SB Nation - Gerald Henderson

Harrison Barnes - There's No Place Like Home

Evan Pfaff — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:28:32 -0000

I would like to branch out on a topic I read in Dan Shanoff's Wake Up Call (which if you don't read gives you a great daily snapshot on the day that is in sports).

Shanoff asked why Ames, IA product, and consensus #1 recruit, Harrison Barnes, would shy away from his hometown Iowa State Cyclones and learn towards playing basketball at Duke and North Carolina.

Shanoff asks "given that Barnes is obviously a one-and-done player, why not stay home, be The Guy and try to do something special in-state. At Duke or UNC, he's just another star recruit."

I LOVE THIS TRAIN OF THOUGHT!

Barnes is in an atypical situation, one in where he hails from a college-town that hosts a school in a top flight conference. One where the program hasn't had a winning conference record since Barnes was in 7^th grade.

Now having grown up in a college town myself, I can tell you that all everyone ever talks about in the city is the school. Mothers and grandmothers, who otherwise wouldn't care about sports know the names of the starting QB and PG at the school. Any day you walk the halls of any high school in a college town you will see 50% of the kids wearing gear from the school. The school is the city and the city is the school.

Barnes has the passion for his home school, even though he might not realize it yet. Regardless of where he goes he will come back to visit friends in the future and go to an ISU football or basketball game. In the very least he will follow them in the papers and talk about them in passing to casual acquaintances.

And forget about how he can help them in his one year, he can help the future of the program as well. He can take the school and put it on the mind of all the AAU and summer camp circuit players he interacts with. If he becomes what they think he might, he can be the greatest recruiting tool the school has ever seen.

Think Michael Beasley and how he put K State on the map. Barnes can do the same thing, but with more credibility because of his local upbringing.

If basketball doesn't pan out, because he will have grown up with everyone in Ames, he will be able to be the poster child for the school, instead of another in a line of "what ifs" If basketball does pan out, then all the more reason why he would want to be the face of a program and school.

And it isn't like he won't get national publicity by staying home. Sure, Dickie V might not scream his name as loud as if he were in the ACC, but Big Monday would pick up an inordinate amount of Cyclones games and he would get his national press when he starts performing.

Now just to clarify, I am not saying that every one and doner should go to a school that has been struggling. I am saying that in Barnes' situation, the clear minded, obvious choice is to remain at home... have some home cooking... hang out with friends for another year... then make the same tens of millions of dollars you would by going to Duke or Carolina.

I don't have any precise stats, but I can't imagine that going to either of the ACC powerhouses increases your draft chances. Last year the first Duke player (Gerald Henderson) went 12^th and the top Tar Heel (Tyler Hansbrough) went 13^th. This was after kids were drafted out of non-powerhouse schools like Arizona State and Davidson.

The year before nobody was drafted from either school and in 2007 a Tar Heel went #8, but Duke didn't have a name called until the 37^th pick... long after NBA commish David Stern had handed over his podium duties.

In that 2007 draft before Josh Roberts' name was called with that 37^th pick, players from school such as Washington, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Eastern Washington, Colorado State, DePaul, Rice, Oregon, Wisconsin, Purdue, Nevada and Alabama were called.

If you are telling me that someone from Eastern Washington could be drafted ahead of the first Blue Devil, I am telling you that your choice of school has zero impact on your draft status.

If Barnes goal was to finish out his degree, that would also be a different story. Duke is one of the top educational institutions in the nation, and Carolina regularly ranks near the top of best public universities, so going to either of those for a degree would make sense. However, from all reports, he wont be there 4 years, and probably wont even make it to his second year, so the educational aspect should have no bearing on his decision.

So, with all that said, I see no reason that Harrison Barnes should attend any university outside of his hometown. Although having him outside of the Big 12 North may give my alma matter, Mizzou, a better chance at 2 more Ws.

Poll

If you were in Harrison Barnes' shoes would you:

2009-10 Team Previews: Duke Blue Devils

Zach B — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:00:51 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

Coach K has brought Team USA a gold medal the olympics but it has been many years since he cut down the nets in March. Can this group get him back to college basketball glory? (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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To get you familiar with Duke, here is a look at our preseason preview of the Blue Devils that we posted months ago. -ZB

Even though Gonzaga basically opens their season schedule with Tom Izzo and a perennial powerhouse in Michigan State, it probably isn't the game that most Zag fans have circled on their schedule. There are teams, programs, and coaches that, no matter where they are at currently, are looked upon as belonging at another level. We see this especially in college sports. In football, you have timeless programs like Alabama, Penn State, Texas, USC, and the Florida schools. These programs have all had struggles in recent history but there reputations are so good that everyone knows it is only a matter of time before they are back. It's the same in college basketball with programs like Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA, and maybe even Michigan State. These programs are so revered that you really have to take notice when your school plays them, no matter if they are 20-2 or 2-20, the name on the front of the jersey is still the same.

Duke teams of old have been oriented towards excelling in the backcourt and putting out a frontcourt that was serviceable enough to get rebounds and play solid defense. Guys like JJ Redick, Gerald Henderson, DeMarcus Nelson, Daniel Ewing, Dahntay Jones, and Jay Williams have all been great guards in this program and they carried Coach K and this program for a while. This year's edition of the Duke Blue Devils has talent on the outside but they will be relying more on their forwards and centers more than they ever have in recent memory. Coach K brought in two solid big men prospects that have versatility but are most comfortable beneath the basket. Greg Paulus has moved on from basketball to football and that means that backcourt will take on a little different look. You'll recognize the names John Scheyer and Nolan Smith but this could be a breakout year for both as they are no longer forced to play out of position. While the changes in the backcourt and the additions in the frontcourt will be huge for the Blue Devils, this season will come down to the man that doesn't really fit any position, Kyle Singler. The All-American candidate is one of the most versatile players in the nation and finally, after two seasons at Duke, he is playing his natural position.

Last Season: It's difficult to categorize what kind of season it was for Duke a year ago. The Blue Devils were, as usual, one of the most hyped schools heading into the season. The came out of the gates with a top five ranking and hit the ground running. The played a pretty difficult early season schedule with two games against Michigan, and games against Purdue, Xavier, Davidson, and Georgetown. They split their match ups with Michigan, steamrolled Xavier and Purdue, and never were seriously threatened by Georgetown or Davidson. They headed into the ACC with only one loss on their books and would go on to lose five in conference play. The tough part is that they lost both regular season contests with the Tarheels of North Carolina. They got some revenge in the ACC Tournament as they won three tight contests with Boston College, Maryland, and Florida State to cut down the nets. They entered the NCAA Tournament with a great head of steam and were a two seed. After dominating #15 seed Binghamton and narrowly escaping and upset-minded Texas team, Duke had reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since '06. Duke had been led by the great play of Gerald Henderson, Jon Scheyer, and Kyle Singler but in the Sweet Sixteen, they vanished. A very hot Villanova team absolutely annihilated the Devils 77-54 and ended their season in bitter disappointment.

New Faces: Duke brought in three new excellent freshman prospects to help reinvigorate a team that hadn't had a whole lot of fresh blood in a while. The most impressive new face for the Blue Devils thus far appears to be Mason Plumlee. A 6'10'' forward, Plumlee is an offensive minded big man who actually plays in the paint. He will be able to give Duke something it hasn't had in a long time, a legitamate low post scoring presence. If his brother, Miles can continue to mature, the Plumlee brothers will have outstanding futures in Durham. The next new face is Ryan Kelly. Kelly was the higher rated prospect out of high school but he came down with a sickness earlier this year that forced him to lose a lot of weight and he is still coming back into his own after that. It remains to be seen whether or not Ryan will be able to contribute this season for the Blue Devils. Early indications are that the skill is there, but his body is just not ready for an ACC schedule. When it's all said and done, his upside may be more exciting but Mason is more ready for instant contribution. The last new face that will factor in this season is Andre Dawkins. Dawkins is a guy that many have you have probably heard of because he was able to complete high school in three years and enrolled in Duke a year before he was expected. Dawkins is a bona fide, big time scorer. His ability to get to the basket and make plays is what made him a big time recruit. He's a year younger than most freshman so the learning curve will be a little more steep for him but thus far he has impressed Duke fans with his maturity. It's a toss up between Dawkins and Plumlee to see who has the greater impact but don't be surprised to see the young freshman Dawkins become a serious contributor right away.

Players to Watch: There always seems to be that one guy at Duke or Carolina that just fits the program well and seems to never graduate. For Duke, that player is Kyle Singler and this is 100% his team this season. Singler was one of the most highly recruited players in his class when he came to Durham and he has lived up to the bill. A season ago Singler was Duke's co-leading scorer with 16.5 points a game and for the most part, he has been a model of consistency. The past two seasons, he has been forced to play down near the basket as more of a power forward but this year, thanks to the arrival of Mason Plumlee and the expected big year for Miles Plumlee, Singler will be able to move back to the small forward spot. He'll play exclusively on the perimeter for Coach K and this should make his efficiency skyrocket. The next player, or players to watch will be the Duke backcourt. The Blue Devils don't really have a natural point guard but Jon Scheyer proved a season ago that he can make it work. Scheyer is an outstanding decision maker and Duke really played their best when he was at the point. The other side of the coin is Nolan Smith. Smith is now going to play exclusively as the off-guard which is his natural spot and reports are that the people of Durham expect big things from Mr. Smith. In years past he was more of a shooter and not a scorer but with the switch, Nolan should add a whole new dimension to his game.

Concerns: Whenever you play Duke, there are going to be a wealth of concerns. Few programs have had the staying power of this program and the general consensus is that as long as Coach K is there, Duke will always be great. They are also a veteran dominated team. Scheyer is a senior, Smith and Singler are juniors, and the Plumlee brothers are young but will have time to develop. They will also benefit from veteran big men Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek still being around to give them great depth. The major concern for Gonzaga is combating this veteran core and trying to slow down Kyle Singler. I think may would pencil him in on their first team All-American ballots right now because his production the last two years has been sensational and when you think that he did all that while playing out of position, it is truly astounding. There will also be a lot of pressure on Gonzaga's guards to outplay Duke's backcourt. This is another game where both team's lowpost players are a total question mark so it is important for Bouldin and Gray to get off to a big start. Demetri Goodson's defense on Scheyer will also be huge.

What we are watching for: There are going to be a lot of exciting and terrifying match ups during this game for Gonzaga. I'll be very interested to see how Coach K decides to guard Demetri Goodson. The major caveat with having Scheyer run the point for Duke is that he is not a quick defender so this is a match up that Meech can really exploit if he chooses to. Another interesting coaching decision will be how Coach Few plays Kyle Singler and how that affects the rest of the lineup. More than likely this match up will probably go to freshman Elias Harris. His athleticism and versatility should be a very good match for Singler. If this happens, Andy Poling and Rob Sacre better be ready to play quality minutes because the Plumlee brothers will start in the post and they both go 6'10''. With Elias now playing the small forward, Gonzaga's frontcourt could be severely depleted. This isn't a problem that only Gonzaga will have to deal with. Singler is going to give teams fits all season long.

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- UK-Louisville Rivalry Heating Up

Truzenzuzex — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:59:34 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

"I thought I got rid of Calipari back in 2005..."

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The big news today is the rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville that has been growing like an out-of-control wildfire since John Calipari came to Kentucky. Not only do Calipari and Pitino have a personal rivalry that dates back to their Conference USA days, but that is multiplied by the historical rivalry between Louisville and Kentucky which is just looking for any excuse to explode. The genesis of the intense part of the rivalry was that Calipari was apparently making public comments directed at the officials before a 2003 game which culminated in a Louisville loss in which Memphis shot 48 free throws. Pitino publicly chastised Calipari, calling him "amateurish and unprofessional." The rivalry further heated up when Louisville bolted CUSA for the Big East, and refused to continue their contractual obligations to play Memphis.

I think that was an example of Pitino at his worst. Louisville and Memphis were a great rivalry for many years in CUSA, and fans of both schools really looked forward to that annual series. But Pitino, in a fit of pique, put an end to a great series that never should have been discontinued, arguably just to hurt Calipari. I think that both men have acted out a bit to stoke the fires of the rivalry, but perhaps only because of my Big Blue Shades, I think Pitino's behavior was more unfortunate. Calipari now has an opportunity to get some measure of payback if he wants it. I'm sure he would deny it to anyone who would ask, but it is human nature to want to defeat rivals in every possible way, especially not-particularly-friendly rivals, for which the Pitino-Calipari rivalry definitely qualifies.

Now, the players are getting into the act, at least here in Louisville. The Courier-Journal reports today that Jerry Smith and Edgar Sosa have apparently been hearing it from somewhere (ostensibly, but not necessarily from UK fans), and are feeling a bit motivated by it all. Obviously, as the team on the outs for the last several years, UK is anxious to return this series to one to look forward to instead of one to fear, and the suddenly powerful Wildcats have UK fans smelling blood in the water. The Calipari-Pitino angle is just going to raise the tension, and the stakes, to a fever pitch, especially this year. While the coaches continue to downplay the rivalry in comments to the media, there is no doubt that tension between these two men has been well-documented, and it is hard to believe it has simply dried up and blown away.

The Louisville-Kentucky game this year will be among the most anticipated since the very first dream game in 1983, and rightfully so. While the hiring of Rick Pitino by Louisville produced a very intense game in 2001, the 2009 game is likely to eclipse that game by a wide margin, both for UK fans and Louisville fans. Louisville fans have not forgotten John Calipari from the CUSA days, and seeing him leading the hated Blue and White will likely stoke their passion to levels unattainable by any other sports event.

"Interesting" doesn't begin to describe the upcoming game. It will certainly eclipse the Duke-UNC rivalry, at least for this year and possibly for a long time to come, as the most anticipated college basketball rivalry game of the year. Since I have been a Kentucky fan, this is quite possibly the most anticipated college basketball game I can remember since #5 Kentucky faced #3 Duke in the regional final in 1998, and is likely to eclipse even that on.

Now, the rest of the news:

UK Basketball News

Coach Cal on Meeks, Summer Workouts, and Roster
Nice interview with Coach Calipari.
Brandon Knight and Tobias Harris visit other schools
Bluegrass State Basketball has the scoop.
Jaylen Beckham of Lexington Catholic #36 for 2012
UK recruit Perry Ellis from Wichita, Kansas is #1.
Sewickley native Calipari achieves dream
Calipari's home state newspaper writes about Calipari achieving his dream:

"'I think he gets a bad reputation because he's a great recruiter and everyone assumes that he's doing something illegal,' said former Central Catholic star Jim McCoy, who played for Calipari at Massachusetts from 1988-92. 'I highly doubt that's the case.'"

I think this is exactly right.
Ex-Kentucky student Pilgrim to visit Memphis
"[Matt Pilgrim] did not want to leave [Kentucky]. And that's one of the reasons why sources told CBSSports.com that Calipari is working with new Memphis coach Josh Pastner to make this likely transition go as smoothly as possible. According to sources, Calipari and Pastner have been in contact, and Calipari has told Pastner he will not only release Pilgrim to Memphis, but that he will back Pilgrim's expected request of a waiver that, if granted, would allow Pilgrim to play for the Tigers this season. "

I hope that request is granted, and that we are never in this situation again.

UK Football News

Kentucky greats, Couch and Yeast, discuss Newton
Great to see Couch and Yeast commenting on Newton. Lots of good highlights. Don't miss it.
Kentucky coach Brooks calls for more enforcement
"Brooks doesn't believe that self-reported, secondary violations are always inadvertent missteps. He believes there may be more afoot as some programs try to get an upper hand in recruiting.

"I think that some of these things are not accidental," Brooks said on the News Sentinel's radio show, The Sports Page. Brooks called for changes in enforcement, saying that will keep the amount of secondary violations from growing."

I think Brooks has a point. These repeated "secondary" violations look like abuse to me, and its time to deal more harshly with them, particularly with repeat offenders.
UK football notebook: More Cats arriving on campus
"There had been some eligibility questions regarding junior-college signees Chris Matthews and DeQuin Evans, but both players have now arrived from Harbor College in California and are on campus and enrolled for the second summer session."

Great news for Brooks & Co
John Clay: Ranking Kentucky's last 10 football coaches
I think he has it about right.
Fame might sneak up on UK tackle Peters
"While most players with his size and talent level visualize being the next Warren Sapp, his dream job is to become another Coach Carter. 'The NFL was never really my goal," Peters said. 'You hear all these young players coming up like, 'I gotta make it; I gotta make it.' I never thought like that. My goal was to be a teacher. My parents always put it in my head that football was just a game.'"

What a level-headed player. Good for him.

Other UK Sports News

Former UK long-jumper takes gold at U.S. championships
Congratulations to Dwight Phillips, former Wildcat.

NCAA Sports News

Eric Crawford takes a whack at the NCAA
He makes good points. The NCAA has become a giant billboard for corporate sponsors that happens to put on athletic events.

Other News of Interest

Packing heat in church
Offered without comment.

The Daily Schadenfreude

Dookies unhappy with Williams' departure
"There’s no getting around the fact that losing Elliot Williams hurts. It hurts the defense and it especially hurts depth. Three guards was iffy but doable; two is really bad news. Add to that the fact that Duke lost all their other midsize players from last year except for Jon Scheyer - Gerald Henderson, Dave McClure, Marty Pocius, and now Williams are gone. It’s a big hit."

Heh.

SBNation NBA Mock Draft, Pick #12: Charlotte Bobcats

Scott Schroeder — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:00:24 -0000

With the 12th pick in the 2009 SBNation Mock Draft, the Charlotte Bobcats, represented by David Arnott from Rufus on Fire, select... (Drum Roll please)

From Arnott: Gerald Henderson.

The Bobcats need a defensive stopper more than anything else out of their two guard slot, and Henderson is the player on the board most likely to fit that role. Paired with DJ Augustin, he won't be required to score much at first, but could develop into a better than average scorer off the dribble within the next few years. He'd likely come off the bench this year and would have the opportunity to start when Raja Bell leaves following the season.

And more from IcemanCometh, who loves him some Dookies: During his career at Duke, Henderson displayed the kind of defensive ability that the Bobcat's need at this position, often using his length and strength to press ball-handlers, cut into passing lanes, and battle down low on the block. During his junior season, Henderson's offensive production picked up as well, making for a terriffic showing during the ACC season in which he averaged 19.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and a team high 1.0 block. Offensively Henderson came into his own during the 2008-09 season, often using his speed and athleticism to get to the rim, as well as showing a much improved mid-range and three point shooting game. While Henderson will not be a go-to scorer in the NBA, he should be able to put his toughness, athleticism, and defensive ability to good use on this Bobcat's team next year.

The 2009 SB Nation Mock Draft thus far:

1. Los Angeles Clippers - Clips Nation: Blake Griffin

2. Memphis Grizzlies - 3 Shades of Blue: Ricky Rubio

3. Oklahoma City Thunder - Welcome to Loud City: James Harden

4. Sacramento Kings - Sactown Royalty: Tyreke Evans

5. Washington Wizards - Bullets Forever: Hasheem Thabeet

6. Minnesota Timberwolves - Canis Hoopus: Stephen Curry

7. Golden State Warriors - Golden State of Mind: Brandon Jennings

8. New York Knicks - Posting and Toasting: Jrue Holiday

9. Toronto Raptors - Holly MacKenzie: DeMar DeRozan

10. Milwaukee Bucks - BrewHoop: Jordan Hill

11. New Jersey Nets - Aisander "IcemanCometh" Duda - Jonny Flynn

DaJuan Doin' Work: "My Stock is Rising."

CasualHoya — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:37:26 -0000

Check out this solid link to our main man at a workout with the Charlotte Bobcats on June 5th.

Nice pull up jumper! Way to use the glass!

The juice is in the Q&A session afterwards:

"Coach (Larry) Brown is a teacher, so if you make a mistake he doesn't allow you to keep making that mistake. He stops you and teaches you to do it the right way."

Hey, folks. Anyone remember how our season ended in the NIT against Baylor? Well, if you don't, here's a brief refresher:

The Bears opened 3 for 3 from the field to start the second half, while the Hoyas opened with a pair of misses from Dajuan Summers, and within 1:34, the 10 point lead was down to two and the game was on. Baylor led briefly before the Hoyas began to move the ball back inside to carve out a narrow lead, but its defense could not stop Baylor from repeated drives along the baseline, alley-oop dunks and close-in jumpers.

Do you remember who was guarding that guy who repeatedly was on the receiving end of those alley-oops? (Hint: It wasn't Derrick Brown, the kid from Xavier also featured in the Bobcats workout video.)

Repeated drives. Alley-oop dunks. Close-in jumpers.

Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Chad Ford ranks Summers in Tier 4 of the prospects in this year's Draft and still has him slated at #24 to the Blazers in his latest Mock Draft:

Tier 4

DeJuan Blair
Earl Clark
Austin Daye
Tyler Hansbrough
Gerald Henderson
Brandon Jennings
James Johnson
Ty Lawson
Eric Maynor
B.J. Mullens
DaJuan Summers
Jeff Teague
Terrence Williams
Sam Young

Note: This is a huge tier and shows the parity in the draft. Theoretically, teams are saying you can get the same quality player at 11 that you will get at 24. This is where the real depth of the draft is. A few players like Blair, Clark, Hansbrough, Henderson, Jennings, Johnson, Teague and Williams were unanimous selections. Summers was borderline between here and Tier 5.

Elsewhere, CNNSI.com's Ian Thomsen continues to show DaJuan no love in his Mock, while over at rotoworld.com, DaJuan just sneaks into the 1st round at #30 to the Cavs.

Personally I hope the Knicks take him at #8.

Casually.

Poll

You are playing third base and have a hard 12. The dealer has a 6.

Hit

33 votes

Stay

44 votes

77 votes | Poll has closed

Sunday Notes: McKinney on the draft, Joe's year, Ilyasova update

Frank Madden — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:00:52 -0000

Bucks.com: Billy McKinney talks draft. There's some standard chit-chat with Josh Heytvelt and Josh Shipp to start, but the more interesting stuff is from Bucks Director of Scouting Billy McKinney (starts about 1:20 in). It's certainly possible McKinney is BSing a bit, and I wouldn't expect him to speak poorly of any players, but if taken at face value it does provide a little bit on insight on what the Bucks are thinking. On guys improving their stock:
Each week based on the workouts that happened--Golden State, Minnesota, there's one happening in New Jersey on the 12th--some guys step out.

Gerald Henderson, for example, is a guy who has really improved his stock. Jrue Holiday has improved his stock as well. Omri Casspi, who played overseas, has really helped himself quite a bit...Sam Young [as well]. As the draft unfolds, different guys will rise up in the draft, and if that happens then usually a guy will slip back that will make the draft more intriguing. So we've got 20 more days and there will be a lot of different scenarios that come about as a result.
On Pitt PF DeJuan Blair, who's coming in next Wednesday:
What I like about him...I'd be here all day. He's tough, he rebounds, he understands the game. He's a true power forward, and you look around the NBA and you see so many teams playing with smaller lineups. And here's a guy that's not the biggest guy in the world but he plays his position great. He rebounds, he defends, he'll block shots, he'll operate out of the low post, he's a good passer, and he plays the game with a passion.
Responding to whether Blair's lack of ideal height worries the Bucks:
No, it doesn't for this reason. If you look at the NBA, and people are always enamored with size, it's great to have it. But you can look at an NBA game at any time and see three players on the floor that might be guards. And a lot of teams are playing with smaller lineups now. So if you can get a big player with size that's great, but you look at the NBA, I don't think size is as big of a factor as people make it unless you're playing against a Shaquille or Yao Ming, but those guys are really exceptions to the rule.
Times West Virginian: Alexander learns from rough rookie year. After a rough rookie year, Joe Alexander isn't a guy lacking motivation at the moment...and assuming he's still a Buck come November, I'm actually kinda optimistic he'll be much improved. Even if he doesn't justify his lottery pick status, it won't be for a lack of effort.

"The biggest difference is that when you are a professional you take ownership of yourself and your career. It all involves exceeding expectations," Alexander said.

He could run and jump with anyone in the league. Not outrun and outjump them, as often he could in college, but he was their equal, but still he found himself sinking into the quicksand for exactly the same reason he had a slow start on his college career.

"I was far behind," he said. "They were so much more experienced that I was. They were doing crafty veteran tricks."

It wasn’t quite like he found players standing on his feet when he was about to jump or grabbing hold of his shorts as he was about to cut, but the game was just totally different.

"In the NBA basketball is a game of chess. It’s not a track meet," he said.
Hartford Courant: The Fabulous Villanueva Brothers. A little more from CV's trip to ESPN last week, including some background on his brothers. There's also this:

"I'd like to go to a team where there is a large Hispanic following like Orlando or Los Angeles, but no well-known Hispanic player," said the 24-year-old, whose parents are from the Dominican Republic.
"We'll see what happens at the draft at the end of the month," he said. "It's all about business."
FCB.com: Barcelona a game away from Spanish finals. We've been bringing you updates on Ersan Ilyasova's exploits in Spain all year, so apologies for totally forgetting about him for a couple weeks. Barca is currently tied at a game apiece in their semifinal best-of-three matchup with Unicaja, with the decisive third game in Barcelona tomorrow (watch here for links). The winner will face defending champs TAU Ceramica, who defeated Real Madrid in three games.

Ilyasova was a non-factor in Barcelona's 70-62 opening win, then had 11 points and six boards in an 82-75 loss. Ersan has come off the bench in the last four games as Aussie big David Andersen has been getting more burn.

Bobcats Pre-draft Workout Video: Stephen Curry, Danny Green, Gerald Henderson

David Arnott — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:35:58 -0000

There really isn't much to see in the last fifteen minutes of an NBA team's pre-draft workout. Thursday morning, I went to the Bobcats' workout with Stephen Curry, Toney Douglas, Danny Green, Gerald Henderson, KC Rivers, and Garrett Temple. As you can tell from the video below, which I shot for The Baseline, figuring out which 20-year-old is going to be a pillar of your franchise for the next decade from having them run back and forth and shooting with no defense seems like a futile exercise.

Sure, there are identifiable differences between the players. Watch Curry in the video. You won't see him miss a shot, because he didn't miss any. I can really tell from the video is that Toney Douglas is nowhere near the caliber of shooter as Stephen Curry, which you can see from the segments where they shoot side by side. We didn't get to see any of the defensive drills, and even if we had, what good does a defensive drill do if you don't have a five on five situation to work with?

A single workout is such a small sliver of performance that we can't really tell anything meaningful. Even if Curry picked up Larry Brown's instructions more quickly than anyone else, so what? NBA players have all the time in the world to devote to the game, and if one guy doesn't learn as fast as another in a "classroom" setting, that doesn't necessarily mean that the bar is lower for what can be expected of him. It's just that he'll have to work longer hours, and he might actually be capable of doing more.

In any event, enjoy the video, because it has footage of Curry showing that, in a confined and controlled practice environment, he's an extremely impressive NBA prospect. After the action footage, stick around for clips from the post-workout interview scrums.

Stephen Curry with a Putback Slam

David Arnott — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:48:16 -0000

Yesterday, I broached the topic of Stephen Curry vs. The Field when it comes to who the Bobcats have at the top of their wish list in the draft. Personally, among the players I've seen, I'm thoroughly in the Ricky Rubio camp (we won't get him), and then it's all just a jumbled mess from there, mainly because I saw Curry and Gerald Henderson and Wayne Ellington four or five times each and everyone else once or, maybe, twice. I'm an NBA guy, after all.

Curry's going to have to be a point guard in the pros, and my point about his better-than-expected athleticism isn't just about how he'll fare off the ball, but with the ball, too. Today, Stephen Curry did more to prove to me that he deserves to be picked by a lottery team. My day gig is with SportingNews.com, and I was fortunate enough to get the call to shoot video at the Bobcats' workout this morning for Curry, Henderson, Danny Green, and several others. Below is footage I shot for The Baseline showing Curry leaping up for a putback slam off a missed shot.

This is huge. It's not in a game. It's not in traffic. And it's not even particularly impressive for a guard, but there are plenty of NBA guards without the hops necessary to dunk in practice, let alone in games. Curry's shooting ability is undeniable, but if he has this kind of athleticism in practice, it bodes well for the development of his finishing skills in games against NBA big men.

After the rest of the edited footage goes up, I'll talk about what we can see of that workout on tape.

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Don't forget:

Coming and Going - A Look at ACC Basketball in 2009-10, Pt. I

Ben Broman — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:25:02 -0000

This is a project that we as a blog have been working on for quite awhile. Yes, it's out of order (shouldn't a football preview be here?), but Maryland's a basketball school first and foremost, dagnabbit! Plus, we got the idea during March Madness and just ran with it. All three of us put in work on it, with homertuck bearing the brunt of it, and there's a boatload of raw data behind it, which you'll see in a few days.

Below, you'll find a team-by-team analysis of what exactly is being lost - through graduation, the NBA, or Europe -and who exactly is coming in - ie, the recruiting class, and their rankings - for each ACC basketball team. A couple of predictions accompany this. We realize that a lot could change between now and November, which is why we include three different possible predictions - a Best Case, a Worst Case, and our own prediction, a fusion of the two.

While we realize that basketball doesn't use the divisions, reading 12 of these reports at once is darn near impossible. For that reason, and the lack of a clear division of basketball teams, we borrowed the divisions concept from football. Today, we break down the six Atlantic teams: Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Tomorrow, check back to see the Coastal Division. On Thursday, we'll publish a companion piece of sorts - a visual aid, loaded with graphs to help you make sense of all this.

So, without any further ado, make the jump and get to reading.

Duke

2009 Recruiting Class:
Mason Plumlee 6' 11" Center: 98 grade
Ryan Kelly 6' 10" Forward: 97 grade

With Jon Scheyer going into his senior season and Greg Paulus already gone, many Terp fans may be wondering what awkward-looking white player they'll have to root against in the future. Have no fear: Coach K is bringing in two of them for next season in Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee. The bad news: Kelly and Plumlee are ranked #20 and #55 overall by Rivals, respectively.

Overall Class Ranking: #9 (ESPN), #9 (Scout)

Players lost to graduation/NBA/Europe:
Greg Paulus (G) - Graduation (4.9 ppg)
David McClure (F) - Graduation (1.9 ppg)
Gerald Henderson (G-F) - NBA (16.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg)

Overall, Duke doesn't lose too much next season, especially when compared with other ACC schools. They only lose 28% of their three-point baskets, 35% of their assists, 24% of their blocks, 30% of their points, 26% of their rebounds, and 24% of their steals. Maryland and Virginia are the only other schools that lose less than Duke, and that is in Maryland's best case scenario of Vasquez returning. Add in the fact that Duke brings in a good true center in Mason Plumlee and a nice forward to replace part of the void lost by Gerald Henderson, and the Blue Devils again look like a possibly scary team in 2009-2010. Duke's only other loses aside from Henderson are back up point guard Greg Paulus and seldom used forward David McClure. Also, watch out for the development of Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer (pictured with a traditional Scheyerface). The man with the funny faces really improved towards the second half of last season and he'll be counted on to pick up the 16.5 ppg lost by the departure of Henderson.

Best Case - Duke is Duke, Plumlee is actually a good white guy center that isn't a bust for Duke, and the Blue Devils actually show up in the NCAA tournament and make it to the elite eight under the leadership of Scheyer and Singler. The Blue Devils dominate the ACC, and rack up a 13-3 ACC record.

Worst Case - Plumlee and Kelly are two more awkward looking white guy busts, Scheyer quits the team after seeing thousands of pictures of his face again at the Comcast Center, and Duke again fails to make it past the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament after having a 10-6 ACC season.

Testudo Times Prediction - Duke is Duke but doesn't live up to the media hype yet again. The Blue Devils finish with a 12-4 ACC record, continue their dominance and win the ACC tournament, and then bow out of the NCAA tournament in the sweet 16.

Georgia Tech

2009 Recruiting Class:

Derrick Favors 6' 9" Power Forward: 98 grade
Mfon Udofia 6' 2" Point Guard: 93 grade
Kammeon Holsey 6' 8" Power Forward: 92 grade
Daniel Miller 6' 10" Center: 91 grade
Glen Rice Jr. 6' 4" Shooting Guard: 89 grade
Brian Oliver 6' 6" Small Forward: 87 grade

Georgia Tech's recruiting class is highlighted by one name: Derrick Favors (pictured below). Rivals' third best player in the country is most likely a "one and done" but he's joined by five others, including three who are ranked in Rivals' top 80.

Overall Class Ranking: #7 (ESPN), #5 (Scout)

Players lost to graduation/NBA/Europe:
Lewis Clinch (G) - Graduation (15.5 ppg)
Bassirou Dieng (C-F) - Graduation (1.2 ppg)
Gary Cage (G) - Graduation (0.7 ppg)
Alade Aminu (F) - Graduation (11.8 ppg, 8 rpg)
Gani Lawal (F) - Undecided (15.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg)

Georgia Tech had a tough year in 2009-2010, limping to an 11-18 (2-14 ACC) record. But Tech's head coach Paul Hewitt is hoping to erase memories of last season by bringing in a top 10 recruiting class to replace four departing seniors and possibly sophomore Gani Lawal. Hewitt survived the 2-14 ACC performance of last year but if he doesn't start to produce, the natives might become restless and attack - where do you think they'll go first? For Hewitt's head. Whether or not Lawal returns will have a huge impact on the success of the Yellow Jackets in 2009-2010. If Lawal does come back, Tech will lose 33% of their point production from last season but if he doesn't return to school, that number jumps up to 54%. A similar story holds true for rebounding where the return of Lawal means Tech only loses 28% of their rebounding if Lawal is back. But if Lawal leaves, that number will pump up to 56%.

Best Case - Tech's young guys perform at a very high level and bully around some of the other ACC teams to a 10-6 record.

Worst Case - Lawal leaves and Favors doesn't live up to their hype. Tech improves on last year, but finishes 5-11 in ACC play.

Testudo Times Prediction: Paul Hewitt might have saved his job by bringing in a top ten recruiting class following last season's horrible 2-14 ACC finish. Even though injuries might have played a role in that final record, the head coach is normally the one who gets the axe, no matter how valid the excuse might be. With their new recruiting class coming in, this will be a very different Tech team. Expect the Yellow Jackets to improve by 7 wins in 2009-2010, finishing with a solid 9-7 ACC record and returning to the NCAA tournament.

Miami

2009 Recruiting Class:

Durand Scott 6' 5" Shooting Guard: 93 grade
Garrius Adams 6' 5" Shooting Guard: 91 grade
Donnavan Kirk 6' 8" Power Forward: 91 grade
Antoine Allen 6' 2" Shooting Guard: 85 grade

Miami will need help next season filling the void left by first team All-ACC guard, Jack McClinton. They've brought in three shooting guards to do the job including Rivals' 33rd rated prospect, Durand Scott

Overall Class Ranking: #24 (ESPN), #19 (Scout)

Players lost to Graduation/NBA/Europe:

Jimmy Graham (F) - Graduation (4 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
Lance Hurdle (G) - Graduation (7.3 ppg)
Brian Asbury (F) - Graduation (8 ppg, 5 rpg)
Jack McClinton (G) - Graduation (19.3 ppg)
Dwayne Collins (F) - Undecided to NBA (10.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg)

Miami loses a lot of production from their graduating seniors and could be one of the top production-losing teams if junior Dwayne Collins (depicted dunking on Greg Paulus, but really, who hasn't done that yet?) decides to stay in the NBA, but word on the street says he'll be returning next season. Jack McClinton is Miami's biggest loss going into 2009-2010. The Maryland native was Miami's best player and also one of the best players in the ACC. Even if Collins returns, Miami will still be losing 57% of their three-point production for this upcoming season and 52% of their overall scoring from last season. Miami will be looking to build on their 7-9 ACC (19-13 overall) record from last season, but may find that task difficult.

Best Case: Collins returns and shooting guard Durand Scott helps to fill the void left by McClinton. Miami cruises to a 9-7 ACC record (+/- 1 game)

Worst Case: Collins does in fact leave and some of Miami's top 25 recruiting class struggles. Miami finishes with a 6-10 ACC record (+/- 1 game)

Testudo Times Prediction: Miami brings in a strong, top 25 class, but their supporting cast isn't too great, they don't have the home court advantage most ACC schools do, and they lost their best player from last year. Anytime you lose five players, there is an adjustment period. Look for this Hurricane team to be a category 1 storm, enough to cause some trouble, but not strong enough to make you run for higher ground. 7-9 (+/- 1 game) in the ACC and an NIT appearance sounds about right.

North Carolina

2009 Recruiting Class:
John Henson 6' 10" Power Forward: 98 grade
Dexter Strickland 6' 3" Shooting Guard: 95 grade
Leslie McDonald 6' 5" Shooting Guard: 95 grade
David Wear 6' 9" Power Forward: 94 grade
Travis Wear 6' 9" Power Forward: 94 grade

You know when you were younger and your mom made you do some annoying chore? Then, as soon as you got through it, she made you do another one? That's how every ACC coach not named Roy Williams (and maybe Mike Krzyzewski) feels year after year. After losing Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green, the Tarheels bring in a consensus top three class which is highlighted by Rivals' fifth ranked player, athletic power forward, John Henson.

Overall Class Ranking: #2 (ESPN), #3 (Scout)

Players lost to Graduation/NBA/Europe:
Marcus Ginyard (G-F) - Graduation (1.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
Bobby Frasor (G) - Graduation (2.6 ppg, 2 rpg)
Danny Green (G-F) - Graduation (13.1 ppg, 4.7 apg, 1.3 bpg)
J.B. Tanner (G) - Graduation (1.1 ppg)
Jack Wooten (G) - Graduation (0.5 ppg)
Patrick Moody (F) - Graduation (1 ppg)
Mike Copeland (F) - Graduation (0.8 ppg)
Tyler Hansbrough (F) - Graduation (20.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg)
Ty Lawson (G) - NBA (16.6 ppg, 6.6 apg, 3 rpg)
Wayne Ellington (G) - NBA (15.8 ppg, 2.7 apg, 4.9 rpg)

Someone is going to have to explain to me how UNC has so many people on their roster. That's the size of GT's whole team now that they have scholarship reductions. I guess a lot of people want to walk on to UNC to average a point a game. Or does their roster include that JV team they also have? Anyway, UNC has 10 players leaving the team this year, either because of graduation or leaving early for the NBA. UNC is losing 74% of their points scored from last season, 93% of their made three-pointers, 78% of their assists and 56% of their rebounds. That is a whole lot of loss. Fortunately for the Tar Heels, their recruiting class is ranked in the top 3, as forward John Henson will look to fill the big shoes of Tyler Hansbrough. They also return senior forward Deon Thompson, and sophomore bigs Ed Davis (seen right, trying to annoy me by wearing a t-shirt) and Tyler Zeller. The development of Davis and Zeller could go a long way in determining how this Carolina team fares this season. With the departure of so many players, most of UNC's team will be unproven next season, so the Tar Heels could struggle early and could also fade down the stretch.

Best Case: Davis and Zeller ease of the pain of losing Hansbrough and UNC's top three recruiting class excels early. The Tar Heels don't miss a beat after winning it all last season and finish at 12-4 and 2^nd in the ACC.

Worst Case: UNC's new team takes a while to gel and some of the top-billed prospects don't live up to the hype. 9-7 ACC, 2^nd round of NCAA's.

Testudo Times Prediction: One thing you have to give UNC head coach Roy Williams credit for: he's a hell of a recruiter and the guys he recruits are normally slam dunks. But its Roy's in-game coaching that has been his limiting factor in his career. Expect UNC to start struggling a little but come together by midseason. Then expect the team relying so heavily on freshman players not used to the tough competition of the ACC to fade a little in the last few games. 10-6 ACC, 2^nd round of the NCAA tournament.

Virginia

2009 Recruiting Class:
Tristan Spurlock 6' 7" Small Forward: 91 grade
Jontel Evans 5' 11" Point Guard: 87 grade

After Dave Leitao stepped down, new coach Tony Bennett had some significant ground to make up on the recruiting trail. He managed to keep former Leitao commits, Tristan Spurlock (SF) and Jontel Evans (PG), who make up his first Cavaliers recruiting class.

Overall Class Ranking: N/A (ESPN), N/A (Scout)

Players lost to Graduation/NBA/Europe:

Tunji Soroye (C) - Graduation (1.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
Mamadi Diane (G-F) - Graduation (6 ppg, 2 rpg)

UVA doesn't lose much this off season and compared to the rest of the ACC; actually, they're losing the least in almost every category we've broken down. The biggest loss they'll suffer this offseason is in blocked shots, where they lose 26% of the shot blocking production from last year. Unfortunately for UVA, what remains on the team is nothing really new from last season and the two recruits coming in aren't exactly superstars. Tony Bennett will have his work cut out with this group and maybe he can catch lightening in a bottle. A lot will also depend on the development of guard Sylven Landesberg (pictured with all his gum-filled smiley goodness). Last year, the freshman led the Wahoos in points, was second in assists, and second in rebounds. Incoming players Tristan Spurlock and Jontel Evans will provide some nice new blood into the program but the undersized Evans might struggle when he gets to ACC play. This could definitely be a rebuilding year in Charlottesville.

Best Case: Sylven Landesberg establishes himself as an elite ACC guard and new head coach Tony Bennett changes the culture at UVA. The team surprises a lot of people and finishes with an 8-8 ACC record and a NIT appearance or a low seed in the NCAAs.

Worst Case: Same old story from last year, with just a little improvement. 5-11 ACC

Testudo Times Prediction: The Tony Bennett hire will help this team a lot - new system, blood into the program. But can the players Leitao recruited fit into and succeed in Bennett's system? Only time can tell. Expect Landesberg to improve and Spurlock to do well, but not well enough to pull UVA out of another unsuccessful season. 5-11 ACC.

Virginia Tech

2009 Recruiting Class:
Erick Green 6' 3" Point Guard: 88 grade
Cadarian Raines 6' 9" Center: 88 grade
Manny Atkins 6' 6" Small Forward: 87 grade
Ben Boggs 6' 3" Shooting Guard: 87 grade

Seth Greenberg's 2009 class isn't filled with any instant superstars but he does bring in four players all rated above an 87. They'll collectively try to offset the loss of last season's leading scorer, A.D. Vassallo.

Overall Class Rankings: N/A (ESPN), N/A (Scout)

Players lost to Graduation/NBA/Europe:

A.D. Vassallo (G-F) - Graduation (19.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
Cheick Diakite ( C ) - Graduation (3.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg)

Seth Greenberg will try to offset the loss of A.D. Vassallo by bringing in four solid freshmen and hoping that they can fill the void. This recruiting class seems to be typical Greenberg - nothing too flashy, but a group of solid players who are willing to work to get better. Greenberg might be one of the more under-rated coaches in the ACC when it comes to getting the best from his players. Tech does lose 40% of their made three-point attempts from last season, as well as 41% of their blocks, but other than that and losing Vassallo, they won't lose too much. If Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen (seen giving Maryland fans the bird) can step up and be leaders this could be a very good Tech team.

Best Case: Va. Tech builds off last year and rides Delaney and Allen to a surprising 11-5 ACC record (+/- 1 game), with this year's recruiting class tag-teaming to pick up for the production lost by the graduation of leading scorer A.D. Vassallo.

Worst Case: Jeff Allen is more focused on flipping off Terp fans than improving his game and the four incoming players don't adjust fast enough to the learning curve of ACC basketball. The team struggles, especially down the stretch, and limps to a 7-9 ACC record.

Testudo Times Prediction: Greenberg, while he can be obnoxious at times, is a fairly solid coach who gets the best out of what he has. Expect him to do the same this year and will his team to an 8-8 record (+/- 1 game) and sneak in as an NCAA tournament team.

Remember to check back in tomorrow and Thursday for parts II and III.

Post Lottery Mock Draft

stneff70 — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:41:43 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Los Angeles Clippers president Andy Roeser poses for photographers after the Clippers won the NBA draft lottery, Tuesday, May 19, 2009, in Secaucus, N.J., giving the Clippers the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Surprised they didn't put Griffin on the jersey..

Browse more photos »

Ladies and Gentleman,

Many people didn't really understand our Wednesday mock draft that it was what teams should do, rather than what they will do. Our resident draftologist decided to put together a post on what he thinks the teams will actually do. After the jump, enjoy/hate/whatev. Let Steve know what you think.

Scott

Changed Nick Calathes because he is withdrawing from the draft and signing in Greece.

1.Clippers- Blake Griffin PF (Oklahoma Sophomore)

Dunleavy already said they are picking him, so don't be mad about this one. Maybe Baron tries a little harder next year and the Clippers make the playoffs. They need to move Camby since they won’t be able to trade Zach Randolph. The Clippers will be much better next year, but need some perimeter defense which can be addressed in Free agency.

2. Grizzlies- Ricky Rubio (DKV Joventut, Spain)

Memphis tries the Spanish Connection again. First it was Juan Carlos Navarro to Pau Gasol and now it will be Ricky Rubio to Marc Gasol. Everyone thinks Rubio will be a stud so this is a no-brainer pick and they can trade Conley for a power forward. Rubio, Gay and Mayo will be fun to watch. Rubio might not end up in Memphis though because his agent, Dan Fegan, said he does not want to go there or Oklahoma City. Remember, Fegan was Yi’s agent who tried to get out of Milwaukee a few years ago.

3. Thunder- Hasheem Thabeet (UCONN Junior)

I might have been wrong on my lottery prediction but the Thunder still get a stud. Thabeet is exactly what they need. The Thunder are really high on him and hopefully he doesn’t turn out to be a bust like past Thunder lottery big men. See Saer Sene, Johan Petro, Robert Swift.

4. Kings- Brandon Jennings (Lottomatica Roma, Italy)

This is when the draft gets interesting. Beno Udrih doesn’t cut it for us and the Kings need an exciting Point Guard as they rebuild their team. Kings fans liked Jason Williams (White Chocolate) and they will like Jennings

5. Wizards- James Harden (Arizona State Sophomore)

The Wizards are looking to trade this pick but Harden is a good fit for them. I think they need better big men but Harden would fit well with their team and share minutes with Nick Young, another up and coming shooting guard.

6. Wolves- Demar DeRozen (USC Freshman)

Corey Brewer has been a bust for the Wolves so I'll give them DeRozen, a player who can maybe one day be their go to guy. He can jump outta the gym and, if he develops like he can, will form a good inside outside combination with Al Jefferson for many years to come.

7. Warriors- Tyreke Evans (Memphis Freshman)

Evans can flat out score. The Warriors love scorers. Evans has the build of a 2 but can play 1. Monta Ellis is built like a point guard but is more like a shooting guard. It works perfectly for this quirky backcourt.

8. Knicks- Stephen Curry (Davidson Junior)

Mike D’antoni likes shooters and Curry is the best one in this draft. He can develop his point guard skills but he is also friends with a certain person from Akron, Ohio.

9. Raptors- Gerald Henderson (Duke Junior)

Henderson can jump out of the gym and break guys down off the dribble. He'll bring a bit of tough juice, which is exactly what the soft Raptors need.

10. Bucks- Jordan Hill (Arizona Junior)

The Bucks will not resign Charlie “Twitter” Villanueva and Hill falls to them, because nobody else after five will be looking for a big. I think he is a bit overrated but the Bucks would be elated to get a guy like Hill to fall to them at 10.

11. Nets- DeJuan Blair (Pitt Sophomore)

New Jersey said they want to draft a “moose”. Who is more of a moose in this draft than Blair? No one and that is why he is the pick here and the Nets will have a solid frontcourt.

12. Bobcats- Jrue Holiday (UCLA Freshman)

Didn’t the Bobcats take D.J. Augustin last year? Yes they did but Holiday can still play the 2 since he is 6’4’’. Nice solid pick.

13. Pacers- Jonny Flynn (Syracuse Sophomore)

Flynn will be the Point guard for Indiana as he's able get the ball to the shooters on the wing. If he figures out how to shoot, watch out. Flynn's got upside.

14. Suns- Earl Clark (Louisville Junior)

The Suns are a tough team to project because I’m unsure what direction they are going to go. So, I did what was easy and took the best player on the board.

15. Pistons- Ty Lawson (UNC Junior)

The Pistons made a big mistake when they traded Chauncey Billups last season, but it should help them for the future. Stuckey isn't a true point guard, but Lawson is. Don’t be surprised if he gets the Pistons back atop the East, especially if they sign Boozer with their ample cap space.

16. Bulls- James Johnson (Wake Forest Sophomore)

Chicago traded Nocioni last season and probably missed him in the playoffs. Johnson plays similar to Nocioni and is a wide-body so the Bulls draft him. With them trying to move Tyrus Thomas, I think they're hoping Blair falls to them - but not in this case.

17. Sixers- Jeff Teague (Wake Forest Sophomore)

Andre Miller is probably leaving this summer so the Sixers need a PG. Teague is their man. I like his explosiveness.

18. Wolves- B.J. Mullens (Ohio State Freshman)

Minnesota hasn't had a true center in awhile and, if nothing else, Mullens provides that for the Wolves. Because the Wolves won’t be making the playoffs anytime soon, he has time to develop and turn into a solid big man, learning from the Jefferson and Love in the mean time.

19. Hawks- Eric Maynor (VCU Senior)

Mike Bibby's losing his mojo and Acie Law was a bust. The Hawks need a point guard and Maynor is a good leader.

20. Jazz- Tyler Hansbrough (UNC Senior)

Well, Neff put him here as well, so sorry Utah fans. Feel free to post your own mock draft in the Fan Post's with Hansbrough going 31st. -- Scott

21. Hornets- Austin Daye (Gonzaga Sophomore)

This pick will more than likely be traded. The Hornets are looking to save money but if they don’t trade it Daye is a big body that they could use. Many think he will go between 10-15 because of his potential but we are not sold.

22. Mavs- Terrence Williams (Louisville Senior)

The Mavs need toughness and athleticism. Williams gives them that and is already better than Antoine Wright, the Mavericks starting shooting guard this year.

23. Kings- Chase Budinger (Arizona Junior)

The Kings have their point guard in Jennings, they've drafted big men the last 2 drafts and Kevin Martin is their shooting guard. A small forward makes sense and Budinger is a good fit.

24. Blazers- Wayne Ellington (UNC Junior)

Ellington could be very valuable for the Blazers and give them another shooter. Help out on Roy and he'll just dish out to Wayne and 3 points for the Blazers.

25. Thunder- Patty Mills (St. Mary’s Sophomore)

The Thunder might not be sold on Westbrook as a point guard yet since he turns the ball over quite a bit. Move over RW0 and insert Mills. Sounds good to me.

26. Bulls- Marcus Thornton (LSU Senior)

Thornton is a good shooter who can hot quick.

27. Grizzlies- Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech Sophomore)

Lawal is an athletic 4. Third times the charm?

28. Wolves- Darren Collision (UCLA Senior)

Tough player but his lack of shooting will make him fall in the draft.

29. Lakers- Sam Young (Pitt Senior)

Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom are free agents so they'll have a need at SF. Young is the best available and he brings them toughness. He would be a steal for the Lakers.

30. Cavs- Omri Casspi (Maccabi Tel Aviv)

The Cavs don’t need anyone here so they pick an overseas player and if he develops it’s great for them.

First Round Bubble: Victor Claver, Marcus Thornton, Toney Douglas, Jermaine Taylor, DaJuan Summers

Poll

Grade this Mock Draft

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C

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D

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F

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