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Will Coleman

Height: 6'9" (206 cm)
Weight: 241 lbs (109 kg)
Position: PF/C
High School: Glenwood High School (Georgia)
Hometown: Columbus, GA
College: Memphis
Current Team: Beale Street Boys
Win - Loss: 1 - 1

Articles

All-Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Second-Team

Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Kyle Nelson
Kyle Nelson
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Apr 14, 2011, 05:33 pm
Kyle Nelson

At first glance, it's hard to fathom why Will Coleman averaged just 7.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game over the course of his career.

One of the most physically gifted players at this event, Coleman stands 6'8, sports a chiseled 241-pound frame, has an impressive 7'1.5 wingspan, and is arguably the best athlete you'll find at his position in the senior class.

It becomes increasingly obvious while watching him play, however, that he is still a very raw player. He lacks the fundamentals and feel on both sides of the court that are expected of a 22 year-old collegiate senior and he rarely exhibited the consistent energy and focus to compensate—often having huge fluctuations from possession to possession.

Coleman's Portsmouth showing was a pleasant surprise given his disappointing collegiate career. Though his skill level remains low, he was very active, running the floor, scrapping for missed shots, and moving without the ball in his hands. He finished emphatically at every opportunity and he was responsible for more than a few highlight reel dunks and blocks.

On the few occasions when he was featured in pick and roll sets, he capably finished around the basket. His post game is still very limited, however, largely comprised of a basic jump hook and underdeveloped footwork. Anything more complicated often resulted in a turnover.

Along these lines, he spotted up from mid-range on a few occasions, but his mechanics were inconsistent and his shot lacked anything resembling arc. Though he made an impressive 83.3% of his foul shots, his overall mechanics here looked far more like his career average of 62.5% FT.

Coleman was not challenged much on the defensive end, rarely playing against a good post scoring threat, but his performance was interesting nonetheless. On one hand, his lateral quickness, explosiveness, and timing, allow him to be an intimidating shot blocker and an overall disruptive defensive presence.

His lack of fundamentals and basketball IQ, however, hurt him significantly in the post, especially when he struggles to maintain position against weaker players. His deny-defense left much to be desired, even against this competition. His rebounding was even less encouraging, as he grabbed just 18 rebounds in three games.

Ultimately, however, Coleman improved his stock at Portsmouth. After all, he was a last minute invite and there was little to like about his underwhelming senior season. While Coleman is still a severe long shot to hear his name called on draft night, he surely showed that he has a great deal of potential still left to tap into, and could very well be a player that can continue to develop in the D-League or overseas.

2011 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Day Three

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Kyle Nelson
Kyle Nelson
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Apr 09, 2011, 11:39 am
Will Coleman had another solid game, once again playing with the energy that he too often lacked at Memphis. The 6'9 big man has a very low skill level, but has utilized all of his 240-pound frame and excellent athleticism to score around the basket. Though his hands aren't great, he did a decent job catching and finishing and scoring off out of the pick and roll. Coleman has run the floor well here, too, with some nice finishes in transition. He also took a pair of spot-up jumpers, but missed badly while showcasing very poor mechanics. He scored 17 points on 7-11 FG.

The key for Coleman, however, is to maintain his defensive effort and energy. Though his fundamentals are not great, his strong frame, above average lateral quickness, and terrific explosiveness allow him to excel here as a post defender where he has bodied up his man and contested shots around the basket. He is still just an average rebounder, however, which is unacceptable considering his physical and athletic advantages here. Considering his physical tools, you have to wonder how he had such an average senior season production wise (being one of the last players invited)—there's likely a lot more bubbling beneath the surface that NBA teams will need to explore.

Top NBA Draft Prospects in Non-BCS Conferences, Part Three (#16-20)

Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Kyle Nelson
Kyle Nelson
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Nov 07, 2010, 12:12 am
Joseph Treutlein

After playing his first two seasons at Miami Dade Community College, Will Coleman had a solid first year in his junior season at Memphis, posting modest production numbers but bringing a high motor style of play to the table and doing a lot of dirty work for his team.

Listed at 6'9 but likely at least an inch shorter in reality, Coleman is undersized for either frontcourt position from an NBA perspective, but makes up for it in part by being an explosive athlete with good length and excellent strength for his size.

On the offensive end, Coleman does most of his damage with simple finishes around the rim, be it off cuts, pick-and-rolls, offensive rebounds, or getting out in transition. He has great hands, elevates very well, and is extremely fluid and agile for a frontcourt player, all of which contribute to him being an excellent finisher at the basket. Whether it's going up for a powerful alley-oop dunk off a pick-and-roll or finishing in traffic off his second bounce pulling in an offensive board, Coleman is constantly working around the rim with his high motor and is capable of overpowering most opponents.

Projecting to the next level, his size will make it harder for him to finish in traffic, but on the other hand, the increased spacing and higher reliance on pick-and-rolls could allow Coleman more opportunities to take advantage of his athletic tools away from weakside help.

Coleman also gets a good share of possessions posting up with his back to the basket, where he shows some intriguing ability with rangy dropsteps, quick spin moves, and a developing hook shot with either hand. While Coleman will occasionally pull off a very impressive sequence, he's unpolished in all areas here while also lacking much in terms of instincts or awareness. His size also makes it tough for him to finish on some contested moves, especially his hooks, which don't get much separation. Overall, this is an area where he shows some potential with, but still has a ways to go to succeed at the next level, and his size will always be somewhat of an issue.

Overall in the halfcourt, Coleman is an extremely hard worker with a relentless motor, constantly fighting for post position, crashing the offensive boards, or setting hard screens on the perimeter (albeit extremely fundamentally unsound hard screens). He makes great use of his brute strength and explosiveness to outhustle and overpower the opposition, having no problem doing his team's garbage work.

On the defensive end, Coleman struggles in man-to-man defense in the post, having a very poor fundamental base and not making use of his physical tools the way he could. He doesn't use his forearm well to hold position and doesn't do much in terms of getting proper leverage either, often getting backed down by players who have no business backing him down. When he does get physical, it usually ends up with him fouling his man, as foul trouble is something that kept him off the court at times this past season. His size also leads to him being shot over at times, and to succeed in the pros he will need to do a much better job pushing players farther away from the basket, where their ability to shoot over him will be less problematic.

On the perimeter, Coleman is surprisingly pretty good defensively, having very good lateral quickness, a solid fundamental base, and he moves his feet very well. He does a good job closing out on jump shots and likewise excels blocking shots on drives to the rim whether he's in front of or behind his man, showing good timing. Coleman also pulls in rebounds at a solid rate on both ends of the floor, making good use of his physical tools and showing good timing here as well.

Looking forward, Coleman should be firmly on teams' second round radar in the draft, as his physical tools and high motor are very appealing for a frontcourt player. He'd help himself greatly by developing a respectable mid-range jumper, something he showed nothing of as a junior, as that would make his offensive transition to the NBA much easier, as would any skill improvement on that end of the floor. Cutting down on fouls, getting better at post defense, and continuing to make impact plays on the offensive end should be among Coleman's priorities, and if he can show improvement, he should have a chance to raise his stock, especially with Memphis expected to have a very good season as a team.

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