Hoop Review Workout: Player Evaluation

The Hoop Review Evaluation/Workout Program is being held at Slam Academy in Hayward. Here is a report on the players who participated in the session on Wednesday July 22. 6’6 PF [player_tooltip player_id="775765" first="David" last="Ajanaku"]-Makun of Woodside Priory HS (2021) Ajanaku-Makun is a strong and athletic four man with a solid all-around game. He has an impressive offensive arsenal with the ability to score in a variety of ways. He can beat the defender with the one-bounce face up drive and he has a nice shooting touch with 3-point range. Ajanaku-Makun does the most damage in the post where he can dribble operate and he has a nice turnaround shot, a jump hook and a drop step. He is also a solid rebounder and defender who is not afraid to do the dirty work and will “mix it up” in the trenches. Ajanaku-Makun is a legitimate college prospect and what level he ends up at depends on the consistency of his effort/performance.   6’0 SG Kyle Crawford of Sacred Heart Cathedral HS (2021) Crawford is an athletic two guard with a pretty competitive nature at the offensive end. He’s a confident ball handler who can score. His drive to the hoop is probably his best asset. But he shoots it fairly well with long range and has a clever floater in the lane. When Crawford moves without the ball he is effective. He just needs to do it more consistently as he has a tendency to stand away from the ball. It would help his cause if he played in attack mode at the defensive end like he does at the offensive end. Crawford is a basketball junkie who is always in the gym and that bodes well for his future. He WILL put the time and effort in to get better. 6’3 SG/W Matt Hoffman of Jesuit HS (2022) Hoffman is a guard/wing who understands how to play and makes very few mistakes. He can handle and pass it and he moves ok without it. His best asset is his ability to shoot it (with 3 range). And he is effective at catch and shoot. He could use a little work shooting off the dribble and also putting it down and driving to the hoop. Hoffman play pretty good position defense and makes the effort at that end of the court. And he understands team defense as well. This is a player with a high IQ who will give you a consistent effort/performance every time he steps on the floor. And obviously that is something that is attractive to college coaches. No flash, just substance…(It would help if he was more vocal.)   6’2 SG Miles Jordan Griffin of Moreau Catholic HS (2021) Griffin is an athletic two guard who is quietly effective with his performance. But yes, he does need to be more vocal. He’s a solid ball handler who passes it really well and he is effective making plays in transition for himself and others. He has an impressive floater at the end of the break. Griffin is a solid driver with a nice first step. At this point he needs to prove himself as a perimeter shooter (to force the defense to get up and guard him). He is a pretty consistent rebounder who has the athleticism to go get the ball. He does show ability to defend on ball as well. Griffin’s task is to not take a back seat to anyone. If that happens, he has a bright future. He has continued to make steady progress and belongs on the radar of college coaches. 5’6 PG Ricky Logan of Envision Academy (2022) Logan is a tough little bulldog who could be prosecuted for harassment with the way he plays. He will create all kinds of havoc for his opponent. He is a strong and athletic one man with real nice burst. He blows by defenders consistently. And he shoots it well enough from the perimeter to force the defender to come out and guard him which increase his opportunities to get in the lane and make plays (using his quickness). At the other end Logan is a solid on-ball defender who aggressively gets after the opponent. He is in a stance and he will guard you! If you don’t mind the lack of size (Spud Webb and Mugsy Bogues comes to mind) this is your guy. He IS a fighter who you want to go to battle with. 5’7 PG Kael Mc Kenzie of Salesian Prep (2021) If you look up “quick” in the dictionary you will see a picture of Mc Kenzie. This is a real athletic one-man who can really turn on the jets. He is a real nice ball handler who is a good driver with a nice hesitation move. And he makes a lot of plays in transition. Mc Kenzie is a pretty consistent shooter with long range who has a lot of confidence in his shot. He poses a lot of problems for the defense with his ability to shoot and drive. He is an impressive on-ball defender who consistently gets after the opponent. Mc Kenzie is a promising prospect in spite of the lack of size. He’s a little man who plays big and has a competitive nature. 6’2 CG [player_tooltip player_id="946921" first="Malik" last="Merchant"] of Berkeley HS (2021) Merchant is a combo guard who is a pretty complete all-around player. He has the ability to impact the game at both ends of the floor. He’s another kid who is on the quiet side and needs to be more vocal, but he does perform. He can handle, pass and shoot it on the offensive end. And he moves well without it. Defensively he will guard on the ball and understands help defense away from the ball. Merchant makes a pretty consistent effort which is very appealing. And he is a team player. He just needs to be more of a take-charge guy. But he is a prospect worth putting on the radar. 6’1 SG De Undrae Perteet Jr of Skyline HS (2024) Perteet is a very promising young prospect who plays with a lot of confidence. He’s a competitive two guard with skills and athleticism. He can bounce it and he’s a pretty good passer. Perteet shoots it fairly well with long range with a ton of confidence. He believes every shot is going in. And he is effective at catch and shoot. He also has a very nice floater. He must prove himself at the defensive end off the floor, simple by being consistent with his effort at that end. He does show the ability to guard. Perteet has a bright future. He just needs to maximize what he has on a daily basis. 5’11 SG Donovan Tynes of Moreau Catholic HS (2021) Tynes is a strong and athletic two guard who is pretty well-rounded and can make a contribution at both ends. He is a capable ball handler who has a very effective pull-up game in the half court. He is a competent 3-point shooter who can catch and shoot or shoot it off the dribble. Tynes will get in a stance and guard the ball on the defensive end. And he shows some ability to rebound the ball from the guard position, which is a big plus. He is another kid who is a junkie that spends a lot of time in the gym. College coaches loves a gym rat so they should take a hard look at this guy.   5’11 CG [player_tooltip player_id="947859" first="Cameron" last="Walker"] of Turlock HS (2021) Walker is a fairly athletic combo guard with a solid skill set. He’s a little on the slender side and could use some bulk/strength. And he is a little on the quiet side and could use a little more vocalism. But Walker is a confident ball handler and an unselfish passer who can score or facilitate as needed, both in transition and in the half court. He shoots it fairly well with 3 range and he can put it down and get to the basket on the drive. He is also a capable on-ball defender who is not afraid to take on a high-level opponent. Walker has the potential to play at the next level. His task is to maximize that potential. He DOES spend a lot of time in the gym… 6’2 CG Zach Zafran of Woodside Priory HS (2021) Zafran is a combo guard with a high IQ who maximizes what he has. The cliché of a coach on the floor does apply in this case. He is comfortable playing on or off the ball and can be effective in either case, both on the break and in the half court. He will do what the team needs. He can handle, pass and shoot (3 range) and put it down and go on the drive. He also moves well without the ball. Zafran is an efficient player who makes very few mistakes. There is a high trust factor with him and any coach. He is a guy you want on the court at the end when the game is close. College coaches: put him on your radar.