Back in December of 2004, Adam Morrison hadn’t taken the world by storm just yet. His hair was only starting to look shaggy, and nobody would have recognized the slogan “fear the stache”. He probably couldn’t even grow one yet.
There were no Larry Bird comparisons, no triple teams, and no verbal battles with overmatched opponents. We had yet to see the buzzer beaters, the 40-point outbursts, or even one article referencing how he plays Halo with JJ Redick in his free time.
Nonetheless, Adam Morrison was already well on his way to becoming the player you grew to love or hate this past winter.
I first became aware that Mark Few had a special player in December Morrison's sophomore season. The Zags were hosting a highly-ranked Georgia Tech team, and I skipped a Saturday night out on the town to check in on the progress of Gonzaga’s star big man Rony Turiaf, and Georgia Tech point guard Jarrett Jack.
Of course, Turiaf and Jack were far from the story that night. Adam Morrison scored 24 points, mostly of the spectacular variety. There were baseline fadeaways from well behind the backboard, midrange floaters of nearly impossible difficulty, and a few standard set 3-point shots thrown in for good measure. The final score was 85-73, but Morrison won that game for Gonzaga before halftime.
I began talking about him as a lottery pick immediately, and sat back to watch him emerge as an All-American.
He slowly moved ahead of Turiaf as Gonzaga’s number one option, and even though his potentially game winning 3-pointer clanked off the back of the rim in the Zags’ 2nd round Tourney loss to Texas Tech, Morrison ended the season on a high note. He scored 25 or more in each of his last four games, including a then-career high 30 in the WCC championship game.
By this time, Adam Morrison had grown a full-out mop on the top of his head.
Over the summer, I casually mentioned to several confidants that Adam Morrison was going to average 30 points per game in 2006. Of course I said it with a smirk on my face – I don’t even know if I fully believed myself. At any rate, even I wasn’t prepared for what hit the Maui Invitational last November.
The newly mustached Morrison played like a man possessed. He wasn’t connecting on his usual assortment of midrange concoctions against Maryland in the first round, but the Terps were no match for his energy and craft around the basket and relentlessness in the open court. He finished with 25 points in the Gonzaga win.
But Morrison was far from finished. One night later he poured in 43 points from every conceivable angle in Gonzaga’s amazing 3-OT win over Michigan State. Pundits called it one of the greatest basketball games ever, and despite playing 52 of 55 possible minutes, Morrison was at his best in the overtime sessions. He created shot after difficult shot, and looked ready to go another 40 minutes as he celebrated the win.
Adam Morrison was a scraggly-haired, skinny white kid with diabetes - the ultimate underdog - playing for the ultimate underdog team, and well on his way to making my half-hearted 30 points per game projection look like genius. The Larry Bird comparisons popped up everywhere, and the whirlwind began.
Morrison fought off constant double and triple teams score 43 points in archrival Washington’s building, and shocked Oklahoma State at the buzzer with a now famous banked-in, buzzer beating 3-pointer. The national media fell in love with their new unlikely hero, and he was now gracing magazine covers and newspaper headlines on a daily basis. Fans were wearing fake mustaches to games. If people weren’t talking about whether or not the Larry Bird comparisons were accurate, they were imploring him to take a shower.
Morrison’s individual achievements and aura of invincibility continued to pile up as conference play began, but such unprecedented success had put a giant target on his back, especially when he entered hostile, crackerbox WCC gyms. The WCC had never seen such a spectacle, and suddenly everybody wanted their fifteen minutes of fame – at the expense of Adam Morrison.
As the Loyola Marymounts and San Fransisco’s defended him more physically and effectively, a more brazen Morrison began to appear. Where he once would have silently (well, maybe not silently) gone about his business of breaking down opponents, he didn’t appear to stop chirping the entire West Coast Conference tournament – whether it was at his opponents, or the officials.
His verbal battles with San Diego’s Corey Belser (the one player who successful defended Morrison at the college level) became public, and his on-court outbursts more blatant. There were still moments of sheer brilliance (37 points in the second half of a win over Loyola Marymount; 34 points and numerous clutch plays in a comeback win over Stanford), but Morrison’s college career was destined to end on a low note.
Morrison scored 24 points in the heartbreaking Sweet 16 loss to UCLA, but missed a crucial jumper in the final moments, and had to pass the ball to his center after being trapped in the backcourt with the 10-second clock ticking. This resulted in a JP Batista turnover, and the loss.
There was still a bit of spectacular in the tourney. He took over down the stretch in Gonzaga’s second round game against Xavier in classic Morrison style. The game was close headed under five minutes to play, and then Adam Morrison decided that it was time for that to end.
Still, one has to wonder if the old, “underdogish” Morrison would have screamed at the ball and bashed it against his head - like a different kind of man possessed - after converting a crucial late game shot. Morrison eventually would seal that victory at the line, yelling at Xavier guard Stanley Burrell (things I can’t repeat here) literally as the ball was leaving his hands on the decisive free throw.
Morrison’s career would end with a stumble to center court, the once practically invincible madman collapsing onto the jump circle in tears as camera lenses flashed. There is little doubt in my mind that the pre-superstar Morrison would have reacted with that same anguish. I also have little doubt that he would have made his way to the sideline, and cried away the end of his college career in the comforting presence of his teammates.
Morrison’s time at Gonzaga ended in a way very much unrepresentative of the man he has tried so hard to become. Larry Bird would have made that shot and found a way to get around UCLA’s frantic trap, so the legends would say. But Morrison’s true greatness came not from the mustache, the high socks, or all the on-court antics. The fact of the matter is that it will be a long time before we see another player capable of hitting contested, body-contorted, high-arcing jumpers the way that Adam Morrison could.
Adam Morrison’s next stop is the NBA. Some say he doesn’t have the footspeed or defensive ability to keep up. I say the NBA is a constantly evolving game, and that Morrison would fit like a glove on any of the teams that have freewheeled and fast breaked their way to success in the Western Conference playoffs. Give Morrison space on the court, and he will find the bottom of the net.
Most of all, this is the chance for Adam Morrison to forget about all the fanfare and hype that so obviously weighed on him by the time March rolled around. Come November, he is just another rookie. Nobody is expecting Morrison to come in and turn a franchise around, so the Larry Legend comparisons should be left at Gonzaga. Adam Morrison now has the chance to make his own name.
The spring's biggest recruiting target is off the board. A last minute cancellation of the Monday press conference announcing Darrell Arthur's decision was par for the course in a saga that felt like it could have stretched on forever...
- North Carolina got an early visit, but when every other top big man in the country made it known they wished to play for Roy Williams, they were quickly crossed off the list.
- Indiana was long rumored to be the favorite, but the end of Mike Davis meant the end of Hoosier fans' dreams of seeing Arthur in Bloomington.
- Kansas immediately became the frontrunner, but months after Davis' firing, Arthur still had yet to commit. The general feeling was that the longer the process dragged out, the more likely it was that another school would jump in front of the Jayhawks for Arthur's services.
- Along the way, just about every school in the Southwest was connected to Arthur's recruitment at some level. Oklahoma State, SMU, Texas, Arizona, Baylor, and LSU were just a few. In the end, it looked like Baylor and LSU had a legitimate chance at landing the McDonald's All-American PF. LSU was the latest "favorite" to emerge, after Tyrus Thomas' jump to the NBA and his visit to Baton Rouge with former Oklahoma commit and fellow burger boy Scottie Reynolds.
Nonetheless, after what appeared to be some last-minute jitters, Arthur picked the Jayhawks. Bill Self's ability to recruit premier talent is unquestionable. Since arriving at Kansas, he's stolen Julian Wright and Sherron Collins out of Illinois, Micah Downs and CJ Giles from Washington, and now Arthur from a host of local Texas schools. Self was able to achieve something few coaches ever do by beating Coach K to the punch for the services of Sasha Kaun. Mario Chalmers was a nation-wide race, but that battle never even really started. Brandon Rush was somewhat of a local, but his recruitment lasted until days before school started last fall.
The moral of the story here is that you never want to be up against Bill Self when your recruit steps to the podium - not if you are Duke, not if you are North Carolina, not if the kid you are recruiting grew up down the block from your campus.
Of course, the real question must now be asked - what does Self do with all this talent? We all know that playing time isn't handed out in Lawrence, and that the sight of Jeff Hawkins and Christian Moody getting major minutes sent Downs scampering back home at mid-semester last season. With Arthur on board and everybody else mentioned above returning, the Jayhawks won't need good chemistry to run roughshod through the Big XII. But is there any way to stop another mid-season transfer or two? Looking at the way the minutes are likely to break down, I don't see how Self is going to make it work...
Self's guard rotation should work nicely. He now has three players capable of playing the point guard, in junior Russell Robinson, sophomore Mario Chalmers, and the freshman Collins. This trio is bound to remind many of the group of lead guards he left behind at Illinois, in Dee Brown, Deron Williams, and Luther Head.
Chalmers developed into the Big XII's best defender by the end of his freshman season, and normally would be the type of player that a coach couldn't afford to sit down for more than a couple of minutes per game. However, Self has the luxury of Collins, one of the more remarkable athletes to enter the NCAA in recent years, and explosive doesn't begin to describe his ability to get to the basket at will. While Chalmers and Robinson will begin the year with starting spots, Collins will be recieving a major chunk of their minutes as soon as he learns and buys in to Self's system.
PG: Chalmers (20 minutes) Collins (20 minutes)
SG: Robinson (30 minutes); Chalmers (20 minutes)
Brandon Rush will occupy the traditional "three" spot this fall. With the way that Self has always loved extra ballhandlers on the floor, I really don't expect Rush to factor much into the guard rotation. If Kansas has a "go-to" offensive option, it would be Rush. He is an open court skywalking wonder, but is more of a jumpshooter in the halfcourt set. Of course, he can get that jumpshot whenever he wants. Expect him to average 15+ ppg on the season, and be on the court 35+ mpg. There has been talk of Julian Wright seeing a large chunk of his time at the 3, but that is unlikely to happen, considering all the skill Self has available in his backcourt.
As for the frontcourt, there just isn't enough time to go around. Julian Wright may just be the most multi-talented player in the entire nation, and is making major strides as a scorer. Wright needs a bit more time to adjust to the speed of the NCAA game, but when he does, he will be a true point forward. He is a full-time starter this fall, and a likely star. Whatever minutes Wright doesn't get will go to Arthur or bulky junior Darnell Jackson. The center spot will be split between Sasha Kaun and CJ Giles. Both players have sky-high upsides, but haven't delivered on that potential just yet. Both struggled with consistency last year, and neither was given much of an opportunity to play through mistakes. Both are the caliber of player that would recieve full-time starter's minutes for just about any other program in the country. Jackson is another player that could start for plenty of power conference teams, but appears to be the odd man out here. Where does this leave Arthur?
PF: Julian Wright (30 minutes); Darnell Jackson (10 minutes)
C: CJ Giles (20 minutes); Sasha Kaun (20 minutes)
While it is hard to see a talent like Darrell Arthur seeing no court time or redshirting this fall, it is also hard to see players with legitimate NBA aspirations like CJ Giles or Sasha Kaun willing to sit for a freshman. As we have seen in the past, it takes time for Self to trust a youngster with major minutes. Arthur is no doubt a premier talent, but isn't polished enough to come in and steal minutes from the likes of Giles, Kaun, or even Darnell Jackson. He likes to play facing the game on the offensive end, but must continue to add bulk and improve his midrange jumper before he is ready to play for the powerhouse that Kansas has developed into.
In short, expect at least one mid-season transfer out of the Kansas frontcourt. Hopefully for Kansas fans, it won't be Arthur. This is a kid that had plenty of difficulty making up his mind in the first place, and probably would have been an immediate starter at LSU or Baylor. How will he respond to sitting for the majority of his freshman season remains to be seen. If he does get minutes, expect one of Jackson, Giles, or Kaun to jump ship.
Of course, this is no reason to get down if you are a Kansas fan. A transfer might actually help chemistry and team continuity, as it is hard for developing post players like Giles, Kaun, and Arthur to learn the game with such inconsistent playing time. In the end, it is probably better for the player and better for the team. As long as Bill Self can come up with a rotation that satisfies his players and promotes good chemistry, the Jayahwks are Final Four bound. We probably haven't seen such a collection of talent since North Carolina's National Championship team in 2005....
Aside from a Saer Sene-inspired explosion at the beginning of the game, this one was never close. The US Team showed a few nerves to start the game, and weren’t prepared for the shotblocking presence of Sene. However, it was only a matter of time before the more talented group of athletes took over. The US Team went to the bench, going with a 3-guard lineup of Paul Harris, Gerald Henderson, and Wayne Ellington. With Harris absolutely locking up the World team’s ballhandlers, Ellington went to work. The World team made a run at the end of the 3rd quarter, but never did cut the game to single digits. All in all, it was a great chance to watch some of this country’s finest young talent in a more competitive setting than your typical high school all-star game.
US Prospects
Kevin Durant – 6’10 SF, Texas; 20 points – Durant was probably the most talented player on the floor today, but the first half showed that he has a lot to learn in his one season under Rick Barnes if he does plan on entering the draft after his freshman season. Durant isn’t a complete player yet, and floats around on the perimeter way too much. Usually, a shot would go up moments after he caught the ball. He doesn’t value the ball enough right now, and rarely does things within the flow of the offense. Defensively, Durant has to move his feet a lot better if he ever has a chance of slowing down NBA SF’s. He is young for his grade, and that shows in his on-court mentality.
Of course, there are still moments when Durant does things so amazing for a player his size that all you can do is sit back and shake your head. His pull up 3-pointer from beyond the NBA arc was a thing of beauty, and his ability to handle the ball in the open court is nothing short of spectacular for a player so young and so tall. Beyond his unbelievable outside shooting touch, the real flashes of upside with Durant came when he started taking the ball to the basket midway through the second half. On one possession Durant got a step on his man going to the left baseline, but pulled up and effortlessly swished a 12 foot fadeaway. This was a move that very few NBA players his size can pull off.
This game further proved that Durant is a very high risk/high reward type of player right now. If he goes into Texas, hits the weights, focuses his game closer to the basket, and learns a more team-oriented approach, the sky is the limit. I could see a 6’10 version of Reggie Miller, or a KG-style midrange-oriented big man. If he doesn’t progress from here, he probably ends up somewhere between Darius Rice and Tim Thomas.
Thaddeus Young – 6’9 SF, Georgia Tech; 20 points??– When talking about immediate impact freshmen, Young has to be on the short list. There is very little he can’t do on the basketball court. With his length and fully extended left handed jumper, one can’t help but see a bit of Lamar Odom in his game. He’s not quite in Odom’s league as a passer or an athlete, but he is fairly incredible as a ballhandler and open court greyhound nonetheless. Young has a fantastic feel for the game, capable of scoring with his back to the basket, or dipping into the lane for a midrange jumper when he has the space. His range extends out past the 3-point line, and he really uses contact to his advantage in terms of creating scoring opportunities. Young is going to be an All-ACC caliber player as a freshman under Paul Hewitt, and should have the Yellow Jackets back in the NCAA next season. Georgia Tech fans should be thanking David Stern, because there is no way that Young would be playing college basketball next season if it weren’t for the age limit. As far as comparisons go, I’m thinking Lamar Odom with a bit more patience and finesse. To put it in perspective, Young is light years ahead of where Martell Webster was a season ago, and we all know where Webster ended up in the draft.
Gerald Henderson, 6’6 SG, Duke; 15 points?? – With rumors of Josh McRoberts making the jump to the NBA getting louder every day, it looks like Gerald Henderson will step onto the court at Duke as his team’s best player. I don’t say this lightly, either. Henderson might be the most complete player in next season’s freshman class at this juncture. Not only is he a phenomenal athlete, but he already has an understanding of how to put that explosiveness to good use. Henderson is a phenomenal slasher, and uses his impressive upper body strength to finish well at the rim. He needs to add range on his shot, but a textbook midrange jumper will do for now. Unlike many talented young swingmen, you rarely see Henderson take a bad shot or force his own offense. If the McDonald’s dunk contest didn’t convince you that Henderson is a top tier athlete, a couple of shocking blocks in this game would have. Expect him to enter the ACC and already be a star. I’m thinking he could be contributing on an NBA team right now.
Spencer Hawes, 6’11 C, Washington; 8 points? – Hawes didn’t get a chance to show much in this game, as the US team rarely slowed the game down enough to attempt a post entry pass. Hawes did convert on a pair of dazzling low post moves in the first half. One authoritative post catch and hook conversion looked every bit an NBA move. Of course, Hawes had the unenviable task of matching up with Saer Sene, and Sene clearly had the upper hand due to his massive size and athleticism advantage. Hawes needs to add strength before he is ready to defend the center position, and doesn’t always dominate the glass the way he should. His athleticism is nothing special, though I would stop short of calling him mechanical. His back to the basket game is scary good, and Spencer Hawes is going to dominate the Pac-10 this fall. I don’t want to say he’s going to be the next Kevin McHale, but with his back to the basket scoring ability...
Paul Harris, 6’4 SG, Syracuse; 6 points, 6 assists– This was a fairly competitive basketball game until Paul Harris entered the game. Harris changed this one in a hurry, with his physical on the ball defense that the World team had no answer for. He is built more like an NFL linebacker than an NBA basketball player, but that is what Paul Harris will be within the next several seasons. Harris is another player that probably belongs on the wing right now, but doesn’t really have a true position. He handles the ball well, and is a bull in the paint. He doesn’t have much of a perimeter shot at the moment and isn’t a particularly dominant slasher yet, but he will have some time at Syracuse to work on those things. The way he intimidates on the defensive end will remind somewhat of a smaller Ron Artest, but his ability to handle the ball is a key in projecting his future.
Wayne Ellington, 6’4 SG, North Carolina; 29 points – After catching a handful of Ellington’s games this spring, I came away wondering how anybody could rank Ellington ahead of his teammate Henderson. This afternoon’s performance went along way towards an explanation. Ellington absolutely exploded, showing perfect form on 3-pointer after 3-pointer. He had 21 points at halftime - for a moment it looked like he would go for 50, but he shared the spotlight in the second half, finishing with 29. He is obviously a streak scorer, and has that rare ability to hit that fadeaway jumper from the outside. Ellington is a solid ballhandler, leading me to think that he might be able to get away with playing a bit of combo guard someday. He is a solid athlete and can slash to the basket, though he could probably utilize this part of his game a bit more. He isn’t going to have the same type of immediate impact on the ACC that the phenoms listed above him here will, but that has more to do with how much UNC has coming back than it does with ability. Think of a more talented Ben Gordon here.
Tywon Lawson, 5’11, North Carolina 10 points?? – Another future ACC star, Tywon Lawson didn’t play his best basketball at the Hoop Summit. He pushed the ball relentlessly, but got a bit out of control at times, forcing full-court passes that led to turnovers. On the other hand, Lawson was capable of beating his man off the dribble at any moment. He played more of a distributor’s role tonight, as Saer Sene was tending the rim most of the game. Lawson hit one 3-pointer and was fouled going strong to the basket on several occasions. He needs to work on playing under control and running things in the halfcourt offense, but it is pretty clear that Lawson will be one of the top point guards in America the moment he puts on that North Carolina jersey. The comparison to Raymond Felton is an obvious one, but I’m going to say that he’s not quite that good. Felton is taller, and a bit better as a creator. Right now, with that pure explosiveness and strength, I’m thinking Kyle Lowry.
Brandan Wright – 6’9 PF, North Carolina – Wright was quiet in this game, throwing down one powerful dunk in the first half but generally not having much of an impact here. He is a tremendous prospect for down the road, but doesn’t look like the kind of player that will be capable of a leap to the NBA after one season. Wright is definitely a power forward, and right now is just too skinny for a 6’9 post man. He doesn’t have a broad frame, so one has to wonder how much bulk he will be able to add. We’ve seen his midrange jumper in the past, however, so we know he will be an offensive weapon for the Tar Heels down the road.
John Scheyer – 6’4 SG, Duke – Scheyer clearly was a step behind the rest of the US Team athletically, and didn’t get a chance to show much in this game. To his credit, he handled the ball well and created a few opportunities for his teammates. The one time he attempted to drive the ball to the basket, Sene met the ball with authority. Scheyer needs to add quite a bit of strength, but should fit in nicely at Duke next season.
Vernon Macklin, 6’10 PF, Georgetown – Macklin didn’t show much in the McDonald’s All-American game, and didn’t do anything extraordinary at the Hoop Summit either. He is more of a raw physical specimen than anything else at this point, but probably does have the nicest frame of any 2006 big man outside of Greg Oden. Macklin is long, athletic, and already has a solid build. It will be interesting to see if John Thompson III can develop him into a star at Georgetown. This will have to take place down the road, however, as Macklin will be playing behind Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green this coming season.
International Prospects
Saer Sene, 7’0 C, Senegal 10 points??, 9 blocks – I’m not sure what the US team prepared for headed into this game, but I highly doubt anybody expected to find a shotblocking phenom like Sene waiting for them in the lane. Sene is definitely raw on the offensive end, but the US team never did figure out how to get the ball past him at the rim. He started the game off with an emphatic block on a lackadaisical Kevin Durant layup attempt, and then a powerful dunk on the other end. The World coach decided to sit him down early in the first quarter, and the US team quickly took control of the game once Sene left. He played much more in the second half, and continued to alter or block shot after shot. Paul Harris, Spencer Hawes, Thaddeus Young, Tywon Lawson, John Scheyer…nearly everybody on the US roster was embarrassed by Sene at least once. Offensively, Sene showed nothing more than a rudimentary post game, but was able to score on the offensive end by simply overpowering the smaller US front line. He even hit a free throw line jumper.
It must be stated that Sene is a long, long ways away from being ready to contribute on the offensive end. However, there are very few prospects that can him physically. It would have been very interesting to see Sene go up against Greg Oden, as he might be the one prospect in this age group that would have a chance of matching him size and strength wise. Sene isn’t a big factor for his team in Europe and doesn’t play in a good league, so it will be interesting to see if this game will bump his draft stock to the point where he could sneak into the first round in 2006. A team picking at the end of the first round looking to stash a player over in Europe for a couple of seasons could do a lot worse than Saer Sene.
Luigi Datome, 6'8 SF; 15 points?? - Datome is a sweet-shooting small forward whose game will look quite familiar to any NBA fan. He has that incredibly sweet shooting stroke, and while he isn't a tremendous athlete, he can get around people on the perimeter once defenses start overplaying his jumper. Datome has a very nice frame, and should be able to add quite a bit of strength. While he was clearly the most talented offensive player on the world roster, he didn't take this game over or even take his fair share of shots. His lack of footspeed clearly showed in this game, though most players are going to look a step slow going up against the US team's stable of perimeter athletes. The floppy hair and sweet outside stroke make Vladimir Radmanovic the obvious comparison.
It was a late Christmas present for Twin Cities area hoops fans, as 12 top notch high school teams faced off for a power-packed Saturday of basketball. Numerous top area players were there, including Blake Hoffarber, Cole Aldrich, Isaiah Dahlman, and Trevor Mbakwe. Out-of-state studs included Keaton Nankavil (WI), North Carolina commit William Graves (NC), and future Wisconsin Badger Jason Bohannon (IA). The highlight of the night was easily Dahlman-led Braham's overtime victory over Graves' Dudley squad.
In game 1, Duluth East (MN) took down Sioux City East (IA) 62-45. Future Iowa State Cyclone Cory Johnson finished with 23 points and 8 rebounds while UNI commit Roman Gentry struggled, scoring 11 points on just 3-14 shooting.
In game 5, Kathleen (FL) defeated St Thomas Academy 70-56. This one was a letdown, as 6'9 C and Gopher commit Bryce Webster sat out with a bad ankle. Kathleen PG Idell Bell is an athletic PG with some size, who finished with 14 points and 7 assists. But generally, this one was pretty ugly.
Hopkins (MN) 78, Webster Grove (MO)
Hopkins easily took down Webster Grove in the second game. Webster Grove was undermanned, as their top player recently quit the team. They were no match for one of the top teams in the state of Minnesota. Webster attempted to get out and press in the second half, but junior shooting guard Blake Hoffarber would quickly end any run with a 3-pointer. Hoffarber was 5-6 from beyond the arc in the second half, and finished the game with 24 points on 8-13 shooting, including 6-10 from 3-point land. Senior center Dan Vandervieren, a Purdue commit, chipped in with 10 points on perfect 5/5 shooting, and 7 rebounds.
If you watched last year's ESPY's, you may remember Hoffarber's "play of the year". Hoisting a 3-pointer lying on your back to win the state championship at the buzzer is a feat that may never be repeated at any level, but Hoffarber is also a fairly impressive D1 prospect. People don't remember his NBA-range 3-pointer that sent that AAAA state championship game into overtime, and Hoffarber has one of the purest shots you will ever see. He was unconscious in the second half on Saturday. The issues with Hoffarber are his athleticism and size. 6'3 might be a little generous, and Hoffarber doesn't look like a point guard at the moment. He was hobbled by a bum ankle in this one, but still didn't take over at point guard when his backcourt teammates were struggling in the second half. He projects to be one heck of a shooting specialist at the next level, so look for him at a major college in two seasons.
6'10 C Dan Vandervieren, senior, Hopkins - committed to Purdue - (Scout.com **)
Vandervieren came out of nowhere this summer and played his way into a scholarship offer from Purdue. While Vandervieren is far from a finished product, you can see how he will fit in with that line of feisty Purdue big men that includes current NBA'ers Brad Miller and Brian Cardinal. Vandervieren has a huge, bulky frame, and utilizes it well. Webster Grove had no answer for Vandervieren's size, and he easily converted on several back to the basket moves in the lane. Conditioning and footspeed are issues here, but you have to like the upside.
Bloomington Jefferson (MN) 56, James Madison Memorial (WI) 54 (OT)
In a matchup of premier big man from the class of 2007, Cole Adrich's Jefferson squad defeated Keaton Kankivil's Memorial team by virtue of a Jake Damman baseline J with 1.2 seconds to play in OT. Aldrich (13 points, 5/6 shooting, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks) and Nankivil (17 points, 7/17 shooting, 4 rebounds) played to a virtual standstill in this one. The Jaguars held a significant advantage most of the game, but a huge run in the second half (much of which came with Aldrich on the bench) gave Memorial the lead late. Some clutch shooting gave Jefferson the opportunity to win the game in the final moments. 6'6 freshman Jeronne Maymon scored an impressive 10 points for Memorial, showing off a mature body and some impressive skill for such a young player.
6'11 C Cole Aldrich, junior, Bloomington Jefferson - committed to Kansas - (Scout.com #8)
Aldrich was the guy that many people came to watch. Given his lofty standing in the national recruiting rankings and his early commitment to Kansas, one could call him the top prospect in the state of Minnesota. The first thing you notice about Aldrich is his jaw-dropping frame. He's not a millimeter short of 6'11, and weighs at least 250 pounds. This is a guy that would be playing on the line of a football team somewhere if he wasn't 6'11. Keep in mind, some kids of this size are all flab at the high school level. Aldrich is as muscular as they come.
The results within the game weren't as stunning. Aldrich is rarely involved in the offense, as the Jefferson coaches utilize a perimeter-oriented system. He only took 6 shots on the afternoon, and the majority of those were on offensive rebounds (there was also a crowd-raising fast break dunk). Aldrich still needs a lot of work with his stamina and conditioning, as he was forced to go to the bench a bit more regularly than Jefferson certainly would have liked. Nonetheless, Aldrich made a major impact on this game. Keaton Nankavil is a 6'8 fellow member of the 2007 top 100, and he might as well have been 6'2. He really bothered Nankavil in the second half, emphatically blocking several of his shots.
In the end, it is clear that Aldrich is very much a talented work in progress. The light bulb is just now coming on in regards to post offense, and he will have to run the floor quite a bit better at Kansas. Nevertheless, Cole Aldrich has the size that was rarely seen on a college court before the age limit. There will be few in even the Big Twelve that will be able to keep him from doing whatever he wants in the paint. As the skill and mentality come along, Aldrich has a chance to be a very special player.
6'8 PF Keaton Nankavil, junior, Madison Memorial - (Scout.com ****)
Nankavil had a tough matchup against Aldrich, but acquitted himself nicely. His teammates found him on a much more regular basis, and he showed plenty of toughness around the rim. There was a rough patch in the second half where he attempted to take it straight to Aldrich. That didn't go well, but that isn't going to be Nankavil's game. He is your prototypical ####ing big man that you would recognize at a Wisconsin or Marquette, the two schools he is considering.
Braham (MN) 78, Dudley (NC) 74 (OT)
This matchup of defending state champs promised to be an instant classic, and didn't disappoint. Big-time seniors Isaiah Dahlman (Michigan State) and William Graves (North Carolina) traded baskets the entire game. The Bombers maintained a slight lead most of the way, but Graves got hot midway through the second half. Dudley had a chance to put the game away down the stretch, but a 3-pointer by Alex Thiry gave Braham the lead in the final minute. Graves sent the game into overtime with a buzzer-beating put back. The OT session was hotly contested, but Isaiah's younger brother Noah scored eight consecutive points (including two 3-pointers from the corner) to erase an early Dudley advantage. Free throws would seal the deal for the home-state Braham. The Dahlman/Graves matchup was a joy to watch. Dahlman finished with 30 points on 12/25 shooting, while grabbing 13 boards and handing out 6 assists. Graves poured in 28 points in 12-24 shooting, to go along with 9 rebounds.
6'7 G/F Isaiah Dahlman, junior, Braham - committed to Michigan State - (Scout.com #70)
Isaiah Dahlman has long been considered the top Minnesota prospect in his graduating class, and the hype surrounding this unlikely powerhouse team from a small town north of the Twin Cities continues to rise. Despite playing numerous games against top-flight Twin Cities competition, the Bombers only recently had a 65 game win streak snapped. Isaiah and his younger brother Noah are the main reasons for the team's success. The Dahlmans have become heroes in their small town, and it appeared that all of Braham made the trip down to the Target Center for this one.
Dahlman is a lean, lanky wing in the mold of a Mike Dunleavey. He isn't an explosive athlete, but at 6'7, he handles the ball well and gets into the lane with ease. Dahlman is an adept slasher, and uses a variety of left-handed floaters, scoops, and fadeaways to create his shot. He isn't a dead-eye shooter just yet, but certainly forces you to guard him on the perimeter. The real issue with Dahlman is his strength. "Wiry" would be the understatement of the century, as he weighed in at just 174 pounds this last summer at Nike Camp. Michigan State practice will be an eye opener for Dahlman, unless he seriously hits the weights.
Isaiah Dahlman is a solid D1 prospect, but will continue to have to work on his strength to fit in at Michigan State. I don't remember a player quite like Dahlman ever playing for Tom Izzo. Other issues include a lack of a right hand, and the need of an extra burst of speed to get around people in the open court. Dahlman is a very intriguing prospect, and it will be fun to see how he turns out under the tutelage of Tom Izzo.
6'6 SF William Graves, senior, Dudley (NC) - committed to North Carolina - (Scout.com ***)
The first commitment in Roy Williams' soon to be legendary 2006 recruiting haul, Graves is also the least touted of the bunch. Nonetheless, it would be hard to call the show that William Graves put on in the second half of this one anything less than spectacular. Graves showed off a silky smooth outside jumper, a nice repertoire of ball handling and head fakes that allows him to get to the basket, and a space-eating frame. There was a stretch in the second half where he must have scored 12 straight points all on deep three point shots or impressive scoring moves.
The real issue with Graves is where he plays at the college level. He is very much stuck between the SF and PF positions, and will have to do a bit of both for the Tar Heels. He loves to face up and take people off the dribble, but might be too bulky to do that to guards at the next level. Graves is a bit undersized at 6'6, but can use his bulk to create scoring opportunities. I thought of the way that Rodney Rogers was effective at the NBA (not college) level. He wasn't big enough to play in the paint against everybody, but there were often matchups he could exploit with his combination of bulk and shooting ability. The one sure thing William Graves has going for him is that shooting stroke, which will allow the home-state kid to develop into a nice roleplayer at North Carolina.
Linn-Mar (IA) 76, Henry Sibley 63
The nightcap featured two of the more talented players in the Midwest, as Jason Bohannon's Linn Mar squad handily defeated Trevor Mbakwe's Henry Sibley team. Bohannon torched the overmatched Sibley perimeter defense for 17 first half points, and the Lions held a double-digit lead even when their star went to the sidelines with foul trouble midway through the second half. Bohannon finished with 23 points, mostly of the spectacular variety. Mbakwe really came on in the second half, finishing with 29 points and 12 rebounds against an smaller Linn-Mar front line.
6'3 PG Jason Bohannon, senior, Linn-Mar - committed to Wisconsin - (Scout.com #42)
The best player to come out of the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area in years, Bohannon shocked many by committing to Wisconsin. Bohannon's loss will sting the Hawkeye program for years, as he is a truly special player. Sibley had no answer for Bohannon. He created for himself off the dribble, found his teammates for open looks, and hit several NBA-range 3-pointers. The only thing that stopped him from going for 40 in this one was some questionable officiating early in the second half. I knew Bohannon was good, but I wasn't expecting a true point guard more than athletic enough to beat people off the dribble in the Big Ten.
Just how good is Bohannon? One scout I talked to was non-committal when I asked who was better between Bohannon and the last great point guard prospect to come out of the state, Jeff Horner, at this stage in their careers. Bohannon is going to have to get a bit stronger to play in the Big Ten, but has great height for a PG and is certainly a better athlete than Horner. Keeping with the comparisons of Iowa point guards, I see a bit of Kirk Hinrich in Jason Bohannon. He's got the quick release 3-pointer, and the ability to slash to the basket before defenses can react. He's not Hinrich-quick, but has a bit of burst to his step. More importantly, he can make good decisions with the ball while in that high gear. To put it simply, Badger fans ought to be excited about this guy.
6'7 PF Trevor Mbakwe, junior, Henry Sibley - (scout.com ****)
Mbakwe has been a tough player to figure out over the last year or so. Athletically, you won't find many better big man prospects. However, Mbakwe didn't have the best summer. He was often disinterested, and rarely took advantage of his immense physical gifts. He projects as a player that can dominate around the basket with his long arms, strength, and explosiveness, but you need an inner fire to do that.
Mbakwe was better tonight, going for 29 points and 12 rebounds. The Linn-Mar frontcourt was really just the Lions' two tallest guards, and Mbakwe was able to pick up points around the basket. His prowess as a rebounder is quite impressive. Still, he was scored on numerous times by Bohannon, and didn't impact the game as a shotblocker. You would like to see a player as explosive as Mbakwe beat people down the floor, but he doesn't do that. Plenty of high-majors are involved, and Trevor Mbakwe's upside is quite high. But as he develops, eventually that light bulb has to come on.
While the focus of this blog is mostly the NCAA, don’t think for a moment that you won’t hear about high school hoops every now and again. The problem is that there aren’t many opportunities to see the top prep level kids play. I manage to get my hands on a bit of tape from time to time, but you generally have to work a bit harder to get a good feel for the high school kids.
That is where Dave Telep comes in. The National Director of Basketball Recruiting forScout.com, Telep is considered one of the premier authorities in the nation on the topic of prep level hoops and college recruiting. He also runs his own recruiting service for college coaches, and hosts a TV show with Bobby Cremins called “Countdown to Signing Day”, on FoxSports.
Essentially, if you have a question about your team’s new big time recruit, Dave Telep is the guy you want to ask. He’s probably been scouting the kid for years.
I recently had a chance to ask him a few questions of my own, and here is what he had to say. Amongst other topics, we delve into scouting philosophy, age limit implications, and the top NBA prospects in the class of 2006.
Note: Every player mentioned is listed with his school of choice (if he has decided), and his ranking in the ScoutHoops.com Top 100.
How did you get your start in the business?
My start was pretty non-interesting. I was supposed to be getting involved with broadcasting, and I wind up looking at high school basketball players for a living. It’s kind of difficult to truly explain. I wound up with Prepstars, and then to went to Rivals. Then, Scout.com sprung up.
Your title is National Director of Basketball Recruiting. That’s a pretty imposing task to be responsible for all high school basketball recruiting in the entire country…
It’s a big job. The great thing about my job is that while I have a home office, I have an office out in the field that’s probably more important. I watch a ton of high school players, a ton of AAU games, and I am basically a paid observer. A lot of college coaches talk about the relationships they have forged over the years, and one of the most rewarding things about my job are those actual relationships that I have with people.
What else do you find rewarding?
The other thing would be watching a kid like Chris Paul go from a 5’8 ninth grader who played JV to a 6’ point guard playing in the NBA that is probably sitting on $60 million someday.
How much time do you spend on the road scouting every year?
I would say about one third, maybe upwards of that.
Do you have a network of people that give you tips on what is going on across the country?
Absolutely. I have a ton of people that I trust that I speak with on a regular basis. It could be an email or a telephone call. I rely on college coaches I have forged relationships with, high school coaches who will give me good information, people in those areas. A good tip is one that turns out, and over the years you get a good feel for who is providing you with good information. I always do my homework, but I try to trust my sources.
As far as your website goes, the things that people really want to see are your lists. How tough is it to come up with a national top 100 list?
It is really, really difficult. There are no rules to follow when evaluating a guy. The tough thing is that you have to balance production with potential. You really have to know that player. You have to know his age, his work ethic, and his academic capacity. Does he have desire to get better? Who has he surrounded himself with? What is important to him? That is just in terms of off the court.
Then you have to look at him as a basketball player. Where is he right now? How far can he go? Why is it that he is not where he needs to be? You have to a make a judgment call on whether or not he is capable of getting where he needs to be. Sometimes I will see a kid and want him to be better more than he wants to be better. There are so many different ways to look at it, but at the core the key is to achieve a balance between production right now, and potential for the future.
How much stock should we put in a top 100 list like yours?
I would hope that you could put a significant amount of stock in it. It is hard, though. There is a guard in Chicago named Patrick Beverley that is just starting to peak right now, and I’ll never have the chance to do all the homework I would like to do on him. But in the grand scheme of things, he’s a top 100 guy in the latter half of it. He may end up better than a guy in that 40-80 range that is leveling off as a prospect. That’s the difficulty of trying to compose a top 100 list.
I wanted to ask you about a couple of players that were somewhat unknown at the high school level, but have really exploded in college. Did you see Adam Morrison back in the day?
Morrison (ranked by Scout.com as the #26 SF in the class of 2003) was probably one of the last ten or fifteen we excluded from our top 100 list. I saw him play in a tournament in Las Vegas with an eastern Washington team. At the time he was 6’5 and very thin. He’s just a different guy than the one who came out of high school.
Was Gonzaga really the only school that offered Morrison?
They got it done really early, so there really wasn’t much of a chance for anybody else.
The other guy I wanted to ask you about is Tyrus Thomas...
I’ve got a story on Tyrus Thomas. Thomas played for the Louisiana Dream Team with another player you’ve probably heard of named Martin Zeno, now of Texas Tech. When I saw him at AAU nationals, he was very thin, absolutely in need of weight. Thomas was a guy who was talented and probably hitting his stride as a late bloomer, which taught me a lesson.
I look at a kid like Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State, #61), who is in our top 100 this year. Varnado is doing the same kind of things that Thomas was doing in the second half of his high school career. We didn’t have Tyrus Thomas in the top 100, and put Jarvis Varnado in the top 100 to not make a mistake like that again. Similar to Thomas, he's a guy that doesn’t have a ready for college body but you can tell is blooming.
Morrison and Thomas are two guys that I’ve looked back and seen where we have made mistakes. It is really the same thing with both guys, in that they weren’t ready physically but were really peaking late. With a player like Varnardo or a Perry Stevenson (committed to Kentucky, #60), I want to make sure we don’t miss on those guys that have similar characteristics. You have to be willing to learn from your mistakes and self evaluate.
It really can’t be considered a mistake on your part, with the way that Thomas has exploded. Nobody knew who he was, and now after LSU/UConn last weekend people are wondering whether he is a better prospect than Rudy ####…
I’m just glad I saw him because going forward, I now know what to look for in a guy like that.
You hear all the time about how American basketball needs fixing, and that the whole AAU, shoe company summer circuit is to blame. How do you feel on that?
I think there’s value in the summer, and giving guys an opportunity to challenge themselves against the best players in the country. I think, to a degree, the AAU guys in general get a bad rap being portrayed so negatively. For every negative case there is a tremendously positive case.
I do think that our kids aren’t looking at things in the proper frame of mind. The big prize isn’t being ranked in the top 100 or making it to an all-star game. The big prize for guys like Tyrus Thomas is getting the chance to work hard and improve their game. These are the guys that have made the strides and have a chance to do something with their game. Our kids are too focused on the short term. They don’t spend enough time looking at their deficiencies and asking how they can get better.
Do you feel that kids develop the fundamentals they need at summer circuit types of events?
It’s a different of brand of basketball. While there is value is matching your skill and wits against the best players in the country, you can't deny the style of basketball that is played over the summer.
At some point these kids have take it upon themselves to trim up their fundamentals. There are portions of the summer where they can work on their games, so I don’t just buy the argument that AAU is killing the game. The bottom line is that if you really want to improve and really want to get better, don’t blame the fact that you are traveling and playing AAU ball. The guys that want to get better find time, and find a way to improve.
How much of an impact does high school play have on a player’s ranking, as opposed to AAU ball?
I wish we could see everybody in both settings. Different guys are easily evaluated in high school and their games may not translate to AAU ball as much. In a perfect world, you try to see players in as many different environments as possible. There are advantages to evaluating a player in both settings, and that is why you have to try and get as many looks at these guys as you can.
A player can go to an AAU event, get up and down the floor, and score a ton of points. I love statistics and find them very useful, but they have to be interpreted properly. How that player scored those points is more important.
We all know about the age limit, and you have already written on the subject. Have you seen a change in mentality in the top level kids, now that they have to go to school for a year?
Slowly. With this 2006 group, the elite level players are really a bunch of level headed guys. They understand the process of what is going on and have a pretty good grasp of everything. In years past I think there were more kids just interested in getting to the league as fast as they could. They seem to be a little bit more levelheaded and embracing the college experience right now.
I think it is going to take some time for kids’ attitudes to truly change. For a long time it is has been, “if you are really good enough, you have to go.” It is a gradual process.
I have been a bit surprised at the decisions of a few of these top level prospects that were supposedly looking for "one year auditions." Instead of picking perhaps a hometown school where they could have starred from day one, many of them are picking the big time program where they will have to share the spotlight during that year. Brandan Wright would be an example. Any comment on that?
Wright might have to share the spotlight a bit with Hansbrough, but he will command a significant portion of it as well. I think Brandan Wright’s decision to attend North Carolina was based on several things. He’s a kid that is used to winning, and will probably win four state championships. He’s had a good high school team, but he’s never played with a great AAU team. I think Brandan Wright wanted to see what it was like to play with other players around him, and he thought he was putting himself in a position where he could stay for a year or two and win a national championship.
It was a courageous decision for him, because he had a great situation at Vanderbilt right in his own back yard. People don’t understand the type of coach that Kevin Stallings is and the type of program that Vanderbilt is becoming, but he made a decision to play in a really high profile setting and I don’t think he can be faulted for that.
Another guy I look at is Davon Jefferson. He’s obviously trying to get to the NBA as soon as possible, but is listing USC, Kansas, Georgetown, and Oklahoma State. All those programs are loaded at the wing…
I don’t think Davon Jefferson has done the homework on college yet because his thought process has been to go to prep school and skip to the NBA. Looking at the big picture, I don’t think Jefferson has given nearly as much thought to college as Brandan Wright has.
Do you think that draft websites hyping high school players too early contributes to a kid’s making the wrong decision and entering the NBA too soon?
I think information is power. There is good information, there is bad information, and there is information that needs to be evaluated. If I were Davon Jefferson, I would need a group of people around me that are going to tell me the truth and help me evaluate that stuff.
Websites don’t have draft picks. NBA teams have draft picks, and that’s where you are going to get your good information from. As much as any site could like a guy, at the end of the day, information has to come down from a general manager as far as his true standing in the draft. Information has to be evaluated, and you need good people around to process that information.
Do you get a general feeling that kids are going to test the “prep school option” in the near future?
I personally don’t think the prep school option is going to be the one that blows up. When you make the decision to go to the NBA, life is going to be good. You will have money, a new car, big time people around you. Prep school basketball is great, but it’s buses, night trips, and smaller crowds. You still have school. It’s just not as glamorous as some people think is.
What option do you think might blow up?
It is a developing process. Some guys might have big enough names that they can go overseas and make a little money. Under the direction of an agent and a high profile European team, maybe a guy can make a big payday for a year.
I think some shoe company is going to sit a kid out and just work him out for a year. That is going to be an amazing test just to see how good that is for the player, and if it is going to be an option going forward.
I think there will be a mixture of kids using these various routes. At this point, I couldn’t tell you which one would be the best route, or the more lucrative route.
How about the NBDL?
I don’t think so. At the end of the day it is the small dollar amount. The guys who are there right now aren’t really jacked up about it. If I am a really good basketball player with the NBA option, why do I go make $35,000 a year? I think I’d rather go to college.
Just how bad are high school all-star games when trying to evaluate a player?
I would consider it almost the most useless environment to scout a guy, to be honest with you. It is hard to watch the all-star games and evaluate a guy, especially if it is your first look at him. I really don’t put a ton of stock into the all-star games. Anything that is 141-140, that doesn’t really smell like a basketball game to me.
The practices are much more useful for evaluating players. You get to see a guy in a setting where he is being defended. The all-star games have unfortunately degenerated into a showmanship, one-on-one type deal. That’s nice for the people who are watching a player for the first time, but they are very boring if you ask me.
Obviously Greg Oden is the guy in the class of 2006. How would you rank him compared to other #1 players in recent classes? LeBron James, Dwight Howard, and Amare Stoudamire come to mind…
I think he’s probably number two on that list. LeBron was such a special, special deal. There was so much asked of him to live up that billing, and what he did was remarkable.
Coming out of high school, I would have gone James, Oden, Howard, Stoudamire. In retrospect, I would have switched Stoudamire and Howard.
Who is the top NBA prospect in the class of 2006 beyond Oden?
There are a couple of contenders. They would be Spencer Hawes (Washington, #3), Brandan Wright (North Carolina, #5), and Kevin Durant (Texas, #2). Of those three, Durant is probably next in terms of star power, but Wright and Hawes are really close. I’m really starting to fall for Brandan Wright. At the high school level when the games really mean something, he is a dominant, dominant player. Spencer Hawes is an extremely skilled big guy, but Durant probably has the highest ceiling because he is by far the youngest of the three.
If the age limit hadn’t been instituted, how many 2006 players would have declared for the draft?
Probably between 8 and 10. I think it would have been a mass exodus. Just looking at history, 2005 was a poor group, and look at all the guys that declared.
Was Greg Oden going to college? No. Spencer Hawes wasn’t, Brandan Wright wasn’t, Kevin Durant probably wouldn’t have gone either. These are guys that go early in the draft. In the next tier of guys, Thaddeus Young (Georgia Tech, #7)probably wasn’t going to school. Who knows what would have happened with Wayne Ellington (North Carolina, #4) and Chase Budinger (Arizona, #11)?
I’m not saying Tywon Lawson (North Carolina, #8) would have gone into the draft out of high school, but he is at least the same player as Sebastian Telfair and he came out. Tywon Lawson is a Raymond Felton, Chris Paul type of point guard when he enters the ACC.
How does the 2006 class compare to other recent classes?
Way better than 2005. 2004 and 2006 probably belong in the same breath.
We all know North Carolina and Ohio State have the top classes in the country. Who do you take number three?
There is a definite distinction between two and three. There is a significant gap there, as those two classes are head and shoulders above the rest. Washington has a nice class coming in with Spencer Hawes and Quincy Pondexter (#27). Added to what they have, you think that these guys have a chance to play in the Final Four.
Is there one school that might be particularly disappointed with their recruiting haul at the moment?
I was surprised because I thought Alabama was in line for a big haul. I thought they would end up with Stanley Robinson (Connecticut, #20) and Jodie Meeks (Kentucky, #80). To the credit of Mark Gottfried, he recruited those guys so hard that you almost feel bad when he doesn’t get those two kids.
Is there a prospect you see as being particularly underrated at the moment?
Wake Forest has signed a point guard named Ishmael Smith that would fall into that category.
Is there a high-riser out there from the high school play thus far?
John Scheyer (Duke, #35). He is in super human mode. He’s doing ridiculous things in high school basketball games right now, and has everything you could ever ask for in terms of intangibles.
Any big recruiting battles shaping up for this spring?
There are so many seniors off the board. The big ones left would be Darrell Arthur (#12) and Lance Thomas (#19). The real story to follow this spring is what ends up happening with Bob Huggins. Does he get Jason Bennett? Who follows?
I first became aware that Mark Few had a special player in December Morrison's sophomore season. The Zags were hosting a highly-ranked Georgia Tech team, and I skipped a Saturday night out on the town to check in on the progress of Gonzaga’s star big man Rony Turiaf, and Georgia Tech point guard Jarrett Jack. 
