Lies, Damn Lies, and Scouts

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2010/03/25/tourney-hype-means-little-nba/
It is titled “Tourney hype means little to NBA”

Terrence Williams 11th, Tyler Hansbrough 13th, Earl Clark 14th, Joe Alexander 8th, Corey Brewer 7th, Tyrus Thomas 4th… You have to love that this guy is the scout who didn’t buy the hype. Of course, he probably did. Then again, he is also saying Andrew Bogut is dominating, so maybe he is blind. The only difference in Bogut this year and any other is that he is healthy and his guards are getting him the number of touches they should. So that is another point off, but regardless, here are some of his reports

THE RISERS

Omar Samhan, Sr., Center, 6-11, St. Mary’s: “I’ve been hearing people say that if he really works on his body between now and the draft like (former UCLA star) Kevin Love did, he can be that type of player,” the scout said. “He does have kind of that Gumby body like Love had, but Love was far more skilled away from the basket, which is good for a kid who doesn’t explode to the hoop. That said, Samhan is really polished on the block on offense. I think he can make it, but to be a starter, all of that hard work he’s put in has to be coming even greater.”

Ryan Wittman, Sr., Small Forward, 6-7, Cornell: “Hey, he makes threes at about 43 percent and he shoots it easy, which tells you the deeper shot won’t be an issue,” the scout said of Randy Wittman’s kid. “He has good footwork curling off the down screen and a quick release. Probably doesn’t have the lateral quickness to guard most guys he’ll see in the NBA, but has the range to at least be invited to summer-league camps. Still a real longshot — and I don’t mean three-point shot — to get drafted.”

Jordan Crawford, Soph., Shooting Guard, 6-4, Xavier: “I have no idea if he’s coming out after this year or not,” the scout said. “He’s had two really efficient games, for him, in the tournament and he’s 21. But, frankly, I think he’s kind of selfish with the ball. He’s obviously Xavier’s main scoring option, but seeing him use an opponents’ defensive focus to create scoring opportunities for teammates is pretty infrequent. By the way, we all knew about Crawford before that video of him dunking against LeBron (James). For someone so focused on scoring, I’d like him more if his shot mechanics and body balance were more consistent. Kobe (Bryant) often sacrifices balance in an effort to get off shots, but his release is so consistent he sometimes gets away with it. If Crawford figures some things out, he has a chance. I hope playing well now doesn’t make him rush to come out.”

Quincy Pondexter, Sr., Swingman, 6-6, Washington: “He really seems to get it this year,” the scout said of the Huskies’ star. “I like how he competes, at both ends. He’s quick, has some bounce and can create a shot against a wide variety of guys. He’s a lot more efficient, which shows the value of staying in school. Kids … stay in school. Seriously, though, he truly has to improve his shooting range, because in the NBA, those tricky moves to the rim end up getting snuffed. I also really like that freshman, Abdul Gaddy, who’s a legit point guard who mostly is playing off the ball for Washington.”

THE ELITE

John Wall, Fr., Point Guard, 6-3, Kentucky: “Point guards don’t turn NBA teams immediately into champions,” the scout said, “unless they’re Magic Johnson and he was 6-9. Wall has the crazy wheels you want, he competes, he’s not afraid to make plays when the game is on the line and those turnovers he’s making figure to come down because NBA rules make it tougher to play team defense like college teams can. In an even more wide-open game than he’s in now, it’ll be hard to pass him up with the first pick.”

Evan Turner, Jr., Basketball Player, 6-7, Ohio State: “Yeah, he’s Mr. Versatility,” the scout said. “Can do a lot of things, competes pretty hard and really thinks of the team first. He’s not a premier athlete, but he’s not bad. With the right team in the right system, he can be a top-notch pro.”

DeMarcus Cousins, Fr., Center, 6-11, Kentucky: “He came to Kentucky with a nasty word called ‘baggage’ attached,” the scout said, “but if the NBA was limited to guys without baggage, you might have to be playing point guard for the Denver Nuggets. Teams will take a close look at him in interviews, but what we’re concerned with now is how hard he competes, which is pretty good, and his way-above-average combination of strength and lost-post foot work. Not a great athlete, in terms of jumping and running like Dwight Howard, but he can go pretty good up and down and his skill level, to me, is off the charts.”

Wesley Johnson, Jr., Small Forward, 6-7, Syracuse: “A premier athlete, he shoots it with range and competes on the glass,” the scout said. “Can he defend? He’s just OK in that Syracuse zone, which is a surprise, because his length and bounce should make him a killer in that thing. He’s decent at putting the ball on the deck for one or two bounces and up into his jumper, but he won’t be a big-time pro until he gets better at that.”

SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

Kyle Singler, Jr., Small Forward, 6-9, Duke: “He’s a classic frontcourt tweener,” the scout said. “If he were a little longer, he’d go pretty high as a skilled stretch-four, I think. He has pretty good skill with the ball, but a lack of quickness makes it tough for him to create separation from a defender, so he takes a lot of contested shots. He’s pretty tough, but will have a difficult time guarding guys at the three.”

Devin Ebanks, Soph., Small Forward, 6-9, West Virginia: “Da’Sean Butler is West Virginia’s best player,” the scout said, “and could end up being its best pro prospect if Ebanks doesn’t figure it out. He has enormous potential, has a lot of skill and athleticism, but he’s been pretty disappointing.”

Gordon Hayward, Soph., Small Forward, 6-8, Butler: “He’s really skilled and plays hard,” the scout said. “He was a guard in high school until a pretty big growth spurt and you can see those skills on display. He has pretty decent north-south speed for his size, but the lateral quickness, or lack of it, will make him a question on defense. But he’s a lot better at putting the ball on the floor and going vertically past a defender than some people think. He can shoot it, but sometimes has to take shots with guys in his grill. At the next level, whenever that is, he’ll be more of a guy who gets clean looks off of dribble penetration from a teammate.”

Ekpe Udoh, Jr., Power Forward, 6-10, Baylor: “This kid has really improved,” the scout said. “A pretty good, but not great athlete, he’ll compete on defense and on the boards. His offensive repertoire has expanded to the point where he can be a quality pro.”