Evaluating Nolan Hickman, Adama Bal, and Christoph Tilly

February 25^th, 2024

Yesterday, I took the time to watch Santa Clara’s 6-7 junior swingman, Adama Bal play against Gonzaga in a West Coast Conference basketball game. Gonzaga has consistently been one of the best teams in college basketball, and their strong team play helped them get a double-digit win over Santa Clara. The standout performers in this game were Nolan Hickman, Graham Ike, Ryan Nembhard, and Santa Clara’s Johnny O’Neil and Christoph Tilly, and others played well in addition. Here are my thoughts on how Hickman and various other prospects fared in this game.

Gonzaga’s 6-2 junior guard, Nolan Hickman scored 20 points, made 5 three-pointers, and dished out 5 assists in Gonzaga’s 94-81 win over Santa Clara. (Photo: Young Kwak/Associated Press, via Idaho State Journal)

Nolan Hickman had a terrific showing in his team’s double-digit win over Santa Clara. He is a fleet-footed combo guard that showed a knack for making shots, especially from beyond the arc, and he also passed the ball well to help his team get the victory.

Hickman did a tremendous job of shooting and scoring the basketball. He showed a knack for making threes, as he would make open, spot-up threes off the catch, and he also would knock down step-back and pull-up threes with ease. He also was able to drive to his left to score on a floater off the dribble, but sometimes he would miss on rushed drives to the basket.

He also passed and handled the ball well. Hickman consistently made good passes throughout this game, as he showed that he can make quick passes to get the ball to shooters, and he was able to make an assortment of passes to set up scores for his teammates. He also took very good care of the basketball, as he did not turn the ball over once.

Overall, Nolan Hickman played very well in his team’s win over Santa Clara. He is an athletic, skilled combo guard that can play either backcourt position, and he’s really improved leaps and bounds at the collegiate level. He hasn’t drawn as much draft buzz as expected, but he is a talented shot making guard that could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the late first to the second round range for the 2024 draft.

Adama Bal didn’t play very well in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. He struggled to get going early on, and while he made a late pull-up three, he wasn’t able to provide much shooting or scoring for his team in this game.

Bal showed an adequate ability to score off the dribble. On one play, he was able to get a running start prior to scoring on a strong, left-handed drive in traffic. He seemed to prefer going to his left, and sometimes he would draw fouls upon opposing defenders. Sometimes, he would take tough, contested shots that would lead to misses, and his lack of elite quickness can make it difficult for him to consistently get good shots in the lane.

He struggled to make threes in this game, but Bal was able to pull up to make a three-pointer in transition late against Gonzaga. However, he tended to miss on contested, step-back threes, and he didn’t seem to be very fluid when looking to take those shots from beyond the arc.

He was also quite turnover prone in this game. For the positives, Bal is a willing passer and he will make the extra pass to find the open man to set up scoring chances for his teammates. He can find teammates in stride and he can also make passes off the dribble. However, he tended to over-dribble, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers. He also is not an elite ball handler, and on one play, he tried to push the pace but dribbled awkwardly and with a high dribble while utilizing an obvious carry, and he was called for a carrying violation that time.

In this game, Bal was able to chip in to get a few boards to help his team on the glass. Defensively, he struggled in this game. For the positives, he was able to hustle back to contest a shot off of a drive in transition to force a miss. He also helped crowd and pressure an opponent to help force a ball-handling turnover. However, he tended to get beat off the dribble as he struggled to defend quicker players, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. He also trailed a roll man on a switch and his team allowed a basket at the rim on another play.

Overall, Bal did not play very well, and he did not make a very good impression in his lackluster performance in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. He will need to play better against the upper-echelon teams, but he’s flashed enough skills along with that his team has churned out recent solid NBA players such as Jalen Williams and Brandin Podziemski that could suggest that maybe Bal could warrant a selection in the second round of the 2024 draft.

Santa Clara’s 7-0 sophomore center, Christoph Tilly also had a solid showing in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. He is an athletic, energetic big man that showed off versatile scoring skills, and he has a solid face-up game on offense.

Tilly generally excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He was able to run the floor to get the ball in the post, which allowed him to score on a dunk. He also managed to score on a put back. Plus, he showed a knack for scoring on quick, strong drives to the hoop. Tilly can finish plays with either hand, and he also was able to drive to the rim to score on a strong dunk once. He also would draw free throws when he would look to score off the dribble on other plays. Plus, Tilly was able to move off the ball to make a smooth, open spot-up three off the catch to show his outside shooting skills.

On the other hand, he didn’t seem to make any noteworthy passes, and he also had one turnover, where he threw an inaccurate bounce pass that went out of bounds.

He also did a great job of rebounding the basketball, and Tilly especially thrived at hauling in offensive boards. Defensively though, he struggled in this game, and he ended up fouling out. For the positives, Tilly would use his length to contest shots to force some misses. However, he tended to get outmuscled when defending in the post, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Another time, he wandered around out on the perimeter without guarding a man after his team allowed an offensive rebound, and his team ended allowing a score at the rim that time.

Overall, Tilly played well in his team’s loss to Gonzaga, and he is an underrated prospect that has a solid set of offensive skills. He’ll need to improve his ability to defend stronger opponents in the post, but Tilly could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the second round range of the 2024 draft.

Ryan Nembhard also played very well in his team’s win over Santa Clara. He is a fleet-footed guard that excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor, and his shot making ability, court vision, and foot speed made it difficult for his opponents in this game.

Nembhard really excelled at scoring on quick drives to the hoop. He also showed an adequate ability to score on floaters, but he didn’t seem to be as consistent at that as when he would score on layups at the rim. He also showed the ability to make threes both off the catch and dribble, although those three-point shots that he would’ve made didn’t count, because they were after the whistle. On the three-point shots that he attempted that did count, he ended up missing both of them from beyond the arc.

Also, Nembhard showed off good playmaking skills. He is an unselfish player that can make an assortment of passes to notch assists, and he also was able to push the pace and make a no look pass to set up a score for a three-point shooter. He has good court vision, and he did a good job of making passes off the dribble and finding his teammates in stride. He did commit one turnover though, as he threw a rushed hasty drive and kick pass that sailed out of bounds once.

Plus, he also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. Nembhard also defended well, as he would apply significant ball pressure and get his hands on balls to get some steals and deflections. Overall, Nembhard had a strong showing in his team’s win over Santa Clara. He will still need to improve his outside shot, but his ability to make plays on both ends of the floor combined with his court vision could enable him to be a solid second round pick in the 2024 draft.

Santa Clara’s junior forward, Johnny O’Neil played very well in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. He shot the ball very well, especially from beyond the arc, and he excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor to help his team in this game.

O’Neil showed a knack for making smooth, open spot-up threes off the catch. He also managed to score on a smooth, fadeaway mid-range jumper off the dribble. Plus, he also scored off of a quick cut early on. Sometimes though he would rush his shots when he would look to score around the basket, which would lead to some misses.

In this game though, he was a bit turnover prone. For the positives, O’Neil showed that he can throw accurate interior passes to set up scoring chances for his teammates. However, sometimes he would also throw hasty passes that would get intercepted.

He didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, but O’Neil was able to get a few to help chip in on the glass. O’Neil also defended well in this game. He excelled at blocking shots, as he was able to swat a shot off of a cut as well as on a mid-range shot. He also was able to get his hands on a pass to get a steal, and he also poked a ball away to get another. Plus, he also managed to successfully draw a charge when defending in the post due to good positioning. Every once in a while though, he can be a bit too aggressive when contesting shots, which would lead him to commit fouls.

Overall, O’Neil had a strong showing in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. He is an agile, skilled shooting big man that can stretch the defenses, and he is a talented prospect that could be a good find for an NBA team in the 2024 draft.

Gonzaga’s 6-9 forward, Graham Ike also had a solid showing in his team’s win over Santa Clara. He is a strong, mobile big man that primarily excelled as a low post scorer in the paint. He would often score on strong drop step moves and jump hooks, and he also managed to score on a tough, fadeaway baseline jumper once. Ike showed good strength, as well as footwork and scoring touch to consistently make shots from the block. He also managed to score on a roll to the rim. Sometimes, he would take tough shots that would lead to misses, but usually Ike excelled at scoring around the basket to help his team on offense.

Ike generally took good care of the basketball, but there was one play where he traveled and took too many steps when he looked to score out of the post. He also was able to haul in multiple boards to help chip in on the glass. Defensively, he looked to be fairly average. Ike was able to intercept a lazy pass that was thrown his way to get a steal. He also would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the post to force some misses. However, he would tend to get beat off the dribble when defending off the dribble and in the post to allow scores. He also would sometimes take bad angles when defending in the post and struggle to guard quicker players, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Graham Ike played well to help lead his team to get a win over Santa Clara. He is a strong, mobile low post player that is playing well at the collegiate level. He will need to extend his shooting range to add a reliable outside shot to his arsenal and improve defensively, but he has been productive at Gonzaga this year, and he could end up making his way to the NBA someday.

Anton Watson had a solid showing in his team’s win over Santa Clara. He generally excelled at making hustle plays, and he was able to make some solid plays on both ends of the floor to help his team get the victory.

Watson generally excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He was able to throw down dunks off of cuts and in transition, and he also managed to score on a put back. He also was able to score on a nifty, acrobatic reverse layup out of the post to showcase his low post scoring skills. Plus, he also was able to run off the ball to make a quick, baseline jumper from the mid-range. He would sometimes take tough, rushed shots in traffic that would lead to misses, and he didn’t attempt a three-point shot in this game, but overall, Watson was efficient as a shot maker against Santa Clara.

As a playmaker, Watson looked to be fairly average. He showed that he can make passes out of the post and in transition to set up scoring opportunities for his team. However, he had some trouble creating his own shot when pressured, which led to some turnovers. He lowered his shoulder when posting up, as he ended up colliding into an opponent to commit an offensive foul and a turnover. He was pressured and doubled another time, which caused him to lose the ball that time.

He also was able to get multiple boards on both ends of the floor to get his fair share of boards in this game. He also played decent defense. Watson was able to get his hands on passes to get steals and deflections. He also would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force some misses. Plus, he also managed to successfully draw a charge defensively. However, sometimes he would give up too much space to shooters, which would lead them to score on jumpers. On another play, he gave up deep position when defending in the post and got outmuscled, which led him to give up a score that time.

Overall, Anton Watson played well in his team’s win over Santa Clara. He is a fairly athletic, energetic combo forward that can make hustle plays on both ends of the floor. On the other hand, he will need to add a reliable outside shot to his arsenal and improve his skill offensively. Currently, he looks to be a second round prospect for the 2024 draft.

Santa Clara’s 7-1 senior center, Francisco Caffaro had a strong showing in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. He excelled as an inside scorer and interior defender in the paint, and he provided some impactful minutes as he gave his team a considerable boost off the bench.

Caffaro excelled at scoring out of the post. He would consistently get deep position, and he would make strong drop step moves to score around the basket. He also would score on hustle plays, as he showed that he can ably score off of rolls and put backs.

As a playmaker, he looked to be fairly average. Caffaro was able to throw an accurate interior pass to get the ball to a teammate once, and he showed that he can ably throw entry passes. However, sometimes he can be careless on offense, which can lead him to commit turnovers.

He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. Caffaro really excelled at hauling in offensive boards, but he only managed to get one defensive rebound when he was on the floor. He also defended well. He showed a knack for blocking and contesting shots in the paint to force misses, and he would sometimes swat shots to his teammates. On the downside, sometimes he would defend too aggressively in the paint, which would lead him to commit fouls. Another time, he gave up deep position and allowed his man to score out of the post once.

Overall, Caffaro played very well, as he excelled as an interior player on both ends of the floor. He’ll need to add a reliable jump shot to his arsenal, and he will need to show that he can match up to quicker players on a consistent basis. Still, he is a strong mobile center that made impactful plays in the paint, and he could end up making his way to the NBA someday.

Carlos Marshall Jr. came off the bench, even though he’s been one of the most productive players on his team, and he had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. He put forth a lackluster performance overall, as his play was underwhelming for most of the game. Still, he had some good moments, and he was able to make some plays, especially on the offensive end.

Marshall showed a solid abilit to knock down threes from beyond the arc. He excelled at making step-back threes, and he became more assertive late in the game. Marshall also was able to score on a pull-up, mid-range jumper. However, he struggled to consistently score on dribble, mid-range jumpers, and his lack of an elite first step off the dribble made it difficult for him to score on two-point shots.

He also displayed satisfactory playmaking skills. Marshall was able to throw an accurate bounce pass to find a teammate ahead on the break to notch an assist. He passed the ball well, and he also took very good care of the basketball. Though he didn’t grab many rebounds, he was able to get a defensive board once. He also managed to poke a ball away to help his team get a steal. Overall, Marshall didn’t play enough nor was consistent as a shot maker in this game, and his lack of elite athletic gifts showed as he struggled to consistently make shots, especially when he would hoist them from inside the arc. Still, he is a skilled swingman that can knock down threes and pass the basketball, and he could carve out a solid playing career in professional basketball even if he doesn’t make it to the NBA.

Gonzaga’s 6-10 junior forward, Ben Gregg played very well to help his team in this game. He showed off versatile scoring skills, and he showed that he can score inside and out. He was inconsistent as a three-point shooter, but Gregg is an unselfish player that would swing the ball to find open shooters to notch assists. He also rebounded and defended well. He was quite active defensively, and he would jump on loose balls to help his team get steals. He did foul an opponent on a mid-range jumper, but overall, Gregg excelled at making hustle plays. Overall, Gregg quietly had a solid showing in this game, and while he will need to be a more consistent outside shooter, he is a skilled, energetic big man that could end up being a backup big man at the NBA level.

Gonzaga’s 6-6 freshman swingman, Dusty Stromer played very well to help his team get a win over Santa Clara. He really excelled at making open, spot-up threes off the catch, particularly from the corner. He also ran in to score on a tip-in due to making a good hustle play that time. Stromer also rebounded fairly well. Plus, he also managed to contest a mid-range shot to force a miss defensively. Overall, he is a skilled, high-motor swingman that excelled at making team plays when he was on the court. He may not have elite physical tools, but he was able to make some subtly athletic plays, and he could end up projecting into a 3 and D role at the NBA level.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Nolan Hickman, Adama Bal, and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.