| 01 March 2011
First it was Kyle Wiltjer, Austin Kuemper and David Carr.
Now three more high school recruits out Oregon prepare to make a splash in college and have signed letters of intent with schools around the nation. Among those top recruits are Kidus Ephrem, a power forward/center of Central Catholic High School, Andrew Andrews a point guard out of Benson, and Tre Hale-Edmerson from Sheriden.
Beyond the Beat takes a closer look at Ephrem, Andrews and Hale-Edmerson's overall game and where they plan to play college ball next season:
Andrew Andrews - Point Guard - Benson
Perhaps the seconds most well known recruit from the Oregon 2011 class after Witljer, Andrews (pictured above) has committed to the University of Washington. The 6’1 guard is the ideal recruit for coach Lorenzo Romar’s system, which has favored strong guards like Brandon Roy and Isaiah Thomas in previous years.
Amongst Andrews’ many strengths, he is perhaps one of the best one on one players to come out of the 2011 Oregon draft class. Although adept at getting to the hoop through traffic, he’s a true one guard possessing of an excellent handle and very good passing skills. He’s been called a “natural” at the one spot because he has such natural court awareness. At 6’1, he’s not too skinny and has the keen desire to get into the lane off dribble penetration. This fits coach Romar’s system well.
Overall, Andrews is a tough kid , with a quick first step, a solid passer and extremely intelligent on the floor. He needs work to improve on lateral speed on defense and ESPN notes his game could use some polish, something that will no doubt happen at Washington.
Kidus Ephrem - Power Forward/Center- Central Catholic High School
In November of 2010, the 6’8 forward/center became the second Central Catholic senior to commit to a Division I school this season. After considering Montana, University of Portland and Idaho, Ephrem committed to Portland State University.
A center with a lean body , Kidus is strong in the post and works hard on defense. Far from the most athletic of big men, his effort and sheer will make up for his lack of foot quickness and upper body strength. At Portland State University, his play should meld quite nicely in the Big Sky, although he may struggle guarding quicker and more aggressive and athletic big men in the conference.
Ephrem has been described as “blue collar” by ESPN and Yahoo recruit profilers after his reputation for not taking any plays off on either side of the court. That effort combined with his very consistent fifteen foot jump shot make him a solid pick up for Portland State University next season.
Tre Hale-Edmerson - Power Forward - Sheridan High School
The 6'7 standout from Sheridan, Oregon has committed verbally to Seattle University. The power forward is long, quick and at times can play the three. His ability to guard the three spot due to his foot speed and exceptional coordination make him a great pick up for Seattle University, that needs size and length on their roster.
Amongst his strengths, Edmerson is known as a skilled face up shooter, a deft passer for a young man of his size, and good rebounder. He struggles in the post, and as ESPNU and Oregon Recruiting both have noted, will need to improve his post defense in order to become truly effective at the college level.
Hale-Edmerson's thin frame and strong build make him a mismatch on the offensive end as many slower fours could have trouble guarding him, but he will get beat when matched up against bigger, more physical players.
photo: oregonlive
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
