Jacob Epperson, 6'11, La Lumiere, Australia, 1998
Jonathan Givony
Strengths:
-Great size for a big man at 6'10 without shoes. Measured a solid 7'1 wingspan and 8'11 standing reach
-Mobile big man who can run the floor, is quick off his feet and covers ground well
-Has a versatile and fairly polished skill-level, especially considering his “late bloomer” status.
-Has great hands and is a very reliable finisher around the basket, even from decent vantage points. Moves off the ball intelligently
-Can make a mid-range jumper with very soft touch. Also effective from the free throw line. Even made a corner 3
-Smart and unselfish. Makes the extra pass
-Competitive defensively. Doesn't let opposing big men push him around without putting up a fight. Has some toughness to him
-Shows very nice timing as a rim protector. Has some ability to move his feet on the perimeter as well
Weaknesses:
-Only weighs 198 pounds at the moment. Doesn't have a great frame and there are question marks about how strong he can get without sacrificing his excellent mobility
-Has a low release point on his jumper, and a bit of a windup. A lot going on with his jumper, even if it eventually comes out of his hand nicely with good touch. Needs to speed up his release
-Mobile, but not incredibly explosive. Lacks elite level athleticism to be considered a top-shelf prospect
Outlook: Epperson was a total unknown in Australia (invited to their national team but cut) prior to arriving in the States to play AAU last July, despite being the son of a standout College player (Ken Epperson at Toledo) who played professionally at a high level in the NBL as well. He's since established himself as one of the best men in high school basketball. Epperson had a very strong camp in New Orleans, showing a very high skill level on both ends of the floor. He is without a doubt an outstanding prospect for college and the international game. We'll have to see how his body evolves over the next few years to get a better gauge for his NBA prospects, but there's a lot to like about the improvement he's shown in the past year or so.
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