Observations on Shake Milton and Chandler Hutchison

December 18, 2017

I took the time to watch Shake Milton and SMU play against Chandler Hutchison and Boise State, as it was an opportunity to watch numerous prospects that could be in the 2018 NBA Draft. As for the game itself, it was a lopsided affair in which the SMU Mustangs went on to rout the Broncos. Here are my thoughts on how Milton and Hutchison fared in this game, as well as how other various prospects played on this day.

SMU’s 6-6 junior guard, Shake Milton had a solid all-around game, as he played very well to help lead his team to a win over Boise State. In this game, Milton showed a good ability to garner scores off the dribble. He would score on aggressive drives to the basket, and he also can dribble off screens to do so. He has good speed, strength, and body control to finish plays around the basket, and he also has a knack for using ball handling moves to score on pull-up, mid-range jump shots. Plus, he also showed a decent ability to knock down threes to space the floor for his team. Milton was able to make a deep three off the catch, as he made that shot from well beyond the arc. However, he missed two other long range jumpers off the catch.

He also showed off solid playmaking skills. Milton is a big point guard that looks to primarily be a facilitator, and he did a great job of throwing lobs to cutters to set up alley-oop dunks for them. He also excelled at finding the open man off of drives, and he also can throw long, accurate outlet passes. His only turnover was when he was called for committing a charging foul on a drive in transition. He also did a good job of rebounding the basketball, as he would haul in plenty of defensive boards when he was on the floor.

Also, Milton showed off good defensive skills. He would stay in front of his man on drives, as he was able to force a miss as well as a traveling violation, and he also would contest three-point shots to force misses. Perhaps his only miscue on this end was when he gave his man a little bit too much space once, as his team ended up allowing a score on a runner.

In general, Shake Milton played a solid all-around game, as he was able to lead his team to a double-digit victory over Boise State. Though he didn’t look to take many shots on this day, Milton was efficient in scoring the basketball, and he showed a knack for making smart, patient decisions when he was on the court. With his skill set, he could end up being a good pick for a team in the first round of the upcoming draft.

Boise State’s 6-7 senior forward, Chandler Hutchison had a good showing in his team’s loss to SMU. He especially played well in the first half, as he was able to keep his team in the game for a while. He did a good job of scoring the basketball, and he also was able to contribute in a variety of ways. Hutchison showed a solid ability to garner scores on aggressive drives to the basket. He showed a good ability to score off of crossover moves, and he also managed to throw down a powerful dunk after a high post drive in transition. Plus, Hutchison really excelled at drawing fouls on opponents. He did miss a few times as he may not always have his balance, but generally he did a good job of scoring off the dribble due to possessing good athleticism, body control, and shooting touch.

He also showed a good ability to score on hustle plays. He excelled at getting scores off of offensive rebounds, and he also managed to draw free throws off of a cut to the basket. However, Hutchison struggled to consistently knock down jumpers. He did make a three in this game, but he generally had trouble making jump shots continuously. He also had trouble scoring on turnaround jumpers after posting up.

Plus, he also showed off adequate playmaking skills. Hutchison showed a good ability to pass to teammates off the dribble, as he can kick the ball out to shooters to set up numerous scoring chances for them. However, sometimes he had trouble protecting the basketball, as he occasionally would get the ball poked away from him. He also traveled once on a high post drive, and he also threw a bad pass on a kick out that ended up getting intercepted. He also showed an adequate ability to rebound the basketball. Hutchison did a very good job of collecting offensive boards, and he was able to provide plenty of second chance points for his team. He also would leap up to get his fair share of defensive rebounds. However, he was once called for a foul off the ball when going after a defensive board.

Also, he displayed fairly good defensive skills. Hutchison excelled at jumping passes, as he would collect steals for his team. He also managed to deflect a pass out of bounds once. However, there was one play where he went over the top of the screen, but no one hedged, which led to his team to allow a score on a drive, as no one was able to cut off penetration that time. Another time, he ended up committing a foul on a cut, as his team ended up allowing his opponent to score on a dunk.

In general, Chandler Hutchison played well in his team’s loss to SMU. He was the one player on Boise State that would consistently make plays on both ends of the floor, and he is an athletic swingman that can score and defend when he is out on the court. With his skill set, he could end up being a good find for an NBA team on draft day.

Ethan Chargois is an athletic, skilled 6-9 freshman forward that plays for SMU, and he had a solid showing in his team’s win over Boise State. He is a versatile scorer that can do so in a variety of ways, and he also showed off some defensive skills as well. Chargois did a good job of knocking jumpers to space the floor for his team, as he was able to make two quick, spot-up threes off the catch. Plus, he also excelled at scoring on drives, as he was able to use a jab step to score on a floater and draw an extra free throw, and he also threw down a powerful dunk off of another drive to the basket.

He also excelled at scoring on hustle plays, as he threw down a dunk after being left open underneath the hoop, and he also drew free throws off of a put back. In addition, he also used a spin move to a draw a foul on a turnaround jumper. Also, Chargois did a good job of blocking shots and getting steals, and he also was able to get plenty of assists and rebounds when he was on the floor. In general, Ethan Chargois is a skilled scorer that can shoot the basketball, and he is a skilled big man that could be a player to keep an eye on in the future.

SMU’s 6-0 junior guard, Jahmal McMurray played his first game of this season for SMU, and he played really well, as he really excelled as a shooter and scorer when he was on the floor. He is a quick guard that handles the ball well, and he can easily get his shots off. He excelled at knocking down a wealth of jumpers to space the floor for his team, as he would made quick threes off the catch, and McMurray also used a crossover move to make a pull-up three. He also did a great job of knocking down pull-up mid-range jump shots.

Plus, he also showed off decent playmaking skills. McMurray managed to quickly find a shooter after getting the ball around the basket to get an assist on that particular occasion. However, he did also commit a couple of turnovers in this game. McMurray did a really good job of rebounding the basketball when he was on the floor, and he would haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor, and he would chase down balls to get offensive rebounds for his team.

He also showed off fairly average defensive skills. McMurray managed to catch a pass that was thrown right to him to get a steal. However, he ended up allowing a score in the post, and he also committed a couple of touch fouls against Boise State. In general, Jahmal McMurray played very well, as he really excelled as a shooter and scorer when he was on the court. He can put up points in a hurry, and he may have the skills to excel as a role player in the NBA, as he could end up being a microwave type of scorer in the league.

SMU’s 6-3 sophomore guard, Jimmy Whitt had a terrific showing, as he was able to get plenty of scores early, and he ended up excelling as a scorer and defender throughout this game. Even more so, he managed to make numerous plays above the rim to help his team on offense. Whitt really excelled at scoring on hustle plays, and he managed to get a multitude of scores by using off-ball movement to get open. Whitt really excelled as a cutter to score the basketball, and he was able to throw down a couple of nifty alley-oop dunks. Plus, he also managed to throw down a thunderous dunk off of a drive in transition.

In addition, Whitt did a great job of knocking down mid-range jumpers to space the floor for his team. Plus, he also managed to throw an accurate interior pass off of a drive to set up a score for a teammate. Whitt was also able to collect several defensive boards, and he also played solid defense, as he would jump numerous passes to get steals for his team. In this game, Jimmy Whitt played really well, as he is a very athletic combo guard that can make plays on both ends of the court. He has excelled as a role player for his team this year, and he could end up being an interesting prospect to keep track of down the road.

SMU’s 6-5 senior swingman, Ben Emelogu II also played very well in his team’s win over Boise State. He did a very good job of knocking down threes, as he made one after using a pump fake to hoist up a pull-up three-point shot, and he also made another off of a pick and pop play. He also was able to make a spot-up three in the corner. Plus, he excelled at scoring on drives to the hoop, and he even was able to throw down a thunderous dunk after using a pump fake to get past his man. he also excelled at drawing fouls on his opponents.

Emelogu also played good defense. He did a good job of contesting threes to force misses, and he also contested a shot in the post to force another miss. In all, Ben Emelogu II had a solid showing on this day, and he showed off versatile scoring skills, as well as a significantly improved ability to shoot the basketball. If he keeps this up, he could end up getting invited to Portsmouth, as that could increase his chances to end up in the NBA sometime in the near future.

SMU’s 6-6 junior swingman, Jarrey Foster did not have his best game, but he did have some good moments when he was on the floor against Boise State. Though he struggled to knock down jumpers consistently, Foster was able to make a quick open three off the catch. He also showed a decent ability to score off the dribble, as he was able to use a Eurostep move to get free throws on a drive in transition. Plus, he was able to throw down a dunk after being left open underneath the basket. He did post up once, but he missed a turnaround jumper after using a quick spin move.

He also showed off decent playmaking skills. Foster is an unselfish player that will pass quite often, and he was able to get the ball to his teammates in a variety of ways to set up scores for them. But sometimes, he would throw inaccurate passes, which would either get intercepted or end up out of bounds, as that would lead him to commit turnovers. While he didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, he did manage to get a board on both ends of the floor.

Foster played solid defense. He did a good job of helping his team force turnovers, as he would poke balls away, and he would jump passes to help his team get steals and deflections. Also, Foster would contest three-point shots to force misses. But he also would commit fouls on drives due to over-aggressiveness.

In general, Jarrey Foster did not have a great game overall, but he can score the basketball on catch and shoot plays, he also will keep the basketball moving, and he also is a very active defender that can force turnovers and get stops for his team. He has been a solid role player for his team this year, and he could be a prospect to keep taps on, as he could end up being a potential second round pick sometime down the road.