Ouija Observations: Seattle U vs. Oregon State
For another hometown watch, Rowan Kent headed to WCC newcomer Seattle University's gym to watch a late clash against the Oregon State Beavers. Who stood out and might be a future NBA Draft sleeper?
As a self-proclaimed NBA draft pundit, I find joy in studying the draft in all forms. Whether that’s poring over stats on the spreadsheet, writing words for an article, or even re-watching a game while I type out this paragraph, it’s hard for this hoop fanatic to get enough of anything that has to do with the draft.
I don’t just limit myself to the major milestones on the road to a draft each year; I also love watching the game of basketball itself. Having access to Synergy has changed my watching life, as I can catch a game while on an airplane or when I’m supposed to be working, but there’s still no substitute for catching a game live.
Thus, given that there are multiple teams in my hometown of Seattle, it would be remiss of me not to watch as many games as I could. I’ve seen a couple of Washington games this season, given Hannes Steinbach and the rest of the Big Ten, but I also have love for the Redhawks of my alma mater, Seattle University, even though they have a smaller stature.
Their recent move to the WCC hasn’t been easy, as they entered their late-season contest against Oregon State with just 15 wins. Still, even without a marquee name on either roster, I ventured to check out the litany of intriguing sleepers and long-term potential prospects that could one day make their way to the NBA.
It was a rock fight for most of the night, with Seattle U’s defense suffocating Oregon State until late in the second half, but the Redhawks were able to withstand a key injury and a tough rally by the Beavers. There were standouts and stumpers on both sides, but a few players did stick out as potential future NBA draft prospects.
Seattle U Redhawks
Will Heimbrodt
Although he’s a redshirt sophomore, Californian Will Heimbrodt is a bit older for his class after taking a post-graduate year and redshirting as a freshman at Seattle U. That may seem to be a hindrance to his upside, but it’s a boon for his play this season, as Heimbrodt has seen his talents take a jump as the team’s third-leading scorer and starting wing.
Heimbrodt was the player who jumped off the screen the most for me when watching Seattle U earlier this year, as he’s become a solid offensive player and a dynamic defensive stocks machine. His defensive playmaking didn’t disappoint: he had three big blocks in the first half and a steal in the second, staying tight on his marks while creating chaos.
On offense, Heimbrodt was more of a mixed bag. At his best, he was attacking off the catch and getting to the line nine times with a series of daring drives. He also canned two threes, although one was an ugly bank. On the other hand, Heimbrodt turned it over four times and made only three of his free throws, highlighting some touch and form concerns.
Even with his uneven play, there was little to convince me that he isn’t Seattle U’s best potential NBA draft prospect. It may take another year, at which point Heimbrodt’s age will start to come into play, but as a big wing with a clear outlier skill to create defensive chaos, Will Heimbrodt might have a real shot to make some NBA noise in the future.
Brayden Maldonado
Anchorage native Brayden Maldonado has worked hard for everything he’s achieved in his career, stacking high school accolades before a successful two-year career at Denver’s Metro State University. He’s been a mainstay for the Redhawks since he transferred there last season, starting 49 of his 58 games with the team.
After playing more of a supporting role last year, I was excited to see what it was like for Maldonado to step into a bigger role for the Redhawks. Unfortunately, Maldonado suffered a leg injury midway through the first half and limped off in a good deal of pain. He did make it out to the bench in the second half, but he didn’t come back into the game for the Redhawks.
I’d liked the flashes I’d seen from him in prior games this season, so it was a bummer that he was banged up early. It didn’t end up hurting the Redhawks much, as they built a big lead off Oregon State’s bricks, but Maldonado likely doesn’t have enough size or shooting at his position to contend for much more than an NBA Summer League spot.
Junseok Yeo
After spending two years at Gonzaga, where he rarely touched the court, Jun Seok Yeo chose to transfer in-conference and take on a bigger role for the Redhawks. That’s been a successful choice so far, as he’s the team’s second-leading scorer and has formed a potent wing combo with Will Heimbrodt for the team.
I was quite intrigued to see how Yeo’s game had developed since his time with the Zags, and while not disappointed, I was left wanting more, as I had when Yeo was with Gonzaga. It’s clear that he’s an NBA athlete in athleticism and frame, as shown on his skywalking drive down the lane for an and-one.
In the same breath, Yeo only took six shots, turned it over four times, and missed both of his deep shots. That’s not going to cut it at this level, much less the next, which leaves Yeo needing to have a monster college year to get his NBA stock moving anywhere near the right direction.
Other Ouija Observations
When I watched Seattle U against Grand Canyon last season, I came away impressed by Maleek Arington’s tough defense and steady point guard play. I was hoping he would make a jump in his scoring this season, but sadly, it hasn’t been the case for the former Idaho State point guard. Arington is still an unwilling scorer given his lack of touch and creation chops, which grinds the offense for the Redhawks to a halt and stifles the development of the rest of the roster. Whether it’s finishing or shooting, Arington needs to do something as a scorer to make any waves. Still, without his lockdown defense on Josiah Lake II, the Redhawks likely would’ve lost this game.
As they’re both sophomores who rotate their minutes fairly evenly, I was curious to see what Austin Maurer and Houran Dan looked like in person. After watching them both, I was impressed by one of them. Maurer’s contributions to this contest were fouling four times and grabbing three rebounds. Dan, on the other hand, was much more active and impactful. He had a block, dished an assist, had a nice spin move to get free throws, and ran the floor for a fast break dunk. If he had better hands to catch passes, he might be a deep sleeper prospect.
Finally, although neither will have an NBA future, both John Christofilis and Jojo Murphy were essential to Seattle U’s offense in the win. Christofilis, who spent his first two years at Creighton, was unconscious as a jump shooter for most of the game. It was a delight to see him shoot and rarely hit the rim on his way to sixteen points. Murphy stepped up with Maldonado out, scoring in double figures with the same skittering drives that made him a one-thousand-point scorer at Chico State.
Oregon State Beavers
Josiah Lake II
The second of his namesakes to suit up for the Beavers, Josiah Lake II was a top Oregon prospect who dominated his local high school scene before staying home for college. It’s been a slow rise for Lake II, as he’s worked his way up to becoming Wayne Tinkle’s starting point guard this season. That’s been a success, as Lake II is leading the team in scoring and assists this season.
It was disappointing, then, that this was arguably Lake II’s worst game of his breakout season. He shot 1-of-8 from the floor, turned the ball over four times, and was loudly emotive about his frustration with his struggles getting by Meleek Arington and a lack of foul calls. This led to a long benching by Wayne Tinkle in the second half, although he got on the floor as the Beavers made their doomed late push.
There were some great drives to the rim and some dogged steals, but it was hard to see the full appeal of Lake II’s game, given he spent so much time frustrated or on the bench. I’m not going to write him off based on his worst game, however, and I expect him to bounce back and show off more of his on-ball juice as a scorer this and next season for Oregon State.
Jorge Diaz Graham
The Diaz Graham brothers were high-profile recruits for Jeff Capel at Pittsburgh, playing on two of his better teams alongside stars like Blake Hinson and Bub Carrington. Although his brother Guillermo often got more playing time than he did, Jorge Diaz Graham remained a mobile seven-footer with some touch around the basket, with a potentially bright future ahead of him.
While Guillermo has had a solid season for San Francisco, Jorge has had a quiet one that has carried over into the first half of this game. He was one of the thinner players out on the floor, which led to him getting bullied on the inside, and he didn’t do much that impressed me as a prospect…
Until the second half, that is. After the break, Diaz Graham had a block on a fast break, canned two threes, and had a monster putback poster slam. All of these are things that I would’ve loved to see him do on a more consistent basis, but it was certainly important to see that, even if just a flash, Diaz Graham does have as much upside as his more reputed twin.
Other Ouija Observations.
With stops at New Mexico State and JUCO Colorado Mesa on the way to Corvallis, Yaak Yaak has bounced around in the transfer era. He had a small role as a freshman before erupting for Colorado Mesa, where he was a routine double-figure scorer and swatted shots with impunity. There was some offensive firepower from Yaak, who hit a midrange jumper and finished well at the cup, but he didn’t do enough to garner serious draft interest.
As another former JUCO player on the Beavers, Isaiah Sy is a grinder who worked his way up from Cloud County Community College to Oregon State. He played a smaller role last season before becoming a routine starter for Wayne Tinkle, mainly because of his three-point shooting prowess and positional size. That wasn’t on display against the tough Redhawks defense, as Sy floated on the perimeter and missed all four of his threes. He did have a solid defensive showing with a steal and two blocks, but other than two good drives, he didn’t do enough on offense for me.
Another transfer portal talent, hailing from Austin Peay and Missouri State, Dez White has hit the ground running fast for the Beavers. He’s started all but one game for the team, solidifying the backcourt next to Josiah Lake II, and has hit a high clip of his shots from deep to help with the team’s spacing. It wasn’t White’s game, however, as he was held scoreless and didn’t do much of anything else on the floor. Without a better handle or a changeup to his fastball, White’s likely reached his ceiling as a player.
As a late-blooming big man who had a sudden growth spurt that made a big man out of a point guard, Denmark’s Johan Munch may be the most intriguing long-term prospect on Oregon State’s roster. He’s built upon his middling freshman season to be a frequent starter for Wayne Tinkle, and he may not be done growing his game just yet. I didn’t come away impressed by his scoring, but some solid screening, rebounding, and shot-blocking did get my attention. Munch will need to beef up his frame to not get pushed around by any player with more weight than him, and his inability to score against Jojo Murphy at the rim did give me pause, but I’ll be tracking Munch for potential deep sleeper status.
Beavers mentioned