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)