Amani Hansberry Player Evaluation

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Amani Hansberry

Mount St. Joseph High School (MD)

Team Durant (Nike EYBL)

Class

2023

Height

~6'7"

Weight

~220 lbs

Position

Wingspan

7'1"

Committed

Illinois

May 2022

Statistical Sample for the 2021-22 Season (13 Games)

Note: this evaluation is intended to build off of previous evaluations written on Hansberry following his freshman and sophomore seasons, which were spent at St. John’s College (DC). Instead of separating his “Big Man Attributes” apart from his other “Offensive Qualities”, they will be combined into one section.

Physical/Athleticism

Plays with an endless motor
- Maintains good physical condition, exhibiting the stamina to play heavy minutes, while sustaining top-shelf effort
Great length with a 7’1” wingspan (~+6”)
Terrific, tank-like power – a bear in the paint
- Very strong body – possesses upper and lower body strength
- Strength is functional/practical, and is accompanied by knowledge of how to utilize it on both ends
A power player who can interchange between contact-heavy and finesse-based approaches to the game
Has made incremental gains in explosiveness year-over-year
- Moving with more velocity/speed
- Advancing first step
- Still a bit heavy-legged, but a little bouncier at the rim, especially off of one leg

Has also shown incremental gains in foot speed, and continues to make advancements in his agility
- Improved footwork in transition and perimeter-oriented moves with the ball
- Moving better laterally on both ends, showing that he is lighter on his feet
- Pushing off quicker to change directions and open up with greater hip fluidity

Has improved his balance
Moves extremely well in the paint
Very good hand-eye coordination
Tough and durable
Innate anticipation and timing

Other Offensive Qualities

Offensive Qualities

A traditional power forward who has worked diligently to diversify and expand his offensive skillset to fit the modern game, while maintaining his bread and butter in the painted area
Thrives on the block, where he is able to employ effective post moves against defenders of nearly all sizes. Highly skilled, he continues to demonstrate ambidexterity, a soft touch, and a strong grasp of how to utilize his size, strength, and length. Further, he displays excellent footwork and a feel for the defender’s body weight. He exercises patience, while also wasting no time in his attack.
- His game on the block begins before he receives the ball by establishing excellent position, using footwork, rear-end, and elbows to seal defenders. Keeps the defender sealed as the pass is in route. Overall, he has maintained the good habits he built early on when I evaluated him as a freshman, such as consistently presenting a big target and meeting the pass.
  - Uses a really nice swim move to quickly assume position

Can choose to be a bully on the block

Owns a dribble-less, turnaround jump hook, where he catches and goes straight into the shot over either shoulder, but prefers to shoot this shot with the right. Impressively, he can shoot this shot as far out as ~13 feet.
- Gets it off quickly and puts a lot of air under it. It often catches the defender by surprise. It’s a beautiful shot.

Has traditional jump hooks over either shoulder, from either side of the lane
- Set up with powerful drop steps or smooth rolls into the shot following one or two dribbles
- Shoots this shot with impeccable form
- Shows great range with this shot, as well, shooting it as far out as ~13 feet

Uses effective variations of an up-and-under

Has a pretty turnaround jumper that he typically shoots over the right shoulder, while fading left

Highly proficient passer out of the post (see more in the “Passing” section below)
Handles the double team with patience, skill, and court vision

Finishing in the paint:
- Gets the ball out of his hand rather quickly
- Has excellent touch, whether he uses the backboard or not
- Keeps both hands on the ball and utilizes his off arm to protect the it
- Can finish with power and converts through contact
- Usually finishes below the rim, unless he has the time and space to catch and gather
- Ambidextrous around the rim
- Shoots a high percentage from the painted area
Showcases soft, but strong hands
Overall, he has outstanding feel in the paint, both for the defense and on the shot

Has developed himself into a versatile 3-level scoring threat through improved mid-range and 3-point shooting, as well as an enhancements to his ability to put it on the floor and get to the rim or create shots for others
Effectiveness when he catches in the mid-post area has progressed nicely, thanks to the much-improved mid-range jumper mentioned above and an overall increase in comfort operating from 14-17 feet from the basket
- In addition to his traditional post game, which is broken down above, his attack on the rim can originate from this distance or farther out on the perimeter. For instance:
  - When catching with his back to the basket, he’ll face up, take one or two hard dribbles in either direction, followed by a spin or sharp drop step to the rim
    - Capable of spinning in either direction with equal effectiveness
    - Seals the defender with his body on the shortest route to the rim
  - Utilizes a similar move from farther out on the perimeter, where he doesn’t start with his back to the basket
    - Will add a hesitation into the dribbles leading to the spin, enhancing the effectiveness of the counter move

Leverages his threat to shoot into straight-line drives
Consistently showed the ability to get to the rim in 1 or 2 dribbles

Has added other options off the bounce, such as a crossover going either way to propel him into the paint

Uses his ability to get to the rim off the bounce to set up his mid-range jumper. Shows off a consistent jumper on the catch (standstill or off movement), catches into jab-steps, and increasingly off the dribble. Typically doesn’t need more than 2-3 dribbles to score.
- Favorite spots throughout the season consisted of the elbows and foul line area, as well as the short wings

Has a small tendency to move too fast on the catch and hurry the shot, but usually takes time to survey and probe the defender before shooting
Flashes an improved ability to create his own shot, and will benefit from continuing to work on his ability to create space

Shooting the jumper out of the mid-post
- When catching with his back to the basket, he’ll face up with a front pivot or reverse pivot and then pull-up from 14-17 footer in the defender’s face
  - Displays comfort with the shot from baseline-to-baseline
  - Uses variations of this shot, such as when he adds a hard jab step before the shot. Will benefit from continuing to hone and add to his jab-step series.
- Has a quick step-back following the catch with his back to the basket to create additional separation for the shot. Uses one dribble total.

Advancements as a shooter extend past 14-17 feet, as he has increased his range to consistently shoot the 3 off the catch (see more details on his 3-point shooting throughout the rest of this section and in the “Shooting” section)
- Has a nice catch, face, and shoot
- Also gaining ground shooting from deep off of specific dribbles, especially a step back going left

Skilled passer overall who sees the court to find cutters and shooters (see more in the “Passing” section below)
Contributes to winning in so many ways. Makes his teammates better and does not need the ball to impact the game on offense.
A monster on the offensive glass
- Utilizes his physical gifts together with terrific judgment of where the ball is coming off the rim
  - Gains the positional advantage and secures extra possessions with his strength, length, and strong hands
  - Showcases his agility to maneuver around block outs
  - Comes down with strong boards in traffic

Showcases his insatiable motor
- Outworks his opponents
- Follows up multiple times, if needed

Crafty, knowing the tricks of the trade inside the paint to give him small advantages
Demands extra attention from the opposition, who sometimes must dedicate multiple players to keep him off the glass
Keeps the ball high upon and gets it right back up on the glass/board for a quick putback

Has improved his effectiveness as a screener
- Decreased an old tendency to not make contact on the screen when he was younger, where he now makes contact more consistently when it is appropriate
  - Displayed that he is learning when to do so and at the most advantageous angles
  - Improvement in screen setting has improved his own off-ball positioning
Expanded versatility in the pick-and-roll game now that he has added a consistent 3-point shot off the catch
- Has always been a threat to roll to the basket, and also understands when to slip the screen
- A legitimate pick-and-pop threat, thanks to the vast improvements shown in his shooting range

Despite his effectiveness in the post, he does not clog the lane with his presence. He already had a firm grasp on the nuances of spacing. But with his growing abilities to shoot from behind the arc, operate in the two-man game on the perimeter, and score consistently from the mid-post, he now contributes to better spacing on the floor for his team.
- Moves well to open space
- Inclined to cut and move, as opposed to remaining stationary

More on his abilities in the 2-man game: operates with his guards away from the rim in multiple capacities, and proves to be a trustworthy decision-maker
- Pick-and-roll – displays an understanding of when to roll, when to slip, and when to pop for the jumper. Makes the reads and gives his guards space to work. Expect him to continue to improve in this area.
  - His ability as a pick-and-pop option is also accentuated by his improved ability to put it on the floor and get into the paint or all the way to the rim

Dribble handoff (DHO) action – comprehends when to hand it off, when to keep it in order to reverse the ball, and when to fake the handoff with the purpose of being aggressive toward the paint

A rapidly growing threat to board and push the pace himself as the primary ball handler. Exhibits the wisdom to realize when there is no advantage.

Runs rim-to-rim, fills the lane in transition, and follows-up the play in transition to serve in the clean-up role. Again, he is increasingly running the break himself.

Took leaps and bounds in overall assertiveness
Advanced fundamentals
Understands who he is as a player, but is also willing to push his own boundaries
- While he has expanded his perimeter skillset, he is still learning when and how to utilize those growing skills overall. Showing a steep learning curve.
Interestingly, despite his physical nature on the court, he only carried a free throw rate of 21.8%
Values possessions, boasting a 1.67-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio
Has added various feel shots to his repertoire from the painted area, including an effective floater off of two feet that he will use to avoid player control fouls and congested lanes

Shooting

Much improved perimeter shooter who puts it up with confidence
- Has a short memory and does not allow the previous miss to affect the next shot
Has experienced significant growth as a mid-range shooter (see more in the “Offensive Qualities” section above). To review:
- On the catch off movement or standstill

Mid-post work

Pull-up jumpers off the dribble

Shoots his best percentage when he doesn’t put it on the floor

Emerging 3-point shooter who is selective, but confident in his ability to convert at a high percentage
- Shot 46.4% on 2.2 attempts per game in the 13 games charted
- Keeps the defense honest
- A legitimate pick-and-pop threat
- Shoots it best off the catch in standstill/spot-up attempts
- Developing off the dribble options
- Will benefit from getting the shot off quicker moving forward

Can improve consistency from the foul line, where he shot 68.2% on 3.4 attempts per game in the 13 charted
Displayed a tendency to get off to slow starts from the field, but usually found his way after the 1st Quarter
Comfortable shooting moving left or right, with a preference going left off the 1, 2 (right, left) step (on the catch)
- Prefers turning over his right shoulder on turnaround jumpers
- Prefers shooting off the dribble going left
  - Cannot remember many attempts going right
- Mechanics support the “left” preference
Maintains good concentration on the goal, which allows him to convert with a hand in his face at an increasing percentage
Shot selection
- Prefers to operate in his comfort zones, but he will almost always seek the best available shot
- Healthy mix of attempts from around the rim, in the painted area, and the various mid-range areas
- Selective from three
  - Will occasionally show a quick trigger
- Will force the jumper at times in an effort to assert himself
- If he starts out cold with the jumper, he will make a concerted effort to work inside-out to get himself on track
Increasingly smooth shot mechanics
- Nearly one continuous movement in the shot
- Has created and replicated a nice rhythm
- Doesn’t get much elevation
- Has cleaned up a former habit of leaning left before moving into the actual shot movement
- Keeps the ball on the left side of his body into the release
- Finishes the same way, with a clean release and snap of the wrist

Dribbling

Yet another area of progression has been his overall ball handling
- Becoming more functional by the day
More comfortable handling in the open court, and showed as much by attacking backpedaling defenders to score at the rim
- Improved speed dribble. Pushes with velocity, remaining under control as he approaches the basket.

Uses his dribbles wisely and efficiently by staying within himself in both half-court and full-court capacities
- Handle has become much more reliable
- Displayed the ability to handle various zone presses in multiple positions in the press breaker
  - Can be relied upon to help alleviate pressure overall
- Rarely attempts to do too much. You won’t see him attempting to dribble through traffic, break down multiple defenders with dribble moves, or employ combo dribble moves in iso situations. That being said, he is capable of using single dribble moves and combining them with changes of pace/hesitations.
- Improved functionality supports his ability to board and push on his own, and to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves in semi-transition
  - Likes to push hard in one direction and change directions suddenly with a behind-the-back dribble move

Working towards changing directions in the open court without disrupting his momentum
Shows an upgraded ability to maneuver around defenders at nearly full speed

Has a tendency to pick up his dribble too soon
Protects the ball with his body
Uses a nice, tight spin move in either direction. The move is equally effective going right or left.

Passing

Excellent positional passer who has grown from a predominantly low-post/high-post passer to now being fully capable of distributing from the perimeter, as well as in transition/semi-transition

Exhibits clear vision out of the post
- Feels the immediate defender and oncoming help to guide him to the open man
- Stays poised and passes well out of the double team
- Delivers the cross-court pass to spot-up shooters
- Sees the cutters

A willing passer who continues to display sound decision-making and care for ball security
- Always looking up the court to advance with the pass
Capable of making good decisions and delivering the pass as the ball handler in the open court

Able to make plays out of the 2-man game on the perimeter

Dynamite outlet passer who gets the ball into the hands of his guards quickly and accurately
- Passes with strength and accuracy
- Generates numbers advantages in the transition game, as well as semi-transition opportunities that would not be available otherwise

Places a nice touch on the pass, especially on his dump-offs and when hitting the cutters
Understands how to draw the defense and deliver the pass accordingly

Defense

Outstanding interior defender with a growing ability to defend on the perimeter
Incremental progressions in foot speed and overall agility have improved his switchability on the perimeter, especially in pick-and-roll situations
- Increased versatility allows him to legitimately guard bigs (at a reasonable size); some, but not all, stretch 4s and jumbo wings; and less explosive, but still skilled guards
- Moves with his feet and demonstrates the ability to defend without fouling
- Absorbs impact by the ball handler without being knocked out of guarding position, then successfully contest a variety of shot types
- Displayed extended stretches of solid on-ball defense against skilled perimeter players
Can have difficulty with quicker players off the dribble
Should improve by refraining from opening up too much on the initial move
Progressing recovery after the initial move. This recovery is also exhibited on his closeouts, which are done with excellent technique and urgency.

Struggles a bit with pick-and-roll coverage when he is pulled out of drop coverage and asked to defend more explosive guards in space. Has shown improvements in this area nonetheless, especially as a hedger and when employing a hard double team off the screen.

On the interior:
- Owns the strength to absorb power and contact and still contest
- Plays with his feet first
- Timely back side rotations as the bottom man
- Possesses the length to successfully contest taller players
- Maintains verticality when challenging shots
  - Skilled rim protector who averaged 1.6 blocks in the 13 games charted

A man amongst boys on the board, but the value he brings is much more than just grabbing the rebound. It is also his ability to turn defense into offense by getting the ball out quickly and accurately to his ball handlers, as mentioned in the “Passing” section above. Further, as alluded to in the “Offensive Qualities” section, he is also capable of boarding and pushing the ball himself.
- Can, at times, control the backboard single-handedly
- Applies the same qualities used on the offensive board to the defensive end (physical, length, strength, judgment and anticipation, strong hands, craft, positioning, etc.)
  - Comes down with contested rebounds left-and-right
- Capable of tracking the flight of the ball, while keeping a body on his man
- Again, he gets the ball out quickly to his guards hands to generate numbers advantages and semi-transition opportunities
- Keeps the ball high after the board to avoid would-be thieves

Plays with anticipation and looks to make plays
Uses active hands with his length to disrupt passing lanes and block the vision of interior and perimeter passers

Basketball IQ

Highly intelligent on both ends
Plays with an understated feel
Terrific court sense
Savvy in the post
Owns great self-awareness as a player
Good judgment in multiple facets of the game
- Sound decision maker
Increasing ability to read the defense
Possesses natural basketball instincts. Plays relaxed enough to allow them to direct him.
Understands how to contribute to floor spacing
Competes on each possession with purpose
Competent with the use of angles and his body
Took steps toward learning how to win this season
- Led his team to a 32-7 record
- Won the Baltimore Catholic League tournament title and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association title

Dispostion/Presence

Disposition/Presence

Great competitor who plays with high, but controlled aggression on both ends
- Plays to win
- Competes with toughness
- Can be tenacious
- Has a strong, consistent motor
- Plays hard every game
  - Sustainable effort
Resilient
High level of confidence
Will show a smile on his face that communicates joy for the game
Meets challenges head-on
Not afraid of the moment
Maintains positive body language and consistent effort throughout the course of adversity
Excellent teammate
Great communicator

Coachability

“One of the most coachable players I’ve ever been around” (Mount St. Joseph Assistant Coach, Jordon Griffin).
A student of the game
One of the first to arrive in the gym and one of the last to leave
- Gets in extra conditioning and works on flexibility after workouts
A leader on the court
Outstanding executor of game plans on both ends
High character

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