Pankey could be a pretty solid player. He has a good build and when he wanted to be, he was a solid rebounder. He was/is a headcase who was often pouting, had bad body language, lacked hustle, etc. But there were games where he would come out grab a rebound, throw down a dunk and all of the sudden he was into it and playing hard. His defense and bball iq were not strong the majority of the time.
He certainly capable of developing into a solid 3rd or 4th big off the bench.
Sometimes it's the kid's IQ, but also sometimes it is the coaching. That is not to say the coaching isn't good at UMD. It's just that stylistically, some coaches can get across to kids in different ways. We have lots of great coaches on our staff with different styles. I have no doubt that guys like Dunlap can help do a bit of re-programming with some kids to help them understand the game better. I saw how much Norm's juniors improved under Lavin/Dunlap and Co. Kids that seemed not to "get it" like Burrell really changed a ton with the right staff. Burrell admitted as much in his recent interview and credited the current staff with helping him learn the game. I think we have the type of staff that can do that. Pankey seems like the raw talent, size and athleticism that could potentially make big strides with the right coaching staff.
I think he's likely better than a 3rd or 4th big off the bench. If he comes into the program and we don't land Chandler, I see him sharing half the time at the 5 for the next 2 years at least. Even if we do land Chandler, he'll get time and then share with Chandler after this season. It's a good situation both for Pankey and SJU. Best case of course if he's immediately eligible.