6'8 summer league invite and Peru State (NAIA) grad, Lyle Hexom, certainly can fill this void. This non-DI standout is the consummate stretch big, connecting on 42.9% of his 259 attempts from three point range last season. He sports a sweet stroke (compact and quick) with a high enough release point to shoot over the top of most perimeter defenders at the next level. He typically gets his shot off the catch, but can shot fake and step into his shot as well. At Peru St, he incorporated this shooting within the flow of the team's offense, and has deep NBA range.
Consequently, Hexom's most defining feature and what makes him a verifiable NBA prospect at this stage is his proficiency operating in the pick and roll. Hexom utilized his solid upper body strength to set hard picks, either out of pick and roll sets or for his teammates cutting back door. Considering that Hexom is extremely light/quick on his feet, he is very nimble operating as a roll man, and does a nice job of gaining separation when darting to the basket. He slips screens incredibly well. This is an elite aspect of his game. If he is overplayed, Hexom does a nice job of reading the situation and fading to the perimeter, where he makes defenses pay with his dead eye accuracy from distance. Thus, he was remarkably effective operating on the perimeter for Peru State. When he decided to cut inside, Hexom finished with finesse at the rim, but has the run-jump athleticism to throw down dunks over his opponents as well.
While he functioned predominantly as a stretch, Hexom was effective inside when he decided to go down there. He moved well without the ball, which led to some easy finishes around the rim. As a post man, Hexom demonstrated some quick spin moves on the block and was able to get by quicker/smaller defenders with ease. He did not take too long to let the play develop when operating in the post, a common tendency for bigger players at the NAIA level. While he was able to score as a back to the basket option at Peru State (with a nice jump hook in his arsenal), he does not possess the lower body strength to hold/establish deep post position on the block at the next level. Instead, he will likely operate as a faceup player, which was one of his greatest strengths this past year. With that said, he must continue to develop his handle so that he is not stripped at the next level. More than likely, though, Hexom will operate mainly along the perimeter in summer league and professionally moving forward, opting to post up only on rare occasions.
Although he posted an abysmal 0.68-to-1 assist to turnover ratio, Hexom is a decent passer, particularly to cutters in the lane. He is capable feeding the post, but does still have a tendency to throw chest passes, which are more readily picked off. It is important to remember that Hexom's handle is still underdeveloped, despite the fact that he spent considerable time playing along the perimeter. Also, when handling up top, Hexom tended to focus on getting his shot off, rather than creating for his teammates. He needs to be stronger with the ball when met with double teams, but his basic vision passing out of traps/double downs should translate.
In terms of his rebounding prowess, Hexom did a nice job of corralling loose balls for Peru St., particularly on the defensive glass. He was physical and utilized his solid length and leaping ability to track down boards, to the tune of over 8 drpg. Hexom was also effective on the offensive glass at the NAIA level when he opted to do so, but was not always assertive crashing the glass on the offensive end (~20% of his rebounds), instead choosing to float along the perimeter. He needs to display a better motor following up misses and not just running back on defense. While he does have a good nose for the ball, Hexom must fight harder to obtain post positioning and use better fundamentals boxing out, if he hopes to make an impact on the glass at the next level. At Peru St, he relied extensively on his size and athleticism to get the job done.
The defensive end, however, is where Hexom will have to make the most strides in order to stick at the NBA level. Despite utilizing his length to be productive at the NAIA level with 2.38 blocks per game and 1.29 steals per game, Hexom still possesses notable flaws on this side of the ball. Most importantly, he lacks NBA-level lateral quickness and is too upright in his stance, allowing for perimeter players to drive right by him on switches. When the ball enters the post, he tended to concede deep post position to players with no business operating on the block. He needs to be more physical chesting his man outside. While he does occasionally contest with good verticality at the rim, Hexom is inconsistent in this regard and either allows his man to score, or swings his arms down. Importantly, Hexom is extremely foul prone and tends to reach, rather than defending with his body. While Hexom can get by as a 1 on 1 defender due to decent length, he must improve defending in space. At Peru St, he was not effective as a help defender at the rim, allowing some easy buckets at times. Further, he tended to slack off shooters and struggled chasing down perimeter players coming off of screens. When he does close out on shooters, he utilizes his excellent length to contest.
All in all, while Hexom's defense will be a bit of an achilles heel at the next level, he is an elite pick and roll player with a sweet shooting stroke that could catch on in summer league and beyond.
(Photos courtesy of pscbobcats.com and omaha.com)
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