Denzel Valentine
G, 6-5, 225
Sophomore, 20 years old
Hometown: Lansing, MI
Season (29 mpg): 8.4 PPG, 6 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1 SPG
41% FG, 36% three-point
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Coaches vs. Cancer Classic (2 Games)
November 22-23 | Barclays Center (Brooklyn, NY)
Denzel Valentine — G, 6-5, 225
Sophomore, 20 years old
Season: 7.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.5 APG
Outlook: Valentine is an ancillary cog in Michigan State’s high-powered attack, serving as a quasi-starter/second-string point guard. He has good size for a guard, but his 225-pound frame is more bulk that muscle, which limits his speed and burst.
Right now, his biggest strength is shooting the ball. Valentine is shooting 46% on jump shots, which make up nearly half of his shot attempts.
Valentine possesses a high basketball IQ, and often makes the “correct” basketball play. Defensively, though, Valentine struggles to contain shooters. He’s not very long, and his lack of speed hinders his ability to closeout on his man. He’s giving up 1.14 points per possession on opponent jump sots, ranking in the bottom 25th percentile nationally.
Defending Jump Shots