With two scholarships remaining in the 2018 recruiting class, Cal men’s basketball is focusing on the front court to fill those slots. I thought it would be good to provide a quick breakdown of each of those targets (those with offers) and what the similarities/differences are between them.
5-star PF/C Jordan Brown: Listed at 6’10”, 190, Jordan Brown has great physical tools to work with. He is very quick and light on his feet, demonstrating a wide array of post moves and an ability to score in a variety of ways: Jump hooks, up and unders, pump fakes, etc. He uses the glass really well and demonstrates good fundamentals. He handles the ball really well for a big man and knows how to get his teammates involved, finding the cutter to the basket. He’s also very active on the glass and is a great rebounder.
Where Jordan needs to get better is just adding more to his physical frame. He needs to add more weight and muscle, so that he can get stronger and hold his own more against bigger guys. His dad did say this is an area that he has made great strides in, showing coaches in Italy and at the USA Basketball U19 camp that he can hold his own against bigger guys. If he continues to develop in this area, there’s really not much else to criticize about his game as he heads into college.
In regards to his role, Jordan Brown projects to be a guy who can play either the power forward or center position rather comfortably, which means you can pretty much pair him with any other big man target on this list.
4-star PF K.J. Hymes: Listed at 6’9”, 200 pounds, K.J. Hymes is possesses great length for a power forward. He runs the floor very well and has the ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc, possessing a very solid perimeter game. He’s got some Andrei Kirilenko in him, just as a long lanky guy who can play out on the perimeter on both ends of the floor.
K.J. Hymes needs to develop a better post game inside and not rely so much on his perimeter shooting. He’s got great stretch-four potential, but he can be much more than just a stretch-four given his physical tools.
As for his role, K.J. Hymes should evolve into a power forward that can play both down on the block and out on the perimeter as a stretch-four. His versatility is really nice. If Cal lands him, it would be ideal to pair him with a guy who has the tools to play the center spot. KJ is not big enough to play the center position.
PF Andre Kelly: Listed at 6’8”, 230 pounds, Andre Kelly is very quick for a guy of his size and is very active on the glass, always willing to follow his shot and go for the put back. He handles the ball well and has good moves in the post utilizing pump fakes well, etc. He can throw it down inside and possess really good athleticism while also possessing a nice shot from the mid-range as well.
If Kelly can improve his perimeter shot and improve his ball handling a little bit, he could be used as a small forward in certain packages, which makes him all the more versatile. Also, he looks like he could get into slightly better shape and actually shed a few pounds.
Kelly’s role projects to be a power forward who has the potential to play small forward in certain stretches. If Cal lands him, he would best go with a guy who can play the center position.
3-star PF Warren Washington: Listed at 6’9”, 190, Warren Washington is an interested talent in that he has a good game in the post, down on the block, while also possessing nice perimeter skills as well. He can shoot from the outside and handles the ball well, capable of going coast to coast. He’s very active on the glass and is a good rebounder, always fighting for the ball and getting those second chance points.
Washington needs to bulk up, get stronger, and become more physically capable of holding his own against bigger guys in the post. His role projects to be a power forward who could evolve into a stretch-four type of guy. He’s a guy who would be paired well with a center.
3-star C Tolu Jacobs Yaffa: Listed at 7’0”, 280 pounds, Tolu Jacobs Yaffa is a pure center cut out of the mold of guys like Kameron Rooks and Kingsley Okoroh. He uses his size well around the basket and does a good job muscling his way inside for dunks and easy buckets. While possessing a large frame, Jacobs Yaffa runs the floor really well and has good hands, capable of catching tough passes inside, etc. He does a good job protecting the rim and controlling the glass.
Right now, Jacobs Yaffa is fairly limited offensively, scoring almost all of his points right around the basket. If he can develop more post moves and add more variety to his game in that way, he’ll be much more dangerous.
Given his size, Jacobs Yaffa is a pure center and really does project to be another Kingsley Okoroh type of guy with perhaps better skills on offense. He would fit well with a more multidimensional power forward that can do more things than just score around the rim.
4-star C Bryan Penn-Johnson: Listed at 7’0”, 215 pounds Bryan Penn-Johnson is a physical freak of nature. The dude has a 7’6.5” wingspan and a 9’9” standing reach. He runs the floor like a gazelle and elevates with ease, dunking like he’s playing on Nerf hoops. He also possesses good form on his shot and has the pieces to be a solid shooter from mid-range and also the foul line.
Penn-Johnson plays with a very high motor and while that’s a good thing, he’d really benefit from increasing his ability to go at different speeds and develop a more polished/diversified game. As he does this, he’ll become one of the scariest prospects for college basketball, let alone the NBA.
Penn-Johnson’s role will be that of a true center, though what makes him so scary is that due to his quickness and mobility, he could also play as a power forward against smaller and quicker forwards. He’d fit really well in an up tempo/fast break oriented system, similar to what Wyking Jones is implementing. You can pair him with either a center or power forward due to his versatility.
4-star SF/PF Ignas Brazdeikis: Listed at 6’8”, 200 pounds, Ignas Brazdeikis is being recruited as a stretch-four due to his combination of size and skill. He really is much more of a wing that happens to have the size and strength to hold his own against power forwards. He handles the ball really well, shoots well from beyond the arc, has good court vision, etc. He almost reminds me of a bigger version of Gordon Hayward.
The biggest challenge for Brazdeikis is figuring out how to best utilize his unique set of skills. He told me he sees himself as a wing and if he comes to Cal, he will be used as much more of a stretch-four. He’ll have to figure out whether or not he’s better off as a wing or stretch-four before making a decision on where he’ll play.
If Cal can convince Brazdeikis to join them and play as a stretch-four, Cal better pair him with a guy who can play the five.
4-star SF/PF Jaedon LeDee: Listed at 6’9”, 215 pounds, Jaedon LeDee is very active on the glass and has the size to comfortably play the power forward position. He possesses really good athleticism and runs the floor very well, making him a good fit for Wyking Jones’ system/style. He has the quickness and the skillset to play small forward as well. He handles the ball pretty well and can beat opponents off the dribble, getting to the rim. He can hit the mid-range and three-point jumper; so all the tools to play small forward are there in addition to power forward.
Like Brazdeikis, LeDee needs to figure out what type of role best suits him. The good news is he appears more comfortable playing power forward, so he should be comfortable playing in whatever role he is asked to play in.
If Cal lands LeDee, he would be best paired with a true center since he doesn’t have the size to play the center position.
Best combinations: Personally, I think it would be in Cal’s best interest to land at least one guy who can comfortably play the center position and then pair them with someone who can play the four. For example, landing two guys who project to be stretch-four type of guys (LeDee & Brazdeikis) wouldn’t be ideal. As a matter of fact, if Cal got one of them, I doubt they’d pursue the other. Below is an example of three combinations that would work well. Not an exhaustive list. All options are on the table.
#1. Jordan Brown & Bryan Penn-Johnson: Both guys can play the five comfortably and would really give Cal the best combination of size, quickness, length, athleticism, and skill. If Cal lands these two guys, that will be amazing.
#2. Jordan Brown & Tolu Jacobs Yaffa: Pairing Jordan Brown with a guy like Tolu Jacobs Yaffa would be pretty sweet for Cal. Brown would bring the offensive versatility in the post while Jacobs Yaffa would bring the meat on defense, protecting the rim like a mama bear protects her cubs.
#3. Jordan Brown & Andre Kelly: In this combination, Jordan Brown plays the center and Kelly plays the power forward position. With this package, Cal has both a true center and a true power forward, giving them good balance in the post.
5-star PF/C Jordan Brown: Listed at 6’10”, 190, Jordan Brown has great physical tools to work with. He is very quick and light on his feet, demonstrating a wide array of post moves and an ability to score in a variety of ways: Jump hooks, up and unders, pump fakes, etc. He uses the glass really well and demonstrates good fundamentals. He handles the ball really well for a big man and knows how to get his teammates involved, finding the cutter to the basket. He’s also very active on the glass and is a great rebounder.
Where Jordan needs to get better is just adding more to his physical frame. He needs to add more weight and muscle, so that he can get stronger and hold his own more against bigger guys. His dad did say this is an area that he has made great strides in, showing coaches in Italy and at the USA Basketball U19 camp that he can hold his own against bigger guys. If he continues to develop in this area, there’s really not much else to criticize about his game as he heads into college.
In regards to his role, Jordan Brown projects to be a guy who can play either the power forward or center position rather comfortably, which means you can pretty much pair him with any other big man target on this list.
4-star PF K.J. Hymes: Listed at 6’9”, 200 pounds, K.J. Hymes is possesses great length for a power forward. He runs the floor very well and has the ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc, possessing a very solid perimeter game. He’s got some Andrei Kirilenko in him, just as a long lanky guy who can play out on the perimeter on both ends of the floor.
K.J. Hymes needs to develop a better post game inside and not rely so much on his perimeter shooting. He’s got great stretch-four potential, but he can be much more than just a stretch-four given his physical tools.
As for his role, K.J. Hymes should evolve into a power forward that can play both down on the block and out on the perimeter as a stretch-four. His versatility is really nice. If Cal lands him, it would be ideal to pair him with a guy who has the tools to play the center spot. KJ is not big enough to play the center position.
PF Andre Kelly: Listed at 6’8”, 230 pounds, Andre Kelly is very quick for a guy of his size and is very active on the glass, always willing to follow his shot and go for the put back. He handles the ball well and has good moves in the post utilizing pump fakes well, etc. He can throw it down inside and possess really good athleticism while also possessing a nice shot from the mid-range as well.
If Kelly can improve his perimeter shot and improve his ball handling a little bit, he could be used as a small forward in certain packages, which makes him all the more versatile. Also, he looks like he could get into slightly better shape and actually shed a few pounds.
Kelly’s role projects to be a power forward who has the potential to play small forward in certain stretches. If Cal lands him, he would best go with a guy who can play the center position.
3-star PF Warren Washington: Listed at 6’9”, 190, Warren Washington is an interested talent in that he has a good game in the post, down on the block, while also possessing nice perimeter skills as well. He can shoot from the outside and handles the ball well, capable of going coast to coast. He’s very active on the glass and is a good rebounder, always fighting for the ball and getting those second chance points.
Washington needs to bulk up, get stronger, and become more physically capable of holding his own against bigger guys in the post. His role projects to be a power forward who could evolve into a stretch-four type of guy. He’s a guy who would be paired well with a center.
3-star C Tolu Jacobs Yaffa: Listed at 7’0”, 280 pounds, Tolu Jacobs Yaffa is a pure center cut out of the mold of guys like Kameron Rooks and Kingsley Okoroh. He uses his size well around the basket and does a good job muscling his way inside for dunks and easy buckets. While possessing a large frame, Jacobs Yaffa runs the floor really well and has good hands, capable of catching tough passes inside, etc. He does a good job protecting the rim and controlling the glass.
Right now, Jacobs Yaffa is fairly limited offensively, scoring almost all of his points right around the basket. If he can develop more post moves and add more variety to his game in that way, he’ll be much more dangerous.
Given his size, Jacobs Yaffa is a pure center and really does project to be another Kingsley Okoroh type of guy with perhaps better skills on offense. He would fit well with a more multidimensional power forward that can do more things than just score around the rim.
4-star C Bryan Penn-Johnson: Listed at 7’0”, 215 pounds Bryan Penn-Johnson is a physical freak of nature. The dude has a 7’6.5” wingspan and a 9’9” standing reach. He runs the floor like a gazelle and elevates with ease, dunking like he’s playing on Nerf hoops. He also possesses good form on his shot and has the pieces to be a solid shooter from mid-range and also the foul line.
Penn-Johnson plays with a very high motor and while that’s a good thing, he’d really benefit from increasing his ability to go at different speeds and develop a more polished/diversified game. As he does this, he’ll become one of the scariest prospects for college basketball, let alone the NBA.
Penn-Johnson’s role will be that of a true center, though what makes him so scary is that due to his quickness and mobility, he could also play as a power forward against smaller and quicker forwards. He’d fit really well in an up tempo/fast break oriented system, similar to what Wyking Jones is implementing. You can pair him with either a center or power forward due to his versatility.
4-star SF/PF Ignas Brazdeikis: Listed at 6’8”, 200 pounds, Ignas Brazdeikis is being recruited as a stretch-four due to his combination of size and skill. He really is much more of a wing that happens to have the size and strength to hold his own against power forwards. He handles the ball really well, shoots well from beyond the arc, has good court vision, etc. He almost reminds me of a bigger version of Gordon Hayward.
The biggest challenge for Brazdeikis is figuring out how to best utilize his unique set of skills. He told me he sees himself as a wing and if he comes to Cal, he will be used as much more of a stretch-four. He’ll have to figure out whether or not he’s better off as a wing or stretch-four before making a decision on where he’ll play.
If Cal can convince Brazdeikis to join them and play as a stretch-four, Cal better pair him with a guy who can play the five.
4-star SF/PF Jaedon LeDee: Listed at 6’9”, 215 pounds, Jaedon LeDee is very active on the glass and has the size to comfortably play the power forward position. He possesses really good athleticism and runs the floor very well, making him a good fit for Wyking Jones’ system/style. He has the quickness and the skillset to play small forward as well. He handles the ball pretty well and can beat opponents off the dribble, getting to the rim. He can hit the mid-range and three-point jumper; so all the tools to play small forward are there in addition to power forward.
Like Brazdeikis, LeDee needs to figure out what type of role best suits him. The good news is he appears more comfortable playing power forward, so he should be comfortable playing in whatever role he is asked to play in.
If Cal lands LeDee, he would be best paired with a true center since he doesn’t have the size to play the center position.
Best combinations: Personally, I think it would be in Cal’s best interest to land at least one guy who can comfortably play the center position and then pair them with someone who can play the four. For example, landing two guys who project to be stretch-four type of guys (LeDee & Brazdeikis) wouldn’t be ideal. As a matter of fact, if Cal got one of them, I doubt they’d pursue the other. Below is an example of three combinations that would work well. Not an exhaustive list. All options are on the table.
#1. Jordan Brown & Bryan Penn-Johnson: Both guys can play the five comfortably and would really give Cal the best combination of size, quickness, length, athleticism, and skill. If Cal lands these two guys, that will be amazing.
#2. Jordan Brown & Tolu Jacobs Yaffa: Pairing Jordan Brown with a guy like Tolu Jacobs Yaffa would be pretty sweet for Cal. Brown would bring the offensive versatility in the post while Jacobs Yaffa would bring the meat on defense, protecting the rim like a mama bear protects her cubs.
#3. Jordan Brown & Andre Kelly: In this combination, Jordan Brown plays the center and Kelly plays the power forward position. With this package, Cal has both a true center and a true power forward, giving them good balance in the post.
