Strengths: Has great height and length. Riek stands 7-foot-2 and has an incredible wingspan … He can touch the rim without jumping, and needs little lift to dunk the ball Shows good timing as a shot-blocker and can redirect shots on or off the ball He’s still extremely raw, but if his age is legit, he shows a good deal of potential, particularly defensively Not a good shooter, but has decent touch from the line and has the form to be an average free throw shooter at best Does a good job of keeping the ball high when he catches it facing the basket.

Weaknesses: A major project. Does not run well and can’t hold position on the block … On the rare occasions that he does establish position, Riek struggles to catch the ball and even if he is able to do that, he has absolutely zero back-to-the-basket game … Physically, he is extremely weak and is boxed out easily. Lacks the strength and agility re-gain position after being boxed out…Has terrible hands and often fumbles rebounds and drops passes. Really, really struggles to dribble the ball Doesn’t jump very well and possesses very little athleticism Will have trouble doing anything offensively against major college or NBA competition Lacks fire and intensity in his play. There are major question marks about his age. For one thing, his face looks like he’s closer to 30 than 18, and given the track record of African players, his birth documents saying he is 18 are extremely suspicious. If he is 25 (or close to it) there’s real concern about his ability to get stronger and ever run the floor and hold position in the post at an NBA level … He’s beginning to develop a reputation as being injury prone … He has missed a number of games due to various injuries this season.

Notes: Did a year of post-grad at Winchendon School and apparently will be eligible for this years’ NBA Draft … Riek is clearly not ready to contribute at the NBA level, let alone the NCAA. Right now, he has the option to declare for the NBA Draft, return to Winchendon for another year of post-grad, or commit to a college (he lists UConn, Duke, Florida and Georgetown as his top choices). There has been a lot of hype around Riek, but 2008 is projecting to be a deep class for big men and Riek does not figure to be selected in the first-round and get a guaranteed contract. He would benefit from developing his game at the collegiate level, but probably won’t be ready to leave for the NBA without 2-3 years of seasoning in the NCAA.