Analyzing DaRon Holmes II, Toumani Camara, and Javonte Perkins

February 11^th, 2023

By Alan Lu

Yesterday, I took the time to watch Dayton play against Saint Louis in an Atlantic-10 Conference basketball game.  It was an opportunity to watch DaRon Holmes II and Mike Sharavjamts play against my alma mater, Saint Louis University, and it also was an opportunity to see how the Billikens would match up to a talented Dayton squad.  It was a close game in the first half, but Dayton started to pull away late in the first half, and they dominated in the second half to get a double-digit win over Saint Louis.  Dayton did a great job of shooting and passing the basketball, and they received strong performances from their starters, as well as a dominant second half performance from DaRon Holmes II.  Here are my thoughts on how Holmes and other various prospects fared in this game.

Dayton’s sophomore big man, DaRon Holmes II turned in a strong showing to lead his team to a double-digit victory over Saint Louis.  He is a strong, athletic big man that did a great job of making plays in the interior, and thrived as a scorer and defender in the paint.

Holmes did a good job of scoring out of the post.  He showed good strength, scoring touch, and finishing ability down low.  He was able to score on a smooth, turnaround jumper, as well as on a quick spin move from the baseline.  He did a terrific job of drawing many fouls to get to the free throw line.  However, sometimes he had trouble in knocking down some jump hooks, which led to a few misses late in this game.

He also thrived at scoring as the roll man and off the dribble, and he was able to throw down a powerful dunk after getting the ball on the move once.  Holmes also was able to knock down.a smooth, face-up jumper from the mid-range to showcase his shooting skills.  He almost threw down a ferocious dunk after catching a very high lob pass on the break, but he wasn’t quite able to finish the play as he missed by throwing it down too hard.

He also displayed fairly average playmaking skills.  Holmes is an unselfish player that was able to make good passes out of the post to find open shooters.  Sometimes though, he would do too much when trying to operate out of the post.  He was called for an offensive foul after lowering his shoulder to try to score out of the post once.  He also tried to drive baseline after getting the ball down low, but was called for stepping out of bounds.  Another time, he was called for setting a moving screen.  Despite that, Holmes generally made good passes and he had stretches where he was absolutely dominant out of the post, and his opponents had a lot of trouble in trying to defend him in the paint.

Also, Holmes was able to get his fair share of boards to help chip in on both ends of the floor.  He also played solid defense in this game.  Holmes had some really good defensive plays in the second half.  He was able to rotate to block a shot hard off of a drive to prevent an opponent from scoring on a layup.  He also rotated to get his hands on a pass and threw it off his opponent to force a turnover.  He also would consistently contest shots to force misses.  Sometimes though he would commit fouls due to over-aggressiveness.

In general, DaRon Holmes II played very well to help lead his team to a win over Saint Louis.  He thrived at making plays on both ends of the floor, and he made sound plays throughout this contest.  Holmes is having a good season for his team, and he could be a good find for an NBA team, especially if he’s available for them to select in the second round of the 2023 draft.

Dayton’s senior forward, Toumani Camara also had a solid showing in his team’s win over Saint Louis.  He is an athletic, skilled combo forward that showed off versatile scoring skills, and he’s shown a much improved outside shot that makes it difficult for his opponents to guard or match up to him when he is on the floor.

Camara showed a solid ability to score out of the post.  He would get deep position and score on jump hooks due to possessing the strength and shooting touch to do so.  He also showed a knack for getting fouled to get to the free throw line.  Plus, Camara also shot the ball very well from the outside, and he excelled at knocking down spot-up threes to provide floor spacing for his team on offense.

Also, Camara showed that he can pass and handle the basketball.  He did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  He also played satisfactory defense.  He would contest shots to help his team get stops, and he also poked a ball away and dove for it to nearly get a steal.  Sometimes though, he would commit fouls due to over-aggressiveness.

In summary, Toumani Camara played very well, and he is a skilled combo forward that can shoot, score, and rebound the basketball.  He is also playing well for Dayton this year.  He’ll need to show that he can be a consistent outside shooter and defend upper-echelon opponents on a consistent basis, but his ability to score in a variety of ways could make him an intriguing option for NBA teams to consider in the second round range of the 2023 draft.

Saint Louis’ 6-6 senior swingman, Javonte Perkins had a solid showing in his team’s loss to Dayton.  After missing last season with a knee injury, Perkins decided to come back to play in college basketball for his team once again, though he hasn’t quite been the consistent performer that he was prior to his injury, and his shooting percentages have fluctuated throughout this season.  Still, in this game, he’s showed that he can move around, knock down shots, and he still very much could project into a 3 and D role at the NBA level.

Perkins did a very good job of knocking down threes in this game.  He especially thrived at making spot-up threes, and he excelled at making corner threes in particular.  Perkins also did a decent job of scoring off the dribble.  He tended to favor to his left, and he can score or get free throws when he can get a step past his defender and a beeline to the rim.  He also was able to pull up to knock down a smooth, mid-range jumper from the baseline.  On the downside, he struggled to consistently make mid-range jumpers off the dribble, and sometimes he would take tough, off-balanced shots that would lead to misses.  Perkins showed that he can thrive as a shooter in catch-and-shoot situations, and visually, while he didn’t look to be nearly as explosive an athlete that he was before, Perkins still showed off solid foot speed and athleticism, which enabled him to make an ample number of plays on offense. 

Also, he was able to haul in several boards to help chip in on the glass.  Defensively, he was active, but sometimes he would play too aggressively, which would lead him to commit touch fouls and to his team to be in compromised situations.  Overall, Perkins thrived as a shooter and scorer in this game.  While he may face questions about his durability and if he can hold up over the course of a long season, it’s encouraging that he is not only back on the floor, but he can continue to play as well as a shooter and shot maker on offense.  He’ll need to show that he can defend upper-echelon opponents in games, but his ability to make shots combined with having solid physical tools could enable him to make his way to the NBA someday.

Dayton’s sophomore point guard, Malachi Smith played very well in his team’s win over Saint Louis.  He especially excelled in making plays in the first half, and he did a great job of making shots.  He thrived at scoring off the dribble, and he has a quick first step along with solid ball-handling moves that would enable him to score at the rim.  He also was able to make threes, both off the catch and dribble, and Smith showed off a strong pull-up game from the outside.

He also showed off satisfactory playmaking skills in this game.  Smith is an unselfish player that can make drive and kick passes to get his teammates the basketball, and he was able to rack up assists.  Sometimes though, he would be inaccurate with his passes, and he also collided into a defender on a drive to the hoop once, which led him to be called for an offensive foul and a turnover.

Dayton’s 6-6 sophomore swingman, Koby Brea had a strong showing in his team’s win over Saint Louis.  He is an agile, skiled sharpshooter that showed that he can be a movement shooter, and he also showed some ability to put the ball on the deck and score on offense.  Brea was able to make threes both off the catch and dribble, and he shot the ball really well from the outside. 

He also was able to run quickly off of a ball screen to knock down a three-pointer early on, and he also showed that he can finish plays with either hand to score on aggressive drives to the hoop.  Brea also was able to use a crafty pump fake that enabled him to score on a running layup.  He missed a few jumpers late in this game, but overall, Brea was incredibly effective as a shooter and scorer against Saint Louis.  On the season, his numbers don’t seem to look quite as impressive as how he played in this game, and surely he was able to take advantage of getting open looks from defenders, which enabled him to score early and often.  On the surface, Brea only looks to have rather ordinary physical tools, but his ability to knock down shots and score in a variety of ways could make him an intriguing prospect to watch, and he could project into a 3 and D type of role in the NBA.

Saint Louis’ 6-5 guard, Gibson Jimerson had a fast start in his team’s tough loss to Dayton.  He especially played well in the first half, and he showed that he can be a knockdown, movement shooter on offense.  He was able to make a pair of threes off the catch, and he was able to ran quickly off of a ball screen to knock down a three-pointer from the top of the key.  He also showed a knack for scoring on the move, as he was also able to score on a fast break, as well as after getting the ball on a curl cut. 

However, he struggled to consistently create his own shot, and he had trouble scoring when he would look to score on aggressive drives to the basket.  Jimerson’s not especially fast, so he had trouble scoring in traffic on those plays.  He also would go for stretches without getting touches early in the second half, and he ended up missing plenty of shots after that, and he struggled to make threes consistently afterwards.

Jimerson was able to haul in plenty of boards to help his team on the glass.  Defensively, he looked to be perhaps above average.  He was able to intercept an errant pass thrown to him to get a steal.  He also contested a three to force a miss.  However, sometimes he would over-help in the paint and give up too much space to shooters, which would allow his opponents to score on three-point shots.

Overall, Gibson Jimerson had his ups and downs in this game.  He excelled as a shooter and scorer in the first half, and he looked the part of an agile, movement shooter that can spot up on the wing and space the floor for his team on offense.  In the second half, he looked sluggish, struggled to make shots, and he didn’t seem to be much of a factor from there on out.  His lack of elite physical tools also made it difficult for him to score in the second half in addition to not getting enough touches at times, so Jimerson not always getting the ball on the move or when he was in motion also may have contributed to his second half struggles.  Jimerson will need to show that he can be an elite shooter, and one that can especially excel as a movement shooter, and he will need to be a more focused defender.  If so, he could project into a shooting specialist role in the NBA.

Dayton’s freshman forward, Mike Sharavjamts came off the bench in this game, and he’s been struggling with his outside shot a bit this season.  When he came in the game, he played within the flow and confines of his team’s system, and he played fairly well overall.  He generally didn’t force the issue too much, and he generally made sound decisions.

Sharavjamts excelled at scoring on strong, right-handed drives to the hoop.  He has a fairly solid first step, and he was able to score and also draw fouls to get to the free throw line.  He didn’t look to shoot the ball very much, but he had trouble knocking down outside shots, and he was unable to make either of his threes despite being open both times to take them off the catch.

He also showed off satisfactory playmaking skills in this game.  Sharavjamts is an unselfish, playmaking point forward that can pass and handle the basketball, and he showed off solid court vision.  He would consistently get the ball to his teammates, and he would throw accurate interior passes as well as an accurate drive and kick pass to set up scoring chances for them.  On one play though, he over-dribbled and ended up losing the ball to commit a turnover that time.  But for the most part, Sharavjamts made good passes and did a good job of taking care of the basketball.

He also played satisfactory defense in this game.  Sharavjamts was able to hustle back to intercept an entry pass to get a steal.  He also would contest outside shots to force misses.  Sometimes though he wouldn’t always stay in front of his man when defending opponents off the dribble, and he would occasionally end up out of position.

Overall, Sharavjamts had a decent showing in his team’s win over Saint Louis.  Although he didn’t dominate nor knock down a three-point shot in this game, he took good shots and made sound passes, and on the defensive end, he consistently challenged shots, and gave very good effort on the defensive end.  He’ll need to work to get his jump shot back on track, but his skill set, versatility, and feel for the game could make him an intriguing long-term prospect for the NBA down the road.

Saint Louis’ 6-0 senior point guard, Yuri Collins had his ups and downs in his team’s double-digit loss to Dayton.  He played well in the first half, and he showed off good speed as well as a promising mid-range shot in that time span.  In the second half though, he was turnover prone, and his inability to consistently knock down shots made it difficult for him to create scoring chances or for his team to generate offense.

Collins is a fleet-footed point guard that was at his best when he would drive hard to the basket to score on speedy drives in transition.  He also showcased the ability to make mid-range jumpers off the dribble, but he had trouble scoring consistently in the second half. 

He also showcased decent playmaking skills.  Collins was able to rack up assists in the first half, and he showed that he can throw long passes and drive and kick passes due to possessing solid passing skills and court sense.  On the downside, he would also throw hasty, inaccurate passes that would lead him to commit his fair share of turnovers.

He also played decent defense in this game.  Collins was able to jump on a loose ball to help his team get a steal, and he also successfully drew a charge another time.

Overall, Yuri Collins had some very good moments, but he and his team seemed to struggle a bit in the second half of this game in his team’s loss to Dayton.  He will need to improve his outside shot and take better care of the basketball, but his ability to get to places quickly on the court combined with his playmaking and defensive skills could enable him to at least land a spot on an NBA summer league roster someday.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Holmes and other various prospects fared in the Dayton-Saint Louis game.  Thanks for reading.