NBA Comparison: Justin Anderson

Strengths: A physically strong 6’6 230 F/G with excellent length (6’11 wingspan) that allows him to play ‘taller’ than his height and decent athleticism and leaping ability…Uniquely versatile player who has experience playing SG-PF on both ends of the court…Resourceful scorer with mismatch ability (18 ppg on 53 FG% currently); can bully smaller wings as a slasher or posting up from as far out as 12-15 ft but also has enough touch to convert pull-up jumpers and 3s when guarded by slower frontcourt players…Master at up-and-unders, and consistently draws fouls (over 5 FTA a game at 75%) and converts tricky layups because of it…Picks his spots pretty well and does a nice job of attacking as soon as he sees daylight…Also has a solid turnaround J in the mid range…Knows how to use his strong upper body to create space when looking to slash as well as convert shots in the paint, but also is creative using angles and taking advantage of the rim & backboard to shield the ball from shot blockers, which is key for shorter frontcourt players…A consistent shooter with his feet set; legitimate 3-point range (39 3FG% on nearly 3 attempts per game) and is very good as a valve for dribble penetration…Rebounds well, especially for a 6’6 player (8 RPG as a Sr., nearly 7 rpg for his career) and is effective on the offensive glass…Doesn’t shy away from contact or bigger players and shows a pretty high motor…Moves well without the ball and has made a number of timely cuts that have resulted in backdoor alley-oops or open layups this season, let alone over his career…Mentally tough, competitive player…An overachieving type who gets the most out of himself whenever he takes the floor…

Weaknesses: At around 6’6 and more of a frontcourt player than a true wing, Johnson is undersized for NBA SF standards…His lack of height is more of a concern defensively, where taller players can rise and shoot over him relatively easily and convert shots in the paint…Offers little in the way of a shot-blocking threat (0.3 bpg for his career)…His physicality and motor at times works against him on D, as he can at times be foul prone and handsy when guarding on the perimeter…There are some questions about what position he will defend in the NBA…Relies heavily on his right hand for finishes, and at times attempts unnecessarily tough shots around the rim because of it…Doesn’t get much elevation on his jumper, which limits the types of jumpers he can take against set defenses…Average ball-handling ability, almost exclusively a straight-like slasher…At times gets tunnel vision looking to score, which leads to him driving into no-mans land and turning the ball over or picking up offensive fouls (3.1 TOPG as a Sr.)…There may still be concerns about his medicals in the draft process after scary 2020 incident, but the fact that he has been medically cleared by the NCAA should quell fears…Despite developing his shooting (43% from 3 as a senior) considerably, his 72% career FT number is still a concern …

Overall: The feel good story of college hoops this season has been the return and outstanding play of Florida transfer Keyontae Johnson, who has been a main reason that Kansas State has gone from a team that was picked to finish last in the Big 12 a current Top 10 team…After a scary, career-threatening collapsing incident in the beginning of the 2020-2021 season that derailed him for 2 seasons while at University of Florida, Johnson has come back even stronger than his previous form and has re-established himself as an NBA prospect and Conference POY candidate once again…He is averaging a career best 18 ppg and 8 rpg and has been a double-double machine; using his physicality, mismatch skillset and soft touch to produce nicely for KState…He is a bit undersized for a frontcourt player, and it effects him defensively when matched up with taller player, comes with an obvious medical history that will be closely monitored and he’s an older prospect who will be 23 years old for his rookie season in the pros…Still, there is alot to like about his versatile offensive game, length and the physicality he plays with…He will certainly have opportunities to make an NBA roster and there is a good chance he will hear his name called at the 2023 NBA Draft as well …

Notes: Measured 6′ 4.00” barefoot, 8′ 7.00” standing reach, 238.6 lbs and a 7′ 00.00” wingspan at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine …

Jorrye Nixon 2/9/23