MBB Recruiting: 17 offer Jamal Cain Summer League Highlights Part 2

Submitted by Matt EM on

2nd half Derrick Coleman Elite Summer League highlights of 17 offer Jamal Cain. 6'7 wing has been very impressive, scoring at all 3 levels. Doing it off the bounce and finishing at the rim, midrange pullups, a very good shooter from beyond the arch, and he can jump out of the gym. Stock has obviously gone up over the past few months, 247 finally moved him from #200 to #158. Scout now has him as their highest 3star (1 spot from 4star) at #137. Rivals has him at #74, with Future 150 not far behind at #93. Hoopseen is the most bullish on Cain, placing him at #60. Obviousy Cain had a very good spring/summer.

His recruitment seems to be in the final stages, trending toward a late September decision at this point.

 

 

http://endlessmotor.net/2016/08/02/jamal-cain-summer-league-highlights-…

ypsituckyboy

August 2nd, 2016 at 8:34 AM ^

Sam Webb seemed a bit...reserved...talking about Cain this morning. Don't want to read too much into it, but it kinda sounded like Justin Smith is higher on Michigan's board than Cain.

Obviously, they could probably take two more since Cain would be a 3 and Smith/Livers/Young would be a 4, but it almost sounding like Michigan has cooled on him a bit since his stock didn't rise as much as the others this summer.

Lanknows

August 2nd, 2016 at 1:30 PM ^

Irvin is a 4.

The staff also told Kam Chatman he might be a 2 eventually. 

The takehome here: positions are very fluid (other than 5).  Even PG - we've seen Beilein's offense get run through Harris and Stauskas and Levert.  It's not worth getting too hung up on who is the 3 vs 4 especially because it just depends on what the rest of the roster has to offer.  Irvin and Novak were never SUPPOSED to play the 4.  If he gets his defensvie act  together next year, Robinson might be the 4 in '17-18.

Matt EM

August 2nd, 2016 at 1:53 PM ^

with the distinction that's he's a 2/3 on offense. Cain is a 2/3 on both sides of the court in my opinion. Positions are certainly fluid, but Cain's skillset, size, athleticism, and frame all indicate he's 2/3, and specifically a prototype 3 all the way.

Lanknows

August 2nd, 2016 at 3:19 PM ^

Beilein says there isn't one (other than side of the floor).

So if you're a 2/3 you're also a 2/3/4 on offense.  Let's just call it a wing player and leave it at that. 

Between the wings, they'll guard who they guard based on the best available matchup.

Between the wings, they'll  let people who can generate shots for themselves and others handle the ball and put shooters and slashers around them.

My comments about recruits apply also for Matthews next year - you can argue about if he's a 2 or 3 or 4, but his offensive role will probably closer to GR3s than anything else and his defensive role will probably closer to Levert's than anything else. 

 

 

 

Matt EM

August 2nd, 2016 at 3:51 PM ^

The 4 is generally the player with less ball skills and shooting ability. Case in point would be GR3 at the 4, whereas THJ was a 2, despite both being 'wings'.

Specific to this context, don't think anyone would dispute Cain has superior ball skills and shooting in relation to Justin Smith. Additionally, Cain is a far superior shooter to Charles Matthews.

Obviously, there is fluidity in terms of position designation with respect to guarding a different position in relation to where one plays on offense. However, traditionally those that have defended the 4 on defense have also played the 4 on offense. Zack Novak was a 2 way PF, and so was GR3. That accounts for a 6 year time period. Irvin is the outlier during the past 2 years.

All that being said, I think Cain is a two way 2/3 rather than any designation as a 4 based on skill, athletic ability, and size/strength.

Lanknows

August 2nd, 2016 at 5:19 PM ^

Novak was an excellent shooter - you're calling him a 2-way 4. If you're calling Irvin a 2 then who was the 4 last year? Robinson? Rahkman?  Smotrycz was recruited for the 4. They all have ball skills or shooting.

This argument falls apart quickly. I do agree that GR3 is an ideal of sorts, but Michigan isn't recruiting a lot of guys like that. Matthews is the closest thing and he's probably not going to be a 4 on D.

Lanknows

August 2nd, 2016 at 1:24 PM ^

is just a 3 that has the strength (or athleticism or length or will) to guard bigger 4s on occassion

Making this distinction at the HS level is mostly a fools errand.  People Beilein recruits for the 4 spot (but not the 3) have usually ended up at the 5.

Lanknows

August 2nd, 2016 at 3:23 PM ^

context: what if Wilson is guarding 4s.  What if Robinson is guarding 3s or 4s.  What if Matthews is locking down 2s.

uncertainty:  you're talking about kids who will develop a lot from when they hit the college court in 15-27 months.  Let alone how people will develop in the long-run.  Novak and Irvin were not projected by anyone to guard 4s, but that's what served the team best.  And, arguably, that's what served the players best too.

reanimator

August 2nd, 2016 at 5:03 PM ^

Irvin was moved to the 4 because he could not move well laterally and we had no other options.

Cain is 170 lbs....its highly unlikely he would ever see time at the 4. Smith is at least 200 lbs and very developed physically. Nothing can be said with certainty but it is a pretty good guess as to what both of them can and can't guard going forward. 

Lanknows

August 2nd, 2016 at 6:14 PM ^

You're projecting out with guys who aren't even committed yet.  If you had projected out roles with Smotrycz, Robinson, Irvin, Chatman, Jaylen Brown, etc.  you would have been wrong.  Making lineup decisions and detailed positional assignments is, as I said above, a fool's errand.

DCAlum

August 2nd, 2016 at 9:31 AM ^

His upper body shooting technique seems really solid, but he has a weird, right-foot forward stance (you can see it when he's shooting free throws and 3s). I have no idea whether it's more or less effective, although presumably more pros would be doing it if it had advantages. Any bball coaches out there wanna weigh in?

Matt EM

August 2nd, 2016 at 9:46 AM ^

if its good enough for them, its good enough for me. Think its most likely a momentum thing, as your adominal/chest/upper body is generating power from the right side (if a right handed shooter), and momentum carries vertical and outward (and to the left to a certain extent), so its almost natural.