By Steve DiMiceli
One the biggest questions coming into the summer league was not only who would be the point this up coming season but do the Dukes have a point guard at all. Derrick Colter answered with an all league performance where he dazzled early on.
Quick Comparable: Reminded me of Kwamain Mitchell though not as quick or defensively mature.
Strengths: Colter wants the ball in his hands and is not afraid to take the big shot when his team needs him. He is a floor general and he was comfortable running the offense. He takes a lot of shots, but for as much as he created for himself, he creates at a very high rate for his teammates. He is able shoot the three, pull up, or slash the basket. For a 5'10'' player, he did not seem to get his shots blocked often. He is a strong ball handler and a solid but not flashy passer. At the end of games, he showed a strong desire to win and was noticeably disappointed when he did not.
Weaknesses: Colter will need to develop defensively. He struggled defending the top point guards in the league and would often defer to teammate Kendrick Perry instead defending off ball. Colter was an inconsistent shooter and needs to improve his interior finishing. He is very much a streak shooter. He needs to learn to force fewer shots and passes and simply allow the game to come to him. While he dished out as many assists as anybody in the league, he turned the ball over at a high rate and really struggled against pressure.
Outlook: Colter went toe to toe with Pitt freshman James Robinson, rated by ESPN as the fourth best PG in the class of 2012 and didn't look over matched. He has the talent to take over games and the will to do so. Colter will take his lumps his freshman year, but should be in the top half of Atlantic 10 points guards by the end of his sophomore season.
