photo: si.com — Senior Point Guard Craig Austrie
Got a chance to watch Saturday’s game between Gonzaga and UCONN. Gonzaga sat in a zone most of the first half and limited UCONN’s guards to 4 transition points and only 2 field-goals in the paint. When UCONN’s guards took the initiative and drove the gaps, they got to the line. Craig Austrie didn’t do much in the first half but one of the things that scouts look for is how guards react to a zone, create against bigger players, stay in control, and finish plays. Austrie ended up with 6 points, but at the end of the game he was the first option for a three in the crunch and plays the point for a still undefeated UCONN Husky team. While projected draft choices AJ Price (24pts) and Jerome Dyson (21pts) put the book bag on winning the game today, I believe Craig has NBA potential.
In the NBA, space making is the frontier that decides the final cut. Craig has enough head and shoulder quickness to make space and hit jumpers off the dribble. He is a heady passer and a solid outside shooter because his mechanics are solid. Also, one of the measures the playground offers is the championship guard play of Tiny Archibald. Tiny was quick, unselfish, knew angles, got in the lane easy and had took high-percentage shots. When he got to the Celtics, he was committed to full court defense and pushing the ball on offense. While Craig is by no means Tiny, he has some of those qualities. Modern guards who have Nate Archibald-like skills are Chris Paul and Tony Parker, while guards like Rajon Rondo and Derrick Fisher have careful shot selection and ball hawking skills that make them valuable players. Rondo in particular averaged only 9.6 points a game at Kentucky, but he shot 49.6% from the field. Austrie shoots 41% from 3 and has enough big game experience to merit consideration. While Rondo is freaky athletic with the ability to ball hawk, Austrie has good athleticism, a quick release, and the ability to defend with skill. I look forward to watching him in a strictly man-to-man contest in the NCAA playoffs.
December 20th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
bobbito garcia says:
couch–
i haven’t watched a college game this year yet. how is ez pass playing if all these uconn guards are puttign in so much damage? is kemba getting numbers, too?
December 21st, 2008 at 1:49 am
Sean Couch says:
Kemba had 21 points this year in a game. He didn’t get a lot of time in Saturday’s Gonzaga game but he’s representing strongly on the court.
December 21st, 2008 at 11:40 am
Trevor Kapp says:
Sean- don’t get me wrong, i like craig’s game and i think he’s a factor off the bench for uconn but he’s not an nba player. he hasn’t shot above 40 percent in any of his years and he’s played in big big east games but the last two years they’ve played in one tournament game. i think craig’s another case of a solid college player who will have a decent career overseas, but not in the league.
December 21st, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Sean Couch says:
Trevor
I respect your opinion, indeed Austrie hasn’t shown his total package but there are some players who play at high levels that have the ability to score when space and scheme is given them. A pro team that runs a triangle set would make Craig look good while someone like Chi-town’s Jeremy Pargo would be better suited in D’Antoni’s system of high screen and roll. UCONN is a transition team that caters to guards that hold the rock and finish. Craig is a pass first player that looks to catch and shoot and kills in mid-range.
The point is where Craig scores. I think Austrie has some Laker in him, D. Fisher like potential because he can shoot and ball hawk. Sometimes it clicks, a light comes on and a player shows his game. We’ll see if that happens with Craig.
December 21st, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Trevor Kapp says:
sean- i think it’s an interesting point, my only thing is that i think there’re guys much better than craig who don’t even get talked about. take levance fields from pitt or last year jonathan wallace from g’town or kyle mcalarney from nd. those guys put up monster numbers and played much bigger roles on more successful teams but don’t get talked about as pro prospects. i know being a good college guard doesn’t always translate to playing in the league and there’re also guys in the league who weren’t great in college but it’s hard for me to see craig making it when those guys probably won’t.
December 21st, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Sean Couch says:
Trevor:
Field’s is a good college player that isn’t ultra-athletic at 5′10″ and does not consistently knock down the open jumper.
I happen to like Kyle Mcalarney as a potential pro because he shoots the lights out and i think he’s might a little more athletic than a Gerry McNamara who struggled to make it. While he doesn’t handle like Luke Ridenour he is a better shooter and in the right system could display develop slowly like Maryland alum Steve Blake.
The reason why i like Austrie is his shooting mechanics and his ability to go mid-range off the dribble.
December 24th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
funkalot says:
Trevor,
The NBA is an inexact science. For instance, staying with UCONN history, could you have foreseen Kevin Ollie making the “L” or more amazing having lasted for 10 seasons. His numbers in college were mediocre, comparatively, yet he found the right fit , in terms of systems, to create a career in the NBA. Likewise, the same scenario held true for Howard Eisley, whom I watched closely at Boston College. It really is a matter of serendipity.
December 25th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Sean Couch says:
No doubt, people get looked at to fit a philosophy and a system to win chips. The Lakers look for guards that defend and hit open shots from the wings and the corners. That’s where their guards end up in their offense. San Antonio needs a guard that executes pick and roll and creates easy uptempo offense alone, while Boston needs a pass first guard that can step in when one of the big 3 is off. Rondo is a perfect match because he doesn’t have a lot of pressure to score and doesn’t have to work like a Ray Felton, who i feel is a better all-around player, to get a shot.
Ray Felton is a great guard just waiting to evolve. The next Devin Harris when Jordan gets the personnel right in Charlotte.
December 26th, 2008 at 11:41 am
funkalot says:
Sean,
Wow, you realy think that much of Raymond Felton. It appears that he is being pushed out of Charlotte by DJ Augustin; who seemingly is the preference at point for Larry Brown. Rumors abound that at the end of the season, Charlotte will jettison Ray Felton.