George Washington 71, Manhattan 66
Saturday, November 16, 2013 | 7:00 p.m. EST | Draddy Gymnasium (Bronx, NY)
George Washington 3-0, Manhattan 2-1
*In my estimation, there were zero sure-fire NBA players in this game. Three or four players could end up in an NBA training camp with continued development.
Recap: Manhattan shooting guard George Beamon scored 18 first-half points and single-handedly gave Manhattan a 39-30 halftime lead. Beamon scored in a variety of ways, and attempted 16 free throws. But George Washington double-teamed Beamon in the second half, and behind 24 second-half points (including five 3-pointers) from Indiana transfer Maurice Creek, the Colonials controlled the game and secured a victory. Beamon didn’t get much help from his teammates, and the inside-outside punch of Creek and Isaiah Armwood proved to be too much. Creek, Beamon and Armwood have fringe NBA potential, but perhaps the biggest takeaway for me was the upside of GW sophomore point guard Kethan Savage.
NBA Prospects (ranked in order of performance/potential shown):
1) George Beamon (SR, Manhattan): SG, 6-4, 175
2) Maurice Creek (SR, George Washington): G, 6-5, 195
3) Isaiah Armwood (SR, George Washington): PF, 6-9, 210
Underclassman worth keeping an eye on:
— Kethan Savage (Sophomore, George Washington): PG, 6-3, 200
George Beamon — Senior, 23 years old
SG, 6-4, 175
Season: 28.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.3 APG
Game: 34 points, 9 rebounds
13-16 free throws, 18 first-half points
Mobile: 516-417-4246.
Disclosure: I’ve known George Beamon for many years, as we grew up in the same town and were teammates on the AAU circuit during high school.
Outlook: If Beamon was three inches taller and 25 pounds heavier, I think he’d undoubtedly be an NBA player because of his natural scoring gifts. But he’s not—Beamon is 6-4, a skinny 175 pounds, and an average athlete. Despite his extraordinary numbers/scoring prowess, I think it will be tough for him to compete as an NBA shooting guard.
All that being said, put the size aside for one second and on the college level Beamon is: A gifted scorer who can create off the dribble, shoot from deep, attack the rim, rebound through traffic, and accumulate free throws.
Beamon dominated the first half vs. George Washington, scoring 18 points on 7-10 shooting. In the second half, GW double-teamed Beamon every time he touched the ball, making it extremely difficult for him to get his shot off. But even with the defense fully draped on him, Beamon scored 34 points on 9-15 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. He has a very awkward shooting form, but somehow it works for him. He also has a strong motor (averaging 39 minutes per game), and is Manhattan’s clear leader. Although not a supreme athlete, Beamon has a second-burst to finish once he’s in the paint.
Beamon doesn’t have many talented players around him, so it’s tough to definitively appraise his NBA value at this point. He’s a great scorer, but he has not displayed much passing/facilitating skills. Plus, he plays in the MAAC. If he leads Manhattan to the NCAA tournament, and puts up lofty scoring numbers against high-major schools, he could have a chance to be a second-round pick.
Maurice Creek — Senior, 23 years old
G, 6-5, 195
Season: 19.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2 APG
Game: 27 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
5-8 three-pointers, 24 second-half points
Background: Creek transferred from Indiana to George Washington in May, where he immediately became eligible for his senior season. As a freshman at Indiana in 2009, Creek averaged 16.4 points through his first 12 games (including a 31 point game vs. Kentucky), but a season-ending fractured kneecap (and two more serious injuries in the following years) ultimately led to his departure. Creek has one season of eligibility at George Washington.
Outlook: Creek has adequate NBA size at 6-5, but he is wiry and on first glance doesn’t have the makeup of an NBA shooting guard. His best attribute is his jump shot–he can shoot from NBA range, and score in bunches. Against Manhattan, he scored 24 of his 27 points in the second half, including four 3-pointers. He also ran off screens very well. However, Manhattan played zone defense the entire game, so most of Creek’s jump shots were not contested.
Good shooter, but Creek didn’t have an impact driving the ball. He did not penetrate at all. I’d estimate six of his seven field goals were jump shots; and according to Synergy Sports, nearly 80 percent of Creek’s shot attempts this season have been jump shots.
Lastly, Creek’s body language was, frankly, terrible. George Washington’s outward team support and body language was uninspiring across the board—so it wasn’t just Creek—but his apathy was nonetheless apparent. Creek slowly entered the game off substitutions, and he hardly encouraged his teammates throughout the game. One game is a small sample size—and probably lends very little toward understanding Creek’s mindset—but it did catch my attention.
Overall, Creek is a good shooter who defenses must account for at all times. But he didn’t facilitate or penetrate much. He could end up in an NBA training camp, but against Manhattan, Creek wasn’t convincing enough to warrant “NBA potential.”
Isaiah Armwood — Senior, 23 years old
PF, 6-9, 210
Season: 15 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.7 BPG
Game: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks
Outlook: Armwood can score at close range, but lacks the shooting skills to stretch the defense. A 6-8 forward who is only effective in the paint, and who is already 23 years old, I wonder if Armwood has already realized his ceiling.
Video: Close-range scoring
Video: Shooting struggles
Armwood is limited offensively. He’s not assertive, can’t really create for himself, and although he has the size and slender frame to be a stretch-forward, he’s not a great jump shooter. Nearly 75 percent of his shot attempts last season were in the post, and when he did step out to shoot, his .75 points per possession on jump shots ranked in the bottom 70th percent nationally.
Armwood is neither strong nor skilled enough to be a post presence on the NBA level. I don’t see the NBA in his immediate future, if at all.
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Worth keeping an eye on:
Kethan Savage — Sophomore
PG, 6-3, 200
Season (23 MPG): 14 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.7 APG
Game (20 min): 6 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
Outlook: Savage caught my eye with elite athleticism and an impressive burst in transition. He has good size for a point guard, and has a developing skill set to catch up with his athleticism. In this mid-major setting, he was fluid off the dribble, getting into the lane with ease. Savage needs to “bring it all together,” in terms of developing a consistent jump shot, but he is hard to stop in open space.
Playing in the A-10, I think Savage has the upside to average 15/6/6. He’s nowhere near being an NBA player at this point, but he’s only a sophomore, and with great athleticism and good size at the point guard position, I think it’s worth tracking how Savage develops. In a mid-major game, for what it’s worth, to me Savage was the most intriguing prospect in the gym.
Video: Athleticism in transition
*Ages calculated at time of 2014 Draft