Strengths
Right-handed… Despite a solid career so far, Faried was a relative unknown until exploding onto the national scene in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. He had 21 rebounds in the play-in game and the notched a double-double (14 points and 11 boards) against the #1 overall seed, Louisville. Scouts looked forward to keeping a closer eye on the Morehead State forward this season. In the season-opener against Kentucky, Faried looked a bit outmatched, but who doesn't against that Wildcat frontline. Faried still managed to finish with 17 points and 7 rebounds. He again leads the nation in rebounding this year as a junior… Faried is noticeably better on the offensive end this season. He has up-ed his scoring average by three points per game, but is scoring at a higher rate more consistently. He has hit double-figure scoring in all but two games so far this season and notched 20+ double-doubles again this season. He has a huge wingspan, explosive leaping abilities and a great motor, helping him track down seemingly almost every rebound. In fact, he tracks down more a third of his team's rebounds… His intensity, aggressiveness and desire have him sacrificing his body and diving into contact more than a few times a game. He plays the passing lanes well and gets around his defender at other times for the steal. He plays excellent help side defense, picking up his team with a key block or rebound and quick outlet… His offensive game has seen the most improvement this season. He worked on his mid-range game all of last summer and it has showed. He has knocked down jumpers this season and has even developed a nice ability to shot-fake and dribble-drive…
Weaknesses
He isn't particularly big, at least by NBA 4-man standards, at 6'8", 215 pounds, but his hustle and athleticism help offset his physical attributes. Hitting the weight room hard this summer will help him defend at the next level… His game is all based around his intensity and aggressiveness. There's no reason not to believe that these mental attributes wouldn't be around at the next level, but will be have the same effect against the top competitors night-in and night-out? That's a question that can only really be answered once he makes the jump… His jump shot and ball handling could both use improvements in terms of consistency, which could be helped with another hard-working off season…
