Over the next few weeks, I will review each player on Northwestern's basketball team and go over what they need to improve for next season. Up next is junior forward Gavin Skelly
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Skelly always brought valuable
energy when he came off the bench |
Season Review: Gavin Skelly may not be the prototypical sixth man, but he filled that role extremely well for Northwestern. He brought an instant burst of energy whenever he got into the game. When he was shooting the ball effectively, he brought a valuable dimension to the offense with the pick-and-pop. Skelly averaged 5.9 PPG and 3.7 RPG, which are fairly good numbers for someone coming off the bench. The only problem with Skelly's season was that he really struggled to shoot once Big Ten play started, and I mean REALLY STRUGGLED. He only scored double-digits twice in conference play (the opener at Penn State and at Illinois in late February). In both those games, Skelly shot 2-2 from three. Another big moment for Skelly was his two late threes against Rutgers to help save the 'Cats from a season derailing loss. Overall, Skelly was a high energy player whose season will be most remembered by his extended shooting struggles.
Off-season: Obviously, Skelly needs to work on shooting the ball consistently. He is most effective on offense when he shoots the ball well. If he can consistently hit open threes, he will become an even bigger match up problem for opposing big men. Another area where Northwestern really needs Skelly to improve in is his quickness on defense. If Skelly gets quicker, he will be able to guard more perimeter oriented players. This past season, when Scottie Lindsey was out, Skelly really struggled when he was asked to guard perimeter players because he was not quick enough. A quicker Skelly would give Northwestern more lineup options and help compensate for the loss of Sanjay Lumpkin. If Skelly can become more versatile on both offense and defense, he could become one of Northwestern's most valuable players.
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