7-2 freshman phenom Bol Bol will command your attention this year at Oregon.
In an era of unicorns and unconventional players, Oregon freshman Bol Bol may be the next big thing: literally and figuratively. The son of former NBA player, Manute Bol, Bol Bol stands at 7-foot-2, five inches shorter than his pops, and is a slender 235 pounds.
Like his father, Bol is more than just a beanpole planted in the paint. The soft outside touch was passed down a generation. Whereas Manute’s 3-point shooting was more of a novelty, Bol’s ability to play on the perimeter is just one facet of a well-rounded skill set.
Bol truly has an inside-out game. He’s comfortable handling the ball away from the basket or coming off screens to step into a jump shot. He also, can plant himself in the paint and use his height and length advantages to get the ball into the basket.
There are not many players he’ll face off have the right combination of size and skill to handle Bol.
Yet, this advantage was even more one-sided in high school and Bol didn’t always capitalize on it. He would sparingly go full throttle during his stops at famed high schools, Mater Dei or Findlay Prep. On occasion, he would put everything on display in high-profile AAU matchups.
Much like some other highly ranked big men, consistency and effort were the biggest ailments to Bol’s game and therefore ranking too. Though he was the No. 1 center by both ESPN and 247Sports he didn’t rank higher than third on any recruiting list.
The crowning jewel of Oregon’s five-man 2018 recruiting class that ranked third in the nation by 247Sports (the highest ranked class in program history), Bol brings attention and high hopes with him to Eugene this season.
Oregon was voted by the media as the preseason Pac-12 champs, and the play of Bol Bol will go a long ways towards making that prediction a reality this season.
The Ducks are loaded in the frontcourt, along with Bol they also have Paul White and Kenny Wooten returning along with Bol’s fellow freshmen Louis King, Miles Norris and Paul Okoro. Each of those players is 6-foot-9 or taller.
Head coach Dana Altman hopes that having depth and size in his frontcourt allows him the versatility to match like-for-like with any team that Oregon faces off against during this season.
In the Ducks lone exhibition game, Bol led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds. Despite carrying the load with veterans White and guard, Payton Pritchard, missing the game, Altman still mentioned that Bol has some things to clean up defensively as far as his positioning is concerned, but raves about the talent and skill level of the freshman phenom, but wants him to unleash it a little more.
This sentiment of Bol needing to give a little more when he plays has followed him throughout the duration of his career to this point. With the NBA on the horizon for the seven-foot phenom, a lack of effort isn’t the only thing Bol could work on before he enters the league.
First, as is common with people that tall, Bol is a bit awkward in his gait and movements. While Bol doesn’t have a concerning injury history, we’ve seen players of his size and build lose out on promising careers due to one significant injury.
The second issue is his slight frame. While he’ll never look like a bodybuilder, Bol needs to develop functional strength so he isn’t getting pushed out of position in the paint and that he can be an even bigger deterrent at the rim defensively.
In terms of frame, Bol most closely relates to Kristaps Porzingis and Brandon Ingram when they first entered the league. Both have been able to add weight without completely changing their body compositions.
With more franchises seeking out centers that can stretch the floor on offense and bring versatility on defense, Bol presents a ready-made contributor. If he can put forth the required effort on a nightly basis for Oregon this season will be a win-win for all parties.