Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic

The Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic was a small event in Connecticut that didn't come with a lot of fanfare. It featured some solid teams though in Rhode Island, Washington, and Seton Hall and allowed us to get our first look at a top 5 program - the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes won the event without much of a scare, beating Washington 77-66 in the championship.

Some notes:

- Deshaun Thomas was the story in the championship, scoring 15 points on 7-8 shooting in the first 9 minutes of the game. Thomas scored in every way imaginable - off the pick and pop, in the post, off putbacks, and spotting up in the corner. His offensive acumen looks much like a stretch forward and his position on defense is undefined. Thomas has played tougher this season, battling inside and digging in more defensively. Still, he's a big time tweener who is a black hole on offense. Thomas takes shots that nobody else should take - plenty of long contested 2-pt shots - yet he is never phased by a hand in his face. It makes him an interesting prospect to debate. He is somewhat of last year's Carmelo Anthony to the college game, although his impact at the NBA will be nowhere near the Cuse star. I think Thomas is a late first to early second rounder at this point.

- I profiled Aaron Craft over the summer and I must say, he's shown more offensively than I expected. Craft was getting to the basket with consistency against Washington and finishing with either hand. Craft has always been one of the hardest working players so this shouldnt come as a surprise, but it does boost his stock some. He still needs to work on shooting off the dribble and creating more plays for teammates.

- Shannon Scott was impressive despite scoring just 4 points while racking up 4 fouls. For one, he should have had 6 points but was unable to shoot his FTs late in the game due to a hard fall. Scott looked like he would be ready to next game, though. Shannon Scott ran the point position even with Craft in, and looks to be the better playmaker. He had no trouble getting into the lane and made showed nice vision in setting his teammates up. He only had 1 assists, but had at least two "hockey assists" that Craft ended up getting credit for (Craft finished with 4 assists). Scott also looked good in man to man defense and showed nice end to end speed off steals. He got lost a few times on defense though, and needs to become more vocal next year when he takes over for Craft. Scott will need to play another year to gain experience starting, but he has potential to be a first round pick.

- In both games I watched they mentioned Ohio State observers claiming Sam Thompson is in the Evan Turner mold so I know I heard them right. I like Thompson, arguing for him starting over Ross before the season started, but thats some high praise. I get it somewhat - Thompson has the potential to be a super role player with rebounds, defense, and assists. Still, Turner was much more of a creative and better ball handler. One thing Thompson has that Turner didn't was excellent explosiveness. Thompson needs to work on getting to the rim and gathering himself so he can show the world his crazy hops.

- Washington's Abdul Gaddy is finally starting to look more like the All-American he was billed as. Rob Dauster wrote about him last night after his good game against Seton Hall and he continued his inspired play tonight. Gaddy scored 15 points on 4-6 scoring. It was an impressive performance against Craft's superb defense and Gaddy showed a lot of saavy off the dribble to make it happen. If he keeps it up, he could have a fighting chance at getting drafted. Washington guards have built a good reputation as of late.

- Aziz N'Diaye is hard to move off the block and is a legit seven feet. I've kept tabs on him the last few years and have witnessed marginal improvement. At 24 though, Im afraid the best it will get him is an invitation to Portmouth. N'Diaye runs the court well, rebounds, and maintains position well but still has no post game and below average understanding of defense. Not to mention, he can't put the ball in the basket.

- CJ Wilcox was Washington's high point man, but didn't make himself a huge presence in the game. He is what he is - an excellent shooter with a good frame. That could be enough to get him in the late first round to early second range. He had a nice find for an assist in the game and looked good coming off screens. He's actually scoring less per minute so far then he did with playing with Ross and Wroten last year. He's a guy who does well playing with good playmakers, but isn't going to be a playmaker himself. There are room for guys like that in the NBA.

The Terps Move to the Big Ten: Rivalries, Recruiting, Reaction

As a lifelong Terrapin fan, I have never even imagined the possibility that the Terrapins could ever switch conferences. While all the conference realignment took place, I felt comfortable that the Terrapins were firmly stationed in ACC territory. The ACC had gained Syracuse and Pittsburgh, pushing the ACC back to the top in terms of basketball talent. With the newcomers helping balance out the map, making Maryland more of a central location, the league was even getting away from their deep Carolina roots. Perhaps a ACC tournament at the Verizon Center was in the future?

Syracuse and Pittsburgh could have been new rivals. Both schools have taken to Maryland to gain recruits and Maryland was back on the rise as a national contender. Folks from Maryland already hate everything Pittsburgh, so the Panthers would have been an easy transition. It was upsetting that the Duke games may be limited to one a year, but new blood was lurking in the water. New rivalries in to go with Maryland's new outlook. Maryland was ready to make their jump back to perennial top 25 contender while the ACC was going to take back over the basketball world.

In the ACC, all will go on without the Terps. While Terrapin fans hated Duke, Duke still has North Carolina. The newcomers still have each other, and Virginia can now officially focus on Virginia Tech if they hadn't already. But for Maryland, they are heading into the Big Ten as the outcast, even though they are joined by Rutgers.

A Maryland/Rutgers rivalry would make some sense, but Rutgers just isn't on Maryland's level for basketball. Plus, Rutgers brought the Baltimore area Ray Rice and for that, plenty of Terps fans are grateful. Maryland and Rutgers are in this thing together, bringing their big markets and fertile basketball recruiting grounds closer to the Big Ten so the rest of the teams can receive more viability.

But Maryland fans need a team to hate. They need a Duke. As arguably the most vulgar fan base in the nation, there needs to be a villain. Michigan State knocked the Terrapins out of the NCAA tournament a few years back thanks to a Korie Lucious buzzer beater. And they've matched up a few times in the Big Ten challenge. With the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry, Michigan State is kind of like Maryland was looking on the outside of the UNC/Duke rivalry.

There is also Penn State, who makes the most geographical sense. Plenty of students make their final college decision choosing between Penn State and Maryland around the Baltimore area. At this point, Penn State fans have been way to outspoken over the past year and have hit a nerve with some people. But a basketball rivalry with Penn State? That isn't any fun.

Wisconsin has Iowa, Minnesota has Wisconsin, and Purdue has Indiana. Maryland is kind of left out in the cold. As one Terp graduate suggested to me, Maryland fans should just hate all of the Big Ten with an intense passion. At this point, I imagine everyone would be on board with that. Nobody is liking this move and of course, Terrapin fans don't need much reason to hate.

Thad Matta already spiced things up saying he wasn't even sure what conference Maryland is in. Good one Thad, too bad Gary Williams is the best coach to come from Ohio State.

If I had to choose, I want a rivalry with Indiana. They just lost out on their annual Kentucky game and they could have something against the Terps as well after they lost in the 2001 NCAA title game. Moving forward, Indiana and Maryland could have some epic recruiting battles. Indiana has recently invaded the DMV area after adding a Team Takeover coach to their staff.

Indiana fans may scuffle at the thought at first, but if Maryland's basketball program rises like it appears to be, the recruiting and actual games will come with much at stake.

The recruiting shake up is another thing. Indiana has shown that they can get DMV kids to consider the Big Ten recently. They got Victor Oladipo, Mo Creek, and had a shot at Beejay Anya. In 2014, Indiana has 4 Maryland kids showing consideration, two of them being top 60 players - Dwayne Morgan and Phil Booth. Both of whom have offers from Maryland as well. It should get even easier one Big Ten takes over the TV market. I don't see Maryland losing out on many DMV kids because of the move.

It will eliminate much of the south, however. For example, Maryland is listed as a possibility for 2015 recruit Daniel Giddens (ranked 16th on ESPN). All of his schools listed besides Maryland are south of Virginia and in the ACC or SEC. You can bet the Terps will no longer appeal to players like that.

The good thing that Rutgers will bring is a chance for Maryland to stay relevant in the northern market. That is big. It may actually even help Maryland with guys like Isaiah Whitehead. And of course, Maryland now has a better shot at players in the vast Middle America.

This is helpful for getting a guy like Rashad Vaughn from Minnesota. He's a top ten player, but even though Maryland has offered, seemed like a stretch for them to get. Now, as a member of the Big Ten, it makes this a little more reasonable.

The biggest adaptation may be playing style. Big Ten plays the most unique playing style from any of the other big 6 BCS conference, playing very physical and slower. Maryland's recent additions of players should actually welcome the physical play - Cleare, Mitchell, Howard, and Wells are all big bodies. And if Len stays, he joins a long line of great Big Ten centers.

Maryland vs Indiana. Len vs Zeller. Now I kind of wish this move had happened sooner!

Scouting Report: Aaron Craft

Height: 6'2''
Weight: 195lb
Bday: 2/12/1991

Team: Ohio State
Class of 2014

Aaron Craft is back at Ohio State, once again assuming the role of point guard on the team favored to win the Big Ten. Craft has been an important member of the Ohio State team since his freshman year when he averaged 29.6 minutes per game.

When Craft first stepped on campus, he looked and played like a four year player who would go down in Ohio State history as a fan favorite. His defense, toughness, character, and unselfishness all are admirable characteristics. Craft also seemingly had plans of a four year college career and is on the path to become a surgeon.

ESPN recently wrote a feature on Craft after he finally had surgery to remove bone chips in his knee. The toughness of this kid is obvious as are the smarts. You can't ask for much more in the work ethic and "will to win" departments.

Aaron Craft initially earned his minutes purely off of his defense. He is currently regarded as possibly the best perimeter defender in the nation. While normally I don't like to use steals as an indicator of good defense, Craft's 3 steals per 40 minutes are different. Craft doesn't get those steals by gambling and playing passing lanes. Most of his steals can be attributed to being a pure pest on the ball. Craft has excellent lateral quickness to harass ball handlers, but most of all he has the toughness and determination. He also has extremely quick hands and you will see him on the floor for a loose ball at least once a game. He takes pride in his defense. He knows that is the number one thing he can bring to a team. Craft often stifles the opposition and forces them into bad decisions because quite frankly, nobody else in the NCAA pressures the ball like him. He does a great job of frustrating the opposition and flirts with the line of dirty play. The simple fact being that Craft will do whatever it takes to win.

In today's NBA, a good defending point guard can be very useful. Even though Craft's halfcourt press defense might not be as effective due to the speed of the NBA, he still has what it takes to be a very good defender. He also does a good job of getting through screens, something that is essential in the NBA game.

If you look at a team like the Pacers, they have Brandon Knight, Kyrie Irving, Brandon Jennings, and Derrick Rose all in their division.  That is 16 games against teams that rely heavily on their point guard to score and create offense. Craft could make himself could money pestering those kind of guys for 15-20 minutes a night.

If Craft once to get into games though, he may have to step up his offensive game. Right now he is more of a game manager - someone who can bring the ball up and initiate offense from the top of the key. Just like his lateral quickness on defense, Craft has a quick first step and can go to his right or left. The problem with Craft is not getting by his man, it is what follows after.

He has trouble finishing inside, as the one thing he lacks athletically is the leaping ability. The creativeness around the hoop also isn't there. Once Craft gets by his man, he is basically a straight line driver that is in trouble if there are shot blockers present inside. He has not shown much of an in-between game or the shiftiness require to overcome his lack of explosion near the hoop. He only got to the line 3.3 times a game while turning the ball over 2.2 times in the process. He actually improved on that a bit from his freshman season, but his offense game hasn't noticeably evolved.

Craft really hasn't had to be pushed out of his comfort zone much at Ohio State. He isn't very good at creating offense, but he has always been surrounded by others who can. Even with Sullinger and Buford gone, Craft with have DeShaun Thomas and a host of talented sophomore that can help mask his deficiencies. As Craft's career moves on at Ohio State, his role has not. He is still able to concentrate on his defense. This may be good for him in college, but isn't helping his development for the future.  

Looking at his offense further, he doesn't make a lot of plays in the pick and roll. He seems to be more comfortable attacking the basket one on one, which he does with no fear. It is kind of weird that Craft isn't more effective in the pick and roll given his smarts, but he has shown some questionable decision making in key points of games. Craft is unselfish, but he is not brag worthy. He just gets the job down in that category.
The biggest thing that makes him a point guard is his leadership qualities. Due to this, he doesn't ever project to be a starting point guard.

His jumpshot is solid, but he rarely looks to shoot it. He averaged 1.6 3-pt attempts per game and I would be willing to bet most of them were open spot up chances. He doesn't look for his shot off his dribble and as stated early, his mid-range game is lacking. When he does get to the line, he is only a 72% FT shooter. Because he lacks the sniper mentality, a guy who is always ready to fire, I doubt Craft will be a 3-pt specialist type on offense. He will be solid there and will shoot when open, but he is not the second coming of Kirk Hinrich on offense.

Overall, Craft has a lot to improve on but his competitiveness, work ethic, toughness, smarts, unselfishness, and defense are all things that translate to the next level. His offense is what could keep him from making it. He's a lot better than say, Chris Kramer, but he isn't near as good as Kirk Hinrich or even Eric Snow. I know Chad Ford reported that there was one GM who said he would take Craft in the lottery and others who see him as a first rounder, but I think he is the quintessential second round pick. He may stay all four years, but whenever he is ready to declare, there will be plenty of teams willing to welcome his strengths with open arms.