NBA Comparison: PJ Brown/Alan Henderson

Strengths: Long, athletic, lefty post player who shows a great deal of potential due to his length, athleticism and skill level … An underrated athlete who has very “live” legs and a high motor … Has a great feel for playing in the post offensively, with crafty fakes and up and under moves. Appears comfortable operating in close as well as 8-10 feet away from the basket … Can score in a variety of ways and has tremendous footwork for his age … Shows excellent touch in the paint converting lefty hook shots and looks to dunk everything … His offensive game, while still unproven, shows a great deal of upside … His long arms and explosive leaping ability allow him to finish with explosive dunks even when attacking the basket from a few feet out … Strong rebounder. Hits the glass hard and shows a willingness to battle inside … Runs the floor well with both speed in the open floor and good lateral quickness … He’s a top notch shot blocker for a forward due to excellent timing, explosiveness and length … Appears to have a 7-foot-2 wingspan, or close … Does not have a superstar attitude, he has a workman’s approach to the game that is refreshing to see from such a talented player …

Weaknesses: Needs to add strength … Does not have a big (wide shoulders) frame so he’s never going to be an overpowering type of post guy, but he can certainly add 20-25 lbs and be a finesse type of 4 ala Chris Bosh … As a freshman he was unable to finish well through contact when attacking the rim on dunks. Added strength will make him a terror around the basket as he’ll be able to fully utilize his great length and improve his finishing ability … Should look to extend his range, developing a consistent mid-range shot … He has good touch and it will likely be a matter of practice and repetition and he will be able to develop a reliable J. His lefty jump hook shot shows nice potential but he often came up short on attempts as a freshman …

Notes: Was overshadowed by Tyler Hansbrough in his freshman season but played a key role for UNC’s title run coming off the bench and bringing energy and shot blocking … Should be one of the nation’s break out stars and top bigmen in his sophomore year …

Aran Smith 8/15/09

YouTube Clip – 6/10/2008