LaQuintonRoss.gif

10 - LaQuinton Ross

6-8, 240 Small Forward
Ohio St. Junior
Birthday
11/18/92 (31.3 yrs)
Hometown
Jackson, MS
High School
Life Center Academy
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
7
Size
9
Defense
7
Strength
7
Quickness
7
Leadership
6
Jump Shot
8
NBA Ready
7
Ball Handling
6
Potential
8
Passing
6
Intangibles
6
84 Overall:

NBA Comparison: Devin Ebanks

Strengths: Ross is a gifted wing prospect … A specimen physically. Stands 6’7 240 and has a huge 7’2 wingspan, making him a bigger than usual SF for any level of basketball … Developed his frame nicely in college too, looked noticeably stronger each passing year at Ohio State … Is a naturally gifted offensive player, who is capable of putting points on the board in chunks or even a monster game or 2 … Good shot-maker, can stick jumpers against solid defense at times…Has a good looking jump shot, with a high, swift release and soft touch … Size/release makes it tough for defenders to contest and block his shots … Most consistent from 23 ft out … Developing pull-up jumper, usually utilizes this intelligently when faced with a defensive closeout … Can be fairly tricky matchup for some teams due to his size and offensive skills … Effective with shot fakes and knows how to find ways to create space to score … A pretty fluid athlete, and a long strider … Runs the floor well and can play in transition, can finish above the rim on runouts with a head of steam … Has excellent footwork and body control, able to penetrate and find ways to the lane at times this way to make up for his otherwise mediocre first step … Plays minutes at both forward spots, and can stretch at PF and potentially could even play some spot time at SG in a tall lineup at the next level … Decent rebounder for a wing … Seems to be most effective as a complimentary scorer, and more than likely will go back to that type of role at the next level after being a first option as a Jr. last season … Shows promise as a clutch shooter, most known for his game-winner in the Sweet 16 vs Arizona in 2013 and has fared well in big games at times …

Weaknesses: Questionable attitude. Lack of aggressiveness is concerning to scouts. Although he is a talented scorer, he is prone to floating around and can go through times when he is on the court and not impacting the game likw someone with his ability should … A bit inconsistent … Has a tendency to fall in love with jump shots which hurts his efficiency some, and doesn’t seem to be a very tough or physical player … Struggles to deal with contact despite his abundance of size, which is a major concern … Just middling ball-handling skills, not quite a prolific shot creator by any stretch … Missed a fair share of easy and-1 opportunities around the basket, sometimes the slightest bump can cause him to miss “bunnies” … Defense needs to improve, at times was a headache for Coach Matta because of his lack of effort and awareness on this end … A bit high-waisted, struggles with his lateral quickness on the perimeter … Not an explosive athlete, lacks in the speed and acceleration department … Blocks shots and gets in the passing lane at a low rate for someone with his physical attributes, a testament to him not being as attentive as he should be on that end … Defended PF’s a good bit last season and didn’t often do a good job in these situations, so his ability to play any real minutes at the 4 are questionable … Does not pass the ball often, and posted anemic assist stats throughout his time in college … Struggles to make an impact when his shot isn’t falling … A bit too reserved for the primary scorer role he had to play last year for Ohio State, and enters the draft after pulling a poorly timed disappearing act in OSU’s Round of 64 loss vs Dayton …

Overall: Ross’ size, scoring potential, and shooting touch make him an intriguing prospect … He has proven he can be an effective offensive scoring weapon, and he still can polish his scoring some more despite being a 3-year college player … His defense and consistency both need a ton of work, and he inexcusably is too nonchalant at times, making him a fairly frustrating prospect for teams who see his natural ability and how well he has played in spurts throughout his college career … He also must play stronger to take his game to the next level … Ross could certainly be taken in the 2014 draft, as he clearly has some of the tools teams look for and actually seems to have some untapped potential after 3 seasons of college basketball …

Jorrye Nixon 6/1/14
 

Strengths: Versatile offensive weapon for the Buckeyes … Ross showed a lot of promise at the end of last season when he averaged 15 PPG in the NCAA tournament and hit the game-winner against Arizona in the Sweet Sixteen … Has good size and excellent length (7’1" wingspan) for a small forward … Very aggressive on offense. Has a "nose for scoring" … A good perimeter shooter, Ross shot 39% from beyond the arc last season … Has a very high release on his shot due to his height and long arms, which forces defenders to really step out on him … Ross is effective on both the pull-up jumper and the catch-and-shoot, which made up most of his outside shots last year … Good in transition … His length and instincts give him the potential to be a disruptive defensive player, something he’s shown flashes of in the past … Ross is a strong, aggressive driver when he puts the ball on the floor, making him a multi-faceted offensive player … Solid free throw shooter (78%) … Could potentially be utilized as a stretch 4 … Highly talented. Was a top 5 player in his class at points of his prep career …

Weaknesses: Has struggled to live up to expectations and be a consistent performer thus far through his college career … Tends to disappear at times, and shows questionable body language and motor, dragging his feet defensively … Questionable toughness and desire … Ross can be a serious defensive liability at times.  He has the physical tools, but the effort, focus, and awareness is not always there … Struggles to stay in front of quicker wing players and looks lost on defense too often … Ross’ inconsistent playing time last season was primarily due to his inconsistent effort (in addition to the presence of Deshaun Thomas) … Not much of a passer or creator for his teammates …  Vision and passing concerns. His 0.5 APG is one of the lowest among this year’s draft prospects … Looks stiff and awkward sometimes, particularly when defending the perimeter … Has good length, but is not a particularly good natural athlete … Mediocre ball handler … Has worked on his body over college career but still needs to get stronger …

Overall: Ross brings a lot to the table on offense, but needs to defend at a higher level.  With the departure of Deshaun Thomas, Ross figures to be a breakout player this year, and has the chance to be a star for the Buckeyes, as long as he steps up his game.  His length and scoring instincts alone make him an intriguing prospect going into his junior season…

Notes: Measured 6’7 (in shoes) 228 lbs, with a 7’0.5 wingspan at the 2012 Kevin Durant Skills Academy … Measured 6’7 (in shoes) 227 lbs, with a 7’1 wingspan at the 2013 Kevin Durant Skills Academy …

Jacob Stallard 10/17/13

YouTube Clip – 12/9/2008

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