Jacob Epperson

Jacob Epperson, 6'11, La Lumiere, Australia, 1998

Jonathan Givony

Strengths:
-Great size for a big man at 6'10 without shoes. Measured a solid 7'1 wingspan and 8'11 standing reach
-Mobile big man who can run the floor, is quick off his feet and covers ground well
-Has a versatile and fairly polished skill-level, especially considering his “late bloomer” status.
-Has great hands and is a very reliable finisher around the basket, even from decent vantage points. Moves off the ball intelligently
-Can make a mid-range jumper with very soft touch. Also effective from the free throw line. Even made a corner 3
-Smart and unselfish. Makes the extra pass
-Competitive defensively. Doesn't let opposing big men push him around without putting up a fight. Has some toughness to him
-Shows very nice timing as a rim protector. Has some ability to move his feet on the perimeter as well

Weaknesses:
-Only weighs 198 pounds at the moment. Doesn't have a great frame and there are question marks about how strong he can get without sacrificing his excellent mobility
-Has a low release point on his jumper, and a bit of a windup. A lot going on with his jumper, even if it eventually comes out of his hand nicely with good touch. Needs to speed up his release
-Mobile, but not incredibly explosive. Lacks elite level athleticism to be considered a top-shelf prospect

Outlook: Epperson was a total unknown in Australia (invited to their national team but cut) prior to arriving in the States to play AAU last July, despite being the son of a standout College player (Ken Epperson at Toledo) who played professionally at a high level in the NBL as well. He's since established himself as one of the best men in high school basketball. Epperson had a very strong camp in New Orleans, showing a very high skill level on both ends of the floor. He is without a doubt an outstanding prospect for college and the international game. We'll have to see how his body evolves over the next few years to get a better gauge for his NBA prospects, but there's a lot to like about the improvement he's shown in the past year or so.

Interview:

-Jacob Epperson was a complete unknown when he left Australia last spring, but quickly emerged as a priority recruit for many elite level colleges with his performances on the AAU circuit. His body is still at an early stage of development, so it will be interesting to see how he's able to fare in this setting.