Chris Wright, Georgetown- Senior           

Guard-  6'1, 208

13.9 ppg, 3 rpg, 7.4 apg, 44.9% FG, 79.2% FT, 43.2% 3FG    

Offense

Perimeter Shooting-  Over the course of his time at Georgetown, Wright has developed a good perimeter jumper, including the ability to hit the 3 consistently and in all situations.   He has good form, but his release is slow and his release point could be higher, especially given his lack of size.  He is confident with his shot and will make sure he has a good look before he takes a shot.  He uses screens well and also has an assortment of effective ball and head fakes.  Because of the nature of the Georgetown offense, he moves well without the ball. 

Ballhandling/Hands/Penetration- Wright is an excellent ballhandler, with the ability to handle pressure or break his man down one-on-one.  He handles the ball effectively with both hands, though he prefers to go to his right.  Wright has good hands and can handle difficult passes while keeping control.  In the last 2 seasons, Wright has become a very good penetrator, taking his man in isolation or making excellent cuts to the basket.  He has a strong body and can take some hits on his way to the rim and still finish.  He doesn’t have a great first step, but he uses different methods to beat his man to the rim.  He is also very good at getting into the lane, drawing the defense and hitting the open man.

Rebounding/Passing-  Wright is a good offensive rebounder for his size with a good knack for getting to long rebounds or using his strength to grab the ball from bigger players.  Wright is an excellent passer, nothing spectacular, just good, solid passes which get to their targets in good position for them to do something with the ball.  He has a great understanding of running the Georgetown offense, and his decision making with the ball is usually very sound.

Free Throw Shooting  - Wright is a very good free throw shooter who can be counted on down the stretch of close games.  Like his jumper, his form and release are very consistent, and even when his shot his off, it still has a good chance of going in.  If there is one thing for him to work on, its getting to line more by penetrating to the basket and drawing contact.

Defense

Perimeter Defense- While not very quick with his feet or his hands, Wright is a very solid on-ball defender.  You aren’t going to get a lot of steals or deflections, but he does a good job keeping his man in front of him and making the right decisions on defending against screens.  He is very disciplined as a help defender, and doesn’t gamble a lot.  He closes well on shooters, and does a very good job staying with his man off the ball.  

Rebounding- Wright is a solid rebounder for his size and position, and his strong body helps him fight for the ball against bigger men.  He does a very good job reading missed shots and getting himself into position to help out.

Transition

Wright handles the ball well in transition, and while not the quickest guy, he gets the ball up court swiftly and makes very good decisions.  He is much better with the ball in his hands, though he can run the lanes and get into position for an open jumper.  Defensively, he does a very good job getting back against the break and knows how to cut off angles to prevent easy fast break layups.

Summary & Intangibles

Athleticism – Above Average

BB IQ - High

Wright is as solid a point guard as you will find in the Big East, running his offense smoothly, while also knowing when he needs to contribute some scoring.  He is a very “what you see is what you get” player, meaning there is nothing flashy about his game, just fundamentally very solid play on both ends of the floor.  While I don’t see him as a starting point guard in the NBA, he is skilled and hardworking enough to be a very solid backup, especially with a team that relies on their offense being run precisely.  Depending on how the point guard crop looks this year, he could sneak into the late 2^nd round, but it is just as likely he will need to earn his way into the NBA as a free agent.

We will continue to check in on both Wright and Austin Freeman as the season progresses, and make sure to check back this weekend for more scouting reports from this past week’s games, including our first look at Duke’s Kyrie Irving.  Remember, leave any comments below, follow me on Twitter - @NBADraftBlog, or feel free to email me at the link up top.

After watching one of the best games of the early season last night between Missouri and Georgetown, the next 2 scouting reports will focus on the senior leaders in the backcourt for the Hoyas – Austin Freeman and Chris Wright.  First, up is Freeman – a deadly outside shooter who has slowly improved his all-around game over his time in college.  Is Freeman’s game ready for the NBA?  Let’s take a look.

Austin Freeman, Georgetown - Senior           

Guard-  6'3, 2227

21.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.3 apg, 59.6% FG, 84% FT, 56.8% 3FG    

Offense

Perimeter Shooting- Freeman may be one of the best perimeter shooters, not only in the Big East, but in all of college basketball.   His form is consistent, has NBA 3 point range and has great shot selection.  The one knock on him may be that he is a significantly better shooter if he is set rather than coming off a screen (though that is the case with most shooters).  He has become better over his college career at recognizing defenses and knowing where he will get the best shot.  While his size isn’t great, he does a good job getting lift on his shot to get it over taller defenders.  He moves well without the ball, and plays very well in the Georgetown offense – quick cuts to the basket and step outs to the 3 point line.

Ballhandling/Hands/Penetration- While not a great ballhandler, Freeman is capable of helping bring the ball up against pressure, though would not be as effective as a primary ballhandler.  He does a good job using both hands and can go strong to either side.  Probably his best ballhandling trait is his efficiency with the ball, usually using the bare minimum of dribbles to accomplish what he needs to do.  He has good hands and always sets a good target for the passer.  He also has the ability to handle tough passes in traffic.  He prefers to stay on the perimeter, but since the middle of last season, he has shown that he can get to the basket from the wing or the baseline.  Extremely strong, he can absorb contact and still finish at the rim and he has excellent understanding of backboard angles to score from multiple places around the rim. 

Rebounding/Passing- These are both areas where Freeman has plenty of room for improvement.  While he is very strong, he rarely is in position to grab offensive rebounds, though this season he has shown that he will get in the mix when needed.  He makes strong, crisp passes, especially on the backdoor cuts created by the Georgetown offense, but he still has a tendency to try and force the ball into the post. 

Free Throw Shooting  - Freeman is an excellent free throw shooter, and can be counted on to hit when the game is on the line.  Because of his tendency to stay on the perimeter, he doesn’t get as many attempts as he could, but when he does penetrate, he does a good job drawing contact.

Defense

Perimeter Defense- Freeman has average defensive skills, but makes up for it somewhat with his high basketball IQ.  While he can be beat off the dribble, he knows how to force players into the help defenders, or play angles well to get back in front of his man.  Because of his lack of foot speed, he often plays off of his man, often giving them good looks from the perimeter.  If he does recognize his man is shooting, he is not very quick closing on the shooter.  He also could be more active with his hands, as he tends to play defense with his hands close to his sides and does little in the way of disrupting passes.

Rebounding- As on the offensive end, Freeman doesn’t get involved much in rebounding, though he does box out well on the perimeter and uses his body well when around the basket to prevent offensive rebounds.

Transition

Freeman fills the wings well in transition and is a threat to pull up from three or take the ball strong to the rim.  While he can push the ball up himself, he is much more effective filling a lane and getting ready to shoot.

Summary & Intangibles

Athleticism - Average

BB IQ - High

Freeman has become one of the most efficient scoring guards in the country, and the odd part is, he does it mostly from the perimeter.  For him to get first round consideration from the NBA, he will need to look to put the ball on the floor more often and use his strong body to draw contact and get to the line.  Defensively, he could be a potential liability against NBA shooting guards, but if he can improve his technique and foot speed, he could be a decent on-ball defender.  Right now, I would peg him as an early second-round pick who would likely make any team based on his ability to shoot.  I will be watching the other areas of his game closely looking to see if he makes the improvements necessary to get serious first round consideration.  Of course, there is also his well known Diabetes diagnosis from last season, which seems to be under control, but should be closely monitored.

Make sure to check back later today for a look at Chris Wright, as well as some more from the early-season tournaments.  Remember, leave any comments below, follow me on Twitter - @NBADraftBlog, or feel free to email me at the link up top.

A little late, but here is a look at two of the backcourt players I had a chance to watch in person during the Coaches v. Cancer games at Madison Square Garden – Demetri McCamey of Illinois and Ashton Gibbs of Pitt.  Remember, these are just early season impressions and I will revisit these players again multiple times this season as draft possibilities become clearer.

Demetri McCamey,  Illinois - Senior

Guard-  6'3, 200

17.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 7.4 apg, 60.4% FG, 70.6% FT, 50% 3FG

Offense

Perimeter Shooting-  McCamey is a fantastic shooter, with great range and a fast release.  He has the ability to shoot his jumper off the pass, dribble or in transition.  His shot selection could use improvement, especially his tendency to force long-range shots early in the shot clock and while being guarded closely.  It is also important for him to make sure he gets full extension on his jumper, as he tends to miss most often by short-arming the shot.

Ballhandling/Hands/Penetration- McCamey is a capable ballhandler, though he is susceptible to turning the ball over against pressure defense.  Decision-making when running the offense is going to be a key area for him to improve upon during the course of the season, as he tends to look for his shot first before getting the offense going.  He does a good job pushing the ball in transition, and has a very deceptive first step to the basket.  Combined with his strong upper body, he has the ability to take some hits and still finish.

Rebounding/Passing-  Because McCamey tends to stay on the perimeter, more often than not, he is not in position to grab offensive rebounds, other than the occasional long miss.  If he was to crash the boards, I believe he has the strength and the instincts to get a decent amount of rebounds for his size.  While McCamey has racked up impressive assist totals, his passing skills and court vision are average.  It has been more of his teammates hitting tough shots than McCamey getting them the ball in optimal position.  When pressured, he needs to make sure to keep his head up and see the whole court.

Free Throw Shooting- McCamey doesn't get to the line as often as he could as he tends to play around the perimeter.  He is a decent free throw shooter, but still has room to improve.

Defense

Perimeter Defense- McCamey needs to improve his on-ball defense as he lacks the lateral movement and footwork necessary to stay with NBA level guards.   He has good hands which keeps players he is guarding honest, and he does a good job closing on shooters. Off the ball, he needs to play tighter on his man, as he often leaves them room to get good looks at the basket.

Rebounding- McCamey has the ability to provide solid rebounding support from the guard position and does an excellent job going after loose balls and long rebounds.  It will be important for him to make sure he gets himself involved in rebounding against more physical teams they will play.

Transition

McCamey has the ability to fill the lanes or handle the ball in transition, and he has the strength to finish.  He is also a threat to get off his jumper in transition, though he needs to be careful that his shot is the best available option.  He has excellent leaping ability and if he gets out on the wings, it could lead to some easy and spectacular plays.

Summary & Intangibles

Athleticism- High

BB IQ - Above Average

McCamey is a fantastic scorer and he has playmaking abilities, but it will be important for him to show this more over the course of the season.  Also, his on-ball defense needs a lot of work, as well as his decision-making on both ends.  But, his scoring ability will make him a commodity to NBA teams, and even without these improvements, he could be a late first-round pick.  If he improves these other areas, he could easily move up to the mid-first round.

Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh - Junior

Guard-  6'2, 190

19.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.8 apg, 48.1% FG, 82.6% FT, 47.6% 3FG

Offense

Perimeter Shooting-  Gibbs has made great strides already this season with his shooting.  While he has been a solid shooter, with good form and deep range, his shot selection the last two seasons was less than ideal.  So far this season, he seems to be looking for the best shot possible, and its paying off with clean looks at the basket.

Ballhandling/Hands/Penetration- While Gibbs is not the guy you would want handling the ball against pressure, he does a decent job as a second guard helping bring the ball up and executing the offense.  His biggest issue is that when he does have the ball in his hands, he is always trying to make something happen, when it would be better for him to see what the defense gives him.  He has good hands, and almost always has them in good position to receive passes from his teammates.  He has a very good first step, though he is prone to over-penetration and getting caught wither taking a forced shot or nowhere to pass the ball.  He is slowly learning to penetrate and kick to the open man on the perimeter more, though he still prefers to shoot himself.  He also has some of the best head and ball fakes I have seen so far this season and does a good job making his defender commit to early.

Rebounding/Passing-  Gibbs doesn’t contribute much on the offensive glass, other than the occasional long rebound or grab of his own miss near the basket.  He doesn’t really have the size or strength to do much more than that, though if he did follow his misses, he would probably grab 1 more offensive board a game.  His passing has improved this season, as he seems to recognize opposing defenses, and their weaknesses, better.  As I said earlier, he has become much better at penetrating and kicking out, though he looks shot first, and he done a much better job of making the extra pass to get the team a better shot.

Free Throw Shooting- Gibbs is a very good free throw shooter; consistent and he has the ability to hit them when they matter.  He needs to start getting to the line more often, and that starts with taking the ball to the rim more.

Defense

Perimeter Defense- Gibbs seems to be out of sync with typical Jamie Dixon defenders.  He moves his feet well staying with the ball, but he often gives up when he hits a screen, and looks for short cuts when defending his man. His effort is inconsistent, though when he tries, he is capable of forcing turnovers.  Off the ball, he tends to drift towards away from his man, making it hard for him to close on perimeter shooters.

Rebounding- As on the offensive end, Gibbs is not going to give you much rebounding other than grabbing the occasional long rebound, or misses which come right to him.  It isn’t much of a concern at a team level since Pitt has many strong rebounders.

Transition

Gibbs has the ability to push the ball on the break, though he is much better filling one of the wings.  With his ability to shoot from almost anywhere, and very good athleticism, there is a good chance that if you get the ball to him in transition, he will score.  When he is the one pushing the ball, his decision-making is still suspect, though it has improved over last year, especially when it comes to deciding when it’s best to hold up and wait for the team.

Summary & Intangibles

Athleticism- High

BB IQ - Above Average

Gibbs is a volume scorer, but the rest of his game is still lagging behind a bit, especially on the defensive end.  He is still a much better perimeter shooter than penetrator, and it will be best for his NBA prospects to show that he can run the offense efficiently.  It is tough to deny that he finds ways to score, and his improved shot selection should get better as the season goes on.  I can’t see him being better than a second round pick this year, and as of now, would probably be best served by returning for his senior season.

That’s it for the Coaches v. Cancer Scouting Reports, check back the rest of the week for a look at players from around the country who took part in the other Holiday tourneys.

Remember, leave any comments below, follow me on Twitter - @NBADraftBlog, or feel free to email me at the link up top.

Basketball fans at the Orlando Summer League first started to notice his monster presence on defense playing for the Philadelphia 76ers squad.  More important, scouts around the league started to whisper his name among each other.  The Golden State Warriors offered him a chance to make their squad this fall, and by all accounts among the players and coaching staff, he just fell victim to a numbers game and was let go right before the season.  Now, Vernon Goodridge is in the NBA D League, having been made the #5 pick overall in the D League Draft by the Springfield Armor.  I had a chance last week to speak to Vernon about his experience since leaving La Salle and leading to his playing for Springfield.  Enjoy this insight into his journey, and you will realize that not only does he have a bright future as a player, but he is a great person as well.

Vernon on his experience with the Philadelphia 76ers Summer League team this past summer:

“It was a great experience.  It helped me get acclimated to the speed of the professional game.  I was playing with guys who were already under contract, like Mareese Speights, so I concentrated on doing the small things, the blue collar things, like rebounding and playing defense.”

Vernon on his time with the Golden State Warriors Pre-season camp:

“Another great experience for me, they are a great group of guys and players, and I learned a lot about the game from being around them.”

On what he learned as player while in Golden State:

“The biggest thing I learned was to be a more effective and efficient when I have the ball.  You learn that you can score 18, but take 15 shots to do it, or you can be more efficient and score the same 18 in 9 or 10 shots.”

On his reaction to finding out he did not make the team:

“It hit me hard; I thought I did enough to stick with them.  Then I realized there were 29 other teams and I can go make one of those.”

Vernon on his D League experience so far:

“It’s been a very good experience.  I have always been very passive as a player, and it is helping me to become more of a complete player, including wanting to have the ball on offense.  I have always cared more about rebounding and defense, but now I want to show a more well-rounded player.”

On what areas he hopes to improve on:

“I definitely want to become a better a shooter, especially my mid-range game.  I have been taking more shots from the short corners and the elbows because of the offense we run.”

On playing for former NBA player Dee Brown:

“It’s a great experience.  He is very similar to Keith Smart (Golden State Head Coach) in how he runs his offense and how he relates to the players.  Having Coach Brown as a former player, he knows what we need to do for ourselves to get there, and he is doing everything he can to help us. “

“He does demand a lot out of us.  His job is not only to help the players get to the NBA, but to make his team the best team it can be.  He gives us a lot of freedom on offense, but in return, we need to give an all out effort on the defensive end.  The way he sees it, he can build a successful team and send 4 or 5 of us to the NBA, instead of worrying about getting a player or two called up.  NBA teams will want players from winning programs.”

A Message to his fans:

“I am so thankful for the support and I won’t stop working hard until I get to the NBA and make everyone proud.”

I want to thank Vernon for his time, and also a special thank you to his agent BJ Bass of RBA Sports.  You can check out more about Vernon and BJ’s other players at his website – www.rbasports.com.  Look out for more about Vernon on the site in the coming weeks as we follow his journey to the NBA.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Coaches v. Cancer games at Madison Square Garden to watch Pitt, Texas, Maryland and Illinois battle over two days, with Pitt beating Texas to win it all.  Since the focus of this site is to provide the best information on the NCAA players, we start this seasons scouting reports with some of my insights from last weekend.  This post will focus on two post players - Jordan Williams of Maryland and Tristan Thompson of Texas.  A later post today will focus on some of the guards I had the chance to watch.

Jordan Williams, Maryland 

Center-  6'10, 260

18.4 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 57% FG, 55.6 FT

Offense

Post Skills- Williams has a massive body and knows how to use it well to establish position in the post.  He has an improved drop-step move into the paint from both blocks, though he often settles for fading away on his shot rather than finishing strong.  He has shown nice touch around the rim and has the ability to shoot with either hand close to the basket.  His passing out of the post has improved, though it is still far from where it should be, especially when he is doubled down low.

Footwork- For his size, Williams has fantastic footwork.  When posting on the block, he moves effortlessly into his scoring move, and has improved his ability to make his move to either side of the defender.  He has also shown that he can make quick cuts to the basket, especially off of the pick and roll.

Ballhandling/Hands- Williams has good hands, and has shown that he can handle difficult feeds into the post.  His ballhandling is still a work in progress, as his dribbles are still a bit slow and too far from his body, making him susceptible to strips.

Perimeter Shooting- Williams has good form on his shot and is very good at getting his feet set out to 10 feet, though he lacks the confidence to take the shot at this point.  By the time ACC season rolls around, look for him to start taking these shots more.

Rebounding/Passing- Williams is excellent at getting 2^nd or 3^rdchances off his own misses, though he his still learning to get the angles correct to chase down his teammates’ misses.  He sees the court well, but he needs to be quicker in recognizing and passing out of double teams.

Free Throw Shooting  - This is an area where he needs to improve, though he does have the tools – form, rotation, touch – to be successful.  It will be a matter of consistency for him.

Defense

Post Defense- Williams does a great using his body, and staying between his man and the basket.  He moves his feet well, though he is susceptible to head and ball fakes.  It will be important for him to use his lower body to force his opponent away from the blocks.

Perimeter Defense- Williams does a decent job helping and recovering on pick and rolls, though he is still a step slow if his man pulls him out in a one-on-one situation away from the basket.  He needs to stay a step or two off unless his man can show he can hit the perimeter shot consistently.

Rebounding/Blocking- Williams is an excellent rebounder, using his body well to get position and going after and securing the ball.  He needs to be mindful of still looking to block out, even if the closest man is a few feet away from him, as he is prone to being out-jumped for rebounds.  He is not a great shot blocker, and he is still learning when it is best to try and block the shot, and when he just needs to stand his ground with his hands up.

Summary & Intangibles

Athleticism - Above Average

BB IQ - Above Average

Williams has the skills and athleticism to make an impact immediately at the NBA level.  As his game continues to develop, he could be an excellent post scorer and has the body to be a solid defender and rebounder.  He runs the court well for his size and if he can expand his range out to about 10-15 feet, he can be very difficult to defend.

Tristan Thompson, Texas 

Forward-  6'8, 230

15 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 55% FG, 47.1 FT

Offense

Post Skills- Though Thompson is undersized for playing in the post, he shows a great aptitude for establishing position and using his speed and length to get good shots off.  He still needs to work on expanding his repertoire of post moves, as well as adding a face-up move to enable him to use his athleticism to beat his man to the hoop.  He has shown the ability to finish strong or to use a soft touch to hit difficult shots.  Over time, he should learn to recognize quickly what options he will have available to him once he makes his move.

Footwork- Thompson is very smooth and moves his feet well, especially once he has committed to making his move.  His problem is when he becomes indecisive and he ends up using too many wasted steps deciding what he should do.  On the perimeter, he is still improving on getting to the rim in a more direct manner, though again, it is a decisiveness issue which he needs to work on.

Ballhandling/Hands- Thompson has good hands, and does an excellent job handling passes, especially into the post.  His ballhandling is definitely one of his weaker areas, especially when he makes his post moves.  He was caught a few times trying to make moves with his left hand when he needed to go right and it ruined his attempts at getting to the basket.  In open space, he is a bit better, but still wastes too many dribbles trying to make a move.

Perimeter Shooting- Thompson has a decent mid-range game which should improve over time, as he has good form and a nice touch.  To this point, it is best to reserve judgment until he spends more time playing on the perimeter.

Rebounding/Passing- Thompson has an incredible knack for grabbing offensive rebounds, playing angles almost perfectly and using his long reach to get to balls before everyone else.  Right now, he doesn’t have the strength to outmuscle bigger men for the ball, but will need to rely on his athleticism.  Passing, especially out of the post, is a concern.  He needs to become quicker at reading what the defense is doing and anticipating where there will be an opportunity to get the ball to his teammates. 

Free Throw Shooting  - This is an area where he needs to improve, though he does have the tools – form, rotation, touch – to be successful.  It will be a matter of consistency for him.

Defense

Post Defense- For his lack of size, Thompson did a good job covering much stronger offensive players.  However, over the course of a game, it will be tough for him to exert that much energy battling stronger guys.  He showed that he moves his feet well in the post and uses his long arms to deny passes into the blocks.

Perimeter Defense- Thompson needs to improve his lateral movement when guarding out on the perimeter.  Too often he ends up chasing his man instead of moving with them.  Again, his athleticism has been able to bail him out so far, letting him close quickly on shooters and recovering after getting beat outside.

Rebounding/Blocking- Thompson is improving as a defensive rebounder, though it will be important for him to remember to block out first and then go for the ball.  He does a have a great ability to get a hand on balls he shouldn’t be able to and does a great job getting up, down, and up again quickly on loose rebounds.  His shot-blocking instincts are ahead of other portions of his defensive game right now, as he has great timing and avoids contact well.  He still needs to work on trying to block shots to his teammates where possible instead of going for the emphatic block.

Summary & Intangibles

Athleticism - Above Average

BB IQ - Average

Thompson is still very young and has a lot of development time ahead of him.  His raw talent is fantastic and he should improve quickly over the course of this season.  He still needs to refine his perimeter game as he won’t be a post player at the NBA level, and improving the range on his jumper will make him a dangerous player.  Right now, he would be a great energy guy off the bench of a NBA team, especially on the offensive glass.