Jacob Beasley @PrepHoopsTN Fall Combine Recapture

Andrew Force November 5, 2019 @ 01:05 PM

Jacob Beasley (Blackman) gifted the @PrepHoopsTN Fall Combine with a steady outside shooting, poise on the ball, and discouragingly tight on-ball defense.

How did he measure against the competition?

Class of 2021
5'8" PG
Wingspan -- 5'8" or 68"
Height w/o shoes -- 5'8"
Height w/ shoes -- 5'9"
Shoe Size -- 11 1/2
Hand Span -- 9.0"
Hand Length -- 8.0"
Standing Reach -- 7'5"
Peak Reach -- 9'8"
One-Step Vertical -- 27"
Lane Agility -- 12.60, 11.49
Summer Combine Ranking -- #16
All-Star Top 20

NBA Stylistic Comparison: 1993 Bulls B.J. Armstrong
College Projection: Fringe NAIA.

During his second PrepHoopsTN combine, Jacob Beasley earned placement in the Top 20 All-Star Game. For frame of reference, Beasley missed the Top 20 All-Star Game in 2018. This October he was clearly worthy of inclusion in the same selection process.

Jacob enters his junior season more refined and more efficient, especially as a shooter. Upon this second "first impression, Beasley is stronger in the chest. Clearly much more explosive. His shot is better. Markedly better. Better overall basketball player.

Scan through our '18 evaluation of Jacob.

Jacob Beasley One of many Blackman High players in attendance, Jacob Beasley stood out with remarkable physical fitness. With the help of father Dwayne Beasley (Beasley Elite Sports Training) Jacob is ready to battle any high school guard. Handles are nice. Point guard is likely his spot and Blackman has many. The young guard sees the open floor well and doesn’t mind beating a trap with the dribble. His size will be relevant long term. Can he dart around bigger defenders? Sure. Continued upper body development will help him finish against the trees, possibly by throwing the body into their chest and adjusting mid-air. The game of basketball is played by giants and shorter guards must do one or many things otherworldly. Upper body strength is a must. Shooting, of which Jacob is ahead of his class in, should be incredible. Or the small guard has to be insanely explosive off the deck like Nate Robinson. Most short guards have none of these assets. Look for Jacob to develop that upper body as his body matures. He is perfectly situated with a knowledgeable, driven father who consumes the latest athletic training trends frequently. Plus, Jacob is already accustomed to putting in the hours to improve his body. That takes a discipline many lack. Shooting will be his do or die skill. If Jacob can’t shoot like an archer by 17 years of age, then college basketball will be nearly impossible. That is where his basketball hinges…on shooting with deadly accuracy.

Comparing the two showings really helped spotlight the work Jacob put in and also the anticipated natural physical maturation that comes from high school athletes. Still a good passer. Still good court vision. Better than average dribbler. Good all-around athlete. Still a little short for point guard position, and yet his compact, sturdy frame compensates well. Defenders will have a surprisingly difficult time bullying him. He does everything at least average for that spot. Creative innovative layups in tight would be nice addition. To score against foreboding bigs, Beasley has to do something a little creative, a little juicy, a little special in the lane. Adding some extra spice to his layup package will help, but isn't mandatory for him to be a technically sound basketball player. He has proven fundamentally sound already. This is just a suggestion for how to broaden his skills a touch.

In just a single year, Beasley really took big steps forward as a shooter. The combine revealed Beasley's improvement right away. Shooting drills came easy. There were no noticeable glitches in his shooting form. More obviously his results rang true over and over. The confidence to take and make important shots grew and exists now in Beasley. He played very well among his peers in the All-Star Game.

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