5/24/2023 basketball Edit

UConn Hoops Freshmen Intros -- Four-Star G Solomon Ball

Stratton Stave • UConnReport

Staff Writer

Next up in UConn’s heralded class of 2023 is Solomon “Solo” Ball. The combo guard spent his senior year at Brewster Academy, not before playing at Saint James in Sharpsburg, MD alongside fellow UConn commit Jayden Ross. The pair also played for Team Melo in AAU, creating a nice connection before they set foot on campus as students. Ball, a four-star prospect ranked No. 61 in the class, is the second best prospect for the Huskies. What does Ball bring on the court? Let’s take a look.

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SCOUTING REPORT

Ball doesn’t have a ton of height for a guard, standing at 6-3, but what he doesn’t have in height he makes up for in athleticism and hustle. He has a fantastic vertical and can really get up even when it looks like he’s not jumping his highest. Ball is also quick and can make his way down the court at a nice pace. The guard has an exceptional wingspan that helps him get up for dunks even further. His long reach also contributes to his ability to make an impact on defense that goes along nicely with the fact that he’s getting stronger.

On offense, Ball first excels as a slasher. Although he’s not big, his quickness allows him to leak out in transition and also blow by defenders to get easy looks at the rim. His fastbreak opportunities will naturally diminish at the college level, as it’s harder to cherry pick buckets in the same way. However, he should still find success as a cutter or attacking the rim as the primary ball handler. Ball also creates opportunities for himself through solid offensive rebounding, which leads to putbacks.

As a shooter, Ball is solid. He doesn’t do too much in the midrange, but analytics generally encourage shooters to steer clear of that zone. From beyond the arc, he has some nice range, able to easily hit shots in rhythm from college range. This will likely be the asset that translates best on day one, despite his current role as a slasher. It can be tough to get looks at the rim early in college, but it’s often easier to find room to shoot. As the shots fall though, getting to the cup is less difficult.

One concern of Ball’s offensive game is that he can go possessions where he’s very inactive. If he gives up the ball there’s no guarantee he’s touching it again. Part of this could be due to selfishness from teammates, but it could also be his occasional lack of off-ball movement. Either way, coach Dan Hurley should be able to help with this, as his players excel at being part of the play throughout the game.

On defense, Ball’s large wingspan helps him make a big difference. He’s able to nab passes that lead to opportunities on the other end and block shots at a high level for his position. He’s not a perfect defensive player, but he’s solid and has a very high ceiling as he comes to Storrs.

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STORRS IMPACT

It’s tough to get a lot of talk in a class that features someone like Stephon Castle, but Ball is really talented and would be the feature piece in most other classes. He has all the tools and depending on what happens, he could start very early on. The main thing preventing an early start is the return of Andre Jackson Jr. or Tristen Newton. It appears that Newton will likely stay and Jackson depart, which puts Ball on the verge of starting. It looks like he’s poised to do so if neither returns or just one does, but if both come back, he’s looking at sixth or seventh man minutes.

It’s tough to place Ball into a box or give him a comparison, but one good one is a Russell Westbrook, with better shooting. He’ll give you a ton of effort every night and can even make an impact when his shots aren’t falling. In a class with very few raw shooting prospects, Ball appears to be at the top and could be relied on as one of Connecticut’s shot makers early. His game should translate nicely and if he plays well, he’ll likely be a key piece on a team that could make a nice run in the tournament. It’s unlikely he goes one-and-done as Castle projects to do, but it’s well within reason that he follows the two-year path that James Bouknight and Jordan Hawkins took.