Evaluating Justin Champagnie
February 10th, 2021
By Alan Lu
Recently, Pittsburgh’s 6-6 sophomore forward, Justin Champagnie has been moving up draft boards, and he has put up very good numbers this season. I wanted to get a better feel for his game. Therefore, I set out to watch him and his team play in a January 26th game against North Carolina, with thanks to YouTube via The Draftmatic. I also managed to watch him and Pittsburgh play in a February 6th game against Virginia, with thanks to YouTube via ZTL. Here are my thoughts on how Justin Champagnie fared in those games, how his game may translate to the NBA, and who else seemed to stand out in those contests.
(Photo: Matt Freed/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Justin Champagnie is a fairly athletic, energetic swingman that plays bigger than his listed size, and he would often be tasked to guard taller players in games. He showed off versatile scoring skills and he is a terrific rebounder, but he also struggled at times with his shot selection, and defense at times.
Champagnie is a solid shooter that can knock down plenty of jumpers to provide floor spacing for his team on offense. He is a good spot-up shooter that was very effective at making spot-up threes off the catch, and he would move off the ball and run off ball screens to knock them down. He also shot the ball well from the mid-range, as he was able to make a step-back jumper from inside the arc, and he showed the knack to score on turnaround jumpers. He also did a good job of drawing fouls after taking jump shots from those distances to get to the free throw line.
Also, he generally excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He showed that he can score on put backs, cuts, and in transition. He also managed to run in to score on a tip slam once after grabbing an offensive rebound. However, sometimes he would sometimes miss on rushed, off-balanced shots, which would lead to misses around the basket.
He didn’t look to go all the way to the hoop to score off the dribble often, but he did a good job when he would do so. On one play against North Carolina, Champagnie was able to score on a powerful dunk off of a straight-line drive to the hoop.
However, against Virginia, his team tried posting him up a lot, and he didn’t seem to be very good at trying to score on those types of plays. For the positives, Champagnie can score on drop step moves, and he would sometimes score when he would go strong to the hoop. However, he would tend not to get deep position, as he would miss on contested, turnaround jumpers, and other times, he would take rushed, off-balanced layups that would end up missing. Champagnie showed a lot of versatility as a scorer, but from these two games, it may be suggested that Pittsburgh run fewer post-up plays for him, and instead use him more as a shooter and scorer off of off-ball motion plays.
Also, Champagnie was able to show satisfactory playmaking skills. He is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass to keep the ball moving, and he would tend to throw solid interior passes to set up scores for his teammates. He also can pass out of the post to find open shooters, and he also will set screens to help get his teammates open driving lanes. However, sometimes he would telegraph his passes as some of them would end up getting deflected, and he also threw would sometimes throw passes that would get dropped. He also committed a charging foul on a drive once due to recklessness.
Plus, Champagnie also did a great job of rebounding the basketball. He is a high-motor player that would often chase down balls to get boards on both ends of the floor, and he would make solid hustle plays to do so. He also would leap up high to get numerous boards, and he also would sometimes score on second-chance points to help his team.
Defensively though, he looked to be about average at best. For the positives, he is a good shot blocker for his size and he is an active help defender in games. Champagnie would rotate to block shots in the paint to his teammates due to possessing good timing. He also was able to get his hands on a pass to get a steal, and he also poked a ball away to nearly get another. He also would sometimes he would apply solid ball pressure and double opposing ball handlers to help force additional turnovers. He also would contest threes to force some misses.
On the downside, he generally struggled to defend in one-on-one situations. He lacks elite lateral quickness, which can hurt his ability to defend opponents out on the perimeter, but he also lacks the strength to handle guarding big men on a consistent basis, even though he’s shown the capacity to defend them on a limited basis. He would usually get outmuscled when defending in the post, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Other times, he would get beat off the dribble, or bite on pump fakes to trail his man, which would sometimes cause scrambling situations. Sometimes, he would take bad gambles to go for steals, which would lead him to not always be focused on where his opponent is on the floor.
Overall, Justin Champagnie showed some interesting skills in his team’s losses to both North Carolina and Virginia. He is a skilled scorer that can make shots from all over the floor, and he is also a very good rebounder. However, he will need to improve his defense. While doesn’t commit many turnovers on offense, he doesn’t seem to get many assists in games, either. He is an above average athlete whose jump shot and rebounding skills seems to be his go-to skills, and he could be a solid value pick in the second round range of the 2021 draft. If things pan out for him, he could end up being a solid role player similar to Wilson Chandler in the NBA.
Other Notes:
Pittsburgh’s 6-3 junior point guard, Xavier Johnson is a player that once received some draft buzz at the start of last season, so I wanted to see how well he played in these games. He is a solid athlete that has the potential to excel at making plays on both ends of the floor, but he did not shoot the ball well in either of these games, and he would sometimes be far too turnover prone. On the other hand, he was able to get some nice scores off the dribble, and he also showed off some defensive skills when he was on the floor.
Johnson generally struggled to consistently score off the dribble. For the positives, he can finish plays using either hand, and he can score on aggressive moves to the hoop. He also used a spin move off of a spin drive to score on an acrobatic layup once. Plus, he also will go hard to the hoop to draw fouls upon his defenders to get to the free throw line. On the downside, he would tend to take tough shots in traffic, which would lead to misses. Sometimes, he would get his shots blocked. Other times, he would miss on rushed shots, especially when he would not get foul calls.
He also can score on fast breaks when he is afforded the chance to do so. Against Virginia, Johnson was able to score on a strong reverse layup off of a drive in transition, and he also was able to get an extra free throw afterwards.
Also, Johnson struggled to consistently knock down jumpers when he was on the floor. Though he seemed to take threes more often, Johnson seemed to be more comfortable in taking mid-range jumpers. He was able to dribble off of a screen to make a step-back mid-range jumper once, and he also drew free throws after hoisting up another. On the downside, he was unable to make any of his threes in either of the two games against Virginia or North Carolina.
Plus, Johnson also displayed solid playmaking skills. He tended to throw solid interior passes, as he can find teammates on the move, as well as throw solid drop-off passes off the dribble to notch plenty of assists. He showed off good court vision, and he can get the ball to his teammates in an assortment of ways. Sometimes though, he would play a bit too recklessly, and he would occasionally throw inaccurate passes that would go astray. Other times, he would commit ball-handling turnovers due to carelessness. Also, Johnson was able to collect his fair share of boards to help his team get some rebounds, and he would sometimes make good hustle plays to do so.
He also played fairly good defense in both of the games. Johnson is an active defender that can make numerous plays on the ball, and he can cover plenty of ground on this side of the ball. He would run in to block shots to help his team protect the paint, and he also would intercept passes to get steals. He also was able to poke a ball away to force another turnover, and he also excelled at deflecting passes to make things difficult for his opponents. He also would contest shots in the post as well as out on the perimeter to force some misses, and he also was able to successfully draw charges to get stops for his team. Sometimes though, he would be caught ball-watching and over-help off of his man, which would cause him to be late on his rotations, and to lose track of opponents off of cuts. Occasionally, he would struggle to defend opposing ball handlers, which would sometimes lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.
In summary, Xavier Johnson is an athletic, energetic point guard that can be a solid player on both ends of the floor, but he has struggled to make plays consistently to help his team. He will need to improve his shooting and take better care of the basketball, and he will likely need to stay in school for another season. If he can make these improvements as a player, he could end up improving his odds to be a second round pick in the 2022 draft.
Also, Pittsburgh’s 6-6 junior swingman, Au’Diese Toney played fairly well in both of the games. He is an aggressive scorer that excels at attacking the basket to get points for his team, and he also can play some solid defense. He will need to improve his jump shot, but he could be a prospect to keep an eye on next season.
Toney excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He is an athletic player that did a very good job at scoring in transition. He ran the floor to score on a powerful dunk, and he also caught a lob to score on an alley-oop layup another time. He also managed to score on a powerful dunk off of a backdoor cut, and he will run the floor to score on off-ball motion plays. Though he didn’t take many mid-range jumpers, he was quite effective at making shots from that range. Toney was able to pull up to score on a mid-range jumper while drawing an extra free throw afterwards.
He also displayed a decent ability to score off the dribble. He would tend to favor going to his left to score on strong drives, and he has good body control to do so. Sometimes though, he would go in too hard, as he would sometimes take tough shots that would miss around the basket. Also, he would sometimes hoist up three-point shots, but he was unable to connect in either game from beyond the arc.
In addition, Toney displayed satisfactory playmaking skills. He is an unselfish player that would look to find the open man to get assists, and he also was able to throw a solid interior pass off of a cut to nearly get another. Sometimes though, he would commit careless turnovers. He lost the ball dribbling off of his own foot once, and he also dropped a catchable pass that led to another turnover.
Also, Toney was able to leap up to get his fair share of boards, and he was more active as an offensive rebounder for his team. He also played fairly good defense. Toney would get his hands on passes to get steals and deflections, and he also would poke balls away to nearly get other steals. On the downside, he struggled more to defend in one-on-one situations. He allowed an opponent to score on a fadeaway jumper in the post. Another time, he fouled an opponent on a mid-range shot due to playing him too physically on that possession.
Overall, Au’Diese Toney is an athletic, energetic swingman that can make hustle plays on both ends of the floor. He will need to improve his jump shot and position defense, but his ability to make plays could allow him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA sometime in the future, especially if he can make more threes at a higher rate in games.
Other Notes, Part II:
Here were how some of the other prospects did in the two games, as I was also able to watch them play in addition to evaluating Champagnie in both of the contests.
North Carolina’s sophomore center, Armando Bacot played very well in his team’s win over Pittsburgh, and he scored 21 points, and he also had 10 rebounds and 3 blocks to help his team get the victory.
Bacot did a good job of scoring in the post. He was able to score on a strong turnaround jump hook after getting deep position down low early on, and he also drew an extra free throw afterwards. He would use ball fakes and drop step moves to score on strong moves around the basket. He also used a spin move to score on a crafty, turnaround layup while getting an extra free throw another time. Plus, he would run in to score on put backs after grabbing offensive rebounds. Sometimes though, he would take tough, off-balanced shots that would lead to misses. In addition, he also took a three-point shot once, but he missed it badly from beyond the arc.
He also displayed fairly average playmaking skills. Bacot is an unselfish player that can find open shooters to notch assists. Sometimes though, he would commit ball-handling turnovers, as he would struggle at times to handle ball pressure. He was called for a couple of traveling violations when posting up, and he had some trouble passing out of double teams in this game.
Also, Bacot did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He was very active at crashing the glass to get plenty of boards on both ends of the floor. He also would leap up to get tough offensive rebounds due to possessing a good motor to get boards for his team.
Plus, he also played good defense in this game. Bacot excelled at blocking shots to help his team protect the paint due to possessing good length and timing, and he also was able to deflect numerous passes. He also would often contest jumpers as well as jump shots off the dribble to force plenty of misses. Sometimes though, he would not always rotate or hustle back, which led him to allow opponents to score at times on off-ball motion plays.
Overall, Armando Bacot is an athletic, high-motor big man that excelled as an interior player to help his team get the win over Pittsburgh. He may not have drawn nearly as much draft buzz as some of his other teammates such as Sharpe or Brooks, but Bacot’s ability to make plays on both ends of the floor could make him a solid option for NBA teams to consider in the second round range of the upcoming draft, and he could end up being a solid rotational big man in the NBA.
North Carolina’s freshman center, Day’Ron Sharpe played fairly well in this game. He excelled as an interior player on both ends of the floor, and he was a solid contributor off the bench to help his team defeat Pittsburgh. Sharpe generally excelled at scoring in the post. He excelled at scoring on turnaround jump hooks, and he used a spin move to make one early on. Plus, he also ran the floor and caught a lob pass to score on an alley-oop dunk on the break.
He also displayed solid playmaking skills. Sharpe is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass to keep the ball moving, and he was able to string together plenty of assists. He also threw a quick entry pass to set up a score for his teammate. However, he also threw an inaccurate interior pass once that sailed out of bounds. Sharpe did a terrific job of rebounding the basketball, and he would often leap up to get defensive boards to help his team.
Also, he played solid defense in this game. Sharpe did a good job of blocking shots to his teammates, and he would swat them to help his team protect the paint. He also was able to jump on an errant pass to get a steal, and he was able to deflect a pass and poke a ball away to nearly force other turnovers. Plus, he would also contest shots off of drives to force some misses. Sometimes though, he would struggle to guard opponents off the dribble, which would occasionally lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.
Overall, Day’Ron Sharpe had a solid showing in his team’s win over Pittsburgh, and he excelled as an interior player to help his team on both ends of the floor. He will need to extend his shooting range and improve his face-up game, but his ability to score and defend in the paint could make him an intriguing pick for an NBA team in the late first round range of the upcoming draft.
North Carolina’s senior center, Garrison Brooks had a fairly good showing in his team’s win over Pittsburgh. He was very effective as a scorer from the post, but he did struggle at times on the defensive end in this game. Brooks did a good job of scoring in the post. He would tend to make strong moves to score inside, and he also would score on quick, turnaround jump hooks. Sometimes he would rush his shots on turnaround jumpers that would miss, but Brooks generally showed a deft scoring touch to score from the block. He also was able to score on a quick turnaround jumper from the mid-range another time. Plus, Brooks was very effective at scoring on tip-ins after grabbing offensive rebounds for his team.
On the downside, he was fairly turnover prone in this game. For the positives, Brooks can throw solid entry passes to notch assists, and he also can pass from the post. However, he can sometimes make some questionable decisions that led him to commit turnovers. He threw a weak interior pass that got intercepted once. He also was called for an offensive foul when he pushed off while jostling for position in the post off the ball. Another time, he was trapped by two defenders, and he ended ups stepping out of bounds.
While he didn’t grab a lot of rebounds against Pittsburgh, Brooks was able to leap up to get multiple boards on both ends of the floor. However, he struggled defensively in this game. For the positives, he would sometimes rotate to contest shots in the paint to force some misses. On the downside, he had trouble defending pick and rolls, and he would tend to foul opponents on jump shots, as he would sometimes struggle to move his feet. Other times, he would sag too far off of shooters, and he would not always make timely rotations in games.
Overall, Garrison Brooks primarily excelled as a low post scorer, and he also showed that he can effectively score on mid-range jumpers, as well as on tip-ins after grabbing offensive rebounds. He will need to take better care of the basketball and be a more focused defender in games, but his ability to score down low could be intriguing to NBA teams. Right now, he is a borderline second round candidate for the upcoming draft, and he could project to be a rotational big man in the NBA.
North Carolina’s freshman guard, Kerwin Walton played fairly well in his team’s win over Pittsburgh. He excelled as a shooter and scorer in this game, but he struggled at times on the defensive end. Walton has a nice pump fake move, which enabled him to make a barrage of pull-up jumpers from the mid-range, and it also enabled him to make a three-point shot from beyond the arc. Plus, he also was able to make an open, spot-up three off the catch, and he was very effective at making outside shots against Pittsburgh.
He also was able to get a pair of assists, but he also was called for traveling once that led him to commit a turnover. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. On one good play, he ran in to poke a ball away from an opponent off of a drive to get a steal. However, he had trouble guarding quicker opponents off the dribble, as he would tend to commit fouls and allow scores. He also lost track of a cutter to allow a score, and he sagged too far off of a three-point shooter another time.
Overall, Kerwin Walton shot the ball well to help his team get the win, and his jump shot is primary strength as a prospect for the NBA. He will need to improve his defense, but he could end up moving swiftly up draft boards due to his ability to shoot and make plays on offense.
North Carolina’s 6-4 freshman point guard, Caleb Love struggled in his team’s win over Pittsburgh. Though he would play very well weeks later in his team’s win over Duke, against Pittsburgh he really struggled to make shots, and he did not seem to play well defensively either on this day.
Love showed an adequate ability to score off the dribble. He was able to use a hesitation move to his left to score on a smooth layup, and he also can draw fouls on strong moves to get to the free throw line. However, he tended to miss badly on awkward floaters, and he tended to settle for too many questionable, contested shots. On the plus side, he also dribbled in to score on a quick put back after grabbing an offensive rebound. He was able to make a wide-open, spot-up three from beyond the arc, but Love was unable to consistently make his threes in this game against Pittsburgh.
In this game, he displayed solid playmaking skills. Love showed good court vision, and he has very good foot-speed that allows him to consistently get into the lane to create shots for his teammates. He threw a lob pass to set up a score for a teammate on a roll to the rim. He also drove in and made a nice no-look, drop-off pass to set up another score. Love played unselfishly, and he was able to string together plenty of assists. He did commit one turnover, as he lowered his shoulder on a spin move, but ended up colliding into an opponent to commit an offensive foul and a turnover that time.
Also, Love was able to chip in to get a pair of rebounds, and he was able to get a board on each side of the ball. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. He was active defensively, and he was able to contest a jump shot to force a miss. He nearly was able to make a chase down block on a drive in transition, but instead was called for a foul, even though he appeared to cleanly swat the ball. On the downside, he would tend to over-rotate, which would lead to scramble situations that would cause his team to allow scores around the basket. He also would bite on pump fakes and foul opposing ball handlers due to over-aggressiveness.
Overall, Caleb Love came into this season as a highly touted recruit and prospect for the NBA, but he has not quite lived up to the lofty expectations that were placed upon him. He has struggled for most of the season, which has resulted in low shooting percentages, but he would play much better weeks later in his team’s big win over Duke. Hopefully, his strong performance against Duke will be the turning point for his career for the better.
Right now, he will need to iron out his shot selection and continue to improve as a shooter. He might not be anywhere near ready for the NBA, but his strong performance against Duke suggests that he may still be a high-upside prospect. Currently, he projects to be a borderline second round prospect for the upcoming draft, but he could end up thriving as a role player in the NBA if everything pans out for him in the future.
Other Notes, Part III:
Virginia’s 6-8 redshirt senior forward, Sam Hauser had a terrific showing in his team’s February 6th win over Pittsburgh. He especially excelled as a shooter and scorer, and he also defended well in this game. Hauser shot the ball very well to help provide floor spacing for his team on offense. He excelled at making open, spot-up threes off the catch, and he also ran off of a ball screen to make a three early on. He is a smart player that moves fairly well off the ball, which can enable him to get plenty of open looks on offense. Plus, he also showed a knack for making pull-up jumpers, as he can run and dribble off of ball screens to do so. He also excelled as a scorer in the post and off the dribble. Hauser was able to score on a fadeaway jumper from the post. He also ran off the ball to get the ball, and then scored on a strong drive to the hoop another time.
He displayed adequate playmaking skills in this game. Hauser is an unselfish player that can find open shooters to set up scores for them, and he can kick it out to them off the dribble to do so. However, he would sometimes struggle to handle the ball when facing heavy ball pressure. On one play, he struggled to bring the ball up when pressured, as he then threw a weak pass that ended up getting intercepted. Also, he did a fairly good job of rebounding the basketball. He was active at crashing the glass, and he would leap up to help his team get defensive rebounds.
Plus, Hauser also played fairly good defense. He was able to poke a ball away and also deflect passes nearly get steals. He also would hold his ground when defending in the post to force misses. He would also rotate to contest shots on off-ball motion plays to get stops, and he also helped double an opponent in the high post to force a passing turnover. Sometimes though, he would over-help and double unnecessarily, which would lead him to be out of position to allow scores. He also once jumped up too early on a pivot move, which led him to allow an opponent to score on a mid-range jumper. He also was late to get back to a roll man another time, as he can sometimes be late on his rotations.
Overall, Sam Hauser played very well in this game, and he scored 23 points on 8 of 9 shooting, made 3 threes, and he also had 6 rebounds to help his team get the victory over Pittsburgh. He is a high IQ basketball player that shoots the ball well, and he could end up being a solid value pick in the second round range of the 2021 draft.
Virginia’s 7-1 redshirt senior center, Jay Huff also played very well in his team’s win over Pittsburgh. He played a very good all-around game to help his team get the victory. Huff excelled at making open, spot-up threes off the catch, and he was very effective as a three-point shooter on pick and pop plays. He has very good size to shoot over the top of his defenders, and he also shot the ball very well from downtown.
Plus, he also can effectively score off the dribble. Huff was able to utilize a pump fake move to drive to the hoop to score, and he was able to get an extra free throw afterwards. Plus, he also managed to score on a tip slam off of an offensive rebound another time.
As a playmaker, he looked to be fairly average. Huff was able to use a pump fake, as he kicked a ball out to a shooter off the dribble to set up a scoring chance for his teammate once. He also can set good screens to help his teammates get open jump shots. However, he did commit a couple of turnovers. He committed a charging foul on a drive once, and he also had a ball back-tapped to lose it another time. Huff also rebounded the ball well, and he would leap up to get his team a handful boards, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Also, Huff played adequate defense in this game. He did a good job of blocking shots to help his team protect the paint, and he also intercepted a dropped pass to get a steal. He would play passing lanes to get steals and deflections. Plus, he was quite active at contesting jump shots, especially in the paint to force misses. However, sometimes he would struggle to defend quicker opponents off the dribble, and he would occasionally get beat on moves to allow scores. He also would sometime be foul prone. He also struggled to defend out on the perimeter, as he would give up too much space to shooters, and he would also get beat off the dribble at times by quicker opponents.
Overall, Jay Huff had a solid showing in his team’s win over Pittsburgh. He scored 13 points, made 3 threes, and he also had 8 rebounds and 2 blocks to help his team get the victory. He is a tall, mobile center that has shown an improved outside shot, and his ability to space the floor and defend in the paint could enable him to be a second round pick in the 2021 draft.
Virginia’s 6-9 junior forward, Trey Murphy III had his ups and downs in his team’s win over Pittsburgh. He didn’t shoot the ball well, but he defended well when he was on the court. Murphy excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He ran in to score on a tip-in after grabbing an offensive rebound. He also managed to score on a backdoor cut another time. Plus, he also showed a decent ability to score in the post. Murphy was able to dribble towards the baseline to score on a powerful, two-handed dunk. Another time, he missed on a turnaround jump hook. However, he tended to miss on jumpers from further out, and he also missed on a layup off of a drive on a separate possession.
Murphy is an unselfish player that will look to find the open man, and he will sometimes set screens for his teammates. However, sometimes he will telegraph his passes, which can result in turnovers for his team. He also was able to chip in to get his share of boards, and he was able to leap up aggressively to get multiple rebounds on both ends of the floor.
Also, Murphy played good defense in this game. He was able to pounce a loose ball to get a steal, and he would deflect passes to nearly get others. He was effective at defending the three-point line and down low to force misses due to possessing good length and timing. He also helped double an opponent in the high post to force a passing turnover another time.
Overall, this was not Murphy’s best game, but he showed the ability to make hustle plays on both ends of the floor. He will need to be more assertive on offense, but his jump shot and ability to play multiple positions could enable him to be a second round pick whenever he decides to enter the NBA draft.
Virginia’s 6-5 senior guard, Tomas Woldetensae did a great job of shooting the basketball to pour on points to help his team on offense in his team’s win over Pittsburgh. He primarily excelled as a three-point shooter, as he can make threes off the catch or dribble, and he also can run off screens to knock them down. He also drew free throws on a reverse layup off of an aggressive drive to the basket.
He also displayed fairly good playmaking skills. He can throw solid passes off the dribble, and he also was able to find a cutter to notch an assist. However, there was one play where he was trapped near a sideline, and he threw a hasty pass that got picked off by a defender. Though he didn’t grab many rebounds in this contest, the Italian guard was able to chase down balls to get a pair of defensive rebounds for his team.
He also played adequate defense in this game. He was able to contest a three to force a miss. He also pounced upon a loose ball that his teammate poked away to help get his team a steal. However, there was one play where he got beat on a spin move to allow a score that time.
Overall, Tomas Woldetensae played very well off the bench in his team’s win over Pittsburgh. He scored 14 points on 4 of 6 shooting, and he made 4 three-pointers in this game. He is a good shooter that excels at knocking down three-point shots, and he is also an above average athlete. He actually hasn’t played that much this season, which may hamper his draft stock, though. While he may be a long shot to be drafted, his jump shot and sharpshooting prowess could give him a chance to compete for a roster spot in the NBA, or at the very least, carve out a solid career overseas in professional basketball.
