This week's version is a bit of a mixed bag. Half a tribute to some of the besst and most consistent upperclassmen who haven't gotten enough recognition on the site, and half a look at a couple of intriguing sleepers who have caught our eye as the season nears it's conclusion. There is a bit of overlap between the two as well as you might expect.
Solomon Jones has been one of the best big men in the incredibly tough Big East all season long, but hasn't gotten much hype to back it up until now; Brandon Roy is making a strong case out West for joining Redick and Morrison as a first team All-American with a near triple-double; Alexander Johnson and FSU are finally starting to see the fruits of his labor pay off in the form of double-double after double-double in the ACC; Allan Ray finally gets a well-deserved mention thanks to his outstanding performance against UConn last week as well as his play all season long; Justin Williams is the 2nd best shot-blocker in the country despite playing on one leg all season long; and Maryland transfer Andre Collins is quietly showing the country why he may have deserved more opportunities than he garnered in his first three years in college, to the tune of 27 points per game.
Solomon Jones, 6-10, senior, PF/C, South Florida
19 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks, 7-10 FG, 5-8 FT
Jonathan Givony
Being ranked 2nd in the best conference in America in both rebounds (10.0) and blocked shots (3.1), as well as shooting 80% from the free throw line, you would think that a 6-10 and super long athletic big man like Solomon Jones would be getting plenty of hype from the national media and draft world alike. That has hardly been the case for Jones.
Part of that has to do with the fact that his South Florida team has yet to win a game in the Big East at 0-12, and the lack of positive exposure that comes along with that. Another reason would be the fact that hes really crept up on the college basketball world, being a no-name in high school, transferring in from Daytona Beach Community College at just 195 pounds, and having a fairly pedestrian junior season averaging just 6 points and 6 rebounds in conference USA.
None of that is of any interest to the NBA scouts that have become a regular fixture at his games this year, though. After adding 35 pounds to his wiry frame (now at 230) since transferring into USF, Jones has become an extremely intriguing prospect thanks to his excellent athleticism, superb length and budding skills in all facets of the game. Hes slowly but surely making great strides from game to game, showing new things every time he steps out on the floor and most importantly looking like he still has an extremely high ceiling to continue to improve.
Jones runs the floor as well as any big man in the conference, possessing great quickness and an outstanding vertical leap which has made him one of the top 10 shotblockers in the country in this his senior year. Hes extremely active both defensively and on the glass, rotating well from the weakside and going out of his area to grab double digit rebounds every game.
His offensive game is still fairly raw, but he shows some nice sparks from time to time; putting the ball on the floor and spinning his way to the lane, knocking down mid-range jumpers as well as his free throws, and showing decent coordination catching balls in the post and going up for emphatic finishes.
He doesnt like to use his left hand much, and his lack of strength eliminates most possibilities of a potential back to the basket game, but he wouldnt be the first skinny 6-10 athlete to make it in the league if he continues to work hard on his all-around game. He gets outmuscled right now trying to hold his spot on the block on both ends of the floor, and really isnt much of a factor in half-court sets beyond setting picks and sneaking up on his matchup occasionally thanks to his activity level and athleticism. Foul trouble has been one of Jones worst enemies throughout his career, picking up too many cheapies just by sticking his hands in all kinds of places they should not be, but to his credit hes still found a way to average an outstanding 37 minutes per game this season in the extremely tough Big East.
All in all we are talking about a rare senior who appears to be nowhere close to reaching his full potential as a basketball player at this point in his development, and could very well hear his name called on draft night based on the upside he shows in workouts and NBA draft camps. Jones has received his invite to Portsmouth already and according to his coach at South Florida is likely to accept it and attend.
Part of that has to do with the fact that his South Florida team has yet to win a game in the Big East at 0-12, and the lack of positive exposure that comes along with that. Another reason would be the fact that hes really crept up on the college basketball world, being a no-name in high school, transferring in from Daytona Beach Community College at just 195 pounds, and having a fairly pedestrian junior season averaging just 6 points and 6 rebounds in conference USA.
None of that is of any interest to the NBA scouts that have become a regular fixture at his games this year, though. After adding 35 pounds to his wiry frame (now at 230) since transferring into USF, Jones has become an extremely intriguing prospect thanks to his excellent athleticism, superb length and budding skills in all facets of the game. Hes slowly but surely making great strides from game to game, showing new things every time he steps out on the floor and most importantly looking like he still has an extremely high ceiling to continue to improve.
Jones runs the floor as well as any big man in the conference, possessing great quickness and an outstanding vertical leap which has made him one of the top 10 shotblockers in the country in this his senior year. Hes extremely active both defensively and on the glass, rotating well from the weakside and going out of his area to grab double digit rebounds every game.
His offensive game is still fairly raw, but he shows some nice sparks from time to time; putting the ball on the floor and spinning his way to the lane, knocking down mid-range jumpers as well as his free throws, and showing decent coordination catching balls in the post and going up for emphatic finishes.
He doesnt like to use his left hand much, and his lack of strength eliminates most possibilities of a potential back to the basket game, but he wouldnt be the first skinny 6-10 athlete to make it in the league if he continues to work hard on his all-around game. He gets outmuscled right now trying to hold his spot on the block on both ends of the floor, and really isnt much of a factor in half-court sets beyond setting picks and sneaking up on his matchup occasionally thanks to his activity level and athleticism. Foul trouble has been one of Jones worst enemies throughout his career, picking up too many cheapies just by sticking his hands in all kinds of places they should not be, but to his credit hes still found a way to average an outstanding 37 minutes per game this season in the extremely tough Big East.
All in all we are talking about a rare senior who appears to be nowhere close to reaching his full potential as a basketball player at this point in his development, and could very well hear his name called on draft night based on the upside he shows in workouts and NBA draft camps. Jones has received his invite to Portsmouth already and according to his coach at South Florida is likely to accept it and attend.