Scouting Alex Len: Why getting your rebounding fundamentals from Daria is a bad idea...

One of the many things I've enjoyed about Boston since moving here last June is the absurd amount of college sports at my fingertips. With BU, BC, and Harvard all within a 5 mile radius of my apartment, it'd be a crime for me to not take in as much basketball as possible all winter. Tonight, I rode the Green Line over to Boston College to watch the Eagles take on the Maryland Terrapins.

Of particular interest to me on this journey was Maryland center Alex Len. Listed at 7'1" and surprisingly athletic, Len has caught the eye of NBA scouts and projects to be a top 10 pick in June.

I'll discuss my Len impressions--especially with regards to the Cavs' need for a rim protector--with Logan on Thursday's The Bottom Up.

In the meantime, after the jump is what I scribbled in my notebook as I watched Len flash elite potential, yet also unquestionably fail to live up to his current hype level...



Pros

• Willingly kicks the ball out when double teamed in the post. In the first half, BC committed to double teaming Len almost every time he touched it in the paint, and Len opted to look for the open man each time. Showed a great understanding of where his teammates were, and his passes led to numerous open looks and potential hockey assists for the MD guards.
• Was very active defensively in the first half as the anchor of Maryland's zone defense.
• Elite shot blocker who can occasionally make up for his lack of strength with his patience as he waits for the opposing player to show the ball.
• Defensively, did an excellent job of showing and recovering on the wings. Did not look uncomfortable or unwilling when he was switched on to a guard. Kept his peripheral vision on the ball handler as he recovered back to his zone. Athletic enough to at least make guards work; not an easy blow by, especially considering his shot blocking ability and length.

Cons

• Len was the first player subbed out for Maryland, even though he had yet to commit a foul. While this was confusing at first, it became apparent as the game wore on that Len gets gassed really easily. When he's fresh, the pros of his game shine through. When he's gassed, he's a seven foot shadow that opponents happily go through, over, and around.
• Alex is an afterthought in Maryland's offense. They drop it down to him in the post, but that's about the extent of his usage. Len exacerbated this lack of creativity by being so willing to give up the rock under the slightest pressure. I was hoping in the second half he'd expand his arsenal and try to spin off unbalanced double teams or punish BC defenders left on an island. However, except for one impressive drop step hook shot, Len seemed content to let his teammates do the scoring all night.
• He lacks the strength to move bodies down low, so he expends a lot of energy just fighting to maintain position. Did not show the ability to consistently get to the spots he wanted to on the court when impeded.
• Alex was so focused on trying to gain/keep good rebounding position that he was regularly late getting his hands up. Thus, many potential rebounds whizzed right by him into the hands of smaller players (Spoiler Alert: they're all smaller players). He also had a habit of "Daria" rebounding, where he'd maybe swing one hand out at the last second (or even later) to try and corral a board. This was largely ineffective, and Len negated his own length all night on the glass by keeping his hands down. He must learn how to box out or seal down opposing bigs with his hips and lower body, so that his hands are free to actually grab the rebound.
• In the second half, he completely wilted when faced with double teams, turning the ball over multiple times. This was particularly disappointing, as he'd handled double teams well in the first half and I was excited to see how he would attack the D in the second half. 
• In the second half, he allowed Eddie Odio (and others) to roundhouse kick his confidence right in the face. Odio in particular made it his personal mission to make sure the eight BC fans in attendance could do an "overrated" chant. They didn't, because that would have required even minimal levels of collaboration among the smattering of students.* But, Eddie O. and company at least gave the faithful the option. As for Alex Len, well, in the second half his play made it pretty clear that any top 10 projections are based more upon potential than the consistency of his current output.

Make sure you tune in to Thursday's The Bottom Up to hear me and Logan discuss whether or not I see Len as a fit in Cleveland based on 40 measly minutes of basketball...






*I joke about the lukewarm basketball crowds at Conte Forum (at least a third of the crowd was pro-MD), but keep in mind that me and Logan went to Miami University, where basketball crowds were a rumor. But, if you toss down a hockey puck on either campus and you'll find some of the best crowds in college sports.