UCLA
Lonzo Ball6-6, PG, Freshman
18 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 7-10 FG, 4-7 3FG
Ball is so impressive and fun to watch. He brings so many things to the table that contribute to winning. No other player in the country can fill the stat sheet and have the sixth sense on the court that Ball has.
It all starts offensively, where Lonzo knows when to pass, where to pass, how hard to pass the ball. He knows exactly when to turn it on and push the tempo and when to slow it up and pull it out. He knows when to make the simple play and when to sneak a pass into places you didn't think the basketball can go. He's the best passer in the country and in a class of his own in this draft when it comes to court vision. His size at 6-6 helps him see above all the heads on the floor and find guys. His finishing has been a question mark all season long but he had a few nifty finishes with both hands in this game, showing that he has the capability.
He really surprises you defensively, where the IQ carries over as well. He knows where to be in help and he knows when to leave his man to jump for a steal. He is a master at digging into the post at the exact right moment. I was impressed at how well he maneuvers ball screens, fighting over and staying in front of his man. He stands upright a bunch, but he can quickly sit in a stance and slide step for step when he needs to. He is always aware of what's going on around him on both ends of the court. He is a sneaky athlete and his quickness helps him stay in front of guys while also being able to turn on the jets with the ball whenever he needs to. He's great on the glass for his position, can bounce up off two feet from a dead stop and grab the ball at its highest point.
If there are any questions about Ball's fit in the NBA, it revolves are his jump shot. The release is extremely funky, shooting it across his face. It goes in (42% from three), but he has to put it on the floor going left because he slings it across his body. If he goes right, he either has to try and finish or pass. Late in the game, he pulled the ball out and was one on one with Caupain, and he wouldn't go right even though Caupain was begging him to go right. It's hard to tell whether his elite three point percentage or mediocre free throw percentage (67.7%) is the best indicator or whether his shot translates or not. He doesn't cut hard on offense, although he never stops moving. His cuts would be more efficient if they were at full speed. His decision making is elite, but there are also times where he hijacks possessions with a wild shot. Even despite all of this, Lonzo is still firmly the second best player in this draft, and a significant gap ahead of Jackson, Tatum, and Isaac.
TJ Leaf
6-10, PF, Freshman
11 points, 7 rebounds, 5-10 FG, 1-3 FT
This was not one of Leaf's best game, and his flaws were exposed. Leaf has decent size for a power forward and he is extremely athletic running out in transition. He runs really well up and down the floor, gliding seemlessly. In the halfcourt, he isn't as fluid and seems uncoordinated. On his post catches, he got pushed off his spots and looked really uncomfortable trying to make a move. He doesn't have much in the way of playmaking off the dribble, or at least he didn't shot it in this game. He is kind of stiff when trying to sit down and do something quick.
Leaf got abused on defense at times this game, especially in the post. He has trouble staying in front of guys due to his high hips and lack of lateral mobility. He also got ducked in and backed down easily in the post. His athleticism helps him to be a high level rebounder, but he didn't really go out of his area to grab rebounds. I'm not really sure what position he will be able to guard in the NBA or if he'll be able to hold up on that end at all.
Leaf was UCLA's leading scorer (16.2 points per game) and second in rebounds (8.2 per game), so the production is there. He is beneficiary of lobs from Lonzo a lot and passes out for spot up threes on the perimeter. Like Lonzo, however, one has to be skeptical of his 45.6% three point number when he only shoots 68.6% from the line. His shot is flat and comes off his hand with side spin at times. This may have been just a bad game for Leaf where Cincy's tough, huge bigs were able to make him look soft, but it makes you wonder if that won't get exposed in the NBA as well.
Ike Anigbogu
6-10, C, Freshman
6 points, 2-2 FG, 2-4 FT
I don't think I've ever been as impressed in a seven minute performance than I was of Anigbogu in this game. His size at 6-10, 230 combined with his nimble feet and explosiveness make him UCLA's second most enticing prospect. He prints the floor hard and crashes the glass with ferocity. He has long arms and gets up off the ground quickly off two feet. He didn't come up with any rebounds in this game, but the effort and nose for the ball is there. He is an elite rim protector too, altering shots consistently, including a monster block in this game.
Offensively, he knows his role is to set screens and dive to the rim while also crashing the offensive glass. He doesn't touch the ball hardly ever because of how deep and talented UCLA is, but he has the potential to be an elite two way role player with his versatility defensively. He moves his feet with guards and throws bigs off their spots on post ups. He is Tristan Thompson's clone. Even his free throw stroke looks like Tristan's. He won't ever be a shooter, shot creator, elite passing big but he has so many other tools to fall in love with.
Aaron Holiday
6-1, PG, Sophomore
5 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2-7 FG, 1-4 3FG
Holiday didn't have his best shooting game, but his stroke is nice and his shooting numbers are elite (41.4% from three, 80.6% from the line). He mostly plays off the ball but when Lonzo sits, he plays the point and does so under poise. He handled pressure well and knows how to find guys. I was impressed with his passing vision. I was unaware he had that in him, finishing second on the team in assists behind Lonzo. He also some nice side to side shake in him to create separation as well.
Holiday is UCLA's second best defender behind Lonzo, and probably their best on ball defender. He has a 6-6 wingspan he uses to crawl up into guys and disrupt them. He isn't explosive, struggling to finish at the rim in traffic, bu the is long and quick enough to stay with anybody on the ball. There is definitely some Patrick Beverley type potential in there with Holiday with the elite shooting and on ball defense, the secondary playmaking and not needing to have the ball.
Thomas Welsh
7-1, C, Junior
11 points, 7 rebounds, 5-9 FG
Welsh is not the type of big that NBA teams will want, but he has the potential to have a long pro career and make a lot of money. He is automatic from 15-18 feet, even though his jumper is flat. He has a low release point and might not be able to stretch out to three because of the flat trajectory his ball takes. It wouldn't surprise me, however, seeing as he hit his one three point attempt this year and hits 88.6% of his free throws.
Outside of the shooting, Welsh is a non game changer in every other area. He is stiff when he moves and doesn't do anything athletic. He has done a good job rebounding this year (8.7 per game), but against Cincy's bigs, he struggled to hold them off the glass. He gets ducked in easily because of his low frame and he doesn't bend his knees to sit in a stance. Offensively, other than being a pick and pop threat from 15 feet, he struggled posting up and didn't show anything in regards to playmaking or finding the right reads across the floor. He seems like a big destined for a long career in the Euroleague instead of a legit NBA prospect.
Isaac Hamilton
6-5, SG, Senior
10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 4-10 FG, 2-5 3FG
Hamilton is mostly a gunner and a high volume scorer, although he did show a willingness to move the ball and even made a few slick passes. He is normally looking to hunt his own shot, however. He isn't overally long or athletic but can normally create his own shot after one or two dribbles. He is also a beneficiary of Lonzo's creativity putting him into spots to succeed. Defensively, Hamilton struggled getting beat off the ball and closing out on guys. His IQ is pretty low on that end. He isn't really an NBA prospect, but he could find his way onto a roster in Europe as a scoring option off of someone's bench.
Bryce Alford
6-3, SG, Senior
16 points, 3 assists, 5-13 FG, 4-11 3FG
Alford has had an incredible career at UCLA and will leave a positive legacy behind. That being said, other than his elite three point shooting, he doesn't have anything that projects to the NBA level. He has an average handle and playmaking skills. He is looking to shoot all the time, and for a guy who has the ball in his hands a ton with point guard size, you would hope for more than 2.6 assists per game. He is a below average athlete who doesn't finish well at the rim. He struggled in every aspect defensively in this game. Cincy was running stuff right at him throughout the first half. Bryce couldn't stay in front of anyone, got backcut frequently, and couldn't get around screens. He is a huge part of UCLA's team success because of his big shot making ability, but his future as a pro won't be as rosy.
Cincinnati
Jacob Evans6-6, SF, Sophomore
13 points, 5 rebounds, 4-7 FG, 2-4 3FG
Evans is Cincy's best chance at having a pro on their roster. He has decent size for a wing at 6-6, 210 pounds and he is a young sophomore, not even 20 years old yet. He has a nice stroke from three makes spot ups easily. He didn't do much outside of that, however, and didn't show off a handle or passing vision in this game. Cincy runs a lot of their action through Troy Caupain and their bigs, which means Evans doesn't get many opportunities to showcase what he can do.
Defensively, he has the tools to stick with wings of all sizes. He made life tough for both Hamilton and Alford for stretches of this game. He didn't show off any athleticism or explosiveness attacking the basket or on defense either, which will be a question for him going forward. It will be interesting to see how he develops next year with Caupain gone and more of the playmaking and offense burden coming Evans' way.
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