| Aaron Craft |
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| All Tweets | DraftExpress: DX: Top NBA Prospects in the Big Ten, Part 3 http://t.co/Tqf28V3 Tim Hardaway Jr, Aaron Craft, Keith Appling, Adreian Payne, Melsahn Basabe
2011-09-12 01:37:23 |
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| Team:
Ohio State, Sophomore
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| Physicals | Positions | Rankings | Misc |
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H: 6' 2"
W: 195 lbs
Bday: 02/12/1991
(21 Years Old)
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Current: PG
NBA: PG
Possible: PG
| Rank 25 in NCAA Sophomores
RSCI: 115
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High School: Liberty Benton
Hometown: Findlay, Ohio
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| Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Big Ten, Part Three (#11-15)
September 12, 2011
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Matthew Kamalsky
Aaron Craft was not considered a blue-chip recruit coming out of high school, but earned national attention for his inspired play as a freshman for the 34-3 Ohio State Buckeyes. Winning the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Award and being named to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team, the Findlay, Ohio native was the consummate glue guy for Head Coach Thad Matta.
Despite the praise Craft received for his hustle and defense, it is important to remember that he was playing in a very small niche offensively. Though he could not have meshed better with the veterans on OSU's roster, he did rank among the least prolific per-40 minute pace adjust scorers in our database, attempting the second fewest field goal attempts per-minute, which is a limiting factor on the depth with which we can evaluate his NBA potential at this time.
When delving into what we can definitely say about Craft at this point, analyzing his somewhat unique physical profile is not a bad place to start. Built somewhere in between a Big Ten football player and a point guard, Craft has adequate size and good strength for his position, but it is his lateral speed that really stands out among his peers. Craft moves his feet exceptionally well on the defensive end, and uses his ability to stop and start on a dime to handle full court pressure like a seasoned veteran on offense.
It was Craft's agility that made him one of the peskiest defenders in all of college basketball last year. Ranking among the top players in our database in steals per-40 minutes pace adjusted, Craft doesn't only keep his man out of the lane and apply pressure, he uses his quick hands to create turnovers, stays with plays even when he's beat, steps in front of much bigger players to take charges, won't hesitate to get on the floor to scrap for loose balls, and managed to take some of the NCAA's best scorers out of their comfort zones with his intensity. Though his size and average explosiveness limit his ability to contest shots at times, Craft seems to have the burst that many players in this no-nonsense, defense-oriented mold have lacked in the past.
On top of what Craft offers defensively, he is an extremely efficient passer. The rising sophomore ranked 11th among players in our database in assist-to-turnover ratio, showing a high basketball IQ while making simple plays to set up the experienced group of players around him. A team-first player, Craft seldom forces the issue and is like a coach on the floor. He may not be a dynamic shot-creator at this stage, which limits his upside at the position from a professional standpoint, but he more than got the job done as a true freshman at the collegiate level.
As noted above, one area where Craft did not exceed expectations was as a scorer. Part of the reason why he scored under 7 points per-game was because of the talent around him and that he, in his role of set-up man, was not seeking his own shot, but it was also a result of his recognition of his limitations as a slasher. At the rim, Craft took what defenders gave him and finished at a decent rate, but had his shot blocked on occasion and showed a lack of explosive leaping ability that hurts his ability to compete above the rim.
Out on the perimeter, Craft knocked down a rock solid 41% of his jump shots, showing a fundamentally sound shooting stroke off the catch and even looking comfortable knocking down an occasion jumper off of one dribble. Craft could definitely stand to improve his shooting consistency, but he seems to have the framework in place to do so.
At this juncture, there is no reason to jump to any conclusions about what Craft's NBA outlook may be. He's a probable three or four-year player who has a terrific head on his shoulders, but does not yet have a clearly defined NBA skill, despite his merits defensively. He's an elite role-player in the college game, but as the cast of characters changes around him, Craft's skill level will be tested, at which point his potential NBA prospects will become clearer.
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