The Duke Blue Devils gained the services of one of the top players in the country last evening when Cameron Reddish cast his verbal commitment. Having seen Reddish play several times over the past three years here is an idea of what to expect.
While watching Reddish earlier this season, I realized how versatile and athletic the 6-7 wing forward was. He was standing in the middle of a zone as Team Final was playing in the Hampton, Virginia. Reddish was contesting every pass the opponent tried to throw over top of the zone. In fact, he the tipped the ball more change of possessions via the turnover two times on three trips down the court.
Reddish can also get out and challenge on the defensive end when his team plays man to man. He has good footwork which enables him to guard multiple players. He is quick off his feet and when beat can recover for the block.
On the offensive end, Reddish has range out to the three-point stripe. He knocks down a little better than 30% of those shots. He is really strong from the right side of the court, hitting a high percentage of his shots from mid range. He finishes at a very high percentage near the rim, almost being automatic.
Reddish can also rebound better than some might think. While he still has a lean frame, he is stronger than he looks. Still, he will need to get stronger at the college level but that should come with maturity in that he will be 19 years old when he starts practice for Duke the year after the coming season.
One word used to describe him is "smooth." He glides about the court with ease and never looks out of control. Reddish started to create his own shot better this past season and showed a big improvement in that area. He will need to continue to get better at this.
He moves well off ball, understanding spacing. There have been some say he takes some plays off. Reddish himself has said he needs to improve upon that aspect of his game, but most of my views this past season showed little of that.
Another knock on Reddish is both good and bad. There are times when he is too unselfish not taking control or passing the ball. That is sort of good and bad. It is good because he is a team player and a good passer for his size. He can get out and lead a fast break and moves at times like a shooting guard.
Reddish is quite simply seriously versatile. His unselfish play and attitude make him a coaches dream. He is efficient and productive and should thrive in Mike Krzyzewski's system which adapts to the players strengths.
It does not hurt that he will be playing with a friend of his in Tre Jones. The Minnesota point guard blew up this past season and is a true floor general. With these two young men, Duke is off to a great start with their future recruiting.
You must be logged in to post a comment.