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Jeremy Sochan; An Enigma

Jeremy Sochan of the Baylor Bears

Jeremy Sochan the 6’9 English-born forward has been a hot topic amongst the draft community as of late. Sochan caught the eye of many after countless neck-breaking defensive performances mixed with his unmatched superstar intangibles.

Jeremy Sochan Arrives for Baylor Bears

Defense Defense Defense

If the title didn’t show anything, Jeremy Sochan’s defense is awe-dropping. At 6’9 230 Jeremy Sochan flies throughout half-court as he guards everything from point guards to centers. Sochan’s dynamic ability to guard the perimeter and the success that he’s had at it shows the type of player he is.

Sochan can keep up with these defenders due to his footwork. Sochan can slide all throughout the perimeter go guard multiple different people in a single possession. Baylor head coach Scott Drew is able to have such an efficient defense in the half-court due to the way he schemes Jeremy Sochan throughout the perimeter.

The best example of what Sochan can do for a team is within this possession. Sochan on this play was able to guard 6’4 guard AJ Hoggard, 6’8 forward Gabe Brown, and then drop down to defender the rim against 6’9 center Julias Marble. Sochan is a testament to the next generation of forwards in the NBA who can guard 1-5.

Jeremy Sochan Defensive Ability

Sochan has shown elite ability in protecting the rim. His high athleticism and intangibles allow him to contest shots all throughout the rim. Sochan is a tank when in the paint even if he is undersized for a shot blocker. Being an incredibly athletic forward, Sochan can jump with the tallest of them.

Seriously, Did I Mention Defense?

Another elite trait of Sochan’s game is his motor. For a guy Sochan’s size, he gets himself on the floor diving for loose balls and going for rebounds all throughout the court. Sochan creates extra possessions while also getting balls that no one else on the floor can get. Sochan is the ultimate glue guy. It always seems like Sochan is lurking around always searching for any ball he can get.

Sochan finds himself here diving for the ball when the rebound seemed imminent. Just another example that shows the ways Sochan can create extra possessions for Baylor.

Just another possession that shows how gifted Sochan’s rebounding ability can be. His hard-nosed ability to crash the boards and create possessions for his team is something NBA contenders should salivate over.

Sochan’s defensive ability is a two-headed monster. The mixture of guard-like footwork, 1-5 level defensive versatility, and an unmatched motor and hustle. It just seems like Sochan can be thrown into the NBA at this very second and he can make a lasting effect for whatever team he’s on

Offense Upside

In today’s NBA, PF is meant to have a proficient inside and out game. Although that isn’t a staple of Sochan’s game, he possesses all of the traits to become a dominant scorer in the NBA.

Sochan is currently developing a consistent 3 point shot and boy does it project well. Although he is shooting 34% from the field, Sochan has NBA-level shooting mechanics which are prone to translate to the league. A key factor in his developing 3 point shot is his young age as Sochan has tons of room to grow as a shooter.

Sochan has also shown glimpses of potentially being a creator due to how agile and quick he is on his feet when driving down into the lane. Sochan’s size and strength allow him to power into the lane and drop off a pass into the cutting man. Point forward-esque moves for a guy who doesn’t project as a perimeter star.

However, this brings up Sochan’s biggest weakness. Sochan has been very turnover-prone especially when moving downhill. Sochan constantly making rough passes and losing control of the ball. Although he is incredibly fluid, his handle needs work. Spinning out of control with the ball consistently while moving downhill is a big no-no in the league.

At 18 years old, however, Sochan has tons of room to grow as an offensive player. His gifted footwork and athleticism mixed with his soft touch seem to be bound to be successful under proper NBA development.

Final Product

When scouting Jeremy Sochan I had one thought in my mind. The thought of how complete he was as a prospect. Sochan seems like the perfect plug-and-play guy in the NBA. Sochan might not be making the flashy plays like other top prospects in this class but Sochan seems like the type of guy that can win your team ball games.

The best comparison for Sochan is lengthy PJ Tucker. Tucker doesn’t do anything particularly special but he is known as one of the most effective defenders in the entire league due to his ability to guard 1-5 on the court. However, Sochan projects to be a better version of what Tucker is due to his length and size. Standing at 3 inches taller than Tucker who is known as one of the best defenders in the league, Sochan can be an easy game changer for any team that wants to compete. I project Sochan as a mid-round pick who should fall to the hands of a contender.

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Garrett Hoffman

Garrett Hoffman

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