Hoosier State of Mind
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Indiana Basketball: Reviewing old scouting reports of Cody Zeller

By Trevor Gersmehl

DAYTON, OH - MARCH 24: Cody Zeller #40 of the Indiana Hoosiers drives with the ball against Anthony Lee #3 of the Temple Owls in the second half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 24, 2013 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH - MARCH 24: Cody Zeller #40 of the Indiana Hoosiers drives with the ball against Anthony Lee #3 of the Temple Owls in the second half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 24, 2013 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 28: Cody Zeller #40 of the Charlotte Hornets dunks the ball during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Spectrum Center on January 28, 2020 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 28: Cody Zeller #40 of the Charlotte Hornets dunks the ball during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Spectrum Center on January 28, 2020 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

Cody Zeller: DraftExpresss scouting report

DraftExpress scouts Jonathon Givony and Mike Schmidtz started out by saying they were surprised that Zeller returned to school for his sophomore season, but that they were even more impressed by him after how impressively he performed his second year.

"“The intrigue around Zeller continues to revolve around his excellent combination of size, athleticism and scoring instincts,” they wrote. “A fluid, coordinated 7-footer, Zeller runs the floor as well as any big man in college basketball and can make plays above the rim with ease if given a running start.”"

Givony and Schmidtz were glowing about Zeller’s offensive game, writing:

"“Zeller sports a near-complete offensive game, as he’s capable of scoring in virtually every way possible from almost anywhere on the floor and gets to the free-throw line nearly ten times per-40, an unbelievable rate.”"

They also added that a jump shot wasn’t part of Zeller’s repertoire, but that he had the potential to develop that shot moving forward.

The DraftExpress writers projected Zeller to be a good pick and roll man, especially with NBA guards and spacing. They also marveled at his ability to run the floor and cited a statistic that Zeller finished with a whopping 80% conversion rate on all fast-break shot attempts.

Givony and Schmidtz’s criticisms of Zeller include his lack of strength and willingness to shy away from contact, making them wonder if Zeller would be able to assert himself down low in the NBA as he could in college. These concerns also transfer to rebounding, as they were concerned if he’d get out-muscled fighting for loose balls.

Finally, they praised Zeller’s intelligence, quick feet, and overall potential.

"“Barring injury, it’s safe to say Zeller will be in the NBA for a long time,” they wrote."

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