DePaul was bad last year…really bad. The team was plagued by a lame-duck coaching staff, a hero ball lead guard who slowed the offense down with inefficient shot attempts, and a lack of ball movement.
I had the pleasure of going back and watching several DePaul games, and I was bummed because I saw real talent on that roster. They took bad shots and played rough defense, resulting in a winless record in the tough Big East Conference. Henley often looked uncomfortable in the offense and only seemed to hit his stride in transition while struggling to find his place in the half-court.
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It should also be noted that DePaul was mired in a coaching carousel controversy with Oklahoma’s Porter Moser flirting with the job.
Henley was far from perfect last year, coming off a decently promising freshman year at Minnesota, but one thing was clear to me after all the time I spent watching his film. Almost none of DePauls issues were Jaden’s fault. That doesn’t mean he was perfect, far from it, but the infrastructure around him was falling apart, and it would be overly harsh to blame him.
When I turned the clock back another year and watched his tape from his freshman year in the Big Ten, I found a raw but talented player with good instincts and solid athleticism who, with good coaching, could contribute to a winning team.
Overall, Henley is a gamble, no doubt, but a really good one who could play major minutes for a good UNLV team. I dug into a bit of the discussion of his character and work ethic and found nothing but positivity despite his dire circ*mstances at DePaul, which I believe is a good sign.
If you're looking for a comp of a recent UNLV player, KenPom had a player comparison for Jaden of Rebel Kris Clyburn. I think this is an excellent player for Jaden to emulate. Kris was a solid player during the Menzies era and a solid MW wing.
The goal for Henley will be to be a toolbox defender who can help push the Rebel offense in transition while being enough of a threat from 3 that teams won’t completely abandon him on the perimeter. Henley has the skills and physical attributes to thrive in that role. The question will be if the staff put him in the right position to succeed and if he can buy into the system. My money says he can.
Let’s dive into some film…..
Jaden Henley shooting:
Henley's shooting reputation is unproven. He flashes skill as a shooter on the catch, and I would say that is his best role as of right now. His shooting splits off the catch are much better than his overall shooting percentage would indicate.
He likes shooting at the top of the key and on the wing. Those areas are his strengths as a shooter. Luckily, in college basketball, those are often the spaces that defenses like to give space in.
He is much better as a shooter on the left side of the court than on the right side. This isn’t great, as right-handed players driving to the hoop have more difficult passes to that side of the court.
Going through his film, I found very few instances of him having success shooting from the corner. Often, in modern offense, corner 3 is the most important place to space the floor. The lack of corner 3 shooting is not a good sign. However, I noticed that DePaul didn’t create many open corner 3s for Henley. Still, lack of a 3 point shot from the corner is not a good sign.
Off the dribble:
Off the dribble, Henley is unproven. Again, much of this I attribute to DePaul and their lack of organized offense. Still, he doesn’t exhibit great rhythm in his shots. That said, I don’t think he is a completely lost cause in this area. I don’t expect the coaching staff to consistently rely on Jaden to create mid-range shots off the dribble.
Henley will not be an ace shooter for the Rebs, and that’s fine. When it comes to shooting, his job will be to knock down the occasional shot off the catch. I expect Henley to take at least 2 to 5 threes a game. The staff will live with that if he can make above 30%. If he doesn’t, his minutes will go down, and his 3 point attempts will go to basically 0.
I am very cautiously optimistic about the possibility of Henley being a decent shooter in the MW.
Jaden Henley Playmaking:
My favorite part of Henley's game is his playmaking; he’s a willing passer who has shown good instincts and vision in the half-court. He uses his size to see around and over the top of defenders, and it's not hard to envision some nice plays between him and Whaley.
The best version has Henley handling some on-ball responsibility in the half-court, running a few empty-side pick-and-rolls, and making smart passes. If Henley is a major piece, his playmaking will be a factor.
Jaden Henley in transition:
Transition is where Henley shines the most. He’s a good athlete with a long stride who can finish on the break. The rough part for Henley is that the Rebels are a pretty slow team. They were one of the slowest teams in the country last year, 294 in tempo, hopefully Kruger can pick up the pace a bit and let his team get out in transition. .
Half Court defense:
The tape for defense with Henley was a mixed bag. Henley was rated as the worst defender who got major minutes for DePaul. He's not great laterally and, at times, would lose his man off the ball.
Again, as stated before, I blame DePaul's defensive struggles. Henley has the body to be a good defender, but he won't get major minutes unless he can defend. He will lose minutes if he gets lost off the ball and fails to keep players in front of him; minutes will dry up.
With a change of scenery and a good team scheme, Henley can play defense, and his floor as a player will be tied to his dedication and effort on that end.
UNLV will not be DePaul next year. The goal is the NCAA tournament or bust. Henley can contribute to real winning, and the gamble on him was well worth it. Henley can do it. Will he? I think the staff was right to add him to the team, and it’s a good bet.
Attacking off the dribble:
Henley is big enough to finish over the top of defenders and can use his body to get into space and attack the rim. Defenders will sag off him, daring him to drive into traffic. Henley will need spacing and shooting on the opposite side of the court to be effective in the half court.
Henley’s greatest skill is taking the ball to the rim. Henley can be lethal if he has the space to attack a closeout or get loose with shooters on the opposite side of the court.
The spacing he gets and his decision-making will be key, but Henley is awesome off the dribble.
Offball movement:
I'd love to see Henley come off Zoom action, receive a Rob Whaley screen at the top of the key, and get downhill. It could be deadly to opposing defenses.
Henley is a pretty great off-ball player. He didn’t have many opportunities at DePaul, but when he did, he was willing and decisive.
For your enjoyment:
Henley is a real prospect. I was skeptical initially, but the more I watched the tape, the more potential I saw in him. Henley's success is no guarantee, but by all accounts, he is a high-character person, and barring unforeseen circ*mstances, he will score and play major minutes. His versatility and physical skills make him a tweener option that can give the staff optionality in their lineups.
With Henley, be excited; he’s legit.
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