Northwestern Basketball Scouting Reports: Tre Demps

Stats to know:

Shot chart (via Shot Analytics):

Demps is a high-volume shooter who thrives at getting to the basket and is also an above-average three-point shooter from the corners. He has his struggles in the mid-range and from straight away on the three ball, but his shooting numbers are solid and he converts well at the rim, especially despite his relatively slight frame and unimpressive height for a shooting guard. Overall, Demps is one of just a few guys on this team that excels in one-on-one situations.

The basics

At 6-3 and 198 pounds, Demps is on the smaller side of things at the two-guard, but he makes up for that with toughness, determination on the offensive end and a dogged defensive effort each and every night. He always brings it. On the offensive end, he possesses a lot of talent, and when he's using it effectively and efficiently, Northwestern is at its best.

Strengths

Demps' biggest strength is undoubtedly his ability to win one-on-one battles on the offensive end. Northwestern's best scorer has a variety of moves that can get him to the basket or get him an open shot. He's also a secondary ball-handler that can play the point if needed, and he will likely need to do so this year when Bryant McIntosh is out of the game -- it is hard to envision many scenarios when one of those two are not on the floor for an extended period of time. You also don't know the meaning of clutch until you know Tre Demps. He's a fantastic option down the stretch and has hit his fair share of outrageous shots to win games or force them into overtime. (Seriously, that Michigan game was nuts.) Defensively, Demps will hound whoever he's playing against, and he showed rebounding improvement last year. He also comes from a basketball family -- his dad Dell played in the NBA and now is the general manager for the New Orleans Pelicans -- and got some fantastic experience this summer playing at the prestigious Nike Basketball Academy.

Weaknesses

Demps' main struggle in the past has been his tendency to bog down the offense by over-dribbling, shooting early in the shot clock and committing careless turnovers. Those weaknesses improved by leaps and bounds last year though, as Demps put up his best numbers in terms of field goal and effective field goal percentages, but there is still much room to improve. Sometimes he feels like he has to take on the entire opposing team by himself. The senior is also sometimes outsized by opposing guards and can get bullied in the post and  isn't a standout athlete either, both of which hurt against some of the athletically-superior opponents he has already played against and will see in conference play. Finally, Demps is a below-average free-throw shooter at just over 65 percent.

Role

As we previewed in part one of our season preview podcast, Demps is going to be a huge part of this Northwestern team. He'll likely lead the team in minutes played, and points per game -- as he did last year -- and he'll have to continue to improve in that role if the Wildcats want to make the NCAA tournament for the first time ever. He's going to be the guy in the clutch, yes, but also a guy that will have to score all game long as well.

What to expect

It's a huge year for Tre Demps -- his last year in Evanston, where he has shown marked improvement every year. You can expect Demps to provide some frustrating moments for fans, but you can also expect a couple of huge shots down the stretch of games, relentless energy on both ends of the floor and the ball in his hands a lot. Numbers-wise, Demps' scoring output should jump up a couple of points. 15-17 points per game isn't out of the question, although to do that he will have to continue to improve his shot selection and free throw shooting. He'll add between three and five assists and rebounds per game as well. He's a quiet leader on this team full of youth, and he'll be expected to show that both on and off the court.