Analyzing Drew Timme, Andrew Nembhard, and DeAndre Williams in the 2nd Round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament
March 20th, 2022
By Alan Lu
Yesterday, I took the time to watch Chet Holmgren and Gonzaga play against Jalen Duren and Memphis in primetime television in what was one of the most anticipated matchups of the night (aside from the Saint Peter’s-Murray State game, in which Saint Peter’s defeated Murray State to get to the Sweet 16). Holmgren outplayed Duren, especially early on, and it was clear that Duren wasn’t going to be very effective in operating out of the post. However, the top prospect big men took a back seat to the older players that ended up taking over this game. DeAndre Williams and Lester Quinones played very well in the first half, and Memphis’ big men were outworking Gonzaga’s big men in the paint to score and get rebounds in the early going.
In the second half though, Gonzaga’s 6-10 junior center, Drew Timme took over, as he dominated by putting forth a masterful performance from there on out. He made shots from all over the floor, and he also passed the ball very well. Gonzaga’s guards, Andrew Nembhard and Rasir Bolton made shots throughout the game, and they helped continue to put points on the board for their team. Chet Holmgren looked a bit too passive at times, as he tended to defer a lot to his older teammates, but he generally made open shots inside the arc, especially around the basket, and while he did get dunked on twice, he blocked shots and generally played solid defense despite fouling out of the game. Here are my thoughts on how Timme and other various prospects fared in this match.
(Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer/Associated Press, via The Washington Post)
Drew Timme had a tremendous showing in his team’s win over Memphis. He was especially great in the second half, and he thoroughly dominated in that time span, especially on offense. Not only did he thrive as a low post scorer, but he excelled as a jump shooter and passer as well.
Timme did a very good job of scoring in the post. He would often score on right-handed jump hooks, and sometimes he would use spin moves to do so. He showed off good footwork and a great shooting touch to often score in this game. He also used a spin move to score on a really nifty, reverse layup. He struggled to score in the post early on, and he had trouble getting his shots to fall consistently in the first half.
He also shot the ball well. Timme was able to make an open, spot-up three off the catch. He also used an overhead ball fake to score on a turnaround jumper from the baseline. He also thrived at scoring on fast breaks. Though he would draw fouls on half-court drives, he also struggled to score on those plays at times, as he would tend to favor going to his right hand too much, which didn’t work as well in the first half.
Also, Timme showed off good playmaking skills in this game. He did a great job of throwing interior passes from the post to notch assists, and he also was able to throw a shovel pass to find an open teammate from beyond the arc to set up another score. He also managed to set a good screen to help his teammate score on an open jump shot. On one play early on when posting up, he was indecisive as he waited too long to make a decision, which led to a shot clock violation.
Plus, he also did a tremendous job of rebounding the basketball. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. On one good play, he held his ground and contested a shot in the post to force a miss. However, he also struggled to guard quicker players on the defensive end. He had trouble defending opponents off the dribble, which would lead his team to commit fouls and allow scores. Another time, he sagged too far off his man, which led him to allow a mid-range basket to his opponent.
In general, Drew Timme had a fantastic performance in his team’s second round win over Memphis. He thrived as a shooter, scorer, passer, and rebounder in this game, and he thoroughly dominated the opposition in the second half of this game. He has been one of the best players in college basketball in the past two seasons, and he has been building his case to be a first round pick for the 2022 draft.
Andrew Nembhard also played very well in his team’s win over Memphis. He shot the ball very well, and he thrived as an offensive player in this game. Nembhard did a very good job of making threes, and he would often make open, spot-up threes, sometimes from way out. He also was able to knock down a pull-up three in this game. Plus, he also was able to score on a speedy drive in transition while getting an extra free throw. He missed on a fadeaway jumper, but Nembhard generally excelled as a sharpshooter and scorer in this match.
He also displayed decent playmaking skills in this game. Nembhard is an unselfish player that would quickly get balls to open shooters to notch assists. He also was able to find a cutter to set up a score for his teammate. However, sometimes he would throw tough, inaccurate passes that would get dropped, which would lead to turnovers. He also was called for traveling on a drive to the hoop another time.
Nembhard looked to be about average at best defensively. On one good play, he was able to successfully draw a charge when defending in the post once. However, he generally had trouble defending bigger opponents, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Overall, Nembhard played very well in his team’s win over Memphis, and this was one of the finest games he’s played in a long time. He played sound, smart basketball, and he is a smart, skilled point guard that could thrive as a role player in the NBA.
DeAndre Williams had some good moments in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. He thrived at attacking the hoop to score the basketball, but he struggled to knock down outside shots. He was active on the boards, but he also struggled defensively. Williams showed a solid ability to score off the dribble. He primarily excelled at going to his right, and he was able to drive the baseline to score on a thunderous dunk. He also excelled at scoring out of the post, and he also was able to use a spin move to score on a magnetic jam once. He also managed to score on a quick put back. However, Williams was unable to make any of his threes, despite having ample time and space to take those shots.
He also displayed adequate playmaking skills. Plus, he also showed a fairly solid ability to rebound the basketball. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. He intercepted a pass to get a steal. He also was able to contest a shot out of the high post to force a miss. However, he had some trouble defending out on the perimeter, and sometimes he would be too aggressive on the defensive end, which would lead him to commit fouls.
Rasir Bolton also played very well in his team’s win over Memphis. He did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball. He knocked down quick threes, both off the catch and dribble. He also would score on tough, aggressive drives to the hoop, and Bolton also managed to score on a backdoor cut. He also showed that he can post up, as he would draw free throws upon his defenders when posting up on the block. Also, he showed off satisfactory playmaking skills, and he did a good job of finding open shooters and pasing off the dribble.
Overall, Bolton is an agile, skilled combo guard that can knock down a variety of shots, especially from the outside, and his ability to do so could enable him to make his way to the NBA someday.
Memphis’ 6-9 junior big man, Malcolm Dandridge played very well in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. He thrived as an inside scorer, and he also threw down a ferocious, powerful dunk on a broken play on Holmgren while getting an extra free throw afterwards. He thrived as a finisher around the basket, and he showed that he can score on rolls as well as in the post. Defensively, sometimes he would be too aggressive, which would lead him to wind up out of position and committing fouls. Overall, Dandridge had a solid showing in this game, and he could be due for a breakout season next year.
Lester Quinones played fairly well in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. He excelled as a shooter and score in this game. He excelled at making spot-up threes, and he was able to run off a ball screen to do so once. He also managed to score on a quick put back while getting an extra free throw, and he also made a step-back mid-range jumper. Quinones didn’t shoot the ball enough, but he was very effective in knocking down shots. However, he generally struggled to defend more athletic opponents, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Overall, he is a shooter that can knock down outside shots and score on hustle plays, but he will need to be more assertive on offense and he will need to improve his defense. He has been a solid role player for his team, and he could be due for a breakout season next year.
Chet Holmgren put forth a perplexing performance in his team’s win over Memphis. From a team standpoint, he made all of the necessary plays to help his team get the victory. He played unselfishly, he excelled as a finisher around the basket, and he was solid defensively, as he thrived as a shot blocker and interior defender especially in the early going when matched up against Duren. From a prospect standpoint, he didn’t fare quite as well. He didn’t take many shots, was too deferential to his teammates and preferred to stay in the background most of the time on offense, and there would be times where he would not attack nor be aggressive nearly enough. He also got outmuscled on a couple of defensive possessions and he fouled out, but overall, he turned in a decent showing in this game.
Holmgren was at his best as a finisher around the basket. He ran in to score on an emphatic tip slam off of an offensive rebound, and he also managed to score on a dunk when left open at the rim another time. Plus, he also did a good job of knocking down mid-range jumpers, as he can do so off the catch and dribble. He didn’t look to score off the dribble often, but he was able to utilize a pump fake to drive in and score on a fadeaway, mid-range jumper once. On the downside, he missed on all of his three-point shots, despite being open on all of those occasions, and he couldn’t quite find his shooting touch from beyond the arc.
He showed off adequate playmaking skills in this game. He played unselfishly and he was able to find open shooters to notch a pair of assists. He also drove to the post and threw a crisp interior pass to set up another scoring chance for his teammate. Sometimes though, he would be careless on offense, which would lead to turnovers. He threw a hasty pass once that got intercepted. He also was called for a carrying violation another time when trying to handle the basketball.
Also, he did a good job of rebounding the basketball. Holmgren was quite active at crashing the glass to haul in plenty of boards on both ends of the floor. He also played decent defense in this game. Holmgren did a great job of blocking shots, especially when defending in the post, and sometimes he would swat shots to his teammates to help his team protect the paint. He did a good job of contesting shots off of drives and in the post, and he also was able to contest a mid-range shot to force a miss. On the downside, he would also tend to get outmuscled when defending in the post, as he would give up deep position and allow scores. He would also bite too hard on the first move, which would lead him to wind up out of position and to commit fouls. Another time, he got beat off the dribble and ended up giving up a dunk.
Overall, Chet Holmgren didn’t turn in an amazing game, but he didn’t play poorly either in his team’s win over Memphis. He did have some bad moments, and other moments where he didn’t seem to do nearly enough on offense, but he made enough plays on offense, and he generally defended well, especially as an interior defender in this game. Holmgren might not have the mindset to be the lead, go-to scorer at the NBA level, but he is a skilled, agile big man that has a variety of offensive skills, and he also is a very good shot blocker and defender. He’s not a lock to be the top pick, but he will most likely be a top 5 pick in the 2022 draft.
Jalen Duren didn’t play very well against Gonzaga, and for most of the game, he was outworked and outplayed by Chet Holmgren. He did throw down one nice dunk on his opponent late in the game, but it was too little and too late, and it didn’t negate his poor shooting or the foul trouble he wound up in throughout the contest.
Duren did a decent job of scoring on hustle plays. He is an active center that will often look to score around the basket. He managed to score on a tip-in off his own miss. He also caught a lob pass off of a roll to score on a booming, alley-oop dunk. However, he generally struggled to score out of the post. He did back his man down, and he was able to get his man to fall before throwing down a thunderous dunk once. However, he often would miss around the basket after using spin moves, and he also had a couple of his shots blocked early on by Holmgren. Also, he missed on a mid-range jumper, and Duren will need to work on his jump shot and face-up game in the meantime.
Duren showed off satisfactory playmaking skills in this game. He did a good job of throwing accurate, high interior passes to set up scores for his teammates around the basket, and he would throw soft touch passes to notch assists. On the other hand, he also was called for setting a moving screen once.
He also did a good job of rebounding the basketball. However, he also was called for committing an over the back foul when going for an offensive board once. Duren also struggled defensively. For the positives, he would look to contest shots, and he was able to contest a shot in the post to force a miss. However, he had trouble defending opponents off the dribble as he didn’t move his feet well when defending out on the perimeter, which would lead him to commit touch fouls. He also would sag too far off of shooters and not actively contest jumpers, which would lead him to give up baskets as a result. There also was another play where he didn’t hustle back, and his team allowed a fast break basket.
Overall, Jalen Duren didn’t play very well in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. He didn’t play well on either side of the ball, and aside from throwing down a tremendous dunk late in this game, he just didn’t play well for most of this game. He had trouble scoring against the length and activity of Chet Holmgren, and he had trouble defending against quicker Gonzaga players on the court. Duren will need to improve his jump shot, expand upon his low post moves, and he will need to improve his perimeter defense. His draft stock is still very high, and he will likely end up being drafted in the back half of the lottery in the 2022 draft, and he could project to be a rim-protecting big man similar to current Oklahoma City Thunder big man, Derrick Favors.
It was also good to see Emoni Bates play and get some extended action. He was able to make some solid team plays in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. He didn’t quite shoot very well, but he was able to have some good moments, especially on offense at times.
Bates struggled to consistently knock down threes, but he was able to make an open, deep three over a smaller defender midway through this match. He struggled more to shoot on the move though, and he also would miss when he would take rushed, contested shots. He also posted up on the baseline, and Bates managed to score on a crafty, one-legged, fadeaway jumper from the baseline.
Though he didn’t get many rebounds in this game, Bates was able to chase down a defensive board to get one for his team. He also was able to contest a three-point shot to force a miss another time. Overall, Bates has had a turbulent, tumultuous, up-and-down freshman season. He looked dominant very early in the season, and he then really struggled with his shooting before going down due to a back injury. He was able to come back to play in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. He was able to make some solid plays, though he still hasn’t been nearly the player he looked to be early on, nor was very consistent this year. Bates is a talented prospect that still has a lot of time to work on his game. He will likely be tasked to take on a much greater load for his sophomore season. He probably projects to be a mid first round prospect for the 2023 draft, and he could project to be talented, versatile role player similar to New York Knicks’ swingman, Cam Reddish in the NBA.
Josh Minott played very well in limited minutes in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. He thrived as a scorer on off-ball motion plays. He ran in to score on a tip-in, and he also ran the floor to score on the break. He also was able to make a drive and kick pass to flash some playmaking skills. He also did a very good job of blocking shots defensively. He didn’t play enough, but Minott is a very athletic, energetic forward that could be a sleeper pick for an NBA team whenever he decides to declare to enter the NBA draft.
Thoughts on the North Carolina-Baylor Game:
(Photo: Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press)
It was a mad dash of a basketball game early on Saturday. North Carolina managed to get a tough overtime win over Baylor, but it wasn’t easy for them to do so. North Carolina had gotten off to a huge lead early on, due to the hot shooting of Brady Manek and R.J. Davis. Manek and Davis were knocking down threes, Davis was scoring off the dribble, and Manek was running the floor to score on fast breaks. Manek did a great job of running off ball screens to make quick spot-up threes off pindowns, and he showed off a lightning quick release. Brady Manek was dominating the basketball, and he had 26 points. Also, Armando Bacot was a presence in the paint, especially on the defensive end, as he was blocking shots and getting steals for his team.
Manek then elbowed Jeremy Sochan in the face when going for an offensive rebound, which prompted Manek getting a Flagrant 2 Foul call and an imminent ejection, which sent North Carolina tumbling and Baylor to go on a huge run. Caleb Love had not played well, but he fouled out shortly before the end of regulation, and which made it really hard for North Carolina to break the press afterwards. Baylor was able to capitalize by pressing opponents in the backcourt to force lots of turnovers, and they made big shots on threes, strong drives to the hoop, and free throws. Adam Flagler and James Akinjo, were scoring on strong drives to the hoop, Jeremy Sochan was showing off versatile scoring skills by making outside shots and scoring off the dribble, and Matthew Mayer was drawing charges defensively. Kendall Brown didn’t play as much in crunch time down the stretch, as he struggled with his outside shot, but he is an athletic combo forward that did a good job of pulling down offensive rebounds.
In overtime, Baylor look exhausted from having tied the game at 80, and North Carolina was able to capitalize. R.J. Davis was able to run the point better, and he started scoring on strong drives to the hoop. Armando Bacot grabbed tough rebounds, and he was very effective at drawing lots of free throws and scoring in the post. In the end, Baylor’s big men, Flo Thamba and Mayer fouled out, and Baylor ran out of gas, which enabled North Carolina to get a tough, hard-fought grueling win in overtime.
Thoughts on the Michigan-Tennessee Game:
Hunter Dickinson did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball to help lead his team to a second round win over Tennessee. He excelled at knocking down threes, he did a very good job of scoring in the post, and he also passed and rebounded the ball well. He scored 27 points, made 3 threes, and had 11 rebounds and 4 assists to lead his team to get the victory.
Eli Brooks did a very good job of shooting and scoring the basketball. He made tough shots off the dribble, he made timely jumpers, and he made big shots down the stretch. He struggled to handle the press at times, but he is a fairly athletic, skilled playmaker that played with poise, and he scored 23 points to lead his team to a win over Tennessee.
Kennedy Chandler did a good job of driving to the basket to score and get assists, and he also played pesky defense to help his team get steals. He wasn’t as consistent in knocking down jumpers, but he showed off very good speed in getting to the hoop to make plays on offense. He didn’t draw any free throws, but he was able to rack up assists and make some tough shots in this game, and he likely projects to go in the mid to late first round range in the 2022 draft.
Caleb Houstan didn’t really seem to do much in this game, and he largely seemed to be a decoy on offense. He was virtually a non-factor on offense as he didn’t score, but his presence forced a defender to guard him, which seemed to open the floor up more for the rest of his teammates. He seemed to be okay on defense, as he would play solid team defense by quickly rotating to his spots, but sometimes he would get beat off the dribble when defending drives to the hoop.
He didn’t shoot the ball well in this game, as he was held scoreless, but he didn’t take bad shots, and he generally would be open, it’s just that those shots didn’t go in. He’s continued to be up and down over the course of his freshman season. He will need to play better than how he did in this game, but luckily for him, he and his team will have more games to play in this tournament.
Michigan’s 6-7 sophomore forward, Terrance Williams II did a very good job of knocking down shots, as he would score on quick tip-ins, and he also made a three. He is an athletic forward that made high-motor plays off the bench to help his team on both ends of the floor, and he could be a prospect to watch as the tournament progresses.
Other Notes, Thoughts on other 1st Round Games:
Thoughts on the Michigan State-Davidson Game:
Joey Hauser did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball in his team’s win over Davidson yesterday. He excelled at making spot-up threes and scoring in the post. Also, A.J. Hoggard did a very good job of scoring on strong drives to the hoop. For Davidson, sophomore forward Sam Mennenga was able to score on a strong dunk off of a drive while getting fouled, and he also shot the ball well, especially from the outside. However, Hyunjung Lee turned in an uneven performance. Lee did a good job of making spot-up threes, but he struggled to score off the dribble or make plays under pressure, and he seemed to have trouble consistently creating his own shots off the dribble against the tough Michigan State defense.
Thoughts on the Notre Dame-Alabama Game:
Cormac Ryan did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball. He made threes off the catch and dribble, as well as when he would run off of ball screens. He made crafty moves to make shots from deep, and he seemed to remind me of longtime NBA veteran guard, J.J. Redick with his shooting and savvy, shot-making yesterday. Ryan is a sharpshooter that has the offensive skills to be in the NBA for a long time.
Thoughts on the Ohio State-Loyola-Chicago Game:
(Photo: Keith Srakocic/Associated Press)
In the Ohio State-Loyola-Chicago game, E.J. Liddell excelled at scoring in the post and making mid-range jumpers, and he was able to take over the game with his scoring and shot-blocking prowess to help Ohio State get the first round win. In addition, senior forward Kyle Young also showed a solid ability to score out of the post, and Young made a key block on a jumper to help his team seal the win.
I also watched this game to analyze Lucas Williamson’s skills. Williamson did a good job of passing and defending in this game. He consistently found open shooters to rack up assists due to possessing good court vision, and he would bring good ball pressure to get steals and stops for his team. He did make one three-point shot, but he struggled to score off the dribble or on put backs. He missed plenty of open shots due to rushing, and it seemed he struggled to score against taller, more athletic Ohio State defenders. He’ll need to show that he can play well against upper-echelon opponents on a consistent basis, and he will need to do so at the Portsmouth Invitational and in the pre-draft workouts.
Additional Thoughts:
(Source: Twitter/@MarchMadnessMBB)
It’s been fun watching Saint Peter’s play. I didn’t see their win over Murray State, but hats off to the Saint Peter’s Peacocks for winning both of their NCAA Tournament games, and for making it to the Sweet 16. Watching the Saint Peter’s-Kentucky overtime game was thrilling, and it was a fun contest that went all the way down to the wire. Saint Peter’s made big shots as they withstood a strong performance from Oscar Tshiebwe, and they played very good perimeter defense, as they prevented Kentucky’s guards from consistently making shots. Saint Peter’s made big shots and key stops to get the win, and they were able to get a tough, hard-earned win over Kentucky.
Anyways, those are my thoughts amongst the games I watched. Thanks for reading.
