With a clean bill of health, Badgers G Jahcobi Neath will play a much more prominent role in 2022-23
After an injury-plagued first season with the Badgers, Neath should be a full-go this fall and is expected to play a much more significant role:
It's no secret that year one didn't go as planned for Wake Forest transfer Jahcobi Neath. A season riddled with illness and lingering injuries prevented him from establishing a consistent role in the Badgers' rotation.
Neath appeared in 23 games last season, averaging 1.6 points and 1.5 rebounds on a meager 25.6% shooting from the floor.
Per Synergy, Neath averaged 0.679 points per possession – placing him in the bottom 13% in college basketball. In short, it wasn't good.
Defensively, I saw some encouraging signs from the Wake Forest transfer, especially towards the end of the season. Per Synergy, Neath allowed just 0.809 PPP - placing him in the 62nd percentile of defenders in college basketball. Not bad for a guy we essentially never saw at full health.
Neath accepted his role and played within the defensive rules. He used his size, strength, and versatility to give the Badgers some effective minutes down the stretch.
Reasons for optimism entering 2022-23:
The 6-foot-4, 196-pound guard underwent knee surgery shortly after the season ended to take care of an injury he sustained earlier in the year and chose to play through. This injury could explain why he didn’t play with the explosiveness many fans (like myself) expected to see.
“The hardest part during the season was not being able to compete at the absolute highest level,” Neath said. “I felt like defensively, I could move my feet and do what I had to do. Offensively, just changing direction (was hard). I couldn't be as explosive as I wanted to be. It was tough having to hold back last season (and) getting my minutes shortened. Not being able to just play angry and play with as much passion as I wanted to, because the pain kind of inhibited me from doing that.”
My colleague Ryan Harings of Locked on Badgers recently compared Neath’s skill-set to former Badgers forward Khalil Iverson, which, quite frankly, is a sentiment I agree with.
He's not the same level of athlete as Iverson, and he plays a different position entirely, but the athletic parallels are certainly there.
Neath is a puzzle piece with more natural athletic ability than most players on the roster. This athleticism opens the door for a more significant potential impact when he's on the floor, even in a limited role.
“You can tell he's a veteran that's been through it,” Gard said. “He rarely is out of position and rarely makes a mistake. He does the things that he should do.”
Neath, at worst, is someone who can provide minutes at either spot on the wing. If he plays sound defense, rebounds well, uses his athleticism to make hustle plays, and takes care of the basketball, I'm sure there will be plenty of minutes available.
His shooting leaves something to be desired, given he’s a career 31% shooter from beyond the arc. Still, he’s also not a complete liability as a spot-up shooter either, which is all you can really ask for from a spacing standpoint.
According to HoopsMath, 41.5% of Neath’s shots came on three-point attempts, while only 39% came at the rim. Ideally, you’d like to see him take most of his shots near the rim and better utilize his size to get to the cup. Getting to the basket is where his bread is going to be buttered.
Additionally, I’d love to see Neath make a more conscious effort to take advantage of defensive mismatches, especially when smaller guards are defending him in the post, which his teammates have stated he excels at in practice. It's a cliche, but the Canadian-born guard truly plays bigger than his size indicates.
Season Outlook:
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