Elijah Thomas

Jonathan Givony

Recruiting Rankings: 247: #8, ESPN: #5, Scout: #10, Rivals: #9

Strengths:
-Strong frame. Huge shoulders. Big hands. Long arms (7-1 wingspan)
-Terrific scoring instincts. Averaged 27 points per-40 at the Nike EYBL shooting 58% from the field
-Very effective with his back to the basket. Has good footwork, soft touch, and a variety of moves
-Can score with hook shots, step-throughs and drop-steps. Uses both hands inside the paint
-Catches everything thrown his way. Very soft hands
-Can handle the ball a bit with either hand
-Intelligent, creative all-around player. Very nice feel for the game

Weaknesses
-Doesn't have great height at 6-8
-Conditioning is not great. Weighed 270 pounds at the LBJ Academy in 2013
-Average athlete. Plays below the rim. Doesn't run the floor that well
-Struggles to finish over length
-Somewhat turnover prone. Doesn't do a great job recognizing double teams. Forces the issue at times
-Poor defender. Doesn't give great effort

Outlook:Undersized big man somewhat stuck between the 4 and the 5. Has terrific scoring instincts. Really knows how to play. Will need to continue to work on his body. Has the type of body that can get out of shape quickly. Can bully less physically developed players at the high school level. Will need to keep improving his frame and skill-level as other players his age catch up.