Contrary to what many seem to think, being ranked as a five-star prospect in high school doesn’t automatically mean a player is a tremendous NBA prospect. Sometimes, guys are simply destined to be very, very good college talents.
For some, that appears to be the case for Jalen Brunson, the five-star point guard out of Illinois, heading to Villanova next season.
Given the freedom that Jay Wright affords to his lead guards, Brunson and the Wildcats look to be one of the best fits in the 2015 class.
Name: Jalen Brunson
Height: 6’2
Position: Point Guard
Ranking: Five-star, No. 23 overall
Strengths: Much like fellow five-star point guard Isaiah Briscoe, Brunson possesses elite-level strength and toughness for the position, allowing him to penetrate into the paint and finish through contact. In fact, he invites that contact when he gets to the rim, finishing on both sides equally well. When not getting to the free throw line, Brunson has displayed an improvement with his shot each time we’ve seen him. When not scoring for himself, Brunson has no problem getting teammates involved, and doesn’t need to be flashy in the process, projecting himself as a very reliable ball-handling option and decision maker in college. Despite the limits in his athleticism, Brunson competes at a high-level when defending on the ball.
Areas to Improve: Speaking of that athleticism, Brunson isn’t very explosive with quickness or vertical ability. Also, he struggles a bit when faced with high-level defenders, as he isn’t a shifty penetrator, or someone that creates space very well in the mid-range.
