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NBA Comparison: Jerry Stackhouse
Strengths: A great one-on-one player who relishes offensive challenges...Possesses a strong-built
body and utilizes it to the greatest of ease at the high school, maximizing his opportunities to get the bucket plus the foul...Not
only possesses a strong body to ward off weaker defenders, also possesses good athleticism and great body control to ward
off shotblockers and defenders, positioning himself to make the running bank shot or layup...Gets to the basket extremely
well at the high school level, tends to keep his eyes focused on the basket even from 20 feet, showing good offensive concentration;
when he wants the layup, he gets it...Sees openings in the defense and can split defenders, utilizing shift of speeds to get
to the basket...Takes long strides and makes a concerted effort to get to the basket to make up for only a fairly above first
step...Gets to the line extremely frequently due to his penchance for attacking the basket. Once at the line, he rarely misses,
and this is in fact where he scores most of his points; for a high schooler, shoots 86% from the line, which is excellent
and will no doubt translate to the NBA level well...Cat-quick, possesses smooth athleticism...Good shooting mechanics and
general form, can hit shots up to 18 feet, whether static or off-the-dribble...Actually possesses solid court vision and makes
good passes, finding the open man, if he puts his mind to it...Can put up good scoring and assist numbers at the same time
at high school...Rarely gets into foul trouble...
Weaknesses: Although his main attribute will be scoring in the league, even his offensive game has
some holes which can be exploited by the NBA...Jumpshot currently lacks consistency. Will miss his share of open shots, and
because he always looks for his shot, take shots out of the context of the offense...Does not possess range 20 feet or more
currently, lest NBA three point range...Although possessing good mechanics, has a slow release...Can create his own shot,
but often releases the ball at an awkward angle afterwards which hinders his percentages in that area...Even though he is
the team's primary offensive player, he exerts a degree of selfishness at times to neutralize his decent court vision, sometimes
just taking the ball one-on-one to the hole without abandon, freezing out his teammates and trying to do too much for himself...Prone
to getting many offensive foul calls in the league, sometimes gets out of control a la "Corey Maggette"...Rarely looks to
dunk the ball at the finish, usually ends up with a layup, running banker, etc...Handles individual players well, but does
not always react well to double teams...Does not play much defense at all. Exerts a lot of energy on the offensive end and
does not concentrate much effort on that end, often letting his man blow by him thinking he can stay with him (which he cannot
of course)...To boot, just not a very fluid, coordinated player. Looks somewhat herky-jerky out on the court, most of the
time looking to get to the basket, then, when the option isn't there, looking to make the pass...Ballhandling skills need
work. Gets to the basket at high school due to tenacity and speed, but he needs to refine that aspect for the NBA....Not a
superior athlete. Does not possess a good first step, great explosiveness, a long wingspan, etc., but his pitbull's mentality
makes up for that...Does not rebound well for his size, rarely looks to pursue them even though he was one of the taller players
for his high school team...Does not have the best track record in terms of off-the-court image, although it is more of the
"attitude-problems" type...Has somewhat of a big ego...
Competition: Faced many of the top teams at high school, such as Oak Knolls High at Indiana, scoring
27 points (9-10 from the line), Eterrin High with RaShaun Falls, scoring 36 against him (15-15 from the line), and Indiana
State High, scoring 33 (11-12 from the line).
Outlook: Probably will be a future 1st round pick whenever he declares. He has already stated his
intentions to enter the draft by the end of either his freshman or sophomore year, although currently he's planning to intend
Indiana University. His scoring prowess and body has filled out well, making him quite appealing to NBA scouts.
Facts: Can bench-press 300 lbs. 3 times, a testament to his strength. Was also a former track-and-field
player at high school, showing that his decent speed and strength can perhaps make a lethal combination in the NBA.
Other Comments: The reason why the initial comparison was not Corey Maggette was moreso due to the
passing skills and swiftness in getting to the basket above anything else. Stackhouse utilizes a sort of swift move to get
to the basket whereas Maggette takes long strides, an explosive first step and solid athletic tools to get to the basket.
Also, Cruspen is a decent passer with vision when he puts his mind to it, just like Stackhouse is. And also, Cruspen is just
not that swift and silky a shooter Maggette can be at times, his shooting percentages hovering around 41%, much like Stackhouse's
career averages. He really does most of his damage from the line.
NBA calling card: Scoring ability, ability to get to the basket and get to the line.
--Wilyem Sherbury 7/12
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