Transitioning from high school to college basketball is one of the toughest things to do as an athlete. Going from facing competition that you were far superior than to being the little fish in a sea of piranhas is not easy both physically and mentally. No freshman is immune to the jump, but some handle it better.
Fortunately for Michigan State, both Jordan Scott and Cam Ward are in the group of freshmen who have handled the transition better than most.
While this season has come with some ups and downs for both Ward and Scott, it’s been proof that both of these guys can not only hang at this level, but excel and develop into NBA players.
Ward got his breakout first, scoring 18 with 10 rebounds in a huge win over Arkansas at the Breslin Center — mind you, this was the second game of his collegiate career. Scott has been breaking out plenty in recent weeks, scoring 10-plus in three straight games and cracking the starting lineup as the team’s No. 1 shooting guard.
Seeing true freshmen play well from the jump in recent years under Tom Izzo has been a sight for sore eyes after a few years of mediocrity, per Michigan State’s standards.
There is one area in which one of Izzo’s freshmen could improve: shooting.
Scott has been shooting the ball well and he’s improved from the line, from mid-range, and from 3-point range. Ward, on the other hand, has struggled with his shot from outside of three feet.
Izzo explained why that part of his game isn’t there yet.
Cam Ward’s injury hindered his shooting development
Ward is one of the most sure-handed shooters from inside three feet on the team. While that may sound like I’m joking, I’m not. Scoring in the paint in college basketball is not easy, but Ward makes it look routine. He has no problem backing defenders down, getting his body into position, and making a move toward the rim while absorbing contact. He’s special down low.
However, his jumper is just not there — yet.
When Ward gets the ball in the post in a 1-on-1 situation, you can almost count on him scoring, or at least attempting a good shot and getting to the line. Unfortunately, when he does inevitably get to the line because of all the contact he forces, he’s ineffective.
On the year, Ward is shooting 48.7% from the line. That’s just not going to cut it, and it reminds me of some other free throw shooters in the Izzo era who were really bad as freshmen but who became almost automatic (Adreian Payne was a prime example).
I could very well see this happening with Ward, especially since Izzo explained why his freshman big man is struggling to shoot the ball so much.
At his pre-Wisconsin presser, Izzo explained that the tendons in his hand and wrist were preventing him from really getting his hand positioned well as a shooter. Ideally, shooters can bend their wrist and “snap” it forward on jumpers, but Ward’s range of motion was limited. That explains the poor free throw shooting.
Note: Izzo begins talking about this at the 23:54 mark.
I’d be willing to bet that Ward finishes his career as a fan favorite and he’ll be one of the better free throw shooters on the team at some point in the next 2-3 years.
If he works as hard on his jumper as he does on his post game, he’s going to be just fine.