Analyzing Collin Sexton, Trae Young, and Donta Hall

January 28, 2018

I decided to take the time to watch a highly competitive basketball game that was played between Alabama and Oklahoma, as this featured two prospects that could go in the lottery in Collin Sexton and Trae Young, as well as others that may end up getting drafted such as Donta Hall. Trae Young struggled for most of the game, but then started to hit his stride early in the second half before falling off again, and Alabama was able to get the win. Here are my thoughts on how various prospects fared on this day.

Alabama’s freshman point guard, Collin Sexton played very well, as he played a solid all-around game to help lead his team to a narrow victory over Oklahoma. Sexton showed a great ability to get scores on speedy drives to the basket. He is very fast and he has a terrific first step to get to the hoop, and he can also score often on fast breaks. Sexton was able to score on a baseline drive, and he also used a spin move to get to the foul line another time. Plus, he consistently was able to get scores in transition after running the floor to beat his man down court, as he threw down an emphatic dunk once, and he scored on a speedy fast break drive while getting an extra free throw another time.

Also, he did a good job of scoring in the post. Sexton went to quickly get the ball on the block, as he used a drop step move to score quickly around the basket. He also was able to make pull-up jumpers off the dribble, but Sexton had trouble making jump shots consistently when he would elect to take them. In general, he displayed fairly average playmaking skills in this game. For the positives, Sexton is a skilled ball handler that can really get the ball up the court, and he was able to find open shooters to set up scoring chances for his teammates. He also managed to use a spin move off of a drive to hit a cutter another time. However, he ended up committing numerous turnovers. On one play, he threw an inaccurate lob pass that went off his teammate’s hands as it went out of bounds. On another, he was trapped on a drive, and he ended up losing the ball to an opponent. On a separate play, he was called for committing a charging foul on a drive to the hoop.

He also was able to get his fair share of boards when he was on the floor, as he managed to get several defensive rebounds against Oklahoma. Plus, he also played good defense. Sexton would actively contest jumpers to force misses, and he also helped trap an opponent to force a passing turnover. In addition, he was able to heap on a loose ball to help his team come away with a steal. However, sometimes he would struggle to guard his opponents on drives, which would lead him to commit a foul once and allow a score another time. Also, there was another play where he gave his man too much space to shoot the ball, as this lead his opponent to score on a three-point basket.

In general, Collin Sexton played very well, as he had a strong showing in his team’s win over Oklahoma. He made shots in many different ways, he was aggressive in scoring the basketball, he made some good passes when he was on the floor, and he also played good defense. He is a tremendously talented player that can do many things on the basketball court, and he could potentially be a top 5 pick if he can consistently shoot and distribute the ball well this year.

Oklahoma’s 6-2 freshman point guard, Trae Young did not have a great game, as he started slowly, and ended poorly, but there was a stretch-run in the middle where he played really well. However, he was unable to sustain his ability to make tough shots as he did not play well late in the game, but when he hits his stride, he can certainly look like a definitive top 5 type of pick when he is on the floor.

For the positives, Young did a very good job of knocking down long-range jumpers to space the floor for his team. He made plenty of tough, pull-up threes from beyond the arc, as he would use crossovers and step back moves to create separation between himself and his defender, and he was able to make a couple of three-point shots from well behind the line.

However, he struggled to consistently score when he would take shots that were inside the arc. Young did show a decent ability to score on drives to the hoop, as he can score on tough floaters, but he also tended to miss tough shots in traffic. This was the case because defenders were able to collapse on him, and in doing so, he was forced to either take tougher shots than usual, or to be more of a facilitator. He also missed a couple of long two-point shots off the dribble.

He also showed off fairly good playmaking skills. Young is an unselfish player that can rack up assists for his team, and he possesses good court vision. He can throw lobs to cutters to set up alley-oop dunks, he can drop passes off to his teammates off the dribble, and he can split double teams. However, Young can be prone to throwing questionable passes. In this game, he ended up getting some of his passes intercepted, and he also threw a pass away to an opponent when trapped once. He didn’t haul in many rebounds, but he was able to collect several defensive boards when he was on the floor. But there was one time where he didn’t block out his man, as his team ended up allowing a put back score once.

Also, he did not seem to play very good defense in this game. For the positives, Young would look to play passing lanes, as he was able to deflect a pass, and he would catch balls thrown his way to help his team come away with steals. Another time, he was able to contest a three to force a miss. However, Young often had trouble defending when the other team would get out in transition. Sometimes he would not rotate properly as he would get beat off the dribble, which would cause him to commit a foul or allow scores on occasion. Also, he struggled to stay in front of his man when defending drives or in the post, as his team would allow scores in the paint.

In general, Trae Young did not have a great game, as he could not consistently play well when he was on the floor, but there was a stretch early in the second half where he was shooting and passing the ball well. He did not consistently make shots, and he also was turnover prone in this game, as he tended to force the issue too much on offense against Alabama.

Young is still a terrific talent, but his penchant for taking questionable shots and tendency to commit turnovers could fluster a coach. But when he is on his game, he plays like he could be a superstar in the NBA. While he may not be a lock to go in the top 5 on draft day, he will almost surely end up getting picked in the lottery, and he could flourish at the next level if he goes to a team that will be patient in developing him as an overall player.

Alabama’s 6-9 junior big man, Donta Hall played very well, as he excelled at finishing plays in the paint to get scores, he grabbed plenty of rebounds, and he did a terrific job of blocking shots to help his team defensively. Hall excelled at scoring on hustle plays around the basket. He scored on a tip dunk after grabbing an offensive board, and he also scored on a reverse layup. Hall also was able to throw down an emphatic dunk after being left open underneath the hoop. Plus, he also managed to draw free throws on a jump hook, and he also scored on a reverse layup off of a high post drive, but sometimes he can rush his shots, which can lead to misses.

He also showed off fairly average playmaking skills. Hall can throw accurate passes, as he can pass out of the post, and also throw entry passes to help set up scoring chances for his teammates. But he did also commit a couple of turnovers, as he passed out of a drive that ended up getting intercepted, and he also had a ball poked away when he looked to score around the basket another time. He also did a good job of rebounding the basketball. Hall would frequently look to crash the glass, as he was able to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor. But there was one time where he didn’t block out, as this led to an opponent scoring on a tip dunk.

He also played solid defense. Hall did an outstanding job of blocking shots, as he would swat shots ferociously to prevent opponents from scoring on drives, and he even swatted a shot off the glass to himself once. Hall can defend out on the perimeter, and he possesses very good length, quickness, and timing to get many stops for his team. He also will block shots around the basket to force opponents to miss shots, and he also managed to leap up to tip an entry pass to a teammate to help his team get a steal on a separate play. Plus, Hall was able to force a miss when defending the post.

However, there would be times where he would be late to get back to the roll man, as his team would allow dunks to the opposition. In addition, sometimes he would be late to rotate, as this would lead his opponents to occasionally score around the mid-range area every once in a while. In general, Donta Hall had a solid showing, as he nearly was able to collect a triple-double in his team’s win over Oklahoma. He’s an athletic big man that possesses a great motor, and he did a terrific job of finishing plays around the basket and blocking shots in this game. With his skill set, he could end up being a good find for an NBA team whenever he decides to enter the draft.

Oklahoma’s 6-9 senior big man, Khadeem Lattin had a solid game in his team’s loss to Alabama. He did a very good job of making shots, he was able to throw down a multitude of dunks, and he also defended well when he was on the court. Lattin did a great job of scoring on hustle plays. He would often score off of offensive boards, and he was able to fly in to score on a couple of tip slams. He also rolled hard to the rim, and he was able to score on dunks. In addition, he also managed to throw down some magnetic jams after being left open underneath the basket a couple of times.

He also managed to make a mid-range jumper after using a jab step to create separation between himself and his defender. However, he missed on a turnaround jumper once when posting up, and he seemed to have a little more trouble when his shots would be contested. He also showed off decent playmaking skills in this game. Lattin would roll hard to the hoop, as he was able to get a couple of nice scores on those types of plays. He also ran the floor once, and he was able to hit a cutter on the break to set up a scoring chance for his teammate. Plus, he did not turn the ball over once against Alabama.

Plus, he also did a good job of rebounding the basketball. Lattin was quite active on the offensive glass, and he was able to get numerous scores off of put backs. However, there were a couple of times where he forgot to block out, as his team ended up allowing put back scores. He also showcased adequate defensive skills. Lattin did a great job of blocking shots, as he would swat shots emphatically to protect the paint for his team. He also managed to poke a ball away to get a steal, and he also rotated to contest drive to force a miss another time.

On the other hand, he did seem to struggle to defend in the post at times. He missed once on a steal attempt when fronting his man, as that led his team to allow a dunk. Another time, he allowed an opponent to score on a jump hook. Other times, he may not make proper rotations, as that can lead his team to allow opponents to score around the basket.

In general, Khadeem Lattin had a very good game, as he excelled as a finisher and interior defender, and he also helped his team out on the boards. He threw down many dunks, and he also managed to block numerous shots. Overall, he played well in a loss to Alabama, and he could be a potential second round pick on draft day.

Alabama’s 6-8 sophomore forward, Braxton Key had a fairly good showing in his team’s win over Oklahoma. He was able to do a little bit of everything, as he managed to contribute in many ways to help his team get the victory. Key did a good job of making outside shots from beyond the arc, as he was able to make a couple of open spot-up threes off the catch to space the floor for his team. He also managed to score on a put back. However, Key had trouble scoring on drives or finishing plays in traffic, as he ended up having a couple of his shots blocked.

He also showed off good playmaking skills. Key can throw accurate interior passes off the dribble, as he was able to do so to notch a couple of assists. He also managed to set a hard screen on offense, and he drew free throws, even though both he and Trae Young fell on a collision they made together that time, but Key was called for traveling on a drive that led him to commit his lone turnover of the game. He also did an adequate job of rebounding the basketball. Key managed to score on a put back off of his lone offensive board, and he would leap up to get his fair share of defensive boards.

Plus, he also played good defense. Key was able to poke a ball away and intercept a pass to obtain a couple of steals for his team. He also managed to contest threes to force misses, and he also was able to draw a charge when defending a drive once. However, sometimes he would have lapses defensively. He was late to defend a cutter once, as he ended up allowing an opponent to score on an alley-oop dunk. Another time, he was caught ball watching, as he got beat off the dribble to allow an opponent to score in transition. On a separate possession, he ended up committing a foul in transition, as that led his team to allow a score and an extra free throw to an opponent.

In general, Braxton Key put forth a good performance, as he was able to contribute in all sorts of ways to help his team get the win over Oklahoma. He is a skilled basketball player that could project to be a fill in the blanks type of player at the next level, and he could end up being a find for a team in the second round range whenever he decides to enter the NBA draft.

Alabama’s 6-7 freshman swingman, Herbert Jones put forth a terrific performance in his team’s double-digit victory over Oklahoma. He is a tremendously athletic basketball player that excelled at attacking the basket to get many scores around the basket, and he also is an unselfish player that played very good defense. Jones did a great job of scoring on hustle plays. He would run the floor to beat his man down court, and he would throw down high-flying dunks on fast breaks. Plus, he also managed to score on a put back, as he also drew an extra free throw that time.

He also showed a fairly good ability to score on drives to the basket, as he was able to throw down an emphatic dunk once, and he also used a crossover move to draw free throws on a leaner, but sometimes he can miss shots after using complex ball handling moves when he is on the floor. He also excelled as a low post scorer against Oklahoma. Jones used a spin move to score on a turnaround jumper, and he also used a nifty drop step move to score on a two-handed dunk.

However, Jones struggled to knock down jumpers, as he missed a mid-range shot, and he also missed on a three-point attempt in this game. He also displayed good playmaking skills. Jones is an unselfish player that can throw accurate passes to his teammates to set up numerous scores for his teammates. He was able to throw a long outlet pass on the break, and he can also get the ball to a roll man on the move, but he also committed a couple of turnovers due to carelessness when handling the basketball.

Plus, he also did a good job of rebounding the basketball. Jones scored on a put back after grabbing an offensive board, and he also would leap up to get plenty of defensive boards when he was on the floor. Also, Jones played solid defense. Jones was able to swiftly block a three-point shot, and he also jumped a pass to get a steal. Also, he would poke balls away to almost come away with additional steals. In addition, he would stay in front of his man and contest shots to force misses, as he is a good position defender that moves his feet well. But sometimes he can be caught ball watching, as he may give his man too much space to shoot the basketball, as that can lead him to allow opponents to score on jumpers.

In general, Herbert Jones had an excellent showing, as he played very well on both ends of the floor to help lead his team to a win over Oklahoma. He is a very athletic swingman that could potentially excel as a two-way player at the next level, and he could end up being an interesting prospect to keep an eye on in the future.

Alabama’s 6-5 freshman swingman, John Petty did a very good job of making three-point shots, as he was able to run off of a screen to make one in the corner, and he also used a jab step to make a quick pull-up three, as he also handles the ball well. He also managed to get his hands on a pass to get a steal after trapping an opponent, as he played good defense.

However, he was quite turnover prone on offense though, as he mostly struggled with his passing, and he also had a ball poked away once. Overall, John Petty showed off his skill set, as he is an athletic shooter that can score the basketball, and he could be an intriguing prospect to keep an eye on in the future.

Alabama’s 6-11 sophomore center, Daniel Giddens played fairly well in his team’s win over Oklahoma. He was efficient in making shots when he would elect to take them in this game. He was able to score on a left-handed, jump hook when posting up. Giddens ran the floor another time, and he used a pump fake move to throw down a thunderous dunk on the break, as he drew an additional free throw afterwards. However, he also committed a couple of turnovers, as he lost the ball once on a high post drive, and he was called for setting a moving screen another time, even though his opponent appeared to initiate the contact for the latter turnover.

Giddens did a great job of rebounding the basketball, as he would frequently leap up to get defensive boards. He also played good defense, as he was able to block a shot to prevent an opponent from scoring on a drive, and he would contest shots from all over the floor to force misses. In summary, Daniel Giddens had a good showing in his team’s win over Oklahoma, and he is an athletic big man that could project to be a rim protector at the next level. With his skill set, he could be a potential second round pick whenever he chooses to enter the NBA draft.