Top 30 Prospects Outside D1

The following is a list of the top 30 basketball prospects outside of Division 1. This list incorporates multiple levels and spans NCAA Division 2, NCAA Division 3, and NAIA Division 1. Prospects have a chance to rise in their conference tournaments, but the following is a composite ranking based on this season's performances. This list took considerable scouting time and some statistical analysis. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

1. Karron Johnson, Junior, Shaw University, Division 2
2. Lamonte Thomas, Senior, Johnson & Wales, Division 3
3. AJ Matthews, Junior, Farmingdale St., Division 3
4. Marcus Goode, Junior, Benedict College, Division 2
5. Jeremy Kendle, Junior, Bellarmine University, Division 2
6. Travis Hyman, Senior, Bowie St., Division 2
7. Eric Frederick, Senior, Texas Wesleyan, NAIA Division 1
8. Ken Brown, Senior, Philander Smith, NAIA Division 1




9. Cardell McFarland, Senior, Kentucky Wesleyan, Division 2
10. Temi Adebayo, Senior, Philadelphia University, Division 2
11. Tyrone Shelley, Senior, Georgetown College, NAIA Division 1
12. Malik Alvin, Senior, Shaw University, Division 2
13. LA Farmer, Senior, Arkansas Monticello, Division 2
14. Anthony Young, Senior, Kentucky Wesleyan, Division 2
15. Cody Schilling, Senior, Augustana Sd., Division 2
16. Teondre Williams, Senior, Clayton St., Division 2
17. Braydon Hobbs, Senior, Bellarmine University, Division 2
18. Jet Chang, Senior, BYU-Hawaii, Division 2


19. Travis Wilkins, Junior, St. Catharine College, NAIA Division 1
20. Keane Thoman, Senior, Missouri Southern, Division 2
21. Antonio Smith, Senior, Shaw University, Division 2
22. Ronnie Moss, Senior, Texas Wesleyan, NAIA Division 1
23. DJ Rivera, Senior, Montevallo, Division 2
24. Isaac Thornton, Junior, Fairmont St., Division 2
25. Sammy Emile, Senior, Mars Hill, Division 2
26. Cedric Harris, Sophomore, West Liberty, Division 2
27. Steve Custis, Senior, Fairmont St., Division 2
28. Da'Ron Sims, Senior, West Georgia, Division 2
29. Marquise Mems, Senior, Tougaloo, NAIA Division 1
30. Fayzon Richey, Junior, Saint Gregory's, NAIA Division 1


[Pictures: AJ Matthews (Source: Farmingdale St. Website), Cardell McFarland (Source: Twitter Picture), Jet Chang (Source: mauinow.com)]

Scouring the Nation (Part 8)

In this edition of 'Scouring the Nation', I explore two of the top prospects in NAIA Division II- Saint Francis (Ind.)'s Qadr Owens and Huntington University's Caleb Kennedy.



Caleb Kennedy clearly had one of his more remarkable performances against Owens' squad. He was dominant throughout and connected on a very high percentage of his shots. Kennedy's game centers around his crafty post moves. While he is only 6'6, his girth at 215 lbs allows him to maneuver around taller players. At a higher level of basketball, Kennedy will likely still be able to employ his post-up moves. However, he will have to slim down in order to play at a faster pace. With his wide shoulders and strong upper body, Kennedy should be able to still function similarly, even if he has to sacrifice some of his strength.

In the post, Kennedy utilizes an array of drop step and pivot moves in combination with quick jumpers to exploit defenders in the painted area. While his post arsenal is not all that advanced, his savvy around the basket allows him to compensate. While he does need to extend his range, Kennedy regularly pulls up for turnaround jumpers or runners after initially receiving post entry feeds. But, he prefers to create for himself off the dribble. With regard to how this facet of his post game will translate at the professional level, it is clear that he is going to have to minimize the number of times that he puts the ball on the floor. While defenses already converge on him, he would likely struggle maneuvering around higher level athletes on the block. And, he would assuredly turn the ball over more often at the professional level because help defenses in these leagues are far more advanced than anything he has seen in NAIA.

Further, Kennedy is an excellent shooting threat from the mid range. Despite being the focal point of Huntington's offense, he still manages to connect on 51.7% of his field goal attempts. He possesses decent form on his free throws and shoots them at a 70.3% clip, indicating that he has the fundamentals to develop a consistent outside shot. These numbers do not tell the entire story though, as they fail to account for scoring trends. Kennedy tends to dominate in spurts. In his contest with Saint Francis (Ind.), he performed valiantly, but was saddled with foul trouble for some parts of the game; this, in turn, limited his ability to get into a rhythm and ultimately allowed Saint Francis to stage a comeback.

Considering the fact that Kennedy functions primarily as a post option, he rebounds the ball fairly well, especially on the defensive glass. He possesses good box out fundamentals and the intuition to know where the ball is going to land next. Kennedy is also a solid passer. In his contest with Saint Francis (Ind.), he saw several double teams, but was able to dish it to his teammates for easy baskets. Even when he was directly assisting them, his presence commanded significant defensive attention, and this allowed other players to assert themselves when he was in the game.

On the defensive end, there are numerous question marks concerning how Caleb Kennedy will stop quicker forwards at the professional level. While he is capable of moving laterally when defending in the post, the transition to the perimeter might be fairly difficult for him. However, he does have outstanding length, and this enables him to really contest and alter shots at the basket.

Overall, Caleb Kennedy appears to be a good prospect without a definitive position at a higher level of basketball. He must continue to expand his game and improve on his outside shot in order to receive looks from overseas scouts.


On the other end, Qadr Owens demonstrated why he was an All American a season ago. Not only was he able to successfully involve his teammates, but he also displayed his scoring prowess throughout the contest. While he is not a consistent three point shooting option this season (35.4% on the year), he did connect on 4 out of 5 long range shots in this game, attempting decent looks and successfully stretching Huntington's defense. Moreover, he strongly drove to the basket and either set up teammates, or was able to finish through contact. Owens has excellent body control and the upper body strength to complete tough plays around the rim. Further, his solid handle allows him to maneuver around defenders, making him one of the more complete slashers in NAIA basketball.

In terms of his court vision, Owens is a willing passer and successfully set up several of his teammates in this contest. After he drove to the basket and kicked the ball out, though, his teammates would often swing it around the perimeter to an open man, thereby negating some potential assists. However, he oftentimes does make the right pass, and is willing to do whatever it takes to lead his team to victory. Owens is also an exceptional athlete, as evinced by his 5 rebounds per game at 6'1. (may be smaller than his listed height as well)

From a defensive standpoint, Owens was able to shut down his opponents on the perimeter despite his height disadvantage. He even played solid post defense on several occasions, and really forced Caleb Kennedy into some difficult shots. Further, Owens has quick hands and impressive instincts on this end of the floor, which enable him to collect 1.48 steals per game.

Overall, Qadr Owens is one of the more underrated guards in the NAIA. He is a consummate winner who must continue to improve his consistency from beyond the arc. If he can do this and continue to work on his offensive repertoire, he should earn a decent contract overseas.


(Image Sources: Huntington.edu & Naia.cstv.com)

Scouring the Nation (Part 7)

In this segment, I explore two of the leading offensive weapons in Division III, who battled one another in a high scoring affair.

In John Jay College's home contest against Brooklyn College, leading scorer Jerome Alexander really began to assert himself towards the end of the second half. The fifth leading scorer in all of Division III (26.1 ppg) is an aggressive slasher who scores the vast majority of his points attacking the basket. By the mid-way point of the first half, it became clear that the end-to-end tempo really favored his style of play, as he thrived getting to the basket in transition. Alexander possesses a solid first step and an understanding of how to get by his defender with the change-of-pace dribble. He also knows when to utilize the jump stop in order to create space. As such, he is capable of getting around multiple defenders, even in halfcourt sets. And, standing at 6'4, Alexander could potentially develop the ability to shoot over his defenders. In order to do this, however, he must raise the release point on his shot and speed up his shooting motion. Otherwise, he will have to consistently fade away from the basket just to get his shot off. He also must extend his range in order to keep defenses honest.

In terms of his decision making, Alexander made a few careless turnovers driving into traffic once the Brooklyn College's defense converged on him. However, he generally played within himself most of the time, and found open teammates after getting in the lane. At the next level, it is clear that Alexander will thrive beating his man off the dribble and finding open three point shooters. Further, Jerome is a decent athlete who is able to hang and finish through considerable contact. He is also capable of collecting rebounds, particularly on the offensive end, when he decides to assert himself.

From a defensive standpoint, Jerome Alexander has considerable promise if he is able to maintain a consistent focus. Earlier in the first half, Alexander failed to assert himself, lagging behind plays and not really focusing in on perimeter shooters. The 2nd half was a totally different story though. Jerome's defense on Brooklyn's Tyshawn Russell for stretches really sparked John Jay's rally late in the game. In terms of his discernible tools, Alexander possesses good lateral quickness and functions well as a positional defender on the perimeter. However, he must sacrifice his body more often, though, by taking charges.

Overall, Jerome Alexander is one of the top scoring threats in Division III. His ability to attack the basket and create for teammates makes him a valuable player at any level. Alexander also possesses immense potential on the defensive end, but must look to play with the same degree of focus throughout each and every game. While he still must amend certain aspects of his game to be successful at the next level, Alexander has good potential to develop into a solid contributor for a European squad after his collegiate career is behind him.


For the opposing team, Brooklyn College's lead guard Tyshawn Russell really dominated throughout most of the contest, widening his team's margin of victory to twenty points during some stretches. Not only was he capable of playing off the ball and slashing in traffic, but he also took on most of the point guard responsibilities. Much like Alexander, Russell thrives at attacking the basket with his blindingly fast first step. Standing at 5'10, Russell has a slight build, which he willingly throws around whenever he drives to the hoop. Unlike Alexander, though, he usually looks to finish by blowing by defenders at the rim, instead of opting for the pull up jumper. In this contest, Russell completed several spectacular plays, demonstrating that he can contort his body in the air and finish around multiple defenders. Russell possesses exceptional athleticism and is rather dynamic off the bounce. He also has incredible hang-time and the requisite athleticism to play at a higher level of basketball.

When he received the ball on the perimeter, Russell often looked for open teammates, appearing almost hesitant to dial his own number in the second half. He often swung the ball and was not given credit for hockey assists, which nonetheless set his teammates up for open shots. With that said, he does have more turnovers than assists on the year, and this is primarily attributable to his lack of upper body strength. It should be noted that Russell is one of the few options on Brooklyn College that can create their own offense. As such, he often becomes an object of defensive strategies. In order to score during these stretches where he is the subject of the opposing team's defensive focus, Russell must improve his perimeter jumper. On the season, he is connecting on an abysmal 27.8% of his 3 point attempts. While he did nail a few of his attempts from distance in his contest with John Jay College, it is clear that he tends to rush his outside shot at times.

Defensively, Russell has quick hands and was able to push the ball in transition after stealing it from the opposition. He also possesses the lateral quickness to defend at a higher level. However, his lack of upper body strength is alarming, as this will almost certainly be exploited by virtually every other college-level guard who has spent some time in an intense strength training program. Overall, if Russell can improve his physique, he will become stronger with the ball and his assist to turnover ratio will likely normalize as a result. This will ultimately allow him to emerge as a coveted long term prospect for teams competing overseas.

(Images by John Jay College Athletics & C. Gottlieb)

Scouring the Nation (Part 6)

In this edition of "Scouring the Nation", I examine two of the top scorers in Division III- lead guards Matt Addison of Hardin-Simmons and Seth Anderson of Gustavus Adolphus College.


When watching Hardin Simmons's diminutive point guard Matt Addison, it becomes clear that he makes his impact felt on both ends of the floor night in and night out. Not only can he score the ball from virtually anywhere, but he is also a pesky defender. With that said, he certainly has limitations on this end. Standing at a mere 5'8, Addison is not much of an NBA prospect. However, he is lightning quick with an excellent first step and second gear.

On the offensive end, it is clear that Addison is a handful and certainly one of the top players outside of Division I. He can create his shot from virtually anywhere on the floor, and is particularly dangerous from 3 point range. Towards the end of the second half in his contest with Gustavus Adolphus, Addison connected on two big three pointers that almost single handedly evened up the game. On the year, Addison has proven to be an excellent marksman from distance, dialing in on 45.2% of his almost seven attempts per game. His consistency on this end will most assuredly guarantee him a spot on some squad overseas.

Not only is Addison dangerous from beyond the arc, but he also has a pull-up jumper in his arsenal. He regularly connects on this shot when defenses overplay him from beyond the arc. And, while his size certainly limits his ability to finish at the rim, he plays with an attacking mentality and is willing to finish through contact when going to the basket. Even more surprising is Addison's unselfishness and willingness to defer to his teammates. In his contest with Gustavus Adolphus, he regularly swung the ball around the perimeter and was willing to get in the lane to create open shots for his teammates. He shot within the flow of the offense and did not force the action. Addison must improve his change-of-pace dribble to create separation against the better defenders that he will face in the pros.

On the defensive end, Addison was pesky, getting down in his stance and swiping at the ball on several occasions. In this regard, he is able to bother defenders with his quick hands and feet, often cutting off his man and forcing him to pass the ball. However, at the next level, his height differential will almost certainly factor in on the defensive end, as players will simply pull up and shoot over him.

Overall, though, Addison is one of the more controlled, impressive non-D1 prospects that I have come across. He seems to understand his limitations and is willing to play within his team's offensive and defensive schemes. Addison will likely fit in with whichever European squad gives him an opportunity.

From the opposite side of this contest, Gustavus Adolphus's Seth Anderson was also rather impressive. When Addison began to light it up from the perimeter, Anderson responded down the stretch and ultimately helped secure a victory for his team. At 6'2, Anderson's game starkly contrasts that of Addison's. While he is also an excellent shooter, he scores the vast majority of his points from inside the arc. In addition, Anderson does not possess the blazing quickness of Addison. Instead, he more frequently relies on his teammates to get him the ball.

In this contest with Hardin-Simmons, Anderson displayed both his greatest strengths and shortcomings. Early in the second half, he was unable to turn the corner against Hardin-Simmons' various defenders. When this happened, he smartly deferred to his teammates and helped run his team's offense. He would often move without the ball in order to get open or break free from his defender. And, this would usually work. He was able to get the ball moving towards the basket (off the curl) and attack in the lane. Anderson does an excellent job drawing contact and hoisting a shot up afterwards.

Not only is he dynamic at drawing fouls, but Anderson is also a knock down perimeter jump shooter. While he will likely have to extend his range at the next level, Anderson was able to hit some tough fadeaway shots to close out a GAC victory. Anderson has a nice shooting form and a very quick release.

In terms of his unselfishness, Anderson was more than willing to help pass the ball around the perimeter in order to shift the defense. However, his team's offensive sets rarely rely on much dribble penetration and focus more on high -low kickout plays. As such, Anderson is not really asked to create much for his teammates off the bounce. Instead, he functions as more of a system player, playing intelligent basketball and executing his team's offensive plays.

On the defensive end, Anderson played physically, but was unable to keep up with the quickness of Addison. As a result, he spent most of his time defending the opposing squad's shooting guard. Anderson does not possess ideal lateral quickness necessary to excel at a higher level of basketball. As such, he is going to have to compensate by hustling and getting into a deep stance on every play.

Overall, Anderson is also poised to have a solid career overseas. He has the basketball IQ and mid range shooting prowess to wreak havoc on a European roster somewhere. His game is very much suited for that style of play, and it is unlikely that he will receive many looks in the US as a result.

(Image Sources: athletics.gustavus.edu and hsuathletics.com)

Pittsburgh vs. La Roche Player Review

In this contest, Pittsburgh was dominant throughout. However, some La Roche players stood out with their physical play. Ashton Gibbs really asserted himself as one of the nation's premier players.

La Roche

Michael Dixon- In this contest, Dixon proved to be his team's best offensive option early on. Unlike some of his teammates, Dixon was capable of creating his own offense. He attacked the basket relentlessly and, as a result, was able to find open teammates or score for himself. Dixon has an excellent first step and plays under control, never really forcing the action. He is a willing passer and averages 4.5 assists per game as a result. Moreover, Dixon is a solid athlete and as such, he is one of the better rebounders for his size. (at 6'1) In terms of his offensive tendencies, Dixon can hit contested shots and is most comfortable shooting off the bounce. He hit several difficult fadeaway shots in this contest and was more than able to hold his own against Pitt's guards. On the defensive end, Dixon struggled to chase Ashton Gibbs through screens.

Joel McIntosh- This 6'6 Newark product really challenged Pittsburgh in the paint. He was able to seal his man early on and draw fouls, forcing Dante Taylor out of the game in the first half. McIntosh is a physical, undersized forward who is an adept post option. He displays solid fundamentals on the block and uses his body well to draw fouls and finish through contact. Further, McIntosh is a decent rebounding option, but must work harder to weed out his man.

Andre Flanigan- While Flanigan did not have an impressive offensive performance, he appeared to be the team's best defender. Not only was he able to stop several Pitt drives, but he also guarded well on the perimeter. On the offensive end, Flanigan worked the ball around the perimeter, but struggled to penetrate in the lane against Pitt's aggressive defense. Flanigan must work on his outside shooting in order to keep defenses honest.

Pittsburgh

Ashton Gibbs- Ashton Gibbs is one of the most dynamic shooters in the country. He displayed an extremely smooth stroke in this contest, pulling up off of one bounce. Further, he was able to hustle to loose balls on the offensive end and score as a result. Gibbs can hit shots from anywhere on the floor and demonstrated that he can also attack the basket. What was most surprising, though, was that he was assertive on the defensive end, stealing the ball on several occasions. And, although he is not a true point guard by any stretch, Gibbs demonstrated that he can distribute the ball, leading his team in assists in the first half.

Scouring the Nation (Part 5)

In this edition of "Scouring the Nation", I review prospects Da'Ron Sims and Teondre Williams.

West Georgia's Da'Ron Sims is one of the top professional prospects at the Division II level. While he is not a prototypical guard/forward at 6'6 210 lbs., Sims is capable of playing both on the perimeter and in the post. He is most effective with his back to the basket, as he is able to out-quick slower big men and is extremely crafty in the painted region. Sims employs excellent back-to-the basket and face-up post footwork, spinning and utilizing a variety of pump fake moves in the lane. In his contest against Clayton St., Sims scored at extremely difficult angles with very little room to operate. He was generally defended by bigger players, but this did not seem to slow him down.

Additionally, Sims thrives as a faceup player and is capable of attacking the basket off the dribble from as far out as the three point arc. While he is not extremely explosive, Sims does a nice job of reading defenses and determining when to attack and when to swing the ball around the perimeter. Further, Da'Ron Sims is difficult to contain on the glass, and does a good job of collecting rebounds for a player his size.

At the Division II level, Sims's game is somewhat reminiscent of Jae Crowder's. With that said, he must improve as a perimeter shooter in order to fulfill this comparison and to keep defenses honest. So far this season, he has connected on only 25% of his three point attempts. This area must be improved for him to make an impact at the professional level. Despite this weakness, Sims does have a decent mid range stroke, and he does an excellent job of picking his spots.

Because he does not have much of a defined position, defense may be a concern at the next level. He is too small to defend bigger post up players. However, in his contest against Clayton St., Sims did a decent job of moving his feet against Teondre Williams. He does possess good lateral quickness and this will allow him to transition to defending on the perimeter full-time. Sims rarely forces the issue on this end, preferring to play sound positional defense; therein, he is not foul prone.

Overall, Da'Ron Sims is a good professional prospect without a defined position. While he plays on the interior in college, it is likely that he will have to become more of a specialist at the next level, rebounding and scoring garbage baskets inside. If he can develop more of a perimeter stroke, he should enjoy some success at the next level.

On the other hand, Clayton St.'s 6'5 guard Teondre Williams has a defined position at the next level and the talent to be a success. In his contest against West Georgia, Williams willed his team to victory by scoring in a variety of ways. He caught fire late in the game and was difficult to stop. In terms of his actual skillset, Williams is most comfortable shooting off the dribble and can pull up from well beyond the three point line. He has good lift on his jump shot and is able to rise up above most players at the Division II level.

With that said, Williams's shot selection was questionable at times in his contest with West Georgia. He tended to hoist up some difficult shots and would rush his jumper when challenged. Still, he did a nice job of squaring his body, but must avoid speeding up his release when defenders successfully close out on him. Williams has been very effective so far this year from long range and is probably one of the most efficient from that distance in all of Division II, hitting 46.3% of his attempts. When he moves inside the arc, though, Williams is a bit less effective mostly because it is more likely that he will be contested from 2 point range. Against West Georgia, Williams did a good job of creating off the dribble and attacking baseline when defenders overplayed him. He has a decent handle and very good body control going to the hoop. His size and strength also allow him to finish strong through contact.

Defensively, Williams displayed average lateral quickness and was blown by on several occasions. As such, it is safe to say that this is not his greatest strength. Despite this, he was able to close out on most kick out passes and was not foul prone. He must display more effort on this end in order to receive playing time at the next level.

As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how far Teondre Williams can lead his team. For now, though, it is clear that he has a defined position as a pro and that he will likely make an impact as a standout perimeter shooter.

(Image Sources: gscsports.org & athletics.clayton.edu)

Scouring the Nation (Part 4)

In this edition of Scouring the Nation, I review two Division III prospects in DJ Woodmore of Virginia Wesleyan and Lamonte Thomas of Johnson & Wales.

In his most recent performance, DJ Woodmore demonstrated what he currently brings to the table for one of the top Division III teams in the nation. After gaining attention as one of the best Division III freshmen in the nation last year, it is evident that Woodmore has improved substantially. First and foremost, he is a highly intelligent player that plays within his team's construct. He rarely forces the issue, and generally has a disciplined shot selection. His steady play on both ends of the floor have translated to wins early in the year.

While his team was unable to escape an upset in their first contest of the season, Woodmore's squad received the number 1 ranking in preseason polls and has performed well lately. Their margin of victory has grown considerably over the course of the past month, and this is due in large part to the play of DJ Woodmore. This prospect's greatest asset is his perimeter shooting ability. He has a solid stroke with good lift and a fairly quick release. With that said, his shooting form is not completely textbook, as his off hand rests pretty high on the ball; still though, it is very effective for him. Currently, Woodmore is connecting on 44.44% of his three point attempts and averaging 15.75 points per game.

Even though Woodmore is most effective off of the catch, he is capable of getting to the basket and drawing contact. He does bring the ball up the floor at times, but is obviously most effective off the ball. Because teams must respect his perimeter shooting ability, Woodmore is intelligent enough to read defenses and take the ball baseline if defenders are overplaying him. He has achieved some success in this regard lately, but must look to penetrate more often if he hopes to play at a higher level of basketball. Woodmore is also a decent rebounder for his size and is willing to hustle for loose balls. Therein, he possesses many intangibles on the offensive end that help his team.

Defensively, Woodmore is aggressive with decent (but not exceptional) lateral quickness. He works to stay in front of his man and will often cut off offensive players. With that said, it would be interesting to see him defend much bigger guards, as they would likely be able to shoot over the top of him. But, if he predominantly defends point guards, it is conceivable that they might beat him off the dribble.

All in all, Woodmore should likely attempt to earn spot minutes at the point guard slot. If he can learn to involve his teammates more often by attacking off the bounce, he will likely receive more looks from overseas scouts. As it stands now, he is one of the best non-D1 shooters, and has a lot of room for improvement over the next two and a half years. He's certainly someone to keep an eye on.


On the other hand, the more experienced Lamonte Thomas has already cemented himself as the best Division III professional prospect, and one of the top players outside of Division I.

As was previously noted in my previous review of Lamonte, ( Small School Review: Lamonte Thomas ) he possesses an exceptional handle and is very controlled with the ball in his hands. While he struggled a bit in his most recent contest, he demonstrated even greater leadership instincts than were previously noted last year. He readily found his teammates at every opportunity and was almost too unselfish at times. As is often the case with talented players at smaller schools, some of his teammates were unable to handle several pinpointed passes and ended up bobbling them out of bounds. But, this would likely not be the case at the next level. With that said, he did make some careless cross-court passes, which were picked off. Still, it is a promising sign that Thomas has deferred to his teammates, while still managing to score 31.63 points per game. Also, his value was demonstrated by the fact that his team really struggled when he went down with an injury, losing every contest in his absence. Now that he is back, it seems as though they will be competitive, despite the fact that they really could use some muscle inside.

Additionally, Lamonte has made a living at the line this year, connecting on 85.88% of his 85 attempts, while only playing in eight games thus far. He is aggressive getting to the basket, and utilizes his superior handle to really break down defenses. Thomas has a good floater in the lane, but must work on squaring his body when he attempts fadeaway jumpers. On several occasions in his most recent contest, he often overshot the ball left because he quickly pulled the trigger instead of waiting to turn his body properly. He may need to tweak his shooting form a bit at the next level, but he has been fairly effective employing this form thus far.

Further, Lamonte possesses exceptional vision and is a willing passer off the dribble. He involves his teammates and has confidence that they can make plays moving towards the basket as well. Additionally, his assist numbers are not all that indicative of his passing ability, as his team does not have a true interior player to feed the ball to. (The tallest player on his team is 6'6)

Defensively, he has some of the same question marks as the last time I reviewed him. He is somewhat aggressive on this end of the floor and has good quickness at the Division III level. However, he must get in a stance more often, despite the fact that he does play good position defense.

Lamonte Thomas is one of the best players outside of Division I and his accomplishments should not be overshadowed by the fact that he plays at a small school. While he does attempt a lot of shots per game, a good majority of these attempts either come in the flow of the Johnson and Wales offense or are completely necessary. When he plays alongside more talented guys at the professional level, it is likely that his skillset will be highlighted and he will not need to take as many attempts. The turnover concerns may be there early in his professional career, but once he adjusts to a faster pace, Thomas could be one of the biggest surprises next year.