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  • Draft analyst on Noel expectations, offense and who could play big role helping him

    Even with some eligibility questions still swirling around Nerlens Noel, there’s no reason to think there will be any long-term problems for him.

    That’s why I asked Draftexpress.com’s Matt Kamalsky what kind of expectations he feels would be realistic for the player many are going to continue comparing to Anthony Davis, who had one of the most special seasons ever in college basketball last year.

    “I expect Noel to have to deal with an undeservedly challenging set of expectations in the shadow of Anthony Davis, who is an unfair comparison for him at this point,” Kamalsky said. “In his own right, Noel can be an terrific defensive player thanks to his ability to block shots. He's going to benefit from playing for (John) Calipari, who will inevitably be able to get him to compete on that end of the floor every game.

    “A college strength and conditioning program should help him become a more capable one-on-one defender in the post and consistent attention from the staff will hopefully improve his comfort level defending big men who want to face the rim away from the basket. He has the ability to make an impact on that end of the floor, but it may take him some time to consistently make the most of his talents.”

    Kamalsky has an interesting perspective on what could determine just how big a role offensively that Noel plays.

    “Noel's success offensively, and in my opinion, Kentucky's championship hopes, are going to have a lot to do with how well Ryan Harrow handles the point guard position. Harrow is a dynamic player with his creativity off the bounce, and if he strikes a good balance between being a facilitator and being a scorer, he could make Noel's life a lot easier, especially against quality competition,” Kamalsky said. “Noel is a very good finisher, and has nice body control in the air for how skinny he is, but his post game and shooting ability are both works in progress. The more defensive movement Harrow creates in the dribble drive, the less regularly Noel will have to make plays out of his current comfort zone.”

    And where does he have Noel on his 2013 draft radar?

    “Noel remains among the top prospects in this class until he proves otherwise in a legitimate setting. Personally, I never saw him as unquestionably the top prospect for the 2013 draft, but some folks still feel he's the top guy heading into the season,” Kamalsky said.
    Comments 3 Comments
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      Told my son's soccer coach (big UK basketball fan) tonight that I did not expect we would see Nerlens in Atlanta (he's going with his brother, I hope to go also.)
    1. cattails's Avatar
      cattails -
      Davis we knew more about coming in and as the season moved on we saw a lot more. We really know less about Noel, he has to show us and then we shall see.
    1. CitizenBBN's Avatar
      CitizenBBN -
      For most of the season Davis made his living off having separation from his man and dunking everything that got thrown within 3 feet of the rim. People will unfairly compare November Nerlens to March Davis, but in November Davis was catching lobs and blocking shots, and Nerlens can sure do that.

      Davis showed promise coming in, but he didn't show that much promise. that's impossible given his achievements. We'll see what Cal can do with Nerlens, but I know one thing, he'll for sure have them playing good defense and he'll scheme the offense to good effect of his player's skills.
      q1t how he teaches his players b/c he focuses as he calls it "learning how to play", but he's royalty when it comes to overall scheming for his roster. He came here not liking the pick and roll and has changed with what he's had and what he's learned.

      He's right though, the key is how we space out to get separation for Nerlens and WCS. Cal will work that out fine. I expect a lot of pick and roll with Kyle. You leave him to cut off Harrow and you're in for a rain of shots.
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