Hickson Is Really Impressive at McDonald’s All-American Practices

07-08 Basketball General NCS Basketball58

There have been a lot of impressive reports on JJ Hickson this week. We got the ok, to take a couple quotes from the article on PackPride.com. (well worth the subscription)

The Georgia native had yet another strong performance in practice Monday, showing an emerging perimeter game that was non-existent for so long. He displayed great hands and finished well inside, while still knocking down 15 foot jumpers on a regular basis. It has been a big week thus far for Hickson in separating himself from some of the other power forwards in the class of 2007, and a strong performance in the McDonald’s game itself would seal the deal.(NBA DRAFT EXPRESS)

J.J. Hickson is one of the guys that has impressed on lookers with his recent play against top-notch competition.

“I think I’ve been playing really well,” Hickson said after practice. “I just come out here with this type of competition and play hard, basically just go hard and have fun.”

During the first day of practice Hickson went to work on teammate Patrick Patterson. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound senior scored on Patterson a number of times and he used a variety of moves to create looks for himself in the post.

“I don’t know how many I scored,” he said of his match up with Patterson. “I was just playing and having fun with my teammates.”

Hickson’s recent play has been impressive and he’s definitely made an impression on the scout’s in attendance. He possesses long arms and is an above-average athlete, so he’s going to get his hands on some shots.

He also likes to bang on the block and it’s clear he’s been lifting weights and has dedicated himself to getting in shape. His post moves are what stood out the most, as he’s been able to score over most defenders using drop-steps and step-through moves.

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07-08 Basketball General NCS Basketball

58 Responses to Hickson Is Really Impressive at McDonald’s All-American Practices

  1. TNCSU 03/28/2007 at 10:47 AM #

    That will be pretty nice to say next year that we have a Sophomore and Freshman that were McD AA’s. Without speculating, I’m sure Sid will field the team that he believes has the best chance of winning – regardless of who started last year. I do think he’ll have the luxury of substituting very liberally, though.

  2. packpigskinfan23 03/28/2007 at 10:50 AM #

    Skip Bayless just pronounced that the ’83 championship game “should not have even been played” because Houston was 20 point favs. He is an arrogant usless prick. He claims that Jordans jump shot with FIFTEEN seconds on the clock was the best shot ever in the NCAA’s… I may be a little biased, but a airball slammed put back with almost NO time on the clock is a LOT more substantial then a wide open jumper with fifteen seconds on the clock.

  3. Dr. BadgerPack 03/28/2007 at 11:08 AM #

    I think it is most logical that McCauley comes off the bench if Hickson is as good as advertised. This is NOT a knock on Ben’s skills, rather it is a testament to his mental makeup– I think he is least likely to complain, or feel slighted if he isn’t in the starting lineup. I also think that with his energy– which is darn near constant– his level of play shouldn’t suffer.

    Of course, this is assuming all three don’t start. As of right now, I would think that starting lineup would be impractical from a ball handling standpoint. That lineup would probably survive (and dominate offensively) against halfcourt oriented teams, but could be exposed against a pressing team.

    I’ll be very interested in tonight’s game, mainly to see how Hickson does things like pass and handle the ball (I’ll assume his defense and scoring ability are ACC freshman caliber, at least). The skills I’m interested are the ones that could help set him apart; if he is subpar at these he may have incentive to stick around a while and work on them. If he is a prolific passer, well, we better enjoy him next season.

  4. StateFans 03/28/2007 at 11:12 AM #

    I think that McCauley and Costner are both better ball handlers than Grant or Fells.

  5. Rick 03/28/2007 at 11:16 AM #

    “What if Hickson is clearly our 2nd best player next year (after Costner)? I understand the lineup difficulties, but I expect it to work out. All I’m saying is that if Hickson is as good as advertised, he’s not likely to come off the bench for ANY team, let alone one that was in the NIT last year (and needed a deep ACCT run to even make that).”

    If the reason the team is in the NIT is because of the quality of players then your statement makes sense. I would contend it was not the quality of the starters that was the problem.
    It was a combination of
    1) complete lack of game experience
    2) lack of depth
    3) injured point guard

  6. StateFans 03/28/2007 at 11:27 AM #

    It’s not meant as a knock on our players. Wright was UNC’s 2nd best player this year, as well. They were a Top Five team. He started.

    Next year’s Wolfpack team isn’t that strong. I could see making a case for Top 25, but certainly not 5 or 10.

  7. pakfanistan 03/28/2007 at 11:39 AM #

    I’m not settling for anything less than an ACC championship and a sweet sixteen next year. I mean, we made the ACC tournament finals this year so to show improvement next year we should expect to win it.

  8. Dr. BadgerPack 03/28/2007 at 12:11 PM #

    “I think that McCauley and Costner are both better ball handlers than Grant or Fells.”

    A dwarf is also taller than a midget. Seriously, though, that is a good point. I was thinking along the lines of a quicker, pressing team where the lack of speed in the “big lineup” and ability to bring the ball up would hurt the team. In those situations, Grant and Fells can “athlete” their way out of the press a bit better, I would imagine.

    McCauley/Costner could also very well work on their quickness/ball handling in the off season. The other thing to consider, from a purely physiological standpoint, is not having the three “bigs” on at once will keep them a bit fresher. With smaller players, this probably isn’t as critical (the body mass/energy expended deal).

    Regardless of what Sidney chooses to do, at least he will have options, which needless to say will be a refreshing change of pace.

  9. McPete 03/28/2007 at 12:15 PM #

    McCauley and Costner are better ball handlers than Grant, for sure, but not better than Fells. McCauley’s passing skills are among the best in the league for big men, and that really helped our offense work this season. But if Hickson has has Dwight Howard, Brandon Wright, Marvin Williams skills, then he has to be out there playing. Coach Lowe isn’t an idiot. I think the real issue is who will play on the perimeter. It was a weakness at times with Fells and Grant making bad mistakes, and they’ll be significant contributors next season. They have to have three point threats out there to keep others teams honest on defense. Hopefully M. Johnson has nice touch.

  10. StateFans 03/28/2007 at 12:19 PM #

    I’m certainly not saying I envision a lineup with NEITHER Fells nor Grant starting – but I don’t think it’s essential to start both.

    Costner has an NBA future. Showing the ability to play the 3 (at least sometimes) is pretty important to improve his draft stock, IMHO. Because Grant and/or Horner will also rotate into the 3 position, this won’t be for 30 minutes (or even the majority of his minutes) per game.

  11. Mr O 03/28/2007 at 12:21 PM #

    TOs in ACC play

    Grant 55
    Costner 53
    McCauley 42

    Costner and McCauley were just as TO prone(moreso in Costner’s case) considering neither played PG and handled the ball on the perimeter a great deal.

    Fells improved dramatically at the end of the year in being the primary ballhandler in our offense.

    If Degand, Javier or Johnson are good enough to put one of this years starters on the bench in crunchtime, then we are going to be a heck of a team next year. I just think very highly of Grant, Fells, Costner and McCauley. IMO, all four of them have the talent to be all-ACC at some point in their careers. So if one of these guys doesn’t start, then we have a veteran, all-ACC calibre talent coming off the bench.

    Sounds like Sid better keep recruiting big guys with potential/likely early departures next year. Maybe we sign the European kid out of Asheville and it would be great to see us get majorly involved with the other big guy who is the state’s top player and a top 25 type of recruit overall.

  12. TNCSU 03/28/2007 at 12:43 PM #

    Don’t write-off Johnson playing alot of point next year, too. He was a 4-star coming out of HS, and played PG and SG. Although he sounds more like a SG — it’s good to see he supposedly has a nice jumper. I really think it will depend on how we want to match up with the opposing team.

    2006 Scout.com HS Basketball Rankings (full list):
    Pos: SG Pos Rank: #21 Pos Rating:

    Biography:
    SOPH One of the top sophomores in the nation. He was impressive at the Nike All American Camp in 2003 displaying his wide array of skills. Natural scorers mentality. Solid handle and point skills with deep range on the jumper.

  13. TNCSU 03/28/2007 at 12:46 PM #

    Anybody know whether Johnson will be a Sophomore or a Freshman after the transfer? He only played in 4-5 games, so I think he can apply for a eligibility waiver, so he still has 4 years.

  14. primacyone 03/28/2007 at 12:51 PM #

    It is apearing more and more likely that Ty Lawson will be declaring for the draft.

    Apparently he has been answering his cell phone and/or replying to all those text messages. Mutiple sources/sites are suggesting he will be in the draft and will be picked somewhere around 10 or 11. Sacramento appears to be very intersted in Ty.

    I believe Johnson will be a freshman with 3 1/2 years of eligibility and will not be able to play until after the fall semester.

  15. TNCSU 03/28/2007 at 12:59 PM #

    Thanks Primacyone, so that means in essence, it will be his Freshman year next year.

    http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=910&CID=657839

    An article about the all-time McD AA busts — of particular note, of the top 10, 3 are Dookies and 1 Tarhole!

  16. StateFans 03/28/2007 at 1:08 PM #

    Everything we have heard indicates that Johnson is more of a 2, and certainly not likely to be the primary PG. Of course, things could always change.

  17. Mr O 03/28/2007 at 1:14 PM #

    Statefans: So what do you hear on Degand and Javier? I guess it isn’t a question of whether or not Hickson is good enough to start(clearly he is), but whether we have someone at PG who is good enough to put Fells/Grant/McCauley on the bench?

    Ty Lawson should go if he is projected as a top 15 pick. He isn’t going to show more potential next year. In fact, he may be more likely to show flaws in his game. I though it was quite clear from watching him play this year that he is definitely in the same mold as Ray Felton and Chris Paul.

  18. TNCSU 03/28/2007 at 1:19 PM #

    Yes, Mr O, He should go…Of course, if I were a UNX fan, I wouldn’t want him to go, but if he’s smart, he will. I think Degand will definitely have the upper hand, but he’s listed at 6’3″ and 6’4″ (I’ve seen both) which is not the prototypical PG size. With that being the case, if we want quickness to guard Lawson, etc., we’d go with Javi, but if we want size to match up with bigger PG’s, we’d go with Johnson, Degand, or even Fells. Oh, the beauty of options…

  19. Rick 03/28/2007 at 1:20 PM #

    “An article about the all-time McD AA busts — of particular note, of the top 10, 3 are Dookies and 1 Tarhole!”

    They get so many of them it makes sense they would have more busts.

  20. TNCSU 03/28/2007 at 1:24 PM #

    Yeah…I thought about that too, but I don’t like using logic when it comes to bashing both of them. I’m sure a list of top McD AA’s would include several from both schools, too. But that would be positive, and we’re not about that here when it comes to the Blue Schools. 🙂

  21. ShootingGuard 03/28/2007 at 1:56 PM #

    If Hickson keeps coming on like he is doing, Sid will not be able to keep him coming off the bench. That is ridiculous. Rebounding and shot blocking were clear weaknesses for us this year, and Hickson brings both.

    Sid will have some egos to manage in the frontcourt, but starting and/or playing is all about matchups and who is performing on a given night. Sid should have some opportunities for BC, Ben, and JJ to all have some starting and playing opportunities. What they do with those opportunities determines the rest.

    BC will play the 3 when matchups allow such but probably not a lot. He is not quick enough to cover most 3’s in the ACC except for the occasional vs a guy like whats-his-name for BC this past year.

    Someone mentioned Horner at the 2 previously, but he is too slow to cover ACC level 2’s man-on-man, although he is interesting at the top of a match-up zone. On the flip side, I like him as a zone buster on offense, and we will need him for that when “Streaky” Fells isn’t hot.

    I don’t know why anyone thinks Grant and Fells won’t start. Talk about managing egos. Plus, we don’t have any guards better than them on next year’s team. What we will have are some options off the bench should Grant start improvising too much outside of the script or Fells has one of those games where he forgets to show up. Then, they will find themselves observing from some of the best seats in the house.

    It would be shocking to me if Degand doesn’t start at point to begin the season. From there, it is a matter of performance, and, fortunately, we will have more options than we did this year when Atsur was hurt for sure. Gonz, Fells, Grant, and Johnson will be called upon as is needed.

    So, in summary:

    Look for pg by committee if Degand can’t carry the load.

    Look for Fells and Grant to carry the load at the 2 & 3.

    Look for BC, Ben, and JJ to carry the load at the 4 & 5—hopefully, BC & Ben will enjoy the rest they get this year.

    Look for Horner as our 7th man to help out 3/4.

    Hopefully, we can get some great and surprising contributions from the several other “combo positionless interchangeable” guys we will have on the bench that can go 2/1 or 3/4 or 4/5.

    Look for us to focus heavily on defense to create fastbreak and/or easy basket opportunities on the other end.

    You need great guards to be great in college. Hopefully, our guards will prove good enough to keep potentially great frontcourt guys like BC and JJ going off on opponents.

    Pure shooting will still be a weakness for us. Hopefully, guys will shoot well enough to keep the frontcourt spaced enough to do some damage. Fortunately, Sid has shown the knack for NOT depending on 3’s and getting to higher percentage shots despite our lack of shooters, so there is hope.

  22. McPete 03/28/2007 at 2:34 PM #

    Sidney Lowe said Sunday night on his tv show that he thinks Degand is one of the fastest point guards in the country. The coach gave every indication that he thinks highly of Degand and that he’ll be a significant contributor.

  23. BJD95 03/28/2007 at 2:55 PM #

    When Sid talks about PG, he talks up Degand and mentions the “recruit coming in” – meaning Javi. He could mention Johnson, Fells, or Grant, but doesn’t.

    We have heard that Sid offered Javi b/c he didn’t want to be left w/o a PG if Degand got hurt before Johnson was eligible. He wants to be sure what happened this year never happens again. In short, he does not seem at all disposed to use Grant or Fells at the 1 again, even on a short-term basis.

    Our best guess at this point is that Johnson is the #3 option at PG, and that Grant and Fells are “in case of emergency” options. Have heard nada about where Ferguson fits in the pecking order.

  24. BJD95 03/28/2007 at 2:59 PM #

    IMHO, 80 mpg is not enough for talents like Costner, McCauley, and Hickson to split. If Costner can play 10 mpg at the 3, that makes 90 minutes available, or 30 per player – which is about perfect.

    Degand’s weakness is his outside shot.

  25. ShootingGuard 03/28/2007 at 3:10 PM #

    ^^^^^

    Good points BJD…

    Another factor in how much BC can and will play the 3 next year, thus freeing up Ben & JJ for more minutes at the 4 & 5, is how his offseason goes. Having made it through the season without injury, perhaps BC can improve his quickness enough to allow for a few more situations at the 3. Plus, his knack for knocking down big 3’s could allow him some time there as well as we will need any threats from the outside we can get in order for JJ to do maximum damage.

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