Iaroslav Niagu
USC
Position: Big
Nationality: Russia
Of 2003 Generation
Born: 04.09.2003
Height: 213cm - 7’0’’
PREDRAFT MEASUREMENTS
Iaroslav Niagu (C | 211 cm | ‘03) ~ Lokomotiv Kuban
One of the youngest players in the tournament and had a smaller role in his team. Fluid and mobile big that can stretch the floor and hit shots from distance. Most of his points at the tournament came in the paint though where he wasn’t afraid to initiate the contact against stronger players and go for dunks. Good rim protector and rebounder and knows how to use his length in defense. Definitely one of the players with the highest ceiling in this tournament.
11.3pts, 2FG-42.9%, 3FG-25%, FT-88.2%, 8.8reb, 1.8ast, 0.5stl, 1.5to, 2.5blk
(Written by Igor Chytrzynski)
Iaroslav has good size and mobility, is fluid in the lower half but the upper body is a bit stiff. Good screener with the ability to pop behind the 3-point line and space the floor for his team. Has smooth mechanics on the shot but on the longer attempts he dips the ball really low prolonging his gather. At the free throw line presented himself very well and showed up regularly. Still needs to add more muscle to his frame. He sometimes lacked a bit of interior aggressiveness and could have shown more of his abilities like his footwork and soft touch inside. Majority of his points came from spot up jumpers and good positioning in the paint. When he did put up a fight, he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty on the floor going after 50/50 balls. On defense, he is always keeping the hand on the pulse and is eager to help on drives. For his size, he can quickly slide over to protect the basket and elevate high but needs to make sure he is not flying towards shooting opponent and goes up vertically. Done nice job on a couple of occasions staying in front of the guards after a PnR. Looks for bodies to box out.
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