Brandon Roy showed his three-point shooting ability on his way to 70 points in three days; Tyrus Thomas told the nation that he will fly under the radar no longer against Ohio State; Patrick O'Bryant is a 7-foot mid-major prospect with 1st round caliber skills and production; J.P. Batista continues to do the dirty work for the Zags; James White says he is more than just a big bundle of upside; Hassan Adams recovers from a slow early-season start and Kevin Pittsnogle shows that terrific shooters come in all shapes and sizes.
Brandon Roy, 6-6, shooting guard, senior, Washington
2 games: 70 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 turnover, 3 blocks, 2 steals, 26-51 FG, 9-11 3P, 9-14 FT
Jonathan Watters
Brandon Roy's NBA saga began 3 1/2 years ago, when he declared for the draft as an unprepared high school senior. Somewhere along the way Roy got some good advice, and wisely pulled his name out of the draft. His career at Washington has featured plenty of spectacular flashes, but Roy's ascent to stardom had been held in check by injuries and the emergence of several teammates. Roy has always displayed an intriguing all-around game, but had nearly always done his job in the shadows, never putting up the type of numbers that attract attention from the professional ranks.
Fast forward 4 seasons to Saturday's game against Arizona, when the kid that thought he was good enough to play in the NBA as a teenager finally proved to the world that he was league-ready. On his way to his second 35 point performance of the week, Roy showed off improved range on his jumper, and a devastating ability to both score and find his teammates off the dribble. Roy hit a contested 3-pointer to send the game into overtime, and then bested himself with a step-through, body-contorted miracle to extend the game yet again. It wasn't until he fouled out in the 2nd overtime period that Arizona was able to pull out a victory.
DraftExpress has been waiting for Brandon Roy to assert himself as a star for years, and that finally took place this past week. Roy is more than just a scorer, as he creates well for himself in the midrange, but also finds his teammates at the rim for easy looks. In the Arizona classic, Roy also finished with 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Much like Adams, the knock on Roy has always been his jumper. To be honest, he lost his touch in this one midway through the second half. By the time he regained it, he was having to fire off desperation 3-pointers to extend a game that Washington had once led by double digits. Nonetheless, it does appear that Brandon Roy's outside shot has improved.
If Roy is able to continue hitting at a consistent clip from the outside, there is very little to dislike about his game. He isn't a freak athlete, but his advanced scoring game and ability to create should make him a prized commodity this June.
Fast forward 4 seasons to Saturday's game against Arizona, when the kid that thought he was good enough to play in the NBA as a teenager finally proved to the world that he was league-ready. On his way to his second 35 point performance of the week, Roy showed off improved range on his jumper, and a devastating ability to both score and find his teammates off the dribble. Roy hit a contested 3-pointer to send the game into overtime, and then bested himself with a step-through, body-contorted miracle to extend the game yet again. It wasn't until he fouled out in the 2nd overtime period that Arizona was able to pull out a victory.
DraftExpress has been waiting for Brandon Roy to assert himself as a star for years, and that finally took place this past week. Roy is more than just a scorer, as he creates well for himself in the midrange, but also finds his teammates at the rim for easy looks. In the Arizona classic, Roy also finished with 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Much like Adams, the knock on Roy has always been his jumper. To be honest, he lost his touch in this one midway through the second half. By the time he regained it, he was having to fire off desperation 3-pointers to extend a game that Washington had once led by double digits. Nonetheless, it does appear that Brandon Roy's outside shot has improved.
If Roy is able to continue hitting at a consistent clip from the outside, there is very little to dislike about his game. He isn't a freak athlete, but his advanced scoring game and ability to create should make him a prized commodity this June.