NBA Draft Profiles: Charles Jenkins, Hofstra

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Stats: 22.6 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.4 rpg, 2.2 t/o's, 1.7 spg, 42.0 3PT%

Age: 22, senior

Size:

• Listed: 6'3", 220 lb
• Official: 6'1.5" (no shoes), 6'3.25" (with shoes), 6'7.5" (wingspan), 8'0.5" (reach), 216 lb

Strengths: There is a lot to like about Charles Jenkins' game. First and foremost, he can flat out score the basketball. He's a deadeye three-point shooter at 42.0%. A crafty ball-handler, Jenkins is quicker than he is fast, which allows him to create space for his mid-range jumper, which was a real weapon for him this season. He can get all the way to the rim, but he's not really explosive enough to finish amongst the trees at the NBA level. There are two things I really like about Jenkins after this past season -- he only turned the ball over 73 times despite playing 37.3 mpg as Hofstra's primary ball-handler and scorer. He also averaged 4.8 apg and showed terrific shot selection, which are good signs for his future as a point guard in the NBA. He averaged 22.6 ppg, but he only took 20 or more shots three times. Two of those instances were overtime games, one of which he scored 40 points on a season-high 22 shots. I'll take that.

Weaknesses: Athleticism. Jenkins is never going to be a guy that can blow by his defender. He's never going to be a player that can consistently finish above and around the rim. At 6'3" on a good day, Jenkins is going to have to, at the very least, play a role as a combo-guard, and most of the successful combo-guards you see today in the NBA are guys like Jeff Teague, Aaron Brooks, and Monta Ellis -- long, lanky scorers that are impressive athletes. You might have been able to infer it from that last comment, but the biggest question mark involving Jenkins is whether or not he can actually be a point guard at the next level.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Willie Green. Jenkins has a little more grit and toughness, but an extremely similar type game and build as the former University of Detroit standout. Natural, yet slightly undersized, scoring guards who can get fill it up if you them the ball as a complimentary type scorers and shooters on the floor to a star. An interesting comparison I've seen is OJ Mayo. Mayo, who was supposed to be a superstar in the league, has become a role-player and a jump shooter for a playoff team in the Grizzlies.


• Worst Case Scenario: Ronald Murray. Flip was a guy who could come in off the bench and bring you aggressive scoring in spurts. Jenkins is better shooter from 3, but if things don’t work like the former Shaw University star, expect Jenkins to have a similar up and down career, journeyman type career.

Outlook: Like a number of players in this draft, whether or not Jenkins develops into a starter in the NBA is going to depend on whether or not he can develop some better point guard instincts. Yes, he averaged 4.8 apg and just 2.2 t/o's, but Jenkins was and always has been a score-first player. That certainly is not a bad thing, as he can really fill it up when he gets going. There is also probably a role for him in the NBA as a hired-gun off the bench, someone that can come in, spread the floor with his ability to shoot, and create points in a hurry. Throw in the fact that, by all accounts, Jenkins has his head screwed on straight despite a rough early childhood, and you're probably looking at a guy that will have a nice NBA career.

Draft Range: Mid-to-Late 1st round

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "I spoke with a number of NBA scouts about him this weekend, and the consensus continues to evolve. Last time I checked, in November, scouts saw him as a possible late-second-round pick. That's changed. More scouting and perhaps a bit more open-mindedness now has a few scouts conceding that he could sneak into the first round. 'You combine his toughness, shooting ability and efficiency, and I think you can find a spot for a guy like that in the league,' one NBA scout said. 'The first time I saw him this year, I told my GM he's a maybe. Now I think we have to bring him in. We need guys who can score, and he's as lethal as any guard in the country.'"


• Draft Express: "That is where Jenkins truly sets himself apart from the other elite scorers at the Division 1 level – the sheer volume of shots. While players like Fredette, Walker, Providence star Marshon Brooks and even Charleston's Andrew Goudelock are attempting in the realm of 18 to 19 shots per game, the Hofstra senior has managed his eye popping scoring numbers on just 14.5 attempts. In fact, in 28 games this season, Jenkins has taken 20 shots only three times, and two of those games went to overtime."


• Swish Scout: "Tenacious scoring guard with a quick dribble, superb shooting stroke, and scorers mentality. While he projects as more of a pure SG in the NBA, Jenkins is slightly undersized and he played as a one man team at a small school, but is a gamer with great energy and toughness to warrant a fringe first round pick."

Highlights:




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Charles Jenkins to have his jersey retired while he is still playing

There's no questioning that Hofstra's Charles Jenkins has been a great player.

He's one of just three players this season leading his conference in scoring (23.3 ppg) and assists (4.8 apg). He's scored 2,420 career points, second in the CAA only to some guy from Navy named David Robinson, who had 2,669 career points. He's also on track to receive his third consecutive Haggerty Award as the best D-I hooper in the New York metro region. Only Columbia's Jim McMillian (back in the late '60's) and St. John's Chris Mullin have done that.


If you want a real measure of greatness, how about this -- on Saturday, when Hofstra hosts Delaware on Jenkin's senior night, the senior point guard will have his number retired by the Pride while he is still playing!

That's pretty incredible when you think about it. (And head scratching. Will he be allowed to wear his No. 22 jersey, or will it be stuck up in the rafters?)

Only four players in Hofstra history have had their number retired, and in all likelihood the only player you have heard of from that group is Speedy Claxton. Ironically, as Brendan Prunty wrote today, Claxton helped play a role in morphing Jenkins from an under-recruited kid out of a small high school in Queens to a potential first round pick:

Speedy Claxton, then with the Atlanta Hawks, saw his prey in the form of Jenkins when the two faced off in an open gym session. The NBA veteran bumped, bruised and harassed the freshman-to-be. By the end of the game, Jenkins didn’t care who Claxton was — he was ready to throw down. Then, he realized something: Claxton was challenging him because he saw the potential.

"He really gave it to me that day," Jenkins recalled. "I wanted to fight him a little bit because he was so tough on me. But that really showed how much he cared — to put all of that effort into even guarding me in an open gym like that."

The only thing that Jenkins hasn't accomplished in his career, it seems, is to reach the NCAA Tournament. With Hofstra's 26 point loss to Wright State over the weekend, their hopes of an at-large bid are non-existant.

But with a talent like Jenkins leading them into the CAA Tournament, there's always a chance for the Flying Dutchmen to make a run.

Forget cementing his legacy.

It would be nothing but the cherry on top.


BONUS VIDEO!!!!: This is why I say Chuck J (can I call him Chuck J? What about Chucks J's?) can lead Hofstra to a CAA Tournament title:


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If you don't know who Charles Jenkins is, here's a teaser

Those of us who pretend to be in the know about college hoops have been talking about Charles Jenkins for a couple of years now.

Its easy when he backs up the chatter with performances like the one he had in an 81-78 overtime win over William & Mary on Tuesday night: 28 points, four assists, and two blocks on 10-21 shooting with just one turnover.

As impressive as Jenkins' numbers are -- 23.9 ppg, 4.9 apg, 3.5 rpg, 1.8 spg, 42.9% 3PT -- stats aren't the be all and end all when talking about great players. That's why guys like Xavier Silas and Adrian Oliver aren't talked about.

Its plays like these, the ones Jenkins made down the stretch against the Tribe, that make the difference:



With the win, Hofstra remained tied with Old Dominion and VCU for second place in the CAA, with an outside shot of earning a share of the CAA title with George Mason.
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Tuesday's Shootaround: Notre Dame's big win, Hofstra's big comeback

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

No. 14 Notre Dame 56, No. 2 Pitt 51: See here.

One more note on this game -- Carleton Scott, who is one of the more undervalued players in the Big East, was sensational last night. He had 16 points, hit 5-6 from three, and helped battle Pitt's big men in the paint. His return from a hamstring injury has been a major boost for this club.

Kansas State 69, Baylor 61: An offensively atrocious first half that saw a total of 43 points led into a second half plagued by fouls and whistles, but in the end, K-State picked up an enormous win. It wasn't enormous because Baylor is a great team -- far from it, actually -- but no team in the country needed a confidence boosting win as badly as Kansas State. And, frankly, this is the way Kansas State needs to win. They have to win ugly -- forcing turnovers, forcing bad shots, getting defensive rebounds -- because they simply don't have the offensive firepower to do otherwise. Will Spradling looked fantastic last night, leading the team with 17 points.

As far Baylor is concerned, the Bears are in a bad spot right now. They have zero quality wins and have not played like they can beat a quality team. If Baylor has 17 turnovers against K-State's pressure, what is going to happen when they are playing Missouri? The more time goes by, the more evident it is how much Baylor misses Tweety Carter.

The CAA:

• Hofstra 92, James Madison 90 OT: Hofstra remained tied with VCU for first in the league as Charles Jenkins scored 35 points to lead the Pride to a comeback win over the Dukes. Hofstra was down 52-38 at home with 14:47 left, but rallied to force the extra frame on two free throws with 17 seconds left.
  
• VCU 80, Towson 76: VCU struggled a bit on the road against 4-15 Towson, but Joey Rodriguez had 18 of his 28 points in the second half as Ed Nixon hit 3-4 late free throws to seal the win. VCU and Hofstra will square off on Thursday night.
• Old Dominion 58, UNC-Wilmington 43: Frank Hassell had 25 points and 13 boards as the Monarchs rebounded to knock off UNCW.
  
• George Mason 69, Delaware 49: The Patriots stayed a game behind Hofstra and VCU thanks to 20 points from Cam Long.
  

Furman 73, Wofford 68 OT: Amu Saaka had 22 points and Furman used a 7-0 run to open overtime as they knocked off Wofford on the road. Both teams are now tied for second place in the SoCon South at 7-2, a half game behind Charleston.

Morehead State 50, Ball State 48: MSU managed just 15 first half points, but Kenneth Faried sparked a second half comeback as the Eagles picked up a win they desperately needed to help build some momentum. Faried finished with 13 points, 15 boards, three blocks, and two assists.

Mississippi Valley State 89, Texas Southern 76: The Delta Devils got 21 points and nine assists out of Terrence Joyner and scored 60 first half points as they coasted to a win and a first place tie in the SWAC. Both TSU and MVSU are 7-1 in league play. And if you were wondering, Kevin Galloway -- a former member of USC, the College of Southern Idaho, and Kentucky -- had 20 points for MVSU.
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