Player Evaluations

Here goes my evaluations and thoughts on players that I have been able to watch over the past few months.

2013
Tyler Ennis PG-Played against Isaiah Whitehead's AAU team in one of the games that I watched, but unfortunately neither guarded each other. Ennis led his team to an overtime victory and had 21pts, 8ast, 1to, 2-6 3PT, 1-4 FT. Ennis is always calm, steady, and in control as one of the best floor generals in the 2013 class. What I really like most about his game is that he really doesn't need to dominate the ball to be effective. He pretty much has a plan of what he wants to do once he crosses the half court line. Another aspect that SU fans will love from their future PG, is that he's not afraid to take clutch shots and make big plays at the end of games.

Tyler Roberson PF-Is built like your typical SU wing. Long, slender, athletic, and full of versatility. Roberson can impact the game on both ends of the court. On offense, he can hurt you with the jumper from inside the three point line, or use the jab step to drive defenders inside. Defensively, he's a terrific rebounder and solid shot blocker with good length and instincts. One of his best attributes is how well he runs the floor. On numerous occasions he would grab the rebound and become be the point man on the break.

Ron Patterson SG-First thing you notice is how long his arms are for a guard. Struggled for the most part on offense in the one game that I watched. Strangely enough towards the end of the game with his team trailing, he became their go to guy and almost single handedly brought his team back for the victory. Does a lot of little things that might not show up on the box score. Guards had a tough time getting their shots over him and he also deflected several passes. Very unique guard prospect for SU, as he 's a little rough around the edges but does have some skills to eventually become a contributor down the line.

BJ Johnson SF-As I mentioned along with Roberson, Johnson is built as your typical SU wing. Definitely needs to get stronger but makes a big impact in games regardless. Has a nice smooth lefty release and is pretty automatic when left open. Good athlete who had several nice dunks and almost threw down a nasty facial that would've shut down the gym but was fouled on the play. Defensively, what he does best in the games that I have watched is his anticipation for steals, which will come in handy for the 2-3 zone.

2014
Chris McCullough PF-Super athlete who presents the most upside out of all players in the 2014 class. Can impact the game on both ends whenever he feels like it. Has stretches where he can dominate the game and then others where it seems like he's just going through the motions. Currently he's more of a face-up shooter and driver on offense. I would love to seem him eventually develop some low post moves and become a complete inside/out offensive player. Defensively, he has close to a 7'3 wingspan, which enables him along with his athletic ability to become a dominant rebounder and shot blocker at times. McCullough still has another year of high school ball to play, and that should give him plenty of time to fix his flaws and become an instant dominant force when he hits SU.

Isaiah Whitehead SG-In his matchup against Tyler Ennis AAU squad. Whitehead led his team with 20pts, 4rbs, 1to, 2-4 3PT. Handles the ball a lot and can play both guard positions, but is mainly wired to score. Had the jumpshot working in this game but also had several nice drives and finish to the hoop. Not the quickest or most athletic, but has good body control and doesn't have much of a problem breaking defenders down off the bounce.

Jared Terrell CG-Powerfully built guard in the mold of Dion Waiters. Had a couple of nice drives to the basket, but I was a little disappointed that he would settle for long jumpers for the most part. With his size and built, he should be taking it to the rack non-stop. Looking forward to watching him some more in the future.

Dion Wiley SG-Tough physical guard, who spent most of the game running point for his team but like Whitehead, he's wired to score. Has a quick release and knocked down a few jumpers, but his bread and butter was taking it to the basket. Was also active on D, coming up with steals, rebounds, and getting out in transition.

Chin Onuaku C-The younger brother of former SU big man Arinze Onuaku. Slender built with super long arms. Started off the game scoring a couple of baskets and blocking a few shots before getting a couple of fouls and dealing with it the whole game. Runs the floor well and looks to have some upside but isn't an instant impact player at this point.

2015
Marcus Derrickson SF-One of the most versatile offensive players that I have watched regardless of class as of late. Looks to be a little under 6'7 and he can play inside and out. Really patient and likes to pick his spots on how to attack. On the inside, he has post moves and can score in a variety of ways. On the outside, he has a smooth release and can hurt you from three point land. He's a good rebounder, but can struggle defensively because he isn't quick or athletic. Not sure if he's a current fit for the SU system, but if he grows a couple of inches over the years, then he would become an intriguing option.

Franklin Howard SG-In one game against Oak Hill, Howard shot 1-6 from 3pt and only scored 9pts. In his next 2 games against nationally ranked Don Bosco Prep and #1 at the time Montverde, he would score over 20pts without hardly taking any threes. Howard has nice size for a SG at 6'4 with long arms. He has a deadly mid-range game and is pretty crafty overall on both ends of the floor.


The following evaluations of Chinonso Obokoh and Thomas Bryant from the Bishop Kearney vs Jamesville-DeWitt game was written by O'Sully, much thanks.

Chinonso Obokoh C-Obokoh has a good frame. He's athletic, already pretty toned and wiry strong, and has broad shoulders. All of which suggests he should be able to put on good muscle when he arrives on campus and begins the team's workout program. He runs the floor hard from baseline to baseline, and is relatively agile and fast for somebody his size. Offensively, Obokoh didn't show a lot in terms of posting up his man, maintaining strong position, and finishing with an effective post move. However, he did attack the offensive glass and go up strong, while also showing an ability to catch and finish inside, which probably is much closer to what he will be asked to do once he gets up on campus. Defensively, Obokoh rebounded his area well, and did a good job of sealing off the paint and discouraging drives to the basket. He had several quality blocks where he displayed good instincts, timing, and athletic ability. A couple of Obokoh's blocks were off of the weak side where he provided strong help defense. My guess is his career and role on the team will be very similar to Baye Moussa Keita. He can man the middle of the zone, be an athletic, effective shot blocker, and on offense attack the offensive glass or catch and finish around the rim. I wouldn't be surprised if he redshirts as a freshman, as he could use the year to further develop his skills and body, and also because it looks as though the team will already have a deep depth chart at the center position. Overall, he's a player who definitely fits the description of the staff possibly finding a diamond in the rough. If Obokoh puts the work in, he has a lot of potential. My ceiling for Obokoh would be a guy who can become a great defensive center and a great role player/contributor on a team filled with offensive weapons in which he won't have to consistently create his own offense, but instead can get points through offensive rebounding and finishing around the basket. At the very least, he can be a solid big man off the bench a few years down the road who can give you minutes here and there as an adequate rebounder and defender while playing the middle of the zone.

Thomas Bryant PF-Bryant is very impressive. He's tall, incredibly long, and moves very fluid and agile for someone his size at his age. While his build suggests he'll always be on the thinner side, the way he plays that probably won't pose many problems. He is listed around 6'9-6'10 and looks every bit of it. He played hard and ran the floor very well. Bryant looks like a kid who has a ton of potential and already shows a good understanding and feel for the game. He can consistently make shots from behind the three point line, and doesn't hesitate to shoot it from there if he has a look. Bryant has good form, a nice release, and when he shoots it he expects it to go in. Against the press, Bryant helped bring the ball up and showed very good vision passing the ball to beat the pressure. He caught the ball and immediately and consistently kept his eyes up the floor to find the open man ahead of him. He feels comfortable putting the ball on the floor, and as he grows stronger will become much more effective at taking the ball to the basket. While Bryant didn't seem to be as comfortable posting his smaller defenders up, he has all the tools to potentially implement that aspect into his arsenal. A great comparison I heard and agree with for Bryant is Lamar Odom. Bryant has the potential to be a true stat stuffer. He may never score a crazy amount of points or grab an insane amount of rebounds, but for people who respect the game his stat lines have potential to be incredibly impressive. He can rebound, score, set up his teammates, and on defense it is only a matter of time until he becomes a dominant shot blocker with his length and athletic ability. As Bryant starts to fill out and develop physically, just as any sophomore in high school does, he has the potential to be an absolute monster by the time his senior year rolls around. I would love to have him commit. With his size, athleticism, and feel for the game he would be lethal on the wings of the zone. On offense he would be a great fit in our system of having guys play the 3/4 role and being able to exploit a mismatch.