Week 1 NCAAM's Prospect Notes
Week 1 NBA Draft Prospect Roundup
My passion revolves around NBA prospect evaluations and I want to share that passion with each of you. Here are some of my key takeaways I observed after the first week of college basketball. Keep in mind that these are not all my notes from the games or prospects I evaluated throughout the week. I have a database full of other prospects I assessed and give me a follow if you want more detailed information.
Villanova
Luigi Suigo is a monster of a man but his college debut performance was disappointing. Suigo measured approximately 7’ 3” while weighing 289 pounds with a 7’ 5.5” wingspan at last year’s combine. Yet, he only managed to secure five rebounds and one block. He also didn’t get to the free throw line. He should be commanding the paint especially since he has a difficult time moving in space. His athletic deficiencies were known limitations entering this season and it was evident throughout the opener. But his lack of paint presence was the most glaring issue I observed, and I will continue to monitor that aspect of his game going forward.
Ohio State
John Mobley is a lethal shooter. He is an undersized guard with NBA range. Those aspects of his evaluation were already well known. Areas of his game I am interested in seeing progress revolve around his ability to penetrate, finish near the rim, facilitate, negotiate screens, and create versus length. Each of those concerning aspects were evident during his opener against BYU. Attempting to create a quality look or generate separation versus a long defender like Bruce Branch proved challenging. An undersized shooter who has difficulty matching up defensively and creating against larger opponents will have a difficult time finding a footing in the NBA.
Anthony Thompson did his best Tony Snell impression against BYU. His presence wasn’t felt and that is worth monitoring going forward.
Amare Bynum was the player who stood out the most during the opener. He flashed scoring versatility, physicality, intensity, and toughness. He is my favorite prospect playing for Ohio State at the start of the season.
BYU
Bruce Branch may not have stood out on the stat sheet but unlike his freshman counterpart, Thompson, he was felt during his minutes on the floor. He was engaged and active on the defensive end. He made mistakes as a freshman is expected to do but he competed. I was also impressed by his ability to create space for his shots. He did not convert them, but he demonstrated strength, footwork, and skill.
Robert Wright is another undersized guard. He is electric and difficult to stay in front of. Defense, shot selection, and decision making are the areas he needs to show progress if he hopes to find a role at the next level. If not, keep cashing in those checks in college for as long as you can receive them
Collin Chandler is super aggressive. He reminds me of the character in Might Ducks II who could skate fast but didn’t know how to slow down. Chandler plays with that same intensity. Consistency has always been his downfall and if he can demonstrate greater control, he may have a chance to draw second round interest in the NBA.
Miami
Shelton Henderson was and is a prospect I am interested in this season. He has a great frame and plays with tremendous strength. The questions around his game revolved around shooting efficiency and expansive offensive responsibility. During Florida, Henderson did not address those concerns as he had a very poor shooting performance. The most glaring concern I observed from that game was how Florida’s defenders sat on his right hand the entire time. They were willing to let him go left because they didn’t view him as a threat and Henderson never made them pay. I want to see Henderson develop his ability to attack to his left side or defenses will force him in that direction throughout the season.
Caleb Gaskins looks raw. He was engaged and playing hard but poorly positioned on defense. He was out of control on offense and found himself in foul trouble.
Somto Cyril is an imposing center due to his length, strength, athleticism, and physicality but he lacks composure and he is slightly undersized. Give Suigo Cyril’s motor and that would be something special.
Lewis had a lot of responsibility on the offensive end. He is clearly very skilled but demonstrates a little too much dribbling for my liking. I hope to see him create more efficiently going forward.
Florida
Thomas Haugh is clearly an NBA player. He is not a start but a rotational asset who complements a roster. He truly does all the little things that a team requires. His ceiling is predicated by his 3-point shooting.
Alex Condon has long been a favorite of mine. He is another no nonsense hustle player who plays with high energy on both sides of the ball. He is physical and competitive. His offense is variable as he struggles to convert his attempts at a high efficiency. But he demonstrates the ability to run the offense as a screen setter or DHO focal piece. He will generate extra possessions and run the floor in transition. He has more defensive versatility than he gets credit for so he remains a quality front court player by my measure.
Rueben Chinyelu is who he is. He is a physical enforcer in the restricted area. He will gobble up rebounds and give opponents bruises. He is willing to defend on the perimeter but quicker players are able to take advantage of him. Finishing and securing passes are the elements of his game that he needs to demonstrate progress during this season.
Gonzaga
Davis Fogle is an offensive weapon. He demonstrates tremendous skill and plays with a high motor off of the ball. Questions around his game revolve around strength and physicality. He needs to absorb and play through contact more effectively. He also benefits from converting his 3-point attempts at a higher efficiency.
Isiah Harwell and Massamba Diop are a couple of players worth monitoring this season. This Gonzaga team will be better than people give them credit for.
Purdue
Daniel Jacobsen stood out during his opener against Gonzaga. I have to admit, I wasn’t a big fan of his game entering the season but Matt Painter has a reputation for developing post players and Jacobsen will have my attention going forward. He favors his right hand but one time during the game, he countered the post defender to finish with his left off of the glass. As the season unfolds, I will be monitoring his ability to play with physicality and defend in space.
Omer Mayer had a rough shooting outing but I like the type of attempts he created. He had a steady grasp of the game but his shots were not falling. If he continues to shoot poorly, his draft evaluation from me will decline.
Arizona
Ian Kharchenkov made a big statement during the opener against UCLA. 38 points is loud and he managed to score those points in a quiet fashion. There were no flashy plays during the game. He looked like he had his hard hat and lunch box and went to work. He is a physically smart player who was known for his defense last year but demonstrating an expanded role this season. Arizona needs his scoring and if he maintains steady production, there is no reason why a team wouldn’t take him in the lottery.
Motiejus Krivas’ defense is impactful. He is a nasty rim protector and a behement in the paint. Let’s just say, I wouldn’t want to steal his little brother’s lunch money. His offensive outlook is less impressive since he struggles to finish near the rim at a rate that you would expect. I feel the capability is there but I have felt that way for the past two seasons. It’s time to start making that possibility a reality.
Caleb Holt was rough from a statistical standpoint but I was encouraged by his debut performance. He was all over the court as expected. He played defense with a great intensity. He made some smart cuts off the ball and continuously crashed the glass to generate second chance opportunities. Even though his offense was disappointing, the framework for success is evident.
Illinois
Andrej Stojakovic has demonstrated steady progress during each collegiate season. From his time at Stanford, to California, to Illinois his game has expanded. In his early years, he was forcing perimeter shots like his father but that is not a strength of his game. Stojakovic is a slasher and disruptive defender. The fact that he is converting his 3-point attempts this season is an encouraging development.
Quentin Coleman has all the goods. He is a crafty ball handler with good feel and footwork. He demonstrated all his offensive ability during his game against Penn and it was impressive. As impressive as his offense was, his defense was really rough. He was consistently out of position. Numerous back cuts were available against him throughout the game but Penn failed to capitalize. He also had a difficult time absorbing contact and navigating screens.
Stefan Vaaks fits in perfectly within the Illinois system. The fact that he attacked and demonstrated a willingness to expand his offensive game beyond the 3-point line was the most encouraging sight for me. He has difficulty moving laterally so his defensive translation may be challenging at the next level. Although he lacks quickness, his anticipation and active hands may allow him to carve out a consistent role in the NBA.
Vanderbilt
Tyler Tanner did not have a great debut against Pittsburgh. Despite the team result and counting stats he produced, his performance was inconsistent. During the first half he struggled to convert in the paint and was hesitant to shoot from deep. His gambling style resulted in a highlight steal and finish but other gambles put his teammates in poor positions throughout the game. When Tanner attacks immediately after receiving the ball, there is not a defender who can keep up with him. The problem lies around his ability to create and exploit that attacking angle off the dribble.
Chandler Bing made some impactful plays during the game. He is worth being on people’s radar and a rangy wing defender with offensive upside.
Michigan
Trey McKenney Jr. was a bit Jekyll and Hyde during this game against UCONN. He was nowhere to be found during the first half and unbelievable during the second. Which version of McKenney Jr. can we expect to see going forward? I say somewhere in the middle. McKenney Jr. is a very skilled shooter but struggles to create for himself. I also want to see him navigate screens more effectively since that was a challenge on Friday night.
Quinn Costello needs to show more than shooting if he hopes to earn some attention on people’s draft boards.
UCONN
Braylon Mullins showed what he could be at the next level. He is a quality shooter who moves well off the ball. He is confident and plays at a high intensity. He possesses fundamental footwork and understands angles well. He needs to improve his paint finishing and still has some wild attempts at times.
Kikolas Khamenia did his best Karaban impression during their win against Michigan. It was nice to see him regularly involved in the action and making decisive reads on and off the ball. Although he plays with a high motor, he needs to reign in his fouling and eradicate some of the difficult attempts from his shot portfolio.
Silas Demary was a monster during the first half. He was in complete control of the game. He got wherever he wanted whenever he wanted to and was converting his 3’s. It wasn’t a perfect performance as he struggled to convert many midrange and paint attempts but he generated quality looks using ball screens. I was also impressed by his hustle on both ends of the ball. There was one play in particular where he hit the ground on the offense and got up to race down the floor to disrupt a transition pass to save a possession.
Colben Landrew also had an impressive performance for UCONN. He has a big powerful frame and uses his long strides to get to the rim. I like his willingness to compete on the glass and set screens for his teammates. I was concerned by moments of selfishness displayed during the game. There were a few times during the game where he missed open teammates and bogged down the flow of the offense by dribbling the air out of the ball. Overall, it was a highly encouraging performance.
Missouri
Jason Crowe Jr. is obviously extremely skilled. He has tremendous footwork and slick ball handling but his shot selection bothered me during the game. His defensive effort was also concerning. There was one play in particular where he was the last man back in transition and watched his opponent run right by him on his way for a dunk. The worst part was that he raised his hands up to question his teammate when it was clearly his responsibility. Either way, his offensive skillset has me enticed but effort and shot selection need to improve to maintain my excitement.
Nebraska
Pryce Sandfort had a tremendous performance against Providence. He started off slow missing quality 3’s but you know it was only a matter of time before he found his rhythm. And once he broke the seal, the rim appeared twice the size. His shooting is translatable to the NBA but what about the rest of this game? His creation revolves around off-ball movement and attacking closeouts. I would like to see him create off the dribble but that may be a consistent limitation of his game. And defensively, Nebraska plays in such a frenetic style that his deficiencies are masked since he is not asked to defend one-on-one. Their defense revolves around stunting, helping, and recovering. Within this framework, he generates deflections and makes an impact. I question how his defense will carry over to the NBA.
Providence
Miles Byrd is the long, 3-point shooting, disruptive defender who generates deflections but is wildly inconsistent. Those inconsistencies continued versus Nebraska and his lack of discipline led to foul trouble and diminished playing time. It was a disappointing outing and his draft evaluation continues to decline as I see his game fail to progress.
Maryland
Baba Oladotun is long. He is a perimeter based player who failed to exploit size advantages when matched up against Jaland Lowe. That is concerning and something worth monitoring going forward.
Pharrel Payne had a productive game. He is a skilled front court player who plays with physicality and footwork. He is a right handed player who demonstrates comfort finishing with his left hand. He has a versatile game and worth draft attention this session.
Georgetown
Jaland Lowe was my prized gem following his freshman season at Pittsburgh. After that season, I valued his skills very highly despite his size. He had a productive but inefficient sophomore season and decided to transfer to Kentucky. A shoulder injury last season resulted in nine games played and now he found a new home in Washington D.C. And he is off to a tremendous start. He is converting his 3’s at an unsustainable rate but demonstrates his ability to handle the ball to create for himself or his teammates. Lowe is difficult to stay in front of and maintains his composure versus hard hedges or traps. He needs to improve his ball security as he attempts some heroic passes or penetrates too deep into the heart of the defense. It’s nice to see him healthy and this Georgetown team should be a fun team to watch this season.
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