You Don't Know 'Em, But You Better Start To: Part 2

I was thinking while posting for this blog how cheesy it would be to add a member of the 2012 class to my sleepers to become stars. After all, I did just do the top 9 players for the class of 2012 a couple posts ago. Trust me; it was tough coming up with 9 players because that class boasts as much talent as a handicap stair climbing contest. So going back and adding to the list would be as creative as James Cameron re-editing Titanic in 3D to make another billion dollars. But I figured overlooking this one guy in the class of 2012 was more on the lack of information I have on this kid. There are not a lot of highlights of him it seems like he is really close to his ceiling as a player; and let me tell you, it’s not a very high ceiling. But as an admirer of high school basketball talent, a few things win me over: size, strength, and speed. For a teenager to have some of these quality makes you a hot prospect because let’s face it, how many non-juicing high school athletes are quicker, stronger or bigger than some college athletes. Quick answer- look at any top 100 basketball prospect list, long answer, probably some mutant test-tube offspring from a remote lab in China somewhere. So when I looked at this next fella in part 2 of my mini-blog series, I figured, there might just be an outside shot he becomes a legit three star prospect. Considering what most people know about him now, that is definitely not a bad thing.

PG Ka’Darryl Bell (6-1, 170 lbs, offers from Ohio and Iowa)- For 6-1, Bell has decent size for a point guard. Although he’s not the prototypical big point guard NBA teams love, 6-1 is about the average size you would want in a point guard. If he’s lucky, he might even squeak out an extra inch when it’s all said in done. From what I’ve seen though, 6-1 might be generous. What strikes me about Bell is that he never seems to rush anything. He’s quick but not out of control. The little that I have seen of him is more in half court sets more so than transition, but he seems like a decent floor general. At some points, he can dribble too much, but he is a good, not great, facilitator. His game seems to feed off of others around him which is why he’ll never be a high major prospect, at the same time, this is the type of team player you would want. For Bell, it doesn't seem like getting into the lane or creating for himself is the most important thing. Driving and kicking or just staying at the top of the circle and setting up other players is something he seems to do with ease.

Because Bell played alongside incoming Illinois freshman SF Mychael Henry at Orr Academy in the city, Bell is used to playing second fiddle and setting up those who are better around them. The problem with some incoming freshman in college is that they are used to being the guy on their high school basketball team, so when they wind up being a middle of the road college player, their game does not translate. Because of this, Bell could be too passive at times. He does not have the most lethal shot and has a long way to go where that is a legit threat, but Bell has good range and will knock down threes. When Bell gets into the lane, he can finish with a floater or a nice jump stop, but Bell is not a big dunker and I am not even sure he can dunk. If anything, I’d say Bell doesn’t penetrate the lane as much as you would like to see in a point guard.

Overall, Bell is not an overwhelming player that has crazy potential. He is quick and has good point guard size and is a good, at best, passer. One handed passes or behind the back passes would be rarities from Bell, he’s just an old fashioned two handed passer that gets the ball to the open player. I would like to see him get a better shot and make up for his lack of inside game. His shooting stroke doesn’t look that bad so he should be able to improve his shot if he works hard enough. Other schools have taken notice of Bell like Drake, Nebraska, and Butler. However, a good AAU season might pull in more attention from bigger schools. I don’t see him committing anytime soon because I think he wants his AAU season to end and for him to show something in his senior year. But if he gets that offer he’s been waiting for, who knows.

NEXT WEEK- YOU DON’T KNOW ‘EM, BUT YOU BETTER START TO: PART 3