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2016 adidas Eurocamp: US Team Evaluations

2016 adidas Eurocamp: US Team Evaluations
Jun 13, 2016, 11:09 am
Detailed evaluations on six of the top prospects seen on the US team at the 2016 adidas EuroCamp in Treviso.
More adidas EuroCamp Content
-Preview and Roster Breakdown
-Day One Recap
-Day Two Recap
-Day Three Recap
-Petr Cornelie EuroCamp Workout and Interview

Jaylen Hands, 6-2 PG, Mater Dei Catholic, CA, 2017 Class



Strengths
-Excellent athlete in terms of quickness and vertical explosiveness
-Impressive ability to stop and start with force from a standstill. Shifty with the ball. Doesn't need a ball screen to beat his man.
-Finishes above the rim in transition and the half court despite his average height (6' 2”) and length (6' 4”).
-Inconsistent, but shows potential as a shooter. Good footwork into his mid-range pull up, where he gets good rise and rotation. Should be able to extend his range in time.
-Fairly advanced ball handler for his age
-A bit wild as a finisher but mixes in high-arcing floaters over length at times. Soft touch in the paint.
-Score-first mentality but can create for teammates with simple drive and kicks and drop offs at the rim
-Has the fast-twitch quickness to be a pest on defense when he's focused and motivated

Weaknesses
-Doesn't have elite physical tools for a lead guard prospect at 6' 2”, 168 pounds, with a 6' 4” wingspan. Upper body has improved, but has very thin legs.
-Not a great decision maker at this stage of his development. Can polish up his point guard skills. Had 15 turnovers in 68 minutes in Treviso, compared with just 9 assists. Drives into traffic with his head down and no plan. Throws a lot of jump passes. Tends to overdribble. Settles for contested jumpers.
-Shows potential but isn't a great shooter at this stage. More comfortable in mid-range spots than out to three. Not much of a threat in catch and shoot situations.
-Can be predictable in the half court. Wants to use hesitation dribbles and drive left (his non-dominant hand). Can do a better job of taking what the defense gives him and reacting to positioning.
-Struggles to finish through contact and over length. Throws up a lot of wild shots in the paint. Opts for flash over substance, turning fairly basic finishes into difficult ones.
-Can improve his consistency on the defensive end.
-Doesn't always have the best body language

Outlook Hands is an extremely talented guard who's still working to put it all together. His tremendous explosiveness and ability to create offense without a ball screen will make him a nightmare assignment for opposing Pac-12 guards when he gets to UCLA. Hands' long-term potential heavily depends on his ability to improve his decision-making and shooting consistency, but he has a lot of tools to work with.


Jalen Hill, 6-7, Power Forward, Corona Centennial, 2017 Class



Strengths
-Tremendous frame (big shoulders, solid lower body) for a 16-year old that should fill out nicely in time
-Long arms (plus 5 1/2 inch wingspan) allow him to play bigger than his size.
-Extremely mobile player. Covers ground exceptionally well
-Multi-positional defender who shows great versatility on the pick and roll and stepping out onto smaller players on the perimeter.
-Nimble feet and excellent lateral quickness
-Possesses very strong footwork inside the paint and can score with very nice touch around the basket. Has good hands.
-Competitive player who runs the floor, tries on defense and generally gives a strong effort level
-Solid feel for the game
-One of the youngest players in the camp. Won't turn 17 for another six months. Still has plenty of time to continue to grow and improve his skill-level.

Weaknesses
-Undersized for a big man at just 6'6 without shoes. Frame has filled out nicely in the past year, but doesn't appear to have grown.
-Does not posses a very high skill-level offensively. Had a very difficult time putting the ball in the basket in Treviso, scored just 16 points in 63 minutes against much older players, on poor efficiency.
-Shows some potential as a mid-range shooter, but has a long ways to go in that area. Only made 4/11 free throws. Career 61% free throw shooter in 37 games we have in our database.
-Still learning how to play physical inside the paint. Has a great frame but lacks strength. Had a very difficult time on the glass in Treviso (11 rebounds in 63 minutes).

Outlook Committed to UCLA. Big man with a great frame, but less than ideal height at this early stage. Right now a 6'7 PF/C. Impresses with the versatility he offers defensively, along with his footwork and touch around the basket, but will need to expand his skill-level and hopefully grow to emerge as a more interesting long term prospect. Did not have a great EuroCamp but undoubtedly this was a very good learning experience going up against much older and more experienced players. Will be 17 years old until midway through his freshman season in college.


A.J. Oliver, 6-5 SG/SF, D.W. Daniel High School, SC, 2017 Class



Strengths
-Good athlete who can play above the rim in space.
-Excellent shooter who makes shots with range. Shoots it with a lot of confidence. Catches on the hop, gets good rotation, not bothered by a hand contest.
-Shows potential as an off the dribble shooter by way of basic one or two dribble pull ups.
-Has the fluidity to attack a closeout. Showed very brief glimpses of potential playing out of pick and roll.
- Able to make plays off the ball defensively thanks to his fluidity and solid leaping ability.

Weaknesses
-Good not great tools for a wing prospect. – 6' 5” with a wiry frame and what appeared to be average length. Very thin lower body.
-Wasn't able to show all that much more than spot shooting at Eurocamp. Not the most advanced ball handler. Can continue to add more off the dribble moves to get to his jumper. Average finisher in traffic. Struggles to make plays versus pressure.
-Feel for the game is average at this stage. Not afraid to hoist up contested jumpers early in the clock. Looking to score more than playmake.
-Can be a bit hunched over defending the perimeter
-Loses his cool at times when the game gets physical

Outlook Oliver proved to be one of the best shooters at Eurocamp, regardless of age and that readymade skill should translate to the college level as he's headed to Clemson for the 2017-18 season. The South Carolina native has some polishing to do on both ends of the floor to become more than a shooter, but he shows potential in several areas and is certainly worth keeping an eye on as he continues to develop.


Jordan Usher, 6-5, Shooting Guard, Wheeler HS, 2017 Class



Strengths
-Solid size for a shooting guard to go along with a very strong frame
-Very good athlete. Bouncy and explosive
-Fills lanes in transition and can finish around the basket
-Has good shooting mechanics and was able to knock down jumpers consistently at EuroCamp
-Impresses with his ability to knock down shots off the dribble. Creates separation and is very effective in the mid-range area
-Active and competitive player. Plays with a very high energy level on both ends of the floor

Weaknesses
-Extremely wild player with a poor feel for the game
-Doesn't know what his limitations are. Was somewhat of a black hole in Treviso. Posted just one assist in 65 minutes, compared with 10 turnovers. Was looking to get a shot off any time he touched the ball.
-Needs to improve his ball-handling skills significantly. Dribbles into brick walls without a plan frequently. Heavily reliant on his pull-up game because of his inability to create space and find high percentage shots around the basket.
-Needs to learn how to channel his energy better. Fiery guy who lets his emotions get the best of him at times. Can look very immature with his reactions to plays.
-A year old for his class. Will turn 20 mid-way through his freshman year in college.

Outlook Shooting guard with very good scoring instincts. Intense, aggressive player who found a decent amount of success offensively in his three games in Treviso. Gave off somewhat of a selfish vibe at times. Has a ways to go to learn how to play and figure out how to utilize his talent and energy-level to fit into a team concept.


Lindell Wigginton, 6-2, Point Guard, Oak Hill, 2017 Class



Strengths
-Good size for a point guard at around 6'2. Strong frame
-Shifty athlete with an extra gear he can get to. Can play above the rim at times
-Shows nice potential as a shot-creator. Has a strong first step. Plays low to the ground and has a variety of ball-handling moves and change of speeds he can utilize to get to the basket. Will execute spin moves with strong body control
-Very aggressive taking the ball to the rim. Doesn't shy away from contact. Gets to the free throw line at a good clip.
-Can create for his teammates as well as himself, particularly in drive and dish situations. Has some creativity to his game
-Will knock down an occasional jump-shot, especially when he sets his feet and is on balance.
-Competes on defense. Has good lateral quickness.
Weaknesses
-Decision making skills can be very poor. Still figuring out how to use his tools effectively in a consistent fashion. Turns the ball over at a very high rate.
-Streaky shooter who shoots the ball differently seemingly every time. Sometimes jumps too far forward or high in the air and relesaes the ball on the way down. Ball comes out of palm in others. Made just 3/11 free throws in Treviso and is a career 60% from the line in 25 games in our database.

Outlook Canadian point guard from Halifax (Nova Scotia) who played just 14 minutes per game at the EuroCamp behind highly touted UCLA commit Jaylen Hands. Was able to show his athleticism and talent as a shot-creator. Has a lot of tools to work with and looks like an intruguing long-term prospect. Still figuring out how to put them all together and be more consistent with his approach. Somewhat of a late bloomer, has been on the radar quite a bit lately with Oak Hill Academy and was invited to the NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Toronto last February. Earned his first invite to the Canadian national team recently to compete with the U18 squad at the FIBA Americas Championship in July.


Brandon Huffman, 6-9 C, Word of God Christian Academy, NC, 2017 Class



Strengths
-6' 9” with a developed, proportionate 230-pound frame that still has room to fill out. Above average length. Big hands.
-Not overly fluid but is mobile for his size. Can get up and down the floor. Able to play above the rim in space.
-High motor on both ends. Runs the floor hard.
-Uses his physical tools and effort level to have an impact on the glass and the defensive end. Likes physicality. Pursues rebounds aggressively. Protects the rim a bit. Can bang in the post.

Weaknesses
-A tad undersized for a center prospect.
-Can play above the rim in space but isn't an overly explosive leaper from a standstill. Not all that comfortable guarding the perimeter at this stage.
-Fairly limited offensively. Not a threat from the perimeter and isn't very polished on the block. Footwork is a bit rigid, doesn't have all that much natural touch.
-Feel for the game isn't great. Basketball instincts and IQ have room to improve on both ends of the floor

Outlook The Anchorage, Alaska native didn't get a ton of run at Eurocamp but DraftExpress has scouted him at various camps in the past and the uncommitted 2017 big man is worth keeping an eye on thanks to his high motor and physicality. Although Huffman has his limitations, he'll most certainly be fielding high major offers and should be able to carve out a nice niche at the college level as a high energy big man.

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