Scouting Report: Michael Phillips II

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

I conclude my scouting reports on the incoming freshmen with Michael Phillips II. Grace Christian's full season stats are available on Max Preps, so I will reference those in my analysis. Phillips played in 32 out of 37 games.

Physical and Athletic Profile

6-6/6-7
175

Phillips is a bit slender, but his frame has plenty of room to add weight. Broad shoulders and good length. Could easily handle another 30-40 pounds, topping out in the 205-215 range.

No reported wingspan, but Phillips has very long arms. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a 7-0 wingspan.

Very athletic, can catch and dunk off two feet, and also blocks a lot of shots. Maybe a tad less athletic than Jamal Cain.

Offensive strengths

Volume three point shooter; 92 makes on 36% shooting. Great elevation and high release point, with a shooting motion that starts near the right temple.

Deep range, extending several feet beyond the three point line.

Dunks with ease, even if he doesn't have a lot of forward momentum. Vertically explosive .

Aggressive scorer, averaging 21.1 PPG.

Offensive concerns

Dribbling is quite poor. Very high dribbler with a loose handle. Will often lose the ball, or have it poked away and stolen. Reminds me of Jamal Cain and David Joplin, who had similar issues coming out of HS

Averaged 3.5 TPG.

Struggles to get by defenders off the dribble. When he attacks close outs, defenders often recover and cut off his driving lane, even if they are initially beat.

Has to settle for a lot of one dribble pullups due to inability to beat defender off the dribble. Feels like a lot of his FT attempts were the result of being unable to get all the way to the rim. Fouled on midrange shots when the defender recovered and contested.

Struggles to finish through contact due to lack of strength.

Rudimentary passing skills. Passes are kind of slow and loopy. Not a big assist guy.

Shot selection needs to improve. Will often settle for long, contested threes early in the shot clock.

Defensive strengths

Excellent shot blocker, averaging more than 2 BPG. Good timing, and will challenge everything at the rim while rarely fouling. He did foul out of one game I watched, but a couple fouls were at the end of the game when they were trailing.

Shows good defensive stance, with active hands that make it difficult for his man to pass to teammates.

Defensive concerns

Needs to get stronger to defend college players.

Not super active in the passing lanes or pressuring the dribble, averaging only 1.2 spg.

Team switched a lot, making it hard to get a feel for his ability to defend dribble penetration.

On occasions when they played 2-3 zone, Phillips played C to take advantage of his shot blocking. Will need to adjust to playing different spots in a college zone.

Playing style and scheme fit

His HS team ran a 4 out, 1 in motion similar to what Bullis runs. But not nearly as crisp or with as many ball screens. A lot of Iso ball.

Defensively, stylewise Phillips reminds me of Joplin as an upper classman, except not that strong yet. Phillips will help as a secondary shot blocker more than he will going for steals.

Fun fact

Attended the same HS as former Marquette player Keeyan Itejere.

Expectations

Phillips looks quite raw to me. His shooting was a bit more erratic than I would have liked, and his dribbling is not close to ready. Physically, he needs to get a lot stronger, too.

But he has a lot of good tools and a big upside. He has a very nice foundation with his shooting form. More strength, better shot selection, and more consistent mechanics could turn him into a great shooter.

He also has the athleticism to finish dunks and block shots. I don't expect many minutes for him next year, perhaps even redshirting. But hopefully in 2-3 years, he will be able to tap into some of his enormous potential.

[tower912]

Thanks. My mental shorthand will be a greener Jamal Cain.


As a group, I get a vibe of a lot of upside, but all may need a season or two to be Big East ready.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Here are his season stats:

21.1 PPG
7.8 RPG
1.8 APG
1.2 SPG
2.1 BPG

3.5 TO per game
2.3 fouls per game

Shooting
44% FG

53% on 2 FG
36% on 3 FG
73% on FT

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Based on the scouting reports, what we've read from Ben Steele, and how the team will likely be comprised this coming season it seems like James and Stevens will have the best chance of the group to earn some minutes.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Based on the scouting reports, what we've read from Ben Steele, and how the team will likely be comprised this coming season it seems like James and Stevens will have the best chance of the group to earn some minutes.

That is my inkling. I think James and Stevens each play 10-15 mpg. If there's a surprise starter, it'll be one of those two.

[Nukem2]

Based on the scouting reports, what we've read from Ben Steele, and how the team will likely be comprised this coming season it seems like James and Stevens will have the best chance of the group to earn some minutes.

Thats been my thought, though Miletic micght surprised us.

[GoldenEagles03]

Seems like an obvious RS candidate.

[willie warrior]

Thats been my thought, though Miletic micght surprised us.

He will.