Best comp for McEwen

MetsJetsAggies · Post by **MetsJetsAggies** » February 2nd, 2017, 3:04 pm

CJ McCollum. Both 6'3 combo guards, not pass first PGs but the ball handling is good enough to be a score-first PG.

McCollum averaged 19.1 ppg, 5 rpg, and 2.4 apg, 45.9% from the floor and 42.1% from 3 as a freshman at Lehigh. Very similar stats and game to Koby overall. Koby won't be able to match that PPG total this season, but in conference play he very well might/has so far.

I remember watching McCollum at Lehigh, and he drew some comparisons to Lillard (who got drafted the year before McCollum's SR season) for obvious reasons. Sure enough the Blazers drafted him also after Lillard worked out so well right away. Lillard was a star in the NBA from day 1, while McCollum started his NBA career very slowly (first 2 seasons started to make people think he was going to be a bust, lightning can't strike twice, etc.) but has now really broken out to complement Lillard in one of the best backcourts in the NBA.

Obviously I don't want to put such lofty expectations on Koby as a Freshman, because he has a long way to go still, but I think there is something to be said about players like McCollum and Lillard (and now Koby), who weren't really physically gifted 5 star athletes, who were more of a SG playing at PG, who scored in boatloads early on at "smaller" schools, etc. being the rare exceptions to the NBA draft rule. Both stayed all 4 years, yet both still went on to be highly drafted and have found lots of success in the NBA.

There is obviously a better chance Koby doesn't make the NBA at all, or even moreso that he never becomes an NBA star like Lillard/McCollum, but Koby has a game that is certainly capable of it. Koby isn't a gaudy physical specimen, he isn't overly tall/long and definitely not for an NBA combo guard, and that would be why he might not be courted by NBA scouts telling him to leave early. I just hope McCollum/Lillards success doesn't make an NBA team try to jump at the opportunity to get the next one ahead of schedule, and continue to just draft 6'10 SFs and 6'8 SGs from blue blood programs or overseas instead.

Anyway, that's my delusional Koby is great enough to be our first NBA drafted player in forever but likely won't leave before his Senior year despite that greatness post.

SLB · Post by **SLB** » February 2nd, 2017, 3:09 pm

MetsJetsAggies wrote:CJ McCollum. Both 6'3 combo guards, not pass first PGs but the ball handling is good enough to be a score-first PG.

McCollum averaged 19.1 ppg, 5 rpg, and 2.4 apg, 45.9% from the floor and 42.1% from 3 as a freshman at Lehigh. Very similar stats and game to Koby overall. Koby won't be able to match that PPG total this season, but in conference play he very well might/has so far.

I remember watching McCollum at Lehigh, and he drew some comparisons to Lillard (who got drafted the year before McCollum's SR season) for obvious reasons. Sure enough the Blazers drafted him also after Lillard worked out so well right away. Lillard was a star in the NBA from day 1, while McCollum started his NBA career very slowly (first 2 seasons started to make people think he was going to be a bust, lightning can't strike twice, etc.) but has now really broken out to complement Lillard in one of the best backcourts in the NBA.

Obviously I don't want to put such lofty expectations on Koby as a Freshman, because he has a long way to go still, but I think there is something to be said about players like McCollum and Lillard (and now Koby), who weren't really physically gifted 5 star athletes, who were more of a SG playing at PG, who scored in boatloads early on at "smaller" schools, etc. being the rare exceptions to the NBA draft rule. Both stayed all 4 years, yet both still went on to be highly drafted and have found lots of success in the NBA.

There is obviously a better chance Koby doesn't make the NBA at all, or even moreso that he never becomes an NBA star like Lillard/McCollum, but Koby has a game that is certainly capable of it. Koby isn't a gaudy physical specimen, he isn't overly tall/long and definitely not for an NBA combo guard, and that would be why he might not be courted by NBA scouts telling him to leave early. I just hope McCollum/Lillards success doesn't make an NBA team try to jump at the opportunity to get the next one ahead of schedule, and continue to just draft 6'10 SFs and 6'8 SGs from blue blood programs or overseas instead.

Anyway, that's my delusional Koby is great enough to be our first NBA drafted player in forever but likely won't leave before his Senior year despite that greatness post.

Good point and it is not delusional to believe that Koby gets drafted post Utah State career.

USUBlue · Post by **USUBlue** » February 2nd, 2017, 6:47 pm

MetsJetsAggies wrote:CJ McCollum. Both 6'3 combo guards, not pass first PGs but the ball handling is good enough to be a score-first PG.

McCollum averaged 19.1 ppg, 5 rpg, and 2.4 apg, 45.9% from the floor and 42.1% from 3 as a freshman at Lehigh. Very similar stats and game to Koby overall. Koby won't be able to match that PPG total this season, but in conference play he very well might/has so far.

I remember watching McCollum at Lehigh, and he drew some comparisons to Lillard (who got drafted the year before McCollum's SR season) for obvious reasons. Sure enough the Blazers drafted him also after Lillard worked out so well right away. Lillard was a star in the NBA from day 1, while McCollum started his NBA career very slowly (first 2 seasons started to make people think he was going to be a bust, lightning can't strike twice, etc.) but has now really broken out to complement Lillard in one of the best backcourts in the NBA.

Obviously I don't want to put such lofty expectations on Koby as a Freshman, because he has a long way to go still, but I think there is something to be said about players like McCollum and Lillard (and now Koby), who weren't really physically gifted 5 star athletes, who were more of a SG playing at PG, who scored in boatloads early on at "smaller" schools, etc. being the rare exceptions to the NBA draft rule. Both stayed all 4 years, yet both still went on to be highly drafted and have found lots of success in the NBA.

There is obviously a better chance Koby doesn't make the NBA at all, or even moreso that he never becomes an NBA star like Lillard/McCollum, but Koby has a game that is certainly capable of it. Koby isn't a gaudy physical specimen, he isn't overly tall/long and definitely not for an NBA combo guard, and that would be why he might not be courted by NBA scouts telling him to leave early. I just hope McCollum/Lillards success doesn't make an NBA team try to jump at the opportunity to get the next one ahead of schedule, and continue to just draft 6'10 SFs and 6'8 SGs from blue blood programs or overseas instead.

Anyway, that's my delusional Koby is great enough to be our first NBA drafted player in forever but likely won't leave before his Senior year despite that greatness post.

Let's just say he's got a chance. That would be exciting if he was our first NBA player drafted in decades.

FeartheFro · Post by **FeartheFro** » February 2nd, 2017, 9:29 pm

I will say one part of his game that is ready for the NBA, and that is his constant whining to the refs. They are getting tired of it. I love this kids game. I saw him drive the lane hard last night, and finish with his left hand. Such a help to be able to do this. His ability to finish at the rim is in my opinion, his most positive attribute for such a young player. I disagree on the point above about him not having a great body. For a TRUE freshman, I think he has a tremendous physique which helps him to finish at the rim.

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Roy McAvoy · Post by **Roy McAvoy** » February 2nd, 2017, 9:43 pm

I personally see more Eric Bledsoe in him then I do CJ McCollum.

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MetsJetsAggies · Post by **MetsJetsAggies** » February 2nd, 2017, 10:46 pm

FeartheFro wrote:I will say one part of his game that is ready for the NBA, and that is his constant whining to the refs. They are getting tired of it. I love this kids game. I saw him drive the lane hard last night, and finish with his left hand. Such a help to be able to do this. His ability to finish at the rim is in my opinion, his most positive attribute for such a young player. I disagree on the point above about him not having a great body. For a TRUE freshman, I think he has a tremendous physique which helps him to finish at the rim.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't see him complaining more than anyone else really. Thought Nevada players (specifically Oliver) complained the most last night

MetsJetsAggies · Post by **MetsJetsAggies** » February 3rd, 2017, 5:20 pm

http://usustatesman.com/koby-mcewen-uta ... sing-star/

Good article on Koby

MetsJetsAggies · Post by **MetsJetsAggies** » February 3rd, 2017, 5:23 pm

I want to be the greatest basketball player to ever play here, I think it’s very achievable.” McEwen said. “I want to be the Wayne Estes or the Jaycee Carroll of this generation at Utah State."

birdistheword · Post by **birdistheword** » February 3rd, 2017, 7:56 pm

From that story “He’s not just last man in the gym, he’s the first one in too. And then he’s there all night,” Condie said. “I would get texts from him saying ‘coach, can you open up the gym at 5 a.m.?’"
It confirms it that Koby is going to the NBA.

bleu · Post by **bleu** » February 5th, 2017, 3:42 pm

MetsJetsAggies wrote:http://usustatesman.com/koby-mcewen-uta ... sing-star/

Good article on Koby

Thanks for posting this here. I am actually the author of the article, it was a really cool experience to talk with Koby, and to hear stories from Coach Condie and Coach Duryea about him.

Koby is something special. He doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk. It's very clear that he's already gained the respect of his teammates and coaches. When I went to interview him, it was following a mid-week team practice, and even after a high intensity practice sandwiched between two games he stayed out on the floor practicing shot after shot while everyone else on the team had already gone up the tunnel and left the building. He nailed almost every shot he took, and was visibly frustrated with himself when he missed one or two in a row. The guy has a championship mentality, and I sincerely believe that he will not only go down as one of the greats, but that he will flip this program along with it.

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