Scouting Report on Cal Basketball Commit Jacobi Gordon

The California Golden Bears reeled in a couple of 2018 four-star, top 100 prospects recently, so let’s dive into the highlights and see what the Bears will be getting in Jacobi Gordon, a small forward from Houston, Texas.

At 6’6 and weighing about 205 pounds, Gordon has great size and length; attributes which he uses to do two things: drive to the hoop and finish through contact and elevate above defenders to get clean looks on long-range jumpers. At least in this particular highlight, Gordon shows off an offensive mindset that is emphasized more and more in modern basketball: the essential erosion of the mid-range jumper. This entire highlight is filled with Gordon finishing layups in a variety of ways while also showing off his ability to knock down three-pointers.

The above video is just the first of three featuring highlights of Gordon participating in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, so let’s see what else he brings to the table.

In the session two highlight video we see Gordon doing more of the same. Dribble penetration which results in either a finish through contact or shooting free-throws. He does take and make one mid-range jumper, but his game is largely based on points in the paint with a sprinkling of three-pointers. It makes sense, though, as he has a frame capable of withstanding the physical punishment that accompanies frequent drives into the paint — and, with another year before he steps foot on campus — he has time to add even more weight to make sure he is ready for power five basketball.

This video sees Gordon out in transition more than in the others and continues to demonstrate his ability to finish in close and draw fouls. Another quality that shows up in this highlight is how the Houston product seems to find his way to the right place at the right time repeatedly. Whether it’s catching a deflected pass or pulling down an offensive rebound, the ball seems to find Gordon due to his mentality of attacking the basket.

In case you’re wondering how he performed for his high school team this past season, Gordon averaged 20 points, 7 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1 block, and 1 assist per game. He shot 49 percent from the field, 42 percent from three-point range, and 66 percent from the charity stripe.

Gordon is a high-level prospect (#75 in Scout’s top 100) whose commitment to Cal is a welcome shot-in-the-arm to a critical 2018 recruiting class for Wyking Jones and the Bears. He has a bullish mentality when attacking the basket, but is more than capable of making opponents pay from deep for sagging off to prevent dribble penetration. Gordon also has the length to be a menace on the defensive end. Coupled with fellow top 100 commit Matt Bradley (#65 in Scout’s top 100), the 2018 recruiting cycle is off to a fantastic start. Now if we could snag a quality big man and possibly a point guard this class would be perfect.

What do you guys think about Gordon? Sound off below.

Go Bears!