College Basketball Player Ratings 12/6/15: Syracuse, Georgetown, Zona, & Zaga

Player Ratings and Recap for a pair of Saturday's games:
Syracuse @ Georgetown & Arizona @ Gonzaga

14 SYRACUSE @ GEORGETOWN

Syracuse Orange

C DaJuan Coleman: 6.5

Coleman had his best game of the season against Georgetown. I knew it would be necessary he see more minutes against the Hoyas, who can play a pretty big lineup. Coleman scored 10 points, shooting 3-5, and making all four of his free throw attempts. He grabbed five rebounds, all of which came on the offensive end. The trouble was defensive rebounding, like it was for everyone on the team. He couldn't keep Georgetown's bigs away from the basket. Coleman also turned the ball over four times.

F Tyler Roberson: 7.5

Roberson was the only positive part of the team in the first half. He had 10 points in the first frame. Unfortunately, he slowed down in the second. Roberson finished the game shooting five of seven, and making all five of his free throw attempts, scoring a total of 15 points. He also had eight rebounds. Roberson did put up a good effort. He needs to contribute like this more often, even when Syracuse is shooting well. Unfortunately, Roberson doesn't have the size to take on Bradley Hayes himself.

F Malachi Richardson: 3.5

Richardson's shooting % continues to plummet. He made just one shot, while attempting eight, and this was the first game this season in which he failed to make a 3pt shot. Richardson scored just two points. The freshman's confidence looked visibly shaken this game, especially in the second half. He was missing jump shots badly every time he threw one up, and was called for offensive fouls on multiple occasions while driving to the basket. Worst of all, Richardson drove to the basket, and actually got a blocking foul called (it was close), and he missed both free throws, at a key juncture of the game. I don't have inside information in regards to the psyche of Malachi Richardson, but I would consider benching him next game. He was no help to the team in the second half of this game; he was shot mentally. I'd bench him, give Joseph his shot, or play big with Lydon and Roberson on the wings. Then bring Richardson off the bench, and see how he responds. It could reinvigorate him (or, it could bring his confidence down further. But, if he's that frail mentally, I'd rather know now). Richardson did grab a couple steals, and brought his turnovers down to two. Both of those were the aforementioned charges.

G Trevor Cooney: 5

Cooney shot 3-12. Last game I'd give him 10 shots without complaining, but anything above will draw my ire if he isn't shooting well. Well, I'm not going to be so hard on him. Many of his shots came late in the game, when Syracuse was still down by quite a bit relative to the time on the clock. He did shoot three for nine from 3pt range, and made both his free throws. He also stole the ball twice, and had three assists and three rebounds. Still, if he's going to take 12 shots, I'd like him to be scoring 15 points.

G Michael Gbinije: 9

If Gbinije keeps up this form, he will enter the ACC season as one of the favorites to be player of the year. Gbinije continues to play exceptionally well, but he needs his teammates to step up their game. The fifth year senior shot 7-16, 3-8 from 3pt range, and 6-7 from the charity stripe, totaling 23 points. He's now averaging 20 points per game. Gbinije stepped up his game down the stretch, scoring 13 points in the final ten minutes of the game. He finished the game with five rebounds, and five assists. He also only turned the ball over once, which is nice to see against a tough opponent.

F Tyler Lydon: 5.5

Lydon did not have his most effective game. In fact, he has struggled offensively in both of Syracuse's losses this week. He shot 3-7 against Georgetown (including 1-3 from 3 pointers), for seven points. Lydon isn't going to surprise anyone moving forward, and he will not get as many open looks as he received earlier in the season. Syracuse will need to do a better job of working to get him open. Lydon struggled with Georgetown's bigs. Hayes and Derrickson consistently got inside of Lydon to grab boards, especially on the offensive end, giving the Hoyas extra looks. Lydon is becoming a good shot blocker though; he got two more this game, and does a good job getting steals, with his long arms, and solid hands.

G Franklin Howard: 5.5

Good for Howard for getting to play down the stretch. He gave Syracuse a different look, and was able to grab four rebounds due to his size. He pushed the tempo of the game, and took the ball straight to the basket in transition. He got his first two field goals of the season, finishing with four points, on eight attempts. Howard also had two assists.

Team Rating: 5.90

A lot will be made of the NCAA's decision to have Boeheim's suspension begin immediately. However, Syracuse shot just 25.9% from 3pt range, despite taking 27 shots from there. They were also out rebounded, especially in the first half. Syracuse allowed Georgetown to have as many offensive rebounds, as the Orange had defensive rebounds. Meanwhile, yes, Syracuse had 18 offensive rebounds themselves, but that was facilitated by the team missing so many shots in the first place. I said before after the loss to Wisconsin, Syracuse was overrated this past week in the polls. They'll either be ranked 23-25, or unranked next week, and I think that's about right right now. I think it makes sense that this team has gone 2-2 against quality opponents, beating Uconn and Texas A&M, while losing to Wisconsin and Georgetown. Losing to Georgetown in D.C. isn't even an upset. The season begins anew when Syracuse travels to Pittsburgh on the 30^th. Thus far they have two quality wins, and no bad losses. I'll take it.

I liked that Hopkins rotated players down the stretch. Boeheim will typically leave the same five players in the game down the stretch, regardless of the situation, but Hopkins mixed things up. My complaint last game was, Boeheim doesn't make adjustments in game. It's refreshing to see changes made as Syracuse tried to come back down the stretch.

Georgetown Hoyas

C Bradley Hayes: 9

Hayes does not always receive consistent playing time, and his minutes will often depend upon the flow of the game, and opponent. He proved to be a valuable asset against Syracuse though. Hayes dominated the Orange inside, scoring a season high 21 points (8-12). He had eight total rebound, and four on the offensive end. He scored a couple of times after grabbing his own rebound.

F Marcus Derrickson: 8.5

Derrickson, like Hayes, does not play more than 20 minutes consistently, despite starting. He came up big against Syracuse though, especially on the glass, where he had ten rebounds, and defensively; he drew three offensive charges just outside the restricted area in the second half. Derrickson also scored 13 points on 4-7 shooting, including making two of his four attempts from beyond the arc.

F Isaac Copeland: 7

Copeland got his usual 14 points, shooting 5-9. But, was quieter than the two big men, particularly in the second half.

G LJ Peak: 4.5

Peak struggled against Syracuse, and the zone. He shot just 1-5, scoring three points. He also fouled out with more than three minutes remaining in the game.

G D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera: 5

Smith-Rivera has struggled at times this season. He's coming off a 30 pt effort, but shot just 3-9 from the field this game, scoring 11 points. He did have five assists against Syracuse, but also turned the ball over four times.

C Jessie Govan: 5.5

Govan did not play much this game, because Hayes was so effective. He played just 11 minutes, but did manage four rebounds, and an assist in that time.

F Reggie Cameron: 6.5

Cameron continues to be a reliable scorer off the bench. In 14 minutes he shot 2-3 from the field, and made 4-5 free throws, to finish with nine points.

G Tre Campbell: 7

Campbell received more minutes than usual, because of Peak's foul situation. He scored six points, while adding three assists, and three steals. Those are nice contributions from them.

Team Rating: 6.85

Georgetown now has two quality wins, against Syracuse and Wisconsin, although they still have that bad loss to Radford (see Syracuse fans, it could be worse). They played great against their Big East rival. Dominating inside, and on the boards. They also got just enough shooting, while aided by Syracuse's own inability to make consistent jump shots. Georgetown still needs D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera to get going consistently. If he can become reliable, and play like he did last season, along with Copeland's solid shooting, and the way Hayes and Derrickson played against the Orange, this team could be very good.

19 ARIZONA @ 13 GONZAGA

Arizona Wildcats

C Dusan Ristic: 6.5

F Ryan Anderson: 7

G Allonzo Trier: 8

G Kadeem Allen: 4

G Gabe York: 9

F Mark Tollefsen: 5.5

G Parker Jackson-Cartwright: 5.5

G Elliot Pitts: 5

Team Rating: 6.85

Gonzaga Bulldogs:

F Domantas Sabonis: 8.5

F Kyle Wiltjer: 9.5

G Eric McClellan: 5

G Josh Perkins: 5.5

G Kyle Dranginis: 5

G Silas Melson: 4

Team Rating: 6.65

I'm not going in depth on this game. I watched it, but I wasn't watching it with any intention of analyzing the game. I just really wanted to see these two teams play. Arizona looked great coming back to win this one on the road. I thought Arizona would be great this year because of the incoming freshmen, even with Ray Smith's injury they have three top-50 freshmen. However, it's been seniors Gabe York and Ryan Anderson leading Arizona thus far. York's performance down the stretch, and complete confidence in himself, was impressive, and really fun to watch him play. Alonzo Trier was one of the best players I watched last summer. He's a dynamic offensive player. Gonzaga's bigs are really good. Wiltjer looks like he can be the best player in the nation, and Sabonis is great inside. However, the rest of this team, the backcourt, isn't good enough to make the Bulldogs a top-ten team. Sorry. It's too bad Karnowski and Tarczewski were unavailable for this game. But, at least each team was missing a big man. 

Georgetown vs Wisconsin: Player Ratings and Recap

Here are player ratings for the first Semi-Final game of the 2k Sports Classic between Wisconsin and Georgetown. Later, I will release the player ratings for the second game between Duke and VCU in advance of the final tomorrow. 

This year I am recapping games in a similar fashion that soccer matches are recapped. Following a game, each player receives a rating 1-10 based upon their performance. Over the course of time you can see how they are playing in stretches, and how the team overall is performing based upon the form of their players. I think this is an effective way to evaluate basketball games. Especially when, at the end of the season, it is not always the most talented team that wins, or the team that had the most victories during the season, but the team that is experiencing the greatest of run of form. 

Georgetown 71 vs Wisconsin 61

Wisconsin

F Ethan Happ: 7

Ethan Happ is a redshirt freshman. He is the tallest member of Wisconsin's starting lineup, listed at 6'9. He did an excellent job grabbing rebounds this game, doing so effectively against a tough, and physical Georgetown frontcourt. Happ ended the game with 11 rebounds, and six of them came on the offensive end. Unfortunately, despite getting many second chance opportunities, Happ struggled finishing around the basket. He shot only 3-8. Lucky for him, he took a couple trips to the line near the end of the game, and went a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe to boost his scoring number to 12 this game. Happ also finished the game with a pair of steals and a block.

F Nigel Hayes: 7.5

Nigel Hayes is the new star on this Badgers team now that Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker have left. He is a really good college player. He is versatile enough to score both on the inside, and on shoot outside. He can also defend on the perimeter, or in the post. His versatility made him an excellent third option behind the aforementioned forwards, but he has yet to transition to the elite level this season. Against Georgetown, Hayes led all players in scoring with 22 points. However, he did so on 7-17 shooting, 41.2%. That is actually one of his better scoring performances, because he is shooting 40.6% thus far this season. This would not be so bad, except Hayes shot 49.7% last year, and is only taking two more shots per game. Hayes is also down in 3pt%, 37.5 compared to 39.8% last year (although 37.5% for a 6'8 forward is nothing to scoff at), and FT%, 68.8 compared to 74.4. This is just to say Hayes is having trouble transitioning into a starring role. Hayes, and Wisconsin would be playing much better if Hayes could get his shooting numbers closer to last years level, while elevating the number of shots he takes.

Hayes struggled getting inside against the Hoyas. He had no problem getting past defenders outside, but once he got inside he missed a lot of shots near the basket, and also lost a couple balls while trying to get his shot up in traffic—he turned the ball over for the first three times this season during this game. This had a lot to do with Georgetown's excellent group of frontcourt players, and their solid interior defense. This also partially explains why Hayes was limited to only four rebounds, although three of which came on the offensive end.

Hayes once again showed he can play solid defense in this game. He does a good job guarding out on the perimeter, and is also solid defending the low post. He had two steals this game.

F Vitto Brown: 5

Brown is another versatile forward. He is 6'8, allowing him to guard either forward position, and likes to shoot jump shots on offense. Brown scored 9 points this game, but he did not shoot well. He was only 4-13 from the field, and 1-3 from 3pt range. He look a large number of jump shots against Georgetown. Brown has been dreadful from three thus far this season, shooting only 16.7% from there coming into the game. However, he has shot 46.7% from the field, and this is the first game in which he has failed to score in double digits. Brown was an asset grabbing rebounds, he had seven. Brown did foul out this game. However, he stayed in the game until the two minute mark despite picking up his fourth foul with seven to play.

G Zak Showalter: 5

Somehow 6'2 Zak Showalter is a pretty good rebounder. He averaged 5.3 coming into this game, and picked up another seven against the Hoyas, four of which came on the offensive end—that's all hustle. Although he helped out on the glass—or perhaps below the glass would be more apt, Showalter did not shoot great this game. He was 3-7 from the field, scoring seven points total. He was also one for three from 3pt range, which is in line with his 33.3% 3pt% this season. Showalter also turned the ball over three times, and fouled out of the game with six minutes left.

G Bronson Koenig: 3.5

Bronson Koenig found his stock to be very high following a strong performance in the tournament last season, and the departures of Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker. Koenig was touted as a potential all-conference performer, in a similar manner that Duke's Grayson Allen was. He, also like Allen, began the season with strong scoring performances. However, I do not think Koenig can be the second best player on a team that competes for a championship.

Against Georgetown, Koenig struggled mightily shooting. He was only 2-12 from the field, and made a single 3pt attempt of six. He scored nine points, four of which came from the free throw line. Koenig lacks vision as a point guard, and has trouble setting up teammates. He instead often looks first to shoot. This does benefit the team when Koenig is shooting well, but when he is not he struggles to help the offense in other ways.

F Khalil Iverson: 3

Iverson was the only bench player to receive significant minutes. He 21 due to the foul trouble Brown and Showalter were in much of the game. He showed a good ability to get up, and challenge Georgetown's bigs for rebounds, despite being only 6'5. However, he disappeared in the second half. He finished the game 1-3 shooting for two points, grabbing four rebounds, and also had two assists. He needed to be a more prominent presence when Brown or Showalter were sitting.

F Charlie Thomas: N/A

Did not play enough minutes to qualify.

F Alex Illikainen: N/A

Did not play enough minutes to qualify.

G Jordan Hill: N/A

Did not play enough minutes to qualify.

G TJ Schlundt: N/A

Did not play enough minutes to qualify.

Team Rating: 5.05

Wisconsin could not come back to defeat Georgetown, and as a result pick up their second loss of the season. Koenig struggled shooting, which left Wisconsin without a number two option on offense. Nigel Hayes is a great college player, but he is not capable of carrying this team. It also did not help that Wisconsin's next best scorers, Showalter and Brown, were in foul trouble down the stretch, and Wisconsin lacks depth. Georgetown was a good measuring stick game for Wisconsin. They were both fringe top-25 teams coming into the season, in my opinion. It's now going to be interesting to see how they fare against Syracuse in a couple of weeks.

Georgetown

C Bradley Hayes: 2

Bradley Hayes had played well in Georgetown's first two games, averaging 30 minutes and 17.5 points. However, he sat on the bench for much of this game in favor of four-star freshman Jesse Govan who was playing excellently.

Hayes played only 14 minutes, shooting 2-6 for four points, and picking up two rebounds. Another reason he was likely benched for most of the game, and down the stretch, were his four turnovers. Four turnovers in 14 minutes will get you benched.

F Isaac Copeland: 8

With Smith-Rivera struggling, Copeland took over for Georgetown, especially in the second half. He shot 5-9, and 3-4 from beyond the arc, to score a season high 15 points. Copeland has been very consistent offensively thus far. He has scored 11, 13, and 15 in the Hoyas' first three games, and has shot over 50% both from the field, and from three point range. Copeland added eight rebounds. Although, he also turned the ball over four times. Copeland is a great asset for this team as a versatile forward who can guard multiple positions, and score from anyway. It was good to see he has the ability to lead on offense when needed as well.

F Marcus Dickerson: 3.5

Dickerson, like Hayes, saw limited time this game despite starting. He shot 0-2, and finished the game with zero points. He played seven minutes total, and finished with three rebounds and assists. Unlike Hayes, Dickerson did not turn the ball over excessively. He simply sat because Reggie Cameron was playing so effectively off the bench.

G LJ Peak: 4

LJ Peak only played 21 minutes this game. He took only five shots from the field, making two of them. He added another five points from the free throw line, bringing his point total up to nine points, which falls in line with his season average of 9.3. Peak has yet to make a 3pt FG this season, but had some mild success driving to the basket. Peak was a four-star recruit a year ago, but has yet to step up his sophomore season like he was expected to with Jabril Trawick gone.

G D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera: 5

Georgetown's expectations for this season grew last summer when Smith-Rivera decided to come back to school, after initially declaring for the draft. Thus far this year, Smith-Rivera's ppg, FG%, and 3pt% have all lowered compared to last year. He did not shoot well against Wisconsin. He went 2-9 from the field, and one for four from three. Smith-Rivera did end up with 12 points, but only because he took many FT at the end of the game; he finished 7-10 from the line. Smith-Rivera at least helps the team in multiple ways. He grabbed five rebounds, had four assists this game, to lead the team, and had three steals. Smith-Rivera also only turned the ball once despite playing more than 30 minutes. Smith-Rivera has down a good job with the ball in his hands at least this season. He has averaged 4.3 assists, and only averaged 1.0 turnovers.

C Jessie Govan: 7.5

Govan was Georgetown's highest rated recruit; he was a consensus top-50 player coming into the season. He is a skilled big man, and gives the team a unique look when he is on the court. Govan scored a career high, 13 points, against Wisconsin. He scores just as much from outside as he does inside. He made a three pointer, and shoots jumpers away from the basket consistently. He was 3-7 from the field, making one of his two three attempts. Govan is also an excellent FT shooter, making all six of his attempts. In addition to being a good shooter, Govan is a surprisingly effective passer. He ended this game with three assists. Because Govan is threat from outside, he draws defenders out, and that frees up the inside where he can pass the ball for a teammate to pick up an easy two points. In addition to being a skilled offensive player, Govan is a gifted low post defender. He played nice defense against Happ when he had the ball inside, and had three blocks in the game. Govan also grabbed five rebounds.

F Reggie Cameron: 6.5

Reggie Cameron exploded on offense in the first half. He sunk four three pointers, and scored a total of 14 points in the half. However, Cameron disappeared in the second half, and did not score another point. He finished the game 5-7 from the field. He also finished the game with three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Cameron is an intriguing player for Georgetown, because if he can play like he did in the first half consistently, he will give Georgetown a second versatile forward who will stretch defenses even further. However, Cameron does not have a great track record. He has averaged seven points in eighteen minutes this season, and averaged only 1.2 points in 4.6 minutes last season as a sophomore. At worst though, Cameron is a live shooter off the bench who can contribute solid minutes.

G Kaleb Johnson: 3

Johnson was a third bench player to receive more than 20 minutes this game. He was not as effective as Cameron and Govan though. Johnson is a tall, 6'6, freshman guard. Due to his height he is able to help out grabbing rebounds; he has now grabbed three in back-to-back games. However, he is yet to show much on the offensive end. He made two of three field goals against Wisconsin for four points. He also fouled out late in the game, and turned the ball over three times. Johnson got quite a bit of playing time this game, ahead of starter, LJ Peak, but based upon his production it may not have been warranted.

F Trey Mourning: N/A

Did not play enough minutes to qualify.

G Riyan Williams: N/A

Did not play enough minutes to qualify.

Team Rating: 5.40

Georgetown they were better than their 0-2 record when they defeated Wisconsin, moving to 1-2. The continued success of standouts Copeland and Govan are essential to Georgetown this season. Copeland is a great second option who can stretch defenses. Govan is great on both ends of the floor, and has a much higher upside than Hayes. I would actually like to see Georgetown play big with Hayes, Govan, and Copeland all on the court at the same time. Smith-Rivera's struggles shooting are a concern; he needs to be the leader of this team. They could be very dangerous if he average 16+ points per game again. It will be very interesting to see what they can do against Duke tomorrow.