Geno Thorpe
Stat line in game viewed.
South Carolina-11 PTS, 3-13 FG, 5-6 FT, 9 REB, 2 STLS, 5 TO.
Positives
-Active on the defensive end and competes really hard.
-Quick hands and anticipates well into passing lanes for
steals and deflections.
-Can create his own shot in isolation and score on all three
levels.
-Can play on and off the ball at both guard spots.
-Had a couple of tough and-1 finishes at the hoop.
-Rebounds well for a guard and didn't mind getting dirty and
scraping inside.
-Had
several nice passes for scoring opportunities, but his teammates failed to
finish which ended up giving him a goose egg on the assist column.
Negatives
-Not super athletic and explosive.
-Had trouble finishing in the paint over bigger bodies.
-Prone to force the action when he doesn't need to resulting
into careless turnovers.
-Can create one on one in isolation, but had a hard time having much
success against SC stingy man D.
-Ball
handling gets a bit loose at times.
Overall
Thorpe should be able to add good depth for the SU backcourt as a combo guard who can play on and off the ball. Has experience playing in the zone, which should help him adapt quickly on the defensive side. Needs to improve as a decision maker with the ball at SU, especially if Frank Howard continues to regress next season.
Marek Dolezaj
Stat line in games viewed.
Estonia U18 2016-14 PTS, 3-8 FG, 8-9 FT, 13 REB, 3 AST, 2 STLS, 1
BLK, 6 TO.
Hungary U18 2016-19 PTS, 7-12 FG, 2-3 3PT, 3-4 FT, 4 REB, 4 STLS, 2 AST.
Netherlands U20 2017-22 PTS, 4-9 FG, 14-16 FT, 3 REB, 3 AST, 3 STLS, 3
BLKS.
Positives
-Good size and length
for a wing.
-Very active
defensively.
-Very fluid
athletically and changes directions well especially on switches in man D.
-Good weak side shot
blocker.
-Good offensive
rebounder with feel for where the miss shots will land.
-Nice passing
instincts. Can easily find the open man in traffic and find cutters for easy
scores.
-Showed good instincts
on anticipating passes for steals which should translate well when playing
zone.
-Finds a way to get to
the free line at a good clip and hit those shots at a high percentage in the games
viewed.
Negatives
-Lack of strength.
-Gets moved and knocked
down easily inside the paint.
-Shoots a line drive
shot which looks like he's aiming it.
-Can hit the three
ball, but needs space or to be wide open in order to be effective in hitting the
shot due to his form.
-Ball handling is a bit
loose and can get wild at times resulting into careless turnovers.
-Good
rebounder on the offensive end, but rarely boxes out on the defensive end and
mainly relies on his athleticism to out jump the opponent for the board.
Overall
Google recruit/mystery man, is an interesting prospect who presents plenty of versatility and potential. Comes from a well structured background with his development in Europe. Might need a year to get acclimated to the higher level of competition that he'll face in America. Utilizing and taking advantage of the strength and conditioning program at SU will be very important for him moving forward.
Elijah Hughes
Stat line in game viewed.
SMU-15 PTS, 5-10 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-4 FT, 2
REB, 1 AST, 1 STL.
Positives
-Good size and strength
for a SG and could spot minutes at the wings, but better suited up top.
-Not much shake and bake
off the bounce, but uses his upper body strength to overpower smaller guards.
-Not a ball stopper and
doesn't hunt shots. Plays within the flow of the offense and moves the ball around
quickly.
-Has a nice smooth
looking shooting form and release. Hit a pair of open threes.
-Stepped up late on
both ends of the floor and was a key contributor in helping cut a 24 point
deficit to a tie game down the stretch.
Negatives
-Not the quickest or
most athletically explosive player that you'll find.
-Had a tough time
finishing in traffic around the hoop.
-Will make the simple
pass play with the ball, but not much of a playmaker off the bounce.
-Although
his size and strength suggest that he could play out on the wings, he didn't
show much battling inside for rebounds and presenting any threat blocking shots
from the weak side.
Overall
Hughes is a fundamentally sound player who showed glimpses that he can eventually become a quality role player down the line. Becoming a much more consistent shooter (27% from 3 at ECU), all around scorer and defender in the zone will determine how big of a role that he'll play in the rotation once he becomes eligible for the 2018 season.
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