Salutations Posting and Toasting, Ross Bernhardt here again. We're going to get inside the mind of another viable candidate for the Knicks with the 48th selection in the NBA Draft. His name is Kim English, and when discussing the prospect of writing this review with Seth, he included this in an email: "English 4 tomorrow sounds wonderful..." To that, I replied, "English 4 Tomorrow sounds like a sketchy second-language program run out of the back of some van." That produced this fake advertisement for "English 4 Tomorrow" in two acts:

YOU WANT LEARN ENGLISH BUT YOU NOT HAVE TIME FOR LEARN ENGLISH CLASSES YOU NEED LEARN ENGLISH 4 TOMORROW BRO

I PICK YOU UP IN VAN AND TEACH ENGLISH FOR SMALL CASH YOU WANT ENGLISH I HAVE LET ME PICK UP AND GIVE ENGLISH FOR YOU

Anyone interested in this terrific program can contact me or just look for the awesome van down the alleys. You will know it when you see it. Now, on to the next prospect.

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Happy Friday all. It's your friend Ross Bernhardt. I hope everyone was able to stay dry, because it was raining cats and dogs yesterday. Not literally, but figuratively. That's a saying, and isn't meant to be taken seriously. Now that I've alienated most of you, it's time to look at another prospect. On Wednesday, the Knicks worked out a bunch of guys, one of them being guard Tu Holloway. He isn't the natural point guard/athlete that many of us wish to be taken with our 48th selection. Our next prospect, Scott Machado, is one of the most natural point guards in the draft. Let's see if he's a good fit after the jump.

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With roughly one month remaining until draft day and the Knicks already running pre-draft workouts, it's time to profile some folks who might be available with the 48th pick. I know nothing about college basketball, so here's the much more knowledgeable and debonair Ross Bernhardt, who you may know as viva_morrison. -Seth

Happy Thursday to you all, fellow second round hopefuls! It is I, Ross Bernhardt (aka viva_morrison), and I'm back for another rousing series of Know the Prospect! The Knicks began hosting young, starry-eyed prospects today, but how can we really know these players? I mean really know them?

Well, unless your name is Professor Charles Xavier, you can't. Last time I checked, my name was Ross Bernhardt, so telepathy is out of the question. But we can do a little old-fashioned research and come to some general conclusions about these guys.

Before we get to today's prospect, let's first try and identify what the Knicks will be looking to get come draft time. Without a first round pick, the Knicks will be drafting at 48 (18th pick in the second round). The Knicks have done pretty well in the second round the past two years (you can do better than Fields and Harrellson in the second round, but you could also do much worse) so they know how to find talent here. Let's take a look at the free agent situation for the Knicks over the next two years and what area the Knicks might want to address this draft (via The Basketball Jones):

2012 Free Agents: Landry Fields (R), Jeremy Lin (R), Mike Bibby, Baron Davis, Steve Novak, Dan Gadzuric, Jared Jeffries, J.R. Smith (P)

2013 Free Agents: Toney Douglas (R), Josh Harrellson (R), Jerome Jordan (R), Renaldo Balkman

A lot of point guards and wing players make up that list. My guess is the Knicks will go that route and try to find another perimeter shooter or another backup point guard to help Lin and Douglas. So without anymore delay, let's get to the first prospect of the 2012 Know the Prospect series: Tu Holloway. Jump friends!

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P&T, I am terribly sorry.  There is really no excuse for this Know the Prospect not getting done before last night's draft.  I could give you a string of excuses like "I started my internships!" or "I went into a coma from laughing so hard at the P&T Report Cards!" but that's not my style.  I screwed up!  I started the profile on June 7th for crying out loud, and it turned out to be the most important profile of them all.  With the 17th pick, our New York Knicks selected Iman Shumpert out of Georgia Tech.  If you will oblige, I will post the finished product for you all.  Read it as if we were scouting him before the draft, and then you can all stone me to death at a date of your choosing.  Jump.

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Weekend edition!  Not exactly "Early Edition" (did anyone else watch that show?) but it will do.  I started this post on Wednesday.  I planned on having it done on Wednesday, but my undiagnosed ADD said otherwise.  Now I am writing this after the announcement that our beloved Donnie Walsh will not be returning as President/GM of the Knicks next season.  This is sad news, and I am coping by listening to Dashboard Confessional.  In the mean time, let's all take our minds off this mess and get to know another prospect. 

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Before I get on with today's prospect, I want to briefly share my thoughts about my expectations for the Knicks and their #17 draft pick.  I also want to share my real name with all of you, since Seth asked so kindly before.  You can all call me Ross (my name is also my Twitter handle, which shows up every time I comment... so I'm sure some of you put 2+2 together?).  Nice to finally be formally introduced to you all.  

Most experts are saying that this draft is one of the weakest in a while.  I actually think there is some depth in this draft.  What it's weak in is potential "superstar"-type players.  There are no LeBrons in this draft, but there are plenty of guys that can be serviceable NBA players.  That's all I am looking for at #17, and it's the kind of player the Knicks need the most.  We already have Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony at the top of the heap.  The next step is adding quality depth to make their jobs easier.  What I want out of my #17 pick is someone that can provide energy off the bench on both sides of the ball, has one translatable skill, and has the potential to grow into a larger role hopefully.  Whether that is an energy defender/rebounder like Kenneth Faried, a smooth scorer off the bench like Marshon Brooks, or a high-energy super athlete like Josh Selby, these are the kind of players the Knicks need to create depth.

Here are the #17 picks of the last decade starting with the most recent: Kevin Seraphin, Jrue Holiday, Roy Hibbert, Sean Williams, Shawne Williams (WEIRD), Danny Granger, Josh Smith, Zarko Cabarkapa, Juan Dixon, Michael Bradley, and Desmond Mason.  There are a few complete flops here and also plenty of really talented guys in that group, but no real superstars (well maybe one if you count Extra E, but I'm not quite ready to do that yet).  If the Knicks need to play it safe to make sure a player with tangible skills is selected, so be it.  

Anyway, today we are going to become more familiar with Reggie Jackson.  Yes, that Reggie Jackson. 

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The Know the Prospect series is really humming along now.  We are firing on all cylinders baby!  Before I get on with this one, I just want to thank Seth for the opportunity to do this for Posting and Toasting again.  I also want to thank you all for commenting and having really great and intelligent discussions about all of these guys.  And I will say again, this is no solo project.  Flossy did a great write-up on Josh Selby, and all of you are more than welcome to chip in if you feel like you have a good grasp on a prospect (pause).

Today we will be looking at one of the more prolific scorers in the draft.  He is a bit of a late-bloomer, but there's nothing wrong with that.  I was the same way.  I grew from 5' to 5"6 in a matter of two and a half years in high school, and it worked out for me fine!  Let's learn stuff.

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So much for that Rapture, am I right?!?  All kidding aside, I now have an entire "Rapture Bunker" below my cellar full of canned foods, water, and Holy Water.  There is no way I am going to want all of this non-perishable food an drink without some sort of "Rapture."  Kind of a disappointment in that regard.

But let's get back to the good stuff.  Chris Singleton is a player whose name has come up a few times in the comments section (requested by bubbachuck and slymslam17, more specifically).  Well, let's get on with the profile.  So much time, so little to do!  Wait, strike that, reverse it.  

Jump with me into a world of pure imagination!

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P&T, prepare yourselves for something the world (and when I say world I mean this series/community) has never seen or attempted.  For the first time, a "Know the Prospect" will cover TWO prospects at once.  Why cover two prospects?  Because they are identical twins!  On a personal note, I am a twin myself, so this profile will fill me with tons of twin pride.  Also note that my twin sister will be helping me write it telepathically and in our own language.  And yes, we are the Wonder Twins.  Jiddy bolka na'a!  

If you have duomaieusiophobia (fear of twins), aren't privy to the Lopez or Collins brothers, or didn't especially care for the film "Twins" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, then this post isn't for you.  If you don't mind any of the aforementioned business and do have an affinity for talented basketball players, then you've come to the right place! For your reading pleasure, today's edition will cover the Morris twins, Marcus and Markieff.  Now with all of the players with the surname Morris, do we want to take one of these two?  Let's find out.

Double dutch!  DoubleMint Gum!  You know, because of the whole twin thing... double dutch... DoubleMint...  Anyway, just jump. 

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-P&T'er frank8 just recently put up a Know the Prospect about this guy.  Check it out.  I just thought I would duplicate and elaborate, if you will 

You all know the drill.  It's Know the Prospect time.  Our first two neophytes, Kenneth Faried and Klay Thompson, each have one skill that is defined and could translate to the NBA.  With Faried, it's his tenacious rebounding.  With Thompson, it's that NBA-ready shot.  Now we translate to a prospect that possesses that one buzzword that makes everyone drool and cringe at the same time: potential.

Potential is a word that can evoke excitement and utter disappointment.  I think I want to just replace the word "potential" with "Anthony Randolph" because no player sucked me in to the back-and-forth about what said player would become.  Randolph shows flashes of the player he was projected to become, but never quite gets there.  Sure, part of that is opportunity, which he didn't get much of in New York, and he is still incredibly young and has tons of time to develop.  But Randolph still hasn't gotten there and is still just a player with potential.  When a player with "Anthony Randolph" does actually pan out, like a Monta Ellis, Al Jefferson, or Josh Smith, it is incredibly fulfilling.  But for every one of these guys, there are just as many Sebastian Telfair's, Brandan Wright's, and Alexis Ajinca's of the world.

Our prospect today is Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira, and he has TONS of "Anthony Randolph."  

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As per request by semsemma, next on our cavalcade of prospects is Klay Thompson, a sweet-shooting guard out of Washington State.  While looking over the Knicks' roster, there is definitely a lack of depth at guard.  Would drafting a rookie solve that depth issue, or would cheap vets be a better option?  Either way, Thompson is projected to go in the vicinity of our draft pick, and you can never have enough shooters, especially in a system like Mike D'Antoni's.  Bloc Party even dedicated a song to him! (but there is an egregious error in spelling by the band...)  OK enough stalling, let's jump around and get schooled on Mr. Thompson.  

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viva_morrison is back with his award-winning profiles of draft prospects! This Kenneth seems like a pretty great Kenneth. -Seth

What's good, P&T???  I am currently buzzing after seeing a sweet concert up in Providence that featured The Naked & Famous, Freelance Whales, and Foals.  So much adrenaline is coursing through my veins that I had to get draft coverage started.  We get to scout first round talent this year!  Hooray!  Not that I didn't enjoy looking at the Craig Brackins and Lance Stephensons of the world, this will be a refreshing and welcome change.  Who better a person to pick than one of the players that has been on everyone's radar for quite some time now: Kenneth Faried, F out of Morehead St. (the 9th-grade version of me just chuckled... wait present day version of me chuckled too).  I was going to write something up about him last year as a possible second-round choice, but he chose to stay for his senior season.  I kept a watchful eye on Faried this season, and even wrote something up on him during his conference tournament for my blog.  He's apparently on the Knicks' radar now too!  

Take a leap of faith after the jump and maybe we'll all learn something!

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The Knicks and the Celtics play tonight in the last game of the regular season.  The two teams play each other in the first round of the Playoffs on Sunday, which is a little bit awkward.  With that awkwardness in mind, here are some potential corporate sponsors for the so-called "Awkward Bowl."

• This bird!:                                           via www.birdzilla.com
• (Already a confirmed 17/17 on the awkward scale)
• Awkward Turtle or "I Like Turtles"
• Flip Cameras :(
• Friendster
• Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2
• Kendrick Perkins
• DiGiorno's Pizza and Cookies
• Charlie Sheen's "Violent Torpedo of Truth Tour"
• NBC's "Outsourced"
• "The Herd with Colin Cowherd"
• B*Witched
• Kendrick Perkins

via cdn3.sbnation.com

Via Marc Berman on Twitter:

NYPost_Berman Marc Berman  As reported, Walsh could get another crack at Earl Barron today as Bucks undecided whether to extend his second 10-day contract.
and...
NYPost_Berman Marc Berman  Earl Barron is officially a free agent. Again, Walsh likes him. D'Antoni unsure if he'd play him. Sort of like Derrick Brown.
I don't know why we didn't jump on the Barron the first time he was available, but if I were Donnie Walsh I would cut ties with Sheldon Williams right now.  I only got to listen to the radio broadcast yesterday, but John Andariese was less than impressed with the way Williams performed in his start.  If you want to keep Williams for his... size?... then the next obvious casualty is Derrick Brown.  Pringles has only given Brown extreme garbage time, and it doesn't look as if he will get much chance prove anything as a Knicks.
What do you guys do?

ESPN College Basketball guru Andy Katz came and spoke to my sports journalism class today, and after it was over we got to pester him with NCAA Tournament questions.  He noticed I was wearing my Gonzaga hat, and we talked Zags for a minute.  I had seen bracketologists put Gonzaga in the 12th seed, and I said to Katz that the Bulldogs would be pretty dangerous in that position.  He thinks we can probably get a 10 seed, and that the 1's and 2's outside of Ohio St. and Kansas are very beatable.  Would you guys rather have Gonzaga a 12 seed or a 10/11?

Torrance, to me, is perhaps the most intriguing of all the guard prospects. I like what I've seen. -Seth

via media.al.com

I figured since this cat started things off with his anonymous picture in Seth's Know The Prospect precursor, I had to do a write-up on the man.  I was going to do a write-up on mysterious French big man Kevin Seraphin, but he just tore a ligament in his knee and will likely pull out of the draft.  He was a late first round talent, and that would involve purchasing a pick.  Mikhail Torrance, however, is a second round prospect, and this kid is intriguing.  Take a leap with me, P&T'ers.

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Here's viva_morrison with another excellent profile. My analysis: Brackins, Kraken, Quinton McCracken.

via cdn.picapp.com

I've got a fever.  And the only prescription, is more prospects.  Like Hova, we will move on to the next prospect.  This is another big that is projected to go early-mid second round, and Draft Express even has him getting snagged by the Knicks at number 39.  His name is Craig Brackins, and this guy could be a perfect big man for the D'Antoni system.  I'll feed you baby birds after the jump.

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Not really feeling Stephenson, nor do I think he fits a need. Here's viva with another baller profile. -Seth

via bearcatsportspage.com

Oh boy.  I didn't really want to get to know this guy.  I was almost dead-set against it.  But it is what the people want.  And I can't disappoint my peeps.  So, without further adieu, I present one of the most polarizing prospects in the P&T comment sections: Lance Stephenson, G, of Cincinnati.  I want to apologize in advance for any extra saltiness that might be emanating from this post, because I just watched Joba and company blow a 5-1 lead, then got my hopes up as the Yanks made a faux-comeback, and I am a little more than upset right now.  It's a good thing writing is therapeutic for me.  Let's learn more after the jump.

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I like Willie Warren, but can't figure out who he looks like. He definitely looks like somebody, though. Here's viva_morrison with another excellent profile. -Seth

via images.athlonsports.com

I am really starting to like writing up these prospect profiles.  I am going back to the small guys with somebody that a bunch of you have been talking about.  Willie Warren, a very talented guard out of Oklahoma.  I learned a lot about this guy when I was looking him up, a lot of things I was unaware of.  Let's get informed after the jump.

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I got me a pretty substantial basketboner for this guy. Thanks to viva_morrison for another excellent profile. -Seth

via collegebasketball365.files.wordpress.com

What's good, everyone?  I'll keep the trend of big men going with another prospect.  Class, I would like to introduce you all to Jarvis Varnado.  Jarvis is from Mississippi State, and he really likes defense.  NBA Draft.net has him going to us with our 38th pick.  Before we learn a little more about this cat, let's admire the above picture.  It is something that we haven't seen in quite some time.  Jump time.

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From what I understand, the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is a great opportunity for senior ballers to showcase their skills before the pre draft workouts and all of those other things.  NBADraft.net covers the event pretty well each year, and I was eager to see how Matt Bouldin would fare at the tournament.  To my surprise, his name was not on any of the rosters.  I tried to learn more about how the rosters were selected, and it seemed pretty confusing to me.  I also was reminded that Jeremy Pargo and Josh Heytvelt both skipped out on this event last year.  Both were seen as second round picks, but neither one got drafted.  Does anyone know if Bouldin was invited but declined?  If so, do you guys think this hurts his chances of getting taken in the second round?

Editor's Note: From the Fanposts. Thanks once again to viva_morisson.

via media.scout.com

Greetings again!  Let's take a look at another unknown.  The other prospect that was worked out by the Knicks today was Tennessee point guard Bobby Maze.  I am not going to lie, Maze was a little more than unfamiliar to me.  Besides the fact that he is a dead-ringer for an NBA player... it's on the tip of my tongue... eh I will think of it later.  I was more than a little surprised that the Knicks were working him out, because I have not heard any draft buzz surrounding the guy, and none of the mock drafts I have seen have him getting drafted.  Let's all learn a little more about this mystery man after the jump.

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Editor's Note: From the Fanposts. This is how it's done. Feel like you're an expert on a potential second round pick? Tell us about him in a Know the Prospect.

via www.ksl.com

Evening ya'll.  If this were the radio, I would be starting this off with "First-time caller, long-time listener."  Would the blog equivalent be "First-time poster, long-time reader?"

Anyway, since it was announced the Knicks were working out BYU's Jimmer Fredette and Tennessee's Allen Iverson... Bobby Maze, I figured that it would be a good opportunity to do a profile on one of my favorite college basketball players, Jimmer Fredette.  Draft Express doesn't have Jimmer going to the NBA until next year, and that isn't until the mid-second round.  But he is still testing the waters and after his first round performance last year, he should get looks from a lot of teams.  More on Jimmer after the jump.

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Butler's presence in this year's national championship game just proves to worth of this ageless adage.  The teams that play the stingiest defense at the end of the year usually prevail when all is said and done.  That is the main reason that Gonzaga has not been able to break through and make a run like Butler has this year.  Sure we have the offensive firepower, but we have built leads and subsequently lost them in many a game.  Hopefully Donny Daniels is the missing piece of the puzzle.  If he can instill a defensive toughness in the Zags, this program could very easily do what Butler is doing.  

What do you guys think, is this the main point of focus for Gonzaga moving ahead or is there something else keeping the team from taking that next step?