Scouting Report: Steven Adams

Steven Adams came over from New Zealand halfway through the high school basketball season in his senior year, joining Notre Dame Prep School. From the beginning, it was very obvious that Adams' had a long way to go in terms of getting use to the level of competition, and it was even more apparent when he began play last fall at Pitt. Adams, a consensus top 10 recruit, didn't dominate right away - or at all even, in his one season of college basketball and for long stretches struggled to even make an impact. But as the season progressed, he showed considerable progress as a basketball player. That progress still hasn't put him anywhere close to contributing in the NBA, showing just how raw he was at the beginning of the season.

Adams background is very interesting. The youngest of 18 siblings, all of which are over 6-5 inches tall, basketball has ran in his family. His brothers are all at least 6-10 and 6 of his siblings played basketball for New Zealand. His half sister is an Olympic Gold Medalist in the shot put. When Adams was 13, he lost his father however and took to the streets. So while Adams had a good basketball background, he lacked the teaching needed to develop. It took his brother to get him back on track and set his down the current path he is on. Jamie Dixon discovered him early and quickly sold him on both playing basketball for Pitt and getting an education. Having seen his brothers struggle to make something of their basketball careers, Steven Adams went to Pitt with the goal of also getting an educational. However, with his family needing money, Adams decided it was best to declare for the NBA Draft after his freshman season.

Steven Adams is all about upside. He's only played organized basketball for 6 years and until recently, hasn't had a chance to play against the best competition like his American peers. Standing at at least 6-11 with long arms and a strong base, he has an ideal body for a center. And his ability to move so fluidly at that size is what catches a scouts eye at first glance.

Adams was able to earn minutes at first because of his sheer defensive presence, proving to be a major deterrent inside. He blocked nearly 4 shots per 40 minutes and showed the ability to not just sit by the rim and wait for drivers, but also get block shots away from the rim. Adams mobility is also valuable in defending the pick and roll, where he appears to be very comfortable guarding smaller players in space. Not only does he hedge well, but he also finds himself fairing well against guards when he is switched onto them. Adams isn't afraid to play up on guys and can move laterally to stay in front of them. He is also very good at staying on his feet, partly because he has the ability to block shots without even jumping. He fouled 3 times per 40 minutes, but most were not due to him being over aggressive on going for blocks. He picked up more fouls for shoves in the back and aggressive hedging.

Adams physical strength on defense also projects to be very good heading into the future. Along with the height and the length, Adams has a strong lower body built on genetically thick calve muscles (as seen here). As he learns to stand less upright on defense, he will be very tough to move around in the paint. Combine his strength with his patience on defense and he has all the tools to be an excellent post defender.

Adams will have to add more bulk to his upper body, but it is much easier to develop that then it is the lower body. Plus since defense is played with your feet - and he has the feet of a former soccer player - having a strong lower body is a lot more valuable. But the upper body is important and played a role in his some of his ineffectiveness on offense.

A key going forward for Steven Adams will be rebounding. Based purely off his physical gifts, Adams was a great rebounder this year - pulling down 11.6 boards per every 40 minutes (pace adjusted as always). Adams is also fundamentally sound in this area, always looking to put his body on a man. But moving forward, his sheer size and fundamentals won't put him in the top echelon of rebounding bigs in the NBA. Adams will need to show more aggressiveness and the ability to rebound outside his area moving forward. Right now, he gets a lot of rebounds but leaves a lot more on the table. You'd like to see him develop more of a mean streak and use his strength for. There shouldn't be any times where a player is able to rip the ball from him, but it happens with him far too often.

On occasions where Adams does safely secure a rebound, he shows the presence of mind to look down the court and find an outlet. The good thing about coaching Adams is he hasn't picked up any bad habits and is basically a blank slate for a good big man coach to mold. Thats why finding the right situation in the NBA will be pivotal for him. His first few years he may be overwhelmed by the speed and physicality of the game, but it will be important for him not to be discouraged and realize he has a lot of room to grow. During the interview process, talent evaluators will definitely look at his mental makeup closely and see if he has what it takes to deal with such struggles.

He has shown the ability and eagerness to want to learn and improve so far. Interviews like this one by Draftexpress, make you realize that he's still very much a kid and one that hasn't grown up around this atmosphere. Given that he didn't have a father figure or any guidance during his teenage years, there are additional reasons to question his mental aspect and will to be great. Kiwis generally are known to be laid back people which is not the personality you want to see from a defensive center. He'll likely have to be coddled during his early years in the league, and it will be important for his team to understand that and give him the attention he needs to thrive. If not, there is no sense in drafting him.

Offensively, Adams has a long way to go but shows some interesting things. Against Notre Dame in February, he had a steals and took it the length of the court through traffic and finished with a dunk over a defender. All while looking extremely natural at doing so. The less Adams thinks out there on the court and just does what comes naturally to him, the better he seems to do. The problem is he's still learning the game and trying to understand things, so he does think a little bit too much out there. But that will change once he gets more comfortable and he'll start relying on his instincts more - which seem pretty good.

Right now, his main source of offense is on the glass. Here Adams has a nose for the ball and does a good job coming crashing in for boards. He displays great touch and body control, allowing him to get many tip-ins near the rim.

Like his defense, Adams potential on this end of the court is intriguing because he can be good in both the pick and roll and in the post. Starting with the pick and roll, Adams uses his body well to set wide/effective screens. He rolls off these screens so fluidly and keeps his hands up, always looking for the pass. Adams seems to have a good natural feel how to get open off these plays and knows when to break off his route to the rim and when not to. At times, Adams will come off the roll and stop at the foul line for a ten foot jumper. His body control is so ridiculously good for his size that he makes this look way more easy than it is.

At other times, Adams will roll all the way to the basket and look to catch the ball on the run. He is able to catch the ball in motion using soft hands and avoids picking up charges. He does a good job of moving, catching, and scoring the ball all in one fluid motion.

The third option Adams uses in the P&R game is to get a smaller man on his back and look to establish easy post position. Adams has taken a liking to play with his back to the basket and has look comfortable doing so, which is a great sign moving forward.

Basically starting from scratch in basketball moves at Pitt, he slowly been molded into a post player - adding more moves to his arsenal as the season progressed. At first, Adams was extremely passive when catching the ball in the post. His first instinct was to pass. And that was if he was even able to handle the ball. While Adams originally does a good job establishing position, he caused many turnovers by failing to keep his defender on the back and allowing him to be more aggressive in going for the post entry pass. In time, Adams is slowly learning he has to go and get the ball - not wait for it to come to him.

It also hurts him that he appears a little shy to use his strength to bully guys at times. Its not to say he plays soft - it just seems like he feels it would be too easy to dominate if he fully took advantage of his physical tools. Instead, Adams has shown some emerging skill level in the process. That includes good patience in the post, passing skils, soft touch, quick post moves to either side, a step through move, and enough handles to take the necessary dribbles needed to complete a move. He also displays a good use of pump fakes.

When Adams does catch the ball in the post, he weighs his options, gives teammates time to make cuts to the rim, and if nothing comes open he then chooses to go to work himself.

Besides pick and rolls and post ups, Adams also does a good job moving in space and finding ways to get open. He is a very good cutter for someone his size, a skill that goes along with his ability to crash the offensive glass and score off rolling to the basket after setting a screen. Body control is one of his biggest assets.

Shooting wise, Adams only shot 44% from the foul line, but it seems to be a mental thing 100% of the way. In practice, he is said to be a very good foul shooter. And his mechanics look good - in fact, he almost shoots the ball like a guard with his elbow perfectly tucked in. Unlike most big guys, there seems to be a level of skill to his shot instead of just a flat footed attempted at the rim. He does a really good job getting squared up, as shown on his ability to shoot stopping on the dime while coming off setting a screen. His great mechanics likely go back to the fact that he had no bad habits when he started playing organized basketball.

There are times where Adams misses the rim badly though. He can hit shots all the way out to 15 feet, but does so with a lot of inconsistency. Again, it seems more of a mental things. The guy can shoot as long as he relies on his instincts and doesn't put too much thought into it. Thats a big part of his maturation level - as he learns the game, that will allow him to trust his instincts more.

As I said earlier, getting stronger in the upperbody may be more important to him on the offensive end and that is because he tries to muscle up too many shots right now. And he's usually unsuccessful of even getting the ball up through the rim via contact.

Even though Adams is known as a below average offensive player right now, he has a promising combination of physical tools, lack of bad habits, and willingness to learn the center position to be success. Adams can shoot and has some skill, but you never saw him trying to dribble the ball around or stretch his range out to the 3-pt line. Seeing a player eager to learn how to play in the post is refreshing.

Moving forward, there is no doubting Adams' potential and it is impossible not to see what he could bring to the table down the line. But teams are going to need to do their homework on him and understand what it will take to get him to reach his potential. In terms of sheer potential, Adams has as much of it as anyone in this draft and thats not an exaggeration. And if a team knows what they are doing with him, then I don't think it is out of the question to take him in the lottery or even closer towards the top 5. Patience, some coddling, and a pressure free environment will be key - but the dividends could really pay off in the end. Adams is not for everyone, but he could end up making every team that passes him up in the draft look silly.

Scouting Report: Khalif Wyatt

After getting upset by 12th seeded South Florida in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Khalif Wyatt was poised to takeover the team in his senior season. Wyatt scored 19 points in that game while the rest of the team struggled - including the two other top scoring guards - Juan Fernandez and Ramone Moore who combined to score a measley 6 points. With Moore and Fernandez departing, Wyatt was in line to become the senior leader and go-to-guy his senior year.

Unfortunately, things got off to a rough patch right away. This past summer, Wyatt was arrested in for soliciting a prostitute during his 21st birthday weekend in Vegas. Wyatt cooperated with authorities and ended up being cleared to play to start the 2012-13 season. Prior to that, Wyatt had missed a game at the beginning of his junior year for a "minor internal matter". 

Despite those red flags, Wyatt has displayed good leadership and character on the court and seems to be a good guy who just loves the game of basketball. Wyatt never allows himself to get to excited or disappointed on the basketball court, displaying the same demeanor even after hitting clutch shots or converting a 4 point play. NBA teams will certainly look into his arrest and prior suspension and its not a good thing for a fringe pro prospect to have on his resume, but those occurrences seem to just be lapses in judgement.

On the court, Wyatt is a complete gamer who has came up big when his team has needed him the most. Wyatt road the bench for his freshman year and the non-conference portion of his sophomore season, but earned playing time during conference play and ended up being a key component on a team that lost to San Diego State in 2OT for the right to go to the Sweet Sixteen. 

But that was only the beginning for Wyatt, who dropped 20+ points againt the likes of Duke, Texas, and Maryland - each time while converting over 50% of his field goals. His introduction to the national stage, however, came this year with a 33 point performance against #3 Syracuse en route to a huge upset victory. Wyatt followed that up by tossing in 26 against Kansas, 24 against St. Louis, 22 vs Butler, and a 35 point game against Duquesne where he attempted to carry the team on his back by himself - before losing by 1 point in OT. Then today, Wyatt notched 30 points in OT against a ranked VCU team, a win that could help secure their spot in this year's NCAA Tournament. Wyatt's season has put him in the immediate conversation for A-10 player of the year.

The best way to describe Wyatt's style of play is "old school". He has an old man's game that reminds you of the saavy player at your local rec center. Wyatt stands at 6'4 with a strong frame, but lacks ideal length and athleticism. To put it nicely - Wyatt isn't the fastest player around. And his body, covered by a baggy t-shirt, isn't the typical chiseled frame you are used to seeing.

He is strong, though. He shot 62% at the rim this year according to hoop-math.com which isn't great for an NBA talent, but for a guy who attacks the basket regularly with Wyatt's type of athleticism, it is impressive. The way Wyatt does it is by outsmarting opponents. There is a lot of junk in his game that he uses to throw off defenders. He's a master of drawing fouls inside and has the ability to adjust in the air and change his shot. Wyatt can barely dunk, but finishes some of the toughest shots in the lane you will see. He deals with contact in the lane at an exceptional level and can finish with either hand. And when he gets to the line, he usually converts - Wyatt shot over 82% from the line during his 4 years.

Wyatt's jumper extends well beyond the college 3-pt line as well. He can hit from anywhere on the court. While Wyatt doesn't have a devasting crossover to get open, he tends to coax defenders to sleep with his dribble and fades back slightly to get shots off. Wyatt's range extends beyond the NBA line even and his patented leg kick has sent him to the line after getting fouled multiple times to convert a 4-pt play. Wyatt isn't only great at drawing fouls inside the arc - he is truly a master of getting to the line all over the court.

In terms of passing, Wyatt is a combo guard through and through. He is a good passer and is unselfish, but he looks mainly for his own shot. You don't see Wyatt drive and dish a lot - for one, he isn't the type of guy to break down defenses and have them collapse on him. If they do, Wyatt sees this as a prime opportunity to hunt for contact and get himself to the line. So if Wyatt, is in the lane, he rarely is looking to kick it out to an open defender. That isn't to say he is selfish, that is just him playing to his strengths. Wyatt does do a good job of anticipating teammates getting open when he has the ball outside the arc. He delivers bullet passes with great timing to set up guys for easy looks at the basket. His height helps him see over defenders and he sees the court like a chess board. He can direct his teammates into good positions and see plays before they happen. 

The biggest concern with his game, and ultimately the reason why its unlikely he makes the NBA, is his defense. Wyatt is already behind the curve based on his physicall attributes and ability. He lacks the quickness to defend point guards - and even most SGs on the perimeter - and his length isn't good enough to contest jumpers of most wing players. Furthermore, Wyatt has never shown great intensity on the defensive end. His focus wanes and he can wander while looking for an opportunity to create a fastbreak. One thing Wyatt does well is get steals. Wyatt has very strong and quick hands and can strip guys going up for shots or  steal the ball from a ball handler. Wyatt has also never been a good rebounder.

Wyatt is unlikely to get drafted or ever become a known name by NBA fans, but his career should continue to blossom overseas or in the D-League. He is the kind of player who loves the game and will figure out how to put the ball in the basket against any competition. His games against teams like Syracuse prove that he can finish among great athletes and play with the best. He isn't a good enough shot creator, athlete, or defender for the NBA but will be a valuable player and make plenty of money elsewhere.

Mid-Majors Shine Together

As a draft blogger, you grow attached to certain teams. Of course, you watch the same big schools that everyone else does. The Blue Devils, Kentucky, and the Jayhawks. But you also watch the same small schools over and over again and find yourself getting to know not only their star player, but the rest of the team as well. Not only do you want to see these schools make the NCAA tournament in order to evaluate them on a bigger stage, but also because you start to become a fan of the school. For most small schools with NBA prospects, this is a rare opportunity for exposure and it is fun to be along for the ride with them.

Among the teams that I have found myself watching over and over again this year are North Texas, South Dakota State, Murray State, Detroit, Bucknell, Illinois State, Creighton, and Lehigh. There are other schools as well - Long Beach State and James Ennis, Davidson, Drexel, and Tennessee State.

Tonight, quite a few of the prominent mid/low-major schools were in action. North Texas played Troy and got their first conference win after starting off 0-2. Now, Troy is the worst team in the Sun Belt so it is no reason to get excited for the simple fact that they got the victory. But Tony Mitchell had his best game of the season - scoring 29 points and adding 15 rebounds. Mitchell is capable of these performances against any Sun Belt team, but it is more impressive how he did it. He was the aggressive Tony Mitchell we've been waiting to see all season. He got to the line 12 times, blocked 4 shots, and finally took advantage of easy points in transition by running the court. North Texas's offense had a sense of rhythm to it that has been rare this season. Granted it was Troy, but this is a good blueprint for them to follow for the rest of the season.

The attitude of North Texas fans towards Mitchell is a mixed bag, with a lot of fans disappointed in his effort so far this season. He's not the typical low-major star where he is worshiped on campus. He has his fair share of detractors.

Out in South Dakota, however, they live and breath Jackrabbits basketball because of Nate Wolters. Wolters has been a major part of the program for 4 seasons and is looking to get his team back into the NCAA tournament for the second straight season. They improved to 2-1 in the Summit League with their blowout victory over UMKC tonight (nicknamed the Kangaroos). Wolters was a big part of it - scoring 23 points and also providing 7 helpers. He didn't take over the game in a dominating sense. But he did control the game and its pace. The game moves slower for him than the rest of the players and he does a good job manipulating angles to get inside and show off his floater game. He also made a series of nice passes and delivered them in crafty ways. Now, I've been holding off on comparing him to any NBA player but I've had a guy in mind the entire time - Jeremy Lin. I've been hesitant to say it because of all the other things that are associated with Lin.

But if you look back at Lin at Harvard, you will see the similarities. Neither was a great shooter, but both were excellent in the pick and roll game because of their ability to play at their own pace. They are average athletes, attackers, have good touch inside, play with confidence, struggle defensively, and have similar slow release jumpshots. Lin was never looked at as much of a NBA player but obviously put in a lot of work between college and the Knicks to get to where he is now. Wolters is no stranger to work and has Lin's roadmap to the NBA to follow.

Also in action was Detroit who handled Milwaukee to advance to 1-0 in Horizon League play. Ray McCallum had a modest 13 points, but also helped out with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. McCallum is viewed as a second rounder at best on DraftExpress, but I see him as a very good backup point guard that is capable of starting for some teams - a less crafty Eric Maynor type. I highlighted McCallum's notable plays from tonight in the video below. I must say, he hasn't shown a lot of versatility in his game for much of this season. He's settling for 3s while being very good out in transition. We know he is capable of other things though, and has been impressive at times - such as the 2nd half against Syracuse.

In other action, Long Beach State lost a tough one to Cal Poly 79-73. Both teams look like contenders to win the Big West's automatic bid, but I'm rooting for LBSU in order to see Ennis in at least one more high profile game. He had 22 points and 5 blocks tonight.

Tennessee State advanced to 2-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference, despite Patrick Miller and Robert Covington being out. Covington has been out for both wins and figures to miss 4 to 6 more weeks after his recent knee surgery. Tennessee State didn't look like a good team in non-conference play, so their start is a bit surprising. Although, this is the OVC.

Still, Tennessee State will need to win their conference tournament and they will have a tough time upsetting Murray State. The Racers held off TSU in last year's championship game and the talent gap between the two teams has widened. Murray State may be more dangerous than last year's team with even more experience and the emergence of Ed Daniel. They picked up their first OVC win tonight against Tennessee-Martin.

Video: Michael Snaer's Double Double vs Auburn

Florida State has been bad this season and a 78-72 loss to Auburn last night doesn't make things any better. Ian Miller has been hurt and played ten minutes last night from injury and they need him healthy for ACC play. Without him, Michael Snaer is not only expected to lead them defensively but offensively as well.

Snaer does a lot of things well and is an intriguing prospect. His defense is already NBA caliber - possessing good length and lateral quickness, and a keen understanding of positioning.

Offensively, Snaer does a lot of things well. For the second straight year, he is a 40%+ shooter from behind the arc and 80%+ from the free throw line. He has nearly doubled his rate of getting to the line so far this year, finally putting his first step and fluidity to use. He's also explosive at the rim and is seen completing a backdoor alley-oop in the video below.

Snaer's efficiency on offense is hurt by the fact that he is being asked to do it all for Florida State. But in a smaller role, Snaer is a guy who can do a little bit of everything on both ends. From passing, rebounding (he had 12 against Auburn), getting into the lane, and lighting it up from outside - Snaer has an NBA game.

Cody Zeller vs Iowa (Video)

Cody Zeller and Indiana traveled to Iowa City for their first conference game of the year against Iowa. Conference play means that no game will be easy - and this game certainly was not for the Hoosiers. They have been less than impressive when outside of Assembly Hall thus far.

Zeller put forth a solid effort finishing with 19 points (7-12 shooting) and 10 rebounds. The little things that he does are what I like best. He isn't able to get every rebound, but will do whatever he can to get his hand on it to tip it to a teammate. And his awareness on the defensive end is top notch. Zeller doesn't have the length or athleticism as some other big men prospects, but his understanding of positioning is unmatched.

Zeller was passive at times in this game, but Indiana did a good job continuing to get the ball through him. They ran a lot of set plays and you could tell they were stressing getting him the ball coming out of dead ball situations. He does a great job in pick and roll situations, especially when he decides to slip the screen. He played with patience and was anything but a black hole on offense.

While the youngest Zeller brother is having a good season, his stock has begun to drop a bit simply because he lacks the upside of a top 5 pick. This isn't a surprise - Zeller was a placeholder at the top of mock drafts until new names emerged and earned their spots during the season.

Video Highlights of Alex Len vs Delaware State

Alex Len had a quiet game against Delaware State as Maryland had no problem dismantling the MEAC school. Len was able to get easy looks in the post, but only came away with 6 points in 17 minutes. Maryland likes to have him set down screens in order for him to establish initial position and Delaware State didn't put much effort into making it hard for Len to get position down low. Len had multiple good looks, but had a few lay-up attempts fall off of the rim.

The thing to watch in these highlights is Len's defense. You can get a better sense if you watch the complete game, but in the video below you can see a bit of his struggles. Len had four fouls, none of which prevented the opponent from still getting the bucket. He looked slow and unmotivated going after loose balls and was beaten multiple times on the offensive glass. He got a block shot, but still ended up giving up the points. And his block shot came on a play where the defender had him backed down all the way to the rim. He only recorded 2 rebounds in this game, both which fell into his lap. These are the kind of things I worry about when watching Len. Yes he has a great skillset, but the NBA needs their centers to provide toughness, defense, and rebounding.

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.

Recap from Last Night and Tonight's Games to Watch 12/21/12

Last night was a disappointing night for 57 NBA scouts who flocked to Denton, Texas to see CJ McCollom and Tony Mitchell to battle. McCollom did not play as he is recovering from a mild ankle injury and Tony Mitchell didn't start for "disciplinary reasons". There is no better way to piss off scouts than to be forced to start the game on the bench for doing something stupid. Especially a game as big as this. Mitchell scored 22 points and grabbed boards but this season has done anything but solidify himself as a lottery pick. He looks like a potential draft day free faller.

Arkansas found them in a tight game against Robert Morris, which they pulled out 79-74. BJ Young was able to score off the bounce when the Razorbacks needed him. Young also turned it over multiple times on lazy passes inside and showed little urgency in getting back on defense to make up for his mistakes. His shot continues to struggles as well, especially at the line where his slingshot form isn't doing him any favors. For a guy who plans to make a living as a slasher, a sub 70% FT shooting is a problem. Below are highlights:

I also went back and looked at the Cincinnati-Xavier game. Semaj Christon is a definite first round talent and has lots of room to grow. Right now he relies on his explosive, long strides off the dribble to get into the lane and score. He has a nice floater game and is able to rise above the defense and get it off. He has elite physical attributes for a point guard and does a nice job staying under control in the lane. His decision making and point guard skills need work, but show potential. Christon definitely needs to work on his shot - both off the dribble and spotting up. Its the main thing holding him back from being dominant in college.

The star of the night was Mason Plumlee, who was the only Duke player who didn't appear tired on the second night of a back to back. He had 21 points and 15 rebounds - the majority of which came in the first half when the game still in question.


Game of the Night: BYU at Baylor 9pm ESPN2

Coming off the the news that Jabari Parker will not be spending his next year in Provo, the BYU basketball team must move on to face Baylor. Depending on what Baylor team they get, they could potentially get the win. Tyler Haws has been one of the biggest pleasant surprises in the nation and it will be interesting to see how he fares against Baylor's athletic perimeter. Senior Brandon Davies is having a great year himself and has the task of playing well against Cory Jefferson and Isaiah Austin. Meanwhile Isaiah Austin has only made 1 free throw in his last 5 games, but is coming off two straight 10+ rebound games. Austin has to consistently show he will play tough inside this year, even with his strength limitations, if he wants to be projected as anything more than a stretch big man.

Other games to keep an eye on:

Florida Atlantic at Indiana 7pm ESPN2 - Victor Oladipo is clearly their best upperclassmen prospect on the team, but who is second? Cases can be made for Jordan Hulls, Christian Watford, and Will Sheehey. Watford would have been the easy answer just a year ago, but his efficiency has FG% has fallen for the third straight year. He hasn't gotten much better over his time in Bloomington and looks like a skinny PF. He got bullied inside against Butler. My pick of the three? Will Sheehey.

Bowling Green at South Florida 7pm - Anthony Collins is the name to watch here. The sophomore point guard looked great two weeks ago against Marcus Smart, but has only played one time since so Im eager to check him out again. He's a true point guard who can be a pest defensively. Is he just off to a hot start or is he legit? Big East play will certainly answer that question.

Longwood at Virginia Commonwealth 7:30pm - VCU is always exciting to watch and while they don't have any surefire NBA prospects, Treveon Graham has made great strides in his sophomore year. He is a power wing who can drive to the basket and hit the outside shot. He has gone from a reserve to top scorer on a team that likely is top 25 in the country. It feels weird question a VCU player's defense, but the biggest concern with him may be whether he can defend wings in the NBA. He's a combo forward at this point. Also keep an eye on Michael Kessens, the leading freshman rebounder in the nation at 10.3 boards per contest.

USC Upstate at Tennessee State 8pm - This Tennessee State team continues to play awful basketball, getting demolished by Middle Tennessee State last game. Covington's lack of perimeter skills have been exposed playing next to incapable guards. Maybe a game against USC Upstate is competition they can actually hang with.

Northern Arizona at Colorado 8:30pm - After getting major praise from media pundits before the Kansas game, Spencer Dinwiddie now has scored 5 points and tallied 2 assists in his last 2 games. Hes shooting 1-8 from the floor and has 7 turnovers. He suffered an injury in the game against Kansas (but came back) and it could have affected him against Fresno, but its an ugly line either way. Andre Roberson still is by far the best prospect on this team and has started to play better as of late. He has hit 4 of his last 5 threes and has grabbed at least 11 boards in each of his last 6 games.

Buffalo vs Washington State 10:30pm - Always need to have a late game and this one pits two very different power forwards against each other. Watch the matchup between Brock Motum and Javon McCrea inside. Motum has 5 straight games where he's scored at least 23 points. He's not as pure of a shooter as other stretch forwards like Eric Murphy, but has more variety in his scoring arsenal.

Also I'll try to get highlight videos from Alex Len's and Jarnell Stokes' games tonight.

Trevor Releford's 17 points vs Texas Tech

Trevor Releford has bumped his 3-pt% from a poor 27% over his first two season to 42% to begin his junior year. If he keeps his shooting up, he has enough talent to get 2nd round looks. 

Isaiah Canaan's 18 Points vs Arkansas St (Video)

BJ Young vs Jahii Carson Video Highlights

Because who honestly wouldn't want to see highlights of two of the most dynamic guards in the country against each other?

BJ Young scored 29 points, barely missing his career high of 31 he set against Florida last year. He did most of his work in the first 3 quarters of the game before Arizona State slowly distanced themselves. Young did a great job of picking his spots in this game. He made some nice cuts off the ball, slashed to the paint, and displayed excellent body control to finish inside. Young has no trouble scoring in the halfcourt setting.

Carson had 19, which was actually the second lowest scoring game of his short 5 game career. He has led an Arizona State attack that is much more of a up and down team than the Herb Sendek teams of the past. Sendek has always been an underated coach and I applaud him for changing his style to suit his players. Sendek has never sought acknowledgement and has put aside his ego to also higher two great assistant coaches with NBA coaching experience. Big moves for Jahii Carson's development.
Carson has been a joy to watch so far and is averaging 21 points on 48% shooting. He is always in attack mode and aggressively uses pick and rolls. He has a natural ability to get to the basket and elite athleticism to boot. Carson will have to work on balancing out his game as the season goes on to be less turnover prone and more of a facilitator, but he's off to a great start on the year. He can shoot alright too - he's hit 6-13 threes and is 37-49 from the charity stripe. Oddly enough, 2 of those 12 misses have been airballs from the line.

Video Highlights from BJ Young's 2nd Game Back

After missing Arkansas' first game due to suspension, BJ Young came back against Longwood and to score 23 points in a 112-63 route against what looks to be once of the worst teams in D1. His second game was against Florida A&M last night, another blowout, which had Arkansas winning 89-60.

Mike Anderson's style of play is hitting stride in his second year, thanks to the depth provided by the 9 new faces on Arkansas' roster. Anderson has been rotating a lot of bodies and Young has only played a combined 45 minutes so far. They have been running at every chance they get and Young has gotten plenty of easy looks on the break. In the halfcourt, Young has looked to facilitate this year even though he technically starts the game at the SF spot.

So far, Young has looked solid in the small sample size. Arkansas runs a lot of pick and roll sets in halfcourt and Young has a good feel on how to attack it. He will never be a point guard, but showing combo guard skills is necessary for his NBA future. Some see Young as a lottery pick this year, while I am less bullish. He has the potential, but has a lot more learning to do.

Check the video below for highlights from last night - he had 12 points on 4-12 shooting while dishing out 3 assists. He only took one 3-pt which he missed, as he got most of his opportunities near the rim. He struggled to convert in the paint last night.

Victor Oladipo Gets No Respect

If I made an all-breakout team this year, Oladipo would have probably been on it. He was on the verge of breaking out last year, scoring double digits in 7 straight conference games before getting nicked up against Michigan State. That seemed to affect him the rest of the season, but he provided a nice going away present against star-studded Kentucky where he scored 15 points in only 20 minutes due to foul trouble.

Oladipo is a guy who came to college as a great defender and role player. He played at DeMatha in high school alongside Quinn Cook, Mikael Hopkins, and Jerian Grant. He wasn't asked to do much handling, as the Stags had an All-American point guard and a wing who averaged 5 assists in his freshman year at Notre Dame. I saw Oladipo in this time and came away with the impression that he was just a complimentary wing that played hard.

Three years later, Oladipo still has that same motor and ability to fit in with other good players - only he is doing it for the #1 team in the nation at Indiana. He averaged 10.8 ppg last year and shot 47% from the floor. He shot above the 50% threshold inside the arc and got to the line nearly as much as fellow wings like Austin Rivers, Harrison Barnes, LeBryan Nash, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. In conference play, Oladipo's free throw rate looked more like a big man and he surpassed Barnes, Rivers, and Nash in terms of getting to the line.

Oladipo's driving ability, in my opinion, is more impressive than all of them. He has an extremely quick first step and enters the lane with no fear. He can isolate himself at the top of the key, using a swaying crossover before attacking, or head straight for the rim off the wing. Oladipo's experience in the lane always has you holding his breath - he enters the lane at such speed and seems short of options - yet he has shown ability to avoid picking up charges by contorting his body. Oladipo, while not having the surest of handle, manages to somehow stay under control at 100mph, and weave his way to the hoop. It is really impressive to watch - I get excited every time Oladipo takes to the top of the key and starts measuring up his defender. When that happens, there is little doubt that Oladipo will end up with the defender in tow split seconds later. He is that quick.

His ball handling has improved much over his career and it seems that he has a great work ethic. His improvement in this area has allowed him to take advantage of his excellent first step, but moreso, show off good strength and tremendous explosiveness at the rim. He is a very quick jumper who can go off of either foot. 

Oladipo can also initiate a bit of offense off the dribble, looking like a bit of a combo guard at times. He is a rare breed of guys who can conjure up offense out of nowhere.

Defensively, he fouls too often, but plays with a lot of intensity. He will go for a steals and gets a fair amount of them thanks to his great hands. He also does a great job of using his jumping ability to its fullest to get rebounds at the top of their apex. Oladipo is a solid leader and can step up even more this year.

Part of his next step, is learning to slow down consistently, but he needs to develop a jumper. He seems to be able to get the mid-range shot, but at this point its a more efficient move to head into the lane. Oladipo's shot is a big concern and may be the reason some scouts haven't given him much of a chance, but that could end up in a mistake. Whoever gets Oladipo will be a lucky team.

This is a typical situation where teams miss out on what a guy can bring to a team because they are too busy at looking what he can't do. Oladipo has things you can't teach - athleticism, a NBA body, an excellent first step, explosiveness, and most of all, a terrific sense of competitive nature and work ethic. I'd much rather believe Oladipo can develop a jumpshot than believe PJ Hairston can learn to be effective without shooting once per two minutes.

Right now sites have Oladipo ranked 62 (Draftexpress), 110 (Chad Ford), 87 (NBADraftNet), and NBADraftInsider has him listed as the 10th best shooting guard. 

Me?

I've got him 35th - a late first rounder depending on who declares. He scored a season high 15 points last night against Georgia and as the games get even bigger, you can believe that Oladipo's game will as well.

Tune in tonight to watch him against projected lottery pick Otto Porter. 

McLemore Takes off in win against Chattanooga

Highlights of Ben McLemore vs Chattanooga - both videos are different

I wrote after the Michigan State game that with Elijah Johnson at the point guard, Ben McLemore will have a chance to step up as a much needed playmaker for the Jayhawks down the road. With Kansas down as much as 10 points to Chattanooga in the first half, McLemore decided that the time to step up was now.

I'll let the videos do most of the talking, but McLemore was outstanding last night. He was excellent at getting open, moving without the ball and around screens to get multiple open looks on jumpers. He also made some great cuts to the basket for the alley-oop finishes. I'd say his movement without the basketball stood out the most about his game.

McLemore played much more mature than a regular freshman, making some smart skip passes and driving and kicking for a few more assists. And he definitely knows how to get to the foul line - he got there ten times against Chattanooga and made his last 5 after missing 3 of his first 5.

Defensively, McLemore brought intensity throughout the game, even early on when the rest of the team was going through the motions. He has solid length and a strong frame used to handle contact. He gambled for steals on multiple occasions and only came away with one, so he still needs to become more disciplined. McLemore also rebounded the ball very well.