NBA Comparison: Erick Barkley

Strengths: 6’3 point guard … Solid strength … Aggressive mindset. Physical and plays through contact. Draws a lot of fouls and good free throw shooter. Shot 5 free throws per game on 82.5% FT% over the Nike EYBL in 2021 and 4.5 free throws per game on 83.3% FT% over the Grind Session in 2021-22 … Good ball-handler, handling well when picking up speed and changing directions. Plays well off the dribble and keeps dribble alive well under pressure/with contact … Good touch on floater … Good midrange pull-up and shootong range extends to the 3PT line. Shoots off the dribble, can stop on a dime, and doesn’t need much space to get shot off … Solid passing ability, does a good job hitting cutters and open shooters as the defense over-commits or lapses. Averaged 4.6 assists per game over the Nike EYBL in 2021 and 4.8 assists per game over the Grind Session in 2021-22 … Good rebounder for position. Averaged 7.5 rebounds per game over the Nike EYBL in 2021 and 6.8 rebounds per game over the Grind Session in 2021-22 … Can defend well on the ball when committed. Averaged 2.3 steals per game over the Grind Session in 2021-22 … Highly confident …

Weaknesses: Lacks explosive athleticism and finishes below the rim … Stops and pulls up from midrange, doesn’t usually get all the way to the rim. While he can make them at times, he shoots a lot of contested shots and fadeaways that aren’t ideal at higher levels … Can improve 3PT consistency and shooting efficiency. Averaged 17.4 points per game on 38% FG% over the Nike EYBL in 2021 and 15.5 points per game on 41.5% FG% over the Grind Session in 2021-22. Shot 27.6% 3PT% on 3.6 attempts per game over the Nike EYBL in 2021 … Solid passer but isn’t incredibly advanced making reads and playmaking. Can try to do too much and be turnover prone. Averaged 2.5 turnovers per game over the Nike EYBL in 2021 and 3.3 turnovers per game over the Grind Session in 2021-22 …

Outlook: Pittsburgh freshman … Very well-travelled high school career, 10 high schools as well as being committed to 3 different colleges. Started his senior year at Prolific Prep, then transferred to Southern California Academy midway through the season … Played in the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic … Scored 10 points in the 2019 Underclassman All-American Game …

Evan Tomes 8/9/22