Summer Player Evaluations

Here goes some thoughts on several Cuse related players that I had the chance to watch in full game action over the past several months. Most of these games that I watched were played this past summer.

2014
Kaleb Joseph PG-2 games averaged 13PPG, 2APG, 1RPG, 2TO, 90% FT 10-11 overall.
Scored the majority of his points showcasing a nice mid-range game, which he hit on repeatedly and seems to be his main go to move. Has good speed and athleticism to get create offense for himself and get things done in transition. Displays good vision and had several nice passes but his teammates either got fouled or struggled to finish, which caused his assist numbers to be low. On the negative side, his defense was surprisingly very poor. He had a tough time staying in front of the guards that he was facing and would pick up a bunch of cheap fouls. Joseph is a good ball handler, but tends to get careless and loose with the ball at times due to a lack of focus. Perimeter shot could use some consistency, but he was pretty much flawless from the free throw line. Overall there is a lot to like about Joseph, but also there are several things that he needs to work on to be a complete player and reach his highest potential. Spending a year practicing and learning from Tyler Ennis should do wonders for his development when he's ready to takeover and contribute in a fulltime role.

2015
Derrick Jones SF-6PTS, 1RBD, 3AST, 2STLS.
Scored all of his points in transition with his ridiculous athleticism on display. Has very long arms, which helped him come away with several deflections and steals. Got the ball into the right spots for his teammates to score. Lacks strength to be really effective inside around big bodies. Has to learn how to use his athleticism and vertical to rebound amongst the trees, because he's pretty much a non-factor on the boards unless the ball goes directly to him. Didn't get to see him create any offense for himself in this game. So I'll hold judgment on his overall offensive skill set. Overall Jones is built like your typical lanky SU wing. He definitely has plenty to work on, but he's only 16 and with a few more years left before he hits college. Sky's the limit for what he could be when he's a finish product.

Bryant Crawford PG-11PTS, 5RBS, 3AST, 3STLS, 3BLKS, 5TO, 2-3 3PT, 1-2 FT.
Crawford was one of my favorite prospects to watch. As you can see from the stat line he can do a little bit of everything from the PG spot. If you need him to score and pass he can provide that. If you need a playmaker on defense whether it's to help out on the boards, come up with steals, or even block a few shots to prevent scores in transition, then he can provide that as well. For all the good that he displayed, like every young player he did have his faults as he struggled with several careless turnovers. He can also be a little too aggressive on both ends of the floor and pick up some cheap fouls. Overall Crawford is a terrific prospect for SU to monitor over the next few years. He's a tough minded player that fits into what they do on both ends of the floor.

Cheick Diallo-13PTS, 7RBS, 2BLKS, 1AST, 1STL, 1TO, 3-6 FT.
High energy player that is active on both ends of the floor. Scored mostly around the basket, but attempted to showcase a perimeter game shooting a few jumpers in which he didn't have much luck in that department. Diallo should do well at a school that plays at a face pace where he can excel with his energy and motor.

AJ Turner G/F-1PT, 2RBS, 2STLS, 3TO, 0-4 3PT, 1-4 FT.
Was a tough game overall for Turner, who struggled with his shot and finding any groove in the game. Has good size and length at 6'7, but is mainly a perimeter player and didn't display much physical toughness. Turner will probably end up at a high-major due to his size and upside at his position, but figures to be more of a role player than a star in my opinion.

Josh Sharma C-Runs the floor well, has good athleticism and length. Lacks strength, which prevents him from finishing with consistency inside. Overall offensive skillset needs to get better, but he's an interesting high academic big man prospect for SU to monitor moving forward.

Jalen Brunson PG-Good ball handler that can get into the lane with ease and create opportunities for his teammates and himself. Struggled knocking down shots in the game viewed, but shooting has been known to be his biggest strength so I'll chalk it up to an off night. He's not super quick, athletic, or explosive. Might not fit into certain programs, but should be a solid four year PG on the next level.


2016
Mustapha Heron G/F-15PTS, 4RBS, 2AST, 1STL, 1BLK, 2TO, 3-5 FT.
Physically he reminds me of Paul Harris back in High School. Big strong guard that can play multiple positions. Scored at will driving to the lane and ran point for his team throughout the game. Did a good job staying in front of his man defensively helping to create turnovers and starting fast breaks. Didn't attempt any threes or perimeter shots, so it's hard to judge how good his jumper is. Overall Heron should be a top 25 prospect in his class and is a do it all kind of player that every team needs to help lead them to a championship.

Kassoum Yakwe PF-4PTS, 6RBS, 5BLKS, 3AST, 3TO, 2STLS, 2-2 FT.
Terrific defender with good length and athleticism. Blocked and altered numerous shots inside. Runs the floor well and has a good motor. Offensive game needs work, as he doesn't look comfortable on the offensive side of the ball when he's not next to the basket for an easy score. Yakwe, who is basically new to the game since coming over from Africa is a solid prospect with good upside for SU to continue monitoring over the next few years.

Josh Jackson SG/SF-16PTS, 9RBS, 1AST, 1BLK, 4TO, 0-4 3PT, 10-14 FT.
A consensus top 3 player in 2016, Jackson was in full go mode on offense. Was very aggressive taking and missing a lot of shots, but fortunately for him he was able to draw a lot of foul calls and get to the line 14 times. Very active on defense, playing his man tightly and also rebounding well on both ends of the floor. Overall Jackson is a good athlete that is blessed with a lot of physical tools and upside at the SG/SF spot. He still has to learn what's a good shot from a bad one, but that's something you would expect a young player to improve upon as they gain more experience.


Here goes some notes on other non Cuse related prospects that caught my eye.

2013
Kris Jenkins F (Villanova commit)-Jenkins is an undersized forward in the post, but is a highly productive offensive player. Great hands with a nice touch around the basket. He was always around the ball coming up with rebounds and diving for loose balls. Fits into the mold of the mid 2000 Nova style player that Jay Wright is trying to find for his current squad.


2014
Goodluck Okonoboh C (UNLV Commit)-Active on both ends of the floor and plays with a good motor. Didn't block as many shots as I'm used to watching him do, but definitely altered and changed a few shots inside. Finished well around the basket, but is still pretty raw when faced with creating offense for himself in the post. Should do well in UNLV's up n down style, where his focus will mainly be to be run the floor, block shots, and get easy finishes inside.

Kevon Looney PF-Very skilled offensive player that can play inside and out. Gave Goodluck Okonoboh fits all game in their matchup. Has a high B-Ball IQ and seems to always make the correct decisions on both ends of the floor.

Abdul Malik-Abu PF(NC ST Commit)-Like Looney, Malik-Abu is another combo forward that presents a very versatile offensive skillset. Can score inside-out and plays with a high motor. He'll present a lot of problems against SU's zone as a forward that can knock down shots in the middle of the zone.

Ben Bentil PF/C(Providence Commit)-Long athletic big man from Africa, who is still learning the game but has more skills and finesse around the hoop than you might expect. Defends and rebounds well in the post and plays with a good motor. Stood out on the perimeter at times a little too much for my liking. Should form a nice duo inside with Paschal Chukwu at Providence.

Jaylen Johnson PF/C (Louisville Commit)-Missed most of the 1st half due to picking up a couple of fouls within the first few minutes of the game. When the 2nd half began, Johnson made a big impact scoring at will inside using good position and length to score in the post. Ran the floor well and was very active on both ends. As his team started to trail and struggled scoring midway through the 2nd half, Johnson started to force the issue and things became a little sloppy for him. Johnson has the physical tools and upside that fits into the Louisville system well, and is a nice addition for them along with the recently committed Chin Onuaku.

Stanley Johnson SF-Consensus top 10 player, reminds me of a young Ron Artest. Strong physical player that creates major impact on both ends of the floor. Always seems to do everything that he can to will his team to victories. Doesn't mind doing the dirty work or playing various positions to help his team. Will be an instant contributor and key piece to helping a team contend for a title.

2015
Curtis Cobb SG-AAU teammate of Joseph, who is a deadly outside shooter with a nice smooth release. Has good size for a guard and doesn't have much trouble getting his shot off quickly. On the negative side, Cobb is a very poor ball handler and struggles when trying to create offense for himself. Hopefully he can improve in that department, if not his sharp shooting and range should land him at a high-mid level school at worse. Cobb has already earned offers from UConn and Providence, but SU has yet to shown any real interest yet.