Recruiting: Shawn Kemp, Jr.

Hmmm. Blogging before dawn. I seem to be working on this early morning posting thing, covering the center prospects for the class of 2009. Might as well keep going, huh?

Well, over the last few days, we looked at Torin Walker, and then Daniel Miller. Today, it's Shawn Kemp, Jr.

Out of the 3 centers, Kemp has already won the name recognition battle. Of course, it's not easy to bear the name. His Dad was really good.

I saw a few good links on Shawn Kemp, Jr. The one directly below discusses the famous name and the relationship between Jr. and his Dad.

1. SI

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/luke_winn/07/09/shawn.kemp/


2. USA Today

USA Today has somewhat of a similar "famous name" angle.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/basketball/2008-06-26-hoops-legacies_N.htm


3. Demling Blog

http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/demling/2008/01/meet-shawn-kemp-jr.html


4. NorthwestGeorgia.com

http://www.northwestgeorgia.com/sports/local_story_053234109.html


5. YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t_P8mLnJu0&feature=related

Although the USA Today article is not very complimentary of Kemp, Jr., the YouTube clip shows several things I like:

a) Good hands.

How many big men fail because they can't catch the entry pass? The video shows that Shawn Kemp, Jr., has great hands. He can catch the awkward pass, the low fastball, and the lob.

b) Hops

Well, his dad had insane hops. Jr. not so much, but he has enough that you can clearly see that he is an above-the-rim player.

c) Dunks

Shawn Kemp, Jr. dunks the ball. He goes up strong in traffic. He dunks with either hand. He has enough elevation to take contact and still complete the power play.

d) Go-to Moves

Kemp, Jr., already has the jump hook, drop step and bank shot in his repertoire. Combine that with power dunks and you don't want to mess with it too much. Looks like he'd be a decent free-throw shooter, too.

e) Build

The USA Today and SI articles talk about Kemp's height and wingspan. He's 6' 9" and just going into his senior year. Kemp has the big feet that indicate that he has more growing to do, and according to the Demling blog, he is likely to add another 3 to 5 inches before he tops out, perhaps at 7' 2". He could put a lot more weight on his frame, too. He runs well, and note the calf muscles. Big, almost like his Dad's.


6. DaugMan's Take

I like Shawn Kemp, Jr., a lot. Rivals.com apparently did, too, giving Kemp Jr. a 5-star rating just months ago. Since that time, Rivals has dropped Kemp from #25 to #83. Maybe that's a sign that Kemp is leaning toward UGA. Ha!

If it were up to me, I'd probably rank Kemp equal to or even above Torin Walker and Daniel Miller. Billy Gillespie up at the University of Kentucky likes Kemp enough to pursue him agressively. I think UGA should step up his recruitment. Kemp does not name UGA amongst his favorites, at least not that I could tell. It's a long shot at this point, but it would be well worth the effort if we can get him.