NBA Comparison: Gordon Hayward

Strengths: Has good size on the wing at 6’8 205, with the frame to easily put on around 10-15 lbs of muscle … Adequate athleticism with room to gain more explosiveness as he gets stronger … A knockdown shooter from distance who lets it fly with confidence (42 3FG% one over 5 attempts per game); possesses a high and compact release that holds up well when spotting up or off screens and hand offs … Steps into his shots and rises up with good elevation, allowing him to not be as phased by contested jumpers … Your man if you need a corner 3-pointer … Moves well without the ball; knows how to navigate to open spots whether for a deep shot on the move or a timely cut towards the basket as a drive and dish valve … Can stick 1 dribble pull-ups with ease when he gets a step after attacking closeouts … Doesn’t waste movement and is generally concise with what he wants to do on the court … Projects to be more of a floor spacer and shooting valve in transition at the next level, but he has been a factor making his way to the rim at Kansas, showing his underrated leaping ability when he has momentum going towards the basket with some above the rim flashes when he has daylight … Tilts the defense a bit with the threat of his shooting and makes it easier for his teammates to operate from the foul line extended down to the paint without as much help from sagging defenders … Will pressure the rim via backdoor cuts when the defense plays him overly close on the perimeter, and has been more willing to play through contact in the paint than he’s given credit for … Ball doesn’t stick to him for long; mostly shoots but also makes unselfish plays within the flow of the offense…Low turnover rate for a Fr. (1.3 topg); generally takes care of the ball and makes sound decisions … Chips in on the glass for a Jayhawks team that plays small lineups most times (5 rpg) … Projects to be able to match up with either wing position on most nights at the pro level … A steady defender at the point of attack, consistently plays with effort and gets down in his stance … Also shows active hands and awareness defensively (1.5 spg), constantly stripping the ball away from unexpecting slashers and reaching in the passing lanes to get a hand on lazy passes that occasionally lead to live ball turnovers and runouts … Knows his roles and responsibilities, and plays them with maturity beyond his years at this stage

Weaknesses: Not an Elite athlete by NBA standards; not particularly fast or quick … Also lacks length, though his anticipatory skills help alleviate it defensively off the ball he likely won’t effect that many shot attempts when contesting because of it … Not afraid of contact but still needs to get stronger; sometimes can be washed out of plays by getting hung up going under screens and taking too long to get around to stick to the person he’s guarding … Quicker matchups can at times beat him off the bounce and get him on their hip to create slashing lanes to the rim or pick up foul calls … Heavily reliant on timing to offset his length and quickness deficiencies, may not be able to recover and get back into position the times he whiffs on his gambles for steals at the next level … Nothing more than ordinary off the bounce; ho-hum ball-handler who offers nothing more than straight-line slashes & basic 1-2 dribble pullups … Doesn’t show the ability to create much space for himself off the dribble … Will occasionally pick up charging calls the more he dribbles, at times barreling into the lane without a plan…Doesnt project to finish well in the paint amongst the trees at the next level, particularly against set halfcourt defenses … Has solid feel for the game for a player his age, but is still learning how to pick his spots…Good FT shooter (84 FT% as a Fr), but doesn’t get to the line that often (2.8 FTA per game) …

Overall: Gradey Dick was the 2022 Gatorade National Player of the Year in HS and a McDonalds All-American who came to defending national champs Kansas as the crown jewel of their recruiting class … Bill Self thinks that he could arguably be the best shooter he’s signed at Kansas, which is saying something considered the history of sweet shooting wings that have played at Kansas during his tenure, many of whom were early draft picks … He has lived up to the hype in many regards, ranking 2nd of the team in scoring with 14.3 ppg, hitting over 40% of his shots from downtown and higher than 85% of his FT attempts…He also has been a quality defensive player and an asset in transition too, using his instincts to come up with a number of steals and deflections and using his jump shot to space the floor and create slashing lanes to pull up or finish when he gets an opening … There are questions about how his limited physical and athletic tools will allow certain parts of his game to translate to the next level, particularly as a finisher and against certain defensive matchups, and about how productive he can be when his shots aren’t falling, but he seems to have the kind of size, shooting and positional defense to help a team as he gain experience … He also seems to be a quick study who has shown plus decision making and basketball IQ for a 19 year old….Players with a standout skill and the smarts he displays generally find a way to stick in the NBA, and he certainly projects to at the very least be a 3-point weapon who can get his shot off in multiple different ways, and if his defense remains steady he will be a good fit as a 3-and-D specialist on the perimeter … He should hear his name called in the 1st round of the draft and possibly the lottery depending on team need …

Notes: Measured 6′ 6.25” barefoot, 8′ 5.00” standing reach, 204 lbs and a 6′ 8.75” wingspan and a 29 inch standing vertical and a 34′ inch max vertical at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine …

Jorrye Nixon 3/18/23

Strengths: 6’8 prolific shooter … Good size for a wing … Great shooter with limitless range and quick release. Good balance, footwork, and release point. Reliable scoring option at a high-volume while staying efficient. Shoots well off the dribble or move, curls/pin downs, only needs a little bit of space, and shoots well while fading away. Shoots well from midrange. Shot a 3^rd best 41.6% 3PT% on 8.9 3PT attempts per game over the NIBC in 2021-22 … Led the NIBC in scoring with 17.5 points per game over the NIBC in 2021-22 … His shot keeps the defense tense and can open driving opportunities. Can make the right play when getting ran off the 3PT line. Isn’t afraid to drive to his left (weak hand) … Moves well without the ball … Anticipates very well when defending off the ball with good hands and deflects a lot of passes. Solid on ball defender. Averaged a 4^th best 1.8 steals per game over the NIBC in 2021-22 … Easy to see him translating at higher levels and there’s no questioning his position/role. Can make an immediate impact …

Weaknesses: Solid athlete but not super explosive and doesn’t show it too much in the half-court … Has room to add strength and gets knocked off balance when making contact … Minimal slashing ability, attacks closeouts but doesn’t have a lot of creativity with the ball. Doesn’t break down the defense or create much space/separation with his dribble. Generally, pulls up off one or two dribbles, takes a straight attack, or picks his dribble up. Struggles in traffic whether it’s keeping his dribble or trying to get off a clean shot at the rim … Can improve scoring efficiency overall. Averaged 10.4 points per game on 40% FG% at the NBPA Top 100 in 2021 and 17.5 points per game on 46.1% FG% over the NIBC in 2021-22 … Solid passer and can make the right play but isn’t an advanced playmaker … Not a great rebounder for size … As someone who doesn’t stand out as a rebounder or playmaker, he can lack offensive contribution if his shot’s not falling …

Outlook: Incoming Kansas freshman … 2022 McDonald’s All-American … Played in the 2022 Nike Hoop Summit … 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year … 2020 and 2022 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year …

Evan Tomes 7/19/22