| John Henson |
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| All Tweets | Was just OK. Looks very far from putting it all together. I liked that he was fighting though RT @almostournytime: how did John Henson look?
2010-02-25 08:28:11 |
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| Basic Per Game Statistics - Comprehensive Stats - Statistical Top 25s |
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| NCAA Weekly Performers, 12/10/09
December 10, 2009
Joey Whelan
There may not be a player in the country that can inspire more intrigue in ten minutes per game like John Henson can. The crown jewel of yet another loaded freshman class in Chapel Hill, the talented forward with the Kevin Durant-esque frame has already shown glimpses of the ability that will make him a potential top prospect when he opts to make the jump to the NBA. Like many taller perimeter players, though – especially one a young as Henson – it may be a long time before he really grows into his body and is able to reach his full potential as a player.
Packing a paltry 200 pounds (if that) onto his massively long frame, Henson gets muscled around by even the most average college players. Despite being listed as a power forward, he rarely gets touches in the post given his inability to hold his position and bang with defenders—not to mention the fact that his team is absolutely loaded at his position.
When attacking off the bounce he will get bumped off his line by opponents as well, but does often show the length and athleticism to compensate for this shortcoming right now. Obviously the UNC training staff will do all they can to get some additional mass onto him during his time with the program, which will go a long way to making him an even greater threat with the basketball in his hands. How quickly he will be able to do so will likely play a huge role in how he’s perceived as a draft prospect.
The appeal of Henson’s game is his combination of size and versatility. He already shows flashes of possessing the skill set to capably function on the perimeter, something he has been forced to do in the limited time he has seen on the floor this season. His ball-handling skills, though still too loose to allow him to create his own shot consistently in half-court situations, are very intriguing for a player his size. He definitely displays an above average first step for a bigger perimeter player, and is crafty enough to get to the basket in isolation situations against most defenders. When attacking the basket he uses his length very well, able to score over and around defenders with relative ease. Once he adds the strength necessary to handle the bumps he gets in the lane (which may be easier said than done), the combination will prove deadly for opposing defenses.
As a shooter, the freshman exhibits a very soft touch, but is wildly inconsistent with his release right now. He has range beyond the three-point line, but has struggled from that distance thus far given how slow his release is, due in large part to his tremendously long arms. He certainly looks comfortable shooting on the move and off the dribble, but developing consistency in this aspect of his game will be paramount to his future value as a pro prospect considering his lanky frame. What does need to be noted though is Henson’s advanced understanding of how to move without the basketball. He displays a strong knack for finding open spaces in the defense, and though he doesn’t always capitalize on these holes, this skill will help him a great deal when he comes a more integral part of the offense.
In the limited time Henson is on the floor he shows a great deal of hustle, particularly on the defensive end. He is very active on the glass and has already proven to be a menace as a shot blocker, swatting away 4.3 blocks per-40 minutes, the sixth highest total among the freshman class. With his wingspan and leaping ability, he often doesn’t even need to be in proper position to alter shots around the basket and has already shown glimpses of his brilliance as a help side defender. His lateral quickness will need to improve in order to effectively cover perimeter players at the next level, but again, his is aided by his length in this regard.
Given his limited playing time this season (a trend that will likely continue) and the tremendous amount of physical maturing he has left to do, it seems fairly safe to assume that Henson will be staying for at least his sophomore season. Deon Thompson will be gone in 2011 and Ed Davis probably will be as well, allowing the freshman to move back to his natural power forward position and assume a larger share of the offensive load. With a year to grow physically and fine tune his skills, it would not be out of the question for Henson to have a huge second season in the ACC. Regardless of what his numbers eventually look like, his enticing combination of size, skill and upside will keep his name high on the draft board of every team in the NBA.
 [Read Full Article]
Nike Hoop Summit, High School Prospects
April 16, 2009
Though Henson didn't really get a ton of minutes or touches considering his talent, he still managed to make a solid impact in the game, and show off excellent potential in a number of areas. The future Tar Heel showed excellent off the ball movement on multiple occasions, and his movement lead to a couple of easy dunks, one of them an impressive alley-oop. He also appeared to be quite active inside, making a good effort to rebound the ball despite his lack of strength, and gathering 5 offensive rebounds, which lead to a couple easy put-backs.
Physically, Henson has a similar build to that of a high school Kevin Durant, with a frame that will take significant time to add any type of bulk to. On the other hand, he has an impressive vertical leap, runs the court quite well, and he does play tougher than he looks.
Skill-wise, the forward likes to face the basket at this point, showing solid ball-handling ability and court-vision to go with a smooth-looking perimeter jumper. He also has very nice touch around the basket, and can knock in a hook shot with either hand from the low post. Down the road, Henson may see time at both forward spots, and could potentially develop into a mismatch nightmare if he completes both his perimeter and low post games.
Henson should get the minutes to prove himself next season for North Carolina, and has an excellent set of tools to work with as well. If he finds a way to add some strength and continues to round out his skills next season, it wouldn't be out of the question to see him develop into a very high draft pick.
[Read Full Article]
Player Evaluations, McDonald’s All-American Game (West Team)
April 3, 2009
Henson (#3 Scout, #6 Rivals, #3 ESPN) had a strong showing this past week, putting his strengths and weaknesses on full display, and showing why some analysts consider him to have the most upside of any prospect in the 2009 high school senior class.
As we’ve discussed in the past, Henson is an incredibly physically gifted player thanks to his great size, nice athleticism, and freakishly long arms. The main drawback is his very poor frame, which may hinder his development somewhat early on, particularly his extremely skinny legs.
Regardless, Henson is a tantalizing prospect, as he has budding perimeter skills you typically don’t see from a 6-10 player, and also is obviously a great kid with excellent intangibles as you’ll be able to see in the interview below. His ball-handling skills and soft shooting touch (mostly from mid-range) are very intriguing attributes, and he also seems to have excellent instincts on the defensive end as well, showing excellent shot-blocking instincts, and seemingly getting his hands on every ball that in his area if strength isn’t a factor.
Henson needs to be careful not to try and become too much of a perimeter player. One of the reasons he’s so interesting is his ability to operate as a mismatch threat as a dynamic face-up power forward, a position that is very much en vogue in today’s NBA, and he shows great potential for with his terrific length and athleticism. It may take him a little bit longer to develop as his body slowly fills out, but he’s obviously someone that scouts will follow intently from day one at the college level.
[Read Full Article]
Initial Scouting Reports, High School Class of 2009 (Top 10 recruits)
July 28, 2008
One of the more intriguing big men prospects in attendance, John Henson (#4 Scout, #5 Rivals, #16 ESPN) may not have been the most productive player in Vegas, but he definitely showed some of the best potential.
Standing 6-10, incredibly skinny but with an outstanding wingspan, Henson will be drawing comparisons to all the usual big men out of Texas—Chris Bosh, LaMarcus Aldridge and Anthony Randolph, and for good reason. He’s super athletic, running the floor with ease, explosive off his feet, and with a very quick first step, but also shows a budding skill level facing the basket and an excellent feel for the game, which makes him all the more intriguing.
Henson isn’t strong enough to hold a spot on the block and play in the post, although he can finish around the hoop with a dunk or a nifty move with either hand (his extension around the basket is fantastic)—so he prefers to operate on the perimeter at this point. He has shaky range all the way out the 3-point line, and can even pull up off the dribble from mid-range, although we’re pretty sure Roy Williams won’t want him doing that anytime soon at Carolina next year.
He did drop some gorgeous glimpses of potential in the form of crafty pivot moves starting from the perimeter and finishing right at the rim, and seems to have semi-decent ball-handling skills for a player his size to compliment his excellent first step. His passing skills look excellent from what we saw in the two games we took in, particularly on the interior. It’s great to see a big man with such a developed feel for the game considering how raw he is offensively, and you could clearly see that his intangibles are solid and that his teammates enjoy playing with him.
Henson looks very off-balance at times with his moves, which is a product of his lack of strength combined with his lack of experience and offensive polish. He still has a long ways to go before being able to execute the moves he tries at times on a consistent basis, which is why he’d be best off not falling in love with his perimeter game so fast. We saw him take some highly questionable shots at times, showing poor decision making in the process. This is something he’ll have to clean up at the collegiate level.
Defensively, Henson plays hard and looks inclined to compete, but he’s extremely limited by his lack of strength, which is a real hindrance at this point. His length gives him the ability to be very disruptive in the paint once, but he gets pushed around too easily to be a consistent shot-blocking threat at this stage in his development.
All in all, we’re talking about a guy who obviously has a lot to work on, but clearly has a great base of natural tools and skills to build off as well. The NBA likes these new-age hybrid 4’s who are athletic mismatches facing the basket, and that might be the mold Henson falls into in time. He looks like a solid bet to develop into something special if he continues to work hard, but we’ll have to continue to monitor his progress over the next few years.
[Read Full Article]
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