Couple comments from the team camp Thursday ...
Derek Willis
Just don't know how many times or in how many different ways I can say this, but the 6-foot-9 forward is special.
The term "unique" gets thrown around far too often, to the point its meaning gets diluted.
But to me, Willis is truly unique. I've never seen anything like him, especially not in a 16-year-old.
Willis is 6-9, but I wouldn't even call him a 'big man,' per se. He's a ball-handler and shooter above all else, who just happens to be tall and athletic enough to be a dominant shot-blocker and guy who can control the boards by rebounding over people. A lot of guys can rebound. The good ones rebound in traffic and by getting to the ball in place no one else can. Willis does that.
People ask for comparisons. There are no good ones I can think of. This could be a 6-10 or 6-11 player with actual guard skills. I don't know mean vaguely guard-like skills or 'good skill for a big man.' I mean actual guard skill.
Willis is a tremendous ball-handler who's quick enough to just get past people off the dribble. There are some difficulties there in traffic simply because of the obvious differential between hand and floor, but he's quick off the bounce, sees the floor to where he can distribute like a guard and can make just a sick pull-up one-hander from around anywhere inside the free throw line. His body control is pretty impressive for a guy his height.
Willis will play the power forward position in college, but he's every bit a 3 man. Comparisons between he and centers are just way off. He's not a post player, even though he's got some back-to-the-basket game to him, with considerable room for growth there, as he acknowledged yesterday.
In short, the kid is special.
Basil Smotherman Jr.
Thursday was a big day for Smotherman, IMO, not because he scored a lot of points or put up big numbers with his new Lawrence North team, but because of the mind set he displayed.
The 6-6 wing played harder than I've ever seen him, really exerting himself on defense and especially as a rebounder, a necessary step for him, by every account.
Smotherman has a ton of physical talent. He's 6-6, probably on his way to 210 pounds. The fact he's been lifting weights regularly the past few weeks really shows up right now in his physique. He's become a man physically. And he's athletic enough to have thrown down a lob pass in transition during the championship game against Bullitt East.
His jump shot has looked broken in recent months, but he did knock down at least one three yesterday while I was watching. But his ability to slash may end up being his best offensive strength.
He can really help himself, though, by becoming the grinder he looked like Thursday.
Mike Robinson years ago came to Purdue as a perimeter-oriented jump-shooter. He left as a good rebounder, particularly as an offensive rebounder. Marcus Green - I am not comparing Smotherman to Marcus Green, by the way - made a similar metamorphisis.
Smotherman has the body and ability to be a good, maybe great, defender and rebounder for a wing. He has to want to do it.
Thursday, he wanted to do it.
One other note:
? In the two games I saw most of yesterday, it was not a good day for 2014 stud JaQuan Lyle. The kid is very young and his youth shows sometimes with the way he carries himself and reacts to things on the court. He's very talented, though.
Derek Willis
Just don't know how many times or in how many different ways I can say this, but the 6-foot-9 forward is special.
The term "unique" gets thrown around far too often, to the point its meaning gets diluted.
But to me, Willis is truly unique. I've never seen anything like him, especially not in a 16-year-old.
Willis is 6-9, but I wouldn't even call him a 'big man,' per se. He's a ball-handler and shooter above all else, who just happens to be tall and athletic enough to be a dominant shot-blocker and guy who can control the boards by rebounding over people. A lot of guys can rebound. The good ones rebound in traffic and by getting to the ball in place no one else can. Willis does that.
People ask for comparisons. There are no good ones I can think of. This could be a 6-10 or 6-11 player with actual guard skills. I don't know mean vaguely guard-like skills or 'good skill for a big man.' I mean actual guard skill.
Willis is a tremendous ball-handler who's quick enough to just get past people off the dribble. There are some difficulties there in traffic simply because of the obvious differential between hand and floor, but he's quick off the bounce, sees the floor to where he can distribute like a guard and can make just a sick pull-up one-hander from around anywhere inside the free throw line. His body control is pretty impressive for a guy his height.
Willis will play the power forward position in college, but he's every bit a 3 man. Comparisons between he and centers are just way off. He's not a post player, even though he's got some back-to-the-basket game to him, with considerable room for growth there, as he acknowledged yesterday.
In short, the kid is special.
Basil Smotherman Jr.
Thursday was a big day for Smotherman, IMO, not because he scored a lot of points or put up big numbers with his new Lawrence North team, but because of the mind set he displayed.
The 6-6 wing played harder than I've ever seen him, really exerting himself on defense and especially as a rebounder, a necessary step for him, by every account.
Smotherman has a ton of physical talent. He's 6-6, probably on his way to 210 pounds. The fact he's been lifting weights regularly the past few weeks really shows up right now in his physique. He's become a man physically. And he's athletic enough to have thrown down a lob pass in transition during the championship game against Bullitt East.
His jump shot has looked broken in recent months, but he did knock down at least one three yesterday while I was watching. But his ability to slash may end up being his best offensive strength.
He can really help himself, though, by becoming the grinder he looked like Thursday.
Mike Robinson years ago came to Purdue as a perimeter-oriented jump-shooter. He left as a good rebounder, particularly as an offensive rebounder. Marcus Green - I am not comparing Smotherman to Marcus Green, by the way - made a similar metamorphisis.
Smotherman has the body and ability to be a good, maybe great, defender and rebounder for a wing. He has to want to do it.
Thursday, he wanted to do it.
One other note:
? In the two games I saw most of yesterday, it was not a good day for 2014 stud JaQuan Lyle. The kid is very young and his youth shows sometimes with the way he carries himself and reacts to things on the court. He's very talented, though.
