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Jerome Randle profile
RCSI: 126 (2006)
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
Weight: 169 lbs (77 kg)
Position: PG
High School: Hales Franciscan High School (Illinois)
Hometown: Chicago, IL
College: California
Current Team: Union Monastir
Win - Loss: 3 - 2

Articles

Situational Statistics: This Year’s Point Guard Crop

Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Jun 09, 2010, 01:17 am
The passing ability Jerome Randle showcased at the Portsmouth Invitational compliments his offensive productivity from last season quite well.

Despite his diminutive stature, Randle was one of the more impressive players in our analysis because of his jump shooting ability. His 54.3% adjusted FG% indicates that his prowess from the perimeter boosts his respectable 44.6% shooting from the field towards the top of the pack when pitted against his peers. Though he turned the ball over on 19.1% of his overall possessions, ranking him sixth amongst the players in our sample, his .974 points per-possession is good for fifth place and is a full tenth of a point higher than our third ranked point guard, Eric Bledsoe.

The driving force behind Randle’s success last season was his impeccable jump shooting ability. He took over 7 jumpers a game last season, and while he only connected on 38.4% of them, the majority of those shots were three pointers, making his 1.039 points per-jumper good for fourth best on this list. Though he doesn’t display a great pull up jumper, Randle is extremely competent shooting off the catch.

His ability to knock down shots in spot up situations is extremely impressive. Nearly two-thirds of his 3.3 catch and shoot jumpers per-game were defended, but he posted an adjusted field goal percentage of 64% and created 1.29 points-per shot in such situations. Clearly, Randle has learned to deal with the fact that he’s often shooting over much taller defenders, something that will help him considerably with his transition to the NBA game.

In addition to his surprising ability to make shots with the defense bearing down on him, Randle proves to be an average finisher, which, considering his size, is a pretty impressive accomplishment. He shot 51.3% on shots around the rim, which places him right in the middle of the pack and made him more efficient than bigger guards, such as Armon Johnson and Mikhail Torrance.

Landry Fields: There Are No Direct Flights to Portsmouth

Landry Fields
Landry Fields
May 03, 2010, 02:58 am
While I can speak all day about each and every guy at the camp, I’ll just share with you who I was most impressed with. The invitational’s most valuable player was Jerome Randle, and he deserved it. While he wasn’t my favorite player to watch at the event, mostly because I had seen him for so many years and played against him because he went to Cal, he showed a side of himself that not many got to witness when he was at Berkeley.

Randle has always been a great passer, but in college he was a score first type point guard. His handle is beyond ridiculous and I promise you he can shoot a few feet inside the half court line with ease and knock it down fairly consistently. However, at the camp he became a pass first point guard. He reminded me of when Sebastian Telfair was in the McDonald’s All-American game and was going for the assist record. I had never seen Randle play this way before.

He came in with the same mind set as I did; scouts already knew he could score the ball--that was no secret--he wanted to show his ability to do other things, specifically create for others. Randle has always been capable of this, but at the camp he showed it consistently and made it look easy. Every once in a while he would reveal his sweet stroke and rock-solid handle, but he was practically involved in all of his team’s plays and was dropping some serious dimes.

Jerome Randle: "I Can Compete"

DraftExpress
DraftExpress
Apr 20, 2010, 06:58 pm
Jerome Randle’s approach to shooting is the kind of detail oriented fanaticism that would make the most ardent baseball player smile. While elite hitters may spend hours studying and fine tuning their swings, so has the diminutive guard spent long days in the gym tinkering with his lightning quick release in hopes of shaving an extra fraction of a second off his shot, or adding an additional inch to his seemingly limitless range.

“Sometimes you shoot the ball and it’s going good for a couple of games, but then it kind of changes,” Randle said. “Maybe your legs aren’t in to it; maybe you found some knack that you can change. I study film and watch how I shoot the ball and sometimes I go to the gym and while working on it will change something up a little bit.”

Changing something up a little bit might be an understatement, as Randle has reportedly made more than half a dozen changes to his form since he first set foot on Cal’s campus four years ago as a lightly recruited scoring machine from Chicago, a player that Big Ten schools just weren’t all that interested in.



The constant alterations to a naturally deadly shot resulted in the most prolific scoring career in the history of the Golden Bears program. Randle finished up his playing days out West with more than 1,800 points, to go along with 252 free throws and an 88.1% career free throw shooting mark, both of which also rank number one all time at Cal.

Randle in fact ranks amongst the top-10 point guards in our database in 3-point shooting percentage in the past decade, along names such as Darren Collison, Chris Paul, Kirk Hinrich and Mario Chalmers, thanks to the scintillating 46% he shot from beyond the arc as a junior.

Casual observers will see the Pac-10 Player of the Year award, they’ll see an NCAA Tournament win this year, but for pro scouts there’s one accolade that’s standing out more than anything else.

524. That’s the number of assists Randle accumulated during his college career, the second highest total in school history – and it might just be his ticket to landing an NBA contract in the future, and certainly was a major factor behind his winning MVP honors at the Portsmouth Invitational just a couple of weeks ago.

“I knew at Portsmouth that I had great athletes all around me, so I didn’t really need to score. I had other guys around me to do that,” he said. “I just try to do what the coaches ask me to do and I try to perfect that. I definitely can be a pass first point guard; I take on the challenges that come to me.”

That’s hardly the kind of attitude Randle exuded when he first arrived at Cal as a shoot first guard four years ago. Having always served as the first option – and sometimes the second – on his high school and AAU teams, he suddenly found himself on a team where he was expected to distribute the basketball.

This difference in opinion created friction between former Cal head coach Ben Braun and Randle and made for a somewhat tumultuous first two years for the developing guard.

“With Coach Braun, he had his way of coaching, he had guys he wanted to get the ball to,” Randle said. “I wasn’t the number one option, I was probably the third or fourth option and he was looking for me to get the ball to the other players. I was young and immature and I didn’t want to do that, I wanted to score the basketball.”



Following Randle’s sophomore season, Braun was fired and replaced by current coach Mike Montgomery. Having already endured two seasons of negative press in the local papers and unsure of his new coach, Randle was seriously considering transferring out of the program until his mother recommended a meeting with Montgomery before making a final decision.

The new head man and his future star player saw eye to eye on much more than Randle expected, and with the added freedom of the new offense he was in, Randle’s game flourished.

By the time his junior season concluded, Randle was handing out five assists per game and had turned the page from gunner to playmaker – though he may never completely shake the label of his shooting exploits.

“He’s still a shoot first point guard in my opinion, he can score points, but he can do a lot of other things too,” said former Cal assistant coach Joe Pasternack. “I know at Portsmouth he really passed the ball well, I believe he’s the complete package. Coach Braun did a great job of breaking his game down when he first got to Cal and helping him mature. He explained to him what a true point guard is.”

This change fully manifested itself at Portsmouth where Randle, surrounded by a bevy of talented seniors, flourished in the role of playmaker. His 13 points per game were significantly lower than his regular season scoring average, but NBA decision makers were more interested in the nearly nine assists per game that he was dolling out. All of this was accomplished in the midst of a case of food poisoning that Randle suffered prior to his final game at the tournament.

In spite of a resume brimming with success, Randle is still hearing plenty of questions surrounding his small stature. At 5-10 and weighing just over 170 pounds, he has been plagued with doubters for the majority of his career, dating all the way back to his days as a high school star. Despite being the key piece of a team that won an AAU national championship during the summer prior to his senior year of high school, Randle wasn’t drawing interest from too many larger programs, ultimately narrowing his choices down to Cal and Tulsa before signing with the Golden Bears.

“Teams stopped going after him because of his size and then he becomes the Pac-10 Player of the Year,” Joe Pasternack said. “I think his incredible quickness and ability to beat people off the dribble, his shooting, the ability to get space and break down a defense, these are all going to add up for him. Ultimately, people will stop and look at the size, but you have a lot of coaches in the Pac-10 now who are kicking themselves for not recruiting him.”

Randle says he often looks to current New Orleans Hornet Darren Collison as a measuring stick for his potential success. A former Pac-10 star at UCLA who excelled as a point guard and an outside shooter, Collison certainly had his share of questions pertaining to his small frame before being drafted 21st overall last year and seeing major minutes as a rookie.

Hence why Randle says, all the hype about height, might be a tad overdone.

“You would never know it until you get on the floor, there are a lot of guys who are told they can’t play and then when they get out there they surprise people, he said.

“It’s not about your size, it’s your heart that matters most, and if you can compete. I feel like I can compete.”

To ensure he gets the opportunity to show he can compete, Randle finds himself back in his hometown of Chicago working out under renowned basketball trainer Tim Grover at ATTACK Athletics. He’ll be training there for the next several weeks in preparation for the individual workouts he is expecting to participate in.

Randle already met with the Cleveland Cavaliers while playing at Portsmouth and says the New York Knicks have expressed some tempered interest as well. He knows he’s gotten his foot in the door with his recent performances, but knows that this is only the beginning.

“I’m really excited about all of it, just to hear that teams want to meet with me. Hopefully I’ll continue to open some eyes.”

He’s certainly opened more than a few eyes in the last four years thanks to his seemingly constant tinkering, now it’s time to take the finished product to the next level.

Official Portsmouth Measurements Released

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Apr 18, 2010, 10:53 pm
Jerome Randle was listed at 5-10, 172 pounds by Cal, and that figure appears to be accurate, measuring out at 5-9 ¼ without shoes, with a 6-0 wingspan and 169 pounds. His measurements are similar to those of Brevin Knight.

Portsmouth Invitational Tournament Recap, All-First Team

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Kyle Nelson
Kyle Nelson
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Apr 13, 2010, 03:35 am
Kyle Nelson

Jerome Randle’s last day at Portsmouth was not as expected, but factoring in fatigue and a bout of food poisoning, he was still the most impressive player in attendance. Considered a marginal prospect throughout his career at California, Randle emerged as the Portsmouth player most likely to be on an NBA roster in the fall.

His most significant weakness is obvious his lack of size. Measuring 5-9 ½ with a slight frame and without great length, Randle will have ample size and strength issues at the next level. He does have very good quickness and agility, however. Outside of the fact that he is just an average leaper for his size, he is a terrific overall athlete.

Watching him play reveals that, while his size is a weakness, he has excellent instincts to, adjusting well to almost every defender he saw at Portsmouth, from Mikhail Torrance, a 6’5 athlete, to the fastest player in college basketball, Ish Smith. He is a very smart player and is able to exploit and anticipate his opponents’ weaknesses in order to compensate for his lack of ideal size, something that should help him tremendously at the NBA level.

As a point guard, Randle displayed unparalleled vision and never lost sight of his teammates on the floor. He also knew how to deliver his teammates the ball in optimal scoring positions relative to their respective skill sets. Outside of a few wild passes, which were very much the norm in this setting, he played under control and with impressive maturity, dictating the tempo whenever he was on the floor. He had no trouble adjusting to traps, simply passing over or around bigger or more athletic defenders. He also ran the pick and roll successfully. His ball handling and passing skills are both top notch and he looks as though he can play a variety of roles as a back-up or third string point guard at the next level.

Randle was also one of the most complete offensive players in attendance, continuing to show his incredible perimeter stroke and NBA range. His form is incredibly consistent with a lightning quick release and solid elevation. He had no problem shooting off of the dribble or with his feet set, separating him further from the slew of undersized point guards we see coming out of the college ranks each and every year.

He also showed a solid mid-range game, doing a very solid job of creating space for himself against bigger and longer defenders. He hardly ever had difficulty getting his shot off and showed solid shot selection throughout the tournament.

As a slasher, Randle will certainly struggle in the NBA, but he did as much as he could at Portsmouth to alleviate fears that he will be ineffective in this area. He has an excellent first step, which coupled with his quickness, agility, ability to change speeds and body control, allows him to get into the lane and create opportunities for himself around the rim. As was clear at Portsmouth, however, getting stronger should help him finish better with contact and navigate the lane with more physical NBA defenders.

On the defensive end, his lack of size and strength did him few favors and will also be a problem at the next level. Outside of these concerns, he is has fairly good fundamentals and had a solid defensive performance at Portsmouth. He was active, always in his man’s face, utilizing his excellent lateral quickness and aggressiveness to his advantage. While he struggled getting through screens initially, and will likely struggle in this area in the NBA, he displayed solid anticipation and adjusted somewhat throughout. It was clear after Portsmouth that while Jerome Randle will not be a great NBA defender, he should not be as much of a liability as his size would suggest.

Finally, Jerome Randle is, by all indications and reports, a very high character individual who has overcome obstacles on and off of the basketball court throughout his whole life. He has been a leader on the court throughout his career at California and possesses tremendous intangibles that were evident at Portsmouth and that should carry over to the next level.

Most scouts we spoke to are very high on Randle and the consensus was that he put himself firmly in the draft discussion through his performance at Portsmouth. While he played well and helped himself more than any player here, Randle will have to continue performing well against bigger and more athletic point guards in private workouts if he wants to maintain his draft stock.

Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Day Two

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Kyle Nelson
Kyle Nelson
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Apr 09, 2010, 02:14 pm
Jerome Randle was a revelation at the point guard position, putting on a scoring clinic while showing advanced vision and passing abilities, helping his stock as much as any player in attendance thus far. He was by far the most skilled offensive player in attendance.

His stellar three point shooting stroke is well documented at this point, as he shot 42.1% on more than 500 attempts over his last three years at California. His release looks very quick and he has infinite range. While his shot selection was questionable at points during the game, his skill as a shooter is undeniable and as he gets stronger, he should only continue to improve.

He also thrived in mid-range opportunities, using his lighting quick first step and ability to stop on a dime to knock down numerous pull up jump shots. He did struggle finishing around the basket initially, which largely was due to his lack of explosiveness and strength. His instincts, body control, and creativity around the rim allowed him to finish effectively by the end of the game.

Randle is clearly one of quickest players in attendance both with and without the ball in his hands. Going up against Ishmael Smith (considered by many to be the fastest player in college basketball) Randle looked almost every bit his equal, showing the ability to change into an extra gear and blow by defenders in impressive fashion, but unlike Smith, being able to do so in an under control manner that makes him that much more difficult to contend with. He showed excellent instincts off of the dribble as the game wore on, deferring to his teammates and pulling up for jump shots smoothly and confidently. His court vision is outstanding and he always managed to get his teammates the ball in favorable scoring positions.

At just 5’10, Randle struggled somewhat in the first half seeing and making passes over traps in the half court offense. By the second half, however, it was no longer a problem and he had completely adjusted. His lack of size is seen by many to be a hindrance at the next level, and while having an excellent game against 6’0 Ishmael Smith is fine, we will be watching to see how he fares in this setting against a better team and bigger guards. He will be going up against 6-5 Mikhail Torrance in tonight’s semi-finals, a matchup that will be studied closely by NBA teams on both ends of the floor.

Defensively, he struggled sometimes due to his lack of size and strength, as defenders either muscled by him or simply saw over him. His tenacity on this end of the floor, however, is encouraging. He has active hands and is a relentless pest in one-on-one situations. He forced many of Ishmael Smith’s 10 turnovers and did a solid job of staying in front of the quick guard.

Overall, Randle probably has helped his stock the most of any prospect here and continued to improve upon what was already an impressive season. We will be closely watching how he looks in the next two games, and are definitely coming around on his NBA chances.

Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Pac-10 (Part Two: #6-10)

Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Scott Nadler
Scott Nadler
Kyle Nelson
Kyle Nelson
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Joey Whelan
Joey Whelan
Sep 16, 2009, 02:03 am
Joey Whelan

The Golden Bears broke a two year dry spell from the NCAA Tournament thanks to the stellar play of their diminutive floor general Jerome Randle. As a junior, the Chicago native finished second in the Pac-10 in scoring and was the conference leader in assists per game – no small feat. With running mate Patrick Christopher returning to the backcourt as well, Randle should be right back to business in trying to steer Cal towards a conference championship in 2010.

Size is never going to be a strong point for Randle as he stands just 5-10. With that said, he has a bevy of physical attributes that allowed him to operate at a very high, efficient level in his junior season. Blessed with an excellent combination of open floor speed and quickness, the rising senior is very difficult to stay in front of on a consistent basis. Perhaps his greatest weapon though is his ability to change speeds so effectively, often losing defenders in that manner when playing in the half court set. Randle doesn’t have a particularly good vertical, but he has very solid body control that allows him to finish acrobatically around the basket when he isn’t able to elevate with his defenders.

Randle gets his touches in a wide variety of scenarios and in impressive fashion, scores at a high rate in the majority of these situations as well – posting an outstanding 66% true shooting percentage, which ranks him tops amongst all point guards in college basketball last season.

His game is built around speed, opting to put the ball on the deck a large percentage of the time in the half court offense. Randle possesses fantastic handles, able to weave his way through traffic, often burning several defenders on his way to the basket. By combining these skills with his excellent hesitation moves, Randle is able to get into the lane almost at will when he chooses to. This has allowed him to be not only a dynamic scorer but an equally as dynamic playmaker, dishing out five assists per game last season, with nearly a 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio. While he does struggle to finish at the rim given his smaller stature, the upperclassman has developed a very soft runner which he is able to hit from a variety of angles depending on where he is attacking from.

Where Randle proved to be the most dangerous last year was as a perimeter shooter where shot a scintillating 46.3 percent from beyond the arc on nearly six attempts per game. The impressive thing about this rate of success for the point guard is he shoots this well even given the fact that he takes many ill advised shots, particularly in transition where he has a tendency to pull up and shoot. Randle has a good looking stroke with a quick release – able to connect from several feet beyond the three-point line. He’s at his best when he can catch and shoot, though with the ball in his hands so often, he has started to show the ability to take this shot coming off of screens as well. While he is able to get his shot off fairly well right now, he will have a tougher time at the pro level with bigger, longer defenders.

Defensively, Randle leaves something to be desired as a result of his physical shortcomings. His lateral quickness is good, but he can certainly be beaten off the dribble by quicker guards. The biggest problems he faces stem from his size – as is the case on the offensive end. He struggles to fight through screens and gets overpowered by bigger perimeter players often. Even when he can stick with other guards, Randle often finds opposing players shooting over him both on the perimeter and around the basket. He does however have quick hands and good anticipation skills, a combination that allowed him to come away with nearly a steal per game last season.

There’s no question it will be an uphill battle for Randle to crack an NBA roster given his tiny frame and the problems those create for him specifically as a defender. Still, it’s hard not to be impressed by the outstanding numbers he put up last season (particularly his efficiency) as well as the number of assists he doled out in a competitive Pac-10. A big senior campaign will go a long way towards forcing pro scouts to take an even harder look at him once the spring comes around, even if at this point he looks more likely to end up in Europe.

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