NBA Comparison: Jared Dudley

Strengths: Petteway is a talented wing scorer with size and experience … He can score in all kinds of ways, be it outside or inside, on the catch-and-shoot or on a shot of his own creation … Has a knack for filling up the basket … Has a solid repertoire of guard skills for a player of his size (6’6" with a 6’11" wingspan) …  Can put the ball on the floor and shoot it from outside … Brings the right mentality to the game, great energy, team player …  Ultra-competitive guy who is constantly engaged and constantly aggressive … Always looking to make a play when he has the ball in his hands … Good step-back jumper.  That’s one of his signature moves … His great wingspan and high motor make him a solid perimeter defender … Good distributor for his position … Can run an offense in a pinch (especially the pick-and-roll) and knows how to create for himself and for his teammate …  Averaged a healthy 2.8 assists per game last year in 35 minutes per game … Does a pretty good job of drawing fouls and getting to the line … Brings his tenacity to the aspect of rebounding … Averaged nearly 5 boards per game, a pretty good number for a wing … Great in transition … Can push the ball and finish well … Good body control … Knows how to make space as he finishes and get the ball up and around bigger defenders … All in all, a crafty finisher … Good teammate. Very supportive and positive. Mature. …  He was the catalyst in Nebraska’s surge at the end of the 2013-2014 season in which they got super hot in conference play and snagged a rare tournament bid for the school … Finished third in the conference in scoring last season with 18.2 PPG, which isn’t bad considering defenses put a lot of focus on him as Nebraska’s main offensive threat …

Weaknesses: Petteway is a high-volume shooter who isn’t always the most efficient player on the court.  His shooting percentage was under 40% last season … Takes a lot of long pull-up jumpers from inside the arc, which is one of the least efficient shots one can take … He’s very confident but at times, it can be over confidence as he forces bad shots … All in all, he’s overly reliant on pull-up jumpers, although part of his shot selection woes can be attributed to the fact that Nebraska had very few viable offensive options … Can be too aggressive at times, to the point of being out of control … Averaged a whopping 3.4 turnovers per game last season, a huge number for a non-point guard … Not a standout athlete … His combine numbers were very underwhelming, though his wingspan helps him … His standing vert and max vert were both the fifth-lowest of 49 players measured at the combine, which includes plenty of big men … Also was determined to be fairly skinny at the combine, weighing in at 209 lbs … Granted, he’s fearless attacking the rim and gets a fair amount of highlight jams, all things considered … His body fat was very low, but he may need to put on muscle to guard NBA 3’s, as he may lack the quickness to guard NBA 2’s … Has a slight tendency to get lost on defense off the ball … Not a great free throw shooter for how often he gets to the line.  Shot 71% from the stripe last season. Not horrible but must improve …

Notes: Sat out the 2012-13 season after transferring from Texas Tech (where he played his FR season) … Named third team All-Big Ten last season…

Overall: Played the season with a heavy heart as his mother, Joetta Petteway, was battling cancer. She passed away following the season in early April, in Galveston, Texas … Petteway shouldered much of the load for the Huskers the past two years and had a lot of responsibility on offense … He put up a lot of shots and played very aggressively, which was good, but he was often out of control and trigger-happy.  His athleticism is below average for the NBA level, but he’s a good teammate and a smart, competitive kid, with high intangibles, so he may be able to make the transition to role player …  His combination of size, particularly his wingspan, and guard skills gives him a good shot to make a team and possibly get into a rotation …

Jacob Stallard 5/16/15

Strengths: One of the most exciting players in college basketball … Aggressive, imaginative player with a scorer’s mentality. Has a bit of throwback demeanor with his dreadlocks and headband (rare for a 2-guard) … Highly determined. Will battle you tooth and nail. "Crazy" in a good way … Highly competitive, has stepped up in some big games this year … Solid athlete by NBA standards with adequate foot speed, body control and explosiveness. Seems to maximize his abilities … High volume shooter, but rarely forces bad shots … Fearless style of game and is relentless attacking the basket. Capable of finishing at the rim in spectacular fashion, and will do so in traffic without hesitation … Shows excellent ball handling in the open court and loves to push the ball up the floor … Good court sense and feel for the game. Understands how to use his body well to shield shots from defenders … Has a crisp, fluid shooting motion and connects on a high number of shots (40% from 3 and 84% FT) … Very effective running the pick and roll and creating shots for himself off the dribble … Equally adept at the catch and shoot … Shows a strong understanding of how to free himself for shots using screens, as well as fakes … Loves to pull up from the top of the key and will do so from 5-8 feet beyond the college line, showing NBA range on his jumpshot … Never seems to take a play off. His motor is nonstop on both ends of the floor. Strong defender. For as "wild" and aggressive as his nature is on the floor, he shows maturity in his mannerisms, supporting teammates and being a team focused player …

Weaknesses: His fearless, free wheeling nature leads to playing out of control at times … Can be prone to turnovers and playing too Helter Skelter. What makes him so successful at times can also be his downfall. … Poor assist to turnover ratio. Some of which can be attributed to being forced to make plays due to lack of quality teammates … Needs to learn better ball protection and not force passes. Seems to play the game at a fever pitch, and learning to harness the fearlessness and cut down on the turnovers will make him an efficient player in the long run … Has carte blanch to play a somewhat schizophrenic brand of basketball. It remains to be seen if he can have the same level of success with more limitations on his shot volume and style of play … Will turn 22 this year (October), so he’s already the age of a senior, limiting his upside to a degree … Body frame is on the slight side for being a 21 year old player. Will need to get stronger …

Notes: Legitimate Player of the Year Candidate in the Big 10 … Sat out the 2012-13 season after transferring from Texas Tech (where he played his FR season) … Measured 6’6 (in shoes) 214 lbs, with a 6’10 wingspan at the 2014 Kevin Durant Skills Academy

Aran Smith 2/5/14