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lalaila 12 years, 5 months ago.
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- Posted on: Tue, 11/29/2011 - 9:20pm #34061
lalailaParticipant - Posted on: Tue, 11/29/2011 - 9:41pm #610428
butidonthavemoneyWe’re still not even a full month into the college season and a number of huge games have been played. Scouts have been out in force for several weeks, checking in on draft prospects — but the highlight of the season will come a little later this week.
North Carolina and Kentucky will play each other Saturday. You can expect virtually every GM in the league to show up to watch what could be a whopping 12 NBA players competing in one college game. I’ll be in Lexington for the game as well.
In the meantime, here’s a quick look around the world based on notes I’ve collected from NBA GMs and scouts:
He’s No. 2?
UNC’s Harrison Barnes (Top 100 Rank: 2) continues to play well, but an ankle injury suffered in a shocking loss last weekend against UNLV has everyone sweating. Barnes says he’s fine, but if the Tar Heels hold him out against Wisconsin on Tuesday, there’s going to be some hand wringing. Still, as long as Barnes is healthy enough for his close-up on Saturday against Kentucky, all will be well. With UConn’s Andre Drummond (Top 100 Rank: 3) still looking more like a freshman than an NBA lottery pick, Barnes might have the No. 2 pick wrapped up if he stays healthy.
Last season many scouts thought Baylor’s Perry Jones (Top 100 Rank: 6) was a potential No. 1 pick. Jones, however, never quite lived up to the hype. He’s long, athletic and skilled, but his lack of assertiveness bothers scouts and his game just screamed "tweener." Jones worked hard on his post game all summer, and he’s finally ready to play. After serving a five-game suspension for accepting improper benefits, Jones will make his season debut Tuesday against Prairie View. If Jones can live up to the hype, he’s the guy who might have the best shot at catching Barnes for the No. 2 pick in the draft.
Stock check• UNC’s Tyler Zeller (Top 100 Rank: 17) is getting plenty of love as a potential lottery pick this year. But his younger brother, Indiana’s Cody Zeller (Top 100 Rank: 19) might actually be the better long-term prospect. In fact, he might be better right now. Through the first six games of the season, Cody is averaging 14.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.7 spg and shooting a ridiculous 73 percent from the field. His college PER is a whopping 34.22. Tyler is averaging 13.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.3 spg and shooting 46 percent from the field. His PER is a more pedestrian 20.94.
Yes, Tyler is playing on a team that has more options and yes, the Tar Heels have faced a tougher schedule to date. But virtually every scout I speak with says that Cody is the better prospect of the two. He’s more athletic, a better offensive player and is quite a bit ahead of his brother.
"If I was choosing between the two, I’d choose Cody," one scout said. "Tyler is big and runs the floor well, but I think Cody has a lot more to his game."
Sadly, the two won’t play head-to-head this season. But they’ll get close. Tyler’s Tar Heels play at Kentucky on Saturday and Cody’s Hoosiers follow up with a game versus the Wildcats a week later. How they play against potential No. 1 pick Anthony Davis might be the best measure yet of how the two stack up against each other.
• Florida’s Bradley Beal (Top 100 Rank: 4) came in with a rep as the next Eric Gordon. His long-range jumper hasn’t connected the way we thought it would through Florida’s first five games, but he’s been wowing with his rebounding. For an undersized 2-guard, Beal is averaging over six rebounds per game and has broken double digits twice. The shooting stroke will come back, but the rebounding seems to be an added gift to a player whose stock is already sky high.
• Syracuse sophomore Dion Waiters (Top 100 Rank: 51) might be coming off the bench for the Orange, but he’s already drawing raves from NBA scouts who feel like he’s got a little Tyreke Evans to his game. Waiters is a strong physical guard who knows how to get to and finish at the rim. Strong games against Virginia Tech and Stanford in front of a number of NBA scouts have put him firmly on the map. There are serious questions about his jump shot and attitude, but the talent is there for him to be a potential first-round pick.
• Seniors never seem to get much love these days, but here are two to keep an eye on: Marquette’s Darius Johnson-Odom (Top 100 Rank: 53) and Alabama’s JaMychal Green (Top 100 Rank: 55). Both have had strong starts for their respective teams. If both can keep up the strong play all season, they could sneak into the late first round the same way Marquette’s Jimmy Butler did last year.
Uh-Oh
Freshman wing Le’Bryan Nash (Top 100 Rank: 22) is playing like … well … a freshman. Coming out of high school, Nash, with his Ron Artest-like body, was billed as one of the most physically ready players in the country. But so far, Nash can’t get anything going. He’s shooting 35 percent from the field and 17 percent from 3-point range. After beginning the season as a starter, Nash is now coming off the bench. In the Cowboys’ latest loss, against Virginia Tech, he played just 11 minutes and didn’t score a basket. It’s way too early to start writing off a freshman, but so far Nash has been a major disappointment.
Everyone’s feeling a little sorry right now for Minnesota’s Trevor Mbakwe. Mbakwe, coming off a stellar junior season and an excellent summer, had established himself as a potential first-round pick thanks to his rebounding, size and toughness. But an ACL tear suffered over the weekend will end his season and likely end his dreams of being a first-round pick in next year’s draft.
Sleepers
The guy with the best PER in college basketball is Creighton’s Doug McDermott (Top 100 Rank: 82). Until now, McDermott’s claim to fame was being Harrison Barnes’ high school teammate. But after a strong freshman year and solid play for Team USA in the under-19 championships, McDermott is on the radar of NBA teams. For a while, the concern about McDermott was that he was a tweener. But his improving perimeter game combined with his high basketball IQ are changing minds.
A number of NBA scouts took a detour home from the Maui Invitational to watch Weber State guard Damian Lillard (Rank: 81) take on the St. Mary’s Gaels. Weber State lost the game, but Lillard wowed, scoring 36 points on 11-for-18 shooting from the field. Lillard is posting career highs in points, rebounds and shooting percentage this season. He’s quick, has long arms, is shooting the ball well and can score from anywhere on the floor. While he’s a bit of a tweener, a number of NBA scouts feel he’s one of the real sleepers in this draft. He’s got big games coming up at BYU and Cal in December. After Cleveland State’s Norris Cole snuck into the first round this year, could Lillard do the same?
– By Chad Ford
0 - Posted on: Tue, 11/29/2011 - 11:43pm #610435
lalailaParticipantthank you so much !
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