I just finished breaking down the strengths, weaknesses, and overall projection of 2019 Cal men’s basketball commit Lars Thiemann.Thiemann most recently played for Bayer Giants Leverkusen of the German Pro B League.

Strengths: Has a good body on him (6’11”, 230 pounds). Quick on his feet. Does a good job using up and unders to gain separation from defenders in the post. Crafty. Can score in a variety of ways around the rim. Moves well in transition. Can get up and down the floor. Comfortable with the ball in the high post and finding the open man.

Does a good job setting screens, rolling to the basket, and establishing himself in the paint. Makes life easier for point guards. Good fundamentals. Always finds his man for the box out. Has a solid nose for the ball. Rebounds well. Has good hands. Aggressive on the boards. Handles the ball well for a big man. Stays in control. Has good form on his shot and is a good foul shooter (74.2%). Has the potential to be a stretch big.

Weaknesses: Physicality could improve. Doesn’t always take advantage of his size like he should. Needs to do a better job of finishing through contact and fighting through screens. Could be doing more to assert himself inside when he has the ball. Sometimes gets beat off the dribble and exposed when trying to take on quicker wings and guards. If he’s going to switch, his quickness and assertiveness has to improve.

While he has nice form on his shot, he doesn’t take advantage as often as he should. He tends to only attempt shots in the paint. Will opt to take a tougher shot in the paint over an easier shot further out. Tends to dribble into double or even triple teams. He needs to get more comfortable shooting mid-range jumpers and eventually threes. Needs to expand his range. Also needs to do a better job of kicking the ball out to open shooters. Has the tendency to be a bit of a black hole and force shots that aren’t always there.

Overall: Lars Thiemann has a ton of upside due to his size, quickness, soft hands, and craftiness around the rim. If he can improve his perimeter game, physicality, and defense, he has the chance to have a really good career at Cal. While he doesn’t have an official star rating from Rivals, I would give him a 3-star rating upon watching his film.

Quotes: Thiemann answered a couple of questions for GoldenBearReport.com about why he chose Cal. Below are his responses.

"I'm convinced that Mark Fox and his coaching staff are doing a great job. I think it's the best place for me to develop as a player and person. I'm excited to play great basketball and get an awesome education. They also did the best job recruiting me and put in the most effort."-On why he chose Cal over his other options

"I loved the campus and the environment. It was a great atmosphere and the people had a great mindset." -On the environment at Cal