Film Study with Matt: 3.20.20
We all are at the mercy of Covid-19 at this current time in the United States. As the quarantine began in my household I had the thought what can I do to stay connected to the basketball world without games going on? Film! In todays day and age film is one of the great resources at our fingertips.
So far between Tweets, emails and texts I have had over 200 players send me information. I am happy to look into more film and will continue this series until I run out of film! To be clear I am watching every minute of footage the players send me in their highlights. Most are five to ten minutes which shows more than enough to get a feel for what the player brings to the table. Of course, when it comes to film you do have to factor in you are typically seeing the players best highlights. Game film is always the best to see the full picture.
What I am doing is looking through the most film possible to shed light on the players or coaches who sent in the film. I encourage all college coaches to take a deeper look beyond the short film and evaluations below to get the best feel for each athlete.
I will do 5 breakdowns at a time. Here goes nothing!
Camari Smiley 2021 Classen SAS (Oklahoma City, OK) Guard (Team Movement)
Smiley is an athlete in my home state of Oklahoma who I have not had the chance to see in person. I try to get out as much as I can but admittedly I can not as much as I used to with the work load of the Prep Hoops Circuit at the national level. I was pleasantly surprised when looking at Smiley’s film. This is one that made me smile because if it wasn’t for the shut down with the virus going on I probably would not have been able to find out how good Smiley is for his squad.
Smiley is listed at 6’3 on film it is always hard to tell exactly how tall a guy is or isn’t. My biggest takeaway with Smiley is how much of an overall game he brings to the table. Offensively, Smiley impacts the game with unselfish play consistently making the extra pass to a more open teammate. His jumper is a bit slow on the release but has deep range. A nice hesitation package with the rock in his hands allows him to get the defender on his toes. Many times Smiley does not blow by the defender to the hoop, but outsmart and muscles his way inside. The body control of Smiley is something of note around the basket especially.
On defense Smiley impressed me with his activity. The quick hands and great basketball instincts lead to many steals. Smiley is the classic player coaches love who turns defense into offense. My favorite part of his film was when he got a steal then turning to his quarterback skills to fire a long pass on point to a dashing teammate to the hoop for two. Some of the passes make me nervous and I’m sure it doesn’t always work out perfect. However, you can’t deny Smiley is great at getting his team out and running leading to great success.
My overall assessment of Smiley is his hustle, unselfish, and crafty game on both ends make him a college player. I project Smiley to the NAIA level and feel he would have a great fit in the KCAC.
FILM: https://t.co/t13dowehM3?amp=1
Jake Arnold Jake Arnold 6'3" | SG Katy Taylor | 2021 State TX 2021 Taylor (Houston, TX) Guard (Texas Takeover)
Holy offense! Jake Arnold Jake Arnold 6'3" | SG Katy Taylor | 2021 State TX can fill it up from all over the court. As I looked at this highlight I saw so much scoring from a very talented combo guard out of the Houston area. Literally an offensive machine is the best way to put it.
If a defender gives Arnold an opening he exploits it with ease making him pay with a bottom of the net jumper. The release of Arnold is smooth and quick. I love seeing him be a catch ready guy. When the ball hits his hand with an open look he does not waste time letting the defender close out. Three-point sniper is the first thing you notice on offense about Arnold and maybe the most prevalent thing in his film.
However, there is more still to his game on offense. The slick handle of Arnold allows him to get space when he needs it the most with a defender locked in on him. Certainly, Arnold uses his handle to get open looks from three-point range. He also has an old man mid-range game with his slick moves. I enjoyed seeing him willingly seeking out good mid-range looks at the hoop.
Last but not least I noticed the crafty moves of Arnold around the basket. The spin move he possesses was my personal favorite. As you can see in this short highlight when Arnold is an offensive explosion. I would have liked to see more of him creating for teammates. My guess is that he does that well, but from the highlight you could not get a good enough fill on it. There was not defense in the clips as well, which is an important factor.
My projection of Arnold is as a High NCAA D2 to LM D1 prospect depending on the growth of his game. There is no doubt Arnold is a prospect in the Houston area coaches should take a sharp look at on the hardwood. If you need scoring in many forms Arnold is your guy.
FILM: https://www.hudl.com/athlete/12079483/highlights/5e5f3b6f5b3c8709ec736169
Caden Buoy 2021 Collinsville (Collinsville, OK) Guard
Buoy does not have the physical eye popping measurables of some prospects. Speed and athleticism are two areas that hold back Buoy to some degree. With that said some of us are not blessed with the greatest hops but find other ways to be impactful. That is exactly what Buoy does and I appreciate it greatly as I analyze his game.
Buoy is a tough, gritty, hard nosed prospect who is willing to put his body on the line for his team. What does jump out on film is the way Buoy reads the court on both ends. For instance on defense Buoy jumps the lanes at perfect times for a steal leading to an easy bucket on the other end.
Reading opponents for Buoy is not just a an area he does well on defense. With the rock in his hands Buoy does a great job of being patient reading the defense and getting the ball open to a wide open teammate.
My projection of Buoy is currently as a walk-on prospect who could work his way into some scholarship money at the lower NAIA level. The lack of summer hoops works against a player like Buoy but time off can be a good thing for the young man if he is working on his game from home. I also think seeing him as a senior at Collinsville in a bigger role could lead to him earning a scholarship. As opportunity for Buoy to play in front of college coaches he has to make the most of it.
FILM:
Anthony Vigers 2020 6’6 Cy-Park (Houston, TX) Forward (Texas Takeover)
The first few clips of Vigers film catch your attention. For me it was super hard to tell how tall he was on the film. Listed at 6’6 with a 7′ foot wingspan is super intriguing. The big positives that jumped out to me was upside. This young man could turn into quite the player for a small college at the next level.
It is clear he is still growing into his body. You can see him come up clumsy at times most notably on rebounds. I like how ready he stays for the ball around the basket allowing him to get the ball and go straight up at the hoop. The hustle he showed on the offensive glass led to some nice buckets.
The length of Vigers helps him a ton of defense and adds to his value as a prospect at the next level. My projection of Vigers is JUCO to NAIA. I think he would be best served going JUCO to develop his skill set as a mobile four man. If his shooting and fluidity on the court improved he could go to the D2 level. Depending on the level of NAIA I could see the value of taking on a project who could turn into a beast down the line.
FILM: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7805806/5e73b5aae9852419ac83f5d7
Kaeveon Mitchell 2020 Breakinridge County (Harned, KY) Guard (Ohio Players)
Mitchell was my personal favorite that I watched tonight. The athleticism of this kid translates on both ends of the floor. Instantly I loved seeing how Mitchell pushes the break giving the defense no chance to catch their breath.
The athleticism gives his team big time blocks on defense to go along with crowd pleasing jams. Mitchell has a good handle of the basketball to go along with his quick pace. A part of his game you have to keep a careful eye on to catch in the film is the vision he shows at the Point.
He does show off a jumper from mid-range and behind the arc. 1,000 point scorer for his career in the state of Kentucky is an impressive accomplishment and I can see why he was able to do it. The kid has game.
My projection is for Mitchell to be an impactful player at the NCAA D2 level and maybe even higher if he went JUCO. It is hard to tell from film but this is a kid that could be an ultimate sleeper. This is another kid that we could all benefit from seeing in person this summer.
FILM: https://t.co/wKCgmT4EGr?amp=1&ssr=true
I will look to do five a day of these extensive breakdowns. I welcome you to submit film to me by replying to this tweet.
https://twitter.com/MattReynolds___/status/1238855980558974978?s=20