carries over into passiveness on the defensive end as well. Brown can be a good defender for stretches - I watched him give Austin Rivers a hard time for an entire half - but for the most part, he is very easy to drive past. He doesn't slide his feet well, a result of him most likely being able to get away with depending on his pure speed in his younger days. At a legit 6'5'', Brown has to put some effort in staying lo. Its not the easiest thing for a man of his size to do, but it is necessary. His size does come in handy in contesting shots and he also has good length. He is able to guard both backcourt positions.

Shooting wise, Brown improved his 3-pt % from 30% to 35%. He is good with his feet set and is getting more comfortable with his step back jumper. He isn't fully comfortable shooting off the dribble unless he has time to gather himself. When he does, he shows nice touch mid-range. I question his range out to the NBA 3-pt line and doubt he will be much more than a "keep you honest" kind of shooter from 3. His free throw percentage sits in the low 70s.

Overall, Brown has one best skill to physical attribute combinations out of all the point guard eligible to be drafted. Playing for a top 10 team this year, there will be a spotlight on him and very hard criticism on how he runs a team. He has plenty of talent around him, so he will be expected to act like a point guard and run the team, making sure everyone gets their touches. I want to see Brown bring the ball up more this year and deal with pressure. He needs to continue to improve his shooting and show a new found desire on defense. Proof of toughness would be welcomed.  Most of all, Brown should be the leader of this NC State team.

A good showing this year will be good enough to get him in the first round, but his ceiling can be as high as the lottery. Besides Myck Kabongo, I am not sure there is a point guard in this draft with more potential. He likely comes out this season because he is going to be 22 this month. His age does cause some concerns - I would be much more willing to consider him a lottery guy if he were only 20. Still, Brown is a very intriguing point guard to monitor this year. You will be hearing plenty more from him.