It’s being reported everywhere, now, that Tom Izzo is turning down the head coaching job offered by the Cleveland Cavaliers and staying in East Lansing as coach of the Spartans.  Chris Broussard stated on ESPN moments ago that , in addition to Izzo’s love of coaching at Michigan State, Izzo is not taking the position in Cleveland largely because he “couldn’t get assurance from LeBron James that LeBron would be back in Cleveland,” but noted that this is due to lack of contact between the two, not because LeBron left Izzo with doubts after a conversation.  By all accounts, such a conversation never happened.

A Spartan for life -- his words.

Spartan fans had reason to be nervous just before the reports began to surface that Izzo was staying;  his future still uncertain, he called a team meeting before confirming he was going to remain as the Michigan State coach, a sequence of events that one could have taken to mean that he was about to accept the job with the Cavs.  This now can only mean that he simply wanted to first alert his players to the good news as any responsible coach would do, and not have them receive it via television or tweet.

That’s why it’s good for college basketball that this man sticks in East Lansing.  Anyone who remembers how he struggled to keep his composure when asked in a post-game interview about the welfare of Kalin Lucas after Lucas tore his Achilles’ tendon knows how much he cares about his players off the court as much as on it (that’s just one example).  His players love him, he’s polite, affable, even self-effacing, as evidenced by the fact that he apologized for taking so long to come to a decision about this job offer.  Clevelanders certainly can’t be too mad at him, since he included in his statements an entreaty that LeBron hang around as a Cavalier.

Now that the smoke has finally settled from the near-apocalyptic blowup of one of the nation’s most powerful conferences in the money sports, we can sift through the wreckage and take a gander at what it all means to college basketball.  Yesterday we discussed the numerous possibilities that may still exist in the pipeline as more strategic moves are considered and ultimately made, but a wholesale re-working of the collegiate map in the nation’s breadbasket is not coming (at least not this year).

Instead, we’re left with a Big 12 conference that suddenly looks much stronger in the sport of basketball than it has since the good ol’ Big 8 days of yore.  Consider that in the last seven years of Big 12 conference play and in twelve of the fourteen years of its existence as a twelve-team league, BOTH of now-departed Nebraska and Colorado failed to make the NCAA Tournament.  In fact, Colorado only made the Big Dance twice (1997 and 2003) over that period, while the moribund Huskers only took part once (1998).  The two teams combined for a single NCAA win (CU in 1997) in that span, and generally neither school did much to scare the likes of Kansas, Mizzou, Texas or Oklahoma on the recruiting trail or in the arena (Nebraska averaged 6.4 wins in the Big 12 on an annual basis, while the Buffs averaged an even paltrier 6.2 wins per season).  Put simply, these are two of the worst BCS-level basketball programs in America, and now the Big 12 has fortuitously shed themselves of their depressing RPIs and general albatross-ness.

Imagine how much better the SEC’s profile would look if it could drop Auburn and Georgia in basketball, or if the ACC could do likewise with NC State and Miami (FL).  Suddenly, those #7 and #8 teams fighting for NCAA attention look stronger because their RPIs are not being dragged down by multiple games (and an occasional loss) with the bottom-feeders.  Missouri Governor Jay Nixon already gets it:

Nixon suggested that the loss of Colorado and Nebraska might be good for MU and the rest of the conference, at least in one sport.  “When you drop the two weakest basketball programs in Colorado and Nebraska, it makes the conference better,” Nixon said. “Our RPI will improve.”

Consider what’s left.  Kansas is a top five historical program who will always be good.  Texas is currently a top ten program with the resources and recruiting base to remain there for years to come.  Missouri has a long tradition of excellent basketball and will continue to excel under Mike Anderson.  Texas A&M will play tough-minded defensive basketball for Mark Turgeon and can also tap into the recruiting riches of the Lone Star State.  Ditto for Baylor and Scott Drew.  Oklahoma State and Oklahoma have strong traditions as well, and will continue to get good players and make NCAA Tournaments.  Frank Martin’s Kansas State is on the verge of becoming a powerhouse of its own to rival KU and Mizzou in their backyards.  The only two dogs of the group are at Iowa State, who hasn’t been able to get its act together since Larry Eustachy was in town, and Texas Tech, who is clearly still feeling the effects of the Bob Knight era.  But eight of ten good to great programs is not freakin’ bad, folks.

You Have to Resurrect Tyronn Lue to Find a Good Nebraska Hoops Team

Last season the Big 12 already had the best conference RPI in the land by a slight margin over the Big East.  If we remove CU and UN from the mix, the Big 12’s conference RPI would have risen by a full 0.14 ratings points, making it quite clearly the strongest league in 2009-10.  Seven teams already got into the Dance last year — with the additional slots that the 68-team Tournament will now provide, it is conceivable that the Big 12 could see eight of its ten teams advancing to the NCAAs in a particularly strong year.  While all of these moves were driven by the pigskin dollars, it may be that the biggest beneficiary in terms of success on the playing surface are the remaining basketball programs.   

Player Name: Greg Monroe

School: Georgetown

Height/Weight: 6’11”, 247 lbs

NBA Position: Power Forward/Center

Projected Draft Position: Mid-lottery

Overview: After turning down Duke to go to Georgetown, Monroe has mostly lived up to the lofty expectations bestowed upon him as a top 10 recruit coming out of high school. He has proven to be every bit as talented as the high school recruiting experts, but questions remain about whether he has the tenacity or type of game to dominate the way you expect a superstar to. Monroe has shown the capacity to improve his game as demonstrated by his growth as a player between his freshman and sophomore year as the Hoyas often ran sets through Monroe. Although Monroe has the best skill set of any big man in the draft by a wide margin he has a lot to work on if he wants to fulfill his potential as a basketball player.

Monroe Has Shown Flashes of Brilliance

Will Translate to the NBA: Monroe will be a player that his teammates will love playing with. As soon as Monroe signs his first contract he will be one of the top 5 passing big men in the NBA. His game won’t overwhelm opposing teams, but if he is put in the right system he could flourish. In a few years he could very easily be the second or third option on a championship level contender. He isn’t the kind of player that you give the ball to with the clock running down, but he is a player who in the right situation can put you in position to win games (a lot of them). On the other hand, Monroe will frustrate fans because his passive game may be interpreted by many on the periphery as lacking the urgency his team sometimes needs. On defense Monroe will put up decent numbers because of his size and decent mobility even if he lacks the ideal NBA athleticism. He should be a decent defender, but will never make an all-defensive team. The big question will be how his game translates from the Georgetown “Princeton offense” to a more traditional NBA offense depending on where he ends up going.

Needs Work: As we have mentioned (and countless others before us) Monroe could become a little more aggressive on the offense end. While we all know the NBA could use a few more unselfish players Monroe needs to develop that “killer instinct” (a banal term for a not so banal attribute). Monroe could also use a little work in the low post. Even though he is effective with his variety of unorthodox moves inside Monroe would benefit immensely from a summer (or two or more) working with a skilled big man refining his inside game so he can play a little center too.

Comparison Players: The name you will hear thrown around the most when describing Monroe is Lamar Odom. While I can see that particularly with their build and passing ability there are some key differences namely that Monroe lacks the handle or outside shooting range that Odom has and Monroe can actually be an inside force (read: play defense) so the comparison is not a particularly useful one. Another comparison that I actually prefer is Brad Miller, another inside player with a solid passing game but not a dazzling array of other offensive skills. Miller has a nasty streak that Monroe has yet to display and Monroe has a little better handle, but otherwise their skill sets are pretty comparable.

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1. In case you haven’t heard, the Big 12 is now a ten-team conference and Texas will earn more money than God for the woodshedding that it pulled on the rest of its conference peers on Monday.  Seriously, we’re a fan of keeping this conference together, but we don’t want to hear any whining from the Missouris and Kansas States of the world when they see the dollar differential that they’re receiving versus the Horns AND THEIR OWN PRIVATE TV NETWORK on an annual basis.  Our man on the matter Andrew Murawa once again puts it all into perspective for us in a coherent, logical fashion.
2. No news is good news for Michigan State on the Tom Izzo front, as he had nothing to say when questioned by a camper about his plans at his summer basketball camp on Monday.  If the report that Izzo and LeBron James have yet to speak is true, though, this might seem to indicate that James is noncommittal about his plans for next season and clarity on that front is unlikely to factor into Izzo’s final decision.
3. Speaking of Izzo, assuming he ultimately leaves Michigan State for the Cavs, how much revenue could that end up costing the university on an annual basis?  This article takes a shot at trying to piece that together.
4. We missed this news late last week as a result of the USC sanctions and the conference realignment madness, but it’s worth noting that Portland State was banned from 2011 postseason play because of a very poor APR (Academic Progress Rate) score.  Its 865 score from the academic years 2005-09 is far below the national average of 940 — is it coincidental that the Vikings’ two best seasons (Big Sky champs) were in 2007-08 and 2008-09?
5. Luke Winn visited CP3’s summer camp that features many top college stars, including UNC’s Harrison Barnes, Duke’s Seth Curry and Washington Isaiah Thomas.  The story about how Thomas and the other UW players were completely fooled by former recruit Terrence Jones’ decision to go to Kentucky over Washington at the last minute was very interesting — Thomas suggested that the Wildcats better watch out in November in Maui if the two teams face each other.

Over the course of the next month until the NBA Draft on June 24, RTC will be rolling out comprehensive profiles of the 30-35 collegians we feel have the best chance to hear their names called by David Stern in the first round that night.  There won’t be any particular order to the list, but you can scroll back through all the finished profiles by clicking here.

Player Name: Al-Farouq Aminu

School: Wake Forest

Height/Weight: 6’8, 216

NBA Position: Small Forward

Projected Draft Range: Mid-lottery

Overview:  Al-Farouq Aminu is a player that every NBA scout has had on his radar since he came out of the Atlanta area two years ago, but despite two solid years in the ACC at Wake Forest, he has yet to make the leap to bonafide superstar that many anticipated at that time.  In watching AFA play, you get a sense that he’s still often learning how to use his prodigious physical talents to his advantage, which makes sense when you consider that he’s still only 19 years old despite having two years of college ball under his belt.  Aminu’s upside is tremendous with his size, athleticism and nose for the ball combining to leave scouts waiting for everything to come together, but the biggest barrier between him and NBA stardom will be his weak jumpshot.  Still, despite having little in the way of a reliable offensive move to the basket at this stage of his career, he’s projected as a mid-lottery pick in next week’s draft because of the obvious possibility that he may explode in the next 3-5 years.  There is a slight risk that the team selecting Aminu will eventually be left with a freakish athlete and not much else, but the stronger possibility given his obvious work ethic is that AFA will eventually become a second-tier star in the league, a double-double threat every night out from the small forward position.

Aminu is a Freakish Athlete But Needs to Work on Shooting

Will Translate to the NBA:  Aminu’s athleticism and length at the small forward slot are what NBA coaches covet, as he has the capability and potential to become a terror filling lanes on the break, a powerful rebounder from the wing and a devasting perimeter defender.  Still only 19 years old, Aminu’s upside is what has him slotted into the top ten picks of the draft, in large part because if he ever figures out the shooting part of the game, he has the tools to become an eventual All-Star.  His wingspan of 7’3 ensures that he’ll get his hands on boards that most players his size cannot, making Aminu a modern-day Shawn Marion clone (with an equally ugly jumper).  Despite spending a fair amount of time on the perimeter in the Wake Forest offense, AFA was first in the ACC in rebounding (10.7 RPG) and was one of the very best in the nation at corralling second-chance opportunities for his team.  Players with that particular skill are born, and Aminu will be one of the next undersized forwards to consistently outhustle the Lamar Odoms of the world to rebounds and loose balls. 

Needs Work:  Speaking of that jumper, Aminu cannot yet shoot the ball with any kind of consistency outside of ten feet.  While his three-point percentage improved in his sophomore campaign from 18% to 27%, no opposing team had stopping AFA’s three-point attack at the top of their defensive priority list.  There are also concerns about Aminu’s maturity level.  At times last season and particularly as the wheels on the Wake Forest bus were coming off, AFA would seem to float through large portions of games, most notably in a zero-point, five-foul performance against Florida State during the last week of the regular season.  He also fouled out of three other games and picked up four fouls in nine more, limiting his time on the floor and causing his team to suffer as a result.  For him to reach his lofty potential, shooting drills and better concentration will have to be areas of improved focus. 

Comparison Players:  We mentioned Marion above as an example of a similarly sized player who had the athleticism and heart to regularly snare rebounds away from taller, bigger players.  The key distinction is that, ugly as it was, Marion’s jumper became consistently deadly from outside.  Will Aminu be able to work up to that level of shooting skill to keep defenses honest and open up his ability to get to the basket?  Luol Deng is another player with similar size and athletic gifts who Aminu could favorably compare with. 

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Andrew Murawa is the RTC correspondent for the Pac-10 and the Mountain West conferences and an occasional contributor.

The Big 12 went all the way to the brink, peered over the other side into non-existence, and then veered away from the white light at the last minute. The patient is now resting comfortably in Austin, although it has lost a little weight.

After last week’s rumors that the University of Texas was all but signed up to head to the Pac-10, bringing Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and potentially Texas A&M or Kansas along for the ride, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe pulled off perhaps the biggest longshot in the college sports year, reportedly in conjunction with an influential group of concerned citizens both within and outside of the world of college athletics, pulling Texas back from the brink with promises of SEC-type money and an ability for the Longhorns to start their own television network, the revenues of which they’ll be able to keep all for themselves. And, just as a little bonus, the remaining ten Big 12 schools (yes, it appears that for the near future, the Big 12 will have ten schools and the Big Ten twelve) will get to split the nearly $20 million in buyout penalties that Colorado and Nebraska must pay for leaving the conference. Maybe Christian Laettner’s shot and Doug Flutie’s pass were more exciting to watch, but Beebe’s last chance attempt at holding the Big 12 together will have a much larger long-term impact on the college sports landscape.

The Most Powerful Athletic Program in College Sports

Texas

The biggest winner here is Texas, on several fronts. According to Beebe’s projections, the Big 12’s next television deal coupled with projected income from a Longhorn television network could provide the university with between $20-$25 million annually, a marked increase from the estimated $10-$11 million they are currently generating.  And, the Longhorns get to remain in a conference with its historic rivals, many of whom were either in the position a few days ago of  doing whatever Texas decided it was going to do, or being left behind if Texas did leave. While the Big 12 was already painted as Texas and the 11 dwarfs before the last week, that image has been cemented in everyone’s minds now. Clearly that will be just another useful recruiting tool for Texas athletics.

Texas A&M

The Aggies come across as the only school in the Big 12 whose leaders were able to think of themselves in a way other than their relationship to Texas. If Texas had made the decision to head west, A&M was already well on its way to paving its own road to the SEC. Whereas before this mess, most would have pointed at Oklahoma or maybe Nebraska as the strong number two program to the Longhorn Ace, Texas A&M went a long way this week toward establishing their own identity. And then, of course, at the last minute the Aggies blinked. Fortunately for them, big daddy Texas still had their backs.

The Little Twelve

So what happens to the conference as a whole? It gets significantly richer, while being in the excellent position of dividing up a bigger pie up into fewer pieces. Beebe’s number should certainly be retired, and any time that he shows up at a Big 12 sporting event for the rest of his lifetime, they should roll out the red carpet for him, sit him down at a nice courtside throne and pay off a few cheerleaders to fan him with feathers and feed him grapes. Iowa State in particular was certainly on the verge of relegation to a mid-major program with Baylor likely not far behind. Missouri’s administrators, who not long ago talked of their involvement in the Big 12 in the past tense, have been saved as well from peddling their wares on the street corner. Kansas and its pre-eminent basketball program has been spared the indignity of either playing out of region in the Big East or asking for shelter from the Mountain West. And all these longtime rivals (or at least most of them) get to continue beating each other up on the playing field. Without a doubt, the 2010-11 season has just taken on some added significance.

Beyond all that, there are the details. First, is this league still the Big 12? We’ve put up with the Big Eleven still calling themselves the Big Ten if only because they were sorta old and quaint, perhaps a little senile, and who could blame them if they couldn’t count anymore. Sure the Atlantic 10 has 14 members, but the Atlantic 14 sounds like a really bad sequel to Ocean’s Eleven. But we really can’t have the Big 12 operating with ten members (assuming they actually stay at ten – more on that in a second), still calling itself the Big 12, can we? The easy solution is to just have the Big Ten and Big 12 swap logos, but something tells me we’re stuck with these names.

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More on this later this evening from our man out west, but ESPN and several other outlets are now reporting that Texas (and evidently Texas A&M, as well) has officially turned down the Pac-10 and will stay in the Big 12, a conference whose headquarters just outside of Dallas had vultures circling over it as recently as yesterday.

Now that Texas is staying, it seems like conference realignment has been a lot of flirting and -- as far as college hoops fans are concerned -- minimal action of any importance.

If the current reports are true, with Nebraska headed to the Big Ten, Colorado moving to the Pac-10, and Boise State bolting to the Mountain West, the biggest college basketball-relevant change of conference might be — who would have guessed? — Utah, expected to join the Pac-10 at any moment.  Indeed, across all sports, it might just be the case that all of this conference realignment talk and the predicted death of leagues might end up just being like a bachelorette party that got a little out of hand:  some quick decisions that led to a couple of broken relationships, and some very serious flirting by the others that almost led somewhere dangerous.  But, in the end, everyone wound up back home where they belong.

Player Name: Devin Ebanks

School: West Virginia

Height/Weight: 6’8, 208

NBA Position: Small Forward

Projected Draft Range: Late 1st round

Overview: Devin Ebanks’ value to the Final Four-qualifying West Virginia Mountaineers can’t necessarily be valued in points scored. The former Indiana commit was an important cog in the stellar Mountaineer defensive attack that vaulted Bob Huggins’ team to lofty heights during Ebanks’ final campaign. There were games where Ebanks’ mid-range jumper and soft touch around the basket contributed in the scoring column, prime examples being his 15 points in a home win over Georgetown, 19 points in a squeaker over Marquette and even 20+ point displays against the soft defenses of Providence and Seton Hall. There were also a handful of contests in which Ebanks simply could not be relied on to provide scoring punch, including five single-digit outputs in Big East play and even an embarrassing 19-minute donut in a discouraging road loss to Notre Dame. Ebanks’ rebounding capacity (8.1 per game), long wingspan, defensive prowess and gifted passing ability were certainly vital components of a wildly successful season in Morgantown, but if any NBA team is searching for a consistent scoring thump from the enigmatic Ebanks, they may need to search elsewhere late in the first round. Teams working out Ebanks likely fell in love with those secondary (albeit just as important to a winning cause) skills, giving the 6’8 Long Island native enough assurance of a first round selection that his final two campaigns in Morgantown were deemed unnecessary.

Ebanks' Defense and Rebounding Make Him an Intriguing Prospect

Will Translate to the NBA: There’s plenty that Ebanks brings to the table for any NBA squad. He’s truly one of the most gifted rebounders we’ve seen in the Big East in the last five years. His body and strength fail to overpower, but Ebanks has a knack for reading misses and exploding off the floor to snatch the rebound, especially for second chance opportunities. Ebanks averaged around eight rebounds per game in each of his two seasons at West Virginia and that incredible wingspan makes the task undoubtedly easier. Ebanks has a chance to thrive in a more up-tempo system because of his prowess in transition. His athleticism and gazelle-like strides in the open floor often conclude in powerful dunks or accurate pull-up short jumpers. We could see his mid-range game developing into a weapon in the next 4-5 years. His mechanics are sound, the elevation is evident and Ebanks is already a 75% free throw shooter. Since West Virginia’s offense is largely based on cutting rather than penetration, Ebanks was able to show his passing gifts on more than one occasion last season. He can also be a versatile defender that shuts down a scoring small forward or utilizes his wingspan/athleticism to contain bigger power forwards.

Needs Work: Just ask any West Virginia diehard who followed Ebanks during his two seasons in yellow and blue: it’s impossible to tell what you’re getting from Ebanks on any given night from a scoring perspective. Scouts will have a difficult time determining where Ebanks really succeeds on that end of the floor. He has no reliable go-to move, lacks the ball control to penetrate effectively and gives the defense nothing to respect on a shot with any range. Most of his points and shot attempts in college were a result of offensive rebounds or broken garbage plays, and even with that he only averaged just above nine FG attempts per game as a sophomore. Just ask Ron Artest whether a small forward in the NBA needs to have at least a somewhat respectable outside jump shot in his arsenal. Ebanks is a fantastic free throw shooter but rarely is able to draw fouls because of his complete lack of individual offensive capabilities. He absolutely must learn how to take defenders off the dribble and add some strength to finish through contact at the rim. Character is also a mild concern as Ebanks was suspended early in the 2009-10 season by Huggins.

Comparison Players: Although Ronnie Brewer is a bit shorter, we see a lot of his game in Devin Ebanks. Both are likely forever destined to playing a secondary role in the NBA and have certain discernable skills that should keep them in the league. Both players are abominable outside shooters but make up for that negative with outstanding defense on the other end. They’re also athletic and Ebanks even played point-forward on a handful of occasions at West Virginia.

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1. Tom Izzo update — shockingly, the Michigan State coach is still considering the Cleveland Cavaliers job, but a report that surfaced late Sunday night stated that LeBron James would be behind the Izzo hiring.  What’s less clear is whether that means James would support the hire as a member of the Cavs or as a member of some other team, a key distinction surely not lost on Izzo in trying to make his decision.  Honestly, the only way that this move makes sense for Izzo is if he can rest assured that he’ll have the opportunity to coach LeBron; otherwise, he’ll be in much the same position that his collegiate forebears such as Pitino, Calipari and Floyd found at the next level — in possession of a swollen bank account but an emaciated roster.
2. You typically don’t see this happen often, but Ralph Willard did it last year when he left Holy Cross to become an assistant at Louisville and now Indiana State head coach Kevin McKenna is leaving his post to become an assistant under Dana Altman at Oregon.  McKenna was only 43-52 in his three seasons at ISU but he did get the Sycamores to the CBI last year, so you wonder what might have been the underlying reason for this move.
3. Was the Pac-10 taking another look at Kansas in light of rumors that Texas A&M is more interested in moving to the SEC (leaving the rest of the Big 12 South to the west coast)?  Pac-10 Commish Larry Scott was scheduled to stop over in Kansas City on Sunday night, but apparently the plane never showed up.  Does this mean that A&M is back on board with the move west?  And what of Missouri, who was so gung-ho about joining the Big Ten a month ago, but who is now scrambling around to try to save itself and the rest of the Big 12 (good luck with that).  Sensing an opportunity to improve its profile, the Mountain West is already looking at both schools as possible expansion candidates.
4. D-day for the Big 12 will be Tuesday, as the regents for the University of Texas will meet to decide what, if anything, to do about the reported offers to join the Pac-10 or the SEC versus staying put.  If the Horns decide to move, the Big 12 will probably be kaput as a major conference, a doomsday situation that had its commissioner spending the weekend trying to convince UT brass that a 10-team conference could still remain viable and that the school would be free to pursue its own television deal (presumably something the new Pac-16 would not allow).  Stay tuned — much more will undoubtedly happen this week.
5. FedEx CEO Fred Smith has his own ideas about conference realignment — if any BCS league agrees to take his beloved Memphis Tigers into its fold, that league could earn up to $10M yearly for the invitation.  The most likely beneficiary?  The Big East, especially if the Big Ten as expected raids some of the conference’s football-playing schools.

Over the course of the next month until the NBA Draft on June 24, RTC will be rolling out comprehensive profiles of the 30-35 collegians we feel have the best chance to hear their names called by David Stern in the first round that night.  There won’t be any particular order to the list, but you can scroll back through all the finished profiles by clicking here.

Player Name: Paul George

School: Fresno State

Height/Weight: 6’9, 215

NBA Position: Small Forward

Projected Draft Range: Late lottery

Overview: To the casual fan, Paul George may be the least recognizable potential lottery pick, having spent his two collegiate seasons in relative obscurity on bad teams at Fresno State.  National television appearances were few and far between, but when George’s Bulldogs found their way onto ESPN, he made the best of it.  Last season George did a little bit of everything for the Bulldogs, averaging 16.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.0 APG and 2.2 SPG while hitting 91% of this free throws in 33 minutes per game.  Still, he rarely faced elite defenders in the WAC so there is some lingering concern over the quality of competition he was doing it against, but the general feeling is that his athletic gifts and skill set are such that he will learn to excel against any defense.   The key question that draftniks have about George is whether his potential and upside are worth the risk of taking him with a lottery pick, and it appears as we get closer to draft day that several teams are more than willing to give him a shot.

George's Athleticism is Eye-Popping

Will Translate to the NBA:  George’s ridiculous athleticism, nearly seven-foot wingspan and astonishing leaping ability are attributes that will serve him very well at the small forward position in the NBA.  He can get to the rim and finish over and through defenders when necessary.  He also has exceptional range on his jumper — well beyond the college three-point line — although he can sometimes rely too much on this shot given his athleticism (43% of his field goal attempts were from distance in his two-year career).  There are quite a few swing players vying for a minutes at the next level who can run and jump like George, but not many can also shoot the ball with consistency.  He has had a tendency to take poor shots on occasion, but George will likely cut down on his chucker mentality when he realizes that he will not need to be the primary scoring threat in the NBA.

Needs Work: The areas of George’s game that need the most work are his sometimes sloppy handling of the ball (nearly three turnovers per game) and a lack of defensive intensity (especially considering his physical tools).  These are manageable problems that can be improved upon with repetition and improved focus during game action, but they’re also the type of mistakes that will get him pulled from the game quickly at the next level.  We imagine that some of this derives from being the star offensive player on a bad team and is correctable through management of his minutes and improved basketball IQ.  In other words, coaching.

Comparison Players: Reliable small forwards who can shoot from distance like Trevor Ariza, Danny Granger and Rudy Gay are several of the more popular comparisons we’re hearing.  George is probably a bit more athletic than those players so if he can shore up his handle and improve his shot selection, these are reasonable target players for him.  Should he not improve on his deficiencies, though, then Dorell Wright may be a more apt comparison over the long run.

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