Long Beach St.
T.J. Robinson- This undersized power forward may be shorter than his 6'8 listed height, but he is a flexible offensively. While he was somewhat quiet late in this game, Robinson demonstrated his penchant for scoring inside and in transition. Robinson is a hustle player who grabs a lot of rebounds and defends effectively against smaller players due to his excellent quickness. In this contest, Robinson managed to move around picks and limit James Nunnally. While he is a rather gritty interior player in college, he does have some notable holes in his game that need improvement. For example, his shooting form is very slow and methodical. If he hopes to get jump shots off at the next level, he must improve as a catch and shoot weapon. He also must learn to score more as a face up post player and thereby extend his range.
Casper Ware- This consummate playmaker is arguably the best point guard in the Big West conference. He is able to create for his teammates, and is fairly poised at all times. While he is not particularly effective at driving in the lane, he still manages to get past his defenders and dish the ball to open teammates. He does possess a solid handle, but he must improve his change of pace dribble and craftiness if he expects to score at a higher level of basketball. Further, Ware is an excellent three point shooter that can stretch the defenses. Defensively, Ware is undersized at 5'10, but is quick enough laterally to stay in front of his man.
Larry Anderson- Anderson was the difference maker in this game who grabbed rebounds and demonstrated excellent athleticism. Not only did he tally 7 rebounds inside against much larger opponents, but he also blocked several shots as a help defender. Most of Anderson's 25 points came as clean up buckets. However, it should be noted that Anderson uses his body well in order to create space against players 6'8 and larger. Moreover, Anderson was very aggressive on the defensive end and really limited Orlando Johnson. He is extremely quick as a lateral defender and also has the hands to regularly steal the basketball. Despite these noticeable strengths, Anderson is not much of a spot up shooter and must really improve upon his current form.
UCSB
James Nunnally- Nunnally is an excellent athlete that has taken on an increased role in the offense this year. James relies heavily on his three point shooting for his offensive production. His shot is somewhat unorthodox, and he shoots oft-center at the charity stripe, where he connects on over 90% of his attempts. In this contest, he often forced his shot, hoping to catch fire late in the game. With that said, he is fairly quick off the dribble and can spot up from the field. Defensively, Nunnally is laterally quick and therein, is able to stay in front of his offensive assignment.
Orlando Johnson- Johnson is the most complete player in the Big West, and arguably the best NBA draft prospect. While he did not shoot well in this contest and had several shots blocked, Johnson- cognizant of this- drove to the hoop and scored using his superior basketball IQ. While his first step is not very explosive, Johnson is able to hit difficult shots with his wide array of crafty moves off the dribble. He created space by employing spin moves and utilizing head fakes. Johnson is a rather smooth offensive player that can create his own shot and make difficult fadeaway jumpers. With that said, his release is somewhat slow, and this makes him susceptible to having his shot blocked. Johnson is also a capable passer and willing to involve his teammates in order to win games. In this contest, he took over the point guard role, running sets late in the game to help his team close the deficit. Defensively, Johnson is not quick enough laterally to be effective at the next level. But, he is an intelligent team defender that may be able to get by on effort alone.
Greg Somogyi- This 7'3 Hungarian project demonstrated some potential on both ends of the floor in this contest. Not only was he able to finish inside on some nice passes, but he also collected rebounds and fought for post position, despite his lack of lower body strength. Somogyi also evinced a promising shooting stroke on his face up jumper. On the defensive end, this Hungarian prospect altered many of Long Beach St.'s shots inside and created several extra possessions when UCSB guards were able to corral the ball. All in all, Somogyi has a long way to go before he can be considered a professional prospect. But, if he can improve his conditioning and work on his body, the basketball instincts are there to become a solid player down the road.
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