After a few weeks off, the Monday Dish is back. Before we get sucked back into transfer mania, I wanted to give some closing thoughts on my weekend trip to Pleasant Prairie, Wisc. for the NY2LA Sports Swish ‘N Dish.
What position best suits Nick Smith on the next level? Which in-state prospect would I recommend new Indiana coach Mike Woodson do some homework on? I take a look at that and more to kick off Monday.
NICK SMITH IS AT HIS BEST AS A PLAYMAKER
During my time at the Swish ‘N Dish, I didn’t see many, if any, players better than Nick Smith. That shouldn’t come as a huge surprise considering the product of Arkansas who plays his grassroots ball for Brad Beal Elite is currently ranked No. 25 overall in the class of 2022 by 247Sports.
The question that kept crossing my mind while watching him play, though, was do we need to switch his position and how does he best fit on the college level? Currently, we have Smith listed as a shooting guard and he’s certainly got a future as a two. However, I would be in favor of switching him to combo guard or possibly even point guard and in college I believe he’ll fit best in a situation where he’s got the ball in his hands.
At 6-foot-4, Smith is a sneaky explosive athlete. Whether it is ball screens or pure one on one situations he reads defenses and uses a tremendous first step and great body control to slither around defenders. He’s wired to score first, but he’s much better scoring off the dribble than running off screens or playing catch and shoot. On top of that, he’s a much better passer than given credit for and I think he could defend points and combos.
Arkansas, Auburn and Kentucky seem to be generating the most talk when it comes to his recruitment – Baylor, Florida, Georgetown, Kansas and others are involved – all of them would be well advised to sell him on being a primary ball handler and playmaker. It is both the best move for his future and the best way for a school to fully utilize his talents.
MIKE WOODSON SHOULD BE TAKING A LONG LOOK AT JALEN HOOKS IN 2023
When you are the head coach at Indiana, you are expected to be in the mix and landing the top players from the Hoosier state. Given his pedigree, I don’t think Mike Woodson needs me to tell him that. I don’t think he needs me to tell him anything.
If he was interested in my opinion on the class of 2023, well then, I would tell him to take a real long look at Jalen Hooks and consider making him a priority type recruit sooner than later.
Currently ranked No. 55 nationally by 247Sports, the sophomore at Indianapolis (Ind.) Crispus Attucks really caught my attention playing with the George Hill All Indy 16U team. He’s at least 6-foot-6, maybe pushing 6-foot-7, is athletic, has a motor and is dripping with potential as a big wing or a matchup problem small ball four. His shot looks workable and he can definitely do some things in transition.
Obviously, he’ll need to keep getting better and he could improve his ball handling and consistency. But, if he’s able to put it all together then he’s a guy with a lot of upside and ability to help out in Bloomington.
Illinois already offered, Xavier has offered, and DePaul had too under their previous coaching staff. Once coaches can finally get back out this summer, I believe there is a good chance that Hooks could really see people ramp things up. If so, it wouldn’t hurt for Woodson and Indiana to have made him one of their early priorities.
IMPORTANT SPRING AND SUMMER AHEAD FOR CASEY AND WASHINGTON
Currently ranked No. 24 and No. 31 in the class of 2022 by 247Sports, big men Jalen Washington and AJ Casey team up together on Meanstreets and they each have an important spring and summer ahead of them.
A product of Gary, Ind., Washington is still getting back to full speed from a knee injury and the 6-foot-9 junior’s game is in a state of change. He’s adding to his frame as he matures and while he’s currently listed as a power forward, he may make more sense on the college level as a skilled five man who can help control the glass, play good positional defense and also soften defenses a bit because he’s a good jump shooter. He’s also still wearing a bulky brace and it will be interesting to see if he’s able to move around a little better once he sheds it. Illinois, Michigan State, Purdue and Stanford have been among those prioritizing him and of course the new Indiana staff is likely to make him a priority as they settle in.
Friday and Saturday were my first chances to see Casey in person since almost two summers ago, so it was nice to see him live compared to on film. At 6-foot-7, maybe 6-foot-8 he’s pretty mobile and he’s got some skill. A good athlete, he’s a guy that many coaches have told me they are interested in getting a better look at. Some think he’s every bit as good, if not better, than he’s currently ranked while others have wondered. As for his weekend play, he was generally solid and I’m looking forward to seeing what type of summer he has as we look to get a better handle on the rising senior class.
I would imagine new DePaul coach Tony Stubblefield will try to make him a priority and Casey did score offers from Memphis and Gonzaga during the winter months. Illinois, Louisville, Michigan, Purdue and many others are also involved. Just who will show up to watch him play – assuming coaches can get out at some point this summer – will be interesting to see.
SHOULD THE THOMPSON TWINS BE FIVE-STAR PROSPECTS?
Should the Thompson twins be moved to five-star status during the next rankings update to 2022? That’s the question I kept asking myself about Ausar Thompson (No. 44) and Amen Thompson (No. 47) while traveling back to Kansas City from Milwaukee.
Going in their favor is that they are both pushing 6-foot-7, have elite athleticism, disrupt everything defensively and generally play hard. Ausar is more of a slasher and scorer while Amen is a gifted passer. However, the only hold up is that each of them has work to do when it comes to their jump shooting.
For now, I think they both need to be moved up into at least the top 35 range and they are right on the cusp of five-star status. If they start making shots from deep on a consistent basis, they are no brainers to be bumped to five-star. Even without the consistent jump shot, their playmaking in transition and off the dribble combined with their ability on the defensive end may be enough to justify that five-star bump. Luckily, we don’t have to make that call just yet, but the more I see them the more I am leaning towards making that five-star move.
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April 05, 2021 at 06:56PM
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Monday dish: Closing thoughts from the Swish 'N Dish - 247Sports
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