Justin Sears, Senior, Yale, Forward, 6’8, 205
(2014-15, 32.6 mpg) 14.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.1 spg, 2.7 tpg, 2.4 bpg
51.2 FG%, 69.1 FT%, 56.5 TS%, 51.5 eFG%
25.8 USG%, 11.9 OREB%, 16.7 DREB%, 14.3 TRB%, 8.3 BLK%, 2.2 STL%
DOB: 1/3/1994 (21) Hometown: Plainfield, New Jersey
2015 Ivy League Player of the Year
The Watch List is not meant to replace full scouting reports and is only meant as a guide for who and what to watch for this upcoming season
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After a big sophomore season that had Sears among the Ivy League’s, and nation’s, best players, Sears put together a somewhat inconsistent junior season, which was still good enough to be named Ivy League Player of the Year, due in part to a very strong showing on the defensive end of the floor. Athletic with a wingspan over 7-feet, Sears is an undersized power forward, who uses his physical ability to create mismatches on the offensive side of the floor. Sears does a good job looking to establish position in the low post, has the strength to hold his ground against bigger players, and very good hands. Sears is not a great back-to-the-basket player, instead relying on trying to use his combination of strength and speed to beat his man with a dribble move across the lane, or out of a face-up in the low post. He is a below-average-to-average ballhandler, able to go left and right reliably, though lacking the explosiveness to get to the rim consistently. Sears has shown a nice touch around the basket, able to finish with either hand, and he has developed a nice up-and-under secondary move when he is stopped on one of his moves to the rim. While Sears is a strong and efficient finisher around the basket, he can have some trouble scoring against longer defenders. Often overlooked, Sears is a good passer for his size, showing good vision off the dribble or out of the low post. Sears is a very good offensive rebounder, getting into position quickly, boxing out well, and using his quick leaping ability to go up and get to the ball. As on his drives to the basket, he can have trouble getting second shots up against longer defenders, but he is smart and doesn’t force many bad attempts. Defensively, Sears is very good in the post and on the perimeter. He uses his body in the low post, playing physical against often-bigger opponents. He moves his feet and anticipates movements well, on and off the ball, and Sears has become very good at hedging out on the ballhandler in pick-and-roll situations, using his length and footwork to contain. He’s an above-average defensive rebounder, showing good technique and drive after the missed shot. Sears is also a very good help defender and rim-protector, getting to spots quickly, having good awareness, and challenging shots with very good extension.
What he needs to show this season: Sears finds a way to score, but his offensive game still needs a lot of work for the next level. He has decent form on his jumper, though sometimes slow and inconsistent, but he rarely shows his ability in the mid-range area. On occasion, he will show a good shot fake and drive to the rime, but the confidence doesn’t seem to be there for the jumper. If he is more than 15 feet or so away from the basket, he often won’t even look at the basket, or give the impression he will shoot, just passes the ball along, making it easier for his defender to hang back on him. Also, Sears needs to improve his ballhandling skills to take advantage of the mismatches he can often create on the floor. At times, he will make a good move to the basket, but many times, he has trouble using his dribble to create any space, or he lets the ball get too far away from his body, which leads to turnovers when around defenders in the lane. Defensively, he has shown the ability to guard multiple positions, but there is some fine-tuning he can do to sharpen up his movements, especially on the perimeter.
Where he fits at the next level: There’s a lot to like about Sears’ raw ability on the floor, especially when combined with athletic ability and energy, but for a conference player of the year, there are still a lot of rough edges to his game, especially on offense. With some added strength, he can play a small 4 at the next level, though improving his jumper and ballhandling will be important. No matter what, Sears plays hard, continues to improve in many areas, and has the defensive and rebounding ability that will attract a lot of teams; where he plays next will depend on making those improvements.
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