Scouting Take: Mike Moser of UNLV

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Are you a big fan of a scary combination of skill and athleticism at the forward position, and effort-induced intangibles? If so, you’ll enjoy watching UNLV’s Mike Moser, who is making some noise on scouting radars everywhere.

You may have heard Moser’s name associated with his old school, UCLA, but he was never an issue for Coach Ben Howland despite deciding to jump ship to Sin City. In fact, by all accounts, it was quite the opposite: Moser needed fewer distractions, and there were plenty in Westwood.

On the court Moser displays the rare ability to defend the 2-4 positions, although at the next level I’m not quite sure he has the base to handle NBA power forwards. But in defending the perimeter, Moser’s frame and footwork are exceptional.

What stood out in his performance last night against Wyoming wasn’t his 16 first-half points on an array of shots, but it was his foot speed in transition. He’s the fastest player on the floor with long, loafing strides that make it look effortless.

After getting out to a 28-11 halftime lead, Wyoming made a run to cut the lead to 7 points and had the chance to make it a two possession game with 6:32 to play. I kept thinking to myself that the Rebs were reeling.

UNLV reeling... moser back in. needs to make a defensive play right here.
March 9, 2012 2:03 am via webReplyRetweetFavorite
@TommyDeeTKB
Tommy Dee

On the next play UNLV’s guards force a miss and Moser outjumped Wyoming’s Leonard Washington for a critical rebound that allowed UNLV the chance to stretch the lead to 11 two possessions later, essentially killing the rally. That’s an intangible that stands out.

Moser’s full body of work has been inconsistent, and right now he’s a lottery talent who needs more seasoning. Defensively, he’d remind you of a slighter Luc Richard Mbah a Moute in terms of guarding the ball and always looking to help the ball. He needs to work on his perimeter game (.336% from deep) and in his ability to break defenders down off the dribble, but he’s shown flashes. His 16-point, 18-rebound performance in a win against North Carolina sits atop his resume. 

Right now he’s a defensive specialist with inconsistent scoring production, but when you talk about the top underclassmen at the forward position, Moser’s name is right there.

Strengths:

- Intangibles

- NBA-ready defender who can defend the 2/3 and smaller 4s.

- baseline to baseline footspeed.

- NBA length/frame

Weaknesses

- offensive consistency

- needs to demand touches more. A little too passive in that respect

- physical strength. Would get posted up by stronger SFs at the next level

 

Tommy Dee is the founder of TheKnicksBlog, editor of CHARGED Magazine and is a regional scout for Marty Blake and Associates. Follow him on Twitter.

Filed Under: NCAA Tagged With: , ,

Scouting Take: Kevin Jones of West Virginia

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I’ve had the privilege to witness Jones’ development since his freshman year at Mount Vernon High School in Westchester County, NY. He’s gone from a frail and athletic shooter to one of top forwards in the country. Jones was recently snubbed by not being awarded Big East Player of the Year, but his future in the NBA may be one of the brightest of any forward prospect based on his skill set.

I don’t overstate things. Jones is the best offensive rebounder I’ve seen in the college game at the forward position in a decade. Case in point was yesterday during the Big East tournament in a 71-67 loss to UConn. A shot goes up and Jones plays the angle and gets the ball at its apex, taps it to himself and kicks it back out for another possession.

Wait, did I mention that he beat both Alex Oriakhi AND Andre Drummond to the zenith?

Offensively, Jones plays a position that all NBA teams are looking for — the “Stretch PF or Stretch 4.”

Stretch 4s can make 3s from the perimeter by pulling bigger defenders away and opening the lane for dribble penetration. They can also guard NBA power forwards. Jones has seen his shooting numbers drop from deep this year to an all-time low 27%, but I’m a fan of his high release and ability to shoot over big forwards. He has made 110 triples in his four-year career in Morgantown.

Strengths:

- Four-year player who has developed all facets of his game every year

- Consistently improved weaknesses

- High natural release on jump shot allows for him to get looks over taller defenders

- Tremendous timing as a rebounder, specifically on the offensive glass. Uses his frame and angles well

- Natural fit at the stretch 4 position

Weaknesses:

- Shooting percentage has dropped this year from deep

- Not a natural ball handler. Doesn’t have natural explosiveness with the ball going to the rim

- Needs to develop a more polished back-to-the-basket post game

- Weak base, may get exploited by stronger post players.

Tommy Dee is the founder of TheKnicksBlog, editor of CHARGED Magazine and is a regional scout for Marty Blake and Associates. If you want to hang and talk hoops, meet him at the Portsmouth Invitational but leave your calculator at home. You also can follow him on Twitter.

 

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Scouting Take: Zack Rosen

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With the recent success of Jeremy Lin at point guard position in New York, NBA owners have pressed their scouts to search the Ivy League for the next edition of Linsanity.

Rumor has it there’s a pretty good guard in the Ivy League. His name is Zack Rosen.

There’s no reason to believe that Rosen can redefine a franchise, but the kid is a quarterback. Heck, Jay Fiedler called the shots for the Miami Dolphins.

The idea is to manage expectations, but I like this kid and it started last year.

I walked into Draddy Gymnasium last year for Manhattan-Penn and I was sucked in by Rosen’s ability to control pace and use his strength to fight through great pressure. He opened my eyes. As I looked in the program, I realized Penn’s point guard is a tough kid from St. Benedict’s in New Jersey. He’s Danny Hurley 2.0 – minus the mountain of legacy and pressure on his shoulders.

From what I’ve gathered this year, Rosen is fearless. He can stretch defenses with a quick release. Thanks to Lin’s success – much like Jared Jordan garnered when Steve Nash was winning MVPs – Rosen may ride the wave of Ivy talent if he showcases himself well at the Portsmouth Invitational, where he can really prove his worth.

Dalen Cuff played for Columbia and he studies the conference now. We agree on the following when talking about Rosen…

Strengths:

- Fearless competitor, takes and makes big shots consistently, never shies away

- Great leader by example and vocal when necessary

- Has really improved his 3-point consistency and range to NBA distance

- Deadly going left, to get to the rim or pull up on a dime

- True PG in every sense of the phrase

Weaknesses

– Not sure how strong he is to keep guys out of the lane and if he will be able to be active on glass at all

- Ability to finish at the rim at the next level

Tommy Dee is the founder of TheKnicksBlog, editor of CHARGED Magazine and is a regional scout for Marty Blake and Associates. If you want to hang and talk hoops, meet him at the Portsmouth Invitational but leave your calculator at home.

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NCAA scouting report: John Henson

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Lost in the midst, perhaps, of North Carolina getting revenge at the expense of their hated rivals, Duke, on Saturday in Durham was the continued evolution of a sure-fire lottery pick and, to me, the most improved offensive player in the nation.

No, I’m not talking about Harrison Barnes.

I’m talking about John Henson, who has quietly polished his short and mid range face-up offensive game, which has made him one of the most complete and NBA-ready big men in college basketball.

Prior to this year, Henson did a decent job of establishing his post position, but his slight base and frame often caused him to get pushed further away from the basket. This would force a bevy of jump hooks and fade-away shots from the basket, which would limit his effectiveness offensively. This was exploited in the tournament last year and was a major reason he returned to Chapel Hill for more seasoning.

If you look at his stat sheet compared to last year, you will notice that his scoring is up, but his field goal percentage is the same. But if you look closer, you will notice that he’s attempting three more shots per game. This tells me that he is consistently making more shots per game from the field, obviously.

The question becomes where are the coming from? Let’s use the Duke game as a prime example. When talking about match ups, Duke’s front line featuring Mason and Miles Plumlee, you expected that they would make Henson earn position on the block and would be very physical, which they were. This made Henson have to establish his face up game. On several occasions, Henson made elbow and wing face up jump shots, and even made a one foot fade-away on the weak side.

Defensively, Henson isn’t as explosive as Kentucky’s Anthony Davis but he’s as good as any weak side help defender in the nation. He’s an NBA-ready defender in terms of blocked shots. Despite his slight frame, he defends the block in one-on-one situations and can extend to the perimeter, laterally. He defends the pick and roll with length on “hard shows” as well as anyone. His defensive abilities were never an issue.

On the season Henson has 16 total double-doubles and eight games of 15 or more points and 10 or more rebounds.  As the ACC and NCAA tournaments approaches, it’s clear that if the Heels are going to travel the road all the way to New Orleans, Henson is going to have to continue to display his improved offensive game, which includes creating space from 10-15 feet consistently.

Tommy Dee is the founder of theknicksblog.com; regional scout for Marty Blake and Associates and editor of CHARGED Magazine. He will be keeping an eye on NBA draft prospects during March Madness for sheridanhoops.

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