January 2014

ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected the Kansas guard Naadir Tharpe as its Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Jan. 19. The USBWA’s weekly honor is presented by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and is announced exclusively on SiriusXM Radio’s “Inside College Basketball.”

Tharpe

As the Big 12 Conferennce Player of the Week, Tharpe 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.

Tharpe, a 5-11 junior from Worcester, Mass., led the Jayhawks to conference wins at No. 8 Iowa State and No. 9 Oklahoma State. In the wins that lifted Kansas to No. 8 in the Associated Press Top 25, Tharpe averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds while shooting a sizzling 82.4 percent from the field. He started the week with a career-high 23 points in the 77-70 win at Iowa State on 7-of-9 shooting before adding 21 points against in the 80-78 win vs. the Cowboys, making 7-of-8 shots from the field. Tharpe was 6-of-8 (.750) from three-point range during the week and connected on 9-of-10 (.900) from the free-throw line.

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.

Oscar Robertson TrophyAt 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)
• Week of Jan. 5: Willis Hall, College of Charleston (Colonial Athletic Association)
• Week of Jan. 12: Doug McDermott, Creighton (Big East Conference)
• Week of Jan. 19: Naadir Tharpe, Kansas (Big 12 Conference)

MLK Classic 2014

Here are our scouting notes from the 2014 MLK Classic in Greensboro, NC. We weren’t able to cover the final game of the day.

Jalen Harris (G, 6’1”, 2016) Greenfield (NC)
Smooth PG who can create his own shot. Athletic player who is solid in transition. Draws contact at a high rate. Good FT shooter. Has good length and is a player that college programs should begin to track. Has a lot of poise and ran the point for Greenfield most of the game. Led Greenfield in scoring with 19 points.

Jamie Johnson (G, 5’10”, 2014) Greenfield (NC)
Solid set 3 pt shooter who you can’t give any space to. Wasn’t as consistent today as we’ve seen him but still one of the best deep shooters in the state.

Logan McClane (F, 6’8”, 2014) Greenfield (NC)
Mobile big who stretch the floor with his shooting ability from the perimeter. Lefty. Decent athlete. Active.

Austin Hatfield (G, 6’0”, 2014) Mt. Tabor HS (NC)
Having a solid outing today- scoring in transition and getting to the rim. Made a terrific ¾ court bounce pass to a streaking teammate for a lay-up that was impressive. Was able to score with either hand at the rim in creative ways. The Hatfields were the major difference in today’s game, showing what solid guard play can give you. Finished with 26 points.

Taylor Hatfield (G, 6’0”, 2014) Mt. Tabor HS (NC)
Plays with a ton of energy and was able to play either guard position effectively. Both Taylor and Austin are combo guards who can play either on or off of the ball, but Taylor tends to run the point more. The twins remain undeclared and colleges should be working hard to line them up. Scored 18 points.

Lloyd Burgess (C, 6’10”, 2014) Christ School (NC)
The UNC-G commit has excellent size and strength. Finishes strong above the rim. Needs to get stronger with the ball. Keeps the ball high and is a good passer out of double teams. Needs to continue to improve rebounding ability and not leak out too early. Protects the rim pretty well. Foul prone.

Alex Wnuk (F, 6’6”, 2014) Christ School (NC)
Versatile player who can put the ball on the floor and score at the rim. Has good length and can play multiple positions. Can handle the ball with either hand. Good footwork. Draws contact and fouls at a high rate where he converts at the FT line. Needs to improve ability to finish with contact. Has committed to UNC-A. A tough game for Christ School and Wnuk was the only player to score in double figures.

Malik Wright (G/F, 6’4”, 2015) High Point Christian Academy
Athletic swing player who can finish above the rim. Solid inside/outside threat. Active, runs the court hard at all times and makes himself a target. Has collegiate athleticism and explosiveness.

Joey McLean (G, 6’0”, 2014) High Point Christian Academy
High motor player who is an active defender. Pressures the ball well and has good defensive instincts. Unselfish player who gets others involved. Can play either guard position.

Darius Moore (G, 5’9”, 2015) Greensboro Day
Highly unselfish player who gets the ball up court with the pass. Has improved his ability to finish at the rim. Poised guard who has a high basketball IQ. 3 point shooting has improved- good arc on his shot.

Peter Agba (C, 6’6”, 2015) Greensboro Day
Strong physical post player who establishes deep inside post position. Solid rebounder on both ends. A bit undersized but very strong.

Bryan Rouse (G, 6’0”, 2014) Greensboro Day
Active defender who is athletic. At his best in the open floor- can finish above the rim.

Will Dillard (G, 6’1”, 2017) Greensboro Day
Communicates on the floor. The lefty plays and acts beyond his years. Slides his feet very well and stays in defensive stance throughout the possession. He had a nice up and under hesitation move in the 1st half. Good looking frame.

Hendon Hooker (G, 6’4”, 2017) Dudley HS (NC)
Has good upside. Good length. Has a very solid pull up jumper and definitely looks like a prospect with collegiate size for the position.

NC Spartans

The tryout dates are below for the NC Spartans 2014 teams! Tryouts are free to attend.

14U (Rising 9th grade)
Sunday March 2 @ Bishop McGuinness HS in Kernersville from 200 PM- 400 PM
*Approx team fees- $250
This team will play 4/5 mostly local (Greensboro/HP/Winston area) tournaments from March-May.

16U (Rising 11th grade)
Sunday March 2 @ Bishop McGuinness HS in Kernersville from 400 PM- 600 PM
*Approx team fees- $250
This team will play 4/5 mostly local (Greensboro/HP/Winston area) tournaments from March-May.

17U Elite (Rising 12th grade)
Tuesday February 25 @ Calvary Baptist HS in Winston Salem from 600- 800 PM
Tuesday March 4 @ Calvary Baptist HS in Winston Salem from 600-800 PM
*Approx team fees- $650
These teams will play 4 tournaments during the NCAA Live Evaluation Period in April/July and one ‘non-live’ event the last weekend of May. Likely locations are Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, Washington DC, and Richmond VA.

Once teams are selected, each team will practice at Bishop McGuinness HS in Kernersville every Monday and Wednesday beginning Monday March 24.
14s and 16s will practice from 600- 730 PM.

17 Elites will practice from 730- 900 PM.

For more info, visit www.ncspartansbasketball.com or follow us on Twitter- @NCSpartans

Tryout information for the 2014 USSSA basketball Triad Defenders has been announced, information is as follows:

Triad Defenders
USSSA Basketball Teams at Calvary Baptist Day School (Winston-Salem, NC)
Tryout date March 3rd
13U -14U 6:00-7:30
15U- 17U 7:30- 9:00

Tomasz Gielo basketball Liberty

By James Blackburn

Game Scouted: Campbell @ Liberty
Box Score

Tomasz Gielo (F, 6’9”, JR)

Stats
37 min, 5-11 FG, 1-4 3pt, 6-7 FT, 7 reb, 1 assist, 17 TP

Strengths
Excellent overall game for Gielo in the win. Gielo has a good frame with solid length. He should be able to continue add some muscle which will suit him well for inside the paint. Is fluid and highly skilled for his size. Versatile player who can play either forward position.

The lefty has an excellent FT stroke (86% on the year). He also showed he could knock down the open 3 ball and the midrange. Has good 1st step quickness and showed the ability to attack the basket in straight line drives. He even showcased a spin move in traffic and a reverse lay-up tonight- impressive for his size. Showed the ability to score in a variety of ways- shooting from perimeter, offensive put-backs, and lay-ups at the rim. He handles the ball well for his size. Is crafty around the rim. Good bball IQ.

Defensively he has the ability to guard the SF or PF, but is more suited at this stage to guard the 3. He can move his feet pretty well and his length makes it tough to score over. Solid rebounder as well.

Weaknesses
Needs to improve right hand. Didn’t show ability tonight to drive hard with right hand or finish with right hand. Not a bad shooter, but shot tends to get flat and does not have great rotation. Shot becomes more of a push. Is a great FT shooter, but shot becomes less consistent at the 3-pt line. Is not a great athlete. Has had a few injuries in his career (hip/elbow) and will need to gain some more muscle weight especially when playing the PF position.

Overview
Is from Szczecin, Poland originally where he played on the U-20 Poland National Team. Definitely has a European style game. Is fundamental and skilled- can do things that players 6’5” here can do, but he is a legit 6’9” with length. He did show the ability to hesitate at the rim and changed directions on the drive, but always went back to his left. If he can improve his right hand over the summer, I think he will be a major sleeper for this Liberty team next year. Has increased his averages every year so far since his freshman year and this is probably due to him becoming more accustomed to the style of play here. He is averaging 10 ppg and 5 rpg this year so far. Going back to Poland to play professionally will definitely be an option for him once he graduates. After another strong senior season he will most definitely see those options grow.

Wayne Selden KU

ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – Kansas’ Wayne Selden Jr. is the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week for games ending the week of Jan. 12. Selden 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.

Selden, a 6-5 guard from Roxbury, Mass., helped lead the Jayhawks to two wins to start Big 12 play, averaging 22.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists – while also knocking down 8-for-15 from 3-point range.

Up first was a road trip to Oklahoma, where Selden was on fire from behind the arc. He made five 3-pointers en route to 24 points in the 90-83 victory over the Sooners. Considering he had averaged 7.7 points in the three games prior, Selden’s breakout game couldn’t have come at a better time. And then he followed it up with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists in a blowout of Kansas State. Overall, he made 16-for-27 from the field.

On the season, Selden is now averaging 10.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He is shooting 49.6 percent from the field, 42.6 percent from 3-point range, and 51.3 percent from the free-throw line.

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 atcollegebasketballawards.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 (Jan. 14)
• 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)

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Lucas Troutman Elon Basketall

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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