STRENGTHS

Scoring - Averaged 15 ppg as a freshman; scored efficiently in a variety of ways

Shooting - Shot over 40% from 3 while attempting 104 3's last season; Sound mechanics on his jumpshot

Body - Powerful lefty; Built like Dion Waiter
Ball handling - Good handle, uses dribble to create space, changes speeds
Finishing - Finishes with both hands
Creativity - Creative off the bounce, uses a variety of moves to get his shot off, crossovers, lift fakes in & outs
Rebounding - Good rebounder for his position, averaged 6 rpg
Slashing - Aggressive driver that gets to the line (5 FTA per game)

WEAKNESSES

Pace - Tendency to play out of control, drives with tunnel vision
Athleticism - Good not a great athlete; lack explosive burst athleticism w/o a full head of steam
Decision making - Finds himself in the air to pass way too often, averaged more turnovers than assists
Mid Range game - Needs to develop a floater, shoots a lot of contested jump shots in mid range
Finishing at the rim - Must non layup/ dunk finishes around the rim, soft touch shots,
Playmaking - Needs to improve as a passer, not a play maker in half court, lack of passing leads to bad shots

JAMES BARLOWE - SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

Mustapha Heron came to Auburn as a 5 star recruit expected to deliver from day one and Heron lived up to the hype. His 15.2 ppg was good enough to get Heron first team All-SEC Freshman recognition. As the highest rated recruit in the programs history, Heron showed flashes of brilliance and looks to build upon his teams success and also his NBA draft stock.

Heron is a 6’5” left handed shooting guard with a build similar to Dion Waiters. Heron has a decent handle and is always looking to get downhill to his left hand. While he prefers to finish with his left, Heron can score with both hands. His mechanics on his jumper are sound and his 42% shooting from 3 reflect that. Heron is really at his best taking his man off the dribble and putting pressure on the defense on straight lined drives. He got to the foul line five times per game, good for tenth in the conference in attempts.

For his sophomore season I’d like to see Heron first and foremost become a better play maker. His 1:2 assist to turnover ratio needs to improve if nothing else. Too many times Heron would get cut off by his defender and he would get caught up in the air making jump passes. He already doesn’t look to pass and it doesn’t bode well for him that he’s a bad passer. Scoring shooting guards in the NBA in this era have the ability to make plays. Another area of concern with Heron is him relying heavily on bully ball. The competition in the NBA will be stiffer and at the collegiate level, him lowering his head has resulted in a lot of offensive fouls. I wish Coach Bruce Pearl put Heron in more pick and roll action.

JAMES BARLOWE - SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

SUMMARY

Here is a breakdown of Heron's possessions over the 2016-17 season