.
PG: Jacob Pullen (Kansas State)
He’s not a great athlete, doesn’t have big size and isn’t a true point guard but Pullen is a winner, has a huge heart and is extremely clutch. Did you happen to catch the 2010 Sweet Sixteen game against Xavier in which Pullen hit clutch shot after clutch shot? Or perhaps you caught his final college game, an NCAA tournament loss to Wisconsin in which Pullen finished with 38 points? If Earl “the Squirrel” Boykins can make it in the NBA, so can Pullen – who averaged over 20 PPG last season.K-State coach Frank Martin has taken to Twitter to defend Pullen. He sarcastically tweeted: “His team won over 50 games his last 2 yrs, his team finished in top 4 of Big 12 every yr. However he is 6′ not 6’3″ so he is not good”.
Note to NBA teams: You won’t like Martin when he’s angry.
.
SG: Ben Hansbrough (Notre Dame)
Another player that was out of position at point guard last season. He’s not nearly quick enough to play point guard and defend players like Derrick Rose and he’s not big enough to be a shooting guard and defend the likes of Joe Johnson. But like his older brother, Tyler, Ben is just a great fundamental basketball that wills his team to wins.It’s easy to forget now but it was Hansbrough, not Connecticut’s Kemba Walker, who was named Big East Player of the Year while averaging 18.4 PPG, 4.3 APG and 3.9 RPG this season.
SF: David Lighty (Ohio State)
The ESPN analysts working the draft were miffed that Lighty wasn’t picked and it’s easy to understand why. He’s not a great athlete but Lighty defends well, does a little bit of everything on the court and has an NBA body at 6-6, 220. The problem? He’s not a big-time scorer and the only thing he does really well is win; as was obvious last night, NBA scouts would trade in intangibles for “upside” in a heart beat. If Lighty can establish a reliable jumper overseas, there could still be a spot for him in the league.
PF: Matt Howard (Butler)
No one actually believe Matt Howard was going to get drafted but he deserves his due for a fabulous four-year career at Butler. Straight out of Hoosiers, Howard’s athleticism is light years from NBA standards and he doesn’t have a true position. Those awkward shots he nailed in college would be sent into the 10th row in the NBA by players like Blake Griffin.But let’s focus on the positives. Just like his team, Howard constantly proved the doubters wrong by getting tough points in the paint and laying it all on the floor every time he played. Howard averaged 16.4 PPG and 7.7 RPG last season and, oh yeah, led his team to back-to-back NCAA title games. He wasn’t afraid to get bloodied and was an extremely smart player who was heady enough to try and get a three-point play out of the infamous end-of-game foul against Pitt that advanced Butler to the Sweet Sixteen.
There’s little chance Howard will ever make the NBA but wouldn’t you love to see another Mark Madsen?
C: Jamie Skeen (VCU)
Ask Kansas’ Morris twins (a.k.a. “the Morrii”) just how good Skeen is. The Wake Forest transfer blew up for the Rams last season, averaging 15.7 PPG and 7.3 RPG. In the tournament, he was lights out and destroyed the Jayhawks with a 26-point, 10-rebound performance. Once a top recruit, Skeen does have knee concerns and is very undersized to be a power forward in the league and and guard players like Kevin Garnett. But in the new NBA full of small big men who can run the floor and score, there’s a play for Skeen somewhere such as New York or Golden State.
.
Honorable Mention: Rick Jackson (Syracuse), Kevin Anderson (Richmond), Scotty Hopson (Tennessee), Demetri McCamey (Illinois), Malcolm Thomas (San Diego State), Michael Dunigan (Oregon), Jamine Peterson (Providence), Greg Smith (Fresno State), Diante Garrett (Iowa State), LaceDarius Dunn (Baylor), Dwight Hardy (St. John’s), Kalin Lucas (Michigan State), Malcolm Delaney (Virginia Tech), Talor Battle (Penn State), Austin Freeman (Georgetown)
No comments:
Post a Comment