Freshman Noah Clowney Looks Like Alabama Basketball's Hidden Gem
Brandon Miller and Jaden Bradley were McDonald's All-Americans.
Rylan Griffen rose over 30 spots in recruiting rankings his senior year.
Nick Pringle was the top-rated prospect out of JUCO.
When discussing Alabama's nationally top-three ranked recruiting class, Noah Clowney's name was continually overlooked.
The 6-foot-10 forward out of Roebuck, S.C. was a four-star recruit and a consensus top-100 player, but did not necessarily have the hype behind him coming out of high school as the rest of the incoming freshmen.
This summer, however, Clowney has been opening peoples' eyes.
Beginning with an open scrimmage at the end of July, Clowney made noise in Crimson Tide basketball circles with his performance. He posted 21 points, including eight in the first quarter.
Then, during Alabama's European Tour, the freshman stood out once again. Across three games, he posted averages of 12.3 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game, including an 11-point, 10-rebound performance against the Chinese National Team.
The performance against China cannot be overlooked either, as the Chinese National Team is fully made up of professional basketball players.
"Clowney's been really good. Like, better than what I even thought, more athletic than what I thought," head coach Nate Oats said.
Depth at the forward and center positions have been big issues for Alabama in the past. Last season outside of Noah Gurley and Charles Bediako, Alabama only had Keon Ambrose-Hylton and Alex Tchikou, who both saw limited playing time.
The lack of depth was apparent when foul trouble hit, causing players like Darius Miles to have to play undersized and out of position.
When it comes to Clowney's individual game, he has a lot he can bring to the table to carve out a role for himself this season and beyond.
Clowney has a wiry frame with tremendous length in both his arms and legs that allow him to cause lots of issues for opponents as a defender. He possesses unique fluidity and mobility despite his larger build, which aids in his versatility on both ends of the floor.
As an offensive player, he has a very strong right-handed post hook that is one of his go-to moves in back-to-the-basket situations. His mid-range shooting has nice touch from 10-12 feet, and he has good hands for a post player.
Perhaps most importantly for his role in the Alabama offense, he has a capable three-point shot that was showcased in the open scrimmage when he knocked down two shots from long range in the first quarter.
Defensively, Clowney is mobile and versatile enough to guard stretch bigs and long enough to make an impact against more traditional low-post players.
His biggest knock is his slimmer build. Clowney will need to put on some more muscle to bang down low with the Oscar Tshibwe's and the Johni Broome's of the SEC, but his versatility still has a role on the floor as a help defender with good rim protection ability.
"He doesn't move as much like a guard as Herb [Jones] does, but he's gonna be able to impact the game on the defensive end in a lot of ways like Herb did," Oats said.
When it comes to his fit in Oats' system, Clowney has the skillset and build to be an excellent small-ball center, from his three-point shooting to his defensive mobility. He can also play power forward in matchup-dependent lineups that need more size.
Below are some clips that showcase what Clowney brought to the Crimson Tide. The plays are from his competition at Dorman High School in South Carolina and his time at the NBA Players' Association Top 100 Camp.
These first two plays show that Clowney could bring a true offensive presence in post-up scenarios, something that Alabama has lacked offensively with the exception of a few flashes from Gurley last season.
In the first clip, Clowney caught and entry pass and immediately executed a one-dribble half spin as he turned over his left shoulder and made the hook shot with his right hand.
The second clip showed Clowney catching the ball in the short corner and facing up his defender before he jabbed right, drove left, and pulled off a beautiful spin move with a drop step. He also finished the layup through a fair amount of contact.
The execution of these moves showcased the sharpness of Clowney's post game, and if he can execute this well at the collegiate level it could unlock an entirely new facet to the Alabama offense — especially when shots aren't falling and a bucket is needed.
The two plays above demonstrate Clowney's finishing ability around the rim.
It's of the utmost importance for Alabama bigs to have a nice finishing touch, especially with the size and physicality of SEC centers and the frequency that Alabama runs pick-and-roll sets.
Clowney faced up his defender in the first clip and drove baseline. When his opponent stayed vertical for the contest, he used his body as a shield and finished the layup on the other side of the basket with his right hand.
It appeared that Clowney had an easy dunk after he received a nice entry pass in the second clip, but seemingly out of nowhere a defender rose to challenge. Clowney was able to adjust quickly in the air, showing off his athleticism as he finished the reverse layup.
These two clips show off Clowney's rim protection abilities both as a help defender and as the primary shot challenger.
In the first play, Clowney is playing help defense when his man gets beat by the ball handler. He recognized the defensive breakdown by his teammate and stepped over to challenge the shot. The key is his vertical challenge, as he used his length to block the shot without fouling.
The second clip showcases not only Clowney's length but his mobility as well. Clowney back-pedaled towards the basket with the ball-handler coming downhill full speed in a fast break scenario. Instead of fouling, Clowney moved his feet to stay parallel with the offensive player and then used his extended reach to block the layup.
In the final clip above, Clowney's defender froze at the threat of him shooting a three-pointer. This allowed Clowney to attack quickly after his defender bit on the pump fake, securing an easy and thunderous dunk.
The buzz is building around Clowney, and with good reason.
Breakdowns of Alabama basketball newcomers
