Name:   Brandon Paul   Age:   21    School: Illinois

Height: 6’4     Weight: 210   Projected Position:         SG          

2012-13 Stats (As of  1/29/13):

17.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 3.1 tpg (32.4 minutes per game)

41.8 FG%, 72.4 FT%, 34.0 3FG%, 55.4 TS%, 50.5 eFG%

SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Perimeter Shooting

Paul generally has good form on his jumper.  He uses his legs well for lift, has a high, quick release, good follow-through, and long-range.  He has the ability to hit his jumper off the pass or dribble, and if he has time to get set, he is among the best spot-shooters in the country.  He uses his dribble well to create space for his jumper, and his quick release allows him to get his shot off against larger defenders.  Paul moves well without the ball, though he needs to work harder to get open more consistently.  Also, he needs to do a better job coming off of screens tighter and ready to shoot, giving him the separation he needs from the defender.  Shot selection has always been an issue for Paul, though the offensive sets don’t do a lot to help him get great looks.  Along with poor selection, he has a tendency to rush his shot, often before coming close to getting set, ending in some very misses.    

Penetration

Paul is actually quite good when he looks to get into the lane and to the basket.  He uses long strides and his body to shield the ball from defenders and will look to finish strong, usually not shying from contact.  He has the ability to finish above the rim, and can finish with either hand.  He needs to look to go to his left more often instead of trying to force the action to his stronger right hand.  Also, he needs to do a better job keeping his head up and seeing where the help defense is coming from.  He will try to force plays through traffic, leading to turnovers or bad shot attempts.  He has a strong mid-range jumper if he chooses to only take a few steps past his defender, though he should work on a short jumper/floater if he sees the help rotate to stop him quickly.  While he uses screens well to create space for his jumper, he should look to attack the basket more off of them, and if he draws the defense, find the open man.  Paul is good in isolation situations, though he needs to not force a bad shot if he doesn’t have a clean look.  

Ballhandling

Paul is an above-average ballhandler, able to use both hands well and using a variety of dribbles to keep the defense off balance.   Normally, he is in control, keeping the ball low and close to his body, though he does need to watch a tendency to force his dribble through traffic.  He has a strong cross-over move which he uses to create space for his jumper, though I would like to see him use it more to attack the lane.  He handles pressure fairly well and can be used as a secondary ballhandler at all times, and as the primary ballhandler in certain matchups. 

Passing Skills

Paul has above-average court vision and can be a good passer.  The important thing for Paul is he has to keep his head up when handling the ball, especially when using screens out on the perimeter.  While the screens may be designed to get him space for his jumper, often he misses a wide-open screener rolling to the basket or on the perimeter if he draws both defenders with him.  He has done a better job this season looking for the open teammate when he draws help defenders in the lane when he penetrates.  For the most part, he makes good, hard passes which his teammates can use to make a play quickly. 

Free Throw Shooting

Paul is an average free throw shooter, but he should be much better.  He has a consistent routine, good shooting motion and follow-through.  He tends to rush his shot at times, leading to him not getting his normal extension and follow-through.  Paul is doing a very good job getting to the free throw line for a player who shoots more than half his shots from behind the 3 point line, averaging over 6 attempts per game.   

Defense

Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)

Paul is a good on-ball defender, positioning himself well between his man and the basket, staying low and moving well laterally over short distances.  He uses his body well to play physical defense when needed.  He is capable of guarding multiple positions, including both guard positions, and has on occasion done well guarding larger forwards.  He doesn’t pressure the ball often, leaving a cushion to recover if his man tries to dribble by him, but close enough that he can close quickly on a shooter.  Paul needs to do a better job getting over the top of screens against shooters, often choosing to either go under the screen or switch, which can lead to poor matchups.    Off the ball, Paul generally positions himself well, though he can be caught cheating a bit too much towards the lane.  He doesn’t look to jump or disrupt passing lanes often, but he can pressure off the ball when needed.  He needs to do a better job anticipating his man’s movements, especially on cuts to the basket.  He does a good job navigating through screens off the ball, not letting his man get a lot of room to get set for a shot.  He picks his spots well when he looks to step into the lane and help or to double-team in certain instances.  He has good defensive awareness, and does a good job tracking his man and the action away from him. 

Rebounding

Paul rebounds well for his size, doing a strong job anticipating missed shots and beating people to the spot, especially on longer rebounds.  He uses his body well to establish position and he goes quickly after the ball.  He looks to box out, though not consistently, and has been beaten to a ball by an offensive player crashing from the perimeter a few times.  His ability to grab rebounds also allows him to start the Illini in transition with Paul as the ballhandler.

Transition

Paul is very good in transition, both pushing the ball up court himself and running one of the wings.  As the ballhandler on the break, Paul gets the ball up court quickly, usually in control, and he does a good job making the decision whether to keep the ball or give it up.  He is able to take the ball all the way to the rim, or pull up for the jumper off the dribble.  If running on the wing in transition, Paul can be lethal spotting up behind the 3-point line, but if the defense comes out, he is able to take the ball to the basket and finish.

Intangibles/Summary

Paul has all the makings of an above-average NBA-level shooting guard, though he needs to do a much better job with his shot selection.  He doesn’t lack confidence, and he doesn’t let a few misses stop him from doing what he does best – shooting the basketball.  I would like to see him go to the basket more, and look to exploit any size/strength mismatches he comes up against.  He has a strong body, is a good jumper, and is quick with his hands and feet.  He is a player who wants the ball in his hands in all situations, though he isn’t always the most efficient player.  He can be at least an average NBA defender from the start, and he has the potential to guard either backcourt spot.  However, teams are going to look to him mainly for one thing, his ability to score in bunches, and I have no problem seeing him being able to do that in a few years in the NBA.

Draft Value:  Early 2^nd – #30-38

Paul’s skillset isn’t likely to get much better than it is now, but with some fine-tuning on things like shot selection, using screens, and finding open teammates, he can eventually be a strong part of a good backcourt rotation.  A strong finish to the season could push him into the 1^st round, but since his potential for growth isn’t great, I see him likely in the early part of the 2^nd round.

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Photo: Matt Strasen/Associated Press

Name:       Pierre Jackson    Age:   21     School: Baylor

Height: 5’10       Weight: 180   Projected Position:   PG         

2012-13 Stats (As of  1/23/13):

18.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.8 spg, 3.3 tpg (33.8 minutes per game)

41.8 FG%, 78.8 FT%, 36.0 FG%, 56.1 TS%, 50.4 eFG%

34.2 AST%, 3.0 STL%, 16.6 TOV%, 28.8 USG%, 1.8:1 A/TO

SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Ballhandling

Jackson is a very good ballhandler, able to use both hands equally well while incorporating a variety of dribbles.  He has a very good crossover, as well as a solid hesitation dribble.  Usually, he keeps his dribble low and close to his body, though he does get sloppy, but not as often as he did last season.  Part of it is underestimating the defense and their ability to disrupt his dribble, the other part of it is just sloppiness.   Jackson handles pressure well, and if a defender comes out to pressure him, he has a variety of moves to get by them.  He needs to make sure to keep his focus, control the tempo, and he will cut down on his turnovers.    Jackson always does a good job keeping his handle alive until someone can get open and not allowing himself to into trapping situations on the perimeter.

Perimeter Shooting

Jackson can be a good perimeter shooter, though his size makes it difficult for him to get great looks at times.  When he has space, Jackson can be a real long-range threat, showing good lift and arc on his shot, nice follow through and a quick release.  Jackson is also able to hit his jumper off the dribble, though much better stepping into the shot off the dribble than dribbling to the side.  Jackson moves well without the ball, and can wear a defender out as he looks for open space.  He needs to do a better job coming off of screens without the ball, as he comes too wide and really doesn’t get his defender caught in them.  Usually, by the time he comes off the screen, there is no room for him to get a shot off, and he needs to reset.  Jackson uses shot fakes and jab steps well to create space. 

Penetration

Jackson is able to get by his man and into the lane either off the dribble in isolation, or by using perimeter screens.  He has great acceleration once he is by his defender, and he uses his size well to navigate around help defenders.  He can lose control because he is moving too fast, and he needs to keep his head up and know his options when the help defense comes over.  He is a very good athlete, gets off the ground quickly and can finish in a variety of ways around the rim.  This season, he is doing a better job not shying away from contact and attacking right at the basket.  He is capable of hitting the floater and short jumper in the lane, though they can be tough to get off for him without a good deal of space.  As much as Jackson has improved, he still should look to get into the lane more often and see what he can create.   He looks to go this right often, but he is capable of going strong to the basket with his left hand as well.

Passing Skills

Jackson has very good court vision, especially for his size.  He does a good job using court spacing to find holes in the defense and he can make some spectacular passes.  His passes are strong and usually on target.  Like his shooting, his decision-making can still use some work on his passing decisions.  He will either look to force the ball into a space that can be closed quickly, or his passes just aren’t on target.  The other thing he needs to work on is getting the ball consistently to his teammates where they can make a quick play.  He also needs to work to make better reads off in pick –and-roll situations.  When long defenders hedge out on him, he needs to watch trying to force passes over them, but he does need to keep his head up and look for the spaces that are available, especially if he isn’t going to attack the basket off the screen. 

Free Throw Shooting

Jackson is a good free throw shooter, with a good, repetitive stroke.  More important, Jackson is doing a much better job getting to the free throw line this season.  Last year, he went to the line 129 times for the season.  This year, through 17 games, he has already gone to the line 104 times, doubling the amount of trips per game.  He plays a lot of minutes, but will usually show the same routine and stroke throughout the game.    

Defense

Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)

Jackson does a good job positioning himself when guarding the ballhandler, showing good balance and keeping his feet and hands active.  His lateral movement has improved and he no longer chases the ball as much as he used to, instead sliding with the ballhandler, though he still relapses to chasing occasionally.  He doesn’t pressure the ballhandler often, unless they pick up their dribble, and then he pounces on the opportunity for a quick steal.  Jackson needs to improve his defense on pick-and-roll ballhandlers, working harder to get over the screens, especially against above-average perimeter shooters.  When playing off the ball, Jackson positions himself well, though he doesn’t look to deny passing lanes often.   He does a much better job jumping the passing lanes when Baylor is in a zone defense.  Jackson’s defensive awareness has improved and you can see him directing his teammates when the opposition is running their sets.    There is still a learning curve here between his years in junior college and last year being mostly in a zone defense, but he seems to be improving as the season goes.

Help Defense/Steals/Deflections

Jackson can be a problem when he looks to double-team the post or trap out on the perimeter.  His quick and active hands allow him to get his hands in for a quick steal or tie-up.  Jackson isn’t very aggressive though, and he picks good spots to go after the ball, which helps him from picking silly fouls.  As mentioned, he is good at jumping passing lanes against the zone defense, especially cross-court passes when his teammate’s length forces passes over the top.  He could look to pressure the ball more, especially when he has shot-blockers behind him. 

Rebounding

Jackson is surprisingly active on the defensive boards for a 5’10 player, usually using his speed to get to long rebounds, especially when Baylor is in a zone defense.  Having Jackson able to corral these long rebounds helps Baylor get out on the break.  While he won’t have the same impact at the next level, he will still be able to use his speed to get to long rebounds or loose balls.  He does need to make sure he looks to put a body on someone on the shot to avoid an athletic guard from charging in for a putback.

Transition

Jackson can be very effective in the open court, either pushing the ball or running one of the wings.  With the spacing the fast break provides, Jackson can make good reads when handling the ball and find open teammates on the wing or cutting to the basket.  If the transition defense sags off him to protect the basket, Jackson is capable of hitting the jumper off the dribble, or taking the ball to the basket, usually finishing with a floater or short jumper.  Running the wing, Jackson can spot up behind the 3-point line for the jumper, or if the defense comes out on him, can go and attack the basket.

Intangibles/Summary

Jackson is fast, skilled, and continues to improve, though he still has a lot of work to do.  More important, he is a strong leader and he doesn’t shy away from the big moment.  His biggest issue last season was a lack of control, especially on the offensive end, but he has shown a lot of improvement through the first half of this season.  You can see he does revert to his more wild style at times, especially when Baylor is behind and he is trying to get the team back in the game quickly.  While his size doesn’t preclude him from playing in the NBA, it is going to be more difficult, and he is going to need to show that he can do things like making good reads off of the pick-and-roll and playing tough on-ball defense to help improve his chances.  Still, his ability to score in a variety of ways combined with his leadership and athletic ability make him an interesting prospect.  He certainly deserves his chance and the further he leads Baylor this season, the better it will be.

Draft Value:  2nd Round –Late 2^nd – #48-60

Jackson will be among a number of guards who will be looking to secure spots in the 2^nd round of the draft, and depending on who ends up with these picks on draft night, he has a good chance of hearing his name called.  Even if he doesn’t get picked, he is far from done and will likely get his chances with a free agent deal.

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Photo: Getty Images

Name:   Mike Muscala   Age:   21   School: Bucknell

Height: 6’11    Weight: 239  Projected Position:    PF/C     

2012-13 Stats (As of  1/20/13):

20.1 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.7 bpg, 1.9 tpg (31.9 minutes per game)

54.3 FG%, 80.4 FT%, 61.0 TS%, 13.1 OREB%, 20.8 DREB%, 20.8 TREB%, 22.9 AST%

SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Post Play/Footwork

Muscala’s footwork in the offensive post has improved every year he has been in college.  He is capable of making moves over either shoulder from either side of the lane.  He uses his body well to get position in the post, using his lower body and getting wide to keep the defender on his back.  He does a great job calling for the ball and getting his hands out to receive the pass.  He shows good patience with the ball and will rarely force his moves into double teams or heavy traffic.  He has developed a nice short jump-hook with either hand, and is capable of facing-up and hitting the short or mid-range jumper, as well as a quick turnaround jumper off the blocks.  He has nice touch around the basket and can also finish strong when he has the room to jump.  Muscala is also good at using angles off the backboard to hit shots, allowing him to bring his move to various spots.  He uses pump-fakes well to get defenders in the air; draws contact well, and can finish through it.  He does need to work on the speed of his post moves, as well as continuing to improve his shot selection.  He will try to force shots looking to draw contact, but if he doesn’t get it, it usually ends up as a wild shot.  Muscala is also a good option at the high post, where he can facilitate ball movement, or hit the free throw area jumper.  If he works on his foot speed, he may be able to add a good move to the basket.       

Ballhandling

Muscala is an average ballhandler for his size, though you don’t want him taking more than a few dribbles at any time.  Out of the post, he is able to use either hand to make his post move to the basket.  He looks to keep the ball low and minimize his dribbles, though he can lose the ball in the lane area by not keeping it close to his body.  He is smart about his ballhandling and only uses it when he needs to.  He can work on making controlling his left-handed dribbles a bit more, but he has definitely improved in that area over the past years. 

Perimeter Shooting

Muscala is a very good shooter for his size.  He has a high release, good range (consistent to about 18 feet), and an average release time.  He understands spacing well, and is a good option on pick-and-pop situations.  He uses shot fakes well to draw defenders off-balance, though he doesn’t have the speed and ballhandling skills to go by them, but the fake does buy him enough space to get off his shot.  While he has shown that he can hit out to the college 3-point line, he will need to put in work to be a real long-range threat at the NBA level.

Rebounding

 Muscala is a good offensive rebounder, anticipating missed shots well and using his body to get good position for the rebound.    He controls the ball well and does a good job keeping it high, looking to get quick 2^nd chance opportunities if they are available.  He may force some bad 2^nd chance shots once he has the offensive rebound, but he will usually get the ball out if he doesn’t sense a good chance.  He is also a threat to crash the offensive boards from the perimeter, so opposing teams better find him and get a body on him.

Passing Skills

Muscala has shown good patience and vision when he has the ball, both in the post and on the perimeter.  He anticipates double teams well in the post, and finds an open teammate with quick, strong passes.  He has good awareness and can find cutters and shooters on the weakside and he can make good passes out of the high post as well.

Free Throw Shooting

Muscala is a very good free throw shooter, with a smooth, repetitive stroke and confidence when he steps to the line.  Muscala does a good job drawing contact and getting to the free throw line, getting approximately 1 free throw for every 2 field goal attempts.  It’s even better when you consider that Muscala spends a good amount of time out of the post area for a 6’11 player. 

Defense

Post Defense

Muscala has developed into a very strong post defender.  He is physical and uses his lower body well to force his man away from the baskets.  He keeps a wide base, forcing any post moves to go wide around him.  His footwork and foot speed aren’t great, but he makes up for it by playing physical and looking to deny the post when he gets a chance.  He does a good job forcing post moves towards the lane and the help defenders.  Muscala hedges well in pick-and-roll situations, and he also does a good job knowing when he has to come out on the ballhandler and when he can stay back and allow his teammate to recover, taking away the roll pass.  He recovers well to his man when he hedges out, but he needs to make sure he doesn’t get caught out too far, especially against an experienced ballhandler.   

Perimeter Defense

Muscala is a smart perimeter defender, though he has not really been challenged often with an athletic big man who can go by him off the dribble.  He positions himself well, allowing him to close on a jump shot when needed but not getting so close to allow him to be beat.  He has average lateral movement and foot speed, though he needs to do a better job cutting of angles off the dribble.    

Help Defense/Shot Blocking

Muscala anticipates having to help around the lane, though he can be a step or two slow to get over at times.  He does a very good job blocking shots, though he does it in a variety of ways.  He is not an elite jumper, but he plays smart and will look to get blocks at lower points.  He is capable of blocking shots with either hand and he does a good job avoiding body contact while doing it.

Rebounding

Muscala is a great defensive rebounder and it starts with the fundamentals.  He always looks to put a body on someone and he does a very good job keeping his man pinned behind him before he goes for the ball.  If someone is going to get an offensive rebound off of him, they will either have to get up ridiculously high or they will likely go over his back, drawing a foul.  He does a good job securing the ball when he gets it, but the one thing I would like to see him improve his going stronger after the ball once he boxes out.  A lot of times the ball will come down very low before he gets it, leaving it open to be swiped at.  He clears out his area well once he has secured the ball and waits for his ballhandlers to get open before he makes the outlet pass. 

Transition

Muscala isn’t very fast, but he does hustle up and down the floor.  He isn’t going to get out ahead on the break often, but he is a very good option as a trailing shooter, able to find where the holes are on the defense and step into a high percentage perimeter shot.

Intangibles/Summary

Muscala has a great understanding of the game, and he has the ability to provide a team different options when he is on the floor.  His ability to hit the mid-range jumper consistently, combined with his post play and rebounding will make him a valuable commodity at the NBA level.   He isn’t athletic and he won’t be a great fit for a team that likes to push the pace consistently, but he is a very strong halfcourt player who will put the team above everything.  His athleticism should improve once he is working at basketball full time and he is capable of playing consistent minutes right away for many teams.  Skillwise, I don’t think we will see many changes, just some fine tuning, so he is likely close to his potential ceiling, but that still makes him a quality big man for many years to come.

Draft Value:  1^st Round – Late 1^st – #22-30

Muscala has the ability to step in and play right away for the right teams.  As discussed, his ceiling isn’t likely much higher, but that still puts him ahead of most big men coming out or likely to be coming out in this draft.  Coaches will love his understanding of the game and smart play, though his level of athleticism won’t make him a good fit for a number of teams.  If he drops into the second round, whoever gets him is going to get tremendous value for that pick.

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Time to kick off the full scouting reports for the 2013 NBA Draft, starting with the seniors first.  Leading off is a National Player of the Year candidate, a former National Champion, and one of the best big men in the country - Duke's Mason Plumlee.

Name:       Mason Plumlee     Age:   22     School: Duke

Height: 6’10   Weight: 235   Projected Position:         PF/C     

2012-13 Stats (As of  1/18/13):

17.5 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.6 bpg, 2.8 tpg (33.6 minutes per game)

62.1 FG%, 65.0 FT%, 63.8 TS%, 10.6 OREB%, 26.1 DREB%, 18.9 TREB%

SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Post Play

One of Plumlee’s biggest areas of improvement since last season, Plumlee has turned himself into a legitimate low-post scoring threat.  Plumlee has done a solid job looking to establish position on the blocks, and is capable of going over either shoulder to make his move to the basket, though he is much stronger and more fluid going over his left shoulder to his right hand.  Along with his improved positioning, he has become more aggressive in demanding the ball when he has his defender sealed.  He has a couple of go-to moves, including short jump hooks in the lane off of 2 dribbles, and a solid face-up move about 10 feet out where he can take a few quick dribbles to the basket.  Plumlee does need to do a better job holding his position once he establishes it on the blocks, and not let himself get pushed away from the basket.  Getting lower and using his lower body to anchor his spot as close to the basket as possible will allow him to make more power moves around the basket.  Plumlee is a solid screener on the perimeter and he can be a quality option going to the basket in pick-and-roll sets.

Footwork

Another area of improvement for Plumlee, Plumlee’s movements are a lot more fluid and with purpose.  He adjusts well to how he is being defended in the post, and looks to move quickly to avoid overplays and denial attempts.  As noted, he is much stronger, and confident, going over his left shoulder, but he is capable of going over either shoulder, taking 2 quick dribbles and shooting a short hook.  He has also shown a decent baseline dropstep, and the ability to face up and either go strong to the basket, or if the defense adjusts, use a nice spin move to create separation.  He is far from a finished product, and at times he can revert to hesitating too much if faced with a strong post defender.  Also, Plumlee needs to work on movements that bring him strong to the basket instead of 5-8 feet away.    

Ballhandling

Plumlee is an average ballhandler for his size, doing a good job minimizing the amount of dribbles he takes, and looking to keep the ball low and shielded from the defender.  He is much more comfortable with his right hand than his left, and you really don’t want him taking more than 2-3 dribbles when being guarded. 

Shooting

Here we come to one of the areas where Plumlee still needs some real work.  I’m not talking necessarily about a short or mid-range jumper, though eventually he will need to expand his offensive game a bit.  Plumlee is able to use both hands around the basket, but he needs to works on shooting the ball as opposed to pushing it towards the basket, especially on his short jump hooks.  A lot of his misses have come because he hits the rim straight on from the lane.  Just add some follow-through and a little arc and he could turn some of the misses into makes.  When he gets to the basket, he does a good job going up strong and finishing with a two-handed dunk.  One place he has improved is in his ability to use angles off the backboard to hit shots from just outside the lane area, allowing him to draw defenders away from the basket.

Rebounding

Plumlee has a good nose for the ball in offensive rebounding situations, and he does a good job establishing position around the basket to put himself in position for a tip or an easy 2^nd chance shot.  He likely would have more offensive rebounding opportunities if the Blue Devils didn’t take as many long perimeter jumpers, which usually have longer rebounds.     

Passing Skills

Plumlee has good court vision, especially out of the low post, and he knows almost instinctively where his open men will be after the defense helps against him.  For the most part, he makes strong passes to the perimeter, and on target enough to allow his teammate to get a quick shot off.  He has also shown the ability to make passes off the face-up and dribble to the basket, making sure he draws the help defender over to him.  Where Plumlee needs to work is on anticipating the need to make a pass, especially against double-teams on the low blocks.  He should also work on being able to spot weak-side cutters for easy shots around the basket.

Free Throw Shooting

There is no doubt that Plumlee has become a better free throw shooter this year, but that doesn’t mean the fixes he made are long-term solutions.  Plumlee’s biggest issue is that he doesn’t shoot the ball as much as he looks to aim the ball right into the hoop. This may have brought Plumlee some early success this season, and may continue to do so in the future, but without shooting the ball, including arc and follow-through, he reduces his margin of error if he is slightly off to almost nothing.  His shot either will go straight in or miss – not much chance for a good bounce.  What does this mean long term? Probably not a lot.  The game has gotten use to big men who can’t hit free throws, but Plumlee could possibly leave a lot of points on the table, since he does a very good job drawing contact and getting to the line. 

Defense

Post Defense

Plumlee has always been an above-average post defender, but he has shown that he is capable of handling many types of post players this season.  He positions himself well in the post, and he uses his upper body to put pressure on the offensive player.  He can deny the post when needed, but prefers to on the player’s dominant side, forcing them to go long around him if they want to make a move into the lane.  He needs to work on using his lower body better to anchor his position, and using it to force his man away from the basket.  His footwork has improved, but he can still be a step slow against quicker offensive players, and his lack of foot speed combined with his preference to shadow towards the inside shoulder leaves him susceptible to dropsteps along the baseline.  When his man faces up, he does a good job not coming out too far and making his man have to score from the perimeter.  Plumlee also does a very good job hedging out on high pick-and-rolls, forcing the ballhandler to take a wide path around, though he needs to work on being quicker spotting and recovering to his man after he sets the screen.  In general, Plumlee has very good defensive awareness, and you can see him throughout the game directing the perimeter defenders to screens and other movements by the offense.

Perimeter Defense

Plumlee realizes that he doesn’t have the foot speed and lateral quickness to defend smaller, quicker players on the perimeter, so instead, he makes sure to position himself in a way which allows him to prevent getting beat off a first-step while also allowing him to close on a perimeter shot.  If he is caught out in space, a decent ballhandler should be able to beat him with a few dribbles, so Plumlee will likely find himself choosing to protect the basket and give up the jumper. 

Help Defense/Shot Blocking

Plumlee isn’t necessarily known for his ability to block shots, and with good reason; he isn’t great at it.  He can be slow to react to shots and the timing of his extension could use some fine-tuning.  However, he is very good as a weakside and basket help defender, and he uses his length well enough to alter opposing shots.  He has also done a good job not picking up fouls by staying grounded on shot-fakes and not going after shots he know he can’t get to without fouling.

Rebounding

Plumlee can be very good on the defensive boards, but with some improvements, he can be even better.  He is very good at understanding where he should be positioned for rebounds depending on the shot, and he is quick to get to the ball after the miss.  He does a good job going strong after the miss, extending his arms to get the ball up high, and securing it.  However, he needs to do a better job looking to box out or put a body on someone before he goes after the ball.  What he gets away with now at the college level, will likely not work as well at the NBA level.  Once he secures the rebound, he has also become a very sound outlet passer, seeing the floor well and knowing when he can take a risk throwing out over the top in transition.  

Transition

Plumlee runs the floor well on the offensive break and he is capable of getting out in front of the defense and finishing, or coming in as a secondary option.  He goes strong to the rim and can finish through contact.  He is a competent enough ballhandler that he can take the ball off the dribble for short bursts, or he can elevate well enough to handle passes around the basket.

Plumlee does a very good job hustling back on transition defense and is very good at finding angles to disrupt fast break chances when he has a play.

Summary

Plumlee is an odd case of a senior who has had significant minutes for a few years now, but is now really starting to develop his complete skill-set.  When it comes to the draft, this puts him in some ways almost like a freshman or sophomore, where you are trying to figure out where his potential really lies.  As noted above, he still has some skill development to do, but he is strong and athletic, and has shown that he can continue to add the skills necessary to be a low-post presence at the NBA level.  While I don’t think he is going to get too much better than he is now, there is room for improvement, and he does enough already to be able to step in and give a tam solid minutes.  He will make almost any team better next season.

Draft Value:  1^st Round: Late Lottery-Mid 1^st  (#9-17)

Plumlee provides a solid mix of an established big man who can defend and rebound with a still progressing offensive game.  Maturity and leadership skills to join any organization.

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The development of the big man in basketball, especially at the college level, is always given a large amount of attention.  A mix of skill and potential, a good big man can instantly turn a team around, even at the NBA level.  The downside to this can be the length of the development process, which can vary greatly for all players, but even more so for 6’10, 6’11, 7’0 teenagers who are still learning to adjust to their size. 

Zeke Marshall, the 6^th ranked center and 43^rd overall player in the Class of 2009 according to Rivals.com, made a somewhat surprising choice when he turned down offers from schools in power conferences such as the ACC and Big East, to play for Akron in the Mid-American Conference. 

Looking back, Marshall is still comfortable with his decision.  “I wanted to come here and help take them to another level,” said Marshall after a recent practice.  “I liked the school and was comfortable with Coach (Keith) Dambrot. I have no regrets about coming here.”

On January 2, Marshall eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in his career, only the 40^th player in Akron history to reach that mark.  He is also 5 blocked shots away from becoming the most prolific swatter in MAC history.   Earlier this season, Marshall shattered the Puerto Rico Tip-Off block record with 13.  Currently, Marshall is the team’s leading scorer and 2^nd leading rebounder, while also being in the Top 10 in the nation in field goal percentage (66.7) and blocks per game (3.4).  Marshall has credited his development to helping him get to this point.

“Over the last few years, I think my whole game has improved,” said Marshall.  “I have been able to refine my skills on defense, but my offense has taken the biggest jump.  I am a lot more confident when I step on the floor.”

It wasn’t always an easy path for Marshall.  “I know there were a lot of expectations on me,” Marshall explained.  “Being 7-foot, I expected to do well, and I started to pressure myself a lot.” 

Akron Assistant Coach Charles Thomas, a college star at Eastern Michigan and a former NBA player, has had a close-up view of how Marshall has progressed as both a person and a player.  “His first two seasons were a very gradual progression,” said Thomas.  “He is always very hard on himself, and always wants positive results.  He would dwell on mistakes.  Now, if something doesn’t go right, he focuses on the next play.”

Marshall realizes this too, and he knows that even though he has come a long way, he is far from a finished product.  “The most important thing for me to continue to improve my game and my mindset,” said Marshall.  “I watch the NBA and I know how hard it is to get there.  I’ve had some flashes, and I just need to keep it going and be consistent on a nightly basis.”

As an NBA fan, Marshall has had the opportunity to watch a lot of players who he hopes to emulate as he continues his career.  “I look at someone like Marcus Camby,” said Marshall. “When he was Defensive Player of the Year with Denver, he held down that defense, he was almost all they had. I watch Tim Duncan also. He just goes out there and does whatever his team needs him to do every night.”

Marshall still has a lot he wants to accomplish in the last few months of his college career.  “The ultimate goal would be to get to the NCAA Tournament and the Final Four,” said Marshall.  “We just need to keep working hard and having the determination to get where we need to be.”  Marshall has his own personal goals for the end of his senior season.  “I want to keep getting stronger and nastier out on the floor.”

Thomas acknowledges how vital Marshall is to those goals.  “We rely a lot on Zeke, especially on the defensive end,” said Thomas.  “If he doesn’t play defense as well as he does, the team can’t go out and do everything else it wants to.”

He knows the road ahead of him is still long, but he isn’t short on motivation.  “I want to excel at whatever I do,” explained Marshall.  “Anything you do will always be more fun when you’re good at it.”  Of course, there are always different motivations – Marshall discussed wanting to prove critics wrong and wanting to live a comfortable life – but he the biggest motivation comes from within.  “I want it,” declared Marshall.  “I want to keep playing at the highest level and be the best I can be.”

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