Chet Holmgren heard this chant from fans a few times during the season: “Over-rated!”
The 7-foot, lanky freshman is always ready to answer questions, often in the form a thunderous dunk or 3-pointer, or a swatted shot into a crowd.
Holmgren stated that despite hearing it, “you hear it, and at the same you’re pretty locked into,” after finishing with 21 points, fifteen rebounds, and six blocked shots during a win over San Francisco.
Holmgren was a highly-regarded prospect upon his arrival in Spokane, Washington. However, he didn’t perform as well in his first season. He was determined to fit in with Gonzaga’s team-oriented style of play and often deferred too his teammates, sometimes at the cost of missing a great shot.
Holmgren’s assertiveness has increased as the season progressed. His dominance has been evident at times. This rare skill set is what will allow him to be among the top three draft picks in the NBA, possibly No. 1.
Sam Scholl, San Diego coach, said that he is “just very, very skilled.” He has an incredible feel. He is physically strong. He doesn’t fear to bang.”
Holmgren, despite being only 195 lbs, is able to hold his own against heavier players in the paint. He uses his long wingspan to change shots and swat away at the rim. He was fourth nationally in blocked shots with 3.59 per game for the regular season.
Holmgren’s skill set is what really sets him apart. It is more like a 7-footer’s guard skillset than a 7 footer. He is a great perimeter shooter, shooting 44% from 3, and can use his ballhandling skills for creating his own shots. Holmgren is a great runner and has a long frame that allows him to dunk in unexpected places.
Mark Few, Gonzaga coach, said that Chet is a confident player who does a great job working with the team to figure out what they are giving us and then doing it.
SIZE: 7-foot, 195 pounds.
STATS: 14.7 Points on 62% shooting, 9.8 rebound, 3.5 blocks and 44% 3-point shooting.
STRENGTHS – A 7-footer with incredible skills, and a great shooter from the perimeter as well as midrange. Excellent footwork at the post, and can finish with either hand. Excellent passer with a great sense of the game. With his anticipation and long reach, he dominates the defensive side.
WEAKNESSES : A slight frame can cause him to be pushed around on blocks and reduce his ability to finish through contact with the NBA. He is usually good against double teams but can get into trouble when he places the ball on the ground. He lacks lateral quickness when defending smaller players at the perimeter.
DRAFT PROJECTION – Top-three picks, possibly No. 1.
There are other opportunities in the mid-majors area:
Patrick Baldwin Jr., Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Baldwin, a 6-foot-9 five star recruit, was offered to play at high-major universities but chose to stay in Milwaukee with his father. Baldwin is very mobile for his height and shoots well from 3-point range, shooting 26% this season. Due to injuries, he was only able to play in 11 games.
David Roddy, Colorado State. The Rams junior forward is 6-6 and a solid shooter. He can also post up smaller players. Roddy averages 19.4 points per game and 7.8 rebounds, while shooting 57% from floor, 47% from 3, and 47% from 3-.
Saint Joseph’s Jordan Hall. Hall, a sophomore at Saint Joseph’s, averages 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per contest. Hall is a strong outside shooter who sees the floor extremely well.
