Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 30, 2009 13:04:20 GMT -5
Stealthy mid-major programs have NBA talent
Friday, November 27, 2009 | Print Entry
Posted by Chad Ford
Every year NBA GMs hand out lots of love to players from the big conferences. The overwhelming majority of players drafted in the first round come from schools in the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-10, SEC and Big East.
The few spots not taken by those conferences are usually filled with players from Conference USA (thanks to Memphis), the Mountain West, the Atlantic 10 and the WCC (thanks to Gonzaga).
However, every year one or two players sneak in from the mid-majors. VCU's Eric Maynor, IUPUI's George Hill, Eastern Washington's Rodney Stuckey, Nevada's JaVale McGee and Western Kentucky's Courtney Lee have all been taken in the first round in recent drafts. None of those players are what you'd call household names, but all have found a measure of success in their early careers.
This year could be a really good year for players from smaller conferences. We already profiled one potential lottery pick, VCU's Larry Sanders, two weeks ago. Here's a look at seven other players from mid-major schools that NBA scouts and executives say have a realistic shot of landing somewhere in the first round.
Paul George, 6-foot-7, F, So., Fresno State
George is the highest-rated player on the list. He was totally off the radar screen for much of last year, but now scouts are following him virtually every game. A number of NBA scouts I spoke with think he could end up in the lottery at the end of the season. George is the prototypical small forward who can shoot, rebound and run the floor.
Scouts worry a bit about his rail-thin frame, his lack of toughness, a shaky handle and some inconsistency. But it's hard to deny the talent is there to be a terrific pro.
Gordon Hayward, 6-8, G/F, So., Butler
Some NBA scouts and executives claim Hayward is the most underrated player in college basketball. Hayward is a do-it-all forward playing for the best mid-major school in the country (and was a staple for Team USA's under-19 team this summer), but he still doesn't get a lot of love. That's because Hayward lacks the elite athleticism and NBA body that NBA scouts fall in love with.
But there's little else to quibble with in Hayward's game. He has a very high basketball IQ, shoots the lights out, rebounds at a high clip and can play both the 2 and the 3 in the NBA.
"He's not going to wow you physically," one GM argued. "But you can't find me 10 better basketball players in America. I think at the end of the day, talent will win the day for him. He's not a terrible athlete and uses everything else in his arsenal to make up for his lack of explosiveness. He's just the type of kid every coach wants on their team."
Arnett Moultrie, 6-11, PF, So., UTEP
Okay, I'm cheating a little. UTEP has been part of Conference USA since 2005. But when was the last time they placed a significant player in either round of the NBA Draft? Tiny Archibald, Tim Hardaway and Antonio Davis are all UTEP alums, but you get the picture. It's been a while.
Moultrie is finally giving NBA scouts a real reason to head back to El Paso. He has the size, athleticism, quickness and skill level to be a legit NBA post player. Moultrie can play both inside and outside on offense and he'll crash boards at both ends, too.
Scouts will be out in force this year to see if Moultrie can build on a promising freshman season. If he can show consistency from game to game, a more dominant presence in the paint and better defense, he has the chance to skyrocket up our draft board. There just aren't many prospects with his physical profile.
Kenneth Faried, 6-8, PF, Jr., Morehead State
Faried has his coming-out party in last season's NCAA tournament. He had 21 rebounds against Alabama State and followed it up with an impressive 14 points and 11 boards against one of the most athletic teams in the country, Louisville, in a first-round loss. He started this season off strong too, scoring 17 points and grabbing 7 boards in Morehead's opener while facing a Kentucky front line that boasts three legit NBA first-round prospects.
Faried has relentless energy on both ends that is infectious. He's a terrific rebounder -- especially on the offensive boards. His long arms and explosive athleticism make up for the fact that he's a little undersized for his position.
The bad news for Faried is that Kentucky is the only legit opponent on Morehead State's regular season schedule. He's going to need another trip to the NCAA tournament to get himself back playing on the big stage.
Luke Babbitt, 6-9, F, So., Nevada
Babbitt's NBA future is a little tougher to gauge. While some scouts see him as a potential late first-round pick, others hesitated to put him there. Babbit possesses a toughness that NBA teams love and he can really shoot the basketball. The question is ... what position does he play in the pros? Scouts think he lacks the quickness to play the 3 and feel he doesn't have the size or strength to hold down the 4 in the pros.
"He's the type of player we want to love," one NBA GM said. "He's got so much skill and he knows how to play. I just wish he were two inches taller and twice as strong."
Artsiom Parakhouski, 6-11, C, Sr., Radford
He's the biggest man in the Big South, but can Artsiom Parakhouski be a big man in the NBA? He certainly has the size for it. Standing at 6-foot-11 and weighing in at 260 pounds, he is one of the true big men in college basketball. Parakhouski, a native of Belarus, is solid around the basket. He's got some moves in the post and is an above-average rebounder and shotblocker. What he lacks is elite athleticism and experience against top-level talent.
The good news is that while he can't fix the athleticism issue, he will get a chance to prove himself against some of the better teams in the NCAA. He put up 23 and 14 on Duke last week and faces the top-ranked center on our Big Board, Cole Aldrich, in December. He has a matchup against Samardo Samuels of Louisville in late December as well. If he holds his own there, he's got a shot at the late first round.
Keith Benson, 6-11, C, Jr., Oakland
The big man out of Detroit has attracted a small following of scouts who are interested in his combination of athleticism and length. The lanky center put up solid numbers as a sophomore and has started off the season strong for Oakland. Centers always attract scouts who want to overlook their weaknesses, which is why Benson is on the list. However, there's reason to give pause. He needs to add a lot of strength and one NBA source who knows him well told me that Benson lacks the motor or toughness to be an NBA player. "He cannot defend his position at all," another scout told me.
The Mid Range Game
# John Wall, Derrick Favors, John Henson and Xavier Henry came into the season as our four highest-rated freshmen. A handful of others, including Jordan Hamilton, Avery Bradley and DeMarcus Cousins, all cracked our Top 30.
But a few other unheralded freshmen are off to hot starts and could join those eight in the Top 30 before the season ends.
Scouts have been raving about Illinois' Brandon Paul, Minnesota's Rodney Williams and Gonzaga's Elias Harris. Paul is a superathletic guard who has drawn some comparisons to Dwyane Wade. The comparison may be a little much given that Wade is a top-five player in the league, but you can see why some may see the fit. Paul is an undersized guard who makes up for it with long arms and explosive leaping ability. Paul can get to the basket and shoot the 3, but has a rep as a guy who doesn't always go hard.
Williams is a swingman who has shocked scouts with his early productivity for Minnesota. Teams knew he was an elite athlete, but his aggressiveness and his solid shooting in the early going have taken them aback.
Harris is another player who has made a name for himself early in the Maui Invitational. He's not putting up huge numbers, but he's been a beast on the boards and has shocked scouts with his ability to play some 3. After seeing him dominate in his home country of Germany, most teams had him penciled in as an uber-athletic, albeit undersized, 4. He's been able to show some perimeter prowess at Gonzaga. If he can make the transition to the 3, his stock goes up tremendously.
# NBA scouts would've likely picked Vanderbilt's Jeff Taylor as the best NBA prospect at the Maui Invitational before the tournament began. However, while Taylor has played with great energy, he's struggled a bit offensively. He's still a likely top-30 pick based on athleticism and versatility -- but he wasn't great in Maui.
Instead, the focus has been on Cincinnati sophomore Yancy Gates. Gates, a 6-9, 260-pound power forward, has been dominat on the boards and in the paint in Maui. Gates is considered one of the best offensive rebounders in America and now he's starting to show signs of an improving offensive game. Gates was even sinking jumpers at one point versus Vanderbilt. Teams have questioned his consistency and effort in the past. But he was playing really hard in Maui. He could rocket up our draft board if he can keep it up all season.
# Finally, for our ultimate off-the-radar kid, check out Charles Garcia playing at Seattle U. The lanky big man has put up big numbers against teams like Oklahoma State, Portland, Fresno State and Utah. Garcia was originally slated to play at Washington, but didn't qualify academically. He transferred to Seattle from Riverside CC. Garcia is a talented, versatile big who is already popping up on the radar screen of NBA scouts. If he can clear what looks like a checkered background check, he could find a place in the NBA.
Friday, November 27, 2009 | Print Entry
Posted by Chad Ford
Every year NBA GMs hand out lots of love to players from the big conferences. The overwhelming majority of players drafted in the first round come from schools in the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-10, SEC and Big East.
The few spots not taken by those conferences are usually filled with players from Conference USA (thanks to Memphis), the Mountain West, the Atlantic 10 and the WCC (thanks to Gonzaga).
However, every year one or two players sneak in from the mid-majors. VCU's Eric Maynor, IUPUI's George Hill, Eastern Washington's Rodney Stuckey, Nevada's JaVale McGee and Western Kentucky's Courtney Lee have all been taken in the first round in recent drafts. None of those players are what you'd call household names, but all have found a measure of success in their early careers.
This year could be a really good year for players from smaller conferences. We already profiled one potential lottery pick, VCU's Larry Sanders, two weeks ago. Here's a look at seven other players from mid-major schools that NBA scouts and executives say have a realistic shot of landing somewhere in the first round.
Paul George, 6-foot-7, F, So., Fresno State
George is the highest-rated player on the list. He was totally off the radar screen for much of last year, but now scouts are following him virtually every game. A number of NBA scouts I spoke with think he could end up in the lottery at the end of the season. George is the prototypical small forward who can shoot, rebound and run the floor.
Scouts worry a bit about his rail-thin frame, his lack of toughness, a shaky handle and some inconsistency. But it's hard to deny the talent is there to be a terrific pro.
Gordon Hayward, 6-8, G/F, So., Butler
Some NBA scouts and executives claim Hayward is the most underrated player in college basketball. Hayward is a do-it-all forward playing for the best mid-major school in the country (and was a staple for Team USA's under-19 team this summer), but he still doesn't get a lot of love. That's because Hayward lacks the elite athleticism and NBA body that NBA scouts fall in love with.
But there's little else to quibble with in Hayward's game. He has a very high basketball IQ, shoots the lights out, rebounds at a high clip and can play both the 2 and the 3 in the NBA.
"He's not going to wow you physically," one GM argued. "But you can't find me 10 better basketball players in America. I think at the end of the day, talent will win the day for him. He's not a terrible athlete and uses everything else in his arsenal to make up for his lack of explosiveness. He's just the type of kid every coach wants on their team."
Arnett Moultrie, 6-11, PF, So., UTEP
Okay, I'm cheating a little. UTEP has been part of Conference USA since 2005. But when was the last time they placed a significant player in either round of the NBA Draft? Tiny Archibald, Tim Hardaway and Antonio Davis are all UTEP alums, but you get the picture. It's been a while.
Moultrie is finally giving NBA scouts a real reason to head back to El Paso. He has the size, athleticism, quickness and skill level to be a legit NBA post player. Moultrie can play both inside and outside on offense and he'll crash boards at both ends, too.
Scouts will be out in force this year to see if Moultrie can build on a promising freshman season. If he can show consistency from game to game, a more dominant presence in the paint and better defense, he has the chance to skyrocket up our draft board. There just aren't many prospects with his physical profile.
Kenneth Faried, 6-8, PF, Jr., Morehead State
Faried has his coming-out party in last season's NCAA tournament. He had 21 rebounds against Alabama State and followed it up with an impressive 14 points and 11 boards against one of the most athletic teams in the country, Louisville, in a first-round loss. He started this season off strong too, scoring 17 points and grabbing 7 boards in Morehead's opener while facing a Kentucky front line that boasts three legit NBA first-round prospects.
Faried has relentless energy on both ends that is infectious. He's a terrific rebounder -- especially on the offensive boards. His long arms and explosive athleticism make up for the fact that he's a little undersized for his position.
The bad news for Faried is that Kentucky is the only legit opponent on Morehead State's regular season schedule. He's going to need another trip to the NCAA tournament to get himself back playing on the big stage.
Luke Babbitt, 6-9, F, So., Nevada
Babbitt's NBA future is a little tougher to gauge. While some scouts see him as a potential late first-round pick, others hesitated to put him there. Babbit possesses a toughness that NBA teams love and he can really shoot the basketball. The question is ... what position does he play in the pros? Scouts think he lacks the quickness to play the 3 and feel he doesn't have the size or strength to hold down the 4 in the pros.
"He's the type of player we want to love," one NBA GM said. "He's got so much skill and he knows how to play. I just wish he were two inches taller and twice as strong."
Artsiom Parakhouski, 6-11, C, Sr., Radford
He's the biggest man in the Big South, but can Artsiom Parakhouski be a big man in the NBA? He certainly has the size for it. Standing at 6-foot-11 and weighing in at 260 pounds, he is one of the true big men in college basketball. Parakhouski, a native of Belarus, is solid around the basket. He's got some moves in the post and is an above-average rebounder and shotblocker. What he lacks is elite athleticism and experience against top-level talent.
The good news is that while he can't fix the athleticism issue, he will get a chance to prove himself against some of the better teams in the NCAA. He put up 23 and 14 on Duke last week and faces the top-ranked center on our Big Board, Cole Aldrich, in December. He has a matchup against Samardo Samuels of Louisville in late December as well. If he holds his own there, he's got a shot at the late first round.
Keith Benson, 6-11, C, Jr., Oakland
The big man out of Detroit has attracted a small following of scouts who are interested in his combination of athleticism and length. The lanky center put up solid numbers as a sophomore and has started off the season strong for Oakland. Centers always attract scouts who want to overlook their weaknesses, which is why Benson is on the list. However, there's reason to give pause. He needs to add a lot of strength and one NBA source who knows him well told me that Benson lacks the motor or toughness to be an NBA player. "He cannot defend his position at all," another scout told me.
The Mid Range Game
# John Wall, Derrick Favors, John Henson and Xavier Henry came into the season as our four highest-rated freshmen. A handful of others, including Jordan Hamilton, Avery Bradley and DeMarcus Cousins, all cracked our Top 30.
But a few other unheralded freshmen are off to hot starts and could join those eight in the Top 30 before the season ends.
Scouts have been raving about Illinois' Brandon Paul, Minnesota's Rodney Williams and Gonzaga's Elias Harris. Paul is a superathletic guard who has drawn some comparisons to Dwyane Wade. The comparison may be a little much given that Wade is a top-five player in the league, but you can see why some may see the fit. Paul is an undersized guard who makes up for it with long arms and explosive leaping ability. Paul can get to the basket and shoot the 3, but has a rep as a guy who doesn't always go hard.
Williams is a swingman who has shocked scouts with his early productivity for Minnesota. Teams knew he was an elite athlete, but his aggressiveness and his solid shooting in the early going have taken them aback.
Harris is another player who has made a name for himself early in the Maui Invitational. He's not putting up huge numbers, but he's been a beast on the boards and has shocked scouts with his ability to play some 3. After seeing him dominate in his home country of Germany, most teams had him penciled in as an uber-athletic, albeit undersized, 4. He's been able to show some perimeter prowess at Gonzaga. If he can make the transition to the 3, his stock goes up tremendously.
# NBA scouts would've likely picked Vanderbilt's Jeff Taylor as the best NBA prospect at the Maui Invitational before the tournament began. However, while Taylor has played with great energy, he's struggled a bit offensively. He's still a likely top-30 pick based on athleticism and versatility -- but he wasn't great in Maui.
Instead, the focus has been on Cincinnati sophomore Yancy Gates. Gates, a 6-9, 260-pound power forward, has been dominat on the boards and in the paint in Maui. Gates is considered one of the best offensive rebounders in America and now he's starting to show signs of an improving offensive game. Gates was even sinking jumpers at one point versus Vanderbilt. Teams have questioned his consistency and effort in the past. But he was playing really hard in Maui. He could rocket up our draft board if he can keep it up all season.
# Finally, for our ultimate off-the-radar kid, check out Charles Garcia playing at Seattle U. The lanky big man has put up big numbers against teams like Oklahoma State, Portland, Fresno State and Utah. Garcia was originally slated to play at Washington, but didn't qualify academically. He transferred to Seattle from Riverside CC. Garcia is a talented, versatile big who is already popping up on the radar screen of NBA scouts. If he can clear what looks like a checkered background check, he could find a place in the NBA.
