The NCAA Tournament will be jamming in Charlotte for the 2011 bracket, with Duke, UNC and Tennessee all descending on the Queen City. Be sure to check out the latest ticket prices before you head down to the arena, it’s going to be mayhem. North Carolina playing anywhere in the state is a massive draw, followed only by the Duke fan base. These two schools alone will pack downtown with their fans.
March 2011
ACC Tournament Scouting: Duke (2) vs. Maryland (7)
By James Blackburn
Second Round of the 2011 ACC Tournament
Duke wins 87-71
Box Score
Game Recap/Thoughts
1st Half
• Both teams are off to a quick start. Duke and Maryland are playing at a fast pace.
• Singler is playing well early which is good news for Duke. He was perfect from the field and the FT line to score 14 first half points.
• Turnovers/fouls/missed FT’s are hurting Maryland early.
• Duke is shooting the ball well.
• Duke should start to double team J. Williams in the post- he is too strong for Duke’s bigs.
• Both of these teams can play in the half court and transition.
• Maryland has missed several key opportunities in transition when they have numbers.
• Maryland is settling for tough, off balance shots in the last couple of minutes of the half.
• Singler scores a lay-up right before the buzzer to put Duke up 9 entering half-time.
2nd half
• Offensive rebounding is keeping Maryland in the game to start the 2nd half.
• At 15:00 minute mark- Duke missed 3 straight 3 pointers on one possession- all wide open.
• Dukes post players are providing much needed scoring tonight with Smith struggling with his offense. Kelly and Plumlee are playing well.
• Maryland is in the bonus already with 13 minutes left- Maryland has to start making their FT’s.
• Nolan Smith injured his left foot with 6:50 left in the game and did not return.
• Duke is struggling to hit the 3 this half- they are getting some good looks.
• Both teams are playing incredibly hard this game.
• Curry is playing well as the primary ball handler with Smith out. He is doing a good job defensively and making plays.
• Maryland is struggling to score-cant buy a bucket.
• Duke is playing great half-court defense- forcing Maryland to take contested shots.
• Big win for Duke especially with Nolan Smith’s poor offensive performance and late game injury.
Scouting Reports
Duke
Kyle Singler (F, 6’8”, SR)
Strengths- Showed the ability to grab defensive rebound and go coast to coast for the lay-up. Good shooter with the ability to shoot off the dribble. Good defender- challenges every shot. Good FT shooter. Good defensive rebounder. Has the ability to hit the contested shots because of height and high release.
Weaknesses- Had some careless turnovers early. Not the quickest or most athletic. Needs to improve ball handling- turns his back to defense against pressure. Needs to improve play making and passing.
Overview- Got off to a much needed great start- did not miss a shot in 1st half. Had been struggling to find his stroke in the last few games- would not be denied tonight. Lead Duke to victory with Smith having an off night. Overall, Singler is a solid player on both ends of the floor. Would be a solid second round pick in the upcoming NBA draft. A NBA team would not be taking a big gamble taking a proven 4 year college player as they would taking a project player from over seas.
Nolan Smith (G, 6’2”, SR)
Strengths- Changes speeds well and can get to basket. Uses body well to shield defender in air. Good FT shooter. Good on ball defender- good lateral foot speed. Good shooter off the dribble. Able to create his own offense.
Weaknesses- Tends to pull up for the jumper when going left and slashes to the rim when going right. Prefers to go right- more explosive when he goes right. Frustrated by good Maryland defense being defended by taller/ longer players. Can get out of control and sloppy at times- TO prone. Struggled with his shot this game- took some poor shots- faded away on pull-up.
Overview- Poor performance from Smith today who is in the running for the National Player of the Year Award. Still showed the ability to get to the paint and score. Injured left foot with 6:50 left in 2nd half and did not return. This would be a huge blow to Duke if injury is serious.
Maryland
Jordan Williams (F, 6’10”, SO)
Strengths- Draws fouls at a high rate- gets to FT line more than anyone in the ACC. Good rebounder on both ends. Playing well defensively-contesting and blocking shots. Not very athletic but has good timing to block shots. Very strong- has the strength to establish deep post position and back man down. Duke can not guard him with one player. Good back to basket post game- showed ability to use either hand- showed patience in post. Does a good job of going to the opposite side of the rim for the reverse and uses the basket as a shield. Uses his body well. Very efficient offensively. Can finish with contact.
Weaknesses- Not very quick or athletic. Poor FT shooter. Looked uncomfortable defending on the perimeter- had a tough time defending Ryan Kelly from Duke who took him outside the paint. Needs to improve midrange jump shot. Needs to continue to improve conditioning- looked tired at the end of the game.
Overview- Strong and physical post presence for Maryland this season. A double-double threat every game. Terrific rebounder. Will need to improve shooting at next level. Could play and contribute in the NBA next season. The question still remains if Williams will return for his junior season.
Dino Gregory (F, 6’7”,SR)
Strengths- Good rebounder- secures rebound and chins it. Has the ability to hit the open mid range jumper- good looking jump shot from FT line extended- misses are off back of rim. Active/hard worker/ hustles. Good pick and pop player. Good defender.
Weaknesses- Fades a bit on jump shot when defended closely. Needs to improve overall offensive game.
Overview- Gregory had a solid game today and is a vital to Maryland’s success as they continue in the post season. Good energy guy and rebounder. Has a career ahead of him playing overseas.
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ACC Tournament Scouting: Miami (9) vs. Virginia (8)
By James Blackburn
Opening game of 2011 ACC Tournament
Miami wins 69-62(OT)
Box Score
Game Recap/Thoughts
1st Half
• Miami- Too many Turnovers- guards cant handle the defensive pressure by Virginia
• Miami- Relies on 3’s; they are making them today
• Virginia doubled Johnson every time.
• Miami is getting a lot of offensive rebounds
• Miami can score efficiently inside
• Virginia is playing very well defensively- they are making Miami shoot over them.
2nd half
• Virginia is a smart team- patient
• Both teams are struggling to score early
• Very few transition opportunities this half for either team.
• Miami is playing a 2-3 zone in the middle of second half.
• Miami as a team is too anxious and jumpy on defense- not disciplined- go for a lot of pump fakes and they gamble too much.
• Miami can’t buy a basket in second half.
• Virginia lacks a solid inside presence when Sene is out of the game.
• Virginia is keeping Miami in the game with their poor FT shooting.
• Miami almost scored more points in last 30 seconds than they did in the entire 2nd half.
• Everything that could go wrong for Virginia in the last 35 seconds of the game happened to Virginia- turnovers, missed free throws, not securing rebounds. Blew 7 point lead.
• Neither team wants to win- Miami had a chance to win it with 11 seconds left and does not even get a shot off.
• This game is crazy- you wonder what will happen next. Virginia throws bad inbounds pass with 2 seconds left and Miami got a last second 3 off- no good.
• This game is wild and is going into OT.
Overtime
• Grant for Miami is carrying Miami in the extra period- is confident and wants the ball in the crunch.
• Miami is finding its stroke just in the right time.
• Virginia chooses not to double Johnson with 50 seconds left and Johnson made them pay.
• This game was about Virginias collapse and Miami not giving up and their incredible comeback.
Scouting Reports
Miami
Reggie Johnson (C, 6’10”, SO)
Strengths- big body down low, good back to the basket player, sets wide/solid screens- good P/R player. Good rebounder- even when he can’t secure rebound- does a nice job of tipping the ball to teammates. Takes it right at the defense. Good shot blocker. Can finish with contact- strong. Made a couple of big baskets in OT.
Weaknesses- not used to double teams- looks uncomfortable when they come in 1st half. To his credit he adapted through out the game and did throw several nice passes in 2nd half- turned and faced double team .Got in foul trouble early- was not a factor on defense early in 2nd half because of fouls. Needs to improve footwork and midrange game. Poor FT shooter.
Overview- Could not get into a rhythm in this game because of constant double teams by Virginia. The double teams show the improvement of Johnson since his freshman year and the respect teams now give him. Had his coming out party against Wake Forest last year in the ACC tournament. Big body, strong rebounder, and decent post game. He needs to continue to improve his conditioning and improve overall offensive game, but has come a long way from being just a hustle player. The NBA is in his future.
Durand Scott (G, 6’3”, SO)
Strengths- Attacks the rim, good defensive rebounder. Quick. Big steal and basket with the foul with 14 seconds left in game to tie the game. Good shooter.
Weaknesses- Forces the issue at times- TO prone. Needed to assert himself more on the offensive end.
Overview- Was quiet for most of the game and disappeared for long stretches. Tied the game with a big lay-up after the steal. Capable of scoring a lot of points. Streaky shooter.
Virginia
Sammy Zeglinkski (G, 6’1”, JR)
Strengths- Active defender- had an athletic, creative reverse finish in transition early, good passer, good shooter w/ NBA range- can shoot the midrange, changes speeds well, does a good job of playing off the ball, can play PG or 2G- has a 2-1 assist to TO ratio for season. Does a good job of coming off screens for the catch and shoot- quick release.
Weaknesses- made some poor decisions – took some poor shots and had a shot clock violation. Needs to improve FT shooting. Had a big TO with 18 seconds left. Struggled with game on the line- TO’s and missed FT’s.
Overview- Up and down game today from the junior guard. Smart player but had really fell apart at the end of the game. Does a lot of things well at the college level- but has a long shot to get to the NBA- being undersized and lack of speed and athleticism will hurt him- will have a long career overseas. Struggled through injuries through out the season- missed 7 games due to injury.
Mustapha Farrakhan (G, 6’4”, SR)
Strengths- shooter, scorer- left handed, capable of playing either guard position, can finish with either hand at rim, good FT shooter, good first step. Quick in the open court.
Weaknesses- struggled with his shot today- to his credit he attacked the basket since outside jumper was not falling.
Overview- Solid game today from Farrakhan who was named Honorable Mention All-ACC. Injured foot w/ 5:30 left but returned with in a couple of minutes. Good size for a PG- will have to improve play making ability to have a real shot at the NBA. Solid shooter and scorer who can get to the rim who will most likely get a chance to play for an NBA summer league team and then the D-League to fine tune his game.
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Little Rock Lightning Tryouts
The Little Rock Lightning, a new ABA team based in Arkansas, will be holding tryouts on July 16th and 17th. Players can find out more by visiting www.littlerocklightning.com or e-mail Bernard Brown at bernard@littlerocklightning.com. They can also contact Bernard directly at (501) 612-2197.
BasketballElite.com is a media sponsor of the Little Rock Lightning.
Basketball Scouting Report: Wake Forest and Georgia Tech
By James Blackburn
geeknerd99 (some rights reserved)
Georgia Tech wins 80-54
Box Score
Game Recap/Thoughts
1st Half
• Georgia Tech’s defense is terrible in the first few minutes. There is zero shot blocking inside and they can not stay in front of Wake’s guards.
• Both teams are turning the ball over at a high rate.
• Tech’s half-court trap is really giving Wake Forest problems.
• Georgia Tech is making Wake pay for their turnovers – scoring lay-ups in transition.
• Wake Forest can’t guard the three very well.
• Wake goes through too many scoreless stretches – they turn the ball over and take terrible shots.
2nd Half
• Wake is continuing to struggle against Tech’s half-court trap.
• Georgia Tech is moving the ball much better this half.
• Wake is not boxing out well.
• Georgia Tech is playing great overall defense.
• Georgia Tech is not a very disciplined team.
• Tech won their first road game of the season and set a school record with steals in the win with
Scouting Reports
Wake Forest
Travis McKie (F, 6’7”, FR)
Strengths- hustles and runs the floor. Athletic, able to finish strong above the rim; had several highlight dunks in game tonight. Good active rebounder on both ends. Strong upper body. Attacks the rim hard and gets to the FT line on a regular basis. Has a nice spin move on low block.
Weaknesses- undersized for the PF position. Must improve jump shot. Had trouble finishing over taller players. Needs to improve dribbling. Poor passer. Struggles against pressure. TO prone.
Overview- McKie has been one of the few bright spots this season as a freshman for a struggling Wake team. He has been named ACC Freshman of the week several times already this season and is a probable lock for a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team. He brings energy and hustles and works hard every play. Struggled at times tonight but still fought and clawed his way to 11 points and 5 rebounds.
Tony Chennault (G, 6”2”, FR)
Strengths – Good passing skills. Good ball handler; can use either hand. Ability to get into lane, where he can pass to open man or score using creative finishes.
Weaknesses – TO prone against pressure/double teams, dribbles instead of passing in these situations. Over penetrates sometimes and gets himself into trouble. Needs to improve shooting and range.
Overview- Slowed by an early season injury, the PG out of Philadelphia is just now starting to play important minutes coming off the bench. Chennault is a true PG, good passer and capable defender. Will be counted on to lead the offense, so Harris can move to the shooting guard and play off the point.
Georgia Tech
Iman Shumpert (G, 6’5”, JR)
Strengths – Athletic, NBA size for 2G, long arms. Good slasher to the hoop, quick first step. Good FT shooter. Good overall shooter, improved from last season, gets shoulders square to rim and gets good elevation on jumper. Can shoot the 3 and the pull-up. Capable of creating own shot and can come off screens for the catch and shoot. Great scorer, can score in a variety of ways. Good one-on-one player. Improved passer from last season, showed the ability to play the PG position when needed. Good ball handler. Will/can post up smaller defenders. Active/always moving on offenses. Quick hands on defense.
Weaknesses- Forces the issue at times and shoots some bad shots- has improved on this area majorly since his freshman year. Over dribbles, turnover prone. Does not move feet latterly well on defense; gambles too much, allowing his man to get to basket.
Overview- Shumpert is having a career year- he leads Tech in points, rebounds, assist, and steals. He is a triple-double waiting to happen and is a stat sheet filler. Shumpert has improved every area of his game since his freshman year. Used to be just an athletic swingman who would shoot bad shots. Now he more mature and can pass, shoot, and dribble. I would compare his game to Josh Howard, Howard’s senior year, but is a better passer than Howard. Both players do a lot of things well, but not one thing excellent. Georgia Tech relies on Shumpert to have a good game for them to have a chance of winning. In my opinion, Shumpert would be a good and smart pick in the 2nd round. He will be playing in the NBA next season.
Glen Rice Jr (G, 6’5”, SO)
Strengths- Great shooter, can shoot off the dribble or with feet set, deep 3 point range. Athletic, had several big tip-in dunks. Good rebounder. Active. Good passer, hits the post players when open.
Weaknesses- Needs to improve ball handling, puts his head down when he dribbles in traffic. Out of control at times.
Overview- Rice is the son of Glen Rice Sr, the shooter who at one time played for the Charlotte Hornets. Intriguing player, definitely a player to watch, will have a good chance at the NBA by senior year. Must continue to improve and get stronger.
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BasketballElite.com Featured in Dime Magazine
By Marcus Shockley
So we’re featured in this month’s issue of Dime magazine’s Tangled Web feature, and there’s a lot of reasons to appreciate being featured in this issue. First, if you aren’t reading Dime magazine, honestly, are you even a basketball fan? Dime is one of the most respected and hardcore basketball publications in existence.
Secondly, the player who is featured on this month’s cover is none other than Blake Griffin, who we see as the NBA’s brightest rising star and have no shame in admitting it. In a league that’s full of players who don’t know how to win and think that getting on ESPN’s highlight list is the same thing as winning a title, Blake is the real deal; awesome, amazing and humble. Coincidence that we’re in the same issue? I think not. (Okay, throw ‘humble’ out the window)
Third, (and this is the most important), Dime magazine lists our scouting of players at all levels and offers praise for what we do and how we do it. That’s appreciated and we try hard to give accurate, objective scouting reports and steer clear from the rah-rah over hyped fawning that fills up so many other websites. Yeah, highlight reels are fun and cool (and we’ve done some) but the reality is that even players in the NBA still need to work on their game, and one of the best tools to be great at anything is objective feedback. That’s why we don’t just talk about how great Kyrie Irving is (which he is) or how Austin Rivers is the Next Great Superstar. You can get that anywhere. Here, it’s important to us to give you the real assessment.
Thanks to Dime for the shout out, pick up this months issue and thanks to the readers who have been with us on the ride so far. Trust me, we’ve got a lot planned and more coming, bigger and better in the future!
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Scouting Report: Bucks vs. Bulls
By James Blackburn
Bulls Win 83-75
Game Recap/Thoughts
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* The Bucks are a very talented team from top to bottom – with depth at every position – but are underachieving this season. Very surprising from a Scott Skiles coached team. * The Bucks rely too much on 1 on 1 and isolations. They turn the ball over too much and shoot bad shots. * The Bucks should be going inside to Bogut a lot more than they are. * The Bulls pass the ball well and are capable of playing in the half court as well as getting up and down the floor in transition. |
 Keith Allison |
* The Bulls have all the ingredients to push deep into the playoffs: Defensive minded team and coach, MVP candidate/Go to player (Rose) shooters (Bogans, Korver), post scoring (Boozer), rebounding (Noah), Role players (Deng,Brewer), and hustle players (Gibson, Asik), and veteran leadership (Thomas, Scalabrine).
Scouting Reports
Bucks
Andrew Bogut (35 min, 2-10 FG, 16 reb, 2 assist, 6 TP)
Strengths- Good footwork in the post. Good rebounder. Has decent post moves. Had a big dunk on Asik in 2nd quarter. Good passer out of post.
Weaknesses- Does not run the floor well. Has zero lift on shot- midrange/ or post moves. Jerky release on FT’s. Flat shot. Looked tired and frustrated through out the game. Got double teamed a lot by the Bulls and did not react well to it.
Overall- Poor overall performance by Bogut tonight. Never really got into a rhythm- part of that is his fault and part of that is his teammates fault for not going to him enough inside. With his size and strength, I thought he settled for too many shots outside the paint and shied away from contact in the pain. Has proven through out his career to be an above average center in this league- solid rebounder and fundamental post guy.
Brandon Jennings (26 min, 2-6 FG, 2 assist, 3 TO’s, 4 TP)
Strengths- Can get into the lane easily with his speed and quickness. Has a nice left handed floater and scoop shot. Has the ability to create his own shot. Active and quick hands on defense.
Weaknesses- Needs to improve his shooting, mainly his consistency. Tends to fade when he shoots his jumper. Must get stronger- gets caught on screens easily- had a tough time defending the stronger Rose. Picked up his dribble out on the perimeter too early several times. Needs to improve his right hand- very reluctant to go to his right.
Overview- Not a very good performance at all from the 2nd year PG from Oak Hill Academy. Jennings did not look like he wanted to be on the floor most of the night- did not impact the game whatsoever- pulled a disappearing act. Jennings seems to have hit a sophomore slump as of late after having a remarkable Rookie season. Jennings took the unconventional route out of HS and went to play in Italy instead of playing college ball in the states. Skeptics thought this would hurt the highly touted guard, but he has performed well as the starting PG for the Bucks.
Larry Sanders (24 min, 3-7 FG, 3 rebounds, 6 TP)
Strengths- Good defensive player- has the ability to potential to defend on the perimeter. Long with wide wingspan. Active, runs the floor hard. Can shoot the midrange jumper- high release- nice stroke.
Weaknesses- Looked jittery at times with the ball, indecisive; too much in a hurry- needs to develop patience and slow down. Forced the issue at times- hurried some shots, took some poor shots- needs to improve decision making. Made several rookie mistakes. Needs to continue to improve overall rebounding- didn’t block out man several times.
Overview- Solid outing for the rookie out of VCU. Very raw and filled with potential- reminds me of DeAndre Jordan for the LA Clippers. He was drafted by Milwaukee with the 15th overall pick. Solid pick up for the Bucks. Plays hard and hustles- could become solid player in this league, especially under the tutorage of Andrew Bogut.
Bulls
Carlos Boozer (33 min, 5-9 FG, 3-7 FT, 6 rebounds, 13 TP)
Strengths- Good hands, very strong, good P/R player, has the ability to face up man and shoot the midrange or put the ball on the floor and go to the basket. Draws fouls well. Fundamental and hard working player. Has a well-rounded offensive game.
Weaknesses- Struggles from the FT line. Plays under the rim- not athletic- has a tough time defending the perimeter. Has an unusual shooting form- but hits the midrange with consistency.
Overview- Boozer is fitting in nicely with the Bulls, since signing this summer after leaving Utah. I believe Boozer is the piece that can take this franchise to the next level. He brings scoring, veteran leadership, and a winning attitude. Good overall game from Boozer tonight helping the Bulls get a road victory.
Joakim Noah (33 min, 4-8 FG, 17 rebounds, 3 blocks, 8 TP)
Strengths- Excellent rebounder-very active on the glass- boxes out on both ends- rebounds the ball with 2 hands- puts his body on the line- best offensive rebounder in basketball and second best overall rebounder in the NBA in my opinion behind Kevin Love. Had 13 rebounds in the 1st half alone. Very strong and physical – good defender. Sets solid screens.
Weaknesses- Needs to improve overall offensive game- does not have a jumper at all. The Bucks left Noah open for the 15’ all night – he was reluctant to shoot it – did shoot it once – very bad miss as a result. Goes up strong- but needs to finish better around the rim.
Overview- Noah is a player who knows what his role is and he does not try to do things outside of his limits. Knows his strengths and weaknesses and maximizes his strengths (rebounding) and minimizes his weaknesses (offense). Competes and hustles on every play. The Bulls are very glad to have Noah back after he missed 30 games with injury.
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