Team USA Scouting Report: Guards

The 17U USA team kicks off World Championship play in Dubai beginning August 8. The 12 man team is set and will be highly dependent on the limited guards on the roster. Malik Newman returns as the leading scorer but will be one of the primary ball-handlers this year. 6'7" Jayson Tatum will help with these duties given his unique skill-set and 5'10" Devearl Ramsey will be a sparkplug off the bench (and the only true pg on the roster).

Malik Newman – 6’4”, G, Callaway High, Jackson, MS (#6-Scout, #3-ESPN, #2-Rivals)

Height	Wgt	Wing Span	Birth	Class
6'4"	180	6'5.5"	2/21/1997	2015

USA (U16 Stats):

GP	GS	MPG	PPG	FG	FGA	FG%	3FG	3FGA	3PT%	FT	FTA	FT%
5	5	22.2	16.2	30	64	47%	10	28	36%	11	14	79%

RPG	APG	TPG	BPG	SPG
2.6	2	1.2	0	2.8

AAU (Nike EYBL Stats):

Year	Min	PPG	FG	FGA	FG%	3FG	3FGA	3PT%	FT	FTA
2014	28.7	22.5	86	207	42%	26	87	30%	72	93
2013	28.1	24.1	157	388	40%	50	138	36%	142	178

Year	RPG	APG	TPG	BPG	SPG
2014	4.7	1.8	2.7	0.4	1.1
2013	5.2	3.4	2.8	0.3	1.4

Strengths:

The combo guard is the most dynamic scorer in high school hoops. He led the USA team with 16.2 points per game last year and was the EYBL leading scorer in 2013 averaging 24.1 points per game. He shot 47% from the field and 36% from three last year in his five games with the USA team. This year he struggled a bit in AAU play shooting just 42% from the field and 30% from three. He is routinely double and triple teamed resulting in a fair amount of forced shots. The double and triple teams are necessary because Newman is an extremely tough cover. He can blow by a defender on the wing or use the pick and roll to his advantage to create an open jump shot or a runner in the lane. He also likes to utilize a crafty step back move (out to the three point line to get an open look). While a lot of his baskets come off the dribble, Newman can also curl off a screen for an open three which is an underutilized part of his game. Also, Newman has a tireless work ethic and is constantly in the gym trying to improve. 

Weaknesses:

At 6’4”, Newman lacks the ideal height for a shooting guard, but even though he will perform a lot of the ball handling duties for the USA team he is not a natural point guard. Sure, his handles are fine but he is still working on his decision making and actually getting the ball to players in a position to score. Playing point also takes away from his explosive scoring ability at times and can lead to forced jump shots as the shot clock winds down. Newman is a solid athlete and a high volume scorer, but is going through a positional transition which is not the easiest to switch to make.

Jayson Tatum – 6’7”, G/F, Chaminade College Prep, St. Louis, MO (#1-Scout, #2-ESPN, #4-Rivals)

Height	Wgt	Wing Span	Birth	Class
6'7"	193	6'9"	3/3/1998	2016

USA (U16 Stats):

GP	GS	MPG	PPG	FG	FGA	FG%	3FG	3FGA	3PT%	FT	FTA	FT%
5	0	18.2	10	19	51	37%	4	13	31%	8	11	73%

RPG	APG	TPG	BPG	SPG
4.6	2.2	1	0.8	1.6

AAU (Nike EYBL Stats):

Year	Min	PPG	FG	FGA	FG%	3FG	3FGA	3PT%	FT	FTA	FT%
2014	26.1	18.9	108	260	42%	13	46	28%	74	99	75%

Year	RPG	APG	TPG	BPG	SPG
2014	6.5	1.3	2.8	0.8	2.3

Strengths:

Standing at 6’7” and probably still growing, there is not a whole lot that Jayson Tatum can’t do on the basketball court. While he is the second youngest player on the team, he is the most skilled from an offensive stand point. Not just on the USA team though, in all of high school basketball. He is comfortable playing point guard (and will probably handle the ball a fair amount for Team USA) and on the wing. Tatum also uses both his strong (right) and weak hand (left) interchangeably while dribbling or finishing shots in the paint. He likes to take advantage of miss-matches and can post up smaller defenders and either shoot over them or hit a fade-away. He can drive by slower defenders and finish at the rim or pull-up from 15 feet as well. Tatum dominated AAU at the 16U level last year and averaged 18.9 points in the 17U EYBL this year. Tatum came off the bench for Team USA last year, but he will definitely be one of the focal points this year.

Weaknesses:

Strength and shooting are the focal points even though he’s already shown improvements in both areas from his freshman to sophomore season. Tatum has a thin frame, but he has definitely put on muscle in his upper body and will continue to do so over the next two years. The only time I’ve seen Tatum bothered on the offensive end, was when a team put a strong and athletic 6’5” wing on him who tried to rough him up. Tatum still did what he wanted, but had to work a little harder than he was accustomed to. As for shooting, Tatum shot just 28% from three and 42% from the field in the EYBL. During the USA tryouts he was draining three’s from the international line on the first night and continues to improve in this area. One other note, he does not exhibit freakish athleticism like some players but with his height, guard skills, and offensive repertoire it isn’t easy for anyone to slow him down.

Devearl Ramsey – 5’10, PG, Sierra Canyon, Los Angeles, CA (#37-Scout, #33-ESPN, #44-Rivals)

Height	Wgt	Wing Span	Birth	Class
5'10"	174	5'11" *	5/17/1997	2016

USA (U16 Stats):

GP	GS	MPG	PPG	FG	FGA	FG%	3FG	3FGA	3PT%	FT	FTA	FT%
5	0	15.6	4.2	7	20	35%	0	3	0%	7	9	78%

RPG	APG	TPG	BPG	SPG
3	3.2	0.6	0	2.4

AAU (Nike EYBL Stats):

Year	Min	PPG	FG	FGA	FG%	3FG	3FGA	3PT%	FT	FTA	FT%
2014	24.3	9.9	52	128	41%	15	45	33%	19	30	63%

Year	RPG	APG	TPG	BPG	SPG
2014	3.1	3.1	2	0.2	2.1

 Strengths:

It looked like a long shot for Ramsey to make a repeat appearance on Team USA given all of the talented point guards in tryouts, but the 5’10” guard did it. At the end of the day the California native stands as the lone true pg on the roster. Easily the quickest player on the team and in the USA training camp, Ramsey is a jet on the court. In limited minutes he led the team in assists last year and rarely turned the ball over (obviously earning the trust of the coaching staff). He is not a big time scorer at 9.9 points per game in the EYBL, but he is tenacious driving to the basket and can usually penetrate the defense at will. Not only is Ramsey quick, but he is strong and built like a running back. He shot 33% from behind the arc playing for Cal Supreme in the spring but in tryouts showed he had the capability to knock down several deep shots in succession. 

Weaknesses:

Talented, but small. He has a quickness advantage on the majority of defenders but he can often get too deep in the lane resulting in some fairly tough shots. Ramsey can get hot from the outside in bursts, but taller defenders can also play a step off of at times. He is a tough competitor, but is also one year older than many of his 2016 counterparts. Overall, there might have been better point guards at the camp but due to injuries and a certain level of trust earned from his previous USA experience Ramsey earned a spot on the team. He played 15 minutes a game last year and that could spike if Newman or Tatum struggle handling the ball.