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@PaulBiancardi Theo Pinson over Kelly Oubre? Haven't heard anyone say that before. Reason? #AskcoachB
— keverin (@KSev55) January 30, 2014
When a player's ranking changes, there is usually much more than one factor that goes into the decision. Rankings are one type of measuring stick of where a player is today and where he could go from here. If you look even closer, both Theo Pinson (Greensboro, N.C./Wesleyan Christian) and Kelly Oubre (Richmond, Texas/Findlay College Prep) have five stars and a grade of 96 on a scale in which 100 is the max.
First of all, to move up in such tight quarters such as the top 25, it takes a lot of work. Pinson, a North Carolina signee, has had strong performances along with a high level of production. And, of course, he has terrific upside. We gave him high marks in all these areas. His versatility, super athletic ability and improved jumper are what stands out about his game, and the 6-foot-6, 190-pound prospect is competitive and extremely productive. That’s the reason for the bump in the rankings.
He has plenty of work to do, just like any other player. In fact, we want to see him handle the ball better under pressure and not turn his back to the defense. Also, he needs to work on driving and finishing with his left (weak) hand.
Pinson's move up was all about his outstanding fall and high school season to date. He jumped from No. 13 to No. 10 on our board and along the way jumped over a few outstanding players, including No. 11 Oubre. The Kansas signee is outstanding, with a an extremely bright future. With a strong second half of the season, the 6-7, 190-pound Oubre could jump right back into the top 10. It's never an easy group to crack, as everyone is elite, and it usually comes down to who demonstrates the traits of determination, focus, high energy, multiple efforts, unselfishness, coachability and being a great teammate.
Talent is never enough, but when you do possesses the ability, it's important for a prospect to dominate the games on a consistent basis and try to do everything to help their team win. Who they play with and who they play against is also factored into the equation. Appreciate the question!