Tai Strickland dropped his senior mixtape showing off his skills for Badger fans and foes.
Strickland, incoming point guard recruit from Florida, is one of the more exciting signings the Badgers have had in years. He’s coming at a time when help is needed at his position more than ever and it looks like he has the game to be an immediate impact.
Strickland talked about his game with Badger of Honor earlier this summer stating he likes to contribute on both ends of the floor. This highlight package confirms Strickland is willing, and able, to do just that.
Offensively
Strickland showed an excellent mix of driving and shooting, from all ranges, in the video. He’s not afraid to attack the rim and finish around and through contact. He has a tight enough handle to weave around bodies in the lane and he displayed an excellent ability to pass in traffic. Most importantly, he looks confident in doing so.
He’s going to work in Wisconsin’s offense for all of these reasons, but the most important is his ability to shoot. Wisconsin values ball movement, which Strickland is incredible at, but being able to shoot will keep the floor spaced and force defenders to play him honestly. Off of a catch or while bringing the ball up the floor, if Strickland is a threat to score on the perimeter, he can impose himself as a driver and create offense in countless ways.
https://twitter.com/taistrickland13/status/999093934923108353
Defensively
Strickland made sure to put his explosive athletic ability on display in this video. He finishes well around the rim and isn’t afraid to dunk on anybody, but he’s also not afraid to meet an opposing player at the rim on defense. Strickland can trail a driver or come over as help to block a shot. He won’t be a legitimate rim protector in the Big Ten, but he can make defenders think twice about going up softly around him. His willingness to go up for blocks shows he has the timing down, which is a skill in itself, and the relentlessness needed to be a premier defender. Even if he isn’t blocking shots at Wisconsin he will be giving high amounts of effort on this end of the floor.
Where Strickland will be most useful on defense is on the perimeter. Along with his impressive blocks, he showed he can harass opposing ball handlers and get steals with his quick hands. No dribble should be a confident one around Strickland. The effort he gives and his ability to pounce at any moment means opposing players are going to always be conscious of their dribble. Even a slight hesitation can force a turnover. If Strickland doesn’t get a steal, he can force a bad pass or mess up crucial timing on another team’s play.
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Strickland is going to be making an impact on both ends of the court at every level. He has the ability and the drive to want to impact the game and will be in a spot to earn playing time early on.