Stats

Hometown: Antratsit, Ukraine

Height: 7'1"

Weight: 225

Position: Center

Team: Maryland

Class: Sophomore
#25 Alex Len | C
Strengths

Right-handed… The 7'1" Ukrainian-native had to sit out the first ten games of his collegiate career after originally signing with a professional team overseas. He's long, lean and an explosive leaper. His mobility is key as he can beat opposing bigs up the floor in transition, beat his man to the glass with smooth agility and finishes shots above the rim with his hops. Len has a diverse offensive game, but a raw one at that. He has some ability to post-up, but is more comfortable operating 5-10 feet from the basket, turning, seeing the floor and knocking down the mid-range jumper; his form and confidence look good from this area. He spaces the floor well when his guards penetrate, showing his hands as he moves into open space… Len's athleticism and body control allows him to creatively finish around the rim, ending plays with up-and-unders, drop-steps to the middle, soft hook shots over either should, demonstrating finesse or power… His perimeter-skill set allows Len to be a legitimate pick-and-pop threat and as he adds muscle to his frame, he will became more of a threat in the pick-and-roll game. He does show very good footwork in both areas… With his length and bounce, he can be a prominent defender in the paint. His timing looks good, but needs to improve his body positioning.
Weaknesses

He is not an aggressive big, lacking the bulk and physicality to battle down low. Too often he is simply moved out of positioning in the paint on either end of the floor, by smaller 4s and 5s. On offense, he lacks the true low-post game that we would love to see from him. His lower body strength is lacking so even when he does post-up, he cannot maintain his positioning. And to build on that, when he does post, he does so half-asked- he doesn't get low, drive his man back or aggressively seek the ball. Defensively, he relies on his athleticism and size instead of putting a body on a man… His basketball IQ isn't quite there yet. Len lacks a great feel for the game, both offensively and defensively, where his positioning and fundamentals need work. Offensively, where Len can make his presence felt in the mid-range, if he doesn't shoot the ball, he panics and forces passes or telegraphs his passes in the worst way.
The Scouting Report: