NY Rens guard Rawle Alkins was one of the first offers the staff handed out. He might have been one of the guys Pitino called on day one and offered, I’m not sure.
Alkins is a scorer that feels comfortable on all three levels. That was clear this game, even if the results weren’t there. Rawle had a really rough day shooting, finishing just 2/12. His stroke is alright, but I think it could be a little bit smoother and less jerky. Regardless, his problem was shot selection. A couple times, he dribbled down the court and then just pulled up and took a fairly contested three. He also took several highly contested mid-range shots … The thing that makes Alkins unique is that he’s a fast, athletic, 6’4”, and has a skill set that can play three different positions. He’s the Rens lead guard, but I think will be a 2-guard at the next level … He’s physically mature and when combining his strength and height, he can just do things that most lead guards can’t. He’s able to force his will on younger guards defending him, finds his way to the paint at will, and is an excellent defensive rebounder for a guard. He can also block shots … On the ball defensively, Rawle’s pretty physical. He also picked two pockets, but attempted to swipe at the ball very few times, which was impressive … Rawle was poked in the eye in the second half, and I think that caused him to become less aggressive on both ends of the floor. His eye was swelling up.
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Michael Hurt had a down game against Ohio Basketball Club. His handle is fine, but the Gophers won’t want to have to rely on him to consistently be a primary ball handler. He lost his dribble once and ran into a guy in what should have been called a charge. Another time he brought the ball up, but was doubled before halfcourt and couldn’t escape so he had to pick up his dribble. Although I don’t want to dog on Mike because for a 3, his handle is just fine. And they won’t need him to be a ball handler anyway … His versatility is evident. D1 Minnesota used Mike at the top of their press, even when they had two or three other guards on the court. Hurt was the one called upon to keep up with and cause havoc for opposing guards. In the halfcourt, at times, he was in the middle as the anchor of D1 Minnesota’s 2-3 zone. To be able to play as the top of a fullcourt press or trap, as well as the interior defender of a zone speaks volumes to Mike’s athleticism for his size, as well as his basketball intelligence … He’s a great passer. Nice facilitator whether that’s from the low block or the perimeter. Knows when to attack and when to continue ball movement …
I only watched D1 Minnesota very briefly in their second game. Hurt has a very quick motion. It’s consistent every time and that’s why he’s such a great shooter … Again they had him up on the ball when pressing … He’s talking as much as anyone on the floor. Lots of communication on defense and yelling encouragement after big shots. He’s D1’s leader.
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I watched Hoop Dreams play Wisconsin Playground Warriors, and like Hurt, this was not Quentin Goodin’s best performance, although the talent is evident … Goodin is every bit of the 6’2” that he’s listed at. Between his two inch or so height advantage over opposing point guards and his bounce, he’s able to block some shots, and is tough for opposing guards to drive on … Goodin gets a ton of touches, which makes sense because he’s the lead guard, but man he’s touching the ball a lot. The ball is in his hands quite a bit in the halfcourt and a lot of pick and rolls are run for him. He also likes to run an isolation for himself and then attacks the right side. He’s quick and agile enough that he can become more than a straight-line driver, but he’s not quite there yet right now. I didn’t see him slice or cut horizontally when attacking the basket, everything was a straight-line drive hard off the defender’s left shoulder. That surprised me because I thought I remembered him watching video of him being really crafty driving to the hoop … He’s confident in his shot and it looks nice. If he fully develops that jumper, he’ll be a top 50 player no doubt … I think Goodin is a perfect fit for the Gophers, I really do. They’ll pursue him hard. He fits well.
Aric Holman is a good shooter for his size. He takes threes whenever he has a somewhat decent look, but I’d like to see him try and be a little bit more selective. His turnaround jumper is also really good. That’s what he does instead of trying to back someone down.
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Isaiah Washington was offered with teammate Sid Wilson in late September. Wilson is playing for New Heights, and Isaiah’s with The Firm of Adidas Gauntlet. Washington is a great finisher. He’s short and thin, so you would think it would think it would be hard for him to finish through bodies, but he does well pump faking and regathering in mid-air. He’s not afraid to lower his shoulder either … He can handle with either hand and was the player who usually brought the ball up for The Firm. Did well breaking the press when needed … Washington was 6/6 while I watched with no shot coming from more than 14 feet out. He has a nice runner and floater, and just about every shot was somewhat off-balance.
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Jordan Murphy is a VCU decommit that the Gophers have pursued and offered a long time ago. The first possession I saw of him on offense, he brought up the ball for Texas D1 Ambassadors. The first possession I saw of him on defense, he was the bottom of the 2-3 zone. That’s versatility … He has very broad shoulders and I think his build will allow him to put on a lot of weight … His handle does not look all that tight, but he’s brought up the ball about every other possession for Texas D1 Ambassadors. I honestly don’t know why he’s bringing the ball up so much because Texas D1 Ambassadors plays with three guards plus Murphy. His handle is sufficient for the most part, but when he’s being defended, he can’t push the ball with pace on the break … He’s one of the bigger guys on the court, so he often transitions to the post after making his first pass. On the low block, he’s confident when getting to the basket in that he’s quick to make his move and knows what he wants to do with it. Usually that’s a power dribble, quick or rotation sealing out defender, and he goes up strong.
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I saw Gorjok Gak just a tiny bit on Saturday. His team, Florida Sons, has three bigs that all are at least 6’10” and move well. Gak played in the corner of the Sons’ 2-3 zone, so he was often matched up with wings, and I didn’t see any wings or guards beat him off the dribble … He’s so tall and long that rebounding just looks easy for him. Made a better effort to box out, but it didn’t really matter. He grabbed everything in his area … Everything with Florida Sons is very free flowing and nothing is run specifically and purposefully for their bigs in the halfcourt. I’d like to see what their explosive bigs can do with their back to the basket.
Alkins is a scorer that feels comfortable on all three levels. That was clear this game, even if the results weren’t there. Rawle had a really rough day shooting, finishing just 2/12. His stroke is alright, but I think it could be a little bit smoother and less jerky. Regardless, his problem was shot selection. A couple times, he dribbled down the court and then just pulled up and took a fairly contested three. He also took several highly contested mid-range shots … The thing that makes Alkins unique is that he’s a fast, athletic, 6’4”, and has a skill set that can play three different positions. He’s the Rens lead guard, but I think will be a 2-guard at the next level … He’s physically mature and when combining his strength and height, he can just do things that most lead guards can’t. He’s able to force his will on younger guards defending him, finds his way to the paint at will, and is an excellent defensive rebounder for a guard. He can also block shots … On the ball defensively, Rawle’s pretty physical. He also picked two pockets, but attempted to swipe at the ball very few times, which was impressive … Rawle was poked in the eye in the second half, and I think that caused him to become less aggressive on both ends of the floor. His eye was swelling up.
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Michael Hurt had a down game against Ohio Basketball Club. His handle is fine, but the Gophers won’t want to have to rely on him to consistently be a primary ball handler. He lost his dribble once and ran into a guy in what should have been called a charge. Another time he brought the ball up, but was doubled before halfcourt and couldn’t escape so he had to pick up his dribble. Although I don’t want to dog on Mike because for a 3, his handle is just fine. And they won’t need him to be a ball handler anyway … His versatility is evident. D1 Minnesota used Mike at the top of their press, even when they had two or three other guards on the court. Hurt was the one called upon to keep up with and cause havoc for opposing guards. In the halfcourt, at times, he was in the middle as the anchor of D1 Minnesota’s 2-3 zone. To be able to play as the top of a fullcourt press or trap, as well as the interior defender of a zone speaks volumes to Mike’s athleticism for his size, as well as his basketball intelligence … He’s a great passer. Nice facilitator whether that’s from the low block or the perimeter. Knows when to attack and when to continue ball movement …
I only watched D1 Minnesota very briefly in their second game. Hurt has a very quick motion. It’s consistent every time and that’s why he’s such a great shooter … Again they had him up on the ball when pressing … He’s talking as much as anyone on the floor. Lots of communication on defense and yelling encouragement after big shots. He’s D1’s leader.
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I watched Hoop Dreams play Wisconsin Playground Warriors, and like Hurt, this was not Quentin Goodin’s best performance, although the talent is evident … Goodin is every bit of the 6’2” that he’s listed at. Between his two inch or so height advantage over opposing point guards and his bounce, he’s able to block some shots, and is tough for opposing guards to drive on … Goodin gets a ton of touches, which makes sense because he’s the lead guard, but man he’s touching the ball a lot. The ball is in his hands quite a bit in the halfcourt and a lot of pick and rolls are run for him. He also likes to run an isolation for himself and then attacks the right side. He’s quick and agile enough that he can become more than a straight-line driver, but he’s not quite there yet right now. I didn’t see him slice or cut horizontally when attacking the basket, everything was a straight-line drive hard off the defender’s left shoulder. That surprised me because I thought I remembered him watching video of him being really crafty driving to the hoop … He’s confident in his shot and it looks nice. If he fully develops that jumper, he’ll be a top 50 player no doubt … I think Goodin is a perfect fit for the Gophers, I really do. They’ll pursue him hard. He fits well.
Aric Holman is a good shooter for his size. He takes threes whenever he has a somewhat decent look, but I’d like to see him try and be a little bit more selective. His turnaround jumper is also really good. That’s what he does instead of trying to back someone down.
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Isaiah Washington was offered with teammate Sid Wilson in late September. Wilson is playing for New Heights, and Isaiah’s with The Firm of Adidas Gauntlet. Washington is a great finisher. He’s short and thin, so you would think it would think it would be hard for him to finish through bodies, but he does well pump faking and regathering in mid-air. He’s not afraid to lower his shoulder either … He can handle with either hand and was the player who usually brought the ball up for The Firm. Did well breaking the press when needed … Washington was 6/6 while I watched with no shot coming from more than 14 feet out. He has a nice runner and floater, and just about every shot was somewhat off-balance.
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Jordan Murphy is a VCU decommit that the Gophers have pursued and offered a long time ago. The first possession I saw of him on offense, he brought up the ball for Texas D1 Ambassadors. The first possession I saw of him on defense, he was the bottom of the 2-3 zone. That’s versatility … He has very broad shoulders and I think his build will allow him to put on a lot of weight … His handle does not look all that tight, but he’s brought up the ball about every other possession for Texas D1 Ambassadors. I honestly don’t know why he’s bringing the ball up so much because Texas D1 Ambassadors plays with three guards plus Murphy. His handle is sufficient for the most part, but when he’s being defended, he can’t push the ball with pace on the break … He’s one of the bigger guys on the court, so he often transitions to the post after making his first pass. On the low block, he’s confident when getting to the basket in that he’s quick to make his move and knows what he wants to do with it. Usually that’s a power dribble, quick or rotation sealing out defender, and he goes up strong.
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I saw Gorjok Gak just a tiny bit on Saturday. His team, Florida Sons, has three bigs that all are at least 6’10” and move well. Gak played in the corner of the Sons’ 2-3 zone, so he was often matched up with wings, and I didn’t see any wings or guards beat him off the dribble … He’s so tall and long that rebounding just looks easy for him. Made a better effort to box out, but it didn’t really matter. He grabbed everything in his area … Everything with Florida Sons is very free flowing and nothing is run specifically and purposefully for their bigs in the halfcourt. I’d like to see what their explosive bigs can do with their back to the basket.
