Bentonville NLR Write up

[songofthesword]

I just got home from the game (I live in Conway) and I wanted to post my thoughts on what i saw. I've played ball for a good majority of my life and I like to think I know what I'm looking at. I'll start with the players I was most impressed with and work down


Anton Beard - Anyone who says that anyone else but Beard is the best player in the state does not know a damn thing about basketball. Easily the best player on the court.   He's not the most flashy, the most athletic, but he's athletic enough.  And my god the kid has a stroke. He would start right now, no question in my mind, because he does not turn the ball over and he can drain open shots.

if there are 89 players better than him in the country i want to see them. I also love how physical he is. he's SEC ready right now.

Though he is left handed, he prefers to go right.  He's not cat quick but he's quick enough and what he lacks in pure quickness he makes up in strength.   I really just love his overall game and what he is going to bring. 

I'm glad he's going to be a hog. 

Comparison: A left handed Mike Bibby



Malik Monk- I have say, his game leaves alot ot be desired.  I mean, I can see why he is so highly thought of. He's cleary the most ATHLETIC player to come through the state in quite a while. but skill wise he's not even close to a Joe Johnson or darn, even really anton beard.  not yet at least.   He scores in transition and by simply just jumping over people lol and shooting.  Which is fine now, but when you are in a NCAA game and Kentucky has a 6'6 shooint guard on you that's not going to work. Kavaughn put a clamp on him.

an above avg, though not great shooter.   He has great form and shots with his legs which is good, though his shot does not get a hell of a lot of rotation on it.

Well Below ball handler. that's his main problem.  not good at all.  he won't sniff an NBA court until he gets that under control. no left hand whatsoever, and if you put a body on him his right hand is weak.  NRL put Kavaughn and edged him and he'd fumble the ball everytime.  KaVAughn flat out ripped him a few times.


He doesn't care for contact, doesn't attack the rim and falls in love with his jump shot.

He needs to put on 15 pounds to be able to withstand contact.

I think the main thing about his game is his lack of ball handling. if he could get his handle down better he would be quite possibly the best player to come out of Arkansas in a long time  but he's not there yet.   IF he could handle the ball like Joe Johnson could he would not be guardable. Right now you put an athletic 2 on him and you can contain him.


What I Really don't like about this game however is his lack of effort. I saw 3 baskets that he missed and he just looked around and did not hustle back on defense.  I won't call him a prima dona becuase I don't' know him but i would have gotten my ass on the bench quick with that stuff in HS.

If i were Marcus I would do nothing but dribbling drills and upper body workouts with him this summer. he needs to come back with a good handle on the ball and 15 pounds. he's going to be a 5 star simply off of athletic ability; i seriously doubt there is a more athletic player in his class.  but skill wise, he needs work. had a good 5-7 turnovers today.


Comparison - JR Smith


KeVaughn Allen - His game is very similar to Malik but at this point more polished.  He's bigger, doesn't shoot it AS well as Malik does but can drain an open shot.  I can see why teams want him but IMHO he's not make or break.  the only player i saw on the court today Arkansas HAD to have was beard.  with that said i like his game, he doesn't turn the ball over and while he's not as athletic as marcus.. he's just a notch below. He can get up lol.   Not selfish.  Will slash to the basket.  Not afraid of contact.

Needs to work on his left hand and needs to needs to become a more consistent shooter.  Has an SEC body right now.


Comparison: Sonny Weems, shorter though



Adrian Moore - Just was not impressed with his game at all.  He's athletic.. probably the most athletic player on NLR's team.. he had a dunk attempt over the netire bentonville team that would have brought the house down if he got it and almost did, but basketball skills he has a way to go. I could see him playing D2 ball or for like UCA or something.



KJ Hill - Heady player, physical but not a D1 caliber basketball player


I don't know the name of Bentonville's PG but he's a decent player. If he can get a little bigger and tight up that handle a little he would be worth a look.  he carried that bentonville team for 3 quarters. he's not scared, not a bad shooter. not as ahtletic as others but he fits.

[RazorPiggie]

So all this is off one game?

[songofthesword]

Yes

Monk lead all scores but Beard could have had 40 easily if he so chose.  they couldn't' do jack with him all game. 3's, drives, jump shots, etc.

[RazorPiggie]

ok.

[Muleriderhog]

No way Beard is better than Monk I've seen Beard numerous times, it sounds like he just had a great game. Monk is hands down the best player in the state.

[Arthur pigby sellers.]

Really appreciate your analysis
Thanks for posting

[Rocket23]

Sword I thought you were pretty spot on.  Yes, Monk had 31 but it was at times an ugly 31.  He missed a lot of shots.  I thought his perimeter jumper needs a lot of work, and very lackadaisical on defense.  But gosh he has talent and the hops.  I think he would really benefit from two years at a high level prep like Oak Hill, etc...  If I remember correctly, I think he only has one year of eligibility left in Arkansas because of his age.

[redeye]

Thanks for the report!

I haven't seen much of Malik, but he sounds a lot like his brother.  Athleticism like that is still valuable, but there's a lot more to basketball then making incredible dunks.  In fact, making incredible dunks isn't really important at all.

How does Malik differ from Marcus?

[songofthesword]

I actually played against Marcus in high school.  lol marcus is not even in the same stratosphere athletically as malik is, even in his prime.  I mean, Malik is the type of dude that is going to be able to will his way to 25-30 a game because he can simply jump over people and shot.   But he's not a complete player.  Marcus was a better ball handler and probably a tad bit of a better shooter, but malik has not scratched the surface of what he can be.

I can see why AAU ball gets a bad rep. a serious high school coach and some serious off season work is what Malik needs right now, not 3 months of tours and being told how great he is because he can jump high.


I mean he's good. he's very very good lol.     Let me put it this way with a real point guard malik would be a 35-40% 3 point shooter in college IMHO if you can give him open 3 points shots he'sg oing to kill you. but he can't create his own shot without just jumping over someone and shooting yet . right now Ky madden looks like an NBA point guard compared to Malik's ball handing

[#1 STUNNA]

Lol... I wanna score 31 Points against the best team in the state

[redeye]

I actually played against Marcus in high school.  lol marcus is not even in the same stratosphere athletically as malik is, even in his prime.  I mean, Malik is the type of dude that is going to be able to will his way to 25-30 a game because he can simply jump over people and shot.   But he's not a complete player.  Marcus was a better ball handler and probably a tad bit of a better shooter, but malik has not scratched the surface of what he can be.

I can see why AAU ball gets a bad rep. a serious high school coach and some serious off season work is what Malik needs right now, not 3 months of tours and being told how great he is because he can jump high.


I mean he's good. he's very very good lol.     Let me put it this way with a real point guard malik would be a 35-40% 3 point shooter in college IMHO if you can give him open 3 points shots he'sg oing to kill you. but he can't create his own shot without just jumping over someone and shooting yet . right now Ky madden looks like an NBA point guard compared to Malik's ball handing

Well, that's interesting.  I'm surprised that Malik would be that much more athletic then Marcus, because that was the main thing Marcus had going for him, IIRC.  I don't recall Marcus being very good at shooting or ball handling, but he could jump out of the gym.

Anyway, thanks!

[songofthesword]

it's seriously not even close. malik is the most athletic person i've ever seen in my life in person and i've played with NBA players.

[labb]

Wow, you are kinda tough on Monk and Moore. You do realize that these kids are just Sophomores right? First year of Sr. ball and Monk puts 31 on the best team in the state but he can't handle the ball. I think he got a chance to be a fair player with a little work.

[songofthesword]

anyone that was actually there will back up what i said i gurantee you.   his ball handling is not on par with the rest of his game. not close.  he has a little right to left cross over he likes to use then he pops up. that's about it.  but he's not going to beat a legit athletic 2 man off the dribble a

he wasn't facing a 5'11 shooting guard today from NWA lol he was facing a 4 star shooting guard (allen) that is on going to play high level D 1 ball and when allen got in his grill he looked like a lost puppy with the bal in his hands.

[redeye]

it's seriously not even close. malik is the most athletic person i've ever seen in my life in person and i've played with NBA players.

Thanks!  As I said, I've only seen a little video, so it's nice hearing from someone who's seen them both play.

Wow, you are kinda tough on Monk and Moore. You do realize that these kids are just Sophomores right? First year of Sr. ball and Monk puts 31 on the best team in the state but he can't handle the ball. I think he got a chance to be a fair player with a little work.

I didn't think he was harsh at all.  Never seen a basketball player who didn't deserve some criticism, except maybe MJ.  And as you noted, Monk is only a sophomore, so he'll probably get better.  Calling a sophomore the second best player in the state isn't being tough, imo.

Btw, this reminds me of the time I saw Derek Hood play in a high school game.  Hood was already a McDonald's All-American and considered the 7th best player in the nation by some magazine I purchased.  I watched him play at UALR's gym against a couple of other touted players, including an Arkansas player who went on to have a very successful career at Ole Miss (I can't remember his name, but I'm sure someone will know who I'm talking about.)  Hood didn't look anything like a McDonald's AA and I knew right then that he was overrated, but I was very impressed with the kid who went to Ole Miss, and disappointed because I don't think we'd even recruited him.

[hoglady]

Thanks for posting.
I've listened to Bill Ingram on the radio talk about these guys.
He likes KeVaughn Allen better than Monk.
Not by a lot - but ranks Monk just below him.

[chiefhawg]

I was there as well. Monk was double and sometimes triple teamed just about the entire game. He also only had one other player that could play with NLR.

Monk at what 15? is the real deal and will get better.

[Mr. McStinkington]

I usually lurk, but had to post because I was at the game, too.

Beard - tough, smart, unquestionable leader of that team, had a great game shooting (not sure if that's his norm or if he was just on), very confident, strong, good-build.  He will do well for Coach A, I have no doubt.  After seeing him, I'm proud to have him.

Allen - athletic, nice shooter, can create or give, not overwhelming but does it all, tough d, he's got all the tools.  I don't think he's quite as gifted as Monk, but has basketball smarts.  We need this guy in a bad way! He may stay around for a few years in college and be a solid player for some college for 3 or 4 years.  I want him!

Monk - Freak.  He's got all the talent he needs.  He can get up the floor so fast with the ball in his hands.  His ball handling was questionable, but it was obvious who nlr was keying their d on.  If he was on nlr's team, he would've been their best player, no question.  He will need to learn to play as part of a team full of capable players rather than being the whole team himself, which may take a little while.  Not sure he's one and done, but if something unfortunate doesn't happen he's on his way to the nba.  He would be a huge get for UA!

[DoggtownHog]

Malik just needs to go ahead and transfer to NLR. If he wants to work against D1 talent that is. Or he can just keep dunking on trust fund kids in practice.

[yraciv]

So all this is off one game?

Yes! I appreciate any and all info on these guys, but to provide an accurate scouting report off of 1 game is ridiculous.

[songofthesword]

i was thinking about it and i would really like Monk to transfer to Parkview. Coach Flangian is not going to put up with defensive lapses like that and he will tighten that handle up. He's a very guard centric coach.


there is one play in particular in the 3rd quarter that just sticks out in my mind, monk was bringing the ball up court on allen and the second he crossed over to the let hand allen just picked his pocket. no double team no nothing just took the ball


then you compare that to the other end at the end of the third quarter they tried to press Beard and he just calmly steps back, eyes the floor and proceeds to split a double team dribbling, find the open man for a layup. 


monk i sgoing to be a good one. a really good one. but he's not the best player in the state right now.

[songofthesword]

I would say allen is a more important recruit. you want all of them but you put a gun to my head between the 2 i want allen for the simple fact that he's a 4 year player.  He's a Kansas / Florida / Uconn type starting talent as a junior / senior.

[Hatleyville454]

I appreciate the write up. Good stuff.

But Adrian Moore is only D2 talent?? That's just hard for me to believe since he is listed at the #20 player in his class on future150.com. Did he have a bad game, or just didn't produce much? It's gotta be hard to get a lot of opportunities when you have KJ, Allen, and Beard all looking to score.

I will say though, I think #20 is too high for him, but from what I've seen in the past, he is definitely a top 100 player. Kind of like Monk in that he is crazy athletic, just needs to hone the other areas of his game.

[songofthesword]

yeah he had a really ** game lol. i am willing to forgive him based on his athletic ability.

Yeah he won't be 20.  He is not as smooth as monk but probably is every bit the athlete.  That almost dunk he had was something you just should not be able to do.

[hdturner]

Monk just turned 16 in February. His basketball skills will catch with his athletic skills in next 2-3 years. NLR is just more talented team. How many of Bentonville players could play on NLR team.

I have watch NLR few times this year. I just haven't seen anything from Moore suggesting he will be top DI player. He not top 20 player

[cbhawg03]

SOS: Did you stop and get the early form while you were out?

[arkansastrack]

Don't agree with the OP assessment.

Beard: great PG who had a fantastic day shooting the ball. He would either start or play a lot of minutes on this year's Hog team. He will be a big help next year and in the future. VERY happy to have him next year.

Allen: very physical, athletic guard that would also come in very handy right now. Plays hard on defense and had a pretty quiet 28 today. Must have.

Moore: had a bad game but was in foul trouble for most of the game. You can tell he is a good player but not near the level Monk is right now.

Monk: EASILY the best basketball player on the court and will probably be on of the best to come out of Arkansas in a long time. He is a SG that is forced to play PG most of the time for Bentonville today. He was constantly trapped by Allen and Beard the entire game while bringing the ball up the court. His shot in transition is seamless and he was 5/10 from 3 in the game. While he did have 5 turnovers that isn't bad considering he was playing PG and going against 2 top 100 players that are older than him. He is also the only player Bentonville has on their team. Absolutely MUST HAVE for the Hogs.

Bentonville's PG: UCA or D2 caliber at best.

If the Hogs can get Monk and Allen to join Beard it will get VERY fun to watch Hog BB.

[N HOG]

So, Malik scored ONLY 31 for BENTONVILLE against NORTH LITTLE ROCK???!!!

No wonder OP wasn't impressed.

Am I mistaken, or is Malik not the NO 1 SG in the nation in his class? Someone must be way off base.

[songofthesword]

Monk just turned 16 in February. His basketball skills will catch with his athletic skills in next 2-3 years. NLR is just more talented team. How many of Bentonville players could play on NLR team.

I have watch NLR few times this year. I just haven't seen anything from Moore suggesting he will be top DI player. He not top 20 player

that point guard for bentonville would play defiantly.  but that's about it.

that center for Bentonville number 15 would play though not much as well.

NLR is stacked but they aren't anywhere near as deep as like, that 1999 Central team was that had Jarad Hart and Joe Johnson and Brandon Greenwood on it was. once you get past beard and allen you could find playing time on that team i you can ball.

[Scott7703]

Monk was the best player on the court and it wasn't close.

Beard and Allen are really good players and I hope both are hogs but they aren't on the same level with monk. Arkansas hasn't had a player as dominant as monk since Corliss.

[songofthesword]

lol monk had 6 turnovers and and got half of his 31 points in the 4th quarter when they were down 20 and was 4 for 9 from the 3 point ark. Shot less than 50% from the field overall  and missed 2 point blank layups in the 1st half, and played ** defense lol. Beard was 5 for 6 and got just about all of his points in the first half and had one turnover all game and that one turnover was a BS double dribble call that should not have been called. They had no one on their team that could do anything with beard beard just had more players to give the ball to.  Beard could have named his stat line.

and that was with monk guarding beard half the time.


but hey, monk jumps higher lol.  that's all that matters.  jumps higher / smooth = dominant.


I'm not saying he wasn't good.  I'm not saying he's not going to be a star. I'm saying he wasn't hte best player on the floor. not even close. he was barley the 2nd best player on teh floor.. allen played a more all around game than he did, better defense, no turnovers and shot a better percentage and got to the rim at will whereas monk pulled up 90% of the time and only looked to get to the basket on transition buckets.

[Scott7703]

lol monk had 6 turnovers and and got half of his 31 points in the 4th quarter when they were down 20 and was 4 for 9 from the 3 point ark. Shot less than 50% from the field overall  and missed 2 point blank layups in the 1st half, and played ** defense lol. Beard was 5 for 6 and got just about all of his points in the first half and had one turnover all game and that one turnover was a BS double dribble call that should not have been called. They had no one on their team that could do anything with beard beard just had more players to give the ball to.  Beard could have named his stat line.

and that was with monk guarding beard half the time.


but hey, monk jumps higher lol.  that's all that matters.  jumps higher / smooth = dominant.

Rather than base my opinion off one game I chose to look at a much larger body of work. I've seen both play more than just today. Monk is the more complete player. He is like you stated the best athlete on the court but his game is much more than athleticism. The kid can flat out shoot and his defense is nowhere near as bad as you let on.

[songofthesword]

would you agree today if you saw him play his defense was supbar?

and i never said he couldn't shoot. I said his shot doesn't get rotation, which it doesn't.   that will come with more strength though

[colbs]

Sword I thought you were pretty spot on.  Yes, Monk had 31 but it was at times an ugly 31.  He missed a lot of shots.  I thought his perimeter jumper needs a lot of work, and very lackadaisical on defense.  But gosh he has talent and the hops.  I think he would really benefit from two years at a high level prep like Oak Hill, etc...  If I remember correctly, I think he only has one year of eligibility left in Arkansas because of his age.

I think I heard he's actually young for his class.

[boarest gump]

I was at the game. I played high school basketball. Officiated small college ball. I'm no expert but I know the game. I was with three people that know the game pretty well. We all couldn't disagree with you more concerning Monk. First time I've seen him. I was BLOWN away. You do realize that he has NO  help. His shot is as pure as you can get. I will agree that he needs to get in the weight room. But he's in 10th grade. I absolutely agree on Beard. He was a lot better than I expected. But IMHO you're way off on Monk. He is at another level.

[boarest gump]

Monk didn't hardly guard Beard the whole game.

[songofthesword]

I was at the game. I played high school basketball. Officiated small college ball. I'm no expert but I know the game. I was with three people that know the game pretty well. We all couldn't disagree with you more concerning Monk. First time I've seen him. I was BLOWN away. You do realize that he has NO  help. His shot is as pure as you can get. I will agree that he needs to get in the weight room. But he's in 10th grade. I absolutely agree on Beard. He was a lot better than I expected. But IMHO you're way off on Monk. He is at another level.

what exactly have you said that i did not say lol?

I was at the game. I played high school basketball. Officiated small college ball. I'm no expert but I know the game. I was with three people that know the game pretty well. We all couldn't disagree with you more concerning Monk. First time I've seen him. I was BLOWN away. You do realize that he has NO  help. His shot is as pure as you can get. I will agree that he needs to get in the weight room. But he's in 10th grade. I absolutely agree on Beard. He was a lot better than I expected. But IMHO you're way off on Monk. He is at another level.

if you absoutly agree with me on beard than it's not possible for you to disagree with me on monk.  All i said is that at this point, beard is the better  all around player.  and you just said you agree.

that is litearlly all i'm saying. i'm not freaking stupid i know he's in the 10th grade. I know he's going to get better.  I am simply stating at this point he's not the best player in the state and he has work to do. that's it.  i'm not saying he won't ever get tha twork done. he needs to put on weight, and he needs to tighten up his dribble.  you're right he has a very pretty stroke but he doesn't have the strength yet in his arms to get the rotation that beard / allen have on their shots yet.  it will come with age.


i agree though beard is going to be really really good. He's perfect for the hogs.  I cannot imagine there are 89 better players in the country.  After watching todays game i'm not concerned about the point next year. it might take him a few games to adjust to the speed / get in condition but he will be a drastic upgrade at the point guard position by SEC play


on another note, I can see why KJ Hill is getting so much football attention. Dude looks the part. 

[arkansastrack]

what exactly have you said that i did not say lol?
if you absoutly agree with me on beard than it's not possible for you to disagree with me on monk.  All i said is that at this point, beard is the better  all around player.  and you just said you agree.

that is litearlly all i'm saying. i'm not freaking stupid i know he's in the 10th grade. I know he's going to get better.  I am simply stating at this point he's not the best player in the state and he has work to do. that's it.  i'm not saying he won't ever get tha twork done. he needs to put on weight, and he needs to tighten up his dribble.  you're right he has a very pretty stroke but he doesn't have the strength yet in his arms to get the rotation that beard / allen have on their shots yet.  it will come with age.


i agree though beard is going to be really really good. He's perfect for the hogs.  I cannot imagine there are 89 better players in the country.

That's all your opinion and you are in the minority on this. What does strength have to do with ball rotation on a shot?!?

[boarest gump]

I guess I partially agree with you. Beard is nowhere near the caliber of Monk. Anytime Monk tried to drive he had Allen and somebody else in his grill. NLR was allowed to play very physical(I'm a NLR Fan).  Beard didn't have the attention on him that Monk did.

I couldn't believe how physical Beard and Allen were. Need to give Madden some of what they've been eating.

[songofthesword]

I'll give you that. Every time Monk got the ball he was hedged.  And I will even grant you that part of the shaky ball handing was probably due to him just getting bullied by allen lol and Beard.

But my point being, these are the types of guys that he's gonna be playing against in college and even better guys than this in the NBA.  "They bullied him around because they can; he's skinny.  Then they went to a 2-1-2 press when they realized that they could bully him around and create turnovers.  not all his fault he had no other real ball handlers


really if bentonville had a legit point guard that could bring the ball up the court against NLR and get the ball out of monks hands that would have been a much closer game.  NOt even really a D1 point guard just a point guard with surefire handles.

[yraciv]

I'll give you that. Every time Monk got the ball he was hedged.  And I will even grant you that part of the shaky ball handing was probably due to him just getting bullied by allen lol and Beard.

But my point being, these are the types of guys that he's gonna be playing against in college and even better guys than this in the NBA.  "They bullied him around because they can; he's skinny.  Then they went to a 2-1-2 press when they realized that they could bully him around and create turnovers.  not all his fault he had no other real ball handlers


really if bentonville had a legit point guard that could bring the ball up the court against NLR and get the ball out of monks hands that would have been a much closer game.  NOt even really a D1 point guard just a point guard with surefire handles.

I've been given the impression that Tyrik Dixon is their PG, and will get a college scholarship to do it.  Obviously he isn't on the level of Beard, but I've heard he is usually pretty efficient and I did see he put up a pretty good scoring game.  I'm sure there were turnovers because Bentonville is younger and didn't have near the athletes, outside Monk. I doubt the 2-1-2 press with NLR's speed was something they'd seen all year so they may have struggled with decision makng, or another guard being forced to take it up, but I have a hard time believing it's because of PG play.

[JonClaudeVanHam]

Disagree on the importance of recruiting Allen. That kid is a must have if there has ever been a must have.

I was at the game as well and my breakdown goes as such after watching both teams last Friday as well.

Beard: Okay, so last Friday he appeared to be sleepwalking but it was still obvious that he was a good player. After today, thank God we got this kid. What a game by him while playing through foul trouble. His ability to play off of his off hand is impossible to value in a guard. I mean as the OP said, he WANTS to go right. He is a zone destroyer through and through. By the time he is a sophomore here teams will be taking a major risk to play zone against us while he is in the game. He gets to the hole at will and then steps out and has a wonderful stroke from deep. His defense was much better today as far as standing his ground goes. I can only assume that he read my thoughts on his previous play  . Either way, I am so happy this kid is a Hog. I still think that there will be a learning curve, but I stand by my thought that by the end of his freshman year he will be a great player.

Allen: We just have to have this kid. Have to. He shut down Monk for the entirety of the first half and at one point just took the ball from Monk on a crossover. It was highly impressive. He is dream guard for Anderson's system. His defense alone would earn him a look, but when you combine it with his quickness, speed, and finishing ability he is a dream player for hawgball. I will be sick to my stomach if we lose him.

Monk: Disagree on more than just few points with the OP. Firstly with his perceived lack of effort. Maybe you could argue this as the game wore on and it become more and more hopeless, but Monk's transition defense and hustle was great in the first half of this game. He has NO help. None. Nada. Zip. Monk had no hope of being as dominant as Beard or Allen in this game simply because the gameplan for NLR was "double team Monk, let the other guys beat us." The other guys stood no chance. It speaks just as much of Monk that he was able to adjust to Allen's staunch defense in the second half as it does of Allen that he was able to shut down Monk. Monk is a great player right now and the question now becomes how great he wants to be. If he had half the talent of NLR surrounding him he would have been much more impressive. Imagine Beard attempting to take on a team with Monk and Allen, or Allen attempting to take on a team with Beard and Monk. I don't think this game was the best indictment of Monk's game as it flushed out every one of Bentonville's flaws. We have to get Monk, he is just fantastic and I truly believe he would start for the Hogs right now.

[JonClaudeVanHam]

I'll give you that. Every time Monk got the ball he was hedged.  And I will even grant you that part of the shaky ball handing was probably due to him just getting bullied by allen lol and Beard.

But my point being, these are the types of guys that he's gonna be playing against in college and even better guys than this in the NBA.  "They bullied him around because they can; he's skinny.  Then they went to a 2-1-2 press when they realized that they could bully him around and create turnovers.  not all his fault he had no other real ball handlers


really if bentonville had a legit point guard that could bring the ball up the court against NLR and get the ball out of monks hands that would have been a much closer game.  NOt even really a D1 point guard just a point guard with surefire handles.

In college Monk would have actual weapons around him rather than what he has now. Not fair to him to expect him to be able to handle the double team of two D1 players every single time down the court when he has no help at all around him. NLR structured their entire defense around him.

[redeye]

i was thinking about it and i would really like Monk to transfer to Parkview. Coach Flangian is not going to put up with defensive lapses like that and he will tighten that handle up. He's a very guard centric coach.
...

Coach Flanigan?  Is he Wes Flanigan's father or brother?  I know his father coached at Dunbar while I was there, but not sure if he's still active or not.

[Peter Porker]

My take:

Beard: it was one game. Not sure how one can evaluate a player's ability based on one game.

Allen: see above

Monk: see above

[rusvegashog]

I'm not questioning your iq on basketball and you've seen these guys play and I've not. My only question is this, you say Monk is an above average but not great shooter and compare him to JR Smith, well when JR is on there's few players in the world who can shoot like he can. I highly doubt he's in the same realm as JR as a shooter. Also JR can handle the rock. Just my opinion, And I do appreciate the perspective. I am really stoked that you seem to believe that Beard is the real deal, from video I've seen he looked good but I was kind of thrown off because of how smooth as opposed to explosive he is. Sometime a player can be so smooth that it appears he's not as good as he actually is, sort of the way Matt Jones was deceivingly fast. I hope this is the case. Thanks again

[Cotton]

After the OP said Kavaughn put a clamp on Monk, I started losing faith. If you drop 30 points, and everybody knows you are the best player, nobody put a clamp on you.

Monk is the best player in the state, and the best player this state has seen since Archie Goodwin.

[RazorAg]

I appreciate the reports from everyone. But, if you've seen these guys multiple times, it's fair to say that some conclusions are a little extreme here. And, as always, one game is not enough for conclusive analysis on how good or productive a player is.

Beard, Allen and Monk are all high major players. Monk, according to coaches and people that have worked in the business for a long time, local and national, is the best prospect of the three. He has the foundation to be elite and his size and athleticism provides a higher ceiling than the other two. But, you can certainly argue that the other two are better today and may be for the very short term future.

[RazorPiggie]

Yes! I appreciate any and all info on these guys, but to provide an accurate scouting report off of 1 game is ridiculous.

Thank goodness he didn't watch LeBron for the first time a couple of games ago, He'd claim he's the worst player in the NBA.

[pillowhog]

I knew you were gonna get killed for posting this.  This site has so many homers its unreal.  Ive seen all these kids play a few times this year and Song is dead on.  Malik can play d1 right now just because of his athletic ability alone.  But he needs to improve his ball handling and strength and mental game to be the best to come out of this state.  Beard love the kid, reminds me of Corey Beck.  Handle it, shoot it, defense, toughness.  Moore had the misfortune of being taller than everyone in pee wee and 7th and 8th grade and never will be the tallest guy on the court again.  Still good player though.  With the right coaching and work Monk CAN be the best to ever come out of Arkansas but right now he's got too much AAU ball in his game