ESPN's NBA draft sleepers: Jarrey

[Harry0569]

http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_ ... -prospects

Jarrey Foster | SMU | Junior
Player type: Gritty 3-and-D forward

Physical profile: 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, 7-foot wingspan

The Houston native was an unheralded recruit out of high school, ranked as the 306th-best player in the 2015 class, according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI). Foster adopted basketball late, spending most of his youth on the gridiron before hanging up his cleats after a wrist injury his freshman season. Foster grew late (5-foot-11 as a freshman) and played for a small AAU club that didn't get much national exposure. Foster eventually grew to around 6-foot-5 and played mostly center on his high school team, leading North Shore Senior to a state championship while winning MVP as a junior. Foster tore his ACL during an AAU game the summer before his senior season, which slowed his recruitment considerably. Originally a Rice commit, Foster bulked up while injured and eventually signed with SMU, where he has improved incrementally since arriving on campus in 2015.

"I always had the aggressiveness on the offensive boards and the defensive side, but my offensive game has really evolved as I've been in college, and now this year I have an opportunity to step into a role where I'll have to score the ball more and have the ball in my hands a little bit more," Foster said. "I made sure this summer that I put in the work and made sure I was comfortable in those situations."

Now a leader on an SMU team that lost Semi Ojeleye, Sterling Brown and Ben Moore to the NBA/G League, Foster has developed into a legitimate NBA draft prospect who has the attributes that teams are looking for.

Jarrey Foster throws down a ferocious dunk, blocks shot on the other end.Jarrey Foster flexes muscle on both sides of the ball by dunking and then swatting on shot on the other end
Strengths

Tremendous frame at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds. Tree trunk legs. Physical specimen. Long arms, big hands. Good leaper in space. Finishes above the rim.

Elite defender. Plays power forward and some center for the Mustangs. Defended Deandre Ayton against Arizona and Mohamed Bamba during a preseason scrimmage. Switches onto guards with little problem. Physical and competitive with quick feet and a 7-foot wingspan. Blocks 1.6 shots per 40 minutes. Projects as an elite wing defender in the NBA.

Greatly improved jump-shooter. Much more fluid release than early in his career. On balance, catches in rhythm, ball comes out smoothly. Still not prolific but has made great progress.

Active cutter and offensive rebounder. Does all the little things that don't always show up in the box score. Plays within himself. Smart facilitator in simple situations.

Praised for his work ethic and intangibles. Vocal on the floor. Has leadership qualities at age 21.

Improvement areas

Not the most natural scorer or shot creator. Doesn't create much space off the dribble. Mostly a straight-line driver. Average ball handler. Turns down open looks at times.

Career free throw percentage (55.9) will raise questions about his shooting, though his mechanics are strong. Much better with his feet set than off the dribble.

Can improve his finesse around the rim. Doesn't get to the free throw line as often as you'd expect given his physical profile (2.9 attempts per 40 minutes).

Outlook

Fellow SMU junior and 6-foot-6 guard Shake Milton has garnered most of the national publicity from an NBA standpoint, but Foster is an excellent prospect in his own right.

His willingness to embrace playing the 4 for SMU as a defender, screener, diver, passer and occasional shooter speaks to his unselfishness, and he has more than adequate size and strength to play a fair amount of 4 in the modern NBA. His numbers might never jump off the box score, but it's easy to see Foster sliding into a role at the NBA level, and his impressive approach to the game will allow him to maximize his potential long-term. Expect NBA scouts to ramp up their homework on the 6-foot-6 junior, as he's a legitimate prospect that checks all the right boxes.

[deucetz]

I'm happy for him to get more publicity

[ponyboy101]

I hope he doesn’t go pro this year, definently need him on next years group

[gostangs]

Surprised by that assessment. Just don't see him with enough offense to really get NBA attention. He is an awesome athlete though, so maybe that overcomes.

[jimhagle]

Don't worry he isn't going anywhere.

[Pony_Law]

Surprised by that assessment. Just don't see him with enough offense to really get NBA attention. He is an awesome athlete though, so maybe that overcomes.

He doesn’t put up a lot of shots but he shoots at a high clip. NBA scouts can appreciate that. His athleticism and length is what makes him a nba prospect. Think Bruce Bowen Shawn Marion type.

[RI Stang]

Surprised by that assessment. Just don't see him with enough offense to really get NBA attention. He is an awesome athlete though, so maybe that overcomes.

He doesn’t put up a lot of shots but he shoots at a high clip. NBA scouts can appreciate that. His athleticism and length is what makes him a nba prospect. Think Bruce Bowen Shawn Marion type.

Has to learn how to consistently finish - misses far too many layups and short jumpers. I think he'll get there, but he's not going anywhere until he has exhausted his eligibility.

[sacklunch]

I’m surprised to hear everyone’s skepticism here when they watch Jarrey everyday...when I sit at Smu games I’m wondering why Jarrey isn’t garnering more attention. He’s the best player on the team without question.


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[Pony_Law]

I’m surprised to hear everyone’s skepticism here when they watch Jarrey everyday...when I sit at Smu games I’m wondering why Jarrey isn’t garnering more attention. He’s the best player on the team without question.


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Jarrey is a great player but shake deserves the accolades he gets even in Ponyfans undervalues him. Body type is just as If not more important that stats to NBA scouts, jarrey has attracted attention for a while as a result. He might not get drafted but his wingspan alone will get him Into the g-league at least if he wants to go that path.

[sadderbudweiser]

I hope he declares and goes through the process this year. And then returns to lead us on a deep run next year. It’s hard to get the press when your teammates are raining buckets from everywhere.

[Pony_Law]

Also it's not like Jerray has bad stats. He is going to finish the year likely around 14+ PPG with 5+RPG, which is pretty decent.

[gostangs]

I’m surprised to hear everyone’s skepticism here when they watch Jarrey everyday...when I sit at Smu games I’m wondering why Jarrey isn’t garnering more attention. He’s the best player on the team without question.


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Don't disagree - but we are talking NBA. Sterling was lucky to make a team and he was awesome. Not saying he isn't going to make it - he just doesn't score enough for me to think he is a lock. He is not a ball handling guard in the league, so makes him a bit short for an NBA non ball handler.

[SMULaxer]

J4one0 deserves this press. Congrats!

[RI Stang]

I’m surprised to hear everyone’s skepticism here when they watch Jarrey everyday...when I sit at Smu games I’m wondering why Jarrey isn’t garnering more attention. He’s the best player on the team without question.


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I think Jarrey has a shot at making a great living playing basketball and would LOVE to see him in the NBA. But "best player on the team without question"? Shake is so undervalued around here, it's just crazy to me.

[Pony_Law]

I’m surprised to hear everyone’s skepticism here when they watch Jarrey everyday...when I sit at Smu games I’m wondering why Jarrey isn’t garnering more attention. He’s the best player on the team without question.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don't disagree - but we are talking NBA. Sterling was lucky to make a team and he was awesome. Not saying he isn't going to make it - he just doesn't score enough for me to think he is a lock. He is not a ball handling guard in the league, so makes him a bit short for an NBA non ball handler.

Sterling was a better shooter and ball handler which is why he might be remembered as a better scorer than Jarrey (though Jarrey is averaging more PPG game this year than SB ever did in his career), but Jarrey has a longer wing span and to the eye seems quicker/more athletic. Sterling is not going to stay on an NBA roster as a scorer. He is going to make it by being a good defender, passer, and hitting the 3-5 shots he might take a whole game at a high clip. Jerry is a better prospect in that regard because he will have demonstrated repeatedly on film he can defend bigger guys with that wing span and athleticism (which there are more of in the NBA)