NBA Comparison: Josh Giddey/Steve Smith

Strengths: A physically gifted PG/SG who stands a legitimate 6’7 200 lbs with the frame to add muscle easily … A smooth athlete who has solid body control & leaping ability, and will likely improve his explosiveness with time in an NBA teams training program..Is most comfortable acting as a playmaker for his teammates offensively (4 apg as a Fr.); plays unselfishly, is more steady than flashy, and has promising floor vision as you’d expect from a taller lead guard … Likes to play in the pick and roll game, and was especially good at finding shooters and cutters when some of Arkansas’ main contributors were healthy earlier in the season … Lulls defenders and changes pace pretty well off the bounce to open slashing lanes for himself … Generally accurate making passes on the move and finding streaking players in transition … Isn’t bad when he calls his own number in transition either; gains a head of steam and can convert above the rim in the open floor … Uses his size well when looking to finish plays at the rim against smaller guards, should only get better with more strength (50.3 FG% inside the arc) … Has been an excellent defensive player this season and will be able to defend PG-SF as a pro eventually as he gains experience … Possesses very quick hands and anticipation to swipe and create turnovers (1.9 spg), but also smothers slashers with his length and active feet, forcing difficult shots … Rebounds nicely from the perimeter (5.3 rpg) and looks to get transition opportunities quickly with hit-ahead passes after getting boards and steals … Above average on the offensive glass for a guard prospect as well (1.3 orpg); seemingly has gotten a 2nd chance basket every game as a Fr … Seems to be more comfortable in command of the offense, but has shown that he can play off-ball and flashes the awareness necessary to cut to open spots for shots near the rim … Has the skill set of someone who will potentially be a triple double threat, competes with good energy and contributes in multiple ways when on the court

Weaknesses:  Some question his toughness and leadership as he didn’t put up a big fight when Nick Smith got healthy and seemed to defer the team over to Smith … More smooth than explosive; not especially quick and doesn’t always separate from defenders off the dribble…Not a natural scorer and lacks some polish to his floor game operating in the half court…Currently struggles a bit as a shooter (30 3FG% on 2.8 attempts a game); gets little elevation on his shot and his follow through doesn’t hold up well when asked to make jumpers off the dribble, leading to some bad misses…Minimal mid-range game…Would do him wonders to work on consistently making open jumpers, as defenders will sag off him and dive his screens until he proves to be more of a threat…As of now, Black is tied for the most totals turnovers in the SEC (3.2 topg)…For as unselfish as he is, Black too often drives the lane with pre-determined reads in mind and will force passes even if the defense has him walled off…Needs to work on not telegraphing where he wants to go with the ball; also is prone to leaving his feet when passing the ball…Some of his inefficient passing can be attributed to the lack of spacing that Arkansas has offensively due to reluctant, albeit poor team 3-point shooting that allows defenses to overload inside the arc, but his decision making as a passer can certainly improve…Plays with a higher center of gravity and can at times be susceptible to having the ball swiped away from him when slashing to the rim…Can contribute in a number of ways offensively, but doesn’t quite stand out at anything currently … Maturity? There are some attitude concerns which likely will be flushed out by lottery teams in the interview process …

Overall: Anthony Black was a consensus 5-star recruit as well as a McDonalds All-American out of Texas in HS, who signed to a very highly regarded 2022 Arkansas recruiting class that featured a few other blue chip recruits and was seen as a preseason Final 4 dark horse … Due to injuries to another projected lottery pick in Fr. Nick Smith and athletic big man and pick and roll partner Trevon Brazille, Black has been forced to shoulder more of a load than expected and Arkansas started slow in SEC play, but he has stepped up a number of times this season and intrigued NBA scouts with his upside, size, passing and defense … He possesses positional versatility on both ends of the floor despite clearly being more of an on-ball player, and really has terrific potential defensively with his ability to force turnovers and use his physical tools to his advantage … There are questions about his scoring/shooting potential, and his overall efficiency offensively due to middling shooting percentages and A:TO, as he seems to have a good deal of polish and fundamentals to add to his game … Still, he has the type of skill set to develop into a triple double threat from the guard spot, similarly to a Josh Giddey or Ricky Rubio type player, and he could benefit from a situation where there are better shooters and more bigs around him than he’s had to work with as a Fr…He will likely be a lottery selection and among the 1st PGs to be picked in the 2023 Draft and could carve out a solid niche for himself if the team who selects him let’s him play to his strengths and doesn’t expect him to be a big-time scorer but more of a “do-it-all” type role player …

Notes: Native of Duncanville, TX … Played at Duncanville where he helped the team knock off number one rated Monteverde  … Participated in the 2022 Chris Paul camp where he stood out as perhaps the best long term prospect … Measured 6′ 5.75” barefoot, 8′ 6.50” standing reach, 210 lbs and a 6′ 7.50” wingspan and a 32 inch standing vertical and a 39′ inch max vertical at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine …

Jorrye Nixon 2/10/23

Strengths: 6’7 combo guard … Good size and versatility for position. Can play on or off the ball. Natural feel for the game … Good athlete and very fluid. Quick off the floor and has no issue finishing above the rim jumping off one or both feet … Good ball-handler and keeps his dribble alive under pressure. Doesn’t over-dribble. Reads the floor well with good court vision and passing ability. Pushes the ball with either hand and leads well in transition. Finished 3^rd in assists averaging 4.2 to 1.8 turnovers per game at the U18 Americas Championship in 2022 … Good rebounder for position. Averaged 7.8 (2 offensive) rebounds per game at the U18 Americas Championship in 2022 … Good tools, versatility, and intensity as a defender, showing ability to guard any perimeter position. Moves his feet well and disrupts the ball-handler. Covers more ground than he appears. Averaged a 3^rd best 2 blocks per game at the U18 Americas Championship in 2022 … Can utilize mismatches, using his size against smaller guards or blowing by bigger defenders …

Weaknesses: Handles contact pretty well but still has a lot of room to add strength … While it’s not a bad thing that he’s a selective driver and doesn’t force his impact on the offensive end, he doesn’t really break down the defense, even with his speed and ball-handling ability. Doesn’t typically slash to the basket until he finds that angle in the half-court or create a lot of scoring opportunities for himself … Can be more efficient as a shooter and scorer. Averaged 10.7 points per game on 42.1% FG% at the NBPA Top 100 in 2021 and 4.7 points per game on 32.4% FG% at the U18 Americas Championship in 2022 … More of a rhythm and streaky shooter than knock down, as he’s had events where he’s been a plus shooter from distance and other times he hasn’t been able to find his rhythm. Shot 35.7% 3PT% on 4.7 3PT attempts per game at the NBPA Top 100 in 2021 and 16.7 3PT% on 1 3PT attempt per game at the U18 Americas Championship in 2022 …

Outlook: Incoming Arkansas freshman … 2022 McDonald’s All-American … Played in the 2022 Nike Hoop Summit … Recorded 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in the 2022 Iverson Classic …

Evan Tomes 7/14/22