The Expo: Team 5 Evals

With over 100 players coming to Auburn to compete at The Expo, we had some real competitive games and a lot of guys ready to bring their A game. We continue here with our evaluations of every player at the event, shifting our attention to the guys on Team 5.    Mataia played a pretty solid all around game at the event. Did some nice work in transition, filling lanes, getting ahead of the defense, making key outlets up the floor, and finishing some contested looks at the rim. Made several good reads off the ball to cut into space and work to the rim. Showed he can knock down the outside shot when defenders choose to hang back, and put in a few great efforts on the offensive glass to get second chance buckets.     Bennett was a willing teammate at The Expo, setting early screens in their possessions, sneaking in for some unexpected offensive rebounds, and freely moving the ball around. Had some nice, quick and controlled closeouts on shooters to that put them under some pressure and forced the ball to move.     Cortez really shined over the course of the day as a reliable operator in transition. Showed he can capably fill multiple roles on the break and was able to quickly get out in transition as a ball handler to capitalize on slow transition defense. Did a great job reacting to possession changes off the ball too, streaking out ahead of the defense and displaying the effort needed to catch defenses lacking. Had a handful of sneaky finishes at the rim, using both hands, and slipping some inside hand finishes off around shot blockers.     Mcleroy showcased some creativity at times with the ball in his hands to get into the paint and make some plays. Also was composed on a few fast breaks to pull up short when the defense collapsed to the rim, and converted short runners. Chipped in a few good offensive rebounds and put backs as well.     Jones put on a great display of how to prod defenses, get into gaps under control, and knock down open shots. Has some legit pace and bursts that helped him be a threat with the ball in various scenarios, and was just a slippery ball handler to cover. Started to really feel his jumper in their last game of the day, hitting shots off the dribble from different levels.     Collier is a real catch and shoot threat who displayed good range a couple steps behind the arc, but didn't just specialize in being a shooter. Showed off some strength with the ball and patience on his attacks to play off of two feet, get his feet under him, and use his pivots to get looks around the paint. Competed on the glass too and showed some toughness around the key.     Hernandez is a pretty explosive guard who has the moves to separate and get downhill from the perimeter, as well as create separation for step back threes and pull-up jumpers in the midrange. Had some good moments defensively where he was able to get his hands on the ball and create some quick offense. Also showed of that explosiveness with a couple of big dunks on the day.     Hussein was a pesky defender who was locked in from tip till the final horn. Applied good ball pressure high up the court, made ball handlers uncomfortable, and made a handful of sneaky steals jumping into passing lanes and sneaking up from behind on ball handlers. Very speedy player who was able to draw up extra defenders on his penetration and kick to teammates for great looks.

With over 100 players coming to Auburn to compete at The Expo, we had some real competitive games and a lot of guys ready to bring their A game. We continue here with our evaluations of every player at the event, shifting our attention to the guys on Team 5.