| Isaiah Canaan |
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 | | Recent Tweets |
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| All Tweets | DraftExpress: RT @GoodmanCBS: Isaiah Canaan tells me he's coming back for his senior season at Murray State on SiriusXM's Inside College Basketball.
2012-04-05 02:11:01 | DraftExpress: Isaiah Canaan really struggling to create good shots all game long. Tough to be considered a point guard when you can't do that.
2012-03-17 07:16:59 | DraftExpress: DX Trending Prospects 2/10: http://t.co/lNindIHf - Updated scouting reports on Terrence Ross, B.J. Young, Darius Miller and Isaiah Canaan.
2012-02-10 03:43:17 |
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| Team:
Murray State, Junior
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| Physicals | Positions | Rankings | Misc |
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H: 6' 0"
W: 175 lbs
Bday: 07/29/1991
(20 Years Old)
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Current: PG/SG
NBA: PG/SG
Possible: PG/SG
| Rank 35 in NCAA Juniors
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High School: Biloxi
Hometown: Biloxi, MS
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| Trending Prospects (2/10/2012)
February 10, 2012
 | | AP |
Kyle Nelson
Isaiah Canaan overcame staggering adversity in the wake of Hurrican Katrina[/url] before traveling north to join the upstart Murray State Racers. A long way from Katrina-ravaged Biloxi, Canaan is now one of the best offensive players in the country. Not only has the junior point guard led the Racers to a 23-1 record and a top-ten national ranking, but he has also established himself as a legitimate prospect in the process.
Standing around 6'0 with a solid frame and wingspan, Canaan is undoubtedly undersized for the point guard position. He is not a standout athlete, either, lacking comparable quickness and explosiveness to most undersized NBA guards. He is able to compensate somewhat due to his quickness with the ball in his hands and his solid body control around the basket, but his physical profile is well below average at the next level.
Despite his physical limitations, he is one of the more prolific offensive players in the country, averaging a stellar 22.8 points per 40 minutes pace adjusted while shooting 47.1% from the field.
While Canaan can do many things well on offense, he is an elite perimeter scorer. In fact, he is one of the most accomplished three-point shooters in the country at a blistering 46.3% from beyond the arc on 7.7 attempts per 40 minutes pace adjusted. He has textbook shooting mechanics as well, complete with solid elevation and range that extends well beyond the NBA three-point line.
More than just a spot-up shooter, Canaan does an excellent job creating space for himself to get shots off, looking just as comfortable shooting off of the dribble as he is spotting up thanks to his outstanding scoring instincts. He's taking more pull-ups than catch and shoot jumpers this season, but is knocking down his off the dribble looks at an outstanding 41% clip, which ranks amongst the best in college basketball.
Canaan could certainly stand to improve his ability to get inside the paint, however, as his lack of elite athleticism and size limit him significantly as a finisher around the basket. Canaan converts just 45% of his attempts around the basket, a very low rate, and on film, it's common to see his shot blocked, as he simply struggles to finish over bigger players. While his strength and body control help him to compensate somewhat, his ability to do more than just knock down tough jumpers is likely scouts' most significant concern looking to the next level.
So, too, is the question of positioning. Canaan is a point guard in the sense that he facilitates the offense and is the primary ball handler for the Racers, but he looks for his own shot first. Even as he thrives in Murray State's pick-and-roll game, it's usually in a scoring capacity. He shows some basic court vision in transition and in drive and dish situations, but there are concerns about whether he has the mentality to distribute the ball effectively when playing with significantly better players around him at the professional level. Canaan's 0.19 pure point rating currently ranks 42nd amongst the 69 players designated as point guards or combo guards in our database.
Yet another question mark presents itself on the defensive end. While Canaan is fine guarding point guards in the Ohio Valley Conference, he is unproven against elite competition and games against Memphis, Dayton, and Southern Mississippi comprise a very small sample size, hardly representative of NBA-caliber point guards. While he can be active and aggressive for stretches, Canaan's lateral quickness looks average at best. He struggles to stay in front of quicker guards both one-on-one and while defending the pick-and-roll, where he lacks the size and strength to fight through screens. Due to his physical deficiencies, it is unlikely that he is ever more than an average defender at the next level. That being said, his struggles seem to be, in part, an issue of consistent focus and effort, as well.
Regardless of Murray State losing their undefeated status last night, Isaiah Canaan has put himself on NBA scouts' radars. The NCAA tournament should offer him chances to prove himself against better competition, which will do a lot to raise his draft stock and quell doubts that he is too small to compete at the next level. Scouts will want to see if he can capitalize on his success this year and develop further as a facilitator, finisher, and defender. It remains to be seen whether or not he will test the draft waters, but what is clear is that if the NBA is not an option, then he should have plenty of suitors at a high level overseas.
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