[Blog] Sekou’s scouting summary
Sekou’s scouting summary
By Sekou Smith | Friday, March 24, 2006, 03:50 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m making good on my promise to evaluate the guys in town
for the Atlanta Regional today. I sat in the first seat on
press row nearest the tunnel where the players ran onto and
off of the floor Thursday night, mostly because I wanted to
be able to make an accurate guestimation (made up word, sorry)
of heights for all these guys.
It was an enjoyable night of basketball, without question. There
were two great games, four really good teams and plenty of future
NBA talent on display.
Unlike some people, I won’t endorse this notion that all the
guys with eligibility remaining after this season should stay
in school. Because the truth is just as there’s no guarantee
they’ll develop into above average NBA players if they leave,
there’s no guarantee they’ll develop any better by staying
school. There are simply to many variables that can’t be
contained for anyone to know for sure how they pan out.
But here are my impressions of a few guys:
— Tyrus Thomas, LSU. The young fella was everything I was led
to believe he would be as an athlete, as his five blocks, 13
rebounds and countless other jaw-dropping instances would attest.
He played at an altitude that no one else was able to reach the
entire night. He’s raw as sushi and he could stand to gain
another 100 pounds. But from a raw materials standpoint, he had
as much or more than anyone I saw all night. He’s every bit of
the 6-9 he’s listed at, though I’m sure he’ll measure
something shorter than that by the time the NBA folks get done
with him. But he was easily the most impressive athlete of the
night. I don’t know if he’s coming out or not, but if he does
few teams will be able to pass up his combination of potential
and breathtaking athleticism.
— Glen “Big Baby” Davis, LSU - It should be illegal to be that
big, that agile and that skilled, though I’m not sure yet how
explosive he is. Just a sophomore, Davis carries 310-plus pounds
better than you could imagine. He showed off a nice shooting
touch and an even better feel for the game than I realized.
Several times throughout the night I was struck by just how
nimble he is for a man that size (he split a double team and
missed a reverse layup but he had me when he split the Duke
defenders). I still say he’s costing himself some extra millions
by not playing football - think Orlando Pace in an LSU basketball
uniform - but why argue with a man that big when he’s going to
do what he wants anyway.
— J.J. Redick, Duke - I hate to see anyone go out the way he
did Thursday night. But he was exposed against some fantastic
defensive efforts. (I wasn’t as sold on the scheme as some of
the so-called experts have been in the aftermath.) Even after
a 3-for-18 showing, I don’t question that he’s as deadly a
shooter as a guy could be in college. But I always come back
to the same question. How does he get a shot off in the NBA? No
team in the league will build its offense around him getting
shots the way Duke did. He’s got decent size, a legit 6-3, but
little else in the way of impressive measurables. He struggled
to get free from LSU freshman point Garrett Temple, who last
time I checked wasn’t on any list of the world’s toughest
defenders. I just didn’t see anything in Redick that screamed
to me “This is the guy!”
Shelden Williams and Josh McRoberts, Duke - I’ll give Williams
this much, no on pump fakes better. And he’s as eager to bang
as any college big man I’ve seen in a while. But he doesn’t
remind me of Carlos Boozer or that type of dominant, undersized
college big man. Which is what I was hoping for. He’s in the
6-8, 6-9 range and plenty thick with outrageously long arms. All
of that will help in his transition from one level to the next.
But if he has a nice shooting touch facing the basket you’d
never know because all he does it wrestle in the paint and get
layups and dunks. I’m guessing McRoberts will be a far better
pro because he’s much more versatile, can face the basket and
handle the ball. Plus, he’s 6-10 or 6-11 compared to Williams’
6-8 or so. He’s also the only player on the Duke roster that
appeared to be capable of playing above the rim. He had a nice
block out on the floor on one of LSU’s backup big men and showed
a real nice handle bringing the ball up the floor a couple of
times. I asked an NBA type in attendance where he felt McRoberts
would be drafted if he came out? And he said “the same place he
would have been drafted if he came out from high school, lottery.”
LaMarcus Aldridge, Texas - Wow. Skills galore. And he’s every
drip drop of that 6-11, if not a bit taller. He’s ready from a
skill standpoint - nice shooting touch, ready to mix it up
underneath the basket and gifted enough to extend his game out
to 16 or 17 feet. When they first ran on to the floor I thought
he looked thin. But when they came back out for the start of the
game and he lost the warm up jacket, I realized he was cut up a
little more than it looked. He has to be the best pure center in
college, ahead of Patrick O’Bryant at Bradley and whatever other
7-foot projects are roaming the college landscape. The most
impressive thing about him was the touch for such a big guy. He
can stroke it from 12-16 feet, which is always impressive from
guys that tall. He had more field goals in first half than entire
WVU team. If he comes out I don’t see how someone passes on him
at No. 1.
Kevin Pittsnogle, West Virginia - He was exactly what I thought
he’d be. The best comparison I’ve seen on him is that he’s a
lot like Utah Jazz forward Mehmet Okur. Pittsnogle is a big fella,
tall and pretty thick. He’s got absurd range on his 3-ball and
not just for a guy his size but for any guy on a basketball court.
He was more physical than I expected and did his best to guard
Aldridge in the paint. He’ll be an NBA power forward who can
play away from the rim and help spread the floor with his outside
shooting touch. It was hard to tell if he’s a good passer or not
and while his defensive effort was admirable; I don’t know that
he distinguished himself as anything other than an average
defender. But I can see why the talent intrigues so many NBA
types. He’s got plenty to work with. Plus, he’s already got
the tattoos.
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