NBA Comparison: Corey Maggette

Strengths: Athletic wing who plays with a lot of heart and determination … Has an explosive first step that he uses to get by defenders to the rim … He’s great at finishing around the basket … He’s a good three-point shooter … He shot 38% from behind the arc this season on just over three attempts per game … He’s a great athlete with strong arms which will make a coveted player at the next level … He has great leaping ability which will make him fun to watch in transition … He has a solid floater that he uses to score over bigger defenders … His body is NBA ready for a shooting guard… At 6’6 211, he will come into the NBA ready to defend either guard position … He has a lot of potential on the defensive side of the ball … He has good balance and length that can give any opponents problems trying to score on him … He has the strength and the will to fight through screens … He’s a solid scorer off the dribble … When a smaller player is on him, he can post them up … He’s a good rebounder at his position, averaging nearly six rebounds per game … He has a good motor … He’s a well-rounded player who’s adept at a lot of things…. Willing to do the dirty work on both ends of the floor … He knows how to find the open spots on the floor off the ball…. He is also good at finding open shooters on the perimeter … He doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be a threat on the offensive end of the floor…… Has shown the desire to guard his man the full length of the court … His defensive impact doesn’t show up on the stat sheet … A winner. A natural leader with very good intangibles …

Weaknesses: He will need to improve on his free throw shooting at the next level … He shot 70%, which is low for a guard … He is reluctant to shoot three pointers at times and takes the offense out of its rhythm … He is an inconsistent 3-point shooter … At times his athleticism can cause him to get out of control going to the rim and miss layups … Deflections are nice and takes opposing offenses out of rhythm, but he needs to use his athleticism to generate more turnovers for his team…. He averaged less than one steal and block per game … He needs to improve his catch and shoot game, as well as his shooting coming off the pick and roll … He can be over-aggressive at times and pick up unnecessary fouls at times … He is good at a lot of things, but not great at any one skill … Needs to improve his playmaking ability… He averaged as many assists as he did turnovers … He is great at straight line drives, but when going east to west he lacks creativity when getting past opponents and finishing at the rim…. He needs to work on his footwork when sizing up his opponents … His shooting motion is slow in catch and shoot situations, which leads to defenders being able to contest his shots on closeouts … He over-penetrates at times instead of shooting the open shots that present themselves …

Outlook: Keldon Johnson right now is projected to be a lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft … He projects to be the ideal 3&D player, which a lot of teams need in today’s league … He has the size and athleticism to guard 1-3s and even some small ball 4s. He needs to work on his confidence taking 3 pointers because that will open more opportunities for him to use his explosiveness at the rim. A team in need of perimeter defenders and athleticism will be a perfect fit for him. With right coaching staff around him in the NBA, he could eventually develop into a potential all-star …

Notes: Measured 6’6″ in shoes, 6’5″ barefoot, 210 lbs, 6’8.5″ wingspan, 8’8″ standing reach at USA Basketball October Minicamp veraged 13.5 points and 5.9 rebounds this past season … He has three siblings, Kaleb, Kyle and Kristyn … Kaleb plays basketball at Georgetown … He was selected to both the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic Game … He was ranked the No. 18 overall player by 247 Sports, while at Oak Hill Academy …

Zach Smith 4/7/19

Strengths: 6’6.5 scoring guard … Solid length with a 6’9 wingspan and 8’7 standing reach … Aggressive mindset. Brings a consistent effort … Scoring mentality and instinctive. Creates well for himself in the half court and in isolation situations. Finished eighth in scoring on the Nike EYBL with 20.7 points per game at 51.6% from the floor. Finished second in scoring at the NBPA Top 100 with 16.9 points per game at 48.9% … Reliable free throw shooter. Shot 74.6% from the foul line over the Nike EYBL and 87.5% at the NBPA Top 100 … Explosive athleticism in the open floor. Good body control … Strong body. Absorbs contact well. Draws a lot of fouls. Shot 7.9 free throws per game over the Nike EYBL and six per game at the NBPA Top 100 … Solid ballhandler. Creates off the dribble and gets to the rim … Spaces the floor and plays well off the ball … Vocal … Unselfish. Solid court vision and passing ability. Can drive and kick. Averaged 3.1 assists per game over the Nike EYBL and 2.6 per game at the NBPA Top 100 … Good rebounder for position. Averaged 8.5 rebounds per game over the Nike EYBL, with 3.2 coming on the offensive end and finished seventh at the NBPA Top 100 with six per game … Solid quickness. Good defensive potential and effort. Averaged 1.5 steals per game over the Nike EYBL and 1.3 per game at the NBPA Top 100 …

Weaknesses: Can improve his outside shooting consistency. Shot 26.3% from three over the Nike EYBL. Shot 21.4% at the NBPA Top 100. Improving his shooting will be crucial as he will be asked to take on a heavy scoring load for Kentucky next season and it will make an already dangerous scorer more dynamic … Forces his drives at times, attacking without a plan and looking to make contact without a good opportunity for a clean shot. Reading and attacking gaps against players with his size and physicality at the next level will be more challenging … Solid ballhandling but can improve … Can improve on minimizing turnovers. Averaged 2.7 turnovers per game over the Nike EYBL and 1.8 per game over the NBPA Top 100 …

Outlook: Incoming Kentucky freshman … McDonald’s All-American … Named to the Jordan Brand Classic … Named to the Nike Hoop Summit … MVP of the NBPA Top 100 … Played his senior year at Oak Hill Academy, averaging 22.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game with a 42-1 record … Played his junior year at Huntington Prep …

Evan Tomes 7/4/18