Weekend Update: Feb. 27, 2022
A special Sunday morning edition after a crazy Saturday in college hoops
Typically, we push out our weekend update pieces on Monday morning to recap the Friday, Saturday and Sunday that was in college hoops and NBA Draft coverage. This Saturday’s games were a different animal. All of the top six teams in the country lost, while other groups put together amazing performances worth discussing.
So… let’s not wait the extra day. Let’s dive into potentially the craziest college basketball day of all time with an update on six prospects worth discussing.
Paolo Banchero - F and Mark Williams - P, Duke
Right from the jump, Banchero and Williams dismantled the Syracuse 2-3 zone. Williams, a strong finisher and screener with more dexterity than other bigs, finished with a game-high 28 points and 12 rebounds to go with three blocks. While other big men stick around in the lottery discussion, Williams hasn’t been the hot commodity of many others. This was a signature performance to remind scouts of all the intangibles he brings and how he rarely has an off-night.
While Williams’ raw performance was fantastic, it was Banchero who left the most positive impression for us on Saturday afternoon. Tallying 9 assists with only 1 turnover while taking on the heavy creation burden against the zone illustrates the high basketball-IQ and processing speed he possesses. Once criticized for being too scoring-minded, Banchero balanced his 21 points on Saturday with great reads and creation for others.
Over his last 14 games, Banchero is averaging 3.9 assists: higher than the season averages of Jaden Ivey, Johnny Davis or Harrison Ingram. The Banchero-to-Williams connection was the strongest part of the Duke offense on Saturday, accounting for six of his nine dimes. He also had four corner 3-pointers in the first half:
On an evening when Jaden Ivey, Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith all lost, Banchero was the most well-rounded prospect of the bunch. The race for #1 is heating up, and while Chet and Jabari have been dominant over the last few weeks, it’s Banchero who has shown the most layered offensive game. He shouldn’t be forgotten in this debate.
Jabari Smith - F, Auburn
Yes, Auburn lost. But Jabari Smith was out there late doing things that guys his size simply shouldn’t be doing. He has a motor and plays hard, win or loss, in ways that are admirable and desirable from a franchise cornerstone.
And that shooting… it’s just so damn smooth and unique. 27 points on 9-21 shooting from Smith on Saturday in a tough road loss to Tennessee. Bruce Pearl’s team’s road woes continue, but Smith is gaining the ability to take over games offensively in ways we didn’t foresee about a month ago:
The tough shot-making stands out the most. As teams have clamped down on catch-and-shoots, crowded him with smaller guys to undercut his dribble and tried to force him into becoming a passer, Smith has countered with tough shot-making.
Why is Banchero still slightly ahead of Jabari on our boards? The feel aspect. Smith’s shot-making in those pressure situations is incredibly impressive, but he still has a propensity to stop the flow of offense through him, slow down and isolate, and do little to create for others. Smith is a strong play-finisher, especially from behind the 3-point line or on mismatch post-ups. We’d rather have a more consistent creator.
Jeremy Sochan - W, Baylor
About two weeks ago, Sochan officially surpassed Kendall Brown as the top Baylor prospect on our board. He climbed into the top-ten while doing so, showing enough versatility, confidence and tools off the dribble to intrigue us on offense. His catch-and-shoot form (and numbers) are sturdy enough to work with, and the defensive potential is elite.
Baylor took down #5 Kansas on Saturday, mainly due to Sochan’s do-it-all nature. He peeled back more layers in his game. Scott Drew essentially deployed him as a point-center and it worked magically. The makeshift nature of the gameplan highlights Sochan’s basketball IQ and adaptability. He’s quickly becoming one of our favorite prospects in this class.
Nothing about the box score numbers stand out too greatly: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist. It’s the manner in which he dominated the game on both ends that make his performance noteworthy:
Born is the Baylor death lineup, with three shooters around Sochan and Kendall Brown. Look out, NCAA Tournament. The Bears are going to make a serious push to go back-to-back.
Jaylin Williams - F, Arkansas
It’s about time we got a video in here of Williams, one of the fastest-climbers on our draft board in college hoops. Over his last 12 games, the Arkansas sophomore is averaging 14.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks. He’s a stat-sheet stuffer, the best charge-taker in the country and a do-it-all big man deserving of first-round attention.
16 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists for Arkansas in a huge win over Kentucky as the Muss Bus keeps on rollin’.