Now that the AAU/camp season is over, we'll take an in-depth look at each of Purdue's 2012 and 2013 recruits, in addition to its two remaining 2012 targets.
Today: A.J. Hammons
Prior: Kendall Stephens
July review
We saw him in Elmhurst and Fort Wayne at the end of the month, but Elmhurst gets thrown out because he was battling a back problem and barely played.
This profile will be relatively brief because of the fact we didn't see much of him this spring and summer, just enough to be dangerous.
Strengths
We'll put it this way: Sandi Marcius is huge. A.J. Hammons makes Sandi Marcius look like a wide receiver.
Hammons is one of the biggest human beings I've ever seen. His conservative listing of 7-foot, 260 or so, doesn't do him justice because he just comes off as even bigger than that. His hands are gigantic, his arms are long and he just towers over the lane like a skyscraper.
But with that size comes some coordination and athleticism. Hammons is no gazelle, but he runs OK and has very good hands and feet, a rarity for such monstrous size. At that size, it's a win if a player can put his left foot in front of his right foot more often than that.
He's a good rebounder because he can reach balls where no one else can, often without even jumping, and his hands are an absolute steel trap. In college, he could be a double-digit-type rebounder if he so desires.
As is, Hammons is a game-changing shot-blocker on size alone right now, but it won't be so easy in college. I don't know if he's got the same level of reaction or instinct as a shot-blocker as a JaJuan Johnson or Donnie Hale or Greg Oden - all guys who also played AAU for Spiece - have had. And he certainly isn't as athletic as those guys. But he is comparably effective.
His offense is probably a shade behind his defense and rebounding, and I don't know if Hammons is someone to recruit if you're looking for big-time scoring in the post.
But as is, he gets points on size alone, i.e. easy dunks and putbacks, but does have some savvy to him around the basket. He can navigate around the hoop smoothly, get position and knock down a hook shot. And he looks good doing it. Some guys his size go all bull-in-a-china-shop when they get the ball down low. Hammons moves like he's 6-9. Hammons has some coordination to him, but also some patience and savvy with the ball, not to mention the body and wingspan to ward off smaller defenders like horseflies.
Weaknesses
As has been much talked about, Hammons is a very laid-back, free-spirited kid and his motor has often come into question because of it, something that's not all that uncommon for big men. Conditioning has been a process for him as well.
Right now, Hammons is in the best shape he's been in. He played very well this weekend in Fort Wayne and seemed relatively determined.
But there's no question that his success in college will be directly linked to how seriously he takes the game, how hard he works and plays and what kind of shape he can keep himself in.
He and Jay Simpson are fairly similar in that sense.
Super-fun comparisons
Hammons is taller, but reminds somewhat of Arinze Onuaku, who used to be at Syracuse. Neither are elite athletes, but they're both huge and excelled as rebounders and shot-blockers and merely as space-eaters.
I'll tell you this: Purdue's never had anything like Hammons, at least who could actually play.
Position
A.J. Hammons is a center with no thoughts whatsoever of being anything but a center.
Final analysis
Hammons isn't perfect, but his potential pay-out is just absurd.
You can't teach his size and agility and his potential on defense alone is immense.
Yeah, his effort doesn't always inspire, but that's true of a lot of young big men. And yes, his stock has dropped some.
But it's the job of college coaches to motivate and understand their players enough to put them in positions to succeed.
If whoever gets Hammons can effectively do those things, it could have a blockbuster on its hands.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2011. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
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Today: A.J. Hammons
Prior: Kendall Stephens
July review
We saw him in Elmhurst and Fort Wayne at the end of the month, but Elmhurst gets thrown out because he was battling a back problem and barely played.
This profile will be relatively brief because of the fact we didn't see much of him this spring and summer, just enough to be dangerous.
Strengths
We'll put it this way: Sandi Marcius is huge. A.J. Hammons makes Sandi Marcius look like a wide receiver.
Hammons is one of the biggest human beings I've ever seen. His conservative listing of 7-foot, 260 or so, doesn't do him justice because he just comes off as even bigger than that. His hands are gigantic, his arms are long and he just towers over the lane like a skyscraper.
But with that size comes some coordination and athleticism. Hammons is no gazelle, but he runs OK and has very good hands and feet, a rarity for such monstrous size. At that size, it's a win if a player can put his left foot in front of his right foot more often than that.
He's a good rebounder because he can reach balls where no one else can, often without even jumping, and his hands are an absolute steel trap. In college, he could be a double-digit-type rebounder if he so desires.
As is, Hammons is a game-changing shot-blocker on size alone right now, but it won't be so easy in college. I don't know if he's got the same level of reaction or instinct as a shot-blocker as a JaJuan Johnson or Donnie Hale or Greg Oden - all guys who also played AAU for Spiece - have had. And he certainly isn't as athletic as those guys. But he is comparably effective.
His offense is probably a shade behind his defense and rebounding, and I don't know if Hammons is someone to recruit if you're looking for big-time scoring in the post.
But as is, he gets points on size alone, i.e. easy dunks and putbacks, but does have some savvy to him around the basket. He can navigate around the hoop smoothly, get position and knock down a hook shot. And he looks good doing it. Some guys his size go all bull-in-a-china-shop when they get the ball down low. Hammons moves like he's 6-9. Hammons has some coordination to him, but also some patience and savvy with the ball, not to mention the body and wingspan to ward off smaller defenders like horseflies.
Weaknesses
As has been much talked about, Hammons is a very laid-back, free-spirited kid and his motor has often come into question because of it, something that's not all that uncommon for big men. Conditioning has been a process for him as well.
Right now, Hammons is in the best shape he's been in. He played very well this weekend in Fort Wayne and seemed relatively determined.
But there's no question that his success in college will be directly linked to how seriously he takes the game, how hard he works and plays and what kind of shape he can keep himself in.
He and Jay Simpson are fairly similar in that sense.
Super-fun comparisons
Hammons is taller, but reminds somewhat of Arinze Onuaku, who used to be at Syracuse. Neither are elite athletes, but they're both huge and excelled as rebounders and shot-blockers and merely as space-eaters.
I'll tell you this: Purdue's never had anything like Hammons, at least who could actually play.
Position
A.J. Hammons is a center with no thoughts whatsoever of being anything but a center.
Final analysis
Hammons isn't perfect, but his potential pay-out is just absurd.
You can't teach his size and agility and his potential on defense alone is immense.
Yeah, his effort doesn't always inspire, but that's true of a lot of young big men. And yes, his stock has dropped some.
But it's the job of college coaches to motivate and understand their players enough to put them in positions to succeed.
If whoever gets Hammons can effectively do those things, it could have a blockbuster on its hands.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2011. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
Check out GoldandBlack.com on
