By James Blackburn

Game Scouted: VMI @ High Point
High Point wins 70-67
Box Score

John Brown (F, 6’8”,R-SO)

Stats
36 min, 12-18 FG, 3-4 FT, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 27 TP

Strengths
Incredible athlete who can finish above the rim with ease. Quick 2nd jump. Active player on both sides of the floor. Terrific scorer who can beat you off the bounce, post you up, and pick and pop. Good shooter out to about 18’ where he can hit consistently. Gets out on the break quickly and is great in transition. Finishes well around the rim. Has an excellent left hook that he is able to set him self up for in different ways. Highly efficient player in the post. Go to move is the turn around jumper over his right shoulder. Loves to post up on right block and go baseline. Showed a solid face up game where he can hit the 12’ short corner jumper or put in on the floor for a dribble and get to basket. Solid rebounder especially on both ends.

High motor defender who influences and blocks shots. Has solid length. Is a well conditioned player. Does a good job getting low and fronting the post and making it tough for post entries.

Weaknesses
Lefty who needs to improve his right hand, hesitates to use or attack in this direction. Attacks the rim out of control at times. FT shooting has improved from last year (at 75% this year), but could stand to continue to improve in this area. Good midrange shooter but never attempts 3’s, needs to improve range. Not a great passer. Dribble is a bit loose.

Is active on the defensive side of the ball but is undisciplined. Tends to reach and gamble too much. Vulnerable to be posted up deep inside needs to improve lower body strength.

Overview
After having an outstanding freshman year where he won the Big South Freshman of the Year award and was named 1st Team All-Conference, Brown has continued to improve in his sophomore campaign. Coming into tonight’s game, he was leading the Panthers in minutes per game (32), points per game (19.6), and blocks per game (1.7). Big game tonight as he went beyond his averages in minutes and in points.

It’s tough to criticize a player who plays as hard and has such a high motor as Brown does. His athleticism is unmatched at this level and he uses it to his advantage on both sides of the floor. Plays the PF position for this HPU team but will need to add weight to play that position at the next level. I could see him developing into an athletic 3, but he needs to improve his range and ball handling. Can he defend the 3 on the perimeter is the question as well. He was asked to defend the bigger DJ Covington tonight for VMI. Is a player that NBA should begin to monitor if they haven’t started to already.

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ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – In an effort to better serve writers covering NCAA tournament games, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association is partnering with the NCAA and the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) to provide liaisons assigned by APSE to assist media coordinators with media-related issues at NCAA men’s tournament sites.

The liaisons are all sports editors of dailies in cities where NCAA tournament games are played. They will serve in an advisory capacity at each tournament site, working with the media coordinators in the following areas:

1. Assisting with seat assignments that are within NCAA guidelines to ensure that a deserving entity doesn’t get overlooked. The USBWA recommends that full consideration is given to a publication/website that is committed to covering the sport or a team throughout the season. The liaisons are serving as consultants only. The NCAA makes the final call on all seat assignments.

2. Monitoring the postgame cooling-off periods after games to assure that time limits are adhered to.

3. Providing pool reporters when needed. The USBWA will continue to appoint pool reporters at each site, drawing primarily from officers, board members and past presidents. In the event a suitable USBWA member is not available, the APSE liaison would be asked to assign the pool reporter.

The USBWA worked with Dave Worlock, director of media coordination and statistics for the NCAA, and Gerry Ahern, vice president for content, USA Today Sports Media Group, to form the partnership.

“We received valuable input from APSE on some important issues over the past year,” said USBWA President Kirk Wessler, sports editor and columnist at the Peoria Journal Star. “APSE’s involvement with providing NCAA tournament site liaisons is a great example of how our three organizations can work together to help solve a common dilemma.”

Here are the sports editors who are serving as liaisons for the NCAA men’s tournament this year:

FIRST ROUND (March 18-19)
• Dayton: John Boyle, Dayton Daily News

SECOND-THIRD ROUNDS (March 20-23)
• Buffalo: Lisa Wilson, Buffalo News
• Milwaukee: Mike Davis, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
• Orlando: Roger Simmons, Orlando Sentinel
• Raleigh: Steve Ruinsky, Raleigh News and Observer
• San Antonio: Gary Newsom, San Antonio Express News
• San Diego: Todd Adams, UT-San Diego
• Spokane: Joe Palmquist, Spokane Spokesman-Review
• St. Louis: Roger Hensley, Cameron Hollway, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

REGIONALS (March 27-30)
• Memphis: David Williams, Memphis Commercial Appeal
• Anaheim: Todd Harmonson, Orange County Register
• New York: Jason Stallman, The New York Times
• Indianapolis: Ronnie Ramos, Indianapolis Star

By James Blackburn

Game Scouted: Western Carolina @ UNCG
Western wins 82-77 (OT)

Box Score

Kyle Cain (F, 6’7”, JR)

Stats
38 min, 6-14 FG, 7-10 FT, 12 reb, 3 assist, 2 TO, 1 blk, 19 TP

Strengths
Cain is extremely active and has a high motor. His biggest strength as a player is his rebounding ability on both ends. He boxes out on the defensive glass and is constantly attacking the offensive boards. Led his team in rebounds tonight and leads team in rebounds per game (9) on the season.

Cain does a decent job of defending the ball in the post. He also showed today that he could hedge screens and recover. Gets in the right defensive position and seems to be aware on that end of the floor.

Offensively, Cain gets most of his points off of tip-ins and being a junk yard dog in the paint. Not afraid to play physical. He does have an excellent lefty baby hook shot that he usually scores off of several times a game out of post up plays. Does a good job of handling double teams. Is a lefty who can step out and hit the open perimeter shot usually from the top of the key being the trail man or from the short corner, 15’ and in. Can put the ball on the floor in straight line drives to his left and score.

Athletic player who can finish above the rim. Plays hard and sacrifices his body.

Weaknesses
Offensively, Cain is still a little raw. He needs to continue to improve his shooting mechanics and improve his range. Has a hitch in his shot and rotation has a side spin on it. He doesn’t run the floor very well and doesn’t have a long stride. Can put the ball on the floor once or twice but needs to improve ball handling and ability to change directions- dribble tends to get loose. Doesn’t look comfortable going to his right or finishing with his right. Struggles to create own shot or go by anyone on perimeter. Footwork needs improvement on perimeter.
Does fine defending in the post but struggled to defend 2/3’s this game- slow foot speed.

Overview
Transferred from Arizona State and has become the leader on this young Spartans team. Leading the team in points and rebounds on the year as he did tonight. Plays with emotion and energy. Did well from the FT tonight and he hit his last 6 shots in the end of regulation and in the OT period. Is poised for a big senior year. Would like to see him improve his ball handling, his jump shot, and develop the ability to use either hand, especially in the post.

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By James Blackburn

Game Scouted: Queens @ Catawba
Queens wins 77-67

Tyrece Little (F, 6’8”, JR)

Stats
33 min, 4-12 FG, 6-7 FT, 9 reb, 3 assists, 5 TO, 9 blks, 2 steals, 14 TP

Strengths
Terrific shot blocker- one of the best I have seen all year. His ability to block shots and keep the ball in play is game changing- ignited several fast breaks because of a block. He can block both his mans shot and shots from the weak side. Has terrific timing and seems to always be in the right spot/position to block or alter shots. Stays on the ground until offensive player releases the ball. Is a able to block and influence shots without fouling- which is impressive for the number of shots he attempts to block. Had 7 blocks in the 1st half tonight and finished with 9 blocks and influenced tons of other shot attempts.

Solid overall post defender in general who showed he could play behind as well as front the post. Closes out on players with high hands. Jumps to the ball defensively and knows where his man and the ball are at all times. Excellent help defender. Rebounds the ball decently on both ends when he grabs the ball with 2 hands.

On the offensive side of the ball he showed some decent patience in the post and a high right hand hook shot. Solid athlete who had a couple of big 2 hand finishes in traffic. Had an impressive straight line drive from 15’ for the And1 play in 2nd half. At his best FT and in on offense. Not a great shooter from the perimeter but is an above average FT shooter- shooting over 69% on the year. Has a simple, yet effective stroke with good ball rotation.

Weaknesses
Defensively, there is not a lot to not like about Little. He does need to get stronger, particularly lower body. Allows his man to get too deep of post position on the block.

Still a little raw offensively. Needs to improve ball handling and ability to drive the basketball from the perimeter. Lost the ball several times in the post and needs to get stronger with it. Has a habit of drop dribbling the ball in the post. Loves to go over left shoulder- Can he finish with his left hand?

Needs to improve body language and not complain with the officials.

Overview
Averaging 15.1 ppg and 8.5 rpg on the season. Has school record for blocks in career in a single season and the career record as well. Set the school record this game for most blocks in a game too. Played well tonight, especially in the 1st half. Will be interesting to see how he improves on the offensive side of the ball between seasons. Has the potential to be a good player in Europe with his size and defensive skills. Plays the 4/5 at Catawba but will most likely be a PF primarily at the next level.

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ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – LSU’s Jordan Mickey is the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week for games ending the week of Feb. 2. Mickey was selected by CBSSports.com’s Jeff Borzello, in partnership with the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Borzello’s popular weekly freshman watch column will continue to feature nation’s the top freshmen each week in addition to the national player of the week. Later in the season, the USBWA will release a midseason watch list before naming finalists for the award. This season marks the first time a weekly national freshman of the week will be selected and, each Tuesday through Feb. 25, a standout first-year player will be chosen for the honor.

Mickey, a 6-8 forward from Dallas, Texas, averaged 18.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.5 blocks, while shooting 14-for-25 from the field and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line. It started in Tuesday’s showdown against Kentucky and the Wildcats’ big man duo of Julius Randle and Willie Cauley-Stein. Mickey finished with 14 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots. Mickey took it up a notch over the weekend against Arkansas. Going against fellow freshman Bobby Portis, Mickey went for 22 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks, shooting 9-for-17 from the field and controlling the interior.

The Integris Wayman Tisdale Award is to be presented to the national freshman of the year at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards on April 14, 2014, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award will also be presented at the gala to be held annually the Monday following the NCAA Men’s Final Four.

The USBWA has chosen a national freshman of the year since the 1988-89 season when LSU’s Chris Jackson was the recipient. Last season, Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart became the third winner of the Wayman Tisdale Award. Other notable previous winners of the national freshman of the year award include Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd and Chris Webber.

The Tisdale Award winner will receive a statuette designed by nationally-recognized sculptor Shan Gray. The April 14 banquet will also honor the recipient of the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award.

The late Wayman Tisdale was a three-time USBWA All-American at the University of Oklahoma. Following a stint on the 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team, he played 12 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 1997 to focus on a blossoming jazz music career. In March 2007, he was diagnosed with cancer and, following a courageous and difficult battle that included the amputation of his right leg in 2008, he passed away in May 2009.

The Integris Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award is produced by Access Sports, an Oklahoma City-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit foundation responsible for creating the Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award. Access Sports produces all events associated with the award, including the annual awards dinner. Proceeds from the activities affiliated with the award are used to support various worthy charitable causes, including providing opportunities for disadvantaged youth to participate in basketball leagues, clinics, and training throughout the state. In addition, Access Sports supports the Wayman L. Tisdale Foundation which helps fund prosthetics for those who cannot afford the cost on their own and may not be covered by insurance.

Tickets and sponsorship information for the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards are available at collegebasketballawards.com or by contacting Scott Hill (405-749-1515, scott.hill@access-sports.net).

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With more than 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821.

Related links:
• Jeff Borzello’s Wayman Tisdale Award Watch (Feb. 4)
• Integris Wayman Tisdale Award

2013-14 Wayman Tisdale National Freshmen of the Week
• Week of Dec. 8: Chris Perry, USF (American Athletic Conference)
• Week of Dec. 15: Jordan Woodard, Oklahoma (Big 12 Conference)
• Week of Dec. 22: Jabari Parker, Duke (Atlantic Coast Conference)
• Week of Dec. 29: James Young, Kentucky (Southeastern Conference)
• Week of Jan. 5: Marcus Foster, Kansas State (Big 12 Conference)
• Week of Jan. 12: Wayne Selden, Kansas (Big 12 Conference)
• Week of Jan. 19: Joel Embiid, Kansas (Big 12 Conference)
• Week of Jan. 26: Andrew Wiggins, Kansas (Big 12 Conference)
• Week of Feb. 2: Jordan Mickey, LSU (Southeastern Conference)

By James Blackburn

Game Scouted: Georgia Tech @ Wake Forest

Georgia Tech Wins 79-70

Box Score

Devin Thomas (6’9”, F, SO)

Stats
2-5 FG, 3-5 FT, 9 reb, 4 assists, 1 blk, 3 steals, 7 TP

Strengths
His ability to finish and use his right hand has improved over last year. Elusive and crafty post player inside. Finds ways to finish around the rim without finishing above the rim. Even though he lacks elite athleticism- he still finds ways to finish inside against bigger defenders. Underrated passer out of the post- keeps his eyes up and is able to hit open shooters and cutters. Is better than his 1.3 assists per game would indicate.

Plays the game with good aggressiveness and with an edge. Solid defender who plays the passing lanes and is not afraid to defend other bigs on the perimeter. Does a good job of creating a wall defensively in the post and defends without fouling. Fronts the post pretty well. Did a good job this game of not letting Miller establish deep inside post position.

Excellent rebounder who makes contact on the shot and isn’t afraid to get physical in the paint. Good frame and strength for the PF position. Showed the ability to grab a defensive rebound and push the ball in transition where he made a good bounce pass to a cutter for a lay-up- impressive for a player of his size. Sticks with his misses and works hard in the paint.

Weaknesses
His FT shooting is still a weak area as he has shot in the mid 50’s since he has been in college. His stroke looks better this year, but he needs to be more consistent from the line. Knocked down multiple FT’s today and looked comfortable shooting them.

Does a decent job of hedging ball screens, but needs to do a better job of getting back to his man who roles to the basket.

Not a great athlete who will finish above the rim. Gets loose and careless with the ball at times and has some unforced TO’s. His turnover per game are down this year from last year but he still averages over 2 a game which is not good (had 7 today).

Overview
Decent but not great game for Thomas today. Shows a lot of emotion on the court and really wants to win with his play. Has solid intangibles.

Plays the C position where he is a little undersized. Matched up against Georgia Tech C Daniel Miller this game who is 6’11”. Would like to see Thomas improve his midrange stroke and also develop the ability to put the ball on the floor in straight line drives. This would improve his chances to play the PF at the next level. I believe he could do a decent job of defending a PF at this stage.

Is a gritty undersized big who plays hard and rebounds. Offense has steadily improved since he has been at Wake. Is only a sophomore and has a couple of more years to continue to improve.

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By James Blackburn

Game Scouted: UNCC vs Florida Atlantic
Charlotte wins 62-53
Box Score

Pablo Bertone (G, 6’2”, SR)

Stats
38 min, 9-18 FG, 2-6 3 pt FG, 0-4 FT, 7 reb, 4 steals, 20 TP

Strengths
Gets to his spots well where he is efficient. Plays an “old man style” game. Able to use either hand to score and finish. Has a low release on his shot- but release is smooth and is in 1 motion. Reliable shooter from distance with feet set. Can shoot the pull-up going either direction including the fall away midrange. Showed the ability to post up smaller defenders. Has a good slide dribble and can shoot the fall away from over either shoulder and off of 1 foot if needed.

Fundamentals are second to none. Can pass, dribble, and shoot. Passing and playmaking ability are underrated. Doesn’t complicate the game. He plays the game with a purpose- stays solid. Uses various angles and scores in unconventional ways.

No wasted motion on either end of the floor. Moves well without the ball. Has a very high basketball IQ. Even though he lacks elite quickness and athleticism he plays solid defense by outsmarting his opponent. Does a good job of jumping to the ball and rotating defensively. Also defends without using his hands and without fouling. Plays terrific help defense and came up with multiple steals by being in the right position.

Active for size on the boards- has nose for the ball. Had 5 rebounds at the half. Plays the game with poise and doesn’t get rattled. Plays a high amount of minutes and it doesn’t effect his energy.

Weaknesses
Is a legit 6’2” but is still undersized for the off-guard. Settled for some tough fall away shots at the wrong time. Lacks quickness and athleticism needed to get by his man on the offensive end and to stay in front of quicker guards on defense. Came out of defensive stance several multiple times and got beat off the dribble by players with average quickness. Struggles to get off high percentage shots in on one on one situations. Not the best in P/R with the ball. Better at coming off screens without the ball. He can hit the 3, but is better from midrange. Is shooting 32% from 3 this season. I could see him struggling to hit from the NBA 3-pt line. Not a good FT shooter, which is surprising.

Overview
Originally from Argentina. Currently leads team in minutes, points (18.1), and steals (1.3) per game. Is a do it all player for the Owls this season. Is a pro in more ways than one. Helps his team in multiple ways. Pablo will have several options when he graduates to play pro ball. He will more than likely be offered money to come back to Argentina to play or he could pursue the European route. Has a chance to be selected to attend the PIT this year with the numbers he is currently putting up. More than likely he will end up going back to Argentina to play.

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By James Blackburn

Game Scouted: Charlotte vs Tulsa

Charlotte wins 90-86 (OT)
Box Score

Mike Thorne (C, 6’11”, SO)

Stats
24 min, 5-7 FG, 3-11 FT, 11 reb, 13 TP

Strengths
Loves to go over his left shoulder in the post where he has a couple of go-to back to the basket moves. These include a reliable right hook and an up and under. Can score with contact inside. Did a good job tonight of passing out of the post to open shooters and cutters.
Has a soft touch and huge hands.
Does a decent job of protecting the rim. Good one on one post defender. Good core strength. Rebounding is probably his strongest skill set at this point where he does an excellent job on both ends. His combination of size and strength is tough for opponents to deal with.

Weaknesses
Poor left hand. Doesn’t run the floor extremely well.
Inconsistent from the FT line where he shoots a shade over 50% for the year. He shoots his FT’s with 1 hand and it’s a constant guess if its going in or not.

Overview
Is averaging 10 ppg and 7 rpg per game on the season. Is a redshirt Sophomore after sitting out his freshman year. One of the most impressive players on the floor tonight. Is having a good season, but has potential to get better over the next couple of years. I don’t see him having much NBA potential, but its hard to tell because 6’11” kids don’t grow on trees. Is a pro prospect for sure if he continues to stay injury free. Is a player worth tracking to see how high the level he plays will be.

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By: James Blackburn

Game Scouted: The Citadel @ Elon
Box Score

Lucas Troutman (F/C, 6’10”, SR)

Stats
30 min, 6-13 FG, 7-8 FT, 9 reb, 1 assist, 2 blks, 19 TP

Troutman rebounding ability is his greatest asset as a player. He rebounds the ball well on both ends, but is better on defensive end. Did a good job of tipping offensive rebounds out and keeping ball alive. Grabs rebounds with 2 hands when he can. Looks to make contact and box out when shots go up.

Showed solid patience in the post. Lucas has a good back to the basket game in which he has a variety of scoring moves- hooks, up and under, spin moves. Go to move is right hook which he can hit at a high rate. Is not a big time athlete but did have a couple of 2 hand dunks tonight in traffic.

Did a good job this game of handling the double team. Took care of the ball and found the open player. Did a good job of passing the ball this game. Strong player with good size and build. Gets deep post position.
Protects the rim well defensively. Is a decent athlete, but has really good timing.
Is an above average FT shooter -has good rotation/arc. Is shooting over 70% from the line this year. Does not look to shoot many midrange jumpers and did not attempt any tonight.
Weaknesses

Although Troutman is a really good paint protector, he is a poor perimeter defender who needs to improve lateral quickness and overall defensive stance- is too tall, needs to get lower.

Doesn’t run the floor very well on either end and needs to improve conditioning as well. Seems to play hard for 4 minute stretches but needs to come out after that.
Showed the ability to use his left hand on one of the 1st few possessions of the game, but left hand is shaky- Is much better finishing with his right.

Overview
Plays less than 30 minutes a night but leads team in scoring, rebounding, and blocks. This is really good considering he plays in a guard oriented system that puts up a lot of 3-point shots.

Will better with pro rules allowing more physicality inside. Not able to use any arm bars to use his strength inside in college this year, but will be able to on the pro level.

Troutman has both the size and the skill to be a good European player and he should have multiple offers to play overseas as we approach the summer months. Teams love players above 6’9” that can hit FT’s and Troutman fits that billing.

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ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected Iowa State’s DeAndre Kane as itsOscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Dec. 29. The USBWA’s weekly honor is presented by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and is announced exclusively on SiriusXM Radio’s “Inside College Basketball,” which returns to the air on Jan. 7, 2014.

As the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week, Kane was nominated for the weekly award, which was chosen by a representative of the USBWA board of directors from a list of Division I conference players of the week.

Kane, a 6-4 senior from Pittsburgh, Pa., is the second Iowa State player to earn the USBWA’s National Player of the Week honor this season. Three weeks ago, Dustin Hogue was honored by the USBWA.

Kane averaged 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in the final two games of the Diamond Head Classic, earning MVP honors after leading the Cyclones to the tournament title and the best start (11-0) in school history. He had a 15-point effort in the semifinals against Akron, grabbing 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. He then added a 23-point, five rebound performance vs. Boise State.

This is the fifth season that the USBWA has selected a national player of the week. The weekly Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week will be considered for the Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list, which will be released at mid-season.

Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation’s oldest award and the only one named after a former player.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership. The winner of the Oscar Robertson Trophy presented by Aflac will be presented by its namesake, Oscar Robertson, at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards on April 15, 2013, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. TheHenry Iba Coach of the Year Award and the Integris Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award will also be presented at the gala to be held annually the Monday following the NCAA Men’s Final Four.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821.

Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, the most comprehensive college basketball publication in the world, returns for its 33rd season, bigger and better in 2013-14. Blue Ribbon – long-known as “The Bible of College Basketball” – gives its readers the most thorough, up-to-date and timely evaluations of every Division I team in the country. For more information about Blue Ribbon Yearbooks, visit blueribbonyearbookonline.com.

2013-14 Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week
• Week of Dec. 8: Dustin Hogue, Iowa State (Big 12 Conference)
• Week of Dec. 15: Marcus Paige, North Carolina (Atlantic Coast Conference)
• Week of Dec. 22: Aaric Murray, Texas Southern (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
• Week of Dec. 29: DeAndre Kane, Iowa State (Big 12 Conference)