We witnessed the future of DMV Basketball this weekend as we stepped
into the gym to evaluate a name that has been the talk of the town since his
arrival – Karim Coulibaly. The French speaking Mali Native, who stands 6’8”
220lbs is THE DMV’s 8th grade
super prospect with a solid sleek lengthy build making him one of the most
impressive specimens we have seen in some time.
The statement that Caulibaly is far from a finished product takes all
new meaning with this player – this is a phase typically used on players whose
upsides and potential outweigh their current status as a player on the
court. In instances where a player is
dominant and excelling on a high elite level with physical tools and a skill
set having such a high ceiling means tremendous opportunity for the player at
the next level.
Karim Coulibaly is one of those unique prospects who has immense talent
combined with a huge growth trajectory that makes him a candidate for a high
major institution after high school and possibly more.
What We Saw
We noted a very strong back-to-the-basket offensive skill package
including an effective face-up and post-up game. Karim showed the talent to shoot with either
hand and was caught the ball well on the move showing excellent hands. He displayed the ability to the handle the
ball in transition and in traffic – and seeing him as lane or basket runner is
a scary site and will be for the next 4-years at the high school level. We like his ability to catch and maneuver in
traffic and noted impressive continuity in his employment of high quality
well-drilled footwork and actual low post moves. His game is well refined and is nowhere near
bully ball; though he showed strength and toughness which are must haves at the
next level. Put up very solid scoring
numbers and did it from all over the floor; worked well off the block – but also
displayed great mechanic and shooting technique, including solid free throw
shooting.
Final Analysis
Currently the No. 4-rated player in the DMV but potential wise could
easily be listed at the No. 1 spot is the very definition of the ultimate court
warrior. Coulibaly has the ability to
play multiple positions and we believe he has the fast-twitch package to even possibly
play a wing-forward position even though he is currently being groomed in the
Chris Bosh mold. His arm span and
leaping ability make him a game changer as a shot-blocker. He can also control both boards, with
different jumping methods (vertical, timing, and sheer strength) and
understands the value of positioning to get the ball outside of his rebounding
zone. As previously stated he is
producing solid offensive scoring numbers, but is still developing
offensively. Under the tutelage of Taj
Hawkins the import is progressing excellently and he picking up the English language
very quickly. Playing for the New World
8th grade group he displays attributes of being a phenomenal
teammate staying engage on and off the court as well as being respectful to his
opponents.
The kid at the end of the day is flat out special and whoever is lucky
enough to win the lottery for his services will likely have a 4-year varsity
candidate. Stay tuned later this week
for our initial high school commitment update of which Coulibaly will be one of
the hot topics.
