keith-benson-hd.jpeg

34 - Keith Benson

6-11, 217 Center
Oakland Senior
Birthday
08/13/88 (35.6 yrs)
Hometown
Farmington Hills, MI
High School
Country Day
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
9
Size
8
Defense
8
Strength
6
Quickness
7
Leadership
6
Jump Shot
8
NBA Ready
6
Rebounding
8
Potential
8
Post Skills
7
Intangibles
7

NBA Comparison: Steven Hunter

Strengths: Benson is a late blooming prospect who developed into one of the more productive big men in the college game in his last 3 years…Has good height at 6’11 for a PF/C, and a frame that is capable of adding as much as 15-20 lbs without the loss of mobility…Huge 7’4 wingspan…Runs the floor well and shows good reactive leaping skills that help him some on the glass and blocking shots…Displays a developing post game that is pretty solid right now…Has a very soft touch and is still adding moves to his repertoire…Has a right-handed jump hook that is very effective, and with his length looks to translate seamlessly…Never seems to rush into his moves…Has potential as a pick-and-pop threat with his developing touch…Is a pretty good shot-blocker with his length and quick leaping skills, who averaged more than 3 a contest at Oakland U…Not a bad rebounder…Willing to work on his game

Weaknesses: Even though he has the frame to add weight and strength, Benson is pretty thin right now … Can be pushed out of the post by more physical bigs, and sometimes struggles to establish position consistently against strength …Will need to get much stronger in his lower body … Doesn’t play very tough, physical … His motor is also very improvable…Playing in the Summit League makes his competition highly questionable… Struggled to produce big games against the top competition he faced…Doesn’t play very well against guys with similar size to him…Although his face-up game is promising, he didn’t utilize it much at all in college, so repetition is key…Will take his time too much when getting into his moves at times and becomes easier to defend, particularly for similarly size bigs

Overall: Benson’s touch around the rim and his size and developing body has attention grabbing qualities … He’s not strong or tough yet, but he does have the potential to be a backup C in the NBA as he improves.

Jorrye Nixon 6/20/11

Strengths: Late blooming bigman "hiding out" at mid major Oakland University … An excellent athlete particularly considering his size … Owns a big wingspan (7-foot-2 roughly) … Showed a lot of improvement between his freshman and sophomore seasons (5.2 & 3.5 to 14.3 & 7.8) … Appears to still have a fair amount of room to improve … Great in the open floor, runs very well … Offensive skills are a work in progress but beginning to show nice development … Has a solid jump hook … Excellent touch on mid range shots … Effectively uses the glass … Completes a lot of ally oop dunks … Shows nice touch and the ability to effectively use both hands around the basket … Uses his size well to create a big target in the post, and displays solid footwork … Does a good job fighting for low post position … Also shows the ability to put the ball on the deck effectively … Good rebounder with understanding of position … Appears to be highly coachable. Plays with solid intensity and a growing understanding of the game … Does a good job of protecting the ball and limiting turnovers.

Weaknesses: Strength is his biggest hurdle. Still needs to add a lot of core strength … At his current weight, he’ll get pushed around in the paint at the next level … Born in 1988, there is still hope that he can add a fair amount of muscle … Will need to put weight on without affecting his mobility … Appears 3-4 years of work in the weight room away from finding his optimum playing weight … Needs to prove himself against better competition … Level of competition leaves a lot to be desired … Makes a lot of impressive plays, but how he plays against players his own level is a bit of a mystery … More proficient playing on the right block … Decent free throw shooter at 67%, should look to improve some.

Notes: On Nov 25th, Benson will get a chance to make a name for himself when he tangles with the nation’s premiere center Cole Aldrich in Lawrence, KS. Oakland also has a busy Decemeber with match ups with @Memphis (12/1) @Mich St. (12/10), @Oregon (12/20), and @Syracuse (12/22).

Aran Smith 10/8/09

 

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