Hey guys. Not sure if any of you are subscribers to the athletic (I highly recommend it. Seems to be where all the good sports writers are landing as print dies a slow death) but I wanted to share this write up they did on Shamorie from their compilation of all underclassmen draft prospects.
Shamorie Ponds | 6-0, G | St. John’s | 20 years old
Agent: No
Projected draft slot: second round to undrafted
Key stats: 21.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.7 APG, 42.0/25.3/85.7
Comment: One of the tougher evals in this class, Ponds is about as creative a lead guard scorer as you’ll find — and as volcanic a college scorer as you’ll find. You want to see a couple of ridiculous performances? Watch him carve up Duke and send them spiraling into a zone defense for the rest of the year, or against Marquette when he popped off for 44 points. He uses his body in unique ways to create space for himself inside at the rim, where he finished at a 56.4 percent clip in half-court settings despite being 6-foot with shorter arms. His crossover is also lightning quick, and he knows how to change pace to control his defender and get him off balance. It’s worth noting his defense is pretty rough at the point of attack, and his lack of length will likely make him a magnet for switches and mismatches at the next level. But the biggest key to his potential as an NBA player is clearly the jump shot. He hit only 25 percent of his 3s this year, a number that likely understates his shooting ability because of the shot selection and shot difficulty he often undertakes. But is it good enough for him to consistently knock down shots at an above-average clip from NBA range, something that will be essential for him as a bench scorer at the next level? Probably not quite yet. Additionally, the strength of this lead guard class doesn’t help him. It might behoove him to return to St. John’s, potentially be the Big East Player of the Year (something he’ll likely be favored to win next season), and try his luck next year.