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High School Class of 2014 Scouting Reports, Part Three- the Wings

High School Class of 2014 Scouting Reports, Part Three- the Wings
Sep 05, 2013, 03:06 pm
Scouting report breakdowns on some of the top big men prospects in the 2014 high school class, including Stanley Johnson, Rashad Vaughn, Daniel Hamilton, Kelly Oubre, Theo Pinson, Terry Larrier, L.J. Peak and Pape Diatta.

Stanley Johnson, 6'7, Small Forward, Mater Dei CA



Jonathan Givony

Recruiting Rankings: 247: #2, ESPN: #12, Scout: #8, Rivals: #8

Strengths:
-Very good size for a wing at 6-7 ½ in shoes. Good wingspan (6-10 1/2)
-Outstanding frame—absolutely chiseled at 226 pounds
-Terrific athlete. Strong, explosive, a highlight reel waiting to happen
-Very physical defender. Takes great pride in his work on this end of the court. Has the versatility to guard multiple positions, Defends all five positions at the high school level. Should be able to defend at least three in college (2-4) and possibly beyond
-Does a great job getting to the passing lanes
-Tremendous rebounder for his position, on both ends of the floor. Averaged over 14 rebounds per-40 at the Nike EYBL. Same story in every other setting he's played in
-Extremely aggressive in the open floor. Puts pressure on the defense. Takes the ball strong to the basket. Relishes contact inside the paint
-Solid ball-handler. Has a strong and quick first step. Can overpower defenders knifing through the lane
-Finishes with power
-Can post up a bit. Has the size, strength and desire to impose his will on opponents inside the paint
-Not a non-shooter. Can make an outside shot with his feet set, or sometimes even off the dribble
-Highly competitive player. Plays with emotion. Doesn't take plays off. A winner. Plays for the team. Sets the tone for his teammates with his intensity, swagger and toughness
-Makes extra pass. Not a selfish player. Finds the open man with solid vision

Weaknesses:
-Average perimeter shooter at best. Hit 31/104 (29%) 3-point attempts in 23 EYBL games this season. Made 31% last season
-Doesn't have the most fluid release on his shot. Short arms many of his attempts
-Shot-selection is not great. Settles for too many guarded attempts. Takes far more 3-pointers than he should considering how much more effective of a driver he is.
-Ball-handling skills are improvable in the half-court. Struggles to get all the way to the rim in the half-court at times if he can't simply blow by his opponent
-Fairly turnover prone. Averaged 4.2 turnovers per-40 in the EYBL.

Outlook: A college coach's dream. Has the body and athleticism of a NBA player, and his improved his skill-level and versatility substantially. Can do a little bit of everything on the floor. Has terrific intangibles on top of that. Competitor who wants to win and is willing to do what it takes to do so.


Rashad Vaughn, 6'5, Shooting Guard, Findlay Prep NV



Jonathan Givony

Recruiting Rankings: 247: #9, ESPN: #11, Scout: #11, Rivals: #7

Strengths:
-Measured 6-5 in shoes at the Lebron James Academy
-Strong 203 pound frame
-Good athlete
-Excellent scoring instincts.
-Has a very pretty looking jump-shot
-Can make shots with feet set or off the dribble
-Has the ability to stop on a dime and pull-up from NBA range. Makes tough shots look easy
-Strong with the ball in transition. Finishes well around the basket
-Has the ability to create own shot. Can drive left or right
-Can play some pick and roll
-Solid passer
-Shows good potential as a defender

Weaknesses:
-Average wingspan
-More of a volume scorer than an efficient player at this point in time
-Shot-selection is very poor at times
-Relies very heavily on tough off the dribble jumpers for production, which is rarely a recipe for success
-Only shot 33% from beyond the arc at the Nike EYBL
-Not a consistent shooter, partially due to shot-selection
-Doesn't always get to the basket as frequently as you might expect. Could still stand to improve his ball-handling skills in the half-court

Outlook: Scorer with a unique blend of power, athleticism and skills. Shows great potential as a perimeter shooter, even if his percentages don't always indicate that. A versatile player when he wants to be. Needs to be careful not to fall in love with his mid-range game.


Justin Jackson, 6'8, Small Forward, Homeschool Christian Youth Association TX



Jonathan Givony

Recruiting Rankings: 247: #12, ESPN: #8, Scout: #7, Rivals: #10
Committed to North Carolina

Strengths:
-Very good size for a small forward. Measured 6-8 in shoes
-Terrific scoring instincts. Can put the ball in the net from anywhere on the court. Extremely efficient
-Excellent perimeter shooter. Very good mechanics. Can make shots with feet set or off the dribble
-High release point on jumper allows him to get shot off with ease
-Can make tough turnaround jumpers inside the post
-Very soft touch on his floaters. Very effective in-between game with his crafty runners
-Highly intelligent, mature, team player
-Excellent passer. 2.5/1 assist to turnover ratio at the Nike EYBL

Weaknesses:
-Very frail frame. Weighed just 189 pounds in July. How much stronger can he get, especially in the lower body?
-Doesn't have amazing length (6-9 ½ wingspan) relative to his size
-Average athlete. Does not possess a great first step or overwhelming explosiveness
-Struggles to finish around the basket due to poor strength/explosiveness
-Lacks toughness? Avoids contact in the lane.
-Average motor on defense. Doesn't make much of an impact in the passing lanes or as a shot-blocker. Upright in his stance, and does not possess great lateral quickness
-Lacks some assertiveness at times
-A little bit old for his class. Turns 19 in March

Outlook: Extremely skilled small forward with a strong basketball IQ. Lacks the athleticism and aggressiveness you typically see from a player so highly. Did not perform that impressively in any of the settings I evaluated him, particularly compared with many of his peers at his position.


Daniel Hamilton, 6'8, SF, St. John Bosco CA



Jonathan Givony

Recruiting Rankings: 247: #11, ESPN: #17, Scout: #15, Rivals: #15
Committed to Connecticut

Strengths:
-Excellent size for a wing at 6-8 ½
-Very good scoring instincts
-Outstanding perimeter shooter
-Can create separation and make tough shots off the dribble. Has a knack for throwing the ball in the basket
-Good footwork. Uses shot-fakes to open up driving angles
-Good in transition
-Can pass the ball when he wants to. Has a solid feel for the game

Weaknesses:
-Narrow frame
-Average wingspan
-First step is underwhelming. Not overly explosive in the half-court
-Struggles to finish around the basket at times
-Plays for himself. Looks very wild/selfish at times. Rarely passes the ball
-Body language is poor
-Doesn't show any interest in playing defense

Outlook: Extremely talented scorer at the high school level. Has many of the same strengths and weaknesses as his brother Jordan (Denver Nuggets), but doesn't have as good of a frame. Did not appear to be a very team oriented player in any of the settings we observed him in.


Kelly Oubre, 6'7, Small Forward, Findlay Prep NV



Jonathan Givony

Recruiting Rankings: 247: #4, ESPN: #20, Scout: #28, Rivals: #19

Strengths:
-Good size for a wing at 6-7 to go along with a very strong frame
-Very good athlete. Powerful. Quick off feet. Can play above the rim
-Effective scorer inside the arc. Can attack the basket and create high percentage opportunities. Finishes well around the basket
-Gets to the free throw line frequently
-Very good in transition
-Nice scoring instincts. Can make outside shots even if he isn't consistent yet
-Solid passer
-Solid rebounder
-Has the potential to be a good defender if he wants to thanks to his size, length, strength and athleticism

Weaknesses:
-Awkward lefty stroke. Flings the ball at the basket, doesn't get much arc
-Not a consistent shooter. Made just 31% of his 3-point attempts at the Nike EYBL on over five attempts per game
-Shot-selection can be poor. Doesn't know his limitation. Forces the issue regularly
-Needs to improve his off hand. Only wants to drive and finish with left
-Average defender at best. Rarely gets in a stance. Fundamentals are poor

Outlook: Physically imposing small forward with very good scoring instincts. Has seen his stock rise dramatically over the past year. Needs to improve his outside shot to take his game to the next level.


Theo Pinson, 6'6, SG, Wesleyan Christian Academy NC



Jonathan Givony

Recruiting Rankings: 247: #22, ESPN: #13, Scout: #32, Rivals: #20
Committed to North Carolina

Strengths:
-Good size for a shooting guard a 6-6 ½ with shoes
-Very long arms. 6-10 wingspan
-Versatile player who can do a little bit of everything
-Excellent feel for the game. Sees the floor and does a great job of getting teammates involved. Averaged 4.2 assists per-40 in 23 Nike EYBL games. Creative player with very good vision
-Good athlete. Can play above the rim with ease. Quick first step
-Gets to the free throw line at an excellent rate
-Very good lateral quickness. Gets in the passing lanes regularly thanks to length, quickness and anticipation skills

Weaknesses:
-Possesses a very frail frame. Only weighed 182 pounds this past July, up from 181 pounds the year before. Can he add more weight?
-Average ball-handler in the half-court. Struggles to get by opponents if forced to execute more complicated sequences than simply blowing past his man
-Not a great finisher around the basket. Lacks the strength to take hits around the rim and finish
-Possesses inconsistent shooting mechanics. Elbow flails out badly on catch and shoot attempts. Brings ball around the world, slows down his release
-Effort defensively is inconsistent

Outlook: Highly rated wing prospect going to North Carolina. Was very highly regarded early on in his high school career, but has fallen off somewhat as his body hasn't developed and his outside shot remains extremely inconsistent. Still a fairly talented and versatile player.


Terry Larrier, 6'7, Small Forward, The Phelps School PA



Jonathan Givony

Recruiting Rankings: 247: #21, ESPN: #59, Scout: #59, Rivals: #38

Strengths:
-Very good size for a wing. Measured 6-7 in shoes with a 6-10 wingspan
-Very good athlete. Explosive in the open floor
-Has decent shooting mechanics. Can make an open 3-pointer
-Good potential defensively with long wingspan and athleticism

Weaknesses:
-Very frail physically. Narrow frame that will likely take years to fill out
-Mediocre ball-handler. Cannot create his own shot
-Shot-selection is fairly poor. Feel for the game/experience-level looks average at best
-Lacks some toughness defensively. Gets backed down inside the paint
-Not a consistent shooter

Outlook: Long-term small forward with nice physical attributes, but very raw overall skill-set. Has upside, but needs time to get stronger and improve his ball-handling, jump-shot and feel for game.


L.J. Peak, 6'5, Small Forward, Gaffney SC

Jonathan Givony

Recruiting Rankings: 247: #83, ESPN: #54, Scout: #68, Rivals: #82
Committed to Georgetown

Strengths:
- Very good athlete with a solid frame. Can play above the rim with ease
-Fairly smart, efficient player. Does not turn the ball over very frequently
-Has a strong first step. Can get to the rim in a straight line. Finishes well around the basket
-Decent shooting mechanics. Can make catch and shoot 3-pointers. Has the potential to develop his outside shot
-Good in transition
-Makes plays using his athleticism. Very good offensive rebounder. Gets in the passing lanes. Will block shots on occasion
-Good potential defensively

Weaknesses:
-More of an undersized (6-4ish) small forward than a shooting guard at this stage
-Average shooter. Made just 28% of his 3-point attempts in 23 games at the Nike EYBL this spring
-Not a great ball-handler in the half-court. Able to blow by opponents with his quick first step, but struggles if he needs to create in more advanced ways

Outlook: Lacks the elite size or skill-level needed to be considered a top-shelf high school recruit, but has a very nice framework of skills to build off that should allow him to have a good college career and possibly more than that if he continues to improve as an outside shooter and ball-handler.


Pape Diatta, 6'8, Small Forward, The Rock School FL

Jonathan Givony

Recruiting Rankings: 247: #NR, ESPN: #NR, Scout: #NR, Rivals: #NR

Strengths:
-Very good size for a small forward, to go along with a strong frame
-Solid athlete
-Operates as somewhat of a point forward. Handles the ball in transition, brings ball up the court, creates offense for himself and others
-Shows good potential on the pick and roll
-Creative passer. Passes the ball into the post. Finds teammates in drive and dish situations
-Can make catch and shoot 3-pointers
-Will occasionally make an off the dribble jumper
-Has very good potential defensively with his size and length. Very competitive player

Weaknesses:
-Not an efficient player at this point. 2-point percentage has been poor in every setting he's competed at
-Average finisher around the basket
-Shot-selection, decision making needs work. Needs to improve fundamentals, experience
-Shoots the ball differently every time. Not a consistent outside shooter
-Needs to improve ball-handling skills in half-court. Too turnover prone

Outlook: Big wing with a solid feel for the game. Operated as a guard at the adidas Nations and really excelled, leading team to a third place finish. Struggled in more organized settings at the U19 World Championship, but looks to have much better potential at the college level than the high school recruiting services are giving him credit for. Still raw, but has some really intriguing attributes that could develop into impressive strengths with solid coaching.

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