VOLINVONORE
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Kent is just a redshirt freshman with four years left so I wouldn't even start to write him off.
Now, with that said, I don't know what he will turn into. Maybe nothing, maybe something.
What I do know for sure is that he's pushing 6'11" and can legit stroke it from deep.
As you say, his challenge is going to be guarding other big guys, or an opposing versatile four if it came to that. By the same token, someone on the other team is going to have to come out from the paint and guard him on the other end.
I am not pretending to know what Zach will turn into, but I personally am not remotely shutting the door on him becoming a contributor, not with what I've seen this staff do in terms of player development.
He needs to get a lot stronger IMO, which most anyone can see, but he has some toughness from what I've seen of him in practice. He's scrappy.
Short answer, yes, his best skill right now is his ability to shoot it at his height, but you can't coach the kind of length he has, he is not soft, and if he keeps working at it he could turn himself into something. IMO, we'll see.
He appears to be pretty athletic and can shoot from outside as well as take the ball to the hole. I think it is a really good get. I wonder what his shooting stats are.
To me this kid is a guy you take and hope he pans out the way you are optimistic that he can. If not then at worst youre getting a good local kid who will likely bust his tail and be a great practice player and team member for 4 years.
If he pans out then youve got a stretch 4 who can really shoot.
According to Prepcircuit.com, he shot 44.8% overall during the EYBL and was 34.9% from three while averaging 25.4 minutes per game. Not bad considering he was going up against a lot of four and five stars. Averaged 8.9 points and 6.4 rebounds. Also 2.2 blocks per game.
BMaze Elite (@bmazeelite1) - UAA 2018 - Roster - # - Drew Pember -
Idk about that.
No need to try to make this into something its not. This is a project. Its ok to have guys like that.
Idk about that.
No need to try to make this into something its not. This is a project. Its ok to have guys like that.
Agree. Project is the right word in this case. As long as he is the only one, I can handle it.
Only concern is that we should be past the point of taking projects. The other Project(Fulk) hasn't worked out up to this point.
Agree. Project is the right word in this case. As long as he is the only one, I can handle it.
Only concern is that we should be past the point of taking projects. The other Project(Fulk) hasn't worked out up to this point.
Agree. Project is the right word in this case. As long as he is the only one, I can handle it.
Only concern is that we should be past the point of taking projects. The other Project(Fulk) hasn't worked out up to this point.
How much of a project is he? What was his role (as a sophomore) on probably the best Bearden team in history?
Edit: I guess he was a junior. Senior in 2018-19. Prep school in 2019-20. RS in 2020-21. First season playing at TN in 2021-22.
I think when most of us are saying he's a "project," we're mostly meaning he needs to gain a decent amount of weight and work on his toughness. I don't think anyone thinks he's extremely raw and only gets by on athleticism (kinda like Yves Pons right now or like Kyle Alexander was since he had only played two years of basketball before coming in as a freshman). He's not as big of a project as Alexander was, but he needs time to develop. To me, he's a project because he shouldn't come in and play significant minutes in his first two years at UT. Doesn't mean that by the time he's a RS sophomore he won't be able to contribute. Just that he still needs time.
Other than both being tall white local kids, they play completely different.
Eh, other than Pember seeming to be a little more perimeter oriented, their high school games are fairly similar. Both were tall and athletic, plus-defenders and rim protectors, needing to add strength and weight and refine/develop their post moves.