23 - Charles Bassey

6-10, 230 Power Forward/Center
Western Kentucky Junior
Birthday
10/28/00 (23.4 yrs)
Hometown
Lagos, Nigeria
High School
Aspire Academy
Team Site Profile
Athleticism
7
Size
9
Defense
8
Strength
8
Quickness
6
Leadership
7
Jump Shot
8
NBA Ready
8
Rebounding
8
Potential
7
Post Skills
7
Intangibles
8

NBA Comparison: Gorgui Dieng/David West

Strengths: 6’11 bigman with a long 7’3 wingspan who plays with a high level of intensity and desire … Uses his length well and shows outstanding rebounding ability … High motor with superb athleticism for a player his size … Able to rim run in transition at a high clip … Averaged 11.4 rebounds per game in his junior year … Great with put backs at the rim and finishing through contact … Consistent alley oop catcher and finisher … Tremendous shot blocker and rim protector … Aggressive but not reckless going for blocks … Patient on defense, tends to choose the right time to go for the shot block … Pretty good at switching on defense and guarding perimeter players in certain situations … Decent free throw shooter at his size … Solid mid range shooter at the big man position … Able to handle the ball to where he can score off the dribble fairly easily, especially inside … Ability to step back and hit the open catch and shoot 3 … High effort player who does not give up on plays … Sets physical screens … Plays with focus and tenacity … Hard working kid with excellent determination and considered a high character kid … Bounced back well from a difficult leg injury and seemed to retain his confidence, athleticism and mobility …

Weaknesses: Needs to work on shooting range and consistency … Hesitates at times when left open for jumpers … Can get out of control in transition at times … Plenty of room to improve finishing with his off hand (left) … Needs more moves in the paint on offense to keep defenders guessing … Touch around the basket has room for improvement … Needs more finesse moves rather than just overpowering defenders every time … Defensive switching needs work … Gets off balance at times … Quick with the ball but sometimes too quick which can lead to turnovers … Mobility when defending pick and rolls needs development … Passing ability and court vision can improve as well as overall awareness with and without the basketball … Has to take better care of the basketball … Can gain a few more pounds to contend against bigs at the next level … Still very raw on both ends of the basketball but has tremendous upside … the game has gone away from the traditional big type players which neutralizes his intrigue to some degree. Can he defend on the perimeter and hit shots from 3 point at the next level will be important aspects for his future success …

Outlook: Bassey had a very strong season for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in his junior year. He made a substantial jump in production between his sophomore and junior years … He averaged 17.7 points per game on 59.7 percent shooting to go with 11.4 rebounds and an impressive 3.1 blocked shots … If this young man’s improvement on both ends of the floor continues, he can potentially become something special … very mobile and athletic for a 7-footer which is a plus but he needs to develop into a better pick and roll defender as well as a more complete offensive player …

Notes: Measured 6’9.25” barefoot, 6’10.25” in shoes 8’11.5” standing reach, 230.2 lbs, and 7’3.0” wingspan at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine …

David Green 3/24/21

Strengths: He’s 6’10 with a very long (7’3 wingspan) frame, with standout rebounding and rim protection potential … He has solid mobility and athletic … He has a relentless motor and it shows when he attacks the glass … He averaged 10 rebounds per game last season, including multiple games of 15+ rebounds … He’s great at creating his own offense by cleaning up his teammates misses … He’s also great in transition and finishing at the rim, which a lot of players his size has trouble with … He’s able to finish consistently when catching alley oop passes or when he’s in the paint vs smaller defenders … With his length and explosiveness, he can be a very good shot blocker and rim protector at the next level … He averaged 2.4 blocks per game which ranked 15 th in the NCAA … Without a well-polished offensive game, he can still be a major factor at the next level … He is a good free throw shooter for his size, he shot 76% from the line this year … He is a solid shooter from the midrange area … He has solid enough handle to score off the dribble against slow footed defenders … He shows good IQ in finding open space under the basket … He doesn’t give up on plays … Sets physical screens … The talent is there. Was rated as the number one player in his class at certain points early in his high school career … Motivated, focused, mature individual …

Weaknesses: He tends to rely too heavily on his athleticism … Can look awkward and off balance at times, and has a tendency to get sped up and try to rush plays, instead of remaining calm on the floor … Emotional. Confidence can waver as he gets down on himself if things don’t go his way … Foot work is a little choopy … A bit of a plodder right now as he has thick legs and heavy footed, but runs fast when he puts his mind to it …  Some of his choopiness should even out, and could be due to his age. Bigs take longer to gain full mobility (Bogut and Hibbert are examples) … He needs to improve his shooting range at the next level … He did shoot 45% this season from three, but that was on 20 attempts all season … He struggles when having to go to his left to finish … He can be undisciplined at times on the defensive end of the floor … He needs to expand on his post moves outside of just overpowering defenders … He sometimes rushes shots in the paint and misses instead of taking his time and finishing in the paint … He lacks mobility to defend on pick and rolls … In the NBA he will constantly get picked on until he improves … He does most of his damage on the offensive end against smaller and less athletic defenders … While he is quick with the ball, sometimes his quick decisions lead to turnovers … He averaged just about three turnovers per game this past season … He needs to improve his ability to pass the ball … He can pick up unnecessary fouls at times … He needs to put on more muscle … He needs to work on his ball handling skills … He’s still raw and undeveloped, that’s a good and a bad thing because his upside is high … Age has drawn some skepticism, looks older than his October, 2000 listed birthday, and being born in Nigeria that comes into question, fair or not …

Outlook: While in high school showed a tendency to play up (or down) to the level of his competition, which made his college choice a questionable one considering the overall talent Western Kentucky plays over the course of a season … Projected as a mid-late first rounder … Figures to be one of the sleepers of the 2019 draft if he elects to keep his name in … He has a high motor that allows him to relentlessly grab rebounds … He has the size and length to be an excellent rim protector … However, he’ll have to improve on his shooting, offensive skills overall, and lateral foot speed if he wants to elevate his status in the league … Centers who aren’t threats offensively and have trouble defending the perimeter will be match-uped off the floor in today’s game.

Notes: Measuerd 6’10.5, 234, 7’3 wingspan, 9’2.5 standing reach at the 2018 Nike Hoop Summit … He was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He played soccer there until the age 12, which by that time he was 6’1 … He started to play basketball when he was 12 after being discovered by a coach while selling chicken on the side of a road … He has a 7’3 wingspan … He earned co-MVP in the Jordan Brand Classic International game alongside R.J Barret back in 2016 …

Zach Smith 4/10/19

Strengths: 6’10.5 mobile big man … Great length and covers a lot of ground with a 7’2 wingspan and 9’2.5 standing reach … Fluid athlete. Gets off the ground very well and finishes plays above the rim. Good transition finisher and jumps well from a standstill … Quick second jump … Very good rebounder, good elevation and secures with both hands. Finished third on the adidas Gauntlet with 10.8 rebounds per game and in the top five at adidas Nations with 7.2 per game … Puts his body on defender and boxes out … Good strength and build … Finishes through contact well … Fights for post position and plays physical … Sets good screens and good roll man as an athletic finisher. Shows flashes in pick and pop situations … Crashes offensive glass very well and reads opportunities for tip slams … Keeps the ball high after rebounds or anytime in traffic not letting opponents get a hand on it. Reliable cleaning up around the basket. Soft touch and uses glass when appropriate. Averaged 12.4 points per game and shot 55.6% from the floor over the adidas Gauntlet. Averaged 15.2 points per game while shooting 72.3% (34-47) from the floor at adidas Nations … Good energy and intensity. Consistently runs the floor and doesn’t give up on plays … Highly active and finishes in traffic … Good hands … Raw post player but very good at reading double teams down low … Passes well out of the post … In addition to his offensive rebounding ability; he doesn’t force up put backs and will distribute to the open man quickly … Shows versatile skills but doesn’t try to do too much on the perimeter, continues to go into the post … Good passing instincts overall and very unselfish … Knows where he’s passing before he receives the ball and shows touch passes on occasions. Can pass on the move. Throws accurate outlet passes … Solid shooting mechanics and gets proper rotation within comfortable range. Squares up to the basket quickly on the move and shows a turnaround fade away in the post. Has shown improvement shooting from three and shoots off the dribble on occasions … Very aggressive and loves to attack. Shot 5.2 free throws per game at adidas Nations … Can put the ball on the floor and changes directions with the ball. Can take the ball from one end to the other … Good defender with some versatility. Vocal and directs teammates. Gets off the ground well, instinctive, and good timing as a shot blocker. Finished in the top five in blocks over the adidas Gauntlet with 2.9 per game. Led adidas Nations in blocks with 1.8 per game. Good anticipation. Moves his feet well and has active hands showing ability to close out on the perimeter. Rotates well defensively. Averaged one steal per game over the adidas Gauntlet … Shows potential to play inside and out and a blend of playing with his back to the basket as well as facing up … Plays within himself. Willing screener, coachable, and does the things you want a big man to do …

Weaknesses: Has much room to expand his game as he scores a lot of points on put backs and rim running. Can expand shooting range and develop a better face up game … Can improve free throw shooting, shot 67.7% from the line over the adidas Gauntlet … Turnover prone, tends to turn it over without much defensive pressure at times. Averaged 3.2 turnovers per game over the adidas Gauntlet and 1.8 per game at adidas Nations … Post-game is raw but will develop with time and work. Footwork and use of pivots show flashes but has a way to go. Lacks technique within close if he doesn’t dunk, relied on being physically superior in high school. Still improving half-court offense … Picks up unnecessary fouls at times … Much of his skill is shown in flashes and will minimize as he progresses onto the college level … Some questions linger in the scouting community about his listed age …

Outlook: Incoming Western Kentucky freshman in 2018/19 … Scored 13 points and set a World Team record of 16 rebounds (five offensive) in the Nike Hoop Summit … Transferred to Aspire Academy for his junior year and led them as runner up in The Grind Session World Championship … MVP of Basketball Without Borders … MVP of the 2017 Underclassmen All American Game with 35 points, 20 rebounds, and six blocks … MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic International Game with 14 points and 12 rebounds …

Evan Tomes 8/3/18

Strengths: 6’10 big man … Great length and covers a lot of ground … Fluid athlete, very coordinated, runs the floor well. Gets off the ground very well and finishes plays above the rim … Quick second jump … Very good rebounder. Finished third on the adidas Gauntlet with 10.8 rebounds per game and in the top five at adidas Nations with 7.2 per game … Puts his body on defender and boxes out … Crashes offensive glass very well … Keeps the ball high after rebounds or anytime in traffic not letting opponents get a hand on it. Reliable cleaning up around the basket. Soft touch and uses glass when appropriate. Averaged 12.4 points per game and shot 55.6% from the floor over the adidas Gauntlet. Averaged 15.2 points per game while shooting 72.3% (34-47) from the floor at adidas Nations … Consistently runs the floor and doesn’t give up on plays … Highly active and finishes in traffic … Raw post player but very good at reading double teams down low … Passes out of the post better than many experienced big men at any level … In addition to his offensive rebounding ability; he doesn’t force up put backs and will distribute to the open man quickly … Shows versatile skills but doesn’t try to do too much on the perimeter, continues to go into the post … Good passing instincts overall and very unselfish … Thinks a few passes ahead and seems to have a natural understanding of the game … Solid shooting mechanics and gets proper rotation within comfortable range. Squares up to the basket quickly on the move and shows a turnaround fade away in the post … Very aggressive and loves to attack. Shot 5.2 free throws per game at adidas Nations … Can put the ball on the floor and changes directions with the ball. Can take the ball from one end to the other … Good defender with some versatility. Vocal and directs teammates. Gets off the ground well, instinctive, and good timing as a shot blocker. Finished in the top five in blocks over the adidas Gauntlet with 2.9 per game. Led adidas Nations in blocks with 1.8 per game. Moves his feet well and has active hands showing ability to close out on the perimeter. Rotates well defensively and can pick up the ball handler. Averaged one steal per game over the adidas Gauntlet … Shows potential to play inside and out and a blend of playing with his back to the basket as well as facing up … Plays within himself. Willing screener, coachable, and does the things you want a big man to do …

Weaknesses:  Has much room to expand his game. Can expand shooting range and develop a better face up game. Can improve free throw shooting, shot 67.7% from the line over the adidas Gauntlet … Turnover prone, tends to turn it over without much defensive pressure at times. Averaged 3.2 turnovers per game over the adidas Gauntlet and 1.8 per game at adidas Nations … Post-game is raw but will develop with time and work. Footwork and use of pivots show flashes but has a way to go … Isn’t always heavily involved with the offense. Doesn’t have a way to get his own points consistently yet … Picks up unnecessary fouls at times …

Outlook: One of the top talents in the 2019 high school class … Transferred to Aspire Academy for his junior year … MVP of the Underclassmen All American Game with 35 points, 20 rebounds, and six blocks … MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic International Game with 14 points and 12 rebounds … Measured 6’10.5 (in shoes) 234 lbs, with a 7’3 wingspan and 9’2.5 standing reach at the 2018 Nike Hoop Summit

Evan Tomes 11/27/17

Strengths: 6’10 big man … Great length and covers a lot of ground … Fluid athlete; very coordinated and runs the floor well. Gets off the ground very well and finishes plays above the rim. Quick second jump. Very good rebounder. Puts his body on defender and boxes out. Crashes offensive glass very well. Keeps the ball high after rebounds or anytime in traffic not letting opponents get a hand on it. Reliable cleaning up around the basket … Runs the floor well and doesn’t give up on plays. Highly active … Raw post player but very good at reading double teams down low. Passes out of the post better than many experienced big men at any level. In addition to his offensive rebounding ability; he doesn’t force up put backs and will distribute to the open man quickly. Shows versatile skills but doesn’t try to do too much on the perimeter, continues to go into the post. Good passing instincts overall and very unselfish. Seems to have a natural understanding of the game … Solid shooting mechanics within comfortable range. Knocks down threes on occasions but doesn’t settle for outside shots too much. Squares up to the basket quickly on the move and shows a turnaround fade away in the post … Very aggressive and loves to attack … Shows some ball handling ability. Can take the ball from one end to the other. Changes directions pretty well with the ball … Good potential and versatility as a defender. Vocal and directs teammates. Gets off the ground well and shows instincts as a shot blocker. Moves his feet well and has active hands showing ability to guard and close out on the perimeter. Played a full court press at St. Anthony where he was effective rotating and picking up the ball handler from different locations on the court … Shows potential to play inside and out and a blend of playing with his back to the basket as well as facing up …

Weaknesses:
Simply has much room to expand his game which is expected only entering his sophomore year of high school. Can expand shooting range and develop a better face up game. Can improve as a ball handler, tends to turn it over without much defensive pressure at times. Post-game is raw but will develop with time and work … Isn’t always heavily involved with the offense. Doesn’t have a way to get his own points consistently yet. Shows flashes his offensive skills in spurts but has a way to go to consistently display them. Shows many positive traits as a prospect but is far from a finished product …

Outlook: Bassey shows a lot of promise as a long term prospect sitting at the top of the 2019 high school class. Matched up against Mississippi State freshman, Schnider Herard, in the state championship game. Although St. Anthony lost by a wide margin, freshman Bassey didn’t back down from the much older Herard, finishing with five points, 11 rebounds (six offensive), and three blocks. He also posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds in the Jordan Brand Classic International Game to earn Co-MVP along with elite 2019 RJ Barrett.

Evan Tomes: 11/14/16

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