Photo: US Presswire

Name: Shabazz Muhammad   Age:   19   School: UCLA

Height: 6’6    Weight: 225     Projected Position:         SG/SF   

2012-13 Stats (As of  3/6/13):

18.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.8 spg, 1.7 tpg (30.5 minutes per game)

46.1 FG%, 71.9 FT%, 44.6 3FG%, 55.2 TS%, 51.2 eFG%

29.7 USG%, 9.1 TRB%, 9.3 ORB%, 8.8 DRB%

SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Perimeter Shooting

Muhammad is a good perimeter shooter, but with some caveats. When he can spot up and get his feet set and go through his full shooting motion, he is very good, especially behind the 3-point arc. He squares to the basket well, gets good lift from his legs, but he has a low release point and slow release.  When he shoots he seems to over-follow-through on the release, which lessens some of the lift he gets from his legs, makes the shot less fluid, and adds unnecessary time to the release.  He isn’t very good at creating the space needed for his own shot, so he has to rely on screens, often more than 1, to get him the space and time he needs to get his shot off. Muhammad also isn’t very good shooting off the dribble.  He doesn’t have the time to get set so he ends up drifting on the shot and pushing the ball towards the basket.    

Ballhandling/Penetration

Muhammad is an average ballhandler, doing a good job keeping the ball low and close to his body.  He is able to use both hands, but is much stronger with his left than with his right, to the point that he will almost always go to his left.  He doesn’t use many advanced dribbles other than a good change of pace when going to his left.  He prefers to power the ball to the basket.  Muhammad has good body control and is able to stop quickly after getting into the lane and take a short jumper or floater.  He needs to be more aggressive in looking to get to the basket, but that won’t happen unless he becomes better with his right hand.  Muhammad has improved how he uses screens to free himself from his defender, though he still needs to work on coming around the screen and accelerating.      

Post Skills/Offensive Rebounding

This is where Muhammad has made his biggest impact.  He uses his strong build to seal off his defender and back him down, usually quite easily.  He doesn’t have many moves, but his go-to move, 2 or 3 strong dribbles and a short hook, has been effective.  Similar to his penetration, he will almost always go with his left hand to make his move, setting up on the right block.  If he goes to his right, it will usually be for one dribble and a spin back to his left.  He doesn’t have great touch around the basket, he pushes the ball more than shoots it, but he is hits his target more often than not.  If he faces up out of the post, it is more of the same. He will always look to go left, and if he goes right, he will always spin back to his left, usually to shoot a short floater.  Muhammad crashes the offensive glass well for his size, has a good nose for the ball and uses his body well to establish position. He goes strong after the ball and is quick to get a 2^nd shot off.      

Free Throw Shooting

Muhammad is an average free throw shooter, but should improve over time.  He has a consistent routine and is very focused at the line. Like his jumper, he has an odd release, almost over-following through on the shot, leading to ball often coming as a line-drive off his fingers.  He does a good job drawing contact when he plays around the basket, but he takes the majority of his shots from the perimeter, so he only averages less than 6 attempts per game. It’s even less impressive when he averages around 14 field goal attempts per game.      

Defense

Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)

Muhammad is a below-average on-ball defender, but is improving.  He gets good position, stays low and keeps his arms wide and active to disrupt passing lanes.  His lateral movement has improvement, but still isn’t very good. His biggest issues are that he is slow to react to his man’s movements, and he doesn’t understand how to play angles when his man is looking to get by him. A ball-fake and one quick step in either direction, and his man is gone, leaving Muhammad to chase from behind.  He also has to learn how to handle getting through screens, and understanding when he needs to get over the top against a good shooter.  Using his strength to his advantage and learning how to be physical on defense will be key to his development. Off the ball, Muhammad is slightly better. He does a good job positioning himself in a way where he can jump or deny passing lanes, and easily move between helping or closing on his man.  Defensive awareness is another area Muhammad needs to improve, he can become too focused on either following the ball or his man that he loses track of the plays around him.

Rebounding

Muhammad is a good defensive rebounder for his size, doing a strong job anticipating missed shots, getting in position, and using his body to clear space.  He is goes strong after the ball, and his leaping ability allows him to fight for rebounds against bigger players.  He secures the ball well and is able to take the rebound and start pushing it in transition if necessary.  My biggest issue is we only get involved if he is around the basket area, and will often look to start heading upcourt before his team has even secured the rebound (though I can’t say that this isn’t his Coach’s instructions).  At the next level, he will need to be more aware of keeping perimeter offensive players from looking to crash the boards instead of ignoring them and heading away from the play. 

Transition

Muhammad can be very dangerous in transition, and is capable of some spectacular plays.  As the ballhandler on the break, Muhammad gets the ball up court quickly, and will just look to beat or overpower the defense to the basket. He is capable of finishing through contact and above the rim in a variety of ways.  Like everything else, the key is to take away his left hand.  He doesn’t push the ball quickly or confidently with his right hand.  He is very good running the wings and either spotting up on the perimeter or catching the ball and driving strong to the basket. 

Intangibles/Summary

There is no denying Muhammad’s ability to find ways to score, but unless he makes a lot of changes, I don’t think he will find it that easy at the NBA level. He has to continue to develop his jumper; including fixing his release so he is able to get his shot off the dribble and not having to rely on a slew of screens. Also, he needs to work on getting his right hand at least to the level where he can get into the lane and make plays around the basket with it. His ability to use his body to make plays in the post area, as well as ability to run the floor in transition, will help him greatly as he gets used to the NBA. Defensively, he needs to continue his development, including being able to read and react to his man better, and having better awareness and understanding of team defense. He works hard and he plays hard, he just needs to focus on the right things. While it may be a non-issue to some, Muhammad has visibly shown up a teammate twice on television for not getting the ball when he wanted.   

Draft Value:  1^st round- Lottery – #7-13

Muhammad has his bright spots, but other than scoring, he doesn’t offer a team a whole lot. If he can improve some of the areas highlighted above quickly, he can be a very good NBA player, but there is as much a chance that he ends up as just a high-volume shooter. 

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Photo: ASU News

Name:  Carrick Felix   Age:   22   School: Arizona State

Height: 6’6   Weight: 196  Projected Position:  SG/SF          

2012-13 Stats (As of  3/4/13):

14.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.6 spg, 1.8 tpg (35.0 minutes per game)

50.0 FG%, 63.4 FT%, 35.3 3FG%, 57.8 TS%, 56.6 eFG%

20.7 USG%, 13.4 TRB%, 7.1 ORB%, 19.2 DRB%

SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Perimeter Shooting

Felix is an average perimeter shooter.  He does a good job getting square to the basket, with a quick, high release point and having good arc and follow-through.  He can hit from long-range when he has space and gets set.  He needs to become more confident as a mid-range shooter, and he needs to work on his ability to hit off the dribble or coming off of screens.  He tends to force the ball to the basket, even in traffic, instead of looking to pull up and hit a short jumper.  He moves well without the ball, but he needs to work on coming off of screen, especially getting square quickly and being ready to shoot.  He uses a jab step and ball-fakes well to create space, but should work on using his dribble to get the defender off-balance and create openings for his shot.  He understands spacing well and can be used as part of a two-man game with a good post passer.  Shot selection has improved from the perimeter, but the play of Jahii Carson has also created a lot more space for the perimeter players.    

Ballhandling/Penetration

Felix is an average ballhandler, doing a good job keeping the ball low and close to his body.  He is able to use both hands, but is much stronger with his right than with his left.  Felix has a good first step when going to his right, but is hesitant with his left.  Once he gets by his man, he uses long strides and few dribbles to get to the basket.  He has good body control and is capable of finishing strong at the rim.  He is a quick leaper and will look to finish above the rim when he has the space.  Felix does a decent job using screens to get free, but he needs to do a better job coming off screens tighter and accelerating.  Felix does an excellent job spotting holes in the defense and making quick cuts, especially to the basket.       

Post Skills/Offensive Rebounding

Felix is capable of moving into the post when he has the right match-up and has shown that he can score with his back to the basket or facing up out of the post.  He will look to go to his right hand when making a move, so he needs to become more confident going to his left to avoid overplays.  Felix does a great job crashing the offensive boards, and he is capable of getting the rebound whether he is in position around the basket, or if he makes a play from the perimeter.  He has excellent ball instincts and he is so quick off the ground that he is capable of getting to the ball and going back up with it before other rebounders have reacted. 

Free Throw Shooting

Felix is an average free throw shooter, though his percentage is slightly down this season with a greater amount of attempts.  As smooth as his jumper can be, his free throw form doesn’t go as well. He has a repetitive motion, but when he goes to release the ball, there is a slight hesitation which can make the shot come out flat without much arc, leaving little room for error.  Though his attempts are up this year, he still doesn’t get to the line much – averaging around 3 attempts per game, or 1 attempt for every 3 field goal attempts.  When he looks to attack the basket, he does a good job drawing contact, but as discussed above, he needs to look to do that more often.   

Defense

Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)

Felix is an excellent on-ball defender, positioning himself well between his man and the basket, staying low and moving well laterally.  He is capable of pressuring the ball and looks for chances to use his force the ballhandler into an error.  He does a very good job getting over screens, especially against good perimeter shooters, and he recovers well if he gets caught in a screen.   Off the ball, Felix positions himself well, and does a very good job denying passing lanes.   He does a good job navigating through screens off the ball, not letting his man get a lot of room and finding ways to get through screens in the lane area.  He is a strong help defender and is capable of altering or blocking shots in the lane area if he is in position.  Felix closes well on perimeter shooters, though he needs to be more careful about falling for shot fakes.  Felix has excellent defensive awareness and is versatile and athletic enough to cover multiple positions.

Rebounding

Felix is an excellent rebounder for his size, doing a strong job anticipating missed shots, getting in position, and putting a body on someone.  He is a quick leaper and goes strong after the ball, and his leaping ability allows him to get after rebounds where he is out of position.  He secures the ball well and clears the area before looking to push the ball.  He does need to watch that he looks to put a body on players who want to rush into the lane from the perimeter to make a play on a missed shot.

Transition

Felix is very good in transition, both pushing the ball up court himself and running the wings.  As the ballhandler on the break, Felix gets the ball up court quickly, and will just look to beat the defense to the basket. He is much better running one of the lanes and either spotting up on the perimeter or streaking to the basket where he is capable of catching and finishing above the defense.

Felix is also a very good transition defender.  He does an excellent job forcing the ball to a side and positioning himself between the ball and the basket, giving his teammates time to recover on defense.

Intangibles/Summary

Felix is culminating his college career with a great all-around season. He is a versatile scorer and can make an impact from many areas on the court.  His real value comes on the defensive end.  He is a tough rebounder and will battle with much bigger players for the ball.  He is also capable of not only guarding multiple positions, but guarding each of them well and appropriately depending on the player.  He is a strong athlete, and he goes out and plays at a high level every game.  Becoming a consistent perimeter shooter should be a priority, and expanding his game to being able to shoot off the dribble well will help him immensely. His overall game will just need to be fine-tuned for the NBA game, but he is close to being able to step right in and contribute. 

Draft Value:  Early 2^nd – #34-41

Felix should be a commodity for his defensive ability alone, but he isn’t a bad offensive player either. He is versatile on both ends of the floor, and though the upside won’t be tremendous, he is capable of getting minutes early in his career and he should be able to find a fit in almost any system. 

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Name:  Erick Green    Age:  21  School: Virginia Tech

Height: 6’3    Weight: 185  Projected Position:  PG/SG  

2012-13 Stats (As of  2/25/13):

25.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.4 spg, 2.0 tpg (36.3 minutes per game)

47.5 FG%, 82.4 FT%, 37.5 3FG%, 2:1 A/TO

59.0 TS%, 52.7 eFG%, 32.3 USG%, 29.3 AST%

SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Perimeter Shooting

Green is an average perimeter shooter.  He does a good job getting square to the basket, with a high release point and having good arc and follow-through.  He can hit from long-range when he has space, but he doesn’t have great strength, so he has to get more lift from his legs making his shot release a bit slow behind the 3-point line.  He is a good mid-range shooter with the ability to hit off the dribble or coming off of screens.  He moves well without the ball and comes tight off of screens ready to shoot.  He uses his dribble well to create space and if you backpedal on him, he is quick to stop and rise up quick for the short or mid-range jumper.  Green does a good job going straight up for his jumper off the dribble, making sure not to float.  He doesn’t force many bad jumpers, but because he takes extra time from long-range, defenders can close quicker on him, forcing him to try and adjust. 

Penetration

Green is very good at getting into the lane off the dribble.  He doesn’t have a great first step, but he uses screens very well, coming off tight and accelerating around the corner.  Green is also very good at beating defenders who try to hedge on him on high screens, either beating them around the corner or stepping through and splitting the defenders.  He has good body control when he gets into the lane, and he can weave his way through the defense, or if given room, pull up for the short jumper or floater.  He isn’t going to overpower going to the basket, but he doesn’t shy away from contact, actually looking to draw it. Green likes to attack the basket coming off screens going to his left knowing that many defenders will be drawn to stopping him to his strong right.  He is creative around the basket and can finish in a variety of ways, though he needs to be careful of over-penetrating and getting caught with few options other than a forced shot in traffic.     

Ballhandling

Green is a good ballhandler, able to use both hands well and doing a very good job protecting the ball.   He has a good crossover and a strong change of pace dribble to allow him to create space and get the defender off-balance.  He handles pressure well and is very creative getting away from pressure, using spin moves and step-throughs.  He reads defenders well and will look to move based on what they give him.      

Passing Skills

Green has above-average court vision and can be a good passer.  Green keeps his head up, especially when going to the basket and has a good knack for knowing where his teammates will be open.  He has to watch over-penetrating in the lane and getting caught without a good passing option.  He sees the court well when coming off of screens, and if Virginia Tech ran more pick-and-roll plays, he would likely make good reads.  For the most part, he makes good, hard passes which his teammates can use to make a play quickly. 

Free Throw Shooting

Green is a good free throw shooter with a consistent routine at the line.  He has an odd motion, stopping for a split second at the top of his motion before he releases the ball, but it doesn’t seem to affect his shot much.  Green can be aggressive going to the basket and it shows in the number of free throw attempts he gets every game – He’s averaging almost 9 attempts per game, and gets 1 free throw for every 2 shot attempts.   

Defense

Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)

Green is a good on-ball defender, positioning himself well between his man and the basket, staying low and moving well laterally.  He is capable of pressuring the ballhandler, but prefers to keep them at arm’s length, and looking for an opportunity to use his quick hands to create a turnover.   Green needs to do a better job getting over the top of screens against shooters, he will bail out. Also, Green needs to watch being forced to play on his heels and backpedaling when his man is aggressive with the ball.  Green needs to learn to stand his ground and force him to a side.   Off the ball, Paul generally positions himself well, though he can be caught cheating a bit too much towards the lane.  He does a good job looking to jump or disrupt passing lanes but needs to watch falling for pass fakes.   He does a good job navigating through screens off the ball, not letting his man get a lot of room and finding ways to get through screens in the lane area.  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.  He has stepped up as a leader and can be seen directing his teammates on the defensive end.

Rebounding

Green rebounds well for his size, doing a strong job anticipating missed shots and looking to beat people to the spot, especially on longer rebounds.  He is not going to get involved in the physical battle, but pick his spots where he can swoop in and grab the rebound in space.  An added bonus when he gets the rebound is he is quick to grab the ball and head up court quickly looking to get the team out in transition.

Transition

Green is very good in transition, both pushing the ball up court himself and running the wings.  As the ballhandler on the break, Paul gets the ball up court quickly, stays in control, and looks to get an open space for his shot.  He is very good at getting the defender backpedaling and pulling up for the mid-range jumper.  If the defender comes up on him, he is aggressive looking to get to the basket and finish strong, absorbing contact if needed.  One area he can improve is his ability to draw the defense and find open teammates.

Intangibles/Summary

Enough can’t be said about the job Green has done stepping up as the leader of a young team in a program going through a transition.  He has been patient with his teammates and he has thrived being the target of opposing defenses.  It can be easy to overlook this on a team with a losing record, but it I can’t imagine how bad it would have been without him.  He isn’t a natural point guard, but he has shown he is capable of handling the position while scoring in a variety of ways. He is a good defender who could probably even be better if he didn’t exert so much energy on offense. 

Draft Value:  Late 1^st - Early 2^nd – #26-34

Green has continued to improve each year he has been in college, taking on more responsibilities and adding new wrinkles to his game.  He is mature and understands the game well, and should continue to learn wherever he happens to play.  He may need some time to learn more about running the point at the NBA level, but he can still provide some scoring if given the chance.  Developing strength will be important as he will want to be a perimeter threat at the NBA level.

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Name:   Rodney Williams, Jr.   Age:   21   School: Minnesota

Height: 6’7    Weight: 200       Projected Position:    F             

2012-13 Stats (As of 2/22/13):

10.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.3 bpg, 1.6 tpg (27.9 minutes per game)

49.5 FG%, 65.9 FT%, 24.2 3FG%, 54.4 TS%, 51.4 eFG%

9.7 OREB%, 11.5 DREB%, 10.7 TREB%, 12.0 AST%, 21.2 USG%

SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Perimeter Shooting

Williams has the potential to be a good perimeter shooter, though he rarely looks for his jumper and even then he has to be wide open.  He has good form, a high release point and good follow-through, though he tends to jump forward a few feet on long jumpers when he probably doesn’t need to.  The end result is a lot of shots that miss long.  Williams uses screens well, but he needs to learn to shoot his jumper coming off of them.  The same goes for shooting off the dribble.  He needs to get confidence in his jumper or defenders at the next level will lay off of him, taking away his penetration ability.

Rebounding

Williams does a good job on the offensive glass, using his athleticism to beat defenders to ball, usually by out-leaping them.  He has very good body control and does a very good job finding paths from the perimeter to the basket to go after missed shots.  His leaping ability also allows him to corral rebounds up high and finish at the basket.  He doesn’t have the strength to battle for offensive rebounds, so he needs to pick his spots wisely.

Post Play/Footwork

Williams has spent a lot of his college career playing as an undersized 4 in Minnesota’s offense.  While he will likely be out on the perimeter more at the next level, it has left with him with a unique skill set which he can employ in certain matchups.  He does a good job getting position in the post, getting low and wide and setting a target for the pass.  He likes to face up out of the post and look to beat his man off the dribble to the basket.  He prefers to go to his right to the basket, so if he starts with his left, he will look to make a spin move to open up to his right where he can then finish.  If he is given a little bit of space, he will elevate and try to finish above the rim.  His back-to-the basket game has improved some, showing the ability to make a quick move to the lane over either shoulder, though he still will look to finish with his right hand.  He is a good screener on the perimeter, and he is a solid option rolling to the basket or slipping the screen.         

Penetration/Ballhandling

Williams is an average ballhandler, able to use both hands, but preferring to go to his right. He does a good job limiting the amount of ballhandling he does, using a few dribbles and long strides to get to the basket.  He doesn’t have a great first step, but he uses jab steps well to create space.  Shot-fakes don’t do as well, as he has yet to show he can be a consistent threat with his jumper.  When he gets by his defender, he will likely go straight to the rim, and he uses good body control to try and avoid help defenders.  He can be a strong finisher when he has space, but instead of finishing through contact, he tries to avoid it and ends up putting up off-balance shots.  He is capable of going to either side off the dribble, but will always try to go right if it is available. 

Free Throw Shooting

Williams is a below-average free throw shooter, though he doesn’t get to the line enough to make any impact.  He should be able to improve his stroke from the line, though his release his different from his jumper release.  On free throws, his release is rushed and a bit flat, and he needs to remember to shoot up above the rim and not at the rim.  While he doesn’t get to the line often, part of that has to do with the limited shots attempts he gets, averaging about 8 shot attempts a game, and about 3.5 free throws per game.    

Defense

Perimeter Defense

Williams is an above-average on-ball defender, getting good position, staying low and keeping his arms and feet active.  He has good lateral movement and is able to pick up ballhandlers far out on the perimeter.  He needs to do a better job getting over screens on the perimeter, especially not going under screens against good shooters.  Off-the-ball, Williams needs to work on his positioning a bit, not cheating so far to help, especially against teams that move the ball well.  He reacts well to his man’s movements, and he does a good job calling out his man’s screens.  His length allows him to close well on shooters, even if he gives up some space, though he needs to learn to read shot fakes better and stay on the ground.

Post Defense

Williams is a good post defender for his size.  He is physical and uses his body well to try and force players away from the basket.  He moves his feet well, and does a good job reacting and moving laterally to cut off any moves to the basket.  He doesn’t have a very strong body and can still be backed down by larger post players.   Williams hedges well in pick-and-roll situations and he uses his foot speed and long arms to disrupt any passes from the perimeter.         

Help Defense/Shot Blocking

Williams anticipates well when he needs to slide over and help, though he can sometimes be too aggressive.  He is a good shot blocker, when he is in position, and his leaping ability gives him the chance to alter shots even if he can’t get there to block them.  He times his blocks well, though he needs to watch that he goes straight up and avoids body contact.

Rebounding

Williams is a solid rebounder, though he relies on his athleticism more than technique to get to missed shots.  He does a good job tracking shots and is quick off the ground going after the miss.  He secures the ball up high and clears out space well.  He needs to work on being more physical and using his body to clear space before going after the shot, as stronger players uses their body to get him easily out of position.    

Transition

Williams is very good in transition, whether pushing the ball himself if he has space, or running one of the lanes.  He makes strong cuts to the basket from the wing and is able to catch and finish high passes around the basket.  He isn’t as good if he gets the ball on the perimeter, where he has to rely on his ballhandling to get to the rim.  When he gets space on the break, he can be one of the most spectacular finishers at the rim in all of college basketball.

Intangibles/Summary

For a senior, I still think Williams has a good amount of potential, only because he has been misused and part of a stagnant offense which doesn’t play to his abilities.  A good athlete, who can finish at the basket in a variety of ways, Williams also has developed some post skills which would allow him to possibly take other small forwards around the basket.  He is capable of guarding 3 positions and could play at different tempos.  He will need to find confidence, and do some fine-tuning, on his jumper, but it is certainly fixable.  He is a versatile player who can allow a coach to employ different personnel schemes.  

Draft Value:  2^nd Round – Early-Middle 2^nd – #38-45

Williams has the raw ability that is certainly worth a risk early in the 2^nd round.  At worst, he is capable defender and a decent offensive threat below the foul line.  With work, he can be a versatile offensive threat capable of guarding athletic wings.

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Name:   Richard Howell   Age:   22   School: North Carolina State

Height: 6’8         Weight: 257       Projected Position:         PF          

2012-13 Stats (As of 2/18/13):

13.2 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.6 tpg (31.4 minutes per game)

57.0 FG%, 65.6 FT%, 58.9 TS%, 57.0 eFG%

15.3 OREB%, 23.3 DREB%, 19.7 TREB%, 20.4 USG%

SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Post Play/Footwork

Howell has improved as low post presence, though he still needs a lot of work.  He uses his body well establish position on the block, and he gets his hands out to give his teammate a target.  He prefers to set up on the left block and make moves over his left shoulder with his right hand.  He is good at using his body to force his way towards the basket and not many defenders can force him out wide.  He has good touch around the rim and has developed a nice mini-hook with his right hand which he can hit from out to about 6 feet.  He is capable of finishing with either hand around the basket, though he doesn’t finish above the rim often.  He likes to face up out of the low post and is capable of hitting the short jumper or driving strong to the rim.  He likes to go to his right hand, so if you take away his right when he faces up, he will usually settle for the short jumper. Howell is a strong screener out of the post, though he needs to work on rolling to the basket better, including opening up to the ball, when he sets a high screen.  Howell also does a good job using his big body to seal off defenders in the lane to create room for his teammates to get to the basket.          

Ballhandling

Howell is an average ballhandler at best, and when he goes to his left hand, he is below average. He does a good job limiting the amount of ballhandling he actually does, and not forcing plays with his weaker hand.  He prefers a few power dribbles in the post area, but he is capable of making the occasional drive from the perimeter, though he has to make sure he keeps his head up when he does this.     

Perimeter Shooting

Howell has improved his shooting ability from the perimeter, but the shot mechanics are far from ideal.  He does a good job squaring to the basket and getting lift from his legs, but his release point is slightly low causing his shots to come out without much arc.  He has follows through well and that helps the shot somewhat, but his shot leaves little margin for error.  He has consistent range out to about 15 feet, and he has become a good enough shooter that post players have to come out and defend him.  He uses jab steps and fakes well to try and get defenders off balance.

Rebounding

Howell is an excellent offensive rebounder, anticipating missed shots well and using his big body to get good position for the rebound.  He controls the ball well, and often secures it, though he needs to watch a tendency to bring the ball low.  He may force some bad 2^nd chance shots once he has the offensive rebound, and he has to work on looking to draw and shoot through contact, especially with his strength.  While Howell isn’t a high leaper, he is quick off the ground, and he works hard to at least get a hand on shots he can’t get to right away.

Passing Skills

Howell has decent good vision when he has the ball, both in the low post and on the perimeter.  He has done a better job anticipating double teams in the post, and finds open teammates with quick, strong, catchable passes.  He has good awareness and can find cutters and shooters on the weakside.

Free Throw Shooting

Howell is a below-average free throw shooter, with the same issues discussed above with his perimeter shooting.  Howell’s release is slightly low and it leads to his shots having a line drive quality with little arc.  You can he see by the amount of shots, both makes and misses, that hit the front of the rim.  More alarming is how little he gets to the free throw line for someone who gets the large majority of his shots around the basket.  He will rush shots in close avoiding contact rather than drawing, and finishing through, any contact.  He isn’t much of a leaper and many defenders look to block his shots, so simple shot fakes should lead to more than almost 4 attempts per game he gets now. 

Defense

Post Defense

Howell has developed into a solid 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.  Because Howell likes to try and force the player towards the lane, he has become susceptible to quick moves along the baseline area, such as a quick dropstep, and he doesn’t have the foot speed to really prevent it.  Howell is also not very good at pick-and-roll defense, having issues of not getting out to hedge quick enough, or getting caught too long on the perimeter after the ballhandler gets around him.         

Perimeter Defense

Howell is an average perimeter defender, though he tries to avoid coming too far out on his man.  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 below average lateral movement and foot speed, though he has improved and has learned to find angles to cut off penetration.    

Help Defense/Shot Blocking

Howell anticipates well when he needs to slide over and help, though he can be a step or two slow to get over at times.  He is not a very good shot blocker, having issues with timing, leaping ability, and choosing the right spots to attempt a block.  What Howell is good at is fouling hard and not letting players who get to the rim get a good shot off, making them go to the free throw line to get their points.

Rebounding

Howell is a very good to great defensive rebounder and it starts with him using his body well to seal off some space.  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.  He uses his lower body well to force offensive players to have to go over the top of him to try and get the ball.  He does a good job going strong after the ball and securing it with strong hands.  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.  One area where Howell can improve is anticipating where the missed shot is going go and getting to the spot quickly to clear space.    

Transition

Howell isn’t very fast, but he does get up and down the floor well for his size.  He isn’t going to get out ahead on the break often, but he is a very good option as a trailer, especially if he finds an opening down the middle of the lane.  When given the space, he will always go up and finish strong.

Intangibles/Summary

Howell is a very good role player, and he makes the most out of his opportunities when gets the ball.  He is rarely the focus of the NC State offense, but he goes out and creates his own opportunities.  He understands his teammates well and he tailors his play to make them better.  Blessed with a wide body, he uses it well to create space and get on the boards.  His improved confidence on the offensive end forces post defenders to play him honestly, and occasionally force teams to look to double him.  He is a team guy who plays with a lot of energy, and there have been more than a few games where the team needed to rely on his energy. 

Draft Value:  2^nd Round – Mid 2^nd – #42-50

Howell will never be more than a role player at the next level, but he could easily excel in a role as a backup power forward who just needs to go out, defend and crash the boards.  He doesn’t require the ball to contribute, and he will create his own opportunities when they are there within the flow of the offense.  Some of his offensive skills still need some fine tuning, but he should be able to contribute fairly quickly off the bench.

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