by Mark Brown (AussieHoopsAmerica.com contributor)
With UCONN incoming freshman Ater Majok now stateside and waiting for final clearance by the NCAA, I thought I would share some of my thoughts on the Australian (via
I recently sat down Ater and his coach Edward Smith on their previous trip to the states. That exclusive interview along with exclusive private workout video will be available soon in the form of TV and web content.
Here are some of the things I can tell you:
Off the court:
This is a confident, driven young man. His goals are as clear as they are sky high.
His selection of UCONN was well considered and speaks to his desire to be challenged.
Though he is somewhat understated, there is a smoldering intensity not far below the surface.
I was struck by his fiercely competitive attitude.
On the court:
He is a unique talent blending of size, skill and agility.
He’s a legit 6’10 and like most young players will need to put on muscle for the challenges ahead.
His offensive skills are very good and versatile. He can operate in the post as well as face-up. His perimeter skills are also very good.
Good shooting form and range to 3pt land. He can put the ball on the floor and handle comfortably on top or the wing. With the size of center, he projects to play both the power and wing forward offensively.
Defensively, he projects as more of a center and power forward. Shot-blocking should be a big part of his game.
Though he moves very well for a big man, it is still a question whether he has the lateral quickness to guard well enough in space versus wing players.
Outlook:
Assuming he is cleared by the NCAA and can join the team by mid-December here is what he is facing.
No matter how good, or great Majok may be, we have to remember he’ll be joining the #2 team in the nation at mid-season just as they are embarking on their Big East Conference schedule.
He has had zero exposure to this level of competition let alone the preseason conditioning program and offensive and defensive systems of Calhoun.
His biggest obstacle will be conditioning. No matter how tough his workouts have been until now, game shape (particularly Calhoun game shape) will take time to develop.
Finding the right way to deploy Majok while fitting him into the current rotation and competing for a Big East and National Title will test even a Hall of Fame Coach.
Whatever happens the remainder of this season, it’s important to remember that next season will be a much truer test of just how good Ater Majok will be.
