Was just making the connection between some people's over-zealousness with Lubin as our starting 4 comps to when Eaves committed and some thought he was going to be a starter. I have no issues with Lubin being a "program guy" - we need guys like that. But insinuating that he's going to get the most minutes is insane as it is based on conjecture. The only true scouting report we have seen on Lubin is from his coach; and obviously, that needs to be taken with an enormous grain of salt. As mentioned before; according to their coaches Kirk King was Scottie Pippen, Kevin Freeman and Taliek were 3 point shooters, and Dion Carson (remember him?) was a "freak of nature" with his defensive ability.
There have been scouting reports of him, but I'm not sure how many made their way onto this board. Here are a few:
From Rivals on 11/26/13:
The Jared Cook Classic, held at North Gwinnett High School, continues to get bigger and better every year. This year's field is one of the best in the five year history of the event and led to some great action on Monday afternoon. Among the first day standouts were UConn commit Rakim Lubin, sophomore D'Marcus Simonds, Ohio signee Kendall Crute and many more.
Buford power forward Rakim Lubin transferred into the Georgia school from Gadsden City, Alabama earlier this year and coach Alan Whitehart sure is glad to have him. Just about every offensive set the Wolves run seems to end up in the hands of the 6'6, 250-pound prospect. After a slow start, Lubin hit his stride in the second quarter and played a huge role in Buford's 77-70 win over a talented Peachtree Ridge team. Lubin finished the night with 24 points, many of which came from the free throw line, and 13 rebounds.
HoopSeen covers Georgia High School basketball and is run by Justin Young, who used to be one of the top analysts for Rivals.
From 11/29/13
PF Rakim Lubin, Buford: After moving to the north Gwinnett county from Alabama and committing to UConn, there were a number of people that wanted to lay some eyes on the mammoth 6-foot-8 post player. Consider his first impression a good impression. Lubin had to match-up with some of the beefiest frontlines in the Atlanta metro area and stepped up to the challenge in his individual situations. Lubin set the tone for what should be a very productive season moving forward.
From 3/9/14
The Rakim Lubin and CJ Turman matchup did not disappoint. Buford’s Lubin transferred in from Alabama and immediately made an impact. Once he got settled in Lubin became the most dominating player in Region 7. He committed to Connecticut. Turman, who has signed with Tennessee, was always a focal point to the Bulldogs offense. He showed this season that he was more than just a defensive presence. Turman was a force inside on both ends of the floor. Watching these two guys inside it was nice that the officials let them play. If both of their colleges play one another on the next level look for the same physical action.
ESPN Scouting Report from 4/8/14:
Strengths:
Lubin is a powerful four-man with a low center of gravity and a high level of athleticism. He's a power player inside the lane who establishes prime real estate and is very difficult to move. He finishes well through contact at the rim and will also catch lobs. He changes ends, moves adequately laterally, and creates so much contact that he gets to the free-throw line.
Weaknesses:
He's a little undersized for a true post player and somewhat limited offensively. He has some raw face-up tools, but nothing that is ready to translate the college level on a consistent basis. He's not a true low post presence at the moment either and so offensively he's really just a catch-and-finisher player at this point.
Bottom Line:
An undersized power forward who compensates with power and athleticism alike, Lubin will provide interior depth and hope to grow into a more critical contributor as he develops his offensive tools.
I'll be surprised if he becomes a starter, but he will definitely be able to play meaningful minutes off the bench.
