Cadougan leads team to victory in Milwaukee
Dec. 27, 2008
Got my first look at Junior Cadougan, MU's point guard of the future, tonight as his Christian Life team took on Wauwatosa East in the marquee game at the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Shootout.
The 6-foot-1 senior played 31 of a possible 32 minutes and finished with 19 points, eight assists, two rebounds and a steal to go along with three turnovers. He was 6 for 11 from the floor, 3 for 5 from three-point range and 4 for 9 from the free-throw line in a 63-51 victory over the Red Raiders.
MU fans will have one more chance to see Cadougan in person, as he and Christian Life take on Whitefish Bay Dominican at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Coach Buzz Williams and his staff were at the Al, but unable to watch or even speak to Cadougan because Friday was the final day of a recruiting dead period. Even still, most of MU's team was in attendance for the first half.
I'll have a story on him in Sunday's paper in advance of the Golden Eagles' game with Presbyterian, but here are a few impressions and comments:
-- Cadougan looked a little nervous early on, and admitted all the attention affected his play in the first quarter.
"When I first walked out and people started calling my name and stuff I was like, 'Oh, what's going on?'" he said with a laugh. "Then after that, in the second quarter, I got comfortable. At first I was nervous."
-- Physically he looked a bit too heavy, but that shouldn't be an issue once he gets to MU and is put on a Division I strength and conditioning regimen, and has his diet more closely monitored.
-- The body-type comparisons to Khalid El-Amin and Levance Fields are right on, although Cadougan's lower body appears stronger and more developed than Fields'. He has thick legs and calves, and is built very much like a running back.
-- His jumper -- especially from beyond the arc -- is almost a carbon copy of Fields', in that he kicks his feet out in front of him and has a high, semi-sidewinder release. He looked comfortable and confident shooting from range.
-- The quickness didn't jump out, but again, he's a good deal heavier now than he will be next year at this time. He also didn't appear to be giving maximum effort much of the time, which will also clearly change when he arrives at MU.
-- Cadougan has a nice hesitation/crossover combination that kept defenders off-balance, although how much he'll be able to use it at the next level, where the quickness and athleticism is at a much higher level, will be something to watch.
-- He played a few minutes at shooting guard, but looked much more comfortable with the basketball in his hands, dictating the action.
-- Cadougan took a charge on a fast break in the second quarter -- the only one I remember a Christian Life player taking the whole game. That kind of hustle and toughness will suit him well at the next level.
-- He could have had 3-4 more assists, had his teammates not blown some easy shots early on. Christian Life began the game without its stud big man, Latavious Williams, whose flight into Milwaukee was delayed.
-- Williams made it into the game in the second quarter and didn't waste time making an impact. He hooked up with Cadougan on a couple sick alley-oop dunks, and wound up finishing with 20 points. MU is interested in the ultra-athletic big guy (who appeared to me to be around 6-8), but so are some other big-time schools.
"Latavious, that's my boy," said Cadougan. "I'm trying to get him to come here."
-- Two other members of the Class of 2009-'10, Jeronne Maymon and Dwight Buycks, were also in attendance.
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