Thoughts on Malik Thomas, Tyrone Riley IV, and Adama Bal in the San Francisco-Santa Clara Overtime Game

December 31st, 2024

Yesterday, I took the time to watch Adama Bal and Santa Clara play against Tyrone Riley IV and San Francisco in a very competitive West Coast Conference college basketball game that played yesterday. This game went to overtime, and San Francisco received strong performances from Malik Thomas and Marcus Williams, as they combined for 57 of their team’s 97 points, and for 11 of their team’s 18 assists to get their team a 97-94 win over Santa Clara. Malik Thomas was especially impressive down the stretch, as he continually made clutch shots, and there were plenty of strong performances from other prospects in this game. Here are my thoughts on how Thomas and other various prospects fared in this game, as well as how their skills may translate to the NBA.

San Francisco’s 6-4 guard, Malik Thomas scored 34 points, made 4 three-pointers, and had 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in his team’s 97-94 overtime win over Santa Clara last night.
(Photo: Larry Placido/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

San Francisco’s senior guard, Malik Thomas had a strong showing to help lead his team to a narrow overtime win over Santa Clara. He especially played well in the second half and overtime, as he consistently made shots to help his team get the victory.

Thomas shot the ball very well, especially from downtown. He showed a knack for making pull-up threes, and he also showed a knack for using the threat of his three-point shot to get fouled in order to frequently get to the free throw line. He also did a pretty good job of making mid-range jumpers. Strangely though, he seemed to miss more when he would attempt standstill threes off the catch. He also showed a solid ability to score off the dribble. He was able to score on a high arcing layup off of a dribble handoff, and he also showed a knack for using his pump fake to score and get to the free throw line. Plus, Thomas was able to score on a fadeaway jumper out of the post, though he struggled to score on on post-up plays.

He also displayed adequate playmaking skills in this game. Despite having a heavy score first mentality, he was able to make some good passes on offense. Thomas did a good job of finding open teammates ahead on the break, and he also can make passes off the dribble. On the downside, sometimes he would make careless mistakes that would lead to turnovers. On one play, he was called for traveling on a drive to the hoop. Another time, he ran out of bounds off the ball before catching it inbounds, and the officials whistled him for a turnover that time.

He also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. Thomas was especially active at crashing the glass, and he has a keen nose for the ball. He was able to get boards on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he was active, but sometimes he would play too aggressively, which would lead him to commit touch fouls.

In general, Thomas played very well, and he is a strong, agile combo guard that especially excelled as a shooter and scorer in crunch time to give his team a well-deserved overtime victory. He is a scorer that can make tough shots and can get to the free throw line at will. At the next level, he’ll need to show that he can reliably run the point and defend upper-echelon opponents, but Thomas’ shot-making prowess combined with having above average athletic gifts could enable him to make it to the NBA, as he could end up being a similar player to Indiana Pacers’ guard, Quenton Jackson in the association.

Tyrone Riley IV scored 11 points on 5 of 7 shooting, and had 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 assists, and 1 block in his team’s overtime win over Santa Clara last night. (Photo: Larry Placido/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

San Francisco’s 6-6 freshman swingman, Tyrone Riley IV also had a solid showing to help lead his team to an overtime win over Santa Clara. He is an athletic, energetic swingman that especially excelled at making hustle plays on both ends of the floor, and he made some highlight reel-worthy plays to help his team get the victory.

Riley showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays. He would frequently run the floor to score on the break, and he was able to score on a layup high off the glass while getting fouled once. He also was able to quickly pick off a pass and drive up court to score on a high-flying dunk. He also was able to score on a couple of cuts to the basket, which included one where he caught a lob on the baseline to score on a magnetic, alley-oop dunk. On the other hand, he missed on an aggressive, left-handed drive once, and he also missed on a corner three another time.

He also displayed adequate playmaking skills. Riley was able to make a drive and dish pass to find the open man around the basket to notch an assist. He also showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball. Riley also defended very well. He would frequently intercept passes to get steals, and he also dove on the ground to get a loose ball once. He also is a rangy defender that would rotate to block and alter shots off the dribble to help his team protect the paint.

In summary, Riley played well, and he is an athletic, high-motor player that thrived at making hustle plays to help his team get the overtime win over Santa Clara. He is a talented prospect that may have considerable upside, and he could end up being a solid pick for an NBA team in the late first to the second round range, as he could end up being a similar player to former Denver Nuggets’ swingman, Will Barton in the NBA.

Adama Bal had his ups and downs in his team’s tough overtime loss to San Francisco. He generally passed the ball well, but he was streaky with his jump shot and didn’t make much of an impact on the defensive end.

Bal did a decent job of knocking down shots from the outside. He was able to utilize a pump fake to make a smooth, step-back three from the corner. He also made an open three another time. Plus, he was able to go to his left to draw free throws on a pull-up three. On the downside, he was fairly streaky with his three-point shot on offense. He also flashed the ability to score off the dribble. He was better at going to his left, but sometimes he would take tough, off-balanced shots in traffic that would lead to misses.

He also displayed satisfactory playmaking skills. Bal is an unselfish player that would make the extra pass to find the open man, and he also would make passes off the dribble to set up scores for his teammates. He also showed that he can find teammates on the move. On the downside, he would sometimes go too fast and rush his moves, which would lead to ball-handling turnovers. There also was one time where he threw a hasty pass that got intercepted once.

On the downside, Bal did not grab many rebounds in this game. Defensively, he looked to be fairly average. He was able to run in to deflect a pass out of bounds once. Another time though, he rotated to a roll man, but was called for a reach-in foul instead.

Overall, Bal didn’t have his best game, but he was able to make some plays on offense to help his team. He’ll need to be a more consistent shooter and playmaker, but his size, above average athleticism, and offensive skills could enable him to make his way to the NBA someday.

Christoph Tilly also played well in his team’s tough overtime loss to San Francisco. The 7-0 German center showed off versatile scoring skills, and he also played unselfishly to help his team stay in the game. Tilly really excelled at scoring on rolls to the rim. He would get the ball on short rolls, which would enable him to drive in to score on tough layups in traffic, and he also was able to score on a mid-range jumper. He also would frequently go to his left to draw free throws when driving to the hoop, and Tilly also utilized a pump fake move to get to his spot to score around the basket. Plus, Tilly also made an open three-pointer. He generally was solid at scoring off the dribble and on the move, but he struggled to make threes consistently, and he also struggled at times to finish plays out of the post.

He also showcased adequate playmaking skills. Tilly tended to make solid reads, as he would consistently find cutters to notch assists. He also can ably pass out of the post, and he also was able to set a solid on-ball screen to help his teammate get an open driving lane. Sometimes though, he would throw hasty, inaccurate passes that would lead to turnovers.

Tilly was able to get multiple boards on both ends of the floor, but Tilly didn’t grab nearly enough defensive rebounds for a seven-footer. He also played adequate defense in this game. He would get his hands on passes to get steals and deflections. However, there was one play where he closed out too hard and fouled a three-point shooter in the corner late in the game.

Overall, Christoph Tilly is a skilled, mobile center who has a variety of skills that could prove to be useful at the NBA level. He can score the basketball in a variety of ways, and he also tends to make good reads on offense. He’ll need to improve his rebounding and defense, but his size, skill set, and above average athletic gifts could enable him to end up being a solid rotational big man in the NBA someday.

Johnny O’Neil also had a strong showing in his team’s tough overtime loss to San Francisco. The 6-10 senior forward had been struggling with his jump shot on the season, but he shot the ball really well from the outside in this game, and O’Neil also was able to make a slew of defensive plays to help his team.

O’Neil showed a knack for making spot-up threes off the catch. He especially thrived at making corner threes, and he also moved off the ball to make a quick three early on. His size, quick release, and shooting skills enabled him to really excel as a three-point shooter on offense. O’Neil also excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He ran in to score on a put back. He also was able to take on the contact to score on a cut to the hoop. In addition, he showed a solid ability to score off the dribble, and he was able to score on a strong baseline drive another time.

He also looked to be fairly average as a playmaker in this game. On one good play, he threw a pass to a teammate on a short roll to notch an assist. However, he was a bit turnover prone on offense. On one play, he bobbled an up for grabs pass that his teammate threw that ended up getting intercepted.

Also, O’Neil did a very good job of rebounding the basketball, and he would frequently come away with boards to help his team on the glass. He also defended well. O’Neil would rotate to block and contest shots to help his team protect the paint. He also would get his hands on balls when defending opposing ball handlers to force tie ups in order to get steals. On the downside, there was one play where he closed out too hard, which led him to foul a three-point shooter in the corner.

Overall, Johnny O’Neil played very well in his team’s tough overtime loss, and this game showed his potential as a prospect for the NBA. Though he hasn’t shot the ball very well on the season, O’Neil is a tall, skilled and mobile forward whose jump shot, size, and above average athletic gifts could allow him to potentially play his way into the NBA sometime down the road.

San Francisco’s Marcus Williams also had a solid showing to help lead his team to an overtime win over Santa Clara. The 6-2 senior point guard especially passed the ball well, and he ran a smart game to help his team get the victory.

Williams showed a solid ability to score off the dribble. He showed off a solid floater game, and he also showed that he can go to his left to score, as well as pull up to make mid-range jumpers. He especially thrived at making shots in the mid-range, as well as out of the post due to possessing a good scoring touch. While Williams was able to make several spot-up threes in this game, he was quite streaky with his jump shot from beyond the arc.

He also showcased good playmaking skills in this game. Williams thrived at finding teammates on the move to notch assists, as well as at making drive and kick passes, and he showcased good court vision to do so. He also was able to throw a lob pass to set up a score for a teammate at the rim. On the downside, he was called for setting a moving screen once. Another time, he threw a lazy pass that got intercepted.

Though he didn’t grab many rebounds, he was able to get a defensive board once. He also played decent defense in this game. Williams is an active defender that was able to poke a ball away to get a steal, and he also blocked a shot off the dribble due to possessing solid athleticism, timing, and instincts. Overall, Williams played very well, and he helped lead his team to get a close overtime victory over Santa Clara. He is a smart, skilled playmaker that could end up playing his way into the NBA someday.

San Francisco’s 7-0 senior center, Carlton Lindguard Jr. played fairly well to help his team get a win over Santa Clara. He particularly thrived as the roll man, and he also was able to make an open three-pointer on offense. He struggled to make threes consistently, but he is a strong, mobile big man that showed off promising scoring skills.

He also passed the ball well. He was able to throw an interior pass to find a cutter, and he also passed back on a drive to notch a pair of assists. On the downside, he didn’t grab many rebounds in this game. Lindguard was active defensively, and he has the athleticism and capacity to block shots, but in this game, he was called for committing touch fouls when trying to swat shots around the basket.

Overall, Lindguard had a solid showing in his team’s overtime win in this game. He’ll need to improve his rebounding and will need to continue to fine tune his skills and hone his overall game, but he is a mobile big man with an emerging skill set, which could enable him to make his way to the NBA sometime down the road.

San Francisco’s 6-6 freshman swingman, Veniamin Abosi also quietly played well to help his team get a close overtime win over Santa Clara. He is a mobile, skilled swingman that made a series of impressive team plays on both ends of the floor to help his team get the victory.

While he didn’t take many shots in this game, he was effective at making plays despite getting a limited amount of touches on offense. Abosi excelled at scoring off the dribble. He was able to score on a strong, left-handed drive while getting fouled once. He also would frequently get to the free throw line, but he struggled to make his free throws in this game. He also took a pair of threes, but missed both times from beyond the arc.

Also, Abosi showcased fairly solid playmaking skills in this game. He is an unselfish player that can make passes off the dribble and can find teammates on the move to rack up assists. He has good court vision, and he would consistently find the open man. Sometimes though, he would throw hasty passes, which would lead to a couple of passing turnovers.

He also did an adequate job of rebounding the basketball. Abosi also defended very well. He would rotate to block shots to help his team protect the paint. He also managed to successfully draw a charge when defending off the dribble due to being in position to do so. He would use his length and positioning to cut off penetration when defending opponents off the dribble, was an active help defender that would get blocks and deflections, and he would also contest shots to force misses.

Overall, Abosi quietly played well in his team’s overtime win over Santa Clara. He is a team player that consistently made winning plays throughout the game. He’s a high-motor forward that passes the ball well, but he’ll need to improve his outside shot in the meantime, but if so, he could end up making his way to the NBA someday.

Santa Clara’s 6-5 senior guard, Tyeree Bryan also had a solid showing in his team’s loss to San Francisco. He showed a knack for making threes off of dribble handoffs, and he would score on strong, right-handed drives to the hoop. He also was able to notch an assist, and while he didn’t grab many rebounds, he was able to chip in on the glass. On one play defensively though, he over-helped in the lane, which led his team to allow an opponent to score on a corner three. Overall, Bryan is fairly athletic, skilled swingman whose jump shot could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA sometime down the road.

Carlos Stewart Jr. had his ups and downs in his team’s tough loss to San Francisco. He passed and rebounded the ball well, he struggled to make shots consistently in this game. On offense, Stewart was at his best when driving to his left to score on tough, crafty layups around the basket. He also managed to score on a quick cut to the basket. While Stewart was able to make a three off of a dribble handoff, Stewart often would miss on his three-point attempts, as he would tend to take a lot of tough threes off the dribble that led to misses.

He also displayed solid playmaking skills. Stewart is an unselfish player that would find teammates on the move to notch assists. On one play though, he went too fast and out of control, as he ended up dribbling off of himself, as the ball went out of bounds and led to a turnover.

Stewart did a great job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended well. He is a tenacious defender that would stay in front of his man and make plays on the ball to get stops for his team. He was able to block a shot off of a drive, and he also contested a three to force a miss. He also was able to intercept a pass to get a steal. On the downside, there was one play where he struggled to defend an opponent off the dribble, which led him to commit a foul that time.

Overall, Stewart had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to San Francisco. He passed and rebounded well, and he made some very good defensive plays in this game, but he didn’t shoot the ball well in this game. He’ll need to improve his jump shot, and he lacks elite size or athleticism, which could make it difficult for him to make it to the NBA. Even if he doesn’t make it to the NBA, Stewart is a skilled, high-motor guard that could end up carving a long playing career in professional basketball.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Thomas, Riley, Bal, and others fared in this game. Thanks for reading.