Jeremy Sochan: Bear Down

Jeremy Sochan has consistently found himself in the late lottery with little movement. Does he have the ability and potential to become a necessary piece on a championship level team? 

If you would like to learn more about where Jeremy Sochan ranks on MIP 99, read more here! 

Strengths: All it took was one year for the 19 year old Jeremy Sochan to show the world he was ready to play at the next level. Hailing from Baylor University, Sochan stands at 6’9, 230 pounds and boasts a formidable 7’0 wingspan. Offensively he has the capability to fill a lot of different roles within a scheme. He’s very athletic and has shown flashes as a lob finisher, he makes very good cuts to the basket. During his time at Baylor he continued to improve his catch and shoot ability with a majority of his three point conversions coming from an assist. On both the offensive and defensive ends he shows a good level of awareness and dedication to team play. He can put the ball on the floor when he needs to and also knows when to make the right pass. He has shown an ability to distribute the ball from above the free throw line or in the post. Understanding, how to hit his teammate with an outlet pass on the break also elevates his potential in transition. While his statistics won’t jump off the page he does all the things you need from a glue guy. With his potential and flashes of distribution ability it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to see him develop into a secondary playmaker at the NBA level, in the right organization. Sochan has proven time and time again that he is a high IQ player both on and off the ball and seems to always be in the right place at the right time, on both ends of the floor.

Sochan has room to grow on the offensive end and has the upside to do so, however what makes him a lottery pick is the defensive side of the ball.  Although he stands at only 6’9 and primarily saw minutes at the 4 spot, Sochan is a very switchable defender, routinely defending isolation possessions against guards on the perimeter. He is very mobile on his feet and as mentioned previously, he boasts a 7’0 wingspan, giving him the ability to effect and even block shots on the perimeter. He also is able to play passing lanes very well, making good reads on the defensive end and using his length to disrupt the offensive flow. He shows a great level of awareness defending the pick and roll which is essential in the modern NBA along with upside as a shot blocker working from the weak side when helping. His physical profile is reminiscent of Shawn Marion.

Areas of Improvement: Sochan is still a somewhat raw player on offense, and although he did have some nice showings, putting up 15/9/3 during the tournament, his season average for scoring was 9 PPG. He doesn’t create much for himself off the dribble, and his jump-shot doesn’t fall consistently. At 6’9 he could see NBA minutes at either the 3 or 4 position, so he needs to at least get to the league average 3 point percentage. He also isn’t the best finisher around the rim or in traffic. He has shown flashes of a post fadeaway from the mid range but it’s not a consistent shot.

Defensively surprisingly the one potential problem area is rim protection. He doesn’t have the athletic burst that other players this size have and as a result he can be scored on down low. This may force him into a more traditional 3&D role on the professional level which really makes the outside shot important to his game. He would also most likely struggle with NBA 5’s unless he adds some more muscle to his frame.

Summary: Overall, Sochan is an extremely high upside prospect. He has all the physical tools to be a very versatile player on both sides of the ball but particularly on the defensive end. If he lands with a team in the midst of a rebuild/youth movement he can become a solid NBA starter that will raise the defensive rating of any team he plays for, especially during his prime.

MIP Projection: Mid First (12-17)