As a full-time college student, I don't have time to watch every mid-major basketball game every night. This forces me to dig through stat sheets trying to find players I want to write these blogs about. Then I have to go watch the games that I can find to determine if they are truly worth writing about, and not just stat padders playing weak competition. So, when I saw that the Samford University Bulldogs were 17-2 this season, I assumed that they had at least one player having a big-time year. I was correct in that assumption, in fact they have multiple players currently having a big season, but it was big-man Achor Achor that stood out above the rest.
pc: Samford University Athletics
Immediately I recognized that Achor was a unique player. Last year, in his first year as a Bulldog, he didn't have much of an impact, as he came off the bench and put up stats that didn't jump off the page. That trend looked to still be the case at the beginning of this season, as he didn't do much on limited minutes in the first two games of the season. However, in the third game of the year he scored 17 points in only 14 minutes and played excellent defense, leading Samford to their first win of the year. That win not only led to a win streak now totaling 17-straight, but it also kickstarted Achor Achor's stellar second season with Samford.
Achor is the spitting image of modern basketball. At 6'9" and 230, the versatile forward is a dominant offensive threat in the paint and is able to stretch the floor beyond the arc. Then on the defensive end his athleticism has allowed him to be an elite rim protector while still being agile enough to keep up with guards on the perimeter. He's still a raw player, but you normally don't see guys with this deep of a skillset playing at a mid-major program.
I want to break down Achor's intriguing skillset, and perhaps make the case that he has what it takes to be the first Samford University Bulldog to make it to the NBA.
Inside Scoring: Unstoppable Mix of Speed and Strength
Achor's biggest strength, at least at the college level, is his inside scoring. His physical metrics make him a major pain for opposing coaches to gameplan for, especially as he's matching up against mid-major level forwards and bigs. He's too big, strong, and lengthy for traditional fours and he's too fast and athletic for traditional fives. He's a matchup nightmare, and he makes that nightmare a reality in the paint more than he does anywhere else on the court.
He's an athletic above the rim threat and an aggressive slasher. When he doesn't have the ball in his hands, he turns into a legitimate off-ball weapon. He's surrounded by a solid playmaking guard rotation at Samford, and they do a great job finding him when he's coming downhill. Whether it's a lob or they swing it to him on the move, most defenders make a business decision not to get in his way.
This athleticism translates in multiple ways. He gets out in transition like a bullet out of a gun, and his guards once again do a fantastic job of finding him. In addition to this, his lengthy build and speed allow him to finish these plays without putting the ball on the floor.
When he is asked to put the ball on the floor, he is very capable of doing so. We will talk about his ability to operate in the close mid-range in a moment, but here is one more layup clip of him showing his on-ball skill.
I don't want to fully separate his mid-range game and inside scoring game, because a lot of the time these jumpers could be considered paint buckets. The primary difference is that these "mid-range" points are generated with something other than pure strength or speed. Instead, Achor uses finesse to find these shots.
These back to the basket possessions that end with a hook-shot seem to be Achor's go to when he wants a bucket. It's such a fluid shot for him, and he can create this shot in a multitude of ways. No matter how he finds the shot, the theme of "if you aren't bigger or faster than Achor, you aren't stopping him" continues to reign true.
One thing that Achor does that I really like is when he uses the backboard on these shots. This seems elementary, but purposeful bank-shots are approaching extinction in basketball's modern era. Achor doesn't accept this philosophy, and it allows him to take these difficult jumpers from every angle imaginable.
All in all, he has a relatively flawless inside game on offense. He is incredibly difficult to defend in this area of the floor, a trait that I think translates to the professional game already. With that being said, a huge reason why he is so good at scoring inside the arc is because he's so good beyond the arc. Defenders can't leave him floating outside the three-point line, because he can and will knock down threes.
Three-Point Shooting: Willing and Able
I would be lying if I told you that Achor Achor relies on his three-point shooting. Only about 18% of his total points have been three-pointers, but he is shooting a very impressive 51.4% from three. It is a small sample size, but from everything I've seen he seems to be a very capable shot maker from deep. His mechanics are very good, he has decent speed on his shot release, and he obviously makes them at an efficient clip. He mainly operates as a pick-and-pop shooter or just off basic catch and shoot plays, but he can also walk into the shot. His length allows him to get over good contests, and his gravity on screens shifts defenders towards the paint before the three-point line.
I only found one good clip of Achor walking into a three, but one clip is enough to show that he is capable of creating this shot without being set up by a teammate. I believe that if he wanted to, he could create his own shot from deep more often than he does, but I'm not entirely certain how effective this would be. His high three-point percentage can be attributed not only to his ability to make the shot, but also that these catch-and-shoot opportunities are less contested and easier to knock down. He's probably at his best coming off of a screen to shoot the three.
He's probably never going to be viewed as an elite shot maker from deep, but it's a skill he possesses that makes him all the more valuable. This ability to stretch the floor makes him way more playable in most modern basketball systems.
Playmaking: Raw and Getting Better
This will be a short section because Achor isn't anything to write home about as a playmaker and passer. However, he has shown flashes of being a good passing big, and I think if he can continue to develop these skills he will only make himself an even more intriguing prospect.
Most of his time spent as the offensive hub for Samford is made up of drawn up plays. These usually result in a pass to a cutting teammate for a bucket. While these plays aren't as impressive as an on-the-fly flashy pass, they are still intriguing. The passes he makes in of themselves are still very difficult, and once again this is something that most big men are not asked to do.
As you can see, those are relatively high-level passes. Threading a bounce-pass between two collegiate level defenders isn't something that everyone can do. I hope Samford increases Achor's workload as an offensive hub so we can truly see his full potential in this facet of the game, but for the time being I've seen enough to show me he's capable of being a usable playmaker.
Defense: Powerful Inside Presence
One theme of my player evaluations is that I will always value defense over offense. Not everyone is able to be an offensive weapon, but everyone who's willing to give it their all and show maximum effort can be a good defender. With that being said, Achor is not only a "good" defender, he's a great defender. He's an incredibly solid rim protector, as his athleticism and length allow him to be a fantastic shot blocker. His agility allows him to stick with perimeter threats, not only on the perimeter but also as a chase-down block artist.
Achor impresses me on the defensive end even more than he does on the offensive. Despite defense being the "easier" skill, there are far fewer elite defenders than elite offensive talents in basketball today. His defensive abilities alone could carve out a spot in a professional league for him. With that being said, he's not only an elite rim protector. His quick hands and high basketball IQ allow him to snag steals and tear up halfcourt offenses. Altogether, he's the last guy on the court you want to be matched up against if you have any intentions of getting a bucket.
He has no legitimate weakness on the defensive end. If you really want to be picky you could say he's not perfect guarding on the perimeter, but he's about as good as it gets for a forward. I would also argue that he's significantly better at protecting the rim than most forwards. If both of these things are true, then it evens out. Either way, I found myself impressed every single time I watched Achor on a defensive possession.
Summary
Other strengths that Achor possesses that I may not have given an entire section include but are not limited to:
Tenacious Rebounder
Gets out incredibly quick on the fast break
Foul drawing
Not foul prone
I rarely give weaknesses their own sections in these evaluations unless they are incredibly glaring, but I do still feel like you have to cover them. So, weaknesses of Achor that I haven't mentioned or briefly mentioned include:
Mediocre free-throw shooter
Turnover prone
Could be called for more fouls at a higher level (hooking, charges, etc.)
Seemingly not great endurance (plays limited minutes)
Can get sped up
If I had to label Achor as a prospect today, I would say he's still incredibly raw. However, he has way too many skills to think that he doesn't have a chance to develop into an elite player at the power five level. I have to think that there's a very good chance that he ends up transferring up after this season, where he should find himself in a program suited to bring out his full potential. You rarely see guys with this many intangibles playing at the mid-major level, but for Achor this was probably his best chance to show off his game. His jump from last year to this year also shows me he has ambition to evolve, something I hope reigns true for next season. If he does end up making a move to a bigger program, I intend on checking in on him next year as a legitimate NBA prospect.
clips via Samford University Athletics
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