April 14, 2011
David Andoh is the No. 4 ranked prospect in the NCP 2012 Top 40 as this St. Mary's High (Berkeley) junior led his Panthers to a 23-12 record. This wing forward averaged 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and two blocks while helping St. Mary's advance to the NorCal regional championship game.
At 6-foot-8 and 200 pounds, Andoh finally had his first full season of basketball this past year. He sat out his first two years because of transfer issues. But he definitely lived up to the potential as he showcased his versatile ball handling, shot making, and interior play.
St. Mary's Coach Manny Nodar says about Andoh's first year with the Panthers, "David got better as the year went on. He got more comfortable and started to understand our system much better. He played his best basketball in the last month of the season. He was a big part of us reaching the NorCal Finals."
The current schools that are in contact with him include Arizona, Arizona State, California, Cal Poly, Colorado, Columbia, Detroit, Penn, Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, Stanford, Texas, Utah, and Washington State with offers from Colorado and Santa Clara. As a nationally recruited prospect, Andoh has had some initial thoughts about these schools and their conferences that he is in contact with.
Big 12 (Texas): Andoh says, "Texas being from the Big 12 conference gets a chance to play against top notch competition day in and day out. That league is wide open year after year so any school has a chance to make a name for themselves."
Ivy League (Columbia and Penn): "No league or school can compare to the Ivy League academically, well maybe my brother's Bucknell, but that's a different story. In addition to the Ivy League becoming more and more competitive, I would be set for life once my playing days are over after acquiring a degree from such a prestigious league."
Pac-12 (Arizona, Arizona State, Cal Berkeley, Colorado, Stanford, Utah, and Washington State): "I've grown up watching Pac-10 basketball so I know all about it. They've got great history when it comes to these institutions, both academically and athletically," Andoh said.
West Coast Conference (Saint Mary's and Santa Clara): "The schools looking at me from this league are close to home, which is a plus for any player. Gonzaga is repeatedly at the top of that league and it would be a fun challenge to strive to dethrone them."
Coach Nodar knows the next level brings new challenges. "I want [David] to work on his strength. Need him to put on about 10 pounds of muscle. This will make him stronger and be able to be more physical and take the pounding from the other team. He should be a physical presence on the floor next year. He can dominate in different ways. For college, he just needs to continue to develop physically. There is no doubt that he has the basketball skills to be successful. At the next level he has to be able to handle the physical part of basketball."
During this summer, Andoh will be playing with Belmont Shore. He plans to travel and to gain the exposure that he lacks as a high level recruit. This summer is huge for his development. He has worked hard to better his pull up jumper off the dribble, but there is always room for improvement. He wants to work on and improve his ball handling, and becoming a more physical player. He wants to leave his coaches with no doubt that he can bang and that his body will be ready for the physical play.
Andoh's body and basketball skills provide that unique and desired hybrid interior and exterior skill set. He has that Kevin Durant, Lebron James, or Paul Pierce mix of size and ability to ball control. Andoh has a good mid-range and pull up game but can also play with his back to the basket.
Andoh patterns his game after Kevin Durant. "He is great and my favorite player. He's long, fast, and uses these as advantages on the defensive end while also using his foot speed to blow past defenders. The guy is skilled in all aspects of the game, and never stops playing. He is definitely someone I want to model my game after."
Concerning Lebron James, Andoh says, "He is a beast. Physically, he is the best in the game and he knows it. He attacks the basket with power and explodes to the rim. I love this about him and I wish to add this factor to my game. Along with being powerful, James also has a constantly improving skill set."
He also likes Paul Pierce. "He is a skilled combo guard with determination. He has the ability to knock down the three, pull up for a midrange, or attack the basket and finish hard. He is the complete versatile player that I wish to become."
If all goes well, expect Andoh to give some bruises to his BSAL opponents during his senior year. And then watch for Andoh physically punishing college opponents in 2012.
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