NBA prospects who got the early entry choice right and wrong
There wasn't much for Greg Oden and Kevin Durant to consider when it came to choosing whether to enter the NBA draft. Each knows he will be taken no lower than the second pick. The only real drama might be over who will sign the more lucrative shoe deal.
It wasn't nearly as easy for most of the other top underclassmen in the college ranks who had to make a choice by yesterday's deadline. They faced a plethora of tough questions: What are my chances of being a first-round pick? How deep is the draft when it comes to my position? Could I boost my draft stock by staying in school?
Here are five who came up with the right and wrong answers:
Five who got it right
Mike Conley Jr.: There was no better point guard in the NCAA Tournament. Conley beat every defender he faced off the dribble, hit a barrage of floaters, ran the pick-and-roll like a pro and made one great decision after another. At 6-1 he is never going to be a top five pick, but his stock can't get much higher, either. Considering that it's such a weak draft for point guards, the pros of leaving now versus later heavily outweigh the cons.
Nick Young: This athletic wing could return for his senior year and be part of a team with real Final Four potential, but he also could wind up regretting such a move. With star recruit O.J. Mayo on his way to USC, adding to one of the nation's most talented rosters, there won't be nearly as many shots to go around next season. Young flourished as the No. 1 option in the Trojans offense last season, hitting 52 percent of his attempts from the field and 44 percent from 3-point range. Those numbers and his size (6-6, 200) will be enough to warrant a first-round selection.
Jeff Green: Returning for one last college season doesn't make much sense for this NCAA Tournament hero. Green's combination of great size (6-9, 235 pounds) and versatility will make him an attractive pick for a number of NBA teams. He can score in the mid-range area, help out on the glass and is also a terrific passer. Plus, his stock is soaring after capturing the Big East Player of the Year and Big East Tournament MVP awards. The chances of it getting any higher are slim. Nobody puts up great stats in Georgetown's Princeton-style offense.
Marcelus Kemp: Nick Fazekas has finally left Reno, meaning Kemp could shoot the ball about as much as he wants next season. But the muscular guard won't get nearly as many open looks as he's used to. All those double-teams Fazekas drew suddenly would be Kemp's problem. Why deal with all the extra defensive attention? Kemp already has an NBA-ready frame and accomplished about as much as he can at the college level.
Chris Daniels: His stock will never be this high again. The 7-footer from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi made the most of his short stay in the national spotlight, scoring 20 points, grabbing nine rebounds and blocking four shots against Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. That performance will earn some individual workouts with NBA teams, which is about the best you can hope for when you play in the Southland Conference.
Five who got it wrong
Arron Afflalo: The veteran guard won the Pac-10 Player of the Year award last season, but didn't improve much (his stats were nearly identical to 2005-06). A solid scoring threat and a good shooter, he remains fairly one-dimensional, unable to create for others offensively. More versatile wings such as Corey Brewer and Derrick Byars probably will be drafted higher, possibly pushing Afflalo out of the first round. Worse yet, Afflalo might have cost himself his best shot at a national title. Bruins recruit Kevin Love, the nation's top-ranked center prospect according to Rivals.com, will give the program the inside force it lacked on its run to each of the last two Final Fours.
Daequan Cook: An explosive athlete, Daequan Cook has the physical tools to be an NBA All-Star someday. But he's far from being ready to make the leap. The small forward averaged 9.8 points a game last season and was a non-factor down the stretch, averaging just 4.8 ppg in the NCAA Tournament. That lack of production will create plenty of uncertainty come draft time. Daequan Cook would be much better served coming back for his sophomore season (he hasn't signed with an agent yet). With Greg Oden and Conley gone, Daequan Cook could emerge as the focal point of the Buckeyes offense and make himself a lock for the lottery in 2008.
Dominic James: This ultra-quick point guard might have the fastest first step in the draft. But when you're 5-11 and can't make a jump shot nobody is going to use a high pick on you. After a great freshman season, James actually regressed because of his inability to knock down open looks from the outside. He shot 38 percent from the field and just 27 percent from beyond the arc. Those ugly numbers will scare away a lot of teams.
Wilson Chandler: This multi-dimensional small forward owns the type of inside-outside game that would fit well in the NBA. But Chandler hasn't put together what can be considered a great year at the college level yet, the kind that could propel him into a lock for the first round. The stage was set for that to all change if he had stayed at DePaul. With shooting guard Sammy Mejia (14 ppg) gone, Chandler could have carried the scoring load and piled up some impressive stats.
DeVon Hardin: It's clear that somebody is giving this 6-11 center some bad advice. The draft is loaded with proven and polished big men. Hardin falls into the raw, unproductive category. He never averaged more than 10 points a game in college and a leg injury limited him to just 12 games last season. He needs to stay in school and develop some more offensive skills. Otherwise, going undrafted is a legitimate possibility.
[More at www.sportingnews.com ]
