Comparing the Best: Siman Sem & Aanen Moody
One of the biggest debates PHD has had with itself and one of the most talked about items in North Dakota high school basketball is who is the top guard prospect in this junior class? Is it Siman Sem of…
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Continue ReadingOne of the biggest debates PHD has had with itself and one of the most talked about items in North Dakota high school basketball is who is the top guard prospect in this junior class? Is it Siman Sem of Fargo North or is it Aanen Moody of Dickinson?
This is a healthy discussion because while very different talents both are very good players and having excellent junior seasons. This is a discussion and a comparison not as much to say “who is better” as much as “both are very good” although in different ways.
PHD watched both players compete in Grassroots competition last spring and summer (Moody with Dakota Phenom and Sem with ECI) and we’ve seen both play two full length games this year as well as highlight cuts of other games. Here is our thoughts on both in five categories.
2015-16 Season.
Siman Sem. As of last week Siman led the EDC in scoring (21.7 points per game), was 6th in both assists (3.8) and rebounding (7.6 per game), 4th in steals, 9th in blocks, and 10th in three point percentage (37.3) while second in treys made (50). Fargo North is 11-9 this season ranked 11 of 21 Class A teams.
Aanen Moody. Moody leads both the WDA and Class A in scoring (32.3 points per game), first in steals (3.3 a game), first in free throw percentage (88 percent), is 8th in the WDA in assists (2.9), 10th in rebounding (5.9), and is shooting 37 percent at the arc and nearly 50 percent overall from the field. Dickinson is 14-7 as a team and is greatly improved as a team from last year (they are ranked 5th out of 21 teams).
Result. Moody and Sem are the top two scorers in Class A although Moody is far and above everybody else. Both are shooting strong percentages and are doing a lot of everything. Siman’s numbers are better as far as all categories go but Moody has been the more explosive scorer and his team is doing better.
Defense.
Siman Sem. Siman’s potential as a defender is very high. He sits deep in stances and explodes out of a lateral step cutting off angles and he jumps passing lanes like few can. He’s a very good defensive rebounder because he is so quick off his feet and the Spartans do a lot of first pass trapping and Sem forces a lot of turnovers that way. At the next level players have to be able to move around ball screens of large 6-foot-8 players and Sem has the length, size, and lateral quickness to do that. His length will get deflections and his lateral quickness will allow him to beat athletes of all kinds to angles.
Aanen Moody. Leads the WDA in steals and is second in Class A because he has very quick hands plus he jumps passing lanes reading the angle of the pass much ahead of the play. We think he has greatly improved battling around screens and his lateral quickness in a stance is undervalued because so many people look at his scoring numbers.
Result. Sem is about an inch, inch and a half taller, he is longer, and looks to have more lateral quickness. Moody seems more opportunistic jumping passing lanes and using quick hands. Sem has an edge on everybody in the state as far as defensive potential goes because of his length and lateral quickness which will allow him to guard a couple different positions (there are 1s, 2s, and 3s he has the potential to guard).
Shooting.
Siman Sem. Sem is a much improved shooter at the arc making 37 percent of his treys on the season and 43 percent of his field goals. Siman looks more comfortable with his feet set to catch and let go and his one dribble pull-up is still one of the tougher shots to guard. Also, his quick bounce is tough for defenders to counter when he attacks or moves off the ball to score. Shoots 62 percent at the foul line which needs to get to about 70 percent.
Aanen Moody. Moody’s explosive shooting stroke has on the short list for the PHD player of the year award and that stroke has put together some memorable nights of massive scoring totals. Moody’s quick stroke moving around screens to catch and hit or one dribble pulling up is what makes him so hard to guard. His quick jump and flick of the wrist has been shown all over highlight films around the state.
Result. Siman is getting better and has the quick step and length to get shots off but Moody is pushing forward as one of the most explosive shooters in the entire Midwest.
Skill.
Siman Sem. Siman is playing lead guard for much of the game as his ball handling has improved going in both directions and I was really impressed with his vision to kick after attacking gaps or pushing in transition to the foul line. Really like the role that Coach Critchley has Siman playing as it’s showing off Sem’s potential and improvement.
Aanen Moody. His dribble separation game is one of the most improved parts of his ability as players have no idea which separation move is coming and what direction it’s going. Moody has also done a really good job getting big man Jordan Meidinger involved with lobs, leads, and bounce pass post feeds and one of the best skills Moody has shown this year is his ability to move off the ball around screens to create space with a curl, a fade, or a sprint after rubbing off the defender on the screen.
Result. I think both have become more versatile players in addition to becoming more explosive scorers this year.
Potential
Siman Sem. Siman is one of the best athletes in the state so his open floor run has little to no comparison in North Dakota. His height, length, and lateral quickness allow him to defend several spots and he’s shown an increased ability to handle the basketball and create for not just himself but others. I would have always said the potential to him was big but before this winter I wouldn’t have used the word versatile, but now I feel more comfortable with the word
Aanen Moody. College basketball is short on shooters. Everywhere. Everybody needs shooters and this America is a shooter. The way he plays, Moody is likely to be a two guard which is where size is the first question asked. When we saw him live this summer we would say about 6-foot-1 but his team lists him at 6-foot-3 so the answer is in there somewhere.
Result. There are three things that all schools need: athletes, size, and shooters. Siman fits the first category and Moody the third (Meidinger of course the middle). Siman has more potential defensively because he can guard more spots. Moody has the potential to be a great shooter for a program. Sem has quality potential offensively by he must continue to grow like he has during his junior year.
Verdict.
Who is the better prospect? That depends one what college you are. Right now I see both as low major division one potential talents but school A would pick Moody because of his ability to explosively shoot while school B would pick Siman because of his athletic ability and potential. Moody has had the best year of just about anybody in the state and I think it has proved that he belongs on the lists of D1 schools when it comes to who they watch. We know Siman is already there.
So which would a school take? Again that would come down to the need of the school and the way that school plays. Siman and Aanen are very different players and could actually play together because they do such different things well. The big edge Moody has on Siman is his explosive scoring where as the edge Siman has on Moody is his ability to guard multiple spots and he is the better athlete. Because of that more schools are likely to look at Siman but when it comes down it as a whole they are both the same level of player, it just depends on what type of player a college wants.