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Keala King

RCSI: 42 (2010)
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
Weight: 180 lbs (82 kg)
Position: SG
High School: Mater Dei High School (California)
Hometown: Compton, CA
College: Pikeville
Current Team: Pikeville

Articles

Initial High School Player Scouting Reports, Part One

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Aug 14, 2009, 06:50 pm
Although we only had one opportunity to see Keala King (unranked Scout.com, #35 Rivals, #54 ESPN) in action, it didn't take more than that to come away thoroughly impressed.

A 6-5ish ultra smooth combo guard in the Evan Turner mold, King is an extremely creative player who excels on the pick and roll. He is very aggressive putting the ball on the deck and trying to get to the rim, showing nice ball-handling skills and the ability to create for both himself and others. He's a very good passer, particularly on the drive and dish, and has a knack for finding teammates in stride for easy baskets, thanks to his high basketball IQ.

King has good, but not great athleticism, which coupled with his narrow frame makes it difficult for him to finish in traffic at times, and in turn makes him a bit turnover prone. His perimeter stroke is a bit on the shaky side, something he'll have to work on if he's to reach his full potential. He passed up a couple of open looks in the game we saw, instead opting to drive into the crowded paint, which led to mixed results. He seemed to get a bit rattled at times when things didn't go his way, complaining excessively to the referees and losing his focus somewhat, which may be more a product of his age more than anything.

With his excellent instincts and aggressive mentality, King is the type of player who always seems to be around the ball, which often manifests itself in the form of steals and rebounds. He seems to take pride in the effort he puts in on the defensive end, and indeed guarded everywhere from the 1-4 spots in the game we took in. He appears to have a fairly poor wingspan, though, which may hurt his potential on this end of the floor in the long-term, especially when coupled with his narrow frame.

King is a very nice prospect for the collegiate level, as his size and ability to create for himself and others will allow him to play 2 or 3 positions when it's all said and done. If he develops a steadier jump-shot, he could become a very interesting prospect.