For Jun to be considered an elite player and even an NBA candidate, he needs to show he can knock down an outside shot on a regular basis.  Four games into this year, he has not shown he can do that (he is 0-8 from the three for the season), and I would say that the vast majority of his 27 made baskets was powering the ball inside against opponents that were not as physically strong as Jun nor nearly as quick.   I can't even think of many midrange shots (12-18 footers) that he has made this sesaon.   This is by no means meant to be critical of Jun, as he is playing in a manner that gives us the best chance of winning against this level of competitoin.   I believe he should be worthy of making one of the 3 all conference teams.   Based on what he has been doing his first 4 games, you can likewise argue that Castro is a top 15 player in the conference, but like Jun, he has been doing it so far against smaller, slower and less athletic competition.  Lets hope that this will trnslate into similar play at conference time.   One very nice gesture that Jun has been doing is wearing Garrett's #9 warmup jersey during pracitce.     The player I am kinda down on after 4 gams is Trey Moss, who is now shooting 40% for the season (including 4-16 from the 3), got his first assist of the season tonight and doesn't defend particularly well.   I think he may be better suited as an energy player coming off of the bench, and see him ultimately losing minutes to Christian Jones (who had his second steal and dunk of the season but may be better suited as the backup point guard); Ty Bevins or Dayan Nessah, each of whom are going to need alot more games to develop.   I would have liked to have seen Dayan get a bit more playing time tonight, but I certainly understand that coach's desire to give him very brief appearances (totalled 7 minutes for the night) to ease him into college play, especially with his coming off of an injury.  

Last edited by Long Suffering Fan (11/19/2024 8:43 pm)

The Dude wrote:

16 points 9 boards 3 dimes and 2 steals a game powering GW to a 6-1 start

DBJr also has his free throw % up to 75

Dude, if you are going to be a Jun stan here, you might want to at least get his statistics right lol.

15 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 0 steals. Also his FT percentage is not up to 75%, it's 73.9%. 

Last edited by GWRising (11/26/2024 10:37 am)

16 points 8 boards 3.3 dimes and 1.6 steals

Certainly in the mix for POY candidacy as we wind down the OOC at 7-1

https://t.co/Y1NLULFkV0

"Based on the strengths and areas of development mentioned in this scouting report, I project Darren Buchanan Jr. to be a potential top-20 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. His productivity as an underclassman at the mid-major level puts him on the radar of every NBA scout out there"

cool write up on Buchanan and deep dive into his play
 

Last edited by gwfan25 (12/05/2024 6:02 pm)

Best player in the league, should be a POY candidate, we shall see if we have a good enough record

but pure talent, DBJr is the best 

With 24 points, 9 rebounds, 0 assists, 7 turnovers and 11 missed free throws, Darren Buchanan gets the Wisconsin Colonial's  James Bishop' award for having  "kept both teams in the game" vs. American.

Two insightful articles about emerging duos in GW basketball this season. Really enjoyable reads. Jun and Castro seem to have a good off court bond too. Can't wait to see them play more together this year, especially as conference play ramps up: https://gwhatchet.com/2024/12/09/frontcourt-mens-basketball-duo-dominates-the-paint/

https://gwhatchet.com/2024/12/09/column-womens-basketball-veteran-freshman-fusion-rises-to-top-with-blend-of-energy-experience/

Great article on Jun and Rafael.

I think it's safe to say that what makes Jun a prospect for the NBA one day is his unique skill set.  The NBA loves unicorns and someone with Jun's size who can handle the ball the way he does certainly qualifies him as one.   I continue to be impressed by how adept Jun is at not picking up offensive fouls.  A player who can consistently play this way while not getting into consistent foul trouble is going to be noticed by NBA scouts.

Compared to last year, what has changed for Jun is that he is the sole focal point for defenses to stop or contain, rather than last year when Jun shared this responsibility with JB.  This puts an even greater premium on knowing when to dish, when to finish, etc.  His shooting percentage being down by 7 percentage points can best be explained by this.

In short, Jun will likely always be a valuable player because of the combination of his size, athleticism, and manner in which he plays.  Right now, I'd say he is a good player but not quite a great player, which he'll need to be if the NBA is to ever be in his future.  What he truly needs is more experience, more reps, and a better understanding of making the correct decisions with the ball.  Improving his midrange shot and free throw shooting will be extremely important. Personally, while I understand why we would all want to see his three point shooting thrive, I really don't believe that this ought to be a part of his arsenal.

As for Rafael, how could you not be encouraged by his start, or a bit disheartened by his performances of late?  I think he brings so much value to this team when he's on that I'd hate to see a deemphasized role for him moving forward.  At the same time, the level of consistency he'll be able to bring against A10 opponents remains to be seen.  There may not be a player on the team who better completes this sentence:  As Rafael goes, so will this GW team.