WHO: University of Connecticut vs. Marquette University
WHERE: Milwaukee, WI — Fiserv Forum
RESULT: UConn 74-67
A battle between 2 top-10 conference foes, this matchup consists of several intriguing prospects across the board. Unfortunately, Marquette's Tyler Kolek wasn't in action here. Nonetheless, it was a good gauge for several NBA prospects.
Donovan Clingan
9 points (3-9 shooting, 3-6 from the free throw line), 12 rebounds (4 offensive), 4 blocks, 2 steals, 2 assists (2 turnovers), 1 foul in 28 minutes
Offense: Clingan wasn’t as effective as usual — which the credit goes to Marquette and their defense for swarming the paint whenever Clingan has the ball in his hands. The most translatable element to his game is how he’s utilized near the elbows and top of the arc. UConn deploys a system predicated on player/ball movement and screening. Clingan is an asset here due to his massive frame, as he’s a sound screener that continues to grow as a playmaker (bumped assist percentage from 7.4 to 13.4%, and cutting his turnover percentage down from 15.9 to 7.3%) — generating space and looks with his screening and passing. As a low-usage big man at the next level, his growth in this area will be one to watch.
Defense: Clingan is a force defensively. He’s the ultimate rim deterrent, as there are several possessions they don’t even test him. Good example from great draft twitter follow, Rich of Mavs Draft:
When teams do go into the paint, he possesses great timing on when to contest the shot and avoid fouling. He showed comfort to defend a bit higher towards the perimeter. Obviously, there are mixed results when it comes to a 7’3”, 280-pound big man defending in space, but he also moved his feet well to catch the driver at his spot to offer a formidable contest.
Stephon Castle
6 points (2-9 shooting, 0-2 from 3, 2-2 from the free throw line), 3 assists (1 turnover), 3 rebounds, 1 block, 4 fouls in 25 minutes
Offense: Castle is a fascinating player to study. He does fine with the ball in his hands, but he’s a non-shooter as a 6’6” guard (or ball-handling wing). His bread-and-butter offensively is to utilize his physicality to get to the basket. So it’s fair to suggest and be cautious of how Castle fits offensively at the next level, since he won’t be a primary ball-handler wherever he’s drafted.
Defense: Castle is an exceptional defender. At this size, he’s a stifling defender on the perimeter. He stonewalls drivers when they’re getting downhill. He applies a ton of pressure on and off the ball, doing so while navigating screens. He’s also tremendous at generating defensive events with both steals and blocks.
Oso Ighoadro
16 points (7-17 from the field, 2-4 from the free throw line ), 8 rebounds (2 offensive), 2 assists (1 turnover), 1 steal, 1 block, 2 fouls in 34 minutes
Offense: Without Tyler Kolek, the offense ran through Ighodaro. Though his efficiency suffered due to Clingan’s defense, his skillset is impressive. He can really run offense as a hand-off hub, with the potential to create something off the dribble. There’s no crazy bag with his ball-handling, but he’s a decisive driver that will put pressure on the defense. He loves the push-shot floater — a la Brandon Clarke. He’s limited as a shooter, which may cause concern, but he’s a big-man connector that can step in on day 1.
Defense: Ighodaro led the charge in slowing down Clingan defensively. He absorbs contact and stays vertical when contesting at the rim. He’s comfortable defending in space as well.
Alex Karaban
23 points (8-13 shooting, 5-9 from 3, 2-2 from the free throw line), 5 rebounds (4 offensive), 3 assists (3 turnovers), 2 steals, 1 block, 1 foul in 38 minutes
Offense: Karaban is a lights-out shooter, who thrives off letting it fly off relocation. He’s not a total specialist though, as he’s a heady offensive player that’s a deft cutter with a nose for the ball — how he offsets his athleticism and ball-handling deficiencies. He’s not a primary playmaker, but he keeps the ball moving within the flow of the offense.
Defense: Karaban is not the most athletic or the quickest. However, his activity fuels his defensive impact. His movements side-to-side are pretty crisp in drive defense. He times passes well to generate deflections and steals. I don’t know how Karaban translates defensively in the NBA, but this is a good framework.
Kam Jones
18 points (7-15 shooting, 2-4 from 3, 2-4 from the free throw line), 3 rebounds, 2 assists (1 turnover), 2 steals, 2 fouls in 38 minutes
Offense: Jones was tasked with more playmaking responsibilities with Kolek out. It’s not a role he will be tasked with primarily — he’s not a natural playmaker, and his handle is rather loose. However, he’s always in motion. He relies contact getting downhill and possess a nice off-the-dribble game. He’s a good shooter that can hit 3’s off the dribble or off relocation — a component that’ll be beneficial for when his role needs to scale down.
Defense: Jones is an aggressive defender that pressures ball-handlers and navigates screens. He can gamble a bit, but he fights back to stay in the action. His measurements will be big at the Combine, as it could determine his NBA role — primarily with which positions he can defend.
Cam Spencer
17 points (6-10 shooting, 5-7 from 3), 8 rebounds (2 offensive), 6 assists (0 turnovers), 3 steals, 4 fouls in 32 minutes
Offense: Cam Spencer is not the kind of playmaker that’ll break a defense down, as he’s more of a ball-mover — making the extra pass to the open shooter (he and Karaban had great synergy in this game). Spencer is another lethal shooter off movement (also shooting 45.1% from 3 on 5.9 attempts per game).
Defense: Cam Spencer generated 3 steals, but none of them really popped off the page — one swipe to knock a drive out of bounds, then intercepting bounce passes. He has a nose for the ball on the glass, corralled 8 rebounds (averaging 4.6 as a 6’4” guard). His perimeter defense is kind of spotty, especially off drives.