African prospects reports born in 2003 and 2004 | 10/20
I’m Kuzey, 19. I’ve been writing about basketball since I was 9. I have been working in Eurosport Turkey for the last 1,5 year. I have written on various sites and magazines before. I’ve been working as a freelance scout for three years. I worked as a consultant. I have interviewed dozens of prospects such as Theo Maledon, Deni Avdija, Henri Drell, Aleksej Pokusevski, and dozens of notable basketball people such as Luis Scola, Dimitris Itoudis, Joan Plaza, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Derrick Williams. I write an article every day. I live in Turkey, I go to all the Euroleague and Youth League games. MY BIGGEST GOAL IS SCOUTING! Anyway, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and feel free to DM!
I am sharing the second part of the project which I have been working on for the last three months. I wrote about 30 African players born in 2003 and 2004. Briefly pros and cons, information, size and comprasions. Part Two: 10/20
*Comparisons are based on skills, not projections in the NBA.
Here is my ranking for second group:
- Assemian Moulare — Guard- 6'0'’-2003-Cote D’Ivoire
- Abdramane Kanoute — F-6'3'’-2004-Mali
- Lutwima Fausto — Guard — 5'9'’-2003-Angola
- Kevin Ishema- Shooting Guard — 6'1'’-2003-Rwanda
- Mahmoud Mohamed — SF- 6'4'’-2003-Egypt
Kevin Ishema— Shooting Guard — 6'1'’-2003-Rwanda
Comparison: Archie Goodwin
Size
The strength in his lower body is remarkable for a shooting guard. He can make good use of it during dribble and fast moves on off-ball games. But the upper part of his body is very lacking in every respect. Arm muscles are close to average. But he has to do dozens of work in the rest.
Pros
A flashy, smooth&explosive shooting guard.
Very quick and thrives in transition.
Has a really strong and quick first step.
Although his lack of strength, he can finish in traffic thanks to his fludity, game IQ and handling.
Good court vision and passing skills.
Great rebounder for his position. Really. If you watch the matches he played in 2018, you can better understand what I mean. He senses the rebound areas perfectly, takes fast moves and takes the ball and goes to the transition.
Loves to go for the floater over defenders.
Has a good score instincts.
Had the ball in his hands a lot and is good at finding teammates off the bounce.
Can defend ISO.
Cons
His shot is very, very bad. In some games, he hit the threes %80 percentage, but believe me, this is very rare. His shots are very weak.
Not good at feeling the match. Sometimes his motor stops completely and damages the team on the court.
He has to work in dozens of on defense. His position knowledge is good, he has fast hands, but he has a hard time combining things in defense.
Not a great finisher around the rim.
Can’t organize detail sets like chin, 51 Runner and pistol.
Assemian Moulare — Guard— 6'0'’-2003-Cote D’Ivoire
Comparison: Jordan Clarkson
Size
I think he is the best player in this series. The upper and lower body is ready as a base. His shoulders are wide, his chest muscles and core muscles are stiff. He has great hip mobility. Has quick and smart footwork. As the years progress, should continue to gain muscle.
Pros
Has good quickness all around the court.
Can finish from baseline with reverse-spin.
Can score both hands.
Can finish in traffic.
Has great body control.
Can change direction with quick footwork.
Smooth athlete.
Decent rebounder.
Can score from all three levels and is able to create his own offense
Has good lateral quickness.
Has good leadership skills in terms of taking responsibility on critical times.
Cons
Inconsistent shooter. He was good in threes at the 2019 African Championship, but he was very inconsistent. Probably I just get self-confidence from his shot. In fact, his shot mechanism is not bad, but there are deficiencies in shooting choices, power and experience. Of course, for now.
He needs dozens of work in all areas of defense. Thanks to his fast hand-foot coordination and motor in the perimeter, he can be a good defender there. But position instinct and timing are bad.
Passing. Not a good passer. Sometimes he plays so selfish. Of course, he finds scores when he plays selfish, but bad to include the team in the game.
Lutwima Fausto — Guard — 5'9'’-2003-Angola
Comparison: Malcolm Brogdon
Size
He is a bit far from ideal, but let me say, Fausto has one of the best frames among African prospects born in 2003–2004. Especially his lower body is whatever ready. The upper body needs a muscle.
Pros
Passing is an underrated part of his game. Don’t get me wrong, there is no perfect assist averages, but he is a passer that you will want to see in the team in the game’s operation.
He can adjust the tempo in off and on ball games.
Has very good court vision.
Comfortable facilitating/passing off the pick and roll.
Good spot up shooter.
Can shoot on movement.
Can create space thanks to his shooting threat.
Dangerous threat to score when right base open.
Slasher and cutter.
Crafty finisher around the basket.
Can defend guards very well. Has good defense IQ, quick hands and timing.
Cons
Bad rebounder.
Inconsistent shooter but not like Assemian.
Ball handling still needs work.
Has under the average athleticism.
His ISO games need a lot of things like step timing and soft-hard touch.
Can’t finish in traffic.
Needs to work on not getting caught on screens
Needs to work on perimeter, baseline, off ball and switch defense styles.
Abdramane Kanoute — F—6'3'’-2004-Mali
Comparison: Bad shooter version of Luke Babbitt
Size
The agility on his arms and his hand speed are impressive. I think core muscles are strong. Because he can easily find balance during the floater. But the rest of his body needs a lot of work.
Pros
Has a smooth athleticism.
Very crafty with the ball.
Can finish in traffic.
Can run the floor and finish in transition.
Does have great vision and passing skills to hit the open man.
Excellent leader.
Can dribble after picks very well.
Can guard PG, SG and SF positions. His perimeter defense is my favorite thins about him. His passion, timing and IQ are fascinating.
Cons
Not a good shooter. He has angle and footwork problems in the shooting mechanism.
Bad rebounder.
Hasn’t an explosive athleticism.
His first step is bad in terms of timing and hardness.
Can’t defend switch and off ball situations.
Ball handling needs further development.
Mahmoud Mohamed — SF— 6'4'’-2003-Egypt
It would not be right to make a list, since I only watched his four games. Mahmoud has a perfect frame. He has good muscles above average everywhere in his upper body. The lower body needs mobility. What I like most about his offense repertoire is that he can do several things in each field. He doesn’t do anything perfectly, but hecan shoot, dribble, pass and stay active on the off ball. His defense should improve in all areas. He is able to defend the switch, he gives hope in this issue, but he is behind many names in terms of IQ and moves. He should also be a better passer. He must learn to pass the ball from the wings.