Oregon suits up one of the nation’s most intriguing prospects this year in Bol Bol. And according to Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo, NBA teams are having difficulty projecting his stock, calling it a “push” with where it was before the summer.
“While his talent is substantial and his long-term outlook divisive, Bol took an important step this summer by simply showing up and playing at Nike Skills,” Woo wrote. “His reputation for indolence at major events certainly hasn’t helped him in the eyes of NBA scouts, and participating in all three days as other players sat out offered an extended look at him. He’s added some weight and by most accounts played well at the camp.
“Bol has one of the more unique games you’ll see from a viewing standpoint—his length and fluidity enable some freaky things around the rim—but how he holds up over the course of his freshman season and whether bad habits start to emerge will have a bearing on where he’s selected,” Woo wrote. “He’ll be under the microscope, perhaps unfairly, but there’s a scenario where his rim protection is a consistent positive and his offensive game gets to a workable place against stronger opponents.”
Indeed, one of the most unique skill sets for a big man is one who can both rim protect and hit outside shots. And while many coaches might wonder how exactly to deploy such a player, Oregon coach Dana Altman’s spread attack has allowed players like Chris Boucher, another outside-shooting shot-blocker to find success in Eugene.
Of course, to label Bol, the No. 1 center and No. 4 overall player in the 247Sports Composite, as such is drastically simplifying what he can bring to the floor. Few can match up with his height/length combination — he’s 7-foot-2 and boasts a 7-8 wingspan — and his shooting ability and touch allow him to score both inside and out.
He was one of the truly elite players during the EYBL session last summer, as Bol averaged 24.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 65.6 percent from the floor, 48.9 percent from three and 83.3 percent from the free throw line. For his effort, Bol was named EYBL’s regular season MVP by D1Circuit.com.
How Oregon’s season turns out will depend largely on whether Bol plays up to his potential, and how the Ducks’ frontcourt rotation plays out with another elite shot-blocker in Kenny Wooten. Can the duo play together, with one of the two defending college fours? Or will it have to be more one or the other?
Bol would seem to have the higher potential of the two, though it’s also worth noting that — with the strong summer reportedly put together by Wooten — both players could be among Oregon’s five best players.
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