Long and athletic

[RBNY123]

Jimmy thanks for the heads up btw matt janning looks like a studd. If anyone wants to see some video on him here is a link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGCmYbn8CXU

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

a refugee from the suddenly very dark Washington Huskies, 6-7 sophomore small forward Phil Nelson is having a huge impact in his first season on a suddenly good Portland State team.

pigeon-holed as strictly a 3-point shooter for the Huskies, Nelson has shown that he's an excellent defender and plays WAY above the rim in the open court at Portland St. he's started every game so far this year, and the kid has a huge upside.

it should make you wonder why Washington ran him off.

Phil Nelson with the reverse

 

[j41181]

I enjoyed watching the Huskies when guys like Ryan Appleby, Spencer Hawes, and Jon Brockman where putting on a show there. Now that Ryan in gone, so is Hawes, and Brockman well on his way to graduation, I won't keep tabs on the Washington Huskies for a few years.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Josh Heytvelt leads All-Star team to victory.

DETROIT (AP) â€â€￾ Gonzaga's Josh Heytvelt hit the winning 3-pointer in the final minute, scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Reese's All-Stars to a 105-100 win over Hershey's All-Stars in a college senior All-Star game on Friday night.

Heytvelt went 7-for-10 from the field, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range. He also dished out four assists. and now to add a recap by a Zag fan:

He didn't start but came in and passed up a short jumper to hit Aboya for a layin. He then hit a dunk and a three pointer. A few minutes later, Josh's man (Simpson?) cleared out and waived every one away and took him 1 on 1. After a nifty spin move, Josh swatted his shot away.

Second half started with two Josh Dunks, an NBA 3 Pointer, and a clean pin of a ball between rim and backboard on a breakaway dunk that Josh chased down from behind. He was called for a foul on a bad call but the play was spectacular.

With 12:30 to go, Josh has 10 points, 7 rebounds on 4-6 shooting and is being interviewed by the sideline reporter (while on the bench) for his good play. I believe he also has at least two assists and two blocks but those stats weren't given.


Josh comes back in and dives for and comes up with a loose ball. Announcer 1 comments on a 6'10" player diving on the floor in an All-Star Game and Announcer 2 states that why he is so successful, not only the talent but the desire and hustle.

Only a minute later and Diamond Simpson and Co are on a fast break and Josh takes the charge and gets the call. The announcers pretty much repeat what they just said about this being an All-Star game and about Josh's talent, hustle, etc.
Josh back in and gets a dunk.

Next Josh sighting has him tip-dunking home a missed free throw! Way to get around your guy. Sweet!

Josh misses short jumper.

He collects the rebound on the defensive end and fires it down court for a lay-up and one with 2:00 to go! Add a rebound and an assist.

Team down by 2 with 0:45 to go....what do you do?
You give it to Josh and let him hit another Deeep three for the lead!!

Next posession, Josh clears the defensive board and it's all over, they win!

awesome, awesome, awesome performance by the athletic Gonzaga forward!

hopefully his post-season performances will only add to his already impressive NBA-ready resume.

also, Micah Downs looked very impressive in the Senior All-Star dunk contest as the only white man invited. he was leading going into the semi-finals, but the all-black quintet of judges gave perfect scores to dudes who missed multiple dunks.

one of them was pretty impressive when he finally made one, though. but i don't think they wanted whitey to have a shot to win the deal.

still, huge respect and applause for Micah's performance!

 

[j41181]

Impressive, Impressive!! A great way to end his college career. Despite getting eliminated from the NCAA tourney, this will boost his NBA chances. Absolutely magnificent!

Downs' 2nd placing in the dunk contest is a surprise. That might get him noticed by the NBA. While he's still a long shot, congratulations nonetheless to his performance.

Thanks for the post, JC!Edited by: j41181

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

it's been far too long since i've posted in this thread, so i'll correct that oversight today with a couple of short blurbs ...

"Yale basketball," "dominant big man," and "athletic" aren't words that are often strung together. unless, of course, they are being applied to Greg Mangano. Mangano, a senior 6-10 power forward, was most recently seen (and for the first time by most basketball fans including myself) completely dominating against #10th-ranked Florida. you can read a full account here, including Mangano's being referred to as a "poor man's Dirk Nowitzki" by Florida center Patric Young, after Mangano went 11-for-18 (4 of 6 from 3-point range) en route to scoring a game-high 26 points.

most of those shots came in Young's face. *pun*

Mangano also dominated the glass, collecting 15 rebounds and blocking 2 shots in an otherwise lopsided blowout loss. it was the second huge performance against a power conference foe in as many nights for the Bulldog big man. just 48 hours earlier, he had ripped Wake Forest for 20, 12, and 3. in tonight's game, Mangano dominated again, posting 27 points, 13 boards, and 4 blocks.

expect more monster games to come for this long and skilled Ivy League athlete.

Mangano: an educated man amongst black boys

since i mentioned Florida, it would be wrong of me not to highlight their long, athletic forward who also shined in the matchup with Yale.

Erik Murphy is a 6-10 junior forward known for his quick feet and stellar long-range shooting. he missed 3 weeks this season with a bone bruise to his knee, but his return to the starting lineup against Mississippi Valley State saw a re-charged Gator offensive attack (not coincidentally i'm sure). in what was expected to be a breakout season, Murphy has not disappointed, scoring in double figures (including 18 against Yale) and shooting 50%-or-better in every game since his return (pending tonight's game). he's also been a nice presence on the glass, snagging 8 rebounds twice in his 4 games post-injury.

the rarely seen White Gator

my last player of mention in this first-post thread revival is Arkansas freshman forwardHunter Mickelson. it's as if this thread were created years ago knowing this kid was coming along. at 6-10, he runs the floor very well and flies above the rim on both ends of the floor. he's averaging 1 blocked shot every 6 minutes and 45 seconds he's on the court (or 2.5 blocks-per-game whilst averaging only 17.5 minutes-per-game). preferring to face up to the goal and shoot from the perimeter (he's one of the best shooters on this year's Razorback team ... which to be fair isn't all that big a compliment) rather than post up with his back to the basket, Mickelson also has a quick first step before finishing at the rim.

Mickelson posted career-highs with 13 points (on 6-8 shooting) and 7 blocked shots in Arkansas' last outing (versus HBCU Texas Southern). he also had a NASTY dunk, if i can find the video ... in the meantime, here's one from his high school days:

[video=youtube;xaQG5fnSG74]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaQG5fnSG74&feature=fvwrel[/video]

barring unforeseen injury, expect HUGE things from Hunter in the future.

edited to add: Mickelson scored 7 points (3-7 shooting), grabbed 5 rebounds, and had 3 more blocked shots tonight off the bench for the Razorbacks.

 

[SchaafC]

Love this thread, thanks for bringing it back to life.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

a couple of sets of brothers are currently tearing up the college courts. and by brothers, i mean actual brothers. not black boys. the Plumlee brothers (Miles and Mason) at Duke (youngest brother Marshall is currently redshirting) are possibly the best leaping big men in the nation. Tyler Zeller at North Carolina is likely the fastest big man in the country from one end of the floor to the other, while his younger brother Cody (a freshman at Indiana) has placed the Hoosiers back into national relevance with his all-around game.

i'll provide more complete profiles of these guys later, but for now i'll just let the videos do the talking.

[video=youtube;g3ouHrSiy0E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3ouHrSiy0E[/video]
Miles Plumlee dunks over 6-11 brother Marshall

[video=youtube;QvqBcCJyits]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvqBcCJyits&feature=fvwrel[/video]
Mason Plumlee. the vid speaks for itself

[video=youtube;kqmfa0MdLnc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqmfa0MdLnc&feature=relmfu[/video]
Mason Plumlee is the first-ever person to dunk 3 balls at the same time

[video=youtube;esmmrjzavng]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esmmrjzavng[/video]
coming to Duke fans next year ... Marshall Plumlee

[video=youtube;TideUs0Ko9Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TideUs0Ko9Q[/video]
this video shows Tyler Zeller's development

[video=youtube;9sZ6yyap9n4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sZ6yyap9n4[/video]
Indiana freshman Cody Zeller rocks the rim

and speaking of Indiana, don't sleep on sophomore guard Will Sheehey. Will's been sidelined for almost a month due to an ankle injury, but he was averaging 10.7 points-per-game and 3.3 rebounds-per before he went down, as well as shooting a stellar 44% from long-range. also noted as a terrific defender, the 6-6 guard is better known, when healthy, for doing things like this ...

[video=youtube;VoD5d4p443c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoD5d4p443c&feature=related[/video]
Sheehey, as a freshman, with a 2011 dunk of the year

now, for a relatively unheralded, but athletic, big ...

Jeff Withey is the embodiment of raw and athletic. the 7-foot redshirt junior had his development stunted by coaching changes at Arizona and then sitting out a year and a half at Kansas. it further suffered by him only seeing 6 minutes-per-game of action last year. finally, though, it seems the light bulb has come one.

Withey had a monster second half against Iowa State two days ago, amassing 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots and finishing the game with 13 points, 11 rebounds, 7 blocks, and 2 assists. this season, while finally seeing significant playing time (21.5 minutes-per), Withey has set game-and-career-highs in blocks (9), rebounds (14), and points (14). while still very much a project on the offensive end, he has become dominant on the defensive end. Jeff currently leads the Big 12 with 3.1 blocks-per-game, while also averaging 5.9 rebounds and 7.6 points.

View attachment 183
Withey demonstrates his range

[video=youtube;IbTpxBbUQYs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbTpxBbUQYs&feature=related[/video]
Withey's first-ever Kansas basket



*********************************

from the "whatever happened to ... " file, Drew Maynard was a 6-7 shooting guard that was as exciting a dunker as there was in the country. But. and those are three big letters. off-the-court issues ruined his career at Oakland University and possibly his entire basketball future. more importantly, here's hoping he got his life together off the court. Maynard is currently a senior at Valdosta State, where his future and talent are mired in obscurity because of the poor decisions of his past.

on the court, though, the guy could fly.

[video=youtube;u7fYziied18]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7fYziied18[/video]
the special sauce is Maynard-aise.

 

[Freethinker]

Thanks Jimmy for those videos. This is one of my favorite treads bar none.

Illinois sophomore center, Meyers Leonard, is the definition of long and athletic. He's 7'-1" and can jump out of the gym. Think a taller Mason Plumlee or a slightly more athletic B.J. Mullens.

Here's a video I posted before but is worth a 2nd look.

[video=youtube;SUroGQZQj-g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUroGQZQj-g[/video]

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Freethinker, i'm well aware of Meyers Leonard. i just hadn't had the time to post about him yet. :crazy: in fact, the below photo of him from this summer is the current wallpaper on my computer:

i'm a big fan of this big kid. i became aware of him this past summer when he was playing for Team USA in the U-19 World Championships, where he really looked good despite not playing nearly enough minutes. what i really like about Leonard (besides his ability to play above the rim on both ends and run the floor like a deer, of course) is his aggressiveness. he plays with attitude and is looking to put a knot on someone's head. and he even does so after getting fouled or getting his shot blocked. THAT really impresses me.

you can see that mean streak of his (which i mean in a complimentary sense) in pretty much every game highlight of Illinois this year. take the below one, for example ...

[video=youtube;87VjL7pn3CI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87VjL7pn3CI&feature=related[/video]

here are some more pics of long and athletic White men who are playing good basketball:

6-4 senior guard Kyle Kuric is Louisville's leading scorer and highlight maker

Tyler Zeller is a "fly" swatter

Miles Plumlee shows that Duke is "racist"

Mason Plumlee also shows that Duke is "racist"

Ryan Kelly continues the "racist" legacy of athletic White men at Duke

best known for his superb shooting (Kelly won the McDonald's All-American 3-point competition), the 6-11 Kelly is an under-rated athlete (go figure) and averages better than a blocked shot per game.

Clemson's senior guard Tanner Smith exhibits White flight

a 6-5 combo guard, Smith is Clemson's best player. he is second on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg), rebounding (5.7 rpg), and steals (1.6 spg) and leads the team in assists (4.1 apg).

known for his beard, West Virginia's junior power forward Deniz Kilicli also rejects anti-White stereotypes

 

[Jack Lambert]

Thanks for posting about these guys Jimmy! I've been able to follow most of these guys too. It was nice to get your analysis on them. I think you need to post in the college basketball section more often. I always enjoy your college basketball posts.

I also like reading other posters' analysis on College Hoops as well.


Another guy who I think will be pretty good is Maryland's true frosh center, 7-1 Ukranian Alex Len. He is already a pretty athletic player. He runs the floor like a forward, and is coordinated, and doesn't lumber. He played for the Ukranian U-18 National Team over last summer, and almost recorded a triple double against Germany with 20 points, 17 rebounds, and 9 blocks! Now if his teammates would give him the ball, I think he could do good things for the Terps.

Alex Len jams it home for Maryland.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

thanks for the kind words, gentlemen. i'll post when i can. now on with the show!

perhaps the most under-appreciated player in the country, Tyler Zeller rejects the myth of black athletic supremacy ...

his brother Cody does, too ...

combo guard Tanner Smith defies gravity as well as the White men can't jump propaganda ...

Ryan Kelly is more than just a pretty jump shot ...

just a freshman, Hunter Mickelson already has blocked 9 shots in a single game ...

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Clint Chapman is a shot-blocking force for the Longhorns ...

Jeff Withey is even better for the Jayhawks ...

Withey is also effective around the basket on the offensive end ...

Louisville's Kyle Kuric has a deadly long range jumper, but is even more lethal attacking the rim ...

Meyers Leonard is perhaps the most improved big man in the country ...

but he often gets help from teammate Tyler Griffey.

Nevada's Olek Czyz has a long way to go to be a complete basketball player, but he is a nasty dunker.

 

[Deadlift]

Jack Cooley dunk against South Florida

[video=youtube;R8h988dBYHo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8h988dBYHo[/video]

He had an even sweeter one against Syracuse..

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7487931

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7487937

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Another guy who I think will be pretty good is Maryland's true frosh center, 7-1 Ukranian Alex Len. He is already a pretty athletic player. He runs the floor like a forward, and is coordinated, and doesn't lumber. He played for the Ukranian U-18 National Team over last summer, and almost recorded a triple double against Germany with 20 points, 17 rebounds, and 9 blocks! Now if his teammates would give him the ball, I think he could do good things for the Terps.

Len does have a bright future, Jack. he's really struggling to adjust to the physical nature of D-1 basketball at the moment, though. he's just so skinny and physically weak that he's easily out-muscled by most opposing big men. as he physically matures, he will be able to handle the jostling in the post. he's also got a pretty good outside shot that should become more evident as he gains confidence. it's just going to take him some time to develop.

Alex Len with the block

Maryland has another explosive, but very skinny, foreign athlete in Berend Weijs. (you can see him in the background in the above photo.)

Weijs both runs the floor and leaps VERY well, but he's so slender that he shares the same struggles as Len. Berend, at 6-10, actually has the second-fastest preseason 5K run in the program's history. unfortunately for Weijs, he's a senior (having spent two years at a juco where he was dominant and wasting away on the Terrapin bench last year) and doesn't share the luxury of time that Alex does. consequently, he doesn't get very many minutes of game action. still, he likely has his best basketball in front of him and will probably have a nice long career in Europe.

Berend Weijs flies past Miles Plumlee and Ryan Kelly

maybe the best post player that almost no one knows about is Yale's Greg Mangano. i've written about him already in this thread, but he deserves repeat mention. the guy is as bad ass as the below photo.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Wisconsin's junior power forward Jared Berggren is well known for his shooting ability and toughness, be he isn't given nearly enough credit for his athleticism. not only can he run the floor, at 6-10 235-pounds he has a 33-inch standing vertical. wow! he makes for one nasty Badger.

Berggren had 5 blocked shots in Wisconsin's win tonight against Indiana, and he was the main man responsible for holding the Hoosiers' talented freshman Cody Zeller to just 7 points (on just 2-7 shooting) and 3 rebounds.

 

[Deadlift]

Ryan Kelly athleticism

[video=youtube;fsig1SXjOQE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsig1SXjOQE[/video]

At the 20-second mark, a thunderous put-back dunk to close out the 1st half!

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

i'll borrow the lead from an ESPN story on Arkansas' upset over Vanderbilt:

Hunter Mickelson's first career 3-pointer ignited Arkansas. The freshman's spinning second-half dunk was the exclamation point.

the above-mentioned dunk was named a Sportscenter Top-10 play that night. you can see the dunk for yourself in the 2 clips below.

http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=842465

[video=youtube;za1Ax2ykr0Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za1Ax2ykr0Q[/video]

despite battling foul trouble which limited him to just 11 minutes of game action, Mickelson finished the game 4-of-4 from the field and 1-of-1 from 3-point range for 9 points. he also collected 3 rebounds and blocked 1 shot.

 

[Deadlift]

Meet Pat Connaughton!

[video=youtube;IYZoCppe75w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYZoCppe75w[/video]


His coming out party against Marquette.. INCREDIBLE highlights! (May be addictive!)

[video=youtube;9sqwZFDRU7E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sqwZFDRU7E[/video]


Connaughton Slaying "diverse" Villanova at dey house!! Clutch.

[video=youtube;sWmEYfZXcxw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWmEYfZXcxw[/video]