The-Power wrote:For the first time in years, I had the pleasure of watching the All-American game (and scrimmage) without knowing anything about the class. No rankings, no names, no scouting reports, and no HS tape.
So I enjoyed seeing the players for the first time without any kind of expectations or preconceived ideas of what they should look like. Here are my impressions (again: strictly from these two games).
First of all, I thought the overall skill-level in that game was higher than in previous years. I'm not sure how much of that was because it lacked strong defensive bigs but I still thought it was noticeable. The trade-off was that the overall level of athleticism was rather underwhelming. The size was fine. Not so much in terms of bigs but the wing players had solid size. But now onto the players:
EAST
0 Kwame Evans – I remember seeing him play well as a Sophomore or Junior in HS games but he didn't stand out at all, and didn't look like much of a prospect. He clearly has some solid skills for his size but that was about it. I hope there is more to him that he could show but neither the motor nor the athleticism looked great and that's a problem.
2 Aaron Bradshaw – Showed some promise as a face-up big and offensive rebounder, but not enough as a rim protector, switch defender or in terms of feel for the game for me to really get excited about him. And he'll have to fill out more.
3 Justin Edwards – I learned during the broadcast that he was the #1 and was quite surprised. I see some appeal due to his size and solid skills, but he certainly did not look like a top-tier prospect to me. He was quite limited athletically (speed, burst, leaping ability) and not skilled enough to make it matter less. But perhaps he just didn't get to show everything he can do.
7 Stephon Castle – Perhaps the player I was impressed by the most. He reminded me of Cade Cunningham in a lot of ways. Great size for a Guard, looked comfortable shooting, did a good job of probing defenses, and made a couple really good reads and passes. Solid defensive effort, too. Not a noteworthy athlete and at times a bit loose with the ball for a lead Guard but there is A LOT to like about him.
8 Elmarko Jackson – His quickness was notable on occasion but other than that I didn't see a whole lot to be excited about. He'll either prove to be a great shooter or a very good playmaker for me to become intrigued, and I didn't really see that in the game.
10 Cody Williams – Another player I was impressed by. He clearly needs to fill out a lot more but he has length, some on-ball creation ability and a solid all-around skill (dribble, pass, shoot) foundation to build on for someone his size. I can see him becoming a really good player with that foundation.
11 Aden Holloway – He looked like he could be a dynamic scoring Guard and Auburn as his choice makes sense (Wendell Green was given a lot of opportunities). But I'll have to see more to buy him as a good NBA prospect. At that size, you need to show a lot – hopefully he can do that.
12 Sean Stewart – I really liked him. He didn't look like he was in ideal shape and hopefully he can squeeze out a bit more athleticism when getting into better shape because that's a reason he struggled a bit on offense. But he moved well on defense, showed good rim protection instincts, very smart and capable rebounder. He'll have to show an all-around skill set on offense to rise up the boards but that comfortable pull-up 2 – and the overall level of on-court intelligence – showed that there is something there to work with.
13 Matas Buzelis – He did not really pop for me. He is tall and can dribble and shoot a bit, so that's probably the intrigue. But I'm not sure how functional it is (especially the ball handling) and in terms of athleticism and defensive impact, I didn't come away impressed. So I'm wait-and-see with him but start out as a skeptic as far as him being a high-level prospect.
21 DJ Wagner – He looked good but his size also means that he'll have to excel in a lot of areas to be a top prospect. He reminded me a bit of Cole Anthony (who I was very high on) but not quite the shooter but bigger. I'll closely follow his efficiency at the next level, and how good his playmaking is (two areas in which Cole struggled at UNC that made me a bit more skeptical of him).
24 Mackenzie Mgbako – I often noticed him without popping off the screen, if that makes sense. He seemed to be involved in a lot of things on the court (especially in the scrimmage) without showing anything special. He could be a solid all-around college player but I have yet to see anything that sets him apart as a prospect.
34 Xavier Booker – I really didn't notice anything particularly noteworthy about him.
WEST
0 Omaha Biliew – Loved some of his defensive flashes, especially during the scrimmage. Good motor, too. But he was very limited offensively in terms of dribbling or shooting the ball, and it's not like he was a menace around the rim either. I hope he can show enough on offense because I want to like him with his motor, size and length on defense. He shot mechanics looked actually pretty fine and I didn't see a terrible feel for the game, so I'm cautiously optimistic.
1 Ron Holland II – He was certainly easy to notice. Good size, solid athlete, plus motor. He flashed some passing ability, which was good, and could create a bit for himself. So I like the foundation. But he is a bit stiff athletically and he does not have much wiggle off the dribble, and his jumper certainly leaves room for improvement, too. At least one of the two (reliable shooting or self-creation) will have to be there for him to push very high. But he certainly has the looks of an NBA player.
2 Andrej Stojakovic – No particular thoughts on him, he didn't make me notice him much.
3 Mookie Cook – I liked him. I think he had a nice combination of wing size and defense to build on. He also had some nice passes over the two games and his shooting stroke looked solid. He's just seems quite limited off the dribble and that will limit his ultimate upside a bit. But I saw someone who has at least all the tools to become a good glue guy and role player.
4 Isaiah Collier – Not sure what to make of him yet. He clearly has the potential to be an offensive engine with his good pace, stop-and-go ability and good passing skills. But he was also very bad defensively, a bit out of control at times, and quick but not very explosive. A lot will depend on his shot being very good and that looked like it could go either way – he flashed some potential, but also some concerns (e.g. FT shooting).
6 Bronny James – He looked like one of the best 3pt shooters in the game and moves well off the ball. So there's clear role-player upside with him. But in terms of creation off the dribble he didn't show anything really, and while he plays solid defense his size limits his upside on that end.
10 Brandon Garrison – I thought he looked good overall without being an exciting prospect. I really liked the passing flashes (especially during the scrimmage) but he doesn't have particularly great size for a 5 and he was a bit too stiff and mechanical for me to buy him as a 4. Not idea if he could be a shooter, he didn't show it. So for now, I have him as someone who should be a solid college player but I'll need to see more to buy him as a noteworthy NBA prospect.
11 Jeremy Fears Jr. – No notes on him, he didn't pop.
14 Ja'Kobe Walter – I noticed a comfortable pull-up game and he could create a bit for himself (although he needed too many dribbles to create separation in those instances), but not much else. He'll probably go as far as his jumper carries him was my thought.
15 Reed Sheppard – Again, no notes.
21 Baye Fall – Dito.
24 Jared McCain – He looked like he could be a great college PG with his shooting and self-creation ability. I'd like to see more playmaking from him but the All-American game is not always a great context for that, so I'm wait-and-see. That being said, it's too early for me to tell what kind of NBA prospect he'll be.
Any thoughts?
great breakdown.
I thought I saw Buzelis get nicked at the end of the prior day's scrimmage in which he flashed plenty, which maybe is why he didn't play much or look very good despite being mocked to go #1 on some sites. His appeal is that he's skilled at his size and fluid with a frame that can pack on muscle. His game reminds me of Markkanen. It'll probably take a few years to start getting a return on that investment but if he hits he could be special. He's not going to look particularly good in all-star games though. When being guarded by 4s and 5s his obvious skill/athletic advantage will come into play more.
Wagner's size actually surprised me. He's a legit 6'3" and he is 100% a PG, not a combo guard disguising as a PG. He might have been that in the past but he has worked on his game big time. He's now an above average defender for his position, a very good play maker and he can get his shot off at will. I think he has to be the early front-runner for the #1 pick in the draft. He's is going to absolutely dominate in college.
Bradshaw really impressed me. He's going to be a problem in college with his motor and size. I haven't figured out what his role might be in the NBA. We'll just have to wait and see how he develops. He reminds me of Myles Turner.
Jared McCain is a straight shooting guard but he's only 6'2" and lack athleticism to make up for his lack of size. Lovely stroke though. If he was 6'5" he'd be a lottery pick.
Edwards is just so skilled and has a high motor. I'm not sure he's his listed 6'7" though. He looked closer 6'5" which imho takes him out of the running for #1 imo.
Holland is who people thought and still think Whitehead is except he's actually 6'7" maybe even 6'8". He has #1 talent. I love his game.
Collier is an elite PG prospect in line with the likes of Garland. Great handle, passer and BBIQ. I think he is adequate on defense but will probably never be elite. He was clearly pressing in the game as evidenced by all of his missed FTs and some sloppy play.
Williams is intriguing. He's so much more advanced than his brother Jalen who has proven to be a legit NBA player. Still raw though. He has better size and frame so he could look much different in 2-3 years. It wouldn't surprise me if scouts loved him.
