Scouting and Highlights: Dan Zolinski (2017)
Dan Zolinski is an unsigned senior guard with a very good shot. From Howell, he stands around 6’2″. He will be provide excellent service for any JuCo or D3 school in need of a shooter. He’s the type of player that stretches the floor several feet behind the three point line and puts an enormous amount of pressure on the defense due to his nearly automatic shooting.
Here’s my take on Zolinski’s game:
Strengths:
Shooting – This is the obvious strength in his game. He’s capable of catching fire and hitting multiple shots in a row. He can shoot from anywhere on the floor, out to a couple feet beyond the arc. He can shoot off the catch or off the dribble. An open jumper is a very high percentage look for Zolinski.
Moving without the ball – Zolinski does a solid job of cutting and utilizing screens to free himself up for an open shot. This helps him be effective without having to dominate the ball. Also, it helps him get easy, high percentage shots.
Motor – He gives respectable effort on both ends of the floor. In the Unsigned Senior Showcase, I saw him crash the boards hard and secure multiple rebounds despite giving up height. He moves well on offense and rotates well on defense.
Defense – His motor alone makes him at the very least an average defender. Combine that with the facts that he’s fairly athletic and has good footwork, the final product is an above average defender. He won’t be a team’s primary lockdown defender, however, he will be able to defend most players effectively.
Areas For Development:
Finishing – It’s not that Zolinski’s finishing is subpar; he actually has a good touch around the rim. However, he doesn’t elevate super high when finishing around the rim, which could be an issue at the college level. The ability to finish above or at the rim is, in most cases, a necessary skill at the college level. If he added a couple more inches to his vertical he would become a serious scoring threat at all three levels.
Handles/Playmaking – Developing an ability to break a defender down 1-on-1 would take his game to the next level. This would give him an ability to create offense for himself or his teammates consistently, a skill that is invaluable.