SB Nation - Patrick Mills

KNOW THY ENEMY: Colorado Buffaloes

BracketCat — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:00:33 -0000

Okey dokey, Cats, get ready for a swift blitz of info leading into the long-anticipated start of basketball season. Each week during the month of November, you'll get two KNOW THY ENEMY previews for the price of one. And this week, there even will be a super-duper extra-special bonus preview before the Cats' exhibition opener on Sunday.

So, hit the jump for everything you need to know about the enemy Buffaloes, as I catch up on a preview that should have ran last week, and if you need to know more for some reason, you always can head to The Ralphie Report.

The Coach

Jeff Bzdelik
Third Season
21-42 (3-28) at Colorado
96-89 (26-38) overall

Although his second year at the helm was not a successful one based on victories, Bzdelik and his staff continued onward and upward in numerous and positive steps toward a successful season, despite a 9-22 campaign. With one senior and one junior, and a core of underclassmen, the Buffaloes' youth of freshmen and sophomores attributed for 72.3 percent of the team's scoring, marking the highest of any Buffs team since the Big 12 began play in 1996-97.

CU's competitive spirit on a nightly basis saw the Buffs fall short in conference play eight times by single digits (an average of 5.3 ppg) and in 11 games overall (an average of 4.6 ppg). Four of those single-digit setbacks came against 2008-09 NCAA Tournament opponents: Texas (in overtime), at Kansas, at Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

The Departures

Starter

Jermyl Jackson-Wilson (20.5 minutes per game, 5.4 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game)

Reserves

Matt Favaro (2 minutes per game, 2 points per game, 0 rebounds per game)
Ryan Kelley (5.5 minutes per game, 2.6 points per game, 0.5 rebound per game)
Toby Veal (6.9 minutes per game, 1.8 points per game, 1.6 rebounds per game)
Andrew Zehnder (5.1 minutes per game, 0.8 point per game, 0.2 rebound per game)

The Veterans

		#1 Nate Tomlinson Sophomore Guard 6-3 \| 185 Sydney, Australia Tomlinson started all 28 games in which he participated. He missed three games due to injuries; averaged 7.4 points, 3 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 33.6 minutes per game; finished in 16th place on CU's freshman points list with 206; became the first freshman since Chauncey Billups to lead the team in assists and finished seventh on the school's all-time freshman assists list; shared scoring honors with 18 points at Stanford on 8-of-12 shooting; and led CU in assists 14 times. Tomlinson had five games with five or more assists and 18 games with at least three; a season-best seven assists against Texas A&M; six rebounds vs. Iowa State; four steals at Texas Tech; an assist in 27 of 28 games; and nine games with 10+ points. He finished seventh overall in the Big 12 in minutes played; played 35+ minutes 13 times; grabbed four or more rebounds nine times; made two free throws with 6.6 seconds remaining, clinching CU's 65-62 win over Louisiana-Monroe; and was the first freshman point guard since 2002-03 to start a season opener.

		#3 Rick Higgins Senior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Danville, Calif. Higgins transferred to Colorado from Cal Poly to play with his brother, Cory. He sat out of the 2008-09 season due to transfer rules and lost a year of eligibility because he already had redshirted at Cal Poly, where he played in 43 games, with two starts in two years, and averaged 1.2 points per game.

		#11 Cory Higgins Junior Guard 6-5 \| 190 Danville, Calif. Third Team All-Big 12 (2009) Big 12 Player of the Week (12/08/09) Higgins was one of 13 nationally ranked players who were first or second on their team in the five major statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) and the only sophomore nationally on that list. He was first statistically on the team in points, rebounds, steals, defensive and total rebounds, free throws and attempts, free-throw percentage, field goals made and attempted, and minutes played; second in assists and blocks; third in 3-point field goals made; and among CU players with a minimum of 200 shots taken was second on the team in shooting percentage Higgins tallied three nationally ranked categories: 64th in steals, 77th in free-throw percentage and 93rd in points per game. He scored 538 points, finishing 13th all-time at CU for most points scored in a single season. Those 538 points rank third all-time among CU sophomores and seventh all-time among CU guards for a season. Higgins led the team in scoring 18 times, steals 16 times, rebounding 15 times, assists 10 times and blocks 8 times; scored double digits in 28 of 31 games, 20+ points 12 times and 30+ twice; owned the team's top two scoring games with 34 points vs. Texas and 33 points vs. Colorado State; made 11 field goals in a single game twice, also a team best; achieved a perfect 12 of 12 at the free-throw line twice; had two double-doubles; was second both in CU seasonal minutes and conference minutes played; was named to the Rainbow Classic All-Tourney team, leading the Buffs in scoring every game; scored a CU 13-year conference high with a personal-best 34 points against Texas; also performed the same feat against Texas A&M with 27 points; was the first player at CU to lead the team in rebounding and assists the first two games of any season since the 1973-74 season; played 35+ minutes 24 times; had six games over 40 minutes; posted six or more rebounds 15 times; grabbed three or more steals 13 times; dished out four or more assists eight times; had 13 games with at least six or more made field goals; and tallied five CU Athlete of the Week awards.

		#12 Dwight Thorne II Senior Guard 6-3 \| 185 Arlington, Texas Thorne was selected as one of 10 NCAA Division I student-athletes to participate on an Athletes In Action team for a one-week, competitive international tour against teams in Poland and Berlin, Germany. He is a three-year captain who started every game; was the team leader with 45 made 3-pointers; was second in team scoring, steals, made field goals and made free throws; was third in assists with 52, minutes played and fourth in rebounds; finished the season ranked in three Big 12-only categories; played 1,035 minutes and made 128 field goals, surpassing his previous two-year total of 53; made a 3-pointer in 23 of 31 games and had 12 games with at least two treys; scored in double digits 22 times, netted 20+ three times and scored a career-best 30 points vs. Kansas State on 8-of-12 shooting, with a personal-best five 3-pointers, nine free throws made and 11 attempts; scored a trio of 20+ point efforts; led the team in scoring eight times; recorded five or more rebounds nine times; made three or more 3-pointers five times; logged 35+ minutes 16 times; and played 30+ minutes 24 times. Thorne is a cousin of Acie Law IV, the former Texas A&M star who plays for the Atlanta Hawks.

		#14 Javon Coney Junior Guard 6-3 \| 210 Chicago, Ill. Coney played in 23 games, with one start; averaged 8.8 minutes, one point and 1.3 rebounds per game; started his first career game against Oklahoma State; had a career-best six rebounds, one blocked shot and 27 minutes played against the Cowboys; played a career-best 27 minutes against Kansas State, with four points and four rebounds; grabbed five defensive rebounds at Nebraska; tallied a season-best five points with five rebounds against Missouri; recorded 20+ minutes four times and multiple rebounds eight times; and is a non-scholarship student-athlete.

		#24 Levi Knutson Junior Guard 6-4 \| 200 Littleton, Colo. Knutson played 30 games, with one start, and averaged 3.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and one assist per game. His lone start came at Baylor, with seven points, three rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes. He led the team in scoring with a career-high 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and a team-high four assists and two steals, against Oklahoma State; grabbed a career-best six rebounds at home against Nebraska; shared team-high honors with six rebounds against Nebraska and Texas in Oklahoma City; went 3 of 3 from the field in a home win against Iowa State; had a career-best two steals at Texas Tech and Oklahoma State; played nine games of 20+ minutes and netted three games in scoring double digits; and has played 62 career games, with two starts.

		#33 Austin Dufault Sophomore Forward 6-9 \| 230 Killdeer, N.D. Dufault was named one of three CU Sports Performer of the Year finalists in the Male Freshman Athlete of the Year Award category; started all 31 games, averaging 30.7 minutes, 8.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and one assist per game; scored 254 points, ranking 11th among CU freshmen, and his 115 rebounds ranked 12th among all CU freshmen; was third in team scoring, rebounding and defensive rebounding, and fourth overall in minutes; He was one of three on the team to have started all 31 games; was fifth among all conference freshmen in scoring and rebounding; led CU in scoring twice, with a season-best 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting vs. Louisiana-Monroe. His 15 points and five rebounds against Missouri led CU in both categories for the first time. Dufault had a season-best seven rebounds at Iowa State and at SMU, as well as a Big 12-best 13 points at Oklahoma; played a season-high 42 minutes against Texas; recorded 12 games in double digits and 12 games shooting 50 percent or better from the field; led the team in rebounding six times, had five or more rebounds 13 times and played 35+ minutes seven times; logged 30+ minutes 20 times; adds size and versatility to the roster; and brings a high basketball IQ with a great shooting touch from long range.

		#34 Casey Crawford Junior Forward 6-9 \| 245 Overland Park, Kan. Crawford played in 25 games, with four starts; averaged 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 14.2 minutes per game; was fourth on the team in 3-pointers made, and fifth in steals and points per game. During the last five games of the season, the transfer from Wake Forest averaged 8.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, and led CU with eight 3-pointers. He had a career-best 18 points with four treys in a win over Harvard. The 18 points were the most points off the bench to lead the team in scoring since Javon Coney scored 15 points in a reserve role at Nebraska. Crawford scored a Big 12 season-high 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting against Texas A&M, and also played a season-high 30 minutes; and came off the bench to score 14 points, tying a career-best four 3-pointers against Oklahoma State. Eight times he had three or more rebounds in a game, and had five games with five or more field goals made. He netted 14 points in his CU debut, tying Jermyl Jackson-Wilson’s debut of 14 back in 2006-07. The 14 points is a CU high by a transfer or freshman in a debut over the last four years. Crawford scored in double digits six times, led the team in scoring twice and played 20+ minutes six times.

		#55 Trey Eckloff Sophomore Forward 6-10 \| 235 Englewood, Colo. Eckloff played in 26 games, averaging 10.1 minutes, 2.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game; logged a season-high 25 minutes with six rebounds against Kansas; also had 23 minutes and four rebounds at Stanford; had a season-best two steals against the Cardinal; scored a season-best seven points on 3-of-4 shooting at Oklahoma; grabbed five rebounds at Missouri; played 15+ minutes in six games; scored four or more points seven times; recorded multiple rebounds 13 times; and was the second-youngest scholarship player in the Big 12 (teammate Ryan Kelley was the youngest).

The Redshirt

#44 Trent Beckley
Junior Forward
6-10 | 250
Vail, Colo.

Beckley missed the entire 2008-09 season with a stress fracture in his lumbar spine, but will have two more years of eligibility remaining after redshirting.

The non-scholarship student-athlete played in 10 games in the 2007-08 season, spanning 44 minutes. He logged a career-high 10 minutes at Mizzou, with three defensive rebounds; went 2 for 2 from the field, scoring four points with two rebounds and one steal at Kansas State; scored two points with one defensive rebound in four minutes at home against Missouri; and blocked one shot against Grambling State.

The Newcomers

		#2 Shannon Sharpe Freshman Guard 6-1 \| 200 Corona, Calif. Sharpe will miss the 2009-10 season after having season-ending knee surgery, Bzdelik announced Oct. 28. As a senior at Corona Centennial High School, Sharpe averaged 17.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 3.2 steals per game; helped the Huskies to a 27-5 record during his senior season; tallied four top-five Mountain View League finishes in points, assists, steals and rebounds; recorded five triple-doubles during his senior season; and was named Mountain View League and Triple Crown Tournament most valuable player, and also named to the Inland Empire and Corona all-tournament team. Sharpe was on the Division 2 All-California Interscholastic Federation and All-Riverside County first team his senior year, and was a member of 2007 All-California Interscholastic Federation championship team. He helped Corona to the 2007 and 2008 Mountain View League Championships. In 2008, his AAU team was ranked No. 3 nationally.

		#5 Marcus Relphorde Junior Forward 6-7 \| 220 Chicago, Ill. Relphorde averaged 10.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Indian Hills Community College, helping the Warriors finish with a 30-3 record. He was an All-Region honorable mention; shot .487 from the floor and .722 from the free-throw line; averaged 14 points per game; and scored in double figures in 12 of the team's last 13 games. Relphorde originally signed with Saint Louis under then-head coach Brad Soderberg. As a freshman with the Billikens and under head coach Rick Majerus, he averaged 4.3 minutes in 21 games; scored 22 points with 10 rebounds; and made 5 of 7 shots against Houston Baptist en route to 14 points and a team-high seven boards.

		#10 Alec Burks Freshman Guard 6-6 \| 185 Grandview, Mo. Burks was the 2009 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Missouri. During his senior year at Grandview High School, he averaged 23 points per game, in addition to 6.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He also was named The Kansas City Star and Metro Sports Player of the Year during his senior year. Burks helped his team to a 29-2 record during his senior season; scored a season-high 38 points; and received first-team all-Suburban Mix Six League honors as a junior after averaging 19.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Rivals.com listed Burks the No. 31 point guard in the Class of 2009. He was the career leader, in points scored, in school history and participated on the Mo-Kan All-Star game.

		#13 Shane Harris-Tunks Freshman Forward 6-11 \| 225 Liverpool, Australia Harris-Tunks was a member of Team Australia, which placed fourth at the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship; played in eight games, averaging 2.5 ppg; represented Australian U/19 at the Albert-Schweitzer Tournament in Germany and a third-place finish, and also was named captain; and was an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship recipient.

		#35 Keegan Hornbuckle Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 205 Westlake Village, Calif. As a senior at Campbell Hall High School, Hornbuckle averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game, helping his team to 19-9 record. He was a three-time first-team All-Olympic League selection and a three-time All-California Interscholastic Federation second-team selection. Hornbuckle was rated as the No. 34 small forward/shooting guard by Scout.com; helped Campbell Hall to a 31-5 record as a junior and a No. 39 national ranking by Rivals.com in 2007-08; was a member of a pair of state championship-winning teams in his sophomore and junior years; had a four-year prep record of 101-29; and was a member of the Valley All-Star and academic all-American All-Star team.

My thanks to the Colorado sports information department for the photos and most of the information for the bios.

The Analysis

There's no sugar-coating the fact that Colorado sucked ass last season. I mean, seriously, they went 1-15 in Big 12 play.

But as crazy as it sounds, there are a few reasons for optimism in 2009-10 for a program mired in mediocrity and dragged down by an athletic department that at times seems strangely uncommitted to developing athletic programs.

Foremost among those reasons is the return of super-stud Cory Higgins. The do-everything junior is one of the better returning players in the North and is skillful enough to help propel Colorado to a few more conference wins this season.

Colorado also returns its two other guards, Nate Tomlinson and Dwight Thorne II. K-State fans might remember Thorne from the game last year when he set his career high in points against us. Tomlinson played well for a true freshman, and should continue to mature into one of the better point guards in the league.

The fourth and final returning starter is Austin Dufault. Like Tomlinson, Dufault started every game last season as a true freshman. Colorado took its lumps, but all that experience should start to pay off this season as teams such as Missouri and Nebraska enter critical rebuilding phases.

But Dufault will need to help. Colorado was notoriously weak and undersized in the post last year, and coach Jeff Bzdelik set out to address some of those crucial needs in offseason recruiting.

Enter Marcus Relphorde and Shane Harris-Tunks. Relphorde is a juco transfer who began his college career at St. Louis under Rick Majerus. I look for him to have an impact similar to Marquis Gilstrap at Iowa State.

At 6-11, Harris-Tunks is the tallest player on the Buffs' roster. Like Tomlinson, he is a native Australian, and we've all seen how good they can be in college, even as true freshmen (Patrick Mills, Aaron Bruce and Andrew Bogut all are names that come to mind). At a minimum, he should provide solid depth in the paint.

Javon Coney and Levi Knutson should provide quality depth for the guard spots. Each started a game last season and played in several. Casey Crawford, an Overland Park native who transferred to Boulder from Wake Forest by way of a juco, is another nice player who should figure into the eight-man rotation.

After that, the pickings are slimmer and the new recruiting class is harder to figure out. Alec Burks was a pretty highly touted recruit out of Missouri, but not as highly touted as some of the guys the power programs in the Big 12 are adding to their rosters. Shannon Sharpe might have made an impact, but it was announced last week that he will have to redshirt after having microfracture surgery on his knee. Keegan Hornbuckle probably will get a few minutes out of necessity, but I don't think he will contribute much more than that.

Rick Higgins transferred from Cal Poly to play with his little brother, and like Jeffrey Fitzgerald, he burned a year of eligibility to do it because he already had redshirted at his previous school. I admire his C.J. Henry-ish desire to play with bro, but nothing in Rick's background suggests he will be anything more than a bench-warmer, even at Colorado.

Trey Eckloff played a lot last year, but didn't do much statistically when he was in. Still, you can't coach 6-10, so he probably will see increased minutes. The other 6-10 guy is Trent Beckley, who is likely to be rusty after sitting out last year due to major back problems.

That's pretty much it. There's some talent and some potential on this roster, but it's still frighteningly thin on talent and size for a team that has to play Kansas, Kansas State and Craig Brackins two times each.

Projected Starting Lineup


Nate Tomlinson	Dwight Thorne II	Cory Higgins	Marcus Relphorde	Austin Dufault
1	2	3	4	5

Projected Top Reserves


Javon Coney	Levi Knutson	Alec Burks	Casey Crawford	Shane Harris-Tunks
1	2	3	4	5

The Final Verdict

I think Colorado will be improved because Bzdelik is a hell of a coach, but it probably won't be reflected in the record. There's just too damn many other good teams in the North and in the Big 12 as a whole for them to move up very much.

That said, even a two- or three-win season in conference play would represent massive improvement over last year's post-Richard Roby 1-15 debacle, wouldn't it?

The best news for Colorado is this: The Buffs get to play Nebraska twice. Wait'll you see my breakdown on that train wreck.

No matter how bad Colorado is, I think they finally might get out of the basement.

Predicted finish: 11th

Best-case scenario: 9th

Previously on KNOW THY ENEMY...

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Texas A&M
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Iowa State
Texas Tech
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2009 NBA Draft Q&A: Aran Smith of NBADraft.net (Part 3 of 3)

Atma Brother ONE — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:00:19 -0000

Don't forget to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this trilogy with Aran Smith from NBADraft.net.

How high would AR go in this draft? [via www.nba.com]

We get right down to business in this part. Do the same by J-U-M-P-ing!

Atma Brother #1 (Golden State of Mind): Anthony Randolph is coming off a very intriguing rookie season with the Warriors. How does he stack up against this draft class? Where would you project him to go in this draft?

Aran Smith (NBADraft.net): If the Randolph that played this year for the Warriors somehow was thrown back into the draft, he'd be the #2 pick. I think Randolph has a lot of upside and really liked that pick since he was the player with the most upside of anyone at 14. No sense in taking safe picks when you can pick up those types of players in free agency.

Atma Brother #1 (Golden State of Mind): With names like Ricky Rubio, Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry, Jonny Flynn, Tyreke Evans, Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague, Patrick Mills, and Jrue Holiday this draft seems like it has plenty of point guard options to help the Warriors shore up their biggest glaring weakness. Is there a big difference between them in terms of talent and upside? Do you see any All-Star appearances out of this group?

Aran Smith (NBADraft.net): There likely will be a few all star appearances from one or two of these guys. As far as difference in talent, yes there are a few tiers. Rubio and Jennings have the most upside. Flynn is a guy who combines solid potential with current ability. Teague might actually have even more upside than Flynn, but he's got a ways to go. Evans is not a true point guard in my book, and I'm also not sure why people haven't caught onto the fact that the big point guard is a failed experiment. The rest of those guys are late first round types.

Atma Brother #1 (Golden State of Mind): With the 7th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft the Golden State Warriors SHOULD select... Why?

Aran Smith (NBADraft.net): The Warriors should take the best player available. I would take Jennings if he's there. He makes the most sense long term for them and goes along with the swing for the fences approach that brought them Randolph last year. DeRozan has a lot of upside and would make for an interesting pick. I also like Hill, but if they take him, we may never find out how good Wright is until he gets a fresh start with a new
team.

Atma Brother #1 (Golden State of Mind): With the 7th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft the Golden State Warriors WILL select... Why?

Aran Smith (NBADraft.net): Nellie wants to win now so I anticipate they will go with the most NBA ready PG at their pick: Jonny Flynn. Flynn isn't a bad pick, but there will be other guys available with more upside. That would mean taking a risk and rolling the dice on a player for the future, so that may not be in the cards.

**********

All of us at GSoM wanted to thank Aran for taking the time to field these questions. NBADraft.net has long remained one of my favorite hoops destinations. It's ridiculously easy to lose hours on the site just flipping back through the draft archives (which is exactly what I did when I wrote this piece: Golden State Warriors 1st Round Draft History and Just My Imagination) and reading up about players that won't even be drafted till 2010!

Poll

Would Golden State Warriors sophomore forward Anthony Randolph go #2 overall in the 2009 NBA Draft?

YES: No Doubt

406 votes

NO-a: Definite lottery pick though

267 votes

NO-b: Post-lotto 1st round pick

18 votes

NO-c: 2nd round pick (I don't know hoops)

6 votes

NO-d: Undrafted (I'm just being silly)

7 votes

704 votes | Poll has closed

SBNation NBA Mock Draft, Pick #23: Sacramento Kings

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:25:26 -0000

With the twenty-third pick in the SBNation Mock Draft, the Sacramento Kings, represented by SBN's very own Ziller over at Sactown Royalty, select... (Drum Roll please)

From Ziller: At this point in the draft, there's no sense moving down if you see a player you like on the board: just erase the risk and take him. I feel that way about that bolt of a point guard named Patrick Mills. Even if the Kings do select a point guard (or a combo guard) with the No. 4 pick, it makes sense to add another here: this is a great PG draft, and let's hope against hope some other team tries to save Beno Udrih in the coming years.

Beyond his quickness, Mills has shown a great knack for scoring and passing. The Kings happen to need those attributes, along with every other positive attribute you could imagine. If not for his broken hand this season at St. Mary's, he could be getting lottery talk. Heck, he might even have been in the Jonny Flynn Memorial "The Kings are Choosing Who?!" role at the top of the draft. Seems like the right move down here.

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

12. Charlotte Bobcats - Rufus On Fure: Gerald Henderson

13. Indiana Pacers - Indy Cornrows: DeJuan Blair

14. Phoenix Suns - Bright Side of the Sun: Ty Lawson

15. Detroit Pistons - Motown String Music: Earl Clark

16. Chicago Bulls - BlogABull: Tyler Hansbrough

17. Philadelphia 76ers - Liberty Ballers: Eric Maynor

18. Minnesota Timberwolves - Canis Hoopus: B.J. Mullens

19. Atlanta Hawks - Peachtree Hoops: Jeff Teague

20. Utah Jazz - SLC Dunk: James Johnson

21. New Orleans Hornets - At The Hive: Austin Daye

22. Dallas Mavericks - Mavs Moneyball: Terrence Williams

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

A

16 votes

B

17 votes

C

20 votes

D

9 votes

F

14 votes

76 votes | Poll has closed

2009 NBA Draft Mock: Post-Lottery Edition

Scott Schroeder — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:54:14 -0000

Here is Ridiculous Upside's 2009 NBA Mock draft, version 2.0, as the lottery on May 19 will certainly bring more changes. As always, check out our Guide To Mock Drafts to answer any questions before any flambéing occurs. After the jump we provide brief analysis on all 30 picks, along with links to blogs about each team and player. Feel the excitement!!

Before you start freaking out, and because I know not everyone will click over to read our Guide to Mock Drafts, here's an excerpt:

So unless otherwise noted, all Ridiculous Upside Mock Drafts are based on what we feel are the best fits for the given team's personnel. To this end, selections are rarely made based on the "best talent available" theorem. We don't assert that these mock drafts should be considered accurate predictors, professional insight, or anything other than a work of opinion. Awesome, awesome opinion.

Any other issues? Leave feedback in the comments! Unless it's where I slotted a big man.. Then just know I hate them just as much as you do, but I did have reasoning for selecting them there. If your mock draft is better, post it in the fan shots and, if we like it, it could make the front page!

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Los Angeles Clippers	Ricky Rubio
2	Memphis Grizzlies	Blake Griffin
3	Oklahoma City Thunder	Hasheem Thabeet
4	Sacramento Kings	Brandon Jennings
5	Washington Wizards	Jordan Hill
6	Minnesota Timberwolves	James Harden
7	Golden State Warriors	Tyreke Evans
8	New York Knicks	Ty Lawson
9	Toronto Raptors	Demar DeRozan
10	Milwaukee Bucks	Jonny Flynn
11	New Jersey Nets	James Johnson
12	Charlotte Bobcats	Gerald Henderson
13	Indiana Pacers	Jrue Holiday
14	Phoenix Suns	Earl Clark
15	Detroit Pistons	Terrence Williams
16	Chicago Bulls	DeJuan Blair
17	Philadelphia 76ers	Stephen Curry
18	Minnesota Timberwolves	Jeff Teague
19	Atlanta Hawks	BJ Mullens
20	Utah Jazz	Tyler Hansbrough
21	New Orleans Hornets	Chase Budinger
22	Dallas Mavericks	Eric Maynor
23	Sacramento Kings	Austin Daye
24	Portland Trailblazers	Nick Calathes
25	Oklahoma City Thunder	Darren Collison
26	Chicago Bulls	Wayne Ellington
27	Memphis Grizzlies	Toney Douglas
28	Minnesota Timberwolves	Omri Casspi
29	Los Angeles Lakers	Sam Young
30	Cleveland Cavaliers	Patrick Mills

1. Los Angeles Clippers - Ricky Rubio PG (DKV Joventut)

Griffin has been the consensus number one overall. I know this. There is no need to remind me. However, bare with me. Would you really like to see Blake Griffin develop around Chris Kaman and Zach Randolph? Neither would I. He'd be just as good as he has been in college (which could be his ceiling anyway) if his coaches are those two and Mike Dunleavy. Why not take Rubio and get rid of Baron Davis (easier than Randolph, I imagine) at the end of the season after Rubio's had a year of American basketball. Or at least until Davis gets hurt next season.

2. Memphis Grizzlies - Blake Griffin PF (Oklahoma Sophomore)
Griffin is a complete monster, shown via his domination of all things college basketball, including the ladies. Typically considered the top player in the draft, I have him with the Grizzlies because Darrell Arthur and Hakim Warrick aren't the answer (anywhere) and I would hate to watch him in Los Angeles when Rubio fills a need there as well. Plus, Mayo-Gay-Griffin will win a 3-on-3 tourney against the rest of the NBA.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder - Hasheem Thabeet C (UCONN Junior)
Thabeet is a rare player, a 7'3 center who blocks everything. Just his presence makes players flinch and blow easy lay-ups. He also can hit a 15-foot jump shot and is not a horrible FT shooter for a player of his size. The ThunderSonics have not had the greatest luck drafting 7-foot+ dudes (Mo Sene, Robert Swift, Johan Petro), but I think Thabeet would fit very well with this team. They have offense, why not draft some defense?

4. Sacramento Kings - Brandon Jennings PG (Lottomatica Roma, Italy)
Jennings was rated by some people as the #1 player in his high school class. He has tons of talent, but ended up in Italy after his grades didn't live up to Arizona's standards. Jennings didn't do anything special in Europe, but I think he'll be a better NBA player. In addition to this, he's the best point guard available, he's got plenty of potential, and he's not Beno Udrih. Case closed.

5. Washington Wizards - Jordan Hill PF (Arizona Junior)
Hill is big, strong, athletic and willing to pound the glass and defend the post - you will have a man crush on him soon. He averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds per game this past season at Arizona - double-double's in college aren't easy to come by. Would Antawn Jamison moving to the 3 be terrible? I wouldn't mind seeing what transpired either way. My favorite part? Hill says himself that he has "Ridiculous" Upside.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves - James Harden SG (Arizona State Sophomore)
I've said it before - he is not the best athlete in the draft. Harden plays more like a crafty vet with high basketball IQ and strong fundamentals. I really like Harden, and picking him at six wouldn't be bad for a weak Minnesota backcourt. If nothing else, I hear he's intelligent. Maybe he can jump into the GM spot as well?

7. Golden State Warriors - Tyreke Evans G (Memphis Freshman)
Evans began his freshman season as a 2-guard at Memphis, but exploded when John Calipari moved him to the point. The Golden State Warriors would be very happy to have him here, as he's big enough to play either position and can handle the ball. Hopefully his size would be able to offset what Monta Ellis brings to this team as his backcourt mate. Suck Squad no more? No. But getting closer!

8. New York Knicks - Ty Lawson PG (UNC Junior)
Mike D'antoni wants to play at high speeds and no one knows how to play fast and smart better than Lawson. He's the type of point D'antoni likes - perfect for the Knicks. If Griffin wasn't the biggest no-brainer of the draft at the two-spot, this is. It just feels right, ya know? (That's what she said.)

9. Toronto Raptors - Demar DeRozan SG (USC Freshman)
DeRozan is a pure scorer, as he can hit from deep or remind you of Vince Carter with his finishes at the rim. He was the best freshman coming in last season and improved at USC as the season wore on. Could he one day evolve into the 2nd coming of Vince Carter for the Raptors? Who knows, but they'll like him more than they currently like VC. If he can find some handles and bring some defense, the Raptors will be getting a steal.

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Jonny Flynn PG (Syracuse Sophomore)
The Bucks will more than likely either be without Charlie Villanueva or Ramon Sessions next season. In a weak draft for forwards, it seems like a good idea to hold onto Villanueva and let Sessions find greener pastures. The only thing that worriesmes is his shooting, but not enough to hurt his stock after his impressive Big East tourney.

11. New Jersey Nets - James Johnson SF (Wake Forest Sophomore)
The Nets need a small forward. Johnson can play the small forward. He's got a big body, he's versatile, he can score, and he's only going to get better. He should be able to contribute right away. I like this guy.

12. Charlotte Bobcats - Gerald Henderson SG (Duke Junior)
Henderson is a stud. On defense anyway. Offensively, he's a bit questionable, but I think he can develop this aspect of his game. Raja Bell is an expiring contract for next season, meaning Henderson will be able to develop under him, if needed, before pairing with Gerald Wallace as one of the better defensive tandems in the league.

13. Indiana Pacers - Jrue Holiday G (UCLA Freshman)
This is going to be a good pick for the Pacers, as they're looking for a player to shore up the point guard spot and I think Holiday would make a good pick. He plays great defense, he rebounds the ball well for his size, and he's quick enough to get to the rim and finish. He's also got the potential to move about 8 picks either way.

14. Phoenix Suns - Earl Clark SF/PF (Louisville Junior)
This pick is basically best available, and I don't have any player better left on the board. Grant Hill and Matt Barnes are both expiring contracts, leading me to believe that they could possibly look for a small forward. Clark is a combo-forward at 6'9", but he plays more like point-forward with his high basketball IQ. Not much of a shooter, but he's pretty well-rounded otherwise.

15. Detroit Pistons - Terrence Williams SG/SF (Louisville Senior)
Williams can do pretty much everything, but never really did it consistently at Louisville. He plays exceptional defense, he's strong, and he's one of the better athletes in this draft. His weaknesses come mainly from his basketball IQ, as he just doesn't seem to understand how to score on the offensive end. Regardless, his attitude seems to fit with Detroit.

16. Chicago Bulls - DeJuan Blair PF (Pittsburgh Sophomore)

The Bulls could use a horse at the power forward. Obviously, Tyrus Thomas isn't that horse, as shown by his random acts of playing time in the playoffs. Blair would be the perfect compliment to the Bulls current options down low. Though I'm a Bulls fan, I don't like Blair. Regardless, I wouldn't be happy if he passed this spot.

17. Philadelphia 76ers - Stephen Curry PG/SG (Davidson Junior)
I'm not a fan of Curry. He was great in college, but I don't think he'll be great in the NBA. I do think he'd be a stud in Philadelphia however. Match him with Andre Iguodala and his pseudo-point forward role, and boom tho. Amazing will happen.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Heat) - Jeff Teague PG (Wake Forest Sophomore)
Teague would have been a lottery pick earlier in the year - the Wolves are getting a steal at 18 as a replacement for Bassy Telfair. Teague is very athletic and fun to watch - scorer first, but learning to be a distributor. Already, he's the best point guard on the Wolves.

19. Atlanta Hawks - B.J. Mullens C (Ohio State Freshman)
Mullens is a long way way from contributing in the NBA. He is big and young though, and can develop if he puts in work. Good hands, soft touch, and reasonably athletic raw big men have went much higher than this in previous drafts. Does that mean this will work out? Almost certainly not. Zaza's expiring this season though, and they don't have another center on the roster, so this might not be a bad pick (it will, but have hope).

20. Utah Jazz - Tyler Hansbrough PF (UNC Senior)
Hansbrough, if nothing else, is tough. The Jazz will more than likely have a need at the four after Millsap or Boozer walks. Why not bring in Hansbrough, who nobody likes, but is tough and has heart. Just seems like a Jerry Sloan guy.

21. New Orleans Hornets - Chase Budinger SF (Arizona Junior)
Even though Budinger's stock has fallen ever since winning the McDonald's dunk contest, he wouldn't be a terrible pick here. He's athletic and should someday be able to put it all together. The Hornets don't really have any depth at the wings and Budinger is a wing. Makes sense to me!

22. Dallas Mavericks - Eric Maynor PG (VCU Senior)
Basically, Dallas is not going to find a starter in this draft. They just won't. With Kidd expiring though, they should be looking for a point guard, so why not take the best available. He's very quick, sees the floor well and is developing his jump shot (though it's not as bad as that sounds). He's a guy that lives for clutch situations - and does well when he gets into them. My only hope would be that they don't trade him right before he breaks out like they did Devin Harris.

23. Sacramento Kings (From Rockets) - Austin Daye F (Gonzaga Freshman)

Daye could easily be a lottery pick because of his size and skill set as a 6'10" wing, but he could also be the next Jared Jeffries. I don't think he is ready yet for the NBA and needs to add some weight and another year of seasoning at Gonzaga. If he stays in though, somebody will take a flyer on him, and probably higher than this. The Kings may as well shoot for the stars. What's the worse that could happen? Have the worst record in the NBA and end up with the fourth best draft pick? Oops. Too soon, perhaps.

24. Portland Trailblazers - Nick Calathes G (Florida Sophomore)
With the Trailblazers in need of a point guard (It seems Bayless isn't the pure point of the future), I decided to go with Calathes. At this point in the draft, it'd make sense to take a gamble on a 6'5" guard with good court vision and a sweet stroke. He can't play defense with the best of them, but Portland has enough players behind him that should be able to help him out.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder (From Spurs)- Darren Collison PG (UCLA Senior)

Collison is a winner and stayed in school all four years - two qualities that are extremely compelling, but come draft time, nobody seems to dig this. I do. While it'll make for a very slight backcourt in OKC, it'll also make for an exciting backcourt, pairing Collison with his former teammate at UCLA, Russell Westbrook. What's the worst that could happen?

26. Chicago Bulls (From Nuggets) - Wayne Ellington G (UNC Junior)
The Bulls seem to be losing Ben Gordon this season - an unconcious shooter. He will be semi-replaceable though. Ellington can shoot the basketball for a living. He's got ice in his veins. I'm not all that high on Ellington, but he seems like he'd fit well in Chicago.

27. Memphis Grizzlies (From Magic) - Toney Douglas G (Florida State Senior)

The Grizzlies were hoping to get a point guard that can shoot with their first pick, but I don't think they'll be disappointed with Griffin. In Douglas, they're getting a combo-guard that can shoot, and score, and do everything a 23 year-old combo-guard should be able to do. He was a stud for Florida State and, in the right situation, he'll be a solid NBA player as well.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves (From Celtics) - Omri Casspi SF/PF (Maccabi Tel-Aviv)
Simply put, Minnesota probably won't bring all three picks in this season. Casspi could shore up the forward spot next season once they decide that Brewer and Gomes just aren't great options. I know this isn't a sexy pick, but I don't think it's a bad pick.

29. Los Angeles Lakers - Sam Young SF (Pittsburgh Senior)
Call me crazy, but I like Sam Young. He's old (24), but he's great on defense. He also plays the small forward. This comes into play because LA's other small forwards, Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza, are finishing out their contract when the playoffs end. It's doubtful the Lakers will be able to afford both, so a little insurance wouldn't hurt.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Patrick Mills PG (St. Mary's Sophomore)
Mills is quick and knows how to play basketball. Just seems like the LeBron's would get lucky with a pick like this. Mills will probably be one of the better players in this draft that's slept on, yet his stock has been falling since the NIT's. Basically, why not?

2009 NBA Mock Draft - RU's Version 2.0

Scott Schroeder — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:00:17 -0000

UPDATED 2009 NBA Mock Draft due to Patrick Patterson withdrawing from the draft.

Also, any issues? Leave feedback in the comments! Unless it's where I slotted a big man.. Then just know I hate them just as much as you do, but I did have reasoning for selecting them there. If your mock draft is better, post it in the fan shots and, if we like it, it could make the front page!

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Sacramento Kings	Ricky Rubio
2	Washington Wizards	Blake Griffin
3	Los Angeles Clippers	James Harden
4	Oklahoma City Thunder	Hasheem Thabeet
5	Minnesota Timberwolves	Brandon Jennings
6	Memphis Grizzlies	Jordan Hill
7	Golden State Warriors	Tyreke Evans
8	New York Knicks	Ty Lawson
9	Toronto Raptors	Demar DeRozan
10	Milwaukee Bucks	Jonny Flynn
11	New Jersey Nets	James Johnson
12	Charlotte Bobcats	Gerald Henderson
13	Indiana Pacers	Jrue Holiday
14	Phoenix Suns	Earl Clark
15	Detroit Pistons	DeJuan Blair
16	Chicago Bulls	Stephen Curry
17	Philadelphia 76ers	Jeff Teague
18	Minnesota Timberwolves	Terrence Williams
19	Atlanta Hawks	BJ Mullens
20	Utah Jazz	Eric Maynor
21	New Orleans Hornets	Tyler Hansborough
22	Dallas Mavericks	Patrick Mills
23	Sacramento Kings	Sam Young
24	Portland Trailblazers	Austin Daye
25	Oklahoma City Thunder	Darren Collison
26	Chicago Bulls	Gani Lawal
27	Memphis Grizzlies	Chase Budinger
28	Minnesota Timberwolves	Omri Casspi
29	Los Angeles Lakers	Nick Calathes
30	Cleveland Cavaliers	Wayne Ellington

1. Sacramento Kings - Ricky Rubio PG (DKV Joventut)
Griffin has been the consensus number one overall, but according to Sactown Royalty, fans wouldn't be against Rubio either (They started Beno Udrih in many games last season, why would they be against finding a better PG?) Rubio's been getting hyped forever, and with good reason - ater a solid Olympic performance with Team Spain, scouts are drooling even more. Rubio's young, gifted and a true point guard. Plus, isn't this just a Maloof sexy pick waiting to happen after drafting bigs in the lottery the past two seasons? First Year D-League probabilty - 0%

2. Washington Wizards - Blake Griffin PF (Oklahoma Sophomore)
Griffin is a complete monster, shown via his domination of all things college basketball, including the ladies. Typically considered the top player of the draft, he falls to the Wizards based purely on team needs. Drafting Blake Griffin, I assume would be that the Wizards would go big with Butler at the 2 and Jamison at the 3 to fit Griffin in the starting lineup. There are some bullets in that lineup. FYDLP - 0%

3. Los Angeles Clippers -James Harden SG/SF (Arizona State Sophomore)

He is not the best athlete in the draft - he plays more like a crafty vet with high basketball IQ and strong fundamentals. I really like Harden, and the Clippers seem reasonably set for bigs. The wing though, could use some definite work - Ricky Davis looks like a starter as it stands. FYDLP - 0%

4. Oklahoma City Thunder - Hasheem Thabeet C (UCONN Junior)
Thabeet is a rare player, a 7'3 center who blocks everything. Just his presence makes players flinch and blow easy lay-ups. He also can hit a 15-foot jump shot and is not a horrible FT shooter for a player of his size. The ThunderSonics have not had the greatest luck drafting 7-foot+ dudes (Mo Sene, Robert Swift, Johan Petro), but I think Thabeet would fit very well with this team. FYDLP -0%

5. Minnesota Timberwolves - Brandon Jennings PG (Lottomatica Roma, Italy)
Jennings was rated by some people as the #1 player in his high school class. He has tons of talent, but ended up in Italy after his grades didn't live to Arizona's standards. He didn't do anything special in Europe, but we think he'll be a better NBA player. Jennings is special and the Wolves desperately need a point guard. FYDLP - 0%

6. Memphis Grizzlies -Jordan Hill PF (Arizona Junior)
Hill is big, strong, athletic and willing to pound the glass and defend the post - you will have a man crush on him soon. He averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds per game this past season at Arizona - double-double's in college aren't easy to come by. Darrell Arthur, as he showed last season, is not the answer. Hill could be. My favorite part? He says himself he has "Ridiculous" Upside. FYDLP - 4%

8. New York Knicks - Ty Lawson PG (UNC Junior)
Mike D'antoni wants to play at high speeds and no one knows how to play fast better than Lawson. He's the type of point D'antoni likes - perfect for the Knicks. If Griffin wasn't the biggest no-brainer of the draft at the two-spot, this is. FYDLP - 5%

9. Toronto Raptors - Demar DeRozan SG (USC Freshman)

DeRozan is a pure scorer, as he can hit from deep or remind you of Vince Carter with his finishes at the rim. He was the best freshman coming into this draft and improved at USC as the season wore on. Could he one day evolve into the 2nd coming of Vince Carter for the Raptors? If he can find some handles and bring some defense, the Raptors will be getting a steal. FYDLP - 11%

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Jonny Flynn PG (Syracuse Sophomore)
The Bucks will more than likely either be without Charlie Villanueva or Ramon Sessions next season. In a weak draft for forwards, it seems like a good idea to hold onto Villanueva and let Sessions find greener pastures. He actually has ridiculous upside and can be a stud in the NBA. The only thing that worries us is his shooting, but not enough to hurt his stock after his impressive Big East tourney. FYDLP - 16%

12. Charlotte Bobcats - Gerald Henderson SG (Duke Junior)
Henderson is a stud. At defense anyway. Offensively, he's a bit questionable, but I think he can develop this aspect of his game. Raja Bell is an expiring contract for next season, meaning Henderson will be able to develop under him before pairing with Gerald Wallace as one of the better defensive tandems in the league. FYDLP - 21%

13. Indiana Pacers - Jrue Holiday (UCLA Freshman)
This is going to be a good pick for the Pacers, as they're looking for a player to shore up the point guard spot and I think Holiday could make a good filler. He plays great defense, he rebounds the ball well for his size, and he's quick enough to get to the rim and finish. FYDLP - 27%

14. Phoenix Suns - Earl Clark SF/PF (Louisville Junior)
This pick is basically best available, and I don't have any player better left on the board. Grant Hill and Matt Barnes are both expiring contracts, leading me to believe that they could possibly look for a small forward. Clark is more of a combo-forward at 6'9", he plays more like point-forward with his high basketball IQ. Not much of a shooter, but he's pretty well-rounded otherwise. FYDLP - 18%

15. Detroit Pistons - DeJuan Blair PF (Pittsburgh Sophomore)
The Pistons are potentially losing Rasheed Wallace, Jason Maxiell and Antonio McDyess. Needless to say, they could use a power forward. In a draft that is weak on bigs, Blair is the only player semi-deserving of this spot. He is, at least, big, if not quite tall enough. Hopefully he measures out as a lot longer than you'd assume. FYDLP - 32%

16. Chicago Bulls - Stephen Curry PG/SG (Davidson Junior)
The Bulls seem to be losing Ben Gordon this season - an unconcious shooter with a slight frame. Fortunately, at least in this version, Curry is going to be here, and be a scorer in the NBA. He is going to come into the NBA and hit shots, possibly filling in for Gordon and filling into a rotation at the point as well. I don't like Stephen Curry, but I like him here. FYDLP - 37%

17. Philadelphia 76ers - Jeff Teague PG (Wake Forest Sophomore)
Andre Miller's contract is up and it doesn't seem like he'll be back. Teague would have been a lottery pick earlier in the year - the Sixers are getting a steal as a replacement for Miller. Teague is very athletic and fun to watch - scorer first, but learning to be a distributor. FYDLP - 30%

18. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Heat) - Terrence Williams SF (Louisville Senior)
Williams can't shoot, but he can do pretty much everything else. He plays exceptional defense, he's strong, and he's one of the better athletes in this draft. His weaknesses come mainly from his basketball IQ, as he just doesn't seem to understand how to score on the offensive end. Regardless, kid can play. FYDLP - 70%

19. Atlanta Hawks - B.J. Mullens C (Ohio State Freshman)
Mullens is a long way way from contributing in the NBA. He is big and young though and can develop if he puts in work. Good hands, soft touch, and reasonably athletic raw big men have went much higher than this in previous drafts. Does that mean this will work out? Almost certainly not. Zaza's expiring this year though, and they don't have another center on the roster, so this might not be a bad pick. FYDLP - 82%

20. Utah Jazz - Eric Maynor PG (VCU Senior)
Most people haven't heard much about Maynor, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have talent. He's very quick, sees the floor well and is developing his jump shot (though it's not as bad as that sounds). He's a guy that lives for clutch situations - and does well when he gets into them. FYDLP - 42%

21. New Orleans Hornets - Tyler Hansbrough PF (UNC Senior)
The Hornets are weak up front. Hansbrough, if nothing else, is tough. With Sean Marks, Melvin Ely and even Ryan Bowen expiring this season, I don't think this is much of a reach. Regardless, I like this pick FYDLP - 74%

22. Dallas Mavericks - Patrick Mills PG (St. Mary's Sophomore)
Basically, Dallas is not going to find a starter in this draft. They just won't. With Kidd expiring though, they should be looking for a point guard, so why not take the best available. Mills is quick and knows how to play basketball. My only hope would be that they don't trade him right before he breaks out like they did Devin Harris. FYDLP -75%

23. Sacramento Kings (From Rockets)- Sam Young SF (Pittsburgh Senior)
For some reason, I really like Young. I don't think Sacramento would mind him either. While they started Francisco Garcia at small forward this season, he's more of an offensive specialist. Bringing Young off the bench as a lockdown defender would be a great scenario as he compliments Sacramento well with his defense. FYDLP - 68%

24. Portland Trailblazers - Austin Daye F (Gonzaga Freshman)

Daye could easily be a lottery pick because of his size and skill set as a 6'10 wing, but he could also be the next Jared Jeffries. I don't think he is ready yet for the NBA and needs to add some weight and another year of seasoning at Gonzaga. If he stays in, somebody will take a flyer on him, and probably higher than this. Plus, he's semi-local! Fun for the whole family! FYDLP - 88%

25. Oklahoma City Thunder (From Spurs)- Darren Collison PG (UCLA Senior)

Collison is a winner and stayed in school all four years - two qualities that are extremely compelling, but come draft time, nobody seems to be digging this. I do. While it'll make for a very slight backcourt in OKC, it'll also make for an exciting backcourt, pairing Collison with his former teammate at UCLA, Russell Westbrook. FYDLP - 71%

26. Chicago Bulls (From Nuggets) - Patrick Patterson PF (Kentucky Sophomore)
Patterson has good low post skills and can really finish, though he's undersized at what looks to me a generous listing of 6'8". As of today, there are rumors he'll return to Kentucky, though nothing official yet, so we're keeping him in. Patterson would be a steal for the Bulls if he falls this far, and would also be a great fit. Now if only VDN remembers he can use power forwards rather than four guards a center... FYDLP - 80% UPDATE: Since Patterson is going back to Kentucky, Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech PF is our new pick. VDN obviously doesn't like Tyrus Thomas, so by default, I'm giving him the best power forward available at this spot.

27. Memphis Grizzlies (From Magic) - Chase Budinger SF (Arizona Junior)

Budinger, even though his stock has fallen ever since winning the McDonald's dunk contest, wouldn't be a terrible pick here. I don't like him, but I feel he'll probably go higher than this. FYDLP - 84%

29. Los Angeles Lakers - Nick Calathes PG (Florida Sophomore)
Calathes can play. He's tall, he has good court vision, and knows how to run an offense. Passing is what he do though. All the time, which ocassionally causes problems - like when he tries passes only Steve Nash could make - back in the day. FYDLP - 80%

30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Wayne Ellington G (UNC Junior)
Ellington can shoot the basketball for a living. He's got ice in his veins. Cleveland doesn't really have a position of need, meaning they're free to take the best player available. In this situation, it looks Ellington goes to the LeBron's - not a bad gig as a shooter off the bench. FYDLP - 80%

OK, Patty Mills really is that awesome

Nuss — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:15:08 -0000

I know you're probably itching to move past last night and look forward to next season, but we've got about eight months in front of us to do that. For now, I think we all need to appreciate what we witnessed last night.

The best guard the Cougs have played against all season.

via d.yimg.com

Tony Bennett said on the pregame show last night that he hoped all the tough guards the Cougs faced in Pac-10 play had prepared WSU for Patty Mills. It turns out, nothing could have prepared the Cougs for him, because we haven't seen anyone that good all year long.

Taylor Rochestie has been absolutely superlative at keeping opposing guards in front of him -- and that includes guys like Darren Collison and Jerome Randle -- and Mills made him look absolutely foolish last night. Mills is both quick and fast, a deadly combination. He's not a consistent shooter yet, but when he's feeling it the way he was last night, his unbelievably quick release is impossible to defend.

Another thing that impressed me about Mills was his leadership. He set the tone from the opening tip, refusing to let his team pout. I know we wish our team would have done a lot of things better, but Patty Mills led his team to this victory. Every time we'd start to claw back in it, he'd do something to put us back down by eight to 12 points. This is the kind of guy you build a team around.

Now I know what all the fuss is about. It's not just that he piled up 27 points last night; it's the way he did it. When you singlehandedly shred the Cougar defense the way he did last night, you've really done something -- only one other guard this year came close to doing what Mills did last night.

NBA scouts should rightly be drooling about this kid. I'm honestly excited to watch him and St. Mary's get as deep as they can in the NIT, because these are, without a doubt, his final college games. (Which St. Mary's knows, and is probably why the Gaels were so pissed about missing the Tournament.) Now that he's not destroying my favorite team, I can fully appreciate his awesomeness.

Good luck in the NBA, kid -- and I'm glad I'll never see you on the floor against the Cougs again.

So this is how it ends

Grady. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 07:42:06 -0000

NCAA Basketball Stats

Let us revisit my burning questions for this game:

Is Patty Mills back to form?

A: Yes. Yes. And yes. Although that little flop in the first half made me lose a whole lot of the respect I had for him.

Can Baynes outperform Simpson under the basket?

A: No. No. And no.

Can we keep St. Mary's off the free throw line?

A: Absolutely not. That 41.5% FT rate is unacceptable.

Still, it doesn't matter how it ends. It just ends. And for 95% of college basketball teams, it ends with a loss.

This, in so many ways, was a microcosm of our season. A disappointing start, with moments of brilliance down the stretch that made us believe we had a chance. Then, ultimately, a bittersweet ending. This was the life of the 2008-09 Cougs. At least we'll always have The Shot.

It is going to be weird to have to watch WSU basketball without Taylor Rochestie, Aron Baynes, Caleb Forrest and Daven Harmeling. Thanks. You meant so much to this program.

Player of the Game: Aron Baynes. 19 points, 10 boards.

Play of the Game: The Marcus Capers jumper to bring the Cougars within four with 6:39 remaining.

It was over when... Omar Samhan's jumper gave St. Mary's a 63-53 lead with 4:49 to play.

Stat of the game: Patty Mills' 27 points on 8 of 15 shooting, including 5 of 9 from three-point range. Our friends at the Zag blog warned us Patty Mills was streaky. We ended up on the wrong end of the streak tonight.

Scouting Report: St. Mary's

Grady. — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:11:45 -0000

Courtesy of kenpom.com:

Category	Offense	Defense	D-I Avg
Adj. Efficiency:	110.1 [56]	96.2 [75]	101.1
Adj. Tempo:	66.4 [166]		66.5
Four Factors
Effective FG%:	49.8 [137]	46.3 [54]	49.1
Turnover %:	18.7 [68]	18.2 [300]	20.4
Off. Reb. %:	39.2 [18]	29.7 [45]	32.9
FTA/FGA:	40.7 [59]	30.3 [45]	36.5
Miscellaneous Components
3P%:	33.6 [189]	34.2 [167]	34.2
2P%:	49.5 [110]	44.6 [49]	47.9
FT%:	69.3 [160]	68.9 [176]	68.9
Block%:	7.7 [92]	11.4 [51]	8.8
Steal%:	8.3 [37]	10.1 [144]	9.9
Style Components
3PA/FGA:	34.4 [131]	26.1 [7]	33.1
A/FGM:	52.8 [205]	42.5 [3]	54.0
Defensive Fingerprint:	Mostly Man
Point Distribution (% of total points)
3-Pointers:	27.1 [177]	23.5 [301]	27.6
2-Pointers:	50.8 [214]	58.1 [12]	52.0
Free Throws:	22.1 [83]	18.4 [264]	20.4
Strength of Schedule
Components:	102.5 [133]	100.2 [139]	101.1
Overall:	0.5658 [126]		.5000
Non-conference:	0.6284 [67]		.5000
Personnel
Bench Minutes:	33.6% [107]		30.7%
Experience:	2.16 yrs [37]		1.66
Effective Height:	+2.2 [49]		0.0
Average Height:	77.2" [71]		76.5"

A couple of noteworthy things when reading this chart. One, if a number is in brackets, it is a national rank. Two: green equals good, red equals bad.

There's only one thing in the Four Factors that St. Mary's is bad at, and as luck would have it it's one of the things we're bad at too: forcing turnovers. That should be a huge aid to our offense. This team simply cannot afford turnovers. Because we surrender the offensive rebound for our transition defense, we need to make our possessions count. All of them. Secondly, we are not a come-from-behind team, as evidenced by UCLA and countless other runs that have put us down this season. Maybe not so much against UCLA, but in most games where we've been run off the floor this season, turnovers have played a huge role.

The good news, at least I like to think it's good, is that St. Mary's only does one thing remarkably well. That's offensive rebounding, and the fact of the matter is when you have superior talent in a conference like the WCC, you absolutely should dominate the offensive glass (although Gonzaga doesn't, which is either an anomaly or a result of their brutal nonconference schedule).

Which brings me to my key matchup of the game: Aron Baynes versus Diamon Simpson. We need Baynes to be prolific with defensive rebounding, and we need him to steer clear of foul trouble, which he's been so good at this year. Simpson is ranked 11th nationally in free throw rate, so watch out. If Baynes gets in trouble, hope Casto is a suitable replacement. If DeAngelo gets in trouble too, we are basically out of luck. Might not matter what Patty Mills does if our big men get two quick fouls called on them. Simpson is also a beast at defensive rebounding, rated 35th nationally in DR%. Again, as I look at these numbers, I hope it has something to do with the fact that St. Mary's opposition just wasn't as strong as ours.

So, my three burning questions for the game are:

Is Patty Mills back to form? His injury basically sunk a Top 25 team.
Can Baynes outperform Simpson under the basket?
Can we keep St. Mary's off the free throw line?

If I could tell you the answers to those, I would probably have some kind of super power. I can't. We'll find out for sure tomorrow

The scariest thing as I glance at the scouting report above it looks remarkably similar to one University of Washington basketball team. Dominant in offensive rebounding, excellent at getting to the free throw line. Don't get down about that - UW is much better, and we held our own against the Huskies even with Klay Thompson and Marcus Capers in foul trouble. Nevertheless, St. Mary's is a solid team that has every right to have a chip on their shoulders about failing to make the Big Dance.

Make no mistake - I want this game. One, to give WSU and the Pac-10 a marquee win in the NIT. Secondly, the WCC has been going all out in its effort to recruit Australia's finest. They even worked with ESPN (imagine that!) to get a number of their conference games televised down under. I would love to show a nationwide audience in the U.S., and possibly Australia, that Baynes is the best Aussie on the court, and that Australian players should be looking to suit up in Crimson and Gray.

This game, oddly enough, could have some serious impact on recruiting in the future. At least we have Brock Motum already locked up for next fall.

Scouting Patty Mills

Nuss — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:30:08 -0000

Ever wonder what the big deal is about St. Mary's star guard Patty Mills? Here's your primer. We'll go more in depth later as to how the Cougs might contain this guy, but this ought to get you started.

Video after the jump.

Mills was a total unknown to U.S. hoops fans before burst onto the scene last year with this crazy, 37-point performance against then-No. 11 Oregon. The Ducks turned out to be not that good, but it was a big darn deal at the time. (It didn't hurt Mills that this game was played at 76 possessions -- fast even by the Ducks' liberal standards.)

That led to a whole host of attention, including this little piece from Aussie Hoops America, showing some highlights and giving some of Mills' background. Pretty fascinating stuff, I think -- especially his indigenous heritage:

His spectacular freshman year led to a prominant place on the Australian national team for the Olympics. Mills scored 20 against the Americans in this exhibition game (he's No. 5 if you can make out jersey numbers). While Australians will point to how silly he makes Jason Kidd look as evidence of his awesomeness, Americans will point out this does not make him unique.

ADDED: Finally, we've got this little 2008-09 season preview from the guys who brought you the first video. If you haven't figured it out yet, Mills is kind of a national hero ...

		#1 Nate Tomlinson Sophomore Guard 6-3 \| 185 Sydney, Australia Tomlinson started all 28 games in which he participated. He missed three games due to injuries; averaged 7.4 points, 3 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 33.6 minutes per game; finished in 16th place on CU's freshman points list with 206; became the first freshman since Chauncey Billups to lead the team in assists and finished seventh on the school's all-time freshman assists list; shared scoring honors with 18 points at Stanford on 8-of-12 shooting; and led CU in assists 14 times. Tomlinson had five games with five or more assists and 18 games with at least three; a season-best seven assists against Texas A&M; six rebounds vs. Iowa State; four steals at Texas Tech; an assist in 27 of 28 games; and nine games with 10+ points. He finished seventh overall in the Big 12 in minutes played; played 35+ minutes 13 times; grabbed four or more rebounds nine times; made two free throws with 6.6 seconds remaining, clinching CU's 65-62 win over Louisiana-Monroe; and was the first freshman point guard since 2002-03 to start a season opener.

		#3 Rick Higgins Senior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Danville, Calif. Higgins transferred to Colorado from Cal Poly to play with his brother, Cory. He sat out of the 2008-09 season due to transfer rules and lost a year of eligibility because he already had redshirted at Cal Poly, where he played in 43 games, with two starts in two years, and averaged 1.2 points per game.

		#11 Cory Higgins Junior Guard 6-5 \| 190 Danville, Calif. Third Team All-Big 12 (2009) Big 12 Player of the Week (12/08/09) Higgins was one of 13 nationally ranked players who were first or second on their team in the five major statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) and the only sophomore nationally on that list. He was first statistically on the team in points, rebounds, steals, defensive and total rebounds, free throws and attempts, free-throw percentage, field goals made and attempted, and minutes played; second in assists and blocks; third in 3-point field goals made; and among CU players with a minimum of 200 shots taken was second on the team in shooting percentage Higgins tallied three nationally ranked categories: 64th in steals, 77th in free-throw percentage and 93rd in points per game. He scored 538 points, finishing 13th all-time at CU for most points scored in a single season. Those 538 points rank third all-time among CU sophomores and seventh all-time among CU guards for a season. Higgins led the team in scoring 18 times, steals 16 times, rebounding 15 times, assists 10 times and blocks 8 times; scored double digits in 28 of 31 games, 20+ points 12 times and 30+ twice; owned the team's top two scoring games with 34 points vs. Texas and 33 points vs. Colorado State; made 11 field goals in a single game twice, also a team best; achieved a perfect 12 of 12 at the free-throw line twice; had two double-doubles; was second both in CU seasonal minutes and conference minutes played; was named to the Rainbow Classic All-Tourney team, leading the Buffs in scoring every game; scored a CU 13-year conference high with a personal-best 34 points against Texas; also performed the same feat against Texas A&M with 27 points; was the first player at CU to lead the team in rebounding and assists the first two games of any season since the 1973-74 season; played 35+ minutes 24 times; had six games over 40 minutes; posted six or more rebounds 15 times; grabbed three or more steals 13 times; dished out four or more assists eight times; had 13 games with at least six or more made field goals; and tallied five CU Athlete of the Week awards.

		#12 Dwight Thorne II Senior Guard 6-3 \| 185 Arlington, Texas Thorne was selected as one of 10 NCAA Division I student-athletes to participate on an Athletes In Action team for a one-week, competitive international tour against teams in Poland and Berlin, Germany. He is a three-year captain who started every game; was the team leader with 45 made 3-pointers; was second in team scoring, steals, made field goals and made free throws; was third in assists with 52, minutes played and fourth in rebounds; finished the season ranked in three Big 12-only categories; played 1,035 minutes and made 128 field goals, surpassing his previous two-year total of 53; made a 3-pointer in 23 of 31 games and had 12 games with at least two treys; scored in double digits 22 times, netted 20+ three times and scored a career-best 30 points vs. Kansas State on 8-of-12 shooting, with a personal-best five 3-pointers, nine free throws made and 11 attempts; scored a trio of 20+ point efforts; led the team in scoring eight times; recorded five or more rebounds nine times; made three or more 3-pointers five times; logged 35+ minutes 16 times; and played 30+ minutes 24 times. Thorne is a cousin of Acie Law IV, the former Texas A&M star who plays for the Atlanta Hawks.

		#14 Javon Coney Junior Guard 6-3 \| 210 Chicago, Ill. Coney played in 23 games, with one start; averaged 8.8 minutes, one point and 1.3 rebounds per game; started his first career game against Oklahoma State; had a career-best six rebounds, one blocked shot and 27 minutes played against the Cowboys; played a career-best 27 minutes against Kansas State, with four points and four rebounds; grabbed five defensive rebounds at Nebraska; tallied a season-best five points with five rebounds against Missouri; recorded 20+ minutes four times and multiple rebounds eight times; and is a non-scholarship student-athlete.

		#24 Levi Knutson Junior Guard 6-4 \| 200 Littleton, Colo. Knutson played 30 games, with one start, and averaged 3.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and one assist per game. His lone start came at Baylor, with seven points, three rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes. He led the team in scoring with a career-high 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and a team-high four assists and two steals, against Oklahoma State; grabbed a career-best six rebounds at home against Nebraska; shared team-high honors with six rebounds against Nebraska and Texas in Oklahoma City; went 3 of 3 from the field in a home win against Iowa State; had a career-best two steals at Texas Tech and Oklahoma State; played nine games of 20+ minutes and netted three games in scoring double digits; and has played 62 career games, with two starts.

		#33 Austin Dufault Sophomore Forward 6-9 \| 230 Killdeer, N.D. Dufault was named one of three CU Sports Performer of the Year finalists in the Male Freshman Athlete of the Year Award category; started all 31 games, averaging 30.7 minutes, 8.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and one assist per game; scored 254 points, ranking 11th among CU freshmen, and his 115 rebounds ranked 12th among all CU freshmen; was third in team scoring, rebounding and defensive rebounding, and fourth overall in minutes; He was one of three on the team to have started all 31 games; was fifth among all conference freshmen in scoring and rebounding; led CU in scoring twice, with a season-best 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting vs. Louisiana-Monroe. His 15 points and five rebounds against Missouri led CU in both categories for the first time. Dufault had a season-best seven rebounds at Iowa State and at SMU, as well as a Big 12-best 13 points at Oklahoma; played a season-high 42 minutes against Texas; recorded 12 games in double digits and 12 games shooting 50 percent or better from the field; led the team in rebounding six times, had five or more rebounds 13 times and played 35+ minutes seven times; logged 30+ minutes 20 times; adds size and versatility to the roster; and brings a high basketball IQ with a great shooting touch from long range.

		#34 Casey Crawford Junior Forward 6-9 \| 245 Overland Park, Kan. Crawford played in 25 games, with four starts; averaged 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 14.2 minutes per game; was fourth on the team in 3-pointers made, and fifth in steals and points per game. During the last five games of the season, the transfer from Wake Forest averaged 8.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, and led CU with eight 3-pointers. He had a career-best 18 points with four treys in a win over Harvard. The 18 points were the most points off the bench to lead the team in scoring since Javon Coney scored 15 points in a reserve role at Nebraska. Crawford scored a Big 12 season-high 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting against Texas A&M, and also played a season-high 30 minutes; and came off the bench to score 14 points, tying a career-best four 3-pointers against Oklahoma State. Eight times he had three or more rebounds in a game, and had five games with five or more field goals made. He netted 14 points in his CU debut, tying Jermyl Jackson-Wilson’s debut of 14 back in 2006-07. The 14 points is a CU high by a transfer or freshman in a debut over the last four years. Crawford scored in double digits six times, led the team in scoring twice and played 20+ minutes six times.

		#55 Trey Eckloff Sophomore Forward 6-10 \| 235 Englewood, Colo. Eckloff played in 26 games, averaging 10.1 minutes, 2.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game; logged a season-high 25 minutes with six rebounds against Kansas; also had 23 minutes and four rebounds at Stanford; had a season-best two steals against the Cardinal; scored a season-best seven points on 3-of-4 shooting at Oklahoma; grabbed five rebounds at Missouri; played 15+ minutes in six games; scored four or more points seven times; recorded multiple rebounds 13 times; and was the second-youngest scholarship player in the Big 12 (teammate Ryan Kelley was the youngest).

		#2 Shannon Sharpe Freshman Guard 6-1 \| 200 Corona, Calif. Sharpe will miss the 2009-10 season after having season-ending knee surgery, Bzdelik announced Oct. 28. As a senior at Corona Centennial High School, Sharpe averaged 17.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 3.2 steals per game; helped the Huskies to a 27-5 record during his senior season; tallied four top-five Mountain View League finishes in points, assists, steals and rebounds; recorded five triple-doubles during his senior season; and was named Mountain View League and Triple Crown Tournament most valuable player, and also named to the Inland Empire and Corona all-tournament team. Sharpe was on the Division 2 All-California Interscholastic Federation and All-Riverside County first team his senior year, and was a member of 2007 All-California Interscholastic Federation championship team. He helped Corona to the 2007 and 2008 Mountain View League Championships. In 2008, his AAU team was ranked No. 3 nationally.

		#5 Marcus Relphorde Junior Forward 6-7 \| 220 Chicago, Ill. Relphorde averaged 10.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Indian Hills Community College, helping the Warriors finish with a 30-3 record. He was an All-Region honorable mention; shot .487 from the floor and .722 from the free-throw line; averaged 14 points per game; and scored in double figures in 12 of the team's last 13 games. Relphorde originally signed with Saint Louis under then-head coach Brad Soderberg. As a freshman with the Billikens and under head coach Rick Majerus, he averaged 4.3 minutes in 21 games; scored 22 points with 10 rebounds; and made 5 of 7 shots against Houston Baptist en route to 14 points and a team-high seven boards.

		#10 Alec Burks Freshman Guard 6-6 \| 185 Grandview, Mo. Burks was the 2009 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Missouri. During his senior year at Grandview High School, he averaged 23 points per game, in addition to 6.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He also was named The Kansas City Star and Metro Sports Player of the Year during his senior year. Burks helped his team to a 29-2 record during his senior season; scored a season-high 38 points; and received first-team all-Suburban Mix Six League honors as a junior after averaging 19.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Rivals.com listed Burks the No. 31 point guard in the Class of 2009. He was the career leader, in points scored, in school history and participated on the Mo-Kan All-Star game.

		#13 Shane Harris-Tunks Freshman Forward 6-11 \| 225 Liverpool, Australia Harris-Tunks was a member of Team Australia, which placed fourth at the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship; played in eight games, averaging 2.5 ppg; represented Australian U/19 at the Albert-Schweitzer Tournament in Germany and a third-place finish, and also was named captain; and was an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship recipient.

		#35 Keegan Hornbuckle Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 205 Westlake Village, Calif. As a senior at Campbell Hall High School, Hornbuckle averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game, helping his team to 19-9 record. He was a three-time first-team All-Olympic League selection and a three-time All-California Interscholastic Federation second-team selection. Hornbuckle was rated as the No. 34 small forward/shooting guard by Scout.com; helped Campbell Hall to a 31-5 record as a junior and a No. 39 national ranking by Rivals.com in 2007-08; was a member of a pair of state championship-winning teams in his sophomore and junior years; had a four-year prep record of 101-29; and was a member of the Valley All-Star and academic all-American All-Star team.