This is a brutally honest article on Nembhard. Sounds like a great get, but has some limitations (which I know nothing about, just from the assessment in the article)
Nembhard an ideal point guard for Mike White's system at Florida
https://theathletic.com/117222/2017...oint-guard-for-mike-whites-system-at-florida/
Florida coach Mike White has asked a lot of his point guards during his six years as a head coach. After all, White himself was a four-year starter at the position for Ole Miss during his playing days.
He requires his point guards to set the tone for an aggressive defense at the point of attack, and he has them distribute the basketball for a 4-out offense predicated on ball screens and motion. It’s why his most successful years as a coach have come as Speedy Smith improved at the point in his four years at Louisiana Tech, and why Kasey Hill’s maturation into an All-SEC player last year was essential to Florida’s Elite Eight run.
That being said, White’s scheme is a friendly one to point guards. He puts the ball in their hands and allows them to make plays. However, in his short time at Florida, White had been unsuccessful in getting a highly-rated point guard to commit.
Until Monday that is, as Canadian point guard and class of 2018 recruit Andrew Nembhard
committed to the Gators. He’s a consensus top-30 player in the class, and
in an interview with Rivals, Nembhard stated his bond with the coaching staff was integral to him choosing Florida.
“They told me that I could come in, contribute and be a big part of the team, help make others around me better, score and pass, and just let me do what I do,” Nembhard said. “It is kind of a fast-paced system that has their guys get up into their guys on the defensive end and use a lot of ball screens on the offensive end, which is the type of system that I could excel in.”
The Montverde Academy product picked Florida over USC, Gonzaga, and Ohio State. From a scouting perspective, it’s easy to see why he was so coveted. He keeps getting better every time evaluators see him.
Nembhard has a case as the best passer in the 2018 recruiting class. At 6-foot-4, he has the size to see over the defense and find unique passing angles. His feel for the game and poise are remarkable for his age. He understands when to push it and get out on the break — either via the pass or bringing it up himself — as well as when to slow the game down. He’s also exceedingly smart in the pick-and-roll, and he has every pass type in his toolbox.
The passing ability has always been there; what allowed Nembhard to officially reclassify into the 2018 class, though, is the improvement in his body. He’s now much more able to absorb contact at about 190 pounds. Prior to this past year — a season he missed a portion of due to a reported stomach condition — he would try to avoid contact when driving. And due to average explosiveness both vertically and laterally, he sometimes struggled to finish. Now though, he’s better at dealing with physical play from bigger defenders.
Nembhard is not an elite scorer due to that lack of elite burst and an inconsistent shot. He has a two-motion jumper with a low release point that often seems slightly out of rhythm. That makes him better off the catch than off the dribble, an issue for a lead guard who often has the ball in his hands. It’s a fixable issue, though, as his touch overall seems to be solid. But it’s unlikely he’ll enter college with more than the ability to hit the occasional open 3.
Defensively, Nembhard should be able to do what White asks of his guards. He’s a tough, hard-nosed defender who will body up at the point of attack and create turnovers with his active, quick hands. Despite a below-average wingspan, he uses his size well against smaller players, and he isn’t afraid to battle against big men inside. There will be a bit of a learning curve going up against better athletes, but he has the tools to be good on that end.
Nembhard projects to be the best player to sign with the Gators since White took over following Billy Donovan’s departure to the NBA in 2015. The only question about White as a head coach of a top program had been if he could recruit elite talent. This commitment might represent a shifting of the tides for Florida on the trail.
With Chris Chiozza graduating after this season and not much behind him on the depth chart, the Gators clearly had a need at the position. Nembhard may not be the best point guard in this class, but he’s one of them and a great get for the Gators.