NCAA Weekly Performers, 1/31/07-- Part One
Brook Lopez, 7-0, Freshman, Center, Stanford
Vs. USC: 18 points, 11 rebounds, 12 blocks, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, 9-17 FG, 0-0 FT
Jonathan Watters
If you are still trying to nail down which Lopez twin is which, don't feel too bad. It took the DX staff a while also. But Stanford's highly-touted 7-footers aren't just those two freshmen putting up decent numbers out on the west coast anymore. The Cardinal's national profile has increased substantially over the course of the season, capped off by a pair of impressive victories over USC and of course UCLA. While it is probably unfair to single out either twin over the other, since they are both excellent NBA prospects, it is the increased role and productivity of Brook Lopez that has really made the difference for Trent Johnson. His breakout performance came in the victory over USC, where he gave fellow freshman standout Taj Gibson fits and came away with an 18 point, 11 rebound, 12 block triple double.
While Lopez may not have the unmistakable power of Greg Oden, the freakish skill of Kevin Durant, or the explosive athleticism of Brandan Wright, he does pass the initial look test with flying colors. Checking in at a chiseled 7'0, 240 pounds, Lopez is filling out his frame quite nicely. He already has the strength to control the paint against virtually any big man in the Pac-10, and it looks like he could gain quite a bit more weight without slowing down much. Lopez doesn't fly up and down the court, but he does move very well for his size, exhibiting excellent body control and balance - especially as an individual post defender and weakside shot blocker. His first leap isn't explosive, but Lopez is a phenomenal anticipator and understands how to contest shots without picking up silly fouls.
There is also a lot to like about Brook Lopez on the offensive end. He isn't exactly a natural back to the basket scorer, but has a passable repertoire of scoring moves on the low block. He sometimes has a tendency to get pushed away from the basket and then go to low-percentage post moves instead of kicking the ball back out to a guard, but the basics are there. Lopez is very comfortable facing the basket in the high post or on the perimeter and is already showing range out past the college 3-point line. He forces opposing big men to come out and guard him on the perimeter, as his 15-18 foot jumper is very smooth and extremely accurate. Lopez finishes very well around the basket, showing off plenty of power and explosiveness when he has a clear path to the rim. Over time, expect to see more fireworks on this side of the ball.
While it isn't clear when Brook Lopez would be comfortable with exploring his draft options, it is becoming more and more clear that the shorter-haired twin is a lottery-caliber talent whenever he wants to be. His emergence was slowed because of a preseason injury, but it isn't going to be long before that 10-5-2 line reads 15-12-4. Under normal circumstances, 7-footers this good don't last very long at the college level. The scary thing for Stanford opponents is that we haven't even started talking about Robin yet...
While Lopez may not have the unmistakable power of Greg Oden, the freakish skill of Kevin Durant, or the explosive athleticism of Brandan Wright, he does pass the initial look test with flying colors. Checking in at a chiseled 7'0, 240 pounds, Lopez is filling out his frame quite nicely. He already has the strength to control the paint against virtually any big man in the Pac-10, and it looks like he could gain quite a bit more weight without slowing down much. Lopez doesn't fly up and down the court, but he does move very well for his size, exhibiting excellent body control and balance - especially as an individual post defender and weakside shot blocker. His first leap isn't explosive, but Lopez is a phenomenal anticipator and understands how to contest shots without picking up silly fouls.
There is also a lot to like about Brook Lopez on the offensive end. He isn't exactly a natural back to the basket scorer, but has a passable repertoire of scoring moves on the low block. He sometimes has a tendency to get pushed away from the basket and then go to low-percentage post moves instead of kicking the ball back out to a guard, but the basics are there. Lopez is very comfortable facing the basket in the high post or on the perimeter and is already showing range out past the college 3-point line. He forces opposing big men to come out and guard him on the perimeter, as his 15-18 foot jumper is very smooth and extremely accurate. Lopez finishes very well around the basket, showing off plenty of power and explosiveness when he has a clear path to the rim. Over time, expect to see more fireworks on this side of the ball.
While it isn't clear when Brook Lopez would be comfortable with exploring his draft options, it is becoming more and more clear that the shorter-haired twin is a lottery-caliber talent whenever he wants to be. His emergence was slowed because of a preseason injury, but it isn't going to be long before that 10-5-2 line reads 15-12-4. Under normal circumstances, 7-footers this good don't last very long at the college level. The scary thing for Stanford opponents is that we haven't even started talking about Robin yet...