North Carolina
Justin Jackson6-8, SF, Junior
19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 7-17 FG, 1-5 3FG, 4-7 FT
Jackson didn't shoot the ball as well as he normally does (38% from three), but he did a lot of little things in this game that make you believe he is going to be highly drafted in June. Jackson flashed some passing ability while attacking closeouts in addition to his automatic floater. He still tends to take wild shots not in flow or rhythm, but he has that green light from the coaches to do that. He isn't an elite athlete and doesn't have the first step burst to get to the rim but often times, it doesn't matter because his trigger is so quick. He could be a microwave scorer who can hit shots off screens, spot ups, on the move, etc. He has enough in his one dribble pull up/float game to be that type of player.
This was by far the best defensive game I've seen him play at Carolina. He took the task of guarding Monk seriously, and did a wonderful job. He was using his length to deny Monk on the wing and got skinny on pin downs for Monk. It might've taken a little away from his offense, but when Jackson decides to lock in like that, with his 6-11 wingspan, he can be as good as he wants to be on that end. Right now, lots of people are moving him up on their boards, and rightfully so. Games like this justify all the hype.
Tony Bradley
6-11, C, Freshman
6 points, 3-3 FG
Bradley's stat line wasn't impressive, but he has the type of raw upside you want in a center that makes it seem like he could be a sleeper. Bradley is huge at 6-11, 250 pounds with a 7-4 wingspan and he uses all of it on the glass and defensively. Bradley smothers and alters shots constantly at the rim. Bam, who is big and strong in his own right, got pushed off his spot repeatedly by Bradley. That lower body strength combined with his length is enticing enough, but Bradley also showed the ability to move his feet laterally. He still is uncoordinated, but he moves fluidly and shows potential at times to be a guy who can be a presence all around the court on defense.
Offensively, he isn't as raw as people have made him out to be. He did well with his back to the basket against Isaac Humphries, with a really nimble spin move on the baseline for a reverse layup. He has nice touch around the rim and can move well in short spaces. Bradley isn't as athletic vertically, which might hurt against bigs at the next level, but his strength and length make him a load already. He's going to blow up in North Carolina's system next season as a full time starter.
Joel Berry
6-0, PG, Junior
11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 4-12 FG, 0-5 3FG, 4 turnovers
It's hard to tell how much of Berry's game was affected by the two bum ankles he was playing on. He had to leave for a long period due to an injury to his other ankle. When he came back in, he didn't help himself much by the poor shot selection he had. Berry has shot really well on the year (39.2% from three) but he kicks his legs funny, has a lot of noise in his release, and leans back when he lets it go. He has really been forcing it in the tournament and he doesn't have the scorer upside on offense to do that. Really the only tricks he has in his bag are a floater because he can't finish well at the rim at all. He needs to focus more on getting other guys involved.
On defense, Carolina is trying to hide because of the two bad ankles. He guarded Briscoe the majority of the time he was in this game, a player who doesn't need any attention at all. Berry doesn't quite have the lateral quickness, even when he is healthy, to have an impact defensively at the next level. He is really fast up and down the court, but his change of direction and shiftiness hasn't ever really been a part of his game. Hopefully he cuts down on the turnovers and poor shots in the Final Four.
Kennedy Meeks
6-9, C, Senior
7 points, 17 rebounds, 4 blocks
Meeks dominated the glass in this game thanks to his 280 pound frame. What I was impressed with was his two foot leaping ability, something I didn't expect him to have. He had a nice no step dunk and had four blocks in this game. He's more athletic than he looks out there. Unfortunately, it doesn't translate well to space, where he isn't very nimble moving side to side and sometimes gets blown by in ball screens. That will hurt him immensely against the quicker guards at the next level.
Offensively, Meeks does a lot of work on the offensive glass for put backs. He has a decent post game, often going to his left shoulder hook, but outside of that, he is a system player and plays his role well in Carolina's secondary motion. Meeks might be able to push some guys for a spot on an NBA roster, but I would be surprised if he made it past a training camp due to his lack of mobility and offensive repertoire.
Luke Maye
6-8, PF, Sophomore
17 points, 3 rebounds, 6-9 FG, 2-3 3FG
The NCAA tournament has been Maye's coming out party. Maye has been knocking down open shots, something that has always been his strong suit (41% from three). He plays a lot late in games because he is by far the best option of the bigs to space the floor. Other than that, he has some nimbleness attacking closeouts and in the post, but not enough to be considered a threat doing so. Defensively, he moves around better than you'd think, but he has a minus wingspan which will hurt whatever attempts he makes at being a stopper. Maye is going to be a terrific player at Carolina the next two years, but its hard to see his fit in the NBA going forward.
Kentucky
De'Aaron Fox
6-4, PG, Freshman
13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 5-14 FG, 2-4 3FG
Fox got into foul trouble in the first half which was a little disappointing to watch. He was still his pesky self getting up and pressuring guards, making their lives uncomfortable, getting into passing lanes and disrupting the flow of the game. Offensively, Fox's jumper was looking good again in this game. He hit two threes, one pull up jumper, and his patented floater. The other field goal was a right hand layup, a welcome surprise for someone who always go left.
His mechanics are bad on his jumper and its hard to trust that it will be a weapon for him at the next level but the touch on his floaters are real. He really struggles to finish at the rim due to his lack of creativity and shake to get there. He isn't crafty with his dribble or his movements, mostly relying on his quick burst of athleticism. He has all the intangible stuff that you want in a point guard, however, which is why a team will take a chance on him in the lottery.
Malik Monk
6-3, SG, Freshman
12 points, 4-10 FG, 3-6 3FG
This was a bad game for Monk, one that will leave a bad taste in his mouth to end his Kentucky career. He was bothered by Jackson's length when guarding, something that might be a tell tale sign when he goes up against NBA wings. He struggled coming off screens and getting the space he needed to fire up a shot. The shot wasn't falling either until the end of the game when he hit those two crazy threes to tie the game up. He's going to need to create some more shake and bounce to his game and learn how to really utilize his speed when teams decide to put longer guys on him.
On defense, Monk was less impressive than he has been the last few games. He did a decent job on Jackson, but fell asleep at times as well. He has to stay locked in and has zero margin of error on that end give his size. He doesn't seem like the type of player that is going to embrace guarding ones either, which makes him a liability if he isn't an elite defender who will crawl up on wings and trail screens well. This game exposed Monk, but last time they played Carolina, he had his best game of his career. I won't put too much stock in one game. He's still a top ten pick, maybe even top five depending on team needs.
Bam Adebayo
6-10, C, Freshman
13 points, 7 rebounds, 4-10 FG
The disappointing games continue for Bam. After an impressive outing against Wichita, Bam has put together two stinker games against UCLA and Carolina, two teams that have the closest to NBA level competition that Bam would face. He did well attacking the offensive glass, where he is relentless in his pursuit of the ball. Offensively, he had trouble when Tony Bradley or Kennedy Meeks guarded him, guys who have thicker bodies and thick enough to hold Bam off his spots. Bam's post moves looked more awkward in this game because of it.
Defensively, Bam likes to hunt blocked shots and it kills them sometimes because Bam is the only elite level rebounder they have on the team. He even got ducked in a couple times but the UNC bigs, something that should never happen. He just didn't have it on either end like he should for a guy his size, which makes me worried even more about his fit at the next level. How he performs in workouts is going to be huge for where he gets drafted.
Isaiah Briscoe
6-3, PG, Sophomore
7 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 3-7 FG
Briscoe had his best game of the tournament against the Heels. He was actually able to get into the lane against Joel Berry and when Fox went out with foul trouble, Briscoe's steadiness at the point guard position helped them stay in the game. He still has a broken jump shot and lack of athleticism, but he knows how to use his body to get downhill on guys. He had a couple nice finishes at the rim. Defensively, he locked up whoever it was that he was guarding, forcing several turnovers because of his length, quick feet, and fast hands. Briscoe is a tough player, a glue guy type who will continue to have success at UK but ultimately might not be an NBA player due to his lack of skill and athleticism.
Isaac Humphries
7-0, C, Sophomore
12 points, 5 rebounds, 5-8 FG
This was the best game of Humphries' career, hitting all sorts of mid range shots to help keep Kentucky afloat throughout the game. Other than that, Humphries didn't show much, getting beat in ball screens and having trouble protecting the rim. He has huge size at 260 pounds, but he doesn't get up off the ground much, making it easier for guys to crash the offensive glass on him. This was a great game for him, but there is too much lacking for him to be considered a serious pro prospect.
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