Rank the top 5 shooting guard recruits coming into the Big 12

[Seymore Cox]

Skilled offense trumps defense every time. Is Ron Artest better than Lebron or Dwayne Wade?

 

[blh111]

Skilled offense trumps defense every time. Is Ron Artest better than Lebron or Dwayne Wade?

Huh, I'll explain to you why it isn't even the same comparison.

Artest offensive game isn't close to those cats. Bradley's offensive game is close to that of Henry. He has a great mid range game and his shot over all has improved. He is quick with great athletic ability, and he gets to the rack with ease. I know you saw him play when he beat Tiny. His jumper is better than what some are giving him credit for. But on defense, Henry is not close to being on Bradley's level on defense. Being able to dominate on both ends is rare.

I'll give a better example. Nash could score but he couldn't stop anybody else from doing the same to him. So when he ran up against Parker and a team that played defense he would get smashed. I guess the better offense didn't trump the better defense during their games. You know why, because San Antonio had the much better defense, with an offensive game that was still very good. Give me that.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recr...mns/story?columnist=biancardi_paul&id=4054919

 

[thebigabd]

blh111,

If there is one thing I know about Bill Self, his players will play defense. Xavier may not be a great defender in high school, but I promise you he will be for Bill Self at KU.

 

[gracefor24]

I would go:

1. Bradley-total package and terrific defender.

2. Henry-he has to improve his quickness and shot selection to pass Bradley.

3. Elijah Johnson- he is the best incoming athlete on the perimeter and should be a great defender.

4. Dennis

5. Pledger

 

[blh111]

blh111,

If there is one thing I know about Bill Self, his players will play defense. Xavier may not be a great defender in high school, but I promise you he will be for Bill Self at KU.

I'm going by both of their games at this moment. But if that's the discussion then Bradley's offensive game will also continue to get better. But I don't want to cleo. Right NOW Bradley is rare.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recru...aul&id=4054919

 

[Seymore Cox]

Huh, I'll explain to you why it isn't even the same comparison.

Artest offensive game isn't close to those cats. Bradley's offensive game is close to that of Henry. He has a great mid range game and his shot over all has improved. He is quick with great athletic ability, and he gets to the rack with ease. I know you saw him play when he beat Tiny. His jumper is better than what some are giving him credit for. But on defense, Henry is not close to being on Bradley's level on defense. Being able to dominate on both ends is rare.

I'll give a better example. Nash could score but he couldn't stop anybody else from doing the same to him. So when he ran up against Parker and a team that played defense he would get smashed. I guess the better offense didn't trump the better defense during their games. You know why, because San Antonio had the much better defense, with an offensive game that was still very good. Give me that.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recr...mns/story?columnist=biancardi_paul&id=4054919

On the next level, who is a 6'2 SG in Bradley going to stop? The biggest thing against Bradley is he's a tweener. Henry is a 6'6 guy who can shoot lights out, post a player up, and drive. You said Bradley's not fair off, but Bradley can't shoot lights out and he cant post players up. Bradley has a decent pulll up game, but so does Henry. Also in your point to defense, on the college level, individual defense isn't as important as overall team defense. You talk as if Bradley is going to limit his man to 5 points a game, and Henry is going to be giving up 30. Defensively, what Bradley does is he's a hawk on the ball. That's a great attribute. But let's also be realistic about your assessment. He's not going to shut down guys like Willie Warren, James Anderson, Collins, Henry, Dunn, etc. Add to that, he's a guy you don't have to smother at the three point line.

 

[thebigabd]

On the next level, who is a 6'2 SG in Bradley going to stop? The biggest thing against Bradley is he's a tweener. Henry is a 6'6 guy who can shoot lights out, post a player up, and drive. You said Bradley's not fair off, but Bradley can't shoot lights out and he cant post players up. Bradley has a decent pulll up game, but so does Henry. Also in your point to defense, on the college level, individual defense isn't as important as overall team defense. You talk as if Bradley is going to limit his man to 5 points a game, and Henry is going to be giving up 30. Defensively, what Bradley does is he's a hawk on the ball. That's a great attribute. But let's also be realistic about your assessment. He's not going to shut down guys like Willie Warren, James Anderson, Collins, Henry, Dunn, etc. Add to that, he's a guy you don't have to smother at the three point line.

I agree with everything you said... Henry isnt going to give up 20 a night, just like Bradley isnt going to shut everyone down. They will both be good defenders at the college level, because both teams will play great team defense and they have the size, length, and athletic ability to be good defenders.

 

[blh111]

On the next level, who is a 6'2 SG in Bradley going to stop? The biggest thing against Bradley is he's a tweener. Henry is a 6'6 guy who can shoot lights out, post a player up, and drive. You said Bradley's not fair off, but Bradley can't shoot lights out and he cant post players up. Bradley has a decent pulll up game, but so does Henry. Also in your point to defense, on the college level, individual defense isn't as important as overall team defense. You talk as if Bradley is going to limit his man to 5 points a game, and Henry is going to be giving up 30. Defensively, what Bradley does is he's a hawk on the ball. That's a great attribute. But let's also be realistic about your assessment. He's not going to shut down guys like Willie Warren, James Anderson, Collins, Henry, Dunn, etc. Add to that, he's a guy you don't have to smother at the three point line.

Bradley is a better defender than Henry. All of a sudden when they get to college Henry is not going to jump on his level. And the 6'3 Bradley will be a great asset playing man to man defense and team defense period. You don't have to exagerrate what people may score on them. I never made it like that. My point is if you score 25 and the man you guard does the same, then so what. Bradley has the ability to dominate on both ends, Henry doesn't. Read the article, it's not just my opinion. His defense is what brought him on the scene. As far as what Henry does on offense, don't make it likes he's so quick, he's not. As far as not smothering Bradley, Tiny saw first hand the team playing against him better smother him from deep also.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recru...aul&id=4054919

 

[gracefor24]

Don't most services have Bradley ranked above Henry currently? For the college game Henry's size and ability to post up isn't as big of a deal. I don't think the gap is very big but Bradley is a better overall player right now, imo.

 

[Cheno]

blh111,
If there is one thing I know about Bill Self, his players will play defense. Xavier may not be a great defender in high school, but I promise you he will be for Bill Self at KU.

Exactly. Rush came to KU as a guy with a rep of playing zero defense. By mid-season of his frosh year he was fabulous and by his soph & jr year he was one of the best in the conference. Henry will be a good defender. Or he won't play for Bill Self. And anyone who thinks Henry won't play is off their rocker.
X Henry reminds me of Paul Pierce.

 

[DenverSooner]

Isn't that really the biggest difference between high school and college basketball? I think Self and some other coaches do it better than average but I really view intense defense as the most signficant difference (obviously the talent is much better too).

 

[Seymore Cox]

Anybody who saw WW at the beginning of the season defensively and at the end knows how players can improve defensively. WW went from our worst perimeter defender, to our best on ball defender and second best away from the ball defender. As far as Bradley, the one thing that he does have a clear decisive advantage on Henry is from the motor department and pure speed department. John Wall has those advantages too. Those advantages are big in the college game, just look at Ty Lawson and Johnny Flynn. But just from the pure overall talent aspect, Henry is what scouts drool about. He's got a power forward body with perimeter skills shooting skills and point guard ballhandling.

 

[SoonerfanTU]

Anybody who saw WW at the beginning of the season defensively and at the end knows how players can improve defensively. WW went from our worst perimeter defender, to our best on ball defender and second best away from the ball defender.

WW was not our best on-ball defender at the end of the year. AJ, when healthy, and Tony were both better. I'd also say he was the worst off the ball. He struggled big time chasing shooters through screens. Got lost often.

 

[Seymore Cox]

WW was not our best on-ball defender at the end of the year. AJ, when healthy, and Tony were both better. I'd also say he was the worst off the ball. He struggled big time chasing shooters through screens. Got lost often.

I guess that's just difference of opinion. He was very bad chasing off screens through much of he season, but really improved in my opinion down the stretch. I think if you look at those last game, even the games against Texas and Kansas where Collins and Abrams hit very tough contested shots over WW. In the OSU games, Capel switched him on Eaton when Eaton starting carving AJ up and during the UNC game, he had him on Lawson. I can't remember if he had him on Flynn or not. AJ is a very good transition defender and very good at closing out on smaller PG's and contesting shots, but AJ was a poor on the ball defender.

 

[cowboysooner]

Hate to give props to an okie kid that didn't and wouldn't even think about going to OU, but come on, Bradley is not even in X's league. It hurts me to say this, but if you are being objective about it, there really isn't any comparision between Henry and Bradley. Bradley is going to be a nice player, but Henry will be an utter failure if he is only a nice player.

If Self shapes him up mentally and physically, exactly like he did with Rush, Henry will be a lottery pick and NBA superstar. He is superstar tall, athletic and skilled for a wing. Does he have the discipline and mental part to become great, I don't know, but froma talent standpoint, there is no fair comparison. JMO.

 

[gracefor24]

Hate to give props to an okie kid that didn't and wouldn't even think about going to OU, but come on, Bradley is not even in X's league. It hurts me to say this, but if you are being objective about it, there really isn't any comparision between Henry and Bradley. Bradley is going to be a nice player, but Henry will be an utter failure if he is only a nice player.

If Self shapes him up mentally and physically, exactly like he did with Rush, Henry will be a lottery pick and NBA superstar. He is superstar tall, athletic and skilled for a wing. Does he have the discipline and mental part to become great, I don't know, but froma talent standpoint, there is no fair comparison. JMO.

This makes no sense based on rankings and play in the All Star games. Bradley is at the very least Henry's equal at this point. Henry may have a higher ceiling because of his size and shooting but Bradley is the better defender currently and by far the better athlete.

 

[thebigabd]

If any college or NBA coach had to choose between Henry and Bradley, I feel pretty confident saying that all of them would choose Henry.

 

[Seymore Cox]

If any college or NBA coach had to choose between Henry and Bradley, I feel pretty confident saying that all of them would choose Henry.

This. And that's really all that matters.

 

[gracefor24]

I don't think it's that cut and dried between the two.