Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Alumni Profile: Andre Drummond


Looking Back: Andre Drummond’s arrival to Storrs was heralded as one of UConn’s greatest recruiting jobs ever.  He was a local kid, athletic, a solid rebounder, and had an above the rim game.  He was compared to Ed Davis, but things didn’t quite go his way.  He couldn’t get himself involved in the half court sets, and struggled mightily at the line that would've even made Josh Boone shake his head.   His stock dipped a bit because of his lack of progression throughout the year and was drafted by Detroit.

The Good: The one word surrounding Drummond is potential.  He already possesses the ability to rebound and block shots.  He has the build to become a big time NBA center and should be able to hold his own in the paint even at his current weight.  He also is a force on the break and can finish plays strong.

The Bad: Drummond’s offensive game is limited now.  He doesn’t have a jumper, he rushes things when his back is to the basket, and he is susceptible to being fouled because of his paltry numbers at the line.

Looking Ahead: The good thing for Drummond is that he has a capable big man in Greg Monroe that can slide into the power forward position and create space for Drummond to do what he can which is defend, rebound, and clean up things around the basket.  Fans will need to be patient with his progress in his first year and understand that he is a raw talent that could eventually be a premiere center in the NBA and those are hard to find.

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