WKU Basketball: Hilltoppers Give Us First Look Of Season at Pro Day
On Thursday, the Hilltoppers participated in their first ever Pro Day, giving scouts an up-close look at pro prospects that many programs…
On Thursday, the Hilltoppers participated in their first ever Pro Day, giving scouts an up-close look at pro prospects that many programs don’t offer.
Unfortunately, The Towel Rack was unable to attend, but we got the inside scoop from the day from Redzone Radio’s Troy Bowling.
Troy told me that the title of “pro day,” may sound a little facetious, saying it was basically a glorified practice just with scouts in attendance.
And while I get it, it sounds anti-climactic, what can’t be understated is that this is really our first look at what WKU could look like for the upcoming season.
Troy was kind enough to break down what he saw from the day’s festivities, sharing overall impressions on the team and some individual thoughts on each player.
Team Observations
The Hilltoppers, as a team, are really long and athletic and should be able to shut teams down on defense. There’s a lot more size inside than last year and more depth at the Center position.
Guys like Charles Bassey, Matthew Horton, and Galen (Tolu) Smith should be able to give more rim protection than last year, especially Bassey. And when Lamonte Bearden returns, they’ll really be able to push the tempo with athletic finishers like Josh Anderson and Marek Nelson.
The only issue I could see is outside shooting, but there are guys that will be able to knock down shots. Throughout the day, the team struggled a bit to knock down outside shots but it is early and you have guys like Taveion Hollingsworth and Jared Savage that will be able to knock them down
Individual Evaluations
Taveion Hollingsworth
Different hair, same Taveion. He’ll probably lead the Tops in scoring and looks to have gotten a little more athletic over the summer.
Lamonte Bearden
Bearden will be missed to start the year, because he also looked to have added some athleticism and looks like a real leader among the team. A presence that’ll be much needed with the graduation of Justin Johnson.
Josh Anderson
The dude is a legit freak athlete. He’s the best athlete on the team and he really showed off his improved jump shot. It still has some room to improve but it looks better than last year.
He should be third or fourth leading scorer, because he also looks more comfortable finishing around the rim. He really stood out by looking smooth inside.
Charles Bassey
Probably going to be the best player (obviously). He has a strong post presence and is a good scorer from the block. He’s a tad slow and probably has some conditioning to improve on, but that’s being picky. The biggest impression is that he is going to be a REALLY good anchor down low defensively and will not only block shots but will affect them as well. Also, the jump shot looks decent.
Jared Savage
He’s going to be an important player and had, to me, the best outside shot. It’s a really good, smooth looking jumper. But he’s a good all around player.
Tolu Smith
He started out slow and looked raw at the beginning, but ended up turning it on in the scrimmage. He’s a good scorer inside and will be a good rebounder.
Marek Nelson
Still raw and athletic, with a decent jumper.
Moustapha Diagne
He’ll be able to stretch the floor and give some minutes inside. Still kinda slow and awkward but he looks improved.
Dalano Blanton
He’s a big guard who can handle the ball and can get to the rim at his pace. He also has a decent shot.
Desean Murray
The dude is jacked. He’s a big guy who will be physical. May not score a whole lot but will give you a lot of little things.
Interested in who all was in attendance for the practice?
We’d like to thank Troy for pulling double duty, for us and for Redzone.
For full highlights of the events, WBKO has a nice little mix tape for ya.