[Rosiak's Blog] First impressions of Maymon

[ToddRosiakSays]

First impressions of Maymon

Written by: Todd Rosiak


It's not often I get a chance to see a kid play on the same day he commits to MU, but that's exactly what happened on Tuesday.

So, not long after wrapping up most of the work on the Jeronne Maymon story I headed down to MSOE, where he and his Madison Memorial teammates (including Wisconsin commit Vander Blue) were kicking off their Whiz Kids League of Champions summer league schedule against Milwaukee Vincent.

I chatted with Maymon a little bit beforehand, and he looked a little run down from his big day.

"I'm tired," he said. "I just want to go home and get some sleep. I'm just really tired right now. I don't know why."

His play in the first half reflected his mood, as Memorial took a 26-23 lead into intermission. The second half was a completely different story, though, as he flashed many of the attributes that Buzz Williams undoubtedly finds appealing in his future forward.

Memorial wound up winning a back-and-forth affair, 62-56, in overtime, with Maymon playing a major role.

It was his 14-foot jumper from the right baseline as time expired that tied the game at 56-56 and sent it into the extra session. Blue took over from there, scoring four of Memorial's five points in OT (first team to five wins, rather than a timed OT).

Maymon's final line for the night was impressive: 24 points, 17 rebounds, three steals and one assist to go along with two turnovers (according to my final calculations and subjective eye). He finished 8 for 16 from the floor, 7 for 13 from the free-throw line and 1 for 5 from three-point range.

The game was two halves, 15 minutes each, and Maymon played probably all but two minutes. He did play the entire second half and OT. Maymon grabbed all six of his offensive rebounds in the second half, and his lone three-pointer came late, pulling Memorial to within 53-51.

Following are some observations I made during the game -- nothing too formal or scientific.

-- Nice handle for a bigger guy

-- Looked comfortable bringing the ball up the floor, even against occasional pressure

-- Able and willing to go to his right, especially attacking the basket 

-- Not real active in the first half, especially defensively

-- Memorial didn't run much of an offense

-- Nice stroke and follow-through on FTs; not much use of legs

-- Jumper is more of a push shot with a lower release; again, nice form and not much use of legs

-- Able to use strength to get to the basket and finish

-- Comfortable on the baseline and with his back to the basket

-- Knows how to use his body, especially on offense

-- Can elevate, although he missed a wide-open dunk on a breakaway after a steal at half court

-- Was somewhat vocal with teammates

-- Made some big plays late

For those interested in catching Maymon (and/or Blue) in person, the Whiz Kids league runs through the end of June and games are open to the public (admission is a few dollars, I believe). The only disclaimer is it's unclear whether Maymon will play in every game; teams play every Tuesday and Thursday, and Maymon obviously needs to make the trip each time from Madison.

All games are played at MSOE's Kern Center, which is located at the corner of Broadway and Knapp at 1245 N. Broadway.

Here's a rundown of Memorial's upcoming games:

May 29 -- vs. Milwaukee Washington, 7:10 p.m.

June 3 -- vs. Racine St. Catherine's, 7:10 p.m.

June 5 -- vs. Milwaukee Lutheran, 6 p.m.

June 10 -- vs. Janesville Craig, 7:10 p.m.

June 12 -- vs. Milwaukee King, 6 p.m.

June 17 -- vs. New Berlin Eisenhower, 7:10 p.m.

June 19 -- vs. Sheboygan North, 7:10 p.m.

June 24 -- vs. Sussex Hamilton, 6 p.m.

June 26 -- Playoffs

July 1 -- Semifinals and championship



http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2008/05/27/first-impressions-of-maymon.aspx