Player Profile: Cameron Forte

Previously:  Kenny Paul Geno 
Previously:  Houston Kessler 
Previously:  Dusan Langura 
Previously:  Brandon Young 

Cameron Forte

Photo Credit:  247sports.com

Height:  6'7"
Weight:  220
Position:  F
Year:  Junior
Role:  Powerforwardwhatup
2013-14 Points/Rebounds/Assists Per Game:  3.4/2.0/.8

Overview:  What do you see when you look at Cameron Forte?  He's lanky.  He's a tad goofy.  He's got that tweener size that can be so valuable in college.  But really, who is he?

Forte averaged 36.2 points and 12.7 rebounds during his senior year of high school.  He then went to Howard junior college where he averaged 22.5 points over 37 games, shooting a gaudy 63% from the field.  Those scoring figures suggested he could play a key role in replacing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's scoring.

Reality showed otherwise.

Thus the reason I ask what you see when you look at Forte.  Because, honestly, as I sit here and try to recap his first year at Georgia, I'm not sure I have an answer myself.  I expected him to make a big splash last season, but the result was quite the opposite.  With every other player on the team, I have a moment that stands out in my mind.  A 3-pointer.  An unexpected stretch of dominance.  A defensive performance.  Not so for Forte, though.

Go back and look at those high school and junior college scoring numbers, though.  There is clearly some talent here and maybe, just maybe, 2014 is when we see it bloom.

Expectations:  Forte seems stuck at power forward.  I don't see the handles or outside shot necessary to be an effective 3, and I don't see the height or bulk to be a worthwhile 5.

That may be bad news, too, as power forward could be a position of strength for the 2014-15 Georgia Bulldogs.  Take a look at the players who Fox could conceivably play at the 4:  Marcus Thornton, Brandon Morris, Nemanja Djurisic, Yante Maten, Cameron Forte, Kenny Paul Geno, and Houston Kessler.

Dig deeper, though, and you realize many of those guys will be forced into the rotation elsewhere.  Odds are good, for example, that Thornton and Maten will see as much time at center as they will at power forward.  Brandon Morris' athleticism and developing outside shot mean he's a candidate for heavy minutes as a small forward.

So where does that leave Forte?  If you told me he'll be the first guy off the bench at the power forward position, I'd believe you.  If you told me he'll struggle to find minutes behind Thornton, Morris, Djurisic, and Maten, I'd believe you.

The reality is that I have no idea what to expect from Forte this year.  Absolutely no idea.

2014-15 Stats I Could Get Excited About:  4.7/4.5/.6 points/rebounds/assists per game.

Areas for Improvement:  First of all, Cameron shot 30% from the free throw line.  That's not good enough.  That's not close to good enough.  If he wants minutes, he needs to get to the line more often, and he needs to convert at the line way more often.

Second, his rebounding numbers are a bit thin.  With Donte' Williams gone, there will be a few more boards to go around.  Some of those need to find their way into Forte's hands.

Things I Learned About Cameron From GeorgiaDogs.com:  His nickname is Smoothiewhatup.  I have complained about nicknames here before (ahem, Houston Kessler), but I won't complain about this one.  That is a nickname.

Let's go Cameron, and let's go Dawgs!