Joe Treutlein
Not much has changed for Hanner Perea (#47 ESPN, #31 Scout, #16 Rivals) since the last time we saw him, as he remains largely the same player on the court and hasn't moved noticeably in the rankings of recruiting services. A truly unbelievable athlete with equally impressive length, Perea still remains largely unpolished while showing an inconsistent motor and awareness, something that was on display in the two games he played this weekend.
Where Perea is most dangerous is areas he can rely almost solely on his physical tools, namely shot blocking, rebounding, and finishing around the basket.
Perea's vertical leap is nothing short of breathtaking, especially when combined with his superb length, and this makes him very potent as a finisher on cuts, pick-and-rolls, and transition finishes. On the down side, however, Perea's hands and touch look questionable at times, as he can struggle pulling in passes and rebounds when using one hand and isn't the best finesse finisher, two things he'll need to work on given his skill set.
Perea doesn't show much else at this stage on the offensive end, though he did knock down a spot-up 12-foot jumper in one game, which he showed passable form on. Developing a consistent and respectable mid-range jumper would certainly be helpful for him in the long term to keep defenses honest and add some versatility to his game. At this stage, it appears to be the one skill he's closest to developing, as his post and face-up games are mostly non-existent.
On the defensive end, Perea is capable of making outstanding impact plays, having such great length that he can block shots in the lane without leaving his feet and having such great range with his length and leaping ability that he can track down rebounds all over the floor. When Perea uses his motor to put these traits to use, he can overcome his still developing awareness and fundamentals to be a useful player on this end of the court, but unfortunately there are times when he isn't playing to the best of his abilities. Considering his average feel for the game and poor skill-level, this is a major knock against him and something he must focus on improving as much as possible if he's to reach his full potential.
Looking forward, Perea hasn't shown much of a learning curve in the 14 months we've been following him, but it's obviously still early in his career and there's plenty of time for him to make improvements. His absurd physical gifts alone are a reason to keep an eye on him throughout his time in college, where hopefully his skill-level and production will start catching up to his physical tools.
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