[surveParticipant]

 Some players have just been so disappointing since being highly touted out of HS.  Its frustrating at times to watch.  While many will attribute this to players being overrated coming into college, I believe that is rarely the case.  For whatever reason, coaching, confidence, team play, playing out of position, etc…some have not done it.  Who are some highly touted HS players who have just not gotten it done on the college level?  What NBA skillsets do they have?  Why havent they lived up to expectations?

The 1st guy on my list that I am befuddled about is….

Milton Jennings – Clemson

NBA Skillsets/Attributes:

• Size – 6’9" 225lbs
• Good outside shooter with 3-pt range.
• Athletic
• Good one on one skills

Weakness:

• Extremely poor IQ
• Not much natural instinct or nose for the ball, offensively or defensively
• Doesnt know how to play efficient
• Low intensity at times
• Stats and career doesnt jump out as his talent suggests
• Doesnt use his physical gifts to exploit as he should

Summary:

Jennings, a former McDonald’s All-American was the highest rated recruit at Clemson in nearly 20 years.  He was a 5-star recruit.  Many will say that Jennings was an overrated player coming out of college and is average talent at best.  I beg to differ, I have seen what he can do when motivated.  Every now and then he flashes his ability.   Whether its stepping out and hitting the 3, showing a good post move, or using his athleticism to block a shot.  

Perhaps Clemson was a mistake, perhaps he shouldve gone to UCLA or Florida, other teams that had recruited him.  At first, I thought it was Oliver Purnell, and he just didnt like what Milton was showing, or his style of play didnt fit the system, but he really hasnt done any better with Brad Brownell.  Now…coincidentally, Brownell plays a similar style of ball and maybe Milton would excel in a more fast past environment.  Nevertheless, the kid looks lost out there, and this is his 3rd year.  He mainly gets by on good skill but his IQ is lacking as is his intensity most of the time.  Not to mention, he has had conflict with the coach this year and was suspended.  Some say he is the worst 5-star recruit they have ever seen, I wont go that far, but for a guy that plays 25-30 mpg for the past 2 years, its crazy that for his 3 year career he avgs 6.7ppg and 4.3rpg.

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

 Renardo Sidney!

Josh Smith(UCLA)!

[realtalk_901Participant]

We

[YurpleHazEParticipant]

Elias Harris has a nice overall game but he should be dominating…

[surveParticipant]

 I have lost track of Memphis, and I didnt know Wes had become so bad but I remember when he was a freshman with Tyreke I believe and one of the commentators said that he would grow into the best NBA prospect on that team because of his size and versatility.  That was a pretty bold statement being that Reke was so highly regarded.  Do you think he was overrated?

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

Take your pick. Especially with their athleticism and height, they should be more dominant or atleast great. Mason has had an ok season, but for a Junior, he should be Duke’s best player being one of the veterans and most gifted athlete on the team.

[SeattleSuperChronicsParticipant]

Abdul gaddy

[surveParticipant]

 I always thought the Plumlee’s were overrated, especially Mason.  

Abdul Gaddy?  Well, he may have been overrated but I think his problem is, he had that injury, then when he recovers and comes back this year, there’s Wroten.   His may be an issue of confidence.

[LoLerScholarParticipant]

Don’t know if this counts being that he is out of the NCAA now, but when I read the title of your post, Scotty Hopson definitely came to mind.  Based on talent, he should have been a lottery pick, but it just didn’t work out for him in the end.  By the way, where is he playing now?

[surveParticipant]

 He was playing in Greece last I heard.  He may never make it to the NBA, but you dont have to worry about him eating off of basketball.   He will have a long career somewhere I believe.

[surveParticipant]

 had a double dose with Ty Walker and Tony Woods, both came to Wake as part of a highly touted trio which also included Al-Farouq Aminu.

Tony Woods

Strengths: 

• Athletic and Long
• Strong physical player
• Nose for the ball, good rebounder
• Good shotblocker

Weaknesses:

• Limited offensive game
• Plays better without the ball at this stage
• Barely any ball skills, mainly a dunker/finisher

Woods problems at Wake are well chronicled, now he is at Oregon and it looks as if his development has stalled.  At one point, this site had Woods ranked higher on the draft boards than Aminu.

 

Ty Walker

Strengths:

• Shotblocking (avg nearly 3bpg while not avg more than 20mpg)
• Extra long 7’6" wingspan
• Athletic

Weaknesses:

• Absolutely no offensive game
• Definitely needs weight (7′ 220lbs)

Walker was raw when he got to Wake and he has not progressed at all.  He shares minutes with other players who do not have half the physical gifts he has but he is just such a liability, he has to give way.  Walker couldve signed with a lot of schools and was days away from receiving an offer from UNC but chose Wake instead.  Not sure if it wouldve made a difference but Walker is still as raw as he was coming out of HS 3 years ago.

[Future_Scout]

 PERRY JONES III

[surveParticipant]

 lol, I would hardly call Jones a disappointment.  I am talking about guys who went from being on draft boards or 5 star recruits to not being on boards at all.  PJII still contributes to a very good team and stilll will be a top 10-15 pick.

[The Scare Crow ReturnsParticipant]

 He was an All American and couldn’t get drafted in the 2nd round…He got a camp invite by The Suns I believe and couldn’t make the roster SMH…as a Huge Nova fan I thought Reynolds could be a solid backup in The NBA at the very least, If Speedy Claxton made it on a Roster for all those years why couldn’t Scottie Rey find a spot???

Also I thought JP Prince, Scotty Hopson, Wayne Chism and Vincent Yarborough would all be good pros, but they either never got drafted or busted out in the case of Vincent Yarborough…

I also thought Robert Dozier and Joey Dorsey would find roles in the NBA as athletic defenders, and I’m still holding  on to the potential of Chris Douglas Roberts…

I have been a little disapointed by Terrence Williams, Jerryd Bayless and Patrick Patterson…I thought each of those guys were bonifide starters on day one…They all seemed to put in favorable positions at the start and for some reason couldn’t stick in the starting lineup…Williams has some of the same qualities of a Igaudola, Bayless could be a Monta/JET/Lou Williams clone and be a borderline starter/6th man type…Patterson was supposed to be good enough to allow the Rockets to trade Scola and begin the full rebuild after Yao’s retirement…

I’m going to throw out Evan Turner at the moment…this isn’t his fault entirely but at some point he’s got to become the player many feel he can be…I think he’s still the most solid all around player from that draft, I just don’t want him to prove that on Team 2…When we drafted him, I figured he’d be in the starting line-up averaging 15-5-5 by year 2…He’s still got that potential but he’s got to get on the floor, no way should a team like the Knicks play Fields and Lin for 40 minutes and the 2nd pick of a good draft gets 14 to 20 minutes every night, it makes no sense at all…In fact I want us to fire Doug Collins for making our talent take a step backwards(Turner,Holiday and Thad Young)…  

[iguapops420Participant]

 Ty Walker was one of my favorite players coming out of highschool as he actually had some slight guard skills it seemed. I remember an interview from a before his freshman year where he was talking about playing 1v1 with Greg Monroe. Oh well, here’s to hoping someone takes him late second as an athletic shotblocker and perhpas give him a chance. Wake was definitely a bad choice for him. Had he waited that week or two longer, I think he could definitely be in John Henson’s shoes right now.

[ProudGrandpaParticipant]

kelsey Barlow, I guess

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