Offense
Strengths
• Good size, very athletic
• Good offensive rebounder
• Moves well without the ball
• Runs lanes well in transition – finishes strong at the basket
• Has the size to work in the post
• Handles the ball well for his size
• Good free throw shooter
Weaknesses
• Inconsistent perimeter shooter
• Needs to be more aggressive attacking the basket
• Is not much of a playmaker – scores most points off of offensive rebounds and loose balls
• Disappears for stretches of the game
Defense
Strengths
• Closes out on shooters well
• Strong rebounder
• Long arms, alters shots
Weaknesses
• Footwork needs work
• Needs to be a more aggressive defender
• Needs to work on help defense
• Shot blocking needs improvement
Analysis
Ebanks came into this season off of a very strong freshman year, and while he is not putting up numbers that most might have expected, you can see flashes of what makes him an appealing NBA prospect. On offense, he has the size and speed that teams covet at the small forward position, but he still has to develop a lot of the basketball skills to go with them. He does a large part of his scoring off of offensive rebounds or broken plays. A more consistent jump shot would go a long way to making him more of a threat. Defensively, Ebanks has the potential to be a disruptive force, using his long arms and jumping ability to force offensive players into bad shots. He does need to make a more a consistent effort to round out his defensive game. Overall, his potential may be too good for teams to pass up this year.
- Ed Isaacson
