Rivals picked Leslie in its ratings of the top shooting guards in the country. Leslie came in at #4, behind LaceDarius Dunn of Baylor, Nolan Smith of Duke, and Will Barton of Memphis (who has not even played a college game yet).
With all due respect to Rivals, I would not have picked Leslie as a shooting guard, since he did not exhibit real guard skills last year. He didn't bring the ball up the floor, had more turnovers than assists, and attempted only 11 three-pointers all year.
But if Rivals is basing its rankings on potential, and that's the only conceivable reason why Barton would be ranked, then you have to have Leslie somewhere in the mix. Of the 11 shots from behind the arc last season, Travis made 6, a 55 percent average. He shot right at 49 percent from the field and close to 75 percent from the free throw line. He led the Dawgs in steals, free throws per game and free throws made per game.
Simply put, Leslie can score the basketball and defend. So whether you have him at shooting guard, small forward or somewhere in between, Leslie is brimming with talent now and skills to be developed for down the road. If he cuts down his turnovers and improves his handle, he'll have a fantastic season.
Leslie Ranked
2 comments:
I agree with you. Travis does have lot of talent, but he needs to be in that position first. Wwith Ebuka transferring he no doubt will be utlized more often this year. Also, Travis has a good head on him. He is very intelligent--just needs a little more experience at that postition. The one thing he does have is the 46.5 inch vertical jump--That is God given and you don't stop that! Go DAWGS!
Dawgs start the season tomorrow and we've got a lot of potential. Still could use another elite scorer, but I'm hoping that Thornton can blossom on the wing.
In the meantime, Travis will have to pick up the slack while Thompkins is out.
Should be a fun season to watch. Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment.
Let's cheer them on to victory.
DM
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