ukfreek00
Wildcats Thunder Member
Well, on Sunday I went to the "Flyin' to the Hoop" tournament that is here in Ohio every year and got to see DeAndre Liggins, and a possible 09' recruit named Clarence Trent play. I figued I'd come by to give my assessment on both. Keep in mind that my assessments are based on one game only. But this is what I saw...
First, DeAndre Liggins - First of all, he was sick, so you could tell he was playing without a lot of energy. I heard he had the flu, and when I spoke with him after the game, he sounded pretty bad. But, Liggins is a very unselfish player. But, not going to make unnecessary passes like we've seen Jasper do at times. If the shot is there, he will take it, but always has his head up looking for a pass to get a better shot.
He kind of stood around a little bit on offense tonight, but it looked as if it was because he was not feeling well, because every time the other team made a run, he stepped it up for a few minutes, before it looked like fatigue set in again. So, with him being sick, I'm not sure what to make of this.
His perimeter shot is just a little above average. The jumpers he missed, he was short on. Again, could be fatigue from being sick. He did appear to have a good looking jump shot though.
Played VERY good defense, and used his long wingspan to his advantage. Always had his hands up, and tried to get in the passing lane.
Biggest upside- Attitude. He wants the ball when the game is close. He has fun playing the game of basketball. The coach of the team they were playing (Centerville, OH), was talking trash to him the whole game. Very classless, like yelling "You suck!" to him. It took awhile for DeAndre to get tired of the coach, and finally said something after hitting a 3 right in front of their bench, to which the coach responded "Screw you, you UK big shot". (Yes, this all went unnoticed by the refs). But, his coached pulled him out right after that and looked like DeAndre calmed down and didn't let the coach get to him after that. Then, after the game, DeAndre tried to shake the hand of the Centerville coach, and the coach blew him off.
Biggest downside- Weight. He's 6'6, 190 lbs. He jumped above most of the big guys for rebounds, but it seemed like he was getting beat up down low. Looked like he held his own on drives to the hoop though.
Overall - I think with proper conditioning, and adding some bulk in the weight room, Liggins has a chance to be a special player at UK.
Next, Clarence Trent - I won't spend as much time on this kid, as its not even positive we'll land him. But, WE NEED TO GET THIS KID! I believe he's listed as a 3 star recruit, but he's much better than that. The kid dominated the game. Boxed out well, looked up court well after rebounds, always hit a the outlet man for a fast break. Going to be a very good Power Forward at the college level. Seems like another kid with a good head on his shoulders, going by the brief conversation I had with him.
Also plays good defense. Has the ability to play defense outside. Used his body to his advantage on defense. Solid defensive player.
Biggest upside - Fundamentals. This kid boxed out, and out rebounded guys 3 and 4 inches taller than him. He hustled up and down the court every possession, and was on the ground after every loose ball.
Biggest downside - Low block scoring. He played very well from about 15 ft away from the basket. Had a nice little jump shot for a post player. He wasn't a bad low block scorer, but I'd say it was the area he could use some improvement.
Overall - Maybe not the most athletic kid, but a kid who will give his all on the court. A kid who will take whatever it takes to make sure he can put a "W" on the scoreboard. Reminds me allot of a Chuck Hayes type player. If you need him to score 20 points, that's what he'll try to do. But, if you need him to play good defense and get 20 rebounds, that's what he'll try to do. 100% team player that only cares about getting a win.
Overall assessment of the game - Liggins and Trent seemed to be very good friends, on the court, and during warm ups. It would not surprise me to see Trent come to Kentucky because of his relationship with Liggins. They seemed like very good friends, and had good chemistry on the basketball court. I would definitely like to see them play together in the blue in white.
Like I said, Keep in mind, it was based off of one game. He played very little, and showed more heart and hustle than athleticism.
SEC Mens Standings 1/29/08
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