Analyzing Tre Mann, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Scottie Lewis

January 28^th, 2021

By Alan Lu

Yesterday, I decided to take the time to watch an SEC basketball game that took place between Florida and Vanderbilt.  Florida was expected to win the game, and they did, but Vanderbilt was able to make a late-game run to keep it close, and Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 32 points, and had 6 assists, and 5 rebounds for Vanderbilt.  Florida received solid play from numerous other players such as Tre Mann and Scottie Lewis, and they were able to stave off Scotty Pippen Jr. and Vanderbilt to get the win.  Here are my thoughts on how Mann, Pippen, Lewis, and the others fared in this game.

Florida’s sophomore point guard, Tre Mann played well in his team’s win over Vanderbilt.  He primarily excelled as a shooter and scorer, but he also played a solid all-around game. Mann shot the ball very well, especially from downtown.  He excelled at making pull-up threes off the dribble.  He used a crossover move to make a step back three from the corner, and he also dribbled off of a screen and pulled up to make another three later on.  Plus, he also made an open corner three off the catch, as he also excelled at making long-range jumpers from the corners.  On the downside, he struggled more to score on pull-up jumpers from the mid-range.

He also displayed a decent ability to score off the dribble.  Mann was able to drive from the baseline to score on a layup.  He tended to favor going to his right, and he did a good job of drawing fouls upon his defenders.  Sometimes though, he would take quick, contested shots, which would lead him to miss shots wildly at times.

Also, he displayed satisfactory playmaking skills.  Mann was able to throw accurate entry pass that helped notch a pair of assists.  He excelled at throwing interior passes, and he also was able to throw a lob pass to find a roll man on the move.  He can pass off the dribble and in transition, and he would sometimes make the extra pass to find the open man.  Plus, he is also an agile guard that handles the ball well.  He did commit one turnover, as he stumbled while bringing the ball up, and he later fell as he did so, in which he threw a low inaccurate pass that went out of bounds due to carelessness and playing a bit out of control that time. Also, Mann showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball.  He was able to leap up to haul in plenty of boards, and he was able to chase down balls to get them on both ends of the floor.

Plus, he also played solid defense in this game.  Mann rotated to block a shot hard off of a drive in transition due to possessing solid athleticism and timing.  He also did a good job of contesting three-point shots to force misses.  However, there was one play where he was called for a reach-in foul from behind when he tried to knock a pass out of bounds.

In summary, Tre Mann had a solid showing, and he played significantly better than anticipated in this game.  His strong play was mainly why his team was able to get a key win over Vanderbilt, and he is a skilled combo guard whose shooting and defensive skills could enable him to be a solid pick for a team in the late first to the second round range of the upcoming draft, as he could end up being a similar player to former San Antonio Spurs’ guard, Roger Mason in the NBA.

Vanderbilt’s sophomore point guard, Scotty Pippen Jr. had a solid showing in his team’s loss to Florida.   He didn’t seem to have much to work with, as there was only one other teammate that scored in double figures other than himself, but Pippen’s strong play kept his team surprisingly in it late in this match, and he ended up scoring 32 points, as he also had 6 assists and 5 rebounds in this game.

Pippen did a very good job of knocking down threes in this game to help his team space the floor on offense.  He primarily excelled at making quick, spot up threes off the catch, and he was able to run off of a ball screen to make one off of a dribble handoff.  He also pulled up to knock down a three from way out early on.  He struggled more to make pull-up jumpers from the mid-range, as he would miss on quick, contested shots, but he was an excellent marksman from beyond the arc against Florida.

He also showed a good ability to score off the dribble.  He would maneuver his way into the paint to score on crafty layups, and he is an agile player has a series of dribble moves that he can use to get past his man.  He also did a good job of drawing fouls upon his defenders to often get to the free throw line.

He also showed the ability to score on hustle plays.  Pippen was able to get a steal off of a bad pass, as he drove up the court to throw down an emphatic dunk to show off better than advertised athletic gifts.  He also managed to score on a put back after grabbing an offensive rebound late in this game.  Sometimes, he would take tough, off-balanced shots, as he ended up missing a couple of shots in traffic.

Also, he displayed adequate playmaking skills in this game.  Pippen had the ball in his hands often, and he showed a score-heavy mindset, but he was able to drop some nice dimes at times.  On other occasions, he would tend to be turnover prone, which was especially the case midway through this match.  He can throw solid passes off the dribble, and sometimes he would throw accurate interior passes to find his teammates on the move.  Sometimes though, he would commit traveling violations, as he would sometimes struggle to handle considerable ball pressure.  Other times, he would throw inaccurate passes, as he ended up getting a couple of them intercepted, and he also threw others that were dropped out of bounds.

Plus, Pippen did a good job of rebounding the basketball.  He was able to haul in multiple boards to help his team get rebounds on both sides of the floor.  Sometimes, he would chase down defensive boards, and then push the ball up the court to create transition-scoring opportunities for his team.

Defensively though, he looked to be fairly average.  Pippen is an active help defender that will play passing lanes.  He was able to intercept an errantly thrown pass quickly to get a steal early on, and he also was able to deflect a pass to help force another turnover.  He also managed to successfully draw a charge when defending a drive.  However, he generally had trouble guarding taller players, as they could shoot over him to score on jumpers.  Other times, he would get beat on dribble moves when defending out on the perimeter, which would lead him to be out of position and give up too much space to allow them to score on jumpers.

In general, Scotty Pippen Jr. had a very good game in his team’s loss to Florida.  He really excelled as a shooter and scorer when he was on the floor, but he also struggled with turnovers and with his on-ball defense at times as well.  He is an agile guard that can put up points in a hurry.  Right now, he will need to be a more effective facilitator and on-ball defender, but his strong shooting and scoring skills could make him a solid value pick for an NBA team in the second round range of the upcoming draft, as he could project to be a similar player to former Cleveland Cavaliers’ guard, Daniel Gibson in the association.

Florida’s sophomore guard, Scottie Lewis played very well off the bench, and he excelled at making plays on both ends of the court to help his team get the win.  He excelled at scoring on cuts and off the dribble, and he also showed off solid playmaking and defensive skills in this game.

He did a good job of scoring on cuts to the hoop.  Lewis was able to score on a reverse layup off of a quick backdoor cut from the baseline.  He also ran the floor and got the ball on a cut, and he managed to throw down a powerful dunk.

Plus, he also showed a decent ability to score off the dribble.  Lewis was able to score on a smooth layup off of a drive to the hoop.  However, another time, he used a hesitation move to his left, but he ended up missing an off-balanced layup another time.  Adding to that, Lewis showed a knack for making pull-up jumpers from the mid-range, as he really excelled at knocking down shots around that area. He did take a couple of threes, but he ended up missing both of them from beyond the arc, even though he was able to get spot-up opportunities on those occasions.

Lewis also displayed solid playmaking skills.  He is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass to find the open man, and he did a good job of passing off the dribble to set up scores for his teammates.  He can drive and kick balls out to shooters, and he also can make drop-off passes due to possessing solid court vision.  He did commit one turnover though, as he a ball slipped out of his hands when he attempted to pass once.

Though he didn’t grab many rebounds, Lewis was able to get a defensive rebound in this game.  On the downside, he did commit an over the back foul when going for an offensive board that gave the other team free throws late in this game due to over-aggressiveness.

He also played good defense in this game.  Lewis is a rangy defender that can cover plenty of ground, and he did a very good job of getting steals and deflections.  He get his hands on passes to force turnovers, and he also was able to jump on loose balls and rip balls away from his opponents.  He also did a good job of contesting jump shots to force misses. 

Overall, Scottie Lewis played well off the bench to help his team get the win over Vanderbilt.  He will need to be more assertive on offense and trust his outside shot more, but he seems to have a solid basketball IQ, as he can score on off-ball motion plays, showed a solid mid-range jump shot, and he also operates well as a ball-mover and defender.  It’s uncertain if he can be an effective three-point shooter or be efficient as a volume scorer in the NBA, but his ability to make solid plays on both ends of the court could translate fairly well.  Right now, he could project to go in the late first to the second round range for the upcoming draft, and he could end up being a solid defensive specialist similar to current Brooklyn Nets’ guard, Bruce Brown in the association.

Vanderbilt’s 6-9 sophomore forward, Dylan Disu also played well in his team’s loss to Florida.  He consistently was a solid offensive player on the floor, and he is a skilled, mobile big man that can score the basketball in a variety of ways. In this game, he scored 18 points, made a three-point shot, and had 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in his team’s losing effort.

Disu excelled at scoring on hustle plays.  He was able to score on a roll to the rim once.  He also got the ball midway on a roll another time, and he used a hop step to draw free throws. Also, Disu shot the ball well, and he was able to make a deep three-point shot from way out to show his range from beyond the arc.

He also showed a decent ability to score off the dribble.  He would score on aggressive drives to the hoop, and he has good body control to help him get extra free throws after getting fouled while scoring the basketball.  He also managed to get the ball back after losing it in mid-drive, as he then scored off the glass.  He did sometimes would take tough, contested shots that would lead to misses.

Plus, he excelled as a scorer in the post.  He was able to score on a jump hook after posting up from the block once.  He also used a pivot move to draw free throws on a reverse layup another time.

He exhibited fairly average playmaking skills.  Disu can handle the basketball, and there was one play where he brought the ball up the floor.  However, he also committed a couple of turnovers.  He had a ball ripped away from him on a drive, and he also threw a hard, inaccurate pass that sailed out of bounds. Adding to that, Disu did a fairly good job of rebounding the basketball.  He was able to haul in multiple boards to help his team on the glass.

Defensively, he looked to be perhaps above average.  Disu did a good job of blocking jump shots to help his team protect the paint, and he also held his ground when defending in the post to force a miss.  He did foul a mid-range shooter once due to over-aggressiveness.  Another time, he gave up deep position as he didn’t show much resistance when defending on the block another time, which led his man to score around the basket.

Overall, Dylan Disu is a skilled, fairly athletic big man that showed off versatile scoring skills, and some shot blocking prowess.  Though he currently does not have much draft stock right now, he could be an intriguing long-term prospect, and his versatility and skill set could make him an intriguing option for NBA teams to consider in the second round range whenever he decides to enter the NBA draft.

Florida’s 6-11 junior big man, Colin Castleton also played very well in this game.  He primarily excelled at scoring in the post. He was able to score on a couple of jump hooks as well as on a turnaround jumper, and he didn’t miss often. Plus, he also was able to throw down a couple of dunks to help his team on offense.  He also threw a solid interior pass to notch an assist, but he also was called for an offensive foul when he collided into an opponent while using a spin move to try to score in the post another time.

He also was able to grab some rebounds, and Castleton also played fairly good defense, as he was able to block a shot off of a drive and deflect a pass as well.  He was a bit foul prone, as he occasionally struggled to defend quicker opponents, but Castleton was effective as an interior defender in this game.

Overall, Castleton played well, and he is an athletic, energetic big man that excelled as an interior player for his team. He may not have much draft buzz right now, but his ability to score, rebound, and defend in the paint combined with having fairly solid athletic gifts could enable him to be a potential second round pick for the 2022 draft.

Florida’s redshirt junior point guard, Tyree Appleby played very well in his team’s win over Vanderbilt.  He especially excelled as an offensive player, as he scored 12 points on 6 shots, made 2 threes, and he also dished out 6 assists to help his team get the victory.

Appleby shot the ball well, and he was able to make two corner threes in transition.  He also excelled as a scorer off the dribble.  He was able to drive past defenders as he used a hesitation move to score on a crafty layup, and he was effective at drawing fouls upon his opponents to get to the free throw line.

He also displayed solid playmaking skills.  He is an athletic guard that passed and handled the ball well, as he has good speed to consistently get into the lane, and he would throw long, accurate passes to find teammates on the move to set up scores for them.  He also would sometimes push the pace, and he would get his teammates the ball in an assortment of ways to get assists.

Overall, Tyree Appleby had a very good showing in this game, and he really excelled as an offensive player to help his team.  He hasn’t drawn much draft buzz, but he is a smart, skilled playmaker that has shown that he can effectively run the team, and he could be a prospect to watch next season.