Scouting Kenny Pohto

The Gopher received their second commitment of the 2021 class on October 10th when Sunrise Christian (Kan.) forward/center Kenny Pohto pledged to the maroon and gold. The three-star big man was lightly recruited, only having an offer from Nebraska and receiving interest from Grand Canyon, Santa Clara, St. Joseph's, and Utah State.

I watched the Swedish big play against two nationally ranked teams from the 2019 season in Gonzaga (DC) and DeMatha (Md.), and I came away very impressed with Pohto, as well as surprised that someone who plays in front of as many college coaches as he does at Sunrise Christian could go so unnoticed.

The Good:

Kenny Pohto does a lot of things really well on the offensive end. One that I noticed was his high basketball IQ when it comes to where he should be on the court. He slips to open spots very well. It appears he is always thinking the game and reacting. I don't recall seeing a time that Pohto just stood in space and ball-watched. If the ball-handler attacked and his man was the help defense, he was sliding to an open space in-front of the rim or behind the basket to the short corner to give his teammate another option on the drive, and himself an open look for a high percentage shot.

Pohto's role as a screener got him a few several finishes where he got the opportunity to rise above the rim and flush it down for two. Another plus in his role as a screener is his awareness and ability to find open space while understanding the defenses coverage. If someone show's high on a hedge, he slips to the basket and can finish that way. If they're playing drop coverage he can make things really tough for a defense because he knows how to read that and pop to an open space on the perimeter while the guard draws the defense in.

When Pohto does pop the screen or find himself open from deep, he can knock those shots down at a clip that is much higher than the average big man. Playing drop coverage against a big that can shoot like that is tough, because if the guard see's that, he can easily attract that big who's defending the screen for a long enough time to get Pohto open. Pohto did this against DeMatha in a matchup against 7'1" four-star and top-40 2020 Michigan commit Hunter Dickinson, and gave him some trouble with his ability to both stretch the floor and find open space in the defense.

He also runs very well for someone his size. He can take off down the court and be a good rim running center, along with being the versatile stretch four or five that he already is.

The sequence that shows the impact Pohto had for Sunrise Christian the most was against DeMatha and Dickinson. He first grabbed an offensive rebound over multiple defenders, then dished the ball for an assist right after. He then sprints down the court to defender Dickinson in the post. He plays good, vertical defense forcing Dickinson into a really tough shot, then a turnover on the attempted offensive rebound. Next, Sunrise runs a high ball-screen with Pohto setting. They play drop coverage so he fills to the open spot from deep while the guard draws Dickinson in. He finds Pohto for an open three, and he knocks it down with the 7'1" Michigan commit closing out (VIDEO). This was in the third quarter with the game tied, and three possessions later his team was up five directly off the impact he made.

The Not-So-Good

I don't really believe this to be a serious issue, because his skillset doesn't deem this absolutely essential since he can already play an important role with the way he plays now, but his post arsenal is minimal. He's up to 6'11" and 240 pounds now, so it's possible that's the next step in his development, but he's not really too much of a threat right now on the block offensively. Unless there is serious improvement, which is possible, don't expect Pohto to be a player who does his work down low. Again, I don't believe this is essential for a big these days, especially when he does the little things right like he does.

I mentioned above that he had several finishes above the rim. They weren't exactly high above the rim. Yes he dunked multiple times off the roll and even running the floor in transition, but his vertical athleticism does not match the athleticism he has on the run or laterally on defense. Luckily, he's 6'11" with a 7'1" wingspan to go with a 8'11" standing reach, so he doesn't need to get too high off the ground to throw one down.

The Good:

My favorite part about Kenny Pohto's game is that he excels at a part of the game that almost no one does anymore. He gets a box out hit on EVERY shot. That is extremely rare and a coaches dream when you have a guy out there you know is going to box his man out after a shot. It's the first thing that he looks to do when a shot goes up. He finds his man first, puts his back on him, then goes to find the ball. Too often guys just turn when a shot goes up and someone can sneak by and grab the offensive rebound. Pohto has the terrific habit of making sure he gets a hit every time a shot goes up, so a second chance on Pohto's watch was almost non-existent on film against some really good teams and players.

When coaches are determining a players role in the rotation and are trying to classify you by position, they go by what you can defend more than what you can contribute on the offensive end. Pohto's ability to move laterally gives him even more reason to be on the court. At 6'11" and 240 pounds, he has the size to guard the five. But his ability to move laterally and play perimeter defense he shows the rare ability to be able to guard the three for periods of time. I wouldn't trust him on a wing all game, but his ability to switch and guard on the perimeter like he does for a possession at a time is better than most his size. One example of this was the defense he played against 2020 four-star and Michigan Wolverine commit Terrance Williams (VIDEO). Another moment that showed the ability to move laterally better than average for his size was when he was icing a ball screen and the guard tried to beat him baseline. Pohto completely beat him to the spot while using only his feet to get his chest in front of the ball-handler. The guard got beat, he was forced to make a tough pass across the baseline, and his teammate took it away garnering him one of those plays that doesn't show up on the stat sheet but is directly a product of his doing (VIDEO).

His high IQ transfers over to the defensive end as well. I saw he was usually in the right position. His knowledge of attacking different screen coverages on offense also allows him to know the best practices on defense. I also noticed several clips where he's pointing and calling out switches for his teammates stuck in a screen action. He's a very good communicator with a high understanding of defensive rotations and scheme. That was one of the main skills mentioned to Inside Gopher Nation by Sunrise Christian Academy head coach Luke Barnwell.

He also is aware of his lack of vertical athleticism, and he puts an emphasis on not chasing blocked shots, but staying vertical and defending at the rim while staying further from the risk of fouling. He does a great job of just staying straight-up in the air when defending post moves as well as shots at the rim. This is not as exciting as a rim protector, but it's acceptable defense and will keep him on the court and out of foul trouble.

The Not-So-Good

What I believe to be his biggest weakness on the defensive end is his low ceiling as a rim protector. With an average to below average vertical, this makes it tough to contest shots at the rim. He knows this isn't a strength of his, so he plays the best defense he can in the best way HE can. Although he may never be a high-level rim protector, he does a terrific job of playing well-positioned, vertical defense which is a skill some don't have and make them a liability on that end of the court.

He does all of the little things that you want your guys to do. He gets a box out hit on every shot, he has a high basketball IQ on both ends of the court, and he's always in the right spot because he knows the game well. He has some physical limitations, but he knows the game, and more importantly, his game, and that makes him as effective as possible on both ends.

His versatility defensively allows him to guard both the four and the five comfortably, and have better than average switchability on to a wing if needed. That's huge for a big that wants to stay on the court, and it could lead to the Gophers using some bigger lineups putting him with a guy like Treyton Thompson.

He's one of those guys that you really enjoy watching play. Not because he's making highlight plays, but because he's doing things the right way. It seems like this is as transferrable a skill as any, and I think that will help him get on the court throughout his career as a Gopher.

One advantage of Pohto knowing his game, being a fundamental player, and having a high basketball IQ is that he isn't rattled by competition. Sunrise Christian battles some of the top competition in the country on a weekly basis and Pohto has gone up against some tough matchups. He tends to rise to the occasion more often than not, and that's an impressive trait to possess.

Due to a relationship built by assistant coach Kyle Lindsted and a recent post player developing into an NBA big under Pitino's watch, the Gophers got someone who is much better than his offer list. I don't believe his recruitment would have gone the same if he had been able to play in the summer, and the Gopher staff is very happy he didn't play any AAU for that reason. With the role he played off the bench for Sunrise Christian transitioning into a starting spot, Pohto is primed for a good season and I think there could be a rise in the rankings before he steps foot on campus.