Game Scouted: Richmond @ Wake Forest

Wake Forest wins 82-53

Doral Moore, C, 7’1″, JR

Stats

25 min, 6-7 FG, 3-6 FT, 8 reb, 4 blocks, 1 assist, 1 TO, 15 TP

Strengths

You can see a big improvement in all areas from the last two years to this year for Moore from his confidence level to his offense and everything in between.  Starting with his body and conditioning, Moore has added muscle and strength. This extra weight has allowed him to hold his post position, finish inside, and hold rebounding position. He has great length and athleticism and can really finish above the rim. He has solid hands and can catch alley-oop passes from multiple angles and distances. Solid rebounder who will get a couple of pro level/above the rim rebounds a game.

Offensively, Moore is showing much more confidence and it seems to be growing by the game. He has good touch around the rim and has a nice turn around jump shot which is becoming his go-to post move. He also has a nice sweeping right nook which is impossible to guard. Richmond actually sent a double a couple of times when he caught it with his back to the basket and he didnt turn it over and made the cross court pass to the open man. He keeps the ball high on offense rebounds and finishes inside. Moore gets the majority of his baskets in the PnR or with his back to the basket on post ups.

Defensively, Moore uses his length and size to disrupt in the paint and is a presence. Good shot blocker and has gotten better staying straight up and not fouling.

Weaknesses

Needs to continue to improve conditioning and his ability to run the floor- it has gotten better but could improve. Defensively he tends to be out of position too much. His lateral speed and ability to rotate across the lane is concerning especially when it comes to projecting him for the next level (Defending the screen and roll/ Defensive 3 seconds rule).

Overall

If he can make the same improvement level jump next summer as he did this summer then I see Moore being drafted. I would project him as an early to mid 2nd round pick at this stage depending on how much more he improves. Has the size, length, and athleticism that makes him attractive to the pro game. I see him being a backup 5 in the NBA where he can give some rim protection and finish efficiently.

By James Blackburn

Deacon

Deacon

By James Blackburn

Game Scouted: Wake Forest vs Queens

I was able to attend Wakes first exhibition game of the season against D2 nationally ranked Queens from Charlotte. Two highly touted freshman and one grad transfer played significant minutes and will all 3 be counted on heavily for the Deacs this season. Wake was able to narrowly escape Queens upset bid with a score of 76-74.

Olivier Sarr, 7’0″, C, FR

Wake Forest was fortunate to land the 4 star French prospect who was labeled one of the top international prospects by multiple recruiting services and had his share of offers. First thing you notice about Sarr is his length and size. Lanky but runs the floor like a deer. Can hedge ball screens pretty well and is fluid. Needs to add strength and is still a bit raw at this stage, but Coach Manning has a great track record when it comes to developing bigs, so Sarr should improve weekly especially with more game experience. High upside with size and his athleticism which is what NBA teams love with him. I can see him getting into foul trouble especially in ACC play. Showed some flashes last night in limited minutes and finished with 4 pts and 3 boards. 

Chaundee Brown, 6’5″, G, FR

Brown is Wake’s highest ranked recruit since 2008 and after watching him play 27 minutes last night I can see why. Absolutely loved his composure and court presence. Great body, strong and athletic. Plays hard and doesnt play outside his strength. Defends and can guard multiple positions- I can see this eventually being one of his biggest calling cards as a lockdown defender. Shot is a little slow and his 3- point shot needs to improve- did hit one 3 in the second half. Showcased the ability to score off the bounce and in transition. Definitely a player NBA teams need to add to their list if he isn’t on it already. Would not be surprised if he made the leap to the pros before his 4 years was up.  Finished with 9 points, 2 rebounds, and a block. 

Terrence Thompson, 6’7″, F, GR

Thompson is a grad transfer after playing the previous 2 years at Marshall. Thompson is going to be asked to fill a big hole after the departures of John Collins and Dinos Mitoglou, 2 big men who are now pro’s. Gritty player who fights inside and is a traffic rebounder. Plays hard on both ends. Underrated hands. Not a good outside shooter, did attempt one 3 (which he missed), and needs to improve his FT shooting. His calling card is going to bring toughness, rebounding, and some scoring out of pick and rolls (Which the Deacs run at a high rate). Would like to see if he could score with his back to the basket, which he was not able to showcase much in this game per lack of post ups. Low to mid level European prospect.

 

 

 

Basketball Hoop

By James Blackburn

I had a chance to evaluate each of Wake Forest new players against Radford in a home game tonight. Each will have significant roles this season for a young Demon Deacon squad.

Brandon Childress, PG, 6’0”, FR

Played good minutes tonight as the backup PG and looked comfortable at times and rushed at other times. Once he figures out the speed of the college game I expect him to get better and better. He can get to the paint at will with good quickness and ball handling ability but needs to improve his ability to finish. Coming in as a true freshman from local Wesleyan Christian Academy, Childress was known to be a big time shooter from deep. He showed the ability transfers to the college game as he knocked down a few tonight.

Keyshawn Woods, G, 6’3”, R-SO

The transfer from Charlotte coming off of a redshirt season looked full of confidence early on. Provides really good energy, athleticism, and shooting off the bench. Solid on both sides of the ball and is a good overall scorer. Should be a big contributor this year and will see his role increase going into ACC play.

Austin Arians, F, 6’6”, GR

Austin arrives from playing at Milwaukee and will be doing a grad season at Wake. Smart player who got the start tonight. Opened the game with a really nice looking 3. Has a fundamentally sound stroke and his shooting will be counted on this year. Lacks athleticism but uses good basketball IQ and strength to compensate. Moves well without the ball. Underrated passer who plays unselfish basketball.

 

 

 

John Collins Wake Forest

John Collins Wake Forest

 

By James Blackburn

Game Scouted: Wake Forest vs Coastal Carolina

Wake wins 83-77

Box Score

John Collins, F, 6’10”, 218 lbs

Stats: 14 min, 12 TP, 5 rebounds, 1 steal

Strengths

Very athletic player who uses his athleticism on both ends on the floor. Great rebounder who boards the ball outside his area and grabs rebounds above rim level with 2 hands. Also he rarely misses a box out. Has a high motor and plays hard. Sets wide screens and rolls hard to the rim. Good FT shooter- has a nice follow through and release. Also showed the ability to hit the 10′ jumper and looked comfortable doing so. Runs the floor well and his movements are fluid.  Does a great job of finishing above the rim- dunks it with authority.

Moves his feet very well for his size on the defensive end. Can hedge screens and recover to his man pretty easily. Protects the rim- uses his length and athleticism. He also contests shots on the perimeter nicely.

Weaknesses

Collins is only a freshman so many of his areas where he needs to improve will come with time and experience. He rushes at times and he needs to slow down. Needs to continue to build lower body strength. For the next level will need to continue to extend range out to 15’ or beyond and get more consistent offensively. Foul trouble has hurt him this year, but he was fine tonight. That wont be as much of an issue at the next level where they let more go, but he needs to become more disciplined on reaches and staying straight up to protect the rim.

Overview

Collins has had a superb freshman season so far and makes an impact every time he touches the floor. He has about as high of ceiling as anyone on the roster and plays extremely hard. His size, length, and athleticism you cant teach and he seems extremely coach-able and a quick learner too. Having a former NBA big man in Danny Manning as his coach will only help accelerate his development.

 

 

 

 

 

UNC Wake Forest

By: James Blackburn

Game Notes

 

North Carolina was able to get a key conference road win over Wake Forest 87-71 to move to 5-1 in league play. Wake Forest dropped to 9-10 overall and 1-5 in league play. The game notes and scouting reports of the top players are below.

 

Box Score

1st Half

  • Game started off sloppy for both teams with neither team able to establish any real momentum. Both teams struggled with TO’s in first 10 minutes or so.
  • Wake shot several quick and contested shots early on, which was uncharacteristic of them and this lead to some easy transition points for UNC.
  • Wake was able to stay in the game by really battling on the offensive glass and showing good energy.
  • Devin Thomas had a couple of scores near the middle of the 1st half that tied the game up a few times.
  • Wake was staying in it by winning the battle on the boards and forcing turnovers on defense.
  • Both of these teams are really struggling to shoot from the perimeter but because the pace is so fast, they are still able to score. Most of the points are coming from the FT line, offensive rebounds, and transition.
  • The half ends with a lay-up for UNC to put them up 40-34

 

2nd Half

  • Wake started off the 2nd half shooting perimeter jumpers and UNC started in by pounding the ball inside and getting easy points from Kennedy Meeks.
  • UNC played some 2-3 zone in both halves because of Wake shooting woes but had trouble rebounding from it, so reverted back to man.
  • Andre Washington is providing some good energy off the bench rebounding and blocking shots.
  • With 10:00 minutes left in the game, Wake is still struggling to make any shots from the perimeter. The crowd has grown quiet but Devin Thomas has shown a lot of energy on the boards.
  • Wake has been able to get some of UNC’s bigs into foul trouble and is trying to capitalize by making their FT’s (have made about 50% up to this point).
  • Every time Wake scores, UNC seems to answer- with around 6 minutes to go and UNC leading by 16 pts, some of the fans start to empty out.
  • Wake made a run with about 3 minutes to go and closed the deficit to 12 pts after a Madison Jones lay-up.
  • UNC gets the win over Wake, which is solid considering that Wake is dangerous at home. They had Duke and Louisville beat and has proven they can compete with anyone in the ACC at home.

 

Scouting Reports

 

Wake Forest

 

Devin Thomas, JR, 6’9″, 255 lbs

Stats: 4-8 FG, 4-7 FT, 12 reb, 12 pts, 31 minutes

Having trouble finishing and scoring over Kennedy Meeks early on and didnt show the willingness or ability to score with the right hand.

To give him credit he was still able to get points from his energy. Had a big dunk of an alley-oop and had an offensive board too.

Had trouble scoring with back to basket over Meeks, but was able to get points other ways. UNC couldnt keep him off the boards.

 

Codi Miller-McIntyre, JR, 6’3″, 205 lbs

Stats: 6-14 FG, 1-3 3 pt, 7-11 FT, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 20 pts, 31 minutes

Up and down play in the first half. Dangerous in transition with the basketball where he can finish with contact. Needs to improve 3 pt shooting. Makes some head scratching decisions and needs to improve PG decision making in general. Has been really aggressive lately which I like.

 

UNC

Justin Jackson, FR, 6’8″, 193 lbs

Stats: 6-8 FG, 1-2 3 pt, 4-6 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 17 pts, 34 minutes

Doing a great job of attacking the rim and drawing fouls. Needs to improve his ability to finish w/ contact and needs to add weight. I like his energy though on both ends. Has a lot of potential. Great length and athleticism- makes him  a solid defensive player.  Terrific in transition. Needs to improve shooting consistency and footwork to a degree.

 

Marcus Paige, JR, 6’1″, 175 lbs

Stats: 4-8 FG, 2-4 FT, 2-2 FT, 1 rebound, 8 assists, 3 steals, 12 points, 35 minutes

Can score in creative ways inside.

Made some poor decisions in transition early on and had slow start. Terrific ball handler who can break down his man off the dribble.

Super quick player who is smooth. Can turn the corner on P/R. Can hit the 3 coming off of staggered screens. Had several plays late that were impressive.

Was playing off the ball at times when Nate Britt was in the game.

 

JP Tokoto, JR, 6’6″, 200 lbs

Stats: 4-8 FG, 0-2 3 pt, 0-4 FT, 6 rebounds, 8 pts, 3 assists, 2 steals, 28 minutes

3 pt shot has hitch in it and needs to improve shooting in general. Showed some ability to create own shot this game with a nice change of direction dribble and spin move. Great motor.

Strong and athletic. Dangerous in transition where he is able to finish above the rim.

Makes plays defensively off the ball. Underrated passer who had several on target up-court passes. Good rebounder on both ends.

 

Kennedy Meeks, SO, 6’9″, 270 lbs

Stats: 8-11 FG, 8 rebounds, 1 blk, 16 pts, 22 minutes

Excellent hands- can catch anything. Showing better bounce in his step and energy. Tremendous rebounder on both ends. Showed some nice touch from 15′ and in. Runs the floor well. Foul prone.

Basketball

Devin Thomas Wake Forest basketball scouting report

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: St. Bonaventure @ Wake Forest
Wake wins 77-62
Box Score

Coron Williams (G, 6’1”, SR)

Stats
27 min, 3-8 FG, 2-4 3p FG, 6 reb, 2 assists, 0 TO, 1 steal, 8 TP

Strengths
Coron’s most obvious and best asset is his shooting ability, which gives him the ability to stretch the defense. He didn’t shoot the ball great in this game, but he has an excellent stroke with a quick release and he hit two big three pointers at a crucial part of the game in the second half. Excellent form. Every time he shoots you think it’s going in. Capable of coming in cold off the bench and knocking down 3’s.

Coron is more than just a shooter, however. He is an unselfish player who has a high basketball IQ and plays smart. Knows his strengths and limitations; maximizes his strengths and minimizes his weaknesses. Underrated passer who knows how to feed the post. Has become a good defensive player who slides his feet, has active hands, and gets in good position. Talks and communicates on this end and does just a good of job off the ball that he does on the ball. Good rebounder for his position and he boxes out. Good upper body and core strength.

Weaknesses
Does not possess next level speed or quickness and lacks overall athleticism. Struggles to beat his man off of the dribble and create for others by driving and kicking.

Would also like to see him be more aggressive offensively and put the ball on the floor more. Not a good finisher around the rim as he plays under the basket. Can he defend a quicker PG. Size is an issue as he is too short to play the SG at the next level and is not a pure PG at this stage yet. I believe he could develop a PG’s mindset but does he have the ball handling abilities to handle the ball under pressure and can he play in the P/R?

Overview
Transfer from Robert Morris. Is a great kid who is a team leader. Is very humble and is a hard worker. Does what he is asked and has a great attitude on and off the floor. Is one of the best shooters I have seen this year and that is an asset to many teams. Definitely has the ability to play in Europe, as he does more than just shoot the basketball. If he can continue to play well once Wake hits ACC conference play, that should raise his European and overseas stock.

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Travis McKie
Image courtesy Rant Sports

By James Blackburn

Game Scouted: Wake Forest vs. Radford
Wake Wins 79-67
Box Score

Travis McKie (F, 6’7”, JR)

Stats
29 min, 4-8 FG, 0-3 3pt., 3-4 FT, 9 reb, 3 PF, 2 assist, 3 TO, 11 TP

Strengths
Travis struggled over all from the offensive end this game, but did showcase a few things particularly in the second half that will potentially translate to the professional level. He attacked and went to the rim aggressively the first few times he touched the ball and showed what we already knew, that he could get to the rim in straight line dribble drives. What he did better then last season was the ability to drive in a straight line and kick to the open shooter in the strong side corner, something he did not often do last season because his head was down and he could not see open teammates.

Although he struggled to find his shot tonight, to McKie’s credit, he did a decent job passing the ball to teammates, better then the 2 assist in the box score shows. He had several nice post entry passes and lob passes up court in transition for easy scores for his teammates.

Used his size/strength/athleticism to pace the Deacs in the rebounding category with 9 rebounds tonight. One he secures the rebound, he is not at risk of losing it or having it taken away as he secures it strongly with 2 hands and had several rebounds where he practically ripped the ball off the back board. Rebounding is one of and has been McKie’s greatest strength since arriving at Wake Forest.

Looked comfortable in the mid post with his back to the basket- getting his first two scores in this area 15’ and in. He used his size/strength to his advantage and was able to get a couple of easy scores this way by slashing from this area and facing up and hitting the mid range. Though he did struggle by any consistency shooting from the outside this game, he is a good FT shooter, shooting 3-4 tonight and is a 70% + shooter from the stripe for his career.

Weaknesses
Honestly this was not a good showing from McKie, despite what the numbers tell you from the box score. Defensively he really struggled in all facets against a smaller, yet younger and more energetic Radford team. He showed a poor overall effort and principals on the defensive end early on by getting hung up on screens and not fighting or making strong effort to get around screens (especially ones off the ball), jogging back on defense, and showed poor closeout principals on the perimeter (Not closing out under control).Didn’t box out at all this game and allowed his man who was shorter and less athletic to get a several offensive rebounds and run free un-touched to the rim-(Was the first man to be substituted for shortly after- leaving the game after just 5 minutes on the floor). Nearly every board he collected this game was the result of him being by himself and on the defensive end- not because of him boxing out or working extremely hard- also worth noting was he didn’t collect a single offensive board. Didn’t show good technique defending on the perimeter most of the game- stood too tall and didn’t show the capability to slide his feet and stop dribble penetration. Defensive stance is poor- doesn’t move feet well laterally, hands are down by side too much- needs to use wing span to defend- jumps out of control at shooters instead of contesting w/ a high hand and staying on the ground (fouled a 3-point shooter with 13 min. left in 2nd half by jumping to block his shot). Lost track of his man several times in transition.

On the offensive end, McKie struggles didn’t solely rest on missing shots, but in other areas as well. He did not cut hard when he was off the ball to get open- Radford defended him easily off the ball. Ran off an off the ball screen half-heartedly on the second possession of the game- acted like he didn’t want the ball. Looked frustrated most of game on the offensive end of the floor. Didn’t head hunt on screens when running sets. He looks like he is rushing his shot- shooting is in-consistent, especially from 3. His release is low and he pushes the ball to a degree. His mechanics aren’t great, but they are not bad either.

Overview
Playing in opening regular season game against a very young Radford that that went 6-26 last season. Travis looked cool, collected, and in chill mode going through warm-ups just before the start of the game. As previously stated he struggled offensively this game and didn’t find the scoring column until 15:30 min. left in the second half.

McKie is attempting to transition from an undersized PF to the SF once again, which is something that NBA scouts are monitoring. His ball handling and shooting is inconsistent and he struggled this game to defend on the perimeter. He plays much better when he embraces the undersized PF role and when he works hard and does the dirty work inside. In my opinion he would be a good D-League option if he decided to leave after this season where he could be a rebounder and athletic F. He would be better served to stay another year and continue to work his perimeter play and show scouts that he can play the SF at the next level. I actually believe that if he could contribute at the pro level (D-League/NBA) if he played the undersized PF position and worked extremely hard in the trenches grabbing rebounds and scoring in the paint, something he showed the last two years at Wake Forest.

One thing worth noting as well is the fact that even though in my opinion, McKie had a poor performace, he still shot 50% from the field, grabbed 9 rebounds, and had a couple of assist in a win. Granted it was against a below average team, but it was the first game of the season. It was his best night or best performance but he grabbed some big rebounds at the end and scored all 11 of his points in the second half to help put a scrappy Radford team away. My point is even on a rough night for McKie he was 1 rebound shy of a double-double. I have seen him put up way bigger numbers against ACC competition in the past. The key is and will continue to see monitor his progression and how much he is improving, if at all.

By James Blackburn

Clemson Tigers head coach Brad Brownell yells to his team during the second half of their first round NCAA tournament basketball game against the University of Alabama-Birmingham Blazers in Dayton, Ohio March 15, 2011. REUTERS/Matt Sullivan (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

    

Clemson Wins 78-58
Box Score

Game Recap/Thoughts

1st Half

• Clemson is establishing its post game early- going at Walker 2 straight possessions and scoring on both.
• Wake Forest is struggling to find its groove offensively early against Clemons man to man defense.
• Wake Forest is showing a 2-3 zone for the first time with 12:00 minutes left in the 1st to try to control Clemson’s dominant inside play. Clemson does not have any shooters on the floor with Tanner Smith on the bench.
• Trevor Booker just had a ferocious dunk and got a technical for slapping the backboard with 8 minutes to go in the half.
• Wake is back to man with Smith back in the ball game for Clemson. Wake is losing the loose ball war early on.
• Wake is controlling the tempo and has the lead 20-17 with 7 minutes left.
• Clemson is really struggling with fouls and FG%
• Wake cannot handle Booker on the block.
• 3 fouls in less then 10 seconds on Wake
• Devin Booker with the tip in with 2 seconds left to push the lead to six- 42-36

2nd Half

• Back to Jennings- 1st play in second half- he scores on block.
• Just like that Clemson is back up 13 on a Andre Young 3 and a Smith lay-up.
• Ty Walker injured 3 minutes into half going up for lay in.
• Wake Forest is really having a difficult time defending the long ball- I have lost count how may wide open 3’s they have given up this game- part of the reason Clemson’s lead has ballooned to 18.
• Wake is going to get back into this game with foul shots- Wake is already in the bonus with 12 minutes remaining.
• Wake Forest’s offense is in disarray with CJ Harris on the bench.
• Wake must improve defensively- with 9 minutes left in game- Clemson is shooting over 66% from the field and has made 7 three pointers, Wake has also given up 32 points in the paint.
• CJ Harris is the only player who showed up today for Wake.
• With Clemson up 20- the LJVM is dead- people are already leaving with 8 minutes left.
• CJ Harris just missed an open lay-up with 3 minutes to go- it has been that kind of day today for Wake Forest.

Scouting Reports

Wake Forest

Ty Walker (C, 7’0”, SR)
Extremely long- tries to block everything with in his area. Has a bad habit of bringing the ball down and gets it stripped or tied up frequently. Very Raw offensively- has a hard time scoring with back to basket-even when guarded 1 on 1. Must get stronger- gets bumped off lack and gets knocked out of position for rebounds and in the game in general too easy.

Nikita Mescheriakov ( F, 6’8”, R-SR)
Does a great job utilizing ball fakes. Is a decent shooter- but is still inconsistent in this area- much more effective attacking the rim. Very versatile player who can play and guard several positions. Plays below the rim. Crafty left hander. Reminds me of a thinner Boris Diaw. Tends to get out of control at times.

Chase Fischer (G, 6’3”, FR)
Excellent set shooter- gets feet set and square and plants on inside foot. Underrated passer. Must get quicker. Automatic from the stripe. Needs to be more aggressive offensively. Patient.

Clemson

Tanner Smith (G, 6’5”, SR)
Good size for the off-guard position. One of the best 3 point shooters in ACC- automatic from beyond the arc with feet set- very simple stroke- doesn’t get any lift on shot- but has a quick release. Basketball savvy- had a really nice back door cut for the lay- in first half. Also showed the ability to shoot the 1 dribble pull-up when defender plays too close. Smooth- finished around rim several time with a finger role lay-in. Seems to be in the right spot at the right time to score and rebound this game. Had the ball in his hands a lot today and because of height and ability to see over the defense he can hit the open cutter and open teammates. Makes good decisions with ball in his hand- only 1 TO and 5 assists while playing over 30 minutes. Has struggle creating own shot. Lack of quickness and athleticism is going to hurt his chances of playing at next level. Solid all-around effort today to lead Clemson to the big win. Great attitude and demeanor. Should get some NBA workouts because of size and shooting ability- but he is more then likely going to wind up overseas to play professionally- with a chance to return the states to play in the D-League.

Milton Jennings (F, 6’9”, JR)
Nice Touch around basket. Soft touch shooting FT’s too- calm and collected on line- good arc and rotation. Solid back to basket post game. Can stretch defense with the ability to shoot the 3. Good body control and balance around basket. Had no problem finishing around the basket today.

Devin Booker (F/C, 6’8”, JR)
Physical player who uses his strength to his advantage. Has an effective right hook shot. Foul prone because of his defensive aggressiveness. Good shot blocker. With his size, strength, athleticism, and skill set- he should be doing more stat wise- he tends to disappear for stretches. Good rebounder. Undersized at center position- but makes up for it with strength- needs to extend range and show the ability to defend on the perimeter to improve chances of playing in the NBA after next season. Scouts are going to monitor how well he can make the transition to the PF position his senior year.

By James Blackburn

Paul Hewitt Georgia Tech Head Coach
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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