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THE BEST IN ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL RECRUITING!

MidState Matchup: Boyd v Bocot
by Jason McGee
June 30, 2005

In this, the first MidState Matchup, we will compare the playing styles of the two vaunted 2007 lefties, Justin Bocot of Bloomington and Tori Boyd of Rockford Boylan.

Tori Boyd stands at about 6-6. Justin Bocot stands at about 6-4. These two players actually have similar body frames. However, Boyd clearly has a bit more size and strength over Bocot. They both could stand to gain more weight and muscle. Bocot is in need of it from the standpoint that when he drives he must be able to absorb hits. Boyd needs it more in the sense that he has the ability to create matchup problems by taking players to the post. He must be able to hang tough against bigger players.

When it comes to outside shooting, Boyd has a nice stroke on his jumper. Although he doesn't shoot it with great consistency quite yet, he already possesses three-point range. His shot from fifteen feet in is solid. Bocot is one of the better shooters in the state. He has seemingly limitless range on his jumper. He loves to fire away and sometimes has a tendency to pass up the better shot for an unnecessary three-pointer.

Inside Boyd has a clear advantage. He is stronger and taller. He doesn't have a polished game down there but he is effective. If he does get the ball, he knows how to finish.

Both of these players spend most of their time on the wing. Boyd is a strong slasher who will attack the basket when he is given the opportunity. He knows how to finish at the rack and possess enough strength to handle any opposition to his finish. Bocot is a spectacular driver. He can get to the hoop at will. Once he gets there he can sometimes become his own enemy as he tends to go for an unnecessary fancy finish. Nonetheless he is a good finisher, but needs to add strength so its not so easy for the opposition to knock him around preventing him from and-one opportunities.

Boyd usually starts the offense on the wing. He is not a primary handler of the ball. Although he has enough dribbling skill to drive to the basket, he is not skilled enough to be a primary handler. As a result of this he is depended on others players to get the ball to him. This makes it easier to take him out of the flow of the game because a good off the ball man defender can keep him from touching the ball on possessions throughout the game. Bocot is a primary handler. He sees the ball early in possessions and even brings it up the court on occasion. He is unstoppable one-on-one and harder to take out of the offense. His ball skills allow him to control his own destiny more then Boyd.

Neither of these players is likely to show up on any all-defensive teams. Boyd is a lackluster man defender who appears to be completely uninterested in stopping his man. He is a better help defender though. He has the ability to intercept passing lanes and get blindside blocks. Bocot is a better man defender then Boyd. He plays tough one-on-one defense around the perimeter. However if his shot is not falling, his tough defense can turn to overaggression resulting in a drop in his quality. He is a strong blindside shot-blocker, especially on the fastbreak.

Boyd and Bocot are both great talents. MidState Hoops gives this matchup to Justin Bocot. He is a better player as of right now. Although neither player has reached his full potential, Bocot is the more polished player. With that said, Boyd may very well be the better prospect. He has areas of talent that he has yet to tap into.

Bocot's Key Areas to Improve: Cut out the flash, better shot selection, add muscle

Boyd's Key Areas to Improve: Assertive Defense, use of right hand, develop mid-long range jumper