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Strengths:
- Quick Leaper
- Great Length
- Solid Touch
- Good Feet
- Weakside Help
Weaknesses:
- Strength
- Individual Post Defense
- Fouling
From most accounts Drew Eubanks was meant to be a project. Raw athlete with size and perhaps Wayne Tinkle meant to start off slow with the 6' 10", 240 lb freshman. If that was the plan it was quickly adjusted when Daniel Gomis got hurt and the Beavers needed another big beyond Chiekh N'Diaye (who has improved substantially this year).
Once he was forced into action his skills became apparent. His length immediately made him a threat on defense, blocking shots and if not getting a hand to them he could still alter the shot. If he was raw before the season he either learned quickly or was undersold. The Beavers have a player who can be extremely disruptive as a weakside helper. He has good enough footspeed to close out on shooters as well and trying to hoist up a shot with the 6' 10" Eubanks has been tough for loads of players this season.
Defensively the majority of his issues have come from being the primary defender on defense. His secondary help has been fantastic, but as the primary defender opposing posts have been able to neutralize his shot blocking ability by over-powering him. One of the defining plays of the Valpo game came when a Crusader big man barreled straight into the chest of Eubanks on the right block. The young freshman went stumbling backwards across the lane and it was an easy lay-in for Valpo. This speaks more to the youth of Eubanks, as he is not as strong as he will be after a full off-season spent in a college weight room.
His other issue is constantly ending up in foul trouble. Some are unavoidable, as he tries to help on defense or just going for a block. There have been some that were unneeded however, especially on the offensive end with clear-outs and moving screens. Part of that is on guards moving early but he also needs to be on time. Defensively he still gets caught with some cheap fouls as well swiping down when he should be keeping his arms straight up. Not real unusual issues for a young big man though and they should be expected to decrease throughout his career.
Offensively Eubanks has incredible potential. We've already seen glimpses of him in the post, he has the quickness to get around people and the length to finish at the rim. He might be big but he's no stiff, his movements show his coordination and he looks smooth in his moves. There are some difficulties getting him the ball down low, partially due difficulties with entry passes from the guards and some with his own ability to post up. In the Cal State Fullerton game he was battling hard for position and ended up picking up a foul on a clear-out. The foundation looks good though, and should continue to improve with practice and more strength.
Even more interestingly he appears to have terrific touch on the ball, which I suppose does make sense for a pitcher. The greatest demonstration of this is his foul shot, where he is shooting 71.4% (20 for 28). It has less to do with the percentages and more to do with the fluidity of the motion though. Nothing herky-jerky, the entire motion looks smooth and natural. If he can continue to build on the platform he is building there he should be able to add a mid-range jumper, enabling the pick and pop as a counter-play for the offense.
The ceiling is incredibly high for the Beaver big man with the athletic ability and length to stifle all shots in the paint alongside his offensive potential on both the inside and the outside.