Mustapha Heron the One Chosen:
July was a very long, but exciting period as we watched buzzer beating moments, ankle breakers, thundering dunks and multiple stocks rise. In Vegas alone there were over 1000 players and 300 college coaches and scouts in attendance. One player in particular that I enjoyed watching was the NY Rens’ 2016 SG/SF Mustapha Heron who recently committed to Bruce Pearl and The Auburn Tigers. Heron is currently ranked as the #26 in the ESPN100 which may change as the new rankings will be released on Wednesday August 26, 2015.
What Happens in Vegas stays “Heron” Vegas:
During his time at the Adidas Uprising Championships in Vegas last month, Heron averaged 27.2 points, 7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 54.4% from the field, 26.7% from 3 and 79% from the charity stripe and averaging 29.6 minutes per game. In his first game against the #17 player in the country——according to the ESPN100—Jarrett Allen and Texas Pro, Mustapha struggled in the loss despite scoring 26 points. Heron went 9 of 19 from the field and 1 of 3 from behind the arc, as well as 7 of 9 from the free throw line. I could tell that Mustapha was not in his normal rhythm as his shots seemed flat and he wasn’t finishing at the rim as he normally would. I believe part of this was due to the fact that Heron didn’t have the other head of the NY Rens’ double headed dragon, Rawle Alkins—the #22 player in the ESPN100. For some reason or another, Rawle Alkins did not attend or play in the events of the Adidas Uprising Championship. I am not sure that the southpaw, Mustapha was used to having to carry the bulk of the load by himself. Heron bounced back in the next game with a double-double vs Kyle Guy and Indiana Elite, as he shot 71.4% from the field (10-14), and scored 26 points, grabbed 11 boards, and dished out 5 dimes.
Thoughts on Mustapha Heron:
Overall, Mustapha Heron is a very solid 5-star shooting guard/small forward with a terrific slashing ability. Heron has a very strong body and frame, to the point where if he gets the first step—which he is known for having a very quick and aggressive first step—you can almost rest assure that he will be finishing at the rim with or without contact. His first step ability can most certainly be attributed to his new found confidence in his much improved dribbling in the open court as well as in the half-court setting where he sees pressure and a flash of double teams. Heron’s court vision comes in handy as he can make the length of the court pass or drive and kick to the open shooter for the knockdown jumper. His defense and rebounding are the aspects of his game that coaches thoroughly enjoy. At 6-5 190 lbs., Mustapha gets after the ball and rebounds strongly. Not only that, but Heron can get down in a stance and put tremendous lock down pressure defense on the wing.
As I continue to watch Heron’s game, I noticed a few things that may inhibit his growth at the next level without correction. The major issue that needs correction would be his 3 point shooting. Heron shot just over 26% from 3 at the Adidas Uprising Championship event. Most of his 3 point shots came off flat and would hit the front of the rim as his lower body seemed to be weighing him down. I imagine during his 6 hour workouts, his trainer will be working with Heron on his rotation and lift on his shots. He will need the ability to shoot over defenders and consistently knocked down jumpers beyond the arc. If not, defenders will simply play the drive and try to force Heron to make a difficult shot or pass the ball. Lastly, Mustapha is a very solid defender, but at times he gets beat off of the dribble because he will stand a bit flat footed. I attribute this to tiredness more so than laziness as I seemed to only notice this occurring at times when he seemed a bit more winded than usual.
The Rebirth of the Auburn Tigers:
In recent news, Mustapha Heron took one visit and committed to Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers after decommitting from Pitt in April as longtime family friend Barry “Slice” Rohrssen left Pitt for Kentucky, and now St. John’s as an Associate Head Coach. Bruce Pearl has been on an absolute tear on the recruiting scene as he landed #61 in the class of 2015 PF Horace Spencer, #66 SF Danjel Pruifoy, 3-star SG Bryce Brown, 2-Star New Williams, and JUCO transfer SG T.J. Dunans last year. This year, Pearl gains pledges from SG/SF Mustapha Heron, 4-Star PG Jared Harper, and 6’8 210 lbs. PF Anfernee McLemore, and he’s not even close to done yet as he has already reached out to 2017 6-5 SG guard Alex O’Connell who was on Auburn’s campus on August 23rd. I had a chance to get a quick interview with Mustapha in regards to his commitment to Auburn:
Please state your name, class, position, and where you’re from (city and state) for the record.
“Mustapha Heron, class of 2016 from Meriden, Connecticut, SG”
Congrats on committing to Auburn, that's a big step moving forward. You withdrew your commitment from Pitt in April, and I believe it's been said that you wanted to take all of your visits, but after your visit to Auburn you committed. What is it that drew you to Auburn during your visit? What makes Auburn the right fit for you?
“I mean…I had planned on taking all five of my official visits. I actually had Mississippi State lined up for this weekend. When I got to Auburn—of course it was an unofficial—[visit] it just felt like the right thing to do; the system, the way they told me that I would be playing, the way they told me they would develop me, [and] of course campus life. I’ll be able to get my degree in 3-3 ½ years, which is really important to me and my family moving forward. It just felt like a perfect fit, an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
What do you think your role will be on this Auburn team? What has Coach Pearl discussed with you about your role on the team?
“Coach Pearl told me going right in I’d be one of the go to guys. He showed me the statistics of his past 2-guards in the last 22 years, and you know the offense is running through them. They get to make plays off the ball screens, running off screens, and just getting to run the team, doing things on both ends of the floor. That’s why I think my game really has an impact [with me] being a two-way player.”
What do you think it is that separates you from the other shooting guards/small forwards in the eyes of Coach Pearl or any other coach that has recruited you?
“I think he saw the most in me. I think he saw the potential I had to be a pro. I think a lot of coaches ‘saw’, but he really saw and he said that he would be able to develop me in the fastest amount of time to get me out of school and get [me] to the next level.”
What do you think/what have you been told you will need to improve on as you make the transition to the next level at Auburn?
“One of the biggest things that I’m improving on is my jump shot. Right now I’m working on that. They just told me that having access to the gym you know [is important]...the coaching staff that they have—Chuck Persons for example—somebody nicknamed “The Rifleman” is a great person to have on the coaching staff as far as shooting goes. The resources are there, it’s just up to me to use them.”
How was it for you playing with a player like Rawle Alkins during the summer? You two seemed like a nice one-two punch?
“I think that we were the strongest backcourt in the country. I didn’t think there was any backcourt in the country that could compete with us and I think that we showed that on multiple occasions. I love playing with Rawle [Alkins], and I think he loves playing with me too; it was just a great summer.”
There was talk that you two considered playing together in college, what has come of that now that you have committed to Auburn?
“I think that it still might be a possibility, but I think whatever is best for him, I think he has to do that. We talked a lot about my decision and we talked about his decision that he’s going to be making a little bit. Whatever’s best for him he’s going to go with. You know, we’re going to wish each other luck no matter where he goes; of course I’m going to Auburn and he wished me luck.”
What kind of impact has your father had on your development as a player, especially since he played ball overseas?
“He’s had a HUGE impact on me since I was little, I mean 2 years old coming in the gym learning how to dribble, chasing after the ball, then watching him play in the men’s league; seeing pictures of him in the house from when he used to play—that’s when he had hair back then (lol). He’s had a huge impact.”
What is it that motivates you to work so hard, because the word on the street is that your work outs are in the ballpark of 6 hours in length?
“It’s just the motivation of wanting to be a pro. Between the weight room, watching other guys—watching pros play like my favorite player James Harden—so I watch a lot of film on James Harden. I watch a lot of his YouTube stuff [and] a lot of his breakdown moves—it’s just the motivation of wanting to be a pro.”
There has been a number of one and done players in recent years in the NCAA, for as long as you stay at Auburn, what field are you looking to pursue educationally?
“Communications! I want to go into broadcasting and be like an analyst or something on TV.”
As you prepare for your final season of high school basketball, what are you looking forward to this season and what are your goals before you close out your high school career?
“First goal is to 3-peat. If we do hopefully it’ll be an undefeated season, and it’ll be our second back-to-back undefeated season. Then we have 2 big games, one in the Big Apple Classic—I don’t know who we play yet we’ll find out soon—and then we have the Hoophall Classic in Springfield [where] we play against TJ Leaf and Jaylen Hands. To win those games would be special.”
Alright last question. Is there anything that you want people to know about you that they may not know?
“I play a lot of video games! Right now I’m playing Mortal Kombat the new one. [I’ll be] getting 2K[16] and probably Madden[16] when it comes out too.”
Mustapha will be a very special talent to watch as he progresses at Auburn. Heron is a physical tough guard/forward who has a knack for scoring. He has one final season to work on his jump shot and 3 point shooting. Heron's trainer, "Mr. EDIB" will be releasing his new book "Everyday I Ball, Young Adult Version" while he is helping Mustapha gain more lift and rotation on his jump shot. A lot of athletes are going the one and done route, but Heron seems to be invested in his education. So, don't be surprised if he stays for the long haul at Auburn in pursuit of his degree. He is a very intelligent and humble young man, and I wish him nothing but success in his future.
Check out The One Chosen, Mustapha Heron’s Highlights provided by KantMiss.com
MUSTAPHA HERON- THE ONE CHOSEN from KANTMISS.COM on Vimeo.
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