IronHorseSooner
10/12/2005, 05:53 AM
Over the next few days, I will be doing mini-scouting reports on each player. I will look at three strengths and three improvements.
OVERALL:
Taj Gray is, without a doubt, one of the premiere front court players in all of America. He's a likely All-American, and is on the Naismith Award Watch List. He was an All Big XII First Team performer, and was named the Newcomer of the Year in the Big XII last year.
STRENGTHS:
1. Field Goal Efficiency: He hit almost 60% of his field goals last year, which led the Big XII. Once the ball gets down-low, he has a litany of moves around the basket, no matter the defender.
2. Transition Game: He's a great finisher in transition. He has a knack for filling the lane and getting to the open spaces.
3. Rebounding: An almost violent rebounder, who knows to rebound, even out of his position.
WEAKNESSES:
1. Outside Shooting: This doesn't mean he needs to be out shooting three-pointers. What he does need to do is start hitting the 10-15 foot jump shot. In some games, he was bound and determined to back people down, even more than one at a time (see Iowa State). At the first of the year, he was hitting this shot, but he fell in love with the one-on-one back to the basket game. If he shows that he can hit this shot, his offensive production will go high, as will his draft position, and the entire OU offense.
2. Foul Trouble: Like most big-men in their first year in D1, he had foul trouble. A lot of this had to do with ticky-tacky fouls, not moving his feet, and playing defense with his hands, and not his feet. He also needs to continue his improvement in shot blocking from the weak side. With outstanding position defenders like Bookout and Godbold (and likely Carter), he could have some monster shot blocking games.
3. Perimeter Passing: Most of this had to with a lack of perimeter shooters who understood passing lanes and screens. The perimeters shooters from last year (MacKenzie, Lavender, Williams) we good at creating their own perimeter jumper, but didn't understand how to involve a big-man. Mike Neal does. If he can improve upon this, he will help the team's offense become borderline unstoppable (aka UNC and Illinois last year).
Tomorrow: Kevin Bookout
OVERALL:
Taj Gray is, without a doubt, one of the premiere front court players in all of America. He's a likely All-American, and is on the Naismith Award Watch List. He was an All Big XII First Team performer, and was named the Newcomer of the Year in the Big XII last year.
STRENGTHS:
1. Field Goal Efficiency: He hit almost 60% of his field goals last year, which led the Big XII. Once the ball gets down-low, he has a litany of moves around the basket, no matter the defender.
2. Transition Game: He's a great finisher in transition. He has a knack for filling the lane and getting to the open spaces.
3. Rebounding: An almost violent rebounder, who knows to rebound, even out of his position.
WEAKNESSES:
1. Outside Shooting: This doesn't mean he needs to be out shooting three-pointers. What he does need to do is start hitting the 10-15 foot jump shot. In some games, he was bound and determined to back people down, even more than one at a time (see Iowa State). At the first of the year, he was hitting this shot, but he fell in love with the one-on-one back to the basket game. If he shows that he can hit this shot, his offensive production will go high, as will his draft position, and the entire OU offense.
2. Foul Trouble: Like most big-men in their first year in D1, he had foul trouble. A lot of this had to do with ticky-tacky fouls, not moving his feet, and playing defense with his hands, and not his feet. He also needs to continue his improvement in shot blocking from the weak side. With outstanding position defenders like Bookout and Godbold (and likely Carter), he could have some monster shot blocking games.
3. Perimeter Passing: Most of this had to with a lack of perimeter shooters who understood passing lanes and screens. The perimeters shooters from last year (MacKenzie, Lavender, Williams) we good at creating their own perimeter jumper, but didn't understand how to involve a big-man. Mike Neal does. If he can improve upon this, he will help the team's offense become borderline unstoppable (aka UNC and Illinois last year).
Tomorrow: Kevin Bookout