Observations on the 2018 Reese’s College All-Star Game

March 30, 2018

Recently, I took the time to watch the Reese’s College All-Star Game, as it took place on March 30th early in the afternoon. It was a close match all the way through, and the West narrowly defeated the East, with Yante Maten and George King being named the Reese’s perfect players for their respective teams, as Maten had 17 points and 9 rebounds, and King had 21 points and 9 rebounds. Here are my thoughts on various prospects that caught my eye in this game on this day.

Georgia’s 6-8 senior forward, Yante Maten played very well for the West in this game, as he was named the best player on his team that played in this contest. He scored early and often, as he made shots in a variety of ways, and he also showed off some rebounding and shot blocking skills. Maten did a very good job of getting scores in the post. He can score on turnaround jump hooks and jumpers, and he is a strong, physical player that can often draw fouls upon the opposition.

Plus, he also showed a good ability to score on strong drives to the hoop, as he has good strength, body control, quickness, and finishing ability to do so. He also would score on hustle plays, as he can score on off-ball motion plays, and he will also crash the glass to get offensive boards for his team. Maten also showed the ability to knock down mid-range jumpers, and on one play, he used a jab step to do so. He also looked to take threes, but he tended to be unsuccessful when taking long-range jumpers from beyond the arc.

He also showed off decent passing skills, as he can throw passes from the post to set up scores for his teammates. But sometimes, he can be inaccurate on his passes, which can lead him to commit turnovers. Also, Maten did a very good job of rebounding the basketball, as he would actively crash the glass to haul in boards to help his team. He also played adequate defense. On one play, he managed to block a shot off of a drive emphatically. However, on another, he ended up rotating to commit a foul on a drive, which led his team to allow a score and an extra free throw that time.

Overall, Yante Maten had a solid game, and he had a strong showing to help lead his team to a win over the East in this showcase. While it’s uncertain if it may do much for his draft stock, Maten did play well on this day, and it does show that he is competitive. Right now, he may be a potential second round pick for the upcoming draft, and he could end up being a good find for an NBA team due to his versatility as a scorer on offense, rebounding ability, and toughness that he could bring to them.

Colorado’s 6-6 senior swingman, George King had a strong showing for the East, as he played great defense, and he was able to show versatile scoring skills as he managed to score in a variety of ways. King did a very good job of scoring on patient drives to the basket. He is a smart player that knows how to get into the lane, and he has the strength, agility, and body control to regularly finish plays around the hoop.

Plus, he excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He managed to score on a put back, and he also leapt up to score on an inbounds tip shot. He also did a decent job of making threes. King was able to make a corner three off the catch, but he struggled more to knock down long-range jumpers off the dribble in this game. Also, he showed a very good ability to rebound the basketball. He would frequently crash the glass, and he excelled at hauling in boards on both ends of the floor.

In addition, King played really good defense. He did a terrific job of blocking shots, as he would often swat shots to prevent opponents from scoring on drives, and he also made a nice chase down block in transition as he swatted it to a teammate. Plus, he also successfully rotated to double team an opposing low player, and he managed to leap up to get his hands on a pass to get a steal.

In general, George King put forth a very good showing, as he may have helped his draft standing the most out of any player in this game. He is a high motor player that played terrific defense, and he also excelled as a scorer for his team. Right now, he may be a bubble second round candidate, and he could end up being a good find for an NBA team next year.

Seton Hall’s 6-6 senior guard, Desi Rodriguez also played well, as he did a good job of scoring the basketball, and he also played good defense to help the West get the win over the East. Rodriguez did a good job of getting scores off the dribble, as he can use ball-handling moves to throw off his opponents’ timing, and he can score on quick, aggressive moves to the hoop.

Plus, he also showed a decent ability to make threes, as he was able to make them both off the catch and dribble. He did tend to be streaky with his jump shot, but his ability to knock down long-range jumpers seemed to open things up for the rest of his game offensively. Also, Rodriguez was able to score on a backdoor cut to the basket. Defensively, he managed to jump a pass to get a steal. In summary, Desi Rodriguez had a good game to help his team get the win, and he could end up being a good find for an NBA team next year as he can help a team in a variety of ways.

Creighton’s senior combo guard, Marcus Foster also played well in his team’s loss to the West in this game. He showed off solid scoring skills and very good athletic abilities, and he may have been the best athlete on the floor in this event. Foster did a good job of getting scores on strong drives to the hoop, and he also showed a knack for scoring on fast breaks. Foster can pull-up to knock down a mid-range jumper on the break, and he also is a gifted athlete, as he beat his man down court to score on an alley-oop dunk in transition.

Plus, he also managed to score on a backdoor cut to the hoop once. He struggled more to make threes consistently however, but he was able to make a three off the catch. Defensively, he managed to aggressively pounce on an inbounds pass to nearly get a steal, but he ended up stepping out of bounds. In summary, Marcus Foster excelled as a scorer in this game, and he also played fairly good defense when he was on the floor. While he did not really show off point guard skills, he made very athletic, energetic plays on both ends of the court. With his skill set, he could end up being a solid addition to an NBA team’s summer league roster.

Vermont’s 6-2 senior point guard, Trae Bell-Haynes excelled as a facilitator when he was on the court, as he threw crisp, accurate interior passes to set up scores for his teammates, and he also can throw good lob passes. Plus, he has the agility and shooting touch to score on floaters off the dribble, and he also made a three off the catch.

Overall, Bell-Haynes played well to help get his team the win over the East on this day. While his less than ideal size and physical tools may limit his potential as a prospect for the next level, Bell-Haynes is a smart, skilled game manager that could end up being a good addition to an NBA team’s summer league roster, as he could end up projecting into a similar player to current Detroit Pistons point guard, Ish Smith.

Central Arkansas’ 5-11 senior point guard, Jordan Howard did a very good job of knocking down three-point shots, as he can quickly make them in transition, and he also used a pump fake and a side step back to make a pull-up three another time. He also can get to the foul line often on quick drives to the basket, and he also scored off of a cut.

Overall, Howard is a skilled scorer that can do so in a variety of ways, and while he may still need to show NBA teams that he can effectively run the point, he will look to score the basketball, and he also has plenty of range on his shot. He had a good showing in this game, and he may have the skills to make an NBA team’s summer league roster this year.

Georgia Tech’s 6-10 senior center, Ben Lammers had a good showing, as he made his presence felt early to help the West get the win over the East on this day. Lammers did a terrific job of getting scores on off-ball motion plays, as he would often score and draw fouls on rolls to the rim, and he also threw down an emphatic dunk once. He also managed to score on a nifty cut to the basket. Plus, he also managed to hit the cutter to set up a score for a teammate.

Also, he played good defense in this game. Lammers showed great timing and instincts to block plenty of shots to prevent opponents from scoring on drives, and he also poked a ball away to get a steal. Plus, he also contested as shot in the post to force a miss. However, sometimes he would have lapses defensively, which would lead him to commit a foul or allow a score on occasion. In summary, Lammers played well, as he is an energetic big man that can score and defend due to his length, activity, and motor on the court. He played well on this day, and this could help him land on an NBA team’s summer league roster this year.

Also, Fairfield’s 6-3 senior guard, Tyler Nelson did a very good job of knocking down three-point shots to help the West team in this game. He excelled as a floor spacer, as he made a couple of corner threes, and he also used a crossover move to knock down a pull-up three from beyond the arc. Nelson didn’t seem to stand out in the other areas, but generally Nelson shot the ball well in this game. While he will likely need to improve in the other facets of the game, Nelson’s ability to knock down jumpers could perhaps enable him to get a Portsmouth invite, as that could increase his chances to end up on an NBA summer league roster.