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| Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Non-BCS Conferences, Part Two
November 4, 2009
Jonathan Givony
Featuring some of the most eye popping numbers in college basketball and a style of play that is bound to endear him to NBA scouts, Kenneth Faried has been overdue for a mention on this site for quite some time now. Only a junior, and a young one at that, Faried’s per-minute production has jumped off the page since the moment he stepped foot on an NCAA court.
Not particularly big at around 6-8, and showing a narrow frame that could definitely use some extra bulk, Faried’s physical attributes don’t overwhelm you on first glance. He’s a good athlete—quick, reactive, agile and showing a terrific second bounce—but it’s his intensity and aggressiveness that makes him the player he is.
Faried is the top-returning rebounder in college basketball, grabbing an outrageous 17.1 rebounds per-40 minutes pace adjusted, which ranked right below DeJuan Blair last season. He displays all of the characteristics that most of the great rebounders do—showing outstanding hands, instincts, timing and reflexes pursuing loose balls ferociously, relishing contact and not having any problem sacrificing his body to help his team come up with an extra possession.
Offensively, Faried has made big strides over the past few years, but still projects as a role-player at best against higher level competition. He does an excellent job finishing around the basket thanks to his toughness, aggressiveness and solid explosiveness, usually finishing above the rim in emphatic fashion. His face-up game has improved quite a bit, being capable of taking his man off the dribble with nice footwork and hitting a decent amount of mid-range jumpers last season. While certainly prone to trying to do too much at times (leading to some questionable shots and turnovers), Faried appears to have an above average basketball IQ, being a solid passer who seems to understand the game fairly well. He gets to the free throw line at a terrific rate, but only converts 58% of his attempts once there.
On the downside, Faried’s skill-level is not extraordinarily high, as most of his production still comes from sheer will and tenacity. His ball-handling skills are improvable, his jump-shot still way too streaky, and his post game underdeveloped. Faried will need to continue to bulk up and polish his all-around skill-set if he’s to prove to scouts that his OVC numbers can translate to a much higher level of competition than he’s accustomed to.
Defensively, Faried is somewhat of a mixed bag. If projected as a power forward at the next level, he could have all kinds of issues guarding some of the more traditional big men he’ll find in the NBA, as he lacks both size and strength. It’s doubtful that he has any experience at all guarding perimeter players, though, as he spends most of his time at the 5-spot for Morehead State.
On the other hand, you can’t teach the type of hustle and aggressiveness that Faried brings to the table, and you surely can’t ignore his propensity for making big plays on the defensive end. Beyond his rebounding skills, he does a terrific job at getting steals and blocks, averaging 2.5 per-40 pace adjusted in both categories. Players with comparable characteristics, such as DeMarre Carroll and Renaldo Balkman, were drafted in the first round regardless of their tweener status, and Faried could make a similar case.
The NBA has shied away less and less as of late from players with less than ideal physical attributes, granted they can bring a team something extra in the toughness and activity level category. Faried will likely get his fair share of looks from teams this season, and still has another year of NCAA eligibility at his disposal if he doesn’t like what he’s hearing about his draft stock this spring.
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