A Big 7’2’’ Surprise

12.27.2007 - Updated on 12.27.2007

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I was talking with scout, Homer McComb the other night, and he asked me have I seen the high school prospect John Riek play yet? I said no, I don’t even know who that is. So Homer started telling me about the interesting story about this player. After he told me about it I wasn’t very shocked, but it did catch my interest, seeing that I just wrote an article a few days ago about high school players making the jump to the pros and skipping college. So here is the deal with John Riek: He is a 7’2" 240-pound center from Khartoum, Sudan. In late 2006 John enrolled at Our Savior New American High School as a sophomore. During the offseason LeBron James holds his skills Academy, where high school and college players participate. John played some games in it, and showcased his skills, impressing everyone in attendence. Soon after that John started to recieve scholarship offers from Duke, Florida, Georgetown, Memphis, UConn, and other schools had much interest. Deng Leek; John’s guardian had come out with proof showing his birth certificate and passport to prove John is really a 19-year-old post graduate player. John left Our Savior New American H.S. and is now a post graduate student at Winchendon Prep. I guess word is Deng Leek doesn’t want John to fall behind other players his age, because he is not confident that John will develop and still be at the top of scouts list and feels it is best for him to enter the NBA draft ASAP.

I’am an avid baseball fan, and international prospects do it all the time in baseball, I use to work for the Detroit Tigers top minor league team the Toledo Mud Hens , and I know of many players who change their age in order to get ahead. It is becoming more popular in other sports like soccer or (football) depending on where you live, as well as basketball. Homer was telling me, many pro teams don’t like dealing with the hassle of trying to figure out a players real age and many would rather pass a player that they think may be lying about their age. People still aren’t sure what Yi Jianlian’s age is, some people have questioned Dikembe Mutombo’s age, and yesterday I wrote about Serge Ibaka, and some are not sure that he is really 19. The spotlight on these age issues may get brigher in the future, and international prospects will come under more scrutiny. John Riek has played basketball in America for a about a year, and as of right now I guess a couple of teams said they would consider taking a chance on him as a late first round pick or maybe early second round. Other teams feel he should take a scholarship offer and develop his skills, because they don’t want to take a player and pay him to be a project. So what does John Riek play like on the court? Well this scouting report is brought to you by Homer McComb: John Riek has a good physical body, with long arms, good hands, and quick feet. He is a good rebounder and shot blocker, he is a good help defender, and he runs the floor well. John is athletic and has a solid turnaround jump shot. John doesn’t finish welll after contact, he struggles to gain position in the post against physical players, and he lacks upper body strength. John is very foul prone, his offensive game needs alot of work, and he can’t handle double-teams. John’s back to the basket game is below average, he doesn’t have a good feel for the american game yet, and of course the age issue is still in debate. Some feel John could really be as old as 25. So do you think John Riek should enter the 2008 NBA draft? Or should he take a scholarship offer and develop his game in college?

Of course you already know I’m going to say I think he should develop his game in college, he is just not ready to be a pro yet.