DraftExpress delivers all the latest news and scouting reports on all the NBA draft prospects, NCAA tourney updates, and international league play /archives/type Sat, 04 Apr 2026 23:24:30 -0400 We're proud to announce that Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz will be joining ESPN as NBA Draft analysts. DraftExpress.com will remain on the web with all of our existing archive, but will not be publishing any new content moving forward. All articles, rankings, mock drafts and event recaps moving forward will be published on ESPN.com.Thanks to everyone that has contributed to DraftExpress, and the millions of readers who have visited our website diligently over the past 14 years. /article/the-end-of-an-era-6070/ /article/the-end-of-an-era-6070/ Fri, 21 Jul 2017 11:02:44 -0400 Interview with A.J. Reeves from the adidas Nations Training Camp. /article/adidas-nations-training-camp-interview-a-j-reeves-6069/ /article/adidas-nations-training-camp-interview-a-j-reeves-6069/ Wed, 05 Jul 2017 00:25:10 -0400 Interview with NBA shooting guard Jamal Murray from the adidas Nations Training Camp. /article/adidas-all-american-camp-interview-jamaly-murray-6068/ /article/adidas-all-american-camp-interview-jamaly-murray-6068/ Wed, 05 Jul 2017 00:20:24 -0400 Interviews with Charles Bassey, Kevin Porter, and Kyree Walker from the 2017 Pangos All-American Camp. /article/pangos-all-american-camp-interviews-bassey-porter-walker-6067/ /article/pangos-all-american-camp-interviews-bassey-porter-walker-6067/ Wed, 05 Jul 2017 00:09:17 -0400 Interviews with Devon Dotson, Tre Mann, and Moses Moody from the 2017 Pangos All-American Camp. /article/pangos-all-american-camp-interviews-dotson-mann-moody-6065/ /article/pangos-all-american-camp-interviews-dotson-mann-moody-6065/ Tue, 04 Jul 2017 23:57:14 -0400 The measurements taken by USA Basketball at the U19 World Championship Training Camp were distributed this week /article/usa-basketball-u19-training-camp-measurements-and-analysis-6064/ /article/usa-basketball-u19-training-camp-measurements-and-analysis-6064/ Wed, 28 Jun 2017 15:06:42 -0400 From Markelle Fultz at #1 all the way down to Luke Kennard or Frank Ntilikina, the 2017 NBA Draft is loaded with elite guards at the top, and has depth at the position as well behind the cream of the crop. Eight of the fourteen 2017 lottery picks could very well be point guards or shooting guards, which would be the most guard-heavy draft since 2009. /article/breaking-down-the-2017-nba-draft-39-s-loaded-guard-crop-6063/ /article/breaking-down-the-2017-nba-draft-39-s-loaded-guard-crop-6063/ Thu, 22 Jun 2017 11:50:54 -0400 In a draft class lauded for its guards, three exceptionally talented, and wildly different, forward prospects sit in the top six of our mock draft, each taking a very different path to the top, and demonstrating wildly contrasting strengths and weaknesses. So who is the best prospect among the three? /article/comparing-and-contrasting-the-prospects-of-tatum-jackson-and-isaac-6062/ /article/comparing-and-contrasting-the-prospects-of-tatum-jackson-and-isaac-6062/ Wed, 21 Jun 2017 14:52:25 -0400 Jonathan Givony and Woj discuss possible trade scenarios and draft picks as they could unfold Thursday night in Brooklyn – from the lottery through the late first-round. /article/draftexpress-joins-adrian-wojnarowski-on-the-vertical-podcast-6061/ /article/draftexpress-joins-adrian-wojnarowski-on-the-vertical-podcast-6061/ Wed, 21 Jun 2017 12:24:20 -0400 Markelle Fultz is interviewed following his workout at the Jordan Brand Terminal 23 in Manhattan. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/markelle-fultz-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-6060/ /article/markelle-fultz-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-6060/ Wed, 21 Jun 2017 11:07:26 -0400 Video from the De'Aaron Fox Catalyst Sports Pro Day Workout in Los Angeles. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/de-39-aaron-fox-catalyst-sports-pro-day-workout-6059/ /article/de-39-aaron-fox-catalyst-sports-pro-day-workout-6059/ Wed, 21 Jun 2017 10:49:28 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of French big man Jonathan Jeanne as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/jonathan-jeanne-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6058/ /article/jonathan-jeanne-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6058/ Wed, 21 Jun 2017 01:44:07 -0400 Iowa State point guard Monte Morris is interviewed following the Octagon Pro Day workout in LA. Full video and interview included, produced by Matt McGann. /article/monte-morris-octagon-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6057/ /article/monte-morris-octagon-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6057/ Tue, 20 Jun 2017 22:58:10 -0400 Footage from the Amile Jefferson CAA Sports Pro Day Workout in Los Angeles, which was attended by over 150 NBA scouts. /article/amile-jefferson-caa-sports-pro-day-workout-6056/ /article/amile-jefferson-caa-sports-pro-day-workout-6056/ Tue, 20 Jun 2017 22:53:08 -0400 Northeastern's T.J. Williams is interviewed following his workout at the NBA Player's Association workout facility in Manhattan. Video produced by Corey Porter. /article/t-j-williams-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-6055/ /article/t-j-williams-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-6055/ Tue, 20 Jun 2017 22:45:28 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of French guard Frank Ntilikina as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/frank-ntilikina-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6054/ /article/frank-ntilikina-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6054/ Tue, 20 Jun 2017 16:46:41 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Spanish wing Alberto Abalde as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/alberto-abalde-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6053/ /article/alberto-abalde-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6053/ Tue, 20 Jun 2017 15:12:51 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Mega Bemax big man Alpha Kaba as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/alpha-kaba-nba-draft-scouting-report-6052/ /article/alpha-kaba-nba-draft-scouting-report-6052/ Tue, 20 Jun 2017 13:15:39 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Brazilian guard George De Paula as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/george-de-paula-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6051/ /article/george-de-paula-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6051/ Tue, 20 Jun 2017 11:49:26 -0400 Indiana combo forward OG Anunoby is interviewed following the Octagon Pro Day workout in LA. Full video and interview included, produced by Matt McGann. /article/og-anunoby-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6050/ /article/og-anunoby-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6050/ Tue, 20 Jun 2017 08:41:09 -0400 Eastern Washington's Jake Wiley is interviewed following his workout at the NBA Player's Association workout facility in Manhattan. Video produced by Corey Porter. /article/jake-wiley-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-6049/ /article/jake-wiley-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-6049/ Tue, 20 Jun 2017 08:19:39 -0400 Kentucky big man Isaac Humphries is interviewed following his Pro Day workout in LA. Full video and interview included, produced by Matt McGann. /article/isaac-humphries-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6048/ /article/isaac-humphries-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6048/ Tue, 20 Jun 2017 08:09:53 -0400 Georgetown wing L.J. Peak is interviewed following the Pensack Pro Day workout in LA. Full video and interview included, produced by Matt McGann. /article/l-j-peak-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6047/ /article/l-j-peak-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6047/ Tue, 20 Jun 2017 07:59:25 -0400 Who are the second round-to-undrafted prospects flying under the radar this year? How and why could they fit into today's NBA? /article/identifying-the-2017-nba-draft-39-s-sleeper-prospects-6046/ /article/identifying-the-2017-nba-draft-39-s-sleeper-prospects-6046/ Mon, 19 Jun 2017 16:23:57 -0400 Footage from the Luke Kennard CAA Sports Pro Day Workout in Los Angeles, which was attended by over 150 NBA scouts. /article/luke-kennard-caa-sports-pro-day-workout-6045/ /article/luke-kennard-caa-sports-pro-day-workout-6045/ Mon, 19 Jun 2017 15:02:27 -0400 Footage from the John Collins CAA Sports Pro Day Workout in Los Angeles. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/john-collins-caa-sports-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6044/ /article/john-collins-caa-sports-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6044/ Mon, 19 Jun 2017 14:39:35 -0400 South Carolina guard P.J. Dozier is interviewed following his workout at the BDA Sports Pro Day in Los Angeles. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/p-j-dozier-bda-sports-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6043/ /article/p-j-dozier-bda-sports-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6043/ Mon, 19 Jun 2017 10:50:23 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of South Carolina wing Sindarius Thornwell as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/sindarius-thornwell-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6042/ /article/sindarius-thornwell-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6042/ Mon, 19 Jun 2017 10:19:25 -0400 Notre Dame senior V.J. Beachem is interviewed following his workout at the BDA Sports Pro Day in Los Angeles. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/v-j-beachem-bda-sports-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6041/ /article/v-j-beachem-bda-sports-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6041/ Mon, 19 Jun 2017 09:42:09 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Mega Leks power forward Vlatko Cancar as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/vlatko-cancar-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6040/ /article/vlatko-cancar-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6040/ Mon, 19 Jun 2017 09:33:50 -0400 An 19 minute interview segment on the Jody Mac Show (CBS Sports Radio) breaking down various 2017 NBA Draft storylines. /article/podcast-jonathan-givony-on-the-jody-mac-show-cbs-sports-radio-6039/ /article/podcast-jonathan-givony-on-the-jody-mac-show-cbs-sports-radio-6039/ Sun, 18 Jun 2017 19:28:23 -0400 Kentucky big man Bam Adebayo is interviewed following the Octagon Pro Day workout in LA. Full video and interview included, produced by Matt McGann. /article/bam-adebayo-nba-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6038/ /article/bam-adebayo-nba-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6038/ Sun, 18 Jun 2017 11:46:28 -0400 Clemson forward Jaron Blossomgame is interviewed following his workout at Impact Basketball at the ASM Sports Pro Day in Las Vegas. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/jaron-blossomgame-asm-sports-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6037/ /article/jaron-blossomgame-asm-sports-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6037/ Sun, 18 Jun 2017 10:57:43 -0400 Davon Reed is interviewed following his workout at Impact Basketball at the ASM Sports Pro Day in Las Vegas. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/davon-reed-asm-sports-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6036/ /article/davon-reed-asm-sports-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6036/ Sun, 18 Jun 2017 10:44:35 -0400 Ole Miss and Syracuse big men Sebastian Saiz and Tyler Roberson are interviewed following the CAA Pro Day workout in LA. Full video and interviews included, produced by Matt McGann. /article/sebastian-saiz-and-tyler-roberson-pro-day-workout-videos-interviews-6035/ /article/sebastian-saiz-and-tyler-roberson-pro-day-workout-videos-interviews-6035/ Sun, 18 Jun 2017 10:24:16 -0400 Oregon big man Jordan Bell is interviewed following his NBA Pro Day workout in LA. Full video and interview included, produced by Matt McGann. /article/jordan-bell-nba-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6034/ /article/jordan-bell-nba-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6034/ Sat, 17 Jun 2017 13:36:54 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Utah power forward Kyle Kuzma as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/kyle-kuzma-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6033/ /article/kyle-kuzma-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6033/ Sat, 17 Jun 2017 10:54:05 -0400 Recently graduated high school prospect Matur Maker, brother of Milwaukee Bucks big man Thon Maker, works out at the Adidas EuroCamp in Treviso. Matur is expected to be a part of the 2018 NBA Draft.  Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/matur-maker-workout-at-the-adidas-eurocamp-in-treviso-6032/ /article/matur-maker-workout-at-the-adidas-eurocamp-in-treviso-6032/ Sat, 17 Jun 2017 10:43:07 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of German big man Isaiah Hartenstein as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/isaiah-hartenstein-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6031/ /article/isaiah-hartenstein-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6031/ Sat, 17 Jun 2017 10:01:52 -0400 How Does Markelle Fultz Compare With James Harden, Dwayne Wade, Brandon Roy and D'Angelo Russell? Deep dive into their background, stats, video, scouting report and more. /article/who-is-markelle-fultz-6030/ /article/who-is-markelle-fultz-6030/ Fri, 16 Jun 2017 16:27:01 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of North Carolina big man Tony Bradley as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/tony-bradley-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6029/ /article/tony-bradley-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6029/ Fri, 16 Jun 2017 11:29:42 -0400 Milwaukee Bucks big man Thon Maker works out at the Adidas EuroCamp in Treviso. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/thon-maker-workout-at-the-adidas-eurocamp-in-treviso-6028/ /article/thon-maker-workout-at-the-adidas-eurocamp-in-treviso-6028/ Fri, 16 Jun 2017 10:16:31 -0400 Iowa State wing Matt Thomas is interviewed following his NBA Pro Day workout in LA. Full video and interview included, produced by Matt McGann. /article/matt-thomas-nba-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6027/ /article/matt-thomas-nba-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6027/ Fri, 16 Jun 2017 09:13:53 -0400 Darius Garland, Goga Bitadze, Luguentz Dort talk about their experiences at the adidas Eurocamp. /article/darius-garland-goga-bitadze-luguentz-dort-adidas-eurocamp-interviews-6026/ /article/darius-garland-goga-bitadze-luguentz-dort-adidas-eurocamp-interviews-6026/ Fri, 16 Jun 2017 08:38:59 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Gonzaga point guard Nigel William-Goss as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/nigel-williams-goss-nba-draft-scouting-report-6025/ /article/nigel-williams-goss-nba-draft-scouting-report-6025/ Fri, 16 Jun 2017 08:23:59 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Oregon guard Tyler Dorsey as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/tyler-dorsey-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6024/ /article/tyler-dorsey-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6024/ Thu, 15 Jun 2017 16:53:41 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of SMU wing Sterling Brown as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/sterling-brown-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6023/ /article/sterling-brown-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6023/ Thu, 15 Jun 2017 12:26:47 -0400 Latvian center Anzejs Pasecniks is interviewed following his NBA Pro Day workout with Chris Gaston. Full video and interview included, produced by Matt McGann. /article/anzejs-pasecniks-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6022/ /article/anzejs-pasecniks-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6022/ Thu, 15 Jun 2017 10:14:30 -0400 Top high school prospects David Duke, David McCormack and Jules Bernard talk about their experiences at the adidas Eurocamp. /article/david-duke-david-mccormick-jules-bernard-eurocamp-interviews-6021/ /article/david-duke-david-mccormick-jules-bernard-eurocamp-interviews-6021/ Thu, 15 Jun 2017 09:29:54 -0400 Oregon guard Dylan Ennis is interviewed following his workout with Ross Burns in Westchester. Video produced by Corey Porter. /article/dylan-ennis-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-6020/ /article/dylan-ennis-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-6020/ Thu, 15 Jun 2017 08:50:51 -0400 Iowa State wing Naz Long, Dayton point guard Scoochie Smith and Brown wing Steven Spieth are interviewed following their workouts with Ross Burns in Westchester. Video produced by Corey Porter. /article/naz-long-scoochie-smith-steven-spieth-workout-interview-videos-6019/ /article/naz-long-scoochie-smith-steven-spieth-workout-interview-videos-6019/ Thu, 15 Jun 2017 08:27:05 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Michigan power forward D.J. Wilson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/d-j-wilson-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6018/ /article/d-j-wilson-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6018/ Wed, 14 Jun 2017 17:21:08 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Mega Leks guard Ognjen Jaramaz as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/ognjen-jaramaz-nba-draft-scouting-report-6017/ /article/ognjen-jaramaz-nba-draft-scouting-report-6017/ Wed, 14 Jun 2017 16:31:29 -0400 Syracuse wing Andrew White works out with Tyler Relph and is interviewed in Chicago. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/andrew-white-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-6016/ /article/andrew-white-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-6016/ Wed, 14 Jun 2017 14:40:15 -0400 Elite high school prospect Cameron Reddish, Romeo Langford, and Quentin Grimes talk about their experiences at the adidas Eurocamp. /article/romeo-langford-cameron-reddish-quentin-grimes-eurocamp-interviews-6015/ /article/romeo-langford-cameron-reddish-quentin-grimes-eurocamp-interviews-6015/ Wed, 14 Jun 2017 10:55:18 -0400 Thirty-six international players who had declared as early entry candidates for the 2017 NBA Draft have withdrawn. /article/official-2017-nba-draft-early-entry-withdrawal-list-released-by-nba-6014/ /article/official-2017-nba-draft-early-entry-withdrawal-list-released-by-nba-6014/ Tue, 13 Jun 2017 22:09:09 -0400 Elite high school prospect Zion Williamson talks about his experience at the adidas EuroCamp, his background in basketball, dealing with the added attention he's received in the past year, and the type of player he is and wants to become. /article/zion-williamson-adidas-nations-interview-6013/ /article/zion-williamson-adidas-nations-interview-6013/ Tue, 13 Jun 2017 16:22:17 -0400 Justin Patton is interviewed following his workout at Impact Basketball at the ASM Sports Pro Day in Las Vegas. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/justin-patton-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6012/ /article/justin-patton-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6012/ Tue, 13 Jun 2017 16:09:55 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of BYU big man Eric Mika as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/eric-mika-nba-draft-scouting-report-6011/ /article/eric-mika-nba-draft-scouting-report-6011/ Tue, 13 Jun 2017 12:32:17 -0400 Latvian small forward Rodions Kucus is interviewed following his NBA Pro Day workout with Chris Gaston. Full video and interview included, produced by Matt McGann. /article/rodions-kurucs-nba-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6010/ /article/rodions-kurucs-nba-pro-day-workout-video-and-interview-6010/ Tue, 13 Jun 2017 08:00:03 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Arizona guard Kobi Simmons as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/kobi-simmons-nba-draft-scouting-report-6009/ /article/kobi-simmons-nba-draft-scouting-report-6009/ Mon, 12 Jun 2017 19:13:16 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kansas guard Frank Mason as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/frank-mason-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6008/ /article/frank-mason-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6008/ Mon, 12 Jun 2017 18:54:26 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kansas State guard Wesley Iwundu as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report.    /article/wesley-iwundu-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6007/ /article/wesley-iwundu-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6007/ Mon, 12 Jun 2017 18:52:10 -0400 Serbian guard Ognjen Jaramaz talks about his experience at the adidas EuroCamp, the season he just had in Mega Leks, his background in basketball, and the type of player he is and wants to become. /article/ognjen-jaramaz-adidas-eurocamp-interview-6006/ /article/ognjen-jaramaz-adidas-eurocamp-interview-6006/ Mon, 12 Jun 2017 15:01:34 -0400 Tony Bradley is interviewed following his pro day workout in Los Angeles. /article/tony-bradley-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6005/ /article/tony-bradley-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6005/ Mon, 12 Jun 2017 11:38:23 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of FMP power forward Jonah Boden as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/jonah-bolden-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6004/ /article/jonah-bolden-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-6004/ Mon, 12 Jun 2017 08:22:35 -0400 We break down the third and final day of the adidas Eurocamp. /article/2017-adidas-eurocamp-day-three-6003/ /article/2017-adidas-eurocamp-day-three-6003/ Sun, 11 Jun 2017 15:42:00 -0400 Jawun Evans is interviewed following his workout at Impact Basketball at the ASM Sports Pro Day in Las Vegas. /article/jawun-evans-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6002/ /article/jawun-evans-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6002/ Sun, 11 Jun 2017 04:03:24 -0400 Day two of the 2017 adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, Italy is complete. /article/2017-adidas-eurocamp-day-two-6001/ /article/2017-adidas-eurocamp-day-two-6001/ Sat, 10 Jun 2017 18:31:26 -0400 Semi Ojeleye is interviewed following his workout with Drew Hanlen at the Pure Sweat Pro Day in Los Angeles. /article/semi-ojeleye-nba-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6000/ /article/semi-ojeleye-nba-pro-day-workout-and-interview-6000/ Sat, 10 Jun 2017 06:06:39 -0400 Bosnian wing Dznana Musa talks about his experience at the adidas EuroCamp, the season he just had in Cedevita, his background in basketball, and the type of player he is and wants to become. /article/dzanan-musa-adidas-eurocamp-interview-5999/ /article/dzanan-musa-adidas-eurocamp-interview-5999/ Sat, 10 Jun 2017 05:24:02 -0400 Day one of the 2017 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy is officially in the books. We recap some of the most notable performances. /article/2017-adidas-eurocamp-day-one-5998/ /article/2017-adidas-eurocamp-day-one-5998/ Fri, 09 Jun 2017 15:33:46 -0400 Donovan Mitchell is interviewed after his NBA Pro Day workout in front of a horde of executives in Los Angeles. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/donovan-mitchell-nba-pro-day-workout-and-interview-5997/ /article/donovan-mitchell-nba-pro-day-workout-and-interview-5997/ Fri, 09 Jun 2017 14:28:35 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Duke shooting guard Frank Jackson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/frank-jackson-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5996/ /article/frank-jackson-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5996/ Fri, 09 Jun 2017 10:59:06 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Purdue power forward Caleb Swanigan as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/caleb-swanigan-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5995/ /article/caleb-swanigan-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5995/ Fri, 09 Jun 2017 10:38:37 -0400 Arizona senior Kadeem Allen is interviewed following a workout he conducted with Tyler Relph in Chicago. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/kadeem-allen-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5994/ /article/kadeem-allen-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5994/ Fri, 09 Jun 2017 10:16:22 -0400 Jonathan Givony goes long on the NBA Draft on the Locked on NBA podcast with David Locke of the Locked On Network. /article/podcast-jonathan-givony-nba-draft-talk-with-david-locke-5993/ /article/podcast-jonathan-givony-nba-draft-talk-with-david-locke-5993/ Fri, 09 Jun 2017 00:21:57 -0400 Wake Forest power forward John Collins works out with Don MacLean and is interviewed in Los Angeles. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/john-collins-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5992/ /article/john-collins-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5992/ Thu, 08 Jun 2017 15:05:27 -0400 UConn big man Amida Brimah works out with Ross Burns and is interviewed in New York. Video produced by Corey Porter. /article/amida-brimah-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5991/ /article/amida-brimah-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5991/ Thu, 08 Jun 2017 13:51:30 -0400 28 players accepted invitations to USA Basketball's U19 World Cup Team Training Camp. /article/usa-basketball-u19-training-camp-roster-announced-5990/ /article/usa-basketball-u19-training-camp-roster-announced-5990/ Thu, 08 Jun 2017 13:47:49 -0400 Interviews from the 2017 Pangos All-American Camp in Los Angeles with high school prospects Precious Achiuwa, Reggie Perry and Anfernee Simons. /article/2017-pangos-all-american-camp-interviews-achiuwa-perry-simons-5989/ /article/2017-pangos-all-american-camp-interviews-achiuwa-perry-simons-5989/ Thu, 08 Jun 2017 13:15:03 -0400 Ten players, including projected top-two picks Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball, have been invited to attend the 2017 NBA draft at the Barclays Center in New York on June 22nd, league sources told DraftExpress. /article/nba-draft-green-room-invites-begin-to-trickle-out-5988/ /article/nba-draft-green-room-invites-begin-to-trickle-out-5988/ Thu, 08 Jun 2017 11:05:50 -0400 The EuroCamp kicks off this Friday, and DraftExpress will be present covering the event for the 14th straight year. /article/2017-adidas-eurocamp-rosters-and-preview-5987/ /article/2017-adidas-eurocamp-rosters-and-preview-5987/ Wed, 07 Jun 2017 16:31:51 -0400 Lonzo Ball isn't the next Jason Kidd. With that said, it's hard to ignore some of the similarities between Kidd and Ball. Both born in California, Pac-12 Freshmen of the Year, big point guards with game-changing transition play, a pass-first mindset, elite basketball instincts and a special confidence about them, the parallels are striking enough to further explore. /article/how-does-lonzo-ball-compare-with-jason-kidd-5986/ /article/how-does-lonzo-ball-compare-with-jason-kidd-5986/ Wed, 07 Jun 2017 15:53:51 -0400 Duke guard Luke Kennard works out with Don MacLean and is interviewed in Los Angeles. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/luke-kennard-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5985/ /article/luke-kennard-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5985/ Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:52:23 -0400 Video from Florida State wing Dwayne Bacon's NBA Pro Day workout at LMU. /article/dwayne-bacon-nba-pro-day-workout-video-5983/ /article/dwayne-bacon-nba-pro-day-workout-video-5983/ Wed, 07 Jun 2017 10:06:58 -0400 Interviews from the 2017 Pangos All-American Camp in Los Angeles with high school prospects Bryan Penn-Johnson, P.J. Fuller and Ayo Dosunmu. /article/2017-pangos-all-american-camp-interviews-penn-johnson-fuller-dosunmu-5982/ /article/2017-pangos-all-american-camp-interviews-penn-johnson-fuller-dosunmu-5982/ Wed, 07 Jun 2017 09:02:19 -0400 Villanova senior Josh Hart works out and is interviewed in Los Angeles. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/josh-hart-nba-pro-day-workout-and-interview-5981/ /article/josh-hart-nba-pro-day-workout-and-interview-5981/ Tue, 06 Jun 2017 11:13:21 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Florida fowrard Devin Robinson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/devin-robinson-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5980/ /article/devin-robinson-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5980/ Sun, 04 Jun 2017 15:36:13 -0400 The measurements from the USA Basketball Men's U16 National Team Training Camp were released today. /article/usa-basketball-u16-training-camp-measurements-released-5979/ /article/usa-basketball-u16-training-camp-measurements-released-5979/ Sun, 04 Jun 2017 13:21:05 -0400 Kentucky guard Malik Monk is interviewed following a workout he conducted in New York. Video produced by Corey Porter. /article/malik-monk-nba-pre-draft-wrokout-and-interview-5978/ /article/malik-monk-nba-pre-draft-wrokout-and-interview-5978/ Fri, 02 Jun 2017 16:52:28 -0400 Colorado guard Derrick White is interviewed following a workout he conducted in New York. Video produced by Corey Porter /article/derrick-white-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5977/ /article/derrick-white-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5977/ Fri, 02 Jun 2017 13:20:38 -0400 North Carolina power forward Isaiah Hicks is interviewed following a workout he conducted in Chicago. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/isaiah-hicks-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5976/ /article/isaiah-hicks-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5976/ Fri, 02 Jun 2017 13:15:20 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Georgetown wing L.J. Peak as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/l-j-peak-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5975/ /article/l-j-peak-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5975/ Fri, 02 Jun 2017 10:27:37 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Nevada power fowrard Cameron Oliver as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/cameron-oliver-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5974/ /article/cameron-oliver-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5974/ Fri, 02 Jun 2017 10:02:28 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Baylor power fowrard Johnathan Motley as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/johnathan-motley-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5973/ /article/johnathan-motley-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5973/ Fri, 02 Jun 2017 09:54:48 -0400 SMU guard Sterling Brown is interviewed following a workout he conducted in Chicago. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/sterling-brown-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5972/ /article/sterling-brown-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5972/ Fri, 02 Jun 2017 09:45:19 -0400 Arkansas big man Moses Kingsley is interviewed following a workout he conducted in Chicago. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/moses-kingsley-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5971/ /article/moses-kingsley-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5971/ Fri, 02 Jun 2017 09:41:49 -0400 Michigan guard Derrick Walton is interviewed following a workout he conducted in Chicago. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/derrick-walton-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5970/ /article/derrick-walton-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5970/ Fri, 02 Jun 2017 09:34:53 -0400 Oregon guard Tyler Dorsey is interviewed following a workout he conducted in Chicago. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/tyler-dorsey-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5969/ /article/tyler-dorsey-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5969/ Thu, 01 Jun 2017 16:26:36 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of South Carolina sophomore P.J. Dozier as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/p-j-dozier-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5968/ /article/p-j-dozier-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5968/ Thu, 01 Jun 2017 15:58:36 -0400 Oregon small forward Dillon Brooks works out and is interviewed in New York. Video produced by Corey Porter. /article/dillon-brooks-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5967/ /article/dillon-brooks-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5967/ Wed, 31 May 2017 12:16:45 -0400 South Carolina wing Sindarius Thornwell works out and is interviewed in Chicago. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/sindarious-thornwell-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5966/ /article/sindarious-thornwell-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5966/ Tue, 30 May 2017 17:17:28 -0400 UCLA power forward T.J. Leaf is interviewed following a workout he conducted in New York. Video produced by Corey Porter. /article/t-j-leaf-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5965/ /article/t-j-leaf-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5965/ Mon, 29 May 2017 08:27:00 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of LSU sophomore Antonio Blakeney as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/antonio-blakeney-nba-draft-scouting-report-5964/ /article/antonio-blakeney-nba-draft-scouting-report-5964/ Mon, 29 May 2017 08:14:25 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky sophomore Isaac Humphries as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/isaac-humphries-nba-draft-scouting-report-5963/ /article/isaac-humphries-nba-draft-scouting-report-5963/ Sun, 28 May 2017 17:00:32 -0400 An 12 minute interview segment with Gary Parrish (CBS Sports Radio) discussing various NBA Draft storylines. /article/podcast-jonathan-givony-nba-draft-talk-with-gary-parrish-5962/ /article/podcast-jonathan-givony-nba-draft-talk-with-gary-parrish-5962/ Sun, 28 May 2017 16:32:08 -0400 Valparaiso power forward Alec Peters is interviewed following a light workout he conducted in Chicago. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/alec-peters-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5961/ /article/alec-peters-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5961/ Sun, 28 May 2017 16:22:48 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Houston senior Damyean Dotson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/damyean-dotson-nba-draft-scouting-report-5960/ /article/damyean-dotson-nba-draft-scouting-report-5960/ Sat, 27 May 2017 09:13:19 -0400 Utah junior Kyle Kuzma is interviewed following a workout he conducted in Chicago. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/kyle-kuzma-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5959/ /article/kyle-kuzma-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5959/ Sat, 27 May 2017 08:11:07 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Texas freshman Jarrett Allen as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/jarrett-allen-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5958/ /article/jarrett-allen-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5958/ Fri, 26 May 2017 17:22:26 -0400 Kansas senior Frank Mason is interviewed following a workout he conducted in Chicago with Tyler Relph. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/frank-mason-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5957/ /article/frank-mason-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5957/ Fri, 26 May 2017 11:18:14 -0400 73 college players withdrew from 2017 NBA Draft. /article/official-2017-nba-draft-early-entry-ncaa-withdrawal-list-released-5956/ /article/official-2017-nba-draft-early-entry-ncaa-withdrawal-list-released-5956/ Thu, 25 May 2017 19:44:39 -0400 Duke freshman Harry Giles is interviewed following a workout he conducted in New York. Video produced by Corey Porter. /article/harry-giles-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5955/ /article/harry-giles-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5955/ Thu, 25 May 2017 13:17:53 -0400 Taking stock of what we learned at the 2017 Euroleague Final Four in Istanbul, especially as it pertains to modern basketball, the NBA, and by extension, the 2017 NBA Draft. /article/what-did-we-learn-at-the-2017-euroleague-final-four-5954/ /article/what-did-we-learn-at-the-2017-euroleague-final-four-5954/ Thu, 25 May 2017 12:29:29 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Colorado senior Derrick White as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/derrick-white-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5953/ /article/derrick-white-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5953/ Thu, 25 May 2017 11:34:53 -0400 Syracuse sophomore Tyler Lydon is interviewed following a workout he conducted in Chicago. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/tyler-lydon-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5952/ /article/tyler-lydon-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5952/ Thu, 25 May 2017 10:31:48 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Indiana sophomore Thomas Bryant as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/thomas-bryant-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5951/ /article/thomas-bryant-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5951/ Wed, 24 May 2017 10:14:05 -0400 Luka Doncic Pre-Game Warmup at the 2017 Euroleague Final Four in Istanbul. /article/luka-doncic-pre-game-warmup-at-the-2017-euroleague-final-four-5950/ /article/luka-doncic-pre-game-warmup-at-the-2017-euroleague-final-four-5950/ Wed, 24 May 2017 09:48:02 -0400 7'2 French Center Jonathan Jeanne is interviewed following a workout he conducted in Dallas. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/jonathan-jeanne-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5949/ /article/jonathan-jeanne-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5949/ Tue, 23 May 2017 17:19:49 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of North Carolina junior Justin Jackson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/justin-jackson-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5948/ /article/justin-jackson-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5948/ Tue, 23 May 2017 16:02:19 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Florida State freshman Jonathan Isaac as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/jonathan-isaac-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5947/ /article/jonathan-isaac-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5947/ Sun, 21 May 2017 12:26:03 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Oregon junior Dillon Brooks as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/dillon-brooks-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5946/ /article/dillon-brooks-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5946/ Sun, 21 May 2017 05:45:29 -0400 Baylor's Johnathan Motley is interviewed following a workout he conducted in Chicago with Chris Gaston. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/johnathan-motley-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5945/ /article/johnathan-motley-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5945/ Sun, 21 May 2017 05:18:55 -0400 Bam Adebayo is interviewed following a workout he conducted in Chicago. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/bam-adebayo-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5944/ /article/bam-adebayo-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5944/ Sat, 20 May 2017 09:11:33 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Florida State sophomore Dwayne Bacon as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/dwayne-bacon-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5943/ /article/dwayne-bacon-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5943/ Sat, 20 May 2017 06:44:40 -0400 UCLA center Ike Anigbogu works out in Chicago with UIC assistant coach Seth Cooper. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/ike-anigbogu-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5942/ /article/ike-anigbogu-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5942/ Fri, 19 May 2017 16:23:40 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Louisville sophomore Donovan Mitchell as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/donovan-mitchell-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5941/ /article/donovan-mitchell-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5941/ Fri, 19 May 2017 12:02:33 -0400 Florida small forward Devin Robinson works out in Chicago with Seth Cooper. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/devin-robinson-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5940/ /article/devin-robinson-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5940/ Thu, 18 May 2017 12:25:32 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Duke sophomore Luke Kennard as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/luke-kennard-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5939/ /article/luke-kennard-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5939/ Thu, 18 May 2017 09:23:09 -0400 Texas center Jarrett Allen works out in Chicago with Seth Cooper. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/jarrett-allen-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5938/ /article/jarrett-allen-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5938/ Wed, 17 May 2017 13:47:48 -0400 Chris Mannix goes long with The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony immediately after the NBA Draft lottery. They break down who they think will be the best fit for most of the teams in the lottery. All that and more in this episode of The Vertical Podcast with Chris Mannix. /article/post-nba-draft-lottery-podcast-with-woj-and-chris-mannix-5937/ /article/post-nba-draft-lottery-podcast-with-woj-and-chris-mannix-5937/ Wed, 17 May 2017 09:13:45 -0400 We break down some of the many different scenarios in play now that the ping-pong balls are in place. /article/ramifications-of-the-ping-pong-balls-post-lottery-analysis-5936/ /article/ramifications-of-the-ping-pong-balls-post-lottery-analysis-5936/ Tue, 16 May 2017 21:55:05 -0400 North Carolina wing Justin Jackson works out in Chicago with Gilbert Abraham. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/justin-jackson-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5935/ /article/justin-jackson-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5935/ Tue, 16 May 2017 14:25:02 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky freshman Bam Adebayo as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/bam-adebayo-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5934/ /article/bam-adebayo-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5934/ Tue, 16 May 2017 13:04:24 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Arizona freshman Lauri Markkanen as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/lauri-markkanen-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5933/ /article/lauri-markkanen-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5933/ Mon, 15 May 2017 13:20:37 -0400 An 17 minute interview segment on the Jody Mac Show (CBS Sports Radio) recapping the 2017 NBA Draft Combine, as well as various NBA Draft storylines. /article/podcast-jonathan-givony-nba-draft-combine-recap-on-the-jody-mac-show-5932/ /article/podcast-jonathan-givony-nba-draft-combine-recap-on-the-jody-mac-show-5932/ Mon, 15 May 2017 10:08:17 -0400 Gonzaga big man Zach Collins works out and is interviewed in Chicago. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/zach-collins-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5931/ /article/zach-collins-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5931/ Mon, 15 May 2017 08:49:53 -0400 The NBA released the athletic testing results from the 2017 NBA Combine in Chicago. We take a look at who stood out on paper. /article/2017-nba-combine-athletic-testing-analysis-5930/ /article/2017-nba-combine-athletic-testing-analysis-5930/ Sat, 13 May 2017 17:25:14 -0400 Recapping the ten most impressive performances from day two of the competitive action at the NBA Combine, including Jonathan Jeanne, Derrick White, Semi Ojeleye, P.J. Dozier, Tyler Dorsey, Justin Jackson (Canada), Frank Mason, Omer Yurtseven, Kennedy Meeks and Damyean Dotson. /article/nba-combine-competitive-action-recap-day-two-5929/ /article/nba-combine-competitive-action-recap-day-two-5929/ Sat, 13 May 2017 11:16:53 -0400 Recapping the six most impressive performances from day one of the competitive action at the NBA Combine, including Kyle Kuzma, Frank Mason, Rawle Alkins, Jordan Bell, Tyler Dorsey and Frank Jackson. /article/nba-combine-competitive-action-recap-day-one-5928/ /article/nba-combine-competitive-action-recap-day-one-5928/ Thu, 11 May 2017 20:04:15 -0400 The measurements taken at the NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois were released today. /article/2017-nba-draft-combine-measurements-analysis-5927/ /article/2017-nba-draft-combine-measurements-analysis-5927/ Thu, 11 May 2017 14:49:28 -0400 The official list of 66 participants, via the NBA. /article/2017-nba-combine-rosters-5926/ /article/2017-nba-combine-rosters-5926/ Thu, 11 May 2017 12:15:21 -0400 The 2017 NBA D-League Elite Minicamp wrapped up Tuesday afternoon. In our third straight year covering the event, we were able to learn more about some of the league's top talent watching them in competitive action and getting a unique mid-career look at their measurements and athletic testing results. /article/2017-nba-d-league-elite-mini-camp-recap-and-measurements-analysis-5925/ /article/2017-nba-d-league-elite-mini-camp-recap-and-measurements-analysis-5925/ Wed, 10 May 2017 15:39:11 -0400 A deep dive into the extensive measurements taken at the first two sessions of the Under Armour Association 15U, 16U and 17U classes. /article/under-armour-association-measurements-analysis-5924/ /article/under-armour-association-measurements-analysis-5924/ Wed, 10 May 2017 01:46:13 -0400 A deep dive into the advanced stats from the first two sessions of the Under Armour Association 15U, 16U and 17U classes. /article/under-armour-association-advanced-stats-analysis-5923/ /article/under-armour-association-advanced-stats-analysis-5923/ Tue, 09 May 2017 11:40:26 -0400 Nevada power forward Cameron Oliver works out in Los Angeles with Darrick Martin and Rico Hines, with an interview conducted by Mike Schmitz. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/cameron-oliver-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5922/ /article/cameron-oliver-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5922/ Mon, 08 May 2017 12:51:53 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Oregon junior Jordan Bell as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/jordan-bell-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5921/ /article/jordan-bell-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5921/ Sun, 07 May 2017 10:38:12 -0400 Houston SG Damyean Dotson works out in Los Angeles with trainer Chris Gaston, with an interview conducted by Jonathan Givony. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/damyean-dotson-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5920/ /article/damyean-dotson-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5920/ Sat, 06 May 2017 10:23:57 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Wake Forest sophomore John Collins as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/john-collins-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5919/ /article/john-collins-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5919/ Fri, 05 May 2017 14:40:37 -0400 Kentucky guard Dominique Hawkins works out in Los Angeles with trainer Chris Gaston, with an interview conducted by Jonathan Givony. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/dominique-hawkins-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5918/ /article/dominique-hawkins-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5918/ Fri, 05 May 2017 12:09:58 -0400 Bogdan Karaicic takes a closer look at Arnoldas Kulboka's 13 point in 22 minute performance against Jena in the German BBL. /article/arnoldas-kulboka-matchup-video-5917/ /article/arnoldas-kulboka-matchup-video-5917/ Thu, 04 May 2017 16:25:02 -0400 Indiana big man Thomas Bryant works out in Los Angeles with trainer Chris Gaston, with an interview conducted by Jonathan Givony. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/thomas-bryant-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5915/ /article/thomas-bryant-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5915/ Thu, 04 May 2017 10:39:44 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Duke freshman Harry Giles as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/harry-giles-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5914/ /article/harry-giles-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5914/ Wed, 03 May 2017 12:55:50 -0400 Kentucky point guard De'Aaron Fox works out in Los Angeles with trainer Chris Gaston, with an interview conducted by Jonathan Givony. Video produced by Matt McGann. /article/de-39-aaron-fox-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5913/ /article/de-39-aaron-fox-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5913/ Wed, 03 May 2017 09:33:46 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Creighton freshman Justin Patton as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/justin-patton-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5912/ /article/justin-patton-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5912/ Tue, 02 May 2017 16:07:50 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Gonzaga freshman Zach Collins as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/zach-collins-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5911/ /article/zach-collins-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5911/ Mon, 01 May 2017 19:32:16 -0400 A video of Kansas State senior Wesley Iwundu working out in San Diego with Clint Parks Skills Academy. Iwundu was interviewed by Julian Applebome. The video was produced by Matt McGann. /article/wesley-iwundu-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5910/ /article/wesley-iwundu-nba-pre-draft-workout-and-interview-5910/ Mon, 01 May 2017 11:33:02 -0400 With the 2017 NBA Draft Combine around the corner, we take a look at the list of known invitees. /article/2017-nba-draft-combine-unofficial-invitee-breakdown-5909/ /article/2017-nba-draft-combine-unofficial-invitee-breakdown-5909/ Sat, 29 Apr 2017 18:16:08 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UCLA freshman T.J. Leaf as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/t-j-leaf-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5908/ /article/t-j-leaf-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5908/ Fri, 28 Apr 2017 22:56:38 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UCLA freshman Ike Anigbogu as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/ike-anigbogu-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5907/ /article/ike-anigbogu-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5907/ Fri, 28 Apr 2017 14:29:10 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Notre Dame senior V.J. Beachem as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/v-j-beachem-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5906/ /article/v-j-beachem-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5906/ Thu, 27 Apr 2017 16:16:16 -0400 Bogdan Karaicic takes a closer look at Anzejs Pasecniks' 24 point performance against Estudiantes in the Spanish ACB. /article/bogdan-karaicic-takes-a-closer-look-at-anzejs-pasecniks24-points-perfo-5905/ /article/bogdan-karaicic-takes-a-closer-look-at-anzejs-pasecniks24-points-perfo-5905/ Thu, 27 Apr 2017 14:25:24 -0400 The NBA announced the list of players that have filed as early entry candidates for the 2017 NBA Draft earlier today. /article/nba-announces-early-entry-candidates-for-2017-nba-draft-5904/ /article/nba-announces-early-entry-candidates-for-2017-nba-draft-5904/ Tue, 25 Apr 2017 18:01:06 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Xavier junior Edmond Sumner as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/edmond-sumner-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5903/ /article/edmond-sumner-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5903/ Mon, 24 Apr 2017 14:30:55 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky freshman Malik Monk as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/malik-monk-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5902/ /article/malik-monk-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5902/ Fri, 21 Apr 2017 16:21:20 -0400 Interviews with Connecticut's Amida Brimah, Miami's Davon Reed, and Colorado's Derrick White from the 2017 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. /article/pit-interviews-brimah-reed-and-white-5901/ /article/pit-interviews-brimah-reed-and-white-5901/ Wed, 19 Apr 2017 21:58:12 -0400 Interviews with Eastern Washington's Jake Wiley, Clemson's Sidy Djitte, SMU's Ben Moore, and Utah State's Jalen Moore from the 2017 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. /article/pit-interviews-wiley-moore-djitte-and-moore-5900/ /article/pit-interviews-wiley-moore-djitte-and-moore-5900/ Wed, 19 Apr 2017 21:42:34 -0400 Interviews with Arizona's Kadeem Allem, Virginia's London Perrantes, Northeastern's T.J. Williams, and Sterling Brown of SMU from the 2017 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. /article/pit-interviews-allen-perrantes-williams-brown-5899/ /article/pit-interviews-allen-perrantes-williams-brown-5899/ Wed, 19 Apr 2017 21:30:58 -0400 Measurements and athletic testing results for the 2017 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament were conducted by BAM, the NBA's longtime partner. This marks the first official numbers we are getting for some of these seniors, while for others, it's another opportunity to analyze their physical development over time and see how they stack up athletically. /article/portsmouth-invitational-tournament-measurements-and-athletic-testing-5898/ /article/portsmouth-invitational-tournament-measurements-and-athletic-testing-5898/ Wed, 19 Apr 2017 13:35:11 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Iowa State senior Monte Morris as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/monte-morris-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5897/ /article/monte-morris-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5897/ Tue, 18 Apr 2017 17:00:40 -0400 Scouting reports on the top prospects seen at the BioSteel All Canadian Futures Game, including Makur Maker, Matthew Alexander-Moncrieffe, Malachi Ndur and Luka Sakota. /article/biosteel-all-canadian-futures-game-scouting-reports-5896/ /article/biosteel-all-canadian-futures-game-scouting-reports-5896/ Tue, 18 Apr 2017 13:59:23 -0400 Scouting reports on seven of the top international prospects seen at the Jordan Brand Classic Global Showcase held in Brooklyn this past weekend, including Cashius McNeilly, Addison Patterson, N'Faly Dante, Tom Digbeu, Karlo Matkovic, Killian Hayes and Theo Maledon. /article/jordan-brand-classic-global-showcase-scouting-reports-5895/ /article/jordan-brand-classic-global-showcase-scouting-reports-5895/ Tue, 18 Apr 2017 13:16:21 -0400 Updated scouting reports on three of the players seen at the Jordan Brand Classic National and Regional games held in Brooklyn this past weekend, including Mitchell Robinson, Brian Bowen and Clifton Moore. /article/jordan-brand-classic-national-and-regional-game-scouting-reports-5894/ /article/jordan-brand-classic-national-and-regional-game-scouting-reports-5894/ Mon, 17 Apr 2017 14:17:31 -0400 Scouting reports on seven of the top big men prospects seen at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit, including Mohamed Bamba, Jaren Jackson, Wendell Carter, Isaiah Hartenstein, Nick Richards, Felipe Dos Anjos and Ikey Obiagu. /article/nike-hoop-summit-scouting-reports-big-men-5893/ /article/nike-hoop-summit-scouting-reports-big-men-5893/ Sat, 15 Apr 2017 18:35:58 -0400 Scouting reports on seven of the top big men prospects seen at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit, including Mohamed Bamba, Jaren Jackson, Wendell Carter, Isaiah Hartenstein, Nick Richards, Felipe Dos Anjos and Ikey Obiagu. /article/nike-hoop-summit-scouting-reports-big-men-5892/ /article/nike-hoop-summit-scouting-reports-big-men-5892/ Sat, 15 Apr 2017 18:32:56 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky freshman De'Aaron Fox as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/de-39-aaron-fox-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5891/ /article/de-39-aaron-fox-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5891/ Sat, 15 Apr 2017 17:05:46 -0400 Scouting reports on the top prospects seen at the BioSteel All Canadian High School Basketball Game. /article/biosteel-all-canadian-high-school-basketball-game-scouting-reports-5890/ /article/biosteel-all-canadian-high-school-basketball-game-scouting-reports-5890/ Sat, 15 Apr 2017 13:22:10 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Villanova senior Josh Hart as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/josh-hart-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5889/ /article/josh-hart-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5889/ Fri, 14 Apr 2017 11:36:49 -0400 DeAndre Ayton and Mohamed Bamba go head to head in one on one post drills at the Jordan Brand Classic. /article/matchup-video-deandre-ayton-vs-mohamed-bamba-one-on-one-post-drills-5888/ /article/matchup-video-deandre-ayton-vs-mohamed-bamba-one-on-one-post-drills-5888/ Thu, 13 Apr 2017 14:35:52 -0400 Scouting reports on five of the top forward prospects seen at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit, including Michael Porter, Tadas Sedekerskis, Kevin Knox, Jarred Vanderbilt and Borisa Simanic /article/nike-hoop-summit-scouting-reports-forwards-5887/ /article/nike-hoop-summit-scouting-reports-forwards-5887/ Thu, 13 Apr 2017 12:08:40 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UCLA freshman Lonzo Ball as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/lonzo-ball-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5886/ /article/lonzo-ball-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5886/ Wed, 12 Apr 2017 23:50:57 -0400 Scouting reports on five of the top wing prospects seen at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit, including R.J. Barrett, Kostja Mushidi, Troy Brown, Gary Trent and M.J. Walker. /article/nike-hoop-summit-scouting-reports-wings-5885/ /article/nike-hoop-summit-scouting-reports-wings-5885/ Wed, 12 Apr 2017 18:47:16 -0400 Scouting reports on six of the top guard prospects seen at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit, including Collin Sexton, Trevon Duval, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Shai Alexander, Lindell Wigginton and Quade Green. /article/nike-hoop-summit-scouting-reports-guards-5884/ /article/nike-hoop-summit-scouting-reports-guards-5884/ Tue, 11 Apr 2017 17:52:47 -0400 An interview with Michael Porter with highlights from the Nike Hoop Summit practices in Portland, Oregon. /article/2017-michael-porter-hoop-summit-interview-and-highlights-5883/ /article/2017-michael-porter-hoop-summit-interview-and-highlights-5883/ Tue, 11 Apr 2017 15:46:26 -0400 An interview with Troy Brown with highlights from the Nike Hoop Summit practices in Portland, Oregon. /article/2017-troy-brown-hoop-summit-interview-and-highlights-5882/ /article/2017-troy-brown-hoop-summit-interview-and-highlights-5882/ Tue, 11 Apr 2017 15:44:04 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Syracuse sophomore Tyler Lydon as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/tyler-lydon-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5881/ /article/tyler-lydon-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5881/ Tue, 11 Apr 2017 10:29:47 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Oklahoma State sophomore Jawun Evans as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/jawun-evans-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5880/ /article/jawun-evans-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5880/ Mon, 10 Apr 2017 13:27:51 -0400 An interview with Nickeil Alexander-Walker with highlights from the Nike Hoop Summit practices in Portland, Oregon. /article/2017-nickeil-alexander-walker-hoop-summit-interview-and-highlights-5879/ /article/2017-nickeil-alexander-walker-hoop-summit-interview-and-highlights-5879/ Sat, 08 Apr 2017 22:25:30 -0400 An interview with Shai Alexander featuring highlights from the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit practices in Portland, Oregon. /article/2017-shai-alexander-nike-hoop-summit-interview-and-practice-highlights-5878/ /article/2017-shai-alexander-nike-hoop-summit-interview-and-practice-highlights-5878/ Sat, 08 Apr 2017 22:18:48 -0400 An interview with Kentucky commit Nick Richards at the Nike Hoop Summit practices in Portland, Oregon with practice highlights. /article/2017-nick-richards-nike-hoop-summit-interview-5877/ /article/2017-nick-richards-nike-hoop-summit-interview-5877/ Fri, 07 Apr 2017 20:59:41 -0400 An interview with Jaren Jackson at the Nike Hoop Summit practices in Portland, Oregon with practice highlights. /article/2017-jared-jackson-nike-hoop-summit-interview-5876/ /article/2017-jared-jackson-nike-hoop-summit-interview-5876/ Fri, 07 Apr 2017 20:56:59 -0400 An interview with US point guard prospect and Alabama commit Collin Sexton at the Nike Hoop Summit practices in Portland, Oregon with practice highlights. /article/2017-collin-sexton-nike-hoop-summit-interview-5875/ /article/2017-collin-sexton-nike-hoop-summit-interview-5875/ Fri, 07 Apr 2017 19:27:55 -0400 An interview with Wendell Carter at the Nike Hoop Summit practices in Portland, Oregon with practice highlights. /article/2017-wendell-carter-nike-hoop-summit-interview-5874/ /article/2017-wendell-carter-nike-hoop-summit-interview-5874/ Fri, 07 Apr 2017 19:25:20 -0400 Elite high school prospect R.J. Barrett sits down for an interview at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit. Included are highlights from the practices and scrimmages from throughout the week in Portland. /article/2017-nike-hoop-summit-r-j-barrett-interview-and-practice-highlights-5873/ /article/2017-nike-hoop-summit-r-j-barrett-interview-and-practice-highlights-5873/ Fri, 07 Apr 2017 14:09:37 -0400 An interview with elite prospect a potential future first overall pick R.J. Barrett at the Nike Hoop Summit practices in Portland, Oregon with practice highlights. /article/2017-r-j-barrett-nike-hoop-summit-interview-5872/ /article/2017-r-j-barrett-nike-hoop-summit-interview-5872/ Thu, 06 Apr 2017 23:31:18 -0400 An interview with Canadian guard prospect and Iowa State commit Lindell Wigginton at the Nike Hoop Summit practices in Portland, Oregon with practice highlights. /article/2017-lindell-wigginton-nike-hoop-summit-interview-5871/ /article/2017-lindell-wigginton-nike-hoop-summit-interview-5871/ Thu, 06 Apr 2017 23:22:46 -0400 The official measurements for the Nike Hoop Summit USA Basketball Team were released today. We take a look at the full results and break down the highlights. /article/2017-nike-hoop-summit-usa-basketball-team-measurements-5870/ /article/2017-nike-hoop-summit-usa-basketball-team-measurements-5870/ Thu, 06 Apr 2017 19:45:16 -0400 Footage of R.J. Barrett, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Shai Alexander, Tadas Sedekerskis, and Kostja Mushidi taking part in shooting drills at the Nike Hoop Summit practices in Portland, Oregon. /article/nike-hoop-summit-shooting-drills-5869/ /article/nike-hoop-summit-shooting-drills-5869/ Thu, 06 Apr 2017 19:32:05 -0400 Practice highlights of elite 2017 high school prospect Nick Richards from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/nick-richards-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-practice-highlights-5868/ /article/nick-richards-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-practice-highlights-5868/ Thu, 06 Apr 2017 19:19:40 -0400 Practice highlights of elite 2017 high school prospect Trevon Duval from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/trevon-duval-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-practice-highlights-5867/ /article/trevon-duval-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-practice-highlights-5867/ Thu, 06 Apr 2017 19:17:43 -0400 Practice highlights of elite 2017 high school prospect Brandon McCoy from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/billy-preston-mcdonalds-all-american-practice-highlights-5866/ /article/billy-preston-mcdonalds-all-american-practice-highlights-5866/ Thu, 06 Apr 2017 19:10:00 -0400 Practice highlights of elite 2017 high school prospect Billy Preston from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/billy-preston-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-practice-highlights-5865/ /article/billy-preston-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-practice-highlights-5865/ Thu, 06 Apr 2017 19:05:37 -0400 An interview with elite 2017 high school prospect Brian Bowen from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/brian-bowen-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-interview-5864/ /article/brian-bowen-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-interview-5864/ Thu, 06 Apr 2017 17:29:54 -0400 An interview with elite 2017 high school prospect M.J. Walker from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/m-j-walker-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-interview-5863/ /article/m-j-walker-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-interview-5863/ Thu, 06 Apr 2017 17:25:28 -0400 An interview with elite 2017 high school prospect Jaylen Hands from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/jaylen-hands-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-practice-highlights-5862/ /article/jaylen-hands-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-practice-highlights-5862/ Thu, 06 Apr 2017 11:26:06 -0400 Practice highlights of elite 2017 high school prospect Jarred Vanderbilt from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/jarred-vanderbil-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-practice-highlights-5861/ /article/jarred-vanderbil-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-practice-highlights-5861/ Wed, 05 Apr 2017 23:47:35 -0400 Canadian point guard Lindel Wigginton goes around the key in a Nike Hoop Summit shooting drill. Wigginton was the star of last night's scrimmage. /article/2017-nike-hoop-summit-shooting-drills-lindell-wigginton-5860/ /article/2017-nike-hoop-summit-shooting-drills-lindell-wigginton-5860/ Wed, 05 Apr 2017 13:16:45 -0400 Practice highlights and an interview with elite 2017 high school prospect Wendell Carter from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/wendell-carter-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-highlights-and-interview-5859/ /article/wendell-carter-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-highlights-and-interview-5859/ Wed, 05 Apr 2017 00:36:48 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Clemson senior Jaron Blossomgame as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/jaron-blossomgame-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5858/ /article/jaron-blossomgame-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5858/ Tue, 04 Apr 2017 16:45:06 -0400 7'1 German power forward Isaiah Hartenstein goes around the key in a Nike Hoop Summit shooting drill. /article/2017-nike-hoop-summit-shooting-drills-isaiah-hartenstein-5857/ /article/2017-nike-hoop-summit-shooting-drills-isaiah-hartenstein-5857/ Tue, 04 Apr 2017 13:04:47 -0400 Practice highlights and an interview with elite 2017 high school prospect Michael Porter from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/michael-porter-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-highlights-and-interview-5856/ /article/michael-porter-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-highlights-and-interview-5856/ Tue, 04 Apr 2017 11:09:40 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kansas freshman Josh Jackson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/josh-jackson-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5855/ /article/josh-jackson-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5855/ Mon, 03 Apr 2017 15:59:33 -0400 The official measurements for the Nike Hoop Summit World Select Team were released today. We take a look at the full results and break down the highlights. /article/2017-nike-hoop-summit-world-select-team-measurements-5854/ /article/2017-nike-hoop-summit-world-select-team-measurements-5854/ Mon, 03 Apr 2017 02:11:49 -0400 Practice highlights and an interview with elite 2017 high school prospect Collin Sexton from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/collin-sexton-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-highlights-and-interview-5853/ /article/collin-sexton-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-highlights-and-interview-5853/ Mon, 03 Apr 2017 00:08:58 -0400 Bogdan Karaicic takes a closer look at Isaiah Hartenstein's 13 point performance against Siauliai in the Lithuanian first division (LKL). /article/isaiah-hartenstein-matchup-video-5852/ /article/isaiah-hartenstein-matchup-video-5852/ Sun, 02 Apr 2017 21:40:29 -0400 When do the college prospects for the 2017 NBA Draft take the floor on Monday for the NCAA Tournament National Championship? What will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-guide-national-championship-game-5851/ /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-guide-national-championship-game-5851/ Sun, 02 Apr 2017 15:46:01 -0400 Practice highlights and an interview with elite 2017 high school prospect Mohamed Bamba from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/mohamed-bamba-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-practice-highlights-5850/ /article/mohamed-bamba-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-practice-highlights-5850/ Sun, 02 Apr 2017 14:34:00 -0400 Practice highlights of elite 2017 high school prospect DeAndre Ayton from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois /article/deandre-ayton-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-game-practice-highlights-5849/ /article/deandre-ayton-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-game-practice-highlights-5849/ Sat, 01 Apr 2017 23:44:49 -0400 Practice highlights and a video interview with elite 2017 high school prospect Mitchell Robinson from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois /article/mitchell-robinson-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-interview-and-highlights-5848/ /article/mitchell-robinson-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-interview-and-highlights-5848/ Sat, 01 Apr 2017 10:29:17 -0400 Practice highlights and a video interview with elite 2017 high school prospect Kevin Knox from the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois /article/kevin-knox-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-interview-and-practice-highlights-5847/ /article/kevin-knox-mcdonald-39-s-all-american-interview-and-practice-highlights-5847/ Sat, 01 Apr 2017 01:41:49 -0400 When do the college prospects for the 2017 NBA Draft take the floor on Saturday for the NCAA Tournament Final Four? What will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-guide-final-four-5846/ /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-guide-final-four-5846/ Fri, 31 Mar 2017 15:29:04 -0400 Corey Porter takes a closer look at Florida wing Devin Robinson's performance in the Gators' early February win and late February loss against Kentucky.The intriguing junior small forward showed both the strengths that give him significant roleplayer potential at the next level, but also the weaknesses that limit his impact at this point in his career splitting the season series with the SEC Tournament champions.Scoring 16 points on just 5-7 from the field, Robinson played a key role in Florida's blowout 88-66 win over the Wildcats in Gainesville. He followed that up with 9 points and 11 rebounder in Florida's 10-point loss a few weeks later.A tremendous athlete with great size and length for a three, Robinson made some impressive plays finishing with his head up around the rim, crashing the boards, and defending multiple positions defensively against a very talented Kentucky team. He's shown marked improvement as a set shooter this season as he's emerged as a legitimate floor spacer with a reliable spot up stroke out past the NCAA 3-point line and went 4-6 from deep against the Wildcats.For all the promising flashes Robinson has shown this season, he remains limited as a shot cretor, one of the reasons he went 1-9 inside the arc in Florida's 2nd game against Kentucky when they did a better job chasing him off the line and forcing him to put the ball on the floor. He also isn't above some lapses defensively, particualrly when defending off the ball or in ball screen actions, still having some room to grow on that end of the floor.<script src="http://player.complex.com/tv/js/embed.js?cId=90b2JrYTE6LTNF6bFT-_CjjA91dsLa7b&pId=23b69841d9454479a6f4fcf4a8514588&adSetCode=d4063ffb5eea4665ac55cd9182bbb23e&site=draftexpress&kw=" class="cmplx-embed"></script><noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript> /article/matchup-video-devin-robinson-vs-kentucky-5845/ /article/matchup-video-devin-robinson-vs-kentucky-5845/ Thu, 30 Mar 2017 11:40:57 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Duke forward Jayson Tatum as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/jayson-tatum-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5844/ /article/jayson-tatum-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5844/ Wed, 29 Mar 2017 10:24:35 -0400 DX correspondent Mohamed Bamba interviews fellow McDonald's All-Americans DeAndre Ayton and Chuck O'Bannon in Chicago. /article/mo-bamba-interviews-deandre-ayton-and-chuck-o-39-bannon-5843/ /article/mo-bamba-interviews-deandre-ayton-and-chuck-o-39-bannon-5843/ Wed, 29 Mar 2017 09:37:44 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Cal big man Ivan Rabb as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/ivan-rabb-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5842/ /article/ivan-rabb-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5842/ Mon, 27 Mar 2017 16:42:00 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2017 NBA Draft take the floor on Sunday for the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight? What will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-guide-elite-eight-sunday-5841/ /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-guide-elite-eight-sunday-5841/ Sun, 26 Mar 2017 10:03:23 -0400 Julian Applebome takes a closer look at Kentucky freshman point guard De'Aaron Fox's 39-point, 4-assist, 3 rebound performance against UCLA in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The projected top-10 pick dominated the game from start to finish, looking incredibly aggressive offensively and outplaying potential #1 pick Lonzo Ball. /article/matchup-video-de-39-aaron-fox-vs-ucla-part-two-5840/ /article/matchup-video-de-39-aaron-fox-vs-ucla-part-two-5840/ Sat, 25 Mar 2017 19:47:41 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2017 NBA Draft take the floor on Saturday for the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight? What will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-guide-elite-eight-saturday-5839/ /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-guide-elite-eight-saturday-5839/ Sat, 25 Mar 2017 10:24:51 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2017 NBA Draft take the floor on Friday for the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16? What will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-guide-sweet-16-friday-5838/ /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-guide-sweet-16-friday-5838/ Fri, 24 Mar 2017 14:18:58 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Valparaiso forward Alec Peters as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/alec-peters-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5837/ /article/alec-peters-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5837/ Fri, 24 Mar 2017 11:55:05 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of N.C. State guard Dennis Smith as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/dennis-smith-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5836/ /article/dennis-smith-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5836/ Thu, 23 Mar 2017 16:23:23 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2017 NBA Draft take the floor on Thursday for the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16? What will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-tv-schedule-sweet-16-thursday-5835/ /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-tv-schedule-sweet-16-thursday-5835/ Thu, 23 Mar 2017 11:20:23 -0400 DraftExpress sat down with Lithuanian big man Laurynas Birutis to talk about his progression as a player and his strong season with Zalgiris' second team. /article/getting-to-know-laurynas-birutis-5834/ /article/getting-to-know-laurynas-birutis-5834/ Wed, 22 Mar 2017 18:25:41 -0400 Michigan sophomore power forward D.J. Wilson has been a pleasant surprise and key cog in the Michigan Wolverines Sweet 16 run. We highlight the areas in which he is showing significant potential, and outline parts of his game that still need to improve. /article/d-j-wilson-39-s-nba-potential-shining-through-in-march-5833/ /article/d-j-wilson-39-s-nba-potential-shining-through-in-march-5833/ Wed, 22 Mar 2017 09:44:33 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Washington guard Markelle Fultz as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/markelle-fultz-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5832/ /article/markelle-fultz-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-analysis-5832/ Tue, 21 Mar 2017 13:23:42 -0400 Examining the strengths and weaknesses of Texas A&M big man Robert Williams, who will return to school according to numerous reports. /article/robert-williams-nba-draft-video-breakdown-5831/ /article/robert-williams-nba-draft-video-breakdown-5831/ Tue, 21 Mar 2017 12:31:11 -0400 Freshmen combo forwards Miles Bridges and Josh Jackson went head to head on Sunday, in what was arguably the best matchup of the weekend for NBA scouts to evaluate from a positional standpoint. Both players had strong showings. /article/josh-jackson-vs-miles-bridges-matchup-video-5830/ /article/josh-jackson-vs-miles-bridges-matchup-video-5830/ Mon, 20 Mar 2017 14:43:21 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2017 NBA Draft take the floor on Sunday for the Round of 32 at the NCAA Tournament? And what will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-tv-schedule-sunday-5829/ /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-tv-schedule-sunday-5829/ Sun, 19 Mar 2017 12:06:17 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2017 NBA Draft take the floor on Saturday for the Round of 32 at the NCAA Tournament? And what will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-tv-schedule-saturday-5828/ /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-tv-schedule-saturday-5828/ Sat, 18 Mar 2017 10:18:43 -0400 Bogdan Karaicic takes a look at Nanterre big man Mathias Lessort's 20 point performance against Monaco in Pro A France. /article/matchup-video-mathias-lessort-5827/ /article/matchup-video-mathias-lessort-5827/ Fri, 17 Mar 2017 12:16:39 -0400 Julian Applebome takes a look at Syracuse Senior Andrew White III and the 3 and D potential he has at the NBA level. /article/andrew-white-iii-3-d-potential-5826/ /article/andrew-white-iii-3-d-potential-5826/ Thu, 16 Mar 2017 10:45:27 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Indiana forward OG Anunoby as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/og-anunoby-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-breakdown-5825/ /article/og-anunoby-nba-draft-scouting-report-and-video-breakdown-5825/ Wed, 15 Mar 2017 14:40:26 -0400 The Nike Hoop Summit World team was officially announced today, complementing the USA roster which was announced in January. The game is scheduled for Friday, April 7th at the Moda Center, in Portland, Oregon at 7:00 PM PST (10:00 PM EST), a contrast to previous years when it was held on Saturday afternoon. /article/2017-nike-hoop-summit-international-roster-breakdown-and-event-preview-5824/ /article/2017-nike-hoop-summit-international-roster-breakdown-and-event-preview-5824/ Wed, 15 Mar 2017 12:10:11 -0400 Handy guide to the NCAA Tournament /article/ncaa-tournament-viewing-grid-5823/ /article/ncaa-tournament-viewing-grid-5823/ Tue, 14 Mar 2017 15:11:34 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2017 NBA Draft and beyond take the floor on Friday for the Round of 64 at the NCAA Tournament? And what will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-tv-schedule-friday-5822/ /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-tv-schedule-friday-5822/ Tue, 14 Mar 2017 11:20:48 -0400 Breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of French point guard and NBA Draft prospect Frank Ntilikina, from his performance at the U18 European Championship in Samsun, Turkey, in December /article/frank-ntilikina-u18-european-championship-scouting-analysis-5821/ /article/frank-ntilikina-u18-european-championship-scouting-analysis-5821/ Mon, 13 Mar 2017 22:47:21 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2017 NBA Draft take the floor on Thursday for the Round of 64 at the NCAA Tournament? And what will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-tv-schedule-thursday-5819/ /article/ncaa-tournament-nba-draft-prospect-tv-schedule-thursday-5819/ Sun, 12 Mar 2017 22:38:27 -0400 A breakdown of the official 2016-2017 NCAA Post-Season awards, including first, second and third All-Conference teams, as well as the All-Freshman Teams, All-Defensive Teams, and more for every NCAA Division I conference. /article/2017-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-5818/ /article/2017-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-5818/ Thu, 09 Mar 2017 22:37:25 -0500 Julian Applebome takes a closer look at BYU big man Eric Mika and the big performance he had in a win over Gonzaga. /article/Eric-Mika-vs-Gonzaga-Matchup-Video-5817/ /article/Eric-Mika-vs-Gonzaga-Matchup-Video-5817/ Fri, 03 Mar 2017 14:21:06 -0500 Mike Schmitz studies the evolution of Justin Jackson's jump-shooting versatility, mechanics and efficiency, using video, advanced stats and scouting analysis. /article/Justin-Jacksons-Shooting-Transformation-5816/ /article/Justin-Jacksons-Shooting-Transformation-5816/ Thu, 02 Mar 2017 11:15:21 -0500 Ryan Thomson takes a closer look at Texas Center Jarrett Allen's performance against Kansas. /article/Matchup-Video-Jarrett-Allen-vs-Kansas-5815/ /article/Matchup-Video-Jarrett-Allen-vs-Kansas-5815/ Wed, 01 Mar 2017 10:19:56 -0500 Julian Applebome analyzes Oregon Junior Dillon Brooks, and the impact he has had as a combo forward for one of the top teams in the NCAA. /article/Oregons-Mismatch-Problem--Dillon-Brooks-5814/ /article/Oregons-Mismatch-Problem--Dillon-Brooks-5814/ Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:39:12 -0500 We take a look at seven of the best forward and big men prospects to emerge at the 2017 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp held in New Orleans during All-Star Weekend. /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Evaluations-ForwardsBig-Men-5813/ /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Evaluations-ForwardsBig-Men-5813/ Mon, 27 Feb 2017 16:13:22 -0500 We take a look at seven of the best guard and wing prospects to emerge at the 2017 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp held in New Orleans during All-Star Weekend. /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Evaluations-GuardWings-5812/ /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Evaluations-GuardWings-5812/ Fri, 24 Feb 2017 16:49:28 -0500 Mike Schmitz studies the evolution of Nikola Jokic's skill-set on both ends of the floor, from his NBA Draft year in 2013-2014 to today, using video, advanced stats and scouting analysis. /article/The-Evolution-of-Nikola-Jokic-5811/ /article/The-Evolution-of-Nikola-Jokic-5811/ Fri, 24 Feb 2017 12:02:56 -0500 Julian Applebome analyzes Kansas Senior Point Guard Frank Mason III, and the impact he has on one of the top teams in college basketball. /article/Frank-Mason-Kansas-Senior-Bulldog-5810/ /article/Frank-Mason-Kansas-Senior-Bulldog-5810/ Thu, 23 Feb 2017 10:09:13 -0500 Bogdan Karaicic takes a closer look at Real Madrid wing Dino Radoncic's 37 points performance against UNicaja Malaga in junior player. /article/Dino-Radoncic-vs-Unicaja-Malaga-U-18---Matchup-Video-5808/ /article/Dino-Radoncic-vs-Unicaja-Malaga-U-18---Matchup-Video-5808/ Sun, 19 Feb 2017 10:38:40 -0500 Julian Applebome analyzes Central Michigan guard Marcus Keene, who has been perhaps the most dynamic scorer in the country this season. /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-Marcus-Keene-5807/ /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-Marcus-Keene-5807/ Sat, 18 Feb 2017 15:05:09 -0500 Breaking down the impressive one-on-one scoring ability that Jayson Tatum has shown for the Duke Blue Devils so far this season. /article/Jayson-Tatum---Iso-Machine-5806/ /article/Jayson-Tatum---Iso-Machine-5806/ Thu, 16 Feb 2017 15:34:59 -0500 Breaking down the impressive productivity and versatility of SMU's Semi Ojeleye this season, as well as areas where he has room to improve. /article/Semi-Ojeleye-SMUs-Versatile-Forward-5805/ /article/Semi-Ojeleye-SMUs-Versatile-Forward-5805/ Thu, 16 Feb 2017 09:22:42 -0500 Julian Applebome analyzes the many different ways Oregon Junior big man Jordan Bell has been able to impact the game on both ends of the floor for the Ducks with his athleticism, finishing ability, rebounding, defensive versatility, and developing offensive game. /article/Jordan-Bell---Oregon-Ducks-Enforcer-5804/ /article/Jordan-Bell---Oregon-Ducks-Enforcer-5804/ Wed, 15 Feb 2017 14:50:22 -0500 Breaking down the impact that freshman guard Bruce Brown has had on the Miami Hurricanes so far this season, as well as areas where he has room to improve. /article/Bruce-Brown---Miamis-Two-Way-Playmaker-5803/ /article/Bruce-Brown---Miamis-Two-Way-Playmaker-5803/ Mon, 13 Feb 2017 12:29:18 -0500 Bogdan Karaicic takes a closer look at Jonathan Jeanne's 8 point, 6 rebound performance against Chalons-Reims in the French first division (Pro A). /article/Jonathan-Jeanne-vs-Chalons-en-Champagne---Matchup-Video-5802/ /article/Jonathan-Jeanne-vs-Chalons-en-Champagne---Matchup-Video-5802/ Fri, 10 Feb 2017 15:49:57 -0500 Breaking down the prospects of Missouri State's Alize Johnson, analyzing exactly what makes him interesting from a professional standpoint, and why he may end up on the NBA radar. /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-Alize-Johnson-5801/ /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-Alize-Johnson-5801/ Fri, 10 Feb 2017 12:28:25 -0500 Bogdan Karaicic takes a closer look at Luka Doncic's 11 assist performance against Unics Kazan in the Euroleague. /article/Luka-Doncic---Pick-and-Roll-Passing-5800/ /article/Luka-Doncic---Pick-and-Roll-Passing-5800/ Thu, 09 Feb 2017 21:05:28 -0500 Bogdan Karaicic takes a closer look at Isaac Bonga's 26-point performance against likely postseason qualifier Leverkusen in the German third division (Pro B). /article/Isaac-Bonga-vs-Leverkusen-Matchup-Video-5799/ /article/Isaac-Bonga-vs-Leverkusen-Matchup-Video-5799/ Wed, 08 Feb 2017 12:55:50 -0500 Julian Applebome analyzes Wisconsin sophomore Ethan Happ, who is playing a significant role for one of the top teams in the country and producing in elite fashion. /article/Ethan-Happ-Sophomore-Year-Jump-5798/ /article/Ethan-Happ-Sophomore-Year-Jump-5798/ Wed, 08 Feb 2017 09:05:30 -0500 A detailed look at the rosters for the NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp, which will be held in New Orleans during NBA All-Star Weekend 2017. /article/2017-Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Roster-Analysis-5797/ /article/2017-Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Roster-Analysis-5797/ Tue, 07 Feb 2017 11:14:09 -0500 Julian Applebome analyzes the head to head matchup between Washington's Markelle Fultz and USC's De'Anthony Melton, from an NBA Draft perspective. /article/Matchup-Video-Markelle-Fultz-vs-DeAnthony-Melton-5796/ /article/Matchup-Video-Markelle-Fultz-vs-DeAnthony-Melton-5796/ Fri, 03 Feb 2017 14:23:05 -0500 Scouting reports on 17 of the more notable prospects seen at the 2017 Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Barcelona, Spain. /article/2017-ANGT-LHospitalet-Scouting-Reports-5795/ /article/2017-ANGT-LHospitalet-Scouting-Reports-5795/ Fri, 03 Feb 2017 13:49:01 -0500 Mike Schmitz analyzes the head to head matchup between Washington's Markelle Fultz and Arizona's Kadeem Allen, from an NBA Draft perspective. /article/Markelle-Fultz-vs-Kadeem-Allen-Matchup-Video-5794/ /article/Markelle-Fultz-vs-Kadeem-Allen-Matchup-Video-5794/ Tue, 31 Jan 2017 13:19:05 -0500 T.J. Williams, a senior out of Pflugerville High School in Texas has really burst on to the scene in his fourth and final year at Northeastern University. /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-TJ-Williams-5793/ /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-TJ-Williams-5793/ Mon, 30 Jan 2017 13:01:24 -0500 Bogdan Karaicic takes a closer look at Sekou Doumbouya's 21-point performance against Lille in the French second division (Pro B). /article/Sekou-Doumbouya-vs-Lille-Matchup-Video-5792/ /article/Sekou-Doumbouya-vs-Lille-Matchup-Video-5792/ Mon, 30 Jan 2017 09:24:31 -0500 An interview and highlights of Okaro White, who capped off his 10-day contract with the Miami Heat in the most memorable way possible. He takes us through his journey from Florida State, to Europe, the D-League, and now the NBA. /article/The-Pro-Perspective---Okaro-White-5791/ /article/The-Pro-Perspective---Okaro-White-5791/ Thu, 26 Jan 2017 11:54:47 -0500 Ryan Thomson breaks down Shake Milton's strong two-game stretch vs UConn and Houston. /article/Shake-Milton-vs-UConn-and-Houston-5790/ /article/Shake-Milton-vs-UConn-and-Houston-5790/ Thu, 26 Jan 2017 11:28:22 -0500 Julian Applebome takes a closer look at John Collins's 17 point, 6 rebound, and 3 block performance vs defending NCAA champions Villanova on November 18th in the semi-finals of the Gildan Charleston Classic. /article/John-Collins-vs-Villanova-Matchup-Video-5789/ /article/John-Collins-vs-Villanova-Matchup-Video-5789/ Thu, 26 Jan 2017 10:41:31 -0500 Mike Schmitz analyzes the versatile shooting stroke and extraordinarily high skill-level of Finnish 7-footer Lauri Markkanen, looking at the many different ways Arizona is utilizing his talent en route to a 7-0 start in the Pac-12 (18-2 overall). /article/Lauri-Markkanen---7-foot-Finnish-Sniper-5788/ /article/Lauri-Markkanen---7-foot-Finnish-Sniper-5788/ Wed, 25 Jan 2017 12:16:34 -0500 Mike Schmitz breaks down the unexpectedly versatile two-way role USC freshman De'Anthony Melton has been able to carve out in the Pac-12, allowing him to emerge from unheralded high school recruit to future NBA Draft prospect. /article/DeAnthony-Melton---USCs-Swiss-Army-Knife-5787/ /article/DeAnthony-Melton---USCs-Swiss-Army-Knife-5787/ Wed, 25 Jan 2017 09:55:06 -0500 Julian Applebome breaks down the significant improvement Caleb Swanigan has shown in various facets, as well as the tremendous production he is posting for Purdue in the Big Ten. /article/Caleb-Swanigan-Sophomore-Year-Jump-5786/ /article/Caleb-Swanigan-Sophomore-Year-Jump-5786/ Mon, 23 Jan 2017 12:30:02 -0500 Turkish big man Berke Atar discusses his season and game at the FIBA U18 European Championship with accompanying video. /article/Getting-to-Know-Berke-Atar-5780/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Berke-Atar-5780/ Mon, 23 Jan 2017 11:51:35 -0500 Scouting reports on 15 of the more notable prospects seen at the 2017 Adidas Next Generation Tournament qualifier in Kaunas, Lithuania. /article/2017-ANGT-Kaunas-Scouting-Reports-5809/ /article/2017-ANGT-Kaunas-Scouting-Reports-5809/ Sat, 21 Jan 2017 11:10:53 -0500 Scouting reports on 15 of the more notable prospects seen at the 2017 Baltic Sea Basketball Cup (BSBC) in Tallinn, Estonia. /article/2017-Baltic-Sea-Basketball-Cup-Scouting-Reports-5785/ /article/2017-Baltic-Sea-Basketball-Cup-Scouting-Reports-5785/ Thu, 19 Jan 2017 17:12:16 -0500 Breaking down the prospects of Montana State's Tyler Hall, analyzing exactly what makes him interesting from a professional standpoint, and why he may end up on the NBA radar. /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-Tyler-Hall-5784/ /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-Tyler-Hall-5784/ Thu, 19 Jan 2017 10:43:40 -0500 Elite 2017 forward Michael Porter discusses his performance at the Spalding Hoophall Classic, with accompanying video from the event. /article/Getting-to-Know-Michael-Porter-Jr-5781/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Michael-Porter-Jr-5781/ Thu, 19 Jan 2017 10:08:04 -0500 Ryan Thomson takes a closer look at matchup between Arizona's Kadeem Allen and Colorado's Derrick White. /article/Matchup-Video-Kadeem-Allen-vs-Derrick-White-5783/ /article/Matchup-Video-Kadeem-Allen-vs-Derrick-White-5783/ Wed, 18 Jan 2017 16:14:46 -0500 Ryan Thomson takes a closer look at Kansas State forward Wesley Iwundu's performance against Kansas. /article/Matchup-Video-Wesley-Iwundu-vs-Kansas-5782/ /article/Matchup-Video-Wesley-Iwundu-vs-Kansas-5782/ Wed, 18 Jan 2017 16:14:43 -0500 Julian Applebome takes a look at Pittsburgh Panthers senior wing Jamel Artis, and how is strong play of late might vault him into the NBA Draft Conversation. /article/Jamel-Artis-Vaulting-Into-NBA-Conversation-With-Strong-ACC-Play-5779/ /article/Jamel-Artis-Vaulting-Into-NBA-Conversation-With-Strong-ACC-Play-5779/ Mon, 16 Jan 2017 15:35:24 -0500 Ryan Thomson takes a closer look at Louisville shooting guard Donovan Mitchell's performance against Indiana. /article/Matchup-Video-Donovan-Mitchell-vs-Indiana-5778/ /article/Matchup-Video-Donovan-Mitchell-vs-Indiana-5778/ Fri, 13 Jan 2017 09:34:36 -0500 Julian Applebome takes a closer look at Joel Berry's 19 point, 5 rebound, 5 assist, 2 steal performance in just 23 minutes, against highly regarded point guard prospect Dennis Smith. Berry shot an efficient 6-10 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line. /article/Joel-Berry-vs-NC-State---Matchup-Video-5777/ /article/Joel-Berry-vs-NC-State---Matchup-Video-5777/ Thu, 12 Jan 2017 13:48:39 -0500 Latvian power forward Roberts Blumbegs discusses his strengths and weaknesses at the U18 European Championship, with accompanying video from the tournament /article/Getting-to-Know-Roberts-Blumbergs-5776/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Roberts-Blumbergs-5776/ Wed, 11 Jan 2017 10:07:48 -0500 French-born big man Alpha Kaba discusses his season, game and time with Serbian club Mega Leks, with accompanying video. /article/Getting-to-Know-Alpha-Kaba-5775/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Alpha-Kaba-5775/ Tue, 10 Jan 2017 13:53:30 -0500 Martinique-born big man Mathias Lessort discusses his background, game and time with French club Nanterre, with accompanying video. /article/Getting-to-Know-Mathias-Lessort-5774/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Mathias-Lessort-5774/ Mon, 09 Jan 2017 12:18:38 -0500 Breaking down the prospects of Ohio's Antonio Campbell, analyzing exactly what makes him interesting from a professional standpoint, and why he may end up on the NBA radar. /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-Antonio-Campbell-5773/ /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-Antonio-Campbell-5773/ Mon, 09 Jan 2017 11:47:07 -0500 Breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of 20-year-old Gran Canaria center Anzejs Pasecniks through 23 games in the French Pro A and FIBA Europe Cup thus far. /article/Mathias-Lessort-Mid-Season-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Analysis-5772/ /article/Mathias-Lessort-Mid-Season-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Analysis-5772/ Fri, 06 Jan 2017 16:30:47 -0500 Julian Applebome takes a closer look at Justin Patton's 18-point, 8-rebound, 2-block performance against then-undefeated and #1 ranked Villanova. /article/Matchup-Video-Justin-Patton-vs-Villanova-5771/ /article/Matchup-Video-Justin-Patton-vs-Villanova-5771/ Thu, 05 Jan 2017 09:39:39 -0500 FMP forward Jonah Bolden discusses his game and time with Serbian club FMP with accompanying video. /article/Getting-to-Know-Jonah-Bolden-5770/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Jonah-Bolden-5770/ Wed, 04 Jan 2017 17:03:30 -0500 German forward Oscar Da Silva discusses his strengths and weaknesses at the U18 European Championship, with accompanying video from the tournament. /article/Getting-to-Know-Oscar-Da-Silva-5769/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Oscar-Da-Silva-5769/ Wed, 04 Jan 2017 13:44:27 -0500 Breaking down the prospects of Northern Iowa's Jeremy Morgan, analyzing exactly what makes him interesting from a professional standpoint, and why he may end up on the NBA radar. /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-Jeremy-Morgan-5768/ /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-Jeremy-Morgan-5768/ Tue, 03 Jan 2017 16:49:31 -0500 Mike Schmitz analyzes the head to head matchup between Cal's Ivan Rabb and Arizona's Lauri Markkanen, from an NBA Draft perspective. /article/Matchup-Video-Ivan-Rabb-vs-Lauri-Markkanen-5767/ /article/Matchup-Video-Ivan-Rabb-vs-Lauri-Markkanen-5767/ Tue, 03 Jan 2017 16:28:32 -0500 Scouting reports on four of the top big men prospects seen at the 2016 FIBA U18 European Championship, including Isaiah Hartenstein, Oscar Da Silva, Berke Atar and Roberts Blumbergs. /article/2016-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5766/ /article/2016-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5766/ Tue, 03 Jan 2017 16:11:36 -0500 Scouting reports on four of the top forward prospects seen at the 2016 FIBA U18 European Championship, including Sekou Doumbouya, Louis Olinde, Borisa Simanic and Sergi Martinez. /article/2016-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Forwards-5765/ /article/2016-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Forwards-5765/ Mon, 02 Jan 2017 17:26:14 -0500 Bogdan Karaicic takes a closer look at Jonah Bolden's 14-point, 10-rebound, 4-block, 3-steal, 3-assist performance against Mega Leks in the Adriatic League. /article/Matchup-Video-Jonah-Bolden-vs-Mega-Leks-5764/ /article/Matchup-Video-Jonah-Bolden-vs-Mega-Leks-5764/ Mon, 02 Jan 2017 15:56:16 -0500 Corey Porter takes a closer look at Butler forward Kelan Martin's performance against Indiana. /article/Matchup-Video-Kelan-Martin-vs-Indiana-5763/ /article/Matchup-Video-Kelan-Martin-vs-Indiana-5763/ Mon, 02 Jan 2017 10:13:05 -0500 Scouting reports on eight of the top wing prospects seen at the 2016 FIBA U18 European Championship, including Kostja Mushidi, Arnoldas Kulboka, Tadas Sedekerskis, Dzanan Musa, Olle Lundqvist, Leo Cizmic, Arturs Strautins and Aleix Font. /article/2016-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Wings-5762/ /article/2016-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Wings-5762/ Fri, 30 Dec 2016 15:55:00 -0500 Breaking down the prospects of Southeast Missouri State's Antonius Cleveland, analyzing exactly what makes him interesting from a professional standpoint, and why he may end up on the NBA radar. /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-Antonius-Cleveland-5761/ /article/Mid-Major-Prospect-Watch-Antonius-Cleveland-5761/ Fri, 30 Dec 2016 13:14:18 -0500 Talking with Anzejs Pasecniks about different facets of his game, what he does well and what he needs to work on, with overlayed clips from this season and the past showing his progress. /article/Getting-to-Know-Anzejs-Pasecniks-5760/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Anzejs-Pasecniks-5760/ Fri, 30 Dec 2016 10:10:15 -0500 Scouting reports on three of the top guard prospects seen at the 2016 FIBA U18 European Championship, including Frank Ntilikina, Abdoulaye N'Doye and Adam Mokoka. /article/2016-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Guards-5759/ /article/2016-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Guards-5759/ Thu, 29 Dec 2016 03:40:38 -0500 Italian guard Davide Moretti discusses his strengths and weaknesses at the U18 European Championship, with accompanying video from the tournament. /article/Getting-to-Know-Davide-Moretti-5758/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Davide-Moretti-5758/ Thu, 29 Dec 2016 03:09:06 -0500 Lithuanian forward Tadas Sedekerskis discusses his strengths and weaknesses at the U18 European Championship, with accompanying video from the tournament. /article/Getting-to-Know-Tadas-Sedekerskis-5757/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Tadas-Sedekerskis-5757/ Wed, 28 Dec 2016 14:46:11 -0500 Ryan Thomson takes a closer look at North Carolina small forward Justin Jackson's performance against Kentucky. /article/Matchup-Video-Justin-Jackson-vs-Kentucky-5756/ /article/Matchup-Video-Justin-Jackson-vs-Kentucky-5756/ Mon, 26 Dec 2016 10:15:46 -0500 French guard Adam Mokoka discusses his strengths and weaknesses at the U18 European Championship, with accompanying video from the tournament. /article/Getting-to-Know-Adam-Mokoka-5755/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Adam-Mokoka-5755/ Mon, 26 Dec 2016 09:59:23 -0500 Lithuanian wing Arnoldas Kulboka discusses his strengths and weaknesses at the U18 European Championship, with accompanying video from the tournament. /article/Getting-to-Know-Arnoldas-Kulboka-5754/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Arnoldas-Kulboka-5754/ Sat, 24 Dec 2016 06:32:31 -0500 The Golden State Warriors two-time NBA MVP superstar, Stephen Curry, reflects on the importance of form shooting, his father's influence on his shot development and his rise to prominence from Davidson College at the 2013 NBA All-Star Game. /article/The-Pro-Perspective-Stephen-Curry-5753/ /article/The-Pro-Perspective-Stephen-Curry-5753/ Fri, 23 Dec 2016 12:58:04 -0500 Ryan Thomson takes a closer look at Syracuse power forward Tyler Lydon's performance against Georgetown. /article/Matchup-Video-Tyler-Lydon-vs-Georgetown-5752/ /article/Matchup-Video-Tyler-Lydon-vs-Georgetown-5752/ Fri, 23 Dec 2016 08:45:26 -0500 German forward Louis Olinde discusses his strengths and weaknesses at the U18 European Championship, with accompanying video from the tournament overlayed. /article/Getting-to-Know-Louis-Olinde-5751/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Louis-Olinde-5751/ Fri, 23 Dec 2016 07:37:41 -0500 Bogdan Karaicic takes a closer look at French national team point guard Frank Ntilikina's 23 point (4/7 2P, 4/4 3P, 3/3 FT), 9 assist, 1 turnover performance against Italy in the semifinals of the U18 European Championship. /article/Matchup-Video-Frank-Ntilikina-vs-Italy---U18-Euro-Championship-Semis-5750/ /article/Matchup-Video-Frank-Ntilikina-vs-Italy---U18-Euro-Championship-Semis-5750/ Thu, 22 Dec 2016 12:12:16 -0500 German wing Kostja Mushidi discusses his strengths and weaknesses at the U18 European Championship, with accompanying video from the tournament overlayed. /article/Getting-to-Know-Kostja-Mushidi-5749/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Kostja-Mushidi-5749/ Thu, 22 Dec 2016 06:32:56 -0500 German big man Isaiah Hartenstein discusses his strengths and weaknesses at the U18 European Championship, with accompanying video from the tournament overlayed. /article/Getting-to-Know-Isaiah-Hartenstein-5748/ /article/Getting-to-Know-Isaiah-Hartenstein-5748/ Wed, 21 Dec 2016 12:49:35 -0500 Julian Applebome analyzes the significant improvement Luke Kennard has shown in many different areas between his freshman and sophomore season, with a special focus on how his game might translate to the NBA level. /article/Luke-Kennard-Sophomore-Year-Jump-5747/ /article/Luke-Kennard-Sophomore-Year-Jump-5747/ Wed, 21 Dec 2016 09:01:08 -0500 Mike Schmitz analyzes Robert Williams' performance against Arizona, from an NBA perspective. What did we learn on both ends of the floor? /article/Matchup-Video-Robert-Williams-vs-Arizona-5746/ /article/Matchup-Video-Robert-Williams-vs-Arizona-5746/ Tue, 20 Dec 2016 12:18:27 -0500 Ryan Thomson takes a closer look at UCLA power forward T.J. Leaf's outstanding performance against previously undefeated Kentucky. /article/Matchup-Video-TJ-Leaf-vs-Kentucky-5745/ /article/Matchup-Video-TJ-Leaf-vs-Kentucky-5745/ Mon, 19 Dec 2016 12:46:41 -0500 Corey Porter takes a closer look at Villanova wing Josh Hart's 37-point performance vs Notre Dame. /article/Matchup-Video-Josh-Hart-vs-Notre-Dame-5744/ /article/Matchup-Video-Josh-Hart-vs-Notre-Dame-5744/ Mon, 19 Dec 2016 09:45:49 -0500 Mike Schmitz analyzes Malik Monk's memorable 47-point performance in Kentucky's CBS Sports Classic victory over North Carolina. /article/Malik-Monk---47-Point-Explosion-vs-UNC-5743/ /article/Malik-Monk---47-Point-Explosion-vs-UNC-5743/ Sun, 18 Dec 2016 10:46:48 -0500 Mike Schmitz analyzes Markelle Fultz's ability to create space with his size, ball-handling skills and advanced footwork. /article/Markelle-Fultz---Pull-Up-Game-5742/ /article/Markelle-Fultz---Pull-Up-Game-5742/ Thu, 15 Dec 2016 17:26:31 -0500 Mike Schmitz analyzes the many different ways freshman big man Ike Anigbogu has been able to impact the game on both ends of the floor for UCLA. /article/Ike-Anigbogu---UCLAs-Enforcer-5741/ /article/Ike-Anigbogu---UCLAs-Enforcer-5741/ Wed, 14 Dec 2016 16:47:12 -0500 Kansas freshman wing Josh Jackson has impressed with his playmaking ability through 10 games. Mike Schmitz analyzes the many different ways Jackson has been able to find teammates with his extraordinary court vision, with an emphasis on what we can learn about him from an NBA perspective. /article/Josh-Jackson---Point-Forward-5740/ /article/Josh-Jackson---Point-Forward-5740/ Wed, 14 Dec 2016 10:14:04 -0500 Breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of 20-year-old Gran Canaria center Anzejs Pasecniks through 19 games in the Spanish ACB and EuroCup thus far. /article/Anzejs-Pasecniks-Mid-Season-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Analysis-5739/ /article/Anzejs-Pasecniks-Mid-Season-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Analysis-5739/ Tue, 13 Dec 2016 10:06:03 -0500 Ryan Thomson analyzes the head to head matchup between Michigan State's Miles Bridges and Arizona's Lauri Markkanen, from an NBA Draft perspective. /article/Matchup-Video-Miles-Bridges-vs-Lauri-Markkanen-5738/ /article/Matchup-Video-Miles-Bridges-vs-Lauri-Markkanen-5738/ Mon, 12 Dec 2016 12:25:34 -0500 Corey Porter takes a closer look at Central Florida center Tacko Fall's performance vs Villanova. /article/Matchup-Video-Tacko-Fall-vs-Villanova-5737/ /article/Matchup-Video-Tacko-Fall-vs-Villanova-5737/ Fri, 09 Dec 2016 15:24:00 -0500 Julian Applebome analyzes the head to head point guard matchup between Maryland's Melo Trimble and Oklahoma State's Jawun Evans, from an NBA Draft perspective. /article/Matchup-Video-Melo-Trimble-vs-Jawun-Evans-5736/ /article/Matchup-Video-Melo-Trimble-vs-Jawun-Evans-5736/ Fri, 09 Dec 2016 15:06:09 -0500 Breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of 18-year-old Adelaide 36ers wing Terrance Ferguson through 11 games in the Australian NBL thus far. /article/Terrance-Ferguson-Mid-Season-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Analysis-5735/ /article/Terrance-Ferguson-Mid-Season-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Analysis-5735/ Thu, 08 Dec 2016 14:43:21 -0500 Breaking down 17-year-old Luka Doncic's 23-point, 11-assist game vs Fuenlabrada. /article/Matchup-Video-Luka-Doncic-vs-Fuenlabrada-5734/ /article/Matchup-Video-Luka-Doncic-vs-Fuenlabrada-5734/ Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:47:07 -0500 Breaking down 17-year-old Cedevita wing Dzanan Musa's 26-point performance vs Olimpija Ljubljana in the Adriatic League. /article/Matchup-Video-Dzanan-Musa-vs-Olimpija-Ljubljana-5733/ /article/Matchup-Video-Dzanan-Musa-vs-Olimpija-Ljubljana-5733/ Wed, 07 Dec 2016 09:58:12 -0500 Milwaukee Bucks point forward Giannis Antetokounmpo reflects on his mentality and practice habits as a shooter in his fourth season in the NBA. /article/The-Pro-Perspective-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-5732/ /article/The-Pro-Perspective-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-5732/ Tue, 06 Dec 2016 14:34:38 -0500 Bogdan Karaicic takes a closer look at Strasbourg point guard Frank Ntilikina's 10-point, 4-assist, 3-rebound performance against Mornar Bar in the FIBA Champions League. The highly regarded French teenager matched up with three American backcourt players with SEC and Pac-12 pedigrees, making it an interesting evaluation setting for NBA scouts to observe the potential lottery pick. /article/Matchup-Video-Frank-Ntilikina-vs-Mornar-Bar-5731/ /article/Matchup-Video-Frank-Ntilikina-vs-Mornar-Bar-5731/ Mon, 05 Dec 2016 11:26:11 -0500 Mike Schmitz takes a closer look at UCLA freshman point guard Lonzo Ball's 14-point, 7-assist, 6-rebound performance against Kentucky. The projected lottery pick matched up with a variety of different types of players, leading to some very strong moments, as well as showing plenty of areas he still has to improve on, on both ends of the floor. /article/Matchup-Video-Lonzo-Ball-vs-Kentucky-5730/ /article/Matchup-Video-Lonzo-Ball-vs-Kentucky-5730/ Sun, 04 Dec 2016 13:04:36 -0500 Mike Schmitz takes a closer look at Kentucky freshman point guard De'Aaron Fox's 20-point, 9-assist performance against UCLA. The projected lottery pick matched up with a variety of different types of players, leading to some very strong moments, as well as showing plenty of areas he still has to improve on, on both ends of the floor. /article/Matchup-Video-DeAaron-Fox-vs-UCLA-5729/ /article/Matchup-Video-DeAaron-Fox-vs-UCLA-5729/ Sun, 04 Dec 2016 12:48:00 -0500 Corey Porter takes a closer look at the changes in the shooting mechanics of Kansas State wing Wesley Iwundu from last season to this, as well as the early results /article/Wesley-Iwundu-Shooting-Mechanics-Analysis-2015-2016-to-2016-2017-5728/ /article/Wesley-Iwundu-Shooting-Mechanics-Analysis-2015-2016-to-2016-2017-5728/ Sat, 03 Dec 2016 11:46:01 -0500 Mike Schmitz takes a closer look at UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball's season so far, specifically in terms of the impact he's had on the Bruins' teammates thus far. /article/Lonzo-Ball-Transforming-UCLA-5727/ /article/Lonzo-Ball-Transforming-UCLA-5727/ Wed, 30 Nov 2016 16:53:13 -0500 Julian Applebome analyzes the play of Cincinnati's Jacob Evans from his four games at the Hall of Fame Tip Off Tournament to start off the 2016-2017 regular season. /article/Jacob-Evans-Video-Analysis-from-the-Hall-of-Fame-Tip-Off-Tournament-5726/ /article/Jacob-Evans-Video-Analysis-from-the-Hall-of-Fame-Tip-Off-Tournament-5726/ Fri, 25 Nov 2016 13:23:48 -0500 Mike Schmitz takes a closer look at Valparaiso forward Alec Peters's 24-points performance against Oregon. /article/Matchup-Video-Alec-Peters-vs-Oregon-5725/ /article/Matchup-Video-Alec-Peters-vs-Oregon-5725/ Sat, 19 Nov 2016 11:38:50 -0500 Mike Schmitz takes a closer look at Kentucky guard Malik Monk's breakout performance against Michigan State in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden, where he made a barrage of 3-pointers. /article/Malik-Monk-Shot-Making-vs-Michigan-State-Champions-Classic--5724/ /article/Malik-Monk-Shot-Making-vs-Michigan-State-Champions-Classic--5724/ Wed, 16 Nov 2016 14:14:55 -0500 We conclude our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects outside the power six conferences with scouting reports on prospects 8-12: Dedric Lawson, Jordon Varnado, Chris Cokley, Tyler Hall and E.C. Matthews. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-In-the-Rest-of-the-NCAA-Part-Five-Prospects-8-12-5723/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-In-the-Rest-of-the-NCAA-Part-Five-Prospects-8-12-5723/ Wed, 09 Nov 2016 16:08:24 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects outside the power six conferences with scouting reports on prospects 4-7: Zach Collins, William Lee, Malik Pope and Tacko Fall. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-In-the-Rest-of-the-NCAA-Part-Four-Prospects-4-7-5722/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-In-the-Rest-of-the-NCAA-Part-Four-Prospects-4-7-5722/ Tue, 08 Nov 2016 08:30:32 -0500 An 16 minute interview segment on the Jody Mac Show (CBS Sports Radio) breaking down various 2017 NBA Draft storylines. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-the-Jody-Mac-Show-CBS-Sports-Radio--5721/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-the-Jody-Mac-Show-CBS-Sports-Radio--5721/ Mon, 07 Nov 2016 12:37:42 -0500 Ryan Thomson continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the rest of the NCAA, with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect outside the power six conferences, Valparaiso's Alec Peters. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-In-the-Rest-Part-Three-Alec-Peters-Scouting-Video-5720/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-In-the-Rest-Part-Three-Alec-Peters-Scouting-Video-5720/ Mon, 07 Nov 2016 11:37:28 -0500 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the rest of the NCAA, with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect outside the power six conferences, Nevada's Cameron Oliver. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-In-the-Rest-Part-Two-Cameron-Oliver-Scouting-Video-5719/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-In-the-Rest-Part-Two-Cameron-Oliver-Scouting-Video-5719/ Sun, 06 Nov 2016 10:15:22 -0500 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the rest of the NCAA, with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect outside the power six conferences, SMU's Shake Milton. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-In-the-Rest-Part-One-Shake-Milton-Scouting-Video-5718/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-In-the-Rest-Part-One-Shake-Milton-Scouting-Video-5718/ Sat, 05 Nov 2016 10:44:36 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the ACC with scouting reports on prospects 31-35: Austin Nichols, Bryant Crawford, Jay Huff and Trent Forrest. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-17-Prospects-31-35-5717/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-17-Prospects-31-35-5717/ Fri, 04 Nov 2016 18:57:07 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the ACC with scouting reports on prospects 28-31: Sidy Djitte, Abdul-Malik Abu, Jerome Robinson and Seventh Woods. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-16-Prospects-28-31-5716/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-16-Prospects-28-31-5716/ Thu, 03 Nov 2016 19:51:23 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the ACC with scouting reports on prospects 24-27: Isaiah Hicks, Luke Kennard, Theo Pinson, John Collins. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-15-Prospects-24-27-5715/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-15-Prospects-24-27-5715/ Wed, 02 Nov 2016 18:37:04 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the ACC with scouting reports on prospects 20-23: Tyus Battle, Donte Grantham, Bruce Brown and Kennedy Meeks /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-14-Prospects-20-23-5714/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-14-Prospects-20-23-5714/ Tue, 01 Nov 2016 14:34:57 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the ACC with scouting reports on prospects 16-19: Deng Adel, Andrew White, Raymond Spalding and V.J. King. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-13-Prospects-16-19-5713/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-13-Prospects-16-19-5713/ Mon, 31 Oct 2016 15:55:39 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the ACC with scouting reports on prospects 12-15: Frank Jackson, Tony Bradley, Donovan Mitchell and Justin Jackson. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Twelve-Prospects-12-15-5712/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Twelve-Prospects-12-15-5712/ Sun, 30 Oct 2016 15:14:11 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #9 prospect in the conference, Notre Dame's V.J. Beachem. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-11-VJ-Beachem-Scouting-Video-5711/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-11-VJ-Beachem-Scouting-Video-5711/ Sat, 29 Oct 2016 09:39:04 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #9 prospect in the conference, Florida State's Dwayne Bacon. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-10-Dwayne-Bacon-Scouting-Video-5710/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-10-Dwayne-Bacon-Scouting-Video-5710/ Fri, 28 Oct 2016 11:41:39 -0400 Julian Applebome continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #9 prospect in the conference, Duke's Grayson Allen. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-9-Grayson-Allen-Scouting-Video-5709/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-9-Grayson-Allen-Scouting-Video-5709/ Thu, 27 Oct 2016 13:17:53 -0400 Ryan Thomson continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #8 prospect in the conference, Clemson's Jaron Blossomgame. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-8-Jaron-Blossomgame-Scouting-Video-5708/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-8-Jaron-Blossomgame-Scouting-Video-5708/ Wed, 26 Oct 2016 14:00:11 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #7 prospect in the conference, N.C. State's Omer Yurtseven. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-7-Omer-Yurtseven-Scouting-Video-5707/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-7-Omer-Yurtseven-Scouting-Video-5707/ Tue, 25 Oct 2016 13:36:18 -0400 Examining the personality profiles of five specific NBA players who could be on the verge of a breakout season to evaluate the situations they are in and what traits they possess that may expedite or hinder their growth. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Situated-For-Success-Part-Two-5706/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Situated-For-Success-Part-Two-5706/ Mon, 24 Oct 2016 15:24:16 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #6 prospect in the conference, Syracuse's Tyler Lydon. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Six-Tyler-Lydon-Scouting-Video-5705/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Six-Tyler-Lydon-Scouting-Video-5705/ Mon, 24 Oct 2016 10:36:55 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #5 prospect in the conference, Duke's Marques Bolden. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Five-Marques-Bolden-Scouting-Video-5704/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Five-Marques-Bolden-Scouting-Video-5704/ Sun, 23 Oct 2016 10:46:09 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, Florida State's Jonathan Isaac. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-Jonathan-Isaac-Scouting-Video-5698/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-Jonathan-Isaac-Scouting-Video-5698/ Fri, 21 Oct 2016 11:12:09 -0400 Examining the personality profiles of five specific NBA players who could be on the verge of a breakout season to evaluate the situations they are in and what traits they possess that may expedite or hinder their growth. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Situated-For-Success-Part-One-5697/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Situated-For-Success-Part-One-5697/ Thu, 20 Oct 2016 13:38:23 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Duke's Harry Giles. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Three-Harry-Giles-Scouting-Video-5696/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Three-Harry-Giles-Scouting-Video-5696/ Thu, 20 Oct 2016 11:01:22 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Duke's Jayson Tatum. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Two-Jayson-Tatum-Scouting-Video-5695/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Two-Jayson-Tatum-Scouting-Video-5695/ Wed, 19 Oct 2016 11:37:11 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, N.C. State's Dennis Smith. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-One-Dennis-Smith-Scouting-Video-5694/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-One-Dennis-Smith-Scouting-Video-5694/ Tue, 18 Oct 2016 11:03:43 -0400 We conclude our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the Big Ten with scouting reports on prospects 12-15: Vitto Brown, Isaac Haas, James Blackmon and Ethan Happ. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Six-Prospects-12-15-5693/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Six-Prospects-12-15-5693/ Sun, 16 Oct 2016 11:36:29 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the Big Ten with scouting reports on prospects 8-11: Vince Edwards, Justin Jackson, Caleb Swanigan, Josh Langford. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Five-Prospects-8-11-5692/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Five-Prospects-8-11-5692/ Fri, 14 Oct 2016 13:30:21 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the Big Ten with scouting reports on prospects 4-7: Nigel Hayes, Malcolm Hill, Keita Bates-Diop and Melo Trimble. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Four-Prospects-4-7-5691/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Four-Prospects-4-7-5691/ Thu, 13 Oct 2016 14:29:26 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Michigan State's Miles Bridges. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-3-Miles-Bridges-Scouting-Video-5690/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-3-Miles-Bridges-Scouting-Video-5690/ Wed, 12 Oct 2016 16:31:45 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Indiana's Thomas Bryant. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-2-Thomas-Bryant-Scouting-Video-5689/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-2-Thomas-Bryant-Scouting-Video-5689/ Tue, 11 Oct 2016 13:19:14 -0400 Interviews with Wendell Moore, Isaiah Stewart, Greg Brown, Eric Dixon, and Elijah Hutchins-Everett from the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-NT-Mini-Camp-Interviews-Part-5-5703/ /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-NT-Mini-Camp-Interviews-Part-5-5703/ Mon, 10 Oct 2016 13:17:56 -0400 Interviews with Vernon Carey, Micah Peavy, Jalen Green, Jabri Abdur-Rahim, and Isaiah Todd from the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-NT-Mini-Camp-Interviews-Part-4-5702/ /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-NT-Mini-Camp-Interviews-Part-4-5702/ Mon, 10 Oct 2016 13:13:48 -0400 Interviews with Bryan Antoine, Jaime Jaquez, Jeremy Roach, Onyeka Okongwu, and Nico Mannion from the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-NT-Mini-Camp-Interviews-Part-3-5701/ /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-NT-Mini-Camp-Interviews-Part-3-5701/ Mon, 10 Oct 2016 13:10:22 -0400 Interviews with Scottie Lewis, Xavier Foster, Christian Brown, James Wiseman, and De'Vion Harmon from the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-NT-Mini-Camp-Interviews-Part-2-5700/ /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-NT-Mini-Camp-Interviews-Part-2-5700/ Mon, 10 Oct 2016 13:07:02 -0400 Interviews with R.J. Hampton, Lonnie Walker, Cole Anthony, Trendon Watford, and Juwan Gary from the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-NT-Mini-Camp-Interviews-Part-1-5699/ /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-NT-Mini-Camp-Interviews-Part-1-5699/ Mon, 10 Oct 2016 13:03:20 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Indiana's OG Anunoby. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-One-OG-Anunoby-Scouting-Video-5688/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-One-OG-Anunoby-Scouting-Video-5688/ Mon, 10 Oct 2016 12:42:26 -0400 Measurements and analysis from the Kentucky Combine, which featured some of the top prospects for the 2017 NBA Draft. /article/2016-Kentucky-Combine-Measurements-and-Analysis-5687/ /article/2016-Kentucky-Combine-Measurements-and-Analysis-5687/ Sun, 09 Oct 2016 20:24:32 -0400 We conclude our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the SEC with scouting reports on prospects 16-20: Isaiah Briscoe, Matthew Fisher-Davis, P.J. Dozier, Tyler Davis and Tai Wynyard. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Seven-Prospects-16-20-5686/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Seven-Prospects-16-20-5686/ Fri, 07 Oct 2016 13:04:05 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the SEC with scouting reports on prospects 12-15: Donta Hall, John Egbunu, Brandon Sampson and Tonny Trocha-Morelos. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Six-Prospects-12-15-5685/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Six-Prospects-12-15-5685/ Wed, 05 Oct 2016 18:24:47 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the SEC with scouting reports on prospects 8-11: Antonio Blakeney, Isaac Humphries, Moses Kingsley and Wenyen Gabriel. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Five-Prospects-8-11-5684/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Five-Prospects-8-11-5684/ Wed, 05 Oct 2016 17:01:22 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the SEC with scouting reports on prospects 4-7: Luke Kornet, Sacha Killeya-Jones, D.J. Hogg and Devin Robinson. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Four-Prospects-4-7-5683/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Four-Prospects-4-7-5683/ Tue, 04 Oct 2016 12:44:56 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Kentucky's Malik Monk. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Three-Malik-Monk-Scouting-Video-5682/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Three-Malik-Monk-Scouting-Video-5682/ Mon, 03 Oct 2016 11:20:53 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Kentucky's Bam Adebayo. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Two-Bam-Adebayo-Scouting-Video-5681/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Two-Bam-Adebayo-Scouting-Video-5681/ Fri, 30 Sep 2016 10:42:16 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-One-DeAaron-Fox-Scouting-Video-5680/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-One-DeAaron-Fox-Scouting-Video-5680/ Thu, 29 Sep 2016 10:08:54 -0400 We conclude our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the Big 12 with scouting reports on prospects 14-17: Wesley Iwundu, Frank Mason, Deonte Burton and Ishmail Wainright. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Eight-Prospects-14-17-5679/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Eight-Prospects-14-17-5679/ Wed, 28 Sep 2016 16:23:04 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the Big 12 with scouting reports on prospects 10-13: Jawun Evans, Kerwin Roach, Landen Lucas and Zach Smith. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Seven-Prospects-10-13--5678/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Seven-Prospects-10-13--5678/ Tue, 27 Sep 2016 12:12:42 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the Big 12 with scouting reports on prospects 6-9: Carlton Bragg, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Andrew Jones and James Banks. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Six-Prospects-6-9-5677/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Six-Prospects-6-9-5677/ Mon, 26 Sep 2016 11:11:46 -0400 Mike Schmitz concludes our continues of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #5 prospect in the conference, Baylor's Johnathan Motley. /article/Top-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-5-Johnathan-Motley-Scouting-Video-5676/ /article/Top-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-5-Johnathan-Motley-Scouting-Video-5676/ Sat, 24 Sep 2016 09:20:34 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, Iowa State's Monte Morris. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-4-Monte-Morris-Scouting-Video-5675/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-4-Monte-Morris-Scouting-Video-5675/ Fri, 23 Sep 2016 09:38:55 -0400 USA Basketball released the rosters for their 2016 Junior National Team Mini-Camp earlier today. /article/2016-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Rosters-Announced-5674/ /article/2016-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Rosters-Announced-5674/ Thu, 22 Sep 2016 14:19:05 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Kansas' Devonte Graham. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-3-Devonte-Graham-Scouting-Video-5673/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-3-Devonte-Graham-Scouting-Video-5673/ Thu, 22 Sep 2016 09:54:05 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Texas' Jarrett Allen. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-2-Jarrett-Allen-Scouting-Video-5672/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-2-Jarrett-Allen-Scouting-Video-5672/ Wed, 21 Sep 2016 08:22:48 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Kansas' Josh Jackson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-One-Josh-Jackson-Scouting-Video-5671/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-One-Josh-Jackson-Scouting-Video-5671/ Tue, 20 Sep 2016 08:38:21 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with scouting reports on prospects 16-21: Allonzo Trier, Kobi Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, Kadeem Allen, Lorenzo Bonam and Elijah Stewart. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Eight-Prospects-16-21-5670/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Eight-Prospects-16-21-5670/ Sun, 18 Sep 2016 16:06:57 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with scouting reports on prospects 11-15: Chance Comanche, Ray Smith, Dillon Brooks, Bennie Boatwright and Jordan Bell. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Seven-Prospects-11-15-5669/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Seven-Prospects-11-15-5669/ Sun, 18 Sep 2016 08:44:50 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with scouting reports on prospects 6-10: Drew Eubanks, Ike Anigbogu, Chimezie Metu, Rawle Alkins and Chris Boucher. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Six-Prospects-6-10-5668/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Six-Prospects-6-10-5668/ Fri, 16 Sep 2016 17:53:49 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #5 prospect in the conference, Utah's Kyle Kuzma. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-5-Kyle-Kuzma-Scouting-Video-5667/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-5-Kyle-Kuzma-Scouting-Video-5667/ Fri, 16 Sep 2016 16:18:38 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, UCLA's Lonzo Ball. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-4-Lonzo-Ball-Scouting-Video-5666/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-4-Lonzo-Ball-Scouting-Video-5666/ Thu, 15 Sep 2016 11:48:45 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Cal's Ivan Rabb. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-3-Ivan-Rabb-Scouting-Video-5665/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-3-Ivan-Rabb-Scouting-Video-5665/ Wed, 14 Sep 2016 12:16:10 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Arizona's Lauri Markkanen. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-2-Lauri-Markkanen-Scouting-Video-5664/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-2-Lauri-Markkanen-Scouting-Video-5664/ Tue, 13 Sep 2016 13:30:23 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Washington's Markelle Fultz. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-1-Markelle-Fultz-Scouting-Video-5663/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-1-Markelle-Fultz-Scouting-Video-5663/ Mon, 12 Sep 2016 13:16:40 -0400 Scouting reports and interviews on six of the top prospects seen at the NBA Basketball Without Borders Europe Camp in Finland this past week, including Isaac Bonga, Nikola Miskovic, Kristian Sjolund, Onuralp Bitim, Goga Bitadze and Philipp Herkenhoff. /article/NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Europe-Camp-Top-Prospects-5662/ /article/NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Europe-Camp-Top-Prospects-5662/ Mon, 12 Sep 2016 12:11:21 -0400 Jonathan Givony sits down with Jamtland's Olle Lundqvist to wrap up the 2016 Basketball Without Borders Europe Camp in Finland. /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-Europe-Camp-Interview-Olle-Lundqvist-5661/ /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-Europe-Camp-Interview-Olle-Lundqvist-5661/ Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:51:52 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Big East with part five, players ranked 9-13 Marcus Derrickson, Luke Fischer, Cole Huff, Yankuba Sima, Kris Jenkins. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Five-Prospects-9-13-5660/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Five-Prospects-9-13-5660/ Sat, 10 Sep 2016 12:01:12 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Big East with part four, players ranked 4-8: Mikal Bridges, L.J. Peak, Isaac Copeland, Kelan Martin and Jalen Brunson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Four-Prospects-4-8-5659/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Four-Prospects-4-8-5659/ Fri, 09 Sep 2016 12:12:39 -0400 Jon Giesbrecht continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big East with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Villanova's Josh Hart. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-3-Josh-Hart-Scouting-Video-5658/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-3-Josh-Hart-Scouting-Video-5658/ Thu, 08 Sep 2016 10:37:09 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big East with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Georgetown's Jessie Govan. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-2-Jessie-Govan-Scouting-Video-5654/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-2-Jessie-Govan-Scouting-Video-5654/ Wed, 07 Sep 2016 09:40:57 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big East with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Xavier's Edmond Sumner. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-1-Edmond-Sumner-Scouting-Video-5653/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-1-Edmond-Sumner-Scouting-Video-5653/ Tue, 06 Sep 2016 12:07:40 -0400 Nick Danforth explores 15 different performance metrics to see which were correlated with highest NBA free agent salaries. /article/NBA-Free-Agency-What-Do-Teams-Pay-For--5652/ /article/NBA-Free-Agency-What-Do-Teams-Pay-For--5652/ Tue, 30 Aug 2016 10:41:57 -0400 We break down the top five performers from the 2016 Under Armour Elite 24. The rankings are based on the statistic Estimated Wins Added /article/Five-Standout-Performers-from-the-2016-Under-Armour-Elite-24-5651/ /article/Five-Standout-Performers-from-the-2016-Under-Armour-Elite-24-5651/ Thu, 25 Aug 2016 10:48:51 -0400 Some of the top prospects in all of high school basketball share their insight into the importance of perimeter shooting at the Under Armour Elite 24. /article/Shooting-Key-to-NBA-Prospects-at-Elite-24-5650/ /article/Shooting-Key-to-NBA-Prospects-at-Elite-24-5650/ Tue, 23 Aug 2016 10:45:21 -0400 We break down the top ten performers from the 2016 Olympic Games. The rankings are based on the statistic Estimated Wins Added. /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-Olympic-Games-5649/ /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-Olympic-Games-5649/ Tue, 23 Aug 2016 10:32:58 -0400 Scouting reports on 14 of the more notable prospects seen at the FIBA U16 European Championship (Divisons A and B) in Radom, Poland and Sofia, Bulgaria last week. Including Marko Pecarski, Luka Samanic, Usman Garuba, Arturs Zagars, Oton Jankovic, Theo Maledon, Joel Ayayi, Henri Drell, Szymon Janczak, Alexander Shashkov, Tomer Levinson, Luc Van Slooten, Kay Bruhnke and Tarik Biberovic. /article/FIBA-U16-European-Championship-Scouting-Reports-5648/ /article/FIBA-U16-European-Championship-Scouting-Reports-5648/ Mon, 22 Aug 2016 09:47:55 -0400 Video Interviews with Zion Williamson and Silvio De Sousa from the 2016 Under Armour Elite 24. /article/2016-Elite-24-Interviews-Zion-Williamson-and-Silvio-De-Sousa-5647/ /article/2016-Elite-24-Interviews-Zion-Williamson-and-Silvio-De-Sousa-5647/ Sat, 20 Aug 2016 12:00:39 -0400 Video Interviews with Trevon Duval, Jaylen Hoard, and Jahvon Quinerly from the 2016 Under Armour Elite 24. /article/2016-Elite-24-Interviews-Trevon-Duval-Jaylen-Hoard-Jahvon-Quinerly-5646/ /article/2016-Elite-24-Interviews-Trevon-Duval-Jaylen-Hoard-Jahvon-Quinerly-5646/ Sat, 20 Aug 2016 11:55:53 -0400 Video Interviews with Nick Richards and Hamidou Diallo from the 2016 Under Armour Elite 24. /article/2016-Elite-24-Interviews-Nick-Richards-and-Hamidou-Diallo-5645/ /article/2016-Elite-24-Interviews-Nick-Richards-and-Hamidou-Diallo-5645/ Fri, 19 Aug 2016 23:20:15 -0400 The measurements for the players at the 2016 Under Armour Elite 24 were released today. /article/2016-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Measurements-Released-5644/ /article/2016-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Measurements-Released-5644/ Fri, 19 Aug 2016 21:25:19 -0400 Below is a list of five of the top performers from the Americas Team Camp in Mexico City which finished on August 13th. The camp which was hosted by the NBA and led by the likes of Earl Watson, Jim Boylen, and Austin Ainge featured 40 of the top under-18 players from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. /article/Americas-Team-Camp-Top-Performers-5643/ /article/Americas-Team-Camp-Top-Performers-5643/ Mon, 15 Aug 2016 15:52:39 -0400 We break down the top ten performers from the 2016 adidas Nations College Games. The rankings are based on the statistic Estimated Wins Added. /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-adidas-Nations-College-Games-5642/ /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-adidas-Nations-College-Games-5642/ Sat, 06 Aug 2016 17:00:19 -0400 Scouting reports on eight of the prospects seen at adidas Nations that haven't been covered on DraftExpress prior. /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-5641/ /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-5641/ Fri, 05 Aug 2016 08:20:16 -0400 We break down the top ten performers from the 2016 adidas Nations. The rankings are based on the statistic Estimated Wins Added. /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-adidas-Nations-5640/ /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-adidas-Nations-5640/ Wed, 03 Aug 2016 16:56:44 -0400 Interviews with Donovan Mitchell, Abdul-Malik Abu, Justin Tuoyo, and OG Anunoby from the 2016 adidas Nations. /article/2016-adidas-Nations-Interviews-Mitchell-Abu-Tuoyo-Anunoby-5657/ /article/2016-adidas-Nations-Interviews-Mitchell-Abu-Tuoyo-Anunoby-5657/ Mon, 01 Aug 2016 21:06:43 -0400 Interviews with Edmond Sumner, Johnathan Motley, and Alec Peters from the 2016 Nike Academy. /article/2016-Nike-Academy-Interviews-Edmond-Sumner-John-Motley-Alec-Peters-5656/ /article/2016-Nike-Academy-Interviews-Edmond-Sumner-John-Motley-Alec-Peters-5656/ Mon, 01 Aug 2016 21:06:42 -0400 Interviews with D.J. Hogg, Carlton Bragg, and Chimezie Metu from the 2016 adidas Nations. /article/2016-adidas-Nations-Interviews-DJ-Hogg-Carlton-Bragg-Chimezie-Metu-5655/ /article/2016-adidas-Nations-Interviews-DJ-Hogg-Carlton-Bragg-Chimezie-Metu-5655/ Mon, 01 Aug 2016 21:06:41 -0400 We breakdown the top ten performers from the 2016 FIBA U20 European Championship. The rankings are based on the statistic Estimated Wins Added. /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-FIBA-U20-European-Championship-5639/ /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-FIBA-U20-European-Championship-5639/ Wed, 27 Jul 2016 20:21:33 -0400 We breakdown the top ten performers from the 2016 FIBA U18 Americas Championship. The rankings are based on the statistic Estimated Wins Added. /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-FIBA-U18-Americas-Championship-5638/ /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-FIBA-U18-Americas-Championship-5638/ Wed, 27 Jul 2016 11:50:40 -0400 The rosters and measurements from the Nike Academy being held in Los Angeles, California were released today. /article/Nike-Academy-Rosters-and-Measurements-Released-5637/ /article/Nike-Academy-Rosters-and-Measurements-Released-5637/ Mon, 25 Jul 2016 23:18:47 -0400 This is a list of the top ten performers from the 2016 Las Vegas Summer League, which concluded on July 18th. The rankings are based on the statistic EWA (estimated wins added). /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-Las-Vegas-Summer-League-5636/ /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-Las-Vegas-Summer-League-5636/ Thu, 21 Jul 2016 16:20:41 -0400 Each July NBA executives, media members, and die-hard fans attend NBA Summer Leagues in Orlando, Utah, and Las Vegas to get their first look at the rookies drafted just weeks prior. But does that monster PER put up by your team's first round rookie actually mean anything, or are they empty numbers? /article/Highs-and-Lows-Do-Summer-League-PERs-Matter--5635/ /article/Highs-and-Lows-Do-Summer-League-PERs-Matter--5635/ Mon, 18 Jul 2016 10:05:07 -0400 This is a list of the top ten performers from the 2016 Utah Summer League, which concluded on July 7th. The rankings are based on the statistic EWA (estimated wins added). /article/The-Top-Five-Performers-at-the-2016-Utah-Summer-League-5634/ /article/The-Top-Five-Performers-at-the-2016-Utah-Summer-League-5634/ Sun, 17 Jul 2016 16:56:03 -0400 This is a list of the top ten performers from the 2016 Orlando Summer League, which concluded on July 8th. The rankings are based on the statistic EWA (estimated wins added). /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-Orlando-Summer-League-5633/ /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-Orlando-Summer-League-5633/ Fri, 15 Jul 2016 19:35:27 -0400 The measurements taken at the 2016 Nike Elite 100 were released earlier this spring. /article/Nike-Elite-100-Measurements-Released-5622/ /article/Nike-Elite-100-Measurements-Released-5622/ Fri, 15 Jul 2016 19:23:29 -0400 Scouting reports on eleven of the top big men prospects seen at the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship, including Wendell Carter, Kevin Knox, Olivier Sarr, Simi Shittu, Jaren Jackson, Austin Wiley, Ragip Atar, Francisco Caffaro, Rongzhen Zhu, Samson Froling and Jordan Brown. /article/2016-FIBA-U17-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5632/ /article/2016-FIBA-U17-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5632/ Sun, 10 Jul 2016 12:06:23 -0400 Scouting reports on ten of the top wing prospects seen at the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship, including R.J. Barrett, Dzanan Musa, Troy Brown, Yves Pons, Jaylen Hoard, Miguel Gonzalez, Sergi Martinez, Gary Trent, Onuralp Bitim and Elias Valtonen. /article/2016-FIBA-U17-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Wing-Players-5631/ /article/2016-FIBA-U17-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Wing-Players-5631/ Sat, 09 Jul 2016 10:37:37 -0400 This is a list of the top ten performers from the FIBA U17 tournament, which concluded on Sunday. The rankings are based on the statistic EWA (estimated wins added). /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-FIBA-U17-World-Championship-5630/ /article/The-Top-Ten-Performers-at-the-2016-FIBA-U17-World-Championship-5630/ Fri, 08 Jul 2016 17:49:56 -0400 Scouting reports on seven of the top point guard prospects seen at the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship, including Collin Sexton, Arnas Velicka, Immanuel Quickley, Andrew Nembhard, Javonte Smart, Eray Akyuz and Lautaro Lopez. /article/2016-FIBA-U17-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5629/ /article/2016-FIBA-U17-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5629/ Thu, 07 Jul 2016 18:57:33 -0400 Each July NBA executives, media members, and die-hard fans attend NBA Summer Leagues in Orlando, Utah, and Las Vegas to get their first look at the rookies drafted just weeks prior. But does that 30 and 10 stat line put up by your team's first round rookie actually mean anything, or are they empty numbers? /article/Summer-League-Statistics-Something-or-Nothing--5628/ /article/Summer-League-Statistics-Something-or-Nothing--5628/ Thu, 07 Jul 2016 15:37:26 -0400 The measurements taken by USA Basketball at the U17 and U18 trials were released today. /article/USA-Basketball-U17-and-U18-Measurements-Released-5623/ /article/USA-Basketball-U17-and-U18-Measurements-Released-5623/ Thu, 07 Jul 2016 11:31:49 -0400 Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of Real Madrid point guard Sergio Rodriguez. What can the flashy, 30-year old Spanish point guard bring to the Philadelphia 76ers? /article/Sergio-Rodriguez-International-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-5627/ /article/Sergio-Rodriguez-International-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-5627/ Wed, 06 Jul 2016 17:35:08 -0400 Twenty-three of the top high school players and a group of 10 college counselors (made up of current collegiate players and incoming freshmen) competed and learned the game from well-respected coaches and two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry at his annual Select Camp in Walnut Creek, CA. /article/Stephen-Curry-Select-Camp-Scouting-Reports-5626/ /article/Stephen-Curry-Select-Camp-Scouting-Reports-5626/ Sat, 02 Jul 2016 10:36:45 -0400 Interviews with Colin Sexton and Robert Woodard at the USA Basketball U17 Training Camp. /article/2016-USA-Basketball-U17-Training-Camp-Interviews-Part-3-5598/ /article/2016-USA-Basketball-U17-Training-Camp-Interviews-Part-3-5598/ Sat, 02 Jul 2016 10:27:59 -0400 Interviews with Cameron Reddish, Kevin Knox, and Jalen Smith at the USA Basketball U17 Training Camp. /article/2016-USA-Basketball-U17-Training-Camp-Interviews-Part-2-5597/ /article/2016-USA-Basketball-U17-Training-Camp-Interviews-Part-2-5597/ Sat, 02 Jul 2016 10:27:47 -0400 Interviews with Immanuel Quickley, Jaren Jackson, and Nojel Eastern at the USA Basketball U17 Training Camp. /article/2016-USA-Basketball-U17-Training-Camp-Interviews-Part-1-5596/ /article/2016-USA-Basketball-U17-Training-Camp-Interviews-Part-1-5596/ Sat, 02 Jul 2016 10:27:35 -0400 An nine minute interview segment on the Doug Gottlieb Show (CBS Sports Radio) recapping the 2016 NBA Draft. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-the-Doug-Gottlieb-Show-5625/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-the-Doug-Gottlieb-Show-5625/ Sat, 25 Jun 2016 12:18:57 -0400 Thanks for following the 2016 NBA draft with us. It was a wild and unpredictable night. The process of evaluating the 2017 NBA draft has already started. /article/Onward-to-the-2017-NBA-Draft-5624/ /article/Onward-to-the-2017-NBA-Draft-5624/ Fri, 24 Jun 2016 16:30:52 -0400 A full breakdown of every pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, from 1-60, including all trades that occurred. /article/Full-Results-of-the-2016-NBA-Draft---Picks-and-Trades-5621/ /article/Full-Results-of-the-2016-NBA-Draft---Picks-and-Trades-5621/ Fri, 24 Jun 2016 10:45:37 -0400 Orlando Magic point guard Elfrid Payton shows off his wide array of skills in a gym in Los Angeles during the off-season. /article/Elfrid-Payton-Offseason-Workout-Video-5620/ /article/Elfrid-Payton-Offseason-Workout-Video-5620/ Fri, 24 Jun 2016 01:43:36 -0400 Minnesota Timberwolves big man and 2016 Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns shows off his wide array of skills in a gym in Los Angeles during the off-season. /article/Karl-Anthony-Towns-Offseason-Workout-Video-5619/ /article/Karl-Anthony-Towns-Offseason-Workout-Video-5619/ Fri, 24 Jun 2016 01:43:33 -0400 A list of 43 players who went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft. /article/2016-NBA-Draft-Undrafted-List-5618/ /article/2016-NBA-Draft-Undrafted-List-5618/ Fri, 24 Jun 2016 00:27:23 -0400 Dragan Bender is not the next Kristaps Porzingis, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. /article/Kristaps-Porzingis--Dragan-Bender-Video-Study-Comparison-5605/ /article/Kristaps-Porzingis--Dragan-Bender-Video-Study-Comparison-5605/ Thu, 23 Jun 2016 10:22:43 -0400 Interviews from New York City the day before the NBA Draft with players who will be sitting in the Green Room with their families. /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-from-New-York-City-5610/ /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-from-New-York-City-5610/ Wed, 22 Jun 2016 19:41:57 -0400 It doesn't take more than a few minutes of watching a NBA playoff game to realize how important outside shooting has become to the way the game of basketball is evolving these days. /article/Ranking-the-2016-NBA-Drafts-Top-Shooters-5609/ /article/Ranking-the-2016-NBA-Drafts-Top-Shooters-5609/ Wed, 22 Jun 2016 16:38:32 -0400 The 2nd round pick is either the most sought after commodity in the NBA, or the most thrown away, depending on who you ask. /article/The-Anatomy-of-a-Successful-Second-Round-Pick-5604/ /article/The-Anatomy-of-a-Successful-Second-Round-Pick-5604/ Wed, 22 Jun 2016 10:47:53 -0400 Jonathan Givony and Woj discuss possible trade scenarios and draft picks as they could unfold Thursday night in Brooklyn – from the lottery through the late first-round. /article/DraftExpress-joins-Adrian-Wojnarowski-on-The-Vertical-Podcast-5607/ /article/DraftExpress-joins-Adrian-Wojnarowski-on-The-Vertical-Podcast-5607/ Wed, 22 Jun 2016 10:24:27 -0400 An interview with Spanish forward Juan Hernangomez interspersed with highlights from the very strong season he had in the ACB. /article/Juan-Hernangomez-Interview-and-Highlights-5606/ /article/Juan-Hernangomez-Interview-and-Highlights-5606/ Wed, 22 Jun 2016 10:01:25 -0400 Nick Restifo and Jesse Fischer provide an insightful look into what their statistic models think of their year's draft prospects and how it compares to our mock draft. /article/2016-APBR-NBA-Draft-Statistical-Modeling-Showcase-5600/ /article/2016-APBR-NBA-Draft-Statistical-Modeling-Showcase-5600/ Wed, 22 Jun 2016 09:25:48 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Russian center Andrey Desyatnikov as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Andrey-Desyatnikov-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5603/ /article/Andrey-Desyatnikov-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5603/ Tue, 21 Jun 2016 16:23:03 -0400 An interview with UC Irvine center Mamadou NDiaye with footage from his Pro Day workout in Los Angeles. /article/Mamadou-NDiaye-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5602/ /article/Mamadou-NDiaye-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5602/ Tue, 21 Jun 2016 12:56:52 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Thomas Walkup as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Thomas-Walkup-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Pro-Day-Video-5601/ /article/Thomas-Walkup-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Pro-Day-Video-5601/ Tue, 21 Jun 2016 09:30:13 -0400 Florida State wing Malik Beasley works out in front of a myriad of NBA executives at the ASM Sports Pro Day in Las Vegas. /article/Malik-Beasley-Interview-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5585/ /article/Malik-Beasley-Interview-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5585/ Tue, 21 Jun 2016 08:51:16 -0400 Thanks to our friends at Krossover, here's a quick look at how Tyler Ulis looked at the EYBL level. /article/Tyler-Ulis-Grassroots-Rewind-5582/ /article/Tyler-Ulis-Grassroots-Rewind-5582/ Tue, 21 Jun 2016 08:43:41 -0400 A look at six of the most intriguing big men prospects in attendance at the USA Basketball U18 Training Camp, including scouting reports and video interviews. /article/USA-Basketball-U18-Training-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5591/ /article/USA-Basketball-U18-Training-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5591/ Mon, 20 Jun 2016 13:33:07 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Anadolu Efes wing Furkan Korkmaz as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Furkan-Korkmaz-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5590/ /article/Furkan-Korkmaz-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5590/ Mon, 20 Jun 2016 11:53:10 -0400 North Carolina power forward Brice Johnson works out in front of a myriad of NBA executives at the ASM Sports Pro Day in Las Vegas. /article/Brice-Johnson-Interview-and-Highlights-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5583/ /article/Brice-Johnson-Interview-and-Highlights-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5583/ Mon, 20 Jun 2016 11:38:48 -0400 An 17 minute interview segment on the Jody Mac Show (CBS Sports Radio) breaking down the latest 2016 NBA Draft storylines. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-the-Jody-Mac-Show-CBS-Sports-Radio--5589/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-the-Jody-Mac-Show-CBS-Sports-Radio--5589/ Mon, 20 Jun 2016 09:24:26 -0400 Duke big man Marshall Plumlee works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in Chicago. /article/Marshall-Plumlee-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5586/ /article/Marshall-Plumlee-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5586/ Sun, 19 Jun 2016 15:55:58 -0400 A look at four of the most intriguing forward prospects in attendance at the USA Basketball U18 Training Camp, including scouting reports and video interviews. /article/USA-Basketball-U18-Training-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Forwards-5584/ /article/USA-Basketball-U18-Training-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Forwards-5584/ Sun, 19 Jun 2016 15:38:22 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Isaiah Whitehead as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Isaiah-Whitehead-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5579/ /article/Isaiah-Whitehead-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5579/ Sun, 19 Jun 2016 12:31:15 -0400 Seton Hall guard Isaiah Whitehead works out in front of a myriad of NBA executives at the ASM Sports Pro Day in Las Vegas. /article/Isaiah-Whitehead-Interview-and-Highlights-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5578/ /article/Isaiah-Whitehead-Interview-and-Highlights-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5578/ Sun, 19 Jun 2016 11:15:57 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Panathinaikos center Georgios Papagiannis as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Georgios-Papagiannis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5577/ /article/Georgios-Papagiannis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5577/ Sat, 18 Jun 2016 15:05:41 -0400 A look at four of the most intriguing shooting guard prospects in attendance at the USA Basketball U18 Training Camp, including scouting reports and video interviews. /article/USA-Basketball-U18-Training-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Shooting-Guards-5576/ /article/USA-Basketball-U18-Training-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Shooting-Guards-5576/ Sat, 18 Jun 2016 14:09:50 -0400 French big man Guerschon Yabusele works out in front of a myriad of NBA executives at the CAA Sports Pro Day in Las Vegas. /article/Guerschon-Yabusele-NBA-Pro-Day-Workout-and-Interview-Transcript-5574/ /article/Guerschon-Yabusele-NBA-Pro-Day-Workout-and-Interview-Transcript-5574/ Sat, 18 Jun 2016 10:15:33 -0400 Tennessee guard Kevin Punter works out in preparation for the NBA Draft Los Angeles. The workout is entirely uncut, and includes all his misses. /article/Kevin-Punter-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-5575/ /article/Kevin-Punter-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-5575/ Sat, 18 Jun 2016 10:05:55 -0400 A look at four of the most intriguing point guard prospects in attendance at the USA Basketball U18 Training Camp, including scouting reports and video interviews. /article/USA-Basketball-U18-Training-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5573/ /article/USA-Basketball-U18-Training-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5573/ Fri, 17 Jun 2016 16:14:54 -0400 Thanks to our friends at Krossover, here's a quick look at how Deyonta Davis and Malachi Richardson looked at the EYBL level. /article/Deyonta-Davis-and-Malachi-Richardson-Grassroots-Rewind-5568/ /article/Deyonta-Davis-and-Malachi-Richardson-Grassroots-Rewind-5568/ Fri, 17 Jun 2016 08:49:03 -0400 Syracuse wing Malachi Richardson works out in front of a myriad of NBA executives at the ASM Sports Pro Day in Las Vegas. /article/Malachi-Richardson-Interview-and-Highlights-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5572/ /article/Malachi-Richardson-Interview-and-Highlights-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5572/ Fri, 17 Jun 2016 08:30:11 -0400 Thanks to our friends at Krossover, here's a quick look at how DeJounte Murray and Malik Beasley looked at the EYBL level. /article/Dejounte-Murray-and-Malik-Beasley-Grassroots-Rewind-5567/ /article/Dejounte-Murray-and-Malik-Beasley-Grassroots-Rewind-5567/ Thu, 16 Jun 2016 17:19:10 -0400 Highlights of Ukrainian shooting guard Sviatoslav Mykhailuk from the adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, including an interview. /article/Sviatoslav-Mykhailiuk-2016-Adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-and-Highlights-5571/ /article/Sviatoslav-Mykhailiuk-2016-Adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-and-Highlights-5571/ Thu, 16 Jun 2016 13:24:07 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Mega Leks wing Timothe Luwawu as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Timothe-Luwawu-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5569/ /article/Timothe-Luwawu-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5569/ Thu, 16 Jun 2016 12:00:30 -0400 Highlights of German forward Paul Zipser from the adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, including an interview. /article/Paul-Zipser-2016-Adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-and-Highlights-5570/ /article/Paul-Zipser-2016-Adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-and-Highlights-5570/ Thu, 16 Jun 2016 11:31:22 -0400 Thanks to our friends at Krossover, here's a quick look at how Stephen Zimmerman and Skal Labissiere looked at the EYBL level. /article/Skal-Labissiere-and-Stephen-Zimmerman-Grassroots-Rewind-5566/ /article/Skal-Labissiere-and-Stephen-Zimmerman-Grassroots-Rewind-5566/ Wed, 15 Jun 2016 13:56:50 -0400 Highlights of French point guard Joel Ayayi from the adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, including an interview. /article/Joel-Ayayi-2016-Adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-and-Highlights-5565/ /article/Joel-Ayayi-2016-Adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-and-Highlights-5565/ Wed, 15 Jun 2016 11:53:45 -0400 Highlights of Serbian power forward Filip Petrusev from the adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, including an interview. /article/Filip-Petrusev-2016-Adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-and-Highlights-5564/ /article/Filip-Petrusev-2016-Adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-and-Highlights-5564/ Wed, 15 Jun 2016 11:38:22 -0400 Thirty-three international players who had declared as early entry candidates for the 2016 NBA Draft have withdrawn. 60 NCAA and 13 international prospects remain early entry candidates. /article/Official-2016-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-Withdrawal-List-Released-by-NBA-5563/ /article/Official-2016-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-Withdrawal-List-Released-by-NBA-5563/ Wed, 15 Jun 2016 10:58:56 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Mega Leks wing Rade Zagorac as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Rade-Zagorac-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5552/ /article/Rade-Zagorac-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5552/ Tue, 14 Jun 2016 12:09:04 -0400 Thanks to our friends at Krossover, here's a quick look at how Jamal Murray and Jaylen Brown looked at the EYBL and high school levels respectively. /article/Jamal-Murray-and-Jaylen-Brown-Grassroots-Rewind-5562/ /article/Jamal-Murray-and-Jaylen-Brown-Grassroots-Rewind-5562/ Tue, 14 Jun 2016 02:31:24 -0400 Damian Jones works out at the CAA Pro Day in Los Angeles. /article/Damian-Jones-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5561/ /article/Damian-Jones-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5561/ Tue, 14 Jun 2016 01:58:55 -0400 Detailed evaluations on six of the top prospects seen on the US team at the 2016 adidas EuroCamp in Treviso. /article/2016-adidas-Eurocamp-US-Team-Evaluations-5560/ /article/2016-adidas-Eurocamp-US-Team-Evaluations-5560/ Mon, 13 Jun 2016 11:09:44 -0400 Thanks to our friends at Krossover, here's a quick look at how Henry Ellenson and Thon Maker looked at the EYBL and high school levels respectively. /article/Henry-Ellenson-and-Thon-Maker-Grassrots-Rewind-5559/ /article/Henry-Ellenson-and-Thon-Maker-Grassrots-Rewind-5559/ Mon, 13 Jun 2016 10:24:07 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Mega Leks center Ivica Zubac as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Ivica-Zubac-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5551/ /article/Ivica-Zubac-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5551/ Mon, 13 Jun 2016 04:26:21 -0400 Petr Cornelie works out at the adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. /article/Petr-Cornelie-adidas-Eurocamp-Workout-and-Interview-5558/ /article/Petr-Cornelie-adidas-Eurocamp-Workout-and-Interview-5558/ Sun, 12 Jun 2016 21:03:52 -0400 We break down the third and final day of the adidas Eurocamp along with the official camp measurements and athletic testing results. /article/2016-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Three-5557/ /article/2016-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Three-5557/ Sun, 12 Jun 2016 14:58:02 -0400 Thanks to our friends at Krossover, here's a quick look at how Ben Simmons looked prior to entering college. /article/Ben-Simmons-Grassroots-Rewind-5556/ /article/Ben-Simmons-Grassroots-Rewind-5556/ Sat, 11 Jun 2016 17:13:57 -0400 Paul Zipser and Petr Cornelie gave Treviso a nice boost of energy, while the Next Generation campers gave us a glimpse into the future with a very intriguing group of talented young prospects. /article/2016-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Two-5555/ /article/2016-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Two-5555/ Sat, 11 Jun 2016 15:54:02 -0400 Patrick McCaw works out in front of 100+ NBA executives at the BDA Sports Pro Day in Los Angeles. /article/Patrick-McCaw-NBA-Pro-Day-Workout-and-Interview-5554/ /article/Patrick-McCaw-NBA-Pro-Day-Workout-and-Interview-5554/ Sat, 11 Jun 2016 04:17:13 -0400 Day one of the 2016 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy is officially in the books. /article/2016-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-One-5553/ /article/2016-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-One-5553/ Fri, 10 Jun 2016 14:54:45 -0400 Kevin O'Connor and Eric Weiss explore DeAndre Bembry's personality profile type using their proprietary Sports Aptitude data to help us understand how he might fit onto an NBA roster. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-DeAndre-Bembry-5548/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-DeAndre-Bembry-5548/ Fri, 10 Jun 2016 09:51:30 -0400 DeAndre Bembry works out in front of 50+ NBA executives at the Pensack Sports Pro Day in Los Angeles /article/DeAndre-Bembry-NBA-Pro-Day-Workout-and-Interview-5549/ /article/DeAndre-Bembry-NBA-Pro-Day-Workout-and-Interview-5549/ Fri, 10 Jun 2016 09:50:43 -0400 Cheick Diallo works out in front of 100+ NBA executives at the BDA Sports Pro Day in Los Angeles /article/Cheick-Diallo-NBA-Pro-Day-Workout-and-Interview-5550/ /article/Cheick-Diallo-NBA-Pro-Day-Workout-and-Interview-5550/ Thu, 09 Jun 2016 13:18:21 -0400 Video analysis of some of the more notable things NBA scouts were able to see from Jarrod Uthoff's performance against Iowa State, both good and bad, on either end of the floor. /article/Jarrod-Uthoff-vs-Iowa-State-Video-Analysis-5547/ /article/Jarrod-Uthoff-vs-Iowa-State-Video-Analysis-5547/ Thu, 09 Jun 2016 11:12:22 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of New Mexico State big man Pascal Siakam as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Pascal-Siakam-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5537/ /article/Pascal-Siakam-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5537/ Thu, 09 Jun 2016 09:58:02 -0400 The EuroCamp kicks off this weekend and DraftExpress will be there covering the event for the 13th consecutive season. /article/2016-adidas-Eurocamp-Rosters-and-Official-DX-Preview-5546/ /article/2016-adidas-Eurocamp-Rosters-and-Official-DX-Preview-5546/ Wed, 08 Jun 2016 11:01:56 -0400 Juan Hernangomez works out in front of 60+ NBA executives at the Relativity Sports Pro Day at IMG Academy. /article/Juan-Hernangomez-NBA-Pro-Day-Highlights-and-Interview-from-IMG-Academy-5545/ /article/Juan-Hernangomez-NBA-Pro-Day-Highlights-and-Interview-from-IMG-Academy-5545/ Wed, 08 Jun 2016 09:31:59 -0400 Tyler Ulis sits down with Jonathan Givony to discuss what he's working on in anticipation of his private workouts, his daily schedule, the type of player he is, how he sees himself fitting onto an NBA roster, and much more. /article/Tyler-Ulis-Im-a-Guy-Who-Makes-Reads-5539/ /article/Tyler-Ulis-Im-a-Guy-Who-Makes-Reads-5539/ Wed, 08 Jun 2016 08:49:26 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Wichita State guard Ron Baker as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Ron-Baker-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5544/ /article/Ron-Baker-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5544/ Wed, 08 Jun 2016 08:46:58 -0400 Skal Labissiere works out in front of 60+ NBA executives at the Relativity Sports Pro Day at IMG Academy. /article/Skal-Labissiere-NBA-Pro-Day-Highlights-from-IMG-Academy-5536/ /article/Skal-Labissiere-NBA-Pro-Day-Highlights-from-IMG-Academy-5536/ Tue, 07 Jun 2016 10:34:37 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Maryland big man Robert Carter as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Robert-Carter-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5533/ /article/Robert-Carter-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5533/ Tue, 07 Jun 2016 10:22:46 -0400 North Carolina's Marcus Paige works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/Marcus-Paige-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5535/ /article/Marcus-Paige-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5535/ Tue, 07 Jun 2016 09:43:35 -0400 Kansas' Brannen Greene works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/Brannen-Greene-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-5534/ /article/Brannen-Greene-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-5534/ Tue, 07 Jun 2016 09:36:27 -0400 Dayton's Dyshawn Pierre works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/Dyshawn-Pierre-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5532/ /article/Dyshawn-Pierre-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5532/ Mon, 06 Jun 2016 18:55:45 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Dragan Bender as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Dragan-Bender-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5531/ /article/Dragan-Bender-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5531/ Mon, 06 Jun 2016 12:53:39 -0400 Michigan State's Bryn Forbes works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/Bryn-Forbes-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5530/ /article/Bryn-Forbes-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5530/ Sun, 05 Jun 2016 22:44:24 -0400 Stony Brook's Jameel Warney works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/Jameel-Warney-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5529/ /article/Jameel-Warney-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5529/ Sun, 05 Jun 2016 22:41:36 -0400 Virginia's Anthony Gill works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/Anthony-Gill-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5528/ /article/Anthony-Gill-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5528/ Sun, 05 Jun 2016 10:36:36 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Louisville big man Chinanu Onuaku as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Chinanu-Onuaku-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5527/ /article/Chinanu-Onuaku-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5527/ Fri, 03 Jun 2016 17:45:56 -0400 Tyler Ulis works out in front of 100+ NBA executives at the CAA Pro Day in Los Angeles. /article/Tyler-Ulis-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-5526/ /article/Tyler-Ulis-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-5526/ Fri, 03 Jun 2016 12:43:11 -0400 Jakob Poeltl works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in Los Angeles. /article/Jakob-Poeltl-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5525/ /article/Jakob-Poeltl-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5525/ Fri, 03 Jun 2016 12:33:54 -0400 Deyonta Davis works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in Los Angeles. /article/Deyonta-Davis-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5524/ /article/Deyonta-Davis-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5524/ Thu, 02 Jun 2016 15:26:41 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of French big man Guerschon Yabusele as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Guerschon-Yabusele-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5523/ /article/Guerschon-Yabusele-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5523/ Thu, 02 Jun 2016 15:18:05 -0400 Marquese Chriss works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in Los Angeles. /article/Marquese-Chriss-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5522/ /article/Marquese-Chriss-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5522/ Thu, 02 Jun 2016 08:49:36 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UNLV guard Patrick McCaw as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Patrick-McCaw-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5521/ /article/Patrick-McCaw-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5521/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 16:44:35 -0400 French guard Isaia Cordinier works out in front of a myriad of NBA executives at the CAA Sports Pro Day in Los Angeles. /article/Isaia-Cordinier-NBA-Pro-Day-Workout-Video-5617/ /article/Isaia-Cordinier-NBA-Pro-Day-Workout-Video-5617/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:54:04 -0400 Workout footage and an interview from Providence power forward Ben Bentil's NBA Pro Day in Los Angeles, hosted by Octagon. /article/Ben-Bentil-NBA-Pro-Day-Workout-and-Interview-5614/ /article/Ben-Bentil-NBA-Pro-Day-Workout-and-Interview-5614/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:54:03 -0400 Zach Auguste works out in front of 50+ NBA executives at the Pensack Sports Pro Day in Los Angeles. /article/Zach-Auguste-NBA-Pro-Day-Interview-5616/ /article/Zach-Auguste-NBA-Pro-Day-Interview-5616/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:54:02 -0400 An updated scouting report on Indiana forward Troy Williams. /article/Troy-Williams-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5615/ /article/Troy-Williams-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5615/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:54:01 -0400 Wayne Selden works out in front of 50+ NBA executives at his NBA Pro Day in Los Angeles. /article/Wayne-Selden-NBA-Pro-Day-Highlights-and-Interview-5613/ /article/Wayne-Selden-NBA-Pro-Day-Highlights-and-Interview-5613/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:43 -0400 Northeastern forward Quincy Ford conducts an interview at his NBA Pro Day in Los Angeles. /article/Quincy-Ford-NBA-Pro-Day-Interview-5612/ /article/Quincy-Ford-NBA-Pro-Day-Interview-5612/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:42 -0400 Miami shooting guard Sheldon McClellan works out in front of a myriad of NBA executives at the Octagon Pro Day in Los Angeles /article/Sheldon-McClellan-NBA-Pro-Day-Highlights-and-Interview-5611/ /article/Sheldon-McClellan-NBA-Pro-Day-Highlights-and-Interview-5611/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:41 -0400 An updated scouting report on Louisiana senior center Shawn Long. /article/Shawn-Long-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5599/ /article/Shawn-Long-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5599/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:31 -0400 An interview with French big man Mathias Lessort at the ASM Sports Pro Day in Las Vegas. /article/Mathias-Lessort-Interview-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5595/ /article/Mathias-Lessort-Interview-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5595/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:30 -0400 An interview with Emmanuel Malou in Las Vegas. /article/Emmanuel-Malou-2016-Pre-Draft-Interview-5594/ /article/Emmanuel-Malou-2016-Pre-Draft-Interview-5594/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:29 -0400 An interview with Miami point guard Angel Rodriguez at the ASM Sports Pro Day in Las Vegas. /article/Angel-Rodrgiuez-Interview-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5593/ /article/Angel-Rodrgiuez-Interview-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5593/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:28 -0400 A video interview with standout St. Joseph's wing DeAndre Bembry at the 2016 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. /article/DeAndre-Bembry-2016-NBA-Draft-Combine-Interview-5592/ /article/DeAndre-Bembry-2016-NBA-Draft-Combine-Interview-5592/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:27 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Texas A&M small forward Danuel House as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Danuel-House-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5588/ /article/Danuel-House-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5588/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:26 -0400 An interview with Evansville center Egidijus Mockevicius at the ASM Sports Pro Day in Las Vegas. /article/Egidijus-Mockevicius-Interview-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5581/ /article/Egidijus-Mockevicius-Interview-from-ASM-Sports-Pro-Day-5581/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:25 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky forward Alex Poythress as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Alex-Poythress-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5543/ /article/Alex-Poythress-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5543/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:24 -0400 Vanderbilt big man Damian Jones sits down with Jonathan Givony to discuss his background, the type of player he is, how he sees himself fitting onto an NBA roster, the improvements he'll have to make, and much more. /article/Damian-Jones-Video-Interview-5541/ /article/Damian-Jones-Video-Interview-5541/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:23 -0400 Utah big man Jakob Poeltl sits down with Jonathan Givony to discuss his background coming from Austria, the type of player he is, how he sees himself fitting onto an NBA roster, the improvements he'll have to make, and much more. /article/Jakob-Poeltl-Video-Interview-5540/ /article/Jakob-Poeltl-Video-Interview-5540/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:22 -0400 Alex Poythress sits down with Jonathan Givony to discuss what he's working on in anticipation of his private workouts, his daily schedule, the type of player he is, how he sees himself fitting onto an NBA roster, and much more. /article/Alex-Poythress-Interview-Transcript-5538/ /article/Alex-Poythress-Interview-Transcript-5538/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:53:21 -0400 Buddy Hield works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in Los Angeles. /article/Buddy-Hield-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5520/ /article/Buddy-Hield-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5520/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 10:58:53 -0400 Kris Dunn works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in Los Angeles. /article/Kris-Dunn-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5519/ /article/Kris-Dunn-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5519/ Tue, 31 May 2016 17:09:00 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Providence forward Ben Bentil as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Ben-Bentil-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5518/ /article/Ben-Bentil-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5518/ Sat, 28 May 2016 05:17:31 -0400 Thon Maker works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/Thon-Maker-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5517/ /article/Thon-Maker-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5517/ Fri, 27 May 2016 12:11:30 -0400 Duke forward Brandon Ingram works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/Brandon-Ingram-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5516/ /article/Brandon-Ingram-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5516/ Thu, 26 May 2016 14:57:07 -0400 Kentucky guard Jamal Murray works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/Jamal-Murray-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5514/ /article/Jamal-Murray-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5514/ Thu, 26 May 2016 12:20:14 -0400 Gonzaga power forward Kyle Wiltjer works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in Chicago. /article/Kyle-Wiltjer-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5515/ /article/Kyle-Wiltjer-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5515/ Thu, 26 May 2016 11:15:39 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Iowa forward Jarrod Uthoff as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Jarrod-Uthoff-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5507/ /article/Jarrod-Uthoff-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5507/ Thu, 26 May 2016 10:46:24 -0400 Weber State big man Joel Bolomboy works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in Chicago. /article/Joel-Bolomboy-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5513/ /article/Joel-Bolomboy-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5513/ Thu, 26 May 2016 10:46:15 -0400 26 rising high school seniors and incoming NCAA freshman were invited to the USA Basketball U18 Training Camp in Colorado Springs. The full roster was announced today. /article/USA-Basketball-U18-Training-Camp-Roster-Announced-5512/ /article/USA-Basketball-U18-Training-Camp-Roster-Announced-5512/ Wed, 25 May 2016 13:42:14 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kansas wing Wayne Selden as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Wayne-Selden-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5501/ /article/Wayne-Selden-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5501/ Wed, 25 May 2016 10:24:52 -0400 Maryland forward Jake Layman works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in Chicago. /article/Jake-Layman-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5510/ /article/Jake-Layman-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5510/ Wed, 25 May 2016 10:24:30 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Iowa State forward Georges Niang as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Georges-Niang-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5511/ /article/Georges-Niang-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5511/ Wed, 25 May 2016 10:24:12 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Maryland center Diamond Stone as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Diamond-Stone-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5508/ /article/Diamond-Stone-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5508/ Tue, 24 May 2016 11:39:33 -0400 Notre Dame point guard Demetrius Jackson works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in Chicago. /article/Demetrius-Jackson-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5509/ /article/Demetrius-Jackson-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5509/ Tue, 24 May 2016 10:50:11 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UConn wing Daniel Hamilton as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Daniel-Hamilton-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5504/ /article/Daniel-Hamilton-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5504/ Tue, 24 May 2016 10:39:44 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Syracuse wing Malachi Richardson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Malachi-Richardson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5506/ /article/Malachi-Richardson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5506/ Mon, 23 May 2016 09:45:34 -0400 Vanderbilt point guard Wade Baldwin IV works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in Chicago. /article/Wade-Baldwin-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5505/ /article/Wade-Baldwin-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5505/ Mon, 23 May 2016 09:02:04 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kansas power forward Perry Ellis as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Perry-Ellis-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5503/ /article/Perry-Ellis-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5503/ Mon, 23 May 2016 08:53:19 -0400 Baylor forward Taurean Prince works out in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft in Chicago. /article/Taurean-Prince-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-5502/ /article/Taurean-Prince-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-5502/ Sun, 22 May 2016 11:49:36 -0400 A video interview with standout Iowa forward Jarod Uthoff at the 2016 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. /article/Jarrod-Uthoff-2016-NBA-Draft-Combine-Interview-5500/ /article/Jarrod-Uthoff-2016-NBA-Draft-Combine-Interview-5500/ Sun, 22 May 2016 11:07:33 -0400 Many eyebrows were raised when the NBA dispersed the official measurements collected at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago last week. An official memo from the league office confirmed many of those concerns. /article/NBA-League-Office-Draft-Combine-Measurements-Under-Review-5499/ /article/NBA-League-Office-Draft-Combine-Measurements-Under-Review-5499/ Sat, 21 May 2016 11:56:48 -0400 Bender has a relatively small buyout for an international player of his stature, which should pose no obstacles to him joining the NBA team that drafts him June 23. /article/Dragan-Bender-Buyout-Numbers-Revealed-5498/ /article/Dragan-Bender-Buyout-Numbers-Revealed-5498/ Sat, 21 May 2016 11:55:13 -0400 We joined Zhou Qi, 7'2 big man from China, as he worked out in Chicago and Dallas in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft. /article/Zhou-Qi-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-5497/ /article/Zhou-Qi-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-5497/ Sat, 21 May 2016 10:58:14 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of St. Joe's wing DeAndre Bembry as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/DeAndre-Bembry-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5496/ /article/DeAndre-Bembry-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5496/ Fri, 20 May 2016 11:13:05 -0400 We joined Pascal Siakam, from Cameroon, as he worked out in Los Angeles in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including his season at New Mexico State, what he's trying to improve on in the short-term and what he feels he can bring to a NBA team. /article/Pascal-Siakam-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-5495/ /article/Pascal-Siakam-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-5495/ Fri, 20 May 2016 10:25:33 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Wichita State point guard Fred VanVleet as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Fred-VanVleet-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5494/ /article/Fred-VanVleet-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5494/ Fri, 20 May 2016 10:02:19 -0400 39 high school rising juniors and seniors were invited to the USA Basketball U17 Training Camp in Colorado Springs. The full roster was announced today. /article/USA-Basketball-U17-Training-Camp-Roster-Announced-5493/ /article/USA-Basketball-U17-Training-Camp-Roster-Announced-5493/ Thu, 19 May 2016 16:06:02 -0400 We joined Robert Carter as he worked out in Los Angeles in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including his season at Maryland, what he's trying to improve on in the short-term and what he feels he can bring to a NBA team. /article/Robert-Carter-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-5492/ /article/Robert-Carter-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-5492/ Thu, 19 May 2016 13:14:15 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Vanderbilt big man Damian Jones as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Damian-Jones-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5491/ /article/Damian-Jones-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5491/ Thu, 19 May 2016 11:09:33 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of North Carolina point guard Marcus Paige as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Marcus-Paige-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5490/ /article/Marcus-Paige-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5490/ Thu, 19 May 2016 09:43:08 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UNLV wing Derrick Jones as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Derrick-Jones-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5489/ /article/Derrick-Jones-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5489/ Wed, 18 May 2016 16:45:49 -0400 Breaking down some of the many different scenarios in play now that the official order of the draft is set, after a surprisingly calm night at the NBA Draft Lottery. /article/Ramifications-of-the-Ping-Pong-Balls-Post-Lottery-Analysis--5488/ /article/Ramifications-of-the-Ping-Pong-Balls-Post-Lottery-Analysis--5488/ Wed, 18 May 2016 00:16:26 -0400 Philadelphia 76ers Head Coach Brett Brown and other NBA executives fielded questions after the final 2016 NBA Draft order was determined. /article/2016-Post-Lottery-Interview-Transcripts-and-Videos-5487/ /article/2016-Post-Lottery-Interview-Transcripts-and-Videos-5487/ Tue, 17 May 2016 22:21:49 -0400 Our first detailed mock draft with pick-by-pick explanations using projected rosters and taking the individual needs of all 30 NBA teams into account has been released. /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2016-Mock-Draft-1-5486/ /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2016-Mock-Draft-1-5486/ Tue, 17 May 2016 20:28:43 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Skal-Labissiere-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5485/ /article/Skal-Labissiere-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5485/ Tue, 17 May 2016 10:02:07 -0400 We joined Skal Labissiere as he worked out in Chicago in preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including his season at Kentucky, what he's trying to improve on in the short-term and what he feels he can bring to a NBA team. /article/Skal-Labissiere-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-5484/ /article/Skal-Labissiere-2016-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-5484/ Tue, 17 May 2016 09:05:49 -0400 Examining the changing landscape of the NBA draft combine, which wrapped up this past weekend in Chicago. /article/What-Did-We-Learn-At-The-NBA-Combine-5483/ /article/What-Did-We-Learn-At-The-NBA-Combine-5483/ Mon, 16 May 2016 13:38:05 -0400 Running down the list of eleven underclassmen who didn't have great showings at the NBA Combine. /article/Underclassmen-Who-May-Need-To-Return-After-Middling-Combine-Showings-5482/ /article/Underclassmen-Who-May-Need-To-Return-After-Middling-Combine-Showings-5482/ Sun, 15 May 2016 11:30:09 -0400 An 18 minute talk on the Jody Mac Show (CBS Sports Radio) breaking down the early storylines of the 2016 NBA Draft coming out of this week's NBA Combine. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-the-Jody-Mac-Show-CBS-Sports-Radio--5481/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-the-Jody-Mac-Show-CBS-Sports-Radio--5481/ Sat, 14 May 2016 22:52:00 -0400 Recapping the ten most impressive performances from day two of the competitive action at the NBA Combine, including Jaron Blossomgame, Cheick Diallo, Michael Gbinije, Chinanu Onuaku, Patrick McCaw, Marcus Paige and more. /article/NBA-Combine-Day-Two-and-Event-Recap-5480/ /article/NBA-Combine-Day-Two-and-Event-Recap-5480/ Sat, 14 May 2016 16:08:32 -0400 Recapping the ten most impressive performances from day one of the competitive action at the NBA Combine, including Georges Niang, Malcolm Brogdon, DeAndre Bembry, Cheick Diallo and more. /article/NBA-Combine-Competitive-Action-Recap-Day-One-5479/ /article/NBA-Combine-Competitive-Action-Recap-Day-One-5479/ Thu, 12 May 2016 21:48:39 -0400 The measurements taken at the NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois were released today. /article/2016-NBA-Draft-Combine-Measurements-Analysis-5478/ /article/2016-NBA-Draft-Combine-Measurements-Analysis-5478/ Thu, 12 May 2016 13:09:57 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Cal wing Jaylen Brown as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Jaylen-Brown-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5477/ /article/Jaylen-Brown-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5477/ Thu, 12 May 2016 01:29:53 -0400 Scouting reports on six of the top prospects seen at the D-League Elite Mini Camp in Chicago, with a focus on the younger players. /article/D-League-Elite-Mini-Camp-Scouting-Reports-5476/ /article/D-League-Elite-Mini-Camp-Scouting-Reports-5476/ Wed, 11 May 2016 09:11:36 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Duke forward Brandon Ingram as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Brandon-Ingram-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5475/ /article/Brandon-Ingram-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5475/ Tue, 10 May 2016 13:27:35 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Utah center Jakob Poeltl as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Jakob-Poeltl-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5474/ /article/Jakob-Poeltl-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5474/ Mon, 09 May 2016 12:41:52 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Maryland guard Rasheed Sulaimon as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Rasheed-Sulaimon-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5473/ /article/Rasheed-Sulaimon-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5473/ Mon, 09 May 2016 09:13:10 -0400 The official list of 63 participants, via the NBA. Includes analysis on those who will attend, as well as those who declined to, are unable or did not receive an invite. /article/2016-NBA-Combine-Participant-List-and-Analysis-5472/ /article/2016-NBA-Combine-Participant-List-and-Analysis-5472/ Thu, 05 May 2016 15:55:45 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky point guard Tyler Ulis as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Tyler-Ulis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5471/ /article/Tyler-Ulis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5471/ Thu, 05 May 2016 14:24:14 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of LSU combo guard Tim Quarterman as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Tim-Quarterman-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5470/ /article/Tim-Quarterman-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5470/ Thu, 05 May 2016 14:17:42 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Buddy-Hield-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5469/ /article/Buddy-Hield-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5469/ Wed, 04 May 2016 18:08:53 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Texas point guard Isaiah Taylor as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Isaiah-Taylor-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5468/ /article/Isaiah-Taylor-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5468/ Tue, 03 May 2016 13:30:03 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Michigan State big man Deyonta Davis as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Deyonta-Davis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5467/ /article/Deyonta-Davis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5467/ Tue, 03 May 2016 13:10:25 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Vanderbilt point guard Wade Baldwin as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Wade-Baldwin-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5466/ /article/Wade-Baldwin-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5466/ Mon, 02 May 2016 12:26:58 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Boise State forward James Webb as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/James-Webb-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5463/ /article/James-Webb-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5463/ Mon, 02 May 2016 11:53:32 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of North Carolina power forward Brice Johnson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Brice-Johnson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5465/ /article/Brice-Johnson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5465/ Fri, 29 Apr 2016 16:12:20 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of BYU guard Kyle Collinsworth as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Kyle-Collinsworth-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5464/ /article/Kyle-Collinsworth-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5464/ Fri, 29 Apr 2016 10:14:37 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Gonzaga big man Domantas Sabonis as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Domantas-Sabonis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5462/ /article/Domantas-Sabonis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5462/ Thu, 28 Apr 2016 13:26:09 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Indiana point guard Yogi Ferrell as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Yogi-Ferrell-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5461/ /article/Yogi-Ferrell-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5461/ Thu, 28 Apr 2016 12:31:43 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Syracuse guard Michael Gbinije as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Michael-Gbinije-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5457/ /article/Michael-Gbinije-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5457/ Wed, 27 Apr 2016 16:53:47 -0400 The NBA announced the list of players that have filed as early entry candidates for the 2016 NBA Draft earlier today. /article/NBA-Announced-Early-Entry-Candidates-for-2016-NBA-Draft-5460/ /article/NBA-Announced-Early-Entry-Candidates-for-2016-NBA-Draft-5460/ Tue, 26 Apr 2016 21:30:40 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Maryland forward Jake Layman as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Jake-Layman-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5459/ /article/Jake-Layman-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5459/ Tue, 26 Apr 2016 14:39:31 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Notre Dame center Zach Auguste as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Zach-Auguste-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5454/ /article/Zach-Auguste-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5454/ Tue, 26 Apr 2016 10:40:45 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky guard Jamal Murray as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Jamal-Murray-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5458/ /article/Jamal-Murray-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5458/ Mon, 25 Apr 2016 15:12:15 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Gonzaga power forward Kyle Wiltjer as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Kyle-Wiltjer-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5453/ /article/Kyle-Wiltjer-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5453/ Mon, 25 Apr 2016 11:30:33 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Virginia wing Malcolm Brogdon as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Malcolm-Brogdon-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5456/ /article/Malcolm-Brogdon-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5456/ Sun, 24 Apr 2016 16:43:41 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Providence point guard Kris Dunn as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Kris-Dunn-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5455/ /article/Kris-Dunn-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5455/ Fri, 22 Apr 2016 16:05:25 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Evansville center Egidijus Mockevicius as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Egidijus-Mockevicius-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5452/ /article/Egidijus-Mockevicius-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5452/ Fri, 22 Apr 2016 14:08:20 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Notre Dame point guard Demetrius Jackson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Demetrius-Jackson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5451/ /article/Demetrius-Jackson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5451/ Thu, 21 Apr 2016 13:01:21 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kansas wing Brannen Greene as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Brannen-Greene-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5450/ /article/Brannen-Greene-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5450/ Wed, 20 Apr 2016 15:48:08 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Texas center Prince Ibeh as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Prince-Ibeh-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5449/ /article/Prince-Ibeh-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5449/ Wed, 20 Apr 2016 15:18:05 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Oregon wing Elgin Cook as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Elgin-Cook-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5448/ /article/Elgin-Cook-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5448/ Tue, 19 Apr 2016 16:19:19 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Oklahoma guard Isaiah Cousins as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Isaiah-Cousins-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5447/ /article/Isaiah-Cousins-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5447/ Tue, 19 Apr 2016 11:37:06 -0400 The official measurements of the participants of the 2016 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament have been released. /article/2016-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Measurements-and-Analysis-5446/ /article/2016-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Measurements-and-Analysis-5446/ Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:14:20 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of George Washington wing Patricio Garino as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Patricio-Garino-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5445/ /article/Patricio-Garino-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5445/ Mon, 18 Apr 2016 14:52:45 -0400 Who is entering? Who is returning? Who is still undecided? We break down all the prospects in the 2016 NBA draft, as well as who will be representing them, and where they are projected to get drafted. /article/2016-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-and-Agent-List-5444/ /article/2016-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-and-Agent-List-5444/ Mon, 18 Apr 2016 14:00:21 -0400 Scouting reports on six of the most intriguing international prospects seen at the 2015 Jordan Brand Classic at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn. Players were born in 1999 and 2000. /article/2016-Jordan-Brand-Classic-International-Game-Top-Prospects-5443/ /article/2016-Jordan-Brand-Classic-International-Game-Top-Prospects-5443/ Fri, 15 Apr 2016 19:19:32 -0400 Video footage of DeAndre Ayton and Isaia Cordinier participating in shooting drills at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit practices. /article/2016-Nike-Hoops-Summit-Shooting-Drills-Ayton-and-Cordinier-5442/ /article/2016-Nike-Hoops-Summit-Shooting-Drills-Ayton-and-Cordinier-5442/ Fri, 15 Apr 2016 11:48:50 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of NC State point guard Cat Barber as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Cat-Barber-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5441/ /article/Cat-Barber-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5441/ Thu, 14 Apr 2016 16:11:57 -0400 Markelle Fultz and Harry Froling talk with DraftExpress in one on one interviews at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Interviews-Markelle-Fultz-and-Harry-Froling-5440/ /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Interviews-Markelle-Fultz-and-Harry-Froling-5440/ Thu, 14 Apr 2016 14:31:05 -0400 Scouting reports on DeAndre Ayton, Jarrett Allen, Marques Bolden, Ziming Fan and Udoka Azubuike. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5435/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5435/ Thu, 14 Apr 2016 11:32:04 -0400 Scouts use physical and skill based comparisons frequently during evaluation. But it's not about whether he “scores like Jordan” as much as it is about if he “thinks like Jordan” – Personality Factors go a long way to determining if you just landed the next Kobe or Vince Carter. /article/Opportunity-Knocks-Personality-Factors--Top-To-Bottom-5439/ /article/Opportunity-Knocks-Personality-Factors--Top-To-Bottom-5439/ Wed, 13 Apr 2016 18:27:15 -0400 Scouting reports on the top prospects seen at the BioSteel Future All Canadian High School Basketball Game in Toronto. /article/BioSteel-Future-All-Canadian-High-School-Game-Scouting-Reports-5438/ /article/BioSteel-Future-All-Canadian-High-School-Game-Scouting-Reports-5438/ Wed, 13 Apr 2016 16:44:59 -0400 Scouting reports on the top prospects seen at the BioSteel All Canadian High School Basketball Game. /article/BioSteel-All-Canadian-High-School-Basketball-Game-Scouting-Reports-5437/ /article/BioSteel-All-Canadian-High-School-Basketball-Game-Scouting-Reports-5437/ Wed, 13 Apr 2016 15:54:19 -0400 Scouting reports on Jonathan Isaac, Wenyen Gabriel, Kostas Antetokounmpo and Justin Jackson (Canada). /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Forwards-5434/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Forwards-5434/ Wed, 13 Apr 2016 07:59:24 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Purdue center A.J. Hammons as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/AJ-Hammons-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5436/ /article/AJ-Hammons-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5436/ Tue, 12 Apr 2016 10:23:25 -0400 Scouting reports on Josh Jackson, Jayson Tatum, Isaia Cordinier, Terrance Ferguson, Wesley Alves da Silva, Martynas Varnas, Edin Atic. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Wings-5433/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Wings-5433/ Tue, 12 Apr 2016 09:45:58 -0400 Scouting reports on Markelle Fultz, De'Aaron Fox, Frank Jackson, Payton Pritchard, William McDowell-White and Andres Feliz. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Guards-5432/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Guards-5432/ Mon, 11 Apr 2016 10:44:35 -0400 The measurements from the 2016 Biosteel All-Canadian Basketball Game were released today. /article/Biosteel-All-Canadian-Basketball-Game-Measurements-Released-5431/ /article/Biosteel-All-Canadian-Basketball-Game-Measurements-Released-5431/ Sun, 10 Apr 2016 16:39:15 -0400 Justin Jackson (Canada) and William McDowell-White talk with DraftExpress in one on one interviews at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Interviews-Justin-Jackson--Will-McDowell-White-5430/ /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Interviews-Justin-Jackson--Will-McDowell-White-5430/ Sat, 09 Apr 2016 18:48:02 -0400 Harry Giles and Jonathan Isaac talk with DraftExpress in one on one interviews at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Interviews-Harry-Giles--Jonathan-Isaac-5429/ /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Interviews-Harry-Giles--Jonathan-Isaac-5429/ Sat, 09 Apr 2016 16:37:34 -0400 The official measurements for the USA Basketball Junior National Select Team at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit were released today. We take a look at the full results and break down the highlights. /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Junior-National-Select-Team-Measurements-5428/ /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Junior-National-Select-Team-Measurements-5428/ Fri, 08 Apr 2016 12:44:03 -0400 DeAndre Ayton and Kostas Antetokounmo talk with DraftExpress in one on one interviews at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Interviews-DeAndre-Ayton--Kostas-Antetokounmpo-5427/ /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Interviews-DeAndre-Ayton--Kostas-Antetokounmpo-5427/ Thu, 07 Apr 2016 12:42:29 -0400 With 11 of its 12 active players ranked in the RSCI Top 25, a group that is widely considered one of the deepest and most talented classes in recent memory, the US team has a massive talent advantage over the World Team as both squads prepare for Saturday's game, and has brought a much bigger sense of urgency than we've seen in years past. /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-US-Team-Practice-Day-One-5426/ /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-US-Team-Practice-Day-One-5426/ Wed, 06 Apr 2016 22:52:25 -0400 Three days of practices are already in the books in Portland, as the World Team gets ready for their highly anticipated matchup with Team USA on Saturday (noon Pacific, ESPN2). /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-World-Team-Practice-Days-Two-and-Three-5424/ /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-World-Team-Practice-Days-Two-and-Three-5424/ Wed, 06 Apr 2016 22:35:47 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Cal point guard Tyrone Wallace as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Tyrone-Wallace-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5422/ /article/Tyrone-Wallace-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5422/ Wed, 06 Apr 2016 12:20:43 -0400 The official measurements for the World Select Team at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit were released today. We take a look at the full results and break down the highlights. /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Measurements-5423/ /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Measurements-5423/ Tue, 05 Apr 2016 22:16:53 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Miami shooting guard Sheldon McClellan as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Sheldon-McClellan-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5421/ /article/Sheldon-McClellan-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5421/ Tue, 05 Apr 2016 14:20:25 -0400 Short breakdown showing why Kris Jenkins was able to get a fairly clean on his game-winning buzzer beater vs North Carolina to win the NCAA Championship. /article/Breaking-Down-Kris-Jenkins-Buzzer-Beater-vs-North-Carolina--5420/ /article/Breaking-Down-Kris-Jenkins-Buzzer-Beater-vs-North-Carolina--5420/ Tue, 05 Apr 2016 08:08:58 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Oregon State point guard Gary Payton II as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Gary-Payton-II-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5419/ /article/Gary-Payton-II-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5419/ Mon, 04 Apr 2016 17:25:56 -0400 Using film to study how Brandon Ingram compares with Kevin Durant at the same age, in every facet of their games offensively. /article/How-Brandon-Ingram-Compares-With-Kevin-Durant-At-The-Same-Age-5418/ /article/How-Brandon-Ingram-Compares-With-Kevin-Durant-At-The-Same-Age-5418/ Mon, 04 Apr 2016 17:13:50 -0400 Thon Maker tells us, in his own words, why he decided to enter the 2016 NBA Draft. He also dives deep into his philosophy on basketball and life on and off the court, talks about specific NBA players he studies, and much more. /article/Thon-Maker-Exclusive-Post-NBA-Draft-Decision-Interview-5417/ /article/Thon-Maker-Exclusive-Post-NBA-Draft-Decision-Interview-5417/ Mon, 04 Apr 2016 12:36:39 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Thon Maker as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Thon-Maker-Eschews-College-Basketball--Will-Attempt-to-Enter-NBA-Draft-5415/ /article/Thon-Maker-Eschews-College-Basketball--Will-Attempt-to-Enter-NBA-Draft-5415/ Sun, 03 Apr 2016 20:57:23 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Northeastern guard David Walker as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/David-Walker-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5416/ /article/David-Walker-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5416/ Sun, 03 Apr 2016 12:32:41 -0400 How has Buddy Hield's impressive NCAA Tournament run affected his standing with NBA teams? /article/How-Buddy-Hields-NCAA-Tournament-Run-Has-Affected-His-NBA-Draft-Stock-5414/ /article/How-Buddy-Hields-NCAA-Tournament-Run-Has-Affected-His-NBA-Draft-Stock-5414/ Fri, 01 Apr 2016 11:53:17 -0400 In a surprising but welcomed move, the NCAA announced in January significant changes to its rules regarding collegiate underclassmen's ability to test the waters of the NBA draft. /article/How-the-NCAAs-New-Rules-Change-the-Game-for-Players-and-NBA-Teams-5413/ /article/How-the-NCAAs-New-Rules-Change-the-Game-for-Players-and-NBA-Teams-5413/ Fri, 01 Apr 2016 11:44:01 -0400 Interviews with Miles Bridges, Udoka Azubuike, Zach Collins, Tony Bradley, and Sacha Killeya-Jones from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2016-McDonalds-All-American-Interviews-Azubuike-Bridges-Collins-5412/ /article/2016-McDonalds-All-American-Interviews-Azubuike-Bridges-Collins-5412/ Thu, 31 Mar 2016 16:54:32 -0400 Interviews with Jayson Tatum, Marques Bolden, Andrew Jones, and Kyle Guy from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2016-McDonalds-All-American-Interviews-Tatum-Bolden-Jones-Guy-5411/ /article/2016-McDonalds-All-American-Interviews-Tatum-Bolden-Jones-Guy-5411/ Thu, 31 Mar 2016 16:54:11 -0400 Interviews with De'Aaron Fox, Lonzo Ball, Malik Monk, and T.J. Leaf from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2016-McDonalds-All-American-Interviews-Fox-Ball-Monk-Leaf-5410/ /article/2016-McDonalds-All-American-Interviews-Fox-Ball-Monk-Leaf-5410/ Wed, 30 Mar 2016 20:40:36 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Texas A&M point guard Alex Caruso as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Alex-Caruso-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5409/ /article/Alex-Caruso-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5409/ Wed, 30 Mar 2016 10:22:47 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Washington power forward Marquese Chriss as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Marquese-Chriss-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5408/ /article/Marquese-Chriss-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5408/ Tue, 29 Mar 2016 17:07:41 -0400 DraftExpress was once again in Chicago at the McDonald's All-American dunk contest, filming every dunk with our exclusive slow-motion technology, lovingly dubbed DX-Mo. /article/2016-McDonalds-All-American-Dunk-Contest-Compilation-5407/ /article/2016-McDonalds-All-American-Dunk-Contest-Compilation-5407/ Tue, 29 Mar 2016 09:15:23 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kansas big man Cheick Diallo as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Cheick-Diallo-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5406/ /article/Cheick-Diallo-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5406/ Mon, 28 Mar 2016 13:47:01 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Washington guard Dejounte Murray as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Dejounte-Murray-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5405/ /article/Dejounte-Murray-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5405/ Sun, 27 Mar 2016 12:34:07 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Weber State big man Joel Bolomboy as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Joel-Bolomboy-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5404/ /article/Joel-Bolomboy-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5404/ Fri, 25 Mar 2016 12:13:57 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2016 NBA Draft take the floor on Friday for the Sweet 16? What will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Friday-5401/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Friday-5401/ Fri, 25 Mar 2016 11:12:30 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Baylor forward Taurean Prince as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Taurean-Prince-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5403/ /article/Taurean-Prince-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5403/ Thu, 24 Mar 2016 15:34:57 -0400 The Nike Hoop Summit World team was officially announced today, complementing the USA roster which was announced in January. The game is scheduled for Saturday, April 9th at the Rose Garden, in Portland, Oregon. /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Roster-Breakdown-5402/ /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Roster-Breakdown-5402/ Thu, 24 Mar 2016 12:14:32 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2016 NBA Draft take the floor on Thursday for the Sweet 16? And what will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/NCAA-Tournament-Sweet-16-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Thursday-5400/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Sweet-16-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Thursday-5400/ Wed, 23 Mar 2016 15:47:41 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Michigan State guard Denzel Valentine as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Denzel-Valentine-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5399/ /article/Denzel-Valentine-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5399/ Tue, 22 Mar 2016 16:23:58 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UNLV center Stephen Zimmerman as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Stephen-Zimmerman-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5398/ /article/Stephen-Zimmerman-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5398/ Mon, 21 Mar 2016 12:29:45 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2016 NBA Draft take the floor on Sunday for the Round of 32 at the NCAA Tournament? And what will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Sunday-5397/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Sunday-5397/ Sat, 19 Mar 2016 23:04:59 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2016 NBA Draft take the floor on Saturday for the Round of 32 at the NCAA Tournament? And what will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Saturday-5396/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Saturday-5396/ Fri, 18 Mar 2016 17:04:51 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2016 NBA Draft take the floor on Friday for the Round of 64 at the NCAA Tournament? And what will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Friday-5395/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Friday-5395/ Thu, 17 Mar 2016 18:40:23 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Marquette power forward Henry Ellenson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Henry-Ellenson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5393/ /article/Henry-Ellenson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5393/ Thu, 17 Mar 2016 11:42:14 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2016 NBA Draft take the floor on Thursday for the Round of 64 at the NCAA Tournament? And what will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Thursday-5394/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Thursday-5394/ Wed, 16 Mar 2016 11:18:44 -0400 Jonathan Givony Joins Colin Cowherd on "the Herd" (FS1 and FOX Sports Radio) to Discuss Ben Simmons and his candidacy as the #1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. /article/Jonathan-Givony-Joins-Colin-Cowherd-on-the-Herd-to-Talk-Ben-Simmons-5392/ /article/Jonathan-Givony-Joins-Colin-Cowherd-on-the-Herd-to-Talk-Ben-Simmons-5392/ Tue, 15 Mar 2016 16:15:04 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of LSU power forward Ben Simmons as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Ben-Simmons-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5391/ /article/Ben-Simmons-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5391/ Tue, 15 Mar 2016 15:21:08 -0400 Long before some of the loudest but most uninformed voices anointed Ben Simmons the next LeBron James or Magic Johnson, there was already a significant debate within NBA front offices about whether Simmons was even the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. /article/Why-Ben-Simmons-Is-Not-The-Top-Prospect-in-the-2016-NBA-Draft-5390/ /article/Why-Ben-Simmons-Is-Not-The-Top-Prospect-in-the-2016-NBA-Draft-5390/ Tue, 15 Mar 2016 15:10:08 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Michigan shooting guard Caris LeVert as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Caris-LeVert-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5389/ /article/Caris-LeVert-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5389/ Mon, 14 Mar 2016 12:23:48 -0400 With the 2016 NCAA Tournament Bracket officially set, we can start to analyze how the Round of 64 is shaping up from a NBA Draft perspective. Who are the prospects and what will NBA teams be looking for in different matchups? /article/Seven-Best-Matchups-of-the-Round-of-64-from-a-NBA-Scouting-Perspective-5388/ /article/Seven-Best-Matchups-of-the-Round-of-64-from-a-NBA-Scouting-Perspective-5388/ Sun, 13 Mar 2016 21:54:10 -0400 A breakdown of the official 2015-2016 NCAA Post-Season awards, including first, second and third All-Conference teams, as well as the All-Freshman Teams, All-Defensive Teams, and more for every NCAA Division I conference. /article/2016-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-5387/ /article/2016-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-5387/ Fri, 11 Mar 2016 13:35:22 -0500 Analyzing how Utah's Jakob Poeltl and Arizona's Kaleb Tarczewski fared in their head to head matchup in Salt Lake City last week. /article/Jakob-Poeltl-vs-Kaleb-Tarczewski-Matchup-Video-Breakdown-5386/ /article/Jakob-Poeltl-vs-Kaleb-Tarczewski-Matchup-Video-Breakdown-5386/ Tue, 08 Mar 2016 09:50:09 -0500 What can we learn from Will Barton's personality profile that allowed him to emerge from mid-2nd round pick to potential NBA sixth man of the year? /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Will-Barton-5385/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Will-Barton-5385/ Mon, 07 Mar 2016 17:52:25 -0500 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Louisville shooting guard Damion Lee as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Damion-Lee-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5384/ /article/Damion-Lee-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5384/ Mon, 07 Mar 2016 12:44:28 -0500 Breaking down how 17-year old big man Isaiah Hartenstein from Germany performed at the NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Toronto during All-Star Weekend. /article/Isaiah-Hartenstein-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Video-Breakdown-5383/ /article/Isaiah-Hartenstein-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Video-Breakdown-5383/ Thu, 03 Mar 2016 13:18:14 -0500 Video analysis of some of the more notable things NBA scouts were able to see from Skal Labissiere's performance against the Florida Gators, both good and bad, on either end of the floor. /article/Skal-Labissiere-Video-Analysis-vs-Florida-5382/ /article/Skal-Labissiere-Video-Analysis-vs-Florida-5382/ Wed, 02 Mar 2016 13:39:30 -0500 Breaking down how 17-year old big man Omer Yurtseven from Turkey performed at the NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Toronto during All-Star Weekend. /article/Omer-Yurtseven-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Video-Breakdown-5381/ /article/Omer-Yurtseven-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Video-Breakdown-5381/ Wed, 02 Mar 2016 08:50:48 -0500 Breaking down how 17-year old big man DeAndre Ayton from the Bahamas performed at the NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Toronto during All-Star Weekend. /article/DeAndre-Ayton-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Video-Breakdown-5380/ /article/DeAndre-Ayton-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Video-Breakdown-5380/ Tue, 01 Mar 2016 14:16:46 -0500 Analyzing how Michigan State's Deyonta Davis and Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes fared in their two head to head matchups in Big Ten regular season conference play this season. /article/Deyonta-Davis-vs-Nigel-Hayes-Matchup-Video-Breakdown-5379/ /article/Deyonta-Davis-vs-Nigel-Hayes-Matchup-Video-Breakdown-5379/ Mon, 29 Feb 2016 09:28:11 -0500 Taking a look at the situation Ante Ziic is in with Cibona Zagreb in Croatia, evaluating his strengths and weaknesses, and projecting him long term. /article/European-Dispatch-Getting-to-know-Ante-Zizic-Plus-Full-Interview--5378/ /article/European-Dispatch-Getting-to-know-Ante-Zizic-Plus-Full-Interview--5378/ Fri, 26 Feb 2016 15:25:23 -0500 Mike Schmitz analyzes what happened in LSU's road loss to a depleted Tennessee team as Ben Simmons was asked to come off the bench. /article/Ben-Simmons-vs-Tennessee-Video-Breakdown-5377/ /article/Ben-Simmons-vs-Tennessee-Video-Breakdown-5377/ Tue, 23 Feb 2016 16:07:18 -0500 Taking a look at the situation Le Mans' trio of 7-footers is in, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, and projecting them out long term. /article/European-Dispatch-Getting-to-Know-Le-Mans-trio-of-7-footers-5376/ /article/European-Dispatch-Getting-to-Know-Le-Mans-trio-of-7-footers-5376/ Mon, 22 Feb 2016 15:33:41 -0500 Analyzing how Cal's Ivan Rabb and Washington's Marquese Chriss fared in their head to head matchup in Seattle this past week. /article/Ivan-Rabb-vs-Marquese-Chriss-Matchup-Video-Breakdown-5375/ /article/Ivan-Rabb-vs-Marquese-Chriss-Matchup-Video-Breakdown-5375/ Mon, 22 Feb 2016 12:25:17 -0500 Breaking down how 17-year old French point guard Frank Ntilikina performed at the NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Toronto last weekend. /article/Frank-Ntilikina-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Video-Breakdown-5374/ /article/Frank-Ntilikina-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Video-Breakdown-5374/ Fri, 19 Feb 2016 09:53:22 -0500 Analyzing how Brandon Ingram and Brice Johnson fared in their head to head matchups in Duke's road win at North Carolina. /article/Brandon-Ingram-vs-Brice-Johnson-Video-Breakdown-5373/ /article/Brandon-Ingram-vs-Brice-Johnson-Video-Breakdown-5373/ Thu, 18 Feb 2016 09:16:39 -0500 Mike Schmitz analyzes how Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield has improved as a shot creator in the half court. /article/The-Evolution-of-Buddy-Hield-5372/ /article/The-Evolution-of-Buddy-Hield-5372/ Thu, 18 Feb 2016 08:47:29 -0500 We take a look at four of the best center prospects to emerge at the 2016 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp held in Toronto during All-Star Weekend. /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Evaluations-Centers-5371/ /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Evaluations-Centers-5371/ Wed, 17 Feb 2016 10:05:04 -0500 We take a look at five of the best power forward prospects to emerge at the 2016 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp held in Toronto during All-Star Weekend. /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Evaluations-Power-Forwards-5370/ /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Evaluations-Power-Forwards-5370/ Tue, 16 Feb 2016 13:10:24 -0500 Taking a look at the situation Timothe Luwawu is in with Mega Leks in Serbia, evaluating his strengths and weaknesses, and projecting him long term. /article/European-Dispatch-Getting-to-Know-Timothe-Luwawu-Full-Interview--5369/ /article/European-Dispatch-Getting-to-Know-Timothe-Luwawu-Full-Interview--5369/ Mon, 15 Feb 2016 16:36:50 -0500 We take a look at five of the best guard and wing prospects to emerge at the 2016 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp held in Toronto during All-Star Weekend. /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Evaluations-Guards-and-Wings-5368/ /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Evaluations-Guards-and-Wings-5368/ Mon, 15 Feb 2016 14:11:53 -0500 Taking a look at the situation Isaia Cordinier is in with Denain in France, evaluating his strengths and weaknesses, and projecting him long term. /article/European-Dispatch-Getting-to-Know-Isaia-Cordinier-FulI-Interview--5367/ /article/European-Dispatch-Getting-to-Know-Isaia-Cordinier-FulI-Interview--5367/ Thu, 11 Feb 2016 09:03:59 -0500 Mike Schmitz was in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Feb. 6 to scout Florida State's Malik Beasley against Wake Forest. /article/The-Vertical-Prospect-Watch-Malik-Beasley-5366/ /article/The-Vertical-Prospect-Watch-Malik-Beasley-5366/ Thu, 11 Feb 2016 08:36:52 -0500 Breaking down Brandon Ingram's performance vs Louisville, who sports the #2 defense in college basketball. /article/Brandon-Ingram-vs-Louisville-Video-Breakdown-5365/ /article/Brandon-Ingram-vs-Louisville-Video-Breakdown-5365/ Wed, 10 Feb 2016 16:27:55 -0500 In the midst of a terrific senior season in the wide-open SEC, Florida's Dorian Finney-Smith has been one of the most productive forwards in the 2016 senior class. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Dorian-Finney-Smith-5364/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Dorian-Finney-Smith-5364/ Sat, 06 Feb 2016 01:00:10 -0500 DraftExpress sat down with Croatian forward Dragan Bender to discuss a variety of topics, including the comparisons to Kristaps Porzingis, the season he's having, the improvement he's making, his thoughts on the NBA and more. /article/Dragan-Bender-Exclusive-DraftExpress-Interview-5363/ /article/Dragan-Bender-Exclusive-DraftExpress-Interview-5363/ Fri, 05 Feb 2016 19:55:15 -0500 Interview, scouting report and projects on 1997-born Slovenian shooting guard Blaz Mesicek, who is seeing significant playing time this season in the EuroCup and Adriatic League. /article/European-Dispatch-Getting-to-Know-Blaz-Mesicek-5362/ /article/European-Dispatch-Getting-to-Know-Blaz-Mesicek-5362/ Fri, 05 Feb 2016 08:42:03 -0500 Breaking down the key elements of Ben Simmons' game and how they compare to past NBA draftees. /article/How-Ben-Simmons-Compares-to-Past-NBA-Prospects-5361/ /article/How-Ben-Simmons-Compares-to-Past-NBA-Prospects-5361/ Thu, 04 Feb 2016 22:20:04 -0500 Video scout Mike Schmitz breaks down Kristaps Porzingis's evolution from raw European phenom to NBA standout. /article/The-Evolution-of-Kristaps-Porzingis-5360/ /article/The-Evolution-of-Kristaps-Porzingis-5360/ Thu, 04 Feb 2016 22:16:21 -0500 DraftExpress sat down with German forward Paul Zipser to discuss a variety of topics from his style of play to his plans for the 2016 NBA Draft. /article/Paul-Zipser-Exclusive-DraftExpress-Interview-5359/ /article/Paul-Zipser-Exclusive-DraftExpress-Interview-5359/ Thu, 04 Feb 2016 19:05:03 -0500 Breaking down Prince Ibeh's performance vs #7 ranked Kansas. /article/Prince-Ibeh-vs-Kansas-Video-Breakdown-5358/ /article/Prince-Ibeh-vs-Kansas-Video-Breakdown-5358/ Tue, 02 Feb 2016 11:00:57 -0500 DraftExpress sat down with Turkish wing Furkan Korkmaz to discuss a variety of topics from his style of play to his plans for the 2016 NBA Draft. /article/Furkan-Korkmaz-Exclusive-DraftExpress-Interview-5357/ /article/Furkan-Korkmaz-Exclusive-DraftExpress-Interview-5357/ Tue, 02 Feb 2016 10:26:09 -0500 A detailed look at the rosters for the NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp, which will be held in Toronto during NBA All-Star Weekend. /article/2016-Basketball-Without-Borders-Camp-Roster-Analysis-5356/ /article/2016-Basketball-Without-Borders-Camp-Roster-Analysis-5356/ Sat, 30 Jan 2016 12:09:59 -0500 We've been hard at work the past three years using People Analytics to create a “quantitative context” for player comparison. /article/Opportunity-Knocks-Whats-Trending-in-Development-5355/ /article/Opportunity-Knocks-Whats-Trending-in-Development-5355/ Thu, 28 Jan 2016 08:58:17 -0500 More than halfway through the Adriatic League regular season, it's safe to say that 19-year old Ante Zizic has been the revelation of the league thus far. The 6'11 center is putting up historic numbers with Cibona Zagreb for a player his age. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Ante-Zizic-5354/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Ante-Zizic-5354/ Wed, 27 Jan 2016 15:47:42 -0500 Breaking down Wade Baldwin's performance vs #23 ranked Kentucky. /article/Wade-Baldwin-vs-Kentucky-Video-Breakdown-5353/ /article/Wade-Baldwin-vs-Kentucky-Video-Breakdown-5353/ Mon, 25 Jan 2016 09:03:21 -0500 Breaking down Gary Payton II's performance vs then-second ranked Kansas. /article/Gary-Payton-II-vs-Kansas-Video-Breakdown-5352/ /article/Gary-Payton-II-vs-Kansas-Video-Breakdown-5352/ Thu, 21 Jan 2016 12:06:00 -0500 Analyzing the November 19 matchup between Vanderbilt center Damian Jones and Stony Brook's Jameel Warney on both ends of the floor, with a particular emphasis on their head to head possessions. /article/Damian-Jones-vs-Jameel-Warney-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Analysis-5351/ /article/Damian-Jones-vs-Jameel-Warney-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Analysis-5351/ Wed, 20 Jan 2016 11:57:23 -0500 Halfway through the ACB regular season, it's safe to say that 20-year old Juan Hernangomez has been the revelation of the Spanish league thus far. The 6'9 face-up power forward is putting up historic numbers with Estudiantes for a player his age. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Juan-Hernangomez-5350/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Juan-Hernangomez-5350/ Mon, 18 Jan 2016 11:48:01 -0500 Video analysis of some of the more notable things NBA scouts were able to see from Malik Newman's performance against Kentucky, both good and bad, on either end of the floor. /article/Malik-Newman-vs-Kentucky-Video-Analysis-5349/ /article/Malik-Newman-vs-Kentucky-Video-Analysis-5349/ Wed, 13 Jan 2016 09:09:00 -0500 An 18 minute talk on the Jody Mac Show (CBS Sports Radio) breaking down the early storylines of the 2016 NBA Draft. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-the-Jody-Mac-Show-CBS-Sports-Radio--5348/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-the-Jody-Mac-Show-CBS-Sports-Radio--5348/ Mon, 11 Jan 2016 13:45:49 -0500 Video analysis of some of the more notable things NBA scouts were able to see from Tyler Ulis' performance against Louisville, both good and bad, on either end of the floor. /article/Tyler-Ulis-vs-Louisville-Video-Analysis-5347/ /article/Tyler-Ulis-vs-Louisville-Video-Analysis-5347/ Thu, 07 Jan 2016 15:50:06 -0500 We joined Adrian Wojnarowski for a 20 minute segment to discuss this week's D-League Showcase, the process of evaluating young prospects, Ben Simmons, and much more. /article/DraftExpress-on-The-Vertical-Podcast-with-Woj-5346/ /article/DraftExpress-on-The-Vertical-Podcast-with-Woj-5346/ Wed, 06 Jan 2016 12:17:30 -0500 Video analysis of some of the more notable things NBA scouts were able to see from Ben Simmons' performance against Kentucky, both good and bad, on either end of the floor. /article/Ben-Simmons-vs-Kentucky-Video-Analysis--5345/ /article/Ben-Simmons-vs-Kentucky-Video-Analysis--5345/ Wed, 06 Jan 2016 10:57:50 -0500 Video analysis of some of the more notable things NBA scouts were able to see from Buddy Hield's impressive 46-point outing against Kansas, both good and bad, on either end of the floor. /article/Buddy-Hield-46-Point-Explosion-Video-Analysis-vs-Kansas-5344/ /article/Buddy-Hield-46-Point-Explosion-Video-Analysis-vs-Kansas-5344/ Tue, 05 Jan 2016 12:10:25 -0500 After finishing up a difficult out of conference schedule, which included matchups with the likes of Michigan State, Virginia, Washington and Georgia, now is likely an appropriate time to dissect the merits of Oakland junior point guard Kay Felder as a NBA Draft prospect. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Kay-Felder-5343/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Kay-Felder-5343/ Sun, 03 Jan 2016 11:23:35 -0500 After taking a look at 165 of the top prospects in college basketball, we turn our attention to the international spectrum, through the eyes of Mike Schmitz and his scouting videos. Our #8 prospect in international basketball is 7'0 center Ivica Zubac, who is playing for Cibona Zagreb in the FIBA Europe Cup and Adriatic League. /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-8-Ivica-Zubac-5342/ /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-8-Ivica-Zubac-5342/ Wed, 30 Dec 2015 13:36:44 -0500 DraftExpress is looking for a part-time programmer/web-designer to work with our team to redesign our current site with a modern responsive design. /article/Help-Wanted-We-Are-Hiring-a-Programmer-and-Web-Designer-5341/ /article/Help-Wanted-We-Are-Hiring-a-Programmer-and-Web-Designer-5341/ Tue, 29 Dec 2015 09:52:27 -0500 A 15 minute talk with Gary Parrish of CBS and 92.9 FM ESPN breaking down the early storylines of the 2016 NBA Draft. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-929-ESPN-with-Gary-Parrish-5340/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-929-ESPN-with-Gary-Parrish-5340/ Mon, 28 Dec 2015 21:38:25 -0500 Video analysis of some of the more notable things NBA scouts were able to see from Pascal Siakam's performance against Baylor, both good and bad, on either end of the floor. /article/Pascal-Siakam-Video-Analysis-vs-Baylor-5338/ /article/Pascal-Siakam-Video-Analysis-vs-Baylor-5338/ Thu, 24 Dec 2015 11:46:36 -0500 After taking a look at 165 of the top prospects in college basketball, we turn our attention to the international spectrum, through the eyes of Mike Schmitz and his scouting videos. Our #7 prospect in international basketball is 6'8 small forward Paul Zipser, who plays for Bayern Munich in the German league. /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-7-Paul-Zipser-5337/ /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-7-Paul-Zipser-5337/ Wed, 23 Dec 2015 09:54:43 -0500 A breakdown of last night's head to head matchup between the top two power forwards picked in the 2015 NBA Draft: Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis. /article/Karl-Anthony-Towns-vs-Kristaps-Porzingis-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Analysis-5336/ /article/Karl-Anthony-Towns-vs-Kristaps-Porzingis-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Analysis-5336/ Thu, 17 Dec 2015 13:01:52 -0500 After taking a look at 165 of the top prospects in college basketball, we turn our attention to the international spectrum, through the eyes of Mike Schmitz and his scouting videos. Our #6 prospect in international basketball is 6'11 big man Petr Cornelie, who plays for Le Mans in the French league. /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-6-Petr-Cornelie-5335/ /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-6-Petr-Cornelie-5335/ Tue, 15 Dec 2015 12:53:09 -0500 USA Basketball today announced their roster for the Nike Hoop Summit game, which will be held in Portland on April 9th of 2016 (3PM EST, Noon Pacific). Tickets can be purchased here. /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Basketball-Roster-Breakdown-5334/ /article/2016-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Basketball-Roster-Breakdown-5334/ Mon, 14 Dec 2015 15:39:58 -0500 After taking a look at 165 of the top prospects in college basketball, we turn our attention to the international spectrum, through the eyes of Mike Schmitz and his scouting videos. Our #5 prospect in international basketball is 7'2 big man Jonathan Jeanne, who plays for Le Mans in the French Espoirs (junior) league. /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-5-Jonathan-Jeanne-5333/ /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-5-Jonathan-Jeanne-5333/ Tue, 08 Dec 2015 13:17:32 -0500 The role of situation, social status (both achieved and ascribed), opportunity and more in understanding why certain Draft picks thrive making the transition to the NBA, while others fail. /article/Opportunity-Knocks-Fitting-In-vs-Fitting-Out-5332/ /article/Opportunity-Knocks-Fitting-In-vs-Fitting-Out-5332/ Thu, 03 Dec 2015 11:23:03 -0500 After taking a look at 165 of the top prospects in college basketball, we turn our attention to the international spectrum, through the eyes of Mike Schmitz and his scouting videos. Our #4 prospect in international basketball is French wing Timothe Luwawu, who plays for Mega Leks in the Adriatic League. /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-4-Timothe-Luwawu-5331/ /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-4-Timothe-Luwawu-5331/ Wed, 02 Dec 2015 09:25:05 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how LSU's Ben Simmons and Marquette's Henry Ellenson performed in their head to head matchup yesterday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. /article/Ben-Simmons-vs-Henry-Ellenson-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis----5330/ /article/Ben-Simmons-vs-Henry-Ellenson-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis----5330/ Tue, 24 Nov 2015 15:20:09 -0500 After taking a look at 165 of the top prospects in college basketball, we turn our attention to the international spectrum, through the eyes of Mike Schmitz and his scouting videos. Our #3 prospect in international basketball is Chinese big man Zhou Qi, who plays for Xinjiang in the CBA. /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-3-Zhou-Qi-5329/ /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-3-Zhou-Qi-5329/ Mon, 23 Nov 2015 09:06:19 -0500 Analyzing the play of the top prospects seen in the second game of last night's Champions Classic between Michigan State and Kansas, including video from Mike Schmitz. /article/What-Did-We-Learn-At-the-Champions-Classic-Part-2-Michigan-St-Kansas-5328/ /article/What-Did-We-Learn-At-the-Champions-Classic-Part-2-Michigan-St-Kansas-5328/ Wed, 18 Nov 2015 16:34:16 -0500 Analyzing the play of the top prospects seen in the first game of last night's Champions Classic between Kentucky and Duke, including video from Mike Schmitz. /article/What-Did-We-Learn-At-the-Champions-Classic-Part-1-Kentucky-vs-Duke-5327/ /article/What-Did-We-Learn-At-the-Champions-Classic-Part-1-Kentucky-vs-Duke-5327/ Wed, 18 Nov 2015 09:54:16 -0500 After taking a look at 165 of the top NCAA prospects, we turn our attention to the international spectrum, through the eyes of Mike Schmitz. Our #2 prospect in international basketball is Turkish SG Furkan Korkmaz, who plays for Anadolu Efes in Turkey. /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-2-Furkan-Korkmaz-5326/ /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-NBA-Prospects-2-Furkan-Korkmaz-5326/ Tue, 17 Nov 2015 15:52:04 -0500 After taking a look at 165 of the top prospects in college basketball, we turn our attention to the international spectrum. Our #1 prospect in international basketball is Croatian forward Dragan Bender, who plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel. /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-Draft-Prospects-Part-1-Dragan-Bender-5325/ /article/Analyzing-the-Top-International-Draft-Prospects-Part-1-Dragan-Bender-5325/ Mon, 16 Nov 2015 16:53:48 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with part nine, players ranked 21-25: David Walker, Shevon Thompson, Patricio Garino, Mamadou Ndiaye and Jalen Moore. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-9-Prospects-21-25-5324/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-9-Prospects-21-25-5324/ Fri, 13 Nov 2015 15:13:15 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with part eight, players ranked 16-20: Kyle Collinsworth, Przemek Karnowski, Corey Johnson, Alec Peters and Jameel Warney. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-8-Prospects-16-20-5323/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-8-Prospects-16-20-5323/ Thu, 12 Nov 2015 15:51:12 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top NBA Draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with part seven, players ranked 11-15: Patrick McCaw, Shawn Long, Maodo Lo, Paris Bass and Derrick Jones. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-7-Prospects-11-15-5322/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-7-Prospects-11-15-5322/ Wed, 11 Nov 2015 18:37:28 -0500 Introducing the Sports Aptitude Plus/Minus system, and analyzing what we can learn from a huge data set of NBA players regarding the outcomes and development of those with the most desirable personality traits. /article/Opportunity-Knocks-The-Pluses-and-Minuses-of-Success-5321/ /article/Opportunity-Knocks-The-Pluses-and-Minuses-of-Success-5321/ Wed, 11 Nov 2015 11:52:13 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with part six, players ranked 6-10: James Webb III, Kyle Wiltjer, Joel Bolomboy, Fred VanVleet and E.C. Matthews. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-6-Prospects-6-10-5320/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-6-Prospects-6-10-5320/ Mon, 09 Nov 2015 16:45:51 -0500 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with a video scouting report on the #5 prospect, Wichita State's Ron Baker. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-5-Ron-Baker-Scouting-Video-5319/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-5-Ron-Baker-Scouting-Video-5319/ Fri, 06 Nov 2015 16:46:16 -0500 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in non-BCS conferences with a video scouting report on the #4 prospect, Saint Joseph's DeAndre Bembry. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-4-DeAndre-Bembry-Scouting-Video-5318/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-4-DeAndre-Bembry-Scouting-Video-5318/ Thu, 05 Nov 2015 10:03:11 -0500 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in non-BCS conferences with a video scouting report on the #3 prospect, San Diego State's Malik Pope. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Part-3-Malik-Pope-Scouting-Video-5317/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Part-3-Malik-Pope-Scouting-Video-5317/ Wed, 04 Nov 2015 14:19:53 -0500 A breakdown of last night's head to head matchup between the top two point guards picked in the 2015 NBA Draft: Emmanuel Mudiay and D'Angelo Russell. /article/DAngelo-Russell-vs-Emmanuel-Mudiay-2015-16-NBA-Matchup-Video-5316/ /article/DAngelo-Russell-vs-Emmanuel-Mudiay-2015-16-NBA-Matchup-Video-5316/ Wed, 04 Nov 2015 08:16:36 -0500 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in non-BCS conferences with a video scouting report on the #2 prospect, Gonzaga's Domantas Sabonis. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Part-2-Domantas-Sabonis-Scouting-Video-5315/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Part-2-Domantas-Sabonis-Scouting-Video-5315/ Tue, 03 Nov 2015 09:25:27 -0500 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in non-BCS conferences with a video scouting report on the top prospect, UNLV's Stephen Zimmerman. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Part-1-Stephen-Zimmerman-Scouting-Video-5314/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Part-1-Stephen-Zimmerman-Scouting-Video-5314/ Sun, 01 Nov 2015 09:25:54 -0500 We wrap up our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with the prospects ranked 21-25: Bronson Koenig, Jarrod Uthoff, D.J. Williams, Marc Loving, and Aubrey Dawkins. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-Eleven-21-25-5313/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-Eleven-21-25-5313/ Sat, 31 Oct 2015 10:02:03 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with the prospects ranked 16-20 featuring reports on Vince Edwards and Rasheed Sulaimon and rankings for Caleb Swanigan, Jalen Coleman-Lands, and Deyonta Davis. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-Ten-16-20-5312/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-Ten-16-20-5312/ Thu, 29 Oct 2015 12:50:17 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with the prospects ranked 11-15: Keita Bates-Diop, James Blackmon, Malcolm Hill, Isaac Haas, and Damonte Dodd. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-Nine-11-15-5311/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-Nine-11-15-5311/ Wed, 28 Oct 2015 12:29:04 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with the prospects ranked 8-10: Denzel Valentine, A.J. Hammons, and Yogi Ferrell. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-Eight-8-10-5310/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-Eight-8-10-5310/ Mon, 26 Oct 2015 13:11:20 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #7 prospect in the conference, Maryland's Melo Trimble. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-7-Melo-Trimble-Scouting-Video-5309/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-7-Melo-Trimble-Scouting-Video-5309/ Sun, 25 Oct 2015 15:16:27 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #6 prospect in the conference, Maryland's Jake Layman. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-6-Jake-Layman-Scouting-Video-5308/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-6-Jake-Layman-Scouting-Video-5308/ Sat, 24 Oct 2015 13:17:34 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #5 prospect in the conference, Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-5-Nigel-Hayes-Scouting-Video-5307/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-5-Nigel-Hayes-Scouting-Video-5307/ Fri, 23 Oct 2015 10:56:50 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, Indiana's Troy Williams. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-4-Troy-Williams-Scouting-Video-5306/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-4-Troy-Williams-Scouting-Video-5306/ Thu, 22 Oct 2015 11:32:03 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Michigan's Caris LeVert. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-3-Caris-LeVert-Scouting-Video-5305/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-3-Caris-LeVert-Scouting-Video-5305/ Wed, 21 Oct 2015 12:49:58 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Indiana's Thomas Bryant. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-2-Thomas-Bryant-Scouting-Video-5304/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-2-Thomas-Bryant-Scouting-Video-5304/ Tue, 20 Oct 2015 11:02:36 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Maryland's Diamond Stone. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-1-Diamond-Stone-Scouting-Video-5303/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-1-Diamond-Stone-Scouting-Video-5303/ Mon, 19 Oct 2015 10:17:54 -0400 We wrap up our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with part eight, players ranked 26-31: Davon Reed, Donte Grantham, Jaron Blossomgame, Konstantinos Mitoglou, Jalen Hudson, and Jamel Artis. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Ten-Prospects-26-31-5302/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Ten-Prospects-26-31-5302/ Fri, 16 Oct 2015 16:03:36 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with part eight, players ranked 21-25: Sheldon McClellan, V.J. Beachem, Anthony Barber, Damion Lee, and Steve Vasturia. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Nine-Prospects-21-25-5301/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Nine-Prospects-21-25-5301/ Thu, 15 Oct 2015 16:59:12 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with part eight, players ranked 16-20: Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Dwayne Bacon, Marcus Paige, Zach Auguste and Mike Tobey. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Eight-Prospects-16-20-5300/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Eight-Prospects-16-20-5300/ Wed, 14 Oct 2015 16:15:57 -0400 The first ever LSU Combine is being held right now in Baton Rouge, under the watchful eye of about 50 NBA scouts (according to reports we received). NBA scouts were handed a booklet of information, which included a barrage of measurements and athletic testing data, even some unique ones, such as the amount of time it took a prospect to run the mile. /article/2015-LSU-Combine-Measurements-and-Analysis-5299/ /article/2015-LSU-Combine-Measurements-and-Analysis-5299/ Tue, 13 Oct 2015 18:18:57 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with part seven, players ranked 11-15: Malcolm Brogdon, Donovan Mitchell, Brice Johnson, Michael Gbinije and Tyler Lydon. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Seven-Prospects-11-15-5298/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Seven-Prospects-11-15-5298/ Tue, 13 Oct 2015 17:05:33 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with part six, players ranked 6-10: Derryck Thornton, Kennedy Meeks, Theo Pinson, Chase Jeter and Luke Kennard. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Six-Prospects-6-10-5297/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Six-Prospects-6-10-5297/ Mon, 12 Oct 2015 14:30:57 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #5 prospect in the conference, Duke's Grayson Allen. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Five-Grayson-Allen-Scouting-Video-5296/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Five-Grayson-Allen-Scouting-Video-5296/ Mon, 12 Oct 2015 11:19:35 -0400 Measurements and analysis from the Kentucky Combine, which featured some of the top prospects for the 2016 NBA Draft. /article/2015-Kentucky-Combine-Measurements-and-Analysis-5295/ /article/2015-Kentucky-Combine-Measurements-and-Analysis-5295/ Sun, 11 Oct 2015 20:58:35 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, Louisville's Chinanu Onuaku. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-Chinanu-Onuaku-Scouting-Video-5294/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-Chinanu-Onuaku-Scouting-Video-5294/ Sun, 11 Oct 2015 10:19:27 -0400 A video interview with highly regarded point guard prospect Darius Garland at the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/Darius-Garland-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5293/ /article/Darius-Garland-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5293/ Sun, 11 Oct 2015 10:08:38 -0400 Scouting reports on four of the top big men prospects seen at the 2015 USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs, including Marques Bolden, Jarrett Allen, Omari Spellman and Mohamed Bamba. /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-Natl-Team-Mini-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5292/ /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-Natl-Team-Mini-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5292/ Sat, 10 Oct 2015 15:58:23 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, North Carolina's Justin Jackson /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-3-Justin-Jackson-Scouting-Video-5291/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-3-Justin-Jackson-Scouting-Video-5291/ Fri, 09 Oct 2015 10:40:06 -0400 Scouting reports on three of the top forward prospects seen at the 2015 USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs, including Jonathan Isaac, Michael Porter and Kevin Knox, as well as an interview with Jaedon Ledee. /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-Natl-Team-Mini-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Forwards-5290/ /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-Natl-Team-Mini-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Forwards-5290/ Fri, 09 Oct 2015 07:56:42 -0400 A video interview with highly regarded big man prospect Omari Spellman at the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/Omari-Spellman-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5289/ /article/Omari-Spellman-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5289/ Fri, 09 Oct 2015 07:31:16 -0400 A video interview with highly regarded wing prospect Josh Langford at the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/Josh-Langford-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5288/ /article/Josh-Langford-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5288/ Fri, 09 Oct 2015 07:25:01 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Notre Dame's Demetrius Jackson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-2-Demetrius-Jackson-Scouting-Video-5287/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-2-Demetrius-Jackson-Scouting-Video-5287/ Thu, 08 Oct 2015 14:22:28 -0400 Scouting reports on six of the top wing prospects seen at the 2015 USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs, including Jayson Tatum, Josh Langford, Tyus Battle, D'Shawn Schwartz, Robert Woodard and Gerald Liddell. /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Wings-5286/ /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Wings-5286/ Thu, 08 Oct 2015 07:30:00 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Duke's Brandon Ingram. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-1-Brandon-Ingram-Scouting-Video---5285/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-1-Brandon-Ingram-Scouting-Video---5285/ Wed, 07 Oct 2015 16:28:28 -0400 Scouting reports on eight of the top point guard prospects seen at the 2015 USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs, including De'Aaron Fox, Frank Jackson, Alterique Gilbert, Trevon Duval, Jalek Felton, David Sloan, Daejon Davis and Tre Jones. /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-NT-Mini-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5284/ /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-NT-Mini-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5284/ Wed, 07 Oct 2015 13:26:47 -0400 A video interview with highly regarded big man prospect Marques Bolden at the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/Marques-Bolden-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5283/ /article/Marques-Bolden-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5283/ Wed, 07 Oct 2015 13:02:07 -0400 A video interview with highly regarded small forward prospect Michael Porter at the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/Michael-Porter-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5282/ /article/Michael-Porter-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5282/ Wed, 07 Oct 2015 12:50:44 -0400 We conclude our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the AAC with part two, players ranked 6-10: Dedric Lawson, Steve Enoch, Adonys Henriquez, B.J. Tyson and Shaquille Harrison. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-Two-Prospects-6-10-5281/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-Two-Prospects-6-10-5281/ Tue, 06 Oct 2015 17:16:58 -0400 A video interview with highly regarded point guard prospect Alterique Gilbert at the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/Alterique-Gilbert-USA-Basketball-Junior-Natl-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5280/ /article/Alterique-Gilbert-USA-Basketball-Junior-Natl-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5280/ Tue, 06 Oct 2015 10:03:54 -0400 A video interview with highly regarded combo guard prospect Malik Monk at the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/Malik-Monk-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5279/ /article/Malik-Monk-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5279/ Tue, 06 Oct 2015 09:52:15 -0400 17-year old Turkish big man prospect Omer Yurtseven discusses his performance against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Yurtseven scored 8 points on 3-4 shooting and grabbed 7 rebounds with one block in 15 impressive minutes of action. /article/Omer-Yurtseven-Interview-At-the-Barclays-Center-5278/ /article/Omer-Yurtseven-Interview-At-the-Barclays-Center-5278/ Mon, 05 Oct 2015 23:41:20 -0400 Beginning our coverage of the American Athletic Conference, we hone in on the AAC's top five NBA prospects, Amida Brimah, Jalen Adams, Troy Caupain, Daniel Hamilton and Octavius Ellis. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-One-Prospects-1-5-5277/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-One-Prospects-1-5-5277/ Mon, 05 Oct 2015 18:27:34 -0400 A video interview with highly regarded forward prospect Jonathan Isaac (committed to Florida State) at the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs /article/Jonathan-Isaac-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5276/ /article/Jonathan-Isaac-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5276/ Mon, 05 Oct 2015 14:10:04 -0400 Dragan Bender was in New York with Maccabi Tel Aviv for their preparation game at Madison Square Garden. /article/Dragan-Bender-Interview-5275/ /article/Dragan-Bender-Interview-5275/ Sun, 04 Oct 2015 18:17:59 -0400 A video interview with highly regarded wing prospect V.J. King at the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/VJ-King-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5274/ /article/VJ-King-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5274/ Sun, 04 Oct 2015 18:17:31 -0400 A video interview with one of the top prospects in high school basketball, Mohamed Bamba at the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/Mohamed-Bamba-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5273/ /article/Mohamed-Bamba-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5273/ Sun, 04 Oct 2015 01:15:40 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the SEC with part ten, players ranked 15-20: Luke Kornet, Tyler Ulis, P.J. Dozier, Alex Caruso, Kenny Gaines and Jalen Jones. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Ten-Prospects-15-20-5272/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Ten-Prospects-15-20-5272/ Sat, 03 Oct 2015 17:32:38 -0400 A video interview with one of the top prospects in high school basketball, De'Aaron Fox at the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/DeAaron-Fox-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5271/ /article/DeAaron-Fox-USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Interview-5271/ Sat, 03 Oct 2015 16:47:13 -0400 What is the USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp? What goes on there and what is it looking to accomplish? Why did certain players elect not to come? /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Preview-5270/ /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Team-Mini-Camp-Preview-5270/ Fri, 02 Oct 2015 20:35:30 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the SEC with part nine, players ranked 9-14: Dorian Finney-Smith, Wade Baldwin, Marcus Lee, Danuel House, Alex Poythress and Antonio Blakeney. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-9-Prospects-9-14-5269/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-9-Prospects-9-14-5269/ Fri, 02 Oct 2015 12:08:01 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #8 prospect in the conference, Florida's Devin Robinson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-8-Devin-Robinson-Scouting-Video-5268/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-8-Devin-Robinson-Scouting-Video-5268/ Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:16:02 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #7 prospect in the conference, LSU's Tim Quarterman. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-7-Tim-Quarterman-Scouting-Video-5267/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-7-Tim-Quarterman-Scouting-Video-5267/ Wed, 30 Sep 2015 09:22:58 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #6 prospect in the conference, Kentucky's Isaiah Briscoe. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Six-Isaiah-Briscoe-Scouting-Video-5266/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Six-Isaiah-Briscoe-Scouting-Video-5266/ Tue, 29 Sep 2015 15:40:48 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #5 prospect in the conference, Vanderbilt's Damian Jones. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Five-Damian-Jones-Scouting-Video-5265/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Five-Damian-Jones-Scouting-Video-5265/ Mon, 28 Sep 2015 12:35:25 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, Mississippi State's Malik Newman. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-4-Malik-Newman-Scouting-Video-5264/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-4-Malik-Newman-Scouting-Video-5264/ Sat, 26 Sep 2015 10:49:10 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Kentucky's Jamal Murray. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-3-Jamal-Murray-Scouting-Video-5263/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-3-Jamal-Murray-Scouting-Video-5263/ Fri, 25 Sep 2015 10:55:28 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, LSU's Ben Simmons. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-2-Ben-Simmons-Scouting-Video-5262/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-2-Ben-Simmons-Scouting-Video-5262/ Thu, 24 Sep 2015 09:02:13 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Kentucky's Skal Labissiere. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-1-Skal-Labissiere-Scouting-Video-5261/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-1-Skal-Labissiere-Scouting-Video-5261/ Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:28:27 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Big 12 with part six, players ranked 10-15: Ricardo Gathers, Jameel McKay, Perry Ellis, Brannen Greene, Cameron Ridley and Isaiah Cousins. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Six-Prospects-10-15-5260/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Six-Prospects-10-15-5260/ Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:32:49 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Big 12 with part five, players ranked 5-9: Monte Morris, Isaiah Taylor, Wayne Selden, Prince Ibeh and Johnathan Motley. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Five-Prospects-5-9-5259/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Five-Prospects-5-9-5259/ Mon, 21 Sep 2015 15:06:50 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, Oklahoma's Buddy Hield. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Four-Buddy-Hield-Scouting-Video-5258/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Four-Buddy-Hield-Scouting-Video-5258/ Sun, 20 Sep 2015 09:57:24 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Baylor's Taurean Prince. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-3-Taurean-Prince-Scouting-Video-5257/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-3-Taurean-Prince-Scouting-Video-5257/ Sat, 19 Sep 2015 10:20:33 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Kansas' Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-2-Sviatoslav-Mykhailiuk-Video-5256/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-2-Sviatoslav-Mykhailiuk-Video-5256/ Fri, 18 Sep 2015 13:25:52 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Kansas' Cheick Diallo. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-1-Cheick-Diallo-Scouting-Video-5254/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-1-Cheick-Diallo-Scouting-Video-5254/ Thu, 17 Sep 2015 10:44:40 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Big East with part seven, players ranked 16-20: Kellen Dunham, Angel Delgado, Ryan Arcidiacono, Tommy Hamilton and JaJuan Johnson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Seven-Prospects-16-20-5253/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Seven-Prospects-16-20-5253/ Wed, 16 Sep 2015 17:12:57 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Big East with part six, players ranked 11-15: Phil Booth, Paul White, Jalen Reynolds, Yankuba Sima and L.J. Peak. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Six-Prospects-11-15-5252/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Six-Prospects-11-15-5252/ Tue, 15 Sep 2015 16:01:12 -0400 USA Basketball officially announced the 57 players invited to attend their Development Camp in Colorado Springs next month. DraftExpress will be in attendance. /article/USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Invites-Announced-5251/ /article/USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Invites-Announced-5251/ Tue, 15 Sep 2015 10:59:15 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Big East with part five, players ranked 6-10: Trevon Bluiett, Justin Patton, Luke Fischer, Isaiah Whitehead and Daniel Ochefu. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Five-Prospects-6-10-5250/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Five-Prospects-6-10-5250/ Mon, 14 Sep 2015 18:21:35 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Big East with part four, players ranked 4th and 5th: Villanova's Josh Hart and Georgetown's Isaac Copeland. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Four-Prospects-4-5-5249/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Four-Prospects-4-5-5249/ Sun, 13 Sep 2015 11:43:32 -0400 A video interview with one of the top prospects in high school basketball, DeAndre Ayton at the Under Armour Elite 24. /article/DeAndre-Ayton-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Interview-5234/ /article/DeAndre-Ayton-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Interview-5234/ Sun, 13 Sep 2015 11:29:53 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big East with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Villanova's Jalen Brunson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-3-Jalen-Brunson-Scouting-Video-5248/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-3-Jalen-Brunson-Scouting-Video-5248/ Fri, 11 Sep 2015 15:15:58 -0400 A video interview with high school point guard prospect Trevon Duval at the Under Armour Elite 24. /article/Trevon-Duval-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Interview-5233/ /article/Trevon-Duval-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Interview-5233/ Fri, 11 Sep 2015 15:11:54 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big East with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Marquette's Henry Ellenson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-2-Henry-Ellenson-Scouting-Video-5247/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-2-Henry-Ellenson-Scouting-Video-5247/ Thu, 10 Sep 2015 18:12:19 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Kansas' Cheick Diallo. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-1-Kris-Dunn-Scouting-Video-5246/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-1-Kris-Dunn-Scouting-Video-5246/ Thu, 10 Sep 2015 12:47:37 -0400 A video interview with elite high school wing Rawle Alkins at the Under Armour Elite 24. /article/Rawle-Alkins-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Interview-5235/ /article/Rawle-Alkins-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Interview-5235/ Thu, 10 Sep 2015 12:35:38 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Pac-12 with part seven, players ranked 17-20: Mark Tollefsen, Elijah Stewart, Josh Hawkinson and Jordan Bell. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Seven-Prospects-17-20-5245/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Seven-Prospects-17-20-5245/ Wed, 09 Sep 2015 18:54:17 -0400 A video interview with high school center prospect Jarrett Allen at the Under Armour Elite 24. /article/Jarrett-Allen-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Interview-5236/ /article/Jarrett-Allen-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Interview-5236/ Wed, 09 Sep 2015 18:36:06 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Pac-12 with part six, players ranked 11-16: Thomas Welsh‎, Kaleb Tarczewski, Brekkott Chapman, Reid TravisJosh Scott and Rosco Allen. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Six-Prospects-11-16-5244/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Six-Prospects-11-16-5244/ Tue, 08 Sep 2015 18:16:35 -0400 A video interview with one of the most explosive guard prospects in high school basketball, Seventh Woods, at the Under Armour Elite 24. /article/Seventh-Woods-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Interview-5237/ /article/Seventh-Woods-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Interview-5237/ Tue, 08 Sep 2015 17:48:12 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Pac-12 with part five, players ranked 5-10: Allonzo Trier, Gary Payton II, Jabari Bird, Tyler Dorsey, Dillon Brooks and Dusan Ristic‎. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Five-Prospects-5-10--5243/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Five-Prospects-5-10--5243/ Mon, 07 Sep 2015 13:55:05 -0400 A video interview with talented high school power forward T.J. Leaf at the Under Armour Elite 24. /article/TJ-Leaf-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Interview-5238/ /article/TJ-Leaf-Under-Armour-Elite-24-Interview-5238/ Mon, 07 Sep 2015 12:40:52 -0400 A video interview with high school small forward prospect Mustapha Heron at the Big Strick Classic. /article/Mustapha-Heron-Big-Strick-Classic-Interview-5232/ /article/Mustapha-Heron-Big-Strick-Classic-Interview-5232/ Sat, 05 Sep 2015 12:50:30 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, Cal's Tyrone Wallace. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-4-Tyrone-Wallace-Scouting-Video---5242/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-4-Tyrone-Wallace-Scouting-Video---5242/ Fri, 04 Sep 2015 11:31:33 -0400 A video interview with high school small forward prospect Cameron Reddish at the Big Strick Classic. /article/Cameron-Reddish-Big-Strick-Classic-Interview-5231/ /article/Cameron-Reddish-Big-Strick-Classic-Interview-5231/ Fri, 04 Sep 2015 11:15:54 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Cal's Ivan Rabb. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-3-Ivan-Rabb-Scouting-Video---5241/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-3-Ivan-Rabb-Scouting-Video---5241/ Thu, 03 Sep 2015 10:43:11 -0400 A video interview with high school guard prospect Matt Coleman at the Big Strick Classic. /article/Matt-Coleman-Big-Strick-Classic-Interview-5230/ /article/Matt-Coleman-Big-Strick-Classic-Interview-5230/ Thu, 03 Sep 2015 10:28:58 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Utah's Jakob Poeltl. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-2-Jakob-Poeltl-Scouting-Video---5240/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-2-Jakob-Poeltl-Scouting-Video---5240/ Wed, 02 Sep 2015 13:07:12 -0400 A video interview with high school shooting guard prospect Alpha Diallo at the Big Strick Classic. /article/Alpha-Diallo-Big-Strick-Classic-Interview-5229/ /article/Alpha-Diallo-Big-Strick-Classic-Interview-5229/ Wed, 02 Sep 2015 13:00:38 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Cal's Jaylen Brown. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-1-Jaylen-Brown-Scouting-Video-5239/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-1-Jaylen-Brown-Scouting-Video-5239/ Tue, 01 Sep 2015 11:44:11 -0400 A video interview with high school shooting guard prospect Lonnie Walker at the Big Strick Classic. /article/Lonnie-Walker-2015-Big-Strick-Classic-Interview-5228/ /article/Lonnie-Walker-2015-Big-Strick-Classic-Interview-5228/ Tue, 01 Sep 2015 11:43:35 -0400 An interview with Indiana power forward Thomas Bryant at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Thomas-Bryant-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5226/ /article/Thomas-Bryant-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5226/ Tue, 01 Sep 2015 11:43:13 -0400 An interview with Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Buddy-Hield-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5219/ /article/Buddy-Hield-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5219/ Mon, 31 Aug 2015 20:22:55 -0400 An interview with Indiana point guard Yogi Ferrell at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Yogi-Ferrell-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5220/ /article/Yogi-Ferrell-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5220/ Mon, 31 Aug 2015 20:16:03 -0400 An interview with Kansas wing Wayne Selden at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Wayne-Selden-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5218/ /article/Wayne-Selden-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5218/ Thu, 27 Aug 2015 18:40:29 -0400 An interview with North Carolina forward Brice Johnson at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Brice-Johnson-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5216/ /article/Brice-Johnson-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5216/ Tue, 25 Aug 2015 17:40:13 -0400 An interview with Maryland wing Jake Layman at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Jake-Layman-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5223/ /article/Jake-Layman-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5223/ Mon, 24 Aug 2015 01:07:36 -0400 An interview with Florida wing Devin Robinson at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Devin-Robinson-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5225/ /article/Devin-Robinson-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5225/ Sat, 22 Aug 2015 17:39:57 -0400 An interview with Weber State power forward Joel Bolomboy at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Joel-Bolomboy-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5222/ /article/Joel-Bolomboy-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5222/ Thu, 20 Aug 2015 12:19:11 -0400 An interview with Indiana forward Troy Williams at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Troy-Williams-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5215/ /article/Troy-Williams-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5215/ Tue, 18 Aug 2015 09:43:18 -0400 An interview with Connecticut center Amida Brimah at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Amida-Brimah-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5217/ /article/Amida-Brimah-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5217/ Mon, 17 Aug 2015 22:42:05 -0400 An interview with power forward Simi Shittu at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Simi-Shittu-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5211/ /article/Simi-Shittu-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5211/ Mon, 17 Aug 2015 12:54:37 -0400 An interview with Boise State power forward James Webb III at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/James-Webb-III-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5224/ /article/James-Webb-III-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5224/ Sun, 16 Aug 2015 20:15:04 -0400 An interview with center Udoka Azubuike at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Udoka-Azubuike-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5210/ /article/Udoka-Azubuike-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5210/ Sun, 16 Aug 2015 10:20:23 -0400 An interview with Notre Dame power forward Zach Auguste at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Zach-Auguste-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5221/ /article/Zach-Auguste-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5221/ Sat, 15 Aug 2015 15:23:01 -0400 An interview with guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Nickeil-Alexander-Walker-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5212/ /article/Nickeil-Alexander-Walker-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5212/ Sat, 15 Aug 2015 14:56:42 -0400 An interview with power forward Wenyen Gabriel at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Wenyen-Gabriel-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5214/ /article/Wenyen-Gabriel-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5214/ Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:14:24 -0400 Scouting reports on six of the top center prospects seen at the 2015 adidas Global Nations, including Jarrett Allen, Ike Anigbogu, Udoka Azubuike, DeRon Davis, James Banks and Taruike Jianiyou. /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-Center-Prospects-5227/ /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-Center-Prospects-5227/ Thu, 13 Aug 2015 09:44:39 -0400 An interview with guard Markelle Fultz at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Markelle-Fultz-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5213/ /article/Markelle-Fultz-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5213/ Thu, 13 Aug 2015 09:29:44 -0400 Scouting reports on seven of the top power forward prospects seen at the 2015 adidas Global Nations, including Wenyen Gabriel, Sacha Killeya-Jones, Billy Preston, Ira Lee, Mamadi Diakite, Daniel Barbieri and Dewan Huell. /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-Power-Forward-Prospects-5209/ /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-Power-Forward-Prospects-5209/ Wed, 12 Aug 2015 13:47:08 -0400 An interview with 6-3 point guard Dennis Smith at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Dennis-Smith-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5208/ /article/Dennis-Smith-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5208/ Wed, 12 Aug 2015 13:36:47 -0400 An interview with 6-7 wing Kobe Paras of the Philippines at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Kobe-Paras-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5207/ /article/Kobe-Paras-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5207/ Tue, 11 Aug 2015 20:00:43 -0400 Scouting reports on five of the top wing prospects seen at the 2015 adidas Global Nations, including Wesley Da Silva, Hamidou Diallo, Kobe Paras, Alpha Diallo, and Koby McEwen. /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-Wing-Prospects-5206/ /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-Wing-Prospects-5206/ Tue, 11 Aug 2015 13:54:07 -0400 An interview with 6-6 LSU point guard Tim Quarterman at the 2015 adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/Tim-Quarterman-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5205/ /article/Tim-Quarterman-2015-adidas-Nations-Interview-5205/ Tue, 11 Aug 2015 09:53:53 -0400 Scouting reports on six of the top point guard prospects seen at the 2015 adidas Global Nations, including Dennis Smith, Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Trevon Duval and Lautaro Lopez. /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5204/ /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5204/ Mon, 10 Aug 2015 18:19:52 -0400 Scouting reports on four of the top center prospects seen at the 2015 FIBA Europe U18 Championship in Volos, including Omer Yurtseven, Jonathan Jeanne, Laurynas Birutis and Leon Kratzer. /article/FIBA-Europe-U18-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Centers-5203/ /article/FIBA-Europe-U18-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Centers-5203/ Mon, 10 Aug 2015 13:14:20 -0400 Scouting reports on six of the top power forward prospects seen at the 2015 FIBA Europe U18 Championship in Volos, including Lauri Markkanen, Isaiah Hartenstein, Killian Tillie, Niklas Kiel, Leonardo Tote and Martynas Echodas. /article/FIBA-Europe-U18-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Power-Forwards-5202/ /article/FIBA-Europe-U18-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Power-Forwards-5202/ Thu, 06 Aug 2015 17:07:56 -0400 Scouting reports on six of the top small forward prospects seen at the 2015 FIBA Europe U18 Championship in Volos, including Tadas Sedekerskis, Verners Kohs, Santiago Yusta, Vojislav Stojanovic, Arnoldas Kulboka and Andrei Lopatin. /article/FIBA-Europe-U18-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Small-Forwards-5201/ /article/FIBA-Europe-U18-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Small-Forwards-5201/ Wed, 05 Aug 2015 20:34:47 -0400 Scouting reports on nine of the top shooting guard prospects seen at the 2015 FIBA Europe U18 Championship in Volos, including Kostja Mushidi, Edin Atic, Richard Freudenberg, Enes Taskiran, Amar Gegic, Martynas Varnas, Bathiste Tchouaffe, Michalis Lountzis and Luc Loubaki. /article/FIBA-Europe-U18-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Shooting-Guards-5200/ /article/FIBA-Europe-U18-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Shooting-Guards-5200/ Wed, 05 Aug 2015 16:44:03 -0400 An interview with 6-5 Lithuanian shooting guard Martynas Varnas at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece. /article/Martynas-Varnas-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5199/ /article/Martynas-Varnas-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5199/ Wed, 05 Aug 2015 09:17:48 -0400 An interview with 6-10 French big man Killian Tillie at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece. /article/Killian-Tillie-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5198/ /article/Killian-Tillie-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5198/ Tue, 04 Aug 2015 17:59:49 -0400 Scouting reports on four of the top point guard prospects seen at the 2015 FIBA Europe U18 Championship in Volos, including Frank Ntilikina, Renathan Ona Embo, Kristers Zoriks and Andres Rico. /article/FIBA-Europe-U18-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5197/ /article/FIBA-Europe-U18-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5197/ Tue, 04 Aug 2015 16:19:42 -0400 An interview with 6-8 German wing Richard Freudenberg at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece. /article/Richard-Freudenberg-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5196/ /article/Richard-Freudenberg-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5196/ Thu, 30 Jul 2015 19:08:21 -0400 An interview with 7-2 French big man Jonathan Jeanne at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece. /article/Jonathan-Jeanne-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5195/ /article/Jonathan-Jeanne-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5195/ Wed, 29 Jul 2015 10:12:53 -0400 An interview with 7-foot German big man Leon Kratzer at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece. /article/Leon-Kratzer-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5194/ /article/Leon-Kratzer-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5194/ Wed, 29 Jul 2015 09:59:51 -0400 An interview with 6-11 German big man Isaiah Hartenstein at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece. /article/Isaiah-Hartenstein-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5193/ /article/Isaiah-Hartenstein-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5193/ Tue, 28 Jul 2015 09:01:16 -0400 An interview with 6-8 Lithuanian wing Tadas Sedekerskis at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece. /article/Tadas-Sedekerskis-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5192/ /article/Tadas-Sedekerskis-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5192/ Tue, 28 Jul 2015 08:26:14 -0400 Scouting reports on the top center prospects who played at the Nike Global Challenge including Nick Richards, Brandon McCoy, Marques Bolden, Abdul Ado, Tony Bradley, Nick Ward, Hao Fu and Schnider Herard. /article/Nike-Global-Challenge-Scouting-Reports-Centers-5191/ /article/Nike-Global-Challenge-Scouting-Reports-Centers-5191/ Tue, 28 Jul 2015 06:51:34 -0400 An interview with 6-5 French point guard Frank Ntilikina at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece. /article/Frank-Ntilikina-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5190/ /article/Frank-Ntilikina-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5190/ Mon, 27 Jul 2015 07:58:10 -0400 An interview with 6-9 Latvian Small Forward Verners Kohs at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece. /article/Verners-Kohs-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5189/ /article/Verners-Kohs-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5189/ Mon, 27 Jul 2015 07:46:39 -0400 An interview with 6-5 German wing Kostja Mushidi at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece. /article/Kostja-Mushidi-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5188/ /article/Kostja-Mushidi-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5188/ Sat, 25 Jul 2015 15:19:17 -0400 Scouting reports on the top power forward prospects who played at the Nike Global Challenge including Jonathan Isaac, O'Shae Brissett, Miles Bridges, Jarred Vanderbilt, Simi Shittu, Eddie Ekiyor and Jinqiu Hu. /article/Nike-Global-Challenge-Scouting-Reports-Power-Forwards-5187/ /article/Nike-Global-Challenge-Scouting-Reports-Power-Forwards-5187/ Sat, 25 Jul 2015 09:47:24 -0400 An interview with 6-11 Finnish power forward Lauri Markkanen at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece. /article/Lauri-Markkanen-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5186/ /article/Lauri-Markkanen-2015-FIBA-U18-European-Championship-Interview-5186/ Sat, 25 Jul 2015 08:55:07 -0400 A video interview with Baylor forward Taurean Prince at the USA Basketball training camp for the Pan-American Games. /article/Taurean-Prince-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5173/ /article/Taurean-Prince-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5173/ Sat, 25 Jul 2015 08:44:40 -0400 A video interview with NBA forward Anthony Randolph at the USA Basketball training camp for the Pan-American Games. /article/Anthony-Randolph-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5175/ /article/Anthony-Randolph-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5175/ Sat, 25 Jul 2015 08:43:58 -0400 Scouting reports on the top small forward prospects who played at the Nike Global Challenge including V.J. King, Christian David, Maverick Rowan, Andrew Garcia, and Matar Gueye. /article/Nike-Global-Challenge-Scouting-Reports-Small-Forwards-5185/ /article/Nike-Global-Challenge-Scouting-Reports-Small-Forwards-5185/ Wed, 22 Jul 2015 20:20:44 -0400 Scouting reports on six of the top shooting guard prospects seen at the 2015 Nike Global Challenge in Chicago, including Malik Monk, Gary Trent, Lonnie Walker, D.J. Harvey, Josh Okogie and Christian Popoola. /article/Nike-Global-Challenge-Scouting-Reports-Shooting-Guards-5184/ /article/Nike-Global-Challenge-Scouting-Reports-Shooting-Guards-5184/ Tue, 21 Jul 2015 19:48:47 -0400 Scouting reports on nine of the top point guard prospects seen at the 2015 Nike Global Challenge in Chicago, including De'Aaron Fox, Troy Brown, Javonte Smart, Alterique Gilbert, Cassius Winston, Matt Coleman, Trae Young, Howard Washington and Jhery Matos. /article/Nike-Global-Challenge-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5183/ /article/Nike-Global-Challenge-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5183/ Tue, 21 Jul 2015 14:06:58 -0400 A video interview with Maryland guard Melo Trimble at the USA Basketball training camp for the Pan-American Games. /article/Melo-Trimble-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5178/ /article/Melo-Trimble-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5178/ Tue, 21 Jul 2015 10:48:03 -0400 A video interview with Wichita State guard Ron Baker at the USA Basketball training camp for the Pan-American Games. /article/Ron-Baker-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5176/ /article/Ron-Baker-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5176/ Tue, 21 Jul 2015 10:47:55 -0400 A video interview with Illinois guard Malcolm Hill at the USA Basketball training camp for the Pan-American Games. /article/Malcolm-Hill-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5182/ /article/Malcolm-Hill-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5182/ Tue, 21 Jul 2015 10:47:46 -0400 Scouting reports on six of the top center prospects seen at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship, including Ivica Zubac, Chinanu Onuaku, Georgios Papagiannis, Ahmed Khalaf, Deng Gak and Ayberk Olmaz. /article/2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Centers-5181/ /article/2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Centers-5181/ Sat, 18 Jul 2015 18:00:47 -0400 A video interview with Virginia guard Malcolm Brogdon at the USA Basketball training camp for the Pan-American Games. /article/Malcolm-Brogdon-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5179/ /article/Malcolm-Brogdon-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5179/ Sat, 18 Jul 2015 11:07:59 -0400 A video interview with Baylor forward Ricardo Gathers at the USA Basketball training camp for the Pan-American Games. /article/Ricardo-Gathers-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5174/ /article/Ricardo-Gathers-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5174/ Sat, 18 Jul 2015 11:07:44 -0400 A video interview with Iowa State guard Monte Morris at the USA Basketball training camp for the Pan-American Games. /article/Monte-Morris-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5177/ /article/Monte-Morris-Pan-American-Games-Interview-5177/ Sat, 18 Jul 2015 11:07:35 -0400 An interview with USA guard Jalen Brunson at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Jalen-Brunson-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5170/ /article/Jalen-Brunson-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5170/ Fri, 17 Jul 2015 12:55:54 -0400 An interview with Canadian wing Dillon Brooks at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Dillon-Brooks-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5163/ /article/Dillon-Brooks-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5163/ Fri, 17 Jul 2015 12:55:47 -0400 An interview with Spanish guard Marc Garcia at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Marc-Garcia-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5158/ /article/Marc-Garcia-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5158/ Fri, 17 Jul 2015 12:55:40 -0400 Scouting reports on seven of the top power forward prospects seen at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship, including Harry Giles, Mohammad Yousofvand, Yankuba Sima, Borisa Simanic, Egemen Guven, Marko Arapovic and Esam Mostafa. /article/2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Power-Forwards-5180/ /article/2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Power-Forwards-5180/ Sun, 12 Jul 2015 14:22:05 -0400 An interview with USA wing L.J. Peak at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/LJ-Peak-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5171/ /article/LJ-Peak-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5171/ Sun, 12 Jul 2015 14:14:26 -0400 An interview with Turkish guard Berk Ugurlu at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Berk-Ugurlu-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5172/ /article/Berk-Ugurlu-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5172/ Sun, 12 Jul 2015 14:14:10 -0400 An interview with Greek small forward Vasilis Charalampopoulos at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Vasilis-Charalampopoulos-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5157/ /article/Vasilis-Charalampopoulos-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5157/ Sat, 11 Jul 2015 10:50:52 -0400 An interview with Greek power forward Konstantinos Mitoglou at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Konstantinos-Mitoglou-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5156/ /article/Konstantinos-Mitoglou-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5156/ Sat, 11 Jul 2015 10:49:53 -0400 An interview with Turkish power forward Egemen Guven at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Egemen-Guven-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5151/ /article/Egemen-Guven-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5151/ Sat, 11 Jul 2015 10:49:04 -0400 Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of new Suns wing Sonny Weems from his time in Europe. How has his game developed since his last stint in the NBA? /article/Sonny-Weems-Video-Scouting-Report-5169/ /article/Sonny-Weems-Video-Scouting-Report-5169/ Fri, 10 Jul 2015 15:26:23 -0400 Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of European center Boban Marjanovic. What can the 7'4, 26-year old bring to an NBA franchise? /article/Boban-Majanovic-Video-Scouting-Report-5168/ /article/Boban-Majanovic-Video-Scouting-Report-5168/ Fri, 10 Jul 2015 15:19:13 -0400 Scouting reports on seven of the top small forward prospects seen at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship, including Josh Jackson, Jayson Tatum, Vasilis Charalampopoulos, Dillon Brooks, Justin Jackson (Canada), Tolga Gecim and Abu Kigab. /article/2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Small-Forwards-5167/ /article/2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Small-Forwards-5167/ Thu, 09 Jul 2015 10:51:28 -0400 An interview with USA small forward Jayson Tatum at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Jayson-Tatum-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5159/ /article/Jayson-Tatum-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5159/ Thu, 09 Jul 2015 10:40:12 -0400 An interview with USA wing Josh Jackson at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Josh-Jackson-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5160/ /article/Josh-Jackson-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5160/ Thu, 09 Jul 2015 10:40:00 -0400 An interview with Canadian shooting guard Corey Johnson at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Corey-Johnson-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5162/ /article/Corey-Johnson-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5162/ Thu, 09 Jul 2015 10:39:39 -0400 Scouting reports on eleven of the top shooting guard prospects seen at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship, including Furkan Korkmaz, Tyler Dorsey, Nik Slavica, Diego Flaccadori, Terrance Ferguson, Marc Garcia, Corey Johnson, Okben Ulubay, Vanja Marinkovic, Radovan Djokovic and L.J. Peak. /article/2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Shooting-Guards-5166/ /article/2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Shooting-Guards-5166/ Tue, 07 Jul 2015 23:02:54 -0400 Scouting reports on five of the top point guard prospects seen at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship, including Jalen Brunson, William McDowell-White, Andres Feliz, Berk Ugurlu and Maximo Fjellerup. /article/2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5165/ /article/2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Scouting-Reports-Point-Guards-5165/ Tue, 07 Jul 2015 16:46:15 -0400 An interview with USA power forward Harry Giles at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Harry-Giles-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5161/ /article/Harry-Giles-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5161/ Tue, 07 Jul 2015 15:29:47 -0400 An interview with Australian guard William McDowell-White at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/William-McDowell-White-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5164/ /article/William-McDowell-White-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5164/ Tue, 07 Jul 2015 15:29:32 -0400 Scouting reports on six of the most intriguing college power forward and center prospects seen at the Nike Academy in Santa Monica this past weekend, including Ben Simmons, Jakob Poeltl, Kyle Wiltjer, and Shawn Long. /article/Nike-Academy-Scouting-Reports-College-Power-ForwardCenter-Prospects-5155/ /article/Nike-Academy-Scouting-Reports-College-Power-ForwardCenter-Prospects-5155/ Mon, 06 Jul 2015 16:48:09 -0400 An interview with Croatian forward Nik Slavica at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Nik-Slavica-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5153/ /article/Nik-Slavica-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5153/ Sun, 05 Jul 2015 15:01:39 -0400 An interview with Turkish small forward Okben Ulubay at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Okben-Ulubay-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5152/ /article/Okben-Ulubay-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5152/ Sun, 05 Jul 2015 11:00:35 -0400 An interview with US big man Chinanu Onuaku at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Chinanu-Onuaku-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5154/ /article/Chinanu-Onuaku-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5154/ Sun, 05 Jul 2015 11:00:26 -0400 The unique psychological makeup that allowed DeAndre Jordan to rise up from discarded second round pick to arguably the best defensive player in the NBA. /article/Opportunity-Knocks-The-DeAndre-Jordan-Rules-5150/ /article/Opportunity-Knocks-The-DeAndre-Jordan-Rules-5150/ Sat, 04 Jul 2015 13:52:52 -0400 An interview with Croatian center Ivica Zubac at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Ivica-Zubac-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5149/ /article/Ivica-Zubac-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5149/ Sat, 04 Jul 2015 11:56:19 -0400 An interview with USA Basketball shooting guard Terrance Ferguson at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Terrance-Ferguson-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5148/ /article/Terrance-Ferguson-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5148/ Sat, 04 Jul 2015 07:32:13 -0400 An interview with Turkish shooting guard Furkan Korkmaz at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Furkan-Korkmaz-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5147/ /article/Furkan-Korkmaz-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5147/ Fri, 03 Jul 2015 08:13:05 -0400 Scouting reports on six of the most intriguing college small forward prospects seen at the Nike Academy in Santa Monica this past weekend, including Justin Jackson, Troy Williams, Taurean Prince, James Webb III, Paris Bass and Isaac Copeland. /article/Nike-Academy-Scouting-Reports-College-Small-Forward-Prospects-5146/ /article/Nike-Academy-Scouting-Reports-College-Small-Forward-Prospects-5146/ Fri, 03 Jul 2015 06:45:26 -0400 An interview with Oregon-bound Greek national team guard Tyler Dorsey at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Tyler-Dorsey-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5145/ /article/Tyler-Dorsey-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5145/ Thu, 02 Jul 2015 04:35:13 -0400 Scouting reports on five of the most intriguing college shooting guard prospects seen at the Nike Academy in Santa Monica this past weekend, including DeAndre Bembry, Buddy Hield, Malcolm Brogdon, Antonio Blakeney and Denzel Valentine. /article/Nike-Academy-Scouting-Reports-College-Shooting-Guard-Prospects-5144/ /article/Nike-Academy-Scouting-Reports-College-Shooting-Guard-Prospects-5144/ Thu, 02 Jul 2015 04:12:36 -0400 An interview with Greek 7-footer and NCAA target Georgios Papagiannis at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in Crete. /article/Georgios-Papagiannis-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5143/ /article/Georgios-Papagiannis-2015-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interview-5143/ Thu, 02 Jul 2015 03:20:36 -0400 Scouting reports on four of the most intriguing college point guard prospects seen at the Nike Academy in Santa Monica this past weekend, including Kris Dunn, Tyrone Wallace, Gary Payton II and Isaiah Taylor. /article/Nike-Academy-Scouting-Reports-College-Point-Guard-Prospects-5142/ /article/Nike-Academy-Scouting-Reports-College-Point-Guard-Prospects-5142/ Wed, 01 Jul 2015 09:17:51 -0400 Scouting reports on three of the most intriguing high school prospects seen at the Nike Academy in Santa Monica this past weekend, including Mohamed Bamba, Jonathan Isaac and Robert Williams. /article/Nike-Academy-Scouting-Reports-Elite-High-School-Prospects-5141/ /article/Nike-Academy-Scouting-Reports-Elite-High-School-Prospects-5141/ Tue, 30 Jun 2015 12:09:50 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Wyoming big man Larry Nance as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report video breakdown. /article/Larry-Nance-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-Video-Breakdown--5140/ /article/Larry-Nance-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-Video-Breakdown--5140/ Sat, 27 Jun 2015 13:55:22 -0400 Surprising development in Croatia, as potential Top-5 draft pick in 2016, Dragan Bender, is unlikely to play at the U19 World Championship in Crete, which starts this weekend. /article/Official-Dragan-Bender-Will-Not-Play-at-the-U19-World-Championship-5139/ /article/Official-Dragan-Bender-Will-Not-Play-at-the-U19-World-Championship-5139/ Fri, 26 Jun 2015 18:36:27 -0400 Karl Towns battles a pesky spider in Los Angeles with his size 20 shoes. Who wins? /article/Karl-Towns-Versus-the-Spider-5138/ /article/Karl-Towns-Versus-the-Spider-5138/ Thu, 25 Jun 2015 14:12:32 -0400 A detailed mock draft with pick-by-pick explanations using projected rosters and taking the individual needs of all 30 NBA teams into account. /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-7-5137/ /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-7-5137/ Thu, 25 Jun 2015 10:05:56 -0400 Jonathan Givony discusses a variety of NBA Draft related topics with Dan Le Batard. /article/PodcastJonathan-Givony-with-Dan-Le-Batard-5136/ /article/PodcastJonathan-Givony-with-Dan-Le-Batard-5136/ Wed, 24 Jun 2015 13:16:30 -0400 It would be very surprising if Karl Towns and Jahlil Okafor aren't the first two names called by commissioner Adam Silver as the top of the 2015 NBA Draft. While that won't shock anyone who followed college basketball this season, the proposition of two centers as locks to go 1-2 is significant both from a historical perspective, despite the shifting importance of the position in the NBA. /article/The-Evolution-of-the-Center-Position-Through-The-Eyes-of-TownsOkafor-5135/ /article/The-Evolution-of-the-Center-Position-Through-The-Eyes-of-TownsOkafor-5135/ Wed, 24 Jun 2015 11:49:02 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Louisville guard Terry Rozier as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Terry-Rozier-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5134/ /article/Terry-Rozier-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5134/ Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:59:09 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Argentinean wing Juan Vaulet as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Juan-Vaulet-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5130/ /article/Juan-Vaulet-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5130/ Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:38:55 -0400 Discussing a variety of topics with Derrick Marks in Santa Barbara, including what he's working on on and off the court, his time at Boise State, and how he's looking forward toward the pre-draft process. /article/Derrick-Marks-Interview-5131/ /article/Derrick-Marks-Interview-5131/ Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:38:45 -0400 A then-17 year old Karl Towns talks to us about his goals for the Hoop Summit, what it's like playing in front of a horde of NBA scouts, the type of player he was at that point ("a 3/4/5"), his international background, and more. /article/DX-Vault-Karl-Towns-Interview-from-the-2013-Nike-Hoop-Summit-5133/ /article/DX-Vault-Karl-Towns-Interview-from-the-2013-Nike-Hoop-Summit-5133/ Tue, 23 Jun 2015 23:02:43 -0400 Discussing a variety of topics with Tyler Haws in Santa Barbara, including what he's working on on and off the court, his time at BYU, and how he's looking forward toward the pre-draft process. /article/Tyler-Haws-Interview-5132/ /article/Tyler-Haws-Interview-5132/ Tue, 23 Jun 2015 15:16:15 -0400 Evaluating the track record, resumes and success rates of international prospects who were picked in the Top-10 of the NBA Draft historically, what that can teach us about Mario Hezonja and Kristaps Porzingis this year. /article/A-Historical-Perspective-on-Intl-Prospects-and-the-2015-Draft-Part-2-5127/ /article/A-Historical-Perspective-on-Intl-Prospects-and-the-2015-Draft-Part-2-5127/ Tue, 23 Jun 2015 08:40:50 -0400 Evaluating the track record and success rates of international prospects in the NBA Draft against their collegiate peers since 1989. /article/A-Historical-Perspective-on-Intl-Prospects-and-the-2015-Draft-Part-1-5125/ /article/A-Historical-Perspective-on-Intl-Prospects-and-the-2015-Draft-Part-1-5125/ Tue, 23 Jun 2015 08:28:50 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Oregon combo guard Joseph Young as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Joseph-Young-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5129/ /article/Joseph-Young-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5129/ Mon, 22 Jun 2015 23:31:18 -0400 A thorough 15 minute talk with CBS Sports Radio's Jody Mac breaking down the 2015 NBA Draft. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Jody-Mac-of-CBS-Sports-5128/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Jody-Mac-of-CBS-Sports-5128/ Mon, 22 Jun 2015 22:52:47 -0400 The NBA announced the 19 players invited to the 2015 NBA Draft Green Room today. /article/19-Players-Invited-to-the-2015-NBA-Draft-Green-Room-5124/ /article/19-Players-Invited-to-the-2015-NBA-Draft-Green-Room-5124/ Mon, 22 Jun 2015 16:10:38 -0400 A multi-faceted look into the top shot creators available in the 2015 NBA Draft and their counterparts in the NBA. /article/Ranking-the-2015-Drafts-Top-Shot-Creators-5108/ /article/Ranking-the-2015-Drafts-Top-Shot-Creators-5108/ Mon, 22 Jun 2015 15:18:39 -0400 Uncertainty surrounding Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein could impact his standing in Thursday night's NBA Draft, league executives tell DraftExpress. /article/Cauley-Steins-Foot-Giving-Lottery-Teams-Pause-5123/ /article/Cauley-Steins-Foot-Giving-Lottery-Teams-Pause-5123/ Mon, 22 Jun 2015 12:57:12 -0400 Analyzing the one on one matchup between Jahlil Okafor and Karl Towns at the 2014 Nike Hoop in Portland, going possession by possession. What can we learn about the two from that game? /article/Jahlil-Okafor-vs-Karl-Towns---2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Flashback-5122/ /article/Jahlil-Okafor-vs-Karl-Towns---2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Flashback-5122/ Mon, 22 Jun 2015 09:47:31 -0400 A detailed mock draft with pick-by-pick explanations using projected rosters and taking the individual needs of all 30 NBA teams into account. /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-6-5121/ /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-6-5121/ Mon, 22 Jun 2015 08:48:28 -0400 Jonathan Givony discusses NBA Draft related topics with Ethan Skolnick and Howard Beck on SiriusXM Bleacher Report Radio. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Howard-Beck-and-Ethan-Skolnick-5120/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Howard-Beck-and-Ethan-Skolnick-5120/ Mon, 22 Jun 2015 08:29:18 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky big man Dakari Johnson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Dakari-Johnson-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5114/ /article/Dakari-Johnson-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5114/ Mon, 22 Jun 2015 08:12:39 -0400 An interview with UCLA's Norman Powell, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Los Angeles. /article/Norman-Powell-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5119/ /article/Norman-Powell-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5119/ Mon, 22 Jun 2015 08:11:21 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Notre Dame wing Pat Connaughton as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Pat-Connaughton-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5115/ /article/Pat-Connaughton-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5115/ Sun, 21 Jun 2015 10:53:27 -0400 An interview with UC Santa Barbara's Alan Williams, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Los Angeles. /article/Alan-Williams-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5118/ /article/Alan-Williams-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5118/ Sun, 21 Jun 2015 09:47:44 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of French big man Mouhammadou Jaiteh as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Mouhammadou-Jaiteh-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5113/ /article/Mouhammadou-Jaiteh-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5113/ Sat, 20 Jun 2015 10:12:21 -0400 An interview with Arizona's T.J. McConnell, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Las Angeles. /article/TJ-McConnell-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5117/ /article/TJ-McConnell-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5117/ Sat, 20 Jun 2015 09:51:38 -0400 Analyzing the play of Mario Hezonja in Game One of the Spanish ACB Playoff Finals. Hezonja exploded for 18 points in 25 minutes coming off the bench, knocking down all five of his first 3-point attempts. /article/Mario-Hezonja-18-Point-ACB-Playoff-Finals-Performance-Video-Analysis-5116/ /article/Mario-Hezonja-18-Point-ACB-Playoff-Finals-Performance-Video-Analysis-5116/ Fri, 19 Jun 2015 21:14:39 -0400 Cameron Payne suffered a non-displaced fracture in the ring finger of his right (off) hand in a workout in Denver on Monday. /article/Setback-for-Cameron-Payne-in-Denver-Nuggets-Workout-5112/ /article/Setback-for-Cameron-Payne-in-Denver-Nuggets-Workout-5112/ Fri, 19 Jun 2015 12:51:28 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Stanford wing Anthony Brown as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Anthony-Brown-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5074/ /article/Anthony-Brown-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5074/ Fri, 19 Jun 2015 09:33:48 -0400 An interview with UCLA's Kevon Looney, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Las Angeles. /article/Kevon-Looney-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5111/ /article/Kevon-Looney-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5111/ Fri, 19 Jun 2015 08:51:01 -0400 Breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of some of the most interesting big men prospects seen at the USA Basketball U16 Training Camp in Colorado Springs, in video format. /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Video-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5102/ /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Video-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5102/ Fri, 19 Jun 2015 08:42:20 -0400 The measurements from the 2015 Nike Elite 100 were released today. /article/2015-Nike-Elite-100-Measurements-Released-5110/ /article/2015-Nike-Elite-100-Measurements-Released-5110/ Fri, 19 Jun 2015 00:49:32 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Wyoming power forward Larry Nance as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Larry-Nance-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5109/ /article/Larry-Nance-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5109/ Thu, 18 Jun 2015 15:39:29 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Turkish wing Cedi Osman as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Cedi-Osman-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5107/ /article/Cedi-Osman-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5107/ Thu, 18 Jun 2015 09:42:57 -0400 Breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of some of the most interesting forward prospects seen at the USA Basketball U16 Training Camp in Colorado Springs, in video format. /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Video-Scouting-Reports-Forwards-5103/ /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Video-Scouting-Reports-Forwards-5103/ Thu, 18 Jun 2015 09:24:30 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Israeli wing prospect Shawn Dawson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Shawn-Dawson-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5106/ /article/Shawn-Dawson-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5106/ Wed, 17 Jun 2015 15:15:09 -0400 A detailed mock draft with pick-by-pick explanations using projected rosters and taking the individual needs of all 30 NBA teams into account. /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-5-5105/ /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-5-5105/ Wed, 17 Jun 2015 09:27:49 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of North Carolina shooting guard J.P. Tokoto as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/JP-Tokoto-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5104/ /article/JP-Tokoto-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5104/ Wed, 17 Jun 2015 09:25:56 -0400 Breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of some of the most interesting guard prospects seen at the USA Basketball U16 Training Camp in Colorado Springs, in video format. /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Video-Scouting-Reports-Guards-5101/ /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Video-Scouting-Reports-Guards-5101/ Wed, 17 Jun 2015 08:43:44 -0400 The complete list of NCAA and international players who withdrew their names from the 2015 NBA draft, as well as those who remain eligible. /article/Official-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-Withdrawal-List-Released-by-NBA-5100/ /article/Official-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-Withdrawal-List-Released-by-NBA-5100/ Tue, 16 Jun 2015 16:39:49 -0400 Interviews conducted at the ASM Pro Day in Las Vegas, including Cady Lalanne, D.J. Newbill, Speedy Smith and Kendall Gray. /article/ASM-Pro-Day-Interviews-Lalanne-Newbill-Speedy-Smith-Kendall-Gray-5099/ /article/ASM-Pro-Day-Interviews-Lalanne-Newbill-Speedy-Smith-Kendall-Gray-5099/ Tue, 16 Jun 2015 14:31:50 -0400 Jonathan Givony discusses NBA Draft related topics with Max Kellerman and Marcellus Wiley on ESPN Los Angeles. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Max-Kellerman-and-Marcellus-Wiley-2-5098/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Max-Kellerman-and-Marcellus-Wiley-2-5098/ Tue, 16 Jun 2015 12:25:44 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Italian small forward Awudu Abass as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Awudu-Abass-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5097/ /article/Awudu-Abass-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5097/ Tue, 16 Jun 2015 10:39:17 -0400 Future Duke point guard Derryck Thornton Jr. sits down with DraftExpress at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas. /article/Derryck-Thornton-Jr-2015-Impact-Basketball-Interview-5096/ /article/Derryck-Thornton-Jr-2015-Impact-Basketball-Interview-5096/ Tue, 16 Jun 2015 09:57:10 -0400 An interview with UNLV's Christian Wood, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Las Vegas. /article/Christian-Wood-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5095/ /article/Christian-Wood-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5095/ Tue, 16 Jun 2015 09:46:08 -0400 USA Basketball released the measurements for the players selected to try out of the 2015 U19 National Team today. /article/2015-USA-Basketball-U19-Measurements-Released-5094/ /article/2015-USA-Basketball-U19-Measurements-Released-5094/ Mon, 15 Jun 2015 20:29:57 -0400 Tracking the decisions of the NCAA and international players who withdrew their names from the 2015 NBA draft. /article/2015-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List-Withdrawal-Deadline--5093/ /article/2015-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List-Withdrawal-Deadline--5093/ Mon, 15 Jun 2015 14:49:35 -0400 Jonathan Givony goes into significant depth and detail on a wide variety of NBA Draft related topics with David Locke of Locked on Jazz. /article/PodcastJonathan-Givony-with-David-Locke-5092/ /article/PodcastJonathan-Givony-with-David-Locke-5092/ Mon, 15 Jun 2015 12:30:11 -0400 An interview with Wyoming's Larry Nance, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Chicago. /article/Larry-Nance-Workout-Video-5091/ /article/Larry-Nance-Workout-Video-5091/ Mon, 15 Jun 2015 09:38:07 -0400 Baylor wing Royce O'Neal and Brazilian SG Danilo Fuzaro sit down with DraftExpress at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas to discuss the 2015 NBA Draft. /article/2015-ASM-Pro-Day-Interviews-Royce-ONeale-and-Danilo-Fuzaro-5090/ /article/2015-ASM-Pro-Day-Interviews-Royce-ONeale-and-Danilo-Fuzaro-5090/ Mon, 15 Jun 2015 09:03:51 -0400 A brief look at high school point guard Jalek Felton during a scrimmage vs New Zealand in Colorado Springs to prepare for the 2015 FIBA U18 3 on 3 World Championships. /article/Jalek-Felton-USAB-U18-3x3-Scrimmage-Highlights-and-Interview-5089/ /article/Jalek-Felton-USAB-U18-3x3-Scrimmage-Highlights-and-Interview-5089/ Sun, 14 Jun 2015 11:17:10 -0400 Video interview with auto-eligible 1993-born Italian prospect Awudu Abass from the 2015 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-Awudu-Abass-5080/ /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-Awudu-Abass-5080/ Sun, 14 Jun 2015 10:15:15 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UMass big man Cady Lalanne as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Cady-Lalanne-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5077/ /article/Cady-Lalanne-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5077/ Sun, 14 Jun 2015 10:14:52 -0400 Video interviews with 1996-born Italian guard Diego Flaccadori and Montenegrin center Zoran Nikolic from the 2015 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interviews-Diego-Flaccadori-and-Zoran-Nikolic-5079/ /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interviews-Diego-Flaccadori-and-Zoran-Nikolic-5079/ Sun, 14 Jun 2015 10:14:44 -0400 New Zealand big man and Kentucky commit Tai Wynyard shows off some new-found agility with a poster dunk in a 3x3 scrimmage in Colorado Springs. /article/Kentucky-Commit-Tai-Wynyard-Colorado-Springs-Scrimmage-Poster-Dunk-5088/ /article/Kentucky-Commit-Tai-Wynyard-Colorado-Springs-Scrimmage-Poster-Dunk-5088/ Sat, 13 Jun 2015 11:35:47 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Arkansas wing Michael Qualls as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Michael-Qualls-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5075/ /article/Michael-Qualls-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5075/ Sat, 13 Jun 2015 11:26:06 -0400 Breaking up the Kristaps Porzingis workout video by specific sections, with plenty of new footage, including all his dunks, jumpers and post-moves from Las Vegas. /article/ASM-Workout-Outtakes-Kristaps-Porzingis-DunksJumpersPost-Moves-5087/ /article/ASM-Workout-Outtakes-Kristaps-Porzingis-DunksJumpersPost-Moves-5087/ Fri, 12 Jun 2015 15:37:56 -0400 An interview with Kristaps Porzingis, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas. /article/Kristaps-Porzingis-Workout-Video-5085/ /article/Kristaps-Porzingis-Workout-Video-5085/ Fri, 12 Jun 2015 15:05:03 -0400 A video interview with Seville power forward Kristaps Porzingis at his training base at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas, Nevada. Check back this afternoon for exclusive workout video footage. /article/Kristaps-Porzingis-Interview-from-Las-Vegas-5086/ /article/Kristaps-Porzingis-Interview-from-Las-Vegas-5086/ Fri, 12 Jun 2015 10:03:10 -0400 An interview with Emmanuel Mudiay, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Los Angeles. /article/Emmanuel-Mudiay-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5084/ /article/Emmanuel-Mudiay-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5084/ Fri, 12 Jun 2015 07:42:15 -0400 An interview with Tennessee shooting guard Josh Richardson, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Santa Barbara. /article/Josh-Richardson-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5083/ /article/Josh-Richardson-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5083/ Fri, 12 Jun 2015 02:03:51 -0400 Video interview with 1995-born French wing Axel Bouteille and Serbian guard Ognjen Jaramaz from the 2015 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-Axel-Bouteille-and-Ognjen-Jaramaz-5081/ /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-Axel-Bouteille-and-Ognjen-Jaramaz-5081/ Fri, 12 Jun 2015 01:56:34 -0400 Former Illinois big man, Nnanna Egwu, discusses his preparation for the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft at P3 in Santa Barbara, CA. /article/Nnanna-Egwu-Interview-4984/ /article/Nnanna-Egwu-Interview-4984/ Fri, 12 Jun 2015 01:56:15 -0400 An interview with Juwan Staten from his workouts with Joe Abunassar in Las Vegas at Impact Basketball. /article/Juwan-Staten-Interview-4985/ /article/Juwan-Staten-Interview-4985/ Fri, 12 Jun 2015 01:56:03 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UC Davis shooting guard Corey Hawkins as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Corey-Hawkins-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5076/ /article/Corey-Hawkins-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5076/ Fri, 12 Jun 2015 01:55:49 -0400 Video interview with 1999-born Spanish wing Acoydan McCarthy and 1996-born Montenegrin forward Aleksa Ilic from the 2015 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interviews-Acoydan-McCarthy-and-Aleksa-Ilic-5082/ /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interviews-Acoydan-McCarthy-and-Aleksa-Ilic-5082/ Thu, 11 Jun 2015 15:57:12 -0400 Video interview with elite 2016 high school prospects Rawle Alkins and Kobi Simmons from the 2015 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interviews-Rawle-Alkins-and-Kobi-Simmons-5078/ /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interviews-Rawle-Alkins-and-Kobi-Simmons-5078/ Thu, 11 Jun 2015 10:25:03 -0400 valuating the strengths and weaknesses of Zalgiris center Arturas Gudaitis as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Arturas-Gudaitis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5073/ /article/Arturas-Gudaitis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5073/ Thu, 11 Jun 2015 05:39:14 -0400 A detailed mock draft with pick-by-pick explanations using projected rosters and taking the individual needs of all 30 NBA teams into account. /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-4-5072/ /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-4-5072/ Wed, 10 Jun 2015 13:24:33 -0400 An interview with Kentucky center Dakari Johnson featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Los Angeles with Don MacLean. /article/Dakari-Johnson-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5070/ /article/Dakari-Johnson-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5070/ Wed, 10 Jun 2015 12:40:35 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Spanish small forward Daniel Diez as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Daniel-Diez-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5031/ /article/Daniel-Diez-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5031/ Wed, 10 Jun 2015 12:35:43 -0400 Video interview with auto-eligible 1993-born prospect Daniel Diez from the 2015 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-Daniel-Diez-5071/ /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-Daniel-Diez-5071/ Wed, 10 Jun 2015 12:34:08 -0400 Video interview with elite 2016 high school recruits Edrice Adebayo and Frank Jackson from the adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interviews-Edrice-Adebayo-and-Frank-Jackson-5069/ /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interviews-Edrice-Adebayo-and-Frank-Jackson-5069/ Tue, 09 Jun 2015 12:44:54 -0400 An updated look at a number of NBA Draft models from contributors at the APBR metrics bulletin board. Includes background on the analysts, what makes their model unique, and a full breakdown of how the different draft prospects stack up, with a comparison to the DraftExpress Top-100 rankings. /article/Analytics-Models-and-the-NBA-Draft-Part-2-5068/ /article/Analytics-Models-and-the-NBA-Draft-Part-2-5068/ Tue, 09 Jun 2015 11:37:22 -0400 An interview with Arkansas wing Michael Qualls featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Chicago with Cody Toppert. /article/Michael-Qualls-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5055/ /article/Michael-Qualls-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5055/ Tue, 09 Jun 2015 07:11:16 -0400 Video interviews with 1998 and 1999-born prospects Omer Yurtseven and Dzanan Musa from the 2015 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interviews-Omer-Yurtseven-and-Dzanan-Musa-5067/ /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interviews-Omer-Yurtseven-and-Dzanan-Musa-5067/ Mon, 08 Jun 2015 19:24:41 -0400 The third and final day of the adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, Italy is in the books. /article/2015-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Three-5066/ /article/2015-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Three-5066/ Mon, 08 Jun 2015 15:10:00 -0400 The measurements and athletic testing results for the campers and adidas Next Generation prospects were released today. /article/2015-adidas-Eurocamp-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Results-5065/ /article/2015-adidas-Eurocamp-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Results-5065/ Mon, 08 Jun 2015 15:01:24 -0400 A video interview with Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio from the 2015 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-Ricky-Rubio-5064/ /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-Ricky-Rubio-5064/ Mon, 08 Jun 2015 14:24:19 -0400 An interview with Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Los Angeles with Don MacLean. /article/Devin-Booker-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5063/ /article/Devin-Booker-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5063/ Mon, 08 Jun 2015 03:47:36 -0400 Day two of the adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, Italy included a number of standout performances. /article/2015-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Two-5062/ /article/2015-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Two-5062/ Sun, 07 Jun 2015 15:26:00 -0400 A video interview with 1997 prospect Dragan Bender from the 2015 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-Dragan-Bender-5061/ /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-Dragan-Bender-5061/ Sun, 07 Jun 2015 12:41:51 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Serbian point guard Nikola Radicevic as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Nikola-Radicevic-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5032/ /article/Nikola-Radicevic-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5032/ Sun, 07 Jun 2015 12:34:53 -0400 A video interview with Nikola Radicevic from the 2015 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-Nikola-Radicevic-5060/ /article/adidas-Eurocamp-Interview-Nikola-Radicevic-5060/ Sun, 07 Jun 2015 12:32:30 -0400 An interview with Texas forward Jonathan Holmes featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Chicago. /article/Jonathan-Holmes-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5056/ /article/Jonathan-Holmes-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5056/ Sun, 07 Jun 2015 08:16:28 -0400 ‎Day one of the 2015 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy is officially in the books. /article/2015-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-One-5059/ /article/2015-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-One-5059/ Sat, 06 Jun 2015 14:12:10 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Serbian center Nikola Milutinov as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Nikola-Milutinov-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5058/ /article/Nikola-Milutinov-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5058/ Sat, 06 Jun 2015 11:17:49 -0400 An issue with Robert Upshaw's heart was identified by doctors at the NBA Combine in Chicago last month, which has forced him to suspend training and workouts with NBA teams. /article/Robert-Upshaw-In-Holding-Pattern-Awaiting-Further-Medical-Tests-5057/ /article/Robert-Upshaw-In-Holding-Pattern-Awaiting-Further-Medical-Tests-5057/ Fri, 05 Jun 2015 17:41:33 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Bulgarian forward Aleksandar Vezenkov as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Aleksandar-Vezenkov-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5054/ /article/Aleksandar-Vezenkov-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5054/ Fri, 05 Jun 2015 08:52:10 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UCLA guard Norman Powell as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Norman-Powell-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4943/ /article/Norman-Powell-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4943/ Fri, 05 Jun 2015 08:46:34 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Iowa forward Aaron White as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Aaron-White-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4944/ /article/Aaron-White-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4944/ Fri, 05 Jun 2015 08:45:26 -0400 A look at 13 of the most intriguing guard, wing and forward prospects in attendance at the USA Basketball U16 Training Camp, including measurements, scouting reports and video interviews. /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Perimeter-Players-5053/ /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Perimeter-Players-5053/ Thu, 04 Jun 2015 15:47:05 -0400 An interview with French big man Alpha Kaba featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Westchester, New York. /article/Alpha-Kaba-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5052/ /article/Alpha-Kaba-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5052/ Thu, 04 Jun 2015 13:00:39 -0400 A look at nine of the most intriguing big men prospects in attendance at the USA Basketball U16 Training Camp, including measurements, scouting reports and video interviews. /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5051/ /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-5051/ Thu, 04 Jun 2015 10:53:04 -0400 The EuroCamp kicks off this Saturday, and DraftExpress will be present covering the event for the 12th straight year. /article/2015-adidas-Eurocamp-Rosters-and-Official-DX-Preview-5050/ /article/2015-adidas-Eurocamp-Rosters-and-Official-DX-Preview-5050/ Wed, 03 Jun 2015 14:41:54 -0400 Extended video cuts of Karl Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein dunking in Los Angeles. /article/CAA-Workout-Outtakes-TownsCauley-Stein-Dunks-from-LA-5049/ /article/CAA-Workout-Outtakes-TownsCauley-Stein-Dunks-from-LA-5049/ Wed, 03 Jun 2015 11:34:28 -0400 An interview with Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Los Angeles with Don MacLean and Proactive Sports Performance. /article/Willie-Cauley-Stein-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5045/ /article/Willie-Cauley-Stein-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5045/ Wed, 03 Jun 2015 09:50:29 -0400 Extended video cuts of D'Angelo Russell, Karl Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein stroking jumpers in Los Angeles. /article/CAA-Workout-Outtakes-RussellTownsCauley-Stein-Jumpers-5048/ /article/CAA-Workout-Outtakes-RussellTownsCauley-Stein-Jumpers-5048/ Wed, 03 Jun 2015 08:15:18 -0400 A detailed mock draft with pick-by-pick explanations using projected rosters and taking the individual needs of all 30 NBA teams into account. /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-3-5047/ /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-3-5047/ Tue, 02 Jun 2015 21:49:35 -0400 An interview with Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Los Angeles with Don MacLean and Proactive Sports Performance. /article/DAngelo-Russell-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5044/ /article/DAngelo-Russell-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5044/ Tue, 02 Jun 2015 16:24:30 -0400 24 high school rising seniors, college freshmen and rising sophomores were invited to the USA Basketball U19 Training Camp in Colorado Springs. The full roster was announced today. /article/USA-Basketball-U19-Training-Camp-Roster-Announced-5046/ /article/USA-Basketball-U19-Training-Camp-Roster-Announced-5046/ Tue, 02 Jun 2015 16:07:06 -0400 An interview with Kentucky's Karl Towns featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Los Angeles with Don MacLean and Proactive Sports Performance. /article/Karl-Anthony-Towns-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5043/ /article/Karl-Anthony-Towns-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5043/ Tue, 02 Jun 2015 15:26:22 -0400 A video interview with Kentucky power forward Karl-Anthony Towns at his training base in Los Angeles, California. /article/Karl-Anthony-Towns-Interview-5041/ /article/Karl-Anthony-Towns-Interview-5041/ Mon, 01 Jun 2015 23:16:28 -0400 A video interview with Ohio State point guard D'Angelo Russell at his training base in Los Angeles, California. /article/DAngelo-Russell-Interview-5040/ /article/DAngelo-Russell-Interview-5040/ Mon, 01 Jun 2015 23:02:55 -0400 Video interviews with members of the USA Basketball U16 Training Camp in Colorado Springs, including Nojel Eastern, Kezo Brown, Markus Howard, Daejon Davis and Charles O'Bannon Jr. /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Interviews-Part-One--5039/ /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Interviews-Part-One--5039/ Mon, 01 Jun 2015 21:31:55 -0400 An interview with Stefan Nastic from his workouts with Joe Abunassar in Las Vegas at Impact Basketball. /article/Stefan-Nastic-Interview-4986/ /article/Stefan-Nastic-Interview-4986/ Mon, 01 Jun 2015 20:39:53 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Eastern Washington shooting guard Tyler Harvey as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Tyler-Harvey-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5033/ /article/Tyler-Harvey-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5033/ Mon, 01 Jun 2015 20:39:39 -0400 An interview with Kansas's Cliff Alexander featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Chicago. /article/Cliff-Alexander-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5038/ /article/Cliff-Alexander-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5038/ Mon, 01 Jun 2015 13:32:55 -0400 An interview with Georgia State's R.J. Hunter featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Chicago. /article/RJ-Hunter-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5037/ /article/RJ-Hunter-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5037/ Mon, 01 Jun 2015 13:28:56 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Duke point guard Quinn Cook as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Quinn-Cook-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5034/ /article/Quinn-Cook-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5034/ Sun, 31 May 2015 20:47:04 -0400 A video interview with Kentucky center Dakari Johnson at the 2015 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/Dakari-Johnson-Interview-5013/ /article/Dakari-Johnson-Interview-5013/ Sun, 31 May 2015 20:46:32 -0400 An interview with Arkansas' Bobby Portis, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Chicago. /article/Bobby-Portis-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5035/ /article/Bobby-Portis-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5035/ Sun, 31 May 2015 02:39:24 -0400 An interview with future Kentucky Wildcat Tai Wynyard of the New Zealand 3x3 at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/Tai-Wynyard-3x3-U18-World-Championship-Preparation-Video-Interview-5036/ /article/Tai-Wynyard-3x3-U18-World-Championship-Preparation-Video-Interview-5036/ Sun, 31 May 2015 02:30:26 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Florida big man Chris Walker as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Chris-Walker-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5030/ /article/Chris-Walker-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5030/ Sat, 30 May 2015 15:00:36 -0400 Video interviews with Kentucky shooting guard Aaron Harrison and UCLA shooting guard Norman Powell. /article/Aaron-Harrison-and-Norman-Powell-Interviews-5017/ /article/Aaron-Harrison-and-Norman-Powell-Interviews-5017/ Sat, 30 May 2015 13:58:23 -0400 A video interview with Arkansas's wing Michael Qualls and Oklahoma forward TaShawn Thomas. /article/Michael-Qualls-and-TaShawn-Thomas-Interviews-4990/ /article/Michael-Qualls-and-TaShawn-Thomas-Interviews-4990/ Sat, 30 May 2015 13:47:47 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Oklahoma State forward LeBryan Nash as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/LeBryan-Nash-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5026/ /article/LeBryan-Nash-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-5026/ Sat, 30 May 2015 13:47:25 -0400 An interview with Wisconsin's Sam Dekker, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Chicago. /article/Sam-Dekker-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5029/ /article/Sam-Dekker-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5029/ Fri, 29 May 2015 19:42:13 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Sevilla center Guillermo Hernangomez as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Guillermo-Hernangomez-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5028/ /article/Guillermo-Hernangomez-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5028/ Fri, 29 May 2015 12:11:42 -0400 Jonathan Givony discusses NBA Draft related topics with Max Kellerman and Marcellus Wiley on ESPN Los Angeles. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Max-Kellerman-and-Marcellus-Wiley-5027/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Max-Kellerman-and-Marcellus-Wiley-5027/ Thu, 28 May 2015 21:20:56 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UTEP forward Vince Hunter as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Vince-Hunter-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4955/ /article/Vince-Hunter-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4955/ Thu, 28 May 2015 11:18:18 -0400 Former UTEP forward Vince Hunter, discusses his preparation for the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft at P3 in Santa Barbara, CA. /article/Vince-Hunter-Interview-4987/ /article/Vince-Hunter-Interview-4987/ Thu, 28 May 2015 11:16:30 -0400 Video interviews with Bowling Green power forward Richaun Holmes and Nanterre center Mouhammadou Jaiteh. /article/Richaun-Holmes-and-Mouhammadou-Jaiteh-Interviews-5015/ /article/Richaun-Holmes-and-Mouhammadou-Jaiteh-Interviews-5015/ Thu, 28 May 2015 10:04:22 -0400 Nebraska wing Terran Petteway discusses his preparation for the 2015 NBA Draft. /article/Terran-Petteway-Interview-4976/ /article/Terran-Petteway-Interview-4976/ Thu, 28 May 2015 10:02:22 -0400 An interview with Kansas's Kelly Oubre, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Santa Barbara and his athletic performance work with P3 Sports Science. /article/Kelly-Oubre-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5025/ /article/Kelly-Oubre-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5025/ Thu, 28 May 2015 00:27:00 -0400 A comprehensive article published by DraftExpress on Yahoo! Sports, includes different advanced metrics, and a comparison for how the best shooters in the NBA stack up in various situations: https://sports.yahoo.com/news/ranking-the-2015-nba-draft-s-top-shooters-012046574.html /article/Who-Are-The-Best-Shooters-in-the-2015-NBA-Draft--5024/ /article/Who-Are-The-Best-Shooters-in-the-2015-NBA-Draft--5024/ Wed, 27 May 2015 22:31:02 -0400 An interview with Arizona's Stanley Johnson, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts with Shea Frazee in Santa Barbara and his athletic performance work with P3 Sports Science. /article/Stanley-Johnson-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5023/ /article/Stanley-Johnson-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5023/ Wed, 27 May 2015 16:16:01 -0400 An interview with Louisville's Terry Rozier, featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts with Cody Toppert. /article/Terry-Rozier-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5022/ /article/Terry-Rozier-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5022/ Wed, 27 May 2015 14:58:19 -0400 Video interviews with Louisville guard Terry Rozier and William & Mary guard Marcus Thornton at the 2015 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/Terry-Rozier-and-Marcus-Thornton-Interviews-5014/ /article/Terry-Rozier-and-Marcus-Thornton-Interviews-5014/ Wed, 27 May 2015 14:54:27 -0400 An intro to a few NBA Draft models from five contributors at the APBR metrics bulletin board. Includes background on the analysts, what makes their model unique, and a full breakdown of how the different draft prospects stack up, with a comparison to the DraftExpress Top-100 rankings. /article/Analytics-Models-and-the-NBA-Draft-5021/ /article/Analytics-Models-and-the-NBA-Draft-5021/ Wed, 27 May 2015 10:48:28 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky point guard Andrew Harrison as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Andrew-Harrison-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5020/ /article/Andrew-Harrison-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5020/ Tue, 26 May 2015 23:59:40 -0400 The unique psychological makeup that allowed DeMarre Carroll to rise up from being waived by multiple NBA teams to an integral part of the #1 seed Atlanta Hawks. /article/Opportunity-Knocks-DeMarre-Carrolls-Long-and-Winding-Road-to-Stardom-5019/ /article/Opportunity-Knocks-DeMarre-Carrolls-Long-and-Winding-Road-to-Stardom-5019/ Tue, 26 May 2015 23:06:30 -0400 Video interviews with Eastern Washington scorer Tyler Harvey and Notre Dame wing Pat Connaughton. /article/Tyler-Harvey-and-Pat-Connaughton-Interviews-5016/ /article/Tyler-Harvey-and-Pat-Connaughton-Interviews-5016/ Tue, 26 May 2015 10:33:14 -0400 UC Davis guard Corey Hawkins talks about his preparation for the 2015 NBA Draft. /article/Corey-Hawkins-Interview-4977/ /article/Corey-Hawkins-Interview-4977/ Tue, 26 May 2015 10:32:24 -0400 An interview with Todd Mayo from his workouts with Joe Abunassar in Las Vegas at Impact Basketball. /article/Todd-Mayo-Interview-4983/ /article/Todd-Mayo-Interview-4983/ Tue, 26 May 2015 10:32:16 -0400 A video interview with Syracuse forward Chris McCullough at the 2015 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/Chris-McCullough-Interview-5012/ /article/Chris-McCullough-Interview-5012/ Mon, 25 May 2015 06:57:51 -0400 A video interview with Kentucky forward Trey Lyles at the 2015 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/Trey-Lyles-Interview-5011/ /article/Trey-Lyles-Interview-5011/ Mon, 25 May 2015 06:57:38 -0400 A video interview with Louisville power forward Montrezl Harrell at the 2015 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/Montrezl-Harrell-Interview-5008/ /article/Montrezl-Harrell-Interview-5008/ Mon, 25 May 2015 06:57:31 -0400 A video interview with Kentucky wing Devin Booker at the 2015 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/Devin-Booker-Interview-5009/ /article/Devin-Booker-Interview-5009/ Sat, 23 May 2015 10:54:57 -0400 A video interview with Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein at the 2015 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/Willie-Cauley-Stein-Interview-5010/ /article/Willie-Cauley-Stein-Interview-5010/ Sat, 23 May 2015 10:54:54 -0400 A video interview with Duke wing Justise Winslow at the 2015 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/Justise-Winslow-Interview-5007/ /article/Justise-Winslow-Interview-5007/ Sat, 23 May 2015 10:54:49 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of LSU big man Jordan Mickey as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Jordan-Mickey-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5018/ /article/Jordan-Mickey-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5018/ Fri, 22 May 2015 15:37:17 -0400 A video interview with LSU big man Jordan Mickey at the 2015 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2015-NBA-Combine-Interview-Jordan-Mickey-5006/ /article/2015-NBA-Combine-Interview-Jordan-Mickey-5006/ Fri, 22 May 2015 11:41:21 -0400 An interview with Arizona's Rondae Hollis-Jefferson featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts at Impact Basketball with Joe Abunassar. /article/Rondae-Hollis-Jefferson-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5005/ /article/Rondae-Hollis-Jefferson-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5005/ Fri, 22 May 2015 08:45:08 -0400 Former Arizona Wildcat, Brandon Ashley, discusses his preparation for the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft. /article/Brandon-Ashley-Interview-4972/ /article/Brandon-Ashley-Interview-4972/ Fri, 22 May 2015 08:36:11 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UNLV shooting guard Rashad Vaughn as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Rashad-Vaughn-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5004/ /article/Rashad-Vaughn-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5004/ Thu, 21 May 2015 11:15:52 -0400 An interview with UNLV's Rashad Vaughn featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts at Impact Basketball with Joe Abunassar. /article/Rashad-Vaughn-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5003/ /article/Rashad-Vaughn-Workout-Video-and-Interview-5003/ Thu, 21 May 2015 11:05:38 -0400 An interview with Kentucky's Andrew Harrison featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts at P3 Sports Science center and UCSB in Santa Barbara. /article/Andrew-Harrison-Workout-Video--5002/ /article/Andrew-Harrison-Workout-Video--5002/ Thu, 21 May 2015 08:36:57 -0400 VCU senior Treveon Graham discusses how he's been preparing for the 2015 NBA Draft. /article/Treveon-Graham-Interview-4978/ /article/Treveon-Graham-Interview-4978/ Thu, 21 May 2015 08:29:32 -0400 A video interview with Florida guard Michael Frazier and North Carolina wing J.P. Tokoto. /article/2015-NBA-Combine-Interview-Michael-Frazier-and-JP-Tokoto-4989/ /article/2015-NBA-Combine-Interview-Michael-Frazier-and-JP-Tokoto-4989/ Thu, 21 May 2015 08:29:14 -0400 If Andrew Wiggins and Karl Towns end up as teammates, it won't be their first time in uniform together. The two actually played on the World Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit, and collaborated for this very pretty play. /article/Back-to-the-Future-Andrew-Wiggins-to-Karl-Towns-at-Nike-Hoop-Summit-5001/ /article/Back-to-the-Future-Andrew-Wiggins-to-Karl-Towns-at-Nike-Hoop-Summit-5001/ Wed, 20 May 2015 16:29:28 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Texas combo forward Jonathan Holmes as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Jonathan-Holmes-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5000/ /article/Jonathan-Holmes-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5000/ Wed, 20 May 2015 15:58:59 -0400 An interview with North Carolina's J.P. Tokoto featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts at IMG Academy and in Chicago. /article/JP-Tokoto-Workout-Video--4999/ /article/JP-Tokoto-Workout-Video--4999/ Wed, 20 May 2015 12:07:22 -0400 There wasn't a great deal of drama on NBA Draft lottery night, but that doesn't mean that there won't be plenty of intrigue leading up Draft night June 25th. We break down all the different scenarios in play. /article/Ramifications-of-the-Ping-Pong-Balls-Post-Lottery-Analysis--4998/ /article/Ramifications-of-the-Ping-Pong-Balls-Post-Lottery-Analysis--4998/ Tue, 19 May 2015 22:43:08 -0400 By popular demand, DraftExpress T-Shirts are available for purchase, for the low low price of $17, including tax and shipping. Sizes available are small, medium, large, XL and XXL. /article/DraftExpress-T-Shirts-For-Sale-4997/ /article/DraftExpress-T-Shirts-For-Sale-4997/ Tue, 19 May 2015 18:15:36 -0400 A detailed mock draft with pick-by-pick explanations using projected rosters and taking the individual needs of all 30 NBA teams into account. /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-2-4996/ /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-2-4996/ Tue, 19 May 2015 17:57:55 -0400 The unique psychological makeup that allowed Patrick Beverley to rise up from being exiled to Russia to arguably the best defensive player in the NBA for the Houston Rockets. /article/Opportunity-Knocks-The-Unbearable-Lightness-of-Beverley-4995/ /article/Opportunity-Knocks-The-Unbearable-Lightness-of-Beverley-4995/ Tue, 19 May 2015 09:56:55 -0400 An interview with LSU's Jarell Martin featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts with Joe Abunassar in Las Vegas at Impact Basketball. /article/Jarell-Martin-Workout-Video-4994/ /article/Jarell-Martin-Workout-Video-4994/ Tue, 19 May 2015 09:28:50 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Syracuse Power Forward Chris McCullough as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Chris-McCullough-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4993/ /article/Chris-McCullough-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4993/ Mon, 18 May 2015 13:34:41 -0400 Jonathan Givony discusses NBA Draft related topics with Jody Mac of CBS Sports. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Jody-Mac-of-CBS-Sports-4992/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Jody-Mac-of-CBS-Sports-4992/ Mon, 18 May 2015 10:13:11 -0400 A video interview with Duke guard Quinn Cook at the 2015 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2015-NBA-Combine-Interview-Quinn-Cook-4991/ /article/2015-NBA-Combine-Interview-Quinn-Cook-4991/ Mon, 18 May 2015 09:30:27 -0400 A video interview with standout Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell at the 2015 NBA Combine held in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2015-NBA-Combine-Interview-DAngelo-Russell-4988/ /article/2015-NBA-Combine-Interview-DAngelo-Russell-4988/ Mon, 18 May 2015 09:22:16 -0400 Iowa senior forward Aaron White talks about his preparation for the 2015 NBA Draft. /article/Aaron-White-Interview-4975/ /article/Aaron-White-Interview-4975/ Sun, 17 May 2015 10:07:39 -0400 Arizona point guard T.J. McConnell talks about his preparation for the 2015 NBA Draft. /article/TJ-McConnell-Interview-4974/ /article/TJ-McConnell-Interview-4974/ Sun, 17 May 2015 10:05:21 -0400 Former Stanford Cardinal, Chasson Randle, discusses his preparation for the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft at P3 in Santa Barbara, CA. /article/Chasson-Randle-Workout-Video-4973/ /article/Chasson-Randle-Workout-Video-4973/ Sat, 16 May 2015 11:14:56 -0400 Recapping the ten most impressive performances from day two of the competitive action at the NBA Combine. /article/NBA-Combine-Competitive-Action-Recap-Day-Two-4982/ /article/NBA-Combine-Competitive-Action-Recap-Day-Two-4982/ Sat, 16 May 2015 01:23:56 -0400 The NBA released the athletic testing results from the 2015 NBA Combine in Chicago. We take a look at who stood out and who struggled on paper. /article/2015-NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Analysis-4981/ /article/2015-NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Analysis-4981/ Fri, 15 May 2015 22:57:56 -0400 Jonathan Givony discusses NBA Draft Combine related topics with Chris and Steve of Upon Further Review on ESPN 97.7/100.1. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Upon-Further-Review-4980/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Upon-Further-Review-4980/ Fri, 15 May 2015 14:34:28 -0400 An interview with Justin Anderson featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts with Joe Abunassar in Las Vegas at Impact Basketball. /article/Justin-Anderson-Workout-Video-4979/ /article/Justin-Anderson-Workout-Video-4979/ Fri, 15 May 2015 13:33:55 -0400 Former Oregon Duck, Joseph Young, discusses his preparation for the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft outside of P3 in Santa Barbara, CA. /article/Joseph-Young-Interview-4971/ /article/Joseph-Young-Interview-4971/ Thu, 14 May 2015 23:55:44 -0400 An interview with Rakeem Christmas featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts with Joe Abunassar in Las Vegas at Impact Basketball. /article/Rakeem-Christmas-Workout-Video-4970/ /article/Rakeem-Christmas-Workout-Video-4970/ Thu, 14 May 2015 22:30:59 -0400 Recapping the ten most impressive performances from day one of the competitive action at the NBA Combine, including Rakeem Christmas, J.P. Tokoto, Mam Jaiteh, and more. /article/NBA-Combine-Competitive-Action-Recap-Day-One-4968/ /article/NBA-Combine-Competitive-Action-Recap-Day-One-4968/ Thu, 14 May 2015 21:46:57 -0400 A video interview with Robert Upshaw featuring highlights from his pre-draft preparations at P3 in Santa Barbara, CA as well as highlights from a 5-on-5 workout. /article/Robert-Upshaw-Workout-Video-4967/ /article/Robert-Upshaw-Workout-Video-4967/ Thu, 14 May 2015 15:37:56 -0400 Jonathan Givony discusses NBA Draft Combine related topics with Sharp and Benning on 1620 The Zone. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Sharp-and-Benning-4966/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Sharp-and-Benning-4966/ Thu, 14 May 2015 14:52:54 -0400 How do measurements hold up over time, from the time players finish college to when they start their professional careers? Not that well it turns out. /article/NBA-Measurements-and-How-They-Hold-Up-Over-Time-4965/ /article/NBA-Measurements-and-How-They-Hold-Up-Over-Time-4965/ Thu, 14 May 2015 00:29:21 -0400 A closer look at the 2015 NBA Draft Combine measurements which were released earlier today. /article/2015-NBA-Draft-Combine-Measurements-Analysis-4964/ /article/2015-NBA-Draft-Combine-Measurements-Analysis-4964/ Wed, 13 May 2015 18:15:58 -0400 An interview with Frank Kaminsky featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts with Charlie Torres in Santa Barbara, California. /article/Frank-Kaminsky-Workout-Video-4963/ /article/Frank-Kaminsky-Workout-Video-4963/ Wed, 13 May 2015 14:52:30 -0400 An interview with Myles Turner featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts with Joe Abunassar in Las Vegas, Nevada at Impact Basketball /article/Myles-Turner-Workout-Video-4962/ /article/Myles-Turner-Workout-Video-4962/ Wed, 13 May 2015 14:07:58 -0400 Discussing the recent gains made in the human movement science field, with a specific look at 2015 NBA Draft prospect Myles Turner, and his attempt to improve his career and draft outlook with the help of a specialized doctor. /article/Human-Movement-Science-and-the-NBA-Draft-and-Myles-Turner--4961/ /article/Human-Movement-Science-and-the-NBA-Draft-and-Myles-Turner--4961/ Wed, 13 May 2015 00:35:22 -0400 Discussing a variety of topics with Jarvis Threatt at the 2015 D-League Elite Mini-Camp in Chicago, including the season he just had, his background, what type of player he is, and how he's looking forward toward the pre-draft process. /article/Jarvis-Threatt-Interview-4960/ /article/Jarvis-Threatt-Interview-4960/ Tue, 12 May 2015 09:20:35 -0400 Discussing a variety of topics with Satnam Singh at IMG Academy in Bradenton, including what he's working on on and off the court, his background, and how he's looking forward toward the pre-draft process. /article/Satnam-Singh-Interview-4959/ /article/Satnam-Singh-Interview-4959/ Tue, 12 May 2015 09:08:51 -0400 Discussing a variety of topics with Alan Williams in Las Vegas, including what he's working on on and off the court, his time at U.C. Santa Barbara, and how he's looking forward toward the pre-draft process. /article/Alan-Williams-Interview-4958/ /article/Alan-Williams-Interview-4958/ Tue, 12 May 2015 01:30:21 -0400 An interview with Satnam Singh featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts with Kenny Natt and Daniel Santiago in Bradenton, Florida at IMG Academy /article/Satnam-Singh-Workout-Video-4957/ /article/Satnam-Singh-Workout-Video-4957/ Mon, 11 May 2015 19:40:56 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Arizona point guard T.J. McConnell as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/TJ-McConnell-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4956/ /article/TJ-McConnell-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4956/ Mon, 11 May 2015 18:57:56 -0400 Discussing a variety of topics with Stanley Johnson in Santa Barbara, including what he's working on on and off the court, his time at Arizona, and how he's looking forward toward the pre-draft process. /article/Stanley-Johnson-Interview-4954/ /article/Stanley-Johnson-Interview-4954/ Sun, 10 May 2015 11:44:48 -0400 Discussing a variety of topics with Kelly Oubre in Santa Barbara, including what he's working on on and off the court, his time at Kansas, and how he's looking forward toward the pre-draft process. /article/Kelly-Oubre-Interview-4953/ /article/Kelly-Oubre-Interview-4953/ Sun, 10 May 2015 11:40:02 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Michigan State power forward Branden Dawson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Branden-Dawson-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4945/ /article/Branden-Dawson-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4945/ Sat, 09 May 2015 15:40:20 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Maryland shooting guard Dez Wells as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Dez-Wells-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4950/ /article/Dez-Wells-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4950/ Sat, 09 May 2015 15:40:07 -0400 The NBA officially released the list of players invited to their annual Draft Combine, to be held in Chicago next week from May 12-17th. Who got in, who didn't, and why? /article/2015-NBA-Combine-Preview-Schedule-Teams-Groupings-and-Analysis-4952/ /article/2015-NBA-Combine-Preview-Schedule-Teams-Groupings-and-Analysis-4952/ Fri, 08 May 2015 17:09:05 -0400 The unique psychological makeup that allowed Draymond Green to rise up from undersized second round pick to arguably the best defensive player in the NBA and a key component of championship contending Golden State. /article/Opportunity-Knocks-Everybody-Loves-Draymond-4951/ /article/Opportunity-Knocks-Everybody-Loves-Draymond-4951/ Thu, 07 May 2015 23:21:41 -0400 Discussing a variety of topics with Frank Kaminsky in Santa Barbara, including what he's working on on and off the court, his time at Wisconsin, and how he's looking forward toward the pre-draft process. /article/Frank-Kaminsky-Interview-4949/ /article/Frank-Kaminsky-Interview-4949/ Thu, 07 May 2015 10:06:02 -0400 Discussing a variety of topics with Chris Walker at IMG Academy, including what he's working on during the pre-draft process, his departure from Florida, and how he's looking forward toward the pre-draft process. /article/Chris-Walker-Interview-4948/ /article/Chris-Walker-Interview-4948/ Thu, 07 May 2015 02:12:18 -0400 An interview with Florida's Chris Walker featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts with Kenny Natt and Dan Barto in Bradenton, Florida at IMG Academy /article/Chris-Walker-Workout-Video-4947/ /article/Chris-Walker-Workout-Video-4947/ Thu, 07 May 2015 02:10:14 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kansas big man Cliff Alexander as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Cliff-Alexander-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4946/ /article/Cliff-Alexander-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4946/ Wed, 06 May 2015 22:27:59 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Murray State point guard Cameron Payne as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/RJ-Hunter-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4942/ /article/RJ-Hunter-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4942/ Tue, 05 May 2015 15:45:57 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Florida shooting guard Michael Frazier as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Michael-Frazier-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4940/ /article/Michael-Frazier-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4940/ Mon, 04 May 2015 19:36:29 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Murray State point guard Cameron Payne as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Cameron-Payne-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4939/ /article/Cameron-Payne-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4939/ Mon, 04 May 2015 18:33:55 -0400 Discussing a variety of topics with Murray State's Cameron Payne at IMG Academy. /article/Cameron-Payne-Interview-4937/ /article/Cameron-Payne-Interview-4937/ Mon, 04 May 2015 09:09:36 -0400 An interview with Cameron Payne featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts with Kenny Natt and Dan Barto in Bradenton, Florida at IMG Academy /article/Cameron-Payne-Workout-Video-4936/ /article/Cameron-Payne-Workout-Video-4936/ Mon, 04 May 2015 08:56:33 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UNLV power forward Christian Wood as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Christian-Wood-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4935/ /article/Christian-Wood-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4935/ Fri, 01 May 2015 18:04:18 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Devin-Booker-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4934/ /article/Devin-Booker-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4934/ Thu, 30 Apr 2015 16:44:25 -0400 Chicago Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler could have easily become an exiled player, but he has shown a rare resiliency that is atypical of most people. /article/Opportunity-Knocks-Jimmy-Butlers-Rise-to-Stardom-4933/ /article/Opportunity-Knocks-Jimmy-Butlers-Rise-to-Stardom-4933/ Thu, 30 Apr 2015 09:53:08 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Virginia wing Justin Anderson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video breakdown. /article/Justin-Anderson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4932/ /article/Justin-Anderson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4932/ Wed, 29 Apr 2015 10:31:09 -0400 The NBA announced the list of players that have filed as early entry candidates for the 2015 NBA Draft earlier today. /article/NBA-Announced-Early-Entry-Candidates-for-2015-NBA-Draft-4931/ /article/NBA-Announced-Early-Entry-Candidates-for-2015-NBA-Draft-4931/ Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:56:46 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Arkansas power forward Bobby Portis as an NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Bobby-Portis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4930/ /article/Bobby-Portis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4930/ Tue, 28 Apr 2015 11:38:44 -0400 Our first detailed mock draft with pick-by-pick explanations using projected rosters and taking the individual needs of all 30 NBA teams into account has been released. /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-1-4929/ /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2015-Mock-Draft-1-4929/ Tue, 28 Apr 2015 11:01:19 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Croatian shooting guard Mario Hezonja as an NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Mario-Hezonja-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4928/ /article/Mario-Hezonja-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4928/ Mon, 27 Apr 2015 14:34:17 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Boston College combo guard Olivier Hanlan as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Olivier-Hanlan-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4927/ /article/Olivier-Hanlan-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4927/ Sun, 26 Apr 2015 09:53:29 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Duke point guard Tyus Jones as an NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Tyus-Jones-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4926/ /article/Tyus-Jones-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4926/ Fri, 24 Apr 2015 14:19:43 -0400 Thirty-three of the nation's top male basketball players age 16-and-under today were announced as members of the 2015-16 USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team. /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Roster-Announced-4925/ /article/USA-Basketball-U16-Training-Camp-Roster-Announced-4925/ Thu, 23 Apr 2015 13:48:18 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky power forward Trey Lyles as an NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Trey-Lyles-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4924/ /article/Trey-Lyles-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4924/ Wed, 22 Apr 2015 14:42:24 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Wisconsin small forward Sam Dekker as an NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Sam-Dekker-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4923/ /article/Sam-Dekker-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4923/ Tue, 21 Apr 2015 17:41:47 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Bowling Green big man Richaun Holmes as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Richaun-Holmes-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4922/ /article/Richaun-Holmes-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4922/ Mon, 20 Apr 2015 19:52:39 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Harvard wing Wesley Saunders as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Wesley-Saunders-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4921/ /article/Wesley-Saunders-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4921/ Mon, 20 Apr 2015 18:33:13 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Wisconsin big man Frank Kaminsky as an NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Frank-Kaminsky-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4920/ /article/Frank-Kaminsky-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4920/ Mon, 20 Apr 2015 15:11:00 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Tennessee shooting guard Josh Richardson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Josh-Richardson-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4918/ /article/Josh-Richardson-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4918/ Sun, 19 Apr 2015 22:45:01 -0400 An interview with elite high school prospect Thon Maker of the World Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Thon-Maker-4913/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Thon-Maker-4913/ Sat, 18 Apr 2015 20:17:16 -0400 An interview with elite wing prospect Allonzo Trier of the USA Junior National Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Allonzo-Trier-4916/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Allonzo-Trier-4916/ Sat, 18 Apr 2015 19:06:21 -0400 Scouting reports on ten of the most intriguing international prospects seen at the 2015 Jordan Brand Classic at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn. /article/2015-Jordan-Brand-Classic-International-Game-Top-Prospects-4917/ /article/2015-Jordan-Brand-Classic-International-Game-Top-Prospects-4917/ Fri, 17 Apr 2015 17:28:11 -0400 An interview with Brazilian guard prospect George Lucas of the World Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-George-de-Paula-4915/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-George-de-Paula-4915/ Fri, 17 Apr 2015 15:39:56 -0400 An interview with elite center prospect Stephen Zimmerman of the USA Junior National Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Stephen-Zimmerman-4914/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Stephen-Zimmerman-4914/ Fri, 17 Apr 2015 15:37:23 -0400 An interview with wing prospect Nedim Buza of the World Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Nedim-Buza-4909/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Nedim-Buza-4909/ Fri, 17 Apr 2015 15:17:35 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Duke wing Justise Winslow as an NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Justise-Winslow-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4912/ /article/Justise-Winslow-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4912/ Thu, 16 Apr 2015 18:49:32 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Duke big man Jahlil Okafor as an NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Jahlil-Okafor-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4911/ /article/Jahlil-Okafor-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4911/ Wed, 15 Apr 2015 21:29:29 -0400 An interview with elite wing prospect Jaylen Brown of the USA Junior National Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Jaylen-Brown-4908/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Jaylen-Brown-4908/ Wed, 15 Apr 2015 21:22:00 -0400 An interview with elite guard prospect Isaiah Briscoe of the USA Junior National Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Isaiah-Briscoe-4910/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Isaiah-Briscoe-4910/ Wed, 15 Apr 2015 21:21:49 -0400 Seth Tuttle emerged as one of the top seniors in mid-major college basketball leading Northern Iowa to a 31-4 record. /article/Seth-Tuttle-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4906/ /article/Seth-Tuttle-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4906/ Wed, 15 Apr 2015 10:32:08 -0400 Jonathan Givony discusses NBA Draft related topics with Adam Zagoria of SNY. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Adam-Zagoria-of-SNY-4905/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Adam-Zagoria-of-SNY-4905/ Tue, 14 Apr 2015 16:42:19 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Louisville big man Montrezl Harrell as an NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Montrezl-Harrell-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4904/ /article/Montrezl-Harrell-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4904/ Tue, 14 Apr 2015 10:43:28 -0400 Brazilian guard George Lucas goes around the key in a Nike Hoop Summit shooting drill. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Shooting-Drills-George-de-Paula-4902/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Shooting-Drills-George-de-Paula-4902/ Tue, 14 Apr 2015 10:34:49 -0400 An interview with elite forward prospect Chase Jeter of the USA Junior National Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Chase-Jeter-4903/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Chase-Jeter-4903/ Tue, 14 Apr 2015 08:44:59 -0400 Shannon Scott arrived at Ohio State as a McDonald's All-American and one of the most coveted point guards in his recruiting class, but his college career was largely a mixed bag. /article/Shannon-Scott-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4901/ /article/Shannon-Scott-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4901/ Mon, 13 Apr 2015 18:40:11 -0400 Chinese big man Zhou Qi goes around the key in a Nike Hoop Summit shooting drill. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Shooting-Drills-Zhou-Qi-4900/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Shooting-Drills-Zhou-Qi-4900/ Mon, 13 Apr 2015 18:05:52 -0400 Virginia junior Justin Anderson will be declaring for the NBA Draft, as first reported by Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. Via Campus Insiders, we take a look at what type of NBA draft prospect he is, and try to get a better gauge of where his stock is. /article/Justin-Anderson-Declaring-for-the-NBA-Draft-4899/ /article/Justin-Anderson-Declaring-for-the-NBA-Draft-4899/ Mon, 13 Apr 2015 16:02:04 -0400 Behind sensational performances from Jamal Murray, Skal Labissiere and Ben Simmons, the World Select Nike Hoop Summit Team defeated the US Team, 103-101, Saturday afternoon at the Moda Center in Portland. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Final-Recap-4898/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Final-Recap-4898/ Sat, 11 Apr 2015 19:39:09 -0400 An interview with elite forward prospect Brandon Ingram of the USA Junior National Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Brandon-Ingram-4896/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Brandon-Ingram-4896/ Sat, 11 Apr 2015 19:33:38 -0400 An interview with Canadian shooting guard prospect Jamal Murray of the World Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Jamal-Murray-4884/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Jamal-Murray-4884/ Sat, 11 Apr 2015 16:09:10 -0400 The official measurements of the participants of the 2015 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament have been released; we break them down. /article/2015-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Measurements-and-Analysis-4897/ /article/2015-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Measurements-and-Analysis-4897/ Sat, 11 Apr 2015 15:51:27 -0400 An interview with Duke commit Luke Kennard of the USA Junior National Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Luke-Kennard-4895/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Luke-Kennard-4895/ Sat, 11 Apr 2015 14:19:19 -0400 An interview with elite guard prospect Malik Newman of the USA Junior National Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Malik-Newman-4894/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Malik-Newman-4894/ Sat, 11 Apr 2015 14:17:40 -0400 An interview with Michigan State commit Caleb Swanigan of the USA Junior National Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Caleb-Swanigan-4893/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Caleb-Swanigan-4893/ Sat, 11 Apr 2015 09:50:12 -0400 Taking a look at some of the better performances of the third day of action at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Virginia, where some of the top seniors in college basketball are trying to catch the eyes of NBA scouts. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Three-Standouts-4892/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Three-Standouts-4892/ Sat, 11 Apr 2015 07:05:43 -0400 For the second consecutive night the USA Team scrimmaged a group of former collegiate players in the Trail Blazers practice facility, once again coming out on top, 87-63, over the course of three 10-minute quarters. Unlike Thursday night, the scrimmage wasn't open to NBA scouts and executives. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Practice-Day-Three-4891/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Practice-Day-Three-4891/ Sat, 11 Apr 2015 00:31:54 -0400 The official measurements for the USA Junior National Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit were released today. We take a look at the full results and break down the highlights. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Junior-National-Select-Team-Measurements-4890/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Junior-National-Select-Team-Measurements-4890/ Fri, 10 Apr 2015 22:36:20 -0400 Day five of the World Select Nike Hoop Summit was the international team's last chance to get some final preparation in before the game tipped the following day at Noon. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-Five-4889/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-Five-4889/ Fri, 10 Apr 2015 21:20:19 -0400 An interview with committed Ivan Rabb of Team USA at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Ivan-Rabb-4888/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Ivan-Rabb-4888/ Fri, 10 Apr 2015 14:37:33 -0400 Haitian big man and Kentucky commit Skal Labissiere goes around the key in a Nike Hoop Summit shooting drill. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Shooting-Drills-Skal-Labissiere-4887/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Shooting-Drills-Skal-Labissiere-4887/ Fri, 10 Apr 2015 14:16:34 -0400 New Zealand big man and Kentucky commit Tai Wynyard goes around the key in a Nike Hoop Summit shooting drill. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Shooting-Drills-Tai-Wynyard-4886/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Shooting-Drills-Tai-Wynyard-4886/ Fri, 10 Apr 2015 14:13:35 -0400 Team USA scrimmaged the PDX Ex-Legends, a group of former college players and Oklahoma bound point Payton Pritchard, Thursday night in the Trail Blazers practice facility in front of scouts and executives from every NBA team. Being the only practice or scrimmage open to NBA talent evaluators due to league restrictions on watching high school players, this was an especially important showcase for the USA prospects to continue to show their strengths and weaknesses moving forward. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Practice-Day-Two-4885/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Practice-Day-Two-4885/ Fri, 10 Apr 2015 13:53:51 -0400 An interview with highly touted 2015 center prospect Cheick Diallo of the World Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Cheick-Diallo-4882/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Cheick-Diallo-4882/ Fri, 10 Apr 2015 13:41:21 -0400 An interview with future Kentucky Wildcat Tai Wynyard of the World Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Tai-Wynyard-4881/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Tai-Wynyard-4881/ Thu, 09 Apr 2015 20:59:16 -0400 The fourth day of practice for the Nike Hoop Summit World Select Team was shorter, and less physically demanding, starting later and ended earlier than scheduled. This was certainly by design as the coaching staff tries to get the squad physically ready for the game on Saturday and avoid tiring the players too much after an intensive schedule the past few days. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-Four-4883/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-Four-4883/ Thu, 09 Apr 2015 20:45:53 -0400 An interview with Italian guard prospect Federico Mussini of the World Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Federico-Mussini-4880/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Federico-Mussini-4880/ Thu, 09 Apr 2015 17:19:15 -0400 Two of the top big men prospects in high school basketball, Skal Labissiere and Thon Maker, go head to head in the post in a Nike Hoop Summit drill. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-One-on-One-Drills-Skal-Labissiere-vs-Thon-Maker-4879/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-One-on-One-Drills-Skal-Labissiere-vs-Thon-Maker-4879/ Thu, 09 Apr 2015 12:32:03 -0400 Day three of Nike Hoop Summit World Team practice kicked off a little earlier in the afternoon to allow the players ample time to get to the Moda Center for the Portland Trailblazers-Minnesota Timberwolves game, certainly one of the highlights of the week for them. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-Three-4878/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-Three-4878/ Wed, 08 Apr 2015 22:26:43 -0400 The Nike Hoop Summit USA Junior National Select Team hit the court on Wednesday for its first full practice of the week to begin preparing for its matchup with the World Select Team on Saturday. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Practice-Day-One-4877/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Practice-Day-One-4877/ Wed, 08 Apr 2015 22:05:02 -0400 Jonathan Givony discusses NBA Draft related topics with Marc Daniels of 740 The Game in Orlando. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-740-The-Game-4876/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-740-The-Game-4876/ Wed, 08 Apr 2015 19:16:44 -0400 An interview with Kentucky commit Skal Labissiere of the World Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Skal-Labissiere-4875/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Skal-Labissiere-4875/ Wed, 08 Apr 2015 16:52:26 -0400 An interview with LSU commit Ben Simmons of the World Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Ben-Simmons-4874/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Ben-Simmons-4874/ Wed, 08 Apr 2015 16:45:14 -0400 A breakdown of the World Select Team's first two practices in preparation for the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Days-One-and-Two-4873/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Days-One-and-Two-4873/ Wed, 08 Apr 2015 04:33:42 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky big man Willie Cauley-Stein as an NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Willie-Cauley-Stein-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4872/ /article/Willie-Cauley-Stein-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4872/ Wed, 08 Apr 2015 04:02:21 -0400 The official measurements for the World Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit were released today. We take a look at the full results and break down the highlights. /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Measurements-4871/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Measurements-4871/ Mon, 06 Apr 2015 19:01:26 -0400 The players participating at the 2015 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (April 8-11, official site) were announced today. /article/2015-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-4870/ /article/2015-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-4870/ Mon, 06 Apr 2015 18:50:26 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2015 NBA Draft take the floor on Monday for the NCAA Tournament Championship Game? What will NBA scouts be looking for when they do? /article/NCAA-Tournament-Championship-Game-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-4869/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Championship-Game-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-4869/ Mon, 06 Apr 2015 15:54:13 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky big man Karl Towns as an NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Karl-Towns-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4868/ /article/Karl-Towns-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4868/ Mon, 06 Apr 2015 13:35:14 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky fared in his matchup with Kentucky's top-10 pick big men Karl Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein at the Final Four last night. /article/Frank-Kaminsky-vs-Karl-Towns-and-Willie-Cauley-Stein-Video-Analysis-4867/ /article/Frank-Kaminsky-vs-Karl-Towns-and-Willie-Cauley-Stein-Video-Analysis-4867/ Sun, 05 Apr 2015 10:31:08 -0400 A video interview featuring highlights of elite 2015 recruit P.J. Dozier from the 2015 McDonald's All-American game. /article/2015-McDonalds-Video-Interview-and-Highlights-PJ-Dozier-4865/ /article/2015-McDonalds-Video-Interview-and-Highlights-PJ-Dozier-4865/ Sun, 05 Apr 2015 10:23:11 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Utah point guard Delon Wright as an NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Delon-Wright-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4866/ /article/Delon-Wright-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4866/ Fri, 03 Apr 2015 14:47:28 -0400 A video interview featuring highlights of elite 2015 recruit Diamond Stone from the 2015 McDonald's All-American game. /article/2015-McDonalds-Video-Interview-and-Highlights-Diamond-Stone-4864/ /article/2015-McDonalds-Video-Interview-and-Highlights-Diamond-Stone-4864/ Fri, 03 Apr 2015 10:31:41 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Arizona small forward Stanley Johnson as an NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Stanley-Johnson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4863/ /article/Stanley-Johnson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4863/ Thu, 02 Apr 2015 13:17:08 -0400 A video interview featuring highlights of elite 2015 recruit Brandon Ingram from the 2015 McDonald's All-American game. /article/2015-McDonalds-Video-Interview-and-Highlights-Brandon-Ingram-4862/ /article/2015-McDonalds-Video-Interview-and-Highlights-Brandon-Ingram-4862/ Thu, 02 Apr 2015 13:12:17 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Arizona small forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Rondae-Hollis-Jefferson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4861/ /article/Rondae-Hollis-Jefferson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4861/ Wed, 01 Apr 2015 14:14:21 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2015 NBA Draft take the floor on Saturday for the NCAA Tournament Final Four? What will NBA scouts be looking for when they do? /article/NCAA-Tournament-Final-Four-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-4860/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Final-Four-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-4860/ Wed, 01 Apr 2015 08:46:46 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Arizona Center Kaleb Tarczewski as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Kaleb-Tarczewski-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4859/ /article/Kaleb-Tarczewski-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4859/ Wed, 01 Apr 2015 08:37:33 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Notre Dame Point Guard Jerian Grant as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Jerian-Grant-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4858/ /article/Jerian-Grant-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4858/ Tue, 31 Mar 2015 12:50:48 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UCLA Power Forward Kevon Looney as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Kevon-Looney-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4857/ /article/Kevon-Looney-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4857/ Mon, 30 Mar 2015 13:05:05 -0400 Who is entering? Who is returning? Who is still undecided? We break down all the prospects in the 2015 NBA draft, as well as who will be representing them, and where they are projected to get drafted. /article/2015-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-and-Agent-List-4856/ /article/2015-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-and-Agent-List-4856/ Mon, 30 Mar 2015 08:24:14 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2015 NBA Draft take the floor on Sunday for the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament? What will NBA scouts be looking for when they do? /article/NCAA-Tournament-Elite-Eight-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Sunday-4855/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Elite-Eight-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Sunday-4855/ Sat, 28 Mar 2015 22:09:00 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of the head to head matchup of Jahlil Okafor and Jakob Poeltl from the NCAA Tournament game between their Duke and Utah teams last night. /article/Jahlil-Okafor-vs-Jakob-Poeltl-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-4854/ /article/Jahlil-Okafor-vs-Jakob-Poeltl-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-4854/ Sat, 28 Mar 2015 16:31:24 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2015 NBA Draft take the floor on Saturday for the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament? What will NBA scouts be looking for when they do? /article/NCAA-Tournament-Elite-Eight-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Saturday-4853/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Elite-Eight-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Saturday-4853/ Sat, 28 Mar 2015 01:02:48 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Providence point guard Kris Dunn as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Kris-Dunn-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4852/ /article/Kris-Dunn-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4852/ Fri, 27 Mar 2015 12:10:42 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2015 NBA Draft take the floor on Friday for the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament? What will NBA scouts be looking for when they do? /article/NCAA-Tournament-Sweet-16-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Friday-4851/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Sweet-16-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Friday-4851/ Thu, 26 Mar 2015 11:22:55 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Kansas wing Kelly Oubre as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Kelly-Oubre-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4850/ /article/Kelly-Oubre-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4850/ Thu, 26 Mar 2015 10:39:48 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2015 NBA Draft take the floor on Thursday for the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament? And what will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/NCAA-Tournament-Sweet-16-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Thursday-4849/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Sweet-16-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Thursday-4849/ Wed, 25 Mar 2015 13:21:31 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of LSU forward Jarell Martin as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Jarell-Martin-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown--4848/ /article/Jarell-Martin-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown--4848/ Wed, 25 Mar 2015 09:18:43 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Ohio State Point Guard D'Angelo Russell as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/DAngelo-Russell-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4847/ /article/DAngelo-Russell-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4847/ Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:37:56 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Green Bay point guard Keifer Sykes as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/Keifer-Sykes-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4846/ /article/Keifer-Sykes-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4846/ Tue, 24 Mar 2015 12:43:08 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Texas PF/C Myles Turner as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed video analysis and scouting report. /article/Myles-Turner-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4845/ /article/Myles-Turner-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4845/ Mon, 23 Mar 2015 14:21:51 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of the head to head matchup of D'Angelo Russell and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson from the NCAA Tournament game between their Ohio State and Arizona teams this past weekend. /article/DAngelo-Russell-vs-Rondae-Hollis-Jefferson-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-4844/ /article/DAngelo-Russell-vs-Rondae-Hollis-Jefferson-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-4844/ Mon, 23 Mar 2015 09:40:41 -0400 A thorough 17 minute talk with CBS Sports Radio's Jody Mac breaking down the 2015 NBA Draft. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-CBS-Sports-Radio-4843/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-CBS-Sports-Radio-4843/ Mon, 23 Mar 2015 02:19:11 -0400 A detailed 15 minute talk with SiriusXM NBA Radio. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-XM-Sports-Radio-4842/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-XM-Sports-Radio-4842/ Mon, 23 Mar 2015 02:09:30 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2015 NBA Draft take the floor on Sunday for the Round of 32 at the NCAA Tournament? And what will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Sunday-4841/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Sunday-4841/ Sat, 21 Mar 2015 15:34:36 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2015 NBA Draft take the floor on Saturday for the Round of 32 at the NCAA Tournament? And what will NBA scouts be looking for? /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Saturday--4840/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Saturday--4840/ Fri, 20 Mar 2015 14:21:40 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2015 NBA Draft take the floor on Friday for the Round of 64 at the NCAA Tournament? And what will scouts be looking for? /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Friday-4839/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Friday-4839/ Wed, 18 Mar 2015 14:43:51 -0400 When do the top college prospects for the 2015 NBA Draft take the floor on Thursday for the Round of 64 at the NCAA Tournament? And what will scouts be looking for? /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Thursday-4838/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Thursday-4838/ Tue, 17 Mar 2015 17:48:20 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Penn State shooting guard D.J. Newbill as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report. /article/DJ-Newbill-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4837/ /article/DJ-Newbill-Updated-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-4837/ Mon, 16 Mar 2015 15:23:46 -0400 With the 2015 NCAA Tournament Bracket officially set, we take a look at how the first weekend is shaping up from a NBA Draft perspective. Who are the prospects and what will NBA teams be looking for in each pod? /article/2015-NCAA-Tournament-First-Weekend-NBA-Prospect-Breakdown-4836/ /article/2015-NCAA-Tournament-First-Weekend-NBA-Prospect-Breakdown-4836/ Mon, 16 Mar 2015 00:34:11 -0400 With hundreds of games going on this week, it can be difficult to keep track of all the action and watch everything going on while on the road. Thankfully the folks at Slingbox were kind enough to send me their latest device (the M1), for a test drive. /article/Keeping-Track-of-All-the-Madness-Thanks-To-Slingbox-4835/ /article/Keeping-Track-of-All-the-Madness-Thanks-To-Slingbox-4835/ Fri, 13 Mar 2015 13:51:53 -0400 A breakdown of the official 2014-2015 NCAA Post-Season awards, including first, second and third All-Conference teams, as well as the All-Freshman Teams, Coaches of the year, All-Defensive Teams, and more- for every NCAA Division I conference. /article/2015-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-4834/ /article/2015-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-4834/ Thu, 12 Mar 2015 20:55:16 -0400 The Nike Hoop Summit World team was officially announced today, complementing the USA roster which was announced in January. The game is scheduled for Saturday, April 11th at the Rose Garden, in Portland, Oregon, and will be broadcasted on ESPN2 at noon PST (3PM EST). /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Roster-Breakdown-4833/ /article/2015-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Roster-Breakdown-4833/ Wed, 11 Mar 2015 11:24:29 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of ex-Washington center Robert Upshaw as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video analysis. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Robert-Upshaw-4832/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Robert-Upshaw-4832/ Wed, 11 Mar 2015 09:31:54 -0400 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Latvian power forward Kristaps Porzingis as a NBA Draft prospect, with a detailed scouting report and video analysis. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Kristaps-Porzingis-4831/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Kristaps-Porzingis-4831/ Fri, 06 Mar 2015 13:32:06 -0500 With the rosters for the Jordan Brand Classic being released today, we can finally take an inventory of which players were (and weren't) invited to the three major postseason high school events coming up next month. /article/High-School-Postseason-EventAllStar-Game-Invitations-and-Analysis-4830/ /article/High-School-Postseason-EventAllStar-Game-Invitations-and-Analysis-4830/ Thu, 05 Mar 2015 14:04:52 -0500 Evaluating the play of 18-year old projected lottery pick Emmanuel Mudiay in his surprising two-game appearance in the Chinese playoff semifinals against Beijing. /article/Emmanuel-Mudiay-Chinese-Playoffs-Video-Analysis-4829/ /article/Emmanuel-Mudiay-Chinese-Playoffs-Video-Analysis-4829/ Wed, 04 Mar 2015 09:28:05 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how North Carolina's Kennedy Meeks fared in his matchup with Kentucky earlier this season. /article/Kennedy-Meeks-vs-Kentucky-Video-Analysis-4828/ /article/Kennedy-Meeks-vs-Kentucky-Video-Analysis-4828/ Tue, 03 Mar 2015 15:22:55 -0500 A behind the scenes look at what happened at the NBA's inaugural Basketball Without Borders Global Camp during All-Star weekend in New York City. /article/NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Final-Recap-4827/ /article/NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-Final-Recap-4827/ Mon, 02 Mar 2015 12:58:00 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Georgia State's R.J. Hunter fared in his matchup with Iowa State early this season. /article/RJ-Hunter-vs-Iowa-State-Video-Analysis-4826/ /article/RJ-Hunter-vs-Iowa-State-Video-Analysis-4826/ Fri, 27 Feb 2015 11:01:14 -0500 Highlights of 6-8 Angolan forward Silvio De Sousa from the 2015 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in New York City during NBA All-Star Weekend. /article/Silvio-De-Sousa-at-the-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-4825/ /article/Silvio-De-Sousa-at-the-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-4825/ Wed, 25 Feb 2015 16:17:17 -0500 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Syracuse's Rakeem Christmas as a NBA Draft prospect. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Rakeem-Christmas-4824/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Rakeem-Christmas-4824/ Tue, 24 Feb 2015 13:44:48 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how UCLA's Kevon Looney fared in his matchup with Arizona this past weekend. /article/Kevon-Looney-vs-Arizona-Video-Analysis-4823/ /article/Kevon-Looney-vs-Arizona-Video-Analysis-4823/ Mon, 23 Feb 2015 12:17:42 -0500 An interview and highlights of 7-foot Croatian PF Dragan Bender from the 2015 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in New York City during NBA All-Star Weekend. /article/Dragan-Bender-at-the-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp----4822/ /article/Dragan-Bender-at-the-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp----4822/ Mon, 23 Feb 2015 11:49:45 -0500 An Interview and highlights of 6-10 Finnish PF Lauri Markkanen from the 2015 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in New York City during NBA All-Star Weekend. /article/Lauri-Markkanen-at-the-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp----4821/ /article/Lauri-Markkanen-at-the-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp----4821/ Fri, 20 Feb 2015 13:49:18 -0500 Highlights of 6-5 Canadian guard Jamal Murray from the 2015 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in New York City during NBA All-Star Weekend. /article/Jamal-Murray-at-the-2015-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-4820/ /article/Jamal-Murray-at-the-2015-NBA-Basketball-Without-Borders-Global-Camp-4820/ Fri, 20 Feb 2015 13:05:15 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how UNLV's Christian Wood fared in his matchup with Boise State's James Webb on Wednesday. /article/Christian-Wood-vs-James-Webb-Video-Analysis-4819/ /article/Christian-Wood-vs-James-Webb-Video-Analysis-4819/ Fri, 20 Feb 2015 12:18:41 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Notre Dame's Jerian Grant fared in his matchup with Providence's Kris Dunn earlier this season. /article/Jerian-Grant-vs-Kris-Dunn-Video-Analysis-4818/ /article/Jerian-Grant-vs-Kris-Dunn-Video-Analysis-4818/ Wed, 18 Feb 2015 15:02:26 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Utah's Delon Wright fared in his matchup with Cal's Tyrone Wallace this past weekend. /article/Delon-Wright-vs-Tyrone-Wallace-Video-Analysis-4817/ /article/Delon-Wright-vs-Tyrone-Wallace-Video-Analysis-4817/ Tue, 17 Feb 2015 10:49:38 -0500 Studying the evolution of Anthony Davis, from Kentucky to the NBA. What kind of player was he coming out of college, and what areas of his game did he improve the most in to help him develop into arguably the most productive player in the league right now? /article/The-Evolution-of-Anthony-Davis-from-Kentucky-to-the-NBA-4816/ /article/The-Evolution-of-Anthony-Davis-from-Kentucky-to-the-NBA-4816/ Sat, 14 Feb 2015 16:36:22 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Kentucky's Karl Towns fared in his matchup with LSU's Jarell Martin. /article/Karl-Towns-vs-Jarell-Martin-Video-Analysis-4815/ /article/Karl-Towns-vs-Jarell-Martin-Video-Analysis-4815/ Thu, 12 Feb 2015 14:09:18 -0500 Another Brazilian is trying to crash the first round of this year's NBA Draft, 6-5 point guard George Lucas. Learn more about him. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-George-de-Paula-4814/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-George-de-Paula-4814/ Tue, 10 Feb 2015 15:15:00 -0500 A detailed video analysis of Mario Hezonja's 22-point explosion against Real Madrid in the Euroleague. /article/Mario-Hezonja-vs-Real-Madrid-Video-Analysis-4813/ /article/Mario-Hezonja-vs-Real-Madrid-Video-Analysis-4813/ Fri, 06 Feb 2015 16:12:11 -0500 An ankle injury ended Emmanuel Mudiay's season in China after just ten games. With the playoffs around the corner, and Mudiay certain not to be activated, its time for Mike Schmitz to break down the video of the potential top-3 pick's brief stint overseas. /article/Emmanuel-Mudiay-Chinese-Season-Video-Summary-and-Analysis-4812/ /article/Emmanuel-Mudiay-Chinese-Season-Video-Summary-and-Analysis-4812/ Thu, 05 Feb 2015 19:05:16 -0500 A detailed look at the rosters for the NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp, to be held in New York City during NBA All-Star Weekend, that were released today. /article/2015-Basketball-Without-Borders-Camp-Roster-Analysis-4811/ /article/2015-Basketball-Without-Borders-Camp-Roster-Analysis-4811/ Thu, 05 Feb 2015 09:29:32 -0500 A relatively unknown French wing player is trying to take advantage of the weakness of the international class and secure a spot in the first round of the NBA Draft. Learn more about him. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Timothe-Luwawu-4810/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Timothe-Luwawu-4810/ Tue, 03 Feb 2015 15:53:37 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Duke's Justise Winslow fared in his matchup with Virginia's Justin Anderson. /article/Justise-Winslow-vs-Justin-Anderson-Video-Analysis-4809/ /article/Justise-Winslow-vs-Justin-Anderson-Video-Analysis-4809/ Mon, 02 Feb 2015 18:38:12 -0500 Using SportVU data to learn more about potential #1 pick Jahlil Okafor as a college player and NBA prospect. /article/SportVU-Insight-on-Jahlil-Okafor-as-a-College-Player-and-NBA-Prospect-4808/ /article/SportVU-Insight-on-Jahlil-Okafor-as-a-College-Player-and-NBA-Prospect-4808/ Fri, 30 Jan 2015 13:39:11 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell fared in his matchup with Indiana this past weekend. /article/DAngelo-Russell-vs-Indiana-Video-Analysis-4807/ /article/DAngelo-Russell-vs-Indiana-Video-Analysis-4807/ Wed, 28 Jan 2015 12:58:28 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of the head to head matchup of big man prospects Robert Upshaw and Jakob Poeltl from the game between their Washington and Utah teams yesterday. /article/Robert-Upshaw-vs-Jakob-Poeltl-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4806/ /article/Robert-Upshaw-vs-Jakob-Poeltl-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4806/ Mon, 26 Jan 2015 19:01:36 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of the head to head matchup of wing prospects Stanley Johnson and Anthony Brown from the game between their Arizona and Stanford teams this past weekend. /article/Stanley-Johnson-vs-Anthony-Brown-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4805/ /article/Stanley-Johnson-vs-Anthony-Brown-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4805/ Fri, 23 Jan 2015 16:55:31 -0500 Already in the midst of a somewhat underwhelming season, Caris LeVert was delivered a major setback this week learning he suffered a “complete fracture” of his left foot, which will require a second surgery and another 12 weeks off basketball activities. The injury ends LeVert's junior season after just 17 games, and leaves him with a very difficult decision this upcoming spring about whether to return for his senior season. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Caris-LeVert-4804/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Caris-LeVert-4804/ Thu, 22 Jan 2015 16:43:05 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of the head to head matchup of Delon Wright and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson from the game between their Utah and Arizona teams this past weekend. /article/Delon-Wright-vs-Rondae-Jefferson-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4803/ /article/Delon-Wright-vs-Rondae-Jefferson-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4803/ Wed, 21 Jan 2015 08:40:35 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell fared in his matchup with Louisville. /article/DAngelo-Russell-vs-Louisville-Video-Analysis-4802/ /article/DAngelo-Russell-vs-Louisville-Video-Analysis-4802/ Thu, 15 Jan 2015 16:19:50 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of the head to head matchup of big men prospects Bobby Portis and Damian Jones from the game between their Arkansas and Vanderbilt teams this week. /article/Bobby-Portis-vs-Damian-Jones-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4801/ /article/Bobby-Portis-vs-Damian-Jones-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4801/ Mon, 12 Jan 2015 11:39:28 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of guard prospects Jerian Grant and J.P. Tokoto from the matchup between their Notre Dame and North Carolina teams this week. /article/Jerian-Grant-vs-JP-Tokoto-Video-Analysis-4800/ /article/Jerian-Grant-vs-JP-Tokoto-Video-Analysis-4800/ Wed, 07 Jan 2015 13:37:46 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how UNLV's Christian Wood fared in his matchup with Arizona on December 23rd in Las Vegas. /article/Christian-Wood-vs-Arizona-Video-Analysis-4799/ /article/Christian-Wood-vs-Arizona-Video-Analysis-4799/ Wed, 31 Dec 2014 13:12:25 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how UNLV's Rashad Vaughn fared in his matchup with Arizona on December 23rd in Las Vegas. /article/Rashad-Vaughn-vs-Arizona-Video-Analysis-4798/ /article/Rashad-Vaughn-vs-Arizona-Video-Analysis-4798/ Tue, 30 Dec 2014 12:36:53 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Louisville's Montrezl Harrell fared in his matchup with Kentucky's vaunted NBA-bound frontcourt this past week. /article/Montrezl-Harrell-vs-Kentuckys-NBA-Frontcourt-Video-Analysis-4797/ /article/Montrezl-Harrell-vs-Kentuckys-NBA-Frontcourt-Video-Analysis-4797/ Mon, 29 Dec 2014 10:31:24 -0500 Breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of French guard Isaia Cordinier. /article/Isaia-Cordinier-2014-15-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Video-5339/ /article/Isaia-Cordinier-2014-15-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Video-5339/ Fri, 26 Dec 2014 09:15:27 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of top big men freshmen prospects Jakob Poeltl and Cliff Alexander from the matchup between their Utah and Kansas teams last week. /article/Jakob-Poeltl-vs-Cliff-Alexander-Video-Analysis-4796/ /article/Jakob-Poeltl-vs-Cliff-Alexander-Video-Analysis-4796/ Sat, 20 Dec 2014 06:43:41 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of elite 2015 recruits Ben Simmons and Ivan Rabb from the matchup between their prep teams. /article/Ben-Simmons-vs-Ivan-Rabb-Video-Analysis-4795/ /article/Ben-Simmons-vs-Ivan-Rabb-Video-Analysis-4795/ Thu, 18 Dec 2014 18:45:54 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how freshman swingman Stanley Johnson fared against Zak Irvin and Caris LeVert in Arizona's win over Michigan earlier this week. /article/Stanley-Johnson-vs-Zak-Irvin-and-Caris-LeVert-Video-Analysis-4794/ /article/Stanley-Johnson-vs-Zak-Irvin-and-Caris-LeVert-Video-Analysis-4794/ Tue, 16 Dec 2014 14:19:32 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Sevilla's Kristaps Porzingis fared in his matchup with Barcelona's deep, talented frontcourt this past week. /article/Kristaps-Porzingis-vs-Barcelona-Video-Analysis-4793/ /article/Kristaps-Porzingis-vs-Barcelona-Video-Analysis-4793/ Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:41:18 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Texas' Myles Turner fared in his matchup with Kentucky's vaunted NBA-bound frontcourt this past week in Lexington. /article/Myles-Turner-vs-Kentuckys-NBA-Frontcourt-Video-Analysis-4792/ /article/Myles-Turner-vs-Kentuckys-NBA-Frontcourt-Video-Analysis-4792/ Tue, 09 Dec 2014 10:14:16 -0500 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Duke's Jahlil Okafor and Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky performed in their head to head matchup this past week in Madison. /article/Jahlil-Okafor-vs-Frank-Kaminsky-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4791/ /article/Jahlil-Okafor-vs-Frank-Kaminsky-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4791/ Fri, 05 Dec 2014 16:17:26 -0500 A video interview with highly touted 2017 high school guard Jalek Felton at the 2014 USA Basketball Development Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Jalek-Felton-4783/ /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Jalek-Felton-4783/ Mon, 01 Dec 2014 11:55:42 -0500 The NBA Draft Age Limit discussion is still "at the top" of Adam Silver's list of changes he'd like to implement, as he reiterated in a recent conversation with GQ's Chuck Klosterman. /article/NBA-Draft-Age-Limit-Still-on-Adam-Silvers-Mind-4790/ /article/NBA-Draft-Age-Limit-Still-on-Adam-Silvers-Mind-4790/ Tue, 25 Nov 2014 12:33:26 -0500 A video interview with elite 2017 high school small forward Michael Porter at the 2014 USA Basketball Development Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Michael-Porter-4785/ /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Michael-Porter-4785/ Wed, 19 Nov 2014 17:51:02 -0500 The Triangle Offense looks at a new app that is hoping to change the way we think about high school recruiting rankings. /article/A-New-Platform-For-Evaluating-High-School-Players-4789/ /article/A-New-Platform-For-Evaluating-High-School-Players-4789/ Tue, 18 Nov 2014 17:06:50 -0500 Over the coming season, we'll be using personality profiles of 123 rookie-scale players drafted the past four years to help explore the role that situation plays into an athlete's development, and their likelihood of developing into a bust or steal in the NBA. We explore the methodology behind that in the following piece. /article/Opportunity-Knocks-How-Situation-Impacts-Success-Part-II-4781/ /article/Opportunity-Knocks-How-Situation-Impacts-Success-Part-II-4781/ Mon, 17 Nov 2014 09:14:59 -0500 A video interview with highly touted 2017 high school power forward Wendell Carter at the 2014 USA Basketball Development Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Wendell-Carter-4784/ /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Wendell-Carter-4784/ Sun, 16 Nov 2014 10:04:57 -0500 A video interview with highly touted 2017 high school point guard Jaylen Hands at the 2014 USA Basketball Development Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Jaylen-Hands-4786/ /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Jaylen-Hands-4786/ Sat, 15 Nov 2014 10:02:20 -0500 A video interview with highly touted 2015 high school point guard Jalen Brunson at the 2014 USA Basketball Development Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Jalen-Brunson-4787/ /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Jalen-Brunson-4787/ Fri, 14 Nov 2014 10:01:20 -0500 A video interview with talented scoring guard Antonio Blakeney at the Under Armour Elite 24. /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Antonio-Blakeney-4782/ /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Antonio-Blakeney-4782/ Thu, 13 Nov 2014 12:28:09 -0500 A video interview with 2015 Louisville commit Donovan Mitchell at the Under Armour Elite 24. /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Donovan-Mitchell-4780/ /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Donovan-Mitchell-4780/ Wed, 12 Nov 2014 11:12:26 -0500 A preseason video breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of point guard Emmanuel Mudiay in anticipation of his season in the Chinese Basketball Association. /article/Emmanuel-Mudiay-Preseason-Video-Scouting-Report-4779/ /article/Emmanuel-Mudiay-Preseason-Video-Scouting-Report-4779/ Mon, 10 Nov 2014 16:38:35 -0500 We wrap up our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the NCAA with scouting reports on players from non-BCS conferences ranked 22-25: Deandre Bembry, Dyshawn Pierre, Wesley Saunders, and Dwayne Polee /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-10-Prospects-22-25-4778/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-10-Prospects-22-25-4778/ Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:19:42 -0500 A video interview with Jonah Bolden from adidas Nations. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Jonah-Bolden-4777/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Jonah-Bolden-4777/ Sun, 09 Nov 2014 21:40:57 -0500 A video interview with Braxton Blackwell from adidas Nations. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Braxton-Blackwell-4776/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Braxton-Blackwell-4776/ Sat, 08 Nov 2014 11:14:39 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports on players ranked 18-21: Speedy Smith, Cameron Payne, Alex Hamilton and Luke Nelson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-9-Prospects-18-21-4775/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-9-Prospects-18-21-4775/ Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:27:52 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports on players ranked 14-17: Mamadou Ndiaye, Vince Hunter, Joel Bolomboy and Larry Nance. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-8-Prospects-14-17-4774/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-8-Prospects-14-17-4774/ Thu, 06 Nov 2014 15:35:58 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports on players ranked 10-13: Przemek Karnowski, Alan Williams, Christian Wood and Treveon Graham. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-7-Prospects-10-13-4773/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-7-Prospects-10-13-4773/ Wed, 05 Nov 2014 16:14:50 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports on players ranked 6-9: Ron Baker, Fred VanVleet, Keifer Sykes and Briante Weber. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-6-Prospects-6-9-4772/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-6-Prospects-6-9-4772/ Tue, 04 Nov 2014 14:00:35 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with a video scouting report on the #5 prospect outside of the "Big 7", Rhode Island's E.C. Matthews. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Five-4771/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Five-4771/ Mon, 03 Nov 2014 10:38:26 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with a video scouting report on the #4 prospect outside of the "Big 7", Louisiana Lafayette's Shawn Long. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Four-4770/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Four-4770/ Fri, 31 Oct 2014 15:42:30 -0400 Who are the best prospects in the D-League draft? Who can we expect to get taken in the first round? We took a stab at this by sifting through the player pool, using our ridiculously comprehensive back-end database, and putting our thoughts on paper as follow. /article/D-League-Draft-DX-Mock-Draft-4769/ /article/D-League-Draft-DX-Mock-Draft-4769/ Fri, 31 Oct 2014 14:26:18 -0400 The 2014 D-League Draft will be held on November 1st (330 EST), and tonight the official list of eligible players was released to all 18 teams. /article/2014-D-League-Draft-Eligible-Player-List-4767/ /article/2014-D-League-Draft-Eligible-Player-List-4767/ Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:19:01 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with a video scouting report on the #3 prospect outside of the "Big 7", Gonzaga's Domantas Sabonis. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Three-4766/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Three-4766/ Thu, 30 Oct 2014 10:12:06 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with a video scouting report on the #2 prospect outside of the "Big 7", UNLV's Rashad Vaughn. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-4765/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-4765/ Wed, 29 Oct 2014 15:36:45 -0400 We kick off our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with a video scouting report on the #1 prospect outside of the "Big 7", Georgia State's R.J. Hunter. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-1-4764/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-1-4764/ Tue, 28 Oct 2014 10:43:07 -0400 We conclude our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with scouting reports on players ranked 22-26 in the conference: Quinn Cook, James Robinson, Justin Anderson, Rakeem Christmas and Boris Bojanovsky. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-10-Prospects-22-26-4763/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-10-Prospects-22-26-4763/ Mon, 27 Oct 2014 16:39:56 -0400 A video interview with highly touted 2017 high school class big man Austin Wiley. /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Austin-Wiley-4762/ /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Austin-Wiley-4762/ Mon, 27 Oct 2014 10:29:41 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with scouting reports on players ranked 17-21 in the conference: Chris McCullough, Malcolm Brogdon, Joel James, Olivier Hanlan, and Aaron Thomas. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-9-Prospects-17-21-4761/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-9-Prospects-17-21-4761/ Fri, 24 Oct 2014 14:33:08 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with scouting reports on players ranked 12-16 in the conference: Rasheed Sulaimon, Mike Tobey, Anthony Barber, J.P. Tokoto and Wayne Blackshear. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-8-Prospects-12-16--4760/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-8-Prospects-12-16--4760/ Thu, 23 Oct 2014 17:15:06 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with scouting reports on players ranked 7-11 in the conference: Theo Pinson, Justin Jackson, Terry Rozier. Jerian Grant and Kennedy Meeks. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-7-Prospects-7-11--4759/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-7-Prospects-7-11--4759/ Thu, 23 Oct 2014 10:09:48 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report on in the #6 prospect in the conference, North Carolina's Marcus Paige. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-6-Marcus-Paige-Scouting-Video-4758/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-6-Marcus-Paige-Scouting-Video-4758/ Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:03:48 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report on in the #5 prospect in the conference, North Carolina's Brice Johnson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-5-Brice-Johnson-Scouting-Video-4757/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-5-Brice-Johnson-Scouting-Video-4757/ Tue, 21 Oct 2014 10:41:58 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report on in the #4 prospect in the conference, Duke's Tyus Jones. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-4-Tyus-Jones-Scouting-Video-4756/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-4-Tyus-Jones-Scouting-Video-4756/ Mon, 20 Oct 2014 08:41:58 -0400 A video interview with highly touted 2017 high school class guard Trevon Duval. /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Trevon-Duval-4755/ /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Trevon-Duval-4755/ Sun, 19 Oct 2014 11:51:13 -0400 A video interview with one of the top prospects in the 2018 high school class, E.J. Montgomery. /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-EJ-Montgomery-4754/ /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-EJ-Montgomery-4754/ Sat, 18 Oct 2014 16:15:49 -0400 Former NBA player Pooh Jeter (杰特), fresh off an appearance at the FIBA World Cup with the Ukrainian national team, discusses Emmanuel Mudiay's (穆迪埃) first preseason game in China with Guangdong, against Jeter's Shangdong Hi-Speed squad. /article/Emmanuel-Mudiay-DraftExpress-Headquarters-4753/ /article/Emmanuel-Mudiay-DraftExpress-Headquarters-4753/ Fri, 17 Oct 2014 22:36:48 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report on in the #3 prospect in the conference, Louisville's Montrezl Harrell. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-3-Montrezl-Harrell-Scouting-Video-4752/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-3-Montrezl-Harrell-Scouting-Video-4752/ Fri, 17 Oct 2014 12:22:47 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report on in the #2 prospect in the conference, Duke's Justise Winslow. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-2-Justise-Winslow-Scouting-Video-4751/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-2-Justise-Winslow-Scouting-Video-4751/ Thu, 16 Oct 2014 10:38:25 -0400 We kick off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report on in the #1 prospect in the conference, Duke's Jahlil Okafor. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-1-Jahlil-Okafor-Scouting-Video-4750/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-1-Jahlil-Okafor-Scouting-Video-4750/ Wed, 15 Oct 2014 12:21:57 -0400 We conclude our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with scouting reports on players ranked 16-20 in the conference: James Blackmon, Nigel Hayes, Gabe Olaseni, Rayvonte Rice and Derrick Walton. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-7-Prospects-16-20-4749/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-7-Prospects-16-20-4749/ Tue, 14 Oct 2014 15:40:31 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with scouting reports on players ranked 8-11 in the conference: Dez Wells, Aaron White, Troy Williams and Amir Williams. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-6-Prospects-12-15-4748/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-6-Prospects-12-15-4748/ Mon, 13 Oct 2014 11:20:23 -0400 Measurements and analysis from the Kentucky Combine, which featured some of the top prospects for the 2015 NBA Draft. /article/2014-Kentucky-Combine-Measurements-and-Analysis-4747/ /article/2014-Kentucky-Combine-Measurements-and-Analysis-4747/ Sat, 11 Oct 2014 22:00:00 -0400 A video interview with one of the top prospects in the 2018 high school class, Marvin Bagley. /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Marvin-Bagley-4746/ /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Marvin-Bagley-4746/ Fri, 10 Oct 2014 10:22:15 -0400 An analysis of what we learned this past weekend in Colorado Springs, from both the measurements and the play on the court. /article/USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Measurements-and-Analysis-4745/ /article/USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Measurements-and-Analysis-4745/ Thu, 09 Oct 2014 19:21:49 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with scouting reports on players ranked 8-11 in the conference: Zak Irvin, D'Angelo Russell, Shannon Scott and Sam Thompson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-5-Prospects-8-11-4744/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-5-Prospects-8-11-4744/ Thu, 09 Oct 2014 18:14:04 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with scouting reports on players ranked 4-7 in the conference: Terran Petteway, Branden Dawson, A.J. Hammons and Yogi Ferrell. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-4-Prospects-4-7-4743/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-4-Prospects-4-7-4743/ Wed, 08 Oct 2014 12:36:49 -0400 Future Illini, D.J. Williams talks with DraftExpress in Colorado Springs at the 2014 USA Men's Junior National Team Mini-Camp. /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-DJ-Williams-4742/ /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-DJ-Williams-4742/ Wed, 08 Oct 2014 10:25:38 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report on in the #3 prospect in the conference, Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-3-Frank-Kaminsky-Scouting-Video-4741/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-3-Frank-Kaminsky-Scouting-Video-4741/ Tue, 07 Oct 2014 10:28:52 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA draft prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report on in the #2 prospect in the conference, Michigan's Caris LeVert. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-2-Caris-LeVert-Scouting-Video-4740/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-2-Caris-LeVert-Scouting-Video-4740/ Mon, 06 Oct 2014 12:09:44 -0400 USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team head coach, Don Showalter, talks with DraftExpress at the Junior Team's mini-camp in Colorado Springs in October 2014. /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Don-Showalter-4739/ /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Don-Showalter-4739/ Mon, 06 Oct 2014 10:40:14 -0400 A video interview with the #1 rated high school recruit, Jaylen Brown at the 2014 USA Basketball Development Camp in Colorado Springs. /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Jaylen-Brown-4737/ /article/2014-USA-Basketball-Development-Camp-Interview-Jaylen-Brown-4737/ Sun, 05 Oct 2014 14:12:58 -0400 Video interview with talented Memphis power forward prospect Austin Nichols and standout 2018 prospect Simi Shittu. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Austin-Nichols-and-Simi-Shittu-4736/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Austin-Nichols-and-Simi-Shittu-4736/ Sat, 04 Oct 2014 19:20:14 -0400 Measurements of 56 prospects who participated in the training camps of USA Basketball's U17 and U18 teams, have been released on DraftExpress. /article/New-Batch-of-USA-Basketball-Measurements-Released-on-DraftExpress-4735/ /article/New-Batch-of-USA-Basketball-Measurements-Released-on-DraftExpress-4735/ Fri, 03 Oct 2014 13:51:16 -0400 We kick off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report on in the #1 prospect in the conference, Wisconsin's Sam Dekker. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-1-Sam-Dekker-Scouting-Video-4734/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-1-Sam-Dekker-Scouting-Video-4734/ Fri, 03 Oct 2014 11:44:04 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big East with scouting reports on players ranked 6-10 in the conference: Darrun Hilliard, Josh Hart, Tyler Harris, Jalen Reynolds and Joshua Smith. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-2-Prospects-6-10-4733/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-2-Prospects-6-10-4733/ Thu, 02 Oct 2014 10:57:52 -0400 We kick off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big East with scouting reports on players ranked 1-5 in the conference: Isaiah Whitehead, Chris Obekpa, Rysheed Jordan, Deonte Burton and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-1-Prospects-1-5-4732/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-1-Prospects-1-5-4732/ Wed, 01 Oct 2014 17:31:30 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the SEC with part twelve, players ranked 18-22: Jarvis Summers, Johnathan Williams, Kasey Hill, Alex Caruso and Shannon Hale. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Twelve-Prospects-18-22-4731/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Twelve-Prospects-18-22-4731/ Tue, 30 Sep 2014 10:50:46 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the SEC with part eleven, players ranked 14-17: Michael Frazier, Michael Qualls, Sindarius Thornwell and Dorian Finney-Smith. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Eleven-Prospects-14-17-4729/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Eleven-Prospects-14-17-4729/ Mon, 29 Sep 2014 09:00:33 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the SEC with part ten, players ranked 10-13: Marcus Lee, Damian Jones, Jordan Mickey and Moses Kingsley. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Ten-Prospects-10-13-4728/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Ten-Prospects-10-13-4728/ Fri, 26 Sep 2014 15:02:14 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #9 prospect in the conference, Kentucky's Alex Poythress. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-9-Alex-Poythress-Scouting-Video-4727/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-9-Alex-Poythress-Scouting-Video-4727/ Thu, 25 Sep 2014 15:09:26 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #8 prospect in the conference, Kentucky's Aaron Harrison. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-8-Aaron-Harrison-Scouting-Video-4726/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-8-Aaron-Harrison-Scouting-Video-4726/ Thu, 25 Sep 2014 10:29:49 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #7 prospect in the conference, Kentucky's Andrew Harrison. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-7-Andrew-Harrison-Scouting-Video-4725/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-7-Andrew-Harrison-Scouting-Video-4725/ Wed, 24 Sep 2014 17:16:19 -0400 A video interview with elite point guard Tyler Dorsey. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Tyler-Dorsey-4724/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Tyler-Dorsey-4724/ Wed, 24 Sep 2014 09:57:26 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #6 prospect in the conference, LSU's Jarell Martin. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-6-Jarell-Martin-Scouting-Video-4723/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-6-Jarell-Martin-Scouting-Video-4723/ Wed, 24 Sep 2014 09:41:40 -0400 The Triangle Offense has compiled a list of 10 of the more notable cases of high-profile NBA Draft picks who did not pan out in the pros. /article/Ten-NBA-Draft-Picks-from-the-Past-Decade-Who-Failed-4722/ /article/Ten-NBA-Draft-Picks-from-the-Past-Decade-Who-Failed-4722/ Wed, 24 Sep 2014 09:35:33 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #5 prospect in the conference, Kentucky's Dakari Johnson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-5-Dakari-Johnson-Scouting-Video-4721/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-5-Dakari-Johnson-Scouting-Video-4721/ Tue, 23 Sep 2014 12:14:44 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, Arkansas' Bobby Portis. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-4-Bobby-Portis-Scouting-Video-4720/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-4-Bobby-Portis-Scouting-Video-4720/ Tue, 23 Sep 2014 08:15:33 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Florida's Chris Walker. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-3-Chris-Walker-Scouting-Video-4719/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-3-Chris-Walker-Scouting-Video-4719/ Mon, 22 Sep 2014 11:20:48 -0400 We complete our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the AAC with scouting reports on players ranked 6-10 in the conference: Will Cummings, Markus Kennedy, Keith Frazier, L.J. Rose and James Woodard. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-3-Prospects-6-10-4718/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-3-Prospects-6-10-4718/ Fri, 19 Sep 2014 17:16:19 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein. /article/Top-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-2-Willie-Cauley-Stein-Scouting-Video-4717/ /article/Top-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-2-Willie-Cauley-Stein-Scouting-Video-4717/ Fri, 19 Sep 2014 15:08:06 -0400 A video interview conducted by Kobi Simmons with Dennis Smith, two of the best long-term prospects in the high school class of 2016. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Dennis-Smith-with-Kobi-Simmons-4716/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Dennis-Smith-with-Kobi-Simmons-4716/ Fri, 19 Sep 2014 12:21:47 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Kentucky's Karl Towns. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-1-Karl-Towns-Scouting-Video-4715/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-1-Karl-Towns-Scouting-Video-4715/ Thu, 18 Sep 2014 15:28:36 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the AAC with scouting reports on players ranked 2-5 in the conference: Austin Nichols, Nick King, Shaq Goodwin and Ryan Boatright. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-2-Prospects-2-5-4714/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-2-Prospects-2-5-4714/ Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:37:10 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the AAC with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, UConn's Amida Brimah. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-1-Amida-Brimah-Scouting-Video-4713/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-1-Amida-Brimah-Scouting-Video-4713/ Tue, 16 Sep 2014 15:04:49 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Big 12 with part eight, players ranked 17-20: Wesley Iwundu, Kyan Anderson, Dustin Hogue, Bryce Dejean-Jones. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-8-Prospects-17-20-4712/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-8-Prospects-17-20-4712/ Tue, 16 Sep 2014 13:12:08 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Big 12 with part seven, players ranked 13-16: Jonathan Holmes, Devin Williams, Ricardo Gathers and Monte Morris. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-7-Prospects-13-16-4711/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-7-Prospects-13-16-4711/ Mon, 15 Sep 2014 13:41:09 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Big 12 with part six, players ranked 9-12: Cameron Ridley, Marcus Foster, Isaiah Taylor and Buddy Hield. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-6-Prospects-9-12-4710/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-6-Prospects-9-12-4710/ Sun, 14 Sep 2014 17:10:30 -0400 A video interview with Memphis commit and recently reclassified small forward prospect Dedric Lawson. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Dedric-Lawson-4709/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Dedric-Lawson-4709/ Sun, 14 Sep 2014 12:36:19 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Big 12 with part five, players ranked 5-8: Juwan Staten, Perry Ellis, Georges Niang and LeBryan Nash. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-5-Prospects-5-8--4708/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-5-Prospects-5-8--4708/ Fri, 12 Sep 2014 13:20:09 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, Kansas' Wayne Selden. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-4-Wayne-Selden-Scouting-Video-4707/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-4-Wayne-Selden-Scouting-Video-4707/ Fri, 12 Sep 2014 09:37:26 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Texas' Myles Turner. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-3-Myles-Turner-Scouting-Video-4706/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-3-Myles-Turner-Scouting-Video-4706/ Thu, 11 Sep 2014 08:34:58 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Cliff Alexander. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12Part-2-Cliff-Alexander-Scouting-Video-4705/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12Part-2-Cliff-Alexander-Scouting-Video-4705/ Wed, 10 Sep 2014 14:00:36 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Kelly Oubre. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-1-Kelly-Oubre-Scouting-Video-4704/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-1-Kelly-Oubre-Scouting-Video-4704/ Tue, 09 Sep 2014 10:31:18 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Pac-12 with part seven, players ranked 15-20: Chasson Randle, Xavier Johnson, Tyrone Wallace, Tony Parker (GA), Davonte Lacy and David Kravish. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-7-Prospects-15-20--4703/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-7-Prospects-15-20--4703/ Mon, 08 Sep 2014 17:56:05 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Pac-12 with part six, players ranked 10-14: Joseph Young, Anthony Brown, Kaleb Tarczewski, Josh Scott, T.J. McConnell. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-6-Prospects-10-14--4702/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-6-Prospects-10-14--4702/ Mon, 08 Sep 2014 12:44:02 -0400 A video interview with athletic LSU big man Jordan Mickey. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Jordan-Mickey-4701/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Jordan-Mickey-4701/ Sun, 07 Sep 2014 15:46:35 -0400 A video interview with elite 2017 high school guard Troy Brown. /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Troy-Brown-4700/ /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Troy-Brown-4700/ Sat, 06 Sep 2014 10:35:07 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA draft prospects in the Pac-12 with part five, players ranked 5-9: Delon Wright, Nigel Williams-Goss, Brandon Ashley, Kevon Looney and Reid Travis. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-5-Prospects-5-9--4699/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-5-Prospects-5-9--4699/ Fri, 05 Sep 2014 14:54:50 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, Cal's Jabari Bird. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-4-Jabari-Bird-Scouting-Video-4698/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-4-Jabari-Bird-Scouting-Video-4698/ Fri, 05 Sep 2014 10:35:12 -0400 The Triangle Offense has compiled a list of 10 of the more compelling cases of when high school rankings (RSCI) did not pan out in the pros. /article/Ten-Cases-of-the-Gap-Between-High-School-Promise-and-NBA-Reality-4697/ /article/Ten-Cases-of-the-Gap-Between-High-School-Promise-and-NBA-Reality-4697/ Thu, 04 Sep 2014 20:40:27 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, UCLA's Norman Powell. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-3-Norman-Powell-Scouting-Video-4696/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-3-Norman-Powell-Scouting-Video-4696/ Thu, 04 Sep 2014 10:43:05 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-2-Rondae-Hollis-Jefferson-Video-4695/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-2-Rondae-Hollis-Jefferson-Video-4695/ Wed, 03 Sep 2014 11:19:23 -0400 A video interview with Isaiah Briscoe from the Under Armour Elite 24. /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Isaiah-Briscoe-4694/ /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Isaiah-Briscoe-4694/ Wed, 03 Sep 2014 10:35:16 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Stanley Johnson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12Part-1-Stanley-Johnson-Scouting-Video-4693/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12Part-1-Stanley-Johnson-Scouting-Video-4693/ Tue, 02 Sep 2014 11:03:50 -0400 A video interview with standout 2015 small forward Brandon Ingram. /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Brandon-Ingram-4692/ /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Brandon-Ingram-4692/ Mon, 01 Sep 2014 00:14:36 -0400 A video interview with Cal sophomore Jabari Bird from adidas Nations. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Jabari-Bird-4691/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Jabari-Bird-4691/ Sun, 31 Aug 2014 12:01:04 -0400 A video interview with one of the top NBA prospects among big men in the high school ranks, Henry Ellenson. /article/2014-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Henry-Ellenson-4690/ /article/2014-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Henry-Ellenson-4690/ Sat, 30 Aug 2014 14:05:14 -0400 A video interview with Arizona commit Justin Simon from adidas Nations. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Justin-Simon-4689/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Justin-Simon-4689/ Fri, 29 Aug 2014 09:23:12 -0400 The Triangle Offense reviews elite point guard Emmanuel Mudiay's decision to forego his college eligibility and sign a contract to play in the Chinese Basketball Association. /article/Top-Ranked-Prospect-Emmanuel-Mudiay-Signs-in-China-4688/ /article/Top-Ranked-Prospect-Emmanuel-Mudiay-Signs-in-China-4688/ Thu, 28 Aug 2014 22:40:20 -0400 A video interview with promising Serbian guard Stefan Peno /article/2014-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Stefan-Peno-4687/ /article/2014-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Stefan-Peno-4687/ Thu, 28 Aug 2014 17:10:36 -0400 A video interview with talented 2016 shooting guard prospect Tyus Battle. /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Tyus-Battle-4686/ /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Tyus-Battle-4686/ Wed, 27 Aug 2014 10:05:59 -0400 A video interview with Arizona center prospect Kaleb Tarczewski from adidas Nations. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Kaleb-Tarczewski-4685/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Kaleb-Tarczewski-4685/ Tue, 26 Aug 2014 10:26:42 -0400 A video interview with arguably the top rising senior in high school basketball, Jaylen Brown. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Jaylen-Brown-4684/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Jaylen-Brown-4684/ Mon, 25 Aug 2014 10:06:08 -0400 A video interview with one of the top prospects in the 2016 high school class, Josh Jackson. /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Josh-Jackson-4683/ /article/2014-Elite-24-Interviews-Josh-Jackson-4683/ Sat, 23 Aug 2014 18:26:41 -0400 A video interview with class of 2016 guard prospect Lonzo Ball from adidas Nations. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Lonzo-Ball-4682/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Lonzo-Ball-4682/ Fri, 22 Aug 2014 11:12:28 -0400 A video interview with Kansas power forward Perry Ellis from adidas Nations. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Perry-Ellis-4681/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Perry-Ellis-4681/ Thu, 21 Aug 2014 10:06:16 -0400 A video interview with promising Serbian forward Vojislav Stojanovic. /article/2014-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Vojislav-Stojanovic-4680/ /article/2014-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Vojislav-Stojanovic-4680/ Wed, 20 Aug 2014 10:40:52 -0400 Video Interview with one of the very best prospects in the high school class of 2016 at the U17 World Championships. /article/2014-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Jayson-Tatum-4678/ /article/2014-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Jayson-Tatum-4678/ Tue, 19 Aug 2014 09:55:40 -0400 A video interview with Wisconsin senior big man Frank Kaminsky at adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Frank-Kaminsky-4677/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Frank-Kaminsky-4677/ Mon, 18 Aug 2014 09:33:02 -0400 A video interview with elite 2015 big man Diamond Stone at the FIBA U17 World Championship. /article/2014-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Diamond-Stone-4676/ /article/2014-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Diamond-Stone-4676/ Sun, 17 Aug 2014 14:36:09 -0400 Triangle Offense took to the rookie photo shoot to talk with the 2014 NBA Draft's best players about their first dunk ever. /article/NBA-Rookies-Talk-About-Their-First-Time-Dunking-4661/ /article/NBA-Rookies-Talk-About-Their-First-Time-Dunking-4661/ Fri, 15 Aug 2014 21:45:10 -0400 A video interview with talented Greek center Georgios Papagiannis at the FIBA U17 World Championships. /article/2014-FIBA-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Georgios-Papagiannis-4675/ /article/2014-FIBA-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Georgios-Papagiannis-4675/ Fri, 15 Aug 2014 21:28:30 -0400 A video interview with one of the most prolific scoring guards in the high school game, Malik Newman, from the U17 World Championship. /article/2014-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Malik-Newman-4674/ /article/2014-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Malik-Newman-4674/ Thu, 14 Aug 2014 18:28:57 -0400 Scouting notes on elite 2016 point guard Dennis Smith and some of the top international prospects from adidas Nations including Sergii Pryimak and Mouhamed Thiam. /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-Part-2-4673/ /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-Part-2-4673/ Thu, 14 Aug 2014 15:08:10 -0400 A video interview with Louisville sophomore guard Terry Rozier at adidas Nations in Los Angeles. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Terry-Rozier-4672/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Terry-Rozier-4672/ Thu, 14 Aug 2014 09:41:31 -0400 A video interview with elie 2015 big man Elijah Thomas at adidas Nations in Los Angeles, California. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Elijah-Thomas-4671/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Elijah-Thomas-4671/ Wed, 13 Aug 2014 11:07:46 -0400 A video interview with Australian big man Isaac Humphries after he set the FIBA U17 World Championship scoring record covering a wide range of topics including his recruitment. /article/FIBA-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Isaac-Humphries-4670/ /article/FIBA-U17-World-Championship-Interview-Isaac-Humphries-4670/ Tue, 12 Aug 2014 00:25:46 -0400 A video interview with one of the most productive rising sophomores in the country, Rhode Island's E.C. Matthews. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-EC-Matthews-4669/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-EC-Matthews-4669/ Mon, 11 Aug 2014 11:32:30 -0400 Scouting notes on some of the elite players in the high school game including Jaylen Brown, Chase Jeter, and Dedric Lawson. /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-Part-1-4668/ /article/adidas-Nations-Scouting-Reports-Part-1-4668/ Sun, 10 Aug 2014 14:25:41 -0400 A video interview with 2016 recruit Kobi Simmons from adidas Nations held in Los Angeles, California. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Kobi-Simmons-4667/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Kobi-Simmons-4667/ Fri, 08 Aug 2014 11:37:14 -0400 A video interview with UCLA guard Norman Powell at adidas nations in Los Angeles, California. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Norman-Powell-4666/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Norman-Powell-4666/ Thu, 07 Aug 2014 10:01:25 -0400 A video interview with recent Duke commit Chase Jeter at adidas nations in Los Angeles, California. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Chase-Jeter-4665/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Chase-Jeter-4665/ Wed, 06 Aug 2014 09:05:47 -0400 A video interview with Louisville big man and potential lottery pick Montrezl Harrell at the 2014 adidas Nations practices in Los Angeles, California. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Montrezl-Harrell-4664/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Montrezl-Harrell-4664/ Tue, 05 Aug 2014 09:59:06 -0400 A video interview with Thon Maker, one of the top prospects in the high school ranks, covering a wide range of subjects. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Thon-Maker-4663/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Interview-Thon-Maker-4663/ Mon, 04 Aug 2014 17:19:23 -0400 We'll once again be in attendance for adidas Nations, where the country's top-ranked high school players will face off with top young players from all over the world. /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Rosters-Announced-4662/ /article/2014-adidas-Nations-Rosters-Announced-4662/ Fri, 01 Aug 2014 11:00:58 -0400 The measurements from the 2014 LeBron James Skills Academy were released this week. /article/2014-LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Measurements-and-Analysis-4660/ /article/2014-LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Measurements-and-Analysis-4660/ Fri, 11 Jul 2014 20:56:12 -0400 A video interview with 2015 Canadian recruit Dillon Brooks at the FIBA U18 Americas Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. /article/2014-FIBA-U18-Americas-Interview-Dillon-Brooks-4659/ /article/2014-FIBA-U18-Americas-Interview-Dillon-Brooks-4659/ Wed, 09 Jul 2014 21:28:29 -0400 Triangle Offense has compiled a list of the "NBA Summer League's Top Plays" from the first few days of action in Orlando. /article/The-NBA-Summer-Leagues-Top-Plays-Weekend-One--4658/ /article/The-NBA-Summer-Leagues-Top-Plays-Weekend-One--4658/ Wed, 09 Jul 2014 20:40:42 -0400 Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of unrestricted free agent Chris Bosh, one of the best big men available on the market. /article/Chris-Bosh-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4657/ /article/Chris-Bosh-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4657/ Wed, 09 Jul 2014 17:21:36 -0400 A video interview with elite 2015 small forward recruit Montaque Gill-Caesar at the FIBA U18 Americas Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. /article/2014-FIBA-U18-Americas-Interview-Montaque-Gill-Caesar-4656/ /article/2014-FIBA-U18-Americas-Interview-Montaque-Gill-Caesar-4656/ Tue, 08 Jul 2014 22:23:15 -0400 A video interview with elite 2015 shooting guard recruit Allonzo Trier at the FIBA U18 Americas Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado /article/2014-FIBA-U18-Americas-Interview-Allonzo-Trier-4655/ /article/2014-FIBA-U18-Americas-Interview-Allonzo-Trier-4655/ Mon, 07 Jul 2014 21:35:13 -0400 A video interview with elite 2015 center recruit Stephen Zimmerman at the FIBA U18 Americas Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. /article/2014-FIBA-U18-Americas-Interview-Stephen-Zimmerman-4654/ /article/2014-FIBA-U18-Americas-Interview-Stephen-Zimmerman-4654/ Mon, 07 Jul 2014 10:16:57 -0400 Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of restricted free agent Chandler Parsons, one of the best wing players available on the market. /article/Chandler-Parsons-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4653/ /article/Chandler-Parsons-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4653/ Thu, 03 Jul 2014 20:17:43 -0400 The measurements from the 2014 Kevin Durant Skills Academy were released this week. /article/2014-Kevin-Durant-Skills-Academy-Measurements-and-Analysis-4652/ /article/2014-Kevin-Durant-Skills-Academy-Measurements-and-Analysis-4652/ Thu, 03 Jul 2014 13:59:04 -0400 Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of restricted free agent Gordon Hayward, one of the best wing players available on the market. /article/Gordon-Hayward-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4651/ /article/Gordon-Hayward-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4651/ Wed, 02 Jul 2014 21:11:17 -0400 Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of restricted free agent Greg Monroe, one of the best big men available on the market. /article/Greg-Monroe-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4650/ /article/Greg-Monroe-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4650/ Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:06:12 -0400 Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of restricted free agent Isaiah Thomas, an analytics darling and one of the best point guards available on the market. /article/Isaiah-Thomas-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4649/ /article/Isaiah-Thomas-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4649/ Tue, 01 Jul 2014 12:40:11 -0400 Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of arguably the most controversial player in the free agent pool, Lance Stephenson, hours before he hit the market on July 1st. /article/Lance-Stephenson-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4648/ /article/Lance-Stephenson-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4648/ Mon, 30 Jun 2014 22:42:06 -0400 Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of arguably the most coveted restricted free agent in the NBA, Eric Bledsoe, before he becomes a free agent on July 1st. /article/Eric-Bledsoe-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4647/ /article/Eric-Bledsoe-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4647/ Mon, 30 Jun 2014 08:21:17 -0400 Thanks for following the 2014 NBA draft with us. It was a wild and unpredictable night. The process of evaluating the 2015 NBA draft has already started. /article/Onward-to-the-2015-NBA-Draft-4646/ /article/Onward-to-the-2015-NBA-Draft-4646/ Fri, 27 Jun 2014 16:24:18 -0400 Video Scouting Report on 2014 Brazilian draftee Bruno Caboclo. /article/Bruno-Caboclo-Video-Scouting-Report-4645/ /article/Bruno-Caboclo-Video-Scouting-Report-4645/ Thu, 26 Jun 2014 22:01:41 -0400 Scouting reports covering the top international prospects at the 2014 FIBA U18 Americas Championship held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. /article/2014-FIBA-U18-Americas-Championship-World-Scouting-Reports-4635/ /article/2014-FIBA-U18-Americas-Championship-World-Scouting-Reports-4635/ Thu, 26 Jun 2014 00:33:25 -0400 Interviews with Indiana's Noah Vonleh, Connecticut's Shabazz Napier, and Syracuse's Tyler Ennis from media day at the 2014 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Vonleh-Ennis-and-Napier-4642/ /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Vonleh-Ennis-and-Napier-4642/ Thu, 26 Jun 2014 00:23:42 -0400 Interviews with Creighton's Doug McDermott, Duke's Rodney Hood, and North Carolina State's T.J. Warren from media day at the 2014 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-McDermott-Hood-Warren-4641/ /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-McDermott-Hood-Warren-4641/ Thu, 26 Jun 2014 00:23:30 -0400 Interviews with Duke's Jabari Parker, UCLA's Zach LaVine, and Michigan State's Adreian Payne at the 2014 NBA Draft Media Day in New York City. /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interivews-Parker-LaVine-Payne-4644/ /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interivews-Parker-LaVine-Payne-4644/ Thu, 26 Jun 2014 00:23:19 -0400 Interviews with Dario Saric and Elfrid Payton from media day at the 2014 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Dario-Saric-and-Elfrid-Payton-4643/ /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Dario-Saric-and-Elfrid-Payton-4643/ Thu, 26 Jun 2014 00:22:57 -0400 Interviews with Australian guard Dante Exum, Kentucky forward Julius Randle, and Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart from media day at the 2014 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Exum-Randle-Smart-4640/ /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Exum-Randle-Smart-4640/ Wed, 25 Jun 2014 20:47:41 -0400 Interviews with Arizona's Aaron Gordon, Michigan State's Gary Harris, and Andrew Wiggins of Kansas from media day at the 2014 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Wiggins-Gordon-Harris-4639/ /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Wiggins-Gordon-Harris-4639/ Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:34:33 -0400 Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of arguably the most dominant player in the NBA, LeBron James, before he becomes a free agent on July 1st. /article/LeBron-James-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4638/ /article/LeBron-James-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4638/ Wed, 25 Jun 2014 17:57:02 -0400 Interviews with Michigan's Nik Stauskas and Kentucky's James Young from media day at the 2014 NBA Draft in New York City. /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Nik-Stauskas-and-James-Young-4637/ /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Nik-Stauskas-and-James-Young-4637/ Wed, 25 Jun 2014 16:40:24 -0400 Stanley Johnson, Myles Turner, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones preview the 2014 NBA Draft for DraftExpress from Colorado Springs, where they just won the U18 FIBA Americas Championship for USA Basketball. /article/Future-Lottery-Picks-Preview-The-2014-NBA-Draft-4636/ /article/Future-Lottery-Picks-Preview-The-2014-NBA-Draft-4636/ Wed, 25 Jun 2014 10:03:59 -0400 Scouting reports on the top US prospects who competed at the FIBA U18 Americas Championships in Colorado Springs. /article/2014-FIBA-U18-Americas-Championship-US-Scouting-Reports-4634/ /article/2014-FIBA-U18-Americas-Championship-US-Scouting-Reports-4634/ Wed, 25 Jun 2014 00:06:51 -0400 The measurements from the 2014 Nike Skill Academies were released earlier today. /article/2014-Nike-Skills-Academy-Measurements-Results-and-Analysis-4633/ /article/2014-Nike-Skills-Academy-Measurements-Results-and-Analysis-4633/ Tue, 24 Jun 2014 23:37:46 -0400 New feature on DraftExpress allows you to explore a variety of topics revolving around the expected value of NBA Draft picks, including average win shares, hall of famers and all-stars produced, average minutes and games played, and much more. /article/New-DX-Feature-NBA-Draft-Pick-Expected-Value-4632/ /article/New-DX-Feature-NBA-Draft-Pick-Expected-Value-4632/ Tue, 24 Jun 2014 14:04:31 -0400 Taking a look at how Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker's college stats stack up historically among other top three draft picks, and how small forwards, including some of the biggest stars, are utilized in today's NBA. /article/The-Past-Present-and-Future-of-the-SF-Position-and-the-2014-NBA-Draft-4631/ /article/The-Past-Present-and-Future-of-the-SF-Position-and-the-2014-NBA-Draft-4631/ Tue, 24 Jun 2014 12:21:33 -0400 Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of one of the most coveted free agents on the NBA market, Carmelo Anthony. Is he worth the hoopla that surrounds him and can he justify a 22-24 million dollar contract per year? /article/Carmelo-Anthony-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4630/ /article/Carmelo-Anthony-2014-Free-Agent-Scouting-Video-4630/ Tue, 24 Jun 2014 11:25:12 -0400 Mike Schmitz gets a jump on next season with a video scouting report one of the top international prospects in the world, Croatian wing Mario Hezonja. /article/Mario-Hezonja-Video-Scouting-Report-4629/ /article/Mario-Hezonja-Video-Scouting-Report-4629/ Mon, 23 Jun 2014 09:46:43 -0400 Highlight reels of the top international prospects who attended the 2014 adidas Eurocamp, courtesy of adidas. /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Highlight-Videos-4628/ /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Highlight-Videos-4628/ Sun, 22 Jun 2014 11:51:00 -0400 We continue our series of articles digging into the statistical profiles of the 2014 NBA Draft class with the power forward position. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2014-Power-Forward-Crop-4627/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2014-Power-Forward-Crop-4627/ Sat, 21 Jun 2014 13:28:53 -0400 We wrap up our series on situational statistics with our analysis of the center position. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2014-Center-Crop-4618/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2014-Center-Crop-4618/ Sat, 21 Jun 2014 13:28:15 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Aaron Gordon and Kyle Anderson performed in their head to head matchups versus each other in college this past season. /article/Kyle-Anderson-vs-Aaron-Gordon-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4626/ /article/Kyle-Anderson-vs-Aaron-Gordon-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4626/ Fri, 20 Jun 2014 11:00:30 -0400 We continue our series of articles on the situational strengths and weaknesses of players eligible for the 2014 NBA Draft with this year's small forward crop. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2014-Small-Forward-Crop-4620/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2014-Small-Forward-Crop-4620/ Fri, 20 Jun 2014 08:43:04 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Rodney Hood and K.J. McDaniels performed in their two head to head matchups versus each other in college this past season. /article/Rodney-Hood-vs-KJ-McDaniels---Head-to-Head-Matchups-Video-Analysis-4625/ /article/Rodney-Hood-vs-KJ-McDaniels---Head-to-Head-Matchups-Video-Analysis-4625/ Thu, 19 Jun 2014 11:05:45 -0400 Heights, weights and wingspans for the 2016 and 2017 high school prospects who participated at last week's Nike Elite 100 Camp have been added to the DraftExpress database. /article/Nike-Elite-100-Camp-Measurements-Released-4624/ /article/Nike-Elite-100-Camp-Measurements-Released-4624/ Thu, 19 Jun 2014 10:14:07 -0400 Triangle Offense has compiled a list of "the best summer basketball leagues" to check out this offseason. /article/Seven-Summer-LeaguesPro-Ams-to-Check-Out-This-Off-Season-4623/ /article/Seven-Summer-LeaguesPro-Ams-to-Check-Out-This-Off-Season-4623/ Thu, 19 Jun 2014 09:15:21 -0400 We continue our series on the situational strengths and weaknesses of the 2014 NBA Draft with this year's shooting guard class. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2014-Shooting-Guard-Crop-4619/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2014-Shooting-Guard-Crop-4619/ Thu, 19 Jun 2014 08:55:09 -0400 New DX feature allows you to explore the historical career production outcomes of every pick in the draft. What were the best and worst picks at every draft slot? What is reasonable expected production based on the median outcome? Explore that and more. /article/New-DX-Feature-Historical-NBA-Draft-Pick-Career-Production-Breakdown-4622/ /article/New-DX-Feature-Historical-NBA-Draft-Pick-Career-Production-Breakdown-4622/ Wed, 18 Jun 2014 16:03:41 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker performed in their matchups in college and at the Nike Hoop Summit. /article/Jabari-Parker-vs-Andrew-Wiggins---Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4621/ /article/Jabari-Parker-vs-Andrew-Wiggins---Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4621/ Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:16:19 -0400 Box-scores don't always tell us everything we need to know about what happened in an actual game, and season averages can be misleading at times in attempting to project what type of NBA player a NCAA or international prospect will become. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2014-Point-Guard-Crop-4617/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2014-Point-Guard-Crop-4617/ Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:10:43 -0400 The complete list of NCAA and international players who withdrew their names from the 2014 NBA draft, as well as those who remain eligible. /article/NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-Withdrawal-Deadline-Final-List-4616/ /article/NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-Withdrawal-Deadline-Final-List-4616/ Tue, 17 Jun 2014 14:37:39 -0400 Studying the evolution of Kawhi Leonard's game, from San Diego State to the San Antonio Spurs. What kind of player was he coming out of college, and what areas of his game did he improve the most in to help him develop into the MVP of the 2014 NBA Finals? /article/The-Evolution-of-Kawhi-Leonard--from-San-Diego-State-to-San-Antonio-4615/ /article/The-Evolution-of-Kawhi-Leonard--from-San-Diego-State-to-San-Antonio-4615/ Tue, 17 Jun 2014 12:10:49 -0400 Footage of James Young working out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft in Los Angeles, with an interview discussing what he's working on, his contact with former Kentucky teammates, the support he receives from BBN, his strengths as a player, who he models his game after, what he needs to improve on and more. /article/James-Young-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-4614/ /article/James-Young-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-4614/ Tue, 17 Jun 2014 09:28:16 -0400 In our fifth analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top 13 centers eligible for the 2014 NBA draft. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2014-Center-Crop-4611/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2014-Center-Crop-4611/ Mon, 16 Jun 2014 10:38:33 -0400 Taking a detailed, possession by possession look at how Dante Exum fared vs Team USA in their lone meeting at the FIBA U19 World Championships last July. /article/Dante-Exum-vs-Team-USA-at-the-FIBA-U19-World-Championships-4613/ /article/Dante-Exum-vs-Team-USA-at-the-FIBA-U19-World-Championships-4613/ Mon, 16 Jun 2014 09:46:37 -0400 In our fourth analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top 22 power forwards eligible for the 2014 NBA draft. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2014-Power-Forward-Crop-4610/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2014-Power-Forward-Crop-4610/ Mon, 16 Jun 2014 09:02:38 -0400 In our third analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top 25 small forwards eligible for the 2014 NBA draft. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2014-Small-Forward-Crop-4609/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2014-Small-Forward-Crop-4609/ Sun, 15 Jun 2014 13:23:25 -0400 In our first analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top 17 point guards eligible for the 2014 NBA draft. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2014-Point-Guard-Crop-4607/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2014-Point-Guard-Crop-4607/ Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:02:46 -0400 In our second analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top 20 shooting guards eligible for the 2014 NBA draft. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2014-Shooting-Guard-Crop-4608/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2014-Shooting-Guard-Crop-4608/ Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:53:21 -0400 Footage of Taylor Braun working out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft in Chicago, with an interview discussing what he's working on, what type of player and person he is on and off the court, how he got to North Dakota State and more. /article/Taylor-Braun-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-4612/ /article/Taylor-Braun-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-4612/ Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:39:46 -0400 An NBA Fans Guide To The 2014 World Cup (via Triangle Offense) /article/An-NBA-Fans-Guide-To-The-2014-World-Cup-4606/ /article/An-NBA-Fans-Guide-To-The-2014-World-Cup-4606/ Thu, 12 Jun 2014 10:24:51 -0400 Footage of Marcus Smart working out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft in Los Angeles. /article/Marcus-Smart-Pre-Draft-Workout-for-NBA-Scouts-4605/ /article/Marcus-Smart-Pre-Draft-Workout-for-NBA-Scouts-4605/ Thu, 12 Jun 2014 09:46:56 -0400 Footage of Jordan Clarkson working out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft, with commentary from Clarkson and his trainer Jay Hernandez. /article/Jordan-Clarkson-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4604/ /article/Jordan-Clarkson-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4604/ Wed, 11 Jun 2014 12:31:35 -0400 Mike Schmitz breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of Missouri's Jordan Clarkson, who has impressed NBA teams recently with his performance in private workouts. /article/Jordan-Clarkson-Scouting-Video-4603/ /article/Jordan-Clarkson-Scouting-Video-4603/ Wed, 11 Jun 2014 11:32:13 -0400 Footage of Kyle Anderson working out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft. /article/Kyle-Anderson-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-4601/ /article/Kyle-Anderson-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-4601/ Tue, 10 Jun 2014 19:30:24 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Zach Lavine performed without Jordan Adams and Kyle Anderson on the floor this season. /article/Zach-Lavine-without-Jordan-Adams-and-Kyle-Anderson-Video-Analysis-4600/ /article/Zach-Lavine-without-Jordan-Adams-and-Kyle-Anderson-Video-Analysis-4600/ Tue, 10 Jun 2014 08:14:36 -0400 Players at the adidas EuroCamp underwent similar testing to what was administered at the NBA Combine. The results of those tests were released today. /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Results-4599/ /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Results-4599/ Tue, 10 Jun 2014 08:01:35 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Clint Capela and Jusuf Nurkic performed in their two matchups this season. /article/Clint-Capela-vs-Jusuf-Nurkic-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Analysis-4598/ /article/Clint-Capela-vs-Jusuf-Nurkic-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Analysis-4598/ Mon, 09 Jun 2014 17:29:17 -0400 All four teams played on the final day of the 2014 EuroCamp, as well as the adidas USA Select Team, Carleton Universty, and the U20 French National Team /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Day-Three-4597/ /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Day-Three-4597/ Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:38:27 -0400 Footage of Joel Embiid working out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft. /article/Joel-Embiid-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-4596/ /article/Joel-Embiid-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-4596/ Mon, 09 Jun 2014 10:03:48 -0400 The measurements from the 2014 adidas EuroCamp were released earlier today. /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Measurements-Results-and-Analysis-4595/ /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Measurements-Results-and-Analysis-4595/ Sun, 08 Jun 2014 16:23:14 -0400 Day two of the adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, Italy included a number of standout performances. /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Day-Two-4594/ /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Day-Two-4594/ Sun, 08 Jun 2014 15:20:06 -0400 Day one of the 2014 adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, Italy is officially in the books. /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Day-One-4593/ /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Day-One-4593/ Sat, 07 Jun 2014 13:39:35 -0400 Footage of Jerami Grant working out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft. /article/Jerami-Grant-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-4592/ /article/Jerami-Grant-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-4592/ Sat, 07 Jun 2014 09:26:06 -0400 Cameron Bairstow was arguably the most improved player in college basketball this season, emerging as one of the most prolific and efficient scorers in the NCAA. What are his strengths and weaknesses and how does he stack up as a NBA prospect? /article/Cameron-Bairstow-Updated-Scouting-Report-4591/ /article/Cameron-Bairstow-Updated-Scouting-Report-4591/ Fri, 06 Jun 2014 10:45:29 -0400 We joined Glenn Robinson as he works out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including what he's trying to improve on in the short-term and what he feels he can bring to a NBA team. /article/Glenn-Robinson-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4590/ /article/Glenn-Robinson-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4590/ Fri, 06 Jun 2014 10:42:11 -0400 After an up and down college career, spanning three schools Mike Moser is finally in the draft officially. What are his strengths and weaknesses and what kind of NBA prospect is he? /article/Mike-Moser-Updated-Scouting-Report-4589/ /article/Mike-Moser-Updated-Scouting-Report-4589/ Fri, 06 Jun 2014 10:17:41 -0400 We joined Gary Harris as he works out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including what he's trying to improve on in the short-term and what he feels he can bring to a NBA team. /article/Gary-Harris-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4588/ /article/Gary-Harris-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4588/ Thu, 05 Jun 2014 18:07:40 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Nik Stauskas and Gary Harris performed in their matchup against each other this season, with a specific focus on how they looked guarding each other. We examine the strengths of weaknesses of each prospect first and then see how Stauskas and Harris actually fared. /article/Nik-Stauskas-vs-Gary-Harris-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Analysis-4570/ /article/Nik-Stauskas-vs-Gary-Harris-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Analysis-4570/ Thu, 05 Jun 2014 10:23:49 -0400 The EuroCamp kicks off this Saturday, and DraftExpress will be present covering the event for the 11th straight year. /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Preview-and-Roster-Breakdown-4587/ /article/2014-adidas-EuroCamp-Preview-and-Roster-Breakdown-4587/ Wed, 04 Jun 2014 16:42:45 -0400 adidas announced the roster for the 12th annual adidas EUROCAMP, taking place June 7-9 in Treviso, Italy. The event brings together elite international basketball talent and provides a top-level talent evaluation stage for NBA scouts and GMs to get an in-person look at these players in preparation for the NBA Draft on June 26. /article/2014-adidas-Eurocamp-Rosters-Announced-4586/ /article/2014-adidas-Eurocamp-Rosters-Announced-4586/ Wed, 04 Jun 2014 14:44:45 -0400 We joined Khem Birch as he works out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including what he's trying to improve on in the short-term and what he feels he can bring to a NBA team. /article/Khem-Birch-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4585/ /article/Khem-Birch-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4585/ Wed, 04 Jun 2014 09:53:59 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Jabari Parker performed in his match ups against players and teams with NBA length and athleticism. /article/Jabari-Parker-vs-NBA-Length-Video-Analysis-4584/ /article/Jabari-Parker-vs-NBA-Length-Video-Analysis-4584/ Tue, 03 Jun 2014 15:12:54 -0400 Footage of Jabari Parker working out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft. /article/Jabari-Parker-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-4583/ /article/Jabari-Parker-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-Video-4583/ Tue, 03 Jun 2014 10:48:29 -0400 We joined Noah Vonleh as he works out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including what he's trying to improve on in the short-term and what he feels he can bring to a NBA team. /article/Noah-Vonleh-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4582/ /article/Noah-Vonleh-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4582/ Mon, 02 Jun 2014 16:24:00 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Noah Vonleh performed in his match ups against players and teams with NBA length and athleticism. /article/Noah-Vonleh-vs-NBA-Length-Video-Analysis-4581/ /article/Noah-Vonleh-vs-NBA-Length-Video-Analysis-4581/ Mon, 02 Jun 2014 11:26:25 -0400 We joined T.J. Warren as he works out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including what he's trying to improve on in the short-term and what he feels he can bring to a NBA team. /article/TJ-Warren-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4580/ /article/TJ-Warren-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4580/ Sun, 01 Jun 2014 19:43:24 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Louisiana-Lafayette's Elfrid Payton performed in his match ups against the elite competition. /article/Elfrid-Payton-vs-Elite-Competition-4579/ /article/Elfrid-Payton-vs-Elite-Competition-4579/ Sat, 31 May 2014 23:24:52 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Jabari Parker and and Aaron Gordon performed in their matchup against each other this season, with a specific focus on how they looked guarding each other. We examine the strengths of weaknesses of each prospect first and then see how Parker and Gordon actually fared. /article/Jabari-Parker-vs-Aaron-Gordon-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Analysis-4569/ /article/Jabari-Parker-vs-Aaron-Gordon-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Analysis-4569/ Sat, 31 May 2014 08:29:48 -0400 We joined Elfrid Payton as he works out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including what he's trying to improve on in the short-term and what he feels he can bring to a NBA team /article/Elfrid-Payton-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4578/ /article/Elfrid-Payton-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4578/ Fri, 30 May 2014 17:54:26 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Doug McDermott performed in his match ups against the NBA-caliber length and athleticism. /article/Doug-McDermott-vs-NBA-Length-Video-Analysis-4577/ /article/Doug-McDermott-vs-NBA-Length-Video-Analysis-4577/ Fri, 30 May 2014 12:06:00 -0400 A key role-player during Michigan's run to the 2013 National Championship Game, Glenn Robinson III's sophomore season presented significant challenges as he adjusted to life without Trey Burke. Where does Robinson stand as we head towards the 2014 NBA Draft? /article/Glenn-Robinson-Updated-Scouting-Report-4576/ /article/Glenn-Robinson-Updated-Scouting-Report-4576/ Thu, 29 May 2014 11:39:38 -0400 After electing to stay for his senior season at Baylor, Cory Jefferson regressed on some areas, which hurt his draft stock somewhat. What are his strengths and weaknesses and what kind of player does he project as? /article/Cory-Jefferson-Updated-Scouting-Report-4575/ /article/Cory-Jefferson-Updated-Scouting-Report-4575/ Thu, 29 May 2014 11:07:57 -0400 Taking one of the more interesting paths to the 2014 NBA Draft among international prospects, Ioannis Papapetrou's young basketball career came full circle this year, as he returned to Greece after spending three years in the US. /article/Ioannis-Papapetrou-Updated-Scouting-Report-4574/ /article/Ioannis-Papapetrou-Updated-Scouting-Report-4574/ Thu, 29 May 2014 10:21:06 -0400 After a solid sophomore season, Alex Kirk regressed somewhat as a redshirt junior, but nevertheless elected to forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the 2014 NBA Draft. What are his strengths and weaknesses as a draft prospect? /article/Alex-Kirk-Updated-Scouting-Report-4573/ /article/Alex-Kirk-Updated-Scouting-Report-4573/ Thu, 29 May 2014 09:50:52 -0400 We joined Zach LaVine as he works out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including what he's trying to improve on in the short-term and what he feels he can bring to a NBA team. /article/Zach-LaVine-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4572/ /article/Zach-LaVine-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4572/ Wed, 28 May 2014 14:18:18 -0400 We joined Aaron Gordon as he works out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including what he's trying to improve on in the short-term and what he feels he can bring to a NBA team. /article/Aaron-Gordon-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4571/ /article/Aaron-Gordon-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4571/ Wed, 28 May 2014 13:55:36 -0400 The official measurements from the 2014 Los Angeles Clippers Mini-Combine have been added to our extensive database. You can view event specific measurements by clicking here. /article/2014-LA-Clippers-Mini-Combine-Measurements-Released-4568/ /article/2014-LA-Clippers-Mini-Combine-Measurements-Released-4568/ Tue, 27 May 2014 19:14:48 -0400 We joined Sean Kilpatrick as he works out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including what he's trying to improve on in the short-term, what he feels he can bring to a NBA teams, and how he's enjoyed the draft process so far. /article/Sean-Kilpatrick-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4566/ /article/Sean-Kilpatrick-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4566/ Tue, 27 May 2014 17:24:46 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Julius Randle performed in his match ups against the NBA-caliber length and athleticism of Adreian Payne and Montrezl Harrell. /article/Julius-Randle-vs-NBA-Length-Video-Analysis-4567/ /article/Julius-Randle-vs-NBA-Length-Video-Analysis-4567/ Mon, 26 May 2014 16:33:26 -0400 We joined Joe Harris as he works out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including what he's trying to improve on in the short and long-term, the specifics of his workouts, and how he became such a great shooter. /article/Joe-Harris-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4565/ /article/Joe-Harris-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4565/ Mon, 26 May 2014 11:16:31 -0400 Arguably the most seasoned international prospect eligible for the 2014 NBA Draft, 21 year old wing Alessandro Gentile has been a productive scorer on the European seen since he was a teenager. With his season nearing a close as his team is in the Italian league playoffs, we evaluate where his stock is at currently. /article/Alessandro-Gentile-Updated-Scouting-Report-4564/ /article/Alessandro-Gentile-Updated-Scouting-Report-4564/ Fri, 23 May 2014 17:13:16 -0400 Alec Brown finished off his career with a NIT showing, continuing to showcase his trademark outside shooting ability while struggling in most other areas. What kind of NBA prospect is he and what does he need to improve on to become a rotation player? /article/Alec-Brown-Updated-Scouting-Report-4563/ /article/Alec-Brown-Updated-Scouting-Report-4563/ Fri, 23 May 2014 13:53:00 -0400 Joe Harris ended his collegiate career at the University of Virginia by leading the team to an ACC regular season title and conference title while earning a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, being named to the All-Conference Third Team and the ACC tournament MVP. Although the Cavaliers ended up losing to Michigan State in the Elite 8, Harris had a solid individual season, even if he regressed in some areas statistically. He now turns his attention to his professional career, as he tries to show his skills can translate to a NBA career. /article/Joe-Harris-Updated-Scouting-Report-4562/ /article/Joe-Harris-Updated-Scouting-Report-4562/ Fri, 23 May 2014 13:32:01 -0400 Viktor Gaddefors has been on the NBA radar for quite some team, and finally becomes automatically draft-eligible this year as a 1992-born international. What kind of season did he have in Italy's Lega A, and how good of a NBA prospect is he? /article/Viktor-Gaddefors-Updated-Scouting-Report-4561/ /article/Viktor-Gaddefors-Updated-Scouting-Report-4561/ Fri, 23 May 2014 12:21:23 -0400 Moussa Diagne ranks among the ACB's best per-minute rebounders and shot-blockers, despite only having started to play basketball recently. How does he stack up in this draft class and what is his long-term potential? /article/Moussa-Diagne-Updated-Scouting-Report-4560/ /article/Moussa-Diagne-Updated-Scouting-Report-4560/ Fri, 23 May 2014 11:44:36 -0400 44 NBA prospects from different backgrounds were brought into the Los Angeles Clippers Practice Facility in Playa Vista, California on Wednesday and Thursday to work out for all 30 NBA teams. This group workout, widely known as the Clippers “Mini-Combine,” was organized by the Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers, and featured measurements, agility testing, interview sessions and drill-work similar to the NBA Combine in Chicago. /article/LA-Clippers-Mini-Combine-Recap-and-Analysis-4559/ /article/LA-Clippers-Mini-Combine-Recap-and-Analysis-4559/ Thu, 22 May 2014 22:44:01 -0400 Now that the NBA Combine and the Draft Lottery are behind us, Jonathan Givony and Paul Flannery do a thorough breakdown of various topics surrounding the NBA Draft. /article/Podcast-Breaking-down-the-2014-Draft-with-SB-Nations-Paul-Flannery-4558/ /article/Podcast-Breaking-down-the-2014-Draft-with-SB-Nations-Paul-Flannery-4558/ Thu, 22 May 2014 21:55:38 -0400 Video interviews with Devyn Marble, Deonte Burton, and Melvin Ejim at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Marble-Burton-Ejim-4545/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Marble-Burton-Ejim-4545/ Thu, 22 May 2014 21:52:29 -0400 Video interviews with Aaron Craft, Johnny O'Bryant, and LaQuinton Ross at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Craft-OBryant-Ross-4544/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Craft-OBryant-Ross-4544/ Thu, 22 May 2014 21:52:12 -0400 Mike Schmitz breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of one of the strongest interior players available in the 2014 NBA Draft, Tennessee power forward Jarnell Stokes. /article/Jarnell-Stokes-Scouting-Video-4557/ /article/Jarnell-Stokes-Scouting-Video-4557/ Thu, 22 May 2014 12:27:24 -0400 Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin and other NBA executives fielded questions after the final 2013 NBA draft order was determined. /article/2014-Post-Lottery-Interview-Transcripts-and-Videos-4555/ /article/2014-Post-Lottery-Interview-Transcripts-and-Videos-4555/ Tue, 20 May 2014 21:55:42 -0400 Video interviews with Markel Brown, Jerami Grant, and Xavier Thames at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Brown-Grant-Thames-4549/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Brown-Grant-Thames-4549/ Tue, 20 May 2014 19:56:25 -0400 A detailed video analysis by Mike Schmitz of how Andrew Wiggins and Marcus Smart performed in their three matchups against each other this season, with a specific focus on how they looked guarding each other. We examine the strengths of weaknesses of each prospect first and then see how Wiggins and Smart actually fared. /article/Andrew-Wiggins-vs-Marcus-Smart-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Analysis-4553/ /article/Andrew-Wiggins-vs-Marcus-Smart-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Analysis-4553/ Tue, 20 May 2014 19:36:26 -0400 The conclusion of the NBA Draft Combine marks the beginning of six week sprint to the draft itself. Over the past week, two important topics were outlined that help to illustrate just how pressure-filled this sprint can be for NBA teams. With the lottery coming up tonight, this is the perfect time to continue to conversation on this topic. /article/Opportunity-Knocks-How-Situation-Impacts-Success-Part-I-4552/ /article/Opportunity-Knocks-How-Situation-Impacts-Success-Part-I-4552/ Tue, 20 May 2014 14:12:16 -0400 An interview and video breakdown of Aaron Gordon featuring previously unreleased footage from the Nike Hoop Summit and McDonald's All-American game practices and scrimmages last year. /article/DX-Vault-Aaron-Gordon-Retrospective-4551/ /article/DX-Vault-Aaron-Gordon-Retrospective-4551/ Tue, 20 May 2014 08:57:34 -0400 Video interviews with Marcus Smart, C.J. Fair, and Jordan Clarkson at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Smart-Fair-Clarkson-4547/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Smart-Fair-Clarkson-4547/ Tue, 20 May 2014 08:23:18 -0400 Video interviews with Aaron Gordon, Cory Jefferson, Jordan McRae at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Gordon-Jefferson-McRae-4548/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Gordon-Jefferson-McRae-4548/ Tue, 20 May 2014 08:18:17 -0400 We joined Doug McDermott as he works out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft, and discussed a number of topics with him, including what he's trying to improve on in the short and long-term, adjusting to the NBA 3-point line, other sports he played, NBA players he watches, how he can help himself in private NBA workouts, his dunking ability, what he can bring a NBA locker room, and more. /article/Doug-McDermott-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4550/ /article/Doug-McDermott-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4550/ Mon, 19 May 2014 15:04:26 -0400 A detailed video by Mike Schmitz analysis of how Joel Embiid performed in his matchups against the three most physically gifted centers he faced this season, Isaiah Austin of Baylor, Patric Young of Florida, and Cameron Ridley Texas. We examine the strengths of weaknesses of each prospect first and then see how Embiid actually fared. /article/Joel-Embiid-vs-NBA-Caliber-Centers-Video-Analysis-4546/ /article/Joel-Embiid-vs-NBA-Caliber-Centers-Video-Analysis-4546/ Mon, 19 May 2014 10:59:40 -0400 Video interviews with Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Dwight Powell, and Jahii Carson at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Antetokounmpo-Powell-Carson-4543/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Antetokounmpo-Powell-Carson-4543/ Mon, 19 May 2014 10:56:10 -0400 Video interviews with Jordan Adams, Kendall Williams, and DeAndre Kane at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Adams-Williams-Kane-4542/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Adams-Williams-Kane-4542/ Mon, 19 May 2014 10:52:25 -0400 Video interviews with Rodney Hood, Russ Smith, and Alex Kirk at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Rodney-Hood-Russ-Smith-Alex-Kirk-4541/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Rodney-Hood-Russ-Smith-Alex-Kirk-4541/ Sun, 18 May 2014 18:09:36 -0400 A thorough 15 minute talk with CBS Sports Radio's Jody Mac and Ken Berger breaking down the 2014 NBA Draft. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-CBS-Sports-Radio--4538/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-CBS-Sports-Radio--4538/ Sun, 18 May 2014 13:27:25 -0400 A 20 minute talk with Peter Brown of Yahoo! Sports breaking down the keys to the 2014 NBA Draft in detail. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-Yahoo-Sports-Radio-4539/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-Yahoo-Sports-Radio-4539/ Sun, 18 May 2014 13:24:41 -0400 Video interviews with Doug McDermott, Alec Brown, and Semaj Christon at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-McDermott-Brown-Christon-4540/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-McDermott-Brown-Christon-4540/ Sun, 18 May 2014 12:35:49 -0400 Video interviews with Noah Vonleh, Lamar Patterson, and Jabari Brown at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Vonleh-Patterson-Brown-4537/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Vonleh-Patterson-Brown-4537/ Sat, 17 May 2014 23:10:33 -0400 Revisiting the 2009 NBA Combine, five years later, with a remix of what the players on hand were discussing at that time. /article/2009-NBA-Draft-Combine---Five-Year-Retro-Remix-4536/ /article/2009-NBA-Draft-Combine---Five-Year-Retro-Remix-4536/ Sat, 17 May 2014 18:11:53 -0400 Our second detailed mock draft with pick-by-pick explanations using projected rosters and taking the individual needs of all 30 NBA teams into account, this time going 40 picks deep. /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2014-Mock-Draft-2-4535/ /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2014-Mock-Draft-2-4535/ Sat, 17 May 2014 17:42:53 -0400 Video interviews with Jarnell Stokes, Cameron Bairstow, and Jordan Bachynski at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Stokes-Bairstow-Bachynski-4534/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Stokes-Bairstow-Bachynski-4534/ Sat, 17 May 2014 17:33:19 -0400 Video interviews with Patric Young, Khem Birch, and James McAdoo at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Patric-Young-Khem-Birch-James-McAdoo-4533/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Patric-Young-Khem-Birch-James-McAdoo-4533/ Sat, 17 May 2014 15:16:25 -0400 The NBA released the athletic testing results from the 2014 NBA Combine in Chicago. We take a look at who stood out and who struggled on paper. /article/NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Analysis-4532/ /article/NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Analysis-4532/ Sat, 17 May 2014 14:31:16 -0400 Video interviews with James Young, Isaiah Austin, and Cleanthony Early at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Inteviews-Young-Austin-Early-4531/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Inteviews-Young-Austin-Early-4531/ Sat, 17 May 2014 11:54:31 -0400 Video interviews with T.J. Warren, Spencer Dinwiddie, and C.J. Wilcox at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Warren-Dinwiddie-Wilcox-4530/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Warren-Dinwiddie-Wilcox-4530/ Fri, 16 May 2014 14:56:10 -0400 Video interviews with Glenn Robinson, Zach LaVine, and Nick Johnson at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Robinson-LaVine-Johnson-4529/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Robinson-LaVine-Johnson-4529/ Fri, 16 May 2014 14:43:32 -0400 Video interviews with two of the key players from Connecticut's National Championship run, Shabazz Napier and DeAndre Daniels, from the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-DeAndre-Daniels-and-Shabazz-Napier-4528/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-DeAndre-Daniels-and-Shabazz-Napier-4528/ Fri, 16 May 2014 10:02:14 -0400 At the 2014 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, the NBA tracked shooting percentages from various spots on the court. /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Combine-Shooting-Results-4527/ /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Combine-Shooting-Results-4527/ Fri, 16 May 2014 09:29:24 -0400 Video interviews with Kyle Anderson, P.J. Hairston, and Gary Harris at the 2014 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Kyle-Anderson-PJ-Hairston-Gary-Harris-4526/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interviews-Kyle-Anderson-PJ-Hairston-Gary-Harris-4526/ Thu, 15 May 2014 21:25:08 -0400 A video interview with Kentucky power forward Julius Randle at the 2014 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interview-Julius-Randle-4525/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interview-Julius-Randle-4525/ Thu, 15 May 2014 20:53:39 -0400 A video interview with Australian guard prospect Dante Exum at the 2014 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interview-Dante-Exum-4524/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interview-Dante-Exum-4524/ Thu, 15 May 2014 20:00:43 -0400 While skill level and production clearly play a major role in a draft prospect's stock, a player's measurements also are an important factor to evaluate a prospect's NBA potential. /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Combine-Measurements-Analysis-4523/ /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Combine-Measurements-Analysis-4523/ Thu, 15 May 2014 16:28:09 -0400 A video interview with Louisiana Lafayette guard prospect Elfrid Payton at the 2014 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interview-Elfrid-Payton-4522/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interview-Elfrid-Payton-4522/ Thu, 15 May 2014 15:32:41 -0400 A video interview with Syracuse point guard prospect Tyler Ennis at the 2014 NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois. /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interview-Tyler-Ennis-4521/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Interview-Tyler-Ennis-4521/ Thu, 15 May 2014 14:58:35 -0400 Player measurements from the 2014 NBA Draft Combine have been added to our extensive measurements database. /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Combine-Measurements-4520/ /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Combine-Measurements-4520/ Thu, 15 May 2014 12:35:24 -0400 The NBA league-office has tinkered for many years with the format of the NBA Combine (previously known as the NBA pre-draft camp) in an attempt to make it as useful as possible for NBA front offices in their decision making process. With a significant portion of the first round once again electing not to participate in any of the basketball activities this year, and the top three prospects electing to not even attend period, many will call for the NBA to go back to the drawing board to try and figure out a new format that makes this event as relevant as possible again for teams, prospects, media and the general public. /article/The-Gradual-Erosion-of-the-NBA-Pre-Draft-Process-4519/ /article/The-Gradual-Erosion-of-the-NBA-Pre-Draft-Process-4519/ Wed, 14 May 2014 19:13:12 -0400 Nik Stauskas works out in preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft and discusses us a number of topics, including what he's trying to improve on in the short and long-term, how he's evolved over the last year, and growing up with the different Canadians in this draft. /article/Nik-Stauskas-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4518/ /article/Nik-Stauskas-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4518/ Wed, 14 May 2014 19:02:41 -0400 We visited with Adreian Payne in Chicago as he gets ready for the 2014 NBA Draft Combine. /article/Adreian-Payne-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4517/ /article/Adreian-Payne-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4517/ Wed, 14 May 2014 08:36:20 -0400 Going into college, we already have a decent picture of how the high school recruiting services (Scout.com, Rivals, ESPN, etc) viewed prospects' talent-level and potential thanks to the RSCI. The RSCI (recruiting service consensus index) attempts to encapsulate the average rankings of all the major high school recruiting services into one handy number. /article/How-would-the-2014-NBA-Draft-Look-Based-Solely-Off-RSCI-Rankings-4516/ /article/How-would-the-2014-NBA-Draft-Look-Based-Solely-Off-RSCI-Rankings-4516/ Wed, 14 May 2014 08:36:19 -0400 After a freshman season playing a backup role behind a loaded North Carolina frontline, James McAdoo had immense expectations placed on his shoulders when he returned for his subsequent seasons. McAdoo was named to the All-ACC Second team in both his sophomore and junior seasons, but never seemed to be able to make the leap to the next level and dominate a collegiate game on a regular basis. He now heads to the NBA draft a year early, as a projected second round pick trying to find the right system to help him develop into a valuable rotation player. /article/James-McAdoo-Updated-Scouting-Report-4515/ /article/James-McAdoo-Updated-Scouting-Report-4515/ Wed, 14 May 2014 08:34:26 -0400 Kristaps Porzingis made his ACB and EuroCup debut just a few months after turning 17, and is having a fairly impressive season for playoff bound Cajasol Sevilla in arguably the best domestic league in Europe despite being one of the youngest players in this draft. We take an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Kristaps-Porzingis-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4514/ /article/Kristaps-Porzingis-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4514/ Tue, 13 May 2014 15:23:01 -0400 A interview and video breakdown of Andrew Wiggins featuring previously unreleased footage from the Nike Hoop Summit practices and scrimmages last year. /article/DX-Vault-Andrew-Wiggins-Retrospective-4513/ /article/DX-Vault-Andrew-Wiggins-Retrospective-4513/ Tue, 13 May 2014 09:58:13 -0400 A breakdown of Joel Embiid featuring previously unreleased footage from the Nike Hoop Summit practices and scrimmages last year. /article/DX-Vault-Joel-Embiid-Retrospective-4511/ /article/DX-Vault-Joel-Embiid-Retrospective-4511/ Tue, 13 May 2014 09:54:59 -0400 Scouting reports on the top prospects at the 2014 Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Mannheim, Germany, including Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Marc Garcia, Ethan Happ, Jules Akodo, Egemen Guven, Ludde Hakanson, Ayberk Olmaz, Yankuba Sima, Antoine Wallez and Okben Ulubay. /article/2014-Albert-Schweitzer-Tournament---Elite-Prospects-4512/ /article/2014-Albert-Schweitzer-Tournament---Elite-Prospects-4512/ Tue, 13 May 2014 09:43:14 -0400 Walter Tavares hasn't been playing basketball for very long, but he's already established himself as one of the top rebounding and shot-blocking big men in the Spanish ACB. We take an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Walter-Tavares-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4510/ /article/Walter-Tavares-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4510/ Mon, 12 May 2014 16:34:53 -0400 A list of the 60 players participating at the NBA Combine in Chicago May 14-18 /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Participant-List-4509/ /article/2014-NBA-Combine-Participant-List-4509/ Mon, 12 May 2014 13:10:23 -0400 Building on a strong sophomore season, Johnny O'Bryant returned to LSU for his junior year in easily the best shape of his career. Leading the Tigers to their first 20-win season since 2009, but still no NCAA Tournament bid, he once again ranked among the most productive big men in the SEC, showing improvement in a few key areas along the way. /article/Johnny-OBryant-Updated-Scouting-Report-4508/ /article/Johnny-OBryant-Updated-Scouting-Report-4508/ Mon, 12 May 2014 09:42:02 -0400 We went out to visit K.J. McDaniels in Los Angeles as he's working out with Joe Abunassar and preparing for the NBA Combine and private workouts. McDaniels narrates the video explaining what type of player he is, and his decision to leave Clemson, among other topics. /article/KJ-McDaniels-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4507/ /article/KJ-McDaniels-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4507/ Mon, 12 May 2014 08:17:14 -0400 At 7'5”, New Mexico State's Sim Bhullar was the tallest player in the NCAA this season along with UC Irvine's Mamadou Ndiaye. Bhullar helped New Mexico State win the WAC tournament before they bowed out in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64 to San Diego State. Turning 22 in December, Bhullar decided to forego his last two years of eligibility to enter the NBA draft. His height will make him a prospect teams won't simply gloss over, but he will need to prove he can provide consistent value in today's NBA to earn a roster spot. /article/Sim-Bhullar-Updated-Scouting-Report-4505/ /article/Sim-Bhullar-Updated-Scouting-Report-4505/ Fri, 09 May 2014 17:37:27 -0400 One of the most closely scrutinized international prospects in recent memory, Dario Saric has been on NBA radar screens since he was 15 years old. Likely the most experienced player in this draft class, and possibly also the most skilled, Saric backed up the hype in a major way this season by winning the Adriatic League championship, earning MVP honors along the way. We take an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Dario-Saric-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4504/ /article/Dario-Saric-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4504/ Fri, 09 May 2014 13:21:17 -0400 Our first detailed mock draft with pick-by-pick explanations using projected rosters and taking the individual needs of all 30 NBA teams into account. /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2014-Mock-Draft-1-4503/ /article/DraftExpress-Extended-2014-Mock-Draft-1-4503/ Thu, 08 May 2014 10:53:20 -0400 After playing a minor role for most of the regular season as a freshman, Mitch McGary became a vital piece of the Michigan Wolverine team during the NCAA Tournament, emerging as a major force and helping them to the National Championship Final. With Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway leaving for the NBA, many were looking forward to McGary's second season to see how he would adjust to playing a larger role. However, his season was cut short by a back injury, and McGary was only able to participate in eight games. /article/Mitch-McGary-Updated-Scouting-Report-4502/ /article/Mitch-McGary-Updated-Scouting-Report-4502/ Wed, 07 May 2014 18:29:11 -0400 Melvin Ejim had a tremendous senior season, becoming a key member of an Iowa State team that won the Big 12 tournament, before falling to eventual national champion Connecticut in the Sweet Sixteen. The senior now hopes to turn his productive season where he was named Big 12 Player of the Year into a roster spot with a NBA team. /article/Melvin-Ejim-Updated-Scouting-Report-4501/ /article/Melvin-Ejim-Updated-Scouting-Report-4501/ Wed, 07 May 2014 16:57:35 -0400 Damien Inglis is one of a handful of 18-year olds to see meaningful minutes in Pro A France over the past decade. After attending the Nike Hoop Summit, and seeing his team relegated to the second division, Inglis elected to declare for this year's NBA Draft. We take an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Damien-Inglis-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4500/ /article/Damien-Inglis-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4500/ Wed, 07 May 2014 11:52:09 -0400 After playing 69 games of college basketball in three years, Khem Birch decided to enter the NBA draft. While he's still fairly raw, despite turning 22 later this year, Birch has terrific physical tools and ranks as one of the best rebounders and shot-blockers in this draft class. How does he stack up with his peers and how ready is he to help a NBA team? /article/Khem-Birch-Updated-Scouting-Report-4499/ /article/Khem-Birch-Updated-Scouting-Report-4499/ Tue, 06 May 2014 16:38:49 -0400 Jordan Clarkson had an immediate impact for Frank Haith's Missouri program after sitting out the entire 2012-2013 season as a transfer. Averaging 17.5 points and 3.4 assists per-game, he earned All-SEC 2nd Team honors, ranking among the most productive guards in the conference. /article/Jordan-Clarkson-Updated-Scouting-Report-4498/ /article/Jordan-Clarkson-Updated-Scouting-Report-4498/ Tue, 06 May 2014 11:59:44 -0400 Despite a rough end to the season that saw the Iowa Hawkeyes lose 7 of their final 8 games, the Hawkeyes ended their season with a 20-13 record and their first NCAA tournament berth since 2006, capping off a strong 4 year career for Devyn Marble and a drastic turnaround since him and head coach Fran McCaffery arrived together in Iowa City four years ago. /article/Devyn-Marble-Updated-Scouting-Report-4497/ /article/Devyn-Marble-Updated-Scouting-Report-4497/ Tue, 06 May 2014 10:18:26 -0400 We've done our best to compile a list of the 60 or so players invited to the NBA Combine in Chicago May 14-18. Here's what we've come up with so far. /article/Unofficial-NBA-Combine-Invite-List-4496/ /article/Unofficial-NBA-Combine-Invite-List-4496/ Mon, 05 May 2014 17:47:34 -0400 DeAndre Daniels saved the best basketball of his career for the NCAA Tournament, stringing together an impressive six game run to help his UConn team win a National Championship. Daniels elected to strike while the iron was hot and declared for the NBA Draft a few weeks later. Now that his college career is over, we'll take an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/DeAndre-Daniels-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4495/ /article/DeAndre-Daniels-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4495/ Mon, 05 May 2014 11:04:30 -0400 After going into the season ranked as the 2nd best returning NBA prospect in the Pac-12 and excelling in an expanded role as Colorado's primary ball-handler, Spencer Dinwiddie tore his ACLjust five games into Pac-12 Conference play, prematurely ending what was supposed to be a marquee year for Dinwiddie and the Buffaloes. /article/Spencer-Dinwiddie-Updated-Scouting-Report-4494/ /article/Spencer-Dinwiddie-Updated-Scouting-Report-4494/ Fri, 02 May 2014 17:22:52 -0400 After a strong finish to his junior season, Adreian Payne was faced with a tough decision, but ultimately elected to return for his final year at Michigan State. Now that his college career is over, we'll take an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Adreian-Payne-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4493/ /article/Adreian-Payne-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4493/ Fri, 02 May 2014 13:18:11 -0400 Jordan Adams had a very productive sophomore year, after which he declared his intentions to return to UCLA, but ultimately changed his mind at the last minute and elected to enter the NBA Draft. We take an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Jordan-Adams-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown--4492/ /article/Jordan-Adams-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown--4492/ Wed, 30 Apr 2014 18:29:16 -0400 The NBA announced today that 75 players, including 43 players from US colleges, 31 international players and one player from the D-League have filed as early entry candidates for the 2014 NBA Draft. /article/NBA-Announces-Early-Entry-Candidates-for-2014-NBA-Draft-4491/ /article/NBA-Announces-Early-Entry-Candidates-for-2014-NBA-Draft-4491/ Wed, 30 Apr 2014 14:21:06 -0400 Isaiah Austin had a relatively quiet sophomore year, but helped Baylor return to the NCAA Tournament after a one year absence. We take an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Isaiah-Austin-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4490/ /article/Isaiah-Austin-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4490/ Tue, 29 Apr 2014 18:05:20 -0400 After a breakout performance in the 2013 NCAA tournament, LaQuinton Ross was charged with being the top offensive weapon for the Ohio State Buckeyes after the departure of Deshaun Thomas. Ross saw his minutes increase from 16.9 to 29.0 per game, while his offensive role ramped up, as he used 20.7% of the Buckeyes' overall possessions per game, up from 12.0% his sophomore year. /article/LaQuinton-Ross-Updated-Scouting-Report-4489/ /article/LaQuinton-Ross-Updated-Scouting-Report-4489/ Tue, 29 Apr 2014 16:08:10 -0400 Dario Saric led his Cibona team to a historic Adriatic League Championship this past weekend, with wins over Red Star and Cedevita at Kombank arena in Belgrade. We take a look at his performance with a detailed video analysis. /article/Dario-Saric-Adriatic-League-Final-Four-Video-Analysis-4488/ /article/Dario-Saric-Adriatic-League-Final-Four-Video-Analysis-4488/ Tue, 29 Apr 2014 08:17:00 -0400 In his first full season with the Missouri Tigers, Jabari Brown had a breakout year, finishing his redshirt junior campaign on the SEC All-Conference First Team, while averaging 21.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per 40 minutes pace adjusted. Entering the draft with a season of eligibility remaining, the 21 year old Brown is coming off a productive season even if his team did not make the NCAA Tournament. /article/Jabari-Brown-Updated-Scouting-Report-4487/ /article/Jabari-Brown-Updated-Scouting-Report-4487/ Mon, 28 Apr 2014 17:52:16 -0400 Video interviews with Ohio State commit D'Angelo Russell, UCLA commit Thomas Welsh, Isaiah Whitehead, and Melo Trimble. /article/2014-McDonalds-Video-Interviews-Russell-Welsh-Trimble-Whitehead-4486/ /article/2014-McDonalds-Video-Interviews-Russell-Welsh-Trimble-Whitehead-4486/ Mon, 28 Apr 2014 12:21:43 -0400 Video interviews with UNLV Commit Rashad Vaughn and Duke commit Grayson Allen. /article/2014-McDonalds-Video-Interviews-Rashad-Vaughn-and-Grayson-Allen-4485/ /article/2014-McDonalds-Video-Interviews-Rashad-Vaughn-and-Grayson-Allen-4485/ Sun, 27 Apr 2014 14:44:21 -0400 Video interviews with North Carolina commit Justin Jackson and Kentucky commit Devin Booker. /article/2014-McDonalds-Video-Interviews-Justin-Jackson-and-Devin-Booker-4484/ /article/2014-McDonalds-Video-Interviews-Justin-Jackson-and-Devin-Booker-4484/ Sat, 26 Apr 2014 16:10:53 -0400 Jerami Grant took a significant step forward as a sophomore, finding new ways to take advantage of his tremendous physical tools as a key member of Syracuse's rotation. We take an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Jerami-Grant-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4483/ /article/Jerami-Grant-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4483/ Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:47:10 -0400 James Young lived up to his billing as one of the top freshmen in college basketball during his lone year at Kentucky, earning a spot on the All-SEC Second Team and All-NCAA Tournament Final Four Team during Kentucky's postseason turnaround. /article/James-Young-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4482/ /article/James-Young-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4482/ Thu, 24 Apr 2014 11:01:11 -0400 Kyle Anderson is arguably the most unique prospect in this draft class, with an unprecedented combination of passing, rebounding, 3-point shooting percentage and basketball IQ in a 6-9 frame. Now that Anderson's college career is over, we can take a step back and conduct an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Kyle-Anderson-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown--4481/ /article/Kyle-Anderson-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown--4481/ Tue, 22 Apr 2014 11:21:11 -0400 Dwight Powell helped Stanford to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, but had a somewhat disappointing season after a promising junior year. What are his NBA prospects looking l /article/Dwight-Powell-Updated-Scouting-Report-4480/ /article/Dwight-Powell-Updated-Scouting-Report-4480/ Mon, 21 Apr 2014 12:26:36 -0400 Patric Young finished an outstanding NCAA career with an appearance in the Final Four. Coming off his best offensive season at the college level, how does Young project as a NBA player? /article/Patric-Young-Updated-Scouting-Report-4479/ /article/Patric-Young-Updated-Scouting-Report-4479/ Mon, 21 Apr 2014 11:22:27 -0400 Russ Smith took a major step forward in his final season at Louisville, improving his playmaking skills and becoming a much more efficient all-around player. Will that be enough to land him a spot in the NBA? /article/Russ-Smith-Updated-Scouting-Report-4478/ /article/Russ-Smith-Updated-Scouting-Report-4478/ Mon, 21 Apr 2014 10:19:29 -0400 Gary Harris is considered one of the best shooting guard prospects in this draft, thanks to his strong combination of shooting, defense and basketball IQ. Now that Harris' college career is over, we can take a step back and conduct an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Gary-Harris-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4477/ /article/Gary-Harris-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4477/ Mon, 21 Apr 2014 08:38:18 -0400 Video interviews with veteran NBA Scout and Nike Global Basketball Consultant Rich Sheubrooks at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Rich-Sheubrooks-4470/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Rich-Sheubrooks-4470/ Mon, 21 Apr 2014 05:39:19 -0400 The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament came to a close on Saturday. We recap the highlights of the week. /article/2014-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Final-Recap-4476/ /article/2014-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Final-Recap-4476/ Sun, 20 Apr 2014 12:35:36 -0400 Video interviews with Kentucky commit Trey Lyles and Turkish prospect James Birsen at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Trey-Lyles-James-Birsen-4472/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Trey-Lyles-James-Birsen-4472/ Sun, 20 Apr 2014 06:20:20 -0400 Video interviews with North Carolina commit Theo Pinson and Ukrainian prospect Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Theo-Pinson-Mykhailiuk-4474/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Theo-Pinson-Mykhailiuk-4474/ Sun, 20 Apr 2014 06:19:34 -0400 Three more games were played Thursday, one a consolation game between the two losers from Wednesday, and two in the nightcap, introducing the last four teams that we had not seen yet. /article/2014-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Two-4475/ /article/2014-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Two-4475/ Fri, 18 Apr 2014 13:29:12 -0400 Video interviews with Duke commit Jahlil Okafor and Florida commit Brandone Francis at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Jahlil-Okafor-Brandone-Francis-4473/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Jahlil-Okafor-Brandone-Francis-4473/ Fri, 18 Apr 2014 11:14:51 -0400 Video interviews with Stanford commit Reid Travis and Indiana commit James Blackmon at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Reid-Travis-James-Blackmon-4471/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Reid-Travis-James-Blackmon-4471/ Fri, 18 Apr 2014 11:14:33 -0400 The official measurements from the 2014 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament have been added to our extensive database. /article/2014-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Measurements-Released-4469/ /article/2014-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Measurements-Released-4469/ Thu, 17 Apr 2014 19:36:20 -0400 We're back in Virginia once again for the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a historic camp in its 62nd edition, intended to showcase the top 64 NCAA senior draft prospects for all 30 NBA teams. Find out who stood out on day one. /article/2014-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-One-4468/ /article/2014-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-One-4468/ Thu, 17 Apr 2014 12:50:38 -0400 Lamar Patterson proved himself as one of the most unique players in college basketball, a swingman with great passing ability and a solid outside stroke. Currently projected as a second round pick, can Lamar Patterson leverage his standout senior season into hearing his name called on draft night? /article/Lamar-Patterson-Updated-Scouting-Report-4467/ /article/Lamar-Patterson-Updated-Scouting-Report-4467/ Thu, 17 Apr 2014 11:11:30 -0400 What can the personality profiles of 358 of the 420 players drafted from 2007 to 2013 teach us about the likelihood of someone developing into a bust or steal in the NBA? /article/Breaking-Bad-The-Thin-Line-Between-Busts-and-Steals-4466/ /article/Breaking-Bad-The-Thin-Line-Between-Busts-and-Steals-4466/ Thu, 17 Apr 2014 09:41:59 -0400 The rosters for the Jordan Brand International Game, which features some of the top 1996-1999 born prospects in the world were announced this week. /article/2014-Jordan-Brand-International-Game-Rosters-Announced-4465/ /article/2014-Jordan-Brand-International-Game-Rosters-Announced-4465/ Wed, 16 Apr 2014 10:29:47 -0400 An exclusive wide-ranging interview with Dario Saric's new agent Misko Raznatovic declaring his intentions to enter the 2014 NBA Draft and laying out the plan for his new client for this summer and beyond. /article/Misko-Raznatovic-Dario-Saric-Will-Declare-for-the-2014-NBA-Draft--4464/ /article/Misko-Raznatovic-Dario-Saric-Will-Declare-for-the-2014-NBA-Draft--4464/ Wed, 16 Apr 2014 08:30:36 -0400 Video interviews with future Duke point guard Tyus Jones and Oregon graduate Mike Moser at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interviews-Tyus-Jones-Mike-Moser-4462/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interviews-Tyus-Jones-Mike-Moser-4462/ Wed, 16 Apr 2014 08:22:42 -0400 Video interviews with Arizona commit Stanley Johnson and Kansas commit Cliff Alexander at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Cliff-AlexanderStanley-Johnson-4463/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Cliff-AlexanderStanley-Johnson-4463/ Wed, 16 Apr 2014 08:19:36 -0400 Cleanthony Early was one of the top per-minute scorers in college basketball this season, playing for a team that went undefeated until they ran into a Kentucky squad that eventually lost in the NCAA Tournament Championship game. Now that Early's college career is over, we can take a step back and conduct an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Cleanthony-Early-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4461/ /article/Cleanthony-Early-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4461/ Tue, 15 Apr 2014 13:06:46 -0400 Video interviews with Swiss prospect Clint Capela and Serbian big man Nikola Jokic at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interviews-Clint-Capela-Nikola-Jokic-4459/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interviews-Clint-Capela-Nikola-Jokic-4459/ Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:22:25 -0400 Video interviews with French small forward Damien Inglis and Canadian high school prospect Jamal Murray at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Damien-Inglis-Jamal-Murray-4460/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Damien-Inglis-Jamal-Murray-4460/ Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:16:44 -0400 The players participating at the 2014 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (April 16-19, official site) were announced today. /article/2014-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Official-Rosters-and-Preview--4458/ /article/2014-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Official-Rosters-and-Preview--4458/ Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:45:07 -0400 Nick Johnson's Arizona career came to a somewhat disappointing end in a 64-63 West Regional Final loss to the second seeded Wisconsin Badgers, as he was called for an offensive foul with 3.2 seconds left with the Wildcats down one. A consensus First Team All-American, Johnson took a major step forward as a junior, averaging 16.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per-game, solidifying himself as a legitimate NBA prospect in the process. /article/Nick-Johnson-Updated-Scouting-Report-4457/ /article/Nick-Johnson-Updated-Scouting-Report-4457/ Mon, 14 Apr 2014 13:34:57 -0400 Arizona State sophomore Jahii Carson declared for the draft earlier today. We break down the electric point guard prospect with a full scouting report and video. /article/Jahii-Carson-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4456/ /article/Jahii-Carson-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4456/ Mon, 14 Apr 2014 13:15:19 -0400 After being a key member of USA Basketball's U19 national team that won the gold medal in the World Championships this past summer, Jarnell Stokes helped his Tennessee Volunteer team reach the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen, where they fell to Michigan. Stokes had a successful season individually, as he was named to the SEC All-Conference 1st Team as well as the SEC All-Tournament Team. /article/Jarnell-Stokes-Updated-Scouting-Report-4455/ /article/Jarnell-Stokes-Updated-Scouting-Report-4455/ Mon, 14 Apr 2014 12:20:00 -0400 P.J. Hairston was forced to play out this season in the D-League with the Texas Legends after being dismissed by North Carolina in December. He put up monstrous scoring numbers, but still has many question marks around him. Now that he's officially in the Draft as an automatically eligible player, we can take a step back and conduct an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/PJ-Hairston-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4454/ /article/PJ-Hairston-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4454/ Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:47:33 -0400 A thorough 15 minute talk with CBS Sports Radio's Jody Mac breaking down the 2014 NBA Draft. /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-CBS-Sports-Radio-4452/ /article/Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-CBS-Sports-Radio-4452/ Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:24:27 -0400 An interview with Kansas commit Kelly Oubre of the World Select Team at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Kelly-Oubre-4451/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Kelly-Oubre-4451/ Sun, 13 Apr 2014 12:38:25 -0400 An interview with Southern Methodist commit Emmanuel Mudiay of the World Select Team at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Emmanuel-Mudiay-4450/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Emmanuel-Mudiay-4450/ Sat, 12 Apr 2014 23:58:40 -0400 After getting outplayed wire to wire last year, the USA Junior National Select Team won the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit in fairly convincing fashion. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Recap-4449/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Recap-4449/ Sat, 12 Apr 2014 22:04:48 -0400 The official measurements for the USA Junior Select Team at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit were released today. We take a look at the full results and break down the highlights. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Measurements-4448/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Measurements-4448/ Sat, 12 Apr 2014 15:14:05 -0400 After a disappointing performance in Thursday night's scrimmage, Team USA hit the Trail Blazers practice facility floor on Friday morning with a renewed energy. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Practice-Day-Three-4447/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Practice-Day-Three-4447/ Sat, 12 Apr 2014 00:40:58 -0400 An interview with Kentucky commit Karl Towns of the World Select Team at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Karl-Towns-4446/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Video-Interview-Karl-Towns-4446/ Sat, 12 Apr 2014 00:01:22 -0400 The US team scrimmaged in front of 100+ NBA people Thursday, but struggled badly to make shots from outside and didn't make a very strong overall impression on the scouts in attendance. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Practice-Day-Two-4445/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Practice-Day-Two-4445/ Fri, 11 Apr 2014 11:15:57 -0400 A recap of the fourth practice of the World Select Team and a video interview with Head Coach Roy Rana. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-Four-4444/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-Four-4444/ Fri, 11 Apr 2014 02:53:16 -0400 Zach LaVine came out of nowhere early on in the season and emerged as a productive shooter and finisher for UCLA. Although he cooled off significantly as the year moved on, LaVine decided to take advantage of the attention he garnered early on in the season and declared for the draft shortly after playing his final game in a UCLA jersey. /article/Zach-Lavine-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown--4443/ /article/Zach-Lavine-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown--4443/ Thu, 10 Apr 2014 14:31:30 -0400 The 2014 USA Basketball Junior National Select Team hit the hardwood for its first practice on Wednesday in the St. Mary's Home for Boys gymnasium in preparation for Saturday's Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Practice-Day-One-4442/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Practice-Day-One-4442/ Thu, 10 Apr 2014 12:17:05 -0400 The third day of the World Select Team's practices in preparation for the Nike Hoop Summit included a pair of standout performances. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-Three-4441/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-Three-4441/ Wed, 09 Apr 2014 23:39:28 -0400 A breakdown of the second day of practices for the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-Two-4440/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-Two-4440/ Wed, 09 Apr 2014 04:00:51 -0400 Artem Klimenko is a long, mobile 7-footer who could be a sleeper international prospect in this year's draft class. Completely off the radar screen playing in the Russian second division, he already announced his intentions to enter the draft and will participate in private workouts and possibly the adidas EuroCamp. How good of a prospect is he, and is he worth taking a flyer on in the first round? /article/Artem-Klimenko-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown--4439/ /article/Artem-Klimenko-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown--4439/ Tue, 08 Apr 2014 16:46:58 -0400 A breakdown of the World Select Team's first practice in preparation for the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-One-4438/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Practice-Day-One-4438/ Tue, 08 Apr 2014 02:14:01 -0400 The official measurements for the World Select Team at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit were released today. We take a look at the full results and break down the highlights. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Measurements-4437/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Measurements-4437/ Tue, 08 Apr 2014 00:06:20 -0400 Keith Appling's value lies in his ability to play solid defense, not make mistakes, and score occasionally in transition. He shows solid potential as a backup point guard, although it will be interesting to see if the faster pace of the NBA helps him break out of the often vanilla style of play he mostly showcased under Tom Izzo. /article/Keith-Appling-Updated-Scouting-Report-4435/ /article/Keith-Appling-Updated-Scouting-Report-4435/ Mon, 07 Apr 2014 17:49:29 -0400 When do the top prospects for the 2014 NBA Draft take the floor on Monday for the National Championship? /article/National-Championship-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-4433/ /article/National-Championship-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-4433/ Mon, 07 Apr 2014 15:45:32 -0400 With the 2014 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament only nine days away, it's time to take an in-depth look at this year's NCAA senior class and attempt to project what the field might look like. /article/Projected-Invites-2014-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-4434/ /article/Projected-Invites-2014-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-4434/ Mon, 07 Apr 2014 14:28:26 -0400 DraftExpress was once again in Chicago at the McDonald's All-American dunk contest, filming every dunk with our exclusive slow-motion technology, lovingly dubbed DX-Mo. See what Kelly Oubre had to offer. /article/2014-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest--Kelly-Oubre-4432/ /article/2014-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest--Kelly-Oubre-4432/ Sun, 06 Apr 2014 15:02:05 -0400 When do the top prospects for the 2014 NBA Draft take the floor on Saturday for the Final Four? /article/Final-Four-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-4425/ /article/Final-Four-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-4425/ Sat, 05 Apr 2014 09:48:15 -0400 Tyler Ennis exceeded all expectations in his lone year at Syracuse, earning Second-Team All-ACC and All-Rookie team honors while leading the Orange to a 28-6 record. Now that his college career is over, we can now take a step back and conduct an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Tyler-Ennis-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4431/ /article/Tyler-Ennis-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4431/ Fri, 04 Apr 2014 13:02:28 -0400 Capping off his third year as a starter for the Cowboys, Markel Brown wrapped up his collegiate career with a 20 point performance in Oklahoma State's 85-77 loss to Gonzaga in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. One of the bright spots in what was an up-and-down campaign for Travis Ford's program... /article/Markel-Brown-Updated-Scouting-Report-4430/ /article/Markel-Brown-Updated-Scouting-Report-4430/ Fri, 04 Apr 2014 09:57:49 -0400 DraftExpress was once again in Chicago at the McDonald's All-American dunk contest, filming every dunk with our exclusive slow-motion technology, lovingly dubbed DX-Mo. See what Karl Towns had to offer. /article/2014-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest--Karl-Towns-4429/ /article/2014-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest--Karl-Towns-4429/ Fri, 04 Apr 2014 09:46:17 -0400 Tennessee's season came to a close at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines in a 73-71 loss in the Sweet Sixteen as their frantic comeback late in the game came up just short. The loss also marked the end of Jordan McRae's four year career. /article/Jordan-McRae-Updated-Scouting-Report-4428/ /article/Jordan-McRae-Updated-Scouting-Report-4428/ Thu, 03 Apr 2014 09:28:47 -0400 DraftExpress was once again in Chicago at the McDonald's All-American dunk contest, filming every dunk with our exclusive slow-motion technology, lovingly dubbed DX-Mo. See what the winner, Grayson Allen, had to offer. /article/2014-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest---Grayson-Allen-4427/ /article/2014-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest---Grayson-Allen-4427/ Thu, 03 Apr 2014 08:44:19 -0400 Hailed as one of the best recruiting classes in college basketball this year, the Kentucky Wildcat Class of 2014: Karl Towns, Devin Booker, Trey Lyles and Tyler Ulis come together for a group interview. /article/Kentuckys-2014-Recruiting-Class-at-the-McDonalds-All-American-Game---4426/ /article/Kentuckys-2014-Recruiting-Class-at-the-McDonalds-All-American-Game---4426/ Thu, 03 Apr 2014 08:29:29 -0400 We add another chapter to our renowned Duke-UNC Smackdown series at the McDonald's All-American game in Chicago. /article/2014-McDonalds-All-American-Duke-UNC-Smackdown-Part-Eight-4424/ /article/2014-McDonalds-All-American-Duke-UNC-Smackdown-Part-Eight-4424/ Wed, 02 Apr 2014 16:23:27 -0400 Rodney Hood had a short stay in Durham at Duke, putting together one season which earned him Second-Team All-ACC honors after sitting out as a transfer from Mississippi State. Now that his college career is over, we can now take a step back and conduct an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Rodney-Hood-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4423/ /article/Rodney-Hood-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4423/ Wed, 02 Apr 2014 14:32:48 -0400 The NABC announced the 21 players set to take part in the 204 Reese's College All-Star game today. /article/2014-Reeses-College-All-Star-Game-Rosters-Announced-4422/ /article/2014-Reeses-College-All-Star-Game-Rosters-Announced-4422/ Tue, 01 Apr 2014 10:56:02 -0400 Doug McDermott will go down as one of the best scorers in college basketball history, but his defensive and athletic shortcomings raise some question marks about his potential at the next level. Now that his college career is over, we can now take a step back and conduct an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Doug-McDermott-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4421/ /article/Doug-McDermott-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4421/ Mon, 31 Mar 2014 23:47:59 -0400 The Nike Hoop Summit World team was officially announced today, complimenting the USA roster which was announced in January. The game is scheduled for Saturday, April 12th at the Rose Garden, in Portland, Oregon. /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Roster-Breakdown-4420/ /article/2014-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Roster-Breakdown-4420/ Mon, 31 Mar 2014 14:08:56 -0400 Quite possibly the tallest player eligible for the 2014 NBA Draft, the 7'2 Jordan Bachynski ended his senior season on a high note individually, scoring 25 points on 8-14 shooting against fellow prospect Cameron Ridley in an 87-85 loss to Texas in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. /article/Jordan-Bachynski-Updated-Scouting-Report-4419/ /article/Jordan-Bachynski-Updated-Scouting-Report-4419/ Sun, 30 Mar 2014 19:38:22 -0400 When do the top prospects for the 2014 NBA Draft take the floor on Sunday for the Elite Eight? /article/Elite-Eight-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Sunday-4418/ /article/Elite-Eight-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Sunday-4418/ Sat, 29 Mar 2014 23:18:11 -0400 When do the top prospects for the 2014 NBA Draft take the floor on Saturday for the Elite 8? /article/Elite-Eight-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Saturday-4416/ /article/Elite-Eight-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Saturday-4416/ Sat, 29 Mar 2014 16:15:45 -0400 When do the top prospects for the 2014 NBA Draft take the floor on Friday for the Sweet 16? /article/Sweet-Sixteen-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Friday-4410/ /article/Sweet-Sixteen-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Friday-4410/ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 19:33:37 -0400 After a very productive junior year, Juvonte Reddic saw his offensive productivity and efficiency diminish quite a bit in his senior season at VCU, which ended with a round of 64 loss to Stephen F. Austin. /article/Juvonte-Reddic-Updated-Scouting-Report-4417/ /article/Juvonte-Reddic-Updated-Scouting-Report-4417/ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 13:49:43 -0400 When do the top prospects for the 2014 NBA Draft take the floor on Thursday for the Sweet 16? /article/Sweet-Sixteen-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Thursday-4409/ /article/Sweet-Sixteen-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Thursday-4409/ Thu, 27 Mar 2014 18:11:50 -0400 Who is entering? Who is returning? Who is still undecided? We break down all the prospects in the 2014 NBA draft, as well as who will be representing them, and where they are projected to get drafted. /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-and-Agent-List-4415/ /article/2014-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-and-Agent-List-4415/ Thu, 27 Mar 2014 15:33:27 -0400 Andrew Wiggins' NCAA career likely ended last weekend with a loss to Stanford in the Round of 32. We can now take a step back and conduct an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Andrew-Wiggins-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4414/ /article/Andrew-Wiggins-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4414/ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 13:48:36 -0400 Elfrid Payton's NCAA career likely ended this weekend with a loss to Creighton in the Round of 64. We can now take a step back and conduct an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Elfrid-Payton-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4413/ /article/Elfrid-Payton-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4413/ Tue, 25 Mar 2014 13:41:30 -0400 There again appears to be quite a bit of confusion about the NBA's early-entry draft process among college players, college coaches, NBA personnel and media members, due to rule changes made by the NCAA in May of 2011 regarding collegiate eligibility. /article/Testing-the-NBA-Draft-Waters-in-2014-4412/ /article/Testing-the-NBA-Draft-Waters-in-2014-4412/ Tue, 25 Mar 2014 11:41:32 -0400 Aaron Craft's illustrious career came to a disappointing end with a round of 64 loss to Dayton in the NCAA Tournament, as he was unable to convert a tough runner at the buzzer to win the game for the Buckeyes. He will be an interesting case to follow through the draft process and beyond, as he doesn't have a typical NBA skill set, but he could earn a roster spot under the right coach and system. /article/Aaron-Craft-Updated-Scouting-Report-4411/ /article/Aaron-Craft-Updated-Scouting-Report-4411/ Mon, 24 Mar 2014 16:38:09 -0400 Marcus Smart's NCAA career likely ended this weekend with a loss to Gonzaga in the Round of 64. We can now take a step back and conduct an inventory of everything he displayed this season as an NBA prospect, as well as the things he still has to improve on. /article/Marcus-Smart-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4408/ /article/Marcus-Smart-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-4408/ Mon, 24 Mar 2014 15:03:44 -0400 When do the top prospects for the 2014 NBA Draft take the floor on Sunday for the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament? /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Sunday-4407/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Sunday-4407/ Sun, 23 Mar 2014 11:20:38 -0400 When do the top prospects for the 2014 NBA Draft take the floor on Saturday for the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament? /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Saturday-4404/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Saturday-4404/ Sun, 23 Mar 2014 10:45:20 -0400 A video breakdown of Adreian Payne's 41-point NCAA Tournament performance against Delaware, with a focus on the different aspects of his offensive game he showed, and how they might translate to the NBA. /article/Adreian-Paynes-41-Point-NCAA-Tournament-Performance--4406/ /article/Adreian-Paynes-41-Point-NCAA-Tournament-Performance--4406/ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 16:01:16 -0400 A breakdown of the official 2013-2014 NCAA Post-Season awards, including first, second and third All-Conference teams, as well as the All-Freshman Teams, Coaches of the year, All-Defensive Teams, and more-- for all 33 NCAA conferences. /article/2014-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-4403/ /article/2014-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-4403/ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:22:26 -0400 When do the top prospects for the 2014 NBA Draft take the floor on Friday for the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament? /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Friday-4402/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Friday-4402/ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 11:43:22 -0400 When do the top prospects for the 2014 NBA Draft take the floor on Thursday for the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament? /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Thursday-4401/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Thursday-4401/ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 00:39:27 -0400 C.J. Wilcox's college basketball career ended this week with a loss in the Pac-12 Tournament, which means a new page in his career is about to start. Standing 6-5 in shoes, with a solid 6-8 wingspan and solid athleticism, Wilcox looks the part of a NBA shooting guard prospect, and has the skill-set to fit in as a role player on most teams. He's a highly efficient offensive player, sporting a very good 60% true shooting percentage and a 1.5/1 assist to turnover ratio. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-CJ-Wilcox--4400/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-CJ-Wilcox--4400/ Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:12:26 -0400 With the 2014 NCAA Tournament Bracket officially set, we take a look at how the first weekend is shaping up from a NBA Draft perspective. Who are the prospects and what will NBA teams be looking for in each pod? /article/2014-NCAA-Tournament-First-Weekend-NBA-Prospect-Breakdown-4399/ /article/2014-NCAA-Tournament-First-Weekend-NBA-Prospect-Breakdown-4399/ Mon, 17 Mar 2014 10:04:54 -0400 A thorough 30 minute talk with CBS's Gary Parrish breaking down the 2014 NBA Draft. /article/Podcast-Breaking-down-the-2014-Draft-with-CBSs-Gary-Parrish-4398/ /article/Podcast-Breaking-down-the-2014-Draft-with-CBSs-Gary-Parrish-4398/ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 14:34:59 -0400 T.J. Warren is the #2 scorer in college basketball, posting over 28 points per-40 minutes, with a strong 59% true shooting percentage. Barring a miracle (four wins in four days at the ACC Tournament), Warren will likely miss the NCAA Tournament, but has nonetheless strung together an extremely impressive season, and is coming off back to back 40-point outings. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-TJ-Warren-4397/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-TJ-Warren-4397/ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 12:57:28 -0400 Scouting Reports of the top prospects seen at the Nike International Junior Tournament in Belgrade, including Lovro Mazalin, Dragan Bender, Vojislav Stojanovic, Ante Zizic, Cyrille Eliezer-Vanerot, Ywen Smock, Norbert Janicek, Stephane Gombauld, Yankuba Sima, Milos Glisic, Aleksandar Novosel, Stefan Lazarevic, Jonathan Jeanne and Chris Tang. /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-Belgrade-2014-Scouting-Reports-4396/ /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-Belgrade-2014-Scouting-Reports-4396/ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 17:33:12 -0500 A thorough 40 minute talk with SB Nation's Paul Flannery breaking down the 2014 NBA Draft from every aspect. /article/Podcast-Breaking-down-the-2014-Draft-with-SB-Nations-Paul-Flannery-4395/ /article/Podcast-Breaking-down-the-2014-Draft-with-SB-Nations-Paul-Flannery-4395/ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 09:27:17 -0500 A.J. Hammons is a rare breed of college basketball player, a long-armed 7-footer with a massive frame, solid mobility and a back to the basket game. Barring a Big Ten conference tournament miracle, his Purdue team will miss the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season, after making the Dance the previous six years before he arrived on campus. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-AJ-Hammons-4394/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-AJ-Hammons-4394/ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 15:59:41 -0500 K.J. McDaniels has emerged from obscurity to develop into one of the best all-around players in college basketball, helping his Clemson squad to a 8-6 record in the ACC thus far. McDaniels has been stuffing the stat sheet all season long, ranking very highly among top-100 prospects in a variety of categories. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-KJ-McDaniels-4393/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-KJ-McDaniels-4393/ Tue, 25 Feb 2014 14:54:32 -0500 Deonte Burton is closing on 2,000 points scored in his college career, which he surprisingly decided to extend with a fourth and final season after an extended debate last year. Burton ranks among the top point guards in this draft class in a variety of categories, but is completely off the national media's radar and looks to be struggling to move the needle on his draft stock playing for a dysfunctional team that sports a mediocre 12-14 record in the Mountain West Conference. Nevertheless, he shows intriguing potential in a number of areas and might end up being a better pro than many thought coming out of college. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Deonte-Burton-4392/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Deonte-Burton-4392/ Tue, 18 Feb 2014 13:50:28 -0500 Damian Lillard was largely an unknown prospect going into his fourth year of college basketball, as he was forced to redshirt his previous season after breaking his foot. What can we learn about Lillard's progression from unknown prolific scoring mid-major combo guard to one of the top young point guards in the NBA? /article/Revisiting-Damian-Lillard-Scouting-Video--4391/ /article/Revisiting-Damian-Lillard-Scouting-Video--4391/ Fri, 14 Feb 2014 12:59:32 -0500 One year ago, we discovered Giannis Antetokounmpo in a tiny gym in Athens, and were immediately taken aback by the significant talent this completely unknown raw prospect possessed. To celebrate our one year anniversary of seeing the “Greek Freek” for the first time, we revisit some of the footage we first brought to light from the Greek second division a year ago, and compare it with what we're now seeing in the NBA on a nightly basis to evaluate how Giannis is progressing as a basketball player. /article/Revisiting-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Scouting-Video--4390/ /article/Revisiting-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Scouting-Video--4390/ Wed, 12 Feb 2014 11:12:16 -0500 Noah Vonleh is the second youngest prospect (after Aaron Gordon) in this draft class, but still ranks as the #1 rebounder among our top-100 prospects at nearly 15 rebounds per-40 minutes. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Noah-Vonleh-4389/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Noah-Vonleh-4389/ Mon, 10 Feb 2014 12:35:29 -0500 Nik Stauskas has emerged as one of the top scorers in college basketball, leading Michigan to a surprising 8-1 record in the Big Ten despite losing Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr and Mitch McGary from last season's national championship finalist team. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Nik-Stauskas-4388/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Nik-Stauskas-4388/ Tue, 04 Feb 2014 10:47:36 -0500 P.J. Hairston discusses the route he took in getting to the D-League, his impressions of the league, his time at North Carolina, and his mindset in preparing for the upcoming NBA Draft. /article/PJ-Hairston-Interview-4387/ /article/PJ-Hairston-Interview-4387/ Wed, 29 Jan 2014 13:11:43 -0500 Aaron Gordon has played a key role on 20-0 Arizona's emergence as the #1-ranked team in college basketball, showing tremendous versatility as a defender, passer, finisher and all-around glue guy. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Aaron-Gordon-4386/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Aaron-Gordon-4386/ Tue, 28 Jan 2014 11:04:13 -0500 Swiss big man Clint Capela is in the midst of an outstanding season in Pro A France, ranking among the top rebounders, shot-blockers and finishers in the league, despite being one of the youngest players actually receiving playing time. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Clint-Capela-4385/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Clint-Capela-4385/ Tue, 21 Jan 2014 15:18:38 -0500 Exploring the strengths and weaknesses of one of the most productive guards in college basketball, Iowa State's DeAndre Kane. /article/Trending-Prospects-DeAndre-Kane-4384/ /article/Trending-Prospects-DeAndre-Kane-4384/ Fri, 17 Jan 2014 14:13:45 -0500 NBA scouts and executives spend an excessive amount of time on the road evaluating college and international prospects before the Draft every year. While statistics and video services (such as Synergy Sports Technology) have become a much bigger part of the scouting process over the past few years, most NBA front office members still feel compelled to watch prospects in person at least a couple of times each season. /article/The-Best-College-Venues-for-NBA-Teams-to-Scout-Games-4383/ /article/The-Best-College-Venues-for-NBA-Teams-to-Scout-Games-4383/ Wed, 15 Jan 2014 14:02:19 -0500 Delaware 87ers forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo has proven himself as one of the best athletes in the NBA D-League through 19 games. Will his athleticism, energy, and defensive potential be enough to warrant using a draft pick on the Greek forward in the 2014 NBA Draft? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Thanasis-Antetokounmpo-4382/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Thanasis-Antetokounmpo-4382/ Mon, 13 Jan 2014 13:36:27 -0500 Shabazz Napier has established himself as one of the top point guards in college basketball under Kevin Ollie at UConn, averaging a robust 16 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists per game for a top-25 ranked team currently 11-2. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Shabazz-Napier-4381/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Shabazz-Napier-4381/ Thu, 02 Jan 2014 09:05:24 -0500 Serbian wing Bogdan Bogdanovic is in the midst of a breakout season in his draft-eligible year. He's strung together a series of impressive performances in the Euroleague and Adriatic League with Partizan Belgrade, and played a crucial role on the Serbian National Team this past summer at the European Championships in Slovenia. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Bogdan-Bogdanovic-4380/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Bogdan-Bogdanovic-4380/ Thu, 26 Dec 2013 10:31:20 -0500 Alexis Ajinca has established himself as a force in European basketball since his last stint in the NBA. How has he the 7-footer evolved since the 2010-2011 season and what can he be expected to bring to the table in New Orleans? /article/Revisiting-Alexis-Ajinca-Scouting-Video--4379/ /article/Revisiting-Alexis-Ajinca-Scouting-Video--4379/ Wed, 18 Dec 2013 10:05:50 -0500 Joel Embiid has been an extremely pleasant surprise for Kansas ten games into the season, ranking second overall in PER among freshmen, despite his significant lack of experience. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Joel-Embiid-4378/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Joel-Embiid-4378/ Tue, 17 Dec 2013 07:35:38 -0500 Julius Randle has been dominant at times nine games into his freshman season, averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds per contest thus far, shooting 55% from 2-point range and getting to the free throw line over nine times per game. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Julius-Randle-4377/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Julius-Randle-4377/ Mon, 09 Dec 2013 09:31:17 -0500 Nikola Mirotic has established himself as the best player in European basketball since being drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2011. How has he evolved from the last time we evaluated him, and what type of NBA player could he become if he decides to leave Real Madrid and sign with the Bulls? /article/Revisiting-Nikola-Mirotic-Scouting-Video--4376/ /article/Revisiting-Nikola-Mirotic-Scouting-Video--4376/ Wed, 04 Dec 2013 10:14:15 -0500 Jabari Parker was the most productive freshman in college basketball in the month of November, averaging 23 points and 8 rebounds per game while shooting a scorching 57% from 2-point range and 50% from beyond the arc. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jabari-Parker-4375/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jabari-Parker-4375/ Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:56:40 -0500 19-year old Jusuf Nurkic is one of the biggest surprises of the early season in Europe, currently ranking as the most productive player in the Adriatic League on a per-minute basis. /article/Nurkic-Making-Noise-in-the-Adriatic-League-4373/ /article/Nurkic-Making-Noise-in-the-Adriatic-League-4373/ Tue, 19 Nov 2013 12:21:00 -0500 Seven games into the season, 19-year old Serbian Vasilije Micic has already established himself as one of the best point guards in the highly competitive Adriatic League. /article/Micic-Distributing-for-Mega--4372/ /article/Micic-Distributing-for-Mega--4372/ Fri, 15 Nov 2013 11:45:42 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports of prospects ranked #26-30: Chris Udofia, Treveon Graham, Derrick Marks, Troy Huff and Malcolm Miller. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Six-26-30--4371/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Six-26-30--4371/ Wed, 13 Nov 2013 19:05:45 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports of prospects ranked #21-25: Anthony Drmic, R.J. Hunter, Jerrelle Benimon, Siyani Chambers and Tyler Haws. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Five-21-25---4369/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Five-21-25---4369/ Tue, 05 Nov 2013 18:35:04 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports of prospects ranked #16-20: Alex Kirk, D'Andre Wright, Davion Berry, Kendrick Perry and Adjehi Baru. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Four-16-20---4368/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Four-16-20---4368/ Mon, 04 Nov 2013 15:43:19 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports of prospects ranked #11-15: Javon McCrea, Kendall Williams, Kevin Pangos, Briante Weber and Ronald Roberts. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Three-11-15---4367/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Three-11-15---4367/ Fri, 01 Nov 2013 17:15:26 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports of prospects ranked #6-10: Elfrid Payton, Cleanthony Early, Winston Shepard, Alan Williams and Josh Davis. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-6-10--4366/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-6-10--4366/ Thu, 31 Oct 2013 14:02:36 -0400 We kick off our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports of prospects ranked #1-5: Przemek Karnowski, Khem Birch, Deonte Burton, Juvonte Reddic and Alec Brown. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-One-1-5---4365/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-One-1-5---4365/ Tue, 29 Oct 2013 18:37:46 -0400 Three games into the ACB league season, it's safe to say that Rasmus Larsen has established himself as an important player in Spain thus far, averaging 27 minutes per game for La Bruixa d'or Manresa, who are off to a strong 2-1 start. /article/Strong-Start-for-Rasmus-Larsen-in-Spain-4364/ /article/Strong-Start-for-Rasmus-Larsen-in-Spain-4364/ Mon, 28 Oct 2013 10:37:54 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the AAC with part four, players ranked #11-15: Danuel House, DeAndre Daniels, Tashawn Thomas, Wayne Blackshear and Omar Calhoun. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-Four-11-15---4363/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-Four-11-15---4363/ Fri, 25 Oct 2013 16:38:00 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the AAC with part three, players ranked 6-10: Geron Johnson, Isaiah Sykes, Shaq Goodwin, Shabazz Napier, Sean Kilpatrick. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-Three-6-10---4362/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-Three-6-10---4362/ Wed, 23 Oct 2013 18:05:40 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the AAC with part two, players ranked 2-5: Russ Smith, Joe Jackson, Chane Behanan and Michael Dixon. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-Two-2-5---4361/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-Two-2-5---4361/ Tue, 22 Oct 2013 17:48:12 -0400 A host of new measurement data has been added to the DraftExpress database, courtesy of USA Basketball and Nike. /article/New-Measurements-Added-to-DraftExpress-Database-4360/ /article/New-Measurements-Added-to-DraftExpress-Database-4360/ Mon, 21 Oct 2013 16:06:16 -0400 Mike Schmitz begins our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the AAC with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Montrezl Harrell. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-1-Montrezl-Harrell-Scouting-Video-4359/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-AAC-Part-1-Montrezl-Harrell-Scouting-Video-4359/ Mon, 21 Oct 2013 14:39:52 -0400 We conclude our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the SEC with part six, players ranked 10-14: Jordan Clarkson, Marshall Henderson, Michael Frazier, Jabari Brown and Jeronne Maymon. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Five-10-14--4358/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Five-10-14--4358/ Mon, 21 Oct 2013 11:45:28 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the SEC with part five, players ranked 5-9: Jarnell Stokes, Johnny O'Bryant, Trevor Releford, Dorian Finney-Smith and Will Yeguete. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Five-5-9--4357/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Five-5-9--4357/ Sat, 19 Oct 2013 20:36:59 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, Tennessee's Jordan McRae. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-4-Jordan-McRae-Scouting-Video-4356/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-4-Jordan-McRae-Scouting-Video-4356/ Fri, 18 Oct 2013 09:15:47 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Kentucky's Alex Poythress. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-3-Alex-Poythress-Scouting-Video-4355/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-3-Alex-Poythress-Scouting-Video-4355/ Thu, 17 Oct 2013 09:48:52 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Patric Young. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-2--Patric-Young-Video-4354/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-2--Patric-Young-Video-4354/ Tue, 15 Oct 2013 16:20:38 -0400 Mike Schmitz begins our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Willie Cauley-Stein. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-1-Willie-Cauley-Stein-Video-4353/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-1-Willie-Cauley-Stein-Video-4353/ Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:39:13 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East with part four, players ranked 11-15: Markel Starks, Sir'Dominic Pointer, Jamil Wilson, Daniel Ochefu, and Kellen Dunham. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Five-11-15---4352/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Five-11-15---4352/ Fri, 11 Oct 2013 17:55:09 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East with part four, players ranked 6-10: Joshua Smith, Kris Dunn, Bryce Cotton, Kadeem Batts and Davante Gardner. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Four-6-10--4351/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Four-6-10--4351/ Thu, 10 Oct 2013 13:06:52 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East with part three, players ranked 3-5: Chris Obekpa, Jakarr Sampson and Fuquan Edwin. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Three-3-5--4350/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Three-3-5--4350/ Wed, 09 Oct 2013 18:52:16 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Semaj Christon. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-2-Semaj-Christon-Video-4349/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-2-Semaj-Christon-Video-4349/ Tue, 08 Oct 2013 10:14:57 -0400 Mike Schmitz begins our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Doug McDermott. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-1-Doug-McDermott-Video-4348/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-1-Doug-McDermott-Video-4348/ Mon, 07 Oct 2013 14:22:32 -0400 We conclude our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with part four, players ranked 11-15: Brandon Ashley, Tony Parker (GA), Jordan Bachynski, Damyean Dotson, and Xavier Johnson. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-5-11-15--4347/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-5-11-15--4347/ Fri, 04 Oct 2013 10:56:28 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with part four, players ranked 6-10: Kyle Anderson, Jordan Adams, Josh Scott, Devon Collier, and Nick Johnson. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-4-6-10--4346/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-4-6-10--4346/ Thu, 03 Oct 2013 10:42:30 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with part three, players ranked 3-5: Dwight Powell, Kaleb Tarczewski, and C.J. Wilcox. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-3-3-5--4345/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-3-3-5--4345/ Wed, 02 Oct 2013 16:15:07 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Spencer Dinwiddie. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-2-Spencer-Dinwiddie-Video-4344/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-2-Spencer-Dinwiddie-Video-4344/ Mon, 30 Sep 2013 08:47:31 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Jahii Carson. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-1-Jahii-Carson-Scouting-Video-4342/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-1-Jahii-Carson-Scouting-Video-4342/ Sat, 28 Sep 2013 10:00:45 -0400 We conclude our coverage on the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with part three, players ranked 6-10: Cameron Ridley, Georges Niang, Perry Ellis, Prince Ibeh, and Tarik Black. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-4-6-10--4341/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-4-6-10--4341/ Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:54:49 -0400 We continue our coverage on the top NBA prospects in the Big 12 with part three, players ranked 3-5: Cory Jefferson, LeBryan Nash, Markel Brown. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-3-3-5--4340/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-3-3-5--4340/ Thu, 26 Sep 2013 10:25:30 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Isaiah Austin. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-2-Isaiah-Austin-Scouting-Video-4339/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-2-Isaiah-Austin-Scouting-Video-4339/ Wed, 25 Sep 2013 09:24:01 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Marcus Smart. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-1-Marcus-Smart-Scouting-Video-4338/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-1-Marcus-Smart-Scouting-Video-4338/ Tue, 24 Sep 2013 09:30:11 -0400 We conclude our coverage on the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with part seven, players ranked 11-15: A.J. Hammons, Andre Hollins, Shannon Scott, Sam Thompson, and Keith Appling. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-7-11-15--4337/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-7-11-15--4337/ Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:58:04 -0400 We continue scouting reports on the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten with part six, players ranked 6-10: LaQuinton Ross, Aaron Craft, Branden Dawson, Nik Stauskas, and Will Sheehey /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-6-6-10--4336/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-6-6-10--4336/ Sat, 21 Sep 2013 20:35:07 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #5 prospect in the conference, Sam Dekker. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-5-Sam-Dekker-Scouting-Video-4335/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-5-Sam-Dekker-Scouting-Video-4335/ Fri, 20 Sep 2013 10:31:50 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, Adreian Payne. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-4-Adreian-Payne-Scouting-Video-4334/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-4-Adreian-Payne-Scouting-Video-4334/ Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:52:51 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Gary Harris. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-3-Gary-Harris-Scouting-Video-4333/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-3-Gary-Harris-Scouting-Video-4333/ Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:18:53 -0400 DraftExpress is giving away a free t-shirt contest to one of our lucky fans. To be eligible, you must be "like" DraftExpress' facebook page. /article/Free-DraftExpress-T-Shirt-Giveaway-4332/ /article/Free-DraftExpress-T-Shirt-Giveaway-4332/ Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:57:03 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, Mitch McGary. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-2-Mitch-McGary-Scouting-Video-4331/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-2-Mitch-McGary-Scouting-Video-4331/ Tue, 17 Sep 2013 08:49:02 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big Ten with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Glenn Robinson III. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-TenPart-1-Glenn-Robinson-Scouting-Video-4330/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-TenPart-1-Glenn-Robinson-Scouting-Video-4330/ Mon, 16 Sep 2013 15:31:49 -0400 We conclude our evaluation of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with part nine, players ranked 25-30: Quinn Cook, Okaro White, Cameron Biedscheid, Rakeem Christmas, Marcus Georges-Hunt and Eric Atkins. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Nine-25-30--4329/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Nine-25-30--4329/ Mon, 16 Sep 2013 09:38:10 -0400 We continue to evaluate the top NBA prospects in the ACC, moving on to part eight, players ranked 20-24: K.J. McDaniels, Justin Anderson, Akil Mitchell, Talib Zanna and Montay Brandon. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Eight-20-24--4328/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Eight-20-24--4328/ Fri, 13 Sep 2013 11:22:44 -0400 We continue to evaluate the top NBA prospects in the ACC, moving on to part seven, players ranked 15-19: Mike Tobey, Ryan Anderson, Devin Thomas, Daniel Miller and Boris Bojanovsky. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Seven-15-19--4327/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Seven-15-19--4327/ Thu, 12 Sep 2013 12:16:54 -0400 We continue to evaluate the top NBA prospects in the ACC, moving on to part six, players ranked 10-14: C.J. Fair, DaJuan Coleman, Brice Johnson, Robert Carter and Jerian Grant. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Six-10-14--4326/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Six-10-14--4326/ Wed, 11 Sep 2013 11:17:50 -0400 We continue to evaluate the top NBA prospects in the ACC, moving on to part five, players ranked 5-9: Jerami Grant, Olivier Hanlan, Dez Wells, Rodney Hood and Joe Harris. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Five-5-9--4325/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Five-5-9--4325/ Tue, 10 Sep 2013 12:16:46 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, P.J. Hairston. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-PJ-Hairston-Scouting-Video--4324/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-PJ-Hairston-Scouting-Video--4324/ Mon, 09 Sep 2013 09:45:40 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #3 prospect in the conference, Rasheed Sulaimon. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-3-Rasheed-Sulaimon-Scouting-Video--4323/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-3-Rasheed-Sulaimon-Scouting-Video--4323/ Fri, 06 Sep 2013 18:05:49 -0400 Scouting report breakdowns on some of the top big men prospects in the 2014 high school class, including Malik Newman, Ivan Rabb, Stephen Zimmerman, Elijah Thomas, Carlton Bragg, Charles Matthews, Daniel Giddens, Malachi Richardson, Luke Kennard, Moustapha Diagne, Chase Jeter, Alex Owens and Rex Pflueger. /article/High-School-Class-of-2015-Scouting-Reports-4322/ /article/High-School-Class-of-2015-Scouting-Reports-4322/ Fri, 06 Sep 2013 17:53:00 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #2 prospect in the conference, T.J. Warren. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Two-TJ-Warren-Scouting-Video--4321/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Two-TJ-Warren-Scouting-Video--4321/ Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:26:54 -0400 Scouting report breakdowns on some of the top big men prospects in the 2014 high school class, including Stanley Johnson, Rashad Vaughn, Daniel Hamilton, Kelly Oubre, Theo Pinson, Terry Larrier, L.J. Peak and Pape Diatta. /article/High-School-Class-of-2014-Scouting-Reports-Part-Three--the-Wings-4320/ /article/High-School-Class-of-2014-Scouting-Reports-Part-Three--the-Wings-4320/ Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:06:24 -0400 Stanley Johnson from Mater Dei high school talks about how he's improved his game, the college recruiting process, how college can better him, and how it affects his transition to the NBA. From the 2013 Under Armour Elite 24. /article/Stanley-Johnson-Video-Highlights-and-Interview-4319/ /article/Stanley-Johnson-Video-Highlights-and-Interview-4319/ Thu, 05 Sep 2013 14:45:38 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, James McAdoo /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-One-James-McAdoo-Scouting-Video--4318/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-One-James-McAdoo-Scouting-Video--4318/ Wed, 04 Sep 2013 11:35:09 -0400 Scouting report breakdowns on some of the top big men prospects in the 2014 high school class, including Myles Turner, Cliff Alexander, Trey Lyles, Kevon Looney, Chris McCullough, Craig Victor, Reid Travis, Brekkott Chapman, Jaylen Johnson, Angel Delgado, Trayvon Reed, Chinanu Onuaku, Gary Clark and Michael Nzei. /article/High-School-Class-of-2014-Scouting-Reports-Part-Two--the-Big-Men-4317/ /article/High-School-Class-of-2014-Scouting-Reports-Part-Two--the-Big-Men-4317/ Wed, 04 Sep 2013 11:06:04 -0400 A preseason video breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of Australian point guard Dante Exum, considered one of the top young prospects outside of the NBA. /article/Dante-Exum-Preseason-Video-Scouting-Report--4316/ /article/Dante-Exum-Preseason-Video-Scouting-Report--4316/ Tue, 03 Sep 2013 13:37:19 -0400 Kelly Oubre out of Findlay Prep talking about what he's trying to prove on the court, how he's trying to improve his game, what it's like getting noticed, where he might go to college, how he fits in there, what that would mean to him, and how that fits in with his NBA plans. From the 2013 Under Armour Elite 24. /article/Kelly-Oubre-Video-Highlights-and-Interview-4315/ /article/Kelly-Oubre-Video-Highlights-and-Interview-4315/ Tue, 03 Sep 2013 10:05:16 -0400 Scouting report breakdowns on some of the top guard prospects in the 2014 high school class, including Tyus Jones, Emmanuel Mudiay, Joel Berry, Josh Perkins, D'Angelo Russell, Grayson Allen, James Blackmon, Trevon Bluiett and Jaquan Newton. /article/High-School-Class-of-2014-Scouting-Reports-Part-One---the-Guards-4314/ /article/High-School-Class-of-2014-Scouting-Reports-Part-One---the-Guards-4314/ Sat, 31 Aug 2013 19:03:54 -0400 Tyus Jones out of Apple Valley High School in Minnesota talks about what he wants to accomplish at the Elite 24, the difficulty in making a college decision, and his goals for college when it comes to improving his game. From the 2013 Under Armour Elite 24. /article/Tyus-Jones-Video-Highlights-and-Interview-4313/ /article/Tyus-Jones-Video-Highlights-and-Interview-4313/ Sat, 31 Aug 2013 12:43:50 -0400 Top-10 2014 high school recruit Kevon Looney talking with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress about why he decided to attend the event, what his background is and how he got noticed, what kind of player he is, his family, his recruiting, and his plans for the NBA. From the 2013 adidas Nations. /article/Kevon-Looney-Video-Interview-4312/ /article/Kevon-Looney-Video-Interview-4312/ Fri, 30 Aug 2013 12:06:40 -0400 Russ Smith of Louisville talks with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress about playing at the camp, the possibilities of the NBA, what he can bring to a team, what he's learned from coach Rick Pitino, the chances of another national championship, and what he needs to work on to make it to the next level. From the 2013 adidas Nations. /article/Russ-Smith-Video-Interview-4311/ /article/Russ-Smith-Video-Interview-4311/ Thu, 29 Aug 2013 12:57:14 -0400 Jahii Carson of Arizona State talking with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress about his aspirations as an NBA player, his time in school, and what he needs to work on to take his game to the next level. From the 2013 adidas Nations. /article/Jahii-Carson-Video-Interview-4310/ /article/Jahii-Carson-Video-Interview-4310/ Wed, 28 Aug 2013 11:49:35 -0400 Jahii Carson of Arizona State and Spencer Dinwiddie of Colorado talking smack to each other at the 2013 adidas Nations. /article/Jahii-Carson-and-Spencer-Dinwiddie---2013-adidas-Nations-Smack-Talk--4309/ /article/Jahii-Carson-and-Spencer-Dinwiddie---2013-adidas-Nations-Smack-Talk--4309/ Wed, 28 Aug 2013 11:30:03 -0400 Joel Embiid from Cameroon talks with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress about learning to play basketball, his recruitment out of Africa, working with Andrew Wiggins at Kansas, and his future plans for the NBA. From the 2013 adidas Nations. /article/Joel-Embiid-Video-Interview-4308/ /article/Joel-Embiid-Video-Interview-4308/ Tue, 27 Aug 2013 12:56:39 -0400 An interview with Colorado guard Spencer Dinwiddie from the adidas Nations in Los Angeles, California. /article/Spencer-Dinwiddie-Video-Interview-4307/ /article/Spencer-Dinwiddie-Video-Interview-4307/ Mon, 26 Aug 2013 12:18:47 -0400 An interview with top 2014 recruit and recent Arizona commit Craig Victor from the Nike Skills Academy in Union, New Jersey. /article/Craig-Victor-Video-Interview-4306/ /article/Craig-Victor-Video-Interview-4306/ Mon, 19 Aug 2013 10:29:28 -0400 An interview with top 2014 recruit Myles Turner from the Nike Skills Academy in Union, New Jersey. /article/Myles-Turner-Video-Interview-4305/ /article/Myles-Turner-Video-Interview-4305/ Fri, 16 Aug 2013 11:48:29 -0400 Interviews with talented 2014 recruit Leon Gilmore and top 2015 prospect Elijah Thomas from the Pangos All-American Camp. /article/Elijah-Thomas-and-Leon-Gilmore-Video-Interviews-4252/ /article/Elijah-Thomas-and-Leon-Gilmore-Video-Interviews-4252/ Thu, 15 Aug 2013 09:34:51 -0400 Interviews with two of the top long-term prospects in all of high school basketball, 2016 recruit Thon Maker and 2017 recruit DeAndre Ayton. /article/Thon-Maker-and-DeAndre-Ayton-Video-Interviews-4250/ /article/Thon-Maker-and-DeAndre-Ayton-Video-Interviews-4250/ Wed, 07 Aug 2013 09:03:20 -0400 We'll once again be in attendance for adidas Nations, where the country's top-ranked high school players will face off with top young players from all over the world. /article/2013-adidas-Nations-Rosters-Announced-4303/ /article/2013-adidas-Nations-Rosters-Announced-4303/ Fri, 02 Aug 2013 15:32:30 -0400 Interviews with two talented 2014 recruits, Emmanuel Mudiay and Jabari Craig, from the Pangos All-American Camp. /article/Emmanuel-Mudiay-and-Jabari-Craig-Video-Interviews-4251/ /article/Emmanuel-Mudiay-and-Jabari-Craig-Video-Interviews-4251/ Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:27:26 -0400 Interviews with elite 2014 recruits Rashad Vaughn and Josh Perkins from the 2014 Pangos All-American Camp. /article/Rashad-Vaughn-and-Josh-Perkins-Video-Interviews-4249/ /article/Rashad-Vaughn-and-Josh-Perkins-Video-Interviews-4249/ Mon, 29 Jul 2013 14:03:38 -0400 Andrew Bynum has signed a two year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers for 2-years, 24.5 million with only 6 million dollars guaranteed. Is he worth the risk, and what can he bring the Cavs if his knees hold up? /article/Andrew-Bynum-Video-Scouting-Report-4302/ /article/Andrew-Bynum-Video-Scouting-Report-4302/ Thu, 11 Jul 2013 00:34:36 -0400 Heights, weights and wingspans of dozens of top high school and college prospects from the LeBron James Skills Academy and the other Nike Elite Youth Basketball events conducted thus far this summer. /article/LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Measurements-4301/ /article/LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Measurements-4301/ Mon, 08 Jul 2013 16:18:00 -0400 Interviews conducted at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship in Prague with Marcus Smart, Jonah Bolden, Vasilije Micic, and Billy Donovan. /article/2013-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interviews-Smart-Donovan-Bolden-4300/ /article/2013-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interviews-Smart-Donovan-Bolden-4300/ Mon, 08 Jul 2013 09:45:38 -0400 Interviews conducted at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship in Prague with Jahlil Okafor, Trey Lyles and Aaron Gordon. /article/2013-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interviews-Okafor-Lyles-Gordon-4299/ /article/2013-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interviews-Okafor-Lyles-Gordon-4299/ Sun, 07 Jul 2013 12:02:13 -0400 Heights, weights and wingspans of dozens of top high school and college prospects from the three Nike Skills Academies conducted thus far this summer. /article/Nike-Skills-Academy-Measurements-4298/ /article/Nike-Skills-Academy-Measurements-4298/ Sat, 06 Jul 2013 11:04:01 -0400 Dante Exum discusses in detail his thoughts regarding his college and NBA draft future in an interview we conducted with him in Portland at the Nike Hoop Summit. Also included are highlights of his play from the scrimmages and practices with the World Team. /article/Dante-Exum-Interview-and-Highlights-4297/ /article/Dante-Exum-Interview-and-Highlights-4297/ Fri, 05 Jul 2013 18:00:16 -0400 Interviews conducted at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship in Prague with Dario Saric, Vasilije Micic and Saleh Foroutan. /article/2013-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interviews-Ennis-Milutinov-Exum-4296/ /article/2013-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-Interviews-Ennis-Milutinov-Exum-4296/ Fri, 05 Jul 2013 06:56:58 -0400 Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the most coveted free agent on the NBA market, Dwight Howard. Is he worth the hoopla that surrounds him and can he justify a 22-24 million dollar contract per year? /article/Dwight-Howard-Video-Scouting-Report-4295/ /article/Dwight-Howard-Video-Scouting-Report-4295/ Wed, 03 Jul 2013 11:41:20 -0400 Our 2013 NBA Draft Headquarters can be found here. /article/DraftExpress-2013-NBA-Draft-Headquarters-4294/ /article/DraftExpress-2013-NBA-Draft-Headquarters-4294/ Fri, 28 Jun 2013 17:45:31 -0400 Thanks for following the 2013 NBA draft with us. It was a wild and unpredictable night. The process of evaluating the 2014 NBA draft has already started. /article/On-to-the-2014-NBA-Draft-4293/ /article/On-to-the-2014-NBA-Draft-4293/ Fri, 28 Jun 2013 17:36:09 -0400 Video interviews with Nerlens Noel, Victor Oladipo, Ben McLemore and Anthony Bennett at the 2013 NBA Draft Media Day in New York. /article/2013-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Part-Three-4292/ /article/2013-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Part-Three-4292/ Thu, 27 Jun 2013 11:55:25 -0400 Video interviews with Otto Porter, Trey Burke, Michael Carter-Williams and Steven Adams at the 2013 NBA Draft Media Day in New York. /article/2013-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Part-Two-4291/ /article/2013-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Part-Two-4291/ Thu, 27 Jun 2013 10:22:09 -0400 Video interviews with Alex Len, C.J. McCollum, Cody Zeller and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at the 2013 NBA Draft Media Day in New York. /article/2013-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Part-One-4290/ /article/2013-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Part-One-4290/ Thu, 27 Jun 2013 00:41:30 -0400 We take a look at Alex Len and Nerlens Noel's head to head match up that kicked off the 2012-13 NCAA season. /article/Nerlens-Noel-Alex-Len-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4289/ /article/Nerlens-Noel-Alex-Len-Head-to-Head-Matchup-Video-Analysis-4289/ Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:15:32 -0400 Alex Abrines is one of the top young prospects in European basketball, and he's decided to keep his name in the draft despite seeing inconsistent playing time this season in Barcelona. What type of prospect is he, and when can NBA teams expect to get him over if they decide to draft him? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Alex-Abrines-4288/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Alex-Abrines-4288/ Tue, 25 Jun 2013 15:15:50 -0400 Joffrey Lauvergne turned around his season by signing in Partizan Belgrade in January, making a significant impact in helping them win the Adriatic and Serbian league championships. What kind of prospect is he and where can he expect to get picked? /article/Trending-Prospects-Joffrey-Lauvergne-4287/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Joffrey-Lauvergne-4287/ Tue, 25 Jun 2013 10:42:03 -0400 Marko Todorovic carved out a role in the rotation of one of the best teams in the world outside the NBA this season despite having little to no experience against top-level competition. What kind of prospect is he right now and when can a team expect to bring him to the NBA? /article/Trending-Prospects-Marko-Todorovic-4285/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Marko-Todorovic-4285/ Tue, 25 Jun 2013 08:13:36 -0400 Breaking down the 2013 center crop using the possession-based statistics of Synergy Sports Technology. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2013-Center-Crop-4283/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2013-Center-Crop-4283/ Mon, 24 Jun 2013 13:25:07 -0400 In our final “by the numbers” analysis, we take a look at the top-17 centers eligible for the 2013 NBA draft. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2013-Center-Crop-4284/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2013-Center-Crop-4284/ Mon, 24 Jun 2013 13:20:42 -0400 Mike Schmitz breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of Isaiah Canaan with the help of game footage from Murray State. /article/Isaiah-Canaan-Scouting-Report-Video-4282/ /article/Isaiah-Canaan-Scouting-Report-Video-4282/ Mon, 24 Jun 2013 09:21:09 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Jody McDonald on CBS Sports Radio to talk all things NBA Draft. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-CBS-Sports-Radio-4281/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-CBS-Sports-Radio-4281/ Sun, 23 Jun 2013 21:21:45 -0400 In our fourth analysis of boxscore statistics, we take a look at the top 20 power forwards in the 2013 NBA draft. To better analyze one of the deeper, more versatile positions in this class, we let the numbers do the talking. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2013-Power-Forward-Crop-4280/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2013-Power-Forward-Crop-4280/ Fri, 21 Jun 2013 12:32:09 -0400 Breaking down the 2013 power forward crop using the possession-based statistics of Synergy Sports Technolog /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2013-Power-Forward-Crop-4279/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2013-Power-Forward-Crop-4279/ Fri, 21 Jun 2013 12:31:56 -0400 Breaking down the 2013 small forward crop using the possession-based statistics of Synergy Sports Technology. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2013-Small-Forward-Crop-4278/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2013-Small-Forward-Crop-4278/ Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:37:11 -0400 In our third analysis of boxscore statistics, we take a look at the top 20 small forwards in the 2013 NBA draft. To better analyze one of the deeper, more versatile positions in this class, we let the numbers do the talking. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2013-Small-Forward-Crop-4277/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2013-Small-Forward-Crop-4277/ Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:04:53 -0400 Louisville's Gorgui Dieng works out in front of dozens of scouts at the Wasserman Draft Workout in Santa Monica. Includes an interview along with exclusive workout footage. /article/Gorgui-Dieng-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4276/ /article/Gorgui-Dieng-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4276/ Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:16:54 -0400 Highlight videos from the adidas EuroCamp in Treviso of some of the top prospects in attendance, including Lucas Nogueria, Nemanja Nedovic, Raul Neto, Vitalis Chikoko, Augusto Lima and more. /article/adidas-EuroCamp-Highlight-Videos-Bebe-Nedovic-Neto-Chikoko-more-4275/ /article/adidas-EuroCamp-Highlight-Videos-Bebe-Nedovic-Neto-Chikoko-more-4275/ Thu, 20 Jun 2013 09:20:04 -0400 A final breakdown from the USA Basketball U19 World Championship Training Camp in Colorado Springs, including scouting reports and video interviews with the 12 players that made the roster. /article/USA-Basketball-U19-World-Championship-Training-Camp-Report-Part-Two-4274/ /article/USA-Basketball-U19-World-Championship-Training-Camp-Report-Part-Two-4274/ Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:34:34 -0400 Breaking down the 2013 shooting guard crop using the possession-based statistics of Synergy Sports Technology. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2013-Shooting-Guard-Crop-4273/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2013-Shooting-Guard-Crop-4273/ Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:55:22 -0400 In our second analysis of boxscore statistics, we take a look at the top 15 shooting guards in the 2013 NBA draft. To better analyze one of the deeper, more versatile positions in this class, we let the numbers do the talking. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2013-Shooting-Guard-Crop-4272/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2013-Shooting-Guard-Crop-4272/ Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:51:39 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins David Locke, the radio voice of the Utah Jazz, to talk all things NBA Draft on his Locked On Jazz podcast. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Locked-On-Jazz-4271/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Locked-On-Jazz-4271/ Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:47:35 -0400 The complete list of NCAA and international players who withdrew their names from the 2013 NBA draft, as well as those who remain eligible. /article/NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-Withdrawal-Deadline-Final-List-4270/ /article/NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-Withdrawal-Deadline-Final-List-4270/ Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:47:11 -0400 In our first analysis of boxscore statistics, we take a look at the top 18 point guards in the 2013 NBA draft. To better analyze one of the deeper, more versatile positions in this class, we let the numbers do the talking. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2013-Point-Guard-Crop-4269/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2013-Point-Guard-Crop-4269/ Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:04:06 -0400 Breaking down the 2013 point guard crop using the possession-based statistics of Synergy Sports Technology. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2013-Point-Guard-Crop-4268/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2013-Point-Guard-Crop-4268/ Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:55:54 -0400 Detroit's Ray McCallum works out in front of dozens of scouts at the Wasserman Draft Workout in Santa Monica. Includes an interview along with exclusive workout footage. /article/Ray-McCallum-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4267/ /article/Ray-McCallum-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4267/ Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:54:36 -0400 A full breakdown of the happenings inside the USA Basketball U19 World Championship Training Camp, including scouting reports on the ten players released from the roster. /article/USA-Basketball-U19-World-Championship-Training-Camp-Report-4266/ /article/USA-Basketball-U19-World-Championship-Training-Camp-Report-4266/ Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:04:23 -0400 Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk works out in front of dozens of scouts at the Wasserman Draft Workout in Santa Monica. Includes an interview along with exclusive workout footage. /article/Kelly-Olynyk-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4265/ /article/Kelly-Olynyk-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4265/ Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:07:49 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Tim Roye of Warriors.com to talk all things NBA Draft. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Warriorscom-4263/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-with-Warriorscom-4263/ Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:59:18 -0400 Brandon Davies was one of the top scoring big man in college basketball this season, showing an impressive skill-set and feel for the game. How will his limitations as a defender and rebounder hold his back on draft night? /article/Trending-Prospects-Brandon-Davies-4255/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Brandon-Davies-4255/ Fri, 14 Jun 2013 06:23:13 -0400 An interview with Tony Mitchell featuring footage from a pre-draft workouts in Los Angeles with Rob McClanaghan. /article/Tony-Mitchell-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4262/ /article/Tony-Mitchell-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4262/ Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:47:50 -0400 Examples of select moments from the adidas EuroCamp captured on video, including Big Man drills led by NBA coaches, and the "Next Generation" practice session featuring some of the top young prospects in Europe. /article/2013-adidas-Eurocamp-Big-Man-Drills-and-Next-Generation-Videos-4261/ /article/2013-adidas-Eurocamp-Big-Man-Drills-and-Next-Generation-Videos-4261/ Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:33:28 -0400 Mike Schmitz breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of Anthony Bennett with the help of game footage from UNLV. /article/Anthony-Bennett-Scouting-Report-Video-4260/ /article/Anthony-Bennett-Scouting-Report-Video-4260/ Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:15:42 -0400 Mike Schmitz breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of Ben McLemore with the help of game footage from Kansas. /article/Ben-McLemore-Scouting-Report-Video-4259/ /article/Ben-McLemore-Scouting-Report-Video-4259/ Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:05:59 -0400 Video interviews at the adidas EuroCamp with players, organizers and NBA personnel talking about a variety of topics. /article/adidas-EuroCamp-Interviews-Nedovic-Karnisovas-Hollinger-more-4258/ /article/adidas-EuroCamp-Interviews-Nedovic-Karnisovas-Hollinger-more-4258/ Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:41:40 -0400 An interview with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope featuring footage from a pre-draft workouts in Los Angeles with Rob McClanaghan. /article/Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4257/ /article/Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4257/ Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:37:29 -0400 Vitalis Chikoko is one of the most physically gifted big men in this draft, standing 6-10 with a phenomenal 7-4 wingspan and intriguing athleticism. How will his advanced age and lack of experience affect him on draft night? /article/Trending-Prospects-Vitalis-Chikoko-4256/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Vitalis-Chikoko-4256/ Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:38:24 -0400 James Ennis has NBA size, length and athleticism to go along with intriguing versatility on both ends of the floor. How will his late-blooming status impact his chances of hearing his name called on draft night? /article/Trending-Prospects-James-Ennis-4254/ /article/Trending-Prospects-James-Ennis-4254/ Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:14:21 -0400 An interview with Ben McLemore about his fitness program featuring footage of a recent strength and conditioning workout. /article/Ben-McLemore-Pre-Draft-Strength-Training-and-Interview-4248/ /article/Ben-McLemore-Pre-Draft-Strength-Training-and-Interview-4248/ Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:45:47 -0400 Augusto Cesar Lima had a disappointing season in Spain, but may have salvaged his draft stock this past week at the adidas EuroCamp in Treviso. What kind of prospect is he right now? /article/Trending-Prospects-Augusto-Cesar-Lima-4253/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Augusto-Cesar-Lima-4253/ Wed, 12 Jun 2013 09:29:58 -0400 An interview with Steven Adams featuring footage from a pre-draft workouts in Los Angeles with Will Perdue and Brian Scalabrine. /article/Steven-Adams-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4247/ /article/Steven-Adams-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4247/ Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:21:28 -0400 Game Footage of Giannis Adetokunbo playing with the U20 Greek National Team in Jesolo Italy against the U20 Croatian National team. This is Adetokunbo's first ever game played outside of Greece and was attended by approximately 50 NBA scouts and executives. /article/Giannis-Adetokunbo-Game-Footage-from-U20-Greek-National-Team-in-Jesolo-4246/ /article/Giannis-Adetokunbo-Game-Footage-from-U20-Greek-National-Team-in-Jesolo-4246/ Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:27:29 -0400 Interview with Sergey Karasev featuring footage from the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. /article/Sergey-Karasev-Highlights-and-Interview-4238/ /article/Sergey-Karasev-Highlights-and-Interview-4238/ Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:15:45 -0400 The undisputed leader of the 2013 NCAA Champion Louisville Cardinals, Peyton Siva is an elite defender whose limited offensive ability and decision-making have been questioned throughout his career. Where does he stand with the 2013 draft less than a month away? /article/Trending-Prospects-Peyton-Siva-4236/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Peyton-Siva-4236/ Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:33:39 -0400 All seven teams assembled here played on the final day of the 2013 EuroCamp. /article/2013-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Three-4244/ /article/2013-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Three-4244/ Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:48:48 -0400 Video of EuroCamp participant Lucas Nogueira's pre-draft preparations. /article/Lucas-Nogueira-Draft-Workout-Video-4245/ /article/Lucas-Nogueira-Draft-Workout-Video-4245/ Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:27:46 -0400 Day two of the adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, Italy included a number of standout performances. /article/2013-adidas-EuroCamp-Day-Two-4243/ /article/2013-adidas-EuroCamp-Day-Two-4243/ Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:17:23 -0400 Players at the adidas EuroCamp underwent similar testing to what was administered at the NBA Combine. The results of those tests were released today. /article/2013-adidas-EuroCamp-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Results-4242/ /article/2013-adidas-EuroCamp-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Results-4242/ Sun, 09 Jun 2013 12:53:44 -0400 Official measurements of the 2013-2014 USA Basketball Developmental National Team, comprised of elite 2015 and 2016 high school players, released. /article/USA-Developmental-National-Team-Measurements-Released-4241/ /article/USA-Developmental-National-Team-Measurements-Released-4241/ Sun, 09 Jun 2013 10:32:57 -0400 Day one of the 2013 adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, Italy is officially in the books. /article/2013-adidas-EuroCamp-Day-One-4240/ /article/2013-adidas-EuroCamp-Day-One-4240/ Sat, 08 Jun 2013 16:08:55 -0400 Interview with Livio Jean-Charles featuring footage from the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. /article/Livio-Jean-Charles-Highlights-and-Interview-4239/ /article/Livio-Jean-Charles-Highlights-and-Interview-4239/ Sat, 08 Jun 2013 11:07:48 -0400 Tony Snell has intriguing potential as a long and athletic 6-7 small forward with excellent perimeter shooting ability. How much will his lack of ball-handling skills and aggressiveness hurt his standing on draft night? /article/Trending-Prospects-Tony-Snell-4237/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Tony-Snell-4237/ Sat, 08 Jun 2013 10:57:20 -0400 Mike Schmitz breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of Dario Saric with the help of game footage from Cibona Zagreb in Croatia. /article/Dario-Saric-Scouting-Report-Video-4235/ /article/Dario-Saric-Scouting-Report-Video-4235/ Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:51:49 -0400 Positional rankings have been added to DraftExpress, as well as an updated Top-100 prospects ranking. We also explain the difference between our mock draft and Top-100. /article/DX-Positional-Rankings-and-Top-100-Prospects-Ranking-Updated-4234/ /article/DX-Positional-Rankings-and-Top-100-Prospects-Ranking-Updated-4234/ Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:34:55 -0400 Interviews with Ryan Broekhoff and Jared Berggren featuring footage from their pre-draft workouts in Chicago. /article/Ryan-Broekhoff-and-Jared-Berggren-Pre-Draft-Workouts-and-Interviews-4233/ /article/Ryan-Broekhoff-and-Jared-Berggren-Pre-Draft-Workouts-and-Interviews-4233/ Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:06:09 -0400 Alex Len is one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft class, featuring a rare combination of size, length, mobility and skill. What are his strengths and weaknesses and where can we expect him to get picked on draft night? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Alex-Len-4232/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Alex-Len-4232/ Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:04:36 -0400 An interview with Michael Carter-Williams featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Long Island with Jay Hernandez. /article/Michael-Carter-Williams-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-4231/ /article/Michael-Carter-Williams-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-4231/ Thu, 06 Jun 2013 09:49:22 -0400 An All-SEC 1st team selection, Phil Pressey surprised some when he announced his plans to forego his senior season and declare for the NBA draft after an up and down junior season. Where does Pressey stand with the 2013 draft less than a month away? /article/Trending-Prospects-Phil-Pressey-4230/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Phil-Pressey-4230/ Thu, 06 Jun 2013 09:30:06 -0400 Interviews with James Southerland and Elias Harris featuring footage from their pre-draft workouts in Chicago. /article/James-Southerland-and-Elias-Harris-Pre-Draft-Workouts-and-Interviews-4229/ /article/James-Southerland-and-Elias-Harris-Pre-Draft-Workouts-and-Interviews-4229/ Thu, 06 Jun 2013 09:15:36 -0400 Our second detailed mock draft with pick-by-pick explanations using projected rosters and taking the individual needs of all 30 teams into account. /article/Yahoo-Sports-Extended-2013-Mock-Draft-2-4228/ /article/Yahoo-Sports-Extended-2013-Mock-Draft-2-4228/ Thu, 06 Jun 2013 07:42:30 -0400 Shane Larkin is one of the best athletes in this draft and also among the most efficient scorers. How much will his lack of size and length affect him on draft night? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Shane-Larkin-4227/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Shane-Larkin-4227/ Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:05:25 -0400 An interview with Mike Muscala featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Long Island with Jay Hernandez. /article/Mike-Muscala-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-4226/ /article/Mike-Muscala-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-4226/ Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:08:15 -0400 Oregon's Arsalan Kazemi talks with DraftExpress about his preparation for the 2013 NBA Draft and what it would mean to be the first player from Iran to get drafted. /article/Arsalan-Kazemi-Interview-4225/ /article/Arsalan-Kazemi-Interview-4225/ Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:28:23 -0400 An interview with Jackie Carmichael featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Chicago. /article/Jackie-Carmichael-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-4224/ /article/Jackie-Carmichael-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-4224/ Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:10:05 -0400 The EuroCamp kicks off this Saturday, and DraftExpress will be present covering the event for the 10th straight year. /article/2013-adidas-EuroCamp-Preview-and-Roster-Breakdown-4223/ /article/2013-adidas-EuroCamp-Preview-and-Roster-Breakdown-4223/ Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:07:03 -0400 An interview with C.J. McCollum featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Long Island with Jay Hernandez. /article/CJ-McCollum-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4222/ /article/CJ-McCollum-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4222/ Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:00:22 -0400 With the adidas EuroCamp just four days away, we get our first glance at the way the event is shaping up in Treviso in the form of the preliminary roster. /article/2013-adidas-EUROCAMP-Rosters-Announced-4221/ /article/2013-adidas-EUROCAMP-Rosters-Announced-4221/ Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:19:19 -0400 Mike Schmitz breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of Dennis Schroeder with the help of game footage from Braunschweig in Germany. /article/Dennis-Schroeder-Video-Scouting-Report-4220/ /article/Dennis-Schroeder-Video-Scouting-Report-4220/ Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:16:16 -0400 Informal three-on-three pick-up games at Joe Abunassar's Impact Basketball in Las Vegas with Peyton Siva, Erik Murphy, Deshaun Thomas, Khalif Wyatt, Trevor Mbakwe and more. /article/2013-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workouts-at-Impact-Basketball-in-Las-Vegas--4219/ /article/2013-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workouts-at-Impact-Basketball-in-Las-Vegas--4219/ Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:00:18 -0400 An interview with Isaiah Canaan featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Chicago. /article/Isaiah-Canaan-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4215/ /article/Isaiah-Canaan-Workout-Video-and-Interview-4215/ Tue, 04 Jun 2013 08:42:51 -0400 Myck Kabongo has elite size and speed for a point guard prospect, but struggled to score in an efficient manner during his shortened college career. Where will that leave him on draft night? /article/Trending-Prospects-Myck-Kabongo-4218/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Myck-Kabongo-4218/ Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:42:52 -0400 An interview with Reggie Bullock featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Long Island. /article/Reggie-Bullock-Workout-Video-4216/ /article/Reggie-Bullock-Workout-Video-4216/ Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:15:52 -0400 An interview with Tim Hardaway Jr featuring footage from his pre-draft workouts in Chicago. /article/Tim-Hardaway-Jr-Workout-Video-4217/ /article/Tim-Hardaway-Jr-Workout-Video-4217/ Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:46:02 -0400 Interviews and video from the private workouts of prospects Norvel Pelle, Josiah Turner, and Jordan Henriquez. /article/Norvel-Pelle-Josiah-Turner-Jordan-Henriquez-Workout-Videos-4214/ /article/Norvel-Pelle-Josiah-Turner-Jordan-Henriquez-Workout-Videos-4214/ Sat, 01 Jun 2013 21:46:07 -0400 Tim Hardaway is a talented scorer whose inconsistency has made him one of the more enigmatic prospects in this draft. Where does he stand after a productive junior season for a much-improved Michigan team? /article/Trending-Prospects-Tim-Hardaway-Jr-4206/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Tim-Hardaway-Jr-4206/ Thu, 30 May 2013 14:08:57 -0400 Andre Roberson is one of the best rebounders in this year's draft class. How much will his lack of size and offensive limitations affect him on draft night? /article/Trending-Prospects-Andre-Roberson-4213/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Andre-Roberson-4213/ Thu, 30 May 2013 13:58:10 -0400 Rudy Gobert is one of the most unique prospects in this draft class with his terrific length, shot-blocking instincts and defensive potential. How much will his physical and offensive limitations hold him back on draft night? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Rudy-Gobert-4212/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Rudy-Gobert-4212/ Wed, 29 May 2013 07:56:17 -0400 High definition video interviews form the NBA Combine with Alex Len, Tony Mitchell, Kenny Kadji, and Erik Murphy. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Len-Mitchell-Kadji-Murphy-4188/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Len-Mitchell-Kadji-Murphy-4188/ Wed, 29 May 2013 07:53:48 -0400 Lucas Nogueria is one of the more talented physical specimens in this year's big man crop, ranking among the league leaders in field goal percentage, offensive rebounds and blocks in the competitive ACB. How much will his lack of offensive polish and overall experience affect his perception as a prospect on draft night? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Lucas-Nogueira-4211/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Lucas-Nogueira-4211/ Mon, 27 May 2013 23:03:59 -0400 Video highlights from the drills and competitive portions of the 2013 Nets Combine. /article/Nets-Combine-Video-Recaps-4210/ /article/Nets-Combine-Video-Recaps-4210/ Mon, 27 May 2013 23:03:27 -0400 High definition video interviews form the NBA Combine with Shane Larkin, Dennis Schroeder, Myck Kabongo, and Isaiah Canaan. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Larkin-Schroeder-Kabongo-Canaan-4189/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Larkin-Schroeder-Kabongo-Canaan-4189/ Mon, 27 May 2013 22:53:53 -0400 An early look at the preliminary rosters for all the different countries participating in the U19 World Championship in Prague from June 27 to July 7. /article/U19-World-Championship-Preliminary-Rosters-4209/ /article/U19-World-Championship-Preliminary-Rosters-4209/ Mon, 27 May 2013 12:23:51 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Peter Brown on Yahoo Sports Radio to discuss a number of NBA draft related topics. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-Yahoo-Sports-Radio-4208/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-Yahoo-Sports-Radio-4208/ Sun, 26 May 2013 23:06:21 -0400 High definition video interviews form the NBA Combine with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jamaal Franklin, Lorenzo Brown, and Will Clyburn. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Caldwell-Pope-Franklin-Brown-Clyburn-4190/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Caldwell-Pope-Franklin-Brown-Clyburn-4190/ Sun, 26 May 2013 22:41:21 -0400 44 NBA prospects from diverse backgrounds were brought into the Nets Combine in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which was attended by all 30 NBA teams this week. Find out who the top performers were. /article/2013-Nets-Combine-Recap-4207/ /article/2013-Nets-Combine-Recap-4207/ Fri, 24 May 2013 13:29:12 -0400 High definition video interviews form the NBA Combine with Tony Snell, B.J. Young, Erick Green, and Vander Blue. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Snell-Young-Green-Blue-4191/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Snell-Young-Green-Blue-4191/ Fri, 24 May 2013 13:04:54 -0400 Otto Porter is one of the smartest and most versatile prospects in the 2013 NBA Draft. Is he athletic and prolific enough a scorer to be a top-5 pick and develop into a star in the NBA? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Otto-Porter-4205/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Otto-Porter-4205/ Thu, 23 May 2013 17:56:56 -0400 The second set of 22 prospects competing for the attention of NBA scouts at the 2013 Nets Combine completed athletic testing and a battery of measurements. /article/2013-Nets-Combine-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Day-Two-4204/ /article/2013-Nets-Combine-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Day-Two-4204/ Thu, 23 May 2013 14:17:36 -0400 High definition video interviews form the NBA Combine with Mason Plumlee, Jeff Withey, Mike Muscala, and DeWayne Dedmon. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Plumlee-Withey-Muscala-Dedmon-4187/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Plumlee-Withey-Muscala-Dedmon-4187/ Thu, 23 May 2013 14:17:26 -0400 While competing for the attention of NBA scouts at the 2013 Nets Combine, the 22 NBA draft prospects in attendance were also measured and tested on day one. /article/2013-Nets-Combine-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Day-One-4203/ /article/2013-Nets-Combine-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Day-One-4203/ Wed, 22 May 2013 15:31:23 -0400 High definition video interviews form the NBA Combine with Phil Pressey, Seth Curry, and Peyton Siva. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Pressey-Curry-Siva-4192/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Pressey-Curry-Siva-4192/ Wed, 22 May 2013 15:13:38 -0400 Our first detailed mock draft with pick-by-pick explanations using projected rosters and taking the individual needs of all 30 teams into account. /article/Yahoo-Sports-Extended-2013-Mock-Draft-1-4201/ /article/Yahoo-Sports-Extended-2013-Mock-Draft-1-4201/ Tue, 21 May 2013 23:38:49 -0400 Get to know this draft class with the top moments from the 2013 NBA Draft Combine interviews. /article/2013-NBA-Draft-Combine-Interview-Highlights---The-Best-Of-4198/ /article/2013-NBA-Draft-Combine-Interview-Highlights---The-Best-Of-4198/ Tue, 21 May 2013 22:28:09 -0400 Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and other NBA executives fielded questions after the final 2013 NBA draft order was determined. /article/2013-Post-Lottery-Interview-Transcripts-and-Videos-4202/ /article/2013-Post-Lottery-Interview-Transcripts-and-Videos-4202/ Tue, 21 May 2013 22:26:29 -0400 From May 22nd to May 23rd 44 prospects will participate in a group workout organized by the Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Clippers. /article/2013-Nets-Combine-Preview-4200/ /article/2013-Nets-Combine-Preview-4200/ Tue, 21 May 2013 17:47:21 -0400 Mike Schmitz breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of Jamaal Frankin with the help of San Diego State game footage. /article/Jamaal-Franklin-Video-Scouting-Report-4199/ /article/Jamaal-Franklin-Video-Scouting-Report-4199/ Tue, 21 May 2013 15:16:40 -0400 Grant Jerrett is one of the best shooting big man in this draft class, having knocked down over 40% of his 3-point attempts. How does he stack up in other facets and how far away is he from contributing to a NBA team? /article/Trending-Prospects-Grant-Jerrett-4197/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Grant-Jerrett-4197/ Tue, 21 May 2013 08:52:20 -0400 High definition video interviews form the NBA Combine with Steven Adams, Gorgui Dieng, Rudy Gobert, and Brandon Davies /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Adams-Dieng-Gobert-Davies-4186/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Adams-Dieng-Gobert-Davies-4186/ Tue, 21 May 2013 08:36:37 -0400 High definition video interviews form the NBA Combine with C.J. Leslie, Solomon Hill, and Ricky Ledo /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Leslie-Hill-Ledo-4193/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Leslie-Hill-Ledo-4193/ Mon, 20 May 2013 18:47:12 -0400 Individual assessments of how different prospects performed at the NBA Combine, including Steven Adams, Tony Snell, Tim Hardaway Jr, Glen Rice Jr, Tony Mitchell, Jackie Carmichael and more. /article/NBA-Combine-Individual-Player-Assessments-4196/ /article/NBA-Combine-Individual-Player-Assessments-4196/ Mon, 20 May 2013 15:34:11 -0400 The NBA released the athletic testing results from the 2013 NBA Combine in Chicago. We take a look at who stood out and who struggled on paper. /article/NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Analysis-4195/ /article/NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Analysis-4195/ Mon, 20 May 2013 08:44:28 -0400 High definition video interviews form the NBA Combine with Victor Oladipo, Allen Crabbe, Archie Goodwin, and James Ennis. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Oladipo-Crabbe-Goodwin-Ennis-4185/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Oladipo-Crabbe-Goodwin-Ennis-4185/ Mon, 20 May 2013 08:42:49 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Jody Mac on CBS Sports Radio to summarize the NBA Combine and discuss a number of draft related topics. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-CBS-Sports-Radio-4194/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-CBS-Sports-Radio-4194/ Sun, 19 May 2013 18:15:09 -0400 High definition video interviews form the NBA Combine with Cody Zeller, Kelly Olynyk, Jackie Carmichael, and Trevor Mbakwe /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Zeller-Olynyk-Carmichael-Mbakwe-4184/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Zeller-Olynyk-Carmichael-Mbakwe-4184/ Sat, 18 May 2013 23:49:18 -0400 Exploring different storylines revolving around the 2013 NBA Combine, including who did and didn't attend, the gym finally being open to media members, and what the Combine actually means in the grand scheme of things. /article/NBA-Combine-Storylines-Part-One---Who-Made-It-and-What-Does-it-Mean-4183/ /article/NBA-Combine-Storylines-Part-One---Who-Made-It-and-What-Does-it-Mean-4183/ Sat, 18 May 2013 17:10:15 -0400 High definition video interviews form the NBA Combine with C.J. McCollum, Michael Carter-Williams, Nate Wolters, and Ray McCallum. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-McCollum-Carter-Williams-Wolters-McCallum-4182/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-McCollum-Carter-Williams-Wolters-McCallum-4182/ Sat, 18 May 2013 12:39:42 -0400 Scouting reports on the next best prospects seen at the Nike International Junior Tournament in London, including Nikola Rebic, Marko Guduric, Brano Djukanovic, Agusti Sans, Luke Nelson, and Kingsley Okoroh among others. /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-London-Scouting-Reports-Part-Two-4177/ /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-London-Scouting-Reports-Part-Two-4177/ Sat, 18 May 2013 11:12:15 -0400 With the help of our extensive measurements database, we take a look at how this year's NBA Combine participants measure out historically. /article/Analyzing-the-2013-Combine-Measurements-4181/ /article/Analyzing-the-2013-Combine-Measurements-4181/ Fri, 17 May 2013 12:43:04 -0400 The official measurements from the 2013 NBA Combine have been added to our extensive database. /article/2013-NBA-Combine-Measurements-Released-4178/ /article/2013-NBA-Combine-Measurements-Released-4178/ Fri, 17 May 2013 10:38:42 -0400 High definition video interviews form the NBA Combine with Shabazz Muhammad, Glen Rice, Reggie Bullock, and Tim Hardaway Jr. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Muhammad-Rice-Bullock-Hardaway-4180/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Muhammad-Rice-Bullock-Hardaway-4180/ Fri, 17 May 2013 10:34:22 -0400 High definition video interviews form the NBA Combine with Nerlens Noel, Otto Porter, Ben McLemore, and Trey Burke. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Noel-Porter-McLemore-Burke-4179/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Noel-Porter-McLemore-Burke-4179/ Fri, 17 May 2013 09:44:04 -0400 Scouting Reports of the top prospects seen at the Nike International Junior Tournament in London, including Alberto Abalde, Mario Hezonja, Damien Inglis, Dusan Ristic, Nedim Buza, Marc Garcia and Doko Salic. /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-London-Scouting-Reports-4176/ /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-London-Scouting-Reports-4176/ Wed, 15 May 2013 09:08:19 -0400 Adonis Thomas was considered one of the top prospects in high school basketball upon arriving at Memphis, but struggled to do much of anything to convince of that in his two seasons of college basketball. Is he still a prospect NBA teams should consider investing in? /article/Trending-Prospects-Adonis-Thomas-4175/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Adonis-Thomas-4175/ Wed, 15 May 2013 08:48:05 -0400 Gorgui Dieng is one of the top big men in the 2013 Draft. How do his age and upside impact his stock and contrast with his ability to have an immediate impact? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Gorgui-Dieng-4174/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Gorgui-Dieng-4174/ Tue, 14 May 2013 09:11:35 -0400 Vander Blue is one of the most athletic prospect in this class, but how much will his limitations as a ball-handler and perimeter shooter hurt his standing on draft night? /article/Trending-Prospects-Vander-Blue-4173/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Vander-Blue-4173/ Tue, 14 May 2013 08:41:15 -0400 Mike Schmitz breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with the help of Georgia game footage. /article/Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope-Video-Scouting-Report-4172/ /article/Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope-Video-Scouting-Report-4172/ Mon, 13 May 2013 14:40:53 -0400 A list of the 63 players participating at the NBA Combine in Chicago May 16-17 /article/2013-NBA-Combine-Participant-List-4171/ /article/2013-NBA-Combine-Participant-List-4171/ Thu, 09 May 2013 19:14:58 -0400 Former McDonald's All-American Reggie Bullock had a breakout season as a junior at North Carolina. Where does he fit in at the next level now that he's in the draft for good? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Reggie-Bullock-4170/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Reggie-Bullock-4170/ Thu, 09 May 2013 13:39:53 -0400 One of the premier mid-major players in the country, Nate Wolters once again led South Dakota State to the NCAA Tournament. Where does the prolific guard stand after his senior season? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Nate-Wolters-4169/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Nate-Wolters-4169/ Wed, 08 May 2013 12:47:10 -0400 Steven Adams is one of the most physically gifted big men in this year's draft class. How much will his lack of experience and polish hurt him on draft night? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Steven-Adams-4168/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Steven-Adams-4168/ Mon, 06 May 2013 22:52:57 -0400 One of the best athletes in all of college basketball last season, does Memphis senior D.J. Stephens have what it takes to make it in the NBA? /article/Trending-Prospects-DJ-Stephens-4167/ /article/Trending-Prospects-DJ-Stephens-4167/ Mon, 06 May 2013 09:34:27 -0400 Michael Carter-Williams is a point guard with great size, passing skills and creativity, who lacks much in the ways of consistent scoring and decision-making ability. How does he stack up in this draft class? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Michael-Carter-Williams-4166/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Michael-Carter-Williams-4166/ Fri, 03 May 2013 14:31:54 -0400 Glen Rice Jr might have the most unique story of any member of this year's draft class. From getting kicked out of Georgia Tech to being MVP of the D-League Finals in the span of one year, he's now a very viable draft prospect who might convince other talented young players that there's more than one path to making the NBA. /article/Glen-Rice-Jr-Demonstrates-Theres-More-Than-One-Path-to-the-NBA-4165/ /article/Glen-Rice-Jr-Demonstrates-Theres-More-Than-One-Path-to-the-NBA-4165/ Thu, 02 May 2013 11:34:35 -0400 James Southerland is one of the best 3-point shooters in the 2013 NBA Draft, but is he a versatile enough player to warrant a draft pick and/or NBA roster spot? /article/Trending-Prospects-James-Southerland-4164/ /article/Trending-Prospects-James-Southerland-4164/ Thu, 02 May 2013 10:31:16 -0400 Richard Howell is one of the best rebounders in this draft class, but is somewhat stuck between positions both offensively and defensively. Will NBA teams be able to look past that considering the success of similarly undersized big men? /article/Trending-Prospects-Richard-Howell-4163/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Richard-Howell-4163/ Wed, 01 May 2013 16:32:53 -0400 The National Basketball Association announced today that 77 players, including 46 players from U.S. colleges and 31 international players, have filed as early entry candidates for the 2013 NBA Draft presented by State Farm. /article/NBA-Announces-Early-Entry-Candidates-for-2013-NBA-Draft-4162/ /article/NBA-Announces-Early-Entry-Candidates-for-2013-NBA-Draft-4162/ Wed, 01 May 2013 10:40:22 -0400 An athletic 7-footer who is capable of scoring from anywhere on the floor, Cody Zeller came into this season with huge expectations both individually and for his Indiana team who were ranked #1 for a good part of the season. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Cody-Zeller-4161/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Cody-Zeller-4161/ Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:32:40 -0400 Nick Young conducts a three-part interview with 2013 NBA Draft Early Entrant Dario Saric. /article/Dario-Saric-Interview-4160/ /article/Dario-Saric-Interview-4160/ Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:31:01 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Jody Mac on CBS Sports Radio to discuss a number of NBA draft related topics. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-CBS-Sports-Radio-4159/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-CBS-Sports-Radio-4159/ Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:32:58 -0400 Scouting reports on Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Livio Jean-Charles, Karl Towns, Joel Embiid and Gabriel Deck. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-4158/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Big-Men-4158/ Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:57:02 -0400 One of the youngest prospect in this draft, Archie Goodwin is a terrific athlete who struggled with inconsistency for much of the season. Can NBA teams look past his struggles as a perimeter shooter? How long might it take him to contribute at the NBA level? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Archie-Goodwin-wVideo-Analysis--4157/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Archie-Goodwin-wVideo-Analysis--4157/ Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:15:51 -0400 Pierre Jackson is one of the most athletic point guard prospects in this draft class, and is also an outstanding perimeter shooter. How will his lack of size and average decision making affect his draft stock, and what are his chances of sticking on a NBA roster? /article/Trending-Prospects-Pierre-Jackson-4155/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Pierre-Jackson-4155/ Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:42:09 -0400 Ever wondered what happens in the lead-up to the Nike Hoop Summit game on Saturday? Here's a behind the scenes look at some of the drills the teams conducted in practice. /article/2013-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practice-Drill-Videos-4154/ /article/2013-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practice-Drill-Videos-4154/ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:56:50 -0400 Scouting reports on Andrew Wiggins, Sergey Karasev and Tomas Dimsa. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Wings-4153/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Wings-4153/ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:01:49 -0400 Scouting reports on Dennis Schroeder, Dante Exum and Nikola Ivanovic. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Guards-4152/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Guards-4152/ Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:37:57 -0400 Christian Watford is one of the best shooters in this year's draft, but will NBA teams be able to look past his limitations and give him a roster spot next season? /article/Trending-Prospects-Christian-Watford-4151/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Christian-Watford-4151/ Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:01:17 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Mason Plumlee with the help of Duke game film. /article/Mason-Plumlee-Video-Scouting-Report-4150/ /article/Mason-Plumlee-Video-Scouting-Report-4150/ Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:13:12 -0400 The World Select Team notched its second consecutive victory over the USA Junior National Select Team at the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. /article/2013-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Game-Recap-4149/ /article/2013-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Game-Recap-4149/ Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:45:58 -0400 With only a few hours until tip off, we look back at the week of practices and look at who may have the upper hand heading into tonight's action. /article/2013-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practice-Wrap-Up-4148/ /article/2013-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practice-Wrap-Up-4148/ Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:47:12 -0400 The official measurements of the 2013 USA Junior National Select Team distributed in Portland at the Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2013-Hoop-Summit-USA-Junior-Team-Measurements-4147/ /article/2013-Hoop-Summit-USA-Junior-Team-Measurements-4147/ Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:16:35 -0400 With two more practices in the books, we check in once again on the World Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland Oregon. /article/2013-Nike-Hoop-Summit-World-Select-Team-Practices-Three-and-Four-4146/ /article/2013-Nike-Hoop-Summit-World-Select-Team-Practices-Three-and-Four-4146/ Thu, 18 Apr 2013 02:28:30 -0400 C.J. Leslie is one of the best athletes in this draft class, but has seen his stock regress significantly this year due to the lack of improvement he made to his all-around game. Will he be a steal later in the first round, or will NBA teams be too scared about the red flags around him? /article/Trending-Prospects-CJ-Leslie-4145/ /article/Trending-Prospects-CJ-Leslie-4145/ Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:25:17 -0400 Video interview with Roy Rana and Marin Sedlacek, the coaches of the 2013 World Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. /article/2013-Hoop-Summit-Interviews-and-Highlights-4144/ /article/2013-Hoop-Summit-Interviews-and-Highlights-4144/ Wed, 17 Apr 2013 03:10:10 -0400 With two practices in the books, we take a look at the story lines developing at the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit, which could prove to be one of the best in recent memory. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Early-International-Storylines-4143/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Early-International-Storylines-4143/ Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:35:44 -0400 San Diego State's Jamaal Franklin has some of the best scoring instincts of any wing player in this draft, and brings tremendous athleticism and competitiveness to boot. How much will his lack of perimeter shooting ability and overall efficiency hurt him come draft time? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jamaal-Franklin-4142/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jamaal-Franklin-4142/ Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:22:25 -0400 The official measurements distributed in Portland at the Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2013-Hoop-Summit-World-Select-Team-Measurements-4141/ /article/2013-Hoop-Summit-World-Select-Team-Measurements-4141/ Tue, 16 Apr 2013 01:08:20 -0400 Colorado State's Colton Iverson emerged from total obscurity in his fifth season of college basketball after transferring from Minnesota. As one of the best rebounders in this draft, but also one of the oldest prospects, where does he fit in? /article/Trending-Prospects-Colton-Iverson-4140/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Colton-Iverson-4140/ Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:39:37 -0400 Interview and practice highlights of Noah Vonleh, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Jarell Martin from the 2013 McDonald's All-American Game week in Chicago. /article/McDonalds-InterviewPractice-Highlights-Vonleh-Jefferson-Martin-4138/ /article/McDonalds-InterviewPractice-Highlights-Vonleh-Jefferson-Martin-4138/ Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:50:31 -0400 Interview and practice highlights of James Young, Wayne Selden, and Jabari Bird from the 2013 McDonald's All-American Game week in Chicago. /article/McDonalds-InterviewPractice-Highlights-James-Young-Selden-Bird-4139/ /article/McDonalds-InterviewPractice-Highlights-James-Young-Selden-Bird-4139/ Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:44:59 -0400 Trey Burke brings a complete and ideal offensive package to the table as a NBA point guard prospect. Will his lack of size and defensive prowess hurt his case as the top point guard in this year's draft? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Trey-Burke-4137/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Trey-Burke-4137/ Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:30:08 -0400 The official measurements from the 2013 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament have been added to our extensive database. /article/2013-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Measurements-Released-4136/ /article/2013-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Measurements-Released-4136/ Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:14:41 -0400 Lorenzo Brown decided to forego his senior season to enter the 2013 NBA Draft. Where does the point guard stand after N.C. State's underachieving 2013 campaign? /article/Trending-Prospects-Lorenzo-Brown-4135/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Lorenzo-Brown-4135/ Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:54:19 -0400 With less than a week to go before NBA personnel converge on Portland, we conducted a podcast previewing the Nike Hoop Summit World Team roster with Sam Meyerkopf of EuroleagueAdventures.com /article/Podcast-Nike-Hoop-Summit-World-Team-Roster-Preview-4134/ /article/Podcast-Nike-Hoop-Summit-World-Team-Roster-Preview-4134/ Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:05:22 -0400 Allen Crabbe has good size for a wing and is one of the better shooter/scorers in this year's draft class. His lack of toughness has some NBA teams concerned, though. What type of NBA prospect is he and how he stack up in this draft? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Allen-Crabbe-4133/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Allen-Crabbe-4133/ Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:23:19 -0400 Interview and practice highlights of Isaiah Hicks and Matt Jones from the 2013 McDonald's All-American Game week in Chicago. /article/McDonalds-InterviewPractice-Highlights-Isaiah-Hicks-Matt-Jones-4132/ /article/McDonalds-InterviewPractice-Highlights-Isaiah-Hicks-Matt-Jones-4132/ Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:58:24 -0400 Interview and practice highlights of Jabari Parker from the 2013 McDonald's All-American Game week in Chicago. /article/Jabari-Parker-McDonalds-All-American-InterviewPractice-Highlights-4131/ /article/Jabari-Parker-McDonalds-All-American-InterviewPractice-Highlights-4131/ Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:19:20 -0400 Erik Murphy is arguably the top-shooting big man in this draft, but his deficiencies as a defender and rebounder have given some scouts room for pause. How does he stack up in this year's draft class? /article/Trending-Prospects-Erik-Murphy-4130/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Erik-Murphy-4130/ Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:55:24 -0400 Brandon Paul is a NBA caliber athlete with excellent scoring instincts, but has struggled to be efficient or consistent throughout his career at Illinois. What type of prospect is he and where can he expect to get drafted? /article/Trending-Prospects-Brandon-Paul-4129/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Brandon-Paul-4129/ Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:40:38 -0400 The players participating at the 2013 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (April 10-13, official site) were announced today. /article/2013-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-4128/ /article/2013-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-4128/ Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:21:58 -0400 Jeff Withey has developed remarkably the past two seasons, from being a total non-factor his first three years in college to arguably the best overall defender in the NCAA. How far can his defensive prowess take him in the NBA, and where should it get him drafted? /article/Trending-Prospects-Jeff-Withey-with-Video-Analysis--4127/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Jeff-Withey-with-Video-Analysis--4127/ Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:28:23 -0400 DraftExpress was once again in Chicago at the McDonald's All-American dunk contest, filming every dunk with our exclusive slow-motion technology, lovingly dubbed DX-Mo. See how Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins, Chris Walker and others fared. /article/2013-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest-Videos-4126/ /article/2013-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest-Videos-4126/ Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:57:58 -0400 To kick off our coverage of the 2013 high school class all-star game circuit, we begin with prospects from the McDonald's All-American game who we haven't evaluated in the past year, including Isaiah Hicks, Isaac Hamilton, Demetrius Jackson and Nigel Williams-Goss. /article/Mcdonalds-All-American-Week-Player-Evaluations-4124/ /article/Mcdonalds-All-American-Week-Player-Evaluations-4124/ Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:34:40 -0400 Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, Julius Randle, Marcus Lee, Dakari Johnson and Matt Jones (Duke) interviewed by North Carolina's Kennedy Meeks. /article/Kentuckys-2013-Recruiting-Class-at-the-McDonalds-All-American-Game-4123/ /article/Kentuckys-2013-Recruiting-Class-at-the-McDonalds-All-American-Game-4123/ Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:44:43 -0400 We add another chapter to our renowned Duke-UNC Smackdown series at the McDonald's All-American game in Chicago. /article/2013-McDonalds-All-American-Duke-UNC-Smackdown-Part-7-4122/ /article/2013-McDonalds-All-American-Duke-UNC-Smackdown-Part-7-4122/ Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:05:44 -0400 Duke senior Mason Plumlee is a NBA-caliber athlete who can run the floor, finish around the basket, score efficiently, and brings excellent size to the table. Where does that put him in this draft at age 23? /article/Trending-Prospects-Mason-Plumlee-4121/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Mason-Plumlee-4121/ Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:35:34 -0400 Shabazz Muhammad is one of the most controversial prospects in the 2013 NBA Draft. He's clearly one of the best scorers and most fierce competitors around, but he has been criticized for his unconventional style of play, aversion for passing, and recent age-falsification. What kind of NBA prospect is he? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Shabazz-Muhammad-4120/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Shabazz-Muhammad-4120/ Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:48:42 -0400 Who is entering? Who is returning? Who is still undecided? We break down all the prospects in the 2013 NBA draft, as well as who will be representing them, and where they are projected to get drafted. /article/2013-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-and-Agent-List-4119/ /article/2013-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-and-Agent-List-4119/ Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:33:28 -0400 The name on the back of the jersey means just as much as the name on the front here at DraftExpress, so if you're watching the NCAA tournament with an eye on scouting future NBA players, you've come to the right place. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Day-Six-4118/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Day-Six-4118/ Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:31:13 -0400 The name on the back of the jersey means just as much as the name on the front here at DraftExpress, so if you're watching the tournament with an eye on scouting players who will eventually play in the NBA, you've come to the right place. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Day-Five-4117/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-Day-Five-4117/ Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:43:01 -0400 Mike Muscala established himself as one of the best scoring big men and rebounders in the country this season for Bucknell. What kind of NBA prospect is he and what awaits him over the next three months? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Mike-Muscala-4116/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Mike-Muscala-4116/ Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:48:34 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Sharp and Benning on 1620 The Zone to discuss a number of NBA draft related topics. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-1620-The-Zone-4115/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-1620-The-Zone-4115/ Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:37:39 -0400 Florida State senior Michael Snaer brings 3-point shooting ability to go along with a strong defensive presence on the wing. Where will that get him picked on draft night? /article/Trending-Prospects-Michael-Snaer-4114/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Michael-Snaer-4114/ Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:15:40 -0400 The Nike Hoop Summit World team was officially announced today, complimenting the USA roster which was announced in January. The game is scheduled for Saturday, April 20th at the Rose Garden, in Portland, Oregon. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Roster-Breakdown-4113/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Roster-Breakdown-4113/ Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:53:31 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Jackie Carmichael with the help of Illinois State game film. /article/Jackie-Carmichael-Video-Scouting-Report-4112/ /article/Jackie-Carmichael-Video-Scouting-Report-4112/ Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:48:30 -0400 The name on the back of the jersey means just as much as the name on the front here at DraftExpress, so if you're watching the NCAA tournament with an eye on scouting future NBA players, you've come to the right place. /article/Day-Four-NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-4111/ /article/Day-Four-NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-4111/ Sat, 23 Mar 2013 19:06:56 -0400 The name on the back of the jersey means just as much as the name on the front here at DraftExpress, so if you're watching the tournament with an eye on scouting players who will eventually play in the NBA, you've come to the right place. /article/Day-Three-NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-4110/ /article/Day-Three-NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Viewing-Guide-4110/ Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:32:43 -0400 The name on the back of the jersey means just as much as the name on the front here at DraftExpress, so if you’re watching the NCAA tournament with an eye on scouting future NBA players, you’ve come to the right place. /article/2013-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Two-Watching-Guide-4109/ /article/2013-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Two-Watching-Guide-4109/ Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:45:59 -0400 The name on the back of the jersey means just as much as the name on the front here at DraftExpress, so if you’re watching the tournament with an eye on scouting players who will eventually play in the NBA, you’ve come to the right place. /article/2013-NCAA-Tournament-Day-One-Watching-Guide-4106/ /article/2013-NCAA-Tournament-Day-One-Watching-Guide-4106/ Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:50:04 -0400 Dewayne Dedmon has all of the physical attributes NBA scouts look for in a backup center, but is still extremely unpolished at age 23. Is he the type of prospect a team will want to invest a roster spot on? /article/Trending-Prospects-Dewayne-Dedmon-4105/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Dewayne-Dedmon-4105/ Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:38:27 -0400 There again appears to be quite a bit of confusion about the NBA's early-entry draft process amongst college players, college coaches, NBA personnel and media members, due to rule changes made by the NCAA in May of 2011 regarding collegiate eligibility. /article/Testing-the-NBA-Draft-Waters-in-2013-4103/ /article/Testing-the-NBA-Draft-Waters-in-2013-4103/ Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:30:17 -0400 B.J. Young is one of the most talented scorers in college basketball, but is facing significant question marks after an uneven sophomore season. Is he a prospect a NBA team should consider investing in? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-BJ-Young-4102/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-BJ-Young-4102/ Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:16:42 -0400 With the 2013 NCAA Tournament Bracket officially set, we take a look at how the first weekend match-ups shape up from an NBA Draft perspective. /article/2013-NCAA-Tournament-First-Weekend-NBA-Prospect-Breakdown-4101/ /article/2013-NCAA-Tournament-First-Weekend-NBA-Prospect-Breakdown-4101/ Sun, 17 Mar 2013 21:30:27 -0400 A wicked breakdown of the official 2012-2013 NCAA Post-Season awards, including first,second and third All-Conference teams, as well as the All-Freshman Teams, Coaches of the year, All-Defensive Teams, and more-- for all 32 NCAA conferences. /article/2013-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-4100/ /article/2013-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-4100/ Sun, 17 Mar 2013 19:44:09 -0400 Jackie Carmichael was one of the most productive big men in college basketball, but may have seen his season come to an end after losing in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley conference tournament. Did he do enough to earn a spot in the second round during his senior year? /article/Trending-Prospects-Jackie-Carmichael-4099/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Jackie-Carmichael-4099/ Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:11:46 -0400 Winning the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Award in 2012, Tony Mitchell was touted as one of the best low-major prospects in the country. With his sophomore season coming to a close, where does Mitchell stand heading towards the 2013 draft? /article/Trending-Prospects-Tony-Mitchell-With-Video-4098/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Tony-Mitchell-With-Video-4098/ Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:27:59 -0400 Robert Covington is one of the most skilled perimeter scoring forwards in this draft, but is coming off a somewhat disappointing season. Will the Tennessee State senior hear his name called on draft night? /article/Trending-Prospects-Robert-Covington-4097/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Robert-Covington-4097/ Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:27:19 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Erick Green with the help of Virginia Tech game film. /article/Erick-Green-Video-Scouting-Report-4096/ /article/Erick-Green-Video-Scouting-Report-4096/ Mon, 11 Mar 2013 22:51:39 -0400 Ray McCallum’s Detroit squad fell short of a NCAA tournament bid this weekend after being upset in the Horizon conference tournament by Wright State. How does the former McDonald’s All-American stack up as a NBA prospect after his junior season? /article/Trending-Prospects-Ray-McCallum-4095/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Ray-McCallum-4095/ Mon, 11 Mar 2013 03:05:10 -0400 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is one of the best shot-makers in the country. How does the rest of his game stack up as a NBA prospect? /article/Trending-Prospects-Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope-4094/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope-4094/ Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:55:47 -0500 Deonte Burton is one of the most talented shot-creators in college basketball, showing a lightning quick first step and the ability to score at will in transition. How will his team's poor record affect his draft stock? /article/Trending-Prospects-Deonte-Burton-4093/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Deonte-Burton-4093/ Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:58:57 -0500 Erick Green is leading the nation in scoring. How does his game project to the NBA? /article/Trending-Prospects-Erick-Green-4092/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Erick-Green-4092/ Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:30:50 -0500 Shabazz Napier has transformed himself from shoot-first, inefficient combo guard to a much more effective all-around player as a junior. How much will that help his NBA stock? /article/Trending-Prospects-Shabazz-Napier-4091/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Shabazz-Napier-4091/ Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:27:38 -0500 Giannis Adetokunbo has emerged from relative obscurity to rank among the very best international prospects in the 1994 age group. We investigate his unique background and NBA prospects with a video scouting report, full evaluation, and interview. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Giannis-Adetokunbo-4090/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Giannis-Adetokunbo-4090/ Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:29:50 -0500 Deshaun Thomas has carried Ohio State on the offensive end this season. What does he bring to the table at the next level? /article/Trending-Prospects-Deshaun-Thomas-4089/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Deshaun-Thomas-4089/ Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:51:43 -0500 The reigning Horizon League player of the year Ryan Broekhoff has kept Valparaiso at the top of the Horizon League. What does his mid-major success translate to the next level? /article/Trending-Prospects-Ryan-Broekhoff-4088/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Ryan-Broekhoff-4088/ Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:38:47 -0500 Kenny Kadji has established himself as one of the most skilled big men in college basketball, playing for a Miami team that remains undefeated in the ACC. How does he stack up as a NBA prospect and will his advanced age hurt him come draft time? /article/Trending-Prospects-Kenny-Kadji-4087/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Kenny-Kadji-4087/ Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:40:44 -0500 Nerlens Noel's season came to an unfortunate end as the result of a ACL tear. What, if any, effect has the highly touted center's injury had on his lofty draft stock? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Nerlens-Noel-4086/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Nerlens-Noel-4086/ Wed, 20 Feb 2013 09:58:22 -0500 Dwight Powell has bounced back as a junior after struggling through a sophomore slump. What does his improvement mean to his NBA potential? /article/Trending-Prospects-Dwight-Powell-4085/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Dwight-Powell-4085/ Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:34:10 -0500 Zeke Marshall has seemingly turned the corner this season, finally emerging as the highly efficient, shot-blocking 7-footer he was projected to become in high school. Is he the type of prospect a NBA team will want to invest in? /article/Trending-Prospects-Zeke-Marshall-4084/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Zeke-Marshall-4084/ Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:20:17 -0500 Jack Cooley is the #1 rebounder in college basketball this season and ranks overall as one of the best in Big East history. Is that enough to secure him a roster spot in the NBA? /article/Trending-Prospects-Jack-Cooley-4083/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Jack-Cooley-4083/ Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:13:48 -0500 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Marcus Smart with the help of Oklahoma State game film. /article/Marcus-Smart-Video-Scouting-Report-4082/ /article/Marcus-Smart-Video-Scouting-Report-4082/ Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:03:48 -0500 Bryce Cotton entered his junior season as an anonymous player at Providence, but has emerged as one of the best scorers in the Big East. How far can his terrific shooting stroke and excellent overall scoring instincts take him? /article/Trending-Prospects-Bryce-Cotton-4081/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Bryce-Cotton-4081/ Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:21:18 -0500 One of the most prolific shooter/scorers in college basketball, C.J. Wilcox has continued to put points on the board efficiently for Washington, despite shouldering a heavier offensive load. How will his game translate to the NBA setting? /article/Trending-Prospects-CJ-Wilcox-4080/ /article/Trending-Prospects-CJ-Wilcox-4080/ Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:59:49 -0500 One of the best scorers in all of college basketball, Isaiah Canaan elected to return for his final year of eligibility after a dream junior season with Murray State. Have his NBA prospects changed at all? /article/Trending-Prospects-Isaiah-Canaan-4079/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Isaiah-Canaan-4079/ Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:37:39 -0500 Jahii Carson is making up for lost time after being ruled ineligible his freshman year, putting together a very strong season for Arizona State thus far. What type of NBA prospect is he at the moment? /article/Trending-Prospects-Jahii-Carson-4078/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Jahii-Carson-4078/ Fri, 08 Feb 2013 09:41:28 -0500 Chris Obekpa has established himself as arguably the best shot-blocker in college basketball already as a freshman. How does the rest of his game grade out and what type of NBA prospect is he right now? /article/Trending-Prospects-Chris-Obekpa-4077/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Chris-Obekpa-4077/ Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:56:52 -0500 Jordan Bachynski is one of the biggest players in the NCAA, and also one of the most improved. Does he have what it takes to make it onto a NBA roster? /article/Trending-Prospects-Jordan-Bachynski-4076/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Jordan-Bachynski-4076/ Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:31:05 -0500 Victor Oladipo has gone from 3-star high school recruit to potential NCAA player of the year candidate. What type of prospect is he and what makes him attractive to NBA decision makers? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Victor-Oladipo-4075/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Victor-Oladipo-4075/ Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:28:19 -0500 Arsalan Kazemi continues to rank as one of the best rebounders in college basketball after transferring from Rice to Oregon. Is that enough to earn him a NBA roster spot? /article/Trending-Prospects-Arsalan-Kazemi-4074/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Arsalan-Kazemi-4074/ Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:22:51 -0500 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Kelly Olynyk with the help of Gonzaga game film. /article/Kelly-Olynyk-Video-Scouting-Report-4073/ /article/Kelly-Olynyk-Video-Scouting-Report-4073/ Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:18:12 -0500 Cory Jefferson barely contributed in his first three years at Baylor, but has been one of the most productive players in the Big 12 this season. What kind of NBA prospect is he? /article/Trending-Prospects-Cory-Jefferson-4072/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Cory-Jefferson-4072/ Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:07:36 -0500 Anthony Marshall has transitioned from a combo guard role to leading the Mountain West conference in assists as a senior. How far can his intriguing blend of physical attributes and improved perimeter shooting ability take him? /article/Trending-Prospects-Anthony-Marshall-4071/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Anthony-Marshall-4071/ Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:08:07 -0500 Carrick Felix is a late bloomer whose perimeter shooting and overall productivity are just starting to catch up with his terrific physical tools. Is he the type of prospect a NBA team will want to invest a draft pick on? /article/Trending-Prospects-Carrick-Felix-4070/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Carrick-Felix-4070/ Tue, 29 Jan 2013 09:38:21 -0500 A versatile forward with ideal role-player potential, Solomon Hill's strong frame, high basketball IQ and much-improved perimeter shooting ability are earning him plenty of looks from NBA teams this season. /article/Trending-Prospects-Solomon-Hill-4069/ /article/Trending-Prospects-Solomon-Hill-4069/ Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:40:55 -0500 Russ Smith has gone from lightly recruited high school player to one of the faces of college basketball. What type of NBA prospect is he? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Russ-Smith-4068/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Russ-Smith-4068/ Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:14:32 -0500 A review of the top 2013 prospects seen at the prestigious HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass, including Jabari Parker, Aaron Gordon, Kasey Hill, Dakari Johnson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Brannen Greene, Beejay Anya, Ishmail Wainright, Devin Williams, Nick Emery and Eric Mika. /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Elite-2013-Prospects-4067/ /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Elite-2013-Prospects-4067/ Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:42:26 -0500 C.J. McCollum was having an All-American type year until a foot injury likely finished his season. What does that mean for his draft stock and what type of NBA prospect is he? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-CJ-McCollum-4066/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-CJ-McCollum-4066/ Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:19:39 -0500 Few players have the experience of 35 year-old Fred House, a player whose career has taken him from Southern Utah University, to the minor leagues in the US and then across the globe. What is it like to go 11 years between D-League stints? /article/From-the-North-Charleston-Lowgators-to-the-Texas-Legends-Fred-House-4065/ /article/From-the-North-Charleston-Lowgators-to-the-Texas-Legends-Fred-House-4065/ Thu, 17 Jan 2013 18:03:10 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Spencer Dinwiddie, Seth Curry and Rodney Williams. /article/Trending-Prospects-1162012--4064/ /article/Trending-Prospects-1162012--4064/ Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:55:06 -0500 Mouhammadou Jaiteh has emerged as one of the best international prospects in the 1994 age group. We appraise his potential with a video scouting report, full evaluation, and interview. /article/European-Roundup-Jaiteh-Dominating-Pro-B-4063/ /article/European-Roundup-Jaiteh-Dominating-Pro-B-4063/ Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:29:05 -0500 Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart has emerged as one of the most polished freshmen in college basketball. How does his style of play translate to the pro level? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Marcus-Smart-4061/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Marcus-Smart-4061/ Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:36:56 -0500 From the D-League Showcase in Reno, we sit down for an interview with Tim Ohlbrecht of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers who has the unique distinctions of being one of the only international draft prospects in our database to ever make the jump from Europe straight to the NBADL. /article/A-Fresh-Start-for-Tim-Ohlbrecht-4060/ /article/A-Fresh-Start-for-Tim-Ohlbrecht-4060/ Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:23:01 -0500 From the D-League Showcase in Reno we take a look at a major success story in Greg Smith of the Houston Rockets, who is flourishing after being called up from their affilates in Rio Grande Valley. /article/Greg-Smith-I-Have-a-Big-Chip-on-My-Shoulder-for-Not-Getting-Drafted-4059/ /article/Greg-Smith-I-Have-a-Big-Chip-on-My-Shoulder-for-Not-Getting-Drafted-4059/ Mon, 07 Jan 2013 23:54:31 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Kelly Olynyk, Laurence Bowers, Elias Harris and Juvonte Reddic. /article/Trending-Prospects-172012--4058/ /article/Trending-Prospects-172012--4058/ Sun, 06 Jan 2013 20:01:14 -0500 Bojan Dubljevic has emerged from obscurity to develop into one of the top scorers in the Spanish ACB in his draft-eligible year. What kind of prospect is he long-term? /article/European-Roundup-Dubljevic-Delivering-Offensively-in-Spain-4057/ /article/European-Roundup-Dubljevic-Delivering-Offensively-in-Spain-4057/ Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:26:58 -0500 Anthony Bennett has established himself as one of the most productive players in college basketball, despite being just a freshman. We analyze his progress with a video and scouting report. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Anthony-Bennett-4056/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Anthony-Bennett-4056/ Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:27:25 -0500 Ben McLemore is off to a fast start this season, quickly emerging as one of the best shooting guard prospects in all of college basketball. We analyze his progress with a video and scouting report. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Ben-McLemore-4055/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Ben-McLemore-4055/ Mon, 24 Dec 2012 10:31:48 -0500 One of the best stories in the NBA today, 28-year old rookie Chris Copeland, opens up about the long journey he took from obscure college prospect to 29-point scorer in Madison Square Garden Monday. /article/Chris-Copeland-I-Do-Not-Believe-in-Plan-Bs-4054/ /article/Chris-Copeland-I-Do-Not-Believe-in-Plan-Bs-4054/ Thu, 20 Dec 2012 08:45:30 -0500 Leo Westermann has blossomed into one of the best prospects in Europe playing for Partizan Belgrade in the Euroleague. We analyze his progress with a video and scouting report. /article/European-Roundup-Westermanns-Gamble-Pays-Off-4053/ /article/European-Roundup-Westermanns-Gamble-Pays-Off-4053/ Sun, 16 Dec 2012 14:04:07 -0500 Nemanja Nedovic has blossomed into one of the best prospects in Europe playing for Lietuvos Rytas in the Euroleague. We analyze his progress with a video and scouting report. /article/Nemanja-Nedovic-Evolving-In-Lithuania--4052/ /article/Nemanja-Nedovic-Evolving-In-Lithuania--4052/ Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:41:03 -0500 Despite turning 19 just one month ago, Sergey Karasev is playing arguably the biggest role of any serious draft prospect in European basketball right now. /article/European-Roundup-Karasev-Producing-in-Bunches-in-Russia-4051/ /article/European-Roundup-Karasev-Producing-in-Bunches-in-Russia-4051/ Wed, 28 Nov 2012 18:53:48 -0500 We conclude our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports on players ranked #21-25: Matthew Dellavedova, James Ennis, Ronald Roberts, Eric Ferguson and Zeke Marshall. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Seven-4050/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Seven-4050/ Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:41:34 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports on players ranked #16-20: Kendall Williams, Joe Jackson, Tony Snell, Elias Harris and Javon McCrea. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Six-4049/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Six-4049/ Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:13:14 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports on players ranked #11-15: Jackie Carmichael, Tarik Black, Robert Covington, Mike Muscala and Deonte Burton. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Five-4048/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Five-4048/ Fri, 16 Nov 2012 13:43:46 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports on players ranked #7-10: Ray McCallum, Alec Brown, Nate Wolters and Isaiah Canaan. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Four-4047/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Four-4047/ Wed, 14 Nov 2012 20:37:27 -0500 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with a video scouting report of the #6 overall prospect, Doug McDermott. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Three-4046/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Three-4046/ Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:34:30 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with scouting reports on players ranked #2-5: C.J. McCollum, Jamaal Franklin, Adonis Thomas and Mike Moser. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-4045/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-4045/ Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:11:52 -0500 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the non-BCS conferences with a video scouting report of the top overall prospect, Tony Mitchell. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-One-4044/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-One-4044/ Mon, 05 Nov 2012 13:04:06 -0500 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the SEC with scouting reports on players ranked #11-15: Erik Murphy, Johnny O'Bryant, Trevor Releford, Jeronne Maymon and Will Yeguete. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Four--11-15---4043/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Four--11-15---4043/ Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:56:04 -0400 Six games into the 2012-2013 season, it's safe to say a very intriguing prospect is emerging in the increasingly respected German BBL: Dennis Schroeder. /article/European-Roundup-Schroeder-Shredding-German-Defenses-4042/ /article/European-Roundup-Schroeder-Shredding-German-Defenses-4042/ Mon, 29 Oct 2012 14:33:50 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the SEC with scouting reports on players ranked #6-10: Ryan Harrow, Michael Dixon, Alex Oriakhi, Kyle Wiltjer and Kenny Boynton. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Three-6-10---4041/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Three-6-10---4041/ Sun, 28 Oct 2012 19:16:24 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the SEC with scouting reports on players ranked #2-5: Phil Pressey, Patric Young, Jarnell Stokes and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Two-2-5---4040/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Two-2-5---4040/ Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:14:28 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the SEC with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, B.J. Young. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-One-4039/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-One-4039/ Tue, 23 Oct 2012 11:30:58 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East with scouting reports on players ranked #16-20: Fuquan Edwin, Lamar Patterson, DeAndre Daniels, Davante Gardner and Cleveland Melvin. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Five-4038/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Five-4038/ Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:51:52 -0400 Emptying the notebook from the past few months, we recount a selection of the elite international players we evaluated and discuss their future prospects and development, including: Mario Hezonja, Ilimane Diop, Dante Exum, Zhou Qi, Ben Simmons, Marko Arapovic and more. /article/Emptying-the-Notebook-Elite-International-Prospects-Scouting-Reports-4037/ /article/Emptying-the-Notebook-Elite-International-Prospects-Scouting-Reports-4037/ Fri, 19 Oct 2012 12:55:21 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East with scouting reports on players ranked #11-15: Russ Smith, Sean Kilpatrick, Vander Blue, Brandon Young and C.J. Fair. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Four-4036/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Four-4036/ Thu, 18 Oct 2012 14:56:10 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East with scouting reports on players ranked #6-10: Chane Behanan, Wayne Blackshear, Jack Cooley, Peyton Siva and Mouphtaou Yarou. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Three-4035/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Three-4035/ Tue, 16 Oct 2012 08:18:42 -0400 We continue our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East with scouting reports on players ranked #2-5: Michael Carter-Williams, Gorgui Dieng, Rakeem Christmas and Jerian Grant. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Two-4034/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Two-4034/ Sat, 13 Oct 2012 11:59:29 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, Otto Porter. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-One-4033/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-One-4033/ Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:38:47 -0400 We conclude our evaluation of the top NBA draft prospects in the Pac-12 with players ranked #12-15: Dewayne Dedmon, Tony Woods, Abdul Gaddy and Justin Cobbs. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Four-4032/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Four-4032/ Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:58:47 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with a video scouting report of the #11 prospect in the conference, Solomon Hill. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Three-4031/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Three-4031/ Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:01:27 -0400 We continue to evaluate the top NBA prospects in the Pac-12 with players ranked 6-10: Eric Moreland, Brock Motum, Chasson Randle, Mark Lyons and Travis Wear. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Two-4030/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Two-4030/ Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:57:37 -0400 In our first five evaluations of the top NBA Draft prospects in the Pac-12 we break down Andre Roberson, Joshua Smith, C.J. Wilcox, Devon Collier, and Allen Crabbe. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-One-4029/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-One-4029/ Fri, 05 Oct 2012 20:13:15 -0400 We continue to evaluate the top NBA prospects in the Big XII with players ranked 6-11: including Rodney McGruder, Jordan Henriquez, Steven Pledger, Cory Jefferson, Sheldon McClellan, and Jordan Tolbert /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Four-4028/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Four-4028/ Tue, 02 Oct 2012 21:31:38 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #4 prospect in the conference, Elijah Johnson. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Three--4027/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Three--4027/ Sat, 29 Sep 2012 17:06:37 -0400 We continue to evaluate the top NBA prospects in the Big XII with players ranked 2, 3, and 5: including Myck Kabongo, Jeff Withey, and Pierre Jackson. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Two--4026/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Two--4026/ Fri, 28 Sep 2012 15:32:03 -0400 After a long summer on the road, we check in on the top prospects in the class of 2014, including: Jahlil Okafor, Trey Lyles, Isaiah Whitehead, Joel Berry, Justise Winslow, and Stanley Johnson /article/High-School-Class-of-2014-Elite-Prospect-Scouting-Reports-Part-One-4025/ /article/High-School-Class-of-2014-Elite-Prospect-Scouting-Reports-Part-One-4025/ Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:46:55 -0400 Mike Schmitz kicks off our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the Big 12 with a video scouting report of the #1 prospect in the conference, LeBryan Nash. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-One-4024/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-One-4024/ Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:58:25 -0400 We conclude our evaluation of the top NBA prospects in the ACC with players ranked 16 to 20, Rion Brown, Kenny Kadji, Ian Miller, Erick Green and C.J. Harris. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Seven-4023/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Seven-4023/ Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:33:32 -0400 We continue to evaluate the top NBA prospects in the ACC with players ranked 11 to 15, Dexter Strickland, Ryan Kelly, Reggie Johnson, Daniel Miller and Durand Scott. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Six-4022/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Six-4022/ Mon, 24 Sep 2012 09:59:58 -0400 We continue to evaluate the top NBA prospects in the ACC with players ranked 6 to 10, Reggie Bullock, Lorenzo Brown, Richard Howell, P.J. Hairston and Travis Mckie. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Five-4021/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Five-4021/ Sat, 22 Sep 2012 14:18:44 -0400 We continue to evaluate the top NBA prospects in the ACC with players ranked 4 and 5, Alex Len and Michael Snaer. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-4020/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-4020/ Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:25:14 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects residing in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #3 returning NBA prospect in the conference, Mason Plumlee. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Three-4019/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Three-4019/ Wed, 19 Sep 2012 08:41:41 -0400 Mike Schmitz continues our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects residing in the ACC with a video scouting report of the #2 returning NBA prospect in the conference, C.J. Leslie. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Two-4018/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Two-4018/ Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:28:57 -0400 Beginning our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects residing in the ACC, we profile the conference's most highly regarded prospect, James McAdoo. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-One-4017/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-One-4017/ Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:45:28 -0400 We continue to evaluate the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten, concluding with part five, players ranked 16-20: Derrick Nix, Tim Hardaway Jr, Jared Berggren, Devyn Marble and Aaron White. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Five-16-20--4016/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Five-16-20--4016/ Sat, 15 Sep 2012 14:22:07 -0400 We continue to evaluate the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten, moving on to part four, players ranked 11-15: Victor Oladipo, Rodney Williams, Tim Frazier, Drew Crawford and Will Sheehey. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Four-11-15--4015/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Four-11-15--4015/ Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:11:17 -0400 After a long summer on the road, we recount a selection of the elite players we evaluated and discuss their future prospects and development, including: Jabari Bird, Marcus Lee, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Tyler Ennis, Nick King, Semi Ojeleye, Matt Jones, Damian Jones, Sindarius Thornwell, Kennedy Meeks, Tony Trocha, Troy Williams, Nate Britt and Moses Kingsley. /article/High-School-Class-of-2013-Elite-Prospect-Scouting-Reports-Part-Two-4014/ /article/High-School-Class-of-2013-Elite-Prospect-Scouting-Reports-Part-Two-4014/ Wed, 12 Sep 2012 10:03:58 -0400 We continue to evaluate the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten, moving on to part three, players ranked 6-10. Trevor Mbakwe, Adreian Payne, Brandon Paul, Keith Appling and Christian Watford. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Three-6-10--4013/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Three-6-10--4013/ Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:31:53 -0400 To get a jump on the rapidly approaching NCAA season, we're once again breaking down the top individual NBA prospects in college basketball, going conference by conference, starting with the Big Ten. We continue with prospects ranked 2-5, including Trey Burke, DeShaun Thomas, Aaron Craft and Branden Dawson. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Two-2-5--4012/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Two-2-5--4012/ Sat, 08 Sep 2012 13:57:29 -0400 To get a jump on the rapidly approaching NCAA season, we're once again breaking down the top individual NBA prospects in college basketball, going conference by conference, starting with the Big Ten. Mike Schmitz gets us going with a video scouting report of the #1 NBA prospect in the conference, Cody Zeller.Freshmen have been excluded from these previews, as we'd like to wait and see what they have to offer on the NCAA level before we come to any long-term conclusions. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-One-1--4011/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-One-1--4011/ Fri, 07 Sep 2012 08:25:29 -0400 After a long summer on the road, we recount a selection of the elite players we evaluated and discuss their future prospects and development, including: Andrew Harrison, Julius Randle, James Young, Anthony Barber, Jarell Martin, Bobby Portis, Rondae Jefferson, Jermaine Lawrence and Keith Frazier. /article/High-School-Class-of-2013-Elite-Prospect-Scouting-Reports-4010/ /article/High-School-Class-of-2013-Elite-Prospect-Scouting-Reports-4010/ Wed, 05 Sep 2012 17:21:28 -0400 We'll once again be in attendance for adidas Nations, where the country's top-ranked high school players will face off with top young players from all over the world. /article/2012-adidas-Nations-Rosters-Announced-4009/ /article/2012-adidas-Nations-Rosters-Announced-4009/ Fri, 03 Aug 2012 09:38:08 -0400 Thanks for following the 2012 NBA draft with us. It was a wild and unpredictable night. The process of evaluating the 2013 NBA draft has already started. /article/On-to-the-2013-NBA-Draft-4008/ /article/On-to-the-2013-NBA-Draft-4008/ Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:27:45 -0400 Video Interviews with Bradley Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Andre Drummond, Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Meyers Leonard, and Tyler Zeller from the 2012 NBA Draft Media Day. /article/2012-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Part-Two-4007/ /article/2012-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Part-Two-4007/ Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:41:56 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Petros Papadakis and Don MacLean on the Petros and Money Show on Fox Sports Radio, discussing a number of NBA draft related issues. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-joins-Petros-Papadakis-and-Don-MacLean-4006/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-joins-Petros-Papadakis-and-Don-MacLean-4006/ Wed, 27 Jun 2012 23:40:31 -0400 Video interviews with Thomas Robinson, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, and Dion Waiters at the 2012 NBA Draft Media Day. /article/2012-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Part-One-4005/ /article/2012-NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Part-One-4005/ Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:55:58 -0400 Point guard prospect Zack Rosen checks in to talk about a variety of topics on the eve of the NBA Draft. /article/Zack-Rosen-The-Moment-Weve-All-Been-Waiting-For-4004/ /article/Zack-Rosen-The-Moment-Weve-All-Been-Waiting-For-4004/ Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:30:56 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Anthony Davis with the help of Kentucky game film, head coach John Calipari, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, and Davis himself. /article/Anthony-Davis-Video-Scouting-Report-4003/ /article/Anthony-Davis-Video-Scouting-Report-4003/ Wed, 27 Jun 2012 10:54:12 -0400 In our next analysis of situational statistics, we take a look at the relatively weak 2012 guard crop. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2012-Guard-Crop-4002/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2012-Guard-Crop-4002/ Wed, 27 Jun 2012 10:22:03 -0400 In basketball, statistics don't always match up with scouting (something that is especially true when projecting from college to the pros), and this year's draft's wing crop is a great example of such. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2012-Wing-Crop-4001/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2012-Wing-Crop-4001/ Tue, 26 Jun 2012 11:58:32 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Fab Melo with the help of Syracuse game film, head coach Jim Boeheim, and Melo himself. /article/Fab-Melo-Video-Scouting-Report-4000/ /article/Fab-Melo-Video-Scouting-Report-4000/ Tue, 26 Jun 2012 10:53:10 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Nick Gibson of Euroleague Adventures for a heavily European basketall-oriented podcast. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Nick-Gibson-of-Euroleague-Adventures-3999/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Nick-Gibson-of-Euroleague-Adventures-3999/ Mon, 25 Jun 2012 19:30:43 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Jon Rothstein on the Tim Brando Show to discuss a number of NBA draft related topics. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Jon-Rothstein-on-the-Tim-Brando-Show-3998/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Jon-Rothstein-on-the-Tim-Brando-Show-3998/ Mon, 25 Jun 2012 15:54:27 -0400 In basketball, statistics don't always match up with scouting (something that is especially true when projecting from college to the pros), and this year's draft forward crop is a great example of such. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2012-Forwards-Crop-3997/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2012-Forwards-Crop-3997/ Mon, 25 Jun 2012 11:47:45 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Jeff Taylor with the help of Vanderbilt game film, ex-Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury, and Taylor himself. /article/Jeff-Taylor-Video-Scouting-Report-3996/ /article/Jeff-Taylor-Video-Scouting-Report-3996/ Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:08:35 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top big men eligible for the 2012 draft: John Henson, Arnett Moultrie, Bernard James. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Henson-Moultrie-James-3982/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Henson-Moultrie-James-3982/ Sun, 24 Jun 2012 09:20:26 -0400 Box-scores don't always tell us everything we need to know about what happened in an actual game, and seasonal stats can be misleading at times in attempting to project what type of NBA player a NCAA or international prospect will become. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2012-Big-Men-Crop-3992/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2012-Big-Men-Crop-3992/ Sat, 23 Jun 2012 14:30:15 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top big men eligible for the 2012 draft: Tyler Zeller, Miles Plumlee, and Kyle O'Quinn. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Zeller-Plumlee-OQuinn-3983/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Zeller-Plumlee-OQuinn-3983/ Sat, 23 Jun 2012 14:30:05 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Draymond Green with the help of Michigan State game film, ESPN Analyst Jay Bilas, and Green himself. /article/Draymond-Green-Video-Scouting-Report-3995/ /article/Draymond-Green-Video-Scouting-Report-3995/ Fri, 22 Jun 2012 11:57:53 -0400 In our final analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top 25 big men in the 2012 NBA draft. /article/By-the-Numbers-The-2012-Big-Man-Crop-3994/ /article/By-the-Numbers-The-2012-Big-Man-Crop-3994/ Fri, 22 Jun 2012 11:42:30 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top forwards eligible for the 2012 draft: Terrence Jones, Andrew Nicholson, Draymond Green. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Jones-Nicholson-Green-3980/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Jones-Nicholson-Green-3980/ Fri, 22 Jun 2012 11:42:18 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Marquis Teague with the help of Kentucky game film, Head Coach John Calipari, ESPN Analyst Jay Bilas, and Teague himself. /article/Marquis-Teague-Video-Scouting-Report-3993/ /article/Marquis-Teague-Video-Scouting-Report-3993/ Thu, 21 Jun 2012 09:27:51 -0400 In our third analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top 14 forwards in the 2011 NBA draft. This group may be shallow, but it is heavy on boom or bust types. /article/By-the-Numbers-The-2012-Forward-Crop-3991/ /article/By-the-Numbers-The-2012-Forward-Crop-3991/ Thu, 21 Jun 2012 09:24:34 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top centers eligible for the 2012 draft: Jared Sullinger, Fab Melo, Henry Sims. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Sullinger-Melo-Sims-3981/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Sullinger-Melo-Sims-3981/ Thu, 21 Jun 2012 09:24:26 -0400 In our second analysis of pace-adjjusted statistics, we take a look at the top 18 wings eligible for the 2012 NBA draft. One of the more intriguing groups in this draft, there is plenty of talent on the wings this season. /article/By-the-Numbers-The-2012-Wing-Crop-3990/ /article/By-the-Numbers-The-2012-Wing-Crop-3990/ Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:18:01 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Jared Sullinger with the help of Ohio State game film, ESPN Analyst Jay Bilas, and Sullinger himself. /article/Jared-Sullinger-Video-Scouting-Report-3989/ /article/Jared-Sullinger-Video-Scouting-Report-3989/ Wed, 20 Jun 2012 10:05:06 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top big men eligible for the 2012 draft: Thomas Robinson, Meyers Leonard, and Drew Gordon. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Robinson-Leonard-Gordon-3984/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Robinson-Leonard-Gordon-3984/ Wed, 20 Jun 2012 10:01:32 -0400 Zack Rosen discusses waking up to find out that his NBA draft trainer Mike Dunlap was hired to be the head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats, his workouts with the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons, finding a niche in the NBA, the Art of Fielding, and more. /article/Zack-Rosen-Control-3988/ /article/Zack-Rosen-Control-3988/ Tue, 19 Jun 2012 17:10:27 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Terrence Jones with the help of Kentucky game film, Head Coach John Calipari, and Jones himself. /article/Terrence-Jones-Video-Scouting-Report-3987/ /article/Terrence-Jones-Video-Scouting-Report-3987/ Tue, 19 Jun 2012 11:12:12 -0400 In our first analysis of the pace adjusted statistics, we take a look at the top 21 guards eligible for the 2012 NBA draft. Considered arguably the weakest position in this class, we let the numbers do the talking. /article/By-the-Numbers-The-2012-Guard-Crop-3986/ /article/By-the-Numbers-The-2012-Guard-Crop-3986/ Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:59:27 -0400 An interview with Memphis sophomore Will Barton discussing his improvement this season, how the draft process has played out for him in recent weeks, what he brings to the table at the NBA level, and more /article/Will-Barton-Thats-My-Biggest-Objective-Winning-3985/ /article/Will-Barton-Thats-My-Biggest-Objective-Winning-3985/ Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:01:05 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top forwards eligible for the 2012 draft: Royce White, Quincy Miller, Hollis Thompson. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-White-Miller-Thompson-3979/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-White-Miller-Thompson-3979/ Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:08:15 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of John Henson with the help of North Carolina game film, Head Coach Roy Williams, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, and Henson himself. /article/John-Henson-Video-Scouting-Report-3978/ /article/John-Henson-Video-Scouting-Report-3978/ Mon, 18 Jun 2012 09:15:04 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top wings eligible for the 2012 draft: Moe Harkless, Jeff Taylor, and Jae Crowder. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Harkless-Taylor-Crowder-3977/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Harkless-Taylor-Crowder-3977/ Sun, 17 Jun 2012 13:58:06 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Arnett Moultrie with the help of Mississippi State game film, MSU Head Coach Rick Stansbury, and Moultrie himself. /article/Arnett-Moultrie-Video-Scouting-Report-3976/ /article/Arnett-Moultrie-Video-Scouting-Report-3976/ Sun, 17 Jun 2012 11:21:02 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top wings eligible for the 2012 draft: Harrison Barnes, Darius Miller, and Robbie Hummel. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Barnes-Miller-Hummel-3975/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Barnes-Miller-Hummel-3975/ Sat, 16 Jun 2012 12:58:27 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Tyler Zeller with the help of North Carolina game film, UNC Head Coach Roy Williams, Jay Bilas, and Zeller himself. /article/Tyler-Zeller-Video-Scouting-Report-3974/ /article/Tyler-Zeller-Video-Scouting-Report-3974/ Sat, 16 Jun 2012 12:43:48 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the wings eligible for the 2012 draft: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Darius Johnson-Odom, and Kevin Murphy /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Kidd-Gilchrist-Johnson-Odom-Murphy-3973/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Kidd-Gilchrist-Johnson-Odom-Murphy-3973/ Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:52:50 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Austin Rivers with the help of Duke game film, Jay Bilas, Duke assistant Chris Collins, and Rivers himself. /article/Austin-Rivers-Video-Scouting-Report-3972/ /article/Austin-Rivers-Video-Scouting-Report-3972/ Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:44:50 -0400 A detailed, pick-by-pick explanation of how we see the entire NBA Draft first round materializing post-NBA Combine and EuroCamp, using projected rosters and individual needs of all 30 teams. /article/Yahoo-Sports-Extended-Mock-Draft-2-3971/ /article/Yahoo-Sports-Extended-Mock-Draft-2-3971/ Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:37:10 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top guards eligible for the 2012 draft: Terrence Ross, John Jenkins, Tyshawn Taylor. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Ross-Jenkins-Taylor-3970/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Ross-Jenkins-Taylor-3970/ Thu, 14 Jun 2012 18:28:54 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Harrison Barnes with the help of North Carolina game film, Head Coach Roy Williams, Duke assistant Chris Collins, and commentary from Barnes himself. /article/Harrison-Barnes-Video-Scouting-Report-3969/ /article/Harrison-Barnes-Video-Scouting-Report-3969/ Thu, 14 Jun 2012 10:00:33 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top guards eligible for the 2012 draft: Bradley Beal, Orlando Johnson, and Scott Machado. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Beal-Johnson-Machado-3968/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Beal-Johnson-Machado-3968/ Wed, 13 Jun 2012 15:02:07 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with the help of Kentucky game film, Head Coach John Calipari, and commentary from Kidd-Gilchrist himself. /article/Michael-Kidd-Gilchrist-Video-Scouting-Report-3967/ /article/Michael-Kidd-Gilchrist-Video-Scouting-Report-3967/ Wed, 13 Jun 2012 11:11:57 -0400 The third and final day of the adidas EUROCAMP is in the books. We recap the best and most disappointing performances turned in by the international prospects in attendance. /article/adidas-EUROCAMP-Day-Three-3966/ /article/adidas-EUROCAMP-Day-Three-3966/ Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:27:01 -0400 The NBA released the athletic testing results from the NBA Combine in Chicago, Illinois today. We take a look at who stood out and who struggled on paper. /article/NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Analysis-3965/ /article/NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Analysis-3965/ Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:29:57 -0400 We have the complete results of the NBA Combine athletic testing (conducted by BAM) posted in our extensive measurements database. /article/NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Results-Released-3964/ /article/NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Results-Released-3964/ Tue, 12 Jun 2012 10:14:37 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Meyers Leonard with the help of Illinois game film and commentary from Leonard himself. /article/Meyers-Leonard-Video-Scouting-Report-3963/ /article/Meyers-Leonard-Video-Scouting-Report-3963/ Tue, 12 Jun 2012 10:07:15 -0400 The level of play during the second day of the adidas EUROCAMP improved significantly, as the participants began to settle in. /article/adidas-EUROCAMP-Day-Two-3962/ /article/adidas-EUROCAMP-Day-Two-3962/ Mon, 11 Jun 2012 23:35:16 -0400 Players at the adidas EUROCAMP underwent the same tests administered at the NBA Combine last week. The results of those tests were released today. /article/adidas-EUROCAMP-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Results-3961/ /article/adidas-EUROCAMP-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Results-3961/ Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:10:18 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top guards eligible for the 2012 draft: Jeremy Lamb, Doron Lamb, Tony Mitchell. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Lamb-Lamb-Mitchell-3960/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Lamb-Lamb-Mitchell-3960/ Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:46:39 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Moe Harkless with the help of St. John's game film and commentary from Harkless himself. /article/Moe-Harkless-Video-Scouting-Report-3959/ /article/Moe-Harkless-Video-Scouting-Report-3959/ Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:20:52 -0400 Day one of the 2012 adidas EUROCAMP has come and gone and a number of players turned in solid performances in from of droves of NBA scouts. /article/adidas-EUROCAMP-Day-One-3958/ /article/adidas-EUROCAMP-Day-One-3958/ Sun, 10 Jun 2012 22:17:59 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top guards eligible for the 2012 draft: Damian Lillard, Marquis Teague, and Jared Cunningham. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Lillard-Teague-Cunningham-3957/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Lillard-Teague-Cunningham-3957/ Sun, 10 Jun 2012 09:58:33 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Kendall Marshall with the help of North Carolina game film, commentary from head coach Roy Williams, and analysis from Marshall himself. /article/Kendall-Marshall-Video-Scouting-Report-3956/ /article/Kendall-Marshall-Video-Scouting-Report-3956/ Sun, 10 Jun 2012 09:39:39 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Dion Waiters with the help of Syracuse game film and commentary from head coach Jim Boeheim. /article/Dion-Waiters-Video-Scouting-Report-3955/ /article/Dion-Waiters-Video-Scouting-Report-3955/ Sat, 09 Jun 2012 11:09:53 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top guards in the 2012 draft: Austin Rivers, Kendall Marshall, and Tony Wroten /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Rivers-Marshall-Wroten-3954/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Rivers-Marshall-Wroten-3954/ Sat, 09 Jun 2012 10:58:58 -0400 With the help of our extensive measurements database, we take a look at how this year's NBA Combine participants measure out historically. /article/Analyzing-the-2012-Combine-Measurements-3953/ /article/Analyzing-the-2012-Combine-Measurements-3953/ Fri, 08 Jun 2012 14:53:04 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of the top players in the 2012 draft: Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, and Perry Jones. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Anthony-Davis-Drummond-Jones-3952/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Anthony-Davis-Drummond-Jones-3952/ Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:55:19 -0400 The official measurements from the 2012 NBA Combine have been added to our extensive database /article/2012-NBA-Combine-Measurements-Released-3951/ /article/2012-NBA-Combine-Measurements-Released-3951/ Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:23:11 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Bradley Beal with the help of game film, head coach Billy Donovan, and commentary from Beal himself. /article/Bradley-Beal-Video-Scouting-Report-3950/ /article/Bradley-Beal-Video-Scouting-Report-3950/ Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:53:15 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Jeremy Lamb with the help of game film and head coach Jim Calhoun. /article/Jeremy-Lamb-Video-Scouting-Report-3949/ /article/Jeremy-Lamb-Video-Scouting-Report-3949/ Thu, 07 Jun 2012 14:20:41 -0400 USA Basketball assembled a roster of 23 players born in 1994 to compete for a spot on the U18 national team at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and DraftExpress was present to take in the first two days of action. /article/USA-Basketball-U18-Tryouts-Report-3948/ /article/USA-Basketball-U18-Tryouts-Report-3948/ Wed, 06 Jun 2012 21:48:40 -0400 The adidas EuroCamp kicks off this Sunday in Treviso, Italy, and DraftExpress will be present covering the event for the 9th straight year. /article/2012-adidas-EUROCAMP-Preview-3947/ /article/2012-adidas-EUROCAMP-Preview-3947/ Wed, 06 Jun 2012 11:34:32 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Damian Lillard with the help of Weber State game-film and head coach Randy Rahe. /article/Damian-Lillard-Video-Scouting-Report-3946/ /article/Damian-Lillard-Video-Scouting-Report-3946/ Wed, 06 Jun 2012 10:51:21 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Tyshawn Taylor, with the help of Kansas game-film and head coach Bill Self. /article/Tyshawn-Taylor-Video-Scouting-Report-3945/ /article/Tyshawn-Taylor-Video-Scouting-Report-3945/ Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:46:04 -0400 An interview with Florida guard Bradley Beal, discussing his training regimen, what he's working to improve on, his relationship with coach Billy Donovan, how he views himself in the NBA, who he models his game after, and more. /article/Bradley-Beal--3944/ /article/Bradley-Beal--3944/ Tue, 05 Jun 2012 08:05:59 -0400 Best Case/Worst Case NBA comparisons have been added to the profiles of all of the top prospects in the 2012 NBA Draft. /article/Best-CaseWorst-Case-NBA-Comparisons-Added-to-All-2012-Prospects-3943/ /article/Best-CaseWorst-Case-NBA-Comparisons-Added-to-All-2012-Prospects-3943/ Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:47:01 -0400 adidas today announced the final player roster for adidas EUROCAMP, where the top international basketball players train in the only officially sanctioned pre-NBA Draft camp outside of the United States. /article/2012-adidas-EUROCAMP-Rosters-Announced-3942/ /article/2012-adidas-EUROCAMP-Rosters-Announced-3942/ Mon, 04 Jun 2012 13:52:37 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Royce White, with the help of Iowa State game-film and head coach Fred Hoiberg. /article/Royce-White-Video-Scouting-Report-3941/ /article/Royce-White-Video-Scouting-Report-3941/ Mon, 04 Jun 2012 11:20:13 -0400 Interviews with Doron Lamb and Tony Wroten with footage from a workout they conducted in front of NBA teams in Los Angeles. /article/Doron-LambTony-Wroten-Workout-Interviews-3940/ /article/Doron-LambTony-Wroten-Workout-Interviews-3940/ Mon, 04 Jun 2012 09:03:44 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Terrence Ross, with the help of Washington game-film and head coach Lorenzo Romar. /article/Terrence-Ross-Video-Scouting-Report-3939/ /article/Terrence-Ross-Video-Scouting-Report-3939/ Sun, 03 Jun 2012 19:33:26 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Tony Wroten, with the help of Washington game-film and head coach Lorenzo Romar. /article/Tony-Wroten-Video-Scouting-Report-3938/ /article/Tony-Wroten-Video-Scouting-Report-3938/ Sat, 02 Jun 2012 17:51:03 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Quincy Miller, with the help of Baylor game-film and head coach Scott Drew. /article/Quincy-Miller-Video-Scouting-Report-3937/ /article/Quincy-Miller-Video-Scouting-Report-3937/ Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:31:47 -0400 Zack Rosen discusses his two NBA workouts thus far in Philadelphia and New Jersey, the value of the private workout setting and their role in the decision making process, his relationship with his high school coach Danny Hurley, and more. /article/Zack-Rosen-One-Month-To-Go-3936/ /article/Zack-Rosen-One-Month-To-Go-3936/ Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:34:01 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins RaptorBlog Radio to discuss a number of NBA draft related topics. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-RaptorBlog-Radio-3935/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-RaptorBlog-Radio-3935/ Thu, 31 May 2012 22:04:27 -0400 An interview with North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall, discussing his training regimen in Florida, what he's working to improve on, his relationship with his teammates and coach Roy Williams, how he prepares for games, his injury, the transition to the NBA, and more. /article/Kendall-Marshall-I-Can-Adjust-to-Any-Situation-3934/ /article/Kendall-Marshall-I-Can-Adjust-to-Any-Situation-3934/ Thu, 31 May 2012 12:19:00 -0400 Reactions from the General Managers of New Orleans, Washington, Portland and Toronto and NBA prospect Thomas Robinson following the results of the NBA draft lottery. /article/Post-Draft-Lottery-Video-Reactions-Dell-Demps-Thomas-Robinson-more-3933/ /article/Post-Draft-Lottery-Video-Reactions-Dell-Demps-Thomas-Robinson-more-3933/ Thu, 31 May 2012 09:37:43 -0400 A detailed, pick-by-pick explanation of how we see the entire NBA Draft first round materializing post-lottery, using projected rosters and individual needs of all 30 teams. /article/Yahoo-Sports-Extended-Mock-Draft-3932/ /article/Yahoo-Sports-Extended-Mock-Draft-3932/ Thu, 31 May 2012 08:53:31 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Andre Drummond, with the help of UConn game-film and head coach Jim Calhoun. /article/Andre-Drummond-Video-Scouting-Report-3931/ /article/Andre-Drummond-Video-Scouting-Report-3931/ Thu, 31 May 2012 08:15:11 -0400 New Orleans Hornets Monty Williams and other NBA players and executives fielded questions after the final 2012 NBA draft order was determined. /article/2012-Post-NBA-Draft-Lottery-Interview-Transcripts-3930/ /article/2012-Post-NBA-Draft-Lottery-Interview-Transcripts-3930/ Wed, 30 May 2012 23:22:43 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Thomas Robinson, with the help of Kansas game-film and head coach Bill Self. /article/Thomas-Robinson-Video-Scouting-Report-3929/ /article/Thomas-Robinson-Video-Scouting-Report-3929/ Wed, 30 May 2012 09:49:46 -0400 Mike Schmitz takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Perry Jones, with the help of Baylor game-film and head coach Scott Drew. /article/Perry-Jones-Video-Scouting-Report-3928/ /article/Perry-Jones-Video-Scouting-Report-3928/ Tue, 29 May 2012 12:59:20 -0400 An interview with Fab Melo with footage from a workout he conducted in front of NBA teams in Los Angeles. /article/Fab-Melo-Workout-Interview-3927/ /article/Fab-Melo-Workout-Interview-3927/ Mon, 28 May 2012 14:16:39 -0400 An interview with St. John's freshman Moe Harkless, discussing his training regimen in Florida, his rapid ascent this season, his perimeter shooting ability, the transition from high school to college and now the NBA, and more. /article/Moe-Harkless-Im-Going-to-Surprise-a-Lot-of-People-3926/ /article/Moe-Harkless-Im-Going-to-Surprise-a-Lot-of-People-3926/ Mon, 28 May 2012 12:59:57 -0400 An interview with Terrence Jones with footage from his workouts in Santa Monica, California. /article/Terrence-Jones-Workout-Interview-3925/ /article/Terrence-Jones-Workout-Interview-3925/ Sat, 26 May 2012 22:03:06 -0400 One of the best pure scoring guards in college basketball, Terrell Stoglin was forced to enter the draft after being suspended from Maryland. Is he talented enough for a NBA team to a chance on? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Terrell-Stoglin-3924/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Terrell-Stoglin-3924/ Wed, 23 May 2012 14:18:41 -0400 A list of the 60 players participating at the NBA Combine in Chicago June 6-8th. /article/NBA-Combine-Participant-List-3923/ /article/NBA-Combine-Participant-List-3923/ Tue, 22 May 2012 13:40:33 -0400 A physically gifted big man with some of the strongest rebounding numbers in the draft, can Miles Plumlee find himself on a NBA roster this fall? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Miles-Plumlee-3922/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Miles-Plumlee-3922/ Mon, 21 May 2012 12:41:48 -0400 With the 2012 Nets Combine is almost in the books, and We've updated our measurements database to reflect today's results. We also discuss the Combine's top performers. /article/Nets-Combine-MeasurementsAthletic-Testing-and-Recap-3921/ /article/Nets-Combine-MeasurementsAthletic-Testing-and-Recap-3921/ Mon, 21 May 2012 10:56:32 -0400 Scouting Reports of the top prospects seen at the Nike International Junior Tournament in Istanbul, including Dusan Ristic, James Birsen, Augustinas Jankaitis, Gao Shang, Dominik Mavra and more. /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-Istanbul-Scouting-Reports-3920/ /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-Istanbul-Scouting-Reports-3920/ Thu, 17 May 2012 17:51:47 -0400 Our second article taking a look at this year's crop of draft-eligible international prospects continues with Kostas Papanikolaou, Andrew Albicy and Tomislav Zubcic. /article/Scouting-the-Draft-Eligible-International-Prospects-Part-Two--3918/ /article/Scouting-the-Draft-Eligible-International-Prospects-Part-Two--3918/ Thu, 17 May 2012 09:41:26 -0400 This weekend, 44 prospects will participate in a group workout organized by the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets. We spoke with the architect of the combine, Nets assistant General Manager Bobby Marks, to get a better feel for what we can expect. /article/Nets-Combine-Preview-3919/ /article/Nets-Combine-Preview-3919/ Wed, 16 May 2012 15:39:15 -0400 Zack Rosen discusses graduation, the joy of Synergy scouting, his favorite books, and more. /article/Why-Not-3917/ /article/Why-Not-3917/ Tue, 15 May 2012 04:04:24 -0400 A late blooming small school big man who didn't garner much buzz throughout his collegiate career, can Mitchell Watt find his way into the NBA, either through the draft or down the road? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Mitchell-Watt-3916/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Mitchell-Watt-3916/ Sat, 12 May 2012 14:39:17 -0400 A mobile and productive big man in the highly competitive SEC, Justin Hamilton doesn't fit the profile of your typical early-entrant candidate, but will likely garner some NBA looks regardless over the next two months. /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Justin-Hamilton-3915/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Justin-Hamilton-3915/ Wed, 09 May 2012 11:00:06 -0400 A consistent fixture on Sportscenter highlight reels, Tony Mitchell had an uneven season on and off the court that put his status as a NBA prospect in serious doubt. Will a team take a gamble on him? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Tony-Mitchell-3914/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Tony-Mitchell-3914/ Wed, 09 May 2012 10:25:03 -0400 A video profile of Grant Jerrett from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Grant-Jerrett-3902/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Grant-Jerrett-3902/ Sat, 05 May 2012 12:13:11 -0400 The NBA has official announced the early entry candidates for the 2012 NBA Draft. /article/NBA-Announces-Early-Entry-Candidates-for-2012-NBA-Draft-3913/ /article/NBA-Announces-Early-Entry-Candidates-for-2012-NBA-Draft-3913/ Thu, 03 May 2012 13:19:15 -0400 A very talented shot creator who had a breakout sophomore season in 2010-2011, Khris Middleton declared for the draft following a very disappointing junior year for both himself and his team. Will his decision pay off in the draft and down the road? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Khris-Middleton-3912/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Khris-Middleton-3912/ Thu, 03 May 2012 07:35:45 -0400 Our first article taking a look at this year's crop of draft-eligible international prospects, starting off with Nihad Djedovic, Leon Radosevic and David Jelinek. /article/Scouting-the-Draft-Eligible-International-Prospects-Part-One--3911/ /article/Scouting-the-Draft-Eligible-International-Prospects-Part-One--3911/ Wed, 02 May 2012 16:06:35 -0400 Perhaps the biggest enigma in this draft, Perry Jones' draft stock has cooled significantly after a disappointing sophomore season. Where does his draft stock lie and is he a prospect worth investing in? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Perry-Jones-3910/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Perry-Jones-3910/ Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:40:23 -0400 A video profile of Marcus Smart from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Marcus-Smart-3903/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Marcus-Smart-3903/ Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:31:50 -0400 Terrence Jones surprisingly decided not to enter the 2011 draft, despite being projected as a likely top-10 pick, and was rewarded with a national championship. What did his sophomore season do for his draft stock? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Terrence-Jones-3909/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Terrence-Jones-3909/ Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:10:44 -0400 Zack Rosen walks us through his preparation for NBA workouts, focusing on both his off-court routine (strength and conditioning, plyometrics, yoga, mental strategy) and his on-court skill-work. /article/Zack-Rosen-More-than-Talent-3908/ /article/Zack-Rosen-More-than-Talent-3908/ Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:12:33 -0400 A video profile of Isaiah Austin from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Isaiah-Austin-3904/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Isaiah-Austin-3904/ Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:58:03 -0400 The starting point guard of the national champion Kentucky Wildcats, Marquis Teague helped his draft stock more than any prospect in March. How does he stack up with the other point guards in this draft? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Marquis-Teague-3907/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Marquis-Teague-3907/ Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:47:15 -0400 A video profile of Brandon Ashley from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Brandon-Ashley-3905/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Brandon-Ashley-3905/ Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:53:57 -0400 A national champion with impeccable winning credentials, is Michael Kidd-Gilchrist good enough to warrant being a top three draft pick? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Michael-Kidd-Gilchrist-3906/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Michael-Kidd-Gilchrist-3906/ Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:02:42 -0400 A video profile of one of top prospect Shabazz Muhammad from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Shabazz-Muhammad-3901/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Shabazz-Muhammad-3901/ Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:19:23 -0400 One of the most scrutinized prospects in college basketball the past two years, what type of NBA player can we realistically project Harrison Barnes to develop into? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Harrison-Barnes-3900/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Harrison-Barnes-3900/ Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:01:28 -0400 One of the most productive young prospects in Europe, Evan Fournier might be the only international player picked in the first round of this year's draft. How does he stack up with his American counterparts? /article/Evan-Fournier-Stepping-Up-in-France-3899/ /article/Evan-Fournier-Stepping-Up-in-France-3899/ Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:52:18 -0400 Twenty-four players have accepted invitations to attend the 2012 USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team Training camp June 5-12 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. /article/USA-Basketballs-U18-National-Team-Training-Camp-Roster-Unveiled-3898/ /article/USA-Basketballs-U18-National-Team-Training-Camp-Roster-Unveiled-3898/ Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:00:42 -0400 An organized listing of all prospects in this draft and the (known) agent and agency that represents them /article/DX-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Agent-Listings--3897/ /article/DX-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Agent-Listings--3897/ Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:14:53 -0400 Jonathan Givony discusses the prospects of Kentucky's six key players with Kentucky Sports Television, including video highlights and analysis. /article/Video-Podcast-Talking-Kentucky-NBA-Draft-Prospects-with-KSTV-3896/ /article/Video-Podcast-Talking-Kentucky-NBA-Draft-Prospects-with-KSTV-3896/ Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:25:49 -0400 Highlighting the five players who stood out the most at the PIT, including Kevin Murphy, Kyle O'Quinn, JaMychal Green, Henry Sims and Kim English. /article/DX-All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Team-3895/ /article/DX-All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Team-3895/ Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:01:16 -0400 An interview of top 2012 recruit Archie Goodwin from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Interviews-Archie-Goodwin-3894/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Interviews-Archie-Goodwin-3894/ Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:54:15 -0400 An video profile of elite 2012 shooting guard Gary Harris from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Gary-Harris-3893/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Gary-Harris-3893/ Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:42:01 -0400 Welcome, welcome, welcome! My name is Zack Rosen and I'd like to thank you all for allowing me to take you on this journey. This is a pretty exciting time for me and I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my experiences with you. /article/Zack-Rosen-Welcome-Welcome-Welcome-3892/ /article/Zack-Rosen-Welcome-Welcome-Welcome-3892/ Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:08:47 -0400 The official measurements from the 2012 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament have been added to our extensive database. Here are some observations. /article/2012-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Measurements-Released-3891/ /article/2012-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Measurements-Released-3891/ Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:43:17 -0400 Scouting reports on Dario Saric, Wang Zhelin, Marcos Delia, Anthony Bennett and Patson Siame. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-ForwardsBig-Men-3890/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-ForwardsBig-Men-3890/ Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:35:47 -0400 Scouting reports on Leo Westermann, Aleksandar Cvetkovic, James Robinson and Vytenis Cizauskas. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Guards-3889/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Guards-3889/ Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:11:47 -0400 Scouting reports on Andrew Wiggins, Archie Goodwin, Michal Michalak and Tauras Jogela. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Wing-Players-3888/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-Wing-Players-3888/ Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:24:19 -0400 An interview of top 2012 high school prospects Brandon Ashley and Grant Jerrett from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Interviews-Brandon-Ashley-and-Grant-Jerrett-3887/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Interviews-Brandon-Ashley-and-Grant-Jerrett-3887/ Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:34:04 -0400 The official measurements of the USA team, taken in Portland at the Nike Hoop Summit. Courtesy of USA Basketball. /article/2012-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Team-Measurements-3886/ /article/2012-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Team-Measurements-3886/ Sat, 07 Apr 2012 18:03:08 -0400 The players participating at the 2012 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (April 11-14) were announced today. Here's an inventory of who is and isn't playing from the 2012 NCAA senior class. /article/2012-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-3885/ /article/2012-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-3885/ Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:16:57 -0400 A video profile on top 2012 high school prospect Kris Dunn from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Kris-Dunn-3883/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Kris-Dunn-3883/ Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:53:00 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Gary Parrish to discuss a number of NBA draft related topics. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Gary-Parrish-3884/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Gary-Parrish-3884/ Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:38:40 -0400 Video interviews of top 2012 high school prospects DaJuan Coleman and Yogi Ferrell from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Interviews-DaJuan-Coleman-and-Yogi-Ferrell-3882/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Interviews-DaJuan-Coleman-and-Yogi-Ferrell-3882/ Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:49:58 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins David Glenn of NC Sports Talk to discuss a number of NBA draft related topics. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-David-Glenn-3880/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-David-Glenn-3880/ Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:04:20 -0400 A video profile on top 2012 high school prospect Shaq Goodwin from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Shaq-Goodwin-3872/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Shaq-Goodwin-3872/ Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:14:35 -0400 A video profile on top 2012 high school prospect Alex Poythress from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Alex-Poythress-3879/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Alex-Poythress-3879/ Wed, 04 Apr 2012 02:03:04 -0400 Continuing our scouting coverage of the 2012 high school class all-star game circuit, we look at the likes of Alex Poythress, Brandon Ashley, Isaiah Austin and Marcus Smart. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Week-Player-Evaluations-Part-Two--3878/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Week-Player-Evaluations-Part-Two--3878/ Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:39:13 -0400 The official measurements distributed in Portland at the Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2012-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Measurements-3877/ /article/2012-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Measurements-3877/ Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:07:43 -0400 To kick off our scouting coverage of the 2012 high school class all-star game circuit, we begin with our first batch of prospects from the McDonald's All-American game who will not be playing at the Nike Hoop Summit. /article/Mcdonalds-All-American-Week-Player-Evaluations-Part-One--3876/ /article/Mcdonalds-All-American-Week-Player-Evaluations-Part-One--3876/ Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:01:03 -0400 Kendall Marshall is the prospect with the biggest disparity between his most notable strengths and weaknesses. What kind of NBA player will he be and how does he stack up in this draft class? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Kendall-Marshall-3875/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Kendall-Marshall-3875/ Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:08:59 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Tyler Zeller, Jared Cunningham, Yancy Gates and Kyle O'Quinn /article/Trending-Prospects-3292012--3874/ /article/Trending-Prospects-3292012--3874/ Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:09:31 -0400 Our renowned Duke-UNC Smackdown expands this year into a full-fledged Triangle (UNC-Duke-N.C. State) Smackdown with another session at the McDonald's All-American game in Chicago. /article/2012-McDonalds-All-American-North-Carolina-Triangle-Smackdown-Part-6-3873/ /article/2012-McDonalds-All-American-North-Carolina-Triangle-Smackdown-Part-6-3873/ Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:18:27 -0400 With the 2012 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament only two and a half weeks away, it's time to take an in-depth look at this year's NCAA senior class and attempt to project what the field might look like. /article/Projected-Invites-2012-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-3871/ /article/Projected-Invites-2012-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-3871/ Sun, 25 Mar 2012 22:23:29 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Jeremy Lamb, Austin Rivers, C.J. McCollum and Garrett Stutz. /article/Trending-Prospects-3222012--3870/ /article/Trending-Prospects-3222012--3870/ Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:30:16 -0400 There appears to be more confusion than ever this year about the NBA's early-entry draft process amongst college players, college coaches, NBA personnel and media members, due to rule changes made by the NCAA last May regarding collegiate eligibility. /article/Testing-the-NBA-Draft-Waters-in-2012-3869/ /article/Testing-the-NBA-Draft-Waters-in-2012-3869/ Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:48:16 -0400 Andre Drummond is clearly one of the most talented long-term prospects in college basketball, but that didn't always translate into production on the court. What kind of pro will he be? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Andre-Drummond-3868/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Andre-Drummond-3868/ Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:24:01 -0400 A breakdown of the official 2011-2012 NCAA Post-Season awards, including first, second and third All-Conference teams, as well as the All-Freshman Teams, Coaches of the year, All-Defensive Teams, and more- for all 32 NCAA conferences. /article/2012-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-3867/ /article/2012-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-3867/ Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:06:55 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Jeff Taylor, Meyers Leonard and JaMychal Green /article/Trending-Prospects-3152012--3866/ /article/Trending-Prospects-3152012--3866/ Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:52:07 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Bradley Beal, Tony Wroten and Drew Gordon. /article/Trending-Prospects-3142012--3865/ /article/Trending-Prospects-3142012--3865/ Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:59:28 -0400 The tournament bracket is officially set. We take a look at the first round focusing on the NBA prospects set to be in action. /article/NCAA-Tournament-First-Round-NBA-Prospect-Breakdown-3864/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-First-Round-NBA-Prospect-Breakdown-3864/ Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:55:16 -0400 Big 12 player of the year Thomas Robinson is also one of the top prospects in the 2012 NBA Draft. What has he improved on this season and how will his game translate to the NBA? We explore. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Thomas-Robinson-3863/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Thomas-Robinson-3863/ Sat, 10 Mar 2012 13:37:09 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Dion Waiters, Mason Plumlee, Fab Melo, Marcus Denmon and Alex Young. /article/Trending-Prospects-392012--3862/ /article/Trending-Prospects-392012--3862/ Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:27:01 -0500 Updated scouting reports on John Henson, Festus Ezeli, Mike Scott and Kevin Murphy. /article/Trending-Prospects-312012--3861/ /article/Trending-Prospects-312012--3861/ Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:57:57 -0500 Possibly the most improved player in college basketball, and currently the front-runner to win Big East player of the year honors, Jae Crowder is in the midst of a spectacular senior season, which could very well end up earning him a well-deserved spot in the 2012 draft. /article/NBA-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jae-Crowder-3860/ /article/NBA-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jae-Crowder-3860/ Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:10:19 -0500 Possibly the tallest player in this draft, Dusan Cantekin, has been making a major impact in the Serbian league as of late. Who is he, and is he a prospect worth investing in? /article/Dusan-Cantekin-Playing-Big-in-Serbia-3859/ /article/Dusan-Cantekin-Playing-Big-in-Serbia-3859/ Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:58:39 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Doron Lamb, C.J. Leslie, Darius Johnson-Odom and Bernard James. /article/Trending-Prospects-2272012-3858/ /article/Trending-Prospects-2272012-3858/ Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:43:12 -0500 With the size of a power forward but the skill-set of a guard, Quincy Miller is one of the most versatile scorers in college basketball. How might that translate to the NBA? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Quincy-Miller-3857/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Quincy-Miller-3857/ Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:23:10 -0500 A thorough look at the five major NBA draft prospects on the rosters at the 2012 Copa del Rey in Barcelona, which we attended. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospects-at-the-2012-Copa-del-Rey-3856/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospects-at-the-2012-Copa-del-Rey-3856/ Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:50:59 -0500 Updated scouting reports on John Jenkins, Hollis Thompson, Kim English and Elijah Johnson /article/Trending-Prospects-2192012--3855/ /article/Trending-Prospects-2192012--3855/ Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:23:00 -0500 Flying largely under the radar playing in the Spanish LEB Gold 7-footer Ognjen Kuzmic is a prospect that is beginning to generate some minor buzz in scouting circles. /article/Ognjen-Kuzmic-Emerging-in-LEB-Gold-3854/ /article/Ognjen-Kuzmic-Emerging-in-LEB-Gold-3854/ Sat, 18 Feb 2012 08:55:25 -0500 Anthony Davis has been everything that was expected of him and then some, leading Kentucky to a dominant 25-1 record (11-0 in the SEC) and a near unanimous #1 ranking in both national polls. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Anthony-Davis-3853/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Anthony-Davis-3853/ Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:36:22 -0500 Notes on a number of international prospects who participated in the Nike International Junior Tournament in Kaunas Lithuania. /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-Kaunas-Best-of-the-Rest-3852/ /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-Kaunas-Best-of-the-Rest-3852/ Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:22:24 -0500 A recap of the top prospects from the Nike International Junior Tournament in Kaunas, Lithuania. /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-Kaunas-Elite-Prospects-3851/ /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-Kaunas-Elite-Prospects-3851/ Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:47:42 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Terrence Ross, B.J. Young, Darius Miller and Isaiah Canaan. /article/Trending-Prospects-2102012--3850/ /article/Trending-Prospects-2102012--3850/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:37:18 -0500 Jared Sullinger is a top candidate for national player of the year honors. But how will his style of play translate to NBA settings? We explore. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jared-Sullinger-3849/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jared-Sullinger-3849/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:30:33 -0500 One of the most intriguing young guard prospects in European basketball, Dmitry Kulagin is playing the best basketball of his career for surging Triumph Moscow. /article/Kulagin-Coming-Alive-in-Russia-3848/ /article/Kulagin-Coming-Alive-in-Russia-3848/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:21:52 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Tu Holloway, Maalik Wayns, Rodney Williams and John Shurna. /article/Trending-Prospects-232012--3847/ /article/Trending-Prospects-232012--3847/ Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:33:34 -0500 One of the most unique and versatile players in college basketball, how does Royce White stack up as a NBA prospect? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Royce-White-3846/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Royce-White-3846/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:33:43 -0500 One of the most productive draft-eligible prospects in European basketball, big man Maik Zirbes is someone who will certainly be drawing at least cursory looks from NBA teams this spring. /article/Zirbes-Producing-in-Germany-3845/ /article/Zirbes-Producing-in-Germany-3845/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:04:02 -0500 Jonathan Givony joins Jeff Goodman of Sirius XM College Sports Nation to discuss a number of NBA draft related topics. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Jeff-Goodman-3844/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Jeff-Goodman-3844/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:34:25 -0500 One of the most productive freshmen in the country is St. John's forward Moe Harkless. What kind of prospect is he and what is the likelihood of him entering this year's draft? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Moe-Harkless-3843/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Moe-Harkless-3843/ Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:22:10 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Jordan Taylor, J'Covan Brown, Ashton Gibbs and Jorge Gutierrez. /article/Trending-Prospects-1262012--3842/ /article/Trending-Prospects-1262012--3842/ Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:18:48 -0500 One of the youngest players in Europe seeing consistent minutes at the highest levels of competition, 17-year old Nikola Ivanovic has steadily emerged as a productive and reliable point guard for Buducnost in his native country of Montenegro. /article/Introducing-Nikola-Ivanovic-3841/ /article/Introducing-Nikola-Ivanovic-3841/ Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:04:39 -0500 A review of the top 2013 and 2014 prospects seen at the prestigious HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass, including Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, Nate Britt, Beejay Anya, Kuran Iverson and Mickey Mitchell. /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-2013-and-Beyond-Prospects-3840/ /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-2013-and-Beyond-Prospects-3840/ Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:22:38 -0500 A review of the top 2012 prospects seen at the prestigious HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass, including Tyler Lewis, Winston Shepard, Katin Reinhardt, A.J. Hammons and Nik Stauskas. /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-2012-Prospects-Part-Three--3839/ /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-2012-Prospects-Part-Three--3839/ Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:24:30 -0500 With almost half the season already in the books, we continue to search for draft-eligible prospects making an impact in high-level Europe. Arguably the most productive young player in Europe these days relative to his age might be 6-7 small forward Sergey Karasev. /article/Karasev-Carving-Out-a-Role-for-Triumph-3838/ /article/Karasev-Carving-Out-a-Role-for-Triumph-3838/ Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:13:14 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Andrew Nicholson, William Buford, Orlando Johnson and Tyshawn Taylor. /article/Trending-Prospects-1202012--3837/ /article/Trending-Prospects-1202012--3837/ Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:22:13 -0500 A review of the top 2012 prospects seen at the prestigious HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass, including Tony Parker, Omar Calhoun, Ricardo Gathers, Jerami Grant, Jordan Adams and Rosco Allen. /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-2012-Prospects-Part-Two--3836/ /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-2012-Prospects-Part-Two--3836/ Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:11:39 -0500 A review of the top 2012 prospects seen at the prestigious HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass, including Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson, Kaleb Tarczewski, Grant Jerrett, Steven Adams and Amile Jefferson. /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Elite-2012-Prospects-Part-One--3835/ /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Elite-2012-Prospects-Part-One--3835/ Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:14:54 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Arnett Moultrie, Kevin Jones, Robbie Hummel and Elias Harris. /article/Trending-Prospects-1122012--3834/ /article/Trending-Prospects-1122012--3834/ Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:14:14 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Herb Pope, Eric Griffin, Otto Porter and Quincy Acy. /article/Trending-Prospects-162012--3833/ /article/Trending-Prospects-162012--3833/ Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:47:37 -0500 The #1 scorer in the NCAA is also arguably the most efficient. Considering his excellent physical tools, how high could Damian Lillard get drafted? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Damian-Lillard-3832/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Damian-Lillard-3832/ Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:24:58 -0500 As the Euroleague advances into the Top-16 stage, just one draft-eligible prospect is still seeing consistent playing time. Turkish big man Furkan Aldemir is the last man standing. /article/European-Roundup-Furkan-Aldemir-the-Euroleagues-last-frontier---3831/ /article/European-Roundup-Furkan-Aldemir-the-Euroleagues-last-frontier---3831/ Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:27:04 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Mike Moser, Kenny Boynton and Jarrod Jones. /article/Trending-Prospects-1230-3830/ /article/Trending-Prospects-1230-3830/ Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:17:10 -0500 Tornike Shengelia has been arguably the most productive draft-eligible prospect in the Euroleague early in the season. What kind of player is the Georgian forward and how does he project for the NBA? /article/Shengelias-Breakout-Year-3829/ /article/Shengelias-Breakout-Year-3829/ Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:44:33 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Will Barton, LeBryan Nash and Ricardo Ratliffe. /article/Trending-Prospects-12232011--3828/ /article/Trending-Prospects-12232011--3828/ Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:39:24 -0500 Every week on DraftExpress we'll be looking at a number of NBA draft prospects who have caught our eye, updating their DX scouting reports along the way. This week we evaluate the likes of Kris Joseph, Draymond Green and Chace Stanback. /article/Trending-Prospects-12222011--3827/ /article/Trending-Prospects-12222011--3827/ Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:39:01 -0500 As the NBA season is about to tip, we take a look at how five members of the 2011 NBA draft class fared in their time overseas. /article/Top-European-Performers-of-the-2011-NBA-Draft-Class-3826/ /article/Top-European-Performers-of-the-2011-NBA-Draft-Class-3826/ Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:54:58 -0500 Every week on DraftExpress we'll be looking at a number of NBA draft prospects who have caught our eye, updating their DX scouting reports along the way. This week we evaluate the likes of Doug McDermott, Scott Machado and Henry Sims. /article/Trending-Prospects-1292011--3825/ /article/Trending-Prospects-1292011--3825/ Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:00:53 -0500 While many highly touted freshmen have struggled making the transition to the college basketball level early on, Indiana's Cody Zeller clearly has had no such issues, already establishing himself as one of the most productive players in America thus far. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Cody-Zeller-3824/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Cody-Zeller-3824/ Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:01:04 -0500 We continue our evaluation of the prospects seen in New Haven with a look at the rest of the top 2013 and 2014 recruits we were able to hone in on, including Nerlens Noel, Noah Vonleh, Chris Thomas, Goodluck Okonoboh and Wayne Selden. /article/2011-National-Prep-Showcase-Elite-20132014-Prospects-3823/ /article/2011-National-Prep-Showcase-Elite-20132014-Prospects-3823/ Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:59:03 -0500 We continue our evaluation of the prospects seen at the National Prep Showcase in New Haven with a look at the rest of the 2012 recruits we were able to hone in on. /article/2011-National-Prep-Showcase-Best-of-the-Rest-3822/ /article/2011-National-Prep-Showcase-Best-of-the-Rest-3822/ Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:10:56 -0500 DraftExpress was once again in attendance at the National Prep Showcase in New Haven, Connecticut where some of the nation's top prep schools were in action. We take a closer look at some of the elite 2012 prospects, including Mitch McGary, Ricky Ledo, T.J. Warren, Hanner Perea and Jakarr Sampson. /article/2011-National-Prep-Showcase-Elite-2012-Prospects-3821/ /article/2011-National-Prep-Showcase-Elite-2012-Prospects-3821/ Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:56:21 -0500 Concluding our look at the top NBA draft prospects residing outside the six power conferences, we profile the likes of Greg Echenique, Casper Ware, Mike Muscala, Steven Idlet and Eli Holman /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-7-31-35--3820/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-7-31-35--3820/ Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:24:19 -0500 Continuing our look at the top NBA draft prospects residing outside the six power conferences, we profile the likes of Kyle Weems, Alex Young, D.J. Cooper, Brandon Davies and Keith Wright. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-6-26-30--3819/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-6-26-30--3819/ Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:56:45 -0500 Continuing our look at the top NBA draft prospects residing outside the six power conferences, we profile the likes of Nate Wolters, Dario Hunt, Zeke Marshall, C.J. McCollum and Kevin Foster /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-5-21-25--3818/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-5-21-25--3818/ Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:25:44 -0500 Continuing our look at the top NBA draft prospects residing outside the six power conferences, we profile the likes of Javon McCrea, Kent Bazemore, Bradford Burgess, Olek Czyz and Kyle O'Quinn. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-4-16-20---3817/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-4-16-20---3817/ Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:21:56 -0500 Continuing our look at the top NBA draft prospects residing outside the six power conferences, we profile the likes of Orlando Johnson, Drew Gordon, Deonte Burton, Juan Fernandez and Wesley Witherspoon. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-3-11-15---3816/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-3-11-15---3816/ Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:15:19 -0400 Continuing our look at the top NBA draft prospects residing outside the six power conferences, we profile the likes of Damian Lillard, Will Barton, Arsalan Kazemi, Robert Sacre and Elias Harris. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-6-10--3815/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-6-10--3815/ Thu, 03 Nov 2011 10:31:40 -0400 Beginning our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects residing outside the six power conferences, we profile the likes of Tony Mitchell, Andrew Nicholson, Tarik Black, Tu Holloway and Ray McCallum. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-One-1-5--3814/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-One-1-5--3814/ Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:23:41 -0400 We conclude our look at the top NBA draft prospects in the SEC with players ranked 11-15. Renardo Sidney, Dee Bost, Kenny Boynton, Reginald Buckner and Trevor Releford make up this group. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Two-11-15--3813/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Two-11-15--3813/ Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:15:39 -0400 Beginning our coverage of the SEC, we check in on conference's top-10 returning prospects including Patric Young, Terrence Jones, Festus Ezeli, Jeff Taylor, John Jenkins, JaMychal Green, Doron Lamb, Arnett Moultrie, Tony Mitchell, and Darius Miller. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-One-1-10--3812/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-One-1-10--3812/ Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:26:51 -0400 Rounding out our preseason coverage of Big East prospects, we look at the players ranked 21-15. Jae Crowder, Gorgui Dieng, Herb Pope, Dion Waiters, and Dion Dixon make up our final group. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Five-21-25--3811/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Five-21-25--3811/ Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:56:09 -0400 We continue our look at the top Big East draft prospects with players ranked 16-20. Dante Taylor, Kevin Jones, Yancy Gates, Scoop Jardine, and Tim Abromaitis make up our fourth group of prospects. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Four-16-20--3810/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Four-16-20--3810/ Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:21:15 -0400 We continue our look at the top Big East draft prospects with players ranked 11-15. Vander Blue, Gus Gilchrist, Fab Melo, C.J. Fair, and Talib Zanna comprise this group. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Three-11-15--3809/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Three-11-15--3809/ Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:34:59 -0400 We continue our look at the top NBA draft prospects in the Big East with players ranked 6-10. Peyton Siva, Roscoe Smith, Hollis Thompson, Maalik Wayns, and Ashton Gibbs comprise this group. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Two-6-10--3808/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Two-6-10--3808/ Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:51:09 -0400 Beginning our coverage of the top prospects in the always deep Big East Conference, we take a look the top prospects in the conference. Jeremy Lamb, Mouphtaou Yarou, Darius Johnson-Odom, Alex Oriakhi, and Kris Joseph make up our top-5. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-One-1-5--3807/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-One-1-5--3807/ Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:07:28 -0400 We finish up our preseason coverage of the Pac-12 prospects 11-15, a group that includes Anthony Brown, C.J. Wilcox, Solomon Hill, Richard Solomon, and Tony Woods. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Three-11-15--3806/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Three-11-15--3806/ Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:55:50 -0400 We continue our look at the top NBA draft prospects in the Pac-12 with players ranked 6-10. Trent Lockett, Jared Cunningham, Reeves Nelson, Abdul Gaddy and Kevin Parrom highlight this batch. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Two-6-10--3805/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-Two-6-10--3805/ Sat, 08 Oct 2011 09:35:35 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in college basketball, we turn our attention to the Pac-12. Terrence Ross, Joshua Smith, Andre Roberson, Dwight Powell and Allen Crabbe are the cream of the crop in this group. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-One-1-5---3804/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-12-Part-One-1-5---3804/ Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:55:17 -0400 We complete our look at the top NBA draft prospects in the Big 12 with players ranked 11-15. Cameron Clark, Jeff Withey, Kourtney Roberson, Melvin Ejim and David Loubeau highlight this batch. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Three-11-15---3803/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Three-11-15---3803/ Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:47:13 -0400 We continue our look at the top NBA draft prospects in the Big 12 with players ranked 6-10. Marcus Denmon, Anthony Jones, Quincy Acy, Laurence Bowers and J'Covan Brown highlight this batch. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Two-6-10---3802/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Two-6-10---3802/ Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:49:54 -0400 Interviews with Rodney Purvis, Rasheed Sulaimon, and Justin Anderson from the Boost Mobile Elite 24. /article/Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Interviews-Part-Two--3799/ /article/Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Interviews-Part-Two--3799/ Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:57:47 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in college basketball, we turn our attention to the Big 12. Kansas dominates, with three of the five best returning prospects: Thomas Robinson, Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Johnson. They're joined by Baylor's Perry Jones and Texas A&M's Khris Middleton. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-One-1-5--3801/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-One-1-5--3801/ Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:55:58 -0400 Our last round of scouting reports on players at the adidas Nations focuses on some of the top international and American underclassmen in attendance. /article/adidas-Nations-The-Best-of-the-Rest-3795/ /article/adidas-Nations-The-Best-of-the-Rest-3795/ Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:45:55 -0400 We complete our look at the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with players ranked 21-25. Okaro White, Ryan Kelly, K.T. Harrell, Andre Dawkins and Mike Scott highlight this batch. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Five-21-25--3800/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Five-21-25--3800/ Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:27:09 -0400 Interviews with Kyle Anderson, Robert Carter, Cameron Ridley, and Anthony Bennett from the Boost Mobile Elite 24. /article/Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Interviews-Part-One--3798/ /article/Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Interviews-Part-One--3798/ Sun, 25 Sep 2011 23:39:44 -0400 We continue our look at the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with players ranked 16-20. Richard Howell, Travis McKie, Michael Snaer, Xavier Gibson and Carson Desrosiers highlight this batch. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-16-20--3797/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-16-20--3797/ Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:53:59 -0400 We continue our look at the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with players ranked 11-15. Reggie Johnson, Lorenzo Brown, Seth Curry, Durand Scott and Milton Jennings highlight this batch. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Three-11-15---3796/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Three-11-15---3796/ Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:25:54 -0400 We continue our look at the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC with players ranked 6-10. C.J. Leslie, Bernard James, Reggie Bullock, Dexter Strickland and Ian Miller highlight this batch. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Two-6-10---3794/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Two-6-10---3794/ Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:32:43 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in college basketball, we turn our attention to the ACC. North Carolina dominates, with four of the five best returning prospects: Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Tyler Zeller and Kendall Marshall. They're joined by Mason Plumlee of Duke. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-One-1-5---3793/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-One-1-5---3793/ Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:27:53 -0400 We continue our look at the top NBA draft prospects in the Big Ten with players ranked 16-20. Victor Oladipo, Maurice Creek, Brandon Paul, Jordan Morgan, and Draymond Green round out our preseason coverage of the Big Ten's top prospects. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Four-16-20--3792/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Four-16-20--3792/ Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:38:48 -0400 We continue our look at the top NBA draft prospects in the Big Ten with players ranked 11-15. Tim Hardaway Jr., Aaron Craft, Keith Appling, Adreian Payne, and Melsahn Basabe comprise this group. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Three-11-15--3791/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Three-11-15--3791/ Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:53:36 -0400 We continue our look at the top NBA draft prospects in the Big Ten with players ranked 6-10. Trevor Mbakwe, Christian Watford, John Shurna, Rodney Williams and Deshaun Thomas highlight this batch. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Two-6-10--3790/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Two-6-10--3790/ Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:26:47 -0400 Scouting reports on some of the top 2012 high school prospects at the adidas Nations in Los Angeles, including Kris Dunn, Cameron Ridley, Gabe York, Shaq Goodwin, Sam Dekker, Amile Jefferson and Winston Shepard. /article/adidas-Nations-Top-2012-High-School-Prospects-3789/ /article/adidas-Nations-Top-2012-High-School-Prospects-3789/ Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:45:00 -0400 This year's Boost Mobile Elite 24 brought together a strong mix of talent from the 2012 and 2013 high school classes. While we've covered a number of the players who made the trip to Venice Beach in detail in the spring, there were a handful of prospects that we hadn't evaluated who stood out over the course of the week. /article/Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Scouting-Reports-Part-One--3788/ /article/Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Scouting-Reports-Part-One--3788/ Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:24:16 -0400 To get a jump on the rapidly approaching NCAA season, we're once again breaking down the top individual NBA prospects in college basketball, going conference by conference, starting with the Big Ten. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-One-1-5--3787/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-One-1-5--3787/ Sun, 04 Sep 2011 14:07:49 -0400 Part three of our breakdown of the top NBA prospects seen at the U-19 World Championships in Riga, including reports on Jeremy Lamb, Tony Mitchell, Patric Young and more. /article/U-19-World-Championship-Player-Evaluations-Part-Three-3785/ /article/U-19-World-Championship-Player-Evaluations-Part-Three-3785/ Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:08:22 -0400 Our renowned Duke-UNC Smackdown continues with another session at the Boost Mobile Elite 24 game in Los Angeles. /article/Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Duke-UNC-Smackdown-Part-Five-3786/ /article/Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Duke-UNC-Smackdown-Part-Five-3786/ Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:33:01 -0400 A video profile featuring 2012 center Steven Adams from the adidas Nations Experience in Los Angeles. /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Steven-Adams-3783/ /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Steven-Adams-3783/ Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:15:54 -0400 A video profile featuring Florida power forward Patric Young from the adidas Nations Experience in Los Angeles. /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Patric-Young-3782/ /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Patric-Young-3782/ Sun, 28 Aug 2011 13:53:07 -0400 A video profile featuring elite 2012 high school class big man Andre Drummond from the adidas Nations Experience in Los Angeles. /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Andre-Drummond-3780/ /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Andre-Drummond-3780/ Sat, 27 Aug 2011 12:26:41 -0400 Part one of our breakdown of the top NBA prospects seen at the U-19 World Championships in Riga, including reports on Dyshawn Pierre, Dmitry Kulagin, Sergey Karasev and more. /article/U-19-World-Championship-Player-Evaluations-Part-Two-3784/ /article/U-19-World-Championship-Player-Evaluations-Part-Two-3784/ Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:28:21 -0400 A video profile featuring talented 2012 high school guard Gabe York from the adidas Nations Experience in Los Angeles. /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Gabe-York-3781/ /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Gabe-York-3781/ Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:00:22 -0400 A video profile featuring top rated 2013 high school class big man Chris Walker from the adidas Nations Experience in Los Angeles. /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Chris-Walker-3779/ /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Chris-Walker-3779/ Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:03:36 -0400 A video profile featuring Kansas junior Thomas Robinson from the adidas Nations Experience in Los Angeles. /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Thomas-Robinson-3778/ /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Thomas-Robinson-3778/ Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:09:33 -0400 A video profile featuring Ohio State sophomore Jared Sullinger from the adidas Nations Experience in Los Angeles. /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Jared-Sullinger-3777/ /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Jared-Sullinger-3777/ Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:00:06 -0400 A video profile featuring top-10 ranked 2013 prospects Aaron and Andrew Harrison from the adidas Nations Experience in Los Angeles. /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Aaron-and-Andrew-Harrison-3776/ /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Aaron-and-Andrew-Harrison-3776/ Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:01:39 -0400 A video profile featuring Baylor sophomore Perry Jones from the adidas Nations Experience in Los Angeles. /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Perry-Jones--3775/ /article/adidas-Nations-Highlights-and-Interview-Perry-Jones--3775/ Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:31:13 -0400 Part one of our breakdown of the top NBA prospects seen at the U-19 World Championships in Riga, including reports on Dario Saric, Cristiano Felicio, Lucas Nogueira and others. /article/U-19-World-Championship-Player-Evaluations-Part-One-3774/ /article/U-19-World-Championship-Player-Evaluations-Part-One-3774/ Wed, 03 Aug 2011 20:35:27 -0400 A detailed, pick-by-pick explanation for how we see the entire first round materializing, with all the latest scuttlebutt from inside NBA team war rooms. /article/Yahoo-Sports-Extended-Mock-Draft-3772/ /article/Yahoo-Sports-Extended-Mock-Draft-3772/ Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:00:53 -0400 In our second and final group of 2011 NBA Draft Media Day interviews, we hear from Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight, Jonas Valanciunas, Kawhi Leonard, Alec Burks and Tristan Thompson. /article/Media-Day-Interviews-Irving-Knight-Valanciunas-Leonard-Burks-3771/ /article/Media-Day-Interviews-Irving-Knight-Valanciunas-Leonard-Burks-3771/ Thu, 23 Jun 2011 02:05:11 -0400 In our first round of 2011 NBA Draft Media Day interviews, we hear from Derrick Williams, Kemba Walker, Jan Vesely, and Markieff Morris. /article/Media-Day-Interviews-Williams-Walker-Vesely-Markieff-Morris-3770/ /article/Media-Day-Interviews-Williams-Walker-Vesely-Markieff-Morris-3770/ Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:29:57 -0400 Scouting reports on four automatically eligible prospects: Michael Dunigan, Jeremy Tyler, Adam Hanga and Giorgi Shermadini /article/Scouting-the-Auto-Eligible-International-Prospects-3769/ /article/Scouting-the-Auto-Eligible-International-Prospects-3769/ Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:02:46 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Gary Parrish to discuss various issues pertaining to the 2011 NBA Draft. /article/DX-Podcast-Breaking-Down-the-NBA-Draft-with-Gary-Parrish-3768/ /article/DX-Podcast-Breaking-Down-the-NBA-Draft-with-Gary-Parrish-3768/ Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:05:49 -0400 Breaking down the 2011 wing crop using the possession-based statistics of Synergy Sports Technology. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2011-Wing-Crop-3767/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2011-Wing-Crop-3767/ Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:33:00 -0400 In our final analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top 20 wings in the 2011 NBA draft. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2011-Wing-Crop-3750/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2011-Wing-Crop-3750/ Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:51:38 -0400 In our third analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top 20 big men in the 2011 NBA draft. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2011-Big-Men-Crop-3754/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2011-Big-Men-Crop-3754/ Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:36:59 -0400 In our second breakdown of situational statistics, we analyze the big men eligible for the 2011 NBA draft. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2011-Big-Men-Crop-3761/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2011-Big-Men-Crop-3761/ Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:46:18 -0400 Interview and workout footage with Markieff Morris and Tyler Honeycutt from their training facility in Los Angeles, California. /article/Markieff-MorrisTyler-Honeycutt-Interview-and-Workout-Footage-3766/ /article/Markieff-MorrisTyler-Honeycutt-Interview-and-Workout-Footage-3766/ Tue, 21 Jun 2011 01:33:50 -0400 Interview and workout footage with Marcus Morris and Justin Holiday from their training facility in Los Angeles, California. /article/Marcus-MorrisJustin-Holiday-Interview-and-Workout-Footage--3765/ /article/Marcus-MorrisJustin-Holiday-Interview-and-Workout-Footage--3765/ Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:45:18 -0400 Talking NBA draft with DX founder Jonathan Givony. /article/Jonathan-Givony-Interview-with-RaptorsHQ-3764/ /article/Jonathan-Givony-Interview-with-RaptorsHQ-3764/ Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:21:06 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Doug Thonus of the Bulls Beat to discuss various issues pertaining to the 2011 NBA Draft. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-Talks-NBA-Draft-3763/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-Talks-NBA-Draft-3763/ Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:12:45 -0400 In our third analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top 20 forwards in the 2011 NBA draft. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2011-Forward-Crop-3752/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2011-Forward-Crop-3752/ Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:54:40 -0400 In our second look at situational statistics, we breakdown the forwards eligible for the 2011 NBA draft. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2011-Forward-Crop-3762/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2011-Forward-Crop-3762/ Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:22:09 -0400 In our first analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top 20 guards in the 2011 NBA draft. To better analyze one of the deeper, more versatile positions in this class, we let the numbers do the talking. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2011-Guard-Crop-3749/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2011-Guard-Crop-3749/ Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:17:47 -0400 In our first of four situational analyses of the 2011 draft class, we breakdown the guard position. /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2011-Guard-Crop-3759/ /article/Situational-Statistics-the-2011-Guard-Crop-3759/ Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:17:20 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Cowbell Kingdom to discuss various issues pertaining to the 2011 NBA Draft. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-Talks-NBA-Draft-3760/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-Talks-NBA-Draft-3760/ Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:44:33 -0400 Two interviews with Jonas Valanciunas and an additional workout video of Donatas Motiejunas from the adidas EuroCamp in Treviso. /article/ValanciunasMotiejunas-InterviewWorkout-Videos-3758/ /article/ValanciunasMotiejunas-InterviewWorkout-Videos-3758/ Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:45:10 -0400 After flying under the radar for the majority of his four year career at Iowa State, Diante Garrett has become a big name in NBA draft circles over the last couple months, and now has a chance to hear his name called in next week's draft. /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Diante-Garrett-3757/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Diante-Garrett-3757/ Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:30:14 -0400 Marshon Brooks was the second leading scorer in the entire NCAA as a senior and measured out extremely well at the NBA Draft Combine, yet there are questions about whether his style of basketball is conducive to winning and what type of adjustments he'll need to make as a pro. What would be the most likely way for him to find success in the NBA? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Marshon-Brooks-3756/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Marshon-Brooks-3756/ Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:02:44 -0400 USA Basketball held their Developmental National Team (16-U) training camp in Colorado Springs, CO, starting on Friday, June 10th. After five spirited sessions of practice that included scrimmages, grueling drills and top notch coaching, the 12 member team of players born after January 1st, 1995, has been composed. /article/Scouting-the-USA-Basketball-U16-Team-3748/ /article/Scouting-the-USA-Basketball-U16-Team-3748/ Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:39:56 -0400 Ben Hansbrough has gone from the toast of the college basketball world to an obscure NBA draft prospect in the span of a few months. Are NBA teams missing the boat on him? /article/The-Forgotten-One-Ben-Hansbrough-3755/ /article/The-Forgotten-One-Ben-Hansbrough-3755/ Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:14:07 -0400 We take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Travis Leslie, with the help of Georgia game-film from this past season. /article/Travis-Leslie-Video-Breakdown-3737/ /article/Travis-Leslie-Video-Breakdown-3737/ Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:46:47 -0400 The complete list of NCAA and international players who withdrew their names from the 2011 draft, as well as those who remain eligible. /article/NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-Withdrawal-Deadline-Final-List-3753/ /article/NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-Withdrawal-Deadline-Final-List-3753/ Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:31:41 -0400 On day three, a handful players rested with minor injuries, but competition continued with many prospects turning in fine performances. /article/2011-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Three-and-Final-Recap-3751/ /article/2011-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Three-and-Final-Recap-3751/ Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:14:05 -0400 We take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Darius Morris, with the help of Michigan game-film from this past season. /article/Darius-Morris-Video-Breakdown-3740/ /article/Darius-Morris-Video-Breakdown-3740/ Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:55:05 -0400 On day two in Treviso, the morning drill sessions were much more chippy and intense than day one and the stands filled up a whole lot faster. The buzz around the camp reached a fever pitch today, as the realization of the urgency involved in this three day setting began to set in. /article/2011-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Two-3747/ /article/2011-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-Two-3747/ Mon, 13 Jun 2011 04:30:14 -0400 Day one of the 2011 adidas EuroCamp is in the books and talent evaluators were out in full force to see some of Europe's top players take part in the proceedings. /article/2011-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-One-3746/ /article/2011-adidas-Eurocamp-Day-One-3746/ Sun, 12 Jun 2011 04:32:16 -0400 We take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Markieff Morris, with the help of Kansas game-film from this past season. /article/Markieff-Morris-Video-Breakdown-3738/ /article/Markieff-Morris-Video-Breakdown-3738/ Sat, 11 Jun 2011 12:35:02 -0400 The EuroCamp kicks off this Saturday in Treviso, Italy, and DraftExpress will be present covering the event for the 8th straight year. Updated rosters and a breakdown of what to expect is included in this preview. /article/2011-adidas-EuroCamp-Preview-3745/ /article/2011-adidas-EuroCamp-Preview-3745/ Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:15:59 -0400 Finishing up our west coast workout coverage, we head to the 360 Sports Performance Center to check in on Jon Leuer and Chandler Parsons /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-Five-360-Sports--3742/ /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-Five-360-Sports--3742/ Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:48:34 -0400 Bizkaia Bilbao has made an improbable run to the ACB finals in no small part due to the play of 25-year old American point guard Aaron Jackson. How have Jackson and his teammates managed to accomplish this incredible feat? /article/Aaron-Jackson-El-Hombre-del-ACB-Playoff-3744/ /article/Aaron-Jackson-El-Hombre-del-ACB-Playoff-3744/ Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:15:09 -0400 Enes Kanter is one of the great mysteries of the 2011 NBA draft. He's a player who has looked incredibly dominant in small glimpses, but about whom little is known due to the unique circumstances of his arrival in the United States. /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Enes-Kanter-3743/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Enes-Kanter-3743/ Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:19:49 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins David Locke of Locked on Jazz to discuss various issues pertaining to the 2011 NBA Draft. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-David-Locke-3741/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-David-Locke-3741/ Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:11:24 -0400 We take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Jordan Hamilton, with the help of Texas game-film from this past season. /article/Jordan-Hamilton-Video-Breakdown-3739/ /article/Jordan-Hamilton-Video-Breakdown-3739/ Tue, 07 Jun 2011 01:37:05 -0400 One of our stops along our 2011 west coast workout swing brought us to the University of Southern California to check in with four BDA clients preparing for the draft including Klay Thompson and Nikola Vucevic. /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-Four-BDA-Sports--3736/ /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-Four-BDA-Sports--3736/ Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:46:49 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Matt Norlander of CBSSports.com's College Basketball Podcast to discuss various issues pertaining to the 2011 NBA Draft /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Matt-Norlander-3735/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Matt-Norlander-3735/ Fri, 03 Jun 2011 10:50:07 -0400 The 2007 high school class took a while to develop, but its prospects ended up becoming a terrific group of NBA players. Now that four years has passed and the dust has settled on the recruiting rankings, we look back at the '07 class to see how it panned out and what affect it might have on the 2011 NBA draft. /article/2007-RSCI-The-One-and-Doners-3734/ /article/2007-RSCI-The-One-and-Doners-3734/ Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:09:50 -0400 Sebastian Pruiti takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Chris Singleton, with the help of Colorado game-film from this past season. /article/Chris-Singleton-Video-Breakdown-3730/ /article/Chris-Singleton-Video-Breakdown-3730/ Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:48:10 -0400 Wrapping up the coverage of our stop at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas, where there were nearly 30 potential draftees preparing themselves for the next level, we check in on the progress of Josh Selby and Malcolm Lee. /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-Three-Joe-Abunassars-Impact-Basketball-3729/ /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-Three-Joe-Abunassars-Impact-Basketball-3729/ Tue, 31 May 2011 18:38:37 -0400 Tobias Harris is one of the youngest and most versatile prospects in this draft class. Where does he fit in the NBA? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Tobias-Harris-3723/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Tobias-Harris-3723/ Sun, 29 May 2011 09:40:45 -0400 Who tested out most impressively athletically at the NBA Combine? And how much do these tests mean exactly? /article/Analyzing-the-NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Results-3728/ /article/Analyzing-the-NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Results-3728/ Fri, 27 May 2011 00:58:37 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Gary Parrish to discuss various issues pertaining to the 2011 NBA Draft. /article/Podcast-Talking-NBA-Draft-with-Gary-Parrish-3727/ /article/Podcast-Talking-NBA-Draft-with-Gary-Parrish-3727/ Thu, 26 May 2011 17:29:53 -0400 This is the first year the results of the shooting drills run at the NBA Draft Combine have been released to the media, and for the most part, these numbers only reinforce what we already know about these prospects. By no means do the results of these drills have any significant bearing on how these prospects are perceived by scouts, since they would look radically different if we held the same workouts against today, but they do offer an interesting reference point that could give a talent evaluator pause, if only for a moment, when their results deviate from expectations. /article/2011-NBA-Draft-Combine-Shooting-Drills-Results-3726/ /article/2011-NBA-Draft-Combine-Shooting-Drills-Results-3726/ Thu, 26 May 2011 09:40:39 -0400 Basic results from the 2011 NBA Combine athletic testing showing the top-10 and five worst in every category measured. /article/2011-NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Results-3725/ /article/2011-NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Results-3725/ Wed, 25 May 2011 19:35:17 -0400 E'Twaun Moore has done everything in his power to separate himself from the pack as a NBA talent, but is still considered a borderline prospect. Will NBA teams regret overlooking him? /article/Moore-than-Just-a-Good-College-Player-3724/ /article/Moore-than-Just-a-Good-College-Player-3724/ Wed, 25 May 2011 13:09:19 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of top power forwards in the 2011 draft class: Trey Thompkins, Justin Harper, JaJuan Johnson, and Jon Leuer. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Trey-Thompkins-J-Harper-J-Johnson-Leuer-3720/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Trey-Thompkins-J-Harper-J-Johnson-Leuer-3720/ Tue, 24 May 2011 18:51:53 -0400 Klay Thompson was one of the most potent scorers in college basketball and made noticeable strides in multiple areas of his game this year though he has some athletic limitations from an NBA perspective. What situation would he best be suited for in the NBA? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Klay-Thompson-3722/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Klay-Thompson-3722/ Tue, 24 May 2011 10:27:26 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of top scoring guards in the 2011 draft class: Marshon Brooks, Andrew Goudelock, and Isaiah Thomas. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Marshon-Brooks-Andrew-GoudelockIsaiah-Thomas-3721/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Marshon-Brooks-Andrew-GoudelockIsaiah-Thomas-3721/ Tue, 24 May 2011 09:59:13 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of top wings in the 2011 draft class: Chris Singleton, Jimmy Butler, David Lighty, and Scotty Hopson. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Chris-Singleton-Jimmy-Butler-Lighty-Hopson-3719/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Chris-Singleton-Jimmy-Butler-Lighty-Hopson-3719/ Mon, 23 May 2011 15:50:41 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of top guards in the 2011 draft class: Josh Selby, Nolan Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Darius Morris. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Josh-Selby-Nolan-Smith-Shumpert-D-Morris-3718/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Josh-Selby-Nolan-Smith-Shumpert-D-Morris-3718/ Mon, 23 May 2011 10:05:59 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of top big men in the 2011 draft class: Jeremy Tyler, Michael Dunigan, Keith Benson, and Jordan Williams. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Jeremy-Tyler-Dunigan-Benson-Williams-3717/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Jeremy-Tyler-Dunigan-Benson-Williams-3717/ Sun, 22 May 2011 19:07:49 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of top small forwards in the 2011 draft class: Kyle Singler, Tyler Honeycutt, Jereme Richmond, and Chandler Parsons. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Kyle-Singler-Honeycutt-Richmond-Parsons-3716/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Kyle-Singler-Honeycutt-Richmond-Parsons-3716/ Sun, 22 May 2011 11:18:07 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of top wings in the 2011 draft class: Kawhi Leonard, Jordan Hamilton, Klay Thompson, and Malcolm Lee. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Kawhi-Leonard-Hamilton-Thompson-Lee-3714/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Kawhi-Leonard-Hamilton-Thompson-Lee-3714/ Sat, 21 May 2011 18:52:19 -0400 Continuing the coverage of our stop at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas, we check in on the progress of Alec Burks and Jordan Williams. /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-Two-Joe-Abunassars-Impact-Basketball-3715/ /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-Two-Joe-Abunassars-Impact-Basketball-3715/ Sat, 21 May 2011 16:39:24 -0400 Opinions on the importance of measurements vary greatly, as they are just a small piece of the puzzle that determines whether a player will end up being successful. Measurements are still widely anticipated both by NBA draft fans and talent evaluators because they present a completely objective way of comparing prospects. /article/Analyzing-the-2011-NBA-Combine-Measurements-3712/ /article/Analyzing-the-2011-NBA-Combine-Measurements-3712/ Sat, 21 May 2011 11:29:31 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of top guards in the 2011 draft class: Jimmer Fredette, Alec Burks, Charles Jenkins, E'Twaun Moore. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Jimmer-Fredette-Alec-Burks-Charles-Jenkins-3713/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Jimmer-Fredette-Alec-Burks-Charles-Jenkins-3713/ Sat, 21 May 2011 10:11:43 -0400 The 2011 NBA Draft Combine is almost in the books, and we've updated to our measurements database to reflect today's results. /article/2011-NBA-Draft-Combine-Measurements-3710/ /article/2011-NBA-Draft-Combine-Measurements-3710/ Fri, 20 May 2011 14:32:07 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of some of top forwards in the 2011 draft class: Tristan Thompson, Kenneth Faried, Tobias Harris, and Travis Leslie. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Tristan-Thompson-Faried-Harris-Leslie-3711/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Tristan-Thompson-Faried-Harris-Leslie-3711/ Fri, 20 May 2011 12:07:39 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine in Chicago of the top collegiate big men in the 2011 draft class, Derrick Williams, Enes Kanter, Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Derrick-Williams-Enes-Kanterthe-Morris-Twins-3709/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Derrick-Williams-Enes-Kanterthe-Morris-Twins-3709/ Fri, 20 May 2011 01:07:04 -0400 High definition video interviews of the top three point guards in the 2011 draft class, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker and Brandon Knight. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Kyrie-Irving-Kemba-Walker-Brandon-Knight-3708/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Kyrie-Irving-Kemba-Walker-Brandon-Knight-3708/ Thu, 19 May 2011 19:36:13 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Max Caster and Matt Soldano on the Sportswire to discuss the reprecussions of the 2011 NBA Draft Lottery. /article/Podcast-Talking-Lottery-Consequences-with-Sportswire-3707/ /article/Podcast-Talking-Lottery-Consequences-with-Sportswire-3707/ Thu, 19 May 2011 11:18:41 -0400 With the order of the draft now set in stone, we take a look at the implications of the lottery drawing on each of the top 14 picks and what they might mean for the stock of various players in the draft. We also think about which players teams might consider at each individual draft slot. /article/Post-NBA-Draft-Lottery-Analysis-The-Implications-3706/ /article/Post-NBA-Draft-Lottery-Analysis-The-Implications-3706/ Wed, 18 May 2011 09:26:22 -0400 Reactions from Seacaucus, New Jersey following the results of the NBA draft lottery. /article/Post-NBA-Draft-Lottery-Video-Reactions-Nick-Gilbert-Irving-Kahnetc-3705/ /article/Post-NBA-Draft-Lottery-Video-Reactions-Nick-Gilbert-Irving-Kahnetc-3705/ Wed, 18 May 2011 07:42:25 -0400 Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and other NBA executives fielded questions after the final 2011 NBA draft order was determined. /article/2011-Post-NBA-Draft-Lottery-Interview-Transcripts-3704/ /article/2011-Post-NBA-Draft-Lottery-Interview-Transcripts-3704/ Tue, 17 May 2011 23:01:56 -0400 In our first installment of a five part series covering pre-draft preparations on the west coast, we check in with Kawhi Leonard and Greg Smith at Impact Basketball. /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-One-Joe-Abunassars-Impact-Basketball-3703/ /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-One-Joe-Abunassars-Impact-Basketball-3703/ Sun, 15 May 2011 18:17:18 -0400 With the adidas EuroCamp just four weeks away, we get our first glance at the way the event is shaping up in the form of the preliminary roster. 50 camp participants have been announced as you can see below, featuring a strong mix of draft-eligible prospects, early-entrants and “Next Generation” participants. /article/2011-adidas-Eurocamp-Preview--Roster-3702/ /article/2011-adidas-Eurocamp-Preview--Roster-3702/ Sun, 15 May 2011 04:49:56 -0400 Tyler Honeycutt surprised some people by deciding to enter the draft at a very early stage, despite coming off a fairly inconsistent season. How ready is he to play in the NBA, and what does he need to do to reach his very high upside? /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Tyler-Honeycutt-3701/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Tyler-Honeycutt-3701/ Fri, 13 May 2011 10:47:41 -0400 The 2011 NBA Draft Combine will take place in Chicago from May 18-22 and 54 of the top prospects in the class will be in attendance. /article/NBA-Draft-Combine-Participants-List-3700/ /article/NBA-Draft-Combine-Participants-List-3700/ Wed, 11 May 2011 17:52:13 -0400 Justin Holiday had a breakout senior year and was one of the best role-players on the west coast. Where does he fit at the next level? /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Justin-Holiday-3699/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Justin-Holiday-3699/ Tue, 10 May 2011 14:36:40 -0400 Tristan Thompson, like many top-ranked freshman, struggled with inconsistency this season while showing tantalizing flashes of potential. Where does his unique blend of length and assertiveness fit in the NBA? /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Tristan-Thompson-3697/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Tristan-Thompson-3697/ Sun, 08 May 2011 18:30:59 -0400 Examining the NCAA's test the waters policy, through interviews with early-entry prospects Tobias Harris, Reggie Jackson and Iman Shumpert. /article/Testing-the-Waters-3698/ /article/Testing-the-Waters-3698/ Sat, 07 May 2011 04:36:54 -0400 Brandon Knight was one of the most talented scorers and shot-creators in college basketball this season, but is also the youngest player in the draft. What type of situation would be an ideal fit for him early in his career? /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Brandon-Knight-3696/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Brandon-Knight-3696/ Fri, 06 May 2011 05:06:25 -0400 Kawhi Leonard is one of the tougher and more versatile players in this draft, but has some limitations that indicate that he wouldn't be a perfect fit for every NBA team. In what type of situation would he be best suited? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Kawhi-Leonard-3695/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Kawhi-Leonard-3695/ Wed, 04 May 2011 11:52:46 -0400 Terrence Jones made a name for himself early on in Maui but came down to earth somewhat down the stretch for Kentucky. What kind of prospect is he and where would he fit best? /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Terrence-Jones-3694/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Terrence-Jones-3694/ Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:12:47 -0400 Today DraftExpress released our new agent listings and early-entry list tools, allowing you to view a complete listing of every prospect in this draft and the agent that will represent them, as well as an early-entry tool with draft projections, agent-status and more. /article/DX-NBA-Draft-Agent-Listings-and-Early-Entry-List-Tools-Released-3693/ /article/DX-NBA-Draft-Agent-Listings-and-Early-Entry-List-Tools-Released-3693/ Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:28:33 -0400 Sebastian Pruiti takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Alec Burks, with the help of Colorado game-film from this past season. /article/Alec-Burks-Video-Breakdown-3692/ /article/Alec-Burks-Video-Breakdown-3692/ Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:12:16 -0400 The National Basketball Association announced today that 89 players, including 69 players from U.S. colleges and 20 international players, have filed as early entry candidates for the 2011 NBA Draft /article/NBA-Announces-Early-Entry-Candidates-For-2011-NBA-Draft-3691/ /article/NBA-Announces-Early-Entry-Candidates-For-2011-NBA-Draft-3691/ Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:33:49 -0400 A video profile on top 2011 high school prospect Adonis Thomas from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Game-Video-Profile-Adonis-Thomas-3689/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Game-Video-Profile-Adonis-Thomas-3689/ Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:06:59 -0400 A video profile on top 2011 high school prospect Austin Rivers from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Game-Video-Profile-Austin-Rivers-3688/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Game-Video-Profile-Austin-Rivers-3688/ Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:34:07 -0400 Buzz Williams will be among the first to tell you that on paper, Jimmy Butler wasn't one of the most talented players at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. /article/Why-Would-an-NBA-Team-Spend-a-Draft-Pick-on-Jimmy-Butler-3690/ /article/Why-Would-an-NBA-Team-Spend-a-Draft-Pick-on-Jimmy-Butler-3690/ Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:45:21 -0400 A video profile on top 2011 high school prospect Anthony Davis from the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Anthony-Davis-3687/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Video-Profile-Anthony-Davis-3687/ Sun, 24 Apr 2011 13:23:50 -0400 After taking in the practices, scrimmages and actual contests at the McDonald's All-American game, Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic, we give one last update to the profiles of five of the best prospects in the 2011 high school class. /article/Final-Scouting-Reports-High-School-Class-of-2011-3686/ /article/Final-Scouting-Reports-High-School-Class-of-2011-3686/ Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:44:45 -0400 A recap of the top players seen at the 2011 Jordan Brand Classic International game, including Canadian Andrew Wiggins and Croatian Mario Hezonja. /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic-International-Game-Top-Prospects-3685/ /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic-International-Game-Top-Prospects-3685/ Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:26:38 -0400 Sebastian Pruiti takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Derrick Williams, with the help of Arizona game-film from this past season. /article/Derrick-Williams-Video-Breakdown-3684/ /article/Derrick-Williams-Video-Breakdown-3684/ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:45:04 -0400 Bismack Biyombo came out of nowhere to capture the hearts of NBA scouts and executives last weekend at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland. /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Bismack-Biyombo-3683/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Bismack-Biyombo-3683/ Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:31:32 -0400 Concluding our evaluation of the players who stood out the most at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, we look Gary McGhee, Rick Jackson, Ravern Johnson, Alex Tyus and John Holland. /article/All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Third-Team--3682/ /article/All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Third-Team--3682/ Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:03:11 -0400 Scouting Reports on Lucas Nogueira, Davis Bertans, Dario Saric, Kyle Wiltjer and Przemyslaw Karnowski. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-International-ForwardsBig-Men-3681/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-International-ForwardsBig-Men-3681/ Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:54:41 -0400 Interviews and practice highlights from the McDonald's All-American game with Bradley Beal, Wayne Blackshear, Marshall Plumlee, Kyle Witjer and Branden Dawson. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Game-InterviewsPractice-Highlights-Part-Two-3680/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Game-InterviewsPractice-Highlights-Part-Two-3680/ Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:44:09 -0400 Interviews and practice highlights from the McDonald's All-American game with Kentucky commit Michael Gilchrist and UNC commit P.J. Hairston. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Game-InterviewsPractice-Highlights-Part-One-3679/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Game-InterviewsPractice-Highlights-Part-One-3679/ Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:47:09 -0400 Moving down the line at the players who stood out the most at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, we look at Mike Davis, Bill Clark, Casey Mitchell, Will Coleman and Dwight Hardy. /article/All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Second-Team-3678/ /article/All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Second-Team-3678/ Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:33:58 -0400 Scouting Reports on Evan Fournier, Mateusz Ponitka, Ailun Guo, Raul Neto and Kevin Pangos. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-International-GuardsWings-3677/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-International-GuardsWings-3677/ Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:58:46 -0400 Sebastian Pruiti takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Jimmer Fredette with the help of BYU game-film from this past season. /article/Jimmer-Fredette-Video-Breakdown-3676/ /article/Jimmer-Fredette-Video-Breakdown-3676/ Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:38:13 -0400 The official measurements of the USA team, taken in Portland at the Nike Hoop Summit. Courtesy of USA Basketball. /article/2011-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Team-Measurements-3675/ /article/2011-Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Team-Measurements-3675/ Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:18:03 -0400 Highlighting the five players who stood out the most at the PIT, including Jimmy Butler, Malcolm Thomas, Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Andrew Goudelock and Vernon Macklin. /article/All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-First-Team-3674/ /article/All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-First-Team-3674/ Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:57:19 -0400 While competing for the attention of NBA scouts at the 2011 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, the 64 NCAA seniors in attendance were also measured and put through a battery of athletic testing, by the experts at BAM (Basic Athletic Measurement). /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Results-3673/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Measurements-and-Athletic-Testing-Results-3673/ Tue, 12 Apr 2011 10:00:42 -0400 Bismack Biyombo's story is one of the most improbable you'll find in this year's draft class. /article/Bismack-Biyombos-Long-Journey--3672/ /article/Bismack-Biyombos-Long-Journey--3672/ Mon, 11 Apr 2011 01:42:54 -0400 Final thoughts from the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Final-Thoughts-3671/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Final-Thoughts-3671/ Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:31:11 -0400 Interviews conducted at the Nike Hoop Summit with Austin Rivers, Lucas Nogueira, Evan Fournier and Davis Bertans. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Interviews-3670/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Interviews-3670/ Sat, 09 Apr 2011 20:30:10 -0400 One consolation game and two semifinals were the extent of day three of action from the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. /article/2011-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Three-3669/ /article/2011-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Three-3669/ Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:39:39 -0400 Days three and four at the Nike Hoop Summit have given us a much clearer picture of the prospects on hand and what to look for during the game on Saturday night. We got our first glimpse of Team USA as they all arrived in Portland and practiced twice in front of media members on Thursday, with both sessions being closed off to NBA personnel. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices-Day-ThreeFour-3668/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices-Day-ThreeFour-3668/ Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:34:05 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Markieff Morris, Jeremy Lamb, Nikola Vucevic and Matt Howard. /article/Trending-Prospects-482011--3667/ /article/Trending-Prospects-482011--3667/ Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:03:51 -0400 While former Marquette forward Jimmy Butler stole the show on day one, the second day of the Portsmouth Invitational showcased a greater sample of talent and competition. /article/2011-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Two-3666/ /article/2011-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Two-3666/ Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:44:45 -0400 We're back in Virginia once again for the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a historic camp in its 59th edition, intended to showcase the top 64 NCAA senior draft prospects for all 30 NBA teams. /article/2011-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-One-3665/ /article/2011-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-One-3665/ Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:56:20 -0400 With first day jitters and logistical issues out of the way at the Nike Hoop Summit practices in Portland, we were able to focus on the full 11 player international-team squad in two two-hour sessions at the Trailblazers practice facility. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices-Day-Two-3664/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices-Day-Two-3664/ Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:48:44 -0400 Our coverage of the 2011 high school class all-star game circuit begins with prospects from the McDonald's All-American game such as Marshall Plumlee, Chane Behanan, Branden Dawson, Cody Zeller and Amir Williams. /article/Mcdonalds-All-American-Week-Player-Evaluations-3663/ /article/Mcdonalds-All-American-Week-Player-Evaluations-3663/ Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:41:33 -0400 Interviews from the McDonald's All-American media session with Marshall Plumlee, Cody Zeller, Michael Carter-Williams and Rakeem Christmas. /article/Mcdonalds-All-American-Interviews-Plumlees-vs-Zellers-Cuse-Recruits-3662/ /article/Mcdonalds-All-American-Interviews-Plumlees-vs-Zellers-Cuse-Recruits-3662/ Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:27:48 -0400 The official measurements distributed in Portland at the Nike Hoop Summit. /article/2011-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Measurements-3661/ /article/2011-Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Measurements-3661/ Mon, 04 Apr 2011 21:23:30 -0400 The players participating at the 2010 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (April 6-9, official site) were announced today. Here's an inventory of who is and isn't playing from the 2011 NCAA senior class. /article/2011-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-3660/ /article/2011-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-3660/ Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:37:52 -0400 Once again we were on hand at the 2011 McDonald's High School All-American Slam Dunk Contest in Chicago to witness future NBA draft picks and college stars showcasing their finest dunks. Enjoy our exclusive DX-Mo slow motion video technology. /article/2011-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest-Videos-3659/ /article/2011-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest-Videos-3659/ Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:33:33 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Shelvin Mack, Josh Harrellson, Jon Diebler and Vernon Macklin. /article/Trending-Prospects-3312011--3658/ /article/Trending-Prospects-3312011--3658/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:16:15 -0400 NBA scouts and executives are buzzing about an unprecedented group workout being planned in New Jersey on the weekend of April 29 that could dramatically alter the landscape of this year's draft class, particularly in regard to how underclassmen are able to “test the waters” when deciding whether or not to turn pro. /article/Testing-the-NBA-Draft-Waters-May-Never-Be-the-Same-3657/ /article/Testing-the-NBA-Draft-Waters-May-Never-Be-the-Same-3657/ Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:24:04 -0400 Six top recruits sit down to settle the score in our very first Louisville-Kentucky smackdown at the McDonald's All American Game in Chicago. /article/2011-McDonalds-All-American-Game-Louisville-Kentucky-Smackdown-3656/ /article/2011-McDonalds-All-American-Game-Louisville-Kentucky-Smackdown-3656/ Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:50:55 -0400 Our annual Duke-UNC Smackdown continues with another session at the 2011 McDonald's All-American game in Chicago. Participants this year include: Austin Rivers, Quinn Cook, P.J. Hairston, Marshall Plumlee and James McAdoo. /article/2011-McDonalds-All-American-Game-Duke-UNC-Smackdown-Part-Four-3655/ /article/2011-McDonalds-All-American-Game-Duke-UNC-Smackdown-Part-Four-3655/ Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:12:05 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Jamie Skeen, Demetri McCamey and Papa Dia. /article/Trending-Prospects-3242011--3654/ /article/Trending-Prospects-3242011--3654/ Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:20:09 -0400 Not considered a serious NBA prospect going into his senior season, Ben Hansbrough has forced us all to reevaluate our perceptions after a Big East Player of the Year caliber season. Where does he stand at the moment? /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Ben-Hansbrough-3653/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Ben-Hansbrough-3653/ Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:19:15 -0400 Kenneth Faried saved his best for last, but did Morehead State's upset of Louisville change his NBA outlook? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Kenneth-Faried-3652/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Kenneth-Faried-3652/ Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:21:32 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Jeff Taylor, Josh Selby, Chandler Parsons and Jerai Grant. /article/Trending-Prospects-3182011--3651/ /article/Trending-Prospects-3182011--3651/ Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:18:26 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Paul Forrester and Andy Gray of SI.com to discuss the impact the NCAA Tournament can have on a player's NBA draft stock. Also discussed: Thoughts on Kyrie Irving, Jared Sullinger, Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones, Kemba Walker, Jimmer Fredette, Brandon Knight, Jonas Valanciunas, Enes Kanter. /article/Podcast-Talking-NBA-Prospects-at-the-NCAA-Tournament-with-SI-3650/ /article/Podcast-Talking-NBA-Prospects-at-the-NCAA-Tournament-with-SI-3650/ Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:51:30 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Lavoy Allen, Tu Holloway, Kevin Anderson and Chris Wright. /article/Atlantic-10-Conference-Scouting-Reports-3649/ /article/Atlantic-10-Conference-Scouting-Reports-3649/ Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:45:46 -0400 Harrison Barnes' season came full circle in the ACC tournament, with a record breaking 40-point outing in an overtime win over Clemson. Where does he stand as a NBA draft prospect now? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Harrison-Barnes-3648/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Harrison-Barnes-3648/ Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:59:02 -0400 Justin Harper, one of the most efficient scorers in college basketball, has a chance to have his breakthrough in the NCAA tournament this weekend. Will he take advantage? /article/Justin-Harper-NCAA-Tournament-Breakout-Performer-3647/ /article/Justin-Harper-NCAA-Tournament-Breakout-Performer-3647/ Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:59:18 -0400 A breakdown of the official 2010-2011 NCAA Post-Season awards, including first, second and third All-Conference teams, as well as the All-Freshman Teams, Coaches of the year, All-Defensive Teams, and more-- for all 32 NCAA conferences. /article/DraftExpress-2011-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-3646/ /article/DraftExpress-2011-NCAA-Postseason-Conference-Awards-3646/ Sat, 12 Mar 2011 19:37:34 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Nolan Smith, John Jenkins, Norris Cole and Denzel Bowles. /article/Trending-Prospects-3112011--3645/ /article/Trending-Prospects-3112011--3645/ Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:52:33 -0500 Marcus Morris was going to have a breakout season. All the signs were there. The biggest question was how high the skilled, versatile power forward could push this Jayhawks team in his first season as its go-to scorer, and where that would place him on the NBA radar. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Marcus-Morris-3644/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Marcus-Morris-3644/ Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:51:11 -0500 With the 2011 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament only a month away, it's time to take an in-depth look at this year's NCAA senior class and figure out what the field might look like. /article/Projected-Invites-2011-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-3643/ /article/Projected-Invites-2011-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-3643/ Wed, 09 Mar 2011 01:13:52 -0500 Updated scouting reports on William Buford, Gilbert Brown, JaMychal Green, Will Barton, LaceDarius Dunn. /article/Trending-Prospects-332011--3642/ /article/Trending-Prospects-332011--3642/ Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:10:00 -0500 An afterthought on the roster of Real Madrid, early in the season, Nikola Mirotic has established himself as the most productive player on arguably the best team in Europe. How? /article/European-Roundup-Nikola-Mirotic---Breakout-Player-of-the-Year-3641/ /article/European-Roundup-Nikola-Mirotic---Breakout-Player-of-the-Year-3641/ Wed, 02 Mar 2011 23:07:28 -0500 Alec Burks was largely an afterthought when he committed to Colorado-- a skinny 6-3 shooting guard with limited range on his jump shot. Now he's a legitimate-sized NBA wing player and one of the best scorers in college basketball, not to mention the leader of a team desperately trying to make the NCAA tournament. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Alec-Burks-3640/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Alec-Burks-3640/ Tue, 01 Mar 2011 22:33:38 -0500 In a slight change of pace from our Rookie Retrospectives series, today we're taking a look at the San Antonio Spurs' DeJuan Blair, the 6'7 sophomore who's started all 56 games for the team with the league's best record. Expected to be drafted in the lottery by most analysts in the 2009 NBA Draft, Blair surprisingly fell to the 37th pick due to concerns surrounding the long-term viability of his surgically repaired knees. /article/NBA-Retrospective-DeJuan-Blair-3639/ /article/NBA-Retrospective-DeJuan-Blair-3639/ Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:12:42 -0500 After a full weekend spent evaluating some of the top 1993 and 1994 born prospects in European basketball at the NIJT in Belgrade, we report back with our findings. We'll continue with the rest of the top prospects seen at the tournament. /article/NIJT-Belgrade-Scouting-Reports-Top-Prospects-3638/ /article/NIJT-Belgrade-Scouting-Reports-Top-Prospects-3638/ Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:59:24 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Jereme Richmond, Trey Thompkins, Damian Saunders and Durrell Summers. /article/Trending-Prospects-2242011--3637/ /article/Trending-Prospects-2242011--3637/ Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:58:02 -0500 Perhaps it's only appropriate that Charles Jenkins' latest and perhaps greatest performance – a pair of buzzer beaters in an overtime win over William & Mary last Monday – was recorded on a home video camera before going viral to the tune of over 30,000 views on YouTube in a week. /article/Charles-Jenkins-College-Basketballs-Best-Kept-Secret-3636/ /article/Charles-Jenkins-College-Basketballs-Best-Kept-Secret-3636/ Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:45:07 -0500 After a full weekend spent evaluating some of the top 1993 and 1994 born prospects in European basketball at the NIJT in Belgrade, we report back with our findings. We'll start with the MVP of the tournament, Aleksandar Cvetkovic. /article/NIJT-Belgrade-Scouting-Reports-MVP-Aleksandar-Cvetkovic-3635/ /article/NIJT-Belgrade-Scouting-Reports-MVP-Aleksandar-Cvetkovic-3635/ Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:08:21 -0500 Once again DraftExpress was on hand at the 2011 NBA D-League Dunk Contest with our exclusive DX-Mo slow-motion video technology in tow in hopes of catching some of the best young dunkers at any level of professional basketball. /article/2011-D-League-Dunk-Contest-3634/ /article/2011-D-League-Dunk-Contest-3634/ Sun, 20 Feb 2011 09:51:42 -0500 Jordan Taylor came out of nowhere seemingly to establish himself as one of the best point guards in college basketball. What does that mean for his NBA draft stock? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jordan-Taylor-3633/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jordan-Taylor-3633/ Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:12:00 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Kyle Singler, Iman Shumpert, Tyshawn Taylor and Elias Harris. /article/Trending-Prospects-2172011--3632/ /article/Trending-Prospects-2172011--3632/ Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:21:55 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Tyler Zeller, D.J. Kennedy, Greg Smith and Aaric Murray. /article/Trending-Prospects-2102011--3631/ /article/Trending-Prospects-2102011--3631/ Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:05:18 -0500 Deemed by many scouts as the prospect with the highest upside of any player in college basketball, Perry Jones of Baylor has had an up and down freshman season that appears to be taking a turn for the better at the moment. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Perry-Jones-3630/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Perry-Jones-3630/ Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:06:49 -0500 In our next rookie retrospective we take a look at the progress of arguably the most talented player in college basketball last season, DeMarcus Cousins. What has Cousins done to dispel the concerns around him leading up to the 2010 draft? /article/Rookie-Retrospective-DeMarcus-Cousins-3629/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-DeMarcus-Cousins-3629/ Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:22:42 -0500 Updated scouting reports on C.J. Leslie, Kris Joseph, Jon Leuer, Rodney Williams and Maalik Wayns. /article/Trending-Prospects-232011--3628/ /article/Trending-Prospects-232011--3628/ Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:31:30 -0500 Jimmer Fredette is the No. 1 scorer in college basketball, and not by a small margin. What type of NBA career can we expect him to have? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jimmer-Fredette-3627/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jimmer-Fredette-3627/ Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:29:32 -0500 We complete our complete our coverage of the prestigious HoopHall Classic by looking at the remaining prospects seen from the 2012, 2013 and 2014 classes, including Damien Wilson, Omar Calhoun, Evan Nolte, Nigel Williams-Goss and Kevin Zabo. /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Part-Five--2012-Prospects---Beyond-3626/ /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Part-Five--2012-Prospects---Beyond-3626/ Sun, 30 Jan 2011 18:30:01 -0500 Updated scouting reports on JaJuan Johnson, E'Twaun Moore, Isaiah Thomas, Ashton Gibbs and Gary Flowers. /article/Trending-Prospects-1272011--3625/ /article/Trending-Prospects-1272011--3625/ Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:38:23 -0500 The most productive player in college basketball right now is none other than Arizona's Derrick Williams. What does that mean for his NBA draft stock? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Derrick-Williams-3624/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Derrick-Williams-3624/ Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:00:36 -0500 We move on to review the top 2012 prospects seen at the prestigious HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass, including Shabazz Muhammad, DaJuan Coleman, Kaleb Tarczewski, Kyle Anderson, Savon Goodman and Winston Shepard. /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Part-Four--2012-Elite-Prospects-3623/ /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Part-Four--2012-Elite-Prospects-3623/ Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:10:40 -0500 We continue to review the top prospects seen at the prestigious HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass, including Nick Johnson, Mikael Hopkins, Julian Royal, Amir Garrett, Myles Mack and Pat Connaughton. /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Elite-Prospects-Part-Three--3622/ /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Elite-Prospects-Part-Three--3622/ Sun, 23 Jan 2011 19:03:03 -0500 We continue to review the top prospects seen at the prestigious HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass, including Tony Wroten, Shannon Scott, Dai-Jon Parker, Michael Carter-Williams, Deuce Bello, Rakeem Christmas and LaQuinton Ross. /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Elite-Prospects-Part-Two--3621/ /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Elite-Prospects-Part-Two--3621/ Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:07:32 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Tobias Harris, Travis Leslie, Malcolm Lee and Jordan Williams. /article/Trending-Prospects-1202011--3620/ /article/Trending-Prospects-1202011--3620/ Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:17:22 -0500 A review of the top prospects seen at the prestigious HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass, including Michael Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, LeBryan Nash, Myck Kabongo, Wayne Blackshear and Ben McLemore. /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Elite-Prospects-Part-One--3619/ /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Elite-Prospects-Part-One--3619/ Wed, 19 Jan 2011 23:41:06 -0500 Profiles of some of the top NBA call-up candidates seen at the D-League Showcase in South Padre, Texas: Ivan Johnson, Tiny Gallon, Marcus Cousin, Jeff Adrien, Vernon Goodridge, Scottie Reynolds, Chris Lofton, Marqus Blakely and Matt Rogers. /article/D-League-Showcase-Profiles-Call-Up-Candidates-Part-Two--3618/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Profiles-Call-Up-Candidates-Part-Two--3618/ Tue, 18 Jan 2011 22:45:30 -0500 In our next rookie retrospective we take a look at the progress of one of the most highly touted players in last year's draft, New Jersey Nets power forward Derrick Favors. The centerpiece of one of the most awaited deals in recent NBA memory, is Derrick Favors worthy of being traded for Carmelo Anthony? /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Derrick-Favors-3617/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Derrick-Favors-3617/ Mon, 17 Jan 2011 23:08:13 -0500 Profiles of some of the top NBA call-up candidates seen at the D-League Showcase in South Padre, Texas: Joe Alexander, Othyus Jeffers, Sean Williams, Antoine Walker, Matt Janning, Cedric Jackson and Patrick Ewing Jr. /article/D-League-Showcase-Profiles-Call-Up-Candidates-Part-One--3616/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Profiles-Call-Up-Candidates-Part-One--3616/ Mon, 17 Jan 2011 10:58:59 -0500 Profiles of the NBA Allocated and NBA rights-held players seen at the D-League Showcase in South Padre, Texas: Dexter Pittman, Cole Aldrich, Jeremy Lin, Latavious Williams, Hamady N'Diaye and Pape Sy. /article/D-League-Showcase-Profiles-NBA-Allocation-and-Rights-Held-Players-3615/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Profiles-NBA-Allocation-and-Rights-Held-Players-3615/ Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:07:29 -0500 Jonathan Givony recaps the week while Cole Aldrich, Jeremy Lin, Latavious Williams, Dexter Pittman, Marqus Blakely, and Cedric Jackson share their experiences in the NBADL and discuss a variety of topics. /article/D-League-Showcase-Interviews-Part-Two--3614/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Interviews-Part-Two--3614/ Sat, 15 Jan 2011 11:25:05 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Darius Morris, Marshon Brooks, Delvon Johnson and Matthew Bryan-Amaning. /article/Trending-Prospects-1142011--3613/ /article/Trending-Prospects-1142011--3613/ Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:02:20 -0500 Jamine Peterson, Orien Greene, Pape Sy, Scottie Reynolds, Marcus Cousin, and Chris Johnson share their experiences in the NBADL and discuss a variety of other topics. /article/D-League-Showcase-Interviews-Part-One--3612/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Interviews-Part-One--3612/ Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:00:02 -0500 Exploring storylines from the 2011 D-League Showcase in South Padre Island, Texas. /article/D-League-Storylines-Day-One-3611/ /article/D-League-Storylines-Day-One-3611/ Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:07:57 -0500 In our next rookie retrospective we take a look at the progress of the most surprising and unconventional members of this rookie class, San Antonio Spurs guard Gary Neal. How did he go from European star to a perfect role player for an NBA championship contending team? /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Gary-Neal-3610/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Gary-Neal-3610/ Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:04:33 -0500 Russian point guard Dmitry Kulagin is establishing himself as a top-shelf NBA prospect with his play for Nizhny Novgorod. Plus, updates on Andrew Albicy, Paul Lacombe and Sergey Karasev. /article/European-Roundup-Kulagin-Coming-On-In-Russia-3609/ /article/European-Roundup-Kulagin-Coming-On-In-Russia-3609/ Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:58:54 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Justin Harper, Nikola Vucevic, Andrew Goudelock and Trevor Mbakwe. /article/Trending-Prospects-162011--3608/ /article/Trending-Prospects-162011--3608/ Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:37:03 -0500 Despite tearing an ACL last month, Quincy Miller--considered by some the top NBA prospect in high school basketball--isn't about to let an injury stand in the way of his goals. /article/Quincy-Miller-This-is-the-best-thing-thats-happened-to-me-3607/ /article/Quincy-Miller-This-is-the-best-thing-thats-happened-to-me-3607/ Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:51:23 -0500 Jan Vesely shocked the NBA last year by electing not to enter the draft. How is that decision working out for him thus far? /article/Tracking-the-Progress-of-Jan-Vesely-3606/ /article/Tracking-the-Progress-of-Jan-Vesely-3606/ Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:10:08 -0500 In our next rookie retrospective we take a look at the progress of the #4 pick in the 2010 draft, Wesley Johnson. What parts of his game have translated to the NBA and why is he struggling to fulfill expectations? /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Wesley-Johnson-3605/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Wesley-Johnson-3605/ Sun, 02 Jan 2011 18:50:18 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Keith Benson, Tristan Thompson, Klay Thompson and Quincy Acy. /article/Trending-Prospects-12302010--3604/ /article/Trending-Prospects-12302010--3604/ Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:29:26 -0500 By passing up the opportunity to be picked in the first round of last year's draft, an onerous burden was placed on Chris Singleton to become the go-to guy for Florida State and satisfy inevitably high expectations from NBA scouts, the national media, his coaching staff and Seminole fans. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Chris-Singleton-3603/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Chris-Singleton-3603/ Mon, 27 Dec 2010 20:02:59 -0500 Undoubtedly the biggest surprise of any player from the 2010 NBA Draft, Landry Fields has been the second best rookie in the league to date. How has he managed to make such a stunning rise from obscurity? /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Landry-Fields-3602/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Landry-Fields-3602/ Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:31:59 -0500 We spent much of the past two weeks tracking the progress of Jonas Valanciunas--watching him play in the Euroleague, and meeting with him face to face. Here's what we learned. /article/Tracking-the-Progress-of-Jonas-Valanciunas-3601/ /article/Tracking-the-Progress-of-Jonas-Valanciunas-3601/ Sun, 26 Dec 2010 19:57:25 -0500 In our first rookie retrospective of the season, we take a look at the front-runner for Rookie of the Year honors, Blake Griffin. /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Blake-Griffin-3600/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Blake-Griffin-3600/ Sat, 25 Dec 2010 17:56:45 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Khris Middleton, Markieff Morris, Keith Clanton, and Orlando Johnson /article/Trending-Prospects-12232010--3599/ /article/Trending-Prospects-12232010--3599/ Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:42:12 -0500 After a somewhat disappointing freshman season, Jordan Hamilton has bounced back and emerged as one of the best scorers in college basketball. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jordan-Hamilton-3598/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jordan-Hamilton-3598/ Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:10:18 -0500 The Greek national team appears to be in very good hands for the future, as we're seeing a number of high-level young prospects emerging in recent years. We take a look at some of the most interesting ones, led by Linos Chrysikopoulos. /article/European-Roundup-The-Great-Greek-Revival-3597/ /article/European-Roundup-The-Great-Greek-Revival-3597/ Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:22:11 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Scotty Hopson, Rick Jackson, Festus Ezeli and Brad Wanamaker. /article/Trending-Prospects-12162010--3596/ /article/Trending-Prospects-12162010--3596/ Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:22:37 -0500 The most productive freshman in college basketball, Jared Sullinger has taken the NCAA by storm and has established himself as a top NBA draft prospect along the way. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jared-Sullinger-3595/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Jared-Sullinger-3595/ Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:56:37 -0500 Xavi Rabaseda is a 6-6 athletic shooting guard who is performing exceedingly well in the ACB in his draft-eligible year. Will that translate into hearing his name called on draft night? Also, updates on Pablo Aguilar, Mamadou Samb and Lucas Nogueira and Nikola Mirotic. /article/European-Roundup-Rabaseda-Rolling-for-Fuenlabrada-3594/ /article/European-Roundup-Rabaseda-Rolling-for-Fuenlabrada-3594/ Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:06:49 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Brandon Knight, Demetri McCamey, David Lighty and Justin Holiday. /article/Trending-Prospects-1292010--3592/ /article/Trending-Prospects-1292010--3592/ Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:03:15 -0500 Kyrie Irving has taken over the #1 overall spot in our 2011 mock draft. What has he done to justify that, and how does he stack up as a NBA prospect long-term? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Kyrie-Irving-3591/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Kyrie-Irving-3591/ Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:22:09 -0500 Donatas Motiejunas has established himself as one of the top big men scorers in Europe this year. What does that do for this draft stock? Plus, an update on the whereabouts of Jamine Peterson, and scouting reports on Nicolo Melli, Alessandro Gentile, Achille Polonara and Matias Nocedal. /article/European-Roundup-Dominant-Donatas-3590/ /article/European-Roundup-Dominant-Donatas-3590/ Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:37:38 -0500 Every week on DraftExpress we'll be looking at a number of NBA draft prospects who have caught our eye, updating their DX scouting reports along the way. This week we evaluate the likes of Terrence Jones, Reggie Jackson, Charles Jenkins and Steven Gray. /article/Trending-Prospects-1222010--3589/ /article/Trending-Prospects-1222010--3589/ Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:58:32 -0500 One month into the 2010/2011 season, there isn't a more productive player in all of college basketball than UConn junior Kemba Walker. What's changed, and how does that affect his draft stock? /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Kemba-Walker-3588/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Kemba-Walker-3588/ Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:30:42 -0500 We continue our evaluation of the prospects seen at the National Prep Showcase in New Haven with a look at the rest of the 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 recruits we were able to hone in on. /article/2010-National-Prep-Showcase-Best-of-the-Rest-3587/ /article/2010-National-Prep-Showcase-Best-of-the-Rest-3587/ Sun, 28 Nov 2010 19:44:52 -0500 Bojan Bogdanovic isn't the only Cibona Zagreb prospect making waves in the Euroleague. His teammate Leon Radosevic isn't far behind him. Also we look at the progress of some other key Adriatic League participants, including 16-year old Dario Saric and 1991-born prospect Nemanja Nedovic. /article/European-Roundup-Reliable-Radosevic-3586/ /article/European-Roundup-Reliable-Radosevic-3586/ Fri, 26 Nov 2010 11:53:30 -0500 We continue our evaluation of the top prospects seen at the National Prep Showcase in New Haven with a look at the elite 2012 high school players in attendance, including Andre Drummond, Alex Murphy, Ricky Ledo, Kaleb Tarczewski and Hanner Perea. /article/2010-National-Prep-Showcase-Elite-2012-Prospects-3585/ /article/2010-National-Prep-Showcase-Elite-2012-Prospects-3585/ Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:58:55 -0500 DraftExpress was once again in attendance at the National Prep Showcase this past weekend in New Haven, Connecticut where some of the nation's top prep schools were in action. We take a closer look at some of the elite 2011 prospects, including Khem Birch, P.J. Hairston and Michael Carter-Williams, amongst others. /article/2010-National-Prep-Showcase-Elite-2011-Prospects-3584/ /article/2010-National-Prep-Showcase-Elite-2011-Prospects-3584/ Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:03:30 -0500 Bojan Bogdanovic emerging as a legit first round prospect. Which young players are getting burn in the ACB? /article/European-Roundup-Breakout-Bogdanovic-3583/ /article/European-Roundup-Breakout-Bogdanovic-3583/ Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:35:12 -0500 Concluding our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in Non-BCS conferences, we profile UTEP's Randy Culpepper, Damian Lilliard of Weber State, Keion Bell of Pepperdine, New Mexico State's Troy Gillenwater, and Adnan Hodzic of Lipscomb. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Five-26-30--3582/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Five-26-30--3582/ Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:40:35 -0500 Continuing our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in Non-BCS conferences, we profile Norris Cole of Cleveland State and Denzel Bowles of James Madison while rankings the like of Akron's Zeke Marshall, Mark Payne of , and Matt Howard of Butler. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Four-21-25--3581/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Four-21-25--3581/ Mon, 08 Nov 2010 15:46:40 -0500 Continuing our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in Non-BCS conferences, we profile Lehigh's C.J. McCollum, Memphis's Will Coleman, George Odufuwa of North Texas, Andrew Nicholson of St. Bonaventure, and Gary Flowers of Southern Mississippi. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Three-16-20--3580/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Three-16-20--3580/ Sun, 07 Nov 2010 00:12:01 -0400 Continuing our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in Non-BCS conferences, we profile Butler's Shelvin Mack, Rice's Arsalan Kazemi, Dayton's Chris Wright, Juan Fernandez of Temple, and Robert Sacre of Gonzaga. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-11-15--3579/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-11-15--3579/ Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:34:23 -0400 Beginning our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in Non-BCS conferences, we rank ten players and profile Greg Smith of Fresno State, Damian Saunders of Duquesne, and Temple's Lavoy Allen. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-One-1-10--3578/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-One-1-10--3578/ Sat, 30 Oct 2010 22:33:24 -0400 Wrapping up our coverage of the top returning prospects in the ACC, we profile Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney, Jerai Grant of Clemson, North Carolina State's Tracy Smith, Larry Drew of North Carolina, and C.J. Harris of Wake Forest. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Five-21-25--3577/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Five-21-25--3577/ Wed, 27 Oct 2010 20:02:38 -0400 Continuing our coverage of the top returning NBA prospects in the ACC, we check in on Miles Plumlee or Duke, Jordan Williams of Maryland, DeQuan Jones of Miami, Clemson's Milton Jennings, and North Carolina's Leslie McDonald. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-16-20--3576/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-16-20--3576/ Sun, 24 Oct 2010 13:12:28 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in college basketball, we check in with the ACC and Duke's Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry, Georgia Tech's Mfon Udofia, Florida State's Michael Snaer, and North Carolina's Dexter Strickland. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Three-11-15--3575/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Three-11-15--3575/ Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:50:46 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in the ACC we profile North Carolina's Tyler Zeller, Florida State's Xavier Gibson, Georgia Tech's Iman Shumpert, Wake Forest's Ari Stewart, and Miami's Durand Scott. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Two-6-10--3574/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Two-6-10--3574/ Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:22:22 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in college basketball, we turn our attention to the ACC where Duke's Mason Plumlee, Florida State's Chris Singleton, North Carolina's John Henson, and Duke upperclassmen Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith comprise the first team we'll look into. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-One-1-5--3573/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-One-1-5--3573/ Sun, 17 Oct 2010 11:06:52 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East, we take a look at Marquette's Jimmy Butler, Louisville's Peyton Siva, Connecticut's Jamal Coombs McDaniel, Georgetown's Hollis Thompson, and Corey Fisher of Villanova. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Five-21-25--3572/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Five-21-25--3572/ Fri, 15 Oct 2010 10:16:37 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East, we take a look at Syracuse's Brandon Triche, Seton Hall's Herb Pope, Pittsburgh's Dante Taylor, Dane Miller of Rutgers, and Dominic Cheek of Villanova. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Four-16-20--3571/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Four-16-20--3571/ Wed, 13 Oct 2010 09:41:13 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East, we take a look at Georgetown's Austin Freeman, USF's Gus Gilchrist and Jarrid Famous, Cincinatti's Yancy Gates, and Pittsburgh's Gilbert Brown. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Three-11-15--3570/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Three-11-15--3570/ Sat, 09 Oct 2010 10:57:52 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in the Big East, we take a look at West Virginia's Kevin Jones, Georgetown's Chris Wright, St. John's D.J. Kennedy, Louisville's Terrence Jennings, and Marquette's Darius Johnson-Odom. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Two-6-10--3569/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Two-6-10--3569/ Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:13:55 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in college basketball, we move onto the SEC. UConn's Kemba Walker leads the pack, followed by Villanova's Mouphtaou Yarou, Syracuse's Kris Joseph, Villanova's Maalik Wayns and UConn's Alex Oriakhi. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-One-1-5---3568/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-One-1-5---3568/ Wed, 06 Oct 2010 11:49:45 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in the SEC, we take a look at Arkansas' Marshawn Powell, Florida's Erik Murphy, Kentucky's Darius Miller, Florida's Vernon Macklin and South Carolina's Sam Muldrow. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Three-11-15---3567/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Three-11-15---3567/ Sun, 03 Oct 2010 22:14:38 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in the SEC, we take a look at Tennessee's Scotty Hopson, Mississippi State's Renardo Sidney, Vanderbilt, John Jenkins, Florida's Kenny Boynton and Alabama's Tony Mitchell. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Two-6-10---3566/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Two-6-10---3566/ Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:24:44 -0400 Continuing to evaluate the top returning NBA prospects in college basketball, we move onto the SEC. Vanderbilt's Jeffery Taylor leads the pack, followed by Georgia's Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie, Florida Chandler Parsons and Alabama's JaMychal Green. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-One-1-5---3565/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-One-1-5---3565/ Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:49:58 -0400 In our second and final look at the at the top returning NBA draft prospects in the Pac-10, we profile the likes of Washington's Abdul Gaddy, Washington State's Reggie Moore, Stanford's Jeremy Green, UCLA's Reeves Nelson and Washington State's Deangelo Casto.Freshman have been excluded from these previews, as we'd like to wait and see what they have to offer on the NCAA circuit before we come to any long-term conclusions. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10-Part-Two-6-10---3564/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10-Part-Two-6-10---3564/ Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:39:59 -0400 Sailboat video blog with Pooh Jeter. /article/Pooh-Jeter-Sailboat-Video-Blog--3563/ /article/Pooh-Jeter-Sailboat-Video-Blog--3563/ Tue, 21 Sep 2010 21:30:48 -0400 Moving onto the Pac-10 conference, we take a look at UCLA's Tyler Honeycutt, Arizona's Derrick Williams, UCLA's Malcolm Lee, Washington State's Klay Thompson and Washington's Isaiah Thomas. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10-Part-One-1-5---3562/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10-Part-One-1-5---3562/ Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:42:06 -0400 An interview featuring John Wall's post game reactions at the Boost Mobile Elite 24 in Venice Beach, California. Wall was one of the assistant coaches in the game. /article/2010-Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-John-Wall-Post-Game-Commentary-3554/ /article/2010-Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-John-Wall-Post-Game-Commentary-3554/ Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:37:11 -0400 In our third and final look at the top returning NBA draft prospects in the Big 12, we profile the likes of Kansas State's Jacob Pullen, Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels, Missouri's Kim English and Kansas' Thomas Robinson. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Three-11-15---3561/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Three-11-15---3561/ Sat, 18 Sep 2010 13:33:50 -0400 Oak Hill's Quinn Cook interviews Findlay College Prep's Myck Kabongo at the Boost Mobile Elite 24 in Venice Beach, California. /article/2010-Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Quinn-Cook-Interviews-Myck-Kabongo-3555/ /article/2010-Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Quinn-Cook-Interviews-Myck-Kabongo-3555/ Sat, 18 Sep 2010 13:24:11 -0400 Sacramento Kings' rookie Hassan Whiteside talks with Quincy Miller at HAX during practice for the Boost Mobile Elite 24 in Venice Beach, CA. /article/2010-Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Hassan-Whiteside-Interviews-Quincy-Miller-3556/ /article/2010-Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Hassan-Whiteside-Interviews-Quincy-Miller-3556/ Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:00:59 -0400 High School teammates Quincy "Young Truth" Miller & Deuce "High Flyin" Bellow interview each other at the Boost Mobile Elite 24 in Venice Beach, CA - August 27, 2010. /article/2010-Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Quincy-Miller-Interviews-Deuce-Bello-3557/ /article/2010-Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Quincy-Miller-Interviews-Deuce-Bello-3557/ Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:22:52 -0400 After profiling the Big Ten, we move onto the Big 12, which lost quite a bit of talent to the NBA last year. Baylor's LaceDarius Dunn, Missouri's Laurence Bowers, Baylor's Quincy Acy and Kansas' Markieff Morris and Tyshawn Taylor are the next batch of prospects we'll look at. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Two-6-10---3560/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Two-6-10---3560/ Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:50:53 -0400 Scouting reports covering the top players from Africa at the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago. /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-Top-African-Prospects-3552/ /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-Top-African-Prospects-3552/ Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:37:58 -0400 After profiling the Big Ten, we move onto the Big 12, which lost quite a bit of talent to the NBA last year. Kansas' Marcus Morris leads the pack here, followed by Colorado's Alec Burks, Kansas State's Wally Judge, Texas' Jordan Hamilton and Kansas' Elijah Johnson. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-One-1-5--3559/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-One-1-5--3559/ Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:47:03 -0400 Scouting reports of the top 2012 high school prospects at the adidas Nations Experience. /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-Top-2012-High-School-Prospects-3553/ /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-Top-2012-High-School-Prospects-3553/ Sun, 12 Sep 2010 22:53:48 -0400 To get a jump on the rapidly approaching NCAA season, we continue to break down the top individual NBA prospects in college basketball, going conference by conference. Part four of the Big Ten is led by Ohio State's David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale, followed by Michigan State's Draymond Green, Illinois' Mike Davis and Michigan State's Delvon Roe. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Four-16-20---3558/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Four-16-20---3558/ Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:57:06 -0400 A series of videos featuring the Plumlee brothers, Khris Middleton, Scotty Hopson, Renardo Sidney, Aaric Murray, and a number of other prospects participating in post dunking drills. /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-Dunking-Drills-3546/ /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-Dunking-Drills-3546/ Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:02:40 -0400 Scouting reports covering the top Latin American prospects at the adidas Nations Experience. /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-Top-Latin-American-Prospects-3551/ /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-Top-Latin-American-Prospects-3551/ Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:25:45 -0400 To get a jump on the rapidly approaching NCAA season, we continue to break down the top individual NBA prospects in college basketball, going conference by conference. Part two of the Big Ten is led by Purdue's E'Twaun Moore, followed by Northwestern's John Shurna, Wisconsin's Jon Leuer, Illinois' D.J. Richardson and Penn State's Talor Battle. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Three-11-15---3550/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Three-11-15---3550/ Mon, 06 Sep 2010 22:56:57 -0400 A video highlight reel featuring Baylor's Perry Jones at the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago. /article/adidas-Nations-Highlight-Reel-Perry-Jones-3548/ /article/adidas-Nations-Highlight-Reel-Perry-Jones-3548/ Sat, 04 Sep 2010 21:52:09 -0400 To get a jump on the rapidly approaching NCAA season, we continue to break down the top individual NBA prospects in college basketball, going conference by conference. Part two of the Big Ten is led by Purdue's Robbie Hummel, followed by Ohio State's William Buford, Illinois' Demetri McCamey, Indiana's Christian Watford and Illinois' Brandon Paul. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Two-6-10---3549/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Two-6-10---3549/ Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:34:47 -0400 A video highlight reel featuring Colorado's Alec Burks at the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago. /article/adidas-Nations-Highlight-Reel-Alec-Burks-3547/ /article/adidas-Nations-Highlight-Reel-Alec-Burks-3547/ Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:20:10 -0400 A video profile on Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger from the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago. /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Jared-Sullinger-3541/ /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Jared-Sullinger-3541/ Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:29:30 -0400 To get a jump on the rapidly approaching NCAA season, we'll once again be breaking down the top individual NBA prospects in college basketball, going conference by conference. First we start with the Big Ten, where the incredibly athletic Rodney Williams intrigues with his upside. Indiana sophomore Maurice Creek, Michigan State seniors Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers and Purdue's JaJuan Johnson round out the top five. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-One-1-5---3545/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-One-1-5---3545/ Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:03:18 -0400 A video profile and practice footage featuring Florida State junior Chris Singleton from the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago. /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Chris-Singleton-3543/ /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Chris-Singleton-3543/ Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:46:36 -0400 A video profile on Duke senior Nolan Smith from the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago. /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Nolan-Smith-3542/ /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Nolan-Smith-3542/ Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:59:52 -0400 University of North Carolina commit James McAdoo and Duke University commit Michael Gbinije debate which school is better and discuss the rivalry during the Boost Mobile Elite 24 event in Venice Beach, CA. /article/2010-Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Duke-vs-UNC-Smackdown-Part-3-3544/ /article/2010-Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Duke-vs-UNC-Smackdown-Part-3-3544/ Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:47:11 -0400 A video profile on Kansas guard and NBA prospect Josh Selby, from the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago. /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Josh-Selby-3540/ /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Josh-Selby-3540/ Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:25:09 -0400 A video profile on UCLA forward and NBA prospect Tyler Honeycutt, from the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago. /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Tyler-Honeycutt-3539/ /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Tyler-Honeycutt-3539/ Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:39:33 -0400 A video profile on Kansas power forward and NBA prospect Marcus Morris, from the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago. /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Marcus-Morris-3537/ /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Marcus-Morris-3537/ Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:48:36 -0400 A video profile on top 2011 high school prospect LeBryan Nash, from the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago. /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-LeBryan-Nash-3538/ /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-LeBryan-Nash-3538/ Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:20:25 -0400 A video profile on 2011 high school prospect Quincy Miller, from the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago. /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Quincy-Miller-3536/ /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Quincy-Miller-3536/ Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:17:04 -0400 A video profile and scouting report on 2012 New Zealand big man Steven Adams, from the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago. /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Steven-Adams-3535/ /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Steven-Adams-3535/ Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:04:23 -0400 A video profile and scouting report on highly regarded 2012 high school prospect Isaiah Austin, from the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago. /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Isaiah-Austin-3534/ /article/adidas-Nations-Player-Profile-Isaiah-Austin-3534/ Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:15:10 -0400 In our second recap of the 2010 NBA Summer League, we take stock of the top non-rookie forwards and centers that left the strongest impressions in Las Vegas, including J.J. Hickson, Javale McGee, Sam Young, Pooh Jeter and Gary Neal. /article/NBA-Summer-League-Review-2010-Las-Vegas-Profiles-Part-One-3533/ /article/NBA-Summer-League-Review-2010-Las-Vegas-Profiles-Part-One-3533/ Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:28:24 -0400 Scouting reports of the top American players seen at the U-17 FIBA World Championships. /article/FIBA-U-17-World-Championships-Top-American-Prospects-3532/ /article/FIBA-U-17-World-Championships-Top-American-Prospects-3532/ Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:16:41 -0400 In our first recap of the 2010 NBA Summer League, we take stock of the top non-rookies who left the strongest impressions in Orlando. /article/NBA-Summer-League-Review-2010-Orlando-Player-Profiles-3531/ /article/NBA-Summer-League-Review-2010-Orlando-Player-Profiles-3531/ Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:20:32 -0400 Scouting reports of the top non-US players seen at the U-17 FIBA World Championships in Hamburg. /article/FIBA-U-17-World-Championships-Top-International-Prospects-3530/ /article/FIBA-U-17-World-Championships-Top-International-Prospects-3530/ Sat, 07 Aug 2010 09:53:41 -0400 With the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship completed in San Antonio, we finish up with a look at the top prospects seen amongst the USA basketball team. /article/FIBA-Americas-U-18-Championships-Top-American-Prospects-3529/ /article/FIBA-Americas-U-18-Championships-Top-American-Prospects-3529/ Mon, 05 Jul 2010 08:09:48 -0400 With the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship completed in San Antonio, we first take a look at the top prospects seen amongst the international (Non-US) teams in attendance. /article/FIBA-Americas-U-18-Championships-Top-International-Prospects-3528/ /article/FIBA-Americas-U-18-Championships-Top-International-Prospects-3528/ Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:47:55 -0400 NBA Draft Media Day Interviews with John Wall, Cole Aldrich, Wesley Johnson, Patrick Patterson, Ed Davis and Paul George. /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Wall-Aldrich-Johnson-Patterson-etc-3526/ /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Wall-Aldrich-Johnson-Patterson-etc-3526/ Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:38:59 -0400 We had a hard time filling our center rankings last season, reaching for a number of players to include 11 in our rankings. Centers are not in short supply this season, and represent the most interesting position to watch on draft day. /article/Just-by-the-Numbers-The-2010-Center-Crop-3519/ /article/Just-by-the-Numbers-The-2010-Center-Crop-3519/ Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:33:00 -0400 Video interviews from NBA Draft Media Day with Evan Turner, Ekpe Udoh, Al-Farouq Aminu, Greg Monroe, Luke Babbitt, Xavier Henry and Gordon Hayward. /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Turner-Udoh-Aminu-Monroe-Henryetc-3525/ /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interviews-Turner-Udoh-Aminu-Monroe-Henryetc-3525/ Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:22:15 -0400 More so than the other position we've observed, our analysis of this draft's power forwards should help us get a feel for where each prospect in the group fits on the next level. With the increasingly diverse number of roles power forwards can play for their respective teams, the versatility of the position has trickled down to the NCAA level. /article/Just-by-the-Numbers-The-2010-Power-Forward-Crop-3518/ /article/Just-by-the-Numbers-The-2010-Power-Forward-Crop-3518/ Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:12:57 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Gary Parrish to discuss a number of NBA draft related topics. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Gary-Parrish-3524/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Gary-Parrish-3524/ Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:11:00 -0400 An in-depth look at this year's draft class, with a major focus on players available in the range that the Toronto Raptors will be picking. /article/Jonathan-Givony-Interview-with-RaptorsHQ-3523/ /article/Jonathan-Givony-Interview-with-RaptorsHQ-3523/ Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:26:02 -0400 Russian guard Alexey Shved has been on the NBA draft radar for what seems like forever now, but he is still quite an obscure prospect compared to his American counterparts. /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Alexey-Shved-3522/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Alexey-Shved-3522/ Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:09:10 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Doug Thonus of the Bulls Beat to discuss a number of NBA draft related topics. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Doug-Thonus-3521/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Doug-Thonus-3521/ Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:46:18 -0400 In our third analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top small forwards in the 2010 NBA draft. One of the stronger positions in this year's class, this crop of players is also one of the most diverse. /article/Just-by-the-Numbers-The-2010-Small-Forward-Crop-3516/ /article/Just-by-the-Numbers-The-2010-Small-Forward-Crop-3516/ Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:10:37 -0400 Jeremy Wise's unlikely journey from Southern Miss, to the D-League draft, to being cut by the L.A. D-Fenders, to now finding himself on the verge of being picked in Thursday's NBA draft. /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Jeremy-Wise-3520/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Jeremy-Wise-3520/ Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:22:05 -0400 In our second analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top shooting guards in the 2010 NBA draft. Though Evan Turner is the headliner of this class, debate continues about which player to rank below him at the top of the second tier. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-The-2010-Shooting-Guard-Crop-3517/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-The-2010-Shooting-Guard-Crop-3517/ Mon, 21 Jun 2010 01:02:16 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Peter Brown of the Sporting News to discuss a number of NBA draft related topics. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-Sporting-News-Radio-3515/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-on-Sporting-News-Radio-3515/ Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:11:02 -0400 The 2007 high school class took a while to develop, but its prospects ended up becoming a terrific group of NBA players. Now that four years has passed and the dust has settled on the recruiting rankings, we look back at the '07 class to see how it panned out and what affect it might have on the 2011 NBA draft. /article/2006-The-High-School-Class-that-Keeps-on-Giving-3514/ /article/2006-The-High-School-Class-that-Keeps-on-Giving-3514/ Sat, 19 Jun 2010 20:50:04 -0400 Footage and an interview from an afternoon we spent with Terrico White working out in Los Angeles. /article/Interview---Workout-Footage-with-Terrico-White-3513/ /article/Interview---Workout-Footage-with-Terrico-White-3513/ Sat, 19 Jun 2010 20:24:14 -0400 In our first analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top 19 point guards in the 2010 NBA draft. Not the strongest position in terms of depth, this analysis should shed some light on which floor generals should be drafted after John Wall. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-The-2010-Point-Guard-Crop-3510/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-The-2010-Point-Guard-Crop-3510/ Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:59:46 -0400 Footage and an interview with Sherron Collins working out in Las Vegas. /article/Interview---Workout-Footage-with-Sherron-Collins-3512/ /article/Interview---Workout-Footage-with-Sherron-Collins-3512/ Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:54:52 -0400 Footage and an interview from an afternoon we spent with Luke Harangody working out in Los Angeles. /article/Interview---Workout-Footage-with-Luke-Harangody-3511/ /article/Interview---Workout-Footage-with-Luke-Harangody-3511/ Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:45:00 -0400 From hitting the game winning shot in the Big East Tournament Championship, to tearing his ACL in the NCAA Final Four a month later, no one has felt the highs and lows of the basketball world more than Da'Sean Butler. Despite the setbacks, he remains committed to his dream of playing in the NBA, and looks in good shape to do so. /article/DaSean-Butler-Iave-Learned-About-Myself-as-an-Individual-3509/ /article/DaSean-Butler-Iave-Learned-About-Myself-as-an-Individual-3509/ Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:05:34 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins David Locke of 1320 KFNZ in Salt Lake City to discuss a number of NBA draft related topics. /article/NBA-Draft-Podcast-with-Jonathan-Givony---David-Locke-3508/ /article/NBA-Draft-Podcast-with-Jonathan-Givony---David-Locke-3508/ Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:38:10 -0400 Continuing our series of analyses, we break down easily the most intriguing position in this year’s draft. Last season, just two true centers were selected in the first round. This season, as many as nine players could go in the first round, with another nine very much in play from picks 31-60. /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Yearas-Center-Crop-3507/ /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Yearas-Center-Crop-3507/ Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:26:51 -0400 Footage and an interview from an afternoon we spent with Jerome Jordan working out in Los Angeles. /article/Interview---Workout-Footage-with-Jerome-Jordan-3506/ /article/Interview---Workout-Footage-with-Jerome-Jordan-3506/ Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:30:10 -0400 Continuing our series of analyses, we take a look at one of the more balanced positions in this year’s draft. With a number of high-level and second-round-caliber prospects, the growing diversity of the power forward position has made this the deepest crop we’ve seen in quite some time, something that NBA teams are surely taking note of as they prepare to make their draft picks in 10 days. /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Yearas-Power-Forward-Crop-3505/ /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Yearas-Power-Forward-Crop-3505/ Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:31:46 -0400 Footage and interviews from an afternoon we spent with Jarvis Varnado working out in Los Angeles. /article/Interview---Workout-Footage-with-Jarvis-Varnado-3504/ /article/Interview---Workout-Footage-with-Jarvis-Varnado-3504/ Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:56:48 -0400 Continuing our series of analyses, we evaluate one of the deepest and most intriguing positions in this year’s draft. With 12 prospects that could be in play in the first round, this group has a number of highly intriguing case studies. /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Yearas-Small-Forward-Crop-3503/ /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Yearas-Small-Forward-Crop-3503/ Sat, 12 Jun 2010 12:31:32 -0400 Evan Turner may have a stranglehold on the top shooting guard spot, but this group is full or diverse prospect and will have a huge impact in how the draft shakes out from picks 20-45. We investigate the situational strength and weaknesses of 19 of the top shooting guards declared for the 2010 draft. /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Yearas-Shooting-Guard-Crop-3502/ /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Yearas-Shooting-Guard-Crop-3502/ Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:25:30 -0400 An exclusive interview and workout with Texas senior Damion James. /article/Damion-James-Workout-and-Interview-3501/ /article/Damion-James-Workout-and-Interview-3501/ Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:00:31 -0400 John Wall is the top point guard in this class, and the depth behind him leaves a lot to be desired. We’ve compiled a huge amount of situational data to thoroughly investigate this year’s crop of point guards from top to bottom. We also revisit what we learned from our investigation last season. /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Yearas-Point-Guard-Crop-3500/ /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Yearas-Point-Guard-Crop-3500/ Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:17:24 -0400 The measurements from the adidas EuroCamp, including height with and without shoes, wingspans, standing reaches, vertical leaps and weights have been released. /article/EuroCamp-Measurements-Released-3499/ /article/EuroCamp-Measurements-Released-3499/ Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:10:48 -0400 Play by play data is widely considered the next frontier in terms of basketball statistical analysis. How does this year's NBA draft class stack up using these metrics? /article/Play-by-Play-Driven-Floor-Stats-for-2010-NCAA-Draft-Prospects-3498/ /article/Play-by-Play-Driven-Floor-Stats-for-2010-NCAA-Draft-Prospects-3498/ Mon, 07 Jun 2010 04:51:42 -0400 An exclusive interview and workout with Kentucky freshman John Wall. /article/John-Wall-Workout-and-Interview-3497/ /article/John-Wall-Workout-and-Interview-3497/ Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:21:53 -0400 Tracking the road Paul George took from anonymous high school player in Palmdale, California to a potential lottery pick. /article/Paul-George-My-Ceiling-is-Pretty-High-3496/ /article/Paul-George-My-Ceiling-is-Pretty-High-3496/ Sun, 06 Jun 2010 03:34:45 -0400 Of all the players in this draft, none elicits as wide a range of responses from NBA talent evaluators as Fresno State sophomore Paul George. In terms of pure upside, though, there may not be five players in this draft with more overall talent than what we saw from George in Los Angeles. /article/Paul-George-Workout-and-Interview-3495/ /article/Paul-George-Workout-and-Interview-3495/ Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:56:09 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Ben Golliver of BlazersEdge on the Dontonio Wingcast to discuss a number of pressing NBA draft related issues. /article/Jonathan-Givony-on-the-The-Dontonio-Wingcast--3494/ /article/Jonathan-Givony-on-the-The-Dontonio-Wingcast--3494/ Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:13:01 -0400 The EuroCamp kicks off on Saturday in Treviso, Italy, and DraftExpress will be out covering the event for the 7th straight year. Here's a look at who will be attending and why. /article/2010-adidas-EuroCamp-in-Treviso-Rosters-and-Preview-3493/ /article/2010-adidas-EuroCamp-in-Treviso-Rosters-and-Preview-3493/ Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:37:40 -0400 Samardo Samuels was ranked as one of the top players in the 2008 high school class, but is now viewed as largely an after-thought in this year's draft. Was he overrated or are NBA teams making a huge mistake? /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Samardo-Samuels-3492/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Samardo-Samuels-3492/ Thu, 03 Jun 2010 02:43:38 -0400 Largely slipping below the radar of our draft coverage, there is little doubt after reviewing his game footage from this season that Paulao Prestes has much more to offer as an NBA prospect than we’ve given him credit for. /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Paulao-Prestes-3491/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Paulao-Prestes-3491/ Wed, 02 Jun 2010 02:45:09 -0400 DraftExpress ranks the top 120 players in this draft by position, using our own personal criteria. /article/DraftExpress-2010-NBA-Draft-Positional-Rankings-Released-3490/ /article/DraftExpress-2010-NBA-Draft-Positional-Rankings-Released-3490/ Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:03:28 -0400 Jonathan Givony discusses some of the hottest topics surrounding the NBA draft on 730 Fox Sports with Dan Wolken. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Dan-Wolken-3489/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-and-Dan-Wolken-3489/ Tue, 01 Jun 2010 01:23:46 -0400 Al-Farouq Aminu of Wake Forest discussing his year at school, his return to school, and his future in the NBA. The interview features exclusive workout footage with trainer Dave Hopla shot at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California. /article/Al-Farouq-Aminu-Pre-Draft-Interview---Workout-Footage--3487/ /article/Al-Farouq-Aminu-Pre-Draft-Interview---Workout-Footage--3487/ Mon, 31 May 2010 10:15:44 -0400 Jonathan Givony discusses some of the hottest topics surrounding the NBA draft on 540 ESPN Milwaukee. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-ESPN-Milwaukee-3486/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-ESPN-Milwaukee-3486/ Fri, 28 May 2010 19:01:09 -0400 The athletic testing results have been added to our sortable database. Check them out here. /article/Combine-results-added-to-the-sortable-database-3488/ /article/Combine-results-added-to-the-sortable-database-3488/ Fri, 28 May 2010 19:00:54 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA combine with Darington Hobson, Lazar Hayward, RYan Richards, Artsiom Parakhouski, Lance Stephenson, Charles Garcia /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Hobson-Hayward-Richards-Stephenson-Garcia-3484/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Hobson-Hayward-Richards-Stephenson-Garcia-3484/ Fri, 28 May 2010 02:24:57 -0400 DraftExpress was given exclusive access to a workout featuring Wesley Johnson and Ed Davis, giving us the opportunity to produce the following video and article. /article/Wesley-Johnson-Late-Night-ATTACK-Athletics-Workout-3485/ /article/Wesley-Johnson-Late-Night-ATTACK-Athletics-Workout-3485/ Thu, 27 May 2010 19:01:26 -0400 Jonathan Givony discusses some of the hottest topics surrounding the NBA draft on the Sports Wire on WCWP. /article/DX-Podcast-wJonathan-Givony-Hot-Topics-3483/ /article/DX-Podcast-wJonathan-Givony-Hot-Topics-3483/ Wed, 26 May 2010 17:08:37 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA combine with Eric Bledsoe, Solomon Alabi, Gordon Hayward, Larry Sanders, Hassan Whiteside, Devin Ebanks. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Bledsoe-Alabi-Hayward-Sanders-Whiteside-3482/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Bledsoe-Alabi-Hayward-Sanders-Whiteside-3482/ Wed, 26 May 2010 17:04:28 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA combine with Xavier Henry, James Anderson, Luke Babbitt, Dominique Jones and Stanley Robinson. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Henry-Anderson-Babbitt-Jones-Robinson-3480/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Henry-Anderson-Babbitt-Jones-Robinson-3480/ Mon, 24 May 2010 21:22:50 -0400 Jonathan Givony talks draft and recaps the NBA Combine on the SNR Postgame with Peter Brown /article/NBA-Draft-Podcast-with-Jonathan-Givony-3479/ /article/NBA-Draft-Podcast-with-Jonathan-Givony-3479/ Sun, 23 May 2010 14:11:13 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA combine with Al-Farouq Aminu, Ekpe Udoh, Cole Aldrich and Ed Davis. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Al-Farouq-Aminu-Ekpe-Udoh-Aldrich-Ed-Davis-3478/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-Al-Farouq-Aminu-Ekpe-Udoh-Aldrich-Ed-Davis-3478/ Sun, 23 May 2010 14:01:25 -0400 Opinions on the importance of measurements vary greatly, as they are just one piece to the puzzle that determines whether a player will end up being successful. Measurements are still widely anticipated both by NBA draft fans and talent evaluators because they present a completely objective way of comparing prospects. /article/Analyzing-the-NBA-Combine-Measurements-3477/ /article/Analyzing-the-NBA-Combine-Measurements-3477/ Sat, 22 May 2010 20:11:36 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine with DeMarcus Cousins, Evan Turner and Wesley Johnson. /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-DeMarcus-Cousins-Evan-Turner-Wes-Johnson-3476/ /article/NBA-Combine-Interviews-DeMarcus-Cousins-Evan-Turner-Wes-Johnson-3476/ Sat, 22 May 2010 13:27:37 -0400 An in-depth interview with Kentucky's Patrick Patterson, covering a wide range of topics. /article/NBA-Combine-Video-Interview-Patrick-Patterson-3475/ /article/NBA-Combine-Video-Interview-Patrick-Patterson-3475/ Sat, 22 May 2010 02:43:14 -0400 As the second day of the NBA Combine (see reruns on ESPNU) has come to a close, we take a look at a couple of storylines affecting this draft. /article/2010-NBA-Combine-Storylines-3472/ /article/2010-NBA-Combine-Storylines-3472/ Fri, 21 May 2010 16:01:13 -0400 Heights, weights, wingspans, standing reach and even hand width and length as measured at the NBA Combine in Chicago. /article/2010-NBA-Draft-Measurements-3473/ /article/2010-NBA-Draft-Measurements-3473/ Fri, 21 May 2010 14:16:47 -0400 High definition video interviews from the NBA Combine with John Wall, Derrick Favors, Greg Monroe, Ekpe Udoh and Daniel Orton. /article/NBA-Combine-Video-Interviews-Wall-Favors-Monroe-Udoh-Orton-3471/ /article/NBA-Combine-Video-Interviews-Wall-Favors-Monroe-Udoh-Orton-3471/ Fri, 21 May 2010 11:35:08 -0400 On the 31st episode of the DraftExpress podcast, Jonathan joins 2 Live Stews on the air to discuss the NBA Draft. You can download it here, or subscribe using Itunes. /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-31-3470/ /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-31-3470/ Wed, 19 May 2010 18:19:13 -0400 Quotes from representatives of the Washington Wizards, Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves and David Stern before and after the unveiling of the results of the 2010 NBA draft lottery. /article/2010-NBA-Draft-Lottery-Quotes-Ted-Leonsis-Ed-Stefanski-David-Kahn-3469/ /article/2010-NBA-Draft-Lottery-Quotes-Ted-Leonsis-Ed-Stefanski-David-Kahn-3469/ Wed, 19 May 2010 08:49:10 -0400 Next on our west coast workout swing, we stopped in at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas, where Joe Abunassar and his staff train a huge amount of pre-draft prospects each year at their massive complex. /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-3-Joe-Abunassars-Impact-Basketball-3468/ /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-3-Joe-Abunassars-Impact-Basketball-3468/ Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:02 -0400 Reviewing some of the top prospects seen at the Nike International Junior Tournament in Paris, including Nikola Jankovic, Nenad Miljenovic, Pape Amadou, Rafa Freire and others. /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-in-Paris-Top-Prospects-3467/ /article/Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-in-Paris-Top-Prospects-3467/ Mon, 17 May 2010 19:54:31 -0400 On the second day of our West coast swing, we stopped into the gym at Cal Lutheran University in Los Angeles, where Wake Forest’s Al-Farouq Aminu and Ishmael Smith have been working with Dave Leitao and David Hopla to prepare for the draft. /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-2-Al-Farouq-Aminu-in-Los-Angeles-3466/ /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-2-Al-Farouq-Aminu-in-Los-Angeles-3466/ Sun, 16 May 2010 11:49:12 -0400 Receiving consistent minutes in the German Budesliga for the first time in his career last season, Tibor Pleiss’s move from the Koln 99ers to Brose Baskets Bamberg has helped him develop and in turn improve his draft stock considerably this season. /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Tibor-Pleiss-3465/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Tibor-Pleiss-3465/ Sun, 16 May 2010 11:22:43 -0400 One of the biggest surprises in the European game this season, Mindaugas Kuzminskas had a breakout season for Siauliai, putting up tremendous numbers for a player his age in the LKL, Baltic League, and EuroCup alike. Not considered all that interesting of a prospect up until this past season, Kuzminskas was recently named the MVP of the Lithuanian league after not being a major part of his country’s various national teams growing up /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Mindaugas-Kuzminskas-3464/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Mindaugas-Kuzminskas-3464/ Fri, 14 May 2010 21:43:22 -0400 We started our pre-draft workout swing this year in Los Angeles, where we got a chance to take in a brief workout featuring BDA Sports clients Jerome Jordan and Jarvis Varnado, who have spent the past few weeks here preparing for the draft with Joe Abunassar of Impact Basketball. /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-1-BDA-Sports-Los-Angeles-3463/ /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Part-1-BDA-Sports-Los-Angeles-3463/ Thu, 13 May 2010 06:07:54 -0400 Jared Reiner's latest stop brought him to Puerto Rico, where his team is competing for a playoff spot. /article/Jared-Reiner-Just-Rolling-With-the-Punches-3462/ /article/Jared-Reiner-Just-Rolling-With-the-Punches-3462/ Thu, 13 May 2010 05:18:05 -0400 Physically talented big men who can lock down the paint, rebound out of their area and still have huge upside are always at a premium in today's NBA. What does that mean for Cholet's Kevin Seraphin? /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Kevin-Seraphin-3461/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Kevin-Seraphin-3461/ Tue, 11 May 2010 09:19:24 -0400 Stanford's Landry Fields takes us into the daily life of an NBA draft prospect, describing the preparation that goes into the workout process. /article/Landry-Fields-Just-Another-Day-at-the-Office-3460/ /article/Landry-Fields-Just-Another-Day-at-the-Office-3460/ Tue, 11 May 2010 05:02:04 -0400 The beat goes on in Moscow...the Nike International Junior Tournament...Olympiacos vs. Partizan...European Giants missing /article/Euroleague-Final-FourEuropean-Storylines-3459/ /article/Euroleague-Final-FourEuropean-Storylines-3459/ Fri, 07 May 2010 06:10:00 -0400 With the Euroleague Final Four kicking off Friday, we present some of this weekend's top NBA-related storylines. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four--NBA-Storylines-3458/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four--NBA-Storylines-3458/ Wed, 05 May 2010 13:45:41 -0400 One of the most highly debated prospects in this draft, Butler’s miraculous tournament put the unassuming Gordon Hayward in the national spotlight. Projected all over the board, the mid-major star is certainly talented, but he elicits as wide a range of opinions as any prospect in this draft. /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Gordon-Hayward-3454/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Gordon-Hayward-3454/ Wed, 05 May 2010 02:12:40 -0400 Basketball globe-trotter Pooh Jeter brings his loyal readers up to speed on his whereabouts in the 2009-2010 season, sharing his impressions of Jerusalem and Israel along the way, and telling us about his plans for this upcoming summer. /article/Pooh-Jeter-Must-Finish-Strong-3457/ /article/Pooh-Jeter-Must-Finish-Strong-3457/ Mon, 03 May 2010 18:50:25 -0400 John Wall picks an agent, Dan Fegan of BEST. Find out why this matters and what this means for the future. /article/John-Wall-Signs-with-Dan-Fegan-and-BEST-3456/ /article/John-Wall-Signs-with-Dan-Fegan-and-BEST-3456/ Mon, 03 May 2010 03:19:37 -0400 Stanford senior and NBA prospect Landry Fields shares his insight on playing at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, along with his thoughts on Jerome Randle and Mikhail Torrance. /article/Landry-Fields-There-Are-No-Direct-Flights-to-Portsmouth--3455/ /article/Landry-Fields-There-Are-No-Direct-Flights-to-Portsmouth--3455/ Mon, 03 May 2010 02:58:02 -0400 A complete listing of every prospect in this draft and the agent that will represent them. /article/2010-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Agent-Listings-3453/ /article/2010-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Agent-Listings-3453/ Sat, 01 May 2010 14:12:27 -0400 The official 2010 NBA Draft Early Entry List, including NCAA underclassmen, internationals from 1989-1991 and "also-eligible" prospects. /article/2010-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List-3452/ /article/2010-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List-3452/ Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:00:02 -0400 Scouting reports on some of the players we missed out on during the season, including Duke's Brian Zoubek, Cincinatti's Lance Stepehnson, and Oklahoma's Tommy Mason-Griffin and Tiny Gallon. /article/Filling-in-the-Blanks-NCAA-Scouting-Reports-3451/ /article/Filling-in-the-Blanks-NCAA-Scouting-Reports-3451/ Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:51:53 -0400 With the NBA becoming far more of a perimeter game these days, shot creators coming at a huge premium and multiple ball handlers in every lineup becoming the norm, it’s only natural that talent evaluators would look to the college ranks to find offensive firepower. Enter South Florida’s Dominique Jones. /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Dominique-Jones-3450/ /article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Dominique-Jones-3450/ Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:50:07 -0400 A press release from Jan Vesely, acquired exclusively by DraftExpress, explaining his decision not to enter the 2010 draft. /article/Jan-Vesely-I-Decided-Not-to-Enter-the-2010-NBA-Draft-3449/ /article/Jan-Vesely-I-Decided-Not-to-Enter-the-2010-NBA-Draft-3449/ Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:35:12 -0400 Stanford senior and NBA prospect Landry Fields shares his insight on playing in the Cancun Challenge against the likes of John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton and others. /article/Landry-Fields-The-Players-You-See-The-Players-I-Play-3448/ /article/Landry-Fields-The-Players-You-See-The-Players-I-Play-3448/ Sun, 25 Apr 2010 22:16:56 -0400 Reports on most of the international players seen at the Nike Hoop Summit, including Enes Kanter, Nikola Mirotic and Dejan Musli, as well as Illinois commit Meyers Leonard. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-3447/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Scouting-Reports-3447/ Sat, 24 Apr 2010 22:00:46 -0400 Introducing our newly released Early-Entry List Tool, allowing you to sort the NCAA and International Early-Entry list candidates by school/team, class, age, height, nationality, DraftExpress Top-100 ranking, draft projection, commitment to staying in and agent (if applicable) /article/NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List-Tool-Released-3446/ /article/NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List-Tool-Released-3446/ Sat, 24 Apr 2010 11:47:27 -0400 Jonathan Givony conducts an in-depth conversation with the #1 rebounder in college basketball, Morehead State's Kenneth Faried. /article/Podcast-with-Kenneth-Faried-3445/ /article/Podcast-with-Kenneth-Faried-3445/ Sat, 24 Apr 2010 02:29:59 -0400 Jonathan Givony conducts an in-depth conversation with adidas Treviso EuroCamp Director and Minnesota Timberwolves International scout Pete Philo, discussing this year's camp and international basketball in general. /article/Podcast-with-adidas-Eurocamp-Director-and-NBA-Scout-Pete-Philo-3444/ /article/Podcast-with-adidas-Eurocamp-Director-and-NBA-Scout-Pete-Philo-3444/ Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:26:16 -0400 A recap of the top players seen at the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic International game, including Canadian Anthony Bennett. /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic-International-Game-Top-Prospects-3443/ /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic-International-Game-Top-Prospects-3443/ Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:02:00 -0400 Tracking the career path Jerome Randle took from shoot-first combo guard to one of the best playmakers and most efficient scorers in college basketball. /article/Jerome-Randle-I-Can-Compete-3442/ /article/Jerome-Randle-I-Can-Compete-3442/ Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:58:01 -0400 A radio interview with Jonathan Givony discussing a myriad of draft-related topics, including: the impending 2011 NBA lockout, the hypocrisy of the NCAA's self-imposed early-entry deadline, the most overhyped and underhyped prospects, Da'Sean Butler and more. Listen to the podcast here. /article/NBA-Draft-Podcast-with-Jonathan-Givony-3441/ /article/NBA-Draft-Podcast-with-Jonathan-Givony-3441/ Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:48:38 -0400 For this year’s Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, the NBA elected to bring a professional company specializing in this area to conduct the official measurements, giving teams yet another way to learn more about potential draft prospects and compare them against each other. /article/Official-Portsmouth-Measurements-Released-3440/ /article/Official-Portsmouth-Measurements-Released-3440/ Sun, 18 Apr 2010 22:53:19 -0400 Recapping the top players seen at the 2010 Portsmouth Invitational tournament, continuing with our all-third team, consisting of Ben Uzoh, Aubrey Coleman, Kevin Palmer, Osiris Eldridge and Denis Clemente. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Recap-All-Third-Team-3439/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Recap-All-Third-Team-3439/ Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:16:03 -0400 Recapping the top players seen at the 2010 Portsmouth Invitational tournament, continuing with our all-first team, consisting of Edwin Ubiles, Raymar Morgan, Ryan Thompson, Donald Sloan and Wayne Chism. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Recap-All-Second-Team-3438/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Recap-All-Second-Team-3438/ Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:05:23 -0400 Recapping the top players seen at the 2010 Portsmouth Invitational tournament, starting with our all-first team, consisting of Jerome Randle, Mikhail Torrance, A.J. Slaughter, Tyren Johnson and Hamady N'Diaye. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Recap-All-First-Team-3437/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Recap-All-First-Team-3437/ Tue, 13 Apr 2010 03:35:21 -0400 The USA Junior National Select Team redeemed their counterparts from last season and made up for an extremely poor performance in the third quarter to eke out a victory over Enes Kanter and the World Select Team on Saturday at the Rose Garden in Portland. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Recap-3436/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Recap-3436/ Sun, 11 Apr 2010 23:36:10 -0400 DraftExpress details Aubrey Coleman's remarkable ascent from the end of his high school bench to the leading scorer in college basketball. /article/The-Unlikely-Story-of-Aubrey-Coleman-3435/ /article/The-Unlikely-Story-of-Aubrey-Coleman-3435/ Sat, 10 Apr 2010 20:18:39 -0400 With the Nike Hoop Summit game coming up tomorrow evening at 7PM PST, we got to see both the Junior National Select Team and World Select Team practice today. While this was the last chance for the teams to prepare, the atmosphere at practice was altered considerably by the presence of upwards of 60 NBA scouts representing almost every team. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices-Day-Three-3434/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices-Day-Three-3434/ Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:35:43 -0400 Day two of the Portsmouth Invitational was a very productive one, highlighted by an excellent early evening game, a few standout performances and a number of under the radar prospects emerging from obscurity and establishing themselves as players to consider during the draft process. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Two-3433/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Two-3433/ Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:14:35 -0400 Our second report from Portland, focusing on the US team comprised of the top players in high school basketball. Brandon Knight stood out in the practices. Kendall Marshall interview. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices-Day-Two-3432/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices-Day-Two-3432/ Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:32:15 -0400 An interview with Bob Fescoe of 610 Sports Radio in Kansas City, discussing topics such as Xavier Henry, Cole Aldrich, the NBA's one and done rule, Ryan Thompson of Rider, five Kentucky players going pro, and more. /article/Podcast-with-Jonathan-Givony-and-Bob-Fescoe-3431/ /article/Podcast-with-Jonathan-Givony-and-Bob-Fescoe-3431/ Thu, 08 Apr 2010 21:29:37 -0400 We’re back in Virginia once again for another Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a historic camp in its 57th edition, intended to showcase the top 64 NCAA senior draft prospects for all 30 NBA teams. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-One-3430/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-One-3430/ Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:54:37 -0400 Our first report from Portland, including a look at Enes Kanter, Nikola Mirotic and Tristan Thompson, quick hitters and the official measurements. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices-Day-One-3429/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices-Day-One-3429/ Thu, 08 Apr 2010 10:30:06 -0400 Interview with Jonathan Givony with Dan Wolken of the Memphis Commercial Appeal on 730 Fox Sports discussing many NBA Draft related topics, including the PIT, Lance Stephenson, the one and done rule, and more. Podcast LINK. /article/NBA-Draft-Podcast-with-Jonathan-Givony---Dan-Wolken-3428/ /article/NBA-Draft-Podcast-with-Jonathan-Givony---Dan-Wolken-3428/ Thu, 08 Apr 2010 10:02:06 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Ekpe Udoh, Daniel Orton, Eric Bledsoe and Herb Pope. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-4610-3427/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-4610-3427/ Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:58:48 -0400 With DraftExpress coverage of the 2010 high school class still yet to come from the Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic, we look at 10 select players from the McDonald's All-American week, with a particular focus on those who were not invited to New York City for the Jordan game. /article/Mcdonalds-All-American-Week-Player-Evaluations-and-Interviews-3426/ /article/Mcdonalds-All-American-Week-Player-Evaluations-and-Interviews-3426/ Mon, 05 Apr 2010 01:50:08 -0400 Podcast Topics: Evan Turner or John Wall #1? The draft's most talented big man, Jan Vesely, The value of testing the NBA draft waters, the making of the UNC-Duke smackdown video and more. PODCAST LINK /article/NBA-Draft-Podcast-with-Jonathan-Givony-3425/ /article/NBA-Draft-Podcast-with-Jonathan-Givony-3425/ Fri, 02 Apr 2010 23:37:28 -0400 The players participating at the 2010 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament official site) were announced today, and as usual we find a number of surprises on the roster, both good and bad. /article/2010-Portsmouth-Invitational-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-3424/ /article/2010-Portsmouth-Invitational-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-3424/ Fri, 02 Apr 2010 19:55:32 -0400 We were on hand in Columbus, Ohio to once again witness some of the best athletes in high school basketball, and potential future NBA draft picks, at the 2010 McDonald's High School All-American Dunk Contest. This was another chance to try out our exclusive DX-Mo video technology. /article/2010-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest-Videos-3423/ /article/2010-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest-Videos-3423/ Fri, 02 Apr 2010 01:30:59 -0400 Harrison Barnes, Kendall Marshall and especially Reggie Bullock continue to fan the flames of the North Carolina-Duke rivalry with another trash-talking session. /article/2010-McDonalds-All-American-Game-Duke-vs-UNC-Smackdown-Part-Two-3422/ /article/2010-McDonalds-All-American-Game-Duke-vs-UNC-Smackdown-Part-Two-3422/ Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:50:11 -0400 An epic trash talking session involving the four McDonald's All-Americans going to North Carolina and Duke- Harrison Barnes, Kyrie Irving, Kendall Marshall and Reggie Bullock discussing their future schools. /article/2010-McDonalds-All-American-Game-Duke-vs-UNC-Smackdown-3421/ /article/2010-McDonalds-All-American-Game-Duke-vs-UNC-Smackdown-3421/ Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:35:59 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Avery Bradley, Sylven Landesberg, Darington Hobson and Jimmer Fredette. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-32510-3420/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-32510-3420/ Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:24:04 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Sherron Collins, Elias Harris, Aubrey Coleman and Lazar Hayward. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-32410-3419/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-32410-3419/ Wed, 24 Mar 2010 01:11:48 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Greg Monroe, Larry Sanders, Kawhi Leonard and Jeff Taylor. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-31810-3418/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-31810-3418/ Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:07:19 -0400 Updated scouting reports on Hassan Whiteside, Quincy Pondexter, Terrico White and Elliot Williams /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-31710-3417/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-31710-3417/ Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:31:48 -0400 With the 2010 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament only three weeks away, it’s time to take an in-depth look at this year’s NCAA senior class and figure out what the field might look like. /article/Suggested-Rosters-2010-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-3416/ /article/Suggested-Rosters-2010-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-3416/ Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:09:50 -0400 Temple arrived at the Atlantic 10 as the conference's top team and left with the championship, defeating Richmond on Sunday afternoon thanks to a balanced attack and clutch free throw shooting. Despite trailing early and falling behind in the second half, Richmond stuck around admirably before falling, proving that the team will be a tough out in the NCAA Tournament. /article/Final-Notes-on-the-2010-Atlantic-10-Tournament-3415/ /article/Final-Notes-on-the-2010-Atlantic-10-Tournament-3415/ Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:53:39 -0400 The semifinal round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament was an up and down affair, offering an excellent look at the tournament's best remaining prospects including Jordan Crawford and Lavoy Allen. At least 10 NBA team representatives were on hand alongside us to take in the action. /article/Notes-on-the-2010-Atlantic-10-Tournament-Semifinals-3414/ /article/Notes-on-the-2010-Atlantic-10-Tournament-Semifinals-3414/ Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:34:31 -0400 In Atlantic City, the Quarterfinals have ended and the semifinals are upon us. St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis, Dayton, and Massachusetts did not make the cut in what was a thrilling Friday afternoon, evening, and night. Now, only Temple, Rhode Island, Xavier, and Richmond remain to continue their quest for the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Championship. /article/Notes-on-the-2010-Atlantic-10-Tournament-Quarterfinals-3413/ /article/Notes-on-the-2010-Atlantic-10-Tournament-Quarterfinals-3413/ Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:09:56 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Patrick Patterson, Solomon Alabi, Greivis Vasquez and Andy Rautins /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-31310-3412/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-31310-3412/ Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:22:18 -0500 Beginning Friday, DraftExpress will be with you live from Atlantic City, NJ at the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Tournament taking a look at some intriguing prospects. /article/2010-Atlantic-10-Menas-Basketball-Tournament-Preview-3411/ /article/2010-Atlantic-10-Menas-Basketball-Tournament-Preview-3411/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:37:56 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Cole Aldrich, Paul George, Charles Garcia and Kenneth Faried. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-31010-3410/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-31010-3410/ Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:44:38 -0500 We continue our coverage of the 2010 NBA campaign by reviewing Tyreke Evans’ development into one of the top young talents in the NBA. Though Brandon Jennings was pegged as the early leader for the Rookie of the Year Award, Evans has emerged as the run-away favorite thanks to the tremendous season he’s having in Sacramento. /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Tyreke-Evans-3409/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Tyreke-Evans-3409/ Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:50:09 -0500 Updated scouting reports on James Anderson, Tyshawn Taylor, Andrew Ogilvy and Dwayne Collins. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-3410-3408/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-3410-3408/ Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:29:23 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Damion James, Trey Thompkins, Derrick Caracter and Ben Uzoh. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-3310-3407/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-3310-3407/ Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:23:04 -0500 Continuing our series of “Player Retrospectives” we’ll examine the successes and struggles of NBA players nearing the end of their rookie contracts. We begin our coverage with Detroit guard Rodney Stuckey whose faced a unique set of expectations this season. /article/Player-Retrospective-Rodney-Stuckey-3390/ /article/Player-Retrospective-Rodney-Stuckey-3390/ Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:13:05 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Willie Warren, Jerome Jordan, Kemba Walker and Malcolm Lee. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-22610-3406/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-22610-3406/ Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:47:49 -0500 "Shut It Down." The story of Syracuse assistant coach Rob Murphy and his contribution to the Orange playing some of the best defense opponents have seen this decade. /article/Syracuse-Orange-Marching-To-Their-Own-Beat-3405/ /article/Syracuse-Orange-Marching-To-Their-Own-Beat-3405/ Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:13:58 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Al-Farouq Aminu, Scottie Reynolds, Deon Thompson and Mac Koshwal. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-22510-3404/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-22510-3404/ Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:12:55 -0500 After a full 10 days in Serbia, seeing all of the NBA draft prospects here numerous times live as well on film, it’s time to sit down and evaluate what we learned over the course of our trip, starting with the two players who should receive consideration for the second round, small forward Nemanja Bjelica and point guard Stefan Markovic. /article/Serbian-Scouting-Trip-Part-Two-Second-Round-Prospects-3403/ /article/Serbian-Scouting-Trip-Part-Two-Second-Round-Prospects-3403/ Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:44:17 -0500 After a full 10 days in Serbia, seeing all of the NBA draft prospects here numerous times live as well on film, it’s time to sit down and evaluate what we learned over the course of our trip, starting with the two players who should receive consideration in the first round, Partizan's Jan Vesely and FMP's Miroslav Raduljica. /article/Serbian-Scouting-Trip-Part-One-First-Round-Prospects-3402/ /article/Serbian-Scouting-Trip-Part-One-First-Round-Prospects-3402/ Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:08:18 -0500 We take a look at this week's TV schedule to pick out the games, prospects, and matchups we’ll be keying in on... /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-222-228-3401/ /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-222-228-3401/ Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:41:44 -0500 How does a small club from Serbia with a minuscule budget compete year after year with all of the top teams in European basketball? All of the answers are right here. /article/The-Anatomy-of-an-Underdog-Partizan-Belgrade-3400/ /article/The-Anatomy-of-an-Underdog-Partizan-Belgrade-3400/ Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:55:25 -0500 We summarize the Euroleague Junior Tournament Qualifier in Belgrade, graciously hosted by FMP Zeleznik, with a look at the top prospects seen at the event. /article/Belgrade-Euroleague-Junior-Tournament-Top-Prospects-3399/ /article/Belgrade-Euroleague-Junior-Tournament-Top-Prospects-3399/ Sat, 20 Feb 2010 11:50:57 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Ed Davis, Trevor Booker and Da'Sean Butler. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-21910-3398/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-21910-3398/ Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:17:50 -0500 A sad state of affairs has emerged in the traditionally talent-laden Pac-10 conference. With conference play nearing its end, the Pac-10 has shockingly proven itself to be worthy of fewer NCAA tournament at-large bids than the Mountain West and West Coast Conferences. At this juncture it looks very likely to send just a single representative to the Big Dance—whichever team wins the conference tournament. /article/The-Demise-of-the-Pac-10-3397/ /article/The-Demise-of-the-Pac-10-3397/ Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:53:53 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Georgia Tech's Derrick Favors, Florida State's Chris Singleton, Notre Dame's Luke Harangody, and Nevada's Armon Johnson. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-21610-3396/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-21610-3396/ Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:29:40 -0500 We take a look at this week's TV schedule to pick out the games and NBA prospects we’ll be taking a closer look at... /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-215-221-3395/ /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-215-221-3395/ Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:23:13 -0500 Friday night the NBA D-League held it's Slam Dunk Competition and DraftExpress was there filming every dunk with our exclusive slow-motion technology, lovingly dubbed DX-Mo. The players would be hard pressed to put on a better show than last year when James White went on a high flying, long jumping, dunking clinic, but these players gave it their best and provided some memorable moments. /article/2010-D-League-Dunk-Contest-3394/ /article/2010-D-League-Dunk-Contest-3394/ Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:23:46 -0500 Texas-Arlington guard Marquez Haynes, the #2 scorer in college basketball, sits down with Joey Whelan to explain the unconventional route he took to establishing himself as an NBA prospect. /article/Marquez-Haynes-Iam-a-basketball-player-not-a-scorer-3393/ /article/Marquez-Haynes-Iam-a-basketball-player-not-a-scorer-3393/ Sat, 13 Feb 2010 11:07:50 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Kansas' Xavier Henry, Texas' Jordan Hamilton, Colorado's Alec Burks and Texas-Arlington's Marquez Haynes. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-21010-3392/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-21010-3392/ Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:19:15 -0500 We take a look forward at this week's TV schedule to pick out the games and NBA prospects we’ll be watching intently this coming week. /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-28-214-3391/ /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-28-214-3391/ Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:19:11 -0500 24 games into the D-League season, we’ve likely reached the point where it’s safe to begin drawing conclusions about Latavious Williams’ rookie season of professional basketball, and what that might mean for his NBA draft stock this spring. /article/Latavious-Williams-Off-the-Beaten-Track--3389/ /article/Latavious-Williams-Off-the-Beaten-Track--3389/ Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:52:07 -0500 Updated scouting reports on West Virginia's Devin Ebanks, Duke's Kyle Singler, Memphis' Wesley Witherspoon and UC Davis' Mark Payne. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-2410-3388/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-2410-3388/ Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:27:18 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Texas' Avery Bradley, Nevada's Luke Babbitt, Michigan's Manny Harris and Oakland's Keith Benson. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-2310-3387/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-2310-3387/ Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:44:28 -0500 No matter if you just left your agent an f-bomb filled tirade that you both know has no bearing on reality but just needed to be said, laughed about, and then forgotten, or if you just had the game of your life, the 12 o’clock rule must be enforced. /article/The-12-OClock-Rule-3386/ /article/The-12-OClock-Rule-3386/ Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:53:29 -0500 We take a look forward at this week's TV schedule to pick out the games and NBA prospects we’ll be watching intently this coming week. /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-21-27-3385/ /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-21-27-3385/ Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:30:40 -0500 It took Gavin Edwards the better part of four years to validate UConn's decision to offer him a scholarship. In an up and down season for the Huskies thus far, he's been the most pleasant story to emerge. /article/From-Nowhere-to-Somewhere-in-the-Span-of-4-Years-Gavin-Edwards-Story-3384/ /article/From-Nowhere-to-Somewhere-in-the-Span-of-4-Years-Gavin-Edwards-Story-3384/ Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:39:02 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins, South Florida's Dominique Jones, La Salle's Aaric Murray and Iowa State's Marquis Gilstrap. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12910-3383/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12910-3383/ Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:28:13 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Kentucky's Eric Bledsoe, Radford's Artsiom Parakhouski, Memphis' Elliot Williams and Arkansas' Michael Washington. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12810-3382/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12810-3382/ Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:07:34 -0500 We took some time out of our busy college basketball viewing schedule to check in on the progress of potential lottery pick big man Donatas Motiejunas, one of the few international prospects who is getting NBA executives excited in this draft. /article/European-Roundup-Donatas-Doing-Better-3381/ /article/European-Roundup-Donatas-Doing-Better-3381/ Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:21:13 -0500 We take a look forward at this week's TV schedule to pick out the games and NBA prospects we’ll be watching intently this coming week. /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-125---22-3380/ /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-125---22-3380/ Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:25:46 -0500 Updated scouting reports on UConn's Stanley Robinson, Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnado, West Virginia's Kevin Jones and New Mexico's Darington Hobson. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12210-3379/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12210-3379/ Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:45:35 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Ole Miss' Terrico White, Iowa State's Craig Brackins, Xavier's Jordan Crawford and UAB's Elijah Millsap. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12010-3378/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12010-3378/ Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:49:48 -0500 A review of the top prospects seen on MLK day at the HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass, including Michael Gilchrist, Cory Joseph, Kyrie Irving, Kendall Marshall, Myck Kabongo and others. /article/2010-HoopHall-Classic-Top-Prospects-3377/ /article/2010-HoopHall-Classic-Top-Prospects-3377/ Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:57:39 -0500 We begin our coverage of the 2010 NBA campaign by taking a look back at arguably the most scrutinized prospect from last summer’s draft, Brandon Jennings. Regarded by many as the top prep player in the class of 2008, Jennings sparked widespread debate when he decided to forego his college eligibility to sign with Lottomatica Roma of the Euroleague. Though Jennings’ transatlantic trip was surely a risky career move and produced some very inconsistent results, he’s been far better than advertised as a rookie –living up the hype and then some despite his recent struggles /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Brandon-Jennings-3376/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Brandon-Jennings-3376/ Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:31:11 -0500 Updated scouting reports on Syracuse's Wesley Johnson, Butler's Gordon Hayward, VCU's Larry Sanders and Georgia Tech's Gani Lawal. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-11510-3375/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-11510-3375/ Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:57:39 -0500 UConn's Gavin Edwards, Gonzaga's Robert Sacre, BYU's Jimmer Fredette and Missouri's Laurence Bowers are the latest to take the spotlight in our NCAA Weekly Performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-11410-3374/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-11410-3374/ Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:24:37 -0500 DraftExpress founder Jonathan Givony recaps the 2010 D-League Showcase...Italian League executive Daniele Baiesi provides a European perspective /article/D-League-Showcase-Interviews-Jonathan-Givony-Daniele-Baiesi-3373/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Interviews-Jonathan-Givony-Daniele-Baiesi-3373/ Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:30:26 -0500 Following the four days of action we observed in Boise, we present scouting reports of some of the top NBA prospects in attendance. /article/D-League-Showcase-Scouting-Reports-3372/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Scouting-Reports-3372/ Sat, 09 Jan 2010 20:25:46 -0500 The NCAA's all-time leading shotblocker, Mickell Gladness, sits down to discuss a variety of issues, including what it's like to be a backup in the D-League, his team's extensive cooperation with the Houston Rockets, what it's like to realize that he's not an immediate NBA prospect, and much more. /article/D-League-Showcase-Interviews-Rod-BensonMark-Madsen-Mickell-Gladness-3371/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Interviews-Rod-BensonMark-Madsen-Mickell-Gladness-3371/ Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:57:43 -0500 An Interview with Portland's Michael Born...Reggie Williams a Scoring Machine...Alade Aminu Explodes...Korolev Refects...Dorsey Rebounds...Gee Making Moves...More /article/D-League-Showcase-Day-Three-3370/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Day-Three-3370/ Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:19:48 -0500 Chris Finch discusses his decision to leave Europe for the D-League, the differences between European basketball and the NBADL, the relationship he and his team enjoy with the Houston Rockets, and his other job as the Head Coach of Luol Deng and the British National team. /article/Interview-with-Chris-Finch-3369/ /article/Interview-with-Chris-Finch-3369/ Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:16:26 -0500 Dominant D.J. White...Morris Almond Earning a Call-Up?...Sundiata Gaines to Utah...Interviews with Bucks GM Jeff Weltman and Iowa Energy Head Coach Nick Nurse /article/D-League-Showcase-Day-Two-3368/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Day-Two-3368/ Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:11:19 -0500 Strong turnout for scouts, media...Self-starters in demand in Boise...Top performers from day one. /article/D-League-Showcase-Day-One-3367/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Day-One-3367/ Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:31:01 -0500 We’re back in Boise for the second time in three years for yet another exciting D-League Showcase. DraftExpress is here in full force with a staff of five expert talent evaluators watching every forced shot, turnover, blown defensive assignment and unbelievably athletic play, all of which we expect quite a few of in the next few days. /article/2010-NBA-D-League-Showcase-Preview-3366/ /article/2010-NBA-D-League-Showcase-Preview-3366/ Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:26:06 -0500 We take a look at the rest of our list, players ranked 25-50, as well as the honorable mentions. /article/DraftExpress-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Players-25-50-3365/ /article/DraftExpress-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Players-25-50-3365/ Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:50:09 -0500 Texas' Dexter Pittman, Stanford's Landry Fields, St. John's D.J. Kennedy and Fresno State's Sylvester Seay are the latest to take the spotlight in our NCAA Weekly Performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-123109-3364/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-123109-3364/ Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:52:48 -0500 Houston's Aubrey Coleman, Saint Mary's Omar Samhan, USC's Nikola Vucevic and Saint Mary's Matthew Dellavedova are the latest to take the spotlight in our NCAA Weekly Performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-123009-3363/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-123009-3363/ Wed, 30 Dec 2009 02:52:42 -0500 We take a look at the players ranked 13-24 in our overseas free agent rankings, starting with Benetton Treviso combo guard Gary Neal. /article/DraftExpress-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Players-13-24-3361/ /article/DraftExpress-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Players-13-24-3361/ Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:29:01 -0500 We take a look at the players ranked 1-12 in our overseas free agent rankings, starting with Olympiakos big man Yiannis Bourousis. /article/DraftExpress-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Players-1-12-3360/ /article/DraftExpress-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Players-1-12-3360/ Mon, 28 Dec 2009 01:14:00 -0500 Cincinnati's Lance Stephenson, Harvard's Jeremy Lin, Washington State's Reggie Moore and Arizona's Derrick Williams take the spotlight in our NCAA Weekly Performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-121809-3359/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-121809-3359/ Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:25:15 -0500 John Wall’s freshman season feels like one big highlight reel thus far, starting with his very first game against Miami Ohio in which he knocked down a terrific pull-up jumper to win the game for Kentucky. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-John-Wall-3358/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-John-Wall-3358/ Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:54:44 -0500 The following American players have probably reached the point in their career where it might be too late to justify coming or returning to the NBA—either from their perspective, most NBA teams’, or both. We’ve thus decided to remove most of their names from the list for now, even if it’s obvious that we’re talking about some of the best players in European basketball here. The ones who remain on the list are marked with an asterisk. /article/Moving-Off-the-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Part-Four---Americans-3357/ /article/Moving-Off-the-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Part-Four---Americans-3357/ Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:47:39 -0500 The following European players have probably reached the point in their career where it might be too late to justify coming or returning to the NBA—either from their perspective, most NBA teams’, or both. We’ve thus decided to remove most of their names from the list for now, even if it’s obvious that we’re talking about some of the best players in European basketball here. The ones who remain on the list are marked with an asterisk. /article/Moving-Off-the-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Part-Three---Europeans--3356/ /article/Moving-Off-the-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Part-Three---Europeans--3356/ Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:54:19 -0500 Washington's Quincy Pondexter, Georgetown's Greg Monroe, North Carolina's John Henson and Marshall's Hassan Whiteside are the next four prospects to be evaluated in our NCAA Weekly Performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-121009-3355/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-121009-3355/ Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:43:58 -0500 Every year seemingly, a new NBA draft prospect comes out of the woodwork playing for a school that is hardly known for producing lottery picks. Our best candidate this year so far might be Charles Garcia at Seattle University. /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Charles-Garcia-3354/ /article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Charles-Garcia-3354/ Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:24:31 -0500 The following players were on our rankings list in its last incarnation, but have since moved up, as we’ve deemed them to be more attractive for NBA teams now than they were a season ago. /article/Moving-Up-the-DraftExpress-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Part-Two--3353/ /article/Moving-Up-the-DraftExpress-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Part-Two--3353/ Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:03:42 -0500 We take a look through our soon to be released Overseas Free Agent rankings through a variety of parameters, analyzing the players who have been added and removed from the list with a scouting eye's look at those who moved up or down the most. /article/Scrutinizing-the-DraftExpress-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Part-One--3352/ /article/Scrutinizing-the-DraftExpress-Overseas-Free-Agent-Rankings-Part-One--3352/ Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:38:33 -0500 Gonzaga's Elias Harris, Washington State's Klay Thompson, Cincinnati's Yancy Gates and Tennessee's Scotty Hopson are the first NBA draft prospects evaluated in our NCAA Weekly Performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12309-3351/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12309-3351/ Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:06:39 -0500 Ekpe Udoh is off to a strong start for Baylor, showing much improved offensive skills to complement his already impressive rebounding and defensive ability. /article/Prospect-of-the-Week-Ekpe-Udoh--3350/ /article/Prospect-of-the-Week-Ekpe-Udoh--3350/ Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:55:59 -0500 Pablo Aguilar seeing huge minutes in the ACB...Pietro Aradori the man for Biella...Augusto Cesar Lima getting playing time in the Euroleague...Motiejunas over Seraphin...Big game for Fofana...Teenagers breaking age records...Tyler getting on track... /article/European-Roundup-Super-Mature-Aguilar--3349/ /article/European-Roundup-Super-Mature-Aguilar--3349/ Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:18:18 -0500 With the NBA D-League having tipped off it’s season on Friday, we offer a quick primer on who is playing in the league this season. Each team capsule includes a projected starting lineup, as well as a look at who might get called up to the NBA and who might get assigned to the D-League from the NBA. There are still plenty of very good players hanging around on the free agent market, some of whom have their rights owned by D-League teams, and some who will get picked up as the season moves on, so consider this only a preliminary look at the talent available. For more detailed analysis on the players mentioned, click on the links and read their profiles here on DraftExpress. Teams are sorted by overall power ranking.*Call Up Candidates are marked with an asterisk. /article/2009-2010-D-League-Preview--Power-Rankings-Part-Two--3348/ /article/2009-2010-D-League-Preview--Power-Rankings-Part-Two--3348/ Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:42:52 -0500 With the NBA D-League getting ready to tip-off it’s season this weekend, we offer a quick primer on who is playing in the league this season. Each team capsule includes a projected starting lineup, as well as a look at who might get called up to the NBA and who might get assigned to the D-League from the NBA. /article/2009-2010-D-League-Preview--Power-Rankings-Part-One--3347/ /article/2009-2010-D-League-Preview--Power-Rankings-Part-One--3347/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:06:44 -0500 DraftExpress was in attendance at the National Prep Showcase this past weekend in New Haven, Connecticut where many of the nations finest prep schools were in action. We take a closer look as some of the other highly regarded prospects, including Khem Birch, Naadir Thorpe, and J.J. Moore, amongst others. /article/2009-National-Prep-Showcase-Best-of-the-Rest-3346/ /article/2009-National-Prep-Showcase-Best-of-the-Rest-3346/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:52:42 -0500 DraftExpress was in attendance at the National Prep Showcase this past weekend in New Haven, Connecticut where many of the nations finest prep schools were in action. We take a closer look as some of the elite prospects, including Will Barton, Andre Drummond, and Lorenzo Brown, amongst others. /article/2009-National-Prep-Showcase-Elite-Prospects-3345/ /article/2009-National-Prep-Showcase-Elite-Prospects-3345/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:13:31 -0500 High expectations for Jan Vesely at Partizan..Cholet clearing room for Seraphin?...FIBA International youth calendar announced...Jaycee Carroll impressing in the ACB. /article/European-Roundup-High-Expectations-for-Vesely-3344/ /article/European-Roundup-High-Expectations-for-Vesely-3344/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:04:27 -0500 This weekend DraftExpress will convene on New Haven, Connecticut to take in some of the top players the world of prep school basketball has to offer. This event, organized by Adam Finkelstein, has treated us well over the past few years, allowing us to get invaluable early glimpses at players such as Michael Beasley, Tyreke Evans, Devin Ebanks, Craig Brackins, Avery Bradley and others. This will be our fourth consecutive year in attendance. /article/2009-National-Prep-Showcase-Preview-3343/ /article/2009-National-Prep-Showcase-Preview-3343/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:47:08 -0500 Starting today, you’ll find a new means of consuming the latest NBA draft content on DraftExpress, via the box directly underneath the article section on the front page. We’ll update this area daily with our latest thoughts on NBA draft prospects and other things going on in the basketball world... /article/New-Content-Section-on-DraftExpress-3342/ /article/New-Content-Section-on-DraftExpress-3342/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:28:28 -0500 In these reports, we take a look at the point guards moving into their fourth year in the NBA. As we found when we identified which players from the 2005 draft were still in the League, the trajectory of a player's career is often unpredictable, which is why we opted to wait until this group was transitioning out of their rookie contracts to gauge their progress. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--Small-Forwards-Part-Two--3341/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--Small-Forwards-Part-Two--3341/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:53:52 -0500 Donatas Motiejunas adjusting to life in the Italian first division with Benetton...Jeremy Tyler shooting himself in the foot...Gecevicius the top youngster in the Euroleague...Aradori emerging as a prospect...Milutinovic on fire early. /article/European-Roundup-Motiejunas-Adjusting-3340/ /article/European-Roundup-Motiejunas-Adjusting-3340/ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:48:05 -0500 Our final look at the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences culminates with scouting reports on Oakland's Keith Benson, Louisiana Tech's Magnum Rolle, Temple's Lavoy Allen, Nevada's Armon Johnson and La Salle's Rodney Green. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Four-3339/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Four-3339/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:43:54 -0500 We continue our evaluation of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with part three, featuring Arnett Moultrie, Elliot Williams, Matt Bouldin, Mark Payne and Damian Saunders. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Three-3338/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Three-3338/ Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:16:28 -0500 In these reports, we take a look at the point guards moving into their fourth year in the NBA. As we found when we identified which players from the 2005 draft were still in the League, the trajectory of a player's career is often unpredictable, which is why we opted to wait until this group was transitioning out of their rookie contracts to gauge their progress. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--Small-Forwards-Part-One--3337/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--Small-Forwards-Part-One--3337/ Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:34:32 -0500 Another year, another draft, another 4,000 words of nonsensical gibberish about a draft nobody could possibly predict, but which is always entertaining. Stick with me while I recap NBATV’s draft coverage, make fun of commercials, and wander off on tangents you couldn’t possibly be interested in. It’s going to be exciting! /article/2009-D-League-Draft-Diary-3336/ /article/2009-D-League-Draft-Diary-3336/ Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:43:06 -0500 The 2009 D-League draft pool is set, with the 200 players that will make up Thursday’s (7 PM EST, NBATV) 8-round, 16 team event. We’ll take a look at some of the most notable names appearing on the draft list, as well as evaluate the top prospects who could eventually earn a callup to an NBA roster this season. /article/2009-D-League-Draft-Notable-Names-Top-Players-Available-3335/ /article/2009-D-League-Draft-Notable-Names-Top-Players-Available-3335/ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:53:01 -0500 A complete look at the players returning to their D-League team from last season, as well as those who have been allocated based on territorial rights, and those who made teams via local tryouts. /article/2009-2010-D-League-Returning-PlayerAllocation-List-3334/ /article/2009-2010-D-League-Returning-PlayerAllocation-List-3334/ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:12:58 -0500 We continue our evaluation of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences with part two, featuring Kenneth Faried, Artsiom Parakhouski, Luke Babbit, Matt Howard and Wesley Witherspoon. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-3333/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-3333/ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:33:21 -0500 Continuing our assessment of the top NBA draft prospects in college basketball, we move on to the non-BCS conferences, where there is more than enough NBA talent to go around. VCU’s Larry Sanders leads the pack here, followed by Tulsa’s Jerome Jordan, Butler’s Gordon Hayward, Fresno State’s Paul George, and Dayton’s Chris Wright. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-One-3332/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-One-3332/ Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:34:02 -0500 In our fourth and final preview of this year’s ACC draft prospects we profile UNC’s Deon Thompson, Miami’s Dwayne Collins, Virginia Tech’s Jeff Allen, and Wake Forest’s Chas McFarland and David Weaver. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-16-20--3331/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Four-16-20--3331/ Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:29:54 -0400 In our third preview of this year’s ACC draft prospects we profile Virginia Tech’s Malcolm Delaney, Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez, Wake Forest’s Ty Walker, Miami’s DeQuan Jones, and Duke captain Jon Scheyer. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Three-11-15--3330/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Three-11-15--3330/ Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:00:09 -0400 In our second preview of this year’s ACC draft prospects we profile Clemson’s Trevor Booker, Georgia Tech’s Gani Lawal and Iman Shumpert, Virginia’s Sylven Landesberg, and Wake Forest’s Tony Woods. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Two-6-10--3329/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-Two-6-10--3329/ Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:24:05 -0400 In our first preview of this year’s ACC draft prospects we profile UNC’s Ed Davis, Wake Forest’s Al-Farouq Aminu, FSU’s Solomon Alabi and Chris Singleton, and Duke’s Kyle Singler. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-One-1-5--3328/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-Part-One-1-5--3328/ Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:27:02 -0400 In our final preview of this years Big East draft prospects we profile Depaul's Mac Koshwal, USF's Gus Gilchrist and Dominque Jones, Mike Rosario of Rutgers, and Seton Hall's Jeremy Hazell. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Three-11-15--3327/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Three-11-15--3327/ Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:22:00 -0400 Our second look at the prospects in the Big East features Syracuse's Wesley Johnson, Louisville's Samardo Samuels, Connecticut's Jerome Dyson, Cincinatti's Yancy Gates, and Luke Harangody of Notre Dame. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Two-6-10--3326/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-Two-6-10--3326/ Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:07:24 -0400 In these reports, we take a look at the point guards moving into their fourth year in the NBA. As we found when we identified which players from the 2005 draft were still in the League, the trajectory of a player's career is often unpredictable, which is why we opted to wait until this group was transitioning out of their rookie contracts to gauge their progress. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--the-Point-Guards-3324/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--the-Point-Guards-3324/ Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:46:45 -0400 We finish up our look back at the U-20 European Championships in Rhodes with a report on the best players seen in the competition, concluding with the big men. /article/2009-U-20-European-Championship-Review-Bigs-3325/ /article/2009-U-20-European-Championship-Review-Bigs-3325/ Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:00:21 -0400 Our first look at the prospects in the always interesting Big East features Georgetown's Greg Monroe, West Virgiana's Devin Ebanks, Louisville's Terrence Jennings, and Stanley Robinson and Kemba Walker from Connecticut. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-One-1-5--3323/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-Part-One-1-5--3323/ Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:46:39 -0400 We take a look back at the U-18 European Championships celebrated in July in Rhodes to individually check on the best players seen in the competition, continuing with the wing players. /article/2009-U-20-European-Championship-Review-Wings-3318/ /article/2009-U-20-European-Championship-Review-Wings-3318/ Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:22:02 -0400 Our fourth and last look at the top NBA draft prospects in the incredibly deep SEC focuses on Ole Miss' Murphy Holloway, Alabama's Senario Hillman, Mississippi State's Ravern Johnson, Kentucky's DeAndre Liggins and Florida's Alex Tyus. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Four-16-20--3322/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Four-16-20--3322/ Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:09:01 -0400 Our third look at the top NBA draft prospects in the incredibly deep SEC focuses on Vanderbilt's Festus Ezeli, LSU's Tasmin Mitchell, Arkansas' Courtney Fortson, Florida's Kenny Kadji, and Wayne Chism from Tennessee. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Three-11-15--3321/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Three-11-15--3321/ Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:51:45 -0400 Our second look at the top NBA draft prospects in the incredibly deep SEC focuses on Vanderbilts Andrew Ogilvy, Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnado, Arkansas's Michael Washington, Georgia Howard Thompkins, and Tyler Smith from Tennessee. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Two-6-10--3320/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Two-6-10--3320/ Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:30:05 -0400 Our first look at the top NBA draft prospects in the incredibly deep SEC focuses on Vanderbilt's Jeff Taylor, Kentucky's Patrick Patterson, Mississippi's Terrico White, Alabama's JaMychal Green and Tennessee's Scotty Hopson. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-One-1-5--3319/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-One-1-5--3319/ Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:45:02 -0400 We take a look back at the U-18 European Championships celebrated in July in Rhodes to individually check on the best players seen in the competition. We'll start with the guards. /article/2009-U-20-European-Championship-Review-Guards-3314/ /article/2009-U-20-European-Championship-Review-Guards-3314/ Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:45:02 -0400 Our second look at the top NBA draft prospects in the Pac-10 focuses on USC's Dwight Lewis, UCLA's Drew Gordon and Jerime Anderson, Washington's Isaiah Thomas and Cal's Jerome Randle. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10-Part-Two-6-10--3316/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10-Part-Two-6-10--3316/ Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:03:28 -0400 Pooh Jeter is back after a very successful summer league campaign with the Portland Trailblazers, along with some video and thoughts on his plans for the future. /article/Pooh-Jeter-The-GRIND-3317/ /article/Pooh-Jeter-The-GRIND-3317/ Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:29:03 -0400 In these reports, we take a look at the shooting guards moving into their fourth year in the NBA. As we found when we identified which players from the 2005 draft were still in the NBA, the trajectory of a player's career is often unpredictable, which is why we opted to wait until this group was transitioning out of their rookie contracts to gauge their progress. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--the-Shooting-Guards-3315/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--the-Shooting-Guards-3315/ Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:57:32 -0400 Next up in our overview of the top NBA draft prospects in college basketball is the Pac-10, which appears to be in serious rebuilding mode. UCLA's Malcom Lee takes the top spot, followed by Oregon's Michael Dunigan, Washington State's Klay Thompson, Cal's Patrick Christopher and Washington's Quincy Pondexter. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10-Part-One-1-5--3313/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10-Part-One-1-5--3313/ Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:33:23 -0400 Our last look at the top NBA draft prospects in the Big 12 focuses on Kansas' Markieff Morris, Colorado's Cory Higgins, Missouri's Kim English, Texas A&M's Bryan Davis and Iowa State' Diante Garrett. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Three-11-15--3312/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Three-11-15--3312/ Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:12:56 -0400 Our second look at the top NBA draft prospects in the Big 12 focuses on Baylor's Ekpe Udoh, Kansas’ Marcus Morris, Texas’ Dexter Pittman, a two other prospects that we've focused on heavily towards the end of last season and during this summer. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Two-6-10--3311/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-Two-6-10--3311/ Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:13:47 -0400 Our first look at the top NBA draft prospects in the very loaded Big 12 focuses on Iowa State's Craig Brackins and a number of other top prospects that we've focused on heavily towards the end of last season and during this summer. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-One-1-5--3310/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-Part-One-1-5--3310/ Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:05:46 -0400 Continuing our series of reports on the power forwards moving into their fourth year in the NBA, we highlight a pair of players whose careers will always be linked by a draft night trade in Tyrus Thomas and LaMarcus Aldridge. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--Power-Forwards-Part-2--3307/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--Power-Forwards-Part-2--3307/ Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:57:16 -0400 Finishing up our preview of the top individual NBA prospects in the Big Ten, we profile the likes of Talor Battle, Delvon Roe, and DeShawn Sims. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Three-11-15--3309/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Three-11-15--3309/ Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:01:01 -0400 To get a jump on the rapidly approaching NCAA season, we continue to break down the top individual NBA prospects in college basketball, going conference by conference. We begin part two of the Big Ten with Illinois' Mike Davis. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Two-6-10--3308/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-Two-6-10--3308/ Mon, 31 Aug 2009 02:53:42 -0400 Scouting reports of select high school players seen at the scrimmage leading up to the Boost Mobile Elite 24 game in New York City this past weekend. /article/Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Player-Scouting-Reports-3304/ /article/Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Player-Scouting-Reports-3304/ Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:46:55 -0400 To get a head start on the rapidly approaching NCAA season, we'll once again be breaking down the top individual NBA prospects in college basketball conference by conference. We start our coverage by profiling the Big Ten. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-One-1-5--3306/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-Part-One-1-5--3306/ Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:34:52 -0400 Scouting reports of the most intriguing players from the international teams seen at the Adidas Nations tournament in Dallas earlier this month. /article/Adidas-Nations-Tournament-Rest-of-the-World-3302/ /article/Adidas-Nations-Tournament-Rest-of-the-World-3302/ Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:41:26 -0400 With these scouting reports, we take a look at players moving into their fourth year in the NBA as well as some others that gained experience elsewhere before coming to the NBA. As we found when we identified which players from the 2005 draft were still in the NBA, the trajectory of a players career is often unpredictable, which is why we opted to wait until these players were transitioning out of their rookie contracts to gauge their progress. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--Power-Forwards-Part-1--3305/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--Power-Forwards-Part-1--3305/ Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:41:28 -0400 Scouting reports of the top high school prospects (2010 and 2011) seen at the Adidas Nations tournament in Dallas earlier this month. /article/Adidas-Nations-Tournament-High-School-Prospects-3303/ /article/Adidas-Nations-Tournament-High-School-Prospects-3303/ Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:23:25 -0400 After a long summer on the road, we continue to recount a selection of the players in attendance and discuss their future prospects and development including, Perry Jones, Fab Melo, Adonis Thomas, Jereme Richmond and others. /article/Initial-High-School-Player-Scouting-Reports-Part-Two-3301/ /article/Initial-High-School-Player-Scouting-Reports-Part-Two-3301/ Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:55:02 -0400 With these scouting reports, we take a look at players moving into their fourth year in the NBA as well as some others that gained experience elsewhere before coming to the NBA. As we found when we identified which players from the 2005 draft were still in the NBA, the trajectory of a players career is often unpredictable, which is why we opted to wait until these players were transitioning out of their rookie contracts to gauge their progress. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--the-Centers-3300/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Filling-in-the-Blanks--the-Centers-3300/ Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:00:33 -0400 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the fourth team in the Atlantic division, the Philadelphia 76ers. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Atlantic-Division-Part-Five--3299/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Atlantic-Division-Part-Five--3299/ Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:42:07 -0400 After a long summer on the road, we recount a selection of the players in attendance and discuss their future prospects and development including, Michael Gilchrist, Terrence Jones and LaQuinton Ross. /article/Initial-High-School-Player-Scouting-Reports-Part-One-3298/ /article/Initial-High-School-Player-Scouting-Reports-Part-One-3298/ Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:50:53 -0400 Call me old-fashioned or lame, but I don’t feel the need to update people on whether my Browns were successful in that morning’s Super Bowl. That is why I don’t Tweet or use Facebook. My cell phone is so old it doesn’t even have Internet. I am obviously out of touch with all the new waves of communication, since I only blog. /article/Jared-Reiner-Waiting-Game-in-the-Dog-Days-of-Summer-3297/ /article/Jared-Reiner-Waiting-Game-in-the-Dog-Days-of-Summer-3297/ Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:27:46 -0400 In our second reports we take a look at two second-year players, a D-League star, and two collegiate stars looking to finally come into their own. /article/NBA-Summer-League-Player-Reports-Part-Two--3296/ /article/NBA-Summer-League-Player-Reports-Part-Two--3296/ Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:57:01 -0400 In our first group of player reports, we take a look at two pairs of teammates who will definitely see significant time in the NBA this season as well as an international player who made the most of his summer trip across the pond. /article/NBA-Vegas-Summer-League-Player-Reports-Part-One--3295/ /article/NBA-Vegas-Summer-League-Player-Reports-Part-One--3295/ Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:55:42 -0400 With the 2009 edition of the Akron-based showcase in the books, we take a look at select college and high school prospects who stood out. /article/LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Player-Profiles-3294/ /article/LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Player-Profiles-3294/ Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:59:21 -0400 With the 2009 NBA Draft in the rearview mirror, it's time to start thinking about 2010 and beyond, which prompted us to spend a few days at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio. We were able to take in a number of top high school and college prospects, many of whom will be featured prominently on this site in coming years. In this initial report, we talk about who made it out to the camp and what they worked on, while our second report will feature evaluations of those who stood out the most. /article/LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Recap-3293/ /article/LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Recap-3293/ Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:50:14 -0400 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the fourth team in the Atlantic division, the New Jersey Nets. /article/-NBA-Scouting-Reports-Atlantic-Division-Part-Four--3292/ /article/-NBA-Scouting-Reports-Atlantic-Division-Part-Four--3292/ Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:19:01 -0400 Pooh Jeter brings us up to speed on this past season, his goals for this summer, his plans for next year, his thoughts on Ricky Rubio, his championship sister sprinter Carmelita, and much much more. /article/Pooh-Jeter-I-Just-Want-to-Be-Successful-3291/ /article/Pooh-Jeter-I-Just-Want-to-Be-Successful-3291/ Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:10:25 -0400 Part six of Levi's video draft diary with Jonny Flynn. /article/Jonny-Flynn-Draft-Diary-Part-Six-3290/ /article/Jonny-Flynn-Draft-Diary-Part-Six-3290/ Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:27:37 -0400 This year's draft was full of surprises after Oklahoma City opted for James Harden over Ricky Rubio, but that only set the dominoes in motion. We take a look at some of the biggest surprises from draft night. /article/Surprises-of-Draft-Night-3289/ /article/Surprises-of-Draft-Night-3289/ Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:39:31 -0400 Part five of Levi's video draft diary with Jonny Flynn. /article/Jonny-Flynn-Draft-Diary-Part-Five-3288/ /article/Jonny-Flynn-Draft-Diary-Part-Five-3288/ Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:27:43 -0400 We’ll be here all day and through the night monitoring all the latest movement in the 2009 draft as well as keeping you up to date on the latest rumors we’re hearing from around the league. Last Update: 6:45 PM /article/Live-Blogging-the-2009-NBA-Draft-3287/ /article/Live-Blogging-the-2009-NBA-Draft-3287/ Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:44:33 -0400 Video interviews with Jonny Flynn, Jordan Hill, Brandon Jennings, Hasheem Thabeet, Demar DeRozan, Tyler Hansbrough, Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday and Blake Griffin. /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Video-Interviews-3286/ /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Video-Interviews-3286/ Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:31:14 -0400 Interview transcripts with Terrence Williams, Jordan Hill, Blake Griffin, Gerald Henderson, DeMar DeRozan, Tyreke Evans and Austin Daye /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interview-Transcripts-Part-One--3285/ /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interview-Transcripts-Part-One--3285/ Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:15:53 -0400 Interview transcripts with Jonny Flynn, Jrue Holiday, Brandon Jennings, Tyreke Evans and Tyler Hansbrough. /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interview-Transcripts-Part-Two--3284/ /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day-Interview-Transcripts-Part-Two--3284/ Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:10:55 -0400 The absolute latest on what's going on in the wacky world of the NBA draft. Stay tuned to this blog as it will constantly be updated with new information as soon as it comes in. Last Update: 10:35 PM /article/Word-on-the-Street-June-24th-The-Latest-3283/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-June-24th-The-Latest-3283/ Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:59:26 -0400 Jonny Flynn's fourth NBA Draft Diary. /article/Jonny-Flynns-draft-diary-part-four-3282/ /article/Jonny-Flynns-draft-diary-part-four-3282/ Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:09:03 -0400 A wide-ranging interview conducted with Toronto Raptors blog RaptorsHQ. /article/Fifteen-Questions-with-Jonathan-Givony-3281/ /article/Fifteen-Questions-with-Jonathan-Givony-3281/ Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:19:31 -0400 Joey Whelan and Jonathan Givony review the Washington/Minnesota and San Antonio/Milwaukee trades and go team by team through the lottery discussing their draft boards and the latest rumors. /article/DX-Podcast---Lottery-Talk-and-Draft-Rumors-with-Jonathan-Givony--3280/ /article/DX-Podcast---Lottery-Talk-and-Draft-Rumors-with-Jonathan-Givony--3280/ Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:26:05 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Gary Parrish on 730 Fox Sports in Memphis to discuss the latest NBA draft rumors. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-Interview-with-Gary-Parrish-3279/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-Interview-with-Gary-Parrish-3279/ Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:41:16 -0400 The shallowest and least talented group in this year’s draft, we evaluate this year’s center crop assuming that at least a few big men will hear their names called in the second round who we didn't expect, regardless of their skill level. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-This-Years-Center-Crop-3275/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-This-Years-Center-Crop-3275/ Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:47:04 -0400 Part three of Levi's video draft diary with Jonny Flynn. /article/Jonny-Flynn-Draft-Diary-Part-Three-3278/ /article/Jonny-Flynn-Draft-Diary-Part-Three-3278/ Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:09:49 -0400 An in-depth look at the roster situations of the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trailblazers, Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder--what they have, where they are going and who are the players that may be targeted in this upcoming draft. /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Northwest-Division-3277/ /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Northwest-Division-3277/ Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:07:49 -0400 In part four of our series, we take a look at one of the deepest and most talented positions in this draft. The power forward spot is the fastest evolving position in the NBA, and this group’s diversity will help continue that trend. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-This-Years-Power-Forward-Crop-3273/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-This-Years-Power-Forward-Crop-3273/ Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:14:43 -0400 Green Room Invites...The Wacky Top-5 of the Draft...Thabeet Cancels Workout...Harden the last man standing in Memphis?...Kings passing on Rubio? Raja Bell to Golden State? /article/Word-on-the-Street-June-22nd-3276/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-June-22nd-3276/ Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:40:12 -0400 Spending three days watching two-a-days in Colorado Springs gave us a great deal of insight into a large number of prospects we’ll be focusing in on for next year’s draft. Here’s who stood out the most. /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Teams-Tryouts-Top-Performers-3274/ /article/USA-Basketball-Junior-National-Teams-Tryouts-Top-Performers-3274/ Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:04:20 -0400 In part three of our series, we take a look at the top 20 small forwards in the 2009 NBA draft. With a couple of players with huge upside and quite a few potential roleplayers, this is one of the more interesting positions to look at on paper. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-This-Years-Small-Forward-Crop-3270/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-This-Years-Small-Forward-Crop-3270/ Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:00:55 -0400 Part two of Levi's video draft diary with Jonny Flynn. /article/Jonny-Flynn-Draft-Diary-Part-Two-3272/ /article/Jonny-Flynn-Draft-Diary-Part-Two-3272/ Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:16:56 -0400 A sit-down with the national director of USA Basketball, Jerry Colangelo, to discuss a wide-range of subjects pertaining to our national teams, American basketball, and President Barack Obama. /article/Taking-Stock-of-USA-Basketball-with-Jerry-Colangelo--3271/ /article/Taking-Stock-of-USA-Basketball-with-Jerry-Colangelo--3271/ Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:08:45 -0400 In part two of our series, we take a look at the top 20 shooting guards in the 2009 NBA draft. Not the strongest position in terms of depth or star power, this analysis should shed some light on what makes this crop a bit weaker than the norm. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-This-Years-Shooting-Guard-Crop-3264/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-This-Years-Shooting-Guard-Crop-3264/ Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:14:36 -0400 About a week before the ball drops on the 2009 NBA draft, we decided to spend a few days in Colorado Springs, checking out the talent for next year’s draft and beyond at the tryouts for two USA Basketball teams this summer. Before we go into an evaluation of some of the top players on hand, we’ll first talk about this setting and the scuttlebutt coming out of it. /article/Colorado-Springs-Snapshot-USA-Basketballs-Junior-National-Teams-3269/ /article/Colorado-Springs-Snapshot-USA-Basketballs-Junior-National-Teams-3269/ Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:47:07 -0400 The top two players from USA Basketball's U-19 tryouts, Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor and Butler's Gordon Hayward, sit down with Jonathan Givony to discuss their week in Colorado Springs thus far. /article/USA-Basketball-Tryout-Interviews-Tyshawn-Taylor---Gordon-Hayward-3268/ /article/USA-Basketball-Tryout-Interviews-Tyshawn-Taylor---Gordon-Hayward-3268/ Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:11:25 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Gary Parrish on 730 Fox Sports in Memphis to discuss the latest on Ricky Rubio, the Grizzlies and plenty of NBA draft rumors. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-Interview-with-Gary-Parrish-3267/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-Interview-with-Gary-Parrish-3267/ Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:06:03 -0400 An in-depth look at the roster situations of the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings--what they have, where they are going and who are the players that may be targeted in this upcoming draft. /article/-NBA-Team-Needs-Pacific-Division-3266/ /article/-NBA-Team-Needs-Pacific-Division-3266/ Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:34:58 -0400 Part one of the video draft diary with Jonny Flynn. /article/Jonny-Flynn-Draft-Diary-3265/ /article/Jonny-Flynn-Draft-Diary-3265/ Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:41:11 -0400 With the draft just around the corner, we revive our "By the Numbers" series to look at how this year's group of point guards stacks up against one another on paper. /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-This-Years-Point-Guard-Crop-3262/ /article/Just-By-the-Numbers-This-Years-Point-Guard-Crop-3262/ Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:03:13 -0400 Trouble brewing in Golden State?...Jamison to Cleveland?...Minnesota trying to move up?...McGrady being shopped?...USA Basketball tryouts in Colorado Springs. Much more. /article/Word-on-the-Street-June-16th-3263/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-June-16th-3263/ Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:05:34 -0400 Fresh off another Italian league championship with Montepaschi Siena, Terrell McIntyre, talks about his strange journey from the bottom of the ladder to being considered the best point guard in European basketball. /article/Terrell-McIntyre-The-NBA-is-definitely-something-that-I-want-to-do-3261/ /article/Terrell-McIntyre-The-NBA-is-definitely-something-that-I-want-to-do-3261/ Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:55:19 -0400 Who is staying in the draft and who is withdrawing? We have all the latest here at DraftExpress. Jeff Teague, Omri Casspi, Taj Gibson, Nick Calathes, Ricky Rubio, Patrick Mills, Austin Daye, Sergey Gladyr staying in...Latest Update: 5:32 PM /article/Early-Entry-Withdrawal-Deadline-Rumor-Mill-3260/ /article/Early-Entry-Withdrawal-Deadline-Rumor-Mill-3260/ Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:10:04 -0400 With the draft only ten days away, NBA teams are scrambling to get a final look at as many prospects as possible in order to put the finishing touches on their draft boards. At the same time, agents are trying to give their clients’ draft stock a final boost, by getting them in front of as many decision makers as possible. /article/New-Jersey-Group-Workout-Wrap-Up-3259/ /article/New-Jersey-Group-Workout-Wrap-Up-3259/ Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:43:42 -0400 An in-depth look at the roster situations of the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies--what they have, where they are going and who are the players that may be targeted in this upcoming draft. /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Southwest-Division-3258/ /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Southwest-Division-3258/ Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:55:33 -0400 With the 2009 Reebok Eurocamp in the books, we look back and empty our scouting notebooks from a great weekend in Treviso, Italy, evaluating players such as Slava Kravtsov, Joe Ingles, Daniel Hackett, Luigi Datome, Terrence Oglesby and others. /article/Reebok-Eurocamp-Summary-Part-Two-3257/ /article/Reebok-Eurocamp-Summary-Part-Two-3257/ Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:16:01 -0400 Blake Griffin sits down for a chat with Jonathan Givony to discuss how he plans on dealing with the scrutiny of being the #1 pick, what makes a great rebounder, why he didn't always play hard in high school, what kind of defender he'll be in the NBA, his real height and wingspan, his goals for next season, President Obama, and much more. /article/Blake-Griffin-Interview-Video-with-DraftExpress-3256/ /article/Blake-Griffin-Interview-Video-with-DraftExpress-3256/ Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:38:26 -0400 With the 2009 Reebok Eurocamp in the books, we look back and empty our scouting notebooks from a great weekend in Treviso, Italy. In this report we’ll focus only on the players who did not receive extensive write-ups in our first two articles covering the camp. /article/Reebok-Eurocamp-Summary-Part-One-3255/ /article/Reebok-Eurocamp-Summary-Part-One-3255/ Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:52:19 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Gary Parrish on 730 Fox Sports in Memphis to discuss the latest on the Ricky Rubio situation and other NBA draft rumors. /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-Interview-with-Gary-Parrish-3254/ /article/DX-Podcast-Jonathan-Givony-Interview-with-Gary-Parrish-3254/ Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:46:50 -0400 An in-depth look at the roster situations of Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando and Washington--what they have, where they are going and who are the players that may be targeted in this upcoming draft. /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Southeastern-Division-3253/ /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Southeastern-Division-3253/ Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:51:47 -0400 Jack McClinton took some time out recently in between scheduled workouts with various teams to talk with Joe Whelan of DraftExpress about his career at Miami, what position he sees himself playing at the next level, and whether or not he can break out of the one-dimensional label as a shooter. /article/Jack-McClinton-I-can-do-so-much-more-than-just-shoot-the-basketball-3252/ /article/Jack-McClinton-I-can-do-so-much-more-than-just-shoot-the-basketball-3252/ Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:04:51 -0400 Day two of the Reebok Eurocamp saw Benetton Treviso’s La Ghirada practice facility packed absolutely to the brim with European agents, scouts and general managers, while all 30 NBA teams sat courtside taking all the action in. An hour and fifteen minutes of drills was followed by four competitive five-on-five games, allowing some of the prospects to really separate themselves from each other in the eyes of the talent evaluators on hand. /article/Reebok-Eurocamp-Day-Two-3251/ /article/Reebok-Eurocamp-Day-Two-3251/ Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:48:16 -0400 We’re back at the Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso for the fifth straight year, once again checking out most of the top talents in international basketball, all conveniently assembled at Benetton Treviso’s terrific La Ghirada for our talent evaluation pleasure. /article/2009-Reebok-Eurocamp-Day-One-3250/ /article/2009-Reebok-Eurocamp-Day-One-3250/ Sun, 07 Jun 2009 04:01:12 -0400 It’s been an interesting road for Gonzaga big man Josh Heytvelt. After being a relatively unheralded high school prospect, ranking behind players like David McClure and Mohammed Tangara, the power forward burst onto the national scene during his sophomore year, averaging close to a double-double. In the midst of his blossoming talent though, Heytvelt hit a series of bumps in the road including felony drug possession charges during his sophomore year and suffering a stress fracture in his right foot during his junior season. /article/Josh-Heytvelt-Iam-a-much-different-person-now-3248/ /article/Josh-Heytvelt-Iam-a-much-different-person-now-3248/ Sat, 06 Jun 2009 08:11:06 -0400 Deviating from the normal scouting approach to the draft, we take a step back to analyze how this year's class and those before it fit together demographically. In 1995, the Warriors selection of Joe Smith sparked a run on power forwards the likes of which the NBA draft had never seen. /article/Breaking-Down-the-NBA-Draft-Historically-by-Position-Class-and-Year-3249/ /article/Breaking-Down-the-NBA-Draft-Historically-by-Position-Class-and-Year-3249/ Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:07:30 -0400 The 2005 high school class was chastised right from the get-go for being one of the weakest and shallowest groups of players ever when it entered the college ranks four years ago. Now that four years have passed and the dust has settled on the recruiting rankings, we take a look back to see how it really panned out, and what effect that might have on the 2009 NBA draft. /article/Has-the-High-School-Class-of-05-Doomed-the-2009-NBA-Draft-3246/ /article/Has-the-High-School-Class-of-05-Doomed-the-2009-NBA-Draft-3246/ Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:20:47 -0400 An in-depth look at the roster situations of Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana and Milwaukee--what they have, where they are going and who are the players that may be targeted in this upcoming draft. /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Central-Division-3247/ /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Central-Division-3247/ Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:00:51 -0400 Alade Aminu took some time to sit down with DraftExpress and talk about his sudden arrival on the draft scene, his time at Georgia Tech and his position as CEO of a charitable foundation he started for children in Atlanta. /article/Alade-Aminu-I-can-be-a-Chris-Anderson-type-of-guy--3245/ /article/Alade-Aminu-I-can-be-a-Chris-Anderson-type-of-guy--3245/ Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:40:31 -0400 Each year we’re presented with a spreadsheet of data from the athletic tests administered at the NBA combine, and each year we wonder just how relevant any of it really is. Though the conclusions that we can draw from the vast majority of the data is extremely limited, we’ll nonetheless try to take something away from the information we’ve been presented with. /article/Analyzing-the-NBA-Combine-Results-3244/ /article/Analyzing-the-NBA-Combine-Results-3244/ Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:43:34 -0400 Joey Whelan and Jonathan Givony recap an eventful week at the NBA Combine in Chicago, discuss the group workouts going on right now, and look forward to next week's Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso /article/DX-Podcast---NBA-Combine-Recap--Eurocamp-Preview-3243/ /article/DX-Podcast---NBA-Combine-Recap--Eurocamp-Preview-3243/ Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:47:28 -0400 The athletic testing results from the Chicago predraft camp have been released and are now in our database Here /article/Athletic-testing-results-released-3242/ /article/Athletic-testing-results-released-3242/ Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:27:00 -0400 Tyreke Evans to Minnesota?...Dallas looking at Jordan Hill?...Detroit, Oklahoma City talking trade?...Minnesota group workout...Memphis locked in on Thabeet?...Who's moving up or down...plus much more. /article/Word-on-the-Street-June-2nd-3241/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-June-2nd-3241/ Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:30:42 -0400 An in-depth look at the roster situations of Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York --what they have, where they are going and who are the players that may be targeted in this upcoming draft. /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Atlantic-Division-3240/ /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Atlantic-Division-3240/ Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:26:40 -0400 Deviating from our usual Rookie Retrospectives, we’ll be taking a look at a player from the 2006 draft class who has blossomed into one of the League’s top young point guards—and see how we can apply the lessons we’ve learned to this year’s draft class. Rajon Rondo was originally tabbed by the Phoenix Suns with the 21st overall pick before being shipped to Boston along with Brian Grant for a draft pick. A prospect with unique tools, Rondo was projected by many as more of a defensive stopper who could provide some value as a passer. Three years into his career, he’s already been a starter on a Championship team and has become a star in his own right behind three probable Hall of Famers. /article/Playoff-Retrospective-Rajon-Rondo-3239/ /article/Playoff-Retrospective-Rajon-Rondo-3239/ Sun, 31 May 2009 21:41:43 -0400 Video interviews with many of the top prospects in this year's draft at the media availability session at the NBA Combine in Chicago. /article/NBA-Combine-Media-Availability-Interviews-3238/ /article/NBA-Combine-Media-Availability-Interviews-3238/ Fri, 29 May 2009 20:31:31 -0400 Opinions on how important measurements really are vary greatly, but they are still widely anticipated both by NBA draft fans and talent evaluators, as they present a completely objective way of comparing prospects against each other. Here is a quick look at some of the interesting facets of this year's measurements. /article/Analyzing-the-NBA-Combine-Measurements-3237/ /article/Analyzing-the-NBA-Combine-Measurements-3237/ Fri, 29 May 2009 19:19:26 -0400 Measurements are now available in our database, take a look at the measurements listed here /article/Pre-Draft-Measurements-Released-3236/ /article/Pre-Draft-Measurements-Released-3236/ Fri, 29 May 2009 10:17:44 -0400 We’re here in Chicago spending a considerable amount of time talking with players, agents, scouts, executives and General Managers, trying to get a pulse of where things stand in this draft at the moment. This is what we’ve learned over the last few days here in terms of what is happening off the court. /article/Word-on-the-Street-NBA-Combine-Edition-3235/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-NBA-Combine-Edition-3235/ Thu, 28 May 2009 21:36:21 -0400 While in Chicago, we also had a chance to take in a brief 45 minute workout at the old Multiplex gym right down the street from Moody Bible Institute, featuring players such as Joe Ingles, Luke Harangody, DeMarre Carroll, Micah Downs and others. Here is what we learned. /article/Priority-Sports-Workout-in-Chicago-3233/ /article/Priority-Sports-Workout-in-Chicago-3233/ Thu, 28 May 2009 01:11:04 -0400 Jrue Holiday will be the first person to tell you that his freshman season didn’t live up to expectations, not that that fact has scared away GMs looking to draft a point guard. Holiday entered the season as a consensus top five high school player in his class, giving UCLA fans plenty of hope for yet another appearance in the Final Four when the newcomer teamed up with returning All-American point guard Darren Collison. That dream failed to become reality for a variety of reasons, but certainly the underwhelming numbers posted by Holiday received some of the most scrutiny. /article/Jrue-Holiday-Im-a-Floor-General--3234/ /article/Jrue-Holiday-Im-a-Floor-General--3234/ Thu, 28 May 2009 01:07:40 -0400 Joey Whelan and Jonathan Givony discuss this week's upcoming NBA combine in Chicago, as well as the early to mid lottery portion of our latest mock draft from a need vs. talent perspective. /article/DX-Podcast---Previewing-the-NBA-Combine-in-Chicago-3232/ /article/DX-Podcast---Previewing-the-NBA-Combine-in-Chicago-3232/ Tue, 26 May 2009 22:33:45 -0400 Jonathan Givony joins Geoff Calkins and Gary Parrish on 730 Fox Sports in Memphis to discuss the Ricky Rubio situation at length. /article/DX-Podcast---Jonathan-Givony-Interview-on-the-Geoff-and-Gary-Show-3231/ /article/DX-Podcast---Jonathan-Givony-Interview-on-the-Geoff-and-Gary-Show-3231/ Tue, 26 May 2009 22:30:21 -0400 You probably haven’t heard of Nando De Colo before; not unless you’re an NBA executive, an NBA draft fanatic, or you reside in France. There’s a good chance that will all change in the upcoming weeks though. The 6-5 combo guard is one of the top international prospects from the class of 1987 and a name that NBA teams have been getting more familiar with in the last two years. De Colo has a very good feel for the game, able to create his own shot effectively while also proving to be an excellent playmaker for his teammates. While there are still lingering questions about his actual position and his ability to defend at the next level, De Colo presents enough upside at the age of 21 that he will be on plenty of draft boards. /article/Nando-De-Colo-I-want-to-play-in-the-NBA-3230/ /article/Nando-De-Colo-I-want-to-play-in-the-NBA-3230/ Tue, 26 May 2009 18:52:04 -0400 Jordan Hill sits down for a chat with Jonathan Givony to discuss his training in Chicago, what he might be able to show NBA teams in private workouts, his background as a player in high school, his breakout junior season and much more. /article/Jordan-Hill-I-Got-Heart-3229/ /article/Jordan-Hill-I-Got-Heart-3229/ Tue, 26 May 2009 01:05:49 -0400 Tim Grover and Mike Procopio are working hard in Chicago helping a dozen prospects or so prepare for their NBA draft private workouts, including Jordan Hill, Jonny Flynn and Chase Budinger. We were able to spend the weekend with them and get a firsthand look at what they are working on with the players in their gym. Here is what we learned. /article/ATTACK-Athletics-Workout-3228/ /article/ATTACK-Athletics-Workout-3228/ Tue, 26 May 2009 00:39:17 -0400 What is will Ricky Rubio's decision to come over come down to?... How could Nick Calathes' signing with Panathinaikos help his draft stock?... What's the word on some of the newer rumors concerning the draft?... /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-May-24-3227/ /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-May-24-3227/ Sun, 24 May 2009 21:27:51 -0400 In this of edition of our “Rookie Retrospectives” series, we’ll be looking at our first European player from the 2008 draft class, Marc Gasol. After an impressive international stint playing for now-defunct Akasvayu Girona of his native Spain, Gasol decided to make the jump to the NBA. With his rights traded from the Lakers to the Grizzlies during the famous Pau Gasol deal, Marc was expected to bring frontcourt toughness and an inside scoring presence to Memphis' thin front line. Throughout his rookie campaign, Gasol proved his worth as an NBA starter and was named Second Team All-Rookie at season's end. Although he may not possess the star potential of some other rookies we've covered, the Grizzlies will expect Gasol to become a major cog during the next couple seasons as he continues to adapt to the NBA. /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Marc-Gasol-3226/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Marc-Gasol-3226/ Sun, 24 May 2009 02:29:58 -0400 In the latest feature of our “Rookie Retrospectives” series, we’re taking a look at the former Western Kentucky player, Courtney Lee; the last contributing rookie still standing in this year’s playoffs. Lee has been a DraftExpress favorite for several years, and his stellar college career is translating quite nicely at the NBA level. Playing for a complete and balanced Magic team, Lee started more than half his team’s games this season /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Courtney-Lee-3225/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Courtney-Lee-3225/ Fri, 22 May 2009 19:58:24 -0400 Blake Griffin started off his workout slow, but quickly recovered and reminded us why he's a lock to be taken with the #1 pick in the 2009 draft. /article/Blake-Griffin-Workout-at-the-NYAC-3222/ /article/Blake-Griffin-Workout-at-the-NYAC-3222/ Fri, 22 May 2009 00:06:17 -0400 Blake Griffin sits down for a chat with Jonathan Givony to discuss how he plans on dealing with the scrutiny of being the #1 pick, what makes a great rebounder, why he didn't always play hard in high school, what kind of defender he'll be in the NBA, his real height and wingspan, his goals for next season, President Obama, and much more. /article/Blake-Griffin-Im-going-to-work-to-be-a-complete-player-on-both-ends-3223/ /article/Blake-Griffin-Im-going-to-work-to-be-a-complete-player-on-both-ends-3223/ Fri, 22 May 2009 00:03:44 -0400 Will the Clippers entertain offers for the #1 pick?...Rubio not interested in Memphis?...Jonny Flynn to Phoenix?...Jrue Holiday, DeJuan Blair, Austin Daye moving up draft boards...Tyrus Thomas on the trading block?...Which first round picks are available, and who is interested? /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-May-20-3224/ /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-May-20-3224/ Wed, 20 May 2009 23:48:37 -0400 While in Secaucus at the NBA Draft Lottery last night, we had the chance to chat with General Managers Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Bryan Colangelo of the Toronto Raptors and John Hammond of the Milwaukee Bucks to get their thoughts on this year's draft class and what their team needs to do to avoid returning here next May. /article/NBA-Draft-Lottery-Video-Interviews-Presti-Colangelo-Hammond-3221/ /article/NBA-Draft-Lottery-Video-Interviews-Presti-Colangelo-Hammond-3221/ Wed, 20 May 2009 09:46:08 -0400 With the order of the draft now set in stone, we take a look at the implications of the lottery drawing on each of the top 14 picks and what they might mean for the stock of various players in the draft. We also think about which players teams might consider at each individual draft slot. /article/Post-Lottery-Analysis-The-Implications-3220/ /article/Post-Lottery-Analysis-The-Implications-3220/ Wed, 20 May 2009 03:04:28 -0400 Los Angeles Clippers president Andy Roeser and other NBA executives fielded questions during a conference call after the ping-pong balls bounced in his team’s favor. /article/Post-Lottery-Interview-Transcript-3219/ /article/Post-Lottery-Interview-Transcript-3219/ Tue, 19 May 2009 23:05:49 -0400 NBA super-agent David Falk comes on the show to discuss a wide range of topics, both regarding his new book "the Bald Truth" and the NBA agent industry. Issues covered include his motivation for writing the book, the feedback he's gotten from it, his standing in today's NBA, how he goes about recruiting, why he'll never use a runner, his relationship with Georgetown and their NBA prospects, whether he'll ever represent a #1 pick again, cleaning up the agent business, how much cheating goes on behind the scenes, potential desires to own or run an NBA team, and much more. /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-David-Falk-3217/ /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-David-Falk-3217/ Tue, 19 May 2009 00:17:06 -0400 For a guy who dropped double-doubles in nearly half of his games last season, Gani Lawal doesn’t show much interest in statistics. Georgia Tech’s super athletic forward will be the first to say that he doesn’t care what his numbers look like when the game clock shows zeros, just as long as he was able to contribute to a win. Even though there weren’t many of those for the Yellow Jackets during the 2008-09 season, those wins that they did manage to accumulate were due in large part to the efforts of Lawal. /article/Gani-Lawal-I-want-to-do-whatas-best-for-me-3218/ /article/Gani-Lawal-I-want-to-do-whatas-best-for-me-3218/ Tue, 19 May 2009 00:16:48 -0400 Doug Thonus of the Bullsbeat digs into all the latest rumors and NBA draft analysis in his latest podcast with DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony. Topics include the Bulls potentially moving up, which prospects have good buzz these days, evaluations of DeJuan Blair, Terrence Williams, B.J. Mullens, Danny Green, Wayne Ellington, Chase Budinger, Marcus Thornton and much more. /article/Doug-Thonus--Jonathan-Givony-NBA-Draft-Podcast-3216/ /article/Doug-Thonus--Jonathan-Givony-NBA-Draft-Podcast-3216/ Mon, 18 May 2009 07:58:25 -0400 A chat with Nick Calathes about his decision to test the waters, his training at IMG, what he brings to the table as a big point guard, how he plans on making his presence felt in private workouts, the likelihood of returning to Florida and more. /article/Nick-Calathes-Iall-be-at-the-top-of-my-game-at-workouts-3215/ /article/Nick-Calathes-Iall-be-at-the-top-of-my-game-at-workouts-3215/ Sun, 17 May 2009 22:25:14 -0400 Who's earned one of the coveted invites to the NBA Combine?... What players are out of luck after being passed over?... Stephen Curry chooses an agent... How have group workouts reshaped the workout process for NBA teams this season?... /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-May-15th-3214/ /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-May-15th-3214/ Fri, 15 May 2009 21:05:57 -0400 As likely the most influential agent in NBA history, Falk has been involved over the past three decades with all of the characters that shaped the way the league looks today. In this very well-written book, he does a wonderful job of compiling a myriad of stories about some of the most interesting people he’s come across, including players he represented, players he didn’t, league executives and owners he negotiated with, competing agents, former partners (particularly Donald Dell), David Stern and many others. /article/Book-Review--David-Falk-aThe-Bald-Trutha-3213/ /article/Book-Review--David-Falk-aThe-Bald-Trutha-3213/ Thu, 14 May 2009 19:32:43 -0400 After watching Brandon Jennings play, practice and scrimmage for three days in Rome, as well as pick his brain on what he's seen, we file a report on what we've learned. /article/Brandon-Jennings-Biding-his-Time-in-Rome-3212/ /article/Brandon-Jennings-Biding-his-Time-in-Rome-3212/ Wed, 13 May 2009 23:59:01 -0400 What can Jeremy Tyler and his camp learn from Brandon Jennings?... We sit down and talk with Jonas Jerebko about his future and break down his game... What ultimately made Patrick Patterson decide to return to school, and how will he and the other potential first-round picks that return to school impact other early-entrants?... /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-May-11--3211/ /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-May-11--3211/ Mon, 11 May 2009 13:59:42 -0400 The Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso is still a month away, but the excitement is already brewing with what appears to be the deepest roster the event has seen yet. With each year that passes the camp continues to engrain itself as a must-see scouting event, and again we find a nice mix of draft-eligible prospects combined with players that are sure to make up future NBA drafts. /article/2009-Reebok-Eurocamp-Preview--Roster-3210/ /article/2009-Reebok-Eurocamp-Preview--Roster-3210/ Sun, 10 May 2009 04:59:59 -0400 We took our time in crunching the numbers of this year’s point guard crop, since it should prove to be the deepest and most talented position throughout the draft process. It also provides the most unique story lines, with the likes of Ricky Rubio, Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry, and Tyreke Evans vying for position, with each featuring a completely different playing style. /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Years-Point-Guard-Crop-3209/ /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Years-Point-Guard-Crop-3209/ Fri, 08 May 2009 21:38:03 -0400 A recap of the top prospects seen at the Nike International Junior Tournament played parallel to the Euroleague Final Four in Berlin last week. FMP Zeleznik, led by Dejan Musli and Nenad Miljenovic continue to crush any competition they face at the junior level in Europe, winning the tournament for the third consecutive year. Lietuvos Rytas' Jonas Valanciunas and Gran Canaria’s Bakary Konate were also standouts. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-3208/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-3208/ Fri, 08 May 2009 16:56:40 -0400 In a superb weekend, we could witness one of the best Euroleague Final Fours ever in a top-notch city like Berlin, but it was a Serbian kid stealing our hearts at the Nike International Junior Tournament. The 16-year old cadet Nenad Miljenovic came with a strong reputation, but his performance and the impression he left exceeded any expectation. /article/Nenad-Miljenovic-the-Serbian-Smile-3207/ /article/Nenad-Miljenovic-the-Serbian-Smile-3207/ Thu, 07 May 2009 11:39:05 -0400 Eric Maynor announced his arrival on the national scene in March of 2007 when as a sophomore he torched Duke for 22 points, including a game winning jumper that propelled Virginia Commonwealth to an upset of the Blue Devils. Since that day it’s essentially been a countdown to the day when one of the best guards in Rams history would throw his name in the NBA Draft. /article/Eric-Maynor-I-just-want-to-land-in-the-right-situation-3204/ /article/Eric-Maynor-I-just-want-to-land-in-the-right-situation-3204/ Wed, 06 May 2009 10:21:20 -0400 Does Jeremy Tyler have the intangibles to succeed in Europe?...Citation unlikely to hurt John Wall's college recruitment, but what about the NBA?...Does anyone want Renardo Sidney?...Walk-ons should walk over stupid draft system...more /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-May-5-3206/ /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-May-5-3206/ Tue, 05 May 2009 10:22:19 -0400 Panathinaikos blows a 20 point lead, but still manages to survice...David Andersen putting the heat on the Atlanta Hawks...Zeljko Obradovic thinks the NBA is "just a show"-does he have a point? /article/Blogging-Through-the-Euroleague-Final-Four-Part-Two--3205/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-Euroleague-Final-Four-Part-Two--3205/ Mon, 04 May 2009 10:51:41 -0400 Despite possessing the smallest budget in the German Bundesliga, Goettingen has somehow managed to climb to the top of the standings of the league, thanks to the help of an American coach and an army of underpaid American players. /article/Gottingen-A-German-Cinderella-Story-3203/ /article/Gottingen-A-German-Cinderella-Story-3203/ Sun, 03 May 2009 12:26:20 -0400 Money isn't Everything for Josh Childress...Jannero Pargo Likes Europe...Super Siskauskas...No NBA for Messina?...Gregg Popovich at the Final Four /article/Blogging-Through-the-Euroleague-Final-Four-3202/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-Euroleague-Final-Four-3202/ Sat, 02 May 2009 12:42:56 -0400 In part two of our preview of the most important in-season event on the European basketball calendar, we'll examine the heated Olympiacos vs. Panathiniakos rivalry. /article/2009-Euroleague-Final-Four-Preview-Part-Two--3201/ /article/2009-Euroleague-Final-Four-Preview-Part-Two--3201/ Fri, 01 May 2009 08:18:26 -0400 The Early entry list for the 2009 NBA draft is out, take a look at who is in and who is out. /article/2009-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List-3200/ /article/2009-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List-3200/ Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:27:12 -0400 The most important in-season event on the European basketball calendar will be conducted this weekend in Berlin, Germany, and for the fourth straight year, DraftExpress will be represented. CSKA Moscow, Barcelona, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos will battle it out for the prestigious title of being considered the best team in Europe, while some of the most talented youngsters will compete in the Junior tournament. /article/2009-Euroleague-Final-Four-Preview-Part-One--3199/ /article/2009-Euroleague-Final-Four-Preview-Part-One--3199/ Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:02:38 -0400 In this of edition of our “Rookie Retrospectives” series, we’ll be analyzing former Indiana Hoosier Eric Gordon’s transition to the NBA. Despite playing for a struggling organization in Los Angeles, Gordon has shown a lot of star potential, particularly through the last half of his rookie season, and played his way into a potential Rookie of the Year candidate. /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Eric-Gordon-3196/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Eric-Gordon-3196/ Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:19:42 -0400 Joey Whelan and Jonathan Givony discuss the ramifications of the Early-Entry deadline, which players will stay in and which will pull out, Jeremy Tyler's decision to go to Europe, and our upcoming schedule. /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-Early-Entry-Deadline-3198/ /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-Early-Entry-Deadline-3198/ Wed, 29 Apr 2009 01:41:56 -0400 With two strong showings on the road against the Dallas Mavericks, George Hill has established himself as one of the few rookies in this last draft class to make a substantial contribution their team. Hill sits down with Joey Whelan to discuss the bumps along the road. /article/Rookie-Playoff-Retrospective-George-Hill-3197/ /article/Rookie-Playoff-Retrospective-George-Hill-3197/ Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:44:38 -0400 One of the more interesting positions in this year’s draft, the shooting guard spot is headlined by many prospects showing very unique and obvious strengths and weaknesses, which should provide an intriguing story line as a number of players battle for position throughout the draft process. /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Years-Shooting-Guard-Crop-3195/ /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Years-Shooting-Guard-Crop-3195/ Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:53:47 -0400 Donatas Motiejunas waiting for 2010...John Wall Elects Not to Challenge Early-Entry Rule...Milan Macvan In the Draft...Who Is Ater Majok?...Agent Hirings...and more /article/Word-on-the-Street-April-27-3194/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-April-27-3194/ Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:19:07 -0400 The center position is traditionally the shallowest in the draft, and this season is no exception, with only two players projected to be selected in the first round and only a couple others even in consideration for the second round. /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Years-Center-Crop-3193/ /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Years-Center-Crop-3193/ Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:41:28 -0400 One of the weaker positions in this year’s draft, the small forward spot is one of the hardest to analyze due to the diversity of the prospects available. Demar DeRozan headlines a group of players facing a lot of questions about how their games will translate to the next level. /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Years-Small-Forward-Crop-3192/ /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Years-Small-Forward-Crop-3192/ Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:43:33 -0400 DeJuan Blair sits down with Jonathan Givony to discuss what he's working on in anticipation of his private workouts, the secret behind his rebounding prowess, the type of player and person he is, and much more. /article/DeJuan-Blair--3191/ /article/DeJuan-Blair--3191/ Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:28:33 -0400 Though Blake Griffin is clearly the headliner of this year's group of power forwards, we've compiled significant data to thoroughly investigate the depth and versatility of this class from top to bottom to identify trends and make some observations. /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Years-Power-Forward-Crop-3190/ /article/Situational-Statistics-This-Years-Power-Forward-Crop-3190/ Thu, 23 Apr 2009 02:36:42 -0400 The Ricky Rubio soap opera continues...NCAA changing policy on college basketball players entering the NBA draft...Is John Wall making a huge mistake...Vasquez entering...much more. /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-April-22-3189/ /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-April-22-3189/ Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:14:37 -0400 Stephen Curry entering draft...Houston looking to buy a pick...Scottie Reynolds testing waters...Brackins undecided... /article/Word-on-the-Street-April-20-3188/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-April-20-3188/ Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:20:15 -0400 After conducting a very informative practice on Thursday, the players scrimmaged on Friday and then participated in the actual game on Sunday, giving us two additional opportunities to evaluate the 24 prospects in attendance. We also were able to take in a fairly interesting game featuring many of the top prospects in the 1993 international class. /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic--International-Game-3187/ /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic--International-Game-3187/ Mon, 20 Apr 2009 01:45:34 -0400 We're here in New York City for the third and final major high school all-star event of the spring—the Jordan Brand Classic. Most of the top talents in the 2009 class are represented here, many of whom we saw at the McDonald's All-American game and the Nike Hoop Summit. Fortunately, there are also a couple of new names sprinkled in to keep things interesting for us. /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic-Day-One-3186/ /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic-Day-One-3186/ Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:57:21 -0400 We take a look at the next batch of players who in our opinion helped their NBA draft stock the most at the PIT: Alonzo Gee, Tyrese Rice, Michael Bramos, Diamon Simpson and Courtney Fells. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-All-Third-Team-3185/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-All-Third-Team-3185/ Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:46:33 -0400 A in-depth look at all of the 10 high school senior prospects that participated in the Nike Hoop Summit, and their outlook as NBA draft prospects /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-High-School-Prospects-3184/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-High-School-Prospects-3184/ Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:22:58 -0400 We take a look at the next batch of players who in our opinion helped their NBA draft stock the most at the PIT: Micah Downs, Alex Ruoff, K.C. Rivers, B.J. Raymond and Marcus Cousin. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-All-Second-Team-3183/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-All-Second-Team-3183/ Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:16:20 -0400 John Wall eligible for the draft? Motiejunas in 2009? Austin Daye testing the waters...Stanley Robinson returning...Nate Miles enters the draft...and much much more. /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-April-15-3182/ /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-April-15-3182/ Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:01:51 -0400 A in-depth look at all of the 10 international prospects that participated in the Nike Hoop Summit, and their outlook as NBA draft prospects. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Prospects-3181/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Prospects-3181/ Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:54:44 -0400 We take a look at the five players who in our opinion helped their NBA draft stock the most at the PIT: Jermaine Taylor, Alade Aminu, Jon Brockman, Paul Delaney III and Leo Lyons. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-All-First-Team-3180/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-All-First-Team-3180/ Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:18:34 -0400 I have always been told to keep things in perspective and realize that sometimes the good times aren’t that great and the bad times aren’t really that bad. Sure hope the latter is true for our situation here in Germany. /article/Just-part-of-the-Journey-3179/ /article/Just-part-of-the-Journey-3179/ Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:13:20 -0400 The D-League playoffs start Tuesday and with it, the experimental new rule that the top seeds get to pick their opponent. The Colorado 14ers had the league’s best record so they were allowed to pick their opponent from the bottom four playoff teams – Idaho, Erie, Dakota and Bakersfield. The second seeded Utah Flash were then allowed to choose their opponent. The rosters fluctuate so much in the D-League that teams’ win-loss record is not the best way to determine who should face off in the playoffs. Only time will tell if this is a good idea or not. /article/D-League-Playoffs-Preview-3178/ /article/D-League-Playoffs-Preview-3178/ Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:19:22 -0400 History was made at the Rose Garden Saturday night, in front of a record crowd officially listed at over 11,000 people. Players from 8 countries around the world came together on Saturday to upset a very talented squad composed of 10 top high school players from the United States. The victory for the World Select Team was the first since 1998 at the Nike Hoop Summit. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Game-Recap-3177/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Game-Recap-3177/ Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:24:27 -0400 A look at the latest news and rumors regarding who is officially in or out of the 2009 draft, and who is still on the fence. /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-April-13-3176/ /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-April-13-3176/ Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:05:02 -0400 Last weekend's ESPN Rise National High School Invitational was the first event of its kind; an end of the season tournament featuring some of the top teams in the country, with the intention of crowning a national champion. With four of the eight teams in action ranked in the top ten nationally, there was plenty of outstanding prep basketball on display at the gorgeous Georgetown Prep Hanley Center. The championship game proved to be a dream matchup with the nation's top two teams in Oak Hill Academy and Findlay Prep doing battle. The No. 2 Pilots took down Oak Hill by a score of 74-66 to be crowned #1 in just their third year of existence. DraftExpress was on hand all weekend long to take in the action and break down some of the top players in the country from the 2009, 2010 and 2011 classes. /article/ESPN-RISE-National-High-School-Invitational-3175/ /article/ESPN-RISE-National-High-School-Invitational-3175/ Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:15:01 -0400 Day three of the PIT brought another strong outing from Jermaine Taylor, as well as good games from the likes of Leo Lyons, Wesley Matthews and B.J. Raymond. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Three-3174/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Three-3174/ Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:07:16 -0400 Jermaine Taylor has been easily the prospect who has helped his stock the most at Portsmouth. Joey Whelan sits down to discuss his thoughts on what he's shown so far. /article/Jermaine-TaylorGetting-a-PIT-invite-was-another-step-toward-the-NBA-3173/ /article/Jermaine-TaylorGetting-a-PIT-invite-was-another-step-toward-the-NBA-3173/ Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:05:43 -0400 Day two of the PIT featured outstanding performances from Jon Brockman and Jermaine Taylor, amongst others. We also discuss some emerging stories from the NBA draft rumor mill. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Two-3172/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Two-3172/ Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:38:01 -0400 Day two of the Nike Hoop Summit gave us an opportunity to evaluate practices of both the International and American players participating in the event. Xavier Henry, John Wall, Kevin Seraphin and Tomislav Zubcic get an in-depth look. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Day-Two-3171/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Day-Two-3171/ Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:29:07 -0400 We’re back once again at the annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a prestigious camp with great tradition allowing NBA teams to study a large number of NCAA seniors in one convenient setting. This year’s tournament is particularly interesting since the NBA decided to eliminate the five on five portion of the pre-draft camp, making this the only real setting for prospects to give their draft stock a boost, beyond the extremely limiting confines of private workouts. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-One-3170/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-One-3170/ Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:28:04 -0400 Year in and year out, the Nike Hoop Summit attracts a great deal of attention from NBA teams, as the game pits ten of the best 19 year olds and younger from around the world against ten of the top high school players in the United States. Over the past two days, we got our first look at the international squad, with participants from eight different countries. Just in the past few years, this event has given us a chance to evaluate prospects such as Nicolas Batum, Serge Ibaka, Alexis Ajinca, Petteri Koponen, and Saer Sene, amongst many others. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Day-One-International-Practices--3169/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Day-One-International-Practices--3169/ Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:57:52 -0400 A look at the latest rumors on who is officially in or out of the 2009 draft, and who is still on the fence. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Whoas-In-and-Out-of-the-2009-NBA-Draft-3168/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Whoas-In-and-Out-of-the-2009-NBA-Draft-3168/ Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:09:58 -0400 Right before the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament kicks off, Duquesne point guard Aaron Jackson sits down with Joey Whelan to discuss the road he took to getting here. /article/Portsmouth-Preview-Aaron-Jackson-Its-just-playing-basketball-3167/ /article/Portsmouth-Preview-Aaron-Jackson-Its-just-playing-basketball-3167/ Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:56:45 -0400 The college basketball season finally comes to an end with the championship game tonight (9:21 EST) in Detroit. Last update: 1:00 AM /article/Blogging-through-the-Final-Four-Part-Two--3166/ /article/Blogging-through-the-Final-Four-Part-Two--3166/ Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:51:29 -0400 In our latest installment of our “Rookie Retrospectives” series, we’ll be analyzing the play of former UCLA Bruin Kevin Love. After a very successful freshman campaign with the Bruins, Love declared for the 2008 NBA draft despite the many questions surrounding his NBA potential. GMs and scouts acknowledged his tremendous basketball IQ and rebounding ability, but questioned how his lack of athleticism and lateral quickness would translate to the League. Despite added pressure stemming from Minnesota’s trade for O.J. Mayo, Love has shown a significant amount of promise, especially in Al Jefferson's absence. /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Kevin-Love-3165/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Kevin-Love-3165/ Mon, 06 Apr 2009 02:17:19 -0400 The four best teams in the NCAA collide tonight in Detroit for one of the most highly anticipated events on the basketball calendar—the Final Four. We’ll be here throughout the evening analyzing the whole thing, particularly as it pertains to the NBA draft. Last Update: 1:00 AM /article/Blogging-through-the-Final-Four-Part-One--3164/ /article/Blogging-through-the-Final-Four-Part-One--3164/ Sat, 04 Apr 2009 17:50:07 -0400 A look at all of the 12 players on the East squad participating at the McDonald’s All-American game, with observations, photos and interviews garnered from the entire week of action. This article will rely heavily on the private scrimmage we were able to attend the day before the event, which was far more competitive than the actual game, and provided significant insight into the strengths and weaknesses of everyone in attendance. We were also able to sit with and pick the brains of many of the dozen or so NBA teams that showed up for the game on Wednesday, which gave us an additional perspective based on their always-fascinating first impressions. /article/Player-Evaluations-McDonaldas-All-American-Game-East-Team--3163/ /article/Player-Evaluations-McDonaldas-All-American-Game-East-Team--3163/ Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:20:30 -0400 The rosters for the 2009 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament were released today, and it appears that we’re looking at the strongest group of NCAA seniors assembled in quite some time. Nine players currently projected to be drafted on our latest mock draft have committed to attend the tournament (scheduled next week from the 8th-11th), while we’re counting between 15-20 seniors who are strong draft candidates on the rosters as well. There are a couple of headliners as well, including Sam Young. Lee Cummard and A.J. Price, three clear-cut candidates to be the first Portsmouth players drafted since Jason Maxiell in 2006. /article/2009-Portsmouth-Invitational-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-3162/ /article/2009-Portsmouth-Invitational-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-3162/ Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:18:11 -0400 A look at all of the 24 players participating at the McDonald’s All-American game, starting with the west squad, with observations garnered from the entire week of action. This article will rely heavily on the private scrimmage we were able to attend the day before the event, which was far more competitive than the actual game, and provided significant insight into the strengths and weaknesses of everyone in attendance. We were also able to sit with and pick the brains of many of the dozen or so NBA teams that showed up for the game on Wednesday, which gave us an additional perspective based on their always-fascinating first impressions. /article/Player-Evaluations-McDonaldas-All-American-Game-West-Team--3161/ /article/Player-Evaluations-McDonaldas-All-American-Game-West-Team--3161/ Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:00:46 -0400 After a full weekend of NCAA tournament games, we continue to analyze what we just saw, digging deep into a select number of prospects that deserve a closer look based off what they showed this season. DeJuan Blair, Jonny Flynn and Matt Bouldin are up next. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers-4208---Part-Two-3160/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers-4208---Part-Two-3160/ Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:37:28 -0400 Rounding up everything you need to know about the latest happenings in the world of the NBA draft. /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-April-1-3159/ /article/NBA-Draft-Roundup-April-1-3159/ Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:48:31 -0400 Monday night we were on hand in Miami, Florida to witness six of the best players in high school basketball, and potential future NBA draft picks, at the 2009 McDonald's High School All-American Dunk Contest. This was another chance to try out our exclusive DX-Mo video technology so be sure to let us know what you think!Going into it the consensus amongst the players was that Georgia Tech recruit Derrick Favors was the front-runner, but a steady performance by Avery Bradley, Jr. (Texas) allowed him to win in the finals over both Favors and Mason Plumlee (Duke). /article/2009-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest-Videos-3158/ /article/2009-McDonalds-High-School-All-American-Dunk-Contest-Videos-3158/ Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:11:55 -0400 After another full weekend of NCAA tournament games, we continue to analyze what we just saw, digging deep into a select number of prospects that deserve a closer look based off what they showed in March and during the regular season. Hasheem Thabeet, Cole Aldrich, Antonio Anderson and Micah Downs are those profiled. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers-33109--Part-One-3157/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers-33109--Part-One-3157/ Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:08:33 -0400 Day two of the McDonald’s All-American practices gave us a great opportunity to continue to evaluate the top prospects of the 2009 high school class.We also conducted an interview with Memphis commit Xavier Henry regarding the John Calipari situation.The day started off slow, as much of the first hour of practice was mostly a free-for all, with players practicing their half-court trick shots, and others participated in an impromptu dunk contest. The second hour was a little more competitive on the side featuring the West team, while the East again mostly looked to be in vacation mode.Interview with Xavier Henry<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/z7UtqIZTWp0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/z7UtqIZTWp0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object> /article/McDonaldas-All-American-Practices-Day-Two-3156/ /article/McDonaldas-All-American-Practices-Day-Two-3156/ Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:56:49 -0400 Our first day of the McDonald’s All-American week practices mostly revolved around familiarizing ourselves with the players as they went through warm-ups, light drill-work and some basic inter-squad scrimmaging. The atmosphere was pretty lax and the players mostly looked like they were trying to have fun, with the exception of a few self-starters who definitely came here to work. /article/McDonaldas-All-American-Practices-Day-One-3155/ /article/McDonaldas-All-American-Practices-Day-One-3155/ Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:18:36 -0400 It’s time to put the NCAA Tournament behind us for a couple of days, as we have the privilege of taking an in-depth look at some of the top high school players in America this coming week. The city of Miami will be hosting the 24 seniors honored to be named to this extremely prestigious event, and we’ll get to watch them practice and scrimmage over the next few days before the official game kicks off on Wednesday (8 PM EST, ESPN). /article/McDonaldas-All-American-Week-Preview-3154/ /article/McDonaldas-All-American-Week-Preview-3154/ Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:41:48 -0400 The Elite Eight got off to a phenomenal start, and we have two games that look just as promising in store for us this evening. Michigan State takes on Louisville, and Oklahoma faces off with North Carolina. Last Update: 7:45 PM /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Eight--3153/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Eight--3153/ Sun, 29 Mar 2009 11:46:03 -0400 Two Final Four tickets will be punched this evening, one of which is guaranteed to go to a member of the Big East. After a pretty disappointing Sweet 16, we’re definitely overdue for some very good games. Last Update: 11:00 /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Seven--3152/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Seven--3152/ Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:25:03 -0400 After somewhat of an underwhelming start to the Sweet 16, the better half of the eight games should provide plenty of entertainment value. From an NBA draft standpoint, there is clearly a lot on the line. Last update: 12:30 AM /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Six--3151/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Six--3151/ Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:27:51 -0400 The best weekend in college basketball is finally here. Sixteen teams will fight over the next four days for the right to cut down the nets and travel to Detroit next week for the Final Four. Last Update: 12:42 AM /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Five--3150/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Five--3150/ Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:47:38 -0400 After a full weekend of NCAA tournament games, we continue to analyze what we just saw, digging deep into a select number of prospects that deserve a closer look based off what they showed in March and during the regular season. JaJuan Johnson, Evan Turner, Al-Farouq Aminu and Sherron Collins are up next. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers-32609---Part-Two-3149/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers-32609---Part-Two-3149/ Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:42:44 -0400 We know which teams will be going head to head, but what will the most intriguing individual player matchups be this coming weekend? Who stands the most to gain or lose? /article/Top-NCAA-Tournament-Individual-Player-Matchups-Sweet-16--3148/ /article/Top-NCAA-Tournament-Individual-Player-Matchups-Sweet-16--3148/ Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:59:51 -0400 After a full weekend of NCAA tournament games, we continue to analyze what we just saw, breaking down a select number of prospects that deserve a closer look based off what they showed in March and during the regular season. Jeff Teague, Trevor Booker, Chris Wright and Jon Brockman are the first ones up. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers-32509--Part-One-3147/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers-32509--Part-One-3147/ Wed, 25 Mar 2009 02:59:18 -0400 A full dose of NBA draft information to keep you going until the NCAA tournament kicks off this Thursday, including some thoughts on Gerald Henderson, Stephen Curry, Patty Mills, Terrence Williams, Sam Young, Jonny Flynn, Michael Washington, Brandon Costner and others. /article/NCAANIT-Tournament-Stock-Watch-Rumor-Mill-3146/ /article/NCAANIT-Tournament-Stock-Watch-Rumor-Mill-3146/ Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:47:20 -0400 The Nike Hoop Summit international team was officially announced by USA Basketball today. The game is scheduled for Saturday, April 11th at the Rose Garden, in Portland, Oregon. It appears to be a pretty strong group, with a couple of potential first round prospects and a clear-cut lottery prospect headliner in Donatas Motiejunas. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Rosters-Announced-3145/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-International-Rosters-Announced-3145/ Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:40:30 -0400 A terrific weekend comes to a close with eight more games that will decide the final participants in next Thursday and Friday's Sweet Sixteen. Last update: 9:05 PM /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Four--3144/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Four--3144/ Sun, 22 Mar 2009 04:42:44 -0400 The first round is behind us, and with it a slew of upsets. Before we have a chance to catch our breath, we have another fascinating bunch of games. Last Update: 10:15 PM /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Three--3143/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Three--3143/ Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:14:33 -0400 Day one of the NCAA tournament was incredibly entertaining and full of surprises. A number of top NBA prospects stepped up to the plate with strong performances. Can day two match the excitement? Last update: 1:34 AM /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Two--3142/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-Two--3142/ Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:42:00 -0400 We'll be on call for the entire weekend, blogging our thoughts on all the games going on, keeping especially close tabs on those with NBA Draft implications. (Last Update: 1:20 AM) /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-One--3141/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-One--3141/ Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:20:25 -0400 Just as the NCAA tournament is about to kick off, we take stock of eight of the top NBA draft prospects in college basketball, including Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet, Gerald Henderson, Jeff Teague, Stephen Curry and others. /article/Taking-Stock-of-the-Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-3140/ /article/Taking-Stock-of-the-Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-3140/ Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:38:20 -0400 To help (or possibly hurt) your chances at winning your tournament pool, we bring you 9 notes on the teams we most strongly advise staying away from in their respective brackets. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Bracket-Busters-Duds--3139/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Bracket-Busters-Duds--3139/ Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:20:11 -0400 There were some good teams that didn’t make the tournament and many of them will be participating in the NIT, which features some marquee matchups of its own. With a good number of draft prospects on underachieving and mid-level basketball teams, the NIT, perhaps more so than in most years, should prove to be valuable for scouts wanting to catch a last glimpse at some of the nation’s finest collegiate players, sometimes against stronger competition than they saw in their conference schedule. /article/Top-Prospects-in-the-NIT-3138/ /article/Top-Prospects-in-the-NIT-3138/ Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:41:39 -0400 Ohio State's B.J. Mullens, Georgetown's Greg Monroe, West Virginia's Devin Ebanks and Florida State's Toney Douglas are the latest NBA draft prospects evaluated in our NCAA Weekly Performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-31609-3137/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-31609-3137/ Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:31:41 -0400 To help (or possibly hurt) your chances at winning your tournament pool, we bring you 10 notes on the teams we most like in their respective brackets. Stay tuned tomorrow for the teams we most “dislike” in the tournament. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Bracket-Busters-Studs--3136/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Bracket-Busters-Studs--3136/ Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:46:11 -0400 We know which teams will be going head to head, but what will the most intriguing individual player matchups be this coming weekend? Who stands the most to gain or lose? /article/Top-NCAA-Tournament-Individual-Player-Matchups-Round-One--3135/ /article/Top-NCAA-Tournament-Individual-Player-Matchups-Round-One--3135/ Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:27:04 -0400 North Carolina's Wayne Ellington, Memphis' Robert Dozier, UT-Martin's Lester Hudson and Missouri's DeMarre Carroll are the latest players profiled in our latest NCAA Weekly Performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-31509-3134/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-31509-3134/ Sun, 15 Mar 2009 01:34:25 -0400 A breakdown of the official 2008-2009 NCAA Post-Season awards, including first, second and third All-Conference teams, as well as the All-Freshman Teams, Coaches of the year, All-Defensive Teams, and more- for all 31 NCAA conferences. /article/0809-NCAA-Postseason-All-Conference-Awards-3133/ /article/0809-NCAA-Postseason-All-Conference-Awards-3133/ Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:13:11 -0400 While the Big East tournament in Madison Square Garden will be our home base for the entire week, we’ll still be keeping a very close eye on all the happenings from around the country thanks to our trusty TIVO. Needless to say, this is a phenomenal week for college basketball, and a very important scouting time from an NBA draft perspective. This is our last chance to evaluate the prospects that will not be advancing to the NCAA Tournament or NIT, as well as an excellent opportunity to evaluate how those that will be advancing perform under pressure. /article/Blogging-through-the-Conference-Tournaments-3132/ /article/Blogging-through-the-Conference-Tournaments-3132/ Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:15:48 -0400 DraftExpress was on hand at the Peterson Events Center this past weekend to take in top ranked Connecticut against #3 Pittsburgh in our latest college road report. In this edition, we take a look at Pitt forwards DeJuan Blair and Sam Young, as well as UCONN prospects Hasheem Thabeet, Kemba Walker, A.J. Price, Stanley Robinson, and Jeff Adrien. /article/College-Road-Report--Connecticut-vs-Pittsburgh-3131/ /article/College-Road-Report--Connecticut-vs-Pittsburgh-3131/ Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:01:58 -0400 It’s March and the madness is just starting to set in as the bubble is getting smaller and the automatic bids are getting more and more important. Thus, it’s the perfect time to kick off the conference tournament preview. This time we shift to the high major conferences, where there are more bids at stake and an ever-shrinking bubble. Scouts and fans alike will be tuning in to see whether or not the nation’s top teams are capable of delivering in the clutch and some of the best prospects in the country can power their respective teams to the NCAA tournament. /article/The-Week-Ahead-NCAA-Conference-Tournaments-Part-2-The-High-Majors--3130/ /article/The-Week-Ahead-NCAA-Conference-Tournaments-Part-2-The-High-Majors--3130/ Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:56:16 -0400 Willie Warren, Jerome Jordan, Greivis Vasquez and Stefon Jackson get the nod for updated scouting reports in our latest NCAA Weekly Performers /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-3909-3129/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-3909-3129/ Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:16:00 -0400 In this week's roundup we check in on the progress of Israeli SF Omri Casspi, Italian SF Luigi Datome, and Russian center Timofey Mozgov, amongst others. /article/European-Roundup-Casspi-Coming-Along-3126/ /article/European-Roundup-Casspi-Coming-Along-3126/ Sun, 08 Mar 2009 03:10:40 -0400 It’s March and the madness is just starting to set in as the bubble is getting smaller and the automatic bids are getting more and more important. Thus, it’s the perfect time to kick off the conference tournament preview, starting with the mid-major conferences. Scouts will be watching, as many mid-major prospects might not be playing again this season, especially if their teams can’t claim an automatic bid. /article/Week-Ahead-NCAA-Conference-Tournaments-Part-1-The-Mid-Majors--3128/ /article/Week-Ahead-NCAA-Conference-Tournaments-Part-1-The-Mid-Majors--3128/ Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:45:42 -0500 This weekend is one of the most important in college basketball, for coaches, players, scouts, and fans alike. We aren’t going to miss any of the action and neither should you. Here is what we’re going to watch in college basketball this week. /article/The-Weekend--Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-37-38-3127/ /article/The-Weekend--Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-37-38-3127/ Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:20:29 -0500 The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is about a month away, meaning this is a good time to look over this year’s senior class and try to project who may be invited. This year’s PIT will be unique since it is now the only place that NBA teams can congregate and watch a large number of draft prospects competing against each other—which saves them valuable time and money. With the NBA deciding to modify the format of the pre-draft camp and no longer conduct five on five games, it appears that Portsmouth will take on far greater importance this year. /article/Suggested-Rosters-2009-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-3125/ /article/Suggested-Rosters-2009-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-3125/ Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:12:05 -0500 Wake Forest's James Johnson, Duke's Kyle Singler, Oklahoma State's James Anderson, Marquette's Wesley Matthews and Gonzaga's Josh Heytvelt get the nod in our latest NCAA Weekly Performers. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-3309-3124/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-3309-3124/ Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:32:12 -0500 In the newest installment of Rookie Retrospectives, we take a look at the 10th pick in last year's draft, Brook Lopez. The former Stanford Cardinal has been a real bright spot for the Nets this season, establishing himself as an outstanding rebounder and shot-blocker right off the bat, while displaying excellent potential offensively as well. He seems to be improving with each game as well, becoming a nice complement to New Jersey's two perimeter stars. Mature and composed beyond his years on the floor, Lopez proves to be both a good teammate and an eager student of the game. Coupled with his shooting ability, strong frame, and athleticism, those qualities should help Lopez become a force in the Eastern Conference in the not too distant future. /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Brook-Lopez-3123/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Brook-Lopez-3123/ Mon, 02 Mar 2009 02:12:04 -0500 Three point guards--Davidson's Stephen Curry, Syracuse's Jonny Flynn and Gonzaga's Jeremy Pargo get the nod in our latest NCAA Weekly Performers. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-22809-3122/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-22809-3122/ Sat, 28 Feb 2009 12:14:34 -0500 Villanova will test the toughness and resolve of Georgetown's Greg Monroe and DaJuan Summers /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-228-36--3121/ /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-228-36--3121/ Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:01:54 -0500 There were a number of high-level players at the Copa del Rey whose rights are held by the NBA teams that drafted them in years past. We update the status of Tiago Splitter, Fran Vazquez, Ersan Ilyasova, Joel Freeland and others in this article. /article/Blogging-through-the-Copa-del-Rey-Part-Three--3120/ /article/Blogging-through-the-Copa-del-Rey-Part-Three--3120/ Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:17:15 -0500 Texas' Damion James, Florida's Nick Calathes, Pitt's Sam Young, Marquette's Dominic James and Duquesne's Aaron Jackson headline this edition of the NCAA Weekly Performers. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-22409-3119/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-22409-3119/ Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:04:45 -0500 For the second year in a row, an NBA rookie draft class came into the league with fairly high expectations. The 2007 class not only had enormous star quality at the top of the board with Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, but pundits leading up to the draft generally classified that group as deep, with expectations of potential contributors well into the late first round and beyond. Those rookie season hopes were largely unrealized, and not just by the felling of the mountainous Oden. The overall production of the 2007 class positions it as one of the weakest first-year classes in the last three decades. Fortunately, the disappointments of last season have not been revisited: the rookie effort of the 2008 draft class has been a ringing success. /article/The-NBAs-Stimulus-Package-The-Rookie-Draft-Class-of-2008-3117/ /article/The-NBAs-Stimulus-Package-The-Rookie-Draft-Class-of-2008-3117/ Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:36:03 -0500 After Tau Vitoria dismantled Barcelona and Unicaja Malaga squeaked by the local underdogs Estudiantes, the finals are set for the Copa del Rey. Storylines we'll be exploring include the upcoming finals matchup, as well as ever-amazing Ricky Rubio, and the latest on his chances of entering the draft. /article/Blogging-through-the-Copa-del-Rey-Part-Two-3116/ /article/Blogging-through-the-Copa-del-Rey-Part-Two-3116/ Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:03:11 -0500 We're back in Spain once again for one of the most important events on the European basketball calendar—the Copa del Rey. A celebration of Spanish basketball, the Copa pits the top eight ranked teams each other for a single-elimination tournament providing an accurate pulse on the second strongest domestic league in the world. This is an excellent opportunity to take in the cream of the crop of Europe in a single weekend, which always makes it a highly scouted event by NBA teams. /article/Blogging-Through-the-Copa-del-Rey-Part-One-3115/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-Copa-del-Rey-Part-One-3115/ Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:43:28 -0500 This past week witnessed another top seed biting this dust. This time it was Connecticut at the hands of conference-rival Pittsburgh. With conference schedules winding down and Bracket Busters lined up all Saturday afternoon and evening, this week promises to be even better. The stakes are raised as the nation's top teams are now vying for NCAA seeds in addition to conference rank, which makes these games all the more important. Scouts will be watching intently and so should you. Here is what we're watching in college basketball this week. /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-221-227--3114/ /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-221-227--3114/ Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:52:03 -0500 Memphis' Tyreke Evans, Gonzaga's Austin Daye, St. Mary's Patrick Mills and West Virginia's Da'Sean Butler headline this edition of the NCAA Weekly Performers. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-21909-3113/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-21909-3113/ Thu, 19 Feb 2009 09:51:59 -0500 <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xfEi_DVzvFU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xfEi_DVzvFU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>The NBA D-League held its annual slam dunk contest last Friday night in Phoenix, Arizona. The '09 incarnation brought us an epic battle between the Anaheim Arsenal's James White and the Tulsa 66ers' Keith Clark. You may remember James "Flight" White from his college days at Cincinnati, the high price paid for him on draft night, or his stint with the San Antonio Spurs in 2006-07. Clark, however, is not as well known. He decided to play in the D-League after being declared academically ineligible at Oklahoma. He is following the path of the Los Angeles Clippers' Mike Taylor and will be eligible for the 2009 NBA Draft -- which makes him of particular interest to us here at DraftExpress.Also making its debut from the D-League Dunk Contest is a new type of video we're tentatively dubbing DX-Mo. Let us know what you think. /article/2009-NBA-D-League-Slam-Dunk-Contest-3112/ /article/2009-NBA-D-League-Slam-Dunk-Contest-3112/ Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:46:20 -0500 All-Star weekend in Phoenix gave us a great opportunity to evaluate some of the top NBA draft prospects in the Pac-10, as Arizona State hosted UCLA and Southern Cal in Tempe. James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday, Darren Collison, Jeff Pendergraph and Alfred Aboya all get an extended look. /article/College-Road-Report-Arizona-State-vs-UCLA---USC-3111/ /article/College-Road-Report-Arizona-State-vs-UCLA---USC-3111/ Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:27:59 -0500 In this installment of our “Rookie Retrospectives” series, we’ll be analyzing the play of former number one draft pick Greg Oden. A year and a half removed from hearing his name called ahead of Kevin Durant’s, Oden has settled into his role as the Trailblazers’ starting center, despite the significant setbacks he’s suffered since then. After losing all of last season to microfracture surgery and the first two weeks of this season to a foot injury, Oden has seen enough action to warrant a reevaluation of where he was and a more thorough analysis of where he’s going. Though he won’t find himself in the conversation for the Rookie of the Year Award, the fact that he is back on the floor and getting the reps he needs to improve—when he’s not stricken with foul trouble—is a great sign for a Portland team that is expecting big things from him in the long-run. /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Greg-Oden-3110/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Greg-Oden-3110/ Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:34:15 -0500 On Friday night, the D-League held their annual Dream Factory Friday Night where the three events were all won by D-League All-Stars with NBA experience. Saturday night, Blake Ahearn had 13 points and 13 assists to lead the Red Team to a 113-103 victory over the Blue Team in the 2009 NBA D-League All-Star Game. /article/2009-D-League-All-Star-Game-HORSE-and-3-Point-Contest-3109/ /article/2009-D-League-All-Star-Game-HORSE-and-3-Point-Contest-3109/ Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:21:26 -0500 Here at Draft Express, we travel the globe from Anchorage to Zimbabwe, the ACC to the USSR, from Kalamazoo to Katmandu, to scout basketball at all levels in an attempt to uncover the next great prospect. Today we find ourselves in Phoenix, Arizona for the 2009 All-Star Celebrity Game looking for “the next big thing”. /article/Scouting-the-2009-All-Star-Celebrity-Game-3108/ /article/Scouting-the-2009-All-Star-Celebrity-Game-3108/ Sat, 14 Feb 2009 06:47:46 -0500 A sense of urgency is creeping in amongst the mid-level teams in the BCS conferences. With their NCAA tournament resumes on the line, teams will be looking for their stars to step up, while NBA decision makers look on. Intriguing matchups this week include UCLA at Arizona, UNC at Miami, USC at Arizona State, and a true battle of the titans in Pitt at UConn. Bracketbuster weekend kicks off as well with a very interesting game between VCU and Nevada. /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-214-220--3107/ /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-214-220--3107/ Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:56:06 -0500 In a league that prides itself in developing players, no one player has shown as much improvement this season as NBA D-League All-Star James White of the Anaheim Arsenal. The 6’7” White is second in the league in scoring with 25.8 points per game and has scored 20 or more points in 21 consecutive games. White will be one of four players participating in the D-League's Slam-Dunk Contest on Friday night, as well as the D-League All-Star game on Saturday afternoon (NBA TV, 4 PM EST). /article/James-White-Knocking-on-the-NBAs-Door-Again-3106/ /article/James-White-Knocking-on-the-NBAs-Door-Again-3106/ Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:18:36 -0500 Four of the top wing players in college basketball get an extended look. Arizona's Chase Budinger, LSU's Marcus Thornton, Tennessee's Tyler Smith and UNC's Danny Green. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-21109-3105/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-21109-3105/ Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:09:05 -0500 Louisville's Earl Clark, Miami's Jack McClinton and San Diego State's Kyle Spain headline this edition of the NCAA Weekly Performers. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-2909-3103/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-2909-3103/ Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:11:36 -0500 Predictions seem pointless after awhile in the world of college basketball. Right after Duke solidified itself as one of the top teams in the NCAA, they were blown out by Clemson, which symbolized a week in college basketball filled with surprise, excitement, and just a hint of intrigue. This week, however, the theme is redemption, as the likes of Notre Dame, Kentucky, Michigan try desperately to get their seasons back on track. Don’t miss any of the action, particularly a matchup of Big East backcourts when eighth seeded Marquette travels to seventeenth ranked Villanova. And, those “Off the Beaten Track” games aren’t half bad either. Its crunch time in the Atlantic 10 again, and it would be a shame to miss out on some of the top mid-major action in the country. Last but not least, tune in to see if the Memphis Tigers, led by blossoming freshman phenom Tyreke Evans, are for real, as they take on Gonzaga and Tulsa in one of their toughest weeks thus far this season. It’s time for another big week in college basketball and here’s what we’re going to be watching. /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-27-213--3102/ /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-27-213--3102/ Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:18:49 -0500 This week we take a look at five different prospects in various stages of their development curve, including Lithuanian Donatas Motiejunas, Czech Jan Vesely, Australian Joe Ingles, Slovenian Mirza Sarajlija and French Bangaly Fofana. /article/European-Roundup-Dominant-Donatas-3101/ /article/European-Roundup-Dominant-Donatas-3101/ Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:03:31 -0500 Many people questioned the risk Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti took on draft night, making Russell Westbrook the 4th selection in the NBA draft, a few positions ahead of where many thought he should go. There were questions about what position he’d play in the pros, and many saw him as a project player given the still developing skill set he showed while at UCLA. /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Russell-Westbook-3100/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Russell-Westbook-3100/ Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:23:09 -0500 Three Big East players and one ACC big man get the nod in this edition's NCAA Weekly Performers. Louisville's Terrence Williams, Marquette's Jerel McNeal, and Villanova's Dante Cunningham are joined by Georgia Tech's Gani Lawal. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-2409-3099/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-2409-3099/ Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:00:27 -0500 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the third team in the Atlantic division, the Toronto Raptors. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Atlantic-Division-Part-Three--3098/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Atlantic-Division-Part-Three--3098/ Tue, 03 Feb 2009 03:03:26 -0500 Danny Ferry has gotten it wrong for a while now. In trying to surround the most awe-inspiring player in twenty years with enough talent to compete for a title, Ferry has waddled into a bevy of anti-climactic and ill-founded moves, which somehow saw the Cavaliers land an NBA Finals appearance, yet never really saw them as feared competitors. However, Ferry did something I wasn't expecting - he got it right. /article/Brother-Ferrys-Travelling-Salvation-Show-3095/ /article/Brother-Ferrys-Travelling-Salvation-Show-3095/ Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:09:48 -0500 There was another heart stopper in Winston-Salem last week and another number one team fell. Only this time, it was Wake Forest providing the upset. If January was the rise of the ACC, it looks as if February may belong to the Big East, with Connecticut, Louisville, and Marquette storming up the top 25, even if Georgetown and Notre Dame have taken off a few possessions too many. Keep your eyes peeled, though, because nothing is certain, especially this early on. This week in college basketball, you’ll get to see all six players we profiled in our last “NCAA Weekly Performers” piece and take in the match ups scouts across the United States and the world will be watching. We have recommended some good ones in the past, and this week should be no exception. Here is what we’re going to be watching during this coming week in college basketball. /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-131-26--3097/ /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-131-26--3097/ Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:13:33 -0500 In our newest installment of our “Rookie Retrospectives” series, we’ll be analyzing the play of former Texas Longhorn standout D.J. Augustin. After two years under Rick Barnes, D.J. Augustin entered the 2008 NBA draft as the most decorated point guard in his class. An Academic All-American and Bob Cousy Award winner, scouts acknowledged his high basketball IQ, but questioned how his size would project to the next level. Leading into the draft, most experts predicted the Bobcats would select Brook Lopez if available, but Head Coach Larry Brown pushed for D.J. Augustin and felt he had the essential tools to become a great NBA floor general. As he’s acclimated to the demands of the NBA, Augustin has provided Charlotte with a great scoring punch off the bench, as well as a solid distributor at the backup point guard spot. /article/Rookie-Retrospective-DJ-Augustin-3096/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-DJ-Augustin-3096/ Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:12:15 -0500 Duke's Gerald Henderson, Iowa State's Craig Brackins and St. Joe's Ahmad Nivins earn the nod for an in-depth look with their outstanding play in the latest edition of our NCAA weekly performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12909-3094/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12909-3094/ Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:24:03 -0500 Swedish small forward Jonas Jerebko is developing into a complete player for Italian league team Angelico Biella, and is helping his draft stock considerably along the way. Also, is Igor Rakocevic the top player in European basketball? /article/European-Roundup-Double-Double-Jerebko--3093/ /article/European-Roundup-Double-Double-Jerebko--3093/ Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:25:22 -0500 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the second team in the Atlantic division, the New York Knicks. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Atlantic-Division-Part-Two--3092/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Atlantic-Division-Part-Two--3092/ Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:31:12 -0500 Four prospects who are flying under the national radar screen get an extended look in this edition of the NCAA Weekly Performers: Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney, Central Florida's Jermaine Taylor, Utah's Luke Nevill and Penn State's Talor Battle. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12609aUnder-the-Radar-Edition-3091/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12609aUnder-the-Radar-Edition-3091/ Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:15:00 -0500 In our final look back at the Spalding HoopHall Classic in Springfield, we evaluate some of the top prospects in the 2009 and 2010 high school classes, as well as some of the more underrated ones. Xavier Henry, DeMarcus Cousins, Tristan Thompson, Josh Selby, Travis Wear and many more. /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Part-Three-3090/ /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Part-Three-3090/ Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:48:53 -0500 It’s been quite the week in college basketball. Pittsburgh and Wake Forest forfeited their top ranking in games they were expected to win. Now, Duke looks to take the number one spot by a significant margin. Despite last week’s marathon of quality games, don’t even think about putting down your remote. If possible, this week looks to be even better. Whether it’s in-state rivalries or moving up in the top 25, the following match ups are not to be missed. Similarly, you’ve seen the recent changes in our 2009 mock draft. Do you want to see where we’re coming from? Tune into some of these games to see why Wake Forest point guard Jeff Teague, for instance, has shot all the way up the board to the 6th pick. Then, while you’re at it, take a look at some of the lesser-known prospects, like Eric Maynor or Kenneth Faried, playing “Off the Beaten Track.” We haven’t failed you yet, so take a look at what we’re going to be watching during this coming week in college basketball. /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-124-130--3089/ /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-124-130--3089/ Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:10:37 -0500 DraftExpress was on hand at The Flyin To The Hoop tournament this past weekend in Dayton, Ohio, where some of the nation's finest high school prospects took action. In part one of our coverage, we take a look at the elite prospects the event had to offer—including Jared Sullinger, Jeremy Tyler, Avery Bradley, and Mouphtaou Yarou. /article/Flyin-To-The-Hoop-Elite-Prospects-3088/ /article/Flyin-To-The-Hoop-Elite-Prospects-3088/ Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:17:46 -0500 In part two of our coverage of the Spalding HoopHall Classic in Springfield, we look at Lance Stephenson, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, Doron Lamb, Jason Morris, Derrick Wilson, Tony Chenault and Justin Jackson. /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Part-Two-3087/ /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Part-Two-3087/ Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:35:12 -0500 I know I haven’t blogged in a while, but I told my friend Jonathan Givony, President of DraftExpress, that I will blog this season. Had to keep my word, Ya dig? This is my third year playing professional basketball. The first year was in the NBA D-League with the Colorado 14ers, the second year was in Ukraine with BC Kyiv (hello to all my fans in Ukraine), and now this season, I’m playing in Spain (ACB) for a team called Vive (live) Menorca. /article/247-365-on-my-Grind-3086/ /article/247-365-on-my-Grind-3086/ Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:07:06 -0500 We spent the last three days at the HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass, the birthplace of basketball, evaluating some of the top high school players in America. Our first report will focus on players such as Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech), Kenny Boynton (Florida), Keith Gallon (Oklahoma), Hassan Whiteside (Marshall), Alex Oriakhi (UConn) and James Bell (Villanova). /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Part-One-3085/ /article/HoopHall-Classic-Scouting-Reports-Part-One-3085/ Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:25:50 -0500 In this week's edition of the European Roundup, we take a step back to analyze a number of players with NBA aspirations as many of the European Competitions transition into their second stages. Vladimir Dasic is our featured prospect of the week, and while he failed to lead Buducnost to the second round of the Eurocup, he's still firmly on the draft radar and warrants an in-depth analysis based on the season he's having. This also seems like a good opportunity to discuss the progress of former lottery pick Marcus Haislip, who has helped Unicaja Malaga become a legitimate Euroleague contender. With a number of teams eliminated from international play, it is also time review which prospects have and have not earned the opportunity to move on to the next round of their respective competitions. /article/European-Roundup-Dasic-Providing-Intrigue-3084/ /article/European-Roundup-Dasic-Providing-Intrigue-3084/ Sat, 17 Jan 2009 23:36:25 -0500 The University of Alabama-Birmingham played host to a high school showdown between #7 ranked South Atlanta HS (GA) and #9 ranked LeFlore HS (AL). The game also pegged elite big men Derrick Favors and DeMarcus Cousins against in a matchup to help decide who is the top big man in the class of 2009. /article/Battle-In-Birmingham--DeMarcus-Cousins-vs-Derrick-Favors-3083/ /article/Battle-In-Birmingham--DeMarcus-Cousins-vs-Derrick-Favors-3083/ Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:45:01 -0500 We hope you’ve cleared your schedule on Saturday, because from noon until well after midnight, some of the top teams in the country take the court in a series of marquee matchups and hidden gems. Be sure to check out at least one of the games in our “Off the Beaten Track,” so you’ll have the inside track on some of the nations under the radar prospects and non-BCS teams that have the potential to make noise come March. Last week’s matchups did not let us down, including a down-to-the-wire thriller in Winston-Salem between Wake Forest and North Carolina. Here are the games we’re watching this week. /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-116-123--3082/ /article/The-Week-Ahead-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-116-123--3082/ Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:13:02 -0500 We take a look at another four of the more highly touted members of the NCAA freshman class—Jrue Holiday, Scotty Hopson, Sylven Landesberg and Howard Thompkins—to see what we can learn from their performance about half of the way through the college season. /article/Evaluating-the-NCAA-Freshman-Class-Part-Two-3081/ /article/Evaluating-the-NCAA-Freshman-Class-Part-Two-3081/ Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:20:13 -0500 Four SEC players highlight the latest edition of our NCAA Weekly Performers series. Arkansas' Michael Washington, Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnado, and Kentucky's Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks get an extended look for thier excellent play this season thus far. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-11209-3080/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-11209-3080/ Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:08:30 -0500 With the D-League Showcase now in the books, its time to take a step back and examine the performances of some of the more intriguing prospects in attendance. Some of the standouts from the week were known commodities, like Coby Karl, Derrick Byars and Alex Acker, while others, specifically Othyus Jeffers, were pleasant surprises. /article/D-League-Showcase-Player-Profiles-3078/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Player-Profiles-3078/ Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:41:45 -0500 At twenty-seven years old, Chris Warren has done more traveling than most people will do in a lifetime. Widely considered one of the top swingmen in European basketball, his ascension up the basketball ladder surely wasn’t something you could have predicted from his very modest start. After attending junior college, the Garland, Texas native spent two years playing basketball at the University of South Carolina, a fifteen hour drive from his hometown. While a commute like that for most college students would ensure visits home only came around the holidays, it was simply a warm up for what has turned into a five year odyssey of traveling around the globe to continue his playing career. /article/Always-Ready-to-Travel-the-GlobeaThe-Story-of-Chris-Warren-3079/ /article/Always-Ready-to-Travel-the-GlobeaThe-Story-of-Chris-Warren-3079/ Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:47:16 -0500 If you had a chance to watch any of our marquee match ups last week, you were witness to a handful of terrific games and all kinds of quality performances by some of this draft’s top prospects. Now, as conference schedules are heating up and teams position themselves to make a deep run in March, the battles will get more intense as rivalries take over and the plot thickens. As scouts, we’re especially interesting in seeing how some of the nation’s best players handle this pressure and if they can continue to assert their dominance when the stakes are raised. /article/The-Week-in-Review-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-110-116--3077/ /article/The-Week-in-Review-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-110-116--3077/ Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:18:31 -0500 Two things will be probably remembered from this edition of the L'Hospitalet junior tournament: the brilliant victory of Lietuvos Rytas, and the historic performance of Nikola Mirotic, the tournament's MVP. According to the official stats, Mirotic incredibly earned 84 index points in a consolation game against FMP. /article/LHospitalet-2009-Mirotic-Makes-History-3076/ /article/LHospitalet-2009-Mirotic-Makes-History-3076/ Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:22:14 -0500 Monitoring the progress of Bill Walker...Are Courtney Sims' Numbers for Real?...What do D-League Numbers Actually Mean Anyway?...James White Making Strides... /article/D-League-Showcase--Day-Two-3075/ /article/D-League-Showcase--Day-Two-3075/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:56:02 -0500 We’re back for our third straight D-League Showcase, undoubtedly one of our favorite events on the basketball calendar. This is a setting for the hardcore only—you better be very serious about basketball if you decided to make it over here—and is always a good place to catch up on the latest in the industry with the numerous scouts, International teams, agents and players that make the trip. /article/D-League-Showcase--Day-One-3074/ /article/D-League-Showcase--Day-One-3074/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:18:58 -0500 While planning our itinerary for this year’s D-League Showcase in Orem, Utah, we recognized a great opportunity to take in what was sure to be one of the best out of conference games on this week’s college basketball schedule—Wake Forest at BYU. This turned out to be a very wise move, as not only was the game an absolute thriller, but it featured no less than 5 or 6 potential future first round picks, and was attended by 24 NBA scouts representing 20 separate teams. This game was unique from another aspect too, the seating arrangement. /article/College-Road-Report-BYU-Wake-Forest-3073/ /article/College-Road-Report-BYU-Wake-Forest-3073/ Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:40:41 -0500 Rob Kurz’s journey to the NBA isn’t improbable; a late second round pick making a roster is improbable. No, Kurz’s story is downright out of a Hollywood script. /article/From-Discarded-to-NBA-Starterathe-Story-of-Rob-Kurz-3072/ /article/From-Discarded-to-NBA-Starterathe-Story-of-Rob-Kurz-3072/ Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:40:59 -0500 Happy New Year basketball addicts! This week in college basketball promises to start 2009 off right with some of the year’s best games and intriguing matchups. With non-conference slates winding down and conference schedules in-progress or on the horizon, teams will be on their toes with March firmly in the back of their collective minds. For us at DraftExpress, these are must see-games, as some of the nation’s best players will be in the spotlight jockeying for draft position. Here are some of the games we’ll be watching intently this coming week. /article/The-Week-in-Review-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-13-19--3071/ /article/The-Week-in-Review-What-to-Watch-in-College-Basketball-13-19--3071/ Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:54:07 -0500 DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony and Joseph Treutlein hit the road to take in one of the top matchups of the season—UConn vs. Georgetown at the XL Center in Hartford. According to our database, there were no less than 13 NBA prospects participating in this game. For this article we’ll take a deeper look into what we were able to learn from four of the top prospects—Hasheem Thabeet, Greg Monroe, A.J. Price and DaJuan Summers—both from this matchup and on the season as a whole. 31 NBA scouts and executives were present, which should tell you pretty much everything you need to know about the quality of the prospects involved. /article/College-Road-Report-UConn-a-Georgetown-3070/ /article/College-Road-Report-UConn-a-Georgetown-3070/ Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:34:08 -0500 On a Monday the 15th I found out that my services were needed in Europe. On that Tuesday afternoon I traveled for roughly twenty hours to Germany. On that Friday, I went through two fun-filled practices with some serious jetlag. On Saturday, I played surprisingly well against my former team considering I had the biggest case of noodle-legs ever. On Sunday morning, I boarded another flight back to the states for a four day Christmas break. On Christmas Day, I flew back to Germany. /article/Awake-or-Not-3069/ /article/Awake-or-Not-3069/ Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:34:27 -0500 Emir Preldzic earns player of the week honors based on his play for Turkish powerhouse Fenerbache-Ulker. The 1987-born Slovenian prospect has stepped into a role that few players his age get the opportunity to fill, and has boosted his stock significantly in the process. We also take a look at Kevin Seraphin, a young French post player with great promise, and former Rockets draft selection Lior Eliyahu, who has come up big in recent weeks for perennial contender Maccabi Tel Aviv. /article/European-Roundup-Emir-Preldzic-Blossoming-in-the-Euroleague-3068/ /article/European-Roundup-Emir-Preldzic-Blossoming-in-the-Euroleague-3068/ Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:14:20 -0500 We're back with another version of Top Weekly Performers, to evaluate four of the more impressive prospects in the early part of the NCAA season thus far. Ohio State's Evan Turner, North Carolina's Ty Lawson, Pitt's DeJuan Blair and Kansas' Cole Aldrich receive an extended look. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-122808-3067/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-122808-3067/ Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:31:06 -0500 Can he run the point, or is he an undersized shooting guard? Will his game translate to the NBA? Will he be a problem off the court? The flood of questions surrounding O.J. Mayo’s draft prospects appear to have been a reflection of what can happen when a player spends too much time on the NBA radar. After a while it became all too easy to forget just how precocious of a talent Mayo is, while highlighting all the potential problems the talented guard could run into –finding reasons why the overexposed high school star couldn’t reproduce the success he found during his freshman year at USC. Only a few months into his rookie season, Mayo is proving it doesn’t matter what position he plays, his game is translating very well, and that his only focus is becoming a better basketball player and helping a young Grizzlies team improve. He has surpassed all expectations, and even though it’s early, has shown that he’s a rising star in the League. In our third installment of our new “Rookie Retrospectives” series, we’ll be analyzing the play of the third of three former freshman standouts that are vying for the Rookie of the Year Award. /article/Rookie-Retrospective-OJ-Mayo-3065/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-OJ-Mayo-3065/ Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:51:53 -0500 We take an early look at four of the more highly touted members of the NCAA freshman class--DeMar DeRozan, B.J. Mullens, Willie Warren and Tyreke Evans--to see what we can learn from their performance about a third of the way through the college season. It's pretty obvious from the underwhelming early results that this class is nowhere near as talented and polished as last year's, which will significantly weaken this year's draft. /article/Evaluating-the-NCAA-Freshman-Class-3066/ /article/Evaluating-the-NCAA-Freshman-Class-3066/ Wed, 24 Dec 2008 08:46:26 -0500 Nenad Krstic is close to signing a 3-year, 16 million dollar contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, multiple sources in the US and Europe told DraftExpress.com. /article/Nenad-Krstic-to-Oklahoma-City-3064/ /article/Nenad-Krstic-to-Oklahoma-City-3064/ Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:26:05 -0500 In our second installment of our new “Rookie Retrospectives” series, we’ll be analyzing the play of the second of three former freshman standouts that are vying for the Rookie of the Year Award. After one of the most impressive freshman seasons in recent NCAA history, no player in this class may have began their career facing expectations as lofty as those Beasley set for himself with his play at Kansas State. /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Michael-Beasley-3061/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Michael-Beasley-3061/ Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:45:48 -0500 Besides the prospects at Joventut, which I wrote about extensively already, I also got to take in a couple more draft-eligible players in the Barcelona area—the most notable of which was Rome’s Brandon Jennings. /article/-Blogging-Through-Europe-2008-Part-Six-Spain-2--3063/ /article/-Blogging-Through-Europe-2008-Part-Six-Spain-2--3063/ Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:02:10 -0500 Part two of our NCAA Weekly Performers series continues with Arizona's Jordan Hill, Notre Dame's Kyle McAlarney, and Marquette's Wesley Matthews. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12152008-Part-Two-3062/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12152008-Part-Two-3062/ Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:21:00 -0500 Clearly having worn out my welcome in Russia, it was time to work my way back home, with a quick four day stop through Barcelona. Initially the plan was to just take in the DKV Joventut-Lottomatica Roma game, but having realized how many draft prospects are hanging around in the immediate area, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and go see some of them play and practice. Therefore, this blog will be split into two, with the first entry about Barcelona focusing strictly on their suburban team from Badalona, Joventut, while the next will cover all the other draft prospects I was able to observe while here. /article/Blogging-Through-Europe-2008-Part-Five-Spain--3060/ /article/Blogging-Through-Europe-2008-Part-Five-Spain--3060/ Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:39:32 -0500 We kick off our series of NCAA Weekly Performers once again with four prospects, taking a look at three high-major big men –including Blake Griffin– who have made large strides in their play from last season to this one, as well as an under the radar mid-major point guard. As players get more reps underneath their belt and go up against better competition, we'll continue to evaluate the progress made by prospects around the country, and update their profiles more frequently. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12112008-Part-One-3059/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12112008-Part-One-3059/ Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:07:06 -0500 DraftExpress hit the road to take a closer look at one of the more intriguing big men in the collegiate game, Jerome Jordan. With multiple NBA representatives in attendance, Tulsa squad took on Ohio University in what would be Ohio U.’s biggest non-conference game at home this season. The matchup also offered two other decent prospects in Tulsa junior Ben Uzoh and Ohio U. senior Jerome Tillman. /article/College-Road-Report-Tulsa-vs-Ohio-University-3058/ /article/College-Road-Report-Tulsa-vs-Ohio-University-3058/ Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:37:08 -0500 Spending an entire week in Moscow not only allowed me to sleep in the same bed on consecutive nights for seemingly the first time in weeks, it also granted me unprecedented access to the behind the scenes work that goes on at Dynamo Moscow, who prepared for and played three consecutive home games over the course of six days. /article/Blogging-Through-Europe-2008-Part-Four-Russia-2--3057/ /article/Blogging-Through-Europe-2008-Part-Four-Russia-2--3057/ Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:50:24 -0500 In a new series of features called "Rookie Retrospectives," we’ll examine the success and struggles of members of this year’s rookie class as well as take a look back at some of the players from previous draft classes that we may have neglected in past seasons. To break down these potential stars, we’ll be reviewing, analyzing, and systematically updating the profiles we had written for them before their arrival in the League in an effort to show where they have made strides and where they have failed to live up to expectations. With a reasonable sample of games at our disposal, we’ll also discuss what these player have meant to their team thus far and how they will progress moving forward. /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Derrick-Rose-3056/ /article/Rookie-Retrospective-Derrick-Rose-3056/ Sat, 06 Dec 2008 02:08:49 -0500 Right off the plane from France, we got to take in the intercity Moscow “derby” between CSKA and Dynamo Moscow, before taking in a couple of Ettore Messina practices over the following days. /article/Blogging-Through-Europe-2008-Part-Three-Russia--3055/ /article/Blogging-Through-Europe-2008-Part-Three-Russia--3055/ Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:07:21 -0500 The D-League is underway and most teams already have a couple of games underneath their belt. With an eye on overall roster strength, players returning from last year, the talent teams were able to acquire in the draft, NBA assignees, and overall chemistry, we take a stab at our very first post-draft D-League Power Rankings. The defending champions lead the way so far. /article/D-League-Power-Rankings-a-December-2nd-3054/ /article/D-League-Power-Rankings-a-December-2nd-3054/ Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:19:53 -0500 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the first team in Atlantic Division, the Boston Celtics. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Atlantic-Division-Part-One--3051/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Atlantic-Division-Part-One--3051/ Sun, 30 Nov 2008 10:33:17 -0500 A quick three hour trip on the high speed train took me from Brussels to Paris to Le Mans, just in time for morning practice in anticipation of Le Mans’ big matchup the next day with Euroleague powerhouse Olympiacos. The team would be attempting to land their first victory in the competition after dropping the first four games, three of which came on the road. /article/Blogging-Through-Europe-2008-Part-Two-France--3053/ /article/Blogging-Through-Europe-2008-Part-Two-France--3053/ Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:20:12 -0500 To celebrate my annual trek through Europe, expect to read about my travels over the next three weeks through places like Belgium, France, Russia and Spain. I’ll be watching Euroleague, EuroCup and Domestic league games, taking in known prospects and trying to find new ones, meeting up with business associates and others in the basketball industry, and logging some of my less offensive thoughts along the way. My first stop was to the defending Belgian league champions, Spirou Charleroi, as they hosted historic Serbian club Crvena Zvezda (Red Star) of Belgrade, in the opening night of EuroCup (formerly ULEB Cup) play. /article/Blogging-Through-Europe-2008-Part-One-Belgium--3052/ /article/Blogging-Through-Europe-2008-Part-One-Belgium--3052/ Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:08:05 -0500 After taking a look at the elite prospects that the National Prep Showcase had to offer, we now take a closer look at the top remaining performers including DeShawn Painter, Hassan Whiteside, Araslan Kazemi, Cory Joseph, and Andrew Fitzgerald. /article/National-Prep-Showcase--Best-of-The-Rest-3050/ /article/National-Prep-Showcase--Best-of-The-Rest-3050/ Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:36:13 -0500 By now you may have read blurbs in the Sporting News and Charlotte Observer regarding serious changes that have been made to the format of the NBA pre-draft camp. Numerous members of the basketball community have reached out to us over the past week or so looking for more info and official confirmation about what exact changes are in store, prompting us to hunt out the memo sent out by the NBA league office to all 30 teams, and analyze it below. /article/NBA-Again-Tinkering-With-the-Pre-Draft-Process-3049/ /article/NBA-Again-Tinkering-With-the-Pre-Draft-Process-3049/ Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:58:31 -0500 DraftExpress was in attendance at the National Prep Showcase this past weekend in Smithfield, Rhode Island, where many of the nations finest prep schools were in action. We take a closer look as some of the elite prospects including Avery Bradley, Thomas Robinson, and Rashanti Harris amongst others. /article/National-Prep-Showcase--Elite-Prospects-3048/ /article/National-Prep-Showcase--Elite-Prospects-3048/ Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:12:15 -0500 Victor Claver gets the nod for player of the week honors, in the midst of a very solid season for Pamesa Valencia. Claver has transitioned to playing the small forward position full time, and has established himself as one of the most efficient players in the ACB. We also take a look at the biggest surprise of the ACB season thus far, Gran Canaria, in first place and led by an incredibly balanced attack, and the emergence of former Traiblazers first round pick Joel Freeland. /article/European-Roundup-Claver-Showing-his-Stuff-3047/ /article/European-Roundup-Claver-Showing-his-Stuff-3047/ Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:31:13 -0500 Marquette senior guard Jerel McNeal sits down with Joey Whelan to discuss this upcoming season, including the coaching change the team went through, entering the NBA draft last season, sharing the ball with Dominic James and a variety of other topics. /article/Jerel-McNeal-You-Have-to-Put-Winning-at-the-Forefront-3046/ /article/Jerel-McNeal-You-Have-to-Put-Winning-at-the-Forefront-3046/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:05:19 -0500 We finish up our look at the top NBA draft prospects in college basketball with the final segment of the non-BCS conferences analysis. 24 articles are in the books, examining over 125 players, and we are now officially ready to get the college season started. This last piece kicks off with a look at Illinois State's Osiris Eldridge, followed by St. Joe's Tasheed Carr, UMass' Chris Lowe, Miami Ohio's Michael Bramos, Western Kentucky's Jeremy Evans and Siena's Edwin Ubiles. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Four-21-26--3045/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Four-21-26--3045/ Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:55:10 -0500 We continue our analysis of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences, looking at players 6-15. Stefon Jackson leads this group, followed by Ryan Thompson, Antonio Anderson, Marqus Blakely and Dior Lowhorn. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Three16-20--3044/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Three16-20--3044/ Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:57:36 -0500 According to DraftExpress D-League scout Jim Hlavac, the San Antonio Spurs are calling up guard Blake Ahearn from the Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League, making Ahearn the first Gatorade Call-Up of the 2008- 2009 season. /article/Call-Up-1-Blake-Ahearn-to-the-San-Antonio-Spurs-3043/ /article/Call-Up-1-Blake-Ahearn-to-the-San-Antonio-Spurs-3043/ Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:39:13 -0500 In this week's European roundup we take an extended look at the most intriguing storyline in this year's NBA Draft with Rome's Brandon Jennings. Also, the play of 7-3 Mirza Begic, arguably the top center in the Euroleague thus far. The latest African prospect to emerge in Spain is Joventut's Christian Eyenga. Emil Prelzdic and Sergio Llull continue to provide their team with late-game heroics in the Euroleague. Omri Casspi snaps out of his funk. Adriatic League prospects Vladimir Dasic, Nemanja Gordic and Dragan Labovic all love playing in the EuroCup. /article/European-Roundup-Jennings-Managing-Expectations-3042/ /article/European-Roundup-Jennings-Managing-Expectations-3042/ Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:06:05 -0500 We continue our analysis of the top NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences, looking at players 6-15. Tulsa's Jerome Jordan leads off this group, followed by Josh Heytvelt, Robert Vaden, Lee Cummard and Chris Wright (Dayton). /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-6-15--3041/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-Two-6-15--3041/ Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:01:06 -0500 Hunting with firepower out in South Dakota is what I did after Philadelphia released me. I had called my brother Matt to inform him that my wandering in Philadelphia was over, so he offered his condolences in the form of a hunting trip. He did warn me that there wouldn’t be a Starbucks within a hundred miles, though. Much obliged, I headed west. /article/Not-a-Starbucks-within-a-hundred-miles---3040/ /article/Not-a-Starbucks-within-a-hundred-miles---3040/ Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:40:29 -0500 Five first rounders were drafted out of non-BCS conferences last season, telling us that there is a lot more to scouting college basketball than what initially meets the eye. To kick off our analysis of the top returning NBA draft prospects in the non-BCS conferences, we start with players ranked one through five. Gonzaga's Austin Daye headlines this group, followed by St. Mary's Patrick Mills, Davidson's Stephen Curry, Xavier's Derrick Brown, and VCU's Eric Maynor. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-One-1-5--3037/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Non-BCS-Conferences-Part-One-1-5--3037/ Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:16:07 -0500 We're about a week away from taking in the debut of arguably the most intriguing NBA prospect in this this year's freshman class, DeMar DeRozan. Right before he steps foot on an NCAA court for the first time on November 15th against UC-Irvine, DeRozan sat down with us to chat about his initial thoughts on playing for Tim Floyd thus far, the pressure of stepping into O.J. Mayo's big shoes, why he chose to play for USC, and the prospects of being "one and done." /article/DeMar-DeRozan-I-am-focused-on-this-team-and-this-season-3036/ /article/DeMar-DeRozan-I-am-focused-on-this-team-and-this-season-3036/ Sun, 09 Nov 2008 16:30:54 -0500 Jim Hlavac joins the Anaheim Arsenal coaching staff and "A-List" cheerleaders in their war room at a sports bar in Southern California for a behind the scenes look at the D-League draft. /article/Live-Blogging-the-D-League-Draft-from-the-Anaheim-Arsenal-War-Room-3035/ /article/Live-Blogging-the-D-League-Draft-from-the-Anaheim-Arsenal-War-Room-3035/ Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:15:45 -0500 Tonight is the 2008 NBA Development League draft, and I’m psyched. On the edge of my seat in fact. Does this surprise you? It shouldn’t. I love drafts and I love the D-League. What’s not to get excited about? That’s probably why I write about the D-League for a draft website. As far as I’m concerned, this is the greatest job in the world. /article/2008-D-League-Draft-DIARY-3034/ /article/2008-D-League-Draft-DIARY-3034/ Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:15:47 -0500 Milenko Tepic earns the nod for player of the week honors, after a spectacular performance in the Euroleague, helping his team come back from a 22-point deficit to beat Armani Jeans Milano. Tepic is establishing himself as one of the most versatile small forwards in European basketball, and is earning added NBA scrutiny in the process. We also take a look at the development of Ersan Ilyasova, the Euroleague's player of the month in October, and check in on the progress of Vladimir Dasic, Nemanja Gordic, Brandon Jennings, Rodrigue Beaubois, Emir Preldzic and others. /article/European-Roundup-Tepic-the-Man-for-Partizan-3033/ /article/European-Roundup-Tepic-the-Man-for-Partizan-3033/ Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:02:33 -0500 After receiving the full list of eligible players for the D-League draft (Friday, 11/7, 7 PM EST), we've went in and ranked the 30 top eligible players in our view. Some of the top players include Jermareo Davidson, Erik Daniels, Gary Forbes, Chris Richard, James Mays, Smush Parker, Delonte Holland, James White, David Noel and others. /article/D-League-Draft-Eligible-List--Top-Available-Players-3032/ /article/D-League-Draft-Eligible-List--Top-Available-Players-3032/ Fri, 07 Nov 2008 02:47:11 -0500 After the D-League released the list of allocated, returning and tryout players, we take a look through the rosters and rank the teams 1-16 based off what they have going into the draft, analyzing the top players in the league in the process. The draft will be broadcasted today, Friday the 7th, at 7 PM on NBATV. /article/D-League-Pre-Draft-Power-Rankings--Allocation-List-3031/ /article/D-League-Pre-Draft-Power-Rankings--Allocation-List-3031/ Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:23:36 -0500 We finish off our analysis of the top NBA draft prospects in the Big East with part five, players 21-25. Cincinnati's Deonta Vaughn leads off, followed by St. John's Justin Burrell, Syracuse's Arinze Onuaku, St. John's Anthony Mason, and Rutgers' JR Inman. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Five-21-25--3030/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Five-21-25--3030/ Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:06:15 -0500 Our second to last installment of the top NBA Draft prospects in the Big East is here, starting with Syracuse wing Paul Harris, USF combo guard Dominique Jones, Marquette forward Lazar Hayward, Villanova guard Corey Fisher, and UConn big man Jeff Adrien. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Four-16-20--3029/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Four-16-20--3029/ Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:28:19 -0500 Real Madrid guard Sergio Llull gets our first nod for player of the week honors. He seems to have made some serious strides as of late, being incredibly productive in the early going in both the Euroleague and ACB thus far. We look beyond the draft at two non-draft eligible players, Brad Oleson and Stephane Lasme. We also catch up on the latest NBA draft news as it revolves around international basketball, including Brandon Jennings, Milenko Tepic, Nando De Colo and Enes Kanter. /article/European-Roundup-Llull-Sparks-Real-Madrid-3028/ /article/European-Roundup-Llull-Sparks-Real-Madrid-3028/ Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:08:48 -0400 We continue to survey the most stacked conference in college basketball with part three of the Big East, looking at UConn junior Stanley Robinson, Notre Dame junior Luke Harangody, Marquette senior Jerel McNeal, Georgetown sophomore Austin Freeman, and Villanova junior Scottie Reynolds. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Three-11-15--3027/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Three-11-15--3027/ Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:36:52 -0400 The Turkish Basketball League (TBL) has gradually been getting stronger and stronger over the past few years, to the point that it may soon enough be able to lay claim to the distinction of being the third best domestic league in Europe, after Spain and Russia. Turkey’s three biggest soccer clubs, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas have been pouring money into their team’s respective basketball divisions, while the traditionally strong Turk Telekom and especially Efes Pilsen have budgets that rival nearly any team in Europe (outside of Russia). Those five teams together make up the core of the upper echelon of the Turkish league, and have been a constant presence on the European summer market, often-times competing for the most coveted players available. /article/Turkish-League-Preview-3026/ /article/Turkish-League-Preview-3026/ Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:57:09 -0400 Part two of our look at the top NBA draft prospects in the Big East starts off with Pitt big man DeJuan Blair, followed by UConn point guard A.J. Price, DePaul shooting guard Dar Tucker, Georgetown forward DaJuan Summers, and Marquette point guard Dominic James. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Two-6-10--3025/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Two-6-10--3025/ Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:35:36 -0400 Josh Childress finally made his debut in the Euroleague. The former Atlanta Hawks player, one of the best sixth men in the NBA last year, was a major contributor in pushing the eventual champions, the Boston Celtics, to a seven-game playoff series last May. This summer he decided to leave the NBA for Europe, to play for Olympiakos Piraeus. The Greek team, one of the top contenders to win the Euroleague Final Four in Berlin, has given him new challenges, and of course, a lot of money-- a three year deal for 20 million dollars. In his first Euroleague game, Childress showed all the characteristics which made him appreciated by numerous NBA teams. He registered 14 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks, and drew 8 fouls. He is an impressive talent, but the best is surely ahead of him in terms of showing European basketball fans what he can do at the Euroleague level. /article/Josh-Childress-I-ll-become-a-better-player-here-in-Europe-3024/ /article/Josh-Childress-I-ll-become-a-better-player-here-in-Europe-3024/ Sat, 25 Oct 2008 18:58:47 -0400 /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Northwest-Division-Part-Five--3023/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Northwest-Division-Part-Five--3023/ Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:23:07 -0400 We kick off part one of the last BCS conference with the top prospects in the Big East. UConn's Hasheem Thabeet, Louisville's Earl Clark, Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, Pitt's Sam Young and Louisville's Terrence Williams lead the way. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-One-1-5--3022/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-One-1-5--3022/ Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:28:11 -0400 A league of contradictions is what the Greek A1 has become these days. Franchises with massive budgets are pitted against clubs on the constant brink of bankruptcy. The domestic talent base offers a lot of value, but very tight restrictions on American imports (just two allowed per team). Some markets feature huge, passionate fan bases and NBA style arenas, compared to others who play in almost empty gyms not even suitable for some high school teams. This is a league with a terrific tradition of success, which has been spoiled somewhat by a waning national interest in basketball and the incompetence of far too many team front offices. Still, the competition level is always extremely high, as the teams are well coached, everyone plays extremely hard, the refs call the game fairly loose, and there is rarely such a thing as an easy road game. Join us as we take a look at the top teams in the league and the players of interest to NBA organizations. /article/Greek-League-Preview-3020/ /article/Greek-League-Preview-3020/ Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:03:25 -0400 We finish up the ACC with part four of our analysis of the top NBA draft prospects in the conference. Brandon Costner of N.C. State leads off, followed by Duke's Nolan Smith, North Carolina's Marcus Ginyard, Virginia Tech's A.D. Vassallo, and North Carolina's Deon Thompson. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-Four-16-20--3021/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-Four-16-20--3021/ Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:16:29 -0400 Our second to last installment of ACC NBA Draft Prospects is here, starting with Miami combo guard Jack McClinton. He's followed by Wake Forest combo Jeff Teague, Clemson big man Trevor Booker, North Carolina swingman Danny Green, and Duke shooting guard Jon Scheyer. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-Three-11-15--3019/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-Three-11-15--3019/ Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:04:19 -0400 Clearly the biggest wildcard in European basketball these days, this year’s edition of the Russian League will be absolutely fascinating to watch, from a variety of different angles. Sporting some of the biggest budgets to be found anywhere outside the NBA, the top five or six clubs have been stockpiling heavy artillery all summer long, and will attempt to accomplish the impossible: dethrone the six-time consecutive champions—CSKA Moscow. /article/Russian-League-Preview-3018/ /article/Russian-League-Preview-3018/ Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:52:47 -0400 After a heavy Tobacco Road bias, our portfolio of ACC teams diversifies a bit as we take a look at the second batch of prospects in this extremely talented conference. Wake Forest's James Johnson, Maryland's Grevis Vasquez, Clemson's K.C. Rivers, Boston College's Tyrese Rice and North Carolina's Wayne Ellington get us to the halfway point mark of the top NBA draft prospects in the ACC. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-Two-6-10--3017/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-Two-6-10--3017/ Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:46:24 -0400 The Italian league kicks off next weekend, two teams smaller than it was just days ago, after the late breaking tax-evasion scandal involving two fairly important league members—Naples (a Euroleague participant just two years ago) and Capo D’Orlando, last season’s 6th place finishers and slated EuroCup/ULEB Cup members. We take an in-depth look at the rosters of some of the most interesting teams in the league, as well as the draft prospects that need to be scouted--particularly Brandon Jennings. /article/Italian-League-Preview-3016/ /article/Italian-League-Preview-3016/ Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:31:59 -0400 With four of the six major conferences behind us, we begin our analysis of the loaded ACC, not surprisingly front-loaded with four players from Duke and North Carolina occupying the top spots. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-One-1-5--3015/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-One-1-5--3015/ Sat, 04 Oct 2008 02:59:02 -0400 The Pac-10 comes to a close with returning prospects 11 through 15 in the conference. Washington's Quincy Pondexter and Jon Brockman, USC's Dwight Lewis, Washington State's Aron Baynes and Oregon's Kamyron Brown. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10--Part-Three-11-15--3014/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10--Part-Three-11-15--3014/ Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:45:26 -0400 We’ll be canvassing the top leagues in Europe over the next few weeks previewing the action that is just about to kick off over the Atlantic, looking at some of the top teams to be found, as well as the NBA draft prospects that are worth keeping an eye on. First off we start with the Spanish ACB League, which has lost some luster as of late and is barely holding onto the title of “best domestic league in Europe. The “petrol fueled” Russian league, armed to the teeth with expensive transfers from the NBA and Euroleague is nipping at their heels. /article/ACB-League-Preview-3013/ /article/ACB-League-Preview-3013/ Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:06:10 -0400 Continuing to study the top returning NCAA prospects in the Pac-10, we move to part two of this analysis, where we find Cal shooting guard Patrick Christopher, USC power forward Taj Gibson, Stanford forward Lawrence Hill, USC guard Daniel Hackett, and Arizona forward Jamelle Horne. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10--Part-Two-6-10--3012/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10--Part-Two-6-10--3012/ Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:01:20 -0400 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the next team in the Northwest division, the Minnesota Timberwolves. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Northwest-Division-Part-Four--3010/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Northwest-Division-Part-Four--3010/ Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:37:36 -0400 Explaining what it is like trying to make a NBA roster on a non-guaranteed contract produced the aforementioned comment from one of my friends. /article/Hey-Guys,-Can-I-Play-3007/ /article/Hey-Guys,-Can-I-Play-3007/ Thu, 25 Sep 2008 01:12:27 -0400 Not quite at the level it was last year, the Pac-10 is regardless still fairly strong as far as high-level NBA prospects go, although it clearly doesn't have the depth it did last season. Arizona State's James Harden leads the way in terms of returning prospects, followed by Arizona products Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger, as well as UCLA's Darren Collison and Arizona State's Jeff Pendergraph. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10--Part-One-1-5--3006/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10--Part-One-1-5--3006/ Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:27:18 -0400 The SEC comes to a close with returning prospects 11 through 15 in the conference. Ole Miss' Chris Warren is followed by Tennessee's Wayne Chism and J.P. Prince, as well as LSU's Garrett Temple and Alabama's Senario Hillman. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC--Part-Three-11-15--3005/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC--Part-Three-11-15--3005/ Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:35:30 -0400 Continuing to study the top returning NCAA prospects in the SEC, we move to part two of this analysis, where we find Florida combo forward Chandler Parsons and Alabama wing Alonzo Gee, followed by three LSU players in Marcus Thornton, Chris Johnson and Tasmin Mitchell. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC--Part-Two-6-10--3004/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC--Part-Two-6-10--3004/ Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:13:46 -0400 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the next team in the Northwest division, the Portland Trailblazers. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Northwest-Division-Part-Three--3003/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Northwest-Division-Part-Three--3003/ Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:14:57 -0400 With the Big 10 and Big 12 out of the way, we move our attention to one of the strongest conferences in college basketball--the SEC, which is pretty loaded with returning first round caliber prospects this season. Andrew Ogilvy leads the way, followed by Patrick Patterson, Tyler Smith, Nick Calathes and Jarvis Varnado. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC--Part-One-1-5--3002/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC--Part-One-1-5--3002/ Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:28:10 -0400 The Big 10 comes to a close with our second and last look at the draft prospects in this weakened conference. Purdue sophomores JaJuan Johnson and E`Twaun Moore lead the way, followed by Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas, Northwestern's Kevin Coble and Illinois' Demetri McCamey. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-Two-6-10--3001/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-10-Part-Two-6-10--3001/ Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:10:01 -0400 The Big 10 is up next as we continue to go conference by conference looking at the top non-freshman NBA draft prospects in college basketball. Manny Harris tops the list, followed by Evan Turner, David Lighty, Raymar Morgan and Robbie Hummel. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-10--Part-One-1-5--3000/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-10--Part-One-1-5--3000/ Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:55:06 -0400 International draft prospect Vladimir Dasic takes out time from competing with the Montenegrin national team to answer a wide array of questions about himself, the team he plays for in the Adriatic League, playing in FIBA youth competitions and the Treviso Eurocamp, and his philosophy regarding entering the draft and coming to the NBA. /article/Getting-to-know-Vladimir-Dasic-2999/ /article/Getting-to-know-Vladimir-Dasic-2999/ Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:27:57 -0400 Two weeks ago, I personally saw to it that everything that society thought it knew about genetics, biological science and the design of the human anatomy was shown to be little more than a disjointed symposium of bollocks. I ensured that the vast compilations of research data handed down through generations that we today know as "science" were callously undermined, never to be referenced again. I challenged the very fabric of modern society, shaking modern medicine to the core. And I did this by playing a game of Wii Sports Baseball. /article/Because-That-s-What-Brian-Boitano-d-Do-2997/ /article/Because-That-s-What-Brian-Boitano-d-Do-2997/ Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:50:11 -0400 In our final analysis of the top non-freshman NBA draft prospects in the Big 12 conference, we take a look at Oklahoma State sophomore Ibrahima Thomas, Texas A&M senior Josh Carter, Missouri seniors Leo Lyons and Demarre Carroll, and Oklahoma State senior Byron Eaton. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-Three-11-15--2998/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-Three-11-15--2998/ Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:43:33 -0400 In advance of the rapidly approaching college basketball season, we're once again breaking down the top individual prospects in college basketball, going conference by conference. Freshman have been excluded from these previews, as we'd like to wait and see what they have to offer on the NCAA circuit before we come to any long-term conclusions. We continue with Big 12, with seniors Kevin Rogers, Curtis Jerrells and Connor Atchley look to go on a positive note and possibly get drafted, while guards Sherron Collins and LaceDarius Dunn showed enough sparks of potential to be deemed worthy of keeping tabs on. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-Two-6-10--2996/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-Two-6-10--2996/ Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:44:00 -0400 In advance of the rapidly approaching college basketball season, we'll once again be breaking down the top individual prospects in college basketball, going conference by conference. Freshman have been excluded from these previews, as we'd like to wait and see what they have to offer on the NCAA circuit before we come to any long-term conclusions. First we start with Big 12, where potential #1 overall pick Blake Griffin competes with Oklahoma, followed by forwards Damion James, James Anderson and Craig Brackins, as well as center Cole Aldrich. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-One-1-5--2995/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-One-1-5--2995/ Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:09:07 -0400 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the next team in the Northwest division, the Utah Jazz. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Northwest-Division-Part-Two--2994/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Northwest-Division-Part-Two--2994/ Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:02:32 -0400 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the first team in the Northwest division, the Denver Nuggets. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Northwest-Division-Part-One--2993/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Northwest-Division-Part-One--2993/ Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:38:18 -0400 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the last team in the Pacific division, the Phoenix Suns. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Pacific-Division-Part-Four--2992/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Pacific-Division-Part-Four--2992/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:47:05 -0400 Hello. My name is Sham, and I am your new DraftExpress blogger.Sham isn't my real name, obviously. Even if it was, my real name would have to consist of more than just that solitary syllable, because I'm not a Portuguese footballer. No sane parent calls their son by a one syllable all-inclusive name, and only Maybyner Hilario, or those in some kind of intensely religious and/or professional hip-hop artist capacity, will opt to abridge their name in that way. Also, I'm a bit too English for all of that. We have a monarchy, you know. /article/BasketBollocks---your-ultimate-Bollocks-source-2991/ /article/BasketBollocks---your-ultimate-Bollocks-source-2991/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:13:03 -0400 The youngest group of players in Dallas was also clearly the most talented, with Jared Sullinger helping them lead the way to beat the 2009 US team and come away as the victors of the adidas Nations Experience. We also take a look at Brandon Knight, Adreian Payne, LaQuinton Ross, Trey Zeigler and Evan Anderson. /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-2010-11-High-School-Prospects-2988/ /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-2010-11-High-School-Prospects-2988/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:02:09 -0400 While the teams from Europe, South America, Asia and Canada surely added to the level of competition and made this camp all the more intriguing, the focus of the week definitely seemed to be on the American high schoolers. With the rather pedestrian 2009 class not represented all that well, the much more naturally talented 2010 class (reinforced by two 2011 players) was able to knock them off in the final game, showcasing better team spirit and chemistry and looking to have far more future NBA talent at its disposal. For the 09 group, Derrick Favors was here, largely in spirit only, which allowed us to take a more in-depth look at Dexter Strickland than we’ve previously been able to. We also throw in our two cents on Peyton Siva, Christian Watford, G.J. Vilarino and Junior Cadougan. /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-2009-High-School-Prospects-2987/ /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-2009-High-School-Prospects-2987/ Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:34:38 -0400 adidas brought a stronger group of European prospects to the US this summer compared to last year. As is often the case due to the type of prospects they are and the very specific strengths they bring to the table--the European squad took a few days to fully mesh and look comfortable playing with each other. By the end of the camp, though, they really started to show their potential and were only narrowly knocked out of the bracket in the semi-finals by the eventual champion 2010 US team. This was an excellent opportunity to evaluate two extremely intriguing prospects that we weren’t all that familiar with before—Deniz Kilicli and Tomas Satoranski, as well as a host of other well known names from the 1990 and 1991 age group. /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-2008-European-Prospects-2986/ /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-2008-European-Prospects-2986/ Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:33:54 -0400 DraftExpress attended the recently finished U-20 European Championship held in Riga, Latvia. Here we give you an overview on the most interesting stuff and players seen during the tournament, headlined by the Serbian triumph, their third consecutive European title at this stage. /article/U-20-European-Championship-Three-peat-for-Serbia-2985/ /article/U-20-European-Championship-Three-peat-for-Serbia-2985/ Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:39:04 -0400 Interviews from the 2008 adidas Nations with Jrue Holiday, Darren Collison, Scotty Hopson, Tony Wroten, Tristan Thompson, Brandon Knight, Jared Sullinger, LaQuinton Ross, Junior Cadougan and Shaun Dumas /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-2008-NCAA-Counselors,High-School-Interviews-2984/ /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-2008-NCAA-Counselors,High-School-Interviews-2984/ Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:03:27 -0400 Interviews from the 2008 adidas Nations Experience in Dallas with Washington Wizards players Antawn Jamison and Antonio Daniels, as well as Team Europe coach Detlef Schrempf /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-2008-NBA-Mentor-Interviews,-Detlef-Schrempf-2983/ /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-2008-NBA-Mentor-Interviews,-Detlef-Schrempf-2983/ Sun, 10 Aug 2008 13:45:32 -0400 A quick update from Dallas after two days in attendance. James Harden, Jrue Holiday, Darren Collison and Gani Lawal impress amongst the college counselors, Tomas Satoranski and Deniz Kilicli emerging from the European roster, and a superb group of teenagers from the 2010 US team--including Brandon Knight, Tony Wroten, Joshua Smith, Jared Sullinger and more. /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-2008,-Day-One+Two-2982/ /article/adidas-Nations-Experience-2008,-Day-One+Two-2982/ Sun, 10 Aug 2008 01:00:20 -0400 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the next team in the Pacific division, the Sacramento Kings /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Pacific-Division-Part-Three--2981/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Pacific-Division-Part-Three--2981/ Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:19:03 -0400 Greece winning it all, Serbia disappointing, Motiejunas MVP, a cadet monster called Kanter… This time we weren't able to witness the U-18 European Championship in person from Amaliada and Pyrgos (Greece), but we managed to watch some of the action on film. Here are some observations gathered through the event. /article/U-18-European-Championship-From-a-Distance-2980/ /article/U-18-European-Championship-From-a-Distance-2980/ Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:26:04 -0400 The adidas Nations Experience, a four day event pitting eight rosters of regional teams from around the world and comprised of some of the top 18 and under prospects to be found, will be kicking off outside of Dallas this weekend. There will be a team of players from Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada, China, Europe, Latin America and two from the United States (one of 2009 high school prospects and one of 2010 and 2011.) Some of the more interesting prospects participating as far as we're concerned include: Demar DeRozan, James Harden, Jrue Holiday, Scotty Hopson, Terrence Williams, Darren Collison, Tyler Smith, Derrick Favors, Dominic Cheek, , Dexter Strickland, Daniel Orton, Brandon Knight, Tony Wroten, Jr., LaQuinton Ross, Jared Sullinger, Tristan Thompson, Joshua Smith, Nicolo Melli, Tomislav Zubcic, Andrija Milutinovic, Augusto Lima and many more. /article/2008-adidas-Nations-Experience-PreviewRosters-2979/ /article/2008-adidas-Nations-Experience-PreviewRosters-2979/ Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:07:56 -0400 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the next team in the Pacific division, the Los Angeles Lakers. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Pacific-Division-Part-Two--2978/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Pacific-Division-Part-Two--2978/ Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:33:16 -0400 As is the case every four years, this summer takes place the single most important international basketball event in the world, the Olympic Games. 12 teams will battle for the gold medal--only half of them stand a real chance, but it will be just one taking the Olympic glory back home.Looking noticeably stronger than the last World Championship –more contenders, less forgettable teams, we should be able to witness an excellent tournament. /article/2008-Olympic-Power-Ranking-2977/ /article/2008-Olympic-Power-Ranking-2977/ Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:54:00 -0400 In addition to evaluating a good portion of this year’s rising high school senior class, we also had an opportunity to sneak a peek at some of the top prospects in the 2010 and 2011 classes as well. This is obviously an extremely young and raw batch of players who’s development curve can and will still fluctuate greatly over the next few years, but getting an early look at them can be very beneficial down the road for when they need to be taken more seriously. /article/Initial-Scouting-Reports-High-School-Classes-of-2010-and-2011-2976/ /article/Initial-Scouting-Reports-High-School-Classes-of-2010-and-2011-2976/ Fri, 01 Aug 2008 22:44:42 -0400 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the first two teams in the Pacific division, the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Pacific-Division-Part-One--2975/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Pacific-Division-Part-One--2975/ Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:33:50 -0400 We’ve spent the last few weeks evaluating many of the top players in the high school classes of 2009-2011, for the purpose of acquainting ourselves with the next crop of NBA prospects that we’ll be discussing in coming years. We’ll be sharing our thoughts on what we saw, heard and learned from the U-18 Men’s Basketball Tryout in Washington DC, and the various AAU tournaments (Nike, Reebok, Adidas) in Las Vegas, as initial scouting reports in our player database. We continue with the players we evaluated ranked between 11 through 150 in the 2009 high school class. /article/Initial-Scouting-Reports-High-School-Class-of-2009-11-150-Recruits--2974/ /article/Initial-Scouting-Reports-High-School-Class-of-2009-11-150-Recruits--2974/ Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:17:10 -0400 A representative of Olympiacos reached out to DraftExpress recently in attempt to clear the air and explain the exact events which lead to the signing of Josh Childress, in addition to providing information on the future plans of Olympiacos, the situation of basketball in Greece, the Euroleague, etc. A transcript of our dialogue with Assistant Coach Manos Manouselis is attached as follow. /article/Q-A-wOlympiacos-Assistant-Coach-Manos-Manouselis-2973/ /article/Q-A-wOlympiacos-Assistant-Coach-Manos-Manouselis-2973/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:46:48 -0400 We’ve spent the last few weeks evaluating many of the top players in the high school classes of 2009-2011, for the purpose of acquainting ourselves with the next crop of NBA prospects that we’ll be discussing in coming years. We’ll be sharing our thoughts on what we saw, heard and learned from the U-18 Men’s Basketball Tryout in Washington DC, and the various AAU tournaments (Nike, Reebok, Adidas) in Las Vegas, as initial scouting reports in our player database. We’ll start with the players ranked as top-10 recruits in the 2009 high school class. /article/Initial-Scouting-Reports-High-School-Class-of-2009-Top-10-recruits--2972/ /article/Initial-Scouting-Reports-High-School-Class-of-2009-Top-10-recruits--2972/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:38:19 -0400 One of the hottest topics these days in the basketball world, NBA included, is how European teams are luring players away from the NBA with big money. We’re not talking about any big stars, but still this offers a relatively new scenario, with the Old Continent emerging as a viable option for players who are still the object of desire for NBA teams.Update: ACB team Girona goes bankrupt /article/Thoughts-on-the-Euro-Fever-2971/ /article/Thoughts-on-the-Euro-Fever-2971/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:02:06 -0400 The third day of the Rocky Mountain Revue provided one interesting matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the New Jersey Nets. While that game didn’t disappoint, some of the others failed to offer the same high level of play. Fortunately, Gerald Green, George Hill, and Mohammad Samad Nikkhah Bahrami played well enough to keep their games interesting. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Three-2970/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Three-2970/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:26:45 -0400 The second day of the Rocky Mountain Revue offered onlookers their first glimpse of the Iranian National Team and the D-League Ambassadors. It also featured a great all-around performance from Devin Green in game two and another from Othello Hunter in the following game. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Two-2968/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Two-2968/ Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:14:23 -0400 The first day of the Rocky Mountain Revue started with one of the best games we’ve seen thus far. Gerald Green was one of the top performers finding himself in a shootout with Luke Jackson and Jeremy Richardson. The second game offered little excitement, and was riddled with players in foul trouble. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-One-2967/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-One-2967/ Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:30:55 -0400 Another strong game for Robin Lopez, Bobby Brown, Marcus Williams, and Hilton Armstrong in our last day in Las Vegas before heading to Salt Lake City for the Rocky Mountain Revue. /article/Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Seven-2966/ /article/Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Seven-2966/ Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:12:14 -0400 Day Six didn’t hold many surprises, but a few players did have great performances. Marcus Williams showed up big for the Clippers, while Kevin Love dominated the paint with his fundamentals and strength. /article/Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Six-2965/ /article/Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Six-2965/ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:49:50 -0400 Day Five started a little slow, but the last two games of the day offered some excitement. Petteri Koponen, Quincy Douby, and DJ Augustin each came through with brilliant performances late in the day. /article/Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Five-2964/ /article/Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Five-2964/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:23:22 -0400 Day Four was easily the most exciting day in Las Vegas so far, with Jerryd Bayless going to the line, Donte Greene chasing a record, and a host of big names coming through with impressive performances. /article/Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Four-2963/ /article/Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Four-2963/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:06:15 -0400 Day Three featured less highlights than Day Two, but there were still a handful of very notable performances, including those of Arron Afflalo and Bobby Brown who carried their team to wins. /article/Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Three-2962/ /article/Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Three-2962/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:07:09 -0400 The second day of the NBA Summer League is in the books, and while the games today weren't very exciting there were quite a few individual performances worth noting, including those of O.J. Mayo and Thaddeus Young. /article/Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Two-2961/ /article/Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Two-2961/ Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:18:21 -0400 Brandon Jennings has decided to forfeit his college eligibility and go overseas seeking for a paycheck for a season before entering the NBA draft. Now what? What kind of prospect can Jennings be considered for the European leagues? What countries would be the best fit for him? What factors should he consider in his decision? /article/Brandon-Jennings-to-Europe-Which-Europe-2960/ /article/Brandon-Jennings-to-Europe-Which-Europe-2960/ Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:55:32 -0400 While at the Orlando Summer League, DraftExpress sat down with John Paxson, Vice President of Basketball Operations of the Chicago Bulls, to discuss the philosophies of building a team. /article/Summer-League-Chat-with-John-Paxson-2959/ /article/Summer-League-Chat-with-John-Paxson-2959/ Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:24:21 -0400 If the slew of 2008 and former top 10 picks playing in each and every game here wasn’t enough, today we were treated to a great surprise—the #2 pick in last year’s draft, Kevin Durant, making an appearance alongside Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green in the Oklahoma City game. If there was any doubt that the Orlando Summer League is the place to be, this definitely sealed the deal. Day two was notable for a number of reasons, including outstanding performances by Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green and Courtney Lee, bad outings by top picks Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley, and solid showings by players such as Brook Lopez, Tyrus Thomas, Anthony Morrow and Sean Williams. /article/Orlando-Summer-League,-Day-Two-2958/ /article/Orlando-Summer-League,-Day-Two-2958/ Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:00:30 -0400 We’re back at the Orlando Summer League once again to take a look at how many of the top prospects from this and last year’s draft are faring early in their NBA careers. The league is about as attractive as it has ever been this time around, with 3 of the top 4 picks in attendance, as well as numerous other highly regarded young players such as Jeff Green, Joakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas, Brook Lopez and others. Considering that this is our fifth straight year on the summer league circuit, we know what to expect here (a lot of bad basketball), and know better than to get too excited or too down on players who do extremely well or poorly here. With that said, it’s always fun to get a taste of how these guys look in person, and it sure beats not watching any basketball at all. /article/Orlando-Summer-League,-Day-One-2957/ /article/Orlando-Summer-League,-Day-One-2957/ Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:54:10 -0400 While it’s WAY too early to evaluate how well teams made out in this draft, we’ll attempt to take an early shot at grading the draft based on what we know now and what we heard and saw from covering the draft over the past few months. /article/2008-NBA-Draft-Report-Card-2956/ /article/2008-NBA-Draft-Report-Card-2956/ Sat, 28 Jun 2008 10:41:57 -0400 In the heat of the draft aftermath, we take a look at how the draft unfolded for international players. /article/2008-International-Draft-Overview-2954/ /article/2008-International-Draft-Overview-2954/ Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:55:42 -0400 The picks have been made and the 2008 NBA Draft is in the books. Using Win Score analysis, we can instantly analyze the draft’s winners and losers. /article/Win-Scores-2008-NBA-Draft-Recap-2953/ /article/Win-Scores-2008-NBA-Draft-Recap-2953/ Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:41:22 -0400 Live commentary from Madison Square Theater in New York. /article/Blogging--live--through-the-NBA-Draft--2952/ /article/Blogging--live--through-the-NBA-Draft--2952/ Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:01:34 -0400 Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons for Richard Jefferson? An exclusive look at the USA Select Team...Memphis "doing everything in their power to trade their pick?"...Houston looking to move out of the 1st? Gordon ahead of Bayless in LA?...Westbrook or Augustin at 9?...Beasley to Miami a lock?...Does Arthur have health problems?...that and much more... /article/Word-on-the-Street-Draft-Day-Rumblings--320-PM-EST--2950/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Draft-Day-Rumblings--320-PM-EST--2950/ Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:53:43 -0400 Video interviews with six of the top prospects in this year's NBA draft from media day in New York City: Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Brook Lopez, Kevin Love and Danilo Gallinari. /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day,-Part-1-Rose,-Beasley,-Mayo,-Lopez,Love,Gallinari--2947/ /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day,-Part-1-Rose,-Beasley,-Mayo,-Lopez,Love,Gallinari--2947/ Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:25:59 -0400 Video interviews with seven of the top prospects in this year's NBA draft from media day in New York City: Jerryd Bayless, Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, D.J. Augustin, Anthony Randolph, Brandon Rush and Robin Lopez. /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day,-Part-2--Bayless,-Westbrook,-Gordon,-Augustin,etc--2948/ /article/NBA-Draft-Media-Day,-Part-2--Bayless,-Westbrook,-Gordon,-Augustin,etc--2948/ Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:25:49 -0400 Chat with Washington Post NOW (11 AM)...NBATV Post-Draft show at Midnight...Denver trades the #20 pick to Charlotte...Indiana and Toronto trade completed...Kings appear likely to land Augustin, pick Mike Taylor...Is Nicolas Batum trying to get picked by San Antonio?...Serge Ibaka wants to go second round...Portland trading with New Jersey? That and much more... /article/Word-on-the-Street-Denver-trades-20-pick-to-Charlotte-2946/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Denver-trades-20-pick-to-Charlotte-2946/ Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:41:10 -0400 An in-depth look at the roster situations of San Antonio, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, and Memphis--what they have, where they are going and who are the players that may be targeted in this upcoming draft. /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Southwest-Division-2943/ /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Southwest-Division-2943/ Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:02:54 -0400 We take a final statistical look at the players in the 2008 draft by evaluating the center class purely on the numbers. No player was dominant in every category, but Brook Lopez, Marreese Speights, and Jason Thompson all ranked highly in a number of areas. /article/Just-By-The-Numbers--Evaluating-This-Year-s-Center-Crop-2941/ /article/Just-By-The-Numbers--Evaluating-This-Year-s-Center-Crop-2941/ Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:12:40 -0400 DeAndre Jordan Impresses Big Time in Private Workouts...Alexis Ajinca continues to march on... /article/Word-on-the-Street-Last-Minute-Workouts-2942/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Last-Minute-Workouts-2942/ Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:28:10 -0400 DraftExpress on NBATV...Nicolas Batum cleared for workouts...Russell Westbrook and "promises"...Utah fancies Dragic?...Randolph not visiting Sacramento?...Arthur back on the rise...Walter Sharpe getting drafted?...No surgery for Bill Walker...much more. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Rounding-Up-2940/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Rounding-Up-2940/ Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:08:18 -0400 O.J. Mayo's five team workout in Chicago, Nicolas Batum being examined in Cleveland, Lopez to Seattle?, What is Portland doing? Bob Hill to Chicago, and much more. /article/Word-on-the-Street-The-Home-Stretch-2939/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-The-Home-Stretch-2939/ Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:23:38 -0400 Our statistical evaluation series continues as we take an in-depth look at the power-forward class for the 2008 NBA draft. Kevin Love appears to be one of the more well-rounded players in the draft, and Michael Beasley also scored quite well in this evaluation. Anthony Randolph appears to be living off his reputation more than anything, as statistically he appears to be one of the worst power forwards in this draft. /article/Just-By-The-Numbers--Evaluating-This-Year-s-Power-Foward-Crop-2935/ /article/Just-By-The-Numbers--Evaluating-This-Year-s-Power-Foward-Crop-2935/ Sun, 22 Jun 2008 00:22:57 -0400 An in-depth look at the roster situations of the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix, Golden State, Sacramento and the Los Angeles Clippers--what they have, where they are going and who are the players that may be targeted in this upcoming draft. /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Pacific-Division-2938/ /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Pacific-Division-2938/ Sun, 22 Jun 2008 00:21:38 -0400 Part two of our article detailing the many different ways of evaluating the value of a draft pick, viewed through observations we have made in a series of past articles that examined outcomes of the NBA draft from a historical perspective. /article/Eight-Rules-for-Draft-Night-Success-Let-History-Guide--Part-Two--2937/ /article/Eight-Rules-for-Draft-Night-Success-Let-History-Guide--Part-Two--2937/ Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:27:54 -0400 An in-depth look at the roster situations of Utah, Denver, Portland , Minnesota and Seattle--what they have, where they are going and who are the players that may be targeted in this upcoming draft. /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Northwest-Division-2936/ /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Northwest-Division-2936/ Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:01:49 -0400 Theories about proper NBA draft strategy may well outnumber the available players for next Thursday’s festivities. When deciding between two players rated similarly, a GM may drop back to the adage “you can’t teach size” and scoop up that raw 7-footer over the skilled but undersized point guard. Always in the backdrop of draft day decisions is the overarching debate whether to draft for need or for overall potential. We weigh in on some of the merits of these strategies, by bringing together observations we have made in a series of past articles that examined outcomes of the NBA draft from a number of different perspectives. /article/Eight-Rules-for-Draft-Night-Success-Let-History-Guide-2934/ /article/Eight-Rules-for-Draft-Night-Success-Let-History-Guide-2934/ Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:48:55 -0400 Lots of trade talk making the rounds these days...who will be the disappointed players on draft night? And who might crash the lottery unexpectedly? /article/Word-on-the-Street-Who-s-Moving-Up-or-Down-2933/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Who-s-Moving-Up-or-Down-2933/ Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:33:07 -0400 Statistical analysis is making headway in player evaluations of many NBA front offices. Teams like the Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics engage specialists to crunch numbers for them. Portland's rising franchise has worked with stat guru & MIT blackjack star Jeff Ma in reconstructing their roster.This year, DraftExpress yet again provides an in depth draft preview written by Erich Doerr and based on David Berri’s Win Score metric. /article/2008-Win-Scores-NBA-Draft-Preview-2932/ /article/2008-Win-Scores-NBA-Draft-Preview-2932/ Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:23:53 -0400 An in-depth look at the roster situations of Orlando, Washington, Atlanta, Charlotte and Miami--what they have, where they are going and who are the players that may be targeted in this upcoming draft. /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Southeast-Division-2931/ /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Southeast-Division-2931/ Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:44:39 -0400 In part three of our "just by the numbers" series, we take a look at the top small forwards in the 2008 draft class on a purely statistical basis. Lee Cummard, Pat Calathes and Danilo Gallinari all make strong cases for themselves with the numbers they put up. Nicolas Batum and Donte Green don't. /article/Just-By-The-Numbers--Evaluating-This-Year-s-Small-Foward-Crop-2928/ /article/Just-By-The-Numbers--Evaluating-This-Year-s-Small-Foward-Crop-2928/ Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:46:07 -0400 DraftExpress is proud to present our in-depth NBA pre-draft camp measurements and athletic combine information database, a resource unlike anything you’ll find on the internet. During the last year, our measurements database has been expanded to include draft-prospects throughout the past 16 years. In addition, we recently received a very generous donation from an unnamed NBA team—the complete athletic combine information from the past 8 years (2000-2008), of which we only previously had the past 3. We've also added some very exciting new functions to help sort through this incredible database. /article/DX-MeasurementsCombine-Database-Expanded-Significantly-2930/ /article/DX-MeasurementsCombine-Database-Expanded-Significantly-2930/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:23:14 -0400 Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Ryan Anderson, Danilo Gallinari, Bill Walker, Richard Hendrix, Serge Ibaka, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Ante Tomic, C.J. Giles, Nicolas Batum, Alexis Ajinca IN the draft...Omri Casspi, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Jeremy Pargo, Jonas Jerebko, Rodrigue Beaubois, Luc Louves, Robert Dozier, Ron Steele, Giorgi Shermadini, Lester Hudson, Chase Budinger OUT. Much more... /article/Early-Entry-Withdrawal-Deadline-Final-List-2929/ /article/Early-Entry-Withdrawal-Deadline-Final-List-2929/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:31:12 -0400 Representatives of 17 NBA teams (including numerous GMs) congregated this past weekend at the practice facility of the Golden State Warriors to take in 24 (mostly first and second round) prospects over a two day stretch...Bill Walker injures knee...Hendrix, Rush and Lee work out well...where is Darrell Arthur?...Gallinari works out for Clippers and Grizzlies...more /article/Word-on-the-Street-Golden-State-Workout,-Walker-Injury-2927/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Golden-State-Workout,-Walker-Injury-2927/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:36:59 -0400 An in-depth look at the roster situations of Detroit, Cleveland, Indiana, Chicago and Milwaukee --what they have, where they are going and who are the players that may be targeted in this upcoming draft. /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Central-Division-2926/ /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Central-Division-2926/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:35:46 -0400 An in-depth look at the roster situations of Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York --what they have, where they are going and who are the players that may be targeted in this upcoming draft. /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Atlantic-Division-2925/ /article/NBA-Team-Needs-Atlantic-Division-2925/ Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:18:56 -0400 As part two of our series, we take a look at the top 20 shooting guards in the 2008 draft class on a purely statistical basis. O.J. Mayo's struggles as a freshman are well documented, and his placement on many of these tables is a bit alarming. The same can be said for Eric Gordon to a lesser extent. We can clearly see the virtues and flaws of many of the other players through this in-depth examination. To gain a better understanding of the statistics used, visit the glossary by Noah Libby-Haines. Interested in making your own statistical comparisons? You can do so here. /article/Just-by-the-Numbers-Evaluating-This-Years-Shooting-Guard-Crop-2924/ /article/Just-by-the-Numbers-Evaluating-This-Years-Shooting-Guard-Crop-2924/ Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:18:18 -0400 Carl Landry didn’t spend the hours leading up the 2007 NBA Draft with friends or family. He didn’t spend it watching the picks unfold at a posh pre-draft party. Landry followed along on the cell phone of a total stranger he was sitting next to on a flight to Indianapolis. /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience-Carl-Landry-2923/ /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience-Carl-Landry-2923/ Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:11:40 -0400 Video Interviews with NBA Draft prospect Nicolas Batum, St. Anthony's High School Head Coach Bob Hurley, and New Jersey Nets International Scout Rob Meurs at the 2008 Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso. /article/Video-Interviews-with-Nicolas-Batum,-Bob-Hurley,-Rob-Meurs-2922/ /article/Video-Interviews-with-Nicolas-Batum,-Bob-Hurley,-Rob-Meurs-2922/ Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:46:03 -0400 Days Three and Four of the Reebok Eurocamp provided a number of memorable highlights, including a phenomenal lecture/clinic by Euroleague champion Ettore Messina, the arrival of potential lottery pick Nicolas Batum, the bulldogging play of fellow newcomer Goran Dragic, solid outings by Vladimir Dasic, Henk Norel and Alexey Shved, and more. /article/2008-Reebok-Eurocamp-in-Treviso,-Days-Three-and-Four-2921/ /article/2008-Reebok-Eurocamp-in-Treviso,-Days-Three-and-Four-2921/ Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:48:06 -0400 Video Interviews with NBA Draft prospect Danilo Gallinari, Los Angeles Lakers Director of International Scouting Adam Filippi and Portland Trailblazers Director of NBA Scouting Michael Born at the 2008 Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso. /article/Video-Interviews-with-Danilo-Gallinari,-Adam-Filippi-and-Michael-Born-2920/ /article/Video-Interviews-with-Danilo-Gallinari,-Adam-Filippi-and-Michael-Born-2920/ Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:09:46 -0400 A purely statistical comparison of the point guards in this year's draft class. We use 18 different statistical measures to examine how the guards stack up against each other by the numbers. To gain a better understanding of the statistics used, visit the glossary by Noah Libby-Haines. Interested in making your own statistical comparisons? You can do so here /article/Just-by-the-Numbers--Evaluating-this-year-s-Point-Guard-Crop-2919/ /article/Just-by-the-Numbers--Evaluating-this-year-s-Point-Guard-Crop-2919/ Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:33:49 -0400 Day two of the Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso was long and eventful, starting with three hours of drills (three on three play, four on four, pin-downs, spread and kicks, light shooting) followed by a lecture by David Blatt, a workout with Omer Asik, Goran Dragic and Semih Erden, and three competitive games. Vladimir Dasic was probably the biggest standout of day two. /article/2008-Reebok-Eurocamp-in-Treviso-Day-Two-2918/ /article/2008-Reebok-Eurocamp-in-Treviso-Day-Two-2918/ Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:25:02 -0400 The Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso kicked off today, in front of record crowds of NBA scouts and especially European club executives. The camp is gaining importance in the basketball world year by year, and this year’s roster is clearly the deepest we’ve ever seen in our five years of attendance. Camp Director Pete Philo has done an outstanding job of being aggressive getting early commitments from virtually all the top players of every age group in Europe, making this a extremely intriguing camp to scout not only for this year’s draft, but especially for the future. /article/2008-Reebok-Eurocamp-in-Treviso,-Day-One-2917/ /article/2008-Reebok-Eurocamp-in-Treviso,-Day-One-2917/ Sun, 08 Jun 2008 04:00:18 -0400 Ty Lawson, DeVon Hardin, Joe Crawford, DeMarcus Nelson and Pat Calathes highlight our Second Team All-NBA Pre-Draft Camp as we recap the week and it's significance on the draft stock of various players. /article/Orlando-Recap-Second-Team-All-NBA-Pre-Draft--2916/ /article/Orlando-Recap-Second-Team-All-NBA-Pre-Draft--2916/ Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:36:30 -0400 10 Team Workout in Golden State next week taking shape...O.J. Mayo selects a new agent... Russell Westbrook staying in the draft for good...Mayo pulling a Yi Jianlian? Indiana unloading Jermaine on Cleveland? Philly moving into the top 6? That and much more. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Workouts,-Trade-Rumors-Heat-Up-2915/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Workouts,-Trade-Rumors-Heat-Up-2915/ Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:29:17 -0400 This is the part of the year when many European prospects have finished off their seasons, while some others are still in the hunt for a title. In the minds of many young players, the NBA draft emerges as a very important target at this point of the season. Let’s take a look at the most likely players to stay in this draft and be selected, and what they have been up to these past weeks. /article/European-Update-Targeting-the-Draft--2914/ /article/European-Update-Targeting-the-Draft--2914/ Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:59:33 -0400 We've been very outspoken in the past about the dangers of reading too much into the measurements and combine numbers. If you didn't read our article from last year on that topic, you are strongly encouraged to do so. What makes the release of the measurement and combine numbers so interesting, though, is the plethora of new information we're presented with, some of which directly contradicts things we've heard, read or thought we saw with our own eyes. /article/What-We-learned-from-the-NBA-Draft-Measurements-and-Combine-2913/ /article/What-We-learned-from-the-NBA-Draft-Measurements-and-Combine-2913/ Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:43:23 -0400 DraftExpress explores the subject of NBA Pre-Draft measurements through the years, looking at how they're derived, what they mean, the controversy that often surrounds them, and what we can learn from them. /article/A-Historical-Look-at-the-NBA-Pre-Draft-Measurements-2912/ /article/A-Historical-Look-at-the-NBA-Pre-Draft-Measurements-2912/ Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:40:00 -0400 The results are in. We’ll be posting the entire spreadsheet shortly, but here are some of the most interesting results. Keep in mind that this is hardly the holy grail in regards to talent evaluation. But people definitely love to look, which is why we rushed out the results to get them up first. /article/Entire-NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Measurements,-Combine-Results-Released-2911/ /article/Entire-NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Measurements,-Combine-Results-Released-2911/ Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:48:38 -0400 Gary Forbes, Mike Taylor, Malik Hairston, Othello Hunter and Brian Roberts highlight our First Team All-NBA Pre-Draft Camp as we recap the week and it's significance on the draft stock of various players. /article/Orlando-Recap-First-Team-All-NBA-Pre-Draft--2909/ /article/Orlando-Recap-First-Team-All-NBA-Pre-Draft--2909/ Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:39:30 -0400 Jonathan Givony and Joey Whelan break down the latest rumors about who the top 8 teams in the draft are considering, who is trying to make trades, the most disappointing performances at the NBA pre-draft camp, and which of the early-entry players may return to school. Check it out at our podcast page: here or download it directly here /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-12-2910/ /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-12-2910/ Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:05:38 -0400 Interviews with Kevin Love, D.J. Augustin and Anthony Randolph from media day of the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando. /article/Interviews-Kevin-Love,-D.J.-Augustin,-Anthony-Randolph-2908/ /article/Interviews-Kevin-Love,-D.J.-Augustin,-Anthony-Randolph-2908/ Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:59:17 -0400 Walking out of the gym after a playoff game, I heard the traditional pounding of the Freak’s drums. At least 100 ‘Freaks’ had formed a tunnel leading up to our team bus, and were waiting for autographs and pictures. The weird thing is that we had just got upset and we were headed home for good. They were still there acting like we had hung the moon. /article/Jared-Reiner-Tribute-to-The-Freaks-of-Freak-City-2907/ /article/Jared-Reiner-Tribute-to-The-Freaks-of-Freak-City-2907/ Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:47:18 -0400 Interviews with Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley from media day of the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando, highlighting their stark contrast in personalities. /article/Interviews-with-Derrick-Rose-and-Michael-Beasley-2906/ /article/Interviews-with-Derrick-Rose-and-Michael-Beasley-2906/ Sun, 01 Jun 2008 01:01:42 -0400 Fatigue began to set in for many of the prospects and scouts in attendance here in day four, causing much of the attention to turn to the 15 physical-only players, who were here to participate in the combine and conduct light drills and skills-based workouts that drew quite a crowd of high-level NBA executives. Derrick Rose had a very impressive workout on one end of the floor, while Brian Roberts was superb in a game setting on the other. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-Four-2905/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-Four-2905/ Sat, 31 May 2008 03:18:59 -0400 Our third batch of interviews from the NBA Pre-Draft Camp comes from media day, where Brook Lopez, Jerryd Bayless and Eric Gordon join us. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Video-Content,-Day-Three-2904/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Video-Content,-Day-Three-2904/ Fri, 30 May 2008 22:28:12 -0400 The third day of the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando saw many prospects break out of their shells and finally play up to their full potential. Players are settling into playing alongside each other and the games began to take on more resemblance of actual basketball. Gary Forbes’ 30 point outing and Mike Taylor’s 24 points were the highlights of the day. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-Three-2903/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-Three-2903/ Fri, 30 May 2008 08:35:40 -0400 Our second batch of interviews from the NBA Pre-Draft Camp, with New Orleans Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower, Phoenix Suns Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Dave Griffin, and IHouston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey. We talk about the second day of the NBA pre-draft camp, the things they are looking for in various prospects, individual assessments of how their team's needs stack up, and overall thoughts on this year's draft class. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Video-Content,-Day-Two-2902/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Video-Content,-Day-Two-2902/ Fri, 30 May 2008 00:29:49 -0400 The second day of the NBA pre-draft brought us some more respectable basketball action than the first, as the players seem to be coming to terms with the fact that their professional futures are on the line under the glaring eyes of former NBA superstars, and are resorting back to the things that got them here in the first place. Ty Lawson was the top player in action today, followed by teammates Malik Hairston and Pat Calathes. Other standouts included Gary Forbes, Othello Hunter, Mike Taylor, Joe Crawford and others. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-Two-2901/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-Two-2901/ Thu, 29 May 2008 08:10:23 -0400 Our first batch of interviews from the NBA Pre-Draft Camp, with Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace, Detroit Pistons Director of Basketball Operations Tony Ronzone, and Indiana Pacers scout Kevin Mackey. We talk about the opening day of the NBA pre-draft camp, the things they are looking for in various prospects, and their overall thoughts on this year's draft class. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Video-Content,-Day-One-2900/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Video-Content,-Day-One-2900/ Thu, 29 May 2008 01:34:49 -0400 The NBA Pre-Draft Camp kicked off today outside of Orlando, Florida at Disney’s World Wide of Sports Complex. Every NBA team is in attendance, including a number of very high-profile faces, such as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Chris Mullin, Kevin McHale, Scott Skiles, Patrick Ewing, Steve Kerr and countless others, who are walking around at all times. The players conducted drills and short scrimmages in day one, while the coaches tried to instill basic offensive sets in order to give their teams some semblance of cohesion. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-One-2899/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-One-2899/ Wed, 28 May 2008 07:45:02 -0400 Will Kevin McHale bite the bullet and select his favorite prospect in this draft, Kevin Love? Is 7th a reach for D.J. Augustin and the Clippers? Does D.J. White have a promise at the end of the first round? Is Omer Asik the biggest international sleeper in the 2nd round? /article/Word-on-the-Street-Love-to-Minnesota--2898/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Love-to-Minnesota--2898/ Tue, 27 May 2008 11:52:55 -0400 The official list of participants is out, and it looks like a pretty solid group so far. We've also received the physical-only invites, and media day participants. The camp kicks off tonight at 6 PM. DraftExpress will be out in full force. /article/2008-NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Rosters-and-Physical-Only-Invites-2897/ /article/2008-NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Rosters-and-Physical-Only-Invites-2897/ Tue, 27 May 2008 09:38:30 -0400 Joey Whelan takes us through the transformation Shan Foster made from squinty eyed high school center with bad vision to SEC Player of the Year and the best shooter in college basketball. /article/Shan-Foster-%22When-Nobody-was-Watching,-I-had-to-be-Working%22-2896/ /article/Shan-Foster-%22When-Nobody-was-Watching,-I-had-to-be-Working%22-2896/ Tue, 27 May 2008 02:56:03 -0400 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the last two teams in the Southwestern division, the New Orleans Hornets and San Antonio Spurs. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Southwestern-Division-Part-Two--2895/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Southwestern-Division-Part-Two--2895/ Tue, 27 May 2008 00:50:38 -0400 Part two of our two part article from Tim Grover’s A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics Training Center in Chicago, where prospects such as O.J. Mayo, Brandon Rush, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Bill Walker, Jason Thompson, Shaun Pruitt and many others are preparing themselves for private workouts and the NBA pre-draft camp. /article/Cross-Country-Workout-Swing,-Part-5,-A.T.T.A.C.K.-Athletics,-Chicago-2893/ /article/Cross-Country-Workout-Swing,-Part-5,-A.T.T.A.C.K.-Athletics,-Chicago-2893/ Sun, 25 May 2008 23:08:14 -0400 Bill Walker sits down with Jonathan Givony at Tim Grover’s A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics Training Center in Chicago to discuss a variety of issues, including his thoughts on college basketball, his preparations for the NBA Draft, the 25 pounds he's lost, the age limit, and much more. /article/Bill-Walker-%22I-don-t-think-my-game-was-built-for-college%22-2894/ /article/Bill-Walker-%22I-don-t-think-my-game-was-built-for-college%22-2894/ Sun, 25 May 2008 23:06:14 -0400 After detours in Bradenton, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, our next stop on the road took us to Tim Grover’s A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics Training Center in the beautiful city of Chicago, where prospects such as O.J. Mayo, Brandon Rush, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Bill Walker, Jason Thompson, Shaun Pruitt and many others are preparing themselves for private workouts in possibly the most state of the art basketball training facility in America. This is part one of a two part article. /article/Cross-Country-Workout-Swing,-Part-4,-A.T.T.A.C.K.-Athletics,-Chicago-2892/ /article/Cross-Country-Workout-Swing,-Part-4,-A.T.T.A.C.K.-Athletics,-Chicago-2892/ Sat, 24 May 2008 18:32:15 -0400 For the sixth part of our cross country trip, we stopped in at Basketball Results in Long Island, New York, where trainer Jerry Powell was working with Danny Green (UNC) and Shan Foster (Vanderbilt), two players hoping to make a splash at the NBA pre-draft camp at Orlando tomorrow. We checked in on the progress of Green and Foster by watching one of the intense workouts Powell has been putting them through for the past few weeks. /article/Cross-Country-Workout-Swing,-Part-Six-Basketball-Results--New-York--2891/ /article/Cross-Country-Workout-Swing,-Part-Six-Basketball-Results--New-York--2891/ Sat, 24 May 2008 11:34:50 -0400 O.J. Mayo sits down with Jonathan Givony at the A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics Training Center in Chicago to discuss a wide-ranging number of issues, including his thoughts on his lone season of college basketball, his progression as a player and person moving forward over the next few years, and much more. /article/O.J.-Mayo-%22There-are-more-than-two-players-who-could-go-number-one%22-2890/ /article/O.J.-Mayo-%22There-are-more-than-two-players-who-could-go-number-one%22-2890/ Sat, 24 May 2008 01:32:39 -0400 Joe Alexander sits down with us in Las Vegas at Abunassar Impact Basketball to discuss a wide range of NBA Draft related topics. /article/Joe-Alexander-%22My-athleticism-progressed-with-how-hard-I-ve-worked%22-2889/ /article/Joe-Alexander-%22My-athleticism-progressed-with-how-hard-I-ve-worked%22-2889/ Fri, 23 May 2008 09:31:31 -0400 Chris Douglas-Roberts sits down for an extremely in-depth interview from his preparations for the NBA draft at Tim Grover's gym in Chicago. He tells us about the work he's putting in, what he's trying to improve on, his thoughts on the draft process, where he hears he might be taken as of right now, why he's not going back to school and will not be playing in Orlando, and much more. /article/Chris-Douglas-Roberts-%22I-don-t-see-a-point-in-going-back-to-school%22-2888/ /article/Chris-Douglas-Roberts-%22I-don-t-see-a-point-in-going-back-to-school%22-2888/ Thu, 22 May 2008 00:31:43 -0400 With the order of one of the draft now set in stone, we take a look at the implications of the lottery drawing on each of the top 10 picks and what they might mean for the stock of various players in the draft. We also think about which players teams might consider at each individual draft slot. /article/Post-Lottery-Analysis-the-Implications-2887/ /article/Post-Lottery-Analysis-the-Implications-2887/ Wed, 21 May 2008 03:45:12 -0400 Quotes from players and executives representing their teams in the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery. /article/2008-NBA-Draft-Lottery-Reactions-2886/ /article/2008-NBA-Draft-Lottery-Reactions-2886/ Wed, 21 May 2008 03:30:54 -0400 After a day and a half in Bradenton, we flew cross-country to Las Vegas to take in two full days of workouts and extensive 3 on 3 games featuring no less than 28 players preparing for the NBA Draft. Some of the prospects here included Joe Alexander, Marreese Speights, J.J. Hickson, Richard Hendrix, Malik Hairston, Giorgi Shermadini, James Mays, Marcus Dove, Alonzo Gee, Quan Prowell, Rudy Mbemba, Deron Washington, Aleks Maric, Mickel Gladness, Bruce Price, Longar Longar and Mykal Riley. Also present and working out were current NBA players Aaron Gray, Cedric Simmons and Patrick O’Bryant. /article/Cross-Country-Workout-Swing-Part-Two,-Abunassar-Impact-Basketball-2885/ /article/Cross-Country-Workout-Swing-Part-Two,-Abunassar-Impact-Basketball-2885/ Tue, 20 May 2008 01:39:28 -0400 DraftExpress was given exclusive access to observe a private workout of Nevada early entrant JaVale McGee at an undisclosed location. McGee has been training away from his collegiate settings for the past six weeks in preparation for the draft, shunning the services of big-name trainers to hone his talents with his agent Roosevelt Barnes. /article/JaVale-McGee-Workout-The-Big-Secret-2883/ /article/JaVale-McGee-Workout-The-Big-Secret-2883/ Mon, 19 May 2008 23:54:30 -0400 DraftExpress was in Los Angeles to evaluate a few intriguing prospects for this year’s NBA draft—J.R. Giddens, Trent Plaisted, and Bryce Taylor, working out alongside current NBA players Nick Young and Ryan Hollins. Priority Sports had a small group working out at the 360 gym in Reseda, which was our third consecutive year scouting the venue. Former UCLA great and NBA player Don MacLean provides his trainees with no-nonsense on-court instruction and guidance, while “hops-doctor” Shawn Dassie runs an excellent strength and conditioning program that seems to turn out high-flyers on demand. /article/Cross-Country-Workout-Swing,-Part-Two-Priority-Sports-LA-2884/ /article/Cross-Country-Workout-Swing,-Part-Two-Priority-Sports-LA-2884/ Sun, 18 May 2008 23:25:09 -0400 Lester Hudson sits down with Joey Whelan from his base at IMG Academy to discuss how he's been preparing himself for the NBA Draft. Topics include his training regimen, his strengths and weaknesses as a player, his thoughts on the point guard position and how he fits in there, and his concerns about playing in the NBA pre-draft camp. /article/Lester-Hudson-%22I-want-to-show-my-skills-to-all-the-NBA-GMs%22-2882/ /article/Lester-Hudson-%22I-want-to-show-my-skills-to-all-the-NBA-GMs%22-2882/ Sat, 17 May 2008 11:14:55 -0400 [c]David Thorpe in action[/c]What does a typical day look like in the life of an NBA Draft prospect in the month of May? We made the drive up to Bradenton to try and find out, kicking off a week-long tour of three of the top training facilities in the world. We looked at Courtney Lee (Western Kentucky), Lester Hudson (Tennessee Martin), Pat Calathes (St. Joseph’s), Brian Roberts (Dayton), Reggie Williams (VMI), Stanley Burrell (Xavier), John Riek (Winchendon Academy) and Martin Iti (New Mexico State) /article/Cross-Country-Workout-Swing-Part-One,-PTC-@IMG-Academy-2881/ /article/Cross-Country-Workout-Swing-Part-One,-PTC-@IMG-Academy-2881/ Fri, 16 May 2008 20:46:04 -0400 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player, we look at the first three teams in the Southwestern division, the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Southwestern-Division-Part-One--2878/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Southwestern-Division-Part-One--2878/ Thu, 15 May 2008 20:00:00 -0400 New NBA rules state that teams are no longer allowed to work out potential draft picks until the conclusion of the NBA pre-draft camp on June 3rd. That leaves a lot of dead time for non-playoff teams between the end of the season (April 16th) and the start of the pre-draft camp (May 27th). What goes on in NBA front offices during that time? We decided to talk to four key personnel members to find out. /article/The-Doldrums-of-May-2880/ /article/The-Doldrums-of-May-2880/ Thu, 15 May 2008 08:55:21 -0400 Oregon's Maarty Leunen fills us in on how the pre-draft process is going for him--why graduating early helps, and how working out with some of the best athletes in the country is helping him. We talk about the transition he made from high school to college, and what he needs to do to make the next step to playing in the NBA. /article/Maarty-Leunen-%22the-Pac-10-is-the-toughest-conference-in-the-country%22-2879/ /article/Maarty-Leunen-%22the-Pac-10-is-the-toughest-conference-in-the-country%22-2879/ Tue, 13 May 2008 23:54:14 -0400 Eurocamp Director Pete Philo announced the confirmed players scheduled to attend the "unofficial European pre-draft" in Treviso, Italy from June 7th-10th, an incredibly impressive list of players encompassing basically every player of note in the 1986-1990 European classes. /article/Reebok-Eurocamp-in-Treviso-Confirmed-Participants-2877/ /article/Reebok-Eurocamp-in-Treviso-Confirmed-Participants-2877/ Tue, 13 May 2008 21:05:14 -0400 The NBA Players Association held their annual Agents seminar today in New York City, on the heels of serious allegations made against Rodney Guillory, O.J. Mayo and BDA Sports on ESPN’s Outside the Lines. Danilo Gallinari chooses his representation in the US. What's going on with JaVale McGee's draft stock? Also, our travel plans for the coming weeks... /article/Word-on-the-Street-Rounding-Up-2690/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Rounding-Up-2690/ Tue, 13 May 2008 00:41:41 -0400 In addition to our NCAA Stats section, easily the most powerful statistical database found anywhere on the internet, and now featuring stats from the NBA, Euroleague, ULEB Cup, Spanish ACB League, Italian first division, and D-League, we’ve added some new tweaks into our database to further assist you in researching all the top basketball players in the world. When you click on any player from any league in our database, you’ll not only see their stats from this season, but you’ll also see a box outlining the five most important stats in which that players ranks in the Top 25 in his own league. We've also ensured that nearly every player in our top-40 now has an “at a glance” section as well as a full in-depth scouting report. /article/DX-Statistical-Top-25s-Scouting-Reports-Upgraded-2689/ /article/DX-Statistical-Top-25s-Scouting-Reports-Upgraded-2689/ Mon, 12 May 2008 22:56:26 -0400 [c]The Milk House[/c]The NBA Pre-Draft camp is the only official camp organized and run by the NBA. It is open to NCAA seniors, underclassmen, International players, and anyone else eligible for this year's draft. It will be conducted this year from May 27th-May 30th at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex outside of Orlando, Florida. In this article we provide an overview of the pre-draft camp, take a look back at how last year's camp fared, analyze the makeup of the rosters, and attempt to project what we can learn from that about this year's group. Also included is a projection of the 64 players that we think may be invited to participate in the camp. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Preview,-Projected-Rosters-2688/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Preview,-Projected-Rosters-2688/ Sun, 11 May 2008 22:45:39 -0400 A recap of the top prospects seen at the Nike International Junior Tournament played parallel to the Euroleague Final Four in Madrid last week. FMP Zeleznik, led by Bojan Subotic, Dejan Musli and Andrija Milutinovic continues to crush any competition they face at the junior level in Europe. Cibona Zagreb's Tomislav Zubcic and Zalgiris' Donatas Motiejunas were standouts. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-2687/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Nike-International-Junior-Tournament-2687/ Sun, 11 May 2008 00:56:30 -0400 (Jared Reiner's Blog) If any one out there knows Hulk Hogan please tell him that I found the only other person worldwide that still wears Zubaz pants. This cat also has a mullet but I will let that go since he wears it well. /article/Say-Your-Prayers.--Eat-Your-Vitamins,-and-Throw-Away-Your-Zubaz/ /article/Say-Your-Prayers.--Eat-Your-Vitamins,-and-Throw-Away-Your-Zubaz/ Fri, 09 May 2008 10:36:00 -0400 Continuing our series of articles filling out our database with scouting reports of every single NBA player are the last two teams in the Southeastern division, the Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Southeastern-Division-Part-2--2685/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Southeastern-Division-Part-2--2685/ Fri, 09 May 2008 09:13:21 -0400 Back by popular demand. A complete list of all the realistic NBA draft prospects available in the 2008 draft, along with their known representation. Also make sure to check out our recently released Agent Listings Tool. /article/2008-NBA-Draft-Prospects-Agent-Listings-2684/ /article/2008-NBA-Draft-Prospects-Agent-Listings-2684/ Thu, 08 May 2008 00:20:57 -0400 Next up in our series of articles intending to add scouting reports to every single NBA player in our database are the first three teams in the Southeastern division, the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats and Miami Heat. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Southeastern-Division-Part-1--2683/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Southeastern-Division-Part-1--2683/ Tue, 06 May 2008 23:56:24 -0400 Courtney Lee tells Joey Whelan why his character can help an NBA team next year, how he landed at Western Kentucky, how playing point guard made him a more versatile player, how he saw the NCAA tournament play out, and more. /article/Courtney-Lee--2682/ /article/Courtney-Lee--2682/ Tue, 06 May 2008 02:11:42 -0400 This year’s Euroleague season is officially in the books, after CSKA Moscow knocked off Maccabi Tel Aviv 91-77. Trajan Langdon was the game's MVP. The Euroleague might not have been more than a blip on the city of Madrid’s radar, judging by the sights and scenes found outside the arena (except one Maccabi Tel Aviv pep rally in Puerta del Sol last night) , aided greatly by the fact that legendary soccer team Real Madrid was able to clinch the Spanish league championship tonight, which will make for a very rowdy celebration. It will be interesting to see how things look next year in Berlin, the sight of the 2009 Euroleague Final Four as was announced this weekend. Regardless, the Euroleague did an excellent job putting together a very well organized event, and everything went fairly smoothly this weekend as far as we could tell. /article/Blogging-through-the-Euroleague-Final-Four--Part-Two--2681/ /article/Blogging-through-the-Euroleague-Final-Four--Part-Two--2681/ Sun, 04 May 2008 18:07:46 -0400 In Part Two of our coverage of the 2008 King James Classic, we take a look at the top big men in attendance. We take a closer look at a skilled power forward heading to Duke, a 2010 bruiser pledged to Ohio State, three promising centers near the 7'0 mark, and a UCONN verbal who led his team to the 17-U championship. /article/2008-King-James-Classic-Top-Big-Men-2678/ /article/2008-King-James-Classic-Top-Big-Men-2678/ Sun, 04 May 2008 12:44:34 -0400 The four DraftExpress writers who followed the D-League this season voted on year end awards in many different categories. The following article contains the results as well as some commentary on how the awards were won. Point guard Randy Livingston won the MVP awards this season, while we also voted on all-league teams. /article/2007-2008-DraftExpress-D-League-Awards/ /article/2007-2008-DraftExpress-D-League-Awards/ Sat, 03 May 2008 21:34:13 -0400 DraftExpress is on hand in Madrid to take in the most important event on the European basketball calendar, the Euroleague Final Four. Maccabi Tel Aviv erased a 15-point deficit to knock of Montepaschi Siena in shocking fashion in the first game, while CSKA Moscow outmuscled Tau Vitoria in a brutally physical game to claim the second spot in the finals. There is some buzz coming from the many NBA scouts in attendance, while the junior tournament is also occupying our time nicely as well. /article/Blogging-through-the-Euroleague-Final-Four--Part-One--2679/ /article/Blogging-through-the-Euroleague-Final-Four--Part-One--2679/ Fri, 02 May 2008 17:39:08 -0400 We've received a copy of the official 2008 NBA Draft Early Entry list, with 69 NCAA underclassmen, 21 Internationals, 34 former NCAA players who became automatically eligible for the draft by signing professional contracts, and other "unknown individuals" who are likely entering their name in the draft as a practical joke. /article/2008-Official-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List-/ /article/2008-Official-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List-/ Thu, 01 May 2008 15:46:03 -0400 The most important in-season event on the European basketball calendar will be conducted this weekend in Madrid, Spain, and for the third straight year, DraftExpress will be represented. Maccabi Tel Aviv, Montepaschi Siena, Tau Vitoria and CSKA Moscow will battle it out for the prestigious title of being considered the best team in Europe. Alongside them, eight of the top junior teams will compete in the Euroleague Basketball Nike International Junior Tournament, featuring teams such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, FMP Zeleznik, and Zalgiris Kaunas. Considering the location, and the fact that there are plenty of intriguing NBA prospects to take in both at the senior and junior level, we’d expect a large contingency of NBA scouts and executives present in Madrid. In this preview, we take a look at some of the most interesting players that NBA teams will be watching. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Preview-2676/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Preview-2676/ Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:33:30 -0400 [c]Photo: ABA League[/c] In a controversial decision, the Euroleague chose Danilo Gallinari over Nikola Pekovic as the winner of the Rising Star award that honors the best young player in the competition. Still, the Serbian center won’t likely be sulking about it for too long after leading his team Partizan to win the Adriatic League, earning in the process MVP honors and our Player of the Week nomination. Meanwhile, we keep receiving updates on international youngsters declaring for the draft; standing out among them, the late-hour addition of Henk Norel, as well as Nando De Colo and Jonas Jerebko. /article/Roundup-Pekovic-Reigns-in-the-Adriatic-League-2675/ /article/Roundup-Pekovic-Reigns-in-the-Adriatic-League-2675/ Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:39:28 -0400 Next up in our series of articles intending to add scouting reports to every single NBA player in our database is the rest of the Central division, the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Central-Division-Part-Two--2674/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Central-Division-Part-Two--2674/ Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:32:07 -0400 The 2008 King James Classic has come and gone, with many of the nation's top prospects showing off their stuff in Akron, Ohio. We take a closer look at three 2010 studs, a UCONN commit who led his team to the championship, and a small playmaker who is bursting onto the national recruiting scene. /article/2008-King-James-Classic-Top-Perimeter-Players-2673/ /article/2008-King-James-Classic-Top-Perimeter-Players-2673/ Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:48:59 -0400 J.R. Giddens talks candidly about the odd path stretching five years that led him from being a McDonald's All-American and Top-20 recruit to Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, with the many ups and downs that went along with that. Quite refreshingly, he doesn't seem to be shying away from taking responsibilities for the choices he made: “I have no problems about answering the questions because I was a kid who made bad decisions." /article/J.R.-Giddens-%22I-was-a-kid-who-made-bad-decisions%22/ /article/J.R.-Giddens-%22I-was-a-kid-who-made-bad-decisions%22/ Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:37:29 -0400 Now that we have almost a complete picture of who is in and out of this year's draft, we can more accurately assess what lies ahead of us over the next 60 days leading up to June 26th. With that in mind, we've ranked the top 115 NBA prospects and sorted them by position, 20 points guards, 20 shooting guards, 20 small forwards, 30 power forwards, and 25 centers--reflecting the depth of each position in this class, and included a short analysis on each group. /article/Big-Board-of-Top-115-NBA-Draft-Prospects,-by-Position,-w-Analysis/ /article/Big-Board-of-Top-115-NBA-Draft-Prospects,-by-Position,-w-Analysis/ Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:50:05 -0400 We’ve finally released two tools we’ve been working on for some time now, a comprehensive listing of virtually every player agent in the world, and the client salaries they are responsible for, along with sortable tools allowing you to conduct research in a variety of ways. You can now find an incredible amount of previously unpublished data in different formats that are extremely easy to navigate through. Read on to learn about the many things you can find out from using these tools. /article/NBA-Player-Agent-Salary-Tools-Released/ /article/NBA-Player-Agent-Salary-Tools-Released/ Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:23:55 -0400 We begin a series providing in-depth scouting reports breaking down every single player (non-rookie or sophomore) in the NBA over the next few weeks, starting with the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons in the Central Division. /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Central-Division-Part-One--2669/ /article/NBA-Scouting-Reports-Central-Division-Part-One--2669/ Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:07:14 -0400 As much as we’ve become accustomed to what Nando De Colo produces game in and game out, it still doesn’t get any less impressive. This past weekend he delivered another astounding performance, leading Cholet to a road victory over Pau-Orthez with 25 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, earning our Player of the Week nomination in the process. /article/Roundup-Spectacular-De-Colo-2668/ /article/Roundup-Spectacular-De-Colo-2668/ Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:52:06 -0400 Antonio Anderson filed paperwork making himself eligible for this year’s draft, the player informed DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony today. “I sent my letter in today…I’ll be entering the draft without an agent,” Anderson told us. “I’ll be trying to learn as much as I can, and try to see where I’m at and what teams think of me.” /article/Antonio-Anderson-Entering-the-Draft/ /article/Antonio-Anderson-Entering-the-Draft/ Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:46:06 -0400 Recapping the top performers seen at the 2008 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, concluding with the third team. Reggie Williams, Mykal Riley, Chris Lofton, Charles Rhodes and Rob McKiver receive in-depth analysis. /article/All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-Third-Team/ /article/All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-Third-Team/ Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:43:29 -0400 We take a look at the two teams squaring off in the three game series for the 2008 D-League Title. Austin hosts game one tonight at 8 PM eastern time, while Idaho will have a chance to host the final two games of the series. Included in the preview is a look at some of the NBA assigned players and prospects to notice while tuning into the game. For more information on the series, visit the official page of the D-League. /article/D-League-Finals-Preview/ /article/D-League-Finals-Preview/ Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:43:56 -0400 A breakdown of what we learned at the Nike Hoop Summit game and practices all throughout last week, continuing with the World team, where Alexis Ajinca and Serge Ibaka were the most intriguing prospects in attendance. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Recap-International-Team/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Recap-International-Team/ Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:30:31 -0400 Brandon Jennings and Tyreke Evans were named co-MVPs of the Jordan Brand Classic, which ended up being a very high scoring, guard-oriented, streetball style affair. Greg Monroe, Scotty Hopson and Demar Derozan all had solid outings, as did Samardo Samuels and Tony Woods. In the regional games, the Morris twins--Marcus and Markieff, showed a great deal of talent, while Florida bound Erving Walker and especially George Mason commit Ryan Pearson stole the show with a huge game. /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic-Games-Day-Three--2662/ /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic-Games-Day-Three--2662/ Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:09:47 -0400 We had a chance to evaluate the two teams in action in a semi-competitive 40 minute scrimmage with a running clock. The players played somewhat (but definitely not extremely) hard for the most part, and it gave us a good opportunity to take another look at their physical tools and basic skill-level. Kevin Durant was sitting on one of the benches, Worldwide Wes was just a few feet away in the bleachers, and a few agents and Nike marketing people made up the very sparse crowd. /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic-Scrimmage--Day-Two--2661/ /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic-Scrimmage--Day-Two--2661/ Sat, 19 Apr 2008 09:36:07 -0400 We take a look at the second round match-ups and the players to watch as the D-League playoffs continue. Los Angeles plays a road game in Idaho tonight, and the Austin Toros will host the Sioux Falls Skyforce tomorrow. /article/D-League-Playoffs-Second-Round-Preview/ /article/D-League-Playoffs-Second-Round-Preview/ Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:45:27 -0400 We've again received the official measurements from the 2008 Nike Hoop Summit, featuring many of the top American high school prospects that should make up next year's potential "one and done" class. There are a few interesting figures to study here, including Al-Farouq Aminu, Malcolm Lee, Tyreke Evans and others. We also take a look back at last year's measurements for those who missed them or may have forgot, which give us a lot of insight into this year's draft class, as they feature most of the top freshman prospects, including Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose, Jerryd Bayless, Derrick Rose and Donte Greene. Alexis Ajinca and Nicolas Batum were also there. /article/2008-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Official-Measurements,-plus-2007-Analysis/ /article/2008-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Official-Measurements,-plus-2007-Analysis/ Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:56:20 -0400 We’re in New York City for an event that seems to be rivaling the McDonald’s All-American game for high school basketball all-star game supremacy—the Jordan Brand Classic. With a superior location, facilities, format and arguably even roster, the Jordan Brand people have definitely provided us a terrific opportunity to evaluate the best high school seniors in America, in a variety of settings. We got to take in a very competitive 90 minute practice today, still have a scrimmage tomorrow, and the actual game on Saturday. There is also a dunk contest tonight that we’ll be passing on. In addition to the “All-American teams,” they’ve collected the top local players from the New York area for a regional game, as well as a group of 15 and 16 year old International players from Europe, Africa and Australia that are competing here. /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic-Practices--Day-One--2658/ /article/Jordan-Brand-Classic-Practices--Day-One--2658/ Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:00:31 -0400 A breakdown of what we learned at the Nike Hoop Summit game and practices all throughout last week, starting with the American team, where Demar Derozan put on a show. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Recap-Team-USA/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Recap-Team-USA/ Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:56:04 -0400 Who has signed with who so far in the world of the NBA Draft? /article/Bayless-signs-with-Jeff-Schwartz,-other-agent-signings/ /article/Bayless-signs-with-Jeff-Schwartz,-other-agent-signings/ Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:39:37 -0400 Recapping the top performers seen at the 2008 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, moving on to the second team. Patrick Ewing Jr., Othello Hunter, Josh Duncan, Frank Elegar, and Jiri Hubalek receive in-depth analysis. /article/All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Second-Team-2655/ /article/All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Second-Team-2655/ Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:57:49 -0400 A number of intriguing international prospects have informed DraftExpress that they plan on entering this year's draft, including Alexis Ajinca, Nicolas Batum, Serge Ibaka, Ante Tomic and Rodrigue Beaubois. In addition, we've learned that Jeremy Pargo will be entering the draft as well. We also explore the topic of whether players can test the NBA draft waters twice... /article/International-Early-Entry-Rumor-Mill,-Rule-Clarification/ /article/International-Early-Entry-Rumor-Mill,-Rule-Clarification/ Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:49:59 -0400 Recapping the top performers seen at the 2008 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, starting with the first team. Pat Calathes, Gary Forbes, Jamar Butler, Mark Tyndale and Kyle Hines receive in-depth analysis. /article/All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-First-Team/ /article/All-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-First-Team/ Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:41:38 -0400 The 56th edition of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is in the books, and the very cohesive and talented Tidewater Sealants unsurprisingly came away as the champions in blowout fashion. In a less expected move, was Jamar Butler was named the MVP. Kyle Hines had yet another strong showing, as did Frank Elegar, Othello Hunter and Gary Forbes. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Four/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Four/ Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:50:18 -0400 Jim Hlavac and Mike Schmidt take a look at the two opening round games of the D-League playoffs, the key players involved, and which teams might come out in front. The playoff games start on Tuesday and more information is available at the official website of the D-League. /article/Previewing-the-D-League-Playoffs/ /article/Previewing-the-D-League-Playoffs/ Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:10:35 -0400 Mike Schmidt continues to report from Portland, home of the Nike Hoop Summit game, where the American and International teams are preparing for their matchup tomorrow at 4 PM EST on Fox Sports Net. We take a closer look at Serge Ibaka, Tim Ohlbrecht, Emmanuel Negedu and Angel Garcia from the Internationals, and Greg Monroe, Drew Gordon /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Report--Day-Three-/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Report--Day-Three-/ Sat, 12 Apr 2008 03:10:05 -0400 Close games and big shots from big-time college players was the name of the game at Portsmouth today. Chris Lofton, Pat Calathes and Martin Zeno all came up big in the clutch late in games, while many individuals had strong performances--including Gary Forbes, Patrick Ewing Jr, Anthony Morrow, Jamar Butler and others. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament--Day-Three-/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament--Day-Three-/ Sat, 12 Apr 2008 02:53:30 -0400 Our second day at the Nike Hoop Summit was just as interesting as the first, with many NBA scouts still in attendance. Some of the NBA decision-makers left for Portsmouth after yesterday, and many from Portsmouth will be arriving here in Portland tomorrow. The focus from many teams in attendance seems to revolve around the big men on the international squad this year. Samardo Samuels, Serge Ibaka, Alexis Ajinca, Boban Marjanovic and Tim Olbrecht have all drawn attention in some way or another this week. We also take an in-depth look at the US team, particularly Jrue Holiday, Demar Derozan and Tyreke Evans. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Report--Day-Two-/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Report--Day-Two-/ Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:01:21 -0400 Three more games were played today, one a consolation game between the two losers from last night, and two in the nightcap, introducing the last four teams that we had not seen yet. There is very little question at this point that the pullout of 17 of the top prospects hurt the depth of this camp, even if there were still a decent amount of solid performers today, from at least a handful of players that will play in the NBA sooner or later. Mike Green, Reggie Williams, Quan Prowell, Patrick Ewing Jr, Othello Hunter, Kyle Hines and others were the highlights of day two. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament--Day-Two-/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament--Day-Two-/ Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:50:27 -0400 Mike Schmidt is in Portland representing us at the Nike Hoop Summit, and he files his first report from the international practices where he is watching alongside approximately 20 NBA scouts. Samardo Samuels, Alexis Ajinca and Serge Ibaka all get a first look... /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Report--Day-One-/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Report--Day-One-/ Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:07:06 -0400 [c]Photo: ABA League[/c]Already a very important member of Partizan’s core, Novica Velickovic is one of the key foundations of his team’s game, actually a pretty significant reason why the team from Belgrade is faring so impressively well this season. The Serbian forward is doing nothing but improving his game level in the Euroleague quarterfinals, earning our Player of the Week nomination and showcasing his excellent all-around style. We also take a look at the intriguing Turkish center Semih Erden, who is a virtual lock to be drafted this upcoming June. /article/Roundup-All-Around-Velickovic/ /article/Roundup-All-Around-Velickovic/ Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:05:31 -0400 A run-down of the NBA GMs and Executives who are in attendance on day one of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, the top prospects, those who decided not to attend, and the biggest standouts from the first two games. Pat Calathes was head and shoulders the most impressive player on the floor in day one, followed by Gary Forbes and a shockingly good outing by Iowa State's Jiri Hubalek. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Recap--Day-One-/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Recap--Day-One-/ Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:38:49 -0400 Syracuse freshman Donte Greene will be entering this year's draft, a source with intimate knowledge of the situation told DraftExpress exclusively Tuesday. /article/Breaking-News-Donte-Greene-Entering-Draft--2643/ /article/Breaking-News-Donte-Greene-Entering-Draft--2643/ Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:49:50 -0400 The end of the NCAA season is sadly upon us, as Memphis meets Kansas in the championship game to decide who the best team is in college basketball. Can Derrick Rose continue his incredible streak of play against two of the toughest defensive guards in the NCAA in Russell Robinson and Mario Chalmers? Who will emerge in the battle of the top swingmen in the nation—Brandon Rush or Chris Douglas-Roberts? Will Darrell Arthur finally be able to put together a good game in the NCAA tournament? How will Joey Dorsey handle Kansas’ high-low and pick and roll play. Those questions and more are about to be answered. /article/Blogging-through-the-NCAA-Championship-Game/ /article/Blogging-through-the-NCAA-Championship-Game/ Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:22:00 -0400 The NCAA has made a small, but important change to their eligibility rules in regards to NBA teams paying the expenses of underclassmen student-athletes who are “testing the waters” for private workouts. We explore this new rule in depth and discuss the implications it may have on this year's NBA draft process. /article/New-NCAA-Rule-Permits-NBA-Teams-to-Pay-for-Underclassmen-Workouts/ /article/New-NCAA-Rule-Permits-NBA-Teams-to-Pay-for-Underclassmen-Workouts/ Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:18:10 -0400 The 2004 high school class was lauded for being one of the deepest and most talented of all-time when it entered the college ranks four years ago. Now that four years have passed and the dust has settled on the recruiting rankings, we take a look back to see how it really panned out. 37 players from the RSCI's top-100 recruiting rankings have already made it, with likely a half dozen or more still to come from this year's NCAA senior class. /article/Evaluating-the-Madness-of-the-2004-High-School-Class-2639/ /article/Evaluating-the-Madness-of-the-2004-High-School-Class-2639/ Sun, 06 Apr 2008 17:15:53 -0400 Drew Barnette takes a look at today's Final Four match-ups and gives us his picks for each game. /article/BX-Final-Four-Picks-and-Analysis/ /article/BX-Final-Four-Picks-and-Analysis/ Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:18:37 -0400 The 2008 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, the NCAA seniors-only tournament, will be held from April 9th-12th in Portsmouth, Virginia. Complete team rosters are listed below. Check out the official website of PIT, where you can find more info as well as the daily box scores /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-2637/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Official-Rosters-and-Preview-2637/ Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:43:34 -0400 What will scouts be looking for from the various individual NBA prospects this weekend in San Antonio at the NCAA Final Four, and what their teams will need from them in the matchups they'll be facing. /article/What-to-Look-for-this-Weekend-in-the-Final-Four-2636/ /article/What-to-Look-for-this-Weekend-in-the-Final-Four-2636/ Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:25:32 -0400 There are a number of rule changes that NBA agents and prospects need to be aware of as they figure out their strategy of attack for the coming months. Will the NCAA allow NBA teams to cover expenses for underclassmen workouts? Six players will now be allowed on the court in workouts, instead of just four. Introducing the Daryl Morey rule--teams are no longer allowed to conduct mass workouts in Orlando following the pre-draft camp. That, and plenty more scuttlebutt regarding early-entry prospects, including thorough breakdowns of the decisions of JaVale McGee, Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez to enter the draft. /article/Rule-Changes,-Early-Entry-Speculation,-JaVale-McGee-Lopez-Twins/ /article/Rule-Changes,-Early-Entry-Speculation,-JaVale-McGee-Lopez-Twins/ Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:41:13 -0400 Who is officially in and out of the NBA draft as of April 7th on the domestic and international fronts. Links to media reports, commentary, and early draft projections on where the potential early-entry candidates might land. /article/2008-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List--2634/ /article/2008-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List--2634/ Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:40:44 -0400 [c]Photo: ABA League[/c]We had been following Nemanja Gordic since early into the season, intrigued by some of his abilities. His excellent last week, right in the most important setting for Buducnost (the Adriatic League playoffs), has provided him our Player of the Week nomination, while becomes a perfect opportunity to introduce him here in DraftExpress. /article/Roundup-Introducing-Nemanja-Gordic-2633/ /article/Roundup-Introducing-Nemanja-Gordic-2633/ Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:31:34 -0400 Chris Douglas-Roberts, Earl Clark and Jason Richards are the latest NCAA tournament prospects we take a closer look at. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers,-4-2-08---Part-Two/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers,-4-2-08---Part-Two/ Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:46:49 -0400 [c]Greece celebrates its triumph (Photo: rhein-neckar-sport)[/c]DraftExpress spent a few days in Mannheim enjoying the Albert Schweitzer Tournament, a sort of unofficial world junior championship. However, this description couldn't be further from reality this time, there was just too much missing talent, both in terms of teams and players. Regardless, Greece won the competition and Nikos Pappas a well-deserved MVP. And we take a look at some of the most interesting players seen there. /article/2008-Albert-Schweitzer-Tournament-Watered-Down-Mannheim-2631/ /article/2008-Albert-Schweitzer-Tournament-Watered-Down-Mannheim-2631/ Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:54:59 -0400 After another full weekend of NCAA tournament games, we continue to analyze what we just saw, digging deep into a select number of prospects that deserve a closer look based off what they showed in March and during the regular season. Derrick Rose, David Padgett, Sasha Kaun and Josh Duncan are the first ones to get the nod this week. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers-4108---Part-One-2630/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers-4108---Part-One-2630/ Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:18:27 -0400 Pooh Jeter is back up blogging from Kyiv, where his team recently went through their own March Madness, being knocked out in the Sweet 16 round of the ULEB Cup. Besides being named an all-star for the second straight year, he gives us an update on what's up in the Ukraine. /article/Pooh-Jeter-Striving-For-Excellence/ /article/Pooh-Jeter-Striving-For-Excellence/ Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:49:28 -0400 The top international prospect in this draft, Danilo Gallinari, gives us an update on where he stands in regards to entering the NBA draft, discusses the season he is having, tells us what it's like to be the "franchise player" of Olimpia Milano, and much more in an exclusive interview with DraftExpress' Giuseppe Matarazzo. /article/Danilo-Gallinari-I-m-not-afraid-of-responsibilities/ /article/Danilo-Gallinari-I-m-not-afraid-of-responsibilities/ Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:44:17 -0400 The last participants in next week’s NCAA Final Four in San Antonio will be decided today, as Texas takes on Memphis and Kansas faces Davidson. Texas-Memphis is especially sweet for draft aficionados like ourselves, as it will showcase arguably the top two points guards in this year’s draft—Derrick Rose and D.J. Augustin, going head to head. Stephen Curry will face the toughest test of his young career so far, as Kansas will surely throw a plethora of defenders at him in an attempt to derail what has become one of the top NCAA tournament performances of the last 10 years. /article/Blogging-Through-the-Elite-Eight--Part-Two-/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-Elite-Eight--Part-Two-/ Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:16:29 -0400 Two all-important games kick off the Elite Eight tonight. We’re expecting two superb matchups between some very well coached teams. UCLA-Xavier kicks things off, followed by a fascinating matchup between North Carolina and Louisville. /article/Blogging-Through-the-Elite-Eight/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-Elite-Eight/ Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:44:03 -0400 JaVale McGee has decided to jump head first into this year’s NBA draft, by signing with an agent and nullifying his remaining college eligibility, McGee confirmed exclusively to DraftExpress today. McGee is a 7-foot, long, skilled and athletic 237 pound center from Nevada who averaged 14 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in this, his breakout sophomore season. When asked what made him decide to enter the draft so quickly, McGee said that he “wanted to get it off my mind and start working hard.” He stated that his mother had been talking to “NBA GMs” recently, and they informed her that McGee would be drafted from the “late lottery to 20” portion of the draft, which in his words, “sounds about right” and “can’t get any better.” /article/Breaking-News-JaVale-McGee-Enters-Draft,-Hires-Agent-Roosevelt-Barnes/ /article/Breaking-News-JaVale-McGee-Enters-Draft,-Hires-Agent-Roosevelt-Barnes/ Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:50:54 -0400 Four more games are on tap tonight for the second portion of the Sweet 16. Hopefully they will be more interesting than last night’s contests…The Houston venue, featuring Stanford-Texas and Michigan State-Memphis seems to be where most of the scouts have congregated tonight, and will also hold most of our interest. Wisconsin-Davidson and Kansas-Villanova will also get long hard looks, especially after the game if there are any really interesting standouts. /article/Blogging-Through-the-Sweet-Sixteen--Day-Two-/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-Sweet-Sixteen--Day-Two-/ Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:45:31 -0400 Breaking down the decisions of Derrick Caracter and Robert Vaden to add their name to the NBA draft's early-entry list. What kind of prospects are they? Are they making the right decision? Will they be returning to school? Here's our take. /article/Early-Entry-List-Evaluation--Derrick-Caracter,-Robert-Vaden-/ /article/Early-Entry-List-Evaluation--Derrick-Caracter,-Robert-Vaden-/ Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:00:26 -0400 Four games are on tap tonight on the first evening of the Sweet 16. The Charlotte venue, featuring Washington State-North Carolina and Louisville-Tennessee seems to be where most of the scouts have congregated tonight, and will also hold most of our interest. West Virginia-Xavier and UCLA-Western Kentucky will also get long hard looks, especially after the game if there are any really interesting standouts. /article/Blogging-Through-the-Sweet-16--Part-One-/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-Sweet-16--Part-One-/ Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:09:58 -0400 Will Kosta Koufos, Javale McGee, Marreese Speights and others be in the draft? How do Richard Hendrix and Shawn James stack up as early-entry candidates after it's been announced that they are officially entering? /article/Early-Entry-List-Evaluation,-Rumor-Mill--Hendrix,-Shawn-James-/ /article/Early-Entry-List-Evaluation,-Rumor-Mill--Hendrix,-Shawn-James-/ Thu, 27 Mar 2008 01:58:01 -0400 The first weekend of the NCAA tournament saw most of the top prospects in the draft eliminated from contention after only or two games, which is a major change compared to years past. As opposed to last year, where we could see six of the eventual top 9 picks in the draft just by showing up for the Final Four, or 9 of the top 14 in the Sweet 16 (in 2006 that rose to 10 of 14), this year’s group of NBA GMs will not be anywhere near as lucky. That is, unless a major shakeup happens on our board, caused by previously unheralded prospects moving up dramatically after monumental performances in the Sweet 16 and on. This year, only 5 of the projected 14 lottery picks are still standing going into the Sweet 16, meaning that the real-game evaluation period has mostly come to a close. In this article we take a look at the prospects still remaining in the Sweet 16, as well as sum up how the players who have been knocked out looked in their last game. /article/Bad-News-for-Those-Who-Didn-t-Do-Their-Homework-Early.../ /article/Bad-News-for-Those-Who-Didn-t-Do-Their-Homework-Early.../ Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:06:42 -0400 After a full weekend of NCAA tournament games, we continue to analyze what we just saw, digging deeper into a select number of prospects that deserve a closer look based off what they showed in March and during the regular season. Joe Alexander, Stephen Curry, Bill Walker and Robin Lopez are up next. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers,-3-26-08---Part-Two/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers,-3-26-08---Part-Two/ Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:26:21 -0400 [c]Photo: ABA League[/c]After going scoreless in the last Euroleague game, Uros Tripkovic unexpectedly exploded this weekend for consecutive 20+ point performances in the Adriatic League. He seems to be gaining confidence in the Balkan competition at the same rate that his shots are starting to fall in. Anyway, he gets our Player of the Week nomination. We also take a deeper look at Nando De Colo, one of the greatest stock risers this season in Europe, and also make a stop at the Vilagarcia Basket Cup, where Khimki has brought a rather unknown seven footer who answers by the name of Timofey Mozgov. Finally, we finish off with the International Rosters of this year's Nike Hoop Summit. /article/Roundup-Tripkovic-Strikes-Back/ /article/Roundup-Tripkovic-Strikes-Back/ Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:27:50 -0400 After a full weekend of NCAA tournament games, we continue to analyze what we just saw, digging deep into a select number of prospects that deserve a closer look based off what they showed in March and during the regular season. Kevin Love, Sonny Weems, Jerel McNeal and Damion James are the first ones up. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers,-3-25-08---Part-One/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Performers,-3-25-08---Part-One/ Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:36:47 -0400 Joey Whelan and Jonathan Givony discuss the first weekend of NCAA Tournament action. Whose stock is on the rise? Who is falling? Has the draft gotten weaker or stronger over the past few days? What should we take away from the tournament regarding NBA draft prospects, and how do teams look at it? What's on tap this upcoming weekend? Listen in here /article/DX-Podcast-11-NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch/ /article/DX-Podcast-11-NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch/ Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:36:09 -0400 A short, but intense day is on tap for us in the final day of second round NCAA tournament action. Two double sessions of three games each are in store to decide the final Sweet 16 participants. Some of the more interesting matchups include Butler-Tennessee, Georgetown-Davidson, Oklahoma-Louisville and Arkansas-North Carolina. As always, we will be watching, thinking, and writing primarily about those players with NBA draft potential. /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament--Day-4-/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament--Day-4-/ Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:25:18 -0400 Things relax a little bit today, as we get to blog just 9 hours today instead of 12. The day kicks off slowly with a single game, West Virginia-Duke, followed by games such as Kansas State-Wisconsin, Stanford-Marquette, and Texas A&M-UCLA, which will be our main focal points, in what will surely be a great day of individual and team matchups. As always, we will be watching, thinking, and writing primarily about those players with NBA draft potential. /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-3--2610/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament-Day-3--2610/ Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:33:59 -0400 D-League small forward Kasib Powell has been signed by the Miami Heat, making him third player called up to the Heat in two days. To make room for the veteran forward, they released small forward Bobby Jones. Powell will receive an immediate chance to prove himself at the NBA level with the Heat, on a roster plagued with injuries and full of former D-League players. He was ranked number one on our list of call-up candidates. A veteran of the minor leagues, Powell ranked third among active players in the D-League in scoring at 22.3 points per game. He also gained notoriety for his role as a top lock-down defender, and also averaged 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting just under 50% from the field. At the age of 27, he has experience playing in the CBA and USBL in addition to the D-League. /article/Kasib-Powell-Signed-by-Miami/ /article/Kasib-Powell-Signed-by-Miami/ Sat, 22 Mar 2008 13:30:36 -0400 Drew Barnette takes a look at the eight second round games taking place today, and gives a rundown of each one... /article/BX-Second-Round-Analysis-and-Picks--Saturday,-March-22nd-/ /article/BX-Second-Round-Analysis-and-Picks--Saturday,-March-22nd-/ Sat, 22 Mar 2008 08:07:47 -0400 We’re back for the entire day two of the NCAA tournament, in what promises to be a long and exciting day of excellent individual and team matchups. The games we’ll be watching include: Western Kentucky-Drake, Butler-South Alabama, St. Joe’s-Oklahoma, and Arkansas-Indiana, and we'll be keeping tabs on the rest as well. /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament--Day-Two-/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-NCAA-Tournament--Day-Two-/ Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:59:29 -0400 To celebrate opening weekend of the NCAA tournament, I took a short plane ride up from Fort Lauderdale to beautiful Asheville, North Carolina to watch the first two rounds here with DX contributor Eric Weiss...We'll be keeping track of all the games going on today and over the entire weekend, keeping close tabs on those with NBA Draft implications. /article/Blogging-through-the-NCAA-tournament-Day-One--2606/ /article/Blogging-through-the-NCAA-tournament-Day-One--2606/ Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:22:20 -0400 Drew Barnette runs down all 32 first round match-ups of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, and gives us his picks along with it. We didn't see too many upsets early on last year, but it looks like we could see some this year. /article/NCAA-TOURNAMENT--Bracket-Express-First-Round-Rundown-and-Picks/ /article/NCAA-TOURNAMENT--Bracket-Express-First-Round-Rundown-and-Picks/ Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:12:03 -0400 With things calming down a bit as we wait for the NCAA tournament to kick off, we thought this might be as good a time as any to review arguably the best basketball book that came out in 2007, Keith Glass’ “Taking Shots,” which delves into the dark and crazy world of being an NBA agent. /article/Book-Review--Keith-Glass-%93Taking-Shots%94/ /article/Book-Review--Keith-Glass-%93Taking-Shots%94/ Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:02:41 -0400 [c]Photo: ABA League[/c]One of this season’s best performers, Tadija Dragicevic, is taking his game to even a higher level, as he’s producing with ridiculous consistency. This past week he reached the 20-point mark twice again, peaking in the Adriatic League with a 39-point performance, which has granted him our Player of the Week award. Meanwhile, somehow hidden in the Spanish second division, Henk Norel is emerging as an important player as well as an intriguing long-term prospect, which is a good enough reason to dig deeper into his game. /article/Roundup-Scoring-Machine-Dragicevic/ /article/Roundup-Scoring-Machine-Dragicevic/ Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:54:18 -0400 We kick off a new series evaluating the names of underclassmen who have decided to make themselves eligible for this year's NBA draft, starting with N.C. State's J.J. Hickson and Missouri's Leo Lyons. /article/Early-Entry-List-Evaluation--J.J.-Hickson,-Leo-Lyons-/ /article/Early-Entry-List-Evaluation--J.J.-Hickson,-Leo-Lyons-/ Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:09:36 -0400 A comprehensive run-down of all the notable performances from this past weekend with NBA draft implications, including the Big 12, ACC, and Conference USA finals. Darren Collison, Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, Jerome Jordan, Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Blake Griffin, K.C. Rivers, Ty Lawson and others are included. /article/Blogging-through-Championship-Week--Part-Five-/ /article/Blogging-through-Championship-Week--Part-Five-/ Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:59:00 -0400 Now that all the brackets are out, Drew Barnette gives a critique of this year's selection committee and compares his projections to the actual NCAA Tournament field. He also looks back at his conference tournament picks. The NCAA Tournament officially gets underway tonight with the Opening Round game between Coppin State and Mount Saint Mary's. He gives us a brief rundown of that as well. All that, a review of his conference tournament picks, and more... /article/Analyzing-the-Selecion-Committee-Opening-Round-game/ /article/Analyzing-the-Selecion-Committee-Opening-Round-game/ Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:43:54 -0400 We know which teams will be going head to head, but what will the most intriguing individual player matchups be this coming weekend? Who stands the most to gain or lose? /article/Top-NCAA-Tournament-Individual-Player-Matchups/ /article/Top-NCAA-Tournament-Individual-Player-Matchups/ Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:10:21 -0400 Temple defeats St. Joe's to take the upper hand in the heated Philly Big 5 rivalry, with Most Outstanding Player honors going to Dionte Christmas. Head coach Fran Dunphy has completed the revival of the Temple program after taking the reigns from John Chaney two years ago. /article/Day-Four-Atlantic-10-Conference-Tournament/ /article/Day-Four-Atlantic-10-Conference-Tournament/ Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:43:32 -0400 Drew Barnette has updated his Bracket Express Projections. Check out who he has in the NCAA Tournament field, and where he has them seeded. He predicted 63 out of 65 teams into the field last year, and 52 within one of the actual seed, which was more accurate than just about every known Bracket Projections site.Also included is a link to the updated version of the BUBBLE WATCH. -A link to a rundown of today's five conference championship games is also included. Illinois and Georgia had terrible seasons, but have advanced to their conference championship games and can crash the Big Dance if they can pull off the upset.All of that, and more, as we lead up to the Selection Show. /article/FINAL-BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS---updated-546pm,-est-/ /article/FINAL-BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS---updated-546pm,-est-/ Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:24:20 -0400 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of today's five conference championship games. Both Illinois and Georgia can play their way in despite finishing near the bottom of the standings during the regular season. /article/Conference-Tournament-Match-ups--March-16th-/ /article/Conference-Tournament-Match-ups--March-16th-/ Sun, 16 Mar 2008 04:42:35 -0400 Another in-depth look at the Pac-10 conference tournament. Also some look-ins from elsewhere around the country. /article/Blogging-through-Championship-Week--Part-Four-/ /article/Blogging-through-Championship-Week--Part-Four-/ Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:44:50 -0400 It's the day before Selection Sunday, and Drew Barnette's latest Bracket Express Projections have been posted. Check to see who's in, who's on the bubble, and what seed the teams are likely to get.Also included are links to the Bubble Watch, which is a complete analysis and rundown of all the teams fighting for those last spots in the NCAA Tournament. A link is also given for a rundown of all of today's conference tournament action as several teams try to polish up their resumes and improve their seeds.#1 SeedsTennesseeNorth CarolinaTexasMemphisCheck out the rest of the bracket in the article. /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Saturday,-March-12th/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Saturday,-March-12th/ Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:59:41 -0400 St. Joe's likely punches their ticket to the tournament by knocking off Xavier for the second time in eight days, and Pat Calathes again shows why he is the best NBA draft prospect in the Atlantic-10. Temple will meet them in the finals, rekindling the deepest rivalry in Philadelphia, a matchup that has the potential to be a shootout between Calathes and Dionte Christmas. /article/Day-Three-Atlantic-10-Conference-Tournament-Blog/ /article/Day-Three-Atlantic-10-Conference-Tournament-Blog/ Sat, 15 Mar 2008 05:08:30 -0400 Twelve conference championship games are on tap today, and Drew Barnette gives us a preview of all of them. Stanford and UCLA will face each other for the third time, which is fitting considering how their last meeting ended in controversy.Saint Joseph's and Temple are both on the bubble, but one of those teams will be able to punch their ticket with the automatic bid in the Atlantic Ten.Kent State won a thriller in their semifinal game, and all the eyes of the bubble teams will be on them to see if they can knock off Akron and preventing another bubble from bursting. Georgetown and Pittsburgh will face off in the Big East Championship. ACC, SEC (hopefully), Big Ten and Big Twelve semifinals are today as well.All of that, and more, as we're now just one day away from Selection Sunday. /article/Conference-Tournament-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--March-15-/ /article/Conference-Tournament-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--March-15-/ Sat, 15 Mar 2008 03:50:48 -0400 An in-depth look at the Pac-10 conference tournament, where nearly half the NBA is present alongside us taking in the many prospects in attendance here. Also some look-ins from elsewhere around the country. /article/Blogging-through-Championship-Week--Part-Three-/ /article/Blogging-through-Championship-Week--Part-Three-/ Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:48:26 -0400 The second day of the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament featured some tense match-ups and showcased the rest of the conference’s star players. Xavier, Massachusetts, Temple and Richmond, played for the first time after enjoying their day off via tournament byes, but by the end of the day, the semifinal field was set at Xavier vs. Saint Joseph’s and Temple vs. Charlotte. /article/Day-Two-Atlantic-10-Conference-Tournament-Blog/ /article/Day-Two-Atlantic-10-Conference-Tournament-Blog/ Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:54:17 -0400 The latest Bracket Express projections are up after a busy day of college basketball. Click here to see where the teams currently stand, and get an idea of where they could end up by the time Selection Sunday rolls around. It's only three days away, but there is still a ton of basketball to be played.We have a huge match-up in the Pac Ten between rivals UCLA and USC. The Bruins are competing for a #1 seed, whereas the Trojans are trying to build up their resume. Obviously, bragging rights are on the line as well. Saint Joseph's is squarely on the bubble, but can probably play their way in if they're able to upset Xavier in the Atlantic Ten Semifinals today.There is a rundown of all of today's action as the conference tournaments continue and Selection Sunday approaches... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS--Projections,-and-Conference-Tournament-Match-ups/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS--Projections,-and-Conference-Tournament-Match-ups/ Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:58:09 -0400 Drew Barnette gives a complete analysis of fifteen teams that are on the NCAA Tournament bubble. /article/Bracket-Express-Bubble-Watch/ /article/Bracket-Express-Bubble-Watch/ Fri, 14 Mar 2008 05:35:13 -0400 Twice in his career Lance Allred has gotten a chance to play. In college he transferred out of an uncomfortable situation at Utah and shined at Weber State averaging nearly 18 points and 12 rebounds. Then, last year, a series of events unfolded that moved him from being the 4th String center to the starter on one of the better teams in the NBA Development League, the Idaho Stampede. This year, along with teammate and fellow D-League All-Star Randy Livingston, he averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds and lead his team to the best record in the league, and just today earned himself a call-up with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. A few weeks ago at the All-Star game in New Orleans I had the opportunity to speak with Lance about his rise within the league and his chances of getting called up or heading to Europe. /article/Interview-with-Lance-Allred-of-the-Cleveland-Cavaliers/ /article/Interview-with-Lance-Allred-of-the-Cleveland-Cavaliers/ Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:47:38 -0400 The first day of the PAC-ten tournament was quite an event in the NBA draft world. An unbelievable amount of teams showed up already for the 7-10 seed games, which is virtually unprecedented as far as past years are concerned. We saw at least eight general managers in attendance already, including Mark Warkentein (Denver), Bryan Colangelo (Toronto), Chris Wallace (Boston), Bernie Bickerstaff (Charlotte), Larry Harris (Milwaukee), Danny Ferry (Cleveland), Danny Ainge (Boston), Ed Stefanski (Philadelphia), and possibly others—not to mention a horde of agents and sneaker company executives. /article/Blogging-through-Championship-Week--Part-Two-/ /article/Blogging-through-Championship-Week--Part-Two-/ Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:19:02 -0400 Recapping the action at the first day of the Atlantic-10 tournament. Dayton vs. Saint Louis; Saint Joseph’s vs. Fordham; Duquesne vs. LaSalle; Rhode Island vs. Charlotte, and looking ahead to tomorrow. /article/Day-One-Atlantic-10-Tournament-Blog/ /article/Day-One-Atlantic-10-Tournament-Blog/ Thu, 13 Mar 2008 04:57:07 -0400 [c]Photo: ABA League[/c]Ante Tomic went for consecutive 20 plus point games this past week, showcasing once again the superb talent he enjoys. Still, he won’t be that happy, as his team lost both games. Despite suffering heavy competition coming from other prospects (De Colo, Tsintsadze or Dragicevic, to name a few), he came away with our Player of the Week award. We also pay special attention to Mérida, a small team playing in the Spanish fourth division, that currently features a couple of young South-Americans: Douglas Nunes and Matias Nocedal. /article/Roundup-Tomic,-Finesse-on-the-Court/ /article/Roundup-Tomic,-Finesse-on-the-Court/ Thu, 13 Mar 2008 04:34:23 -0400 IT'S HERE!!! IT'S THE THURSDAY OF CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK!!For diehard College basketball fans, this is the day of days where you can completely stuff your face with high stakes college basketball action. The first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament are great, but the Thursday of Championship Week brings you 53 high stakes college basketball games, all of which involve teams that could in theory still win the national championship. Drew Barnette gives us a complete analysis of all the action today. It's a busy day in the Pac Ten with Arizona State and Oregon playing in must-win quarterfinal games. Rivals Notre Dame and Marquette square off in the Big East Quarterfinals. Villanova, who was robbed of a chance to beat Georgetown due to a bad call earlier this year, gets their rematch today.Cal, who would have upset UCLA had it not been for a miracle shot, gets their rematch today.Saint Joseph's, Massachusetts, Temple and Dayton are all on the bubble. They're also all in action today in the Atlantic Ten Quarterfinals. The ACC, the SEC, the Big Twelve, the Big Ten, the Mountain West, The MAC, the WAC, the SWAC, the MEAC, and the Southland are all in action today!! Click here for a rundown of ALL the action!!! /article/BX-Conference-Tournament-News,-Notes-and-Match-ups--March-13th-/ /article/BX-Conference-Tournament-News,-Notes-and-Match-ups--March-13th-/ Thu, 13 Mar 2008 04:10:47 -0400 The Pac Ten, Big East, Mountain West and Atlantic Ten Tournaments get underway today, and several Bubble teams such as Syracuse, Villanova, Saint Joseph's and Dayton are all in action. A loss for any of those teams and their NCAA Tournament hopes could come to an end.Two more tickets are going to be punched as the Northeast Conference and Big Sky Championship games are tonight.All of that, a look back at last night's action, and more as Championship Week Rolls on... /article/Conference-Tournament-News,-Notes-and-Match-ups,-March-12/ /article/Conference-Tournament-News,-Notes-and-Match-ups,-March-12/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:21:35 -0400 Junior Sam Young, senior J.R. Giddens, junior Robert Vaden and freshman Larry Sanders get the nod in our latest NCAA Weekly Performers article. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-3-12-07/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-3-12-07/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:55:42 -0400 There were two big upsets in the conference tournaments last night as South Alabama fell to Middle Tennessee in the Sun Belt semifinals and Gonzaga fell to San Diego in the West Coast championship game. That has shaken up the bracket projections and knocked two bubble teams out.Three more automatic bids will be given out tonight as the Summit League, Horizon League and Sun Belt Championships games get underway. Drew Barnette gives us a preview of each match-up.All of that, a review of last night's action, an updated bracket, and more... /article/Conference-Tournament-Rundown-and-Updated-Bracket-Express-Projections/ /article/Conference-Tournament-Rundown-and-Updated-Bracket-Express-Projections/ Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:07:56 -0400 With all the brackets for all of the conference tournaments set, Drew Barnette gives us the second half of his conference predictions as he gives us a rundown of each one. /article/Conference-Tournament-Predictions,-Part-Two/ /article/Conference-Tournament-Predictions,-Part-Two/ Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:00:43 -0400 A breakdown of the official 2007-2008 NCAA Post-Season awards, including first, second and third All-conference teams, as well as the All-Freshman Teams, Coaches of the year, All-Defensive Teams, and more-- for all 31 NCAA conferences. /article/0708-NCAA-Postseason-All-Conference-Awards-2578/ /article/0708-NCAA-Postseason-All-Conference-Awards-2578/ Tue, 11 Mar 2008 03:58:19 -0400 #1 SEEDSTennesseeNorth CarolinaMemphisTexasThe regular season has come to an end, and Drew Barnette's latest Bracket Express Projections are up. Check out where all of the teams currently stand and get an idea of how teams can either sustain that status, build on it, or drop based on what happens in the conference tournaments this week. As usual, Drew gives us a thorough analysis of the bracket. The race for #1 and #2 seeds is extremely tight and this week's action will have a lot to do with deciding who ends up getting the top seeds. Included with the analysis is the BUBBLE WATCH monitors and analyzes all the teams fighting to make the NCAA Tournament. Conference tournament action also continues tonight as Davidson and Gonzaga are both in action. San Diego upset Saint Mary's last night and could potentially take a bid away from a bubble team if they an upset the Zags tonight.All of that and much more as Championship Week rolls on... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-AND-ANALYSIS--Monday,-March-10th-/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-AND-ANALYSIS--Monday,-March-10th-/ Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:22:06 -0400 A lot has changed since my last blog. I am now playing for Brose Baskets in Bamberg, Germany, and enjoying basketball again. To say it without saying it, a change of scenery was definitely needed… /article/Jared-Reiner-A-Much-Needed-Change,-and-NO-need-for-the-Police%85/ /article/Jared-Reiner-A-Much-Needed-Change,-and-NO-need-for-the-Police%85/ Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:30:19 -0400 It's the final day of the regular season. Drew Barnette takes a look at all of today's action as teams try and pick up one more win prior to their conference tournaments beginning. There is also quite a bit of conference tournament action today as well. Drake and Illinois State will face each other in the championship game of the Missouri Valley. Drake's ticket is already punched, but Illinois State is right on the bubble. They can put all doubts aside with a win today, though.South Alabama and Davidson are also in action as play in the Sun Belt and Southern Conferences continue. All of that, the rest of today's conference tournament match-ups and analysis, and much more as Champion Week continues and the regular season officially comes to an end... /article/Conference-Tournament-Rundown-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--March-9th-/ /article/Conference-Tournament-Rundown-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--March-9th-/ Sun, 09 Mar 2008 04:02:39 -0400 Quick hitters from this weekend's games so far, looking at the play of individual prospects and how it reflects on their NBA draft stock. /article/Blogging-through-Championship-Week-Part-One--2574/ /article/Blogging-through-Championship-Week-Part-One--2574/ Sat, 08 Mar 2008 23:26:02 -0500 For all those that haven't begun conference tournament play, this is the final weekend of the regular season, and there are some huge games on tap for today.Duke and North Carolina will face off with first place in the ACC on the line, along with bragging rights. Since both teams are trying to become the #1 seed in the Charlotte Region, this is an absolutely colossal match-up.Lousville visits Georgetown with the regular season Big East title on the line. The winner of that game will have a strong case for a #2 seed regardless of what happens next week.Conference Tournaments also continue and Drew Barnette continues to monitor all the action. The Atlantic Sun, Ohio Valley and Big South Championships are today, so we'll see three tickets punched to the NCAA Tournament. The Missouri Valley semifinals are also today as Illinois State tries to play their way inside the bubble by advancing to the championship. They'll take on Northern Iowa, and Creighton will try to keep their NCAA hopes alive as they faced nationally ranked Drake. All of that, along with the rest of the conference tournament coverage, the Bubble Watch, and much more on a HUGE Saturday for college basketball... /article/Conference-Tournament-Rundown-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--March-8th-/ /article/Conference-Tournament-Rundown-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--March-8th-/ Sat, 08 Mar 2008 04:20:47 -0500 Drew Barnette continues to monitor all of the conference tournament action as Championship Week continues and teams are battling it out for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Missouri Valley Quarterfinals are today. Drake has all but assured themselves a spot in the field, but could help out their seed if they're able to win the conference tourney. Southern Illinois and Illinois State are bubble teams who are fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives. Both are in action today, and if both win, they'll face each other in a hugely important semifinal game.The Ohio Valley and Atlantic Sun are down to the semifinals, and it's do-or-die for all teams involved.The Horizon League is down to the quarterfinals, and we should see two exciting match-ups as Valparaiso faces Wright State and Loyola faces UIC. In both cases, both regular season games between the two were decided by five points or less. The Colonial, SoCon, Metro Atlantic, America East and West Coast Tournaments also kick off today.All that, the Bubble Watch, and much more... /article/Conference-Tournament-Rundown,-News-and-Notes--March-7th-.../ /article/Conference-Tournament-Rundown,-News-and-Notes--March-7th-.../ Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:05:41 -0500 Before they finish off their regular season (and possibly their college careers) we take a look at four underclassmen who are unlikely to make the NCAA tournament, but still have tough decisions to make regarding whether they decide to enter the NBA draft: Donte Greene, Kosta Koufos, J.J. Hickson and Jeff Pendergraph /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-3-6-08---Part-Two/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-3-6-08---Part-Two/ Fri, 07 Mar 2008 02:35:54 -0500 Drew Barnette continues to monitor all of the conference tournament action as Championship Week rolls on. Last night was a crazy night in the Patriot League with all four games going down to the wire. The Atlantic Sun also got underway. The opening round of the Missouri Valley begins tonight as both Drake and Illinois State await to see who they'll face in the quarterfinals. There is conference tournament action today in the Atlantic Sun, Northeast Conference and Big South as well. In the Pac Ten, Stanford and UCLA will square off in a game that will likely determine who the first place finisher is. It's big for both teams as Stanford tries to pick up their most impressive win of the year, and UCLA tries to strengthen their case for a #1 seed.Drew also takes a close look at the bubble. There is a review of last night's action, and a look ahead at tonight's match-ups in the BUBBLE WATCH. Saint Joseph's hosts Xavier and is among the bubble teams that are looking for a big statement win.All of that, and much more as Championship Week roles on... /article/Conference-Tourney-Rundowns,-Highlighted-Match-ups,-and-More--March-6-/ /article/Conference-Tourney-Rundowns,-Highlighted-Match-ups,-and-More--March-6-/ Thu, 06 Mar 2008 04:00:48 -0500 [c]Penya.com[/c]We had quite a few excellent performances this week, and even if many could have gotten the nod here (especially Nicolas Batum), we ended up picking Ricky Rubio as our Player of the Week for his outstanding exhibition in the last round of the ACB League. It was the first time this season that Lagun Aro Bilbao lost at home, and it was DKV Joventut, led by Rubio, the team getting it done. The Rubio Show marches on while he ranks fourth in efficiency in the ACB League. We also take a look at Omri Casspi, who is lately gaining importance for Maccabi in the Euroleague. /article/Roundup-The-Rubio-Show-Marches-On/ /article/Roundup-The-Rubio-Show-Marches-On/ Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:48:00 -0500 Drew Barnette continues to monitor all of the conference tournament action as Championship Week is officially underway. Tonight, the Sun Belt, Patriot League and Atlantic Sun Tournaments get underway.Several other major conference teams are in action tonight as well, as their regular seasons wind down. Baylor and Texas A&M will square off for the first time since their five overtime thriller earlier this season. Florida is desperate for a big win, and has a chance to get one tonight against Tennessee.Part Two of the Bedlam Series is tonight. Oklahoma State has gotten hot all of a sudden, and they're just a win or two away from playing their way into the discussion to make the NCAA Tournament.All of that, along with a look at the Bubble teams that are in action tonight in the Bubble Watch... /article/Conerence-Tournament-Rundowns-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--March-5th-/ /article/Conerence-Tournament-Rundowns-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--March-5th-/ Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:55:42 -0500 Sophomore Russell Westbrook, senior Sean Singletary, junior Leo Lyons and freshman Evan Turner get the nod in our latest NCAA Weekly Performers article. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-3-4-08---Part-One/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-3-4-08---Part-One/ Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:56:01 -0500 Conference Tournaments officially get underway today, and Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all the action, along with the highlighted match-ups for teams that are still playing regular season games.The Big South, Ohio Valley and Horizon League tip it off today. Florida State will try and pull a major upset against North Carolina, which would most likely end up putting them in the NCAA tournament. Also included is Part One of Drew Barnette's annual conference tournament predictions, and some insight into how each tournament may unfold. New Mexico and UNLV square off in what appears to be a hugely important bubble game.All of that, the Bubble Watch, and much more as March Madness begins to heat up... /article/Conference-Tournament-Predictions-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--March-4-/ /article/Conference-Tournament-Predictions-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--March-4-/ Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:44:49 -0500 Conference Tournaments begin tomorrow, so the Do-or-Die portion of the season is among us!!Drew Barnette, who is among the most accurate at projecting the NCAA Tournament field, has his latest Bracket Express Projections posted. Check out where teams currently stand as we head into the final week of the regular season for some teams, and begin conference tournament play for others.The Bubble is wide open this year, and Drew has a rundown of all the team's that are on it in his Bubble Watch.All of that, along with an in-depth analysis of the bracket, tonight's highlighted match-ups, and more.... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Monday,-March-3rd/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Monday,-March-3rd/ Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:27:11 -0500 Projecting the field of the first (unofficial) NBA pre-draft camp, the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, which will be held on April 9th-12th. 64 of the best NCAA seniors in America will come together for four days in Virginia to be scrutinized by every NBA team, agent and runner in America, as well as representatives of numerous European clubs. DraftExpress will be attending for the fourth straight year. /article/Suggested-Rosters-2008-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-2564/ /article/Suggested-Rosters-2008-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-2564/ Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:41:12 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of today's college hoops action and talks about how it will impact the selection process for the NCAA Tournament.Saint Joseph's is right on the bubble and can't afford a loss to rival Philadelphia.Kentucky has been on a roll, but will have to do without Patrick Patterson for the rest of the year, which really hurts their chances against Tennessee today.Indiana and Michigan State do battlle in a big Big Ten match-upVillanova and Louisville have both been red hot, and will face each other today in what should be a great Big East battle.All that, and more... /article/Sunday,-March-2nd,-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Sunday,-March-2nd,-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:05:48 -0500 HAPPY MARCH MADNESS EVERYBODY!!!!It's the final weekend of the regular season for several teams, and everyone is trying to make that final push to impress the selection committee. Drew Barnette outlines all of today's highlighted action, and takes a look at the teams that are on the bubble in his BUBBLE WATCH. In other action, Kansas State has lost three in a row, and could be in big trouble as they go on the road to face rival Kansas today.West Virginia visits UConn in an important Big East match-up.Georgetown goes on the road to take on a Marquette team that's been playing very well. Arizona State is in what appears to be a must win game as they host USC.All of that, and much much more in a busy day in college hoops... /article/Saturday,-March-1st-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Saturday,-March-1st-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Sat, 01 Mar 2008 11:02:20 -0500 It's the final weekend of the season before conference tournaments start for several teams, and Drew Barnette has posted his latest Bracket Express Projections. Check out what teams would make the NCAA field, and where they would be seeded if today was Selection Sunday. Several teams on the bubble have really been struggling recently, and Drew takes a close look at several teams who appear to be backpedaling in his BUBBLE WATCH. All of that, and much more as we head into a big weekend for college basketball. /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Friday,-February-29th/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Friday,-February-29th/ Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:33:04 -0500 In Part Two of this week's Top Weekly Performer series, we take a look at juniors Eric Maynor, Tyrese Rice and Chris Johnson, along with freshman James Johnson. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-28-08---Part-Two/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-28-08---Part-Two/ Fri, 29 Feb 2008 03:59:33 -0500 It's a busy night in the Pac Ten. Arizona hosts USC in a game where both teams are trying to pad their NCAA Tournament credentials. Arizona State is right on the bubble, but can make a big time statement tonight if they're able to upset UCLA at home. Notre Dame and Louisville are both in the hunt for a regular season Big East title, and the two will do battle tonight in a huge game that will come into play when it comes to the teams being seeded.Wisconsin and Michigan State square off in an important Big Ten game.All of that, tongiht's Bubble Watch, and more... /article/Thursday,-February-28th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Thursday,-February-28th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:21:24 -0500 [c]ACB.com[/c]In an excellent all-around game, Victor Claver recorded a career-high 24 points in the ACB League, building Pamesa Valencia’s comeback from a 16-point deficit against Kalise Gran Canaria, good enough for an MVP of the Week nomination. We also take a long look at Xu Yong, perhaps the most intriguing Chinese player seen this season in the CBA. /article/Roundup-Career-High-for-Victor-Claver/ /article/Roundup-Career-High-for-Victor-Claver/ Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:56:26 -0500 Juniors Richard Hendrix, Jamont Gordon and Brandon Rush join freshman James Anderson get the nod in our latest NCAA Weekly Performers article. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-26-08---Part-One/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-26-08---Part-One/ Wed, 27 Feb 2008 04:02:12 -0500 Several bubble teams who desperately need wins to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive are in action tonight. Kentucky and Mississippi are squaring off in a hugely important game for both teams.Miami FL and Clemson will face each other in a big ACC match-up where both teams are looking to add a solid win to their resume.All of that, along with the rest of today's highlighted action... /article/Wednesday,-February-27th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Wednesday,-February-27th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:27:41 -0500 Tennessee is coming off a huge, emotional win against Memphis, but has another very tough test tonight against another in-state rival as they travel to Vanderbilt. It truly is judgement week for New Mexico, who faces both BYU and UNLV this week. They need to at least win one of those games to get any consideration at all. If they can win both of them it should be enough to put them inside the bubble.All that, and more... /article/Tuesday,-February-26th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Tuesday,-February-26th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:45:53 -0500 A latest look at all the recent happenings from the NBA's Development League. Bobby Jones flew to Houston today for his physical with the Rockets, and Andre Barrett was traded to Austin for Justin Reed. Mateen Cleaves has re-joined the Bakersfield Jam, and Courtney Sims was signed by the Iowa Energy. Also updates on the D-League teams and NBA assigned players. /article/Inside-the-D-League-Bobby-Jones-Added-to-the-Rockets/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-Bobby-Jones-Added-to-the-Rockets/ Tue, 26 Feb 2008 02:02:57 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest NCAA Tournament Projections have been posted at Bracket Express. Check out what the field would look like if today were Selection Sunday, and read the in depth analysis of the current projections.The article focuses on teams such as Kentucky and Wake Forest, who have gotten hot and played their way into the discussion. Other teams, such as Dayton and Mississippi are coming apart at the seams and really need strong finishes just to play their way back into the discussion.Conference tournaments begin next week, and a rundown is given of each league as teams make their final push to position themselves for league championships.All of that, and much much more!!! /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Monday,-February-25th-2553/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Monday,-February-25th-2553/ Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:20:24 -0500 Dayton, Wake Forest, Syrcacuse, Saint Joseph's, Rhode Island and North Carolina State are all bubble teams who find themselves in must-win situations today. Saint Joseph's and Rhode Island square off against each other in what should be an interesting Atlantic Ten match-up, but a lot of of the other teams are facing tall orders.All of that, along with the rest of today's highlighted match-ups... /article/Sunday,-February-24th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Sunday,-February-24th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Sun, 24 Feb 2008 07:33:56 -0500 After going undrafted out of Kansas in 1998, Billy Thomas bounced around Europe and the minor leagues before being signed to two ten-day contracts by the New Jersey Nets and then eventually for the remained of the ’04-’05 season. He spent some more time in the minor leagues and eventually got another call-up by the Washington Wizards. Earlier this season, while playing for the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League, Thomas was averaging just under 16 points a game when he was called-up again by the Nets before being released and returning to the 14ers. Yesterday, a week after playing the D-League All-Star game, the Cleveland Cavaliers gave him a call-up along with teammate Kaniel Dickens. I spoke with Billy just after that All-Star game about his journey around the minor leagues and his time in Europe. /article/Interview-with-Billy-Thomas-of-the-Cleveland-Cavaliers/ /article/Interview-with-Billy-Thomas-of-the-Cleveland-Cavaliers/ Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:22:25 -0500 It's the biggest day of the college basketball season so far, and it should be non-stop intensity the rest of the way. The top two teams in the country square off against each other as Tennessee visits Memphis. Both appear to be Final Four caliber teams and both could end up with a #1 seed regardless of what happens today. The winner will certainly have a leg up, though.Kent State is on the bubble and can make a huge statement to the selection committee if they're able to upset Saint Mary's.Drake and Butler will square off in another huge Bracket Buster game. Both teams appear to be safely in the field, but neither has an abundance of quality wins, so this is important in terms of seeding.Cincinnati has been playing well and can get one step closer to making the NCAA Tournament if they can pull off the upset against Georgetown.Villanova had been in a slump, but has looked great these past few weeks and can pick up a huge win today as they host Connecticut.Several other teams are on the bubble right now, and a complete rundown is given of all the teams in action today in the BUBBLE WATCH.There are several notable Bracket Buster games taking place today as well. It's a chance to get a look at potential dangerous first round opponents such as Oral Roberts, VCU, George Mason, Ohio and Akron. All that, and much more.... /article/Saturday,-February-23rd-Highlighted-Match-ups--Bracket-Buster-Edition-/ /article/Saturday,-February-23rd-Highlighted-Match-ups--Bracket-Buster-Edition-/ Sat, 23 Feb 2008 04:28:17 -0500 A detailed listing of every scouting event of interest leading up to the NBA Draft on June 26th. /article/What-s-on-tap-The-2008-Spring-Scouting-Calendar-/ /article/What-s-on-tap-The-2008-Spring-Scouting-Calendar-/ Fri, 22 Feb 2008 23:06:50 -0500 Drew Barnette takes a look back at last night's action and discusses what impact it will have on the NCAA Tournament. Dayton's loss to La Salle appears to have them out of the at-large picture, whereas South Alabama's win against Western Kentucky most likely puts them inside the bubble. -The Bracket Buster gets underway tonight with two exciting match-ups. Barnette also gives us a rundown of both of those.All that, and more... /article/BX-News,-Notes,-Ramblings-and-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/BX-News,-Notes,-Ramblings-and-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:47:55 -0500 In Part Two of this week's Top Weekly Performer series, we take a look at Texas A&M freshman DeAndre Jordan, Maryland sophomore Greivis Vasquez, South Florida senior Kentrell Gransberry, and Utah State senior Jaycee Carroll. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-21-08---Part-Two/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-21-08---Part-Two/ Fri, 22 Feb 2008 03:47:56 -0500 Arizona State visits Washington State in a huge game tonight for the Sun Devils. The Pac Ten standings are tight in the middle of the pack, so every game feels like it's pivotal, especially for teams that are close to the bubble like Arizona State.UMass and Rhode Island square off in a big time Atlantic Ten game as both teams try to build up their NCAA Tournament credentials.All that, and more... /article/Thursday,-February-21st-Highligthed-Match-ups/ /article/Thursday,-February-21st-Highligthed-Match-ups/ Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:29:53 -0500 Two freshman, Anthony Randolph and Dar Tucker, join junior A.J. Price and senior D.J. White in our latest NCAA Weekly Performers article. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-20-08---Part-One/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-20-08---Part-One/ Thu, 21 Feb 2008 05:38:44 -0500 [c]Photo: Luca Tori[/c]While the Cup week brought a wide array of strong performances delivered by youngsters across Europe, this past week delivered an unusually weak collection of noticeable outings. In this context, the most consistent guy throughout this period has been the Italian guard Luca Vitali, a foundation piece in the pretty successful Premiata Montegranaro. This past weekend he provided 21 points, including a winning three-pointer to steal the victory from Pesaro. /article/Roundup-Cup-Hangover/ /article/Roundup-Cup-Hangover/ Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:50:01 -0500 Drew Barnette outlines a busy Wednesday night in college basketball. Ole Miss and NC State are both right on the bubble, and both are playing in high stakes rivalry games tonight which will go a long way toward swaying the selection committee as to whether they'll make the NCAA Tournament or not. Butler needs to be on upset alert as they travel to UIC, who has just one home loss on the season.All that, and much more. /article/Wednesday,-February-20th-Highlighted-Match-ups--/ /article/Wednesday,-February-20th-Highlighted-Match-ups--/ Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:47:00 -0500 In our final look at the Copa del Rey, we check in on the progress of the crop of free agents that are technically still on the market as far as NBA teams are concerned. Players like Marcus Haislip, Felipe Reyes, Marcelo Huertas, Mirza Teletovic, Boniface N'Dong and others are included. /article/Scouting-the-NBA-Free-Agents-at-the-2008-Copa-del-Rey-2542/ /article/Scouting-the-NBA-Free-Agents-at-the-2008-Copa-del-Rey-2542/ Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:59:40 -0500 Generally the term all-star game makes one think about high flying dunks and big men bringing the ball up the court when the term is tied in with basketball. This couldn’t have been further from what happened at the second D-League All-Star game over the weekend in New Orleans, where the fundamental team basketball of the Blue Squad brought an easy victory against the Red Team. /article/Substance-over-Flash-at-the-D-League-All-Star-Game/ /article/Substance-over-Flash-at-the-D-League-All-Star-Game/ Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:10:21 -0500 Indiana and Purdue square off in a huge Big Ten match-up tonight. Drew Barnette takes a look at that, as well as the rest of tonight's action... /article/Tues,-February-19th-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Tues,-February-19th-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:53:39 -0500 In the second of three pieces detailing the most intriguing prospects seen at the Copa del Rey, we look at players who were drafted in previous years by NBA teams, but who have yet to make it across the ocean. Rudy Fernandez, Tiago Splitter, Marc Gasol headline this crop, while Axel Hervelle, Ersan Ilyasova, Fran Vazquez and Stanko Barac also get a look. /article/Scouting-the-NBA-Rights-Held-Players-at-the-2008-Copa-del-Rey-2539/ /article/Scouting-the-NBA-Rights-Held-Players-at-the-2008-Copa-del-Rey-2539/ Tue, 19 Feb 2008 02:18:10 -0500 When you’re a freshman high school point guard measuring in at a petite 5’9”, the NBA can seem like a long way off; so can the prospects of starring in one the nation’s most underrated conferences this season. Thanks to an almost unheard of growth spurt, though, Saint Joe’s Pat Calathes finds himself as one of the most unique prospects in this years senior draft class. /article/Pat-Calathes-%22I-don-t-know-how-many-limits-there-are-to-my-game%22/ /article/Pat-Calathes-%22I-don-t-know-how-many-limits-there-are-to-my-game%22/ Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:34:19 -0500 The Latest Bracket Express Projections have been posted. Check out where all the teams currently stand, and what the bracket would look like if today was Selection Sunday.Drew Barnette has posted his S Curve Rankings, and gives us a brief analysis of all 65 teams who are in this week's projected field in reference to why they're seeded where they are. All of that, along with this week's latest bracket!!! /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Monday,-February-8th/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Monday,-February-8th/ Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:20:51 -0500 In the first of three pieces detailing the most intriguing prospects seen at the Copa del Rey, we start off with the draft-eligible players, the players 22 years old or younger. Ricky Rubio headlines this group, after playing an important part of his team's triumph at this event. Victor Claver, Sergio Llull and Pau Ribas also make appearances. /article/Scouting-the-NBA-Draft-Prospects-at-the-2008-Copa-del-Rey/ /article/Scouting-the-NBA-Draft-Prospects-at-the-2008-Copa-del-Rey/ Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:06:48 -0500 Drew Barnette takes gives a rundown of today's big time college basketball game, and talks about what impact it could have on the upcoming NCAA Tournament. /article/Sunday,-February-17th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Sunday,-February-17th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Sun, 17 Feb 2008 07:21:55 -0500 The 2007 NBA draft class was one of the most eagerly awaited in recent memory. After a series of mediocre draft classes, 2007 was hailed as a return to greatness. Teams eagerly raced to the bottom of the league to increase their odds of drafting superstars Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. After last year’s disappointing class, which rivaled the all-time weakest in some eyes (including ours), the current class presented a refreshing return to high expectations. In addition to the star quality at the top of the board, there was much talk about the depth of this draft. There were reportedly very good players available in the late lottery, and fans expressed renewed hope that some late first and even second rounders could immediately turn into contributing players. /article/Much-Ado-About-Nothing-The-Rookie-Season-of-the-2007-Draft-Class-/ /article/Much-Ado-About-Nothing-The-Rookie-Season-of-the-2007-Draft-Class-/ Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:31:48 -0500 The NBA’s D-League had their first annual All-Star game last season, and after a good turnout in Vegas, the league decided to expand on that success this season and the D-League Dream Factory Friday Night was born. Four competitions pitted 16 competitors against each other in an entertaining night filled with some memorable moments.In addition to a Dunk competition and a three point shootout, the D-League held a much anticipated H.O.R.S.E. competition. As a league sometimes used for experimentation, the league office wasn’t afraid to throw some new wrinkles into the often repetitive competitions. It resulted in a very entertaining night and as usual, DraftExpress was there to witness the events as they unfolded. /article/From-New-Orleans-The-D-League-Dream-Factory-Friday-/ /article/From-New-Orleans-The-D-League-Dream-Factory-Friday-/ Sat, 16 Feb 2008 11:21:43 -0500 A look at the All-Stars from last season in the D-League, and where they have moved on to this season. With a handful in the NBA and back in the D-League, the rest can be found scattered throughout the world. /article/Where-are-they-now-2006-2007-D-League-All-Stars/ /article/Where-are-they-now-2006-2007-D-League-All-Stars/ Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:53:07 -0500 Drew Barnette runs down a busy day in college basketball that features several bubble teams who are fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives. He runs down all of that in the BUBBLE WATCH.-Michigan State and Indiana are both coming off conference losses, but are still within striking distance of first place in the Big Ten. The two will square off today in a highly important game, especially considering the distractions that Indiana is facing right now.Baylor is feeling a sense of urgency after going into a slump, but can snap out of it if they can end Texas's winning streak against them today. Arizona and Stanford face off in what should be a great Pac Ten match-up.All that, and much much more... /article/Saturday,-February-16th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Saturday,-February-16th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:15:00 -0500 With the first round of Europe's top competition in the books, we take a look at the top non-draft eligible performances thus far in the Euroleague. David Andersen, Hollis Price, Louis Bullock, Ksistof Lavrinovic and Jeremiah Massey complete the second and final part of this article. /article/Top-Non-Draft-Eligible-Euroleague-Regular-Season-Performers--Part-Two-/ /article/Top-Non-Draft-Eligible-Euroleague-Regular-Season-Performers--Part-Two-/ Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:32:09 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us his opinions on the Indiana soap opera, and takes a look at tonight's Pittsburgh vs Marquette game. /article/Kelvin-Sampson-is-Unaware-that-he-Participated-in-Phone-Calls-/ /article/Kelvin-Sampson-is-Unaware-that-he-Participated-in-Phone-Calls-/ Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:24:30 -0500 In Part Two of this week's Top Weekly Performer series, we take a look at Indiana freshman Eric Gordon, Kansas State sophomore Bill Walker, Tennessee-Martin junior Lester Hudson, and Memphis junior Robert Dozier. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-14-08---Part-Two/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-14-08---Part-Two/ Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:34:57 -0500 It's a busy night in the Pac Ten as both Oregon, California and Arizona State, all of whom are on the bubble, play in big games tonight.All of that, a look back at last night's action, and more... /article/Thursday,-February-14th-Highlighted-Match-ups,-News-and-Notes/ /article/Thursday,-February-14th-Highlighted-Match-ups,-News-and-Notes/ Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:43:10 -0500 Things been going a little slow out here in Europe since our last game of the first round of the ULEB Cup, which was on January 22nd. Our team has been playing one game a week, so you already know what that means, more PRACTICE (AI voice). I’m not saying practicing is bad at all. As long as we improve and get better on our strengths and weaknesses. Everything will get back moving when the second round of the ULEB Cup starts on February 19th. I’m still out here on the grind, like Cassidy would say. /article/Pooh-Jeter-What-s-Up!/ /article/Pooh-Jeter-What-s-Up!/ Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:41:25 -0500 It's a busy night in college basketball. Notre Dame and Connecticut square off in a huge Big East match-up. Both teams are in contention to finish first in the league. Tonight's game impacts that, and you can guarantee that the selection committee has their eyes on it as well.Indiana and Wisconsin will face each other in a big time Big Ten game as well. Maryland and Duke, two red hot ACC teams, will square off tonight as well in one of the bigger rivarlies in that conference. All that, and much more... /article/Wednesday,-February-13th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Wednesday,-February-13th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:12:57 -0500 Roy Hibbert and Ty Lawson headline this week's NCAA weekly performers article, along with Nevada's Marcelus Kemp and Purdue's Robbie Hummel. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-13-08---Part-One/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-13-08---Part-One/ Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:54:35 -0500 It's a busy night in a Big East Conference where every game is pivotal because the conference standings are so close. Seton Hall hosts Marquette in a big game for both teams, and Providence will face Pittsburgh as the Friars try to get back on track.Purdue and Michigan State will square off in a huge Big Ten game that should play a major role in who ends up winning the league. It was a great game the first time these two met, so hopefully tonight won't be any different.All that, and much more as Drew Barnette runs down tonight's action... /article/Tuesday,-February-12th-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Tuesday,-February-12th-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Tue, 12 Feb 2008 09:31:33 -0500 DKV Joventut upsets Tau Vitoria in a thrilling Copa del Rey final, 82-80. Rudy Fernandez may or may not have played his last Cup game in Spain, but his 32 point MVP performance won't be forgotten anytime soon. /article/Blogging-through-the-Copa-del-Rey--Part-Four-/ /article/Blogging-through-the-Copa-del-Rey--Part-Four-/ Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:17:32 -0500 The Latest Bracket Projections have been posted. Take a look at what teams would be in the NCAA Tournament and where they would be seeded if today was Selection Sunday.Also included with the article is a complete rundown of all 31 conferences, and what impact the remainder of the season will have on everyone's seed. Duke and North Carolina are in a heated race to earn the #1 seed in the Charlotte Region, which would mean they wouldn't have to leave the state of North Carolina prior to the Final Four.Stanford and UCLA are in a dead heat for first in the Pac Ten.Tennessee is still in the picture as far as earning a #1 seed goes.Rivals Kansas and Kansas State are deadlocked in the Big Twelve.All that, and much much more!!! /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Monday,-February-11th/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Monday,-February-11th/ Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:19:53 -0500 Recently selected to the 2008 NBADL All-Star Team, Austin Toro Keith Langford is having a career season. Averaging 24.5 points, 6 rebounds and almost 4 assists the knock on his game coming out of college wasn’t his scoring ability, but his outside shot. Setting out to prove the naysayers wrong, Keith is shooting well above 40% from three point range this year, and has already received one call-up from the San Antonio Spurs. Today I spoke with Keith about the path that lead him to the D-League and what he has to do in order to get back into the NBA. /article/Interview-with-D-League-All-Star-Keith-Langford/ /article/Interview-with-D-League-All-Star-Keith-Langford/ Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:24:04 -0500 Tau Vitoria defeats Bilbao Basket and DKV Joventut takes down Real Madrid to set up a repeat of the 2004 Copa del Rey final. The odd substitution and starting lineup patterns we find here gives us a chance to evaluate a part of the game where Europe could not be any more different than the NBA. /article/Blogging-through-the-Copa-del-Rey--Part-Three-/ /article/Blogging-through-the-Copa-del-Rey--Part-Three-/ Sun, 10 Feb 2008 11:31:20 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of today's big games in college basketball, and what impact they could end up having on the NCAA Tournament. /article/Sunday,-February-10th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Sunday,-February-10th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Sun, 10 Feb 2008 01:20:08 -0500 The second day of the Copa del Rey featured two games that on paper looked to be pretty attractive from a scouting standpoint, as well as from the perspective of the casual fan. DKV Joventut vs. Pamesa Valencia showcased the two most intriguing draft prospects in the ACB going head to head—Ricky Rubio vs. Victor Claver. The second game pitted the top team in the league, Real Madrid, against the top player in the ACB (at least in the league’s efficiency ranking system)—Marc Gasol of Aksavayu Girona. Thankfully for us, everyone we came to see played heavy minutes and did good job putting their game on display. /article/Blogging-through-the-Copa-del-Rey--Part-Two-/ /article/Blogging-through-the-Copa-del-Rey--Part-Two-/ Sat, 09 Feb 2008 10:03:08 -0500 Drew Barnette runs down another busy Saturday in college basketball.First place in the Big Ten is on the line as Purdue and Wisconsin square off. The Boilermakers have a chance to really make a statement to the committee and prove that they deserve a good seed.Georgetown visits a red hot Louisville team in what should be an entertaining, high stakes Big East Match-up. It will be fun watching these two frontcourts do battle.Baylor, who is one of the feelgood stories of the season, visits Kansas in an important Big Twelve Match-up.All that, and much more!!! /article/Saturday,-February-9th-Highligted-Match-ups/ /article/Saturday,-February-9th-Highligted-Match-ups/ Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:21:26 -0500 Drew Barnette takes a look at some of the action from earlier in the week, and how it could end up impacting the selection committee. /article/BX-News,-Notes-and-Ramblings--Friday,-Feb.-8th-/ /article/BX-News,-Notes-and-Ramblings--Friday,-Feb.-8th-/ Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:02:23 -0500 The Copa del Rey is a celebration of Spanish basketball, an extremely important event on the European basketball calendar that has a huge following and is taken with the utmost seriousness by all the teams involved. It is a single elimination tournament, consisting of the top eight teams in the top domestic league in the world outside the NBA, the ACB (the Spanish league’s first division). Winning the event is considered a very prestigious addition to any player or coach’s resume, and we could notice that immediately by the playoff type atmosphere found here. /article/Blogging-through-the-Copa-del-Rey--Part-One-/ /article/Blogging-through-the-Copa-del-Rey--Part-One-/ Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:23:29 -0500 In Part Two of this week's Top Weekly Performer series, we take a look at three senior big men in Joey Dorsey (Memphis), James Gist (Maryland, and Maarty Leunen (Oregon), along with junior point guard Darren Collison (UCLA). /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-02-08-2008----Part-Two/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-02-08-2008----Part-Two/ Fri, 08 Feb 2008 04:08:15 -0500 Nando De Colo scored 37 points in last week’s EuroCup game, which provided him with our automatic nomination for Player of the Week honors. Cholet’s combo-guard is becoming one of the most consistent and productive young Frenchmen in the LNB. We also take a look at Anton Ponkrashov, who this past weekend was able to drop 17 points on the Russian powerhouse CSKA. /article/Roundup-Exploding-De-Colo/ /article/Roundup-Exploding-De-Colo/ Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:55:07 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all of tonight's big college hoops action. It's a big night in the Pac Ten as Washington State travels to UCLA and Stanford hosts an Oregon team who really needs a big win. Rhode Island and UMass will face off in a big game in the Atlantic Ten.West Virginia and Pitt square off in the first edition of the Backyard Brawl.All that, and more... /article/Thursday,-February-7th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Thursday,-February-7th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Thu, 07 Feb 2008 09:39:01 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of tonight's action, and takes a look back at some of the meaningful games from last night. Duke and North Carolina, the two biggest rivalries in NCAA basketball, resume that rivalry tonight in a game that will help decide who gets the #1 seed in the Charlotte region. Texas and Oklahoma do battle in a huge Big Twelve Rivalry.All that, and much more. Rest in Peace Jonathan Davis... /article/BX-Highlighted-Match-ups,-News-and-Notes--February-6th-/ /article/BX-Highlighted-Match-ups,-News-and-Notes--February-6th-/ Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:26:12 -0500 Three small-school, under the radar prospects in Bo McCalebb, Mickell Gladness and Russell Hicks are joined by Duke captain DeMarcus Nelson in this edition of our NCAA weekly performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-6-08---Part-One/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-6-08---Part-One/ Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:52:59 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of tonight's action, and takes a look back at some of the of the games from last night. /article/BX-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--Tuesday,-2-5-/ /article/BX-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--Tuesday,-2-5-/ Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:39:04 -0500 With the first round of Europe's top competition in the books, we take a look at the top non-draft eligible performances thus far in the Euroleague. Three Europeans and two Americans kick off part one. /article/Top-Non-Draft-Eligible-Euroleague-Regular-Season-Performers--Part-One--2507/ /article/Top-Non-Draft-Eligible-Euroleague-Regular-Season-Performers--Part-One--2507/ Tue, 05 Feb 2008 03:08:19 -0500 The Giants vs. the Patriots, Hillary vs. Obama, McCain vs… Who cares. With Super Tuesday right around the corner, and the Super Bowl last night, I figured you’d want to have something else to talk about around the water cooler. The D-League Showcase was a couple of weeks ago, and afterwards there were a lot of guys who had a major decision to make… Do I stay here and chase this dream, or do I take my X-box and my game to Europe! /article/Marcus-Sloan-Should-I-stay-or-should-I-go/ /article/Marcus-Sloan-Should-I-stay-or-should-I-go/ Tue, 05 Feb 2008 02:04:42 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest Bracket Express projections have been posted. See which teams would make the NCAA Tournament and where they'd be seeded if today was Selection Sunday. Included with the bracket is an in-depth analysis of why the teams ended up where they did, along with a recap of last week's action and what impact it had on this week's bracket.Barnette also takes a look at a few teams that are under the radar, but perhaps on the bubble and that could end getting the attention of the committee and playing their way into the bracket come March.All of that, tonight's highlighted match-ups, and much, much more... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-February-4th/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-February-4th/ Mon, 04 Feb 2008 09:30:18 -0500 [c]Photo: Euroleague[/c]Now that the Euroleague’s Regular Season is in the books, we take a look at the ten best draft-eligible performers in the top league outside the NBA. The class is lead by both Nikola Pekovic and Danilo Gallinari, by far the most accomplished youngsters this season. /article/Top-Draft-Eligible-Performers-in-the-Euroleague-Regular-Season/ /article/Top-Draft-Eligible-Performers-in-the-Euroleague-Regular-Season/ Mon, 04 Feb 2008 01:25:37 -0500 /article/Player-Report-Paul-Millsap--with-Interview-/ /article/Player-Report-Paul-Millsap--with-Interview-/ Sun, 03 Feb 2008 16:57:07 -0500 It's another huge Saturday in college basketball as teams begin to make their final stretch runs toward the NCAA Tournament. There are two big games in the Pac Ten today as Stanford visits UCLA and USC visits Washington State. Depending on how things turn out today all could end up within striking distance of a first place finish. Mississippi State and Tennessee, the two division leaders in the SEC, square off in a big game as well. Bubble teams like Kent State, Creighton and Illinois State are all in action as they try to hang on for dear life down the stretch.All that, and more... /article/Saturday,-February-2nd-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Saturday,-February-2nd-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Sat, 02 Feb 2008 03:06:35 -0500 The 25th edition of the Victor Rho Basket Junior Tournament will take place from April 26th-May 1st (ending the day before the Euroleague Final Four in Madrid) outside of Milan, Italy, and will once again feature a strong collection of European and American based talent in the U-18 age group. In addition to European youth basketball powerhouses like FMP Belgrade, Real Madrid, Partizan Belgrade, Olimpija Ljubljana and KK Split, Victor Rho will also showcase three teams from the States as well in BABC Boston, Team Ohio and Indiana Elite. /article/2008-Victor-Rho-Basket-Junior-Tournament-kicks-off-April-26th/ /article/2008-Victor-Rho-Basket-Junior-Tournament-kicks-off-April-26th/ Sat, 02 Feb 2008 00:02:10 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a preview of the upcoming Bracket Buster announcements, and reviews some of the action from earlier this week as well. /article/Bracket-Express-News,-Notes-and-Ramblings--February-1st-/ /article/Bracket-Express-News,-Notes-and-Ramblings--February-1st-/ Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:18:54 -0500 To conclude this week's NCAA top performers series, we look at two of the top shot-blockers in the country in Hasheem Thabeet and Jarvis Varnado, as well as two scoring combo forwards in Raymar Morgan and Kyle Singler. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-31-08---Part-Two/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-31-08---Part-Two/ Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:55:14 -0500 Jason Thompson is a prospect who, until recently, has played in relative obscurity for the Rider Broncos in the MAAC Conference. This season, however, he has had the opportunity to showcase his abilities in nationally televised games against the likes of Kansas State, North Carolina State, Penn State, and Rutgers. Now, following an away victory we attended against Marist, Thompson’s Rider Broncos are sitting on top of the MAAC standings alongside rival Siena, and seem poised for a big finish.Following his 20 point (8/17 field goals, 4/6 free throws), 9 rebound (4 offensive), 4 assist, and 4 block performance, we had a chance to catch up with the Thompson and ask him about his improvements, the implications of an NBA prospect playing for a mid-major school, and the surprising emergence of his brother Ryan into a prospect: /article/Getting-To-Know-Jason-Thompson/ /article/Getting-To-Know-Jason-Thompson/ Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:02:47 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all of tonight's action. Indiana and Wisconsin are squaring off in a huge game in the Big Ten, and it's a busy night in the Pac Ten as well. /article/Thursday,-January-31st-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Thursday,-January-31st-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:21:30 -0500 In Part One of this week’s NCAA Weekly Performers series, we take a look at Florida’s Marreese Speights, Colorado’s Richard Roby, and Oklahoma State’s Marcus Dove. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-30-08---Part-One/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-30-08---Part-One/ Thu, 31 Jan 2008 02:54:51 -0500 It's another big night in college basketball.Kansas and Kansas State, both of whom are unbeaten in Big Twelve play, will square off tonight in a high stakes rivalry.Bob Huggins will coach against Cincinnati for the first time since he left as West Virginia faces Cincinnati in a quality Big East match-up.Texas and Texas A&M will go at it in another heated Big Twelve rivalry. Creighton really needs a big win on the road, and will have a chance to get it against Drake tonight.Houston really needs a big quality win, and if they can knock off Houston at home they'll find themselves in the NCAA Tournament discussion.All that, and much much more... /article/Wednesday,-January-30th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Wednesday,-January-30th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:54:45 -0500 Memphis’ Derrick Rose has been one of the most hyped players in the country this season, but since conference play has began, he hasn’t played many nationally televised games or games against top competition. Luckily for us, the midseason matchup between Memphis and Gonzaga was an exception, with him playing on ESPN while being matched up with junior point guard Jeremy Pargo, a legitimate NBA prospect with NBA athleticism and respectable size. /article/Marquee-Matchup-Derrick-Rose-vs-Jeremy-Pargo-2489/ /article/Marquee-Matchup-Derrick-Rose-vs-Jeremy-Pargo-2489/ Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:07:46 -0500 DraftExpress was on hand to take in the Pittsburgh High School Classic, played at Duquense University's Palumbo Center. We take a closer look at the performances of Tyreke Evans, Terrence Jennings, and the rest of the top players the event had to offer. /article/Pittsburgh-High-School-Classic-Recap/ /article/Pittsburgh-High-School-Classic-Recap/ Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:43:36 -0500 [c]Photo: Euroleague[/c]It’s becoming increasingly usual to see Danilo Gallinari producing almost at will regardless of who he goes up against. His skill repertoire, knowledge of the game and physical gifts propose a devastating equation that hardly anybody can consistently contest. So it’s no surprise that he earns his third Player-of-the-Week nomination this season after another two excellent performances. We also take a long look at Chinese point guard Chen Jianghua, who is regaining his best form in the CBA playoffs, and the English big man Daniel Clark, who might have found a niche in the Spanish second division to deliver his stuff in a competitive setting. /article/Roundup-Gallinari-Dominates/ /article/Roundup-Gallinari-Dominates/ Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:40:29 -0500 Drew Barnette takes a look at tonight's college hoops action. /article/Tuesday,-January-29th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Tuesday,-January-29th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:42:08 -0500 The top two high school prospects in the state of Florida met up this past weekend when District 14-3A rivals American Heritage and Pine Crest clashed in an intriguing matchup in the city of Fort Lauderdale. Brandon Knight, considered by some to be the top sophomore in the entire country, and Kenny Boynton, a top-10 ranked junior according to Scout and Rivals.com, went at it in front of a packed gym of rowdy Pine Crest students and fascinated high school hoops junkies. /article/South-Florida-Showdown-Kenny-Boynton-vs.-Brandon-Knight/ /article/South-Florida-Showdown-Kenny-Boynton-vs.-Brandon-Knight/ Tue, 29 Jan 2008 02:01:59 -0500 What you are reading right now is the introduction of Marcus Sloan…. Exactly, I didn’t think you knew who I was. Unless you’re from Texas, a TCU alum, or a woman who spent her 27th birthday in a Houston hospital trying to push out the most stubborn baby of all time... Hi MOM, Love you!! I mean how could you? I averaged a whopping 2.2 ppg during my illustrious college career at THE TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY; home of the Horned Frogs. Hopefully I'm not just another athlete blogger, hopefully while reading my blog, I inspire the underdog in the two of you reading this... Hi DAD, to strive to make the world a better place! Anyway, I am a 25 year old professional basketball player in my second playing in Europe, last year I played for TV Lich in Germany. And this year I play for the top team in Switzerland, Benetton Fribourg Olympic! /article/Introducing-Marcus-Sloan/ /article/Introducing-Marcus-Sloan/ Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:38:33 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest Bracket Express projections are out. Take a look at where the teams would currently stand as far as selections and seedings if the NCAA Tournament were to begin today.Last week was a crazy week with so many upsets, so there were quite a few changes made to the projections. Dayton has really struggled since several players suffered injuries, and is dropping down the standings quickly.Arizona is moving up after playing very well once being back at full strengthConnecticut picked up a huge win on the road against Indiana, which did a lot to boost their profileThere were three crazy finishes to three great games on Saturday that involved NCAA Tournament caliber teams.All that, and much much more... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Monday,-January-28th/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Monday,-January-28th/ Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:23:54 -0500 Who is the 7-2 "teenage" prospect that is popping up on mock drafts lately? Is he the next big thing from Africa? Or more fools gold and the product of internet hype? To answer that question, we went out to Springfield, Mass. to take a look for ourselves. /article/Getting-to-Know-John-Riek/ /article/Getting-to-Know-John-Riek/ Sun, 27 Jan 2008 22:27:21 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown on another big day in college basketball.Florida and Vanderbilt will square off in the SEC, which is a big game for both teams.Duke and Maryland add another installment to a rivalry that's really heated up in recent years. All that, and more... /article/Sunday,-January-27th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Sunday,-January-27th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Sun, 27 Jan 2008 08:50:37 -0500 It's another busy day in the world of college basketball, and Drew Barnette has a complete rundown of all the action for us.Gonzaga is now at full strength, and they'll face their toughest test of the regular season as they travel to top ranked Memphis. It's a chance to see what the Zags can do on the road against one of the very best.Mississippi and Mississippi State square off in a bitter rivalry game that has NCAA Tournament implications, as well as an impact on the SEC West Standings.Purdue has played well, but desperately needs a high profile win. Will they be able to do it against Wisconsin today??All of that, as well as the rest of today's action and the impact that each game could end up having on the selection process this March... /article/Saturday,-January-26th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Saturday,-January-26th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Sat, 26 Jan 2008 05:58:33 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a recap of last night's action, particularly from what was an eventful night in the Pac Ten. Also included is one unique solution to a coach's over the top sideline antics. /article/BX-News-and-Notes--Jan-25th-/ /article/BX-News-and-Notes--Jan-25th-/ Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:00:40 -0500 In Part Two of this week's NCAA Weekly Performer series, we take a look at sophomore center Brook Lopez (Stanford), senior small forward Pat Calathes (St. Joe's), senior swingman Brian Laing (Seton Hall) and senior point guard Mike Green (Butler). /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-25-08---Part-Two/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-25-08---Part-Two/ Fri, 25 Jan 2008 03:40:34 -0500 It's another busy night in the Pac Ten. UCLA travels to Oregon as both teams try and rebound from losing their last game. Oregon is not an easy place to play and the atmosphere should be really intense tonight.Xavier and Dayton, two top 25 teams from the Atlantic Ten, will do battle tonight. It's a rivalry game that where bragging rights are on the line along with adding another quality win to their resumes and staying near the top of the conference standings.All that, and more as Drew Barnette gives us a complete rundown... /article/Thursday,-January-24th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Thursday,-January-24th-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:31:31 -0500 In Part One of this week’s NCAA Weekly Performers series, we take a look at three freshmen in Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless, South Florida’s Dominique Jones, and Kentucky’s Patrick Patterson, along with one senior point guard in Ohio State's Jamar Butler. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-23-08---Part-One-2481/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-23-08---Part-One-2481/ Thu, 24 Jan 2008 01:42:20 -0500 This was an amazing week for George Tsintsadze. The Georgian point guard delivered back-to-back excellent performances in the FIBA Eurocup and the BBL against solid competition, earning our Player of the Week award by a hair over an equally impressive Danilo Gallinari. We also take a long look at Paulao Prestes, who is combining a very productive season in LEB-2 with some Euroleague appearances. /article/Roundup-Tsintsadze-at-his-Best/ /article/Roundup-Tsintsadze-at-his-Best/ Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:27:05 -0500 It's a busy night in college basketball, and Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all the action.Texas A&M has been blown out in back to back conference games. They come home to face a very good Baylor team that's looking to pick up a signature road win.Cincinnati is red hot all of a sudden, and has a chance to continue to build momentum if they can knock off Connecticut tonight. Kansas and Memphis are both in action tonight. All that, and mucn more... /article/Wednesday,-January-23rd-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Wednesday,-January-23rd-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:25:00 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of today's college basketball action... /article/Tuesday,-January-22-Highlighted-Match-ups/ /article/Tuesday,-January-22-Highlighted-Match-ups/ Tue, 22 Jan 2008 08:48:55 -0500 In addition to the top guns in attendance here, we also got to see a number of other intriguing prospects who will likely develop into excellent college players and potentially NBA players down the road. Henry Sims, Sylven Landesberg, Korie Lucious, Keith Gallon, Matt Simpkins and others are included. /article/2008-Spalding-Hoophall-Classic----Best-of-the-Rest-2477/ /article/2008-Spalding-Hoophall-Classic----Best-of-the-Rest-2477/ Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:14:40 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest Bracket Express Projections have been posted. Check out the bracket and see what teams would make the Big Dance and where they would be seeded if the NCAA Tournament began today. A thorough and in-depth analysis is included along with the bracket. Last week was a crazy week. Several Top 25 teams went down in upsets, and teams like Maryland and USC picked up huge quality road wins for their resume. Some teams such as Notre Dame and Texas A&M have really struggled on the road, and that would have a big impact on where they end up being seeded.All of that, tonight's highlighted match-ups, a recap of last week's action, and much much more!!! /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday-January-21st/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday-January-21st/ Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:06:27 -0500 A first look at the top prospects seen at the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, including Brandon Jennings, Samardo Samuels, Ed Davis and Lance Stephenson. /article/2008-Spalding-Hoophall-Classic----Elite-Prospects/ /article/2008-Spalding-Hoophall-Classic----Elite-Prospects/ Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:30:17 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of today's college hoops action. It has been a crazy weekend so far, but it's not over yet... /article/Sunday,-January-20th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2474/ /article/Sunday,-January-20th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2474/ Sun, 20 Jan 2008 08:52:44 -0500 In part two of DraftExpress’ coverage of the 2008 Nike Super 6 Invitational, we take a look at some other top players that will be arriving at major college programs in the fall. In addition, we break down several promising underclassmen that either already have or are starting to make noise at the prep level. /article/Nike-Super-6-High-School-Invitational--Part-Two-/ /article/Nike-Super-6-High-School-Invitational--Part-Two-/ Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:29:48 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all of today's action, and talks about what impacts it all could have on the NCAA Tournament.Two frontrunners in the Missouri Valley face off as Drake hosts Illinois State. Clemson travels to Duke in a huge game for them in the ACC. Arizona State looks to remain unbeaten in Pac Ten play as they take on Stanford.All of that, and much much more... /article/Saturday,-January-19th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2472/ /article/Saturday,-January-19th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2472/ Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:30:15 -0500 Devin Green is knocking on the NBA's door with another excellent performance. Nick Fazekas, Ramon Sessions and Josh McRoberts are being paid like NBA players, but are not separating themselves from the crowd here. Randy Livingston, Cory Violette and Kris Lang show the value of experience in the D-League, and much more in the final day of the Showcase in Boise. /article/NBA-D-League-Showcase,-Day-Four/ /article/NBA-D-League-Showcase,-Day-Four/ Fri, 18 Jan 2008 04:06:53 -0500 Former LA Laker Devin Green joins us from the D-League Showcase in Boise, Idaho to talk about life in the D-League, his chances of getting called up, playing in Europe, going from mid-major power forward to NBA shooting guard, and more /article/D-League-Showcase-Podcast-Devin-Green-2470/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Podcast-Devin-Green-2470/ Fri, 18 Jan 2008 02:06:10 -0500 CJ Watson describes getting called up by the Golden State Warriors, playing in his first NBA games, Don Nelson's timeouts, and hitting some big shots to help win an NBA game. /article/CJ-Watson-the-Call-up-2469/ /article/CJ-Watson-the-Call-up-2469/ Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:37:44 -0500 Vanderbilt travels to Tennessee for a huge SEC match-up tonight.Louisville, who has been playing very well lately, will host Marquette tonight. It's a chance for the Cardinals to pick up a big time statement win.All that, and more... /article/Thursday,-January-17th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2468/ /article/Thursday,-January-17th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2468/ Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:28:06 -0500 Our coverage of the NBA D-League Showcase in Boise, Idaho continues. Ian Mahinmi shines as the best big man in the league, and Glen McGowan has the potential for a strong finish to the year. Dontell Jefferson also bounced back after struggling on Monday. Boxscores and game recaps can be found at the D-League's official website. /article/NBA-D-League-Showcase,-Day-Three/ /article/NBA-D-League-Showcase,-Day-Three/ Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:29:45 -0500 In Part Two of this week's NCAA Weekly Performer series, we take a look at sophomore power forward Luke Harangody (Notre Dame) and senior combo-guard Kyle Weaver (Washington State), while also taking a very extensive look at Austin Daye, a very intriguing freshman forward from Gonzaga. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-17-2008----Part-Two-2466/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-17-2008----Part-Two-2466/ Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:47:09 -0500 There’s life beyond the Balkans: Africa, South America, Eastern Europe, Spain itself. We deal here with the most interesting players seen in the last L’Hospitalet Tournament not born in the former Yugoslavian countries. The crop is led by the intriguing African duo Michel Diouff and Papa Abdoulaye that teamed up in F.C.Barcelona’s frontcourt. /article/LaHospitalet-2008-Itas-a-Big-World-2456/ /article/LaHospitalet-2008-Itas-a-Big-World-2456/ Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:22:44 -0500 Our coverage of the NBA D-League Showcase in Boise, Idaho continues. Devin Green was the most impressive prospect seen today, followed closely by strong outings from Kaniel Dickens, Lance Allred, Elton Brown and Alando Tucker.Boxscores and game recaps can be found at the D-League's official website. /article/NBA-D-League-Showcase,-Day-Two-2464/ /article/NBA-D-League-Showcase,-Day-Two-2464/ Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:42:49 -0500 Florida has looked much better since conference play began, which is a good thing because they aren't facing cupcakes anymore. They have one of their toughest assignments tonight as they travel to Mississippi. It's the kind of win that could really put the Gators into the NCAA Tournament picture.Duke and Florida State's last three games have been decided by either one point or in overtime. The two square off again tonight, and with Florida State needing a big time win and Duke wanting to keep pace with North Carolina in the ACC race, the stakes are pretty high.All of that, as well as the rest of today's action... /article/Wednesday,-January-16th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2465/ /article/Wednesday,-January-16th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2465/ Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:17:59 -0500 In Part One of this week’s NCAA Weekly Performers series, we take a look at three freshman guards in Arizona’s James Harden, Florida’s Nick Calathes, and Georgetown’s Austin Freeman, along with one sophomore power forward in Syracuse’s Arinze Onuaku. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-01-15-2008---Part-One-2463/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-01-15-2008---Part-One-2463/ Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:50:52 -0500 The Nike Super 6 Invitational held at Madison Square Garden provided an opportunity to see some of the top high school programs in both New York and New Jersey. The three game event featured four teams ranked in the ESPN High Elite 25, including three in the top five: #1 St. Benedict’s (NJ), #3 St. Raymond’s (NY) and #5 St. Patrick (NJ). Plenty of elite players that will be appearing on the college scene next year were in action, as well as a handful of already promising underclassmen. DraftExpress was on hand to take in the day’s games and provide analysis of the top prospects in action. /article/Nike-Super-6-High-School-Invitational-at-Madison-Square-Garden/ /article/Nike-Super-6-High-School-Invitational-at-Madison-Square-Garden/ Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:39:38 -0500 Ricky Rubio again conquers our Player of the Week award with a superb week. With his team shorthanded by injuries and illness, he stepped up in the ULEB Cup with a monster 29-point, 10-assist performance, career highs for him, while he showed his clutch ability in the ACB League. The other great protagonist of the week is Milos Teodosic, who buried 20 points on CSKA, leading Olympiacos to a victory in the Euroleague. /article/Roundup-Career-Game-for-Rubio/ /article/Roundup-Career-Game-for-Rubio/ Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:15:15 -0500 Kyrylo Fesenko and Chris Alpert join Jonathan Givony at the D-League Showcase in Boise, Idaho. /article/D-League-Showcase-Podcasts-Kyrylo-Fesenko-and-Chris-Alpert-2461/ /article/D-League-Showcase-Podcasts-Kyrylo-Fesenko-and-Chris-Alpert-2461/ Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:38:34 -0500 /article/Player-Report-Brandon-Bass-2459/ /article/Player-Report-Brandon-Bass-2459/ Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:11:57 -0500 There is quite a bit of action in the Big Twelve, Big East and ACC tonight. Notre Dame will host a Cincinnati team that has really turned it on once Big East play began. It's early, but the winner will be in first place at the end of the day.All that, and more in today's rundown... /article/Tuesday,-January-15th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2458/ /article/Tuesday,-January-15th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2458/ Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:20:18 -0500 DraftExpress is out in full force once again to cover the NBA D-League Showcase, this time in surprisingly pleasant Boise, Idaho. Kyrylo Fesenko and JamesOn Curry had solid outings from the NBA send-downs, and Maurice Baker, Kevin Kruger and Ivan Johnson shined from the players vying for callups. Boxscores and game recaps can be found at the D-League's official website. /article/NBA-D-League-Showcase,-Day-One-2457/ /article/NBA-D-League-Showcase,-Day-One-2457/ Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:15:27 -0500 The latest Bracket Express projections have been posted. Take a look at which teams would be selected and where they would be seeded, if the NCAA Tournament were to begin today.As always, Drew Barnette gives us a very thorough, in-depth analysis of the projections. A recap of last week's action and what impact it will have on the committee is also included, along with a few fun college hoops tidbits from around the web. A rundown of tonight's action is also included. Georgetown and Pittsburgh will do battle in a game that has huge implications in the Big East, and when it comes to seeding the NCAA Tournament. All of that, and much, much more... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-January-14th-2455/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-January-14th-2455/ Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:29:35 -0500 FMP Zeleznik came up victorious in the L’Hospitalet Tournament for the second year in a row, this time an excellent edition pretty much dominated by Balkan players. Indeed, the semifinals were composed of the Serbian champions FMP, Cibona Zagreb, and two Balkan-led Spanish teams: Nihad Djedovic’s F.C.Barcelona and Nikola Mirotic’s Real Madrid. Mirotic himself was named MVP, emerging in the process as one of the most intriguing young prospects in Europe. In this first article we’ll take a look at the most interesting players from the former Yugoslavia seen in the competition. /article/L-Hospitalet-2008-Balkan-Dominance-2454/ /article/L-Hospitalet-2008-Balkan-Dominance-2454/ Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:28:48 -0500 Much of the hype in the NCAA this season has been around the extremely talented freshman class, so what better way to start off our Marquee Matchup series this season than with an extremely entertaining battle between two freshman power forwards who appear to be among the best players at their position in their class?This article breaks down the matchup between Kansas State’s Michael Beasley and Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin, two very athletic and talented power forwards with great careers in front of them. /article/Marquee-Matchup-Michael-Beasley-vs-Blake-Griffin-2453/ /article/Marquee-Matchup-Michael-Beasley-vs-Blake-Griffin-2453/ Sun, 13 Jan 2008 17:39:45 -0500 Virginia and Duke will face off in a big ACC game tonight.Duquesne is off to a good start, but needs a statement win in order to become an legitimate NCAA Tournament contender. They face Rhode Island on the road today as well.All that, and more... /article/Sunday,-January-13th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2452/ /article/Sunday,-January-13th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2452/ Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:21:27 -0500 The D-League Showcase presents an opportunity for the 140 players in the D-League to display their talents in front of their most important audience of the season. Over 60 scouts representing every NBA team and the top teams in Europe will make the trek to Boise for the 4 day event. DraftExpress will be right there with the scouts, providing daily coverage of the players and different rumors circulating Quest Arena starting on Monday afternoon. /article/The-2008-D-League-Showcase-A-First-Look-2451/ /article/The-2008-D-League-Showcase-A-First-Look-2451/ Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:03:23 -0500 In the latest of ESPN’s Old Spice Showcase series, Norcross High School from Georgia was pegged against Louisiana’s Helen Cox High School. More importantly , the game placed two of the nation’s truly elite forwards against each other, allowing Al-Farouq Aminu and Greg Monroe to duel it out on national television to show who the top perimeter oriented forward in the nation is. /article/Aminu-Outshines-Monroe-on-National-Television/ /article/Aminu-Outshines-Monroe-on-National-Television/ Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:44:02 -0500 The weekends keep getting more and more eventful, and we have another huge weekend in college basketball.Washington State and UCLA are both Pac Ten favorites who are contending for a conference title, and a #1 seed. Today's game between the two will have a major impact on both.North Carolina and NC State square off in an intense, in-state ACC rivalry. UNC wants a #1 seed. NC State wants a huge win. They both want bragging rights.Nebraska has a great record, but a poor schedule. Momentum is at an all time high as they host Kansas in what should be a crazy one today.Notre Dame has two big conference wins after playing a weak schedule, but is on the road in their first true road game against bitter rival Marquette this afternoon. It is a huge day in college hoops with major match-ups from all the top-level conferences. Check out a complete and thorough analysis of everything right here... /article/Saturday,-January-12th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2449/ /article/Saturday,-January-12th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2449/ Sat, 12 Jan 2008 06:12:16 -0500 All the latest news and transactions from the NBA's Development League. Jeremy Richardson will receive a 10-day contract from the San Antonio Spurs, and the first trade of the D-League season was completed today. Chris Taft joins the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, and there have now been 100 call-ups in D-League history. Also included are updates on the NBA assigned players and D-League teams. /article/Inside-the-D-League-Week-Seven-2448/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-Week-Seven-2448/ Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:25:29 -0500 There are some big games in the Pac Ten tonight, along with an important Big East match-up between Louisville and West Virginia. Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of that, and more... /article/Thursday,-January-10th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2447/ /article/Thursday,-January-10th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2447/ Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:44:47 -0500 Three players from Cal-- DeVon Hardin, Ryan Anderson and Patrick Christopher, conclude our NCAA Weekly Performers series this time, along with USC's Davon Jefferson. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-10-08---Part-Two-2446/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-10-08---Part-Two-2446/ Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:12:30 -0500 Drew Barnette runs down a few of the huge college basketball games tonight that will have an impact on the season. Dayton and Rhode Island are two teams that are not only competing for conference supremacy, but could potentially face that claim tonight in the conference opener.Undefeated and highly ranked Mississippi visits Tennessee tonight in a major SEC game. It will be a true test of Ole Miss to see how well they can play on the road against a very good team in a hostile environment.All of that, the rest of today's games, and more... /article/Wednesday,-January-9th-Highlighted-Match-ups,-News-and-Notes-2445/ /article/Wednesday,-January-9th-Highlighted-Match-ups,-News-and-Notes-2445/ Wed, 09 Jan 2008 07:55:58 -0500 We kick off our weekly NCAA performers series with deeper looks at three lottery prospects-- O.J Mayo of USC, Chase Budinger of Arizona, and Darrell Arthur of Kansas, as well as the man who has been stealing much of Arthur's thunder this year, Darnell Jackson. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-1908---Part-One-2444/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-1908---Part-One-2444/ Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:07:10 -0500 Guard Guillermo Diaz of the Anaheim Arsenal signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers today, making him the 10th D-League call-up of the season. Diaz played in 14 games for the Arsenal this season with averages of 16.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He will attend the team's practice today already. The Clippers also released Richie Frahm, whose contract was scheduled to become guaranteed for the rest of the season on Thursday. /article/Call-Up-10-Guillermo-Diaz-to-the-Los-Angeles-Clippers-2442/ /article/Call-Up-10-Guillermo-Diaz-to-the-Los-Angeles-Clippers-2442/ Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:06:33 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of tonight's college basketball action. De Paul got off to a slow start, but has won their first two Big East games and beaten some pretty good teams. Can they pull another upset against Georgetown at home tonight??Seton Hall travels to Marquette in search of what would be their biggest win of the year so far.All that, and more... /article/Tuesday,-January-8th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2443/ /article/Tuesday,-January-8th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2443/ Tue, 08 Jan 2008 03:49:50 -0500 /article/Player-Report-Linas-Kleiza-2440/ /article/Player-Report-Linas-Kleiza-2440/ Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:14:46 -0500 The Golden State Warriors have added point guard CJ Watson, who becomes the ninth call-up of the current D-League season. A 23 year-old in his second year out of Tennessee, Watson was selected 5th overall by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the 2007 D-League draft. The top ranked player on the DraftExpress call-up list, he will receive the first 10 day contract of the season from a NBA team. /article/Call-Up-9-CJ-Watson-to-Golden-State-2441/ /article/Call-Up-9-CJ-Watson-to-Golden-State-2441/ Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:50:49 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest Bracket Express projections have been posted. Look to see where teams currently stand and how the NCAA Tournament would look if it were to begin today. -An in-depth analysis of the bracket is also give, along with a look back at the action from this past week and what impact it had on the current projections, and how it could end up coming into play this March.All of that, along with tonight's highlighted match-ups, and more... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-January-7th-2439/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-January-7th-2439/ Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:38:12 -0500 Besides Al-Farouq Aminu, Renardo Sidney and Jordan Hamilton, who we wrote about extensively in an article already earlier this week, there were a number of intriguing prospects on hand at Amare Stoudemire Invitational Classic in Davenport, Florida, that will develop into excellent college basketball players and potentially pros down the road. Let’s take a look at a few of them. /article/Top-Prospects-at-the-Amare-Stoudemire-Invitational-Classic--Part-II--2438/ /article/Top-Prospects-at-the-Amare-Stoudemire-Invitational-Classic--Part-II--2438/ Mon, 07 Jan 2008 01:31:25 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of today's college hoops action.Clemson and North Carolina face off in a big ACC game.Xavier will go after their first road win against AuburnThere are two big games in the Big East as West Virginia hosts Marquette and Pittsburgh hosts Villanova.All that, and more... /article/Sunday,-January-6th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2437/ /article/Sunday,-January-6th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2437/ Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:18:53 -0500 Nevada's JaVale McGee, UCLA's Russell Westbrook, West Virginia's Joe Alexander, and Oklahoma's Longar Longar wrap up part two of our NCAA Weekly Performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-4-08---Part-Two-2436/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-4-08---Part-Two-2436/ Sat, 05 Jan 2008 03:10:53 -0500 Drew Barnette runs down a busy Saturday in college basketball as conference play gets into full swing.Saint Mary's is traveling to Texas in what should be a big game, and a big chance for Saint Mary's to pick up a huge quality road win if they can pull it off.Vanderbilt puts their unbeaten record on the line as they host a very good Massachusetts team.All that, as well as the rest of today's action... /article/Saturday,-January-5th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2435/ /article/Saturday,-January-5th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2435/ Sat, 05 Jan 2008 02:05:00 -0500 Imagine that you are sitting at a restaurant in an old boat on the Mediterranean Sea, enjoying a relaxing meal of Paella, a traditional Spanish dish. You are taking in the seventy-degree weather while catching up on old times. The moment is suddenly broken by the sound of a piece of octopus being spit across the table. You look at your wife, who looks to your mom, who then scolds the laughing culprit. No, a toddler wasn’t trying a new food, it just means that one of your brothers is in town. /article/Jared-Reiner-Big-Dog-Goes-Global-2434/ /article/Jared-Reiner-Big-Dog-Goes-Global-2434/ Sat, 05 Jan 2008 01:41:41 -0500 Senior Brian Roberts of Dayton, freshman Blake Griffin of Oklahoma, junior K.C. Rivers of Clemson, and senior Stefhon Hannah of Missouri are our featured players this week in part one of our NCAA weekly performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-3-08---Part-One-2433/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-3-08---Part-One-2433/ Fri, 04 Jan 2008 03:24:21 -0500 Pac Ten play gets underway tonight, and there are several teams in the Big East playing their conference openers as well.West Virginia travels to Notre Dame for what promises to be an exciting game.UCLA travels to Stanford as two teams with just one loss will lock horns in their Pac Ten openers.Xavier and Virginia will square off as both teams look for a quality win.All of that, as well as the rest of today's highlighted games... /article/Thursday,-January-3rd-Highlighted-Match-ups-2432/ /article/Thursday,-January-3rd-Highlighted-Match-ups-2432/ Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:29:13 -0500 [c]Photo: FIBA Europe[/c]The historic Greek squad PAOK finally sees some light after a lackluster season start in the domestic league, and much of the credit has to go to Dimitris Verginis, who is emerging as a true leader for the team. This past weekend he pushed for his team’s second consecutive victory with a second consecutive big game, earning our Player of the Week nomination in the process. We also take a look at the runner-up, the promising Emir Preldzic, who comes off back-to-back excellent performances in the Turkish League. /article/Roundup-Verginis-Carrying-PAOK-on-his-Back-2430/ /article/Roundup-Verginis-Carrying-PAOK-on-his-Back-2430/ Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:45:19 -0500 A look at all the latest action from around the NBA's Development League. The Austin Toros acquired Justin Reed and Kris Lang from free agency, and Cedric Simmons will suit up for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Chris Taft and Brandon Wallace will join the league's free agent pool within the next week. Also included are an update on the NBA assigned players and D-League Teams. /article/Inside-the-D-League-Week-Six-2431/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-Week-Six-2431/ Wed, 02 Jan 2008 19:55:14 -0500 Drew Barnette looks at today's college basketball action. /article/Wednesday,-January-2nd-Highlighted-Match-ups-2429/ /article/Wednesday,-January-2nd-Highlighted-Match-ups-2429/ Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:17:46 -0500 Sandwiched in-between two days at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, I also got a chance to stop in at the Amare Stoudemire Invitational Classic in Davenport, Florida. This event had more of a sneaker camp atmosphere to it, and was as well organized in its first year of being established. Nevertheless, Nike managed to bring in some excellent high schools from around the country, which provided the ASIC with some serious star power. In our first of two articles we’ll look at the top prospects in attendance— Al-Farouq Aminu, Renardo Sidney and Jordan Hamilton. /article/Top-Prospects-at-the-2007-Amare-Stoudemire-Invitational-Classic-2428/ /article/Top-Prospects-at-the-2007-Amare-Stoudemire-Invitational-Classic-2428/ Wed, 02 Jan 2008 02:35:11 -0500 Pooh Jeter gives us an update from Europe, where he's tearing up the ULEB Cup and Ukrainian League with a 17-2 record. Pooh talks about the city of Kyiv, his teammates and private driver, going home for Christmas, and much more. /article/Pooh-Jeter-Oh-Yesss-Sirrrrrr!!!/ /article/Pooh-Jeter-Oh-Yesss-Sirrrrrr!!!/ Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:24:26 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest NCAA Tournament projections are up. Check out where teams currently stand and where they would be seeded if the NCAA Tournament began today.Several teams that are highly ranked and have high expectations have yet to play a challenging schedule, and that has effected their seeding in this current projection. Barnette focuses on a few teams who haven't done much heavy lifting yet and will need to prove themselves in league play.A recap of last week's action is also included, along with an anlysis of how the selection committee will look at those games. We also get a rundown of today's and tomorrow's action. Xavier is taking on Kansas State in a game between two teams who need to improve their resumes. Utah has a shot at Gonzaga, which is also a game that both teams must win.All that, and more... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-December-31st-2426/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-December-31st-2426/ Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:16:45 -0500 Matt Schaefer kicks off the week by compiling all the articles you need to read for your college basketball pleasure. /article/December-31rd-Pick-and-Rolls-2425/ /article/December-31rd-Pick-and-Rolls-2425/ Mon, 31 Dec 2007 01:31:24 -0500 Travis Outlaw- season: 11.9pts 5.2rbs .9stls/.8blks best game: 22pts 8rbs 2stl 1blkBackground: Outlaw has finally started to blossom in his 5th year in the league. It’s a credit to both the Portland organization and Outlaw himself that they’ve persevered through the lean years. Outlaw came out of high school half a decade ago as a raw athlete with very little basketball skill and has slowly refined himself into a high quality role player for the streaking Blazers. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Player-Report-Travis-Outlaw-2424/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Player-Report-Travis-Outlaw-2424/ Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:17:26 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of today's action... /article/Sunday,-December-30th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2423/ /article/Sunday,-December-30th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2423/ Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:27:41 -0500 It's another busy Saturday in college basketball, and Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all of today's action.Dayton is hosting Pittsburgh in what should be a great game. Dayton has just one loss and is looking for some respect. Beating Pitt at home would certainly earn them quite a bit.Arizona travels to Memphis in what should also be a big time showdown.All of that, and the rest of today's action as well... /article/Saturday,-December-29th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2422/ /article/Saturday,-December-29th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2422/ Sat, 29 Dec 2007 01:44:30 -0500 Besides Greg Monroe and Samardo Samuels, who we wrote about extensively in an article already earlier this week there were a number of intriguing prospects on hand at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Florida that will develop into excellent college basketball players and potentially pros down the road. Let’s take a look at a few of them. /article/Top-High-School-Prospects-at-the-2007-City-of-Palms-Classic-2421/ /article/Top-High-School-Prospects-at-the-2007-City-of-Palms-Classic-2421/ Fri, 28 Dec 2007 21:04:29 -0500 Three wing players wrap up this week's NCAA weekly performers series. One of the nation's top shooters in Shan Foster, one of the top defenders in Danny Green, and one of the most productive freshman in Manny Harris. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-12-27-07---Part-Two-2420/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-12-27-07---Part-Two-2420/ Fri, 28 Dec 2007 03:16:02 -0500 Guard Keith Langford has been called up to the San Antonio Spurs, making him the 7th call-up of the current D-League season. After playing last season in Lega Due (second division Italy), he started this season with the Austin Toros, averaging 29 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. With Brent Barry out for the next two weeks, Langford has a chance to see minutes with the Spurs immediately. To make room for him, point guard Darius Washington has been released. /article/Call-Up-7-Keith-Langford-Joins-the-Spurs-2419/ /article/Call-Up-7-Keith-Langford-Joins-the-Spurs-2419/ Fri, 28 Dec 2007 01:11:02 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all the college hoops action this Friday... /article/Friday,-December-28th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2418/ /article/Friday,-December-28th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2418/ Thu, 27 Dec 2007 12:00:50 -0500 Stefon Jackson of UTEP, DeJuan Blair of Pitt, Josh Shipp of UCLA, and Will Daniels of URI are the four featured players we focus on in this edition of our NCAA Weekly Performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-12-26-07---Part-One-2417/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-12-26-07---Part-One-2417/ Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:28:29 -0500 Dragicevic earns his second nomination for Player of the Week honors after two consecutive strong performances. He has established himself as a solid leader in Red Star, and his future in Europe seems very bright. Also, for the second consecutive week we take a look at Omer Asik, a much more NBA-friendly player, who is emerging as an intriguing prospect for the upcoming draft. /article/Roundup-European-Friendly-Dragicevic-2415/ /article/Roundup-European-Friendly-Dragicevic-2415/ Wed, 26 Dec 2007 17:18:43 -0500 All the latest happenings from around the NBA's Development League. Thomas becomes the 5th NBA call-up, while player movement to Europe has picked up. Also included are updates on the NBA assigned players and D-League teams. /article/Inside-the-D-League-Week-Five-2416/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-Week-Five-2416/ Wed, 26 Dec 2007 15:34:55 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest Bracket Express Projections have been posted. It was a huge weekend for college basketball, so take a look at where teams currently stand and where they would end up if the NCAA Tournament were to begin today.The RPI is just now beginning to take shape, but still has some big time inaccuracies. Drew Barnette gives an analysis of how several teams will end up with a much different RPI than what they currently have.Tennessee got their first big road win of the season, which really boosted their profile.Memphis also got a huge quality win against Georgetown.Oregon fell to Oakland in a big time upset, and Michigan State got a huge win against Texas.All that, and much more... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Christmas-Edition!!!-2414/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--Christmas-Edition!!!-2414/ Tue, 25 Dec 2007 12:12:46 -0500 DraftExpress was on hand for two days of action at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Florida, checking out some of the top high school teams in America. We even had a chance to see the main two attractions of the tournament, Greg Monroe and Samardo Samuels, ranked #1 and #2 on Scout.com, go head to head in the Semi-finals. The City of Palms classic is considered one of the best high school events in America, as the organizers do an outstanding job putting everything together. The event has a real amateur basketball atmosphere to it, and it was really a pleasure to be a part of it for a couple of days. /article/2007-City-of-Palms-Classic-Greg-Monroe-vs.-Samardo-Samuels-2413/ /article/2007-City-of-Palms-Classic-Greg-Monroe-vs.-Samardo-Samuels-2413/ Mon, 24 Dec 2007 11:47:45 -0500 CJ Watson gives us an update from the D-League, where he is currently averaging 24.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, shooting 53% from the field. /article/CJ-Watson-First-Quarter-2412/ /article/CJ-Watson-First-Quarter-2412/ Mon, 24 Dec 2007 11:23:22 -0500 Matt Schaefer kicks off the week by compiling all the articles you need to read for your college basketball pleasure. /article/December-24th-Pick-and-Rolls-2411/ /article/December-24th-Pick-and-Rolls-2411/ Mon, 24 Dec 2007 11:18:51 -0500 The Anaheim Arsenal (4-8) of the NBA Development League defeated the Colorado 14ers (8-4) 133-130 in overtime with only four players on the floor.With 1:10 remaining in overtime, Anaheim’s Kedrick Brown fouled out with no additional players available to play due to three players fouling out, one ejection and one injury. Will Blalock was the lone starter left for Anaheim who held on to their six point lead for the remarkable victory. /article/Anaheim-wins-in-OT-with-4-players-2410/ /article/Anaheim-wins-in-OT-with-4-players-2410/ Sun, 23 Dec 2007 03:42:36 -0500 It is a very busy day in college basketball featuring some of the biggest out of conference match-ups we'll see all season long. Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of everything and explains what the implications could be in terms of the NCAA Tournament.Georgetown visits Memphis in a battle between two unbeaten teams.Texas and Michigan State are squaring off in Detroit.Tennessee is on the road against Xavier trying to win what would arguably be their biggest game of the season so far. Clemson and Mississippi will face each other in the San Juan Shootout as both of those teams try to remain unbeaten, and Ole Miss attempts to make a big time splash on the national scene.Valpo is off to a great start, and Wisconsin really needs to be on upset alert.Arizona hosts a very good San Diego State team.All of that, and much much more!!! /article/Saturday,-December-22nd-Highlighted-Match-ups-2409/ /article/Saturday,-December-22nd-Highlighted-Match-ups-2409/ Sat, 22 Dec 2007 01:50:54 -0500 Drew Barnette looks back at some of the action from earlier in the week and explains how it could impact the credentials of teams who are fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. He also gives us a rundown of tonight's action... /article/BX-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--Friday,-Dec-21--2408/ /article/BX-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Match-ups--Friday,-Dec-21--2408/ Fri, 21 Dec 2007 02:23:16 -0500 There’s been a steady buzz coming out of the land down under over the past few months. A 6-10, 285 pound Aboriginal big man by the name of Nathan Jawai has come out of nowhere seemingly to establish himself as the best rookie in the league, as well as a prospect that NBA teams are slowly realizing they must take seriously as well. “Baby Shaq” our friend and head coach of the New Zealand Breakers Andrej Lemanis called him when we first asked for info back in September, “except he can shoot free throws.” Jawai has still gone largely unnoticed by every other draft or scouting service in America from what we can tell, until now that is. /article/Introducing-Nathan-Jawai--2404/ /article/Introducing-Nathan-Jawai--2404/ Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:02:28 -0500 Duke and Pittsburgh are facing off in one of the biggest games of the season so far tonight. Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of that, as well as the rest of today's action... /article/Thursday,-December-20th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2407/ /article/Thursday,-December-20th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2407/ Thu, 20 Dec 2007 01:07:10 -0500 In this week's version of our NCAA Weekly Performers, we take a look at three under the radar prospects making waves on the college scene right now in Tyler Smith of Tennessee, Antoine Agudio of Hofstra and James Harden of Arizona State. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-12-19-2007--2406/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-12-19-2007--2406/ Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:24:26 -0500 Like a rollercoaster, Nicolas Batum has gone this season from a slow start to a very productive period, just to cool down for several weeks and now climb again to the top of the hill. This week, he delivered two 20-plus-point performances for Le Mans, earning in the process our Player of the Week nomination. Another young wonder, Donatas Motiejunas, also gets especial attention. /article/Roundup-Rollercoaster-Ride-Batum-On-the-Upside-2403/ /article/Roundup-Rollercoaster-Ride-Batum-On-the-Upside-2403/ Wed, 19 Dec 2007 02:40:41 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of tonight's college basketball action.Bradley travels to Butler and will try to pick up a huge quality road win that would really boost their resume.UNLV will host Arizona in an attempt to pull off a huge upset.All that, and more... /article/Wednesday,-December-19th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2405/ /article/Wednesday,-December-19th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2405/ Wed, 19 Dec 2007 02:23:14 -0500 Guard Jeremy Richardson has been signed by the Memphis Grizzlies, making him the fourth Gatorade call-up of the season. The second year guard has played with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this season, leading the league in scoring at 28.5 points per game while shooting 46% from the field and 40% from behind the three point line. Richardson ranked at the top of the DraftExpress D-League Call-up List due to his level of performance this season. To make room for Richardson, Memphis waived Tarence Kinsey. In other D-League news, Demetris Nichols and D.J. Strawberry have been assigned to the D-League, while JamesOn Curry was recalled by the Bulls. /article/Call-Up-4--Jeremy-Richardson-Added-to-the-Memphis-Grizzlies-2402/ /article/Call-Up-4--Jeremy-Richardson-Added-to-the-Memphis-Grizzlies-2402/ Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:08:46 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of tonight's college basketball action... /article/Tuesday,-December-18th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2401/ /article/Tuesday,-December-18th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2401/ Tue, 18 Dec 2007 01:57:14 -0500 The latest bracket projections are out, and Drew Barnette gives us a look at where teams currently stand and where they'd end up in the bracket if today were Selection Sunday, along with an analysis of the bracket and a look back at last week's action... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-December-17th-2400/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-December-17th-2400/ Mon, 17 Dec 2007 04:14:48 -0500 Matt Schaefer kicks off the week by compiling all the articles you need to read for your college basketball pleasure. /article/Blog-December-17-Pick-and-Rolls-2399/ /article/Blog-December-17-Pick-and-Rolls-2399/ Mon, 17 Dec 2007 03:23:52 -0500 The longest flight of my trip so far (besides getting over the Atlantic) over Eastern Europe took me to the snowy Ukraine, to watch B.C. Kyiv practice and play against Benetton Treviso in the ULEB Cup. Kyiv is a strange and wonderful city, a place of many contradictions with an incredible amount of history and wealth and also its fair share of problems. Is a city that is completely unspoiled by tourism at the moment, which can make being a tourist a bit difficult, but also very rewarding. This is a country in the midst of a huge transition moving from East to West, and it seems like visiting here 5-10 years from now would draw a completely different experience. /article/Blogging-Through-Europe--Part-8-Ukraine-/ /article/Blogging-Through-Europe--Part-8-Ukraine-/ Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:44:01 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a look at today's college basketball action... /article/Sunday,-December-16th-Highlighted-match-ups-2397/ /article/Sunday,-December-16th-Highlighted-match-ups-2397/ Sun, 16 Dec 2007 00:39:29 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all of today's college basketball action. A shorthanded Louisville team is squaring off against a rapidly improving Purdue team in the Wooden Tradition. Florida State will face Butler in the second game.Georgia Southern is off to a great start, but how good are they really?? We'll find out when they face Florida today. All that, and more... /article/Saturday,-December-15th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2396/ /article/Saturday,-December-15th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2396/ Sat, 15 Dec 2007 01:12:26 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a recap of some of the action that took place earlier this week. He also takes a look at the Top 25 and discusses some teams that the voters appear to be ignoring... /article/BX-News,-Notes-and-Ramblings--Fri,-Dec-14--2395/ /article/BX-News,-Notes-and-Ramblings--Fri,-Dec-14--2395/ Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:13:40 -0500 This past weekend’s National High School Hoops Festival in Upper Marlboro, Maryland featured plenty of talented teams stacked with future college players. Included in the weekend’s action were loaded programs like Connecticut’s South Kent , North Carolina’s Patterson School , and Pennsylvania ’s American Christian School , home to blue chip prospect Tyreke Evans. With eight games in two days, there was plenty of basketball to be watched and plenty of talent to take in. DraftExpress was on hand to provide analysis of some of the top players in action. /article/National-High-School-Hoops-Festival-Recap-2394/ /article/National-High-School-Hoops-Festival-Recap-2394/ Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:18:16 -0500 A look at all the activity in the D-League over the past week. The Spurs have recalled rookie Darius Washington, while the Jazz have done the same with Ukrainian center Kyrylo Fesenko. Rod Benson broke the rebounding record and was named D-League player of the week. Also included are updates on the NBA assigned players and D-League teams. /article/Inside-the-D-League-Week-Three-2393/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-Week-Three-2393/ Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:33:38 -0500 In Part Two of this week's top performers article, we examine a pair of athletic forwards who are having outstanding seasons for their respective teams in Earl Clark and Shawn James, to go along with scoring guards Patrick Mills and Malik Hairston. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-12-12-07--Part-Two-2392/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-12-12-07--Part-Two-2392/ Thu, 13 Dec 2007 02:41:04 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of tonight's action, and takes a look back at some games from earlier in the week... /article/Wednesday,-December-12th,-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-2391/ /article/Wednesday,-December-12th,-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-2391/ Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:42:10 -0500 In Part One of this week's top performers articles, we take a look at three promising sophomores taking their games to the next level in D.J. Augustin (Texas), Wayne Ellington (UNC), and Raymar Morgan (MSU), along with a junior, Sam Young (Pittsburgh), who is redefining his. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12122007----Part-One-2390/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-12122007----Part-One-2390/ Wed, 12 Dec 2007 07:00:54 -0500 We had plenty of strong performances this past week in the European scene. Omer Asik, Nikola Pekovic and Danilo Gallinari shined brightly, but we have chosen Marc-Antoine Pellin as our Player of the Week after his superb back-to-back outings in the Euroleague and the French championship. Although he’s a very small guy, he’s a powerful engine from the point guard position for his team Roanne. We also devote a long look at Serge Ibaka, one of the most intriguing players for this upcoming draft. /article/Roundup-Small-Big-Engine-Pellin-2387/ /article/Roundup-Small-Big-Engine-Pellin-2387/ Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:52:37 -0500 The opening game of ESPN’s Old Spice High School Showcase pegged UCLA recruit Jrue Holiday against fellow top 15 player Delvon Roe, a Michigan State commit. Campbell Hall, ranked 7th in the country by USA Today made the journey to Lakewood, OH to take on St. Edward’s, ranked 12th in the country. Neither future McDonald’s All American disappointed in this overtime thriller. /article/Roe-Outlasts-Holiday-In-Thriller-On-ESPN2-2389/ /article/Roe-Outlasts-Holiday-In-Thriller-On-ESPN2-2389/ Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:37:44 -0500 Matt Schaefer kicks off the week by compiling all the articles you need to read for your college basketball pleasure. /article/December-10-Pick-and-Rolls-2386/ /article/December-10-Pick-and-Rolls-2386/ Mon, 10 Dec 2007 07:37:19 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest Bracket Express Projections have been posted. He gives us a look at how the committee would likely select and seed the teams if today were Selection Sunday. Included with the projections, are an in depth analysis. He looks at several teams that appear to be good, but that were left out because they're credentials aren't quite good enough yet. Also included is a recap of some of last week's action along with a look at how it impacted this week's bracket as well as how it could end up impacting the selection committee's bracket in March. /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-December-10th-2385/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-December-10th-2385/ Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:21:38 -0500 I passed the day in between games here in Le Mans avoiding the raindrops, watching practices, video sessions, shoot-arounds and hanging out with the team. A big part of this trip for me has been about expanding my knowledge of European basketball, learning about the way teams operate from the inside, understanding the dynamics of what makes a successful team and organization, and establishing relationships that will hopefully last for years. On Saturday, Le Mans (ranked 3rd in France), played against the top team in the league, Nancy, who to me clearly look like a better team than they faced earlier in the week in Armani Jeans Milano. /article/Blogging-Through-Europe--Part-7-France--2384/ /article/Blogging-Through-Europe--Part-7-France--2384/ Mon, 10 Dec 2007 04:41:45 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a look at all of today's action in college hoops... /article/Sunday,-December-9th-Highlighted-Games-2383/ /article/Sunday,-December-9th-Highlighted-Games-2383/ Sun, 09 Dec 2007 02:05:21 -0500 It's a very busy day in college basketball, and Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all of today's action. Michigan State will face BYU in a match-up between two ranked teams that are trying to add a big time win to their resume.Missouri and Purdue are two teams that are looking to build up their profiles, and the two will meet today.The Wooden Classic gives us two big match-ups between San Diego State and Saint Mary's (two good teams that are under the radar), and UCLA vs Davidson. All that, and much more... /article/Saturday,-December-8th,-Highlighted-Match-ups-2382/ /article/Saturday,-December-8th,-Highlighted-Match-ups-2382/ Sat, 08 Dec 2007 09:56:36 -0500 A quick flight from Berlin to Paris and then a two hour drive down to Le Mans brought me to the hottest spot in Europe for NBA scouts to be this week—a matchup between lottery pick candidates Nicolas Batum and Danilo Gallinari. /article/Blogging-Through-Europe--Part-Six-France--2381/ /article/Blogging-Through-Europe--Part-Six-France--2381/ Sat, 08 Dec 2007 03:21:19 -0500 The Miami Heat have called up small forward Luke Jackson from the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League. Jackson becomes the third player added to an NBA roster from the D-League so far this season. A veteran of the NBA and D-League, Jackson played with Idaho last season before playing out a call-up from the Clippers, and finishing the season with the Toronto Raptors. /article/Luke-Jackson-Joins-the-Heat-2380/ /article/Luke-Jackson-Joins-the-Heat-2380/ Fri, 07 Dec 2007 23:45:33 -0500 So I am in Leon, Spain and I walk up to the hotel clerk. I ask if I can buy Internet for my room and swear that I hear him say my name. The rat gets on the wheel in my head and I realize that we just checked in and he doesn’t know what room I am in. How can he know my name? /article/Jared-Reiner-Blog-Part-Two-2379/ /article/Jared-Reiner-Blog-Part-Two-2379/ Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:17:11 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all of today's action... /article/Thursday,-December-6th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2378/ /article/Thursday,-December-6th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2378/ Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:22:49 -0500 [c]AP[/c]In Part Two of this week's top performers article, we take a look at four dynamic power forwards, including returning juniors Tyler Hansbrough (UNC) and Richard Hendrix (Alabama), along with promising freshmen J.J. Hickson (NC State) and Anthony Randolph (LSU). /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-12-06-2007----Part-Two-2376/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-12-06-2007----Part-Two-2376/ Thu, 06 Dec 2007 03:13:57 -0500 A look around the D-League covering the second week of action. The Rockets have assigned rookie Aaron Brooks to the D-League. Antywane Robison has been bought out, and will play in France. Jeremy Richardson has earned the D-League player of the week, after an impressive 40 point showing. Also included are updates on the NBA assigned players and D-League teams. /article/Inside-the-D-League-Week-Two-2377/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-Week-Two-2377/ Thu, 06 Dec 2007 03:03:10 -0500 After nearly a week in Italy, it was time to pack up shop and head West, first for a quick stop in Germany to visit Alba Berlin and watch a ULEB Cup game between them and KK Bosna (from Sarajevo, Bosnia). Berlin is a wonderful city and it’s always nice to come back here, especially for basketball purposes. They definitely know how to treat their visitors, and former German basketball great and current Alba team manager Henning Harnisch did a great job making me feel welcome. And how many times can you say you’ve seen a professional basketball game go to five overtimes? I was fortunate enough to be sitting court-side for what will go down as one of the craziest games in European basketball history. /article/Blogging-Through-Five-Overtimes--Part-Five-Germany--2375/ /article/Blogging-Through-Five-Overtimes--Part-Five-Germany--2375/ Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:35:08 -0500 Gonzaga hosts rival Washington State in a meeting between two highly ranked rivals. Drew Barnette gives us a look at that, as well as the rest of today's important action... /article/Wed,-December-5th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2374/ /article/Wed,-December-5th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2374/ Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:43:33 -0500 In Part One of this week's top performers article, we take a look at four promising mid-major prospects in Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis), Courtney Lee (Western Kentucky), Trent Plaisted (BYU), and Jason Thompson (Rider). /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-12-05-2007----Part-One-2373/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-12-05-2007----Part-One-2373/ Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:44:22 -0500 [c]Photo: Armani Jeans Milano[/c]This time, to announce our Player of the Week, we stick with Danilo Gallinari and his 20-point showing against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Euroleague, where his team Armani Jeans Milano fell just one point short of the victory against the Israeli powerhouse. Besides, we take a long look at Mamadou Samb, a very intriguing, although very long-term prospect. /article/Roundup-Gallinari,-a-Euroleague-Standout-2371/ /article/Roundup-Gallinari,-a-Euroleague-Standout-2371/ Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:59:16 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest Bracket Projections are up. Take a look at where teams currently stand, and read an in-depth and thorough analysis of all the projections and the impact that last week's action had on it. Several teams already have some big time wins on their resume, where others don't have all that much on their profile that will impress the selection committee.Drew Barnette also gives us his daily rundown of all of tonight's highlighted games... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS,-Tuesday,-December-4th-2372/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS,-Tuesday,-December-4th-2372/ Tue, 04 Dec 2007 01:42:57 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of tonight's action... /article/Monday,-December-3rd-Highlighted-Match-ups-2370/ /article/Monday,-December-3rd-Highlighted-Match-ups-2370/ Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:25:50 -0500 A quick one hour train ride through the Northern part of Italy took me to the feet of the Swiss Alps, to the small town of Biella, home to one of the best rags to riches basketball stories in all of European basketball. Here we got to check our second game in four days of Danilo Gallinari, as well as witness a breakout performance of a young 6-9 Swedish forward by the name of Jonas Jerebko. /article/Blogging-through-Europe--Part-Four-Italy--2369/ /article/Blogging-through-Europe--Part-Four-Italy--2369/ Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:02:31 -0500 Matt Schaefer kicks off the week by compiling all the articles you need to read for your college basketball pleasure. /article/December-3rd-Pick-and-Rolls-2368/ /article/December-3rd-Pick-and-Rolls-2368/ Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:14:14 -0500 During the 2006-2007 NBA Development League season Randy Livingston had a career year for the Idaho Stampede eventually leading to his winning the NBADL MVP award. Showing that he’s once again a likely MVP candidate this year by dropping 20 assists in his first game back, the former LSU point guard spoke with me about his future in coaching, getting his college degree, and the work he’s doing with his foundation, Game Time Louisiana. /article/Interview-with-Randy-Livingston-of-the-Idaho-Stampede-2367/ /article/Interview-with-Randy-Livingston-of-the-Idaho-Stampede-2367/ Mon, 03 Dec 2007 01:46:46 -0500 The Big Twelve-Pac Ten Challenge gives us some interesting match-ups today. Kansas will face USC and Texas will take on UCLA. All of that, and the rest of today's action. /article/Sunday,-December-2nd-Highlighted-Match-ups-2366/ /article/Sunday,-December-2nd-Highlighted-Match-ups-2366/ Sun, 02 Dec 2007 11:50:12 -0500 It's a very busy day in college basketball, and Drew Barnette gives us a complete rundown of all the action and how it could end up making a difference in March.Davidson is looking for a big time statement win, and has a shot at one today against Duke.Kentucky will face their first real test of the year against to ranked North Carolina.Saint Mary's and Seton Hall are both unbeaten and both have wins against good teams, but no one has really paid much attention to them yet. They'll face each other today in a game that is important because we'll be seeing both of them in the NCAA Tournament if they continue to win like they have been.Southern Illinois will host Indiana today. Both teams are ranked and have potential, but neither played like it last week. This is a chance for one of them to rebound with a statement win.Miami, OH has some big wins on the season and travels to Louisville for a tough test today.Butler hosts Ohio State in Hinkle Fieldhouse. Gonzaga and Connecticut will square off in Boston. All of that, and TONS more action on a busy day in college hoops... /article/Saturday,-December-1st-Highlighted-Match-ups-2365/ /article/Saturday,-December-1st-Highlighted-Match-ups-2365/ Sat, 01 Dec 2007 01:45:02 -0500 The trek around Europe continues, with a stop for a few days in my favorite country, Italy. Here things really start to get interesting as far as scouting the NBA draft is concerned…Maccabi Tel Aviv at Armani Jeans Milano was my first destination, resulting in a tight game and a very nice performance from top prospect Danilo Gallinari. /article/Blogging-Through-Europe--Part-3-Italy--2364/ /article/Blogging-Through-Europe--Part-3-Italy--2364/ Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:17:23 -0500 Baylor is looking for respect, and has a chance to get it if they can knock off Washington State at home tonight in what should be a very exciting basketball game. All of that, as well as the rest of tonight's action... /article/Friday,-November-30-Highlighted-Games-2363/ /article/Friday,-November-30-Highlighted-Games-2363/ Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:46:12 -0500 Well I'm back after a couple weeks feeling great and enjoying the whole Texas and D-League experience so far. This team is one of the best teams I have ever played on from top to bottom. We might not be as talented as other teams that I have been on, but just the crop of guys we have on our team is tremendous. I don't think I have ever laughed as much as I have here, which is obviously a good thing. /article/CJ-Watson---The-Good-Life-2357/ /article/CJ-Watson---The-Good-Life-2357/ Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:17:41 -0500 After the opening week of D-League action, we take a look at the various teams and players around the league. A number of talented players including Will Blalock, have joined the available player pool recently and should be picked up by D-League teams shortly. Alando Tucker has been assigned to the D-League, while Rio Grande Valley has started with 3 consecutive wins. /article/Inside-the-D-League-Week-One-2362/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-Week-One-2362/ Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:46:10 -0500 George Mason, who racked up some nice wins in the Old Spice Classic, has another important game tonight in their conference opener against Drexel, who is 5-1 on the season and looking for a big time statement win of their own.-The Big Twelve-Pac Ten Challenge continues tonight as Oklahoma squares off against USC and Oregon visits Kansas State. All four of those teams look like tournament caliber teams right now, so it's a chance for those schools to pick up a quality win out of conference. All that, as well as the rest of today's action... /article/Thurs,-November-29th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2361/ /article/Thurs,-November-29th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2361/ Thu, 29 Nov 2007 02:21:56 -0500 As I travel through Europe for the next few weeks, watching games, taking in practices, meeting with teams, players and other people in the basketball industry, I’m attempting to keep a log of some of my thoughts from the different stops on the road and keep you posted on how the draft prospects I’m watching look. After a few days in Liege, I took in a fantastic mid-week matchup between Girona and Charleroi at one of the premier arenas in all of Europe. /article/Blogging-Through-Europe-Part-2-Belgium--2360/ /article/Blogging-Through-Europe-Part-2-Belgium--2360/ Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:28:24 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of a busy evening in college hoops. Michigan State and North Carolina State square off in the Big Ten vs ACC Challenge, and Missouri has a tough road test against Arkansas. All that, and more... /article/Wed,-November-28th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2359/ /article/Wed,-November-28th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2359/ Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:49:25 -0500 As first reported by Richard Walker and Jim Hlavac of DraftExpress, center Jelani McCoy of the Los Angeles D-Fenders will join the Denver Nuggets. The 8th overall pick in the 2007 D-League draft, McCoy averaged 8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game in his 2 games so far this season. The veteran center becomes the second Gatorade Call-up of the season, after Eddie Gill of the Nets. /article/Call-Up-2--Jelani-McCoy-to-Denver-2358/ /article/Call-Up-2--Jelani-McCoy-to-Denver-2358/ Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:27:01 -0500 Almost two months of action in the Adriatic league are behind us. With the departure of some prominent names from last year, the league has again lost a bit of quality. Even if the South-Eastern European clubs cannot compete with the riches of Russia and Spain financially, there is still an incredible pool of talent that produces a new batch of intriguing youngsters year in and year out. In recent years the Adriatic league has become to more powerful and richer European competitions what the NCAA is to NBA. In a way of course, since the strongest regional sides such as Olimpija, Cibona or Partizan are still able to cope with Europe's finest as evidenced by their strong starts in the Euroleague competition.In the first part of article we take a look at five prospects who any considered to share the largest NBA potential in the region. Nikola Pekovic is having a tremendous season so far, Milenko Tepic and Ante Tomic are also playing well, while Goran Dragic and especially Vladimir Dasic have struggled to a certain extent. /article/Adriatic-League-Report-The-Top-Five-NBA-Draft-Prospects-2346/ /article/Adriatic-League-Report-The-Top-Five-NBA-Draft-Prospects-2346/ Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:09:31 -0500 [c]Photo: BC Kyiv[/c]Georgian shooting guard Manuchar Markoishvili came out red hot this past week with consecutive 27-point performances in the ULEB Cup and Ukrainian Superleague, which has provided him our nomination for Player of the Week honors. Ricky Rubio deserved the honour as much as him, though, after recording a career-high 25 points and improving to third place in the efficiency ranking of the ACB League. /article/Roundup-Markoishvili-on-Fire-2355/ /article/Roundup-Markoishvili-on-Fire-2355/ Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:00:30 -0500 It’s early in the season schedule, but already there are some feisty young up-and-comers cracking the veteran rotations of their respective clubs. Here at DraftExpress, we will provide coverage of all the season’s developments as they pertain to these lesser-known dynamos as they scratch and claw their way through the depth charts. /article/NBA-Player-Report-Andray-Blatche-2351/ /article/NBA-Player-Report-Andray-Blatche-2351/ Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:11:00 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest bracket projections are up, along with a complete and thorough analysis of where teams currently stand, and why. Most of the exempt tournaments have come to a close, and last week was a very exciting, important, and meaningful week in college basketball. A rundown of all of last week's action, and the impact it could potentially have on the selection committee this March, is included in the analysis. Butler, BYU, Miami, OH, Seton Hall, Saint Mary's and Xavier are among the teams that are out of the gate early. Other teams that many were expecting to see toward the top of the standings, such as Tennessee, Kentucky, Gonzaga, and a few others, still look to be strong, but haven't really racked up a big time signature win yet.Read about all of last week's action, tonight's highlighted games as the Big Ten vs ACC Challenge gets underway, and much much more... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Tues,-Nov-27th-2356/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Tues,-Nov-27th-2356/ Tue, 27 Nov 2007 05:17:51 -0500 Matt Schaefer kicks off the week by compiling all the articles you need to read for your college basketball pleasure. /article/Pick-and-Rolls-Nov-25th-2354/ /article/Pick-and-Rolls-Nov-25th-2354/ Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:17:23 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all of tonight's action... /article/Monday,-November-26-Highlighted-Match-ups-2353/ /article/Monday,-November-26-Highlighted-Match-ups-2353/ Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:13:32 -0500 Wassup, this is Pooh Jeter, and I'm the newest member of DraftExpress.com’s blog team. I signed a one year deal with DraftExpress for a million dollars. Yes, I said it, one milllllllliiiiiiiioooonn dollars to blog for them while I'm playing in Europe this year. /article/-Pooh-da-Jet-Journey-2352/ /article/-Pooh-da-Jet-Journey-2352/ Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:07:59 -0500 Traveling through Europe for the next few weeks, watching games, taking in practices, meeting with teams, players and other people in the basketball industry, I’ll attempt to keep a log of some of my thoughts from the different stops on the road and keep you posted on how the draft prospects I’m watching look. My first stop on the road was to visit friends in the Southern part of Belgium—Liege-- and watch practices of two first division teams and a game between them. /article/Blogging-Through-Europe--Part-I-Belgium--2350/ /article/Blogging-Through-Europe--Part-I-Belgium--2350/ Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:37:08 -0500 Part two of our look at the top freshman so far this season. In what is likely going to develop into an ongoing story all season long, we present to you some initial scouting reports of 9 of the top freshman NBA draft prospects in America. Consider this just an introduction to our coverage of this year's outstanding freshman class. Left out are players we did not feel we had enough tape on to accurately evaluate their play this season so far--such as O.J. Mayo, J.J. Hickson, Austin Daye, Chris Wright and others. Also left out are players whom we preferred to wait on at the moment and see how their roles continue to evolve as the season moves on--for example Kyle Singler, Anthony Randolph, James Anderson, Blake Griffin, Patrick Mills, Johnny Flynn and others. We've got a full season ahead of us, so enjoy. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers--Freshman-Edition,-Part-Two-2349/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers--Freshman-Edition,-Part-Two-2349/ Sun, 25 Nov 2007 05:21:01 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a look at all of today's important action in college basketball... /article/Sun,-Nov-25th-Highlighed-Match-ups-2348/ /article/Sun,-Nov-25th-Highlighed-Match-ups-2348/ Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:54:31 -0500 The exempt tournaments have generated some very exciting basketball, and with some of the upsets we've seen the season is starting to take a different shape than what many people may have expected. Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all of today's Exempt Tournament action, as well as other highlighted match-ups that are taking place today... /article/Sat,-Nov-24,-Highlighted-Match-ups,-Exempt-Tournament-Notes,-and-More-2347/ /article/Sat,-Nov-24,-Highlighted-Match-ups,-Exempt-Tournament-Notes,-and-More-2347/ Sat, 24 Nov 2007 11:17:01 -0500 In what is likely going to develop into an ongoing story all season long, we present to you some initial scouting reports of 9 of the top freshman NBA draft prospects in America. Consider this just an introduction to our coverage of this year's outstanding freshman class. Left out are players we did not feel we had enough tape on to accurately evaluate their play this season so far--such as O.J. Mayo, J.J. Hickson, Austin Daye, Chris Wright and others. Also left out are players whom we preferred to wait on at the moment and see how their roles continue to evolve as the season moves on--for example Kyle Singler, Anthony Randolph, James Anderson, Blake Griffin, Patrick Mills, Johnny Flynn and others. We've got a full season ahead of us, so enjoy. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers----Freshmen-Edition-Part-One-2345/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers----Freshmen-Edition-Part-One-2345/ Fri, 23 Nov 2007 19:38:52 -0500 In anticipation of the opening night of the D-League season, we look at the latest news from around the D-League. The final rosters have been announced, Marcus Williams has been injury released, and Billy Thomas has joined the Colorado 14ers. /article/Inside-the-D-League-2344/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-2344/ Fri, 23 Nov 2007 18:52:38 -0500 Today is another busy day in college hoops as several teams from outside the major conferences try to make a statement in the exempt tournaments. Some already have. George Mason scored a huge win against Kansas State, and looks to add another one against Villanova today in the Old Spice Classic. Old Dominion will get a crack at North Carolina and BYU will get a shot at Louisville in the Las Vegas Invitational. Butler has a nice win against Michigan and will face Virginia Tech tonight up in the Great Alaska Shootout. A win could set up a potential showdown with Gonzaga. Illinois State, a potential sleeper in the Missouri Valley, gets a shot at Indiana in the Chicago Inviational. The NIT Championship game and third place game are today.All that and much more on a busy, meaningful November day in college hoops... /article/Friday,-Nov-23rd-Exempt-Tournament-Games-and-Other-Action-2343/ /article/Friday,-Nov-23rd-Exempt-Tournament-Games-and-Other-Action-2343/ Fri, 23 Nov 2007 03:15:18 -0500 Drew Barnette takes a look at some of today's action on the hardwood. Davidson suffered a surprising loss to Western Michigan last night.Western Kentucky is trying to earn some respect in the Great Alaska Shootout. They'll face Gonzaga tonight. The Old Spice Classic tips off today, and features a George Mason team that's looking for some statement wins.All that, and more... /article/Thanksgiving-Day-News-Notes,-and-Exempt-Tourney-Match-ups-2342/ /article/Thanksgiving-Day-News-Notes,-and-Exempt-Tourney-Match-ups-2342/ Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:45:54 -0500 It's the day before Thanksgiving, and it's another busy day for college hoops. Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of everything, and a looks back at everything that happened yesterday.The Preseason NIT Semifinals are tonight, and the Great Alaska Shootout tips off. Marquette and Duke will face each other for the Maui Invitational Championship.Saint Mary's got a huge win at home against Oregon.Boston College and Rhode Island face off tonight. Both are unbeaten, but are also somewhat unnoticed so far. It's a big game for two teams trying to make a statement and establish their seasons early on. All that, and more... /article/Wed,-Nov-21-Highlighted-Games,-Exempt-Tournament-Info,-and-Other-News-2341/ /article/Wed,-Nov-21-Highlighted-Games,-Exempt-Tournament-Info,-and-Other-News-2341/ Wed, 21 Nov 2007 02:17:24 -0500 [c]Sport24.gr[/c]Dusan Sakota erupted this past weekend with a long-range shooting exhibition for a 22-point performance leading Panionios to a very valuable road victory against powerful Aris, qualifying not only as the Greek League weekly MVP, but also as our Player of the Week. /article/Roundup-Bomber-Sakota-2337/ /article/Roundup-Bomber-Sakota-2337/ Wed, 21 Nov 2007 02:16:09 -0500 After a strong 2006-07 season in which he was one of Memphis’s top offensive options, Chris Douglas-Roberts has had an explosive start to his junior season. The 6’6” guard has posted averages of 23 points and 7 rebounds in his first four games and has emerged as the veteran leader of this very talented Tiger team. Douglas-Roberts was nice enough to take time out of his busy in season schedule to talk about the start of the season, Memphis’s back-to-back Elite Eight trips, playing with new teammate Derrick Rose and the possibility of an NBA career. /article/Chris-Douglas-Roberts-%22The-NBA-Isn-t-Going-Anywhere%22-2338/ /article/Chris-Douglas-Roberts-%22The-NBA-Isn-t-Going-Anywhere%22-2338/ Wed, 21 Nov 2007 01:43:16 -0500 More of the major exempt tournaments are in full swing, and Drew Barnette gives us a rundown and review of the previous action, and a preview of tonight's action. Baylor, who has not played well away from home for several years, won three straight games down in the Virgin Islands, including two nailbiters against Notre Dame and Winthrop, to win the Paradise Jam Championship.Illinois is trying to make an early statement that they can be a Top 25 caliber team when they face Duke tonight out in Maui.Michigan State and Missouri went down to the wire in the CBE Classic, and both teams have big games tonight.All of that, and much more... /article/BX-News,-Notes,-Exempt-Tournaments-Rundown,-and-Highlighted-Match-ups-2340/ /article/BX-News,-Notes,-Exempt-Tournaments-Rundown,-and-Highlighted-Match-ups-2340/ Tue, 20 Nov 2007 03:14:36 -0500 A recap of the most intriguing college prospects seen at day two of the national prep showcase in Lowell, Massachusetts, including players such as Tyreke Evans, Alex Oriakhi, Emmanuel Negudu, DeAndre Liggins, Jin Soo Kim, and others. /article/National-Prep-Showcase-Day-Three/ /article/National-Prep-Showcase-Day-Three/ Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:17:00 -0500 Matt Schaefer kicks off the week by compiling all the articles you need to read for your college basketball pleasure. /article/November-19th-Pick-and-Rolls-2336/ /article/November-19th-Pick-and-Rolls-2336/ Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:13:45 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest Bracket Projections have been posted. It has been a crazy season early on with even more surprises than usual, so take a look at where teams currently stand in the race to make the field of 65, and read about how some of these early surprises could come into play later on. Tonight's highlighted match-ups are also analyzed. The Maui Invitational is underway, and the third place game and championship game of the Paradise Jam will take place tonight as well... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-November-19th-2335/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-November-19th-2335/ Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:07:46 -0500 A recap of the most intriguing college prospects seen at day two of the national prep showcase in Lowell, Massachusetts, including players such as Devin Ebanks, DeAndre Liggins, Clarence Trent, and others. /article/National-Prep-Showcase,-Day-Two-2334/ /article/National-Prep-Showcase,-Day-Two-2334/ Sun, 18 Nov 2007 13:13:17 -0500 The Paradise Jam and the Puerto Classic are winding down, and it's a chance for teams to pick up a few quality wins away from home. For Others, it's a chance to make a statement early that they are strong enough to be in the mix. Miami, FL and Providence square off for the Puerto Rico Invitational Championship.Winthrop looks to pull an upset against Georgia Tech and advance to the finals of the Paradise Jam to face either Baylor or Notre Dame.In other action, Clemson is coming off their big road win against Mississippi State, and faces a pretty solid Old Dominion team.All that, and more... /article/Sunday,-November-18th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2333/ /article/Sunday,-November-18th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2333/ Sun, 18 Nov 2007 11:28:21 -0500 A recap of the most intriguing college prospects seen at day one of the national prep showcase in Lowell, Massachusetts, including players such as Devin Ebanks, Terrence Jennings, Roscoe Davis, Chris Braswell and others. /article/National-Prep-Showcase-Day-One/ /article/National-Prep-Showcase-Day-One/ Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:59:08 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all of today's college basketball action as teams are trying to get out of the gate quickly and establish themselves early on. /article/Saturday,-November-17th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2331/ /article/Saturday,-November-17th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2331/ Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:33:56 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all of today's action, along with a look at what's happening in the exempt tournaments that are underway. The championship game and third place game of the Coaches vs Cancer Classic are tonight, and the Paradise Jam kicks off as well. All that, and more... /article/Friday,-November-16-Highlighted-Games-and-Exempt-Tournaments-2329/ /article/Friday,-November-16-Highlighted-Games-and-Exempt-Tournaments-2329/ Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:54:26 -0500 Part two of the interview digs a bit deeper into some of Utah's team dynamics and how Brewer feels about playing for Jerry Sloan, his role on the Jazz, and their goals for this season. /article/Interview-with-Ronnie-Brewer-Part-Two-2330/ /article/Interview-with-Ronnie-Brewer-Part-Two-2330/ Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:03:24 -0500 Several of the prestegious early season exempt tournaments such as the NIT, CBE Classic and Puerto Rico Shootout are in full swing. Gardner Webb, who upset Kentucky last week, has a big game tonight against Connecticut in the semifinals of the Coaches vs Cancer Classic. Here is a rundown of all that, as well as the rest of today's action. /article/Thursday,-November-15-Highlighted-Match-ups-2328/ /article/Thursday,-November-15-Highlighted-Match-ups-2328/ Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:01:44 -0500 In the second part of our D-League preview, we look at the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Albuquerque Thunderbirds, and Colorado 14ers. /article/D-League-Season-Preview--Part-Three-2327/ /article/D-League-Season-Preview--Part-Three-2327/ Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:44:49 -0500 Davidson will face North Carolina tonight in one of the more intriguing games of the season so far. The Tarheels are one of the best teams in the country, and a very good Davidson team who is starving to make a statement will have the opportunity to take the floor against them.The Preseason NIT and CBE Classic are in full swing, and a full rundown of tonight's action in each tournament is given as well.All that, the rest of today's big games, and more... /article/Wednesday,-November-14-Highlighted-Match-ups-2326/ /article/Wednesday,-November-14-Highlighted-Match-ups-2326/ Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:01:02 -0500 To celebrate the return of college basketball, we bring some observations from the many games we already scouted this past week, as well as some methodology regarding how to digest what we’re currently seeing. /article/Observations-from-Opening-Week-2325/ /article/Observations-from-Opening-Week-2325/ Wed, 14 Nov 2007 02:40:05 -0500 DraftExpress recently got a chance to catch up with one of its favorite sons in Utah shooting guard Ronnie Brewer. The well-regarded prospect because somewhat of an afterthought last season after becoming a spectator for much of the year. But the gritty Arkansas product with the strong defensive game did more than sit during last season's run to the Western Conference Finals. Brewer took stock of what was going on around him, applied those lessons in the off-season, and earned himself the starting spot in just his second year in the league. Brewer is off to a stellar start and doesn't look to be in any danger of ever seeing the sidelines again. With a great head on his shoulders and a versatile game at his disposal, Brewer could really add a dimension to this Jazz team that its lacked for years-a defensive stopper on the wing.... /article/Interview-with-Ronnie-Brewer-Part-One-2324/ /article/Interview-with-Ronnie-Brewer-Part-One-2324/ Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:28:10 -0500 Mercer is coming off a surprising win on the road against USC. They didn't just win, but they won decisively. Tonight, they are hosting Alabama. You read that correctly. MERCER is HOSTING...ALABAMA!!! This is a shot for them to pick up another win that would impress the selection committee.The Preseason NIT and CBE Classic are also in full swing. There are some big opportunities tonight for teams who are looking to make an early splash on the national scene. Wins like this early do make a difference in March as well. All that, and more... /article/Tuesday,-November-13th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2323/ /article/Tuesday,-November-13th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2323/ Tue, 13 Nov 2007 02:45:45 -0500 [c]Photo: Armani Jeans Milano[/c]Although Nikola Pekovic should have probably monopolized our Player of the Week award for the third consecutive time, we instead opted to pick Danilo Gallinari, recently back after a minor injury, who delivered a couple of extremely solid performances both in the Euroleague and Italian championship. He shares the spotlight with Vitor Faverani, who showed his good face this past weekend. /article/Roundup-Gallinari-is-Back-2322/ /article/Roundup-Gallinari-is-Back-2322/ Tue, 13 Nov 2007 02:08:26 -0500 The season is only a week old, but it's already been eventful. Drew Barnette gives us a recap of all the action from this past week, including the surprise teams from the Atlantic Sun, and analyzes how what kind of an impact it could end up having in March. Also discussed is how pushing the start of the season back a week could be impacting some of the teams that have undergone coaching changes and/or have quite a few new players on their roster.All that, tonight's highlighted games, and more... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-November-12th-2321/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-Monday,-November-12th-2321/ Mon, 12 Nov 2007 03:20:30 -0500 Matt Schaefer kicks off the week by compiling all the articles you need to read for your college basketball pleasure. /article/November-12th-Pick-and-Rolls-2320/ /article/November-12th-Pick-and-Rolls-2320/ Mon, 12 Nov 2007 03:06:27 -0500 In the second part of our D-League preview, we look at the Idaho Stampede, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Dakota Wizards, and Austin Toros. /article/D-League-Season-Preview--Part-Two-2319/ /article/D-League-Season-Preview--Part-Two-2319/ Mon, 12 Nov 2007 01:57:41 -0500 Seattle is a franchise searching for its future. Two years removed from a 52 win season, a Northwest Division Championship, and a trip to the Western Conference Semifinals, the Sonics have new ownership, a new front office, and their 3rd head coach since Nate McMillan went south to Oregon as they try and right the ship after back to back disappointing seasons. Seattle's disappointment on the court has actually been exceeded by the outrage the locals have with the planned departure to Oklahoma City. With General Manager Sam Presti imported from San Antonio the Sonics, have decided to take the good fortune of getting the 2nd overall pick in the ’07 draft and not just change locations, but also change their identity. /article/Seattle-Supersonics-Rookie-Report-2318/ /article/Seattle-Supersonics-Rookie-Report-2318/ Sun, 11 Nov 2007 07:51:46 -0500 UC Santa Barbara faces Stanford and has a chance to get a huge quality win early, which would be extremely important to a Big West team that feels it is good enough to make the NCAA. Gonzaga could also be in for a battle today against Montana. All that, and more... /article/Sunday,-November-11-Highlighted-Match-ups-2317/ /article/Sunday,-November-11-Highlighted-Match-ups-2317/ Sun, 11 Nov 2007 00:37:07 -0500 With the draft complete and training camp rosters assembled, we take a look at the players and potential of each D-League team this season, as well as potentially players who might be assigned by NBA teams. In part one of our preview, we take a look at the Iowa Energy, Anaheim Arsenal, Utah Flash, Bakersfield Jam, Los Angeles D-Fenders, and Tulsa 66ers. In other D-League News, the Utah Jazz have assigned rookie center Kyrylo Fesenko to the Utah Flash of the D-League. Fesenko becomes the second NBA player assigned this season, next to Ramon Sessions of the Bucks who will play with the Tulsa 66ers. /article/D-League-Season-Preview--Part-One-2316/ /article/D-League-Season-Preview--Part-One-2316/ Sat, 10 Nov 2007 03:11:56 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of the first Saturday in college hoops. /article/Saturday,-November-10th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2315/ /article/Saturday,-November-10th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2315/ Sat, 10 Nov 2007 00:06:34 -0500 The non-exempt season kicks off tonight, and fans will be treated to a full slate of games for the first time. Here is a look at all of tonight's action as teams look to kick of their season with a win. /article/Friday,-November-9th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2314/ /article/Friday,-November-9th-Highlighted-Match-ups-2314/ Fri, 09 Nov 2007 13:38:11 -0500 CJ Watson, aka "Quiet Storm," a first round pick in last week's D-League draft and former All-SEC standout, kicks off his first blog by introducing himself to his readers with an in-depth background explaining how he got to where he is right now--McAllen, Texas, kicking off training camp with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. /article/CJ-Watson-An-Introduction-2313/ /article/CJ-Watson-An-Introduction-2313/ Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:33:18 -0500 Three days into the season, and we already have ourselves an upset!! Gardner Webb never trailed Kentucky, and led by 10 points or more for just about the entire game. For a team that was a non-factor in the Atlantic Sun last year, it was a very surprising and impressive showing. Several players stepped up big and Gardner Webb advances to the semifinals of the Coaches vs Cancer Classic where they'll likely join Memphis, Connecticut and Oklahoma on the national stage next week... /article/Gardner-Webb-Shocks-Kentucky-2312/ /article/Gardner-Webb-Shocks-Kentucky-2312/ Thu, 08 Nov 2007 01:49:57 -0500 Sean Marshall, a 4-year standout at Boston College (15 points per game), shares his thoughts on his rookie year so far with 2nd place Pinar Karsiyaka, where he is in the midst of a successful rookie campaign in the Turkish TBL. Marshall discusses the transition he’s making to living and playing overseas, where he is currently the #1 scorer in the league (21.2 ppg), ahead of many established NBA and NCAA players (Dee Brown, Loren Woods, Khalid El-Amin, James White, many more), playing alongside two fellow American rookies in Gary Neal and Quinton Hosley—who are also playing extremely well. /article/Killin--in-Karsiyaka-Sean-Marshall-2311/ /article/Killin--in-Karsiyaka-Sean-Marshall-2311/ Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:33:27 -0500 Wondering where your favorite college player ended up after going undrafted this past June? In how many places can college graduates with a talent to play basketball find a source of employment? Well here’s the full list. /article/The-Journey-Undrafted-Rookie-Free-Agent-Destinations-2310/ /article/The-Journey-Undrafted-Rookie-Free-Agent-Destinations-2310/ Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:51:48 -0500 [c]Photo: ABA[/c]We have no choice but to award Nikola Pekovic our Player of the Week honors once again. He’s just destroying opposing defenses with his ability to finish around the basket, and this week both Chorale Roanne and Crvena Zvezda got a taste of his devastating game. We also take a look at Mickael Mokongo. The small French point guard is delivering a very nice season in the Turkish League. /article/Roundup-Unstoppable-Pekovic-2308/ /article/Roundup-Unstoppable-Pekovic-2308/ Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:47:02 -0500 HAPPY COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON EVERYBODY!!!The 2007-2008 College Basketball Season officially kicks off today with the Coaches vs Cancer Classic. Drew Barnette talks about that, as well as gives us a look at this year's Preseason Media Bracket, which selects and seeds all the teams based on the preseason polls. Check out his thoughts on that, along with this week's action in the Coaches vs Cancer Classic /article/BX-Media-Preseason-Bracket-Projections-2309/ /article/BX-Media-Preseason-Bracket-Projections-2309/ Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:30:57 -0500 Since there is certainly life beyond the six 'high-major' conferences in the NCAA, we've decided to peek outside the cozy realm of familiarity to take a look at some of the best prospects that are toiling in relative obscurity. St Joseph's Ahmad Nivins leads off our third batch of "other" conference prospects, followed by Gonzaga sophomore Matt Bouldin, Memphis junior Robert Dozier, Marshall junior Markel Humphrey, and Texas A&M Corpus Christi senior Chris Daniels. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the--Other--Conferences--Part-3-11-15--2307/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the--Other--Conferences--Part-3-11-15--2307/ Mon, 05 Nov 2007 03:13:30 -0500 The D-League held their annual draft on Thursday night via Teleconference over the course of 2 hours. There were plenty of ups and downs throughout the night, and as always, we were there with the inside scoop. Jim Hlavac made his way to Anaheim to examine the atmosphere of the fan-base, Mike Schmidt sat in the war room of the Iowa Energy, and Richard Walker examined the NBATV coverage from the comfort of his living room. We also provide an overview of the first round of the draft, as well as a look at some value picks in each round of the draft. To find the full draft list, please visit the official D-League homepage. /article/2007-D-League-Draft-2303/ /article/2007-D-League-Draft-2303/ Fri, 02 Nov 2007 05:38:32 -0400 Since there is certainly life beyond the six 'high-major' conferences in the NCAA, we've decided to peek outside the cozy realm of familiarity to take a look at some of the best prospects that are toiling in relative obscurity. Memphis' Chris Douglas-Roberts leads off our second batch of "other" conference prospects, followed by the nation's leading scorer Reggie Williams, New Mexico's J.R. Giddens, Rider's Jason Thompson, and Xavier's Derrick Brown. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the--Other--Conferences--Part-Two-6-10--2302/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the--Other--Conferences--Part-Two-6-10--2302/ Fri, 02 Nov 2007 02:49:00 -0400 Orlando was one of the most aggressive teams in the market over the summer. The Magic spent above and beyond what was necessary in order to secure the services of Rashard Lewis. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Orlando-Magic-2301/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Orlando-Magic-2301/ Fri, 02 Nov 2007 02:17:59 -0400 The D-League will hold their annual draft on November 1st at 8pm Eastern Time. The event will be broadcast on NBA TV and an audio feed will be available at nba.com/dleague. We have been given the massive allocated and draft-eligible player lists, and are sharing them here, along with our thoughts on this year's pool of players. /article/2007-08-D-League-Draft-Season-Preview-2300/ /article/2007-08-D-League-Draft-Season-Preview-2300/ Thu, 01 Nov 2007 03:28:32 -0400 Things have been very positive around the Warriors organization since last season’s surprise surge to prominence. Despite the loss of key veteran Jason Richardson, Golden State is counting on internal improvement to help build off of last season’s success. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Golden-State-Warriors-2298/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Golden-State-Warriors-2298/ Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:26:28 -0400 [c]Photo: Euroleague[/c]When the Euroleague opener for Partizan came to an end, FC Barcelona’s interior defense was nowhere to be found. Nikola Pekovic had torn it to shreds with an outrageous scoring outburst that won him MVP of the week honors in Europe’s top competition. Obviously, he’s also our Player of the Week. Making less noise but equally effective, Nicolas Batum is steadily becoming the leader of Le Mans, showcasing his amazing all-around game. /article/Roundup-Pekovic,-Euroleague-Week-One-MVP/ /article/Roundup-Pekovic,-Euroleague-Week-One-MVP/ Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:22:01 -0400 NBA teams submitted their rosters for the 2007-08 regular season today, giving us a chance to take a look at some of the new names that have made the league through the front or the back door. What this list does more than anything is reiterate the fact that there are many ways to make the NBA, and that just because a player goes undrafted, doesn’t mean that he can’t still play in the league eventually. Let’s take a deeper look. /article/The-NBA-s-Newest-Players--and-how-they-got-here--2295/ /article/The-NBA-s-Newest-Players--and-how-they-got-here--2295/ Tue, 30 Oct 2007 01:43:34 -0400 Drew Barnette's first bracket projections of the season has been posted. Click here to check it out and read the article along with it. /article/Bracket-Express-Preseason-Bracket-Projections-2294/ /article/Bracket-Express-Preseason-Bracket-Projections-2294/ Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:37:40 -0400 Since there is certainly life beyond the six 'high-major' conferences in the NCAA, we've decided to peek outside the cozy realm of familiarity to take a look at some of the best prospects that are toiling in relative obscurity. VCU's Eric Maynor became a familiar name amongst basketball junkies with the heroics he provided throughout the month of March. He's joined here by Western Kentucky's Courtney Lee, Gonzaga's Jeremy Pargo and Josh Heytvelt, and Memphis' Joey Dorsey. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the--Other-Conferences---Part-One-1-5--2291/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the--Other-Conferences---Part-One-1-5--2291/ Mon, 29 Oct 2007 02:40:56 -0400 Our last batch of Big East prospects brings is three seniors, one sophomore and one junior. Top defensive guard Jerel McNeal kicks things off, followed by rebounding machine Kentrell Gransberry, sweet shooting sophomore DaJuan Summers, fundamental post player David Padgett, and the incredibly cerebral Geoff McDermott. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Three-11-15--2285/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Three-11-15--2285/ Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:40:58 -0400 Off Season Overview:The Clippers are still reeling from a series of unfortunate events that has dampened enthusiasm for the team this coming season. Shaun Livingston?s knee injury set the tone for things to come. Livingston was starting to come into his own before he went down and has a long recovery ahead of him. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-LA-Clippers-2283/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-LA-Clippers-2283/ Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:47:02 -0400 When Rudy Fernández, currently the best player in the ACB League, fell injured on Thursday after burying 22 points against F.C.Barcelona, coach Reneses knew he could trust his youngest guards to keep Joventut at the top of the Spanish competition. The very same day Ricky Rubio turned 17 years old, he stepped up to fill that void, now showing proof of his ability to lead a team at the top international level. Meanwhile, escorting him, but still under the radar, Pau Ribas is steadily growing into a high level guard, and his weekend performance provide us the adequate timing to introduce a player that has been deserving some words here on DraftExpress for several months now. Both are the main features of this week. /article/Roundup-Happy-Birthday-Ricky-2280/ /article/Roundup-Happy-Birthday-Ricky-2280/ Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:08:58 -0400 OK, let?s be honest. I am from South Dakota, and went to the University of Iowa, so you probably don?t know who I am. If you do, you are family, a close friend, or you chose me in a NBA Fantasy Draft and then finished last in your pool. /article/An-Introduction...-2278/ /article/An-Introduction...-2278/ Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:19:32 -0400 Denver made its major move at the trade deadline last season, so it?s not surprising that they were fairly inactive over the summer. The Nuggets are relying on team chemistry and the internal development of some key personnel to further their cause this season. The addition of Allan Iverson was a monumental move for the club, but it was probably too much to ask expecting a cohesive unit by playoff time. Carmelo Anthony?s suspension pushed the experimental timetable back last season and the group really didn?t start to jell until the series against the Spurs. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Denver-Nuggets-2277/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Denver-Nuggets-2277/ Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:16:08 -0400 Three sophomores and two juniors top our second list of returning draft prospects from the Big East, headlined by Louisville's Earl Clark, Stanley Robinson, Joe Alexander, Dominic James and Scottie Reynolds. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Two-6-10--2275/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Two-6-10--2275/ Mon, 22 Oct 2007 02:46:59 -0400 Off Season Overview:Its been a tumultuous off-season for the Lakers as the prospect of trading Kobe Bryant has hindered the team?s ability to focus. Bryant requested a trade early in the summer and the team has been immersed in a media circus of sorts for the better part of three months. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Los-Angeles-Lakers-2274/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Los-Angeles-Lakers-2274/ Sun, 21 Oct 2007 12:28:30 -0400 Part one of our top returning NBA draft prospects in the biggest and also the deepest conference in college basketball--the Big East--kicks off with a player that easily could have been a top 10 pick last year had he decided to bolt--Roy Hibbert. it continues with four outstanding athletes who have shown varying degrees of potential, but still have plenty left to prove: Terrence Williams, Derrick Caracter, Hasheem Thabeet and Paul Harris. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-One-1-5--2271/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-One-1-5--2271/ Sat, 20 Oct 2007 05:20:04 -0400 Off Season Overview:Simply put, the Heat had a disastrous off-season. The team failed to land any of the major free agents they pursued, losing out on Mo Williams, Mickael Pietrus, and Charlie Bell. The only acquisition of note was the oft-maligned Smush Parker who has performed well thus far in Heat training camp. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Miami-Heat-2269/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Miami-Heat-2269/ Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:23:15 -0400 We wrap up our coverage of the Big 10 with five more returning draft prospects, all of which are hardly household names. Kevin Coble emerged as one of the top freshman in the conference last year for Northwestern, and shows nice potential as a sharpshooting 6-8 wing. Shaun Pruitt finished second in the conference only to Greg Oden in rebounding last season, and will now be Illinois' main inside reference. Othello Hunter has the wingspan and athleticism to make an impact, and will now also get the playing time. Chris Kramer is a scrappy 6-3 combo guard who contributed heavily already as a freshman. And last we find Brian Butch, a sweet shooting big man who has one last chance to show that he wasn't a McDonald's All-American for naught. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-10--Part-Two-6-10--2268/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-10--Part-Two-6-10--2268/ Thu, 18 Oct 2007 01:28:39 -0400 We?re back after the summer break. Most European domestic leagues are up and running, and the Euroleague and the other pan-European competitions just wait around the corner. Our first player of the week is Tadija Dragicevic, who is enjoying an impressive season start for Crvena Zvezda in the Adriatic League. Still, much of the spotlight went this week to Sergio Llull and his very productive showing in the NBA Live Tour as his team Real Madrid upset the Toronto Raptors. He surely made a name for himself in the NBA draft world. /article/Roundup-Back-on-Track-2267/ /article/Roundup-Back-on-Track-2267/ Wed, 17 Oct 2007 14:28:59 -0400 The Wizards had a relatively uneventful off-season and will be looking internally for improvement off of last season. The team was one of the best in the Eastern Conference before a series of key injuries stripped them of much of their potency. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Washington-Wizards-2265/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Washington-Wizards-2265/ Wed, 17 Oct 2007 03:16:45 -0400 An extremely average class of returning draft prospects greets us in the Big 10, clearly appearing to be the weakest conference of all the high-majors this season. Not even one returning prospect in the conference appears to be a lock to make the NBA, although there are clearly some excellent college players to be found. Two seniors in D.J. White and Drew Neitzel top the list, followed by three sophomores in David Lighty, Raymar Morgan, and Ekpe Udoh. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-10--Part-One-1-5--2263/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-10--Part-One-1-5--2263/ Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:06:10 -0400 The Raptors enjoyed a breakout season in winning the Atlantic division title last season. The team?s newly minted GM Brian Colangelo intelligently surveyed the foreign market and found true value in his overseas investments. Andrea Bargnani, Jorge Garbajosa, and Anthony Parker proved to be key cogs in the wheel that drove Toronto into the playoffs. The sell-high trade of Charlie Villanueva for T.J. Ford looks equally brilliant so far, as was extending him early at a bargain rate. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Toronto-Raptors-2261/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Toronto-Raptors-2261/ Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:47:02 -0400 Off Season Overview:Chicago had an understated off-season considering the fanfare surrounding Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett. The Bulls were major players in trade negotiations for Pau Gasol earlier in the year and had their hat in the ring for the two biggest fish before eventually staying their hand and allowing things to die down. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Chicago-Bulls-2257/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Chicago-Bulls-2257/ Sun, 14 Oct 2007 11:49:42 -0400 The top returning NBA draft prospects in the Big 10, featuring Wesley Johnson, Kevin Rogers, Curtis Jerrells, Richard Roby and Mamadou Diene. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-Three-11-15--2259/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-Three-11-15--2259/ Sat, 13 Oct 2007 20:16:37 -0400 Off Season Overview:The Cavs had an exciting and unexpected run to the championship series last season before being humbled by a deeper, better-rounded Spurs team. Still, the work that GM Danny Ferry has done in such a short time cannot be overlooked. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Cleveland-Cavaliers-2256/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Cleveland-Cavaliers-2256/ Fri, 12 Oct 2007 19:15:00 -0400 Aleks Maric, Aaron Bruce, and Andrew Ogilvy will all play in the NCAA this year, and all attended the AIS, the Australian Institute of Sport. Andrew Bogut and Brad Newley were drafted to play in the NBA, and also have the AIS on their resume. The latest in the long line of AIS grads to have their name brought up in American basketball circles is now Joe Ingles. /article/Getting-To-Know-Joe-Ingles-2254/ /article/Getting-To-Know-Joe-Ingles-2254/ Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:06:12 -0400 Detroit came up short in their bid for another championship series appearance, after racing out to the Eastern Conference?s best record. The team looked fully loaded once they added veteran Chris Webber for the playoff push, but came up short in the Eastern Conference Finals at the hands of LeBron James and the Cavs. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Detroit-Pistons-2252/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Detroit-Pistons-2252/ Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:47:43 -0400 The second batch of returning draft prospects in the Big 12 features a lot of potential and athletic ability, but also a lot of question marks. Players like Leo Lyons, Damion James, Mario Chalmers, Josh Carter and Marcus Dove are anything but household names, but their teams will need to step up in a major way if they are to have successful seasons. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-Two-6-10--2251/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-Two-6-10--2251/ Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:55:23 -0400 Houston had an early exit from the playoffs last year, but like their Texas counterparts, are probably a better team than their finish would indicate. Everything the Rockets do begins and ends with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, and the team has greatly desired a productive third option for some time. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Houston-Rockets-2249/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Houston-Rockets-2249/ Wed, 10 Oct 2007 02:35:18 -0400 Utah didn?t have much to do this past off season following their run to the Western Conference finals. The main issues for the Jazz this summer had been to find reliable point guard depth, continue to develop their young players (Deron Williams, Paul Millsap, and Ronnie Brewer) and to come to some type of resolution with disgruntled star Andrei Kirilenko. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Utah-Jazz-2247/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Utah-Jazz-2247/ Tue, 09 Oct 2007 13:43:34 -0400 Part one of our look at the top returning draft prospects in the Big 12 features four players from the state of Kansas, and one from Texas. Darrell Arthur takes the top spot, followed by D.J. Augustin, Bill Walker, Brandon Rush, and Sherron Collins. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-One-1-5--2246/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-One-1-5--2246/ Mon, 08 Oct 2007 01:41:27 -0400 Phoenix had a difficult end to their season with a controversial loss to arch-rival San Antonio. It?s possible that the Suns would have finally exorcized their post season demons if it weren?t for Steve Nash?s broken nose and the suspensions of Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Phoenix-Suns-2241/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Phoenix-Suns-2241/ Mon, 08 Oct 2007 01:25:00 -0400 Our second and final look at the top returning prospects in the SEC brings us a group of phenomenal athletes who are still making the transition into becoming serious NBA prospects. Tyler Smith is the most productive of them, having transfered to Tennessee after an excellent freshman season at Iowa. Both Alonzo Gee and Mike Mercer had intriguing sophomore campaigns that left a lot of room for optimism going into their junior year. Michael Washington and Steven Hill are big guys who are still learning the game but show the potential needed to possibly play at the next level. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC--Part-Two-6-10--2242/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC--Part-Two-6-10--2242/ Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:41:22 -0400 After losing unceremoniously to Golden State in the first round of last year?s playoffs, the Mavericks had a quietly effective off season. The team could have panicked and made some rash decisions, but instead elected to subtly build off of their current base. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Dallas-Mavericks-2239/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-Dallas-Mavericks-2239/ Fri, 05 Oct 2007 01:22:30 -0400 Off Season Overview:San Antonio could be excused somewhat for keeping the status quo during this past off season. The team is coming off another NBA championship and has managed their financials well. Going into next season the club will have some wiggle room to add some younger veteran talent to support their triple threat of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-San-Antonio-Spurs-2237/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Preview-San-Antonio-Spurs-2237/ Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:23:57 -0400 A fairly watered down SEC conference greets us with fewer prospects than we've become accustomed to in years past. It's safe to say that we probably won't see three top-10 picks emerge like we did in 2007. But regardless, there is talent to be found in the South as always. An unlikely prospect finds himself on top of our rankings in unproven sophomore Marreese Speights, followed by one of the most productive big men in the country in Richard Hendrix, an incredibly versatile combo guard in Jamont Gordon, arguably the nation's top shooter in Chris Lofton, and the SEC freshman of the year--Patrick Beverley. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC--Part-One-1-5--2236/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC--Part-One-1-5--2236/ Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:12:03 -0400 The last portion of our top ACC draft prospects list features a lot of potential and a lot of question marks. Two seniors have one last chance to make their mark on the college world in James Gist and Gavin Grant, and three sophomores in Deon Thompson, Ishmael Smith and Jon Scheyer are just now starting to emerge at the NCAA level, with plenty more expected from them this upcoming season and beyond. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-Three-11-15--2235/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-Three-11-15--2235/ Mon, 01 Oct 2007 02:20:05 -0400 ?Think Big,? that?s the slogan the Celtics organization has chosen for this season. With Kevin Garnett front and center on billboards throughout the city, it is an apt description of both the player and his expectations. But Garnett is not the sole face of this franchise as it looks to raise the bar this season. Garnett may be the most important piece of the puzzle, but he is aware that putting another banner in the rafters takes more than one man. /article/Celtics-Honor-Role-s--Meet-G.P.A.---3.0-2234/ /article/Celtics-Honor-Role-s--Meet-G.P.A.---3.0-2234/ Sun, 30 Sep 2007 11:29:08 -0400 Potential is the overriding sentiment we get when looking through this next crop of returning ACC draft prospects. Here we find two jet-quick, but undersized scoring point guards in Sean Singletary and Tyrese Rice; two superb athletes who are still developing their all-around game in James Mays and Deron Washington, and one scorer extraordinaire with quite a bit left to prove still in Wayne Ellington. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-One-6-10--2233/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-One-6-10--2233/ Fri, 28 Sep 2007 10:59:16 -0400 College Basketball season is right around the corner, and Bracket Express is now back in full swing. Drew Barnette takes a look at the conference realignment that took place over the offseason, and gives us a look at what's ahead. /article/Offseason-Conference-Realignment-2232/ /article/Offseason-Conference-Realignment-2232/ Fri, 28 Sep 2007 10:56:07 -0400 Continuing with our evaluation of the top returning (non-freshman) NBA draft prospects in the country, we move on to the Atlantic Coast Conference, where we predictably find two Tar Heels in Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough at the top. Last year's terrific freshman class continues to bear fruit on the East Coast as well, with Greivis Vasquez, Gerald Henderson and Brandon Costner. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-One-1-5-/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-One-1-5-/ Wed, 26 Sep 2007 01:15:44 -0400 Prospects 11-15 conclude our look at the top prospects in the Pac-10. Production and seniority seem to be the dominant themes here, with one of the best rebounders in the conference in Jeff Pendergraph, one of the best athletes in C.J. Giles, and some of the best shooters the West Coast has to offer in Bryce Taylor, Lawrence Hill and Maarty Leunen /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10--Part-Two-11-15--2230/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10--Part-Two-11-15--2230/ Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:16:23 -0400 We continue our annual look at the top returning NBA draft prospects in the Pac-10 with part two-- players ranked #6-#10. The depth of this conference pushes a couple of solid first round prospects into the second tier here, but there is still plenty of size and athleticism to choose from. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10--Part-Two-6-10--2229/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10--Part-Two-6-10--2229/ Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:57:57 -0400 We begin our annual look at the top returning NBA draft prospects in each of the high-major NCAA conferences with possibly the most intriguing of them all: the Pac-10. Lottery talent abounds at the top with Chase Budinger, Brook Lopez, Darren Collison and DeVon Hardin, while we find a true sleeper at the end in Arizona's Jordan Hill. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10--Part-One-1-5--2227/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10--Part-One-1-5--2227/ Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:43:26 -0400 With two rounds underneath our belts, half the field is eliminated and the stage is set for the quarterfinals. It?s win, or go home now. Let?s take a look back at what we?ve learned so far and think about things to look for over the next few days leading up to the finals. /article/EuroBasket-Notebook-Moving-into-the-Quarterfinals/ /article/EuroBasket-Notebook-Moving-into-the-Quarterfinals/ Thu, 13 Sep 2007 08:37:29 -0400 In the latest of DraftExpress' "Getting To Know" series, Rodger Bohn sits down with charismatic Cal big man DeVon Hardin. Although having played three years of college basketball already, Hardin is a player who clearly has his best days ahead of him, if he is able to continue to develop at the pace that he has over his tenure thus far at Cal. /article/Getting-To-Know-DeVon-Hardin-2225/ /article/Getting-To-Know-DeVon-Hardin-2225/ Thu, 13 Sep 2007 04:07:06 -0400 I stepped off the plane in Newark, New Jersey and headed down to the carousel to get my bag. I spent the next 45 minutes just waiting for my bag to come out. I don't think I've ever waited so long, but it wasn't bad because I got to inspect the scenery. People were talkin with their accents which was pretty sweet. There was actually a driver waiting for me who was holding a sign that said "Benson" which was also pretty sweet. He had an accent too, another thing that was sweet. I think I heard someone use the word "wiseguy" -- again, sweet. I walked over to the towncar and got in. As we headed to the hotel I could see the New York skyline. Sweet. I also saw some really big docks. I've seen enough T.V. to know that you don't want to end up "down by the docks", which I thought was sweet. I finally got to the hotel and went to my room and laid my head down. Right before I went to bed I thought to myself "You're on the east coast. Sweet." /article/The-New-Season--Rod-Benson-on-the-East-Coast-2224/ /article/The-New-Season--Rod-Benson-on-the-East-Coast-2224/ Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:36:05 -0400 Now that the action has shifted entirely to Madrid, we?ve landed in the city as well to take in the rest of the tournament...Topics explored include the reaction of the city to the EuroBasket, Lithuania's depth, the awful Turkish team, Greece's woes, fouling at the end of a game when up by two, and the terrific basketball played by the home team. /article/EuroBasket-Notebook-Storylines-from-the-Qualifying-Round-2222/ /article/EuroBasket-Notebook-Storylines-from-the-Qualifying-Round-2222/ Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:26:41 -0400 [c]Ricky Rubio (Photo: FIBA Europe)[/c]We close our extensive coverage of the U-18 European Championship with what likely was the deepest position in the tournament, point guard. It wasn?t unexpected, as the 1989 generation looks pretty deep at this spot. Still, it was a 1990-class player stealing the show: Ricky Rubio, of course, the best pure basketball talent seen during the tournament in Madrid. /article/U-18-European-Championship-The-Playmakers-2221/ /article/U-18-European-Championship-The-Playmakers-2221/ Sat, 08 Sep 2007 07:49:50 -0400 The D-League held their expansion draft yesterday, allowing the new teams a chance at acquiring the rights to players who played in the D-League last season. The existing franchises were allowed to protect the rights to 10 players from the previous season, and the rights to the players from the inactive teams were also available. Last season, each team was allowed to bring back 4 players they had rights to, either via the previous season or expansion draft. The league office still hasn?t decided how many players the teams will be allowed to bring back this year. J.R. Pinnock was selected first overall by Rio Grande Valley, followed by Jeremy Richardson who was taken by Fort Wayne. /article/D-League-Expansion-Draft-A-Deeper-Look-2220/ /article/D-League-Expansion-Draft-A-Deeper-Look-2220/ Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:40:51 -0400 With the preliminary round of the European Championships out of the way, and the qualifying round kicking off on Friday, we take a second to catch our breath and recap what we?ve learned so far from what has been an extremely exciting competition so far. Buzzer beaters, upsets, huge performances from the biggest stars, these first three days gave us a little bit of everything to savor. Let?s look back? /article/EuroBasket-2007-Notebook-Preliminary-Round-2219/ /article/EuroBasket-2007-Notebook-Preliminary-Round-2219/ Thu, 06 Sep 2007 02:11:39 -0400 [c]Milan Macvan vs. Kosta Koufos (Photo: Euroleague)[/c]We continue our player-by-player recap of the U-18 European Championship played in Madrid with the big men. It was quite an interesting competition regarding the paint players, and among others, the list includes the two great dominators of the tournament, MVP Kosta Koufos and the best player of the champion team Milan Macvan, while also the extremely intriguing Lithuanian Donatas Motiejunas. /article/U-18-European-Championship-The-Bigs-2216/ /article/U-18-European-Championship-The-Bigs-2216/ Wed, 05 Sep 2007 00:57:43 -0400 NBA scouts hoping to hop on a short flight to Madrid and find an abundance of draftable prospects to scout will be sorely disappointed, as Europe?s finest decided to leave the kids at home as they embark on yet another Eurobasket tournament. Digging deep into the final rosters now available to us, we find a very select number of draft prospects, as most of the big names were either cut (Emir Preldzic), got injured (Danilo Gallinari), or just flat out weren?t considered good or experienced enough to play at this level yet (Nicolas Batum, Omri Casspi, others). So which prospects did survive the cuts? Who?s the favorite to win the entire thing? Let?s take a look?and also consider some non-draft eligible internationals that might be worth keeping an eye on. /article/Eurobasket-Madrid--2007-European-Championship-Preview-2218/ /article/Eurobasket-Madrid--2007-European-Championship-Preview-2218/ Mon, 03 Sep 2007 01:28:12 -0400 [c]Edwin Jackson (Photo: FIBA Europe)[/c]Although two of the players featured here, Edwin Jackson and Dairis Bertans, were rightfully rewarded with all-tournament-team honors, you won?t find any clear-cut top NBA prospects on this list. The superb streak of small forward projects seen in the 1987 and 1988 classes hasn?t found continuity in the 89/90 age groups. It?s mostly a collection of promising shooters that should be able to feed the European ranks with firepower for years to come. /article/U-18-European-Championship-The-Wings-2217/ /article/U-18-European-Championship-The-Wings-2217/ Fri, 31 Aug 2007 11:58:27 -0400 We finish our player-by-player recap of the U-19 World Championships with the big men, basically centers but also potentially power forwards that have evolved primarily as low-post players in this tournament. There was a nice group of interesting prospects here that will surely develop into competitive players in the future at the senior level. The list is opened by MVP-award winner Milan Macvan, who led Serbia to the title. /article/U-19-World-Championship-Review-Big-Men-2197/ /article/U-19-World-Championship-Review-Big-Men-2197/ Wed, 29 Aug 2007 01:36:05 -0400 Continuing to explore the behind the scenes world of the free agent market, we take a look at the just-as-intriguing (at times) world of the European transfer market, which represents a true hierarchy of ?haves? and ?have-nots?. The top guns of the Euroleague continue to reload thanks to massive budgets-- rivaling their NBA counterparts at times?while we continue to see some of the top international players move to the NBA?and the players they replaced on rosters move to Europe. A more disturbing trend has to do with the recent trend of American players and their clubs buying or acquiring Eastern European passports ? a true win-win situation for both parties involved, but extremely damaging for the moral integrity and competitive nature of the sport. /article/Player-Movement-on-the-European-Summer-Market/ /article/Player-Movement-on-the-European-Summer-Market/ Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:25:50 -0400 Rucker Park has always been synonymous with exciting, crowd pleasing basketball. The high flying, fast paced brand of basketball played there is as much a part of the culture at Rucker as the court itself is to downtown Harlem. The arrival of twenty-four of the country?s best high school players on Friday night for the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic made for another electrifying night at the famed park. DraftExpress was in attendance as the Goat Squad came away with a 169-164 victory over the Skip To My Lou Squad. /article/Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Hoops-Classic-Report/ /article/Boost-Mobile-Elite-24-Hoops-Classic-Report/ Sat, 25 Aug 2007 17:50:06 -0400 My offseason continues to roll on as August passes and September comes in. I arrived in Sacramento 3 weeks ago direct from my NBA Fair extravaganza in North Dakota. Since getting up here, things have really slowed down for me. It seems like everything I do now has a meaning to it. The season is right around the corner, and what I do now will have a direct correlation with the season. I think they call this focus in some places. If so, this is the most focused I've ever been, but that doesn't mean that I can't have different kinds of excitement along the way. /article/The-Off-Season-Part-4-2213/ /article/The-Off-Season-Part-4-2213/ Thu, 23 Aug 2007 22:41:41 -0400 It's time to take a look at the forwards in our player-by-player recap of the U-19 World Championship. Here we find some of the best prospects seen in Novi Sad, including Nicolas Batum, Michael Beasley or Víctor Claver. /article/U-19-World-Championship-Review-Forwards/ /article/U-19-World-Championship-Review-Forwards/ Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:52:52 -0400 Is the NBA reaching full capacity? According to a slew of unsigned veteran free agents, 2nd round picks, undrafted rookies, and their distressed representation this summer?that seems to be exactly the case. Whereas in most years there are a host of teams with roster spots for an agent to choose from, things appear to be slightly different this time around. Blame the luxury tax. Blame the international players. Blame the fact that geezers like Reggie Miller, Dikembe Mutombo and Kevin Willis refuse to retire. But realize that more than ever, the waiting list to get into the NBA is getting longer and longer, while the amount of spots stays the same or even gets shorter with teams like the Washington Wizards or New Jersey Nets considering carrying only 13 players to steer clear of the tax. /article/Is-the-NBA-Full-2212/ /article/Is-the-NBA-Full-2212/ Mon, 20 Aug 2007 01:22:23 -0400 As promised, we take a look back at the U-19 World Championship celebrated last month in Novi Sad to individually check on the best players seen in the competition. We start with the guards. /article/U-19-World-Championship-Review-Guards-2195/ /article/U-19-World-Championship-Review-Guards-2195/ Sun, 19 Aug 2007 09:00:17 -0400 Now that the NBA has left Long Beach for the Las Vegas Summer League, the best basketball in L.A. is at the Say No Classic - a 16-team summer league for college players including Darren Collison, Jeff Pendergraph and Austin Daye. /article/Say-No-Classic---LA-s-Collegiate-Summer-League-2211/ /article/Say-No-Classic---LA-s-Collegiate-Summer-League-2211/ Fri, 17 Aug 2007 01:47:08 -0400 Evaluations of the 2009 class high school players at the adidas Nations basketball experience in New Orleans last week. Including Derrick Favors, Dexter Strickland, Lance Stephenson, and Jerry Brown. /article/adidas-Nations-Basketball-Experience-2009-High-School-Prospects-2210/ /article/adidas-Nations-Basketball-Experience-2009-High-School-Prospects-2210/ Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:54:53 -0400 In a thrilling final featuring the dream matchup of Macvan vs. Koufos, Serbia amassed another triumph in the youth categories, while the Greek dominator ended up receiving the MVP award. With this victory in the European Junior Championship, the Balkan team has completed an unbelievable sweep by winning the four youth tournaments celebrated this summer, certifying its status as the best talent pool in Europe. /article/U-18-European-Championship-Serbia-Completes-the-Grand-Slam-2209/ /article/U-18-European-Championship-Serbia-Completes-the-Grand-Slam-2209/ Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:35:25 -0400 Evaluations of the 2008 class high school players at the adidas Nations basketball experience in New Orleans last week. Including Jrue Holiday, B.J. Mullens, Luke Babbitt, Jerime Anderson and others. /article/adidas-Nations-Basketball-Experience-2008-High-School-Prospects-2208/ /article/adidas-Nations-Basketball-Experience-2008-High-School-Prospects-2208/ Tue, 14 Aug 2007 01:07:52 -0400 Since last month's FIBA U-19 Championships, there have been few players with more buzz than Australian big man Andrew Ogilvy. Ogilvy was a man amongst boys in the competition, setting himself atop all of the big men that the event had to offer. Rodger Bohn sits down with Ogilvy in the latest of DraftExpress' "Getting To Know" series. /article/Getting-To-Know-Andrew-Ogilvy-2207/ /article/Getting-To-Know-Andrew-Ogilvy-2207/ Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:52:36 -0400 DraftExpress meets its annual rendezvous with the U-18 European Championship, where Kosta Koufos is the name most repeated these days. With his dominant performance he has brilliantly led Greece to the semifinals. Escorting Koufos as high-quality NBA prospects we find the likes of Ricky Rubio or Donatas Motiejunas. Also we pay special attention to the simulacrum game between Serbia and Lithuania. /article/U-18-European-Championship-Colossus-Koufos-2206/ /article/U-18-European-Championship-Colossus-Koufos-2206/ Fri, 10 Aug 2007 09:38:34 -0400 Summing up the international prospects seen at the adidas Nations Basketball Experience. /article/adidas-Nations-Basketball-Experience-Notebook-Day-34--Part-Two-2205/ /article/adidas-Nations-Basketball-Experience-Notebook-Day-34--Part-Two-2205/ Wed, 08 Aug 2007 22:41:04 -0400 Summing up the adidas Nations Basketball Experience with final thoughts and a last look at the NCAA players in attendance. /article/adidas-Nations-Basketball-Experience-Notebook--Day-3+4-,-Part-One-2204/ /article/adidas-Nations-Basketball-Experience-Notebook--Day-3+4-,-Part-One-2204/ Wed, 08 Aug 2007 02:24:24 -0400 DraftExpress spent three days at the Division B of the U-18 European Championships hosted in Sofia (Bulgaria), a propitious setting to look for new prospects in marginal markets, while also a very interesting competition itself given the surprising contrasts between the different National Teams. Check what we found there. /article/U-18-EC-Division-B-Searching-for-Hidden-Gems-2203/ /article/U-18-EC-Division-B-Searching-for-Hidden-Gems-2203/ Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:12:48 -0400 adidas has gathered dozens of prospects from around the world for a four day ?basketball experience? showcase. Six teams of high school players?two from the US (consisting of some of the top players in the 2008 and 2009 classes), and one team consisting of prospects from Africa, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America are put through a full day of practices, skill-development, guest speakers, and competitive games. The American high school teams are being coached by former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Paul Silas. The highlight for us and the scattered NBA personnel in attendance (probably around 10 teams are represented here, while one GM?Jeff Bower?is present) was easily the incredible group of college players that have been assembled by adidas to serve as counselors. They include names such as Derrick Rose, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Darren Collison, D.J. Augustin, Brook Lopez, Antonio Anderson, Terrence Williams, Mario Chalmers, Robert Dozier, Quincy Pondexter and more. We?ve already taken in quite a bit of competitive action between all these players, and it?s been an absolute treat to say the least. /article/adidas-Nations-Basketball-Experience-Notebook-Day-OneTwo--2202/ /article/adidas-Nations-Basketball-Experience-Notebook-Day-OneTwo--2202/ Sun, 05 Aug 2007 17:28:02 -0400 DraftExpress spent two weeks taking in dozens of summer league games from Las Vegas, Orlando, and Salt Lake City. We now present in-depth recaps of the top performers we saw in July, concluding with the honorable mention team: Acie Law, Randy Foye, Kelenna Azubuike, Tyrus Thomas, and Josh Davis /article/DraftExpress-All-Summer-League-Honorable-Mention-2201/ /article/DraftExpress-All-Summer-League-Honorable-Mention-2201/ Sun, 05 Aug 2007 15:48:05 -0400 [c]Youssoupha Mbao being defended by Daniel Clark[/c]The Spanish U-20 Circuit has become one of the hottest competitions for international scouting. The economic strength of the ACB teams is attracting bunches of international youngsters from around the world that are showcased in this setting. Featuring phenomenal prospects for years to come, we take a look at some of the most interesting ones seen last season, including among others the new African sensation Serge Ibaka, the next Argentinean gem Matias Nocedal, the super talented Brazilian Vitor Faverani or Alberto Jodar, one of the very top stars in the recently finished U-16 European Championship. /article/Looking-ahead-Spanish-U-20-Circuit-2198/ /article/Looking-ahead-Spanish-U-20-Circuit-2198/ Fri, 03 Aug 2007 00:13:52 -0400 I'm currently awaiting a phone call from my agent alerting me of who I will go to training camp with (provided that anybody out there wants me). While in wait mode, I got a phone call from the media relations guy (Mike, if that's not your title, my bad) from the NBDL Dakota Wizards, Mike. Mike informed my that the NBA would contact me soon about an appearance they hoped I would do. A few days later I was on the phone with an NBA representative who informed me that the NBA has something called the NBA Fair. Rod Benson at the NBA Fair? I had to learn more. /article/The-Offseason-Part-3-NBA-Fair-2200/ /article/The-Offseason-Part-3-NBA-Fair-2200/ Fri, 03 Aug 2007 00:09:34 -0400 DraftExpress spent two weeks taking in dozens of summer league games from Las Vegas, Orlando, and Salt Lake City. We now present in-depth recaps of the top performers we saw in July, continuing with the third team: Louis Williams, Von Wafer, Jared Dudley, Jason Maxiell, and Hilton Armstrong /article/DraftExpress-All-Summer-League-Third-Team-2199/ /article/DraftExpress-All-Summer-League-Third-Team-2199/ Wed, 01 Aug 2007 19:56:53 -0400 Wake Forest head basketball coach Skip Prosser died last Thursday afternoon, July 26th, in his office at the age of 56. He had been jogging on campus and was found unconscious in his office shortly afterwards by one of his assistants. Prosser had been at Wake Forest since 2001 and in that time achieved four NCAA Tournament berths (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005), a first place finish in the ACC in 2003, and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2004. /article/Wake-Forest-Coach-Skip-Prosser-Dies-Unexpectedly-at-age-56-2194/ /article/Wake-Forest-Coach-Skip-Prosser-Dies-Unexpectedly-at-age-56-2194/ Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:15:47 -0400 Multiple sources close to the situation told DraftExpress Sunday that the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves have come to terms on a trade sending Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics in a package including Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, and Theo Ratliff. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-KG-to-Boston-2193/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-KG-to-Boston-2193/ Mon, 30 Jul 2007 01:52:59 -0400 Any of the three big favorites probably could have ended with the world junior championship. France missed their train the moment they forgot how to close a controlled game in the semifinals against USA. Meanwhile, the Americans proved to be vulnerable in the last two games. Serbia didn?t forgive in the final to come up as winners of the most prestigious youth competition, following the leadership of Milan Macvan, MVP of the tournament and the perennial hero for the host team. /article/U-19-World-Championship-It-s-Serbia!-2192/ /article/U-19-World-Championship-It-s-Serbia!-2192/ Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:51:28 -0400 Wow, has it really been a month since I last posted something? I swear I've nearly had my life threatened by people waiting for me to post my new blog. Well, there have been a couple of reasons for my delay. For starters, my hard drive crashed on my macbook, putting me out of commission for a few weeks. Then there was this little matter of playing in the NBA Vegas Summer League. So, I guess I'll just pick up where I ended the last post... /article/The-Offseason-Part-2-Memphis-2191/ /article/The-Offseason-Part-2-Memphis-2191/ Tue, 24 Jul 2007 18:19:08 -0400 DraftExpress spent the past two weeks taking in dozens of summer league games from Las Vegas, Orlando, and Salt Lake City. We now present in-depth recaps of the top performers we saw in July, continuing with the second team: Nate Robinson, Aaron Brooks, D.J. Strawberry, Louis Amundson and Craig Smith. /article/DraftExpress-All-Summer-League-Second-Team-2190/ /article/DraftExpress-All-Summer-League-Second-Team-2190/ Tue, 24 Jul 2007 01:18:45 -0400 DraftExpress spent the past two weeks taking in dozens of summer leagues from Las Vegas, Orlando, and Salt Lake City. We now present in-depth recaps of the top performers we saw in July, starting with the first team: Jose Juan Barea, Rodney Stuckey, Marco Belinelli, Paul Millsap and LaMarcus Aldridge. /article/DraftExpress-All-Summer-League-First-Team-2189/ /article/DraftExpress-All-Summer-League-First-Team-2189/ Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:48:17 -0400 Recaps from the fifth day of action (our third and last) at the Rocky Mountain Revue. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-5-2188/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-5-2188/ Fri, 20 Jul 2007 19:47:54 -0400 Four years later, it?s time for another edition of the world?s top youth basketball competition. After the first two rounds, three teams have emerged as legit title contenders: USA, Serbia and France. Meanwhile, Andrew Ogilvy has taken the tournament by storm, leading Australia to a perfect 6-0 record, also leading the scoring board and emerging as our personal choice for the provisional MVP award. /article/U-19-World-Championship-Early-Rounds-2187/ /article/U-19-World-Championship-Early-Rounds-2187/ Fri, 20 Jul 2007 06:45:52 -0400 Recaps from the fourth day of action (our second) at the Rocky Mountain Revue. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Four-2186/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Four-2186/ Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:10:11 -0400 Recaps from the third day of action (our first) at the Rocky Mountain Revue. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Three-2185/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Three-2185/ Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:29:21 -0400 Recaps of a selection of the final games from the last day in Vegas. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-11-2184/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-11-2184/ Mon, 16 Jul 2007 03:22:52 -0400 Select recaps from the tenth day of action at the Vegas Summer League. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Ten-2183/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Ten-2183/ Sun, 15 Jul 2007 16:07:07 -0400 Recaps from the final day of the Orlando Summer League /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Day-Five-2182/ /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Day-Five-2182/ Sun, 15 Jul 2007 16:05:25 -0400 The first annual LeBron James Skills Academy came and went, with Samardo Samuels leading his Team Kentucky to a championship and 2009 big John Riek having another dominant performance. /article/LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Final-Day-2181/ /article/LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Final-Day-2181/ Sat, 14 Jul 2007 19:06:25 -0400 Recaps of select games and players from the eighth day in action.More updates coming later tonight. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Eight-2180/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Eight-2180/ Fri, 13 Jul 2007 22:39:36 -0400 Recaps of select games and players from the seventh day in action. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Seven-2179/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Seven-2179/ Fri, 13 Jul 2007 17:26:04 -0400 Day four of the Orlando Summer League. /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Day-Four-2178/ /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Day-Four-2178/ Fri, 13 Jul 2007 11:21:22 -0400 Recaps of select games and players from the sixth day of action in Las Vegas. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Six-2177/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Six-2177/ Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:45:04 -0400 Day three of the Orlando Summer League. /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Day-3-2176/ /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Day-3-2176/ Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:14:45 -0400 Final impressions from the RBK U at Philadelphia University, including an encore performance from Olu Ashalou. /article/RBK-U---Day-3-2175/ /article/RBK-U---Day-3-2175/ Thu, 12 Jul 2007 10:42:41 -0400 Recaps of the rest of the fifth day?s games. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-5--Part-two--2174/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-5--Part-two--2174/ Thu, 12 Jul 2007 03:10:36 -0400 Recaps of all three games from day two of the Orlando Summer league, specifically focusing in on the top individual performances. /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Day-Two-2173/ /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Day-Two-2173/ Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:43:11 -0400 Recaps of select games and players from the fifth day of action here in Las Vegas. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Five-2172/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Five-2172/ Wed, 11 Jul 2007 15:32:51 -0400 A breakdown of the players who are separating themselves from the pack so far at the RBK U in Philadelphia. /article/RBK-U---Day-Two--Top-Prospects-and-Performers-2171/ /article/RBK-U---Day-Two--Top-Prospects-and-Performers-2171/ Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:51:58 -0400 DraftExpress was able to take in all of the action from day three of the LeBron James Skills Academy, including dominant performances from high schoolers Samardo Samuels and John Riek. In addition, we were able to watch top collegians such as Jeff Adrien and Brook Lopez exert outstanding performances against the other college campers, as well as Cavaliers star LeBron James. /article/LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Day-Three/ /article/LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Day-Three/ Tue, 10 Jul 2007 23:53:04 -0400 Rudy Gay discusses his rookie season in depth, addressing his critics, talking about the transition he is making, and looking forward to coming together with a young team under a new head coach. /article/NBA-Summer-League-Interview-Rudy-Gay-2169/ /article/NBA-Summer-League-Interview-Rudy-Gay-2169/ Tue, 10 Jul 2007 05:29:42 -0400 Recaps of all six games and the top players in attendance. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Four-2168/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Four-2168/ Tue, 10 Jul 2007 04:31:37 -0400 Recaps of all four games and the top players in attendance. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Three-2167/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Three-2167/ Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:03:24 -0400 A breakdown of the evening session of day one of the RBK U camp in Philadelphia. Brandon Jennings, Renardo Sidney and Malcolm Lee shine. /article/RBK-U---Sunday-Night-Session-2166/ /article/RBK-U---Sunday-Night-Session-2166/ Mon, 09 Jul 2007 05:00:25 -0400 A breakdown of the morning session of day one of the RBK U in Philadelphia, including top prospects such as Renado Sidney, William Buford and Brandon Jennings. /article/RBK-U---Day-One---Morning-Session-Games-2165/ /article/RBK-U---Day-One---Morning-Session-Games-2165/ Mon, 09 Jul 2007 04:34:09 -0400 Recaps of all four games and the top players in attendance. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Two-2164/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Two-2164/ Sun, 08 Jul 2007 15:07:18 -0400 DraftExpress was on hand to cover Day Two of the LeBron James Skills Academy Camp, where many of the nation?s top high school and college players were in attendance. Top collegians Tywon Lawson, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, and Hasheem Thabeet joined high school studs Greg Monroe, Samardo Samuels, Tyreke Evans, Demar DeRozan, and new kid on the block John Riek. DraftExpress was on hand to provide detailed reports on all of the best prospects in attendance. /article/LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Day-Two/ /article/LeBron-James-Skills-Academy-Day-Two/ Sat, 07 Jul 2007 23:33:58 -0400 Recaps from all four games of the Vegas Summer League with detailed looks at the most intriguing prospects on the floor. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-One-2162/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-One-2162/ Sat, 07 Jul 2007 13:55:16 -0400 Part three of our top overseas free agents article will talk about players who are free to sign with the NBA franchise of their choice-- if their European team allows--and who will likely garner offers for more (sometimes much more) than the NBA minimum salary. /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2007-Market--Part-Three--2161/ /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2007-Market--Part-Three--2161/ Sat, 07 Jul 2007 05:06:17 -0400 Part two of our top overseas free agents article will talk about players whose rights are already owned by NBA franchises through being drafted in years past. /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2007-Market--Part-Two--2160/ /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2007-Market--Part-Two--2160/ Tue, 03 Jul 2007 23:46:40 -0400 As the NBA becomes more conscious of salary cap and luxury tax implications and looks to get better value from the rotation players they bring off the bench, we are beginning to see a growing trend of exploring the overseas markets for more mature and polished help from established players that put up excellent numbers in the various international leagues. Part one of our top overseas free agents series looks at American players who could be intriguing candidates for somewhere around the minimum salary. /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2007-Market--Part-One--2159/ /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2007-Market--Part-One--2159/ Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:27:57 -0400 How should we appropriate the 2007 draft in the context of an increasingly globalized NBA? What can you expect from your team?s international mystery picks? Let?s take a look at what happened in the draft concerning international players, with a special focus on the first round nominees. /article/2007-International-Draft-Overview-2158/ /article/2007-International-Draft-Overview-2158/ Mon, 02 Jul 2007 01:20:20 -0400 A breakdown of the draft?s obvious winners and losers, broken into four categories. The point here is to grade the draft based on who actually improved their franchise, as opposed to who did well given opportunities they had. A team like Seattle may not have gotten as much value as San Antonio based on opportunity, but still walk away from this draft a much bigger winner. Therefore, look for Seattle and San Antonio in separate categories. There are no incompletes here, as every team?s grade is incomplete until the players actually get on the court. /article/NBA-Draft-2007--Winners-and-Losers,-Ballpark-Style-2157/ /article/NBA-Draft-2007--Winners-and-Losers,-Ballpark-Style-2157/ Sun, 01 Jul 2007 03:53:28 -0400 While it?s WAY too early to evaluate how well teams made out in this draft, we?ll attempt to take an early shot at grading the draft based on what we know now and what we heard and saw from covering the draft over the past few months.I: How well did the team in question satisfy their personal needs or fill the gaps they have on their roster with the hand they were dealt.II: How much value teams got from the picks they had. III: Subjective opinions on the player they got and how well they fit with the team?s style of play, the direction they are headed and what we know about the organization. /article/2007-NBA-Draft-Report-Card-2156/ /article/2007-NBA-Draft-Report-Card-2156/ Sat, 30 Jun 2007 04:09:02 -0400 Check back with us throughout the month of July as we cover each of the three NBA summer leagues: Vegas, Orlando and the Rocky Mountain Revue, as well as provide in-depth high school basketball coverage as well as the many FIBA International Tournaments (U-16, U-18, U-19, U-20, etc). Our schedule is inside. /article/What-s-Next-DraftExpress-Summer-League-Coverage-and-More-2155/ /article/What-s-Next-DraftExpress-Summer-League-Coverage-and-More-2155/ Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:31:17 -0400 Before the dust settles, Jonathan Watters offers up hasty conclusions on the 2007 NBA Draft?s biggest developments. First up, a look at the night's major trades. /article/Jonathan-Watters-Gut-Reaction-2154/ /article/Jonathan-Watters-Gut-Reaction-2154/ Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:42:54 -0400 A pick by pick analysis of the 2007 draft from all our experts, live as they happen. (last update: 9:26 PM EST) /article/Live-Blogging-the-2007-NBA-Draft-2153/ /article/Live-Blogging-the-2007-NBA-Draft-2153/ Thu, 28 Jun 2007 18:35:52 -0400 An analysis of the total number of players drafted in the first and second round throughout the past 11 years by position and draft class. /article/Breaking-Down-the-NBA-Draft-by-Positions-and-Draft-Class-2152/ /article/Breaking-Down-the-NBA-Draft-by-Positions-and-Draft-Class-2152/ Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:50:34 -0400 Teams are in their war rooms, and all kinds of strange and interesting information has been trickling out, as you can also hear in our latest podcast. We try not to put too much stock into any of these rumors since we see a barrage of them coming out every single year right around this time, but they are exciting and controversial enough to report regardless. /article/Word-on-the-Street-The-Last-Batch-of-Rumors-2151/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-The-Last-Batch-of-Rumors-2151/ Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:19:14 -0400 Interviews with all the top prospects in this year's NBA draft from Media Day at the Westin Hotel in New York City. /article/NBA-Media-Day-Interviews-2150/ /article/NBA-Media-Day-Interviews-2150/ Thu, 28 Jun 2007 01:53:11 -0400 Matthew Modderno continues the Training Grounds series by interviewing Rico Hines of the Golden State Warriors. /article/Training-Grounds,-Part-Eight-An-Interview-with-Rico-Hines-2149/ /article/Training-Grounds,-Part-Eight-An-Interview-with-Rico-Hines-2149/ Wed, 27 Jun 2007 23:38:11 -0400 Last offseason brought Portland?s rebuilding process full-circle, and their initial season with their current group of players featured numerous signs of progress for the recently struggling franchise. Brandon Roy lived up to his advanced billing, and ran away with the Rookie of the Year Award, while LaMarcus Aldridge showed enough promise to warrant consideration for the accolade as well. Unfortunately, Portland?s roster didn?t have the experience or polish to make a run at the playoffs. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Portland-Trailblazers-2148/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Portland-Trailblazers-2148/ Wed, 27 Jun 2007 23:04:08 -0400 Jonathan and Doug bring you the latest rumors going around the league on the day before the draft. Yi Jianlian possibly going to Atlanta, trade talks between LA and Indiana heating up, a look at who might be slipping, and much, much more. Check out the podcast at our podcast page /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-6/ /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-6/ Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:34:03 -0400 In The Wages of Wins, David Berri and company introduce a basketball valuation system called Win Score. This easily calculated metric merely requires a box score and some basic math. To learn more about Win Score, check out The Wages of Wins book or numerous posts in this forum. /article/2007-Win-Scores-Draft-Preview-2146/ /article/2007-Win-Scores-Draft-Preview-2146/ Wed, 27 Jun 2007 02:02:25 -0400 Matthew Modderno continues the Training Grounds series by interviewing Rob McClanaghan of Abunassar Impact Basketball in Las Vegas. /article/Training-Grounds,-Part-Seven-An-Interview-with-Rob-McClanaghan-2145/ /article/Training-Grounds,-Part-Seven-An-Interview-with-Rob-McClanaghan-2145/ Wed, 27 Jun 2007 01:27:20 -0400 D.J. Strawberry it seems has a knack for sneaking up on people. Coming out of high school, he certainly wasn?t the most heralded of prospects in the University of Maryland?s national championship recruiting class. With big time prep stars like Mike Jones headlining the group, Strawberry was not looked upon as a player that would have a major impact for the Terrapins early on in his career. Despite the low expectations, Strawberry quickly rose to become the leader of the Terrapins and now finds himself as the only player from his class with a legitimate shot at continuing his career in the NBA. /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-D.J.-Strawberry-2144/ /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-D.J.-Strawberry-2144/ Wed, 27 Jun 2007 01:06:33 -0400 The Sonics battled injury and inconsistency for the second straight season and finished at the bottom of the Northwest division. The team has been able to collect quite a few valuable assets over the course of the past couple of seasons and still have some veterans that may yield a return. First year GM Sam Presti has elected to take over a very interesting situation. The franchise?s future in Seattle is still somewhat in question, but the improbable acquisition of the 2nd pick in this year?s draft has put the Sonics in a favorable position going forward. That pick could be the signature player in this draft, Kevin Durant, whose marketability may be just what?s needed to push popular support for a new arena deal through. Owner Clay Bennett paid a very steep price to acquire the Supersonics despite their marginal revenue potential, so the new arena will certainly be a hot topic moving forward. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Seattle-Super-Sonics-2139/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Seattle-Super-Sonics-2139/ Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:38:49 -0400 Emptying out our scouting notebook, we continue our series in examining under the radar prospects who are relatively unknown in American households. While virtually every draft fan knows the name Yi Jianlian, how many can actually describe his game? China?s next big thing has the talent of a top five pick in the draft, but will he land there due to his selective workout schedule and refusal to conduct a physical or travel to team facilities? /article/Filling-in-the-Blanks-Yi-Jianlian-2143/ /article/Filling-in-the-Blanks-Yi-Jianlian-2143/ Tue, 26 Jun 2007 02:38:13 -0400 Matthew Modderno continues the Training Grounds series by interviewing Mike Procopio of ATTACK Athletics in Chicago. /article/Training-Grounds,-Part-Six-An-Interview-with-Mike-Procopio-2142/ /article/Training-Grounds,-Part-Six-An-Interview-with-Mike-Procopio-2142/ Tue, 26 Jun 2007 02:17:56 -0400 The latest on the flurry of trade-talk that has swept the league, along with one riser in this draft and one faller. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Rising,-Falling,-Trading-2141/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Rising,-Falling,-Trading-2141/ Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:50:51 -0400 While all these crazy college kids are out there working out for numerous teams and getting ready for the draft, there are guys out there like former D-Leaguer Rod Benson who are attempting to make the NBA the unconventional way -- Free Agency. As the off season begins to speed up, Rod begins his free agent camp process in hopes that he might make a roster. This past week he was in Milwaukee and Golden State... just trying to live the dream. /article/The-Offseason-as-a-Free-Agent--Milwaukee-and-Golden-State.-2140/ /article/The-Offseason-as-a-Free-Agent--Milwaukee-and-Golden-State.-2140/ Mon, 25 Jun 2007 18:05:15 -0400 Atlanta had another typical Hawks season. They were intriguing at times, mistake-prone at key moments, and lacked the overall continuity and offensive clout to ultimately win on most nights. The Hawks aren?t in the worst shape in terms of their roster make up, as a few years of destitution has given them a number of quality young players. Despite the horrendously over-balanced trade with Phoenix a couple season?s back, the Hawks will still be able to add one more lottery level talent this season. Depending on the other moves the team makes, they could get themselves further into the Eastern Conference playoff picture next year, which would be quite a feat for a management group who?s already fighting an uphill battle to maintain control of the team. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Atlanta-Hawks-2138/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Atlanta-Hawks-2138/ Mon, 25 Jun 2007 12:35:57 -0400 Every year between the end of the end of the NCAA Tournament and Draft Day, scores of NBA hopefuls begin the intense process of preparing themselves for the audition of a lifetime. In a mere three months and change, top players from the United States and European Leagues will be poked, prodded, weighed, measured, and interrogated by the top brass of every Pro team. For the lucky few who show themselves well, the golden ticket of a guaranteed contract can be won, and with that a chance to play and prove their true worth on the next level. But, there are only so many chances and so small a time frame to showcase any and all hidden talents that somehow didn?t manifest themselves during seasonal play. For those players who are in favor coming into the process, the hungry masses competing for status will attack relentlessly from behind, scratching and clawing their way ever higher. /article/Training-Grounds-The-Minds-Behind-the-Madness-of-Pre-Draft-Workouts-2137/ /article/Training-Grounds-The-Minds-Behind-the-Madness-of-Pre-Draft-Workouts-2137/ Mon, 25 Jun 2007 02:51:27 -0400 The Centers make up the last group of prospects we are comparing strictly by the numbers. Greg Oden passes the test in most statistical categories, while Aaron Gray makes a case for being a little underrated these days. Spencer Hawes and Sean Williams don't fare nearly as well. /article/Just-by-the-numbers...Evaluating-this-Year-s-Center-Crop-2136/ /article/Just-by-the-numbers...Evaluating-this-Year-s-Center-Crop-2136/ Mon, 25 Jun 2007 02:13:54 -0400 As draft day approaches, a fog of excitement and apprehension swirls around the top international talents. Most international players, even the projected top-of-the-first-rounders, have had limited exposure in the U.S. market and are untested against the domestic college pool. By necessity, this leads to a certain level of extrapolation. Comments like ?If this guy was playing major college basketball, he?d be a better prospect than Al Horford? abound every year. For players projected to go later in the draft, there is an additional enticement: a team may draft an international player and keep him playing overseas for a couple of years and thus off the team?s books as they dance around the luxury tax threshold. This time of year, every team is searching for that player that will ferment, refine, and spring forth as the next Manu Ginobili. /article/Waiting-for-Manu-2135/ /article/Waiting-for-Manu-2135/ Sun, 24 Jun 2007 02:15:00 -0400 Corey Brewer adds fuel to the trade rumors by joining Joakim Noah in Phoenix's Tuesday workout...Kevin Durant works out for Seattle...Acie Law's "promise" from New Orleans...Tiago Splitter conducting interviews...more /article/Word-on-the-Street-Brewer-Working-Out-for-Phoenix-2134/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Brewer-Working-Out-for-Phoenix-2134/ Sun, 24 Jun 2007 01:11:55 -0400 Lottery night brought what could be considered a 2007 worst-case scenario full circle in Memphis. After losing Pau Gasol to an injury in the preseason, Memphis?s young group of talent was left to their own untested devices. A mid-season coaching change only compounded the team?s struggles, forcing an already overmatched roster to adjust on the fly. After finishing an NBA worst 22-60, the odds were stacked in favor of Memphis earning a top-two pick and, in turn, the opportunity to select Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. Adding insult to injury, Memphis not only fell out of the top spot, but slid all the way to the fourth slot. In the wake of the lottery, the team lost the services of renown General Manager Jerry West (now on board only as a paid advisor next to recently hired GM Chris Wallace), concluding what can only be described as a horrendously unlucky chain of events in Memphis. With a new Head Coach and General Manager in place, Memphis will head into the offseason looking to get out of their tailspin and reverse the bad luck that made their season so forgettable. With a payroll falling well short of the salary cap, Memphis will have the opportunity to add some pieces in free agency, but will need to spend wisely if they want to see immediate results. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Memphis-Grizzlies-2133/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Memphis-Grizzlies-2133/ Fri, 22 Jun 2007 13:50:54 -0400 In our latest Word on the Street column, We discuss some rumors being floated in telephone conversations, tackle the troubling issue of Sean Williams and his workout schedule, and wonder about the future of Rudy Fernandez. /article/Word-on-the-Street-League-Talk-A-Week-Before-the-Draft-2132/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-League-Talk-A-Week-Before-the-Draft-2132/ Fri, 22 Jun 2007 02:07:02 -0400 In our fifth DraftExpress podcast, we discuss a wide range of topics, including the recent changes to our mock draft, the latest rumors that are making the rounds, evalautions of a wide range of prospects, and plenty more general NBA draft commentary. DraftExpress Podcast Central /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-5-Mock-Draft-Changes,-Rumors,-Analysis-2131/ /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-5-Mock-Draft-Changes,-Rumors,-Analysis-2131/ Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:15:07 -0400 A look at the latest update to our mock draft of this year's first round, with detailed explanations behind each pick. /article/Detailed-First-Round-Mock-Draft,-6-20-2130/ /article/Detailed-First-Round-Mock-Draft,-6-20-2130/ Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:48:30 -0400 The Celtics quickly found their season derailed as a litany of injuries to key rotational personnel ended any thoughts of post season contention early in the campaign. Veteran star Paul Pierce went down with the first significant injury of his career and exposed the youthful roster?s lack of depth and finishing ability. The injured list was long, but it did give the team an opportunity to evaluate many of its promising young prospects. The situations these players were thrust into helped the team to advance their development and increase their market clout going into the offseason. With so many superstar players looking for championship satisfaction, the Celtics are in an interesting crossroads with their current roster. Paul Pierce is certainly looking at his contemporaries and wondering what his team will do to satiate his desire to compete. GM Danny Ainge must carefully weigh all the short and long term benefits of the numerous opportunities he has to manipulate the construct of his roster. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Boston-Celtics-2129/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Boston-Celtics-2129/ Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:04:18 -0400 Power forwards compose the fourth look at the statistical breakdown of the five positions, and the top 20 at each position will be included. Nick Fazekas makes a strong case for himself when evaluating his numbers against 19 other power forwards in this draft, while Al Horford and Joakim Noah also test out well. Josh McRoberts' stats go a long way in explaining why he's fallen off so much this past year. /article/Just-by-the-numbers...Evaluating-this-Year-s-Power-Forward-Crop-2128/ /article/Just-by-the-numbers...Evaluating-this-Year-s-Power-Forward-Crop-2128/ Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:47:46 -0400 Forty-six players who had declared as early entry candidates for the 2007 NBA Draft have withdrawn their names from the draft. There are 32 collegiate and six international prospects that are early entry candidates. /article/Forty-Six-Early-Entry-Candidates-Withdraw-from-2007-NBA-Draft-2127/ /article/Forty-Six-Early-Entry-Candidates-Withdraw-from-2007-NBA-Draft-2127/ Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:47:46 -0400 As the draft gets closer, a definite consensus is beginning to emerge regarding which players are being favored by each team. We present a quick look at the 14 teams in the lottery, and who they are reportedly looking at most seriously. We also examine a few prospects?Yi Jianlian and Al Thornton included?who?s hype seems to be waning a bit these days. /article/Word-on-the-Street--A-Look-at-the-Lottery-2126/ /article/Word-on-the-Street--A-Look-at-the-Lottery-2126/ Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:54:08 -0400 This was a season to forget for the Milwaukee Bucks, as injuries ruined any chance they had at posting a respectable record. With Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut, and Charlie Villanueva all missing significant time, the team was forced to rely on reserves, yielding little success. On the bright side, the team did see the emergence of Mo Williams as a quality starting point, but that?s really the only thing that went right for the club this season. To make matter worse, the came away with only the sixth pick after sitting in the third position in the lottery. The club will certainly be able to add a solid contributor with the sixth pick, but their picks value pales in comparison to what they could have acquired had they moved into the top two. With Mo Williams entering free agency, the Bucks will have some tough decisions to make this summer. They will have the cap space to make a splash in the open market, but probably won?t make an offer to more than one or two upper-echelon free agents. Hopefully, the team will remain healthy enough during next season to see their recent investments come to fruition. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Milwaukee-Bucks-2125/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Milwaukee-Bucks-2125/ Tue, 19 Jun 2007 01:23:08 -0400 A breakdown of the entire Early-Entry list, who is staying in and who is pulling out. Last updated, 6:02 PMLatest News: Nikita Shabalkin pulled out...Miroslav Raduljica pulls out...Romain Duport pulls out...Kyrylo Fesenko staying in the draft...Rodrigue Beaubois removes his name from the draft...DeVon Hardin is going back to Cal...Fesenko on the fence...Marcel Jones returning to Oregon State /article/2007-NBA-Draft-Pull-Out-Deadline-2124/ /article/2007-NBA-Draft-Pull-Out-Deadline-2124/ Mon, 18 Jun 2007 14:35:25 -0400 The Timberwolves struggled mightily this season, but have the potential to be a borderline playoff team in the Western Conference. Kevin Garnett once again carried the load in Minnesota, getting some help from rookie Randy Foye, but didn?t have the support he needed to get to the playoffs. While the key complementary players Kevin McHale acquired to assist Garnett are still relatively young, he will need to add additional pieces if he wants to get this team to the playoffs before Garnett?s contract expires. Given the nature of this year?s draft, he may have the rare opportunity to do just that. Depending on how this years draft shakes out, Minnesota may be able to grab one of the bottom spots in the Western Conference Playoffs as soon as next season. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Minnesota-Timberwolves-2123/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Minnesota-Timberwolves-2123/ Mon, 18 Jun 2007 01:50:18 -0400 Morris Almond joins us from Philadelphia right before working out with the 76ers to discuss a myraid of topics including testing the waters last year, the value of NBA private workouts, the NBA pre-draft camp, the people he's worked out with this year, his thoughts on the draft process, how he stacks up as a prospect, and much more. DraftExpress Podcast Page /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-4-Morris-Almond-Interview-2122/ /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-4-Morris-Almond-Interview-2122/ Sun, 17 Jun 2007 23:46:40 -0400 It?s been a week since the Reebok EuroCamp finished, but there are a few interesting plot-lines related to European basketball that still we can explore, such as Kyrylo Fesenko, Rodrigue Beaubois, Giorgos Printezis, Petteri Koponen, Tiago Splitter, and Jakub Wojciechowski as a youngster to keep an eye on for the future. /article/Exploring-European-Draft-Day-Storylines-2121/ /article/Exploring-European-Draft-Day-Storylines-2121/ Sun, 17 Jun 2007 20:20:50 -0400 The Bobcats went through year three much like they did their initial two campaigns, with some intriguing storylines and far too many injuries to capitalize on their talent. Charlotte has bee fiscally prudent over the first few years of their existence. The team was hamstrung by expansion cap rules, but was also smart enough not to try and rush things in terms of spending on half-measure type players. The team has patiently built through the draft, while placing steady veterans around the edges of the bench in order to provide a bit of atmosphere for the young developmental players. This season will mark the first where the Bobcats can utilize the full cap figure. They?ve got some tough decisions to make, but could surprise a lot of people if they can keep their current players on the court and add an impact veteran to the fold. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Charlotte-Bobcats-2120/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Charlotte-Bobcats-2120/ Sun, 17 Jun 2007 10:51:27 -0400 Emptying out our scouting notebook, we continue our series examining under the radar underclassmen that played for non-NCAA tournament teams. Wilson Chandler, a fairly anonymous name in college basketball, is in this year?s draft for good despite having an extremely inconsistent season and not being assured of a spot in the first round. Is he making the right move? /article/Filling-in-the-blanks-Wilson-Chandler-2119/ /article/Filling-in-the-blanks-Wilson-Chandler-2119/ Sat, 16 Jun 2007 23:12:53 -0400 Statistics are an important measure used by NBA teams to assist in evaluating prospects. When scouting players, it can be helpful to examine the stats to see if they back up your observations of a player on the court. The shooting guards compose the second look at the statistical break down of the 5 positions, and the top 20 at each position will be included. Kevin Durant must not have gotten the memo about being one of the worst athletes in the NBA draft, as he completely dominated most of the important measures. Jared Dudley also looks very solid, while Thaddeus Young disappoints. /article/Just-by-the-numbersEvaluating-this-Years-Small-Forward-Crop-2118/ /article/Just-by-the-numbersEvaluating-this-Years-Small-Forward-Crop-2118/ Sat, 16 Jun 2007 01:19:29 -0400 Our third weekly podcast primarily answering emailer questions...including who Yi is working out with, does Spencer Hawes have a guarantee at 7, and much much more.DraftExpress Podcast Page /article/Draft-Express-Podcast-3-2117/ /article/Draft-Express-Podcast-3-2117/ Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:24:49 -0400 He repeatedly carried his team to the NCAA tournament, was a unanimous selection to the All-American team, and he can't dribble with his left hand. WHAT? In every draft there are a few college players with all the accolades and awards that just can't make the transition from great college player to great NBA player. What other attributes do we commonly find amongst NBA draft busts? /article/Eight-Common-Profiles-of-a-Bust---Back-by-Unpopular-Demand-2116/ /article/Eight-Common-Profiles-of-a-Bust---Back-by-Unpopular-Demand-2116/ Fri, 15 Jun 2007 01:26:03 -0400 The Knicks had somewhat of a ?bounce-back? year under first year head coach and current GM Isaiah Thomas. Thomas was under a tremendous amount of scrutiny this past season after squandering millions in salary with seemingly listless moves for middling talent. Owner James Dolan doesn?t appear to pay strict attention to the daily operations of the team, but he came out of the woodwork and put a ?win or else? type of mandate down which prompted Thomas to take the bench himself. No one questions that Thomas has an ego comparable to the size of the Knicks payroll, but to his credit, he got a team of disjointed parts to play fairly well during quite a few stretches of the season. In the end however, the team failed to make the playoffs yet again, and the team continues to search for a solution to its problems via bold statements about player acquisition and a continual disregard for the salary cap system that has hamstrung this franchise for the foreseeable future. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-New-York-Knicks-2115/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-New-York-Knicks-2115/ Thu, 14 Jun 2007 23:06:28 -0400 Wrapping up the final day of the RBK Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. Joao Gomes goes off for 26 points on 9/10 shooting. Giorgos Printezis impresses with 19 points in 23 minutes against the U20 Russian National team. Top Russian prospect Alexey Shved makes an appearance. /article/2007-RBK-Eurocamp-Day-Four-2114/ /article/2007-RBK-Eurocamp-Day-Four-2114/ Thu, 14 Jun 2007 01:43:22 -0400 The Kings suffered through their worst season since the inception of the ?Maloof Era? began. Second year head coach Eric Musselman?s off-court troubles were an apt reflection of the team?s general direction, as the team seemed to wander aimlessly all season long. Two season?s removed from an enticing series against the Spurs, Sacramento stalwart?s Mike Bibby and Brad Miller had their worst season?s since putting on a King uniform. Neither looked interested in playing winning basketball, which is somewhat understandable given the length of time they?ve been with the club and the palpable sense of decay the team has gone through during their watch. Going forward, the Kings are going to have to utilize their few remaining assets to facilitate a quick transition toward a new direction. The team is strapped with some tough to move contracts tied to aging players who have little market value. Getting value for their few desirable commodities seems to be the only way the club is going be able to turn things around in a 2-3 year time frame. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Sacramento-Kings-2113/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Sacramento-Kings-2113/ Wed, 13 Jun 2007 22:37:36 -0400 Emptying out our scouting notebook, we begin a short series examining a number of underclassmen that played for smaller, non-NCAA tournament teams who did not receive the same exposure that other players in this draft did. Rodney Stuckey, a 2-star college recruit according to Scout.com, was forced to play at Eastern Washington due to only partially qualifying out of high school, but he now finds himself in a position to get drafted in the top-20, despite playing for an average team in the low-major Big Sky Conference. /article/Filling-in-the-blanks-Rodney-Stuckey-2112/ /article/Filling-in-the-blanks-Rodney-Stuckey-2112/ Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:58:48 -0400 More drills and games from the RBK Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. The Eurocamp All-star wrapped up a very exciting day highlighted by a couple of very nice performances from various players of different age groups. /article/2007-RBK-Eurocamp-Day-Three-2111/ /article/2007-RBK-Eurocamp-Day-Three-2111/ Tue, 12 Jun 2007 07:41:35 -0400 Luis Fernandez's report from day two of the RBK Treviso Eurocamp. /article/2007-RBK-Eurocamp-Day-Two--Part-Two-/ /article/2007-RBK-Eurocamp-Day-Two--Part-Two-/ Tue, 12 Jun 2007 06:35:20 -0400 Day Two of the Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso featured a full morning of drills followed by an evening session with three games. The last and most interesting one pitted some of the top young prospects at the camp against a group of American high schoolers (including William Buford and Malcolm Lee) as well as the surprise of the day, Bill Walker.Victor Claver, Rudy Mbemba, Marco Belinelli, William Buford and Malcolm Lee were some of the top peroformers of the day. /article/2007-RBK-Eurocamp-Day-Two--Part-One--2109/ /article/2007-RBK-Eurocamp-Day-Two--Part-One--2109/ Mon, 11 Jun 2007 07:30:34 -0400 The 2007 edition of the Reebok Eurocamp taking place in Treviso, Italy, is on the march. Despite a good amount of players pulling out, the camp has still been able to gather a very nice bunch of prospects, either for the NBA or Europe. Nobody really made a superb impression in the first day. The top stories where French playmaker Rodrigue Beaubois impressing enough to get six NBA promises in the second round, Marco Belinelli in a somewhat disappointing performance, and the point guard duo Anton Ponkrashov and Rudy Mbemba showing some of the stuff that draw some buzz around them last year. /article/2007-RBK-Eurocamp-Day-One-2107/ /article/2007-RBK-Eurocamp-Day-One-2107/ Sun, 10 Jun 2007 10:01:16 -0400 Emptying out our scouting notebook, we begin a short series examining a number of underclassmen that played for smaller, non-NCAA tournament teams who did not receive the same exposure that other players in this draft did. Jason Smith was not considered much of a prospect coming out of high school, but he now finds himself in a position to get picked in the top-20 portion of the draft, despite playing for one of the worst teams in the underwhelming Mountain West Conference. /article/Filling-in-the-blanks-Jason-Smith-2108/ /article/Filling-in-the-blanks-Jason-Smith-2108/ Sun, 10 Jun 2007 07:06:02 -0400 The Indiana Pacers dismantled the team that brought them success over the past few seasons before the trade deadline leading to their first sub-.500 season since 1997. General Manager Larry Bird?s decision to trade Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson for historic underachievers Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Troy Murphy was one of the most scrutinized trades any GM made this season. The Pacers current nucleus struggled to gel, and injuries to Jermaine O?Neal made it hard for the team to win games down the stretch. With complementary players like Jamal Tinsley forced to pick up some of the scoring load, the Pacers finished last in the NBA in field goal percentage, a testament to how important O?Neal is in their offense. With Rick Carlisle on the way out, the Pacer will not only be looking for a new coach, but also for a new identity. Recent Pacers history would dictate that the team will return to their winning ways sooner rather than later (2007 was Indiana?s third losing season since 1990), but next year?s team may face an uphill battle under a new coach. Indiana is known for reloading quickly, but the franchise has enough dead weight contracts to force a rebuilding period. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Indiana-Pacers-2106/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Indiana-Pacers-2106/ Sat, 09 Jun 2007 21:06:25 -0400 Established as arguably the top annual friendly tournament for national teams, Douai perfectly works as a first base for these squads in their preparation for the various summer championships. This edition featured a combination of U-19 and U-20 teams (respectively preparing the World and the European Championships). France, Lithuania, USA, Australia, Israel and Germany are the participants. Before heading to Treviso, we spent a couple of days in Douai to see what these teams have to offer. /article/Douai-Tournament,-Gearing-Up-for-Summer-Competitions-2105/ /article/Douai-Tournament,-Gearing-Up-for-Summer-Competitions-2105/ Sat, 09 Jun 2007 10:34:59 -0400 DraftExpress columnist Charlie Bury caught up with Martell Webster of the Portland Trailblazers for in an extensive interview to discuss his NBA draft experience two years ago. /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience-Martell-Webster-2104/ /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience-Martell-Webster-2104/ Thu, 07 Jun 2007 20:36:47 -0400 An analysis of the Balkan prospects eligble for the 2007 NBA draft. After first exploring the early-entry candidates, we now turn our heads towards the automatically eligible players born in 1985. Zoran Erceg, leading scorer of the 2nd best team in the Adriatic League, is the headliner here, as is 7-3 big man Mirza Begic. /article/Adriatic-League-Automatically-Eligible-Draft-Prospects-2103/ /article/Adriatic-League-Automatically-Eligible-Draft-Prospects-2103/ Thu, 07 Jun 2007 19:54:21 -0400 Rodney Stuckey promised by Detroit? A full report from Houston's unprecedented series of workouts in Orlando...Petteri Koponen impresses, pulls out of Treviso. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Promises...Houston-s-Workouts...Koponen-2102/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Promises...Houston-s-Workouts...Koponen-2102/ Thu, 07 Jun 2007 03:02:30 -0400 Statistics are an important measure used by NBA teams to assist in evaluating prospects. When scouting players, it can be helpful to examine the stats to see if they back up your observations of a player on the court. The shooting guards compose the second look at the statistical break down of the 5 positions, and the top 20 at each position will be included. This piece may as well have been written by Morris Almond's agents, because he dominates virtually every category in it. /article/Just-by-the-numbers...Evaluating-this-Year-s-Shooting-Guard-Crop-2101/ /article/Just-by-the-numbers...Evaluating-this-Year-s-Shooting-Guard-Crop-2101/ Thu, 07 Jun 2007 02:58:09 -0400 The 76ers were forced to bring their rebuilding strategy full circle when they dealt disgruntled superstar Allen Iverson to the Denver Nuggets. While Andre Igoudala and Andre Miller were able to guide the team to a surprisingly respectable record without Iverson, there is no question that Philadelphia will need to make some changes moving forward. With very little in the way of cap space this offseason, the franchise will still have the opportunity to add some value with their three first round draft picks. The Sixers will have ample cap space next summer, and have the potential to turn things around as soon as the 2009. Next season?s team will encounter some inevitable growing pains, but the experience Philadelphia?s young nucleus will gain could pay significant dividends in the long-run. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Philadelphia-76ers-2100/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Philadelphia-76ers-2100/ Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:35:50 -0400 Our second weekly podcast discussing a variety of different topics around the world of the NBA draft...including Oden vs. Durant on the DraftExpress mock draft, the latest rumors, the Treviso Eurocamp which begins this weekend, the NBA private workout process, and more. DraftExpress Podcast Page /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-2-2099/ /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-2-2099/ Wed, 06 Jun 2007 02:14:42 -0400 NBA teams were allowed to start working players out on the 5th of June...DraftExpress has been burning up the phones to find out who is working out where. /article/NBA-Private-Workouts-Kick-Off-2098/ /article/NBA-Private-Workouts-Kick-Off-2098/ Wed, 06 Jun 2007 02:10:24 -0400 This past weekend?s Nike IS8 semi-finals and championship games in Queens, New York provided a showcase for some of the top teams and players in the New York area. Prospects from the class of 2007, 2008 and 2009 were all in action. DraftExpress was on hand to provide scouting reports on the top prospects as they battled for the IS8 Championship. /article/Nike-IS8-High-School-Spring-Championship-2097/ /article/Nike-IS8-High-School-Spring-Championship-2097/ Wed, 06 Jun 2007 00:48:19 -0400 He has a 7-6 ¾ wingspan, and a 9-3 ½ standing reach. He jumps out of the gym with a 39 inch one-step vertical, bench presses 185 pounds 24 times and runs a 3.3 in the three quarter court sprint. But can he shoot? Dribble? Catch a rebound? Play? Do we even care? /article/But-Can-He-Play-Analyzing-the-NBA-Pre-Draft-Combine-Results-2096/ /article/But-Can-He-Play-Analyzing-the-NBA-Pre-Draft-Combine-Results-2096/ Tue, 05 Jun 2007 12:44:35 -0400 The measurements and combine results from the Orlando pre-draft camp are out. We'll be analyzing them shortly, but take a look at the results here using our new sortable Measurement Database. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Measurements-and-Combine-Results-2095/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Measurements-and-Combine-Results-2095/ Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:24:20 -0400 A recap of the top 15 players seen at the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp, split up into first, second and third teams, and combining NBA potential with performance. Jared Dudley is DraftExpress' camp MVP, joined on the first team by Demetris Nichols, Taurean Green, Zabian Dowdell and Aaron Gray. /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Final-Recap-2094/ /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Final-Recap-2094/ Mon, 04 Jun 2007 01:54:47 -0400 The Hornets had a rough follow-up to their inaugural season in Oklahoma City. After a major offseason push to bring in highly touted complementary players for Chris Paul, the team was ravaged by injuries and fell short of the playoffs after being a favorite to contend going into the year. Peja Stojakovic went down extremely early in the year, only playing 13 games for the club. Losing his outside shooting was a major blow to the teams balance and subsequent injuries eventually buried the team in a hole that they couldn?t escape from. Only rotation players Tyson Chandler, Desmond Mason, and Rasual Butler made it past the 70 game mark for the season, which sums up their season well. However, a late season push for the playoffs showed that this team still has a lot of fight and going into next season the Hornets should be able to show the fans in New Orleans what made the team so intriguing just one season ago. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-New-Orleans-Hornets-2093/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-New-Orleans-Hornets-2093/ Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:55:55 -0400 Recaps from the last day of action, including the private workouts including Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Joakim Noah and others. /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-Four-2092/ /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-Four-2092/ Sun, 03 Jun 2007 03:30:52 -0400 It has been a tough call this time to pick our Player of the Week nominee. We had a few intriguing performances, but none really standing out among the rest. So we decided to go with Zoran Erceg, a second-round bubble candidate for the upcoming draft who is enjoying his last chances of claiming consideration for that event. Last week he certainly delivered, upping FMP to the top of the Serbian SuperLeague. Another remarkable performer this past week was point guard Yogev Ohayon, not much of a NBA prospect, but an excellent player for international basket; we take a long look at him. /article/Roundup-Erceg-Claiming-Draft-Attention-2088/ /article/Roundup-Erceg-Claiming-Draft-Attention-2088/ Sat, 02 Jun 2007 20:32:44 -0400 Individual player recaps of many of the participants from day three of the Orlando Pre-Draft camp. Jared Dudley, Demetris Nichols, Jared Jordan, Ramon Sessions, Taurean Green and more. /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-Three-2091/ /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-Three-2091/ Fri, 01 Jun 2007 02:29:08 -0400 Carl Landry sits down with Joey Whelan following the second day of action at the Orlando pre-draft camp to discuss how he's feeling so far as well as the look back at the past few months and seasons since deciding not to quit playing basketball. /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Carl-Landry-2090/ /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Carl-Landry-2090/ Fri, 01 Jun 2007 02:02:55 -0400 [c]Demetris Nichols had one of the best performances of day two[/c]On the second day here at the Orlando pre-draft camp, things got off to an early start, with the teams going through some drill work at 9:00 AM, including some shooting drills, 1-on-1?s, 2-on-2?s, and 5-on-5 intra-squad scrimmages. There were a few nice performances in the competitive drills that took place, but the real action took place in the inter-squad games, with all six teams playing over the course of the day. /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-Two-2089/ /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-Two-2089/ Wed, 30 May 2007 17:12:20 -0400 The Orlando Pre-Draft camp kicked off today with two hours of drills and informal five on five games intended to instill some basic offensive sets for each of the six teams. Many of the players looked very nervous to start off the drills as you might expect, and there were plenty of bobbled passes, forced shots, unforced errors, etc, making some of the action a bit tough to watch at times. /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-One-2087/ /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-One-2087/ Wed, 30 May 2007 02:37:19 -0400 For the second day of our swing through the New York metropolitan area, we stopped in to a workout run by former Hofstra guard Jay Hernandez at a private gym on Long Island, featuring juniors James Mays (Clemson), Roy Bright (Delaware State), James Gist (Maryland), and Antoine Agudio (Hofstra). /article/Metro-New-York-Workouts-Day-2--James-Mays,-Roy-Bright,-etc--2086/ /article/Metro-New-York-Workouts-Day-2--James-Mays,-Roy-Bright,-etc--2086/ Tue, 29 May 2007 13:22:48 -0400 The full list...hot off the press from the NBA, posted first on DraftExpress. /article/2007-NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Rosters-and-Physical-Only-2085/ /article/2007-NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Rosters-and-Physical-Only-2085/ Tue, 29 May 2007 09:38:24 -0400 [c]Oden outside Champion's Academy[/c]Mike Schmidt and Jonathan Watters sat down with the one and only Greg Oden last Saturday following his workout at Champions Academy. /article/Greg-Oden-s-Take--%22Wherever-I-go,-I-need-to-get-a-raincoat!%22-2080/ /article/Greg-Oden-s-Take--%22Wherever-I-go,-I-need-to-get-a-raincoat!%22-2080/ Tue, 29 May 2007 02:53:10 -0400 Joey Whelan sits down with Zabian Dowdell to talk about his upbringing in the football hot-bed of Pahokee, Florida, deciding to attend Virginia Tech, making the NCAA tournament, playing in Portsmouth, the tragic shootings at his school last month, preparing for the NBA draft at the IMG Academy, and his anticipation for the pre-draft camp that kicks off today. /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Zabian-Dowdell-2084/ /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Zabian-Dowdell-2084/ Tue, 29 May 2007 02:49:49 -0400 After some much needed R&R following a whirlwind private workout tour across the country, our last stop before the NBA pre-draft camp took us down I-75 for a checkup with David Thorpe at his new home at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. It?s only fitting that we close our circle of workouts here, as Thorpe?s gym (then in Clearwater) was where we took in our very first private workout three years ago, featuring a ?real sleeper? by the name of Kevin Martin. /article/East-Coast-Workout-Swing-Day-8-Zabian-Dowdell-JR-Reynolds-etc--2083/ /article/East-Coast-Workout-Swing-Day-8-Zabian-Dowdell-JR-Reynolds-etc--2083/ Tue, 29 May 2007 02:31:46 -0400 Check out our very first podcast here: http://draftexpress.com/podcast.phpTopics discussed: The Orlando Pre-draft camp, trade rumors, Yi Jianlian, who made a mistake declining their invite to Orlando, who are some players to look out for there, our take on Kobe's latest demands, and much more. /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-1-2082/ /article/DraftExpress-Podcast-1-2082/ Tue, 29 May 2007 01:58:10 -0400 The Clippers follow up year to their best year in L.A. history started off bad, and got continually worse. Many Clippers regressed this year, and new additions did not do enough to offset this regression. By the time the Clippers started playing to their potential they were so hobbled by the injury bug, that their starting point guard was someone who was claimed off of waivers. Despite all of this, they controlled their own fate the last two weeks of the year. Win and they were assured to get into the playoffs no matter what. Lose, and they would need some help. They ended up having a meltdown against a team they could have beaten, and ended up on the outside looking in this year. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Los-Angeles-Clippers-2081/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Los-Angeles-Clippers-2081/ Tue, 29 May 2007 01:48:32 -0400 With our work on the West Coast finished for now, we boarded a flight to the Windy City for two days at Tim Grover?s temporary gym near the Berto Center, as well as a quick look-in at Trey Johnson in downtown Chicago. Players we took in at Tim Grover?s include Julian Wright, Thaddeus Young, Dominic James, Alando Tucker, Herbert Hill, Reyshawn Terry and more. /article/Mid-West-Workout-Swing-Day-7--Julian-Wright,-Thaddeus-Young,-etc--2078/ /article/Mid-West-Workout-Swing-Day-7--Julian-Wright,-Thaddeus-Young,-etc--2078/ Mon, 28 May 2007 02:50:04 -0400 Julian Wright sits down with Jonathan Givony at Tim Grover's gym in Chicago to talk about his training so far, leaving KU and the possibility of going back, his position in the NBA, his draft stock, strengths as a player, and more. /article/Julian-Wright-%22I-definitely-don-t-plan-on-playing-just-one-position%22-2079/ /article/Julian-Wright-%22I-definitely-don-t-plan-on-playing-just-one-position%22-2079/ Mon, 28 May 2007 02:49:19 -0400 Mike Schmidt and Jonathan Watters break down what they saw from Greg Oden, Daequan Cook, Carl Landry, and Kammron Taylor in their daily pre-draft training regimen at St Vincent Sports Performance Center as well as Champions Academy, both in Indianapolis, Indiana. /article/Oden,-Cook,-Landry-at-Champions-Academy-2077/ /article/Oden,-Cook,-Landry-at-Champions-Academy-2077/ Sun, 27 May 2007 06:32:49 -0400 The NBA Pre-Draft camp kicks off this Tuesday evening at 6 PM at the World Wide of Sports Complex outside of Orlando. For four days (May 29th-June 1st), 64 draft prospects will conduct drills and play 5 on 5 games in front of the watchful eyes of hundreds of NBA executives. DraftExpress has compiled a list from NBA teams and agents for most of the players who will be participating at the pre-draft camp. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Invites-2076/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Invites-2076/ Sun, 27 May 2007 03:07:55 -0400 The Orlando Magic got off to a fast start this season, but showed their true colors as the season went on. While the team featured savvy veteran leaders like Grant Hill and quality young players like Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson, the Magic simply didn?t have the talent to finish as well as they started. With Grant Hill?s contract coming off the books this summer, the Magic will finally find closure to Hill?s saga in a Magic uniform and the cap space to be a dynamic player in the 2007 free agent market. With names like Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, and Chauncey Billups potentially in play, the Magic are in position to come out of this offseason with the firepower to make a run at the Eastern Conference Finals next season. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Orlando-Magic-2075/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Orlando-Magic-2075/ Sat, 26 May 2007 17:39:39 -0400 In part two at the Las Vegas facility of Abunassar Impact Basketball, we look at Jermareo Davidson, Brian Cusworth, Levon Kendall, Aaron Brooks and Patrick O'Bryant. /article/West-Coast-Swing-Day-6--Jermareo-Davidson,-Aaron-Brooks,-etc--2074/ /article/West-Coast-Swing-Day-6--Jermareo-Davidson,-Aaron-Brooks,-etc--2074/ Sat, 26 May 2007 02:08:19 -0400 On the first day of our swing through the New York metropolitan area, we checked in with trainer Jerry Powell of Basketball Results, where he?s been working with Jared Jordan (Marist) and D.J. Strawberry (Maryland) for over a month now. Demtris Nichols (Syracuse) has also been training with him for the past few weeks, while DraftExpress got to take in the very first day of Curtis Sumpter?s (Villanova) training with Powell. /article/Metro-New-York-Workouts-Day-1--Demetris-Nichols,-Jared-Jordan,-more--2073/ /article/Metro-New-York-Workouts-Day-1--Demetris-Nichols,-Jared-Jordan,-more--2073/ Sat, 26 May 2007 01:31:44 -0400 Washington had an extremely disappointing close to their season after starting off the year playing some of the best basketball in franchise history. The triumvirate of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler successfully carried a heavy load for much of the season. But injuries to Arenas and Butler essentially ended the Wizard?s season before they could show their muscle in the playoffs. The Wizards are at an interesting crossroads team-wise. The club is very competitive with the trio of scorers they?ve got, but their offense is still primarily perimeter oriented and they?ve been cut down in the playoffs each of the past three years by more defensively disciplined teams who have superior interior play. With the contracts of Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas possibly coming up for review, it is important for Washington to take advantage of this season?s draft pick to acquire someone who can bring talent upgrade to the frontcourt. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Washington-Wizards-2072/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Washington-Wizards-2072/ Fri, 25 May 2007 14:47:10 -0400 Following our trip down from the Bay Area to Southern California, we hopped on a short flight to Las Vegas, Nevada, to check on the progress of the many players training at the second facility belonging to Joe Abunassar of Abunassar Impact Basketball. Those included Ryan Gomes, Marcus Williams, Jared Dudley, Taurean Green and more. /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Day-5-Marcus-Williams-Jared-Dudley-more--2070/ /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Day-5-Marcus-Williams-Jared-Dudley-more--2070/ Fri, 25 May 2007 02:19:10 -0400 Over the course of the next few weeks, current NBA players will reflect on their draft experience with Draftexpress columnist Charlie Bury. Next up is Ryan Gomes, a former Big East player of the year who was passed up by every team in the draft until finally finding a spot in Boston at the #53 pick. Gomes has since shown that he was at least worthy of consideration of being a lottery pick, if not higher, and now reflects back to his NBA Draft experience. /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience-Ryan-Gomes-2071/ /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience-Ryan-Gomes-2071/ Fri, 25 May 2007 02:19:01 -0400 After taking in workouts in Carson and Santa Monica, California, our next stop on the road was the Valley, specifically the 360 Health Club in Reseda, where Nick Young, Bobby Brown and Danny Granger were working out with a Division II guard by the name of Jason Smith. /article/West-Coast-Workout-SwingDay-4--Nick-Young,Bobby-Brown,Danny-Granger--2067/ /article/West-Coast-Workout-SwingDay-4--Nick-Young,Bobby-Brown,Danny-Granger--2067/ Wed, 23 May 2007 22:31:58 -0400 The wait for Bobby Brown is over; well sort of. The former Cal-State Fullerton guard recently received his invitation to the NBA?s pre-draft camp in Orlando, where he?ll have the opportunity to show his stuff against other top college players from around the country in front of an audience of NBA scouts. While Brown had a poor showing in Orlando last year, he figures to have a leg up on a lot of the competition this year with his experience in the workings of the camp. /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Bobby-Brown--Part-Two--2068/ /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Bobby-Brown--Part-Two--2068/ Wed, 23 May 2007 22:31:39 -0400 Statistics are an important measure used by NBA teams to assist in evaluating prospects. When scouting players, it can be helpful to examine the stats to see if they back up your observations of a player on the court. The point guards and combo guards compose the first look at the statistical break down of the 5 positions, and the top 20 at each position will be included. /article/Just-by-the-numbers...Evaluating-this-Year-s-Point-Guard-Crop-2066/ /article/Just-by-the-numbers...Evaluating-this-Year-s-Point-Guard-Crop-2066/ Wed, 23 May 2007 13:34:57 -0400 The New Jersey Nets proved the old adage that you can never count out a veteran squad. Despite a tremendous lack of disinterest for much of the season, the team was able to rally around its star core and push into the playoffs. Despite being outmanned by the deeper, upstart Raptors club, New Jersey used its experience and savvy to beat the Atlantic division champions before eventually succumbing to the will of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Much of the apathy by the Nets this season can be attributed to the obvious age, depth, and frontcourt issues the New Jersey faces going forward. The team made no bones about its interest in trading away franchise-anchor Jason Kidd, and while it has postured about keeping Vince Carter there is little doubt that the best course of action would be to reshuffle the deck and build on new foundations. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-New-Jersey-Nets-2065/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-New-Jersey-Nets-2065/ Wed, 23 May 2007 04:02:36 -0400 Following the Lottery, Portland Trailblazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard conducted a conference call with the media to discuss the implications of winning the number one pick in the 2007 draft. DraftExpress columnist Charlie Bury participated, and had some interesting questions for Mr. Pritchard. Additional commentary from Trailblazers? lottery representative Brandon Roy and others is included as well. /article/Post-Lottery-Interview-Kevin-Pritchard,-Brandon-Roy,-more-2064/ /article/Post-Lottery-Interview-Kevin-Pritchard,-Brandon-Roy,-more-2064/ Wed, 23 May 2007 01:42:51 -0400 An analysis of the Balkan prospects eligible for the 2007 NBA draft. In the first part of the article we look at the players who entered their name in the draft for early consideration, while the second part will feature 1985 born prospects who are automatically eligible. Some major prospects such as Partizan?s trio of Uros Tripkovic, Milenko Tepic and Nikola Pekovic decided to work on their game for one more year. The most important name on the list is Croatian Ante Tomic who should get strong consideration in the first round, with rumors swirling that he already got received kind of guarantee and will stay in. /article/Balkan-Early-Entrant-Draft-Prospects-2063/ /article/Balkan-Early-Entrant-Draft-Prospects-2063/ Tue, 22 May 2007 17:06:57 -0400 Victor Claver is one of the top stories in this year?s ACB Playoffs. His growing impact in Pamesa Valencia (decisive to enjoy a provisional 1-1 tie against Real Madrid) and his spectacular above-the-rim plays are generating great buzz in Spain these days, easily earning Player of the Week honours for this week?s roundup. Another unexpected eruption happened in the Lithuanian Finals, where Martynas Gecevicius delivered a 22-point performance with a perfect shooting exhibition. /article/Roundup-Claver-Flying-Over-the-ACB-Playoffs/ /article/Roundup-Claver-Flying-Over-the-ACB-Playoffs/ Tue, 22 May 2007 01:35:25 -0400 Joakim Noah sits down with Jonathan Givony at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles to discuss giving up being the #1 pick, his NBA comparison, what made the Florida Gators an unselfish team, the source of his passion for basketball, and more. /article/Joakim-Noah-%22I-don-t-feel-like-there-is-another-player-like-me%22-2062/ /article/Joakim-Noah-%22I-don-t-feel-like-there-is-another-player-like-me%22-2062/ Mon, 21 May 2007 22:47:49 -0400 Over the course of the next few weeks, current NBA players will reflect on their draft experience with Draftexpress columnist Charlie Bury. First up is Danny Granger, who rose up mock drafts late in the season only to slide all the way to pick number 17 after being considered by many to be a strong candidate for the top ten. Danny sheds some light on a number of issues, including picking an agent, the workout process and his initial training camp battle against Ron Artest. /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience-Danny-Granger-2061/ /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience-Danny-Granger-2061/ Mon, 21 May 2007 22:25:47 -0400 Consensus top five player of the class of 2008 Al-Farouq Aminu sits down with Rodger Bohn to discuss his current recruiting situation, what position he would like to play in college, the relationship he has with Georgia Tech, and unveils a shortened list of schools that he is currently considering. /article/Getting-To-Know-Al-Farouq-Aminu-2050/ /article/Getting-To-Know-Al-Farouq-Aminu-2050/ Mon, 21 May 2007 07:38:47 -0400 Joakim Noah sits down with Jonathan Givony at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles to discuss his preparations for the NBA Draft, his strengths and weaknesses as a prospect, his shooting mechanics, draft stock, finding the right fit, and more. /article/Joakim-Noah-%22I-m-somebody-who-brings-the-winning-spirit%22--Part-One--2059/ /article/Joakim-Noah-%22I-m-somebody-who-brings-the-winning-spirit%22--Part-One--2059/ Sun, 20 May 2007 18:14:15 -0400 6?6 junior PG/SG/SF Sylven Landesberg sat down with Rodger Bohn over the weekend to discuss his college recruitment, what position he will play at the next level, and his play thus far this spring on the AAU circuit, amongst a variety of other topics. /article/Getting-To-Know-Sylven-Landesberg-2049/ /article/Getting-To-Know-Sylven-Landesberg-2049/ Sat, 19 May 2007 17:55:01 -0400 Continuing with our whirlwind swing of private workouts we present the evaluations of all the other players we saw extensively over our two days at Abunassar Impact Basketball in Carson, California, and a private workout in Santa Monica hosted by Wasserman Media Group (WMG) featuring Josh McRoberts, J.J. Redick and Martell Webster. /article/West-Coast-Swing-Day-3--AIB-Player-Evaluations-Josh-McRoberts-Workout-2058/ /article/West-Coast-Swing-Day-3--AIB-Player-Evaluations-Josh-McRoberts-Workout-2058/ Sat, 19 May 2007 04:02:41 -0400 Josh McRoberts sits down face to face with Jonathan Givony in Los Angeles to discuss his workouts so far, leaving Duke after the season he had, his strengths and weaknesses, his thoughts on Coach K, the success of NBA players at Duke, handling pressure, and more. /article/Josh-McRoberts-%22I-felt-like-I-had-to-move-on%22-2057/ /article/Josh-McRoberts-%22I-felt-like-I-had-to-move-on%22-2057/ Sat, 19 May 2007 04:00:47 -0400 The Golden State Warriors came into this season looking to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1994. Don Nelson, who coached the Warriors from 1988 to 1994, was brought on to accomplish a feat no one had accomplished since, well, Don Nelson. In order to stay in contention, General Manager Chris Mullin made the biggest trade of this NBA season, landing Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington. Coupling their new additions with Baron Davis and a healthy Jason Richardson, the Warriors were able to make a late push into the playoffs. The team faced an uphill battle as the eighth seed, but found themselves matched up against a Mavericks team that Don Nelson helped build. In one of the biggest upsets in franchise history, the Warriors downed the Mavericks in six games. Looking forward, the Warriors will need to make some moves this offseason if they want to compete with the other top teams in the Western Conference come this time next season. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Golden-State-Warriors-2056/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Golden-State-Warriors-2056/ Sat, 19 May 2007 01:56:06 -0400 With the new rules instituted by the NBA restricting the window of opportunity to work players out to only 22 days (12 for underclassmen), the 2007 version of the RBK Eurocamp in Treviso needed to react quickly and decisively to ensure that NBA General Managers would continue to have every reason in the ?world? to cross the ocean during such a crucial period in the evaluation period. Taking a first look at the preliminary roster assembled by camp Director (and Minnesota Timberwolves Director of International Scouting) Pete Philo, it?s obvious that that mission was accomplished, and with flying colors. /article/2007-RBK-Treviso-Eurocamp-Projected-Participants-2055/ /article/2007-RBK-Treviso-Eurocamp-Projected-Participants-2055/ Thu, 17 May 2007 23:59:23 -0400 A superb week with back-to-back 18-point performances for Danilo Gallinari fuelled his team in the last week of the regular-season surged his team into the second berth of the Italian league playoffs. Not only does he get our Player of the Week nomination, but the expectations for his post-season performances could hardly be higher. Besides the Italian gem, Rudy Fernández and Milos Teodosic also shined this week. Finally, don?t miss some quotes by Ricky Rubio, who made a rare appearance in front of the press these past days. /article/Roundup-Majestic-Gallinari-2052/ /article/Roundup-Majestic-Gallinari-2052/ Thu, 17 May 2007 22:03:43 -0400 After spending the weekend in the Bay Area taking in a Dominic McGuire workout, the A?s walk-off 3-run homer against the Indians, and Carlos Boozer/Deron Williams dismantling the Warriors; we hopped on a quick 7 AM flight down to LAX to check out a much larger group of prospects training in Los Angeles at Joe Abunassar's gym in the Home Depot Center. /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Day-2--Joakim-Noah,-Corey-Brewer,-etc--2053/ /article/West-Coast-Workout-Swing-Day-2--Joakim-Noah,-Corey-Brewer,-etc--2053/ Thu, 17 May 2007 04:02:08 -0400 Corey Brewer sits down with Jonathan Givony in Los Angeles, California to discuss how his training has been going so far, coming off a national championship, what he's trying to improve on, where he might get drafted, his personal scouting report, favorite NBA players, and more. /article/Corey-Brewer-%22I-can-help-a-team-right-away-defensively%22-2054/ /article/Corey-Brewer-%22I-can-help-a-team-right-away-defensively%22-2054/ Thu, 17 May 2007 04:01:42 -0400 This was a tale of two seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers, even before their unceremonious exit from the playoffs. The education of Kobe Bryant looked to be in full force during the first half of the year, as he and his teammates struck a near perfect balance on their way to a division-challenging surge up the standings. But injuries to Lamar Odom and the virtually indispensible Luke Walton quickly turned the tide of the Lakers team direction. A monumental month of explosive scoring from Bryant temporarily altered the fate of the franchise, but ultimately the same problems of balance and responsibility reared their heads and LA had another disappointing early exit from the playoffs. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Los-Angeles-Lakers-2051/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Los-Angeles-Lakers-2051/ Wed, 16 May 2007 13:46:02 -0400 One of the most surprising developments of this NBA season has been the regression of the Miami Heat. Hampered by injuries, the team has struggled to find continuity in its personnel. With both Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O?neal missing significant time, it shouldn?t come as a surprise that the team hasn?t looked like the reigning NBA Champions. While things haven?t been easy for the Heat, the franchise still has reason to be optimistic. Jason Kapono emerged as one of the league?s premier shooters, and Wade took his game to a new level in the absence of Shaq. Miami will be able to take a step back this offseason and regroup, but General Manager Randy Pfund will have some tough personnel decisions to make while his stars get healthy. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Miami-Heat-2048/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Miami-Heat-2048/ Mon, 14 May 2007 03:49:47 -0400 The Euroleague Final Four featured a nice collection of International players to be evaluated in Athens. The clear-cut strongest teams on the continent made it here and also played the final. We?re talking about Panathinaikos and CSKA, two near NBA-caliber squads full of talented players. Tau also provided a nice bunch of interesting guys, while Unicaja was a Cinderella team really short in terms of interesting names.If there was a headline in this Euroleague Final Four, it was the superb Papaloukas vs. Diamantidis matchup, featuring arguably the best two players in Europe who happen to be countrymen and play the same position on the court. For DraftExpress, it was obviously very important to follow the performance of Tiago Splitter, the only short-term first-round prospect on the floor. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Player-Watch/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Player-Watch/ Mon, 14 May 2007 03:13:31 -0400 DraftExpress had a chance to spend Friday afternoon watching a private workout conducted by trainer Keith Moss featuring Fresno State junior early-entry candidate Dominic McGuire, in Sacramento, California. This was the first of many workouts we?ll be taking in over the next 2 weeks in various cities around the US leading into the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando on May 29th. /article/Dominic-McGuire-Private-Workout-2045/ /article/Dominic-McGuire-Private-Workout-2045/ Sat, 12 May 2007 21:25:31 -0400 Joey Whelan takes us into the life of another NBA draft prospect with Dominic McGuire, discussing his versatility as a player, how he ended up at Cal before transfering to Fresno State, his junior season, his preperation for the pre-draft process and NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando, and his recent decision to not return for his senior year. /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Dominic-McGuire-2046/ /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Dominic-McGuire-2046/ Sat, 12 May 2007 21:25:00 -0400 [c]Panathinaikos came away victorious in a memorable final - Photo: Euroleague[/c]We take a look at some interesting plot lines concerning the premier basketball event in Europe club-wise, including the contrast between the lackluster semifinals and a superb final game, Papaloukas' exhibition, the MVP award, the return of Milos Vujanic, the crazy Greek fans and the media exposure. /article/Dribbling-Around-the-Euroleague-Final-Four-2044/ /article/Dribbling-Around-the-Euroleague-Final-Four-2044/ Fri, 11 May 2007 23:57:38 -0400 For better or worse, the Denver Nuggets? season will be defined by their acquisition of Allen Iverson. While it took Carmelo Anthony some time to get used to playing alongside Iverson, the tandem hit their stride in April helping Denver win nine of its last ten games. Unfortunately, the Nuggets still found themselves locked into the six seed in the Western Conference, forcing them to open the playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs. Regardless of the season-ending loss to the Spurs, Denver will return almost all of their rotation next season with Steve Blake being the only possible exception. The team still has some tweaking to do, but the re-emergence of Nene Hilario certainly gives Denver solid ground to stand on. A full offseason and training camp to acclimate to Iverson's presence should do wonders for team execution going into next season. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Denver-Nuggets-2042/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Denver-Nuggets-2042/ Fri, 11 May 2007 03:14:26 -0400 Zalgiris came away the winners of a somewhat average junior tournament by past years standards. The fairly mediocre 1989 age group hasn?t helped matters much, as they were supposed to be the backbone of most of these teams considering their relative maturity. Still, we managed to come away with a few intriguing prospects to keep an eye on for the coming years. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Nike-Junior-Tournament-2043/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Nike-Junior-Tournament-2043/ Fri, 11 May 2007 02:58:02 -0400 To put together our D-League season awards for DraftExpress, we compiled a panel of voters including 4 members of our staff and a player from both Dakota and Colorado, the two teams who competed for the D-League championship. Inside you will find the awards as well as the voting for each member of our panel. /article/DraftExpress-2006-2007-D-League-Awards-2041/ /article/DraftExpress-2006-2007-D-League-Awards-2041/ Fri, 11 May 2007 02:21:54 -0400 7?0 junior Ty Walker sits down with Rodger Bohn to discuss his decision to attend Wake Forest, the puzzling recruitment he received from North Carolina, how he has shot up the rankings faster then any member in the class of 2008, and more. Walker is now ranked by Rivals.com as the 7th best player in the class of 2008. /article/Getting-To-Know-Ty-Walker-2040/ /article/Getting-To-Know-Ty-Walker-2040/ Wed, 09 May 2007 22:20:12 -0400 DraftExpress sat down with Tiago Splitter at the Final Four in Athens to discuss his performance this past weekend, the disappointment of seeing his team come away empty for thier third straight Final Four, his desire to play in the NBA, his buyout situation, the style of play that fits him best, and more. /article/Tiago-Splitter-%22My-team-knows-that-I-want-to-go-to-the-NBA-%22-2039/ /article/Tiago-Splitter-%22My-team-knows-that-I-want-to-go-to-the-NBA-%22-2039/ Wed, 09 May 2007 18:14:26 -0400 Mario Boggan has experienced a lot for a college athlete. Heck, he?s experienced a lot for any college student. Since 1999, Boggan has played basketball at three different high schools, and spent time at four different colleges, in an amazing journey that now leaves him staring at the potential to be playing in the NBA next season. /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Mario-Boggan-2038/ /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Mario-Boggan-2038/ Wed, 09 May 2007 02:40:54 -0400 The Toronto Raptors have been arguably the biggest surprise in the Eastern Conference. Their improvement has helped them claim the top seed in the Atlantic Division after finishing 22 games out of that spot last season. Most of the changes that led to this quick turnaround were masterminded by General Manager Bryan Colangelo. His decision to select Andrea Bargnani with the 1st overall selection last season continues to look better and better, and the trade he orchestrated for TJ Ford has really helped Chris Bosh?s development and energized the Toronto offense. The unexpected success the Raptors have seen this season is encouraging, and Colangelo could have the team competing for the top spot in the Eastern Conference sooner rather than later. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Toronto-Raptors-2037/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Toronto-Raptors-2037/ Wed, 09 May 2007 00:23:48 -0400 [c]There's nothing like cutting down the nets after winning the championship.[/c]After winning the D-League championship, Rod Benson details his final days as a North Dakotan, his championship game, and the partying that ensued. /article/If-You-Aint-First,-You-re-Last!-2036/ /article/If-You-Aint-First,-You-re-Last!-2036/ Tue, 08 May 2007 02:34:03 -0400 Sometimes patience pays off. It did for Russell Carter. After riding the bench for his first two seasons at Notre Dame, and not being a go to option as a junior, Carter finally got his chance as a senior and made the most of it, earning All-Big East honors.?I just waited my time, practiced a lot and got better,? Carter said. ?We always had a lot of guards in our line up, so I just deferred to them.? /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Russell-Carter-2035/ /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Russell-Carter-2035/ Sun, 06 May 2007 18:40:29 -0400 Frequent updates from the biggest stage of European basketball--the Euroleague Final Four in Athens.Congrats to Panathinaikos for their championship! (Last Update: 1:12 AM CET) /article/Blogging-Through-the-Euroleague-Final-Four--Day-2--2034/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-Euroleague-Final-Four--Day-2--2034/ Sun, 06 May 2007 11:49:08 -0400 Frequent updates from the biggest stage of European basketball--the Euroleague Final Four in Athens. A short recap of the Junior Tournament is included. (Last Update: 12:15 AM CET) /article/Blogging-Through-the-Euroleague-Final-Four-2033/ /article/Blogging-Through-the-Euroleague-Final-Four-2033/ Fri, 04 May 2007 11:24:23 -0400 Syracuse-bound combo forward Donte Greene earns co-MVP honors with 20 points in his team?s loss. Kosta Koufos (Ohio State), Patrick Patterson (Undecided), and Jerryd Bayless (Arizona), among others, also have strong showings for the Blue Team. /article/Nike-Jordan-All-American-Classic-Main-Event-Recap---Blue-Team-2032/ /article/Nike-Jordan-All-American-Classic-Main-Event-Recap---Blue-Team-2032/ Thu, 03 May 2007 21:49:13 -0400 NEW YORK, May 3, 2007 ? The National Basketball Association announced today that 83 players, including 58 players from U.S. colleges and institutions and 25 international players, have filed as early entry candidates for the 2007 NBA Draft. /article/-NBA-ANNOUNCES-EARLY-ENTRY-CANDIDATES-FOR-2007-NBA-DRAFT-2031/ /article/-NBA-ANNOUNCES-EARLY-ENTRY-CANDIDATES-FOR-2007-NBA-DRAFT-2031/ Thu, 03 May 2007 18:40:57 -0400 The Chicago Bulls have risen to the top of the Eastern conference after several years of rebuilding through the draft. This past offseason, General Manager John Paxson dealt away the second of their two promising young big men in Tyson Chandler. Recognizing the need for a playoff tested veteran presence in the starting five, Paxson added Ben Wallace via free agency, effectively mitigating the loss of Chandler. Wallace and the Bulls organization were initially heavily criticized for the signing after a poor start, going 2-9 in their first 11 games, but managed to secure the 3rd best record in the Eastern Conference, finishing only 4 games behind top seeded Detroit and entering the playoffs as the 5th seed. They then proceeded to absolutely wipe the floor with defending champions Miami, setting up what will surely be a thrilling series with the Detroit Pistons in the semi-finals. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Chicago-Bulls-2028/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Chicago-Bulls-2028/ Thu, 03 May 2007 18:10:25 -0400 DraftExpress is on hand in Athens to take in the spectacle of the Euroleague Final Four, and will be reporting back in detail regarding our findings. For now, we bring you a preview of both semi-finals matchups and an analysis of each team?s defining characteristics. Check back with us all week long for updates. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Preview-2030/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Preview-2030/ Wed, 02 May 2007 21:30:58 -0400 It takes a special kind of athlete to achieve high levels of success in two sports. Trey Johnson is a special athlete. Coming out of high school he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals as a pitching prospect. Johnson decided to pass on the major leagues and try his hand at the college game first. Now, five years later, Johnson has a good chance at being drafted by the NBA as well. /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Trey-Johnson-2029/ /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Trey-Johnson-2029/ Wed, 02 May 2007 21:19:17 -0400 Last weekend?s Pitt JamFest offered many of the top names in recruiting circles throughout the country. Top 2008 prospects such as Ed Davis, Samardo Samuels, and William Buford were on hand but ultimately an unheralded Grassroots Canada team (led by Davoe Joseph) took the 17-U crown.DraftExpress was on hand to provide detailed breakdowns on the top performers from the class of 2008, 2009, and 2010 respectively. Part Two to come tomorrow. /article/Pitt-JamFest-Top-2008-Prospects-2027/ /article/Pitt-JamFest-Top-2008-Prospects-2027/ Wed, 02 May 2007 20:46:24 -0400 Many preseason projections had the Cleveland Cavaliers playing deep into the Eastern Conference playoffs, but few recognized the major problems the team would have eclipsing the regular season success they saw last season. While the team has a number of strengths, it also has one clear, glaring weakness holding it back. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Cleveland-Cavaliers-2026/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Cleveland-Cavaliers-2026/ Wed, 02 May 2007 01:50:28 -0400 [c]Photo: FIBA Europe[/c]Right when his team needed him most, Renaldas Seibutis stepped up to help Maroussi clinch a playoff berth in the Greek League with a 20-point performance. In the process, he earned our Player of the Week nomination. The NBA draft's early-entry list is the hottest topic these days, and on the international front DraftExpress has recently learned about Nikita Shabalkin and the Ivanov twins testing the waters. /article/Roundup-Seibutis-makes-a-Post-Season-Appearance-2025/ /article/Roundup-Seibutis-makes-a-Post-Season-Appearance-2025/ Tue, 01 May 2007 18:35:19 -0400 Villanova-bound point guard Corey Fisher leads his team to victory at Madison Square Garden, earning himself a co-MVP award along the way. Derrick Rose (Memphis), Eric Gordon (Indiana), and Kyle Singler (Duke), among others, also have strong showings for their team. /article/Nike-Jordan-All-American-Classic-Main-Event-Recap---Yellow-Team-2024/ /article/Nike-Jordan-All-American-Classic-Main-Event-Recap---Yellow-Team-2024/ Tue, 01 May 2007 02:28:43 -0400 Spencer Hawes sits down with Jonathan Givony and Rodger Bohn to discuss being one and done, the fallout of not playing in the NCAA tournament, his timetable for deciding whether to stay in the draft, his political beliefs, NBA comparison, and more. /article/Spencer-Hawes%22I-was-raised-to-speak-up-for-what-I-believe%22--Part-Two--2023/ /article/Spencer-Hawes%22I-was-raised-to-speak-up-for-what-I-believe%22--Part-Two--2023/ Tue, 01 May 2007 02:14:53 -0400 In a finals game in any sports league, it is typical to expect big time performances, exciting story lines, and a closely fought game that has every fan on the edge of their seat. Though the D-League lacks the attendance and media coverage of most sporting leagues, their finals game on Sunday night went above and beyond all expectations in terms of entertainment. In a closely fought battle, the Dakota Wizards edged out the Colorado 14ers in overtime for a 129-121 win, and their first D-League title in their inaugural season in the NBA?s minor league. /article/Rice-Plays-Big-as-Wizards-Take-Down-14ers-in-Overtime-2022/ /article/Rice-Plays-Big-as-Wizards-Take-Down-14ers-in-Overtime-2022/ Tue, 01 May 2007 00:42:19 -0400 Spencer Hawes sits down with Jonathan Givony and Rodger Bohn to discuss his classes at the University of Washington, the sometimes confusing process of being an underclassmen in the draft, what it will take for him to stay in, his season at UW, and more. /article/Spencer-Hawes-%22Down-by-the-hoop-is-where-I-like-to-play%22--Part-One--2021/ /article/Spencer-Hawes-%22Down-by-the-hoop-is-where-I-like-to-play%22--Part-One--2021/ Mon, 30 Apr 2007 02:47:34 -0400 Even with one of their star players--Andrei Kirilenko--struggling to live up to expectations, the Utah Jazz were able to build off of last seasons strong finish to claim a spot near the top of the Western Conference. No one could have anticipated how ready the rest of the Utah roster was to step up and perform without Kirilenko stuffing the stat sheet every night. For example, Deron Williams solidified his reputation as one of the top point guards in the NBA, Mehmet Okur garnered All-Star recognition in the post, and Carlos Boozer has shaken off injuries and questions of character to be considered a fringe Most Valuable Player candidate. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Utah-Jazz-2020/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Utah-Jazz-2020/ Mon, 30 Apr 2007 01:39:31 -0400 The Rockets enjoyed a turnaround season at a time where the franchise was under critical scrutiny to perform up to expectations. Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming still haven?t spent significant time on the court together, so team chemistry is still a work in progress in terms of where this duo?s ceiling may be. But there was enough health and continuity this year to take many of the question marks away. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Houston-Rockets-2019/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Houston-Rockets-2019/ Fri, 27 Apr 2007 23:39:02 -0400 [c]Rudy has become a star in his own right on the Old Continent ? Photo: Euroleague[/c]Another terrific week for Rudy Fernandez, with back-to-back 20+ point performances, has been crowned with the Euroleague Rising Star Trophy, recognizing the season?s best young player in the competition. Giving him our modest Player of the Week mention was a no brainer. Another Spanish shooting guard, Saúl Blanco, draws our attention with very solid outings in the ACB League. /article/Roundup-Rising-Star-Rudy-2014/ /article/Roundup-Rising-Star-Rudy-2014/ Fri, 27 Apr 2007 03:32:41 -0400 A complete list of all the realistic NBA draft prospects available in the 2007 draft, along with their known representation. /article/2007-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Agent-Listings-2018/ /article/2007-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Agent-Listings-2018/ Thu, 26 Apr 2007 20:18:25 -0400 Joey Whelan takes us into the life of another NBA draft prospect with Avis Wyatt, discussing the humble beginnings of his basketball career, how he ended up in Division II, his college career, playing at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, and his anticipation for going through the pre-draft process and playing at the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando. /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Avis-Wyatt-2017/ /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Avis-Wyatt-2017/ Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:38:30 -0400 The San Antonio Spurs powered through their early season struggles and came on strong to finish out the season, putting a tremendous amount of pressure on Phoenix in an attempt to wrest away the second seed in the Western Conference. The Spurs boast perhaps the best roster continuity of any team in the NBA, with stalwarts Duncan, Ginobili, Parker, and Bowen being a fixture in the San Antonio lineup for the past 5 seasons. The continuity and chemistry this team has should serve as an example of what is best in basketball, as the team has successfully implemented a series of well-seasoned veteran role players over the years to bolster the strength of the team?s main core. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-San-Antonio-Spurs-2016/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-San-Antonio-Spurs-2016/ Thu, 26 Apr 2007 02:52:15 -0400 Director of NCAA Scouting Jonathan Watters breaks down the freshman class of 2007's finest, after a week of observation at this year's Nike Hoop Summit. Last up, a trio of big men- Michael Beasley, Kevin Love and Patrick Patterson. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Player-Recap--Part-Three-The-Big-Men--2015/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Player-Recap--Part-Three-The-Big-Men--2015/ Wed, 25 Apr 2007 01:58:37 -0400 The Detroit Pistons will come to an impasse this offseason when both Chris Webber and Chauncey Billups become free agents. For the second time in two years, they may have to part with one of their impact players. The team survived the departure of Ben Wallace, but the potential departure of Billups is a serious threat to the team?s future. Webber has spent less time with the club, but his arrival served as a catalyst of sorts for the team. At his age, Webber isn?t going to break the bank on the open market, so he should be easier to retain... /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Detroit-Pistons-2013/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Detroit-Pistons-2013/ Tue, 24 Apr 2007 03:13:46 -0400 The Phoenix Suns are in the midst of another fantastic season and should be considered one of the prohibitive favorites to win the NBA Championship. The return of Amare Stoudemire has bolstered the Suns interior game on both ends of the court, which is an important dimension that the team was lacking during last seasons playoff run. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Phoenix-Suns-2012/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Phoenix-Suns-2012/ Sun, 22 Apr 2007 18:18:11 -0400 An update on the international front...Ante Tomic Staying in the draft...JamesOn Curry enters...Petteri Koponen Officially Declares, hires American agent Marc Cornstein...Danilo Gallinari Staying Another Year...Belinelli In, Hires Excel Sports Management /article/Word-on-the-Street-Ante-Tomic-Staying-in-the-Draft.-2011/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Ante-Tomic-Staying-in-the-Draft.-2011/ Sun, 22 Apr 2007 02:41:33 -0400 A summer removed from a trip to the NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks came into this season with lofty expectations. Sporting arguably the most talented roster in the league, the franchise has once again found itself atop the NBA thanks in large part to Head Coach Avery Johnson. /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Dallas-Mavericks-2010/ /article/NBA-Market-Watch-Dallas-Mavericks-2010/ Sat, 21 Apr 2007 02:43:04 -0400 A recap of the second practice at the Jordan All-American Classic, featuring a 40-minute, inter-squad scrimmage with standout performances from Corey Fisher, Kyle Singler, Kosta Koufos, Nick Calathes, and others. /article/Nike-Jordan-All-America-Classic-Friday-Practice-2009/ /article/Nike-Jordan-All-America-Classic-Friday-Practice-2009/ Sat, 21 Apr 2007 01:59:43 -0400 Six ties among teams that finished the 2006-07 NBA regular season with identical records were broken today through random drawings to help determine the order of selection for the 2007 NBA Draft, which will be held on Thursday, June 28 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.Update: 2nd round order included...2007 mock draft order complete. /article/Ties-Broken-for-2007-NBA-Draft-Order-of-Selection-2008/ /article/Ties-Broken-for-2007-NBA-Draft-Order-of-Selection-2008/ Fri, 20 Apr 2007 15:25:38 -0400 A recap of the first practice at the Jordan All-American Classic. O.J. Mayo and DeAndre Jordan have pulled out their names, but Jerryd Bayless, Donte Greene, Derrick Rose, Kosta Koufos, and others give plenty of reason to tune in on Saturday at 9:00 EST on ESPN2. /article/Nike-Jordan-All-American-Classic-Thursday-Practice-2007/ /article/Nike-Jordan-All-American-Classic-Thursday-Practice-2007/ Fri, 20 Apr 2007 02:22:14 -0400 As the regular season D-League champions, you'd think we would have a big time champagne fest. You might also think we would stop saying things like "no homo". Heck, you might even think we would know how to take a drug test by now. Alas, none of that is true. As the season comes to an end, it would appear that the fun is just beginning for Rod Benson. /article/We-Got-it-Done-2006/ /article/We-Got-it-Done-2006/ Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:36:24 -0400 [c]Marc Gasol cuts down the nets celebrating the FIBA EuroCup title[/c]He might not be the most spectacular guy on a basketball court and he will rarely display eye-popping moves, but you will hardly find a more consistent youngster than Marc Gasol in all of Europe. Consistency was what he again delivered in the FIBA EuroCup Final Four, helping his team Akasvayu Girona win the title. In a rather quiet week for young prospects, Gasol gets the edge for our Player of the Week nomination, over another remarkable showing by Tiago Splitter. /article/Roundup-Marc-Gasol,-Substance-Over-Spectacle-2003/ /article/Roundup-Marc-Gasol,-Substance-Over-Spectacle-2003/ Thu, 19 Apr 2007 02:39:28 -0400 Joey Whelan takes us into the life of another NBA draft prospect with De'Angelo Alexander, discussing his initial two college seasons at Oklahoma University, transfering to Charlotte in the Atlantic-10, representing his country in the U-19 World Junior Championships in Greece amongst and against a host of current NBA players, playing and winning the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, preparing for the NBA draft, and more. /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-De-Angelo-Alexander-2005/ /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-De-Angelo-Alexander-2005/ Thu, 19 Apr 2007 02:25:21 -0400 Director of NCAA Scouting Jonathan Watters breaks down the freshman class of 2007's finest, after a week of observation at this year's Nike Hoop Summit. Second up, a pair of combo forwards who are projected to develop into NBA small forward prospects down the road- Kyle Singler and Donte Green. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Player-Recap--Part-Two-the-Combo-Forwards-/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Player-Recap--Part-Two-the-Combo-Forwards-/ Thu, 19 Apr 2007 01:58:30 -0400 Official measurements from the Nike Hoop Summit of the World and US team. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Official-Measurements/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Official-Measurements/ Wed, 18 Apr 2007 00:02:24 -0400 [c]Afflalo at his press conference last Tuesday[/c]In a wide-ranging and in-depth interview, Arron Afflalo discusses entering the NBA draft this year and last, potentially attending the NBA pre-draft camp next month, his strengths and weaknesses as a player, his role at UCLA and what we haven't seen from him yet, his upside, and more. /article/Arron-Afflalo-%22When-it-s-all-said-and-done,-I-ll-be-at-the-top%22-2001/ /article/Arron-Afflalo-%22When-it-s-all-said-and-done,-I-ll-be-at-the-top%22-2001/ Mon, 16 Apr 2007 02:10:58 -0400 Joey Whelan takes us into the life of another NBA draft prospect with Bobby Brown, discussing his recruiting (or lack thereof) in high school out of storied Westchester, his successful NCAA career, the overtures he's received from high-major colleges to transfer, playing in the NABC all-star game, entering the NBA draft last season, and his anticipation for going through the pre-draft process for a second time. /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Bobby-Brown-1999/ /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Bobby-Brown-1999/ Sat, 14 Apr 2007 21:19:56 -0400 Director of NCAA Scouting Jonathan Watters breaks down the freshman class of 2007's finest, after a week of observation at this year's Nike Hoop Summit. First up, a formidable group of floor generals - projected top picks OJ Mayo and Derrick Rose, along with Jerryd Bayless, Johnny Flynn and Nolan Smith. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Player-Recap--Part-One-the-Guards--1998/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Player-Recap--Part-One-the-Guards--1998/ Fri, 13 Apr 2007 23:55:11 -0400 There is an argument to be made that for most NCAA players, no decision is more important when deciding to turn professional than the agent selection process. Agents play an absolutely essential role in helping steer their clients through the often very complicated NBA draft process. Starting with knowing the timing of when to declare for the draft, gathering feedback from NBA executives on a player?s draft stock, picking a suitable trainer to prepare for private workouts and (potentially) the pre-draft camp, setting up workouts and managing the ?hype? factor that can play a role in where a player is selected, and much much more?the wrong choice at this early stage can end up delivering a serious setback that some players just can?t recover from, shooting a career down before it ever gets off the ground. Note: This article was originally published in April of 2007 /article/Navigating-through-the-NBA-Agent-Selection-Process-1997/ /article/Navigating-through-the-NBA-Agent-Selection-Process-1997/ Fri, 13 Apr 2007 03:00:38 -0400 After a week of practicing, the World Select team wasn?t able to gain an edge over Team U.S.A. and ended up losing by a 20 point margin. It has been interesting to examine the progress of each of the prospects and their abilities on the court during the week they spent in Memphis. The world team was much stronger this year than in the past, though this was not reflected in the final outcome of the game. Some final conclusions can be drawn from the week on each of the international prospects who participated in the 2007 Nike Hoop Summit. These observations were made from watching the entire week of practices, scrimmages and the game, live in person. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-World-Team-Player-Recap--Part-Two--1996/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-World-Team-Player-Recap--Part-Two--1996/ Fri, 13 Apr 2007 02:34:21 -0400 All the latest activity from around the NBA's Development League. Randy Livingston gets another NBA chance, Pops Mensah-Bonsu exhausts his D-League eligibilty, and updates on the teams and NBA assigned players. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1995/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1995/ Thu, 12 Apr 2007 01:05:57 -0400 After a week of practicing, the World Select team wasn?t able to gain an edge over Team U.S.A. and ended up losing by a 20 point margin. It has been interesting to examine the progress of each of the prospects and their abilities on the court during the week they spent in Memphis. The world team was much stronger this year than in the past, though this was not reflected in the final outcome of the game. Some final conclusions can be drawn from the week on each of the international prospects who participated in the 2007 Nike Hoop Summit. These observations were made from watching the entire week of practices, scrimmages and the game, live in person. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-World-Team-Player-Recap--Part-One--1994/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-World-Team-Player-Recap--Part-One--1994/ Wed, 11 Apr 2007 01:45:05 -0400 Point guard Randy Livingston has been signed for the rest of the season by the Seattle Supersonics. In 46 appearances with the Idaho Stampede this season, the veteran guard averaged 12.3 points, 10.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. Livingston will be the 21st call-up of the season, and the second point guard to from the D-League to accomplish the feat over the past week. /article/Livingston-Joins-the-Sonics-1993/ /article/Livingston-Joins-the-Sonics-1993/ Tue, 10 Apr 2007 21:12:44 -0400 [c]Tiago Splitter teamed up with Luis Scola to carry Tau to the Final Four - Euroleague[/c]Tau Vitoria sealed a ticket for its third consecutive appearance in the Euroleague Final Four this past week, following a strong showing by Tiago Splitter in the second game of the quarter final round against Olympiacos, worthy of our Player of the Week honorary nomination. Portuguese Joao Gomes gets special attention after his massacring performance in the Vilagarcía Basket Cup, confirming the notion that he?s emerging as a strong second round candidate for the upcoming draft. /article/Roundup-Tiago-Splitter-Back-to-the-Final-Four-1989/ /article/Roundup-Tiago-Splitter-Back-to-the-Final-Four-1989/ Tue, 10 Apr 2007 01:59:05 -0400 Individual player recaps from the first two games of the last day of Portsmouth. Carl Landry finally puts in a Carl Landry-esqe performance...Fellow Purdue senior David Teague follows suit...Dan Nwaelele with another very solid performance. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-Day-Four--part-one--1991/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-Day-Four--part-one--1991/ Mon, 09 Apr 2007 03:54:05 -0400 Individual player recaps from the last two games of the last day of Portsmouth, including the championship. Russell Carter has arguably the best single-game performance of any player here so far...DaShaun Wood locks up tournament MVP honors...Jamaal Tatum finishes up the PIT strong...Adam Haluska goes 0-9 from beyond the arc... /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-Day-Four--part-two--1992/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-Day-Four--part-two--1992/ Mon, 09 Apr 2007 03:53:02 -0400 Nicolas Batum and Petteri Koponen both elevated their draft stock with strong performances at the 2007 Nike Hoop Summit. Batum is 99% sure he will be putting his name in, while point guard Petteri Koponen is strongly considering entering his name. /article/Batum--99%25-Sure--in-Draft,-Koponen-Shines-1990/ /article/Batum--99%25-Sure--in-Draft,-Koponen-Shines-1990/ Sun, 08 Apr 2007 22:04:47 -0400 A crazy turn of events for Michael Beasley; a familiar look to Johnny Flynn's defense; OJ Mayo and Derrick Rose in the same backcourt /article/Hoop-Summit-Storylines-1988/ /article/Hoop-Summit-Storylines-1988/ Sun, 08 Apr 2007 04:51:14 -0400 Joey Whelan takes us into the life of an NBA draft prospect with Jamaal Tatum, including a recap of his season, winning Missouri Valley Conference player of the year honors, earning a 4-seed in the NCAA tournament, making the Sweet 16, winning Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year, playing in the NABC game, participating in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, and selecting an agent to represent him for the NBA draft. /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Jamaal-Tatum-1987/ /article/NBA-Draft-Diary-Jamaal-Tatum-1987/ Sun, 08 Apr 2007 02:45:29 -0400 Jonathan Watters and Mike Schmidt provide up to the minute commentary straight from FedEx Forum and the 2007 NIke Hoop Summit /article/Courtside-at-the-Hoop-Summit-1986/ /article/Courtside-at-the-Hoop-Summit-1986/ Sat, 07 Apr 2007 16:00:53 -0400 [c]Despite the complaints, day three again saw a very strong turnout from NBA executives[/c]A short rumor mill from what we're hearing at Portsmouth about Kevin Durant, Acie Law, Ty Lawson and others...DaShaun Wood continues to secure himself for Portsmouth MVP honors...Daryl Watkins shows some skills...Russell Carter with another solid showing...Ryvon Covile and Rashad Jones-Jennings battle for the stat-line of the night. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Three-1985/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Three-1985/ Sat, 07 Apr 2007 04:44:56 -0400 Interviews from Portsmouth with the three top guards in attendance so far--DaShaun Wood, Ayinde Ubaka and Zabian Dowdell /article/PIT-Interviews-DaShaun-Wood,-Ayinde-Ubaka,-Zabian-Dowdell-1984/ /article/PIT-Interviews-DaShaun-Wood,-Ayinde-Ubaka,-Zabian-Dowdell-1984/ Sat, 07 Apr 2007 04:20:11 -0400 More coverage of the World Select Team practices from the Nike Hoop Summit. The game will take place tomorrow at 3PM CST when the international team takes on a group of the top high school players from the United States. Jonathan Watters and Mike Schmidt will be in attendance from Memphis where they will provide detailed coverage of the game. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices---World-Team--Day-4--1983/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices---World-Team--Day-4--1983/ Sat, 07 Apr 2007 03:38:28 -0400 Beasley, Walker blinsided by Bob Huggins' decision to leave Kansas State for his alma mater West Virginia after just one season. /article/Hoop-Summit-Happenings-Recruits-React-to-Huggins-move-1982/ /article/Hoop-Summit-Happenings-Recruits-React-to-Huggins-move-1982/ Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:59:49 -0400 Day 3 of the practices from the 2007 Nike Hoop Summit. Nemanja Aleksandrov makes his debut and Nicolas Batum continues to stand out. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices---World-Team--Day-3-/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices---World-Team--Day-3-/ Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:39:41 -0400 Notes on Thursday afternoon's spirited practice. Kyle Singler, Michael Beasley highlighted the action. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Thursday-Practice-1980/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-USA-Thursday-Practice-1980/ Fri, 06 Apr 2007 11:07:51 -0400 Drew Barnette takes a look at some of the major coaching changes that have taken place so far, and looks at other major programs like Kentucky, Kansas State and Arkansas who are still looking to fill their vacancies. Check out the analysis on what some of the best opportunities might be for up and coming coaches along with some other places that may not be as good as they appear... /article/The-NCAA-Coaching-Carousel--Thoughts-and-Analysis-1979/ /article/The-NCAA-Coaching-Carousel--Thoughts-and-Analysis-1979/ Fri, 06 Apr 2007 01:28:53 -0400 [c]Ayinde Ubaka[/c]Zabian Dowdell continues with his solid performance from Day One. Ayinde Ubaka improves on his Day One performance, finding a good balance between scoring and distributing the ball. Gary Neal shows off his impressive and versatile scoring ability with 19 points in 24 minutes. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Two-1978/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Two-1978/ Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:58:31 -0400 Notes from day 2 of the International practices of the 2007 Nike Summit. Nicholas Batum shines on day 2, and Petteri Koponen emerges as in interesting prospect. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices---World-Team--Day-2--1977/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices---World-Team--Day-2--1977/ Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:55:12 -0400 The 2007 Roundball Classic came and went with the West taking a 144-123 victory. J.J. Hickson, Kevin Love, and Corey Fisher were given MVP honors for the West all-stars, while O.J. Mayo?s 27 point, 6 assist performance gave him the MVP for the East team. DraftExpress was there to take in all the action, and has provided detailed player breakdowns on all of the top performers. /article/Roundball-Classic-Game-Player-Breakdowns-1976/ /article/Roundball-Classic-Game-Player-Breakdowns-1976/ Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:02:17 -0400 [c]Dashaun Wood[/c]Recapping the first two games of the PIT, including who showed up, who didn't and what the fallout might be from that. DaShaun Wood came away as the star of day one, while players like De'Angelo Alexander, Russell Carter, Zabian Dowdell, Ayinde Ubaka and Sean Marshall also played well. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-One-1975/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-One-1975/ Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:30:12 -0400 Following his MVP performance, DraftExpress was able to sit down and get a one on one interview with the nation?s top player, O.J. Mayo. Mayo, whom finished with 27 points and 6 assists, scored 10 consecutive points in one stretch late in the fourth quarter. His team lost the game, but in the fourth quarter, he showed everyone in attendance why he is hands down the best player in the country.DraftExpress will be posting detailed player breakdowns on all of the top performers in the Roundball Classic later this evening. /article/Roundball-Classic--O.J.-Mayo-Interview-1974/ /article/Roundball-Classic--O.J.-Mayo-Interview-1974/ Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:04:24 -0400 Last Sunday, Jordan Farmar of the Los Angeles Lakers became the first NBA player to play in a D-League game and NBA game in the same day. Today, he duplicated the feat, playing with the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the afternoon and then with the Lakers in the night cap. We interviewed him between games today. /article/Jordan-Farmar-doubles-up-the-double-header-1973/ /article/Jordan-Farmar-doubles-up-the-double-header-1973/ Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:40:37 -0400 [c]Teodosic is one of the most promising distributing playmakers in Europe.[/c]FMP swept Hemofarm in the Adriatic League semifinals with Milos Teodosic brilliantly assuming the team?s playmaking leading role after Aleksandar Rasic?s departure to Efes Pilsen, which looks to us deserving enough for a Player of the Week nomination. We also turn our heads to big man Nikola Pekovic, who emerged as one of the steadiest performers for Partizan in the other semifinal, where the Serbian team needed three games to get rid of Cibona. As a closing act, we?ll take a last look at the Chinese CBA Finals. /article/Roundup-Teodosic-Takes-the-Relay-1967/ /article/Roundup-Teodosic-Takes-the-Relay-1967/ Wed, 04 Apr 2007 01:26:41 -0400 The practices for the International Nike Hoop Summit team started early this week, and DraftExpress was able to make it there in time to catch the last half of the Tuesday evening practice. At first, the players worked on a few drills before scrimmaging the Memphis team of high school all-stars, who will play each other in a game before the started of the USA vs. World game on Saturday. Though there is only so much you can take from the practice, some of the prospects stood out with the skills they displayed. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices---World-Team--day-one--1972/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Practices---World-Team--day-one--1972/ Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:43:50 -0400 The second and final day of practices for the Roundball Classic came and went, with O.J. Mayo and Johnny Flynn leading the way yet again. The two point guards went head to head with the ultimate intensity during the final prelim before the game, while Kevin Love, DeAndre Jordan, and Gani Lawal were also awfully impressive. DraftExpress was there to give you the latest on these five amongst others, as well as to provide interviews with Johnny Flynn and J.J. Hickson. /article/Roundball-Classic-Practices-Day-Two-1971/ /article/Roundball-Classic-Practices-Day-Two-1971/ Tue, 03 Apr 2007 22:41:00 -0400 Rod Benson analyzes what it takes to have a successful bracket these days. Guess what? You don't have it...you're far too smart. /article/Why-you-lost-your-tournament-pool-1970/ /article/Why-you-lost-your-tournament-pool-1970/ Tue, 03 Apr 2007 15:44:07 -0400 [c]Yea, that's what you look like when you get your second technical foul[/c]It's been another interesting few weeks of D-League action. Rod Benson discusses the changing faces of his Wizards team and what is on the players minds as they head towards the playoffs. /article/D--League-ing-it-one-day-at-a-time-1969/ /article/D--League-ing-it-one-day-at-a-time-1969/ Tue, 03 Apr 2007 15:43:47 -0400 Greg Oden delivers the dominant performance we've all been waiting for...Corey Brewer secures Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors...Taurean Green delivers his best performance of the NCAA tournament...Al Horford comes in with a mixed performance...Mike Conley plays well despite foul trouble...that and more. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Nat-l-Championship-Game--1968/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Nat-l-Championship-Game--1968/ Tue, 03 Apr 2007 03:28:54 -0400 Practices for the 2007 Roundball Classic kicked off on Sunday, with USC star O.J. Mayo in attendance. Mayo, who had been debating whether to play in the Roundball or Jordan games, was dominant in Sunday?s practice session. Gani Lawal, Anthony Randolph, and DeAndre Jordan were also amongst the more impressive performers of the day. In outside news, Roundball selection Herb Pope was shot three times Saturday night at a party he attended. His injuries are not life threatening. DraftExpress was on hand to provide detailed reports on the top players, as well as obtain interviews with both Anthony Randolph and DeAndre Jordan. /article/Roundball-Classic-Practices-Day-One-1966/ /article/Roundball-Classic-Practices-Day-One-1966/ Mon, 02 Apr 2007 18:01:16 -0400 The official rosters of the 2007 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, the first of two pre-draft camps. The NCAA seniors only tournament will be held from April 4th-7th in Portsmouth, Virginia. Check out the the official website of PIT, where you can find more info as well as the daily box-scores. /article/2007-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Rosters-1965/ /article/2007-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Rosters-1965/ Sun, 01 Apr 2007 23:33:46 -0400 Roy Hibbert has an outstanding outing in defeat...Mike Conley Jr takes his game to a new level with Greg Oden on the bench...Corey Brewer plays a sensational game on both ends of the floor against UCLA...Al Horford pulls down 17 rebounds. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Final-Four---Stock-Up-1964/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Final-Four---Stock-Up-1964/ Sun, 01 Apr 2007 09:58:44 -0400 Greg Oden struggles with foul trouble against Georgetown...Jeff Green disappears for the Hoyas...Arron Afflalo goes MIA once again when the Bruins need him most...Ron Lewis snaps his outstanding streak of play. That and much more. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Final-Four--Stock-Down-Neutral-1963/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Final-Four--Stock-Down-Neutral-1963/ Sun, 01 Apr 2007 09:47:39 -0400 Drew Barnette gives us his picks for today's Final Four games, as well as a brief rundown of the two match-ups. /article/Final-Four-Picks,-and-More...-1962/ /article/Final-Four-Picks,-and-More...-1962/ Sat, 31 Mar 2007 14:24:33 -0400 [c]La Bomba--coming to America?[/c]Euroleague star Juan Carlos Navarro grants DraftExpress an in-depth and far-reaching interview on a variety of topics, including his thoughts on potentially leaving Barcelona this summer for the Washington Wizards. /article/Interview-Juan-Carlos-Navarro-1961/ /article/Interview-Juan-Carlos-Navarro-1961/ Thu, 29 Mar 2007 02:12:34 -0400 [c]Michael Beasley came away with MVP honors after an outstanding 23 point, 12 rebound performance[/c]The 2007 McDonald's All America Game has came and gone, with the West team taking home a narrow 114-112 victory. O.J. Mayo disappointed, Michael Beasley flourished, and Gani Lawal surprised many.Included are detailed breakdowns of the games top performers, as well as an interview with Syracuse recruit Donte Greene. /article/2007-McDonald-s-All-America-Game-Player-Breakdowns-1960/ /article/2007-McDonald-s-All-America-Game-Player-Breakdowns-1960/ Thu, 29 Mar 2007 02:04:58 -0400 All the latest news from around the D-League. Luke Schenscher receives another 10 day contract, Mike Hall and Louis Amundson have been signed for the season, and updates on all the teams and NBA Assigned players. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1959/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1959/ Wed, 28 Mar 2007 23:43:03 -0400 [c]Plenty to celebrate about this weekend for Omri Casspi[/c]Omri Casspi is our Player of the Week after his impressive performance leading Galil Elyon to victory over Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv. Besides, we pay a visit to the Chinese CBA Finals, focusing on how is Yi Jianlian faring against the likes of Wang Zhizhi and Mo Ke. We also put the spotlight on Pau Orthez?s big young couple Ludovic Vaty and Alexis Ajinca, who enjoyed some limited action this week in the Euroleague. /article/Roundup-Omri-Casspi-in-a-Heroic-Victory-over-Maccabi-1957/ /article/Roundup-Omri-Casspi-in-a-Heroic-Victory-over-Maccabi-1957/ Wed, 28 Mar 2007 19:37:53 -0400 The third and final practice for the McDonald?s All America Game was an uneventful one, with the West team cutting their practice short by about thirty minutes in order to save their players? legs for the real game. The East squad conducted a inter-squad scrimmage for the large portion of the practice, with O.J. Mayo stealing the show yet again. DraftExpress was there to take in all the action and has provided player evaluations, and was also able to get an in depth interview with Indiana recruit Eric Gordon. /article/McDonald-s-All-America-Game-Practices-Day-Three-1958/ /article/McDonald-s-All-America-Game-Practices-Day-Three-1958/ Wed, 28 Mar 2007 18:05:31 -0400 Who is officially in and out of the NBA draft as of April 29th on the domestic and international fronts, along with who is speculated to be considering entering their name or testing the waters. Links to media reports, inside information from NBA sources on the chances of underclassmen declaring and early draft projections on where the potential early-entry candidates might land. Latest News: Nikita Shabalkin and Ivanov Twins enter. /article/2007-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List--Updated-April-29th-/ /article/2007-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List--Updated-April-29th-/ Wed, 28 Mar 2007 01:10:57 -0400 [c]Roy Hibbert helps his stock tremendously on the biggest stage he's ever played on[/c]A belated look at the Elite Eight games on Sunday after rewatching the tapes on both. Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green play fantastic games against UNC...Taurean Green and Lee Humphrey lead Florida back to the promised land with their timely outside shooting...A small revival for Malik Hairston...14+14 for Joakim Noah....Ty Lawson and Corey Brewer disappoint. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Elite-Eight,-Sunday-games-/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Elite-Eight,-Sunday-games-/ Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:26:24 -0400 The second day of the McDonald?s All America Game practices came and went. O.J. Mayo and Jerryd Bayless were dominant yet again, while Eric Gordon was still hampered by injury. DraftExpress was on hand to take in all the action, providing detailed player breakdowns as well as in depth interviews with O.J. Mayo and Nick Calathes. /article/McDonald-s-All-America-Game-Practices-Day-Two-1954/ /article/McDonald-s-All-America-Game-Practices-Day-Two-1954/ Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:03:14 -0400 The 2007 McDonald?s All American Game practices kicked off Sunday at Hoops Gym in Louisville, with both teams going through what was supposedly to be a light practice. The absolutely stacked West squad was able to somewhat coast through their drills, with coach Derrick Taylor putting in some basic offensive sets and running a light scrimmage. East team coach Gary Forrest hoped to just get his team loose as well, although things quickly got hot and heavy during the two on two, three on three, and four on four games. DraftExpress was on hand to take in all of the action, providing detailed breakdowns on the top performers from both teams and obtained interviews with both Kosta Koufos and Jerryd Bayless. /article/McDonald-s-All-America-Game-Practices-Day-One-1953/ /article/McDonald-s-All-America-Game-Practices-Day-One-1953/ Mon, 26 Mar 2007 01:23:53 -0400 The Euroleague Final Four in Athens sells out two months in advance...Jordi Bertomeu postpones expansion...the Player's Union opposes the Euroleague's proposed standard player contracts...CSKA, Tau and Panathinaikos dominate the Top-16...Benetton Treviso gets slapped on the wrist...A new coach in Tau....The Euroleague coveting the Chinese market. /article/Checking-up-on-the-European-Scene-1952/ /article/Checking-up-on-the-European-Scene-1952/ Mon, 26 Mar 2007 01:21:16 -0400 In terms of the 2007 NBA Draft, there?s not a better big-men matchup in the Old Continent than the one we saw this weekend between Marc Gasol and Tiago Splitter. They backed up the hype by delivering strong performances, actually one of their best showings this season for both players. /article/Marquee-Matchup-Marc-Gasol-vs.-Tiago-Splitter-1951/ /article/Marquee-Matchup-Marc-Gasol-vs.-Tiago-Splitter-1951/ Sun, 25 Mar 2007 21:23:43 -0400 [c]Greg Oden put on a dominant performance Ohio State to the Final Four[/c]Arron Afflalo breaks out of his shooting funk...Brandon Rush tries to step up for Kansas...Mike Conley wows with his slashing...Julian Wright disappears....and much more. Final Update: /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Elite-Eight,-Saturday-games--1950/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Elite-Eight,-Saturday-games--1950/ Sat, 24 Mar 2007 23:31:44 -0400 Drew Barnette gives us his picks for the Elite Eight games, as well as a breakdown of each match-up. Also included is a look back at a very exciting Sweet Sixteen, which included some very controversial officiating... /article/Elite-Eight-Picks-and-Analysis,-and-a-Recap-of-the-Sweet-Sixteen-1949/ /article/Elite-Eight-Picks-and-Analysis,-and-a-Recap-of-the-Sweet-Sixteen-1949/ Sat, 24 Mar 2007 11:45:45 -0400 [c]Jeff Green puts Georgetown back in the Elite Eight[/c]Nick Young has one outstanding half against North Carolina...Ty Lawson wears out USC by pushing the tempo...Roy Hibbert fouls out, but still swings the game in Georgetown's favor...Joakim Noah does what he does best...that and much more. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--Sweet-16,-Friday----Stock-Down-Neutral/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--Sweet-16,-Friday----Stock-Down-Neutral/ Sat, 24 Mar 2007 05:32:24 -0400 [c]Taj Gibson rises to the occasion against two sure-fire NBA players[/c]Al Horford leads his team to victory yet again...Taurean Green plays his role and helps the Gators advance...Gabe Pruitt shows he's a legit NBA prospect in losing to UNC /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--Sweet-16,-Friday-games---Stock-Up-1947/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--Sweet-16,-Friday-games---Stock-Up-1947/ Sat, 24 Mar 2007 05:18:23 -0400 Idaho Stampede Small Forward Luke Jackson has been called up to the Toronto Raptors on a 10 day contract. He has averaged 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists for the Stampede this season, while shooting 48.6% from behind the three point line. This is the second call-up of the season for Jackson, who was signed to a 10 day contract by the Clippers on January 8th. /article/Luke-Jackson-Joins-Toronto-on-10-Day-Contract-1946/ /article/Luke-Jackson-Joins-Toronto-on-10-Day-Contract-1946/ Sat, 24 Mar 2007 00:05:38 -0400 Following the resigning of Kentucky Head Coach Tubby Smith, 6-11 Junior Randolph Morris has decided to leave Lexington to sign with the New York Knicks. The Kentucky Wildcats were blindsided by Morris for the second time in two years, as he apparently did not bother to inform them of his intentions. ?My understanding was that he is going to wait until a new head coach is hired to make a decision,? a representative of the Kentucky Sports Information Department told us earlier today. This move exposes a massive loophole in the NCAA rule book that allows underclassmen to declare for the draft and become NBA free agents with their NCAA eligibility still intact if they go undrafted, and could have huge implications on the thought process of when college players decide to enter their name in the draft. /article/The-Randolph-Morris-Loophole-1945/ /article/The-Randolph-Morris-Loophole-1945/ Fri, 23 Mar 2007 18:05:43 -0400 [c]Acie Law finishes off a magnificent senior year with a mysterious performance[/c]Greg Oden plays just 18 minutes due to foul trouble...Arron Afflalo shoots poorly from the field, but not from the line in a UCLA win...Julian Wright throws up a stinker against Southern Illinois...Aaron Gray finishes his career with another disappointing performance. That and much more. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--Sweet-16,-Thursday-games---Down-Neutral-1944/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--Sweet-16,-Thursday-games---Down-Neutral-1944/ Fri, 23 Mar 2007 05:25:30 -0400 [c]Mike Conley, Ron Lewis and Thad Matta come up huge in another unforgettable second half comeback[/c]A look at the prospects who helped themselves the most in the fifth day of games in the NCAA tournament.Brandon Rush steps up for Kansas...Chris Lofton bows out with another terrific shooting display...Jamaal Tatum ends his college career on a high note. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--Sweet-16,-Thursday-games---Stock-Up-1943/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--Sweet-16,-Thursday-games---Stock-Up-1943/ Fri, 23 Mar 2007 05:12:25 -0400 Drew Barnette gives us his picks for all of the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen games, along with a brief analysis of each match-up. /article/Sweet-Sixteen-Predictions-and-Analysis-1942/ /article/Sweet-Sixteen-Predictions-and-Analysis-1942/ Thu, 22 Mar 2007 10:06:52 -0400 [c]The Milk House--where it all gets settled?[/c]Stu Jackson, the NBA?s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, recently issued a memo to all NBA general managers clarifying the exact regulations that went into effect on October 13th in regards to the pre-draft process. DraftExpress already published an article about the groundbreaking changes that have gone into effect, but now we know exactly what those are. Since there is still clearly plenty of confusion in the basketball industry?particularly amongst NCAA players and NBA player agents?we?ve decided to summarize some of the key points. /article/Word-on-the-Street-NBA-Sets-the-Record-Straight-on-Pre-Draft-Rules-1941/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-NBA-Sets-the-Record-Straight-on-Pre-Draft-Rules-1941/ Wed, 21 Mar 2007 23:21:46 -0400 Drew Barnette recaps a fantastic second round of this year's NCAA Tournament with thoughts and analysis from all the unforgettable games. What was a great thrill for some teams was a great heartbreak for others. Both Xavier and VCU were on the verge of incredible upsets, but came up short in overtime. Other teams like Washington State and Virginia, who had really turned their programs around, were looking to cap off great seasons with trips to the Sweet Sixteen, but came up short... /article/Recapping-a-Second-Round-Exciting-for-Some,-Heartbreaking-for-Others-1940/ /article/Recapping-a-Second-Round-Exciting-for-Some,-Heartbreaking-for-Others-1940/ Wed, 21 Mar 2007 12:15:53 -0400 All the latest happenings from around the NBA's Development League. Dijon Thompson leaves and returns to Albuquerque, Alan Anderson re-joins Charlotte, and NBA assigned player updates. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1939/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1939/ Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:28:40 -0400 [c]Patrick O'Bryant looks like the poster boy for the 2006 NCAA Tournament warrior so far[/c]It?s inevitable almost. A college season or career comes to a close with a three week tournament that is intended to determine who the best team in the NCAA is. It?s a national pastime almost, garnering an incredible amount of media hype and almost non-stop TV coverage from all the cable and broadcast networks. Due to the nature of its format?a one and done competition and the many variables that go along with it, it?s questionable whether the tournament is able to decide who the best team in the country is. What?s even more questionable, though, is whether it should be relied on as a tool to analyze the professional potential of the hundreds of players who participate. Like it or not, though, that?s exactly what ends up happening if history is any indicator. This article was originally published in March of 2007. /article/The-Perils-of-March-Madness/ /article/The-Perils-of-March-Madness/ Tue, 20 Mar 2007 01:10:09 -0400 Over the weekend, Huntington HS star O.J. Mayo led his squad to an unprecedented third straight Class AAA championship in the state of West Virginia . Huntington HS won their three state tournament games by an average margin of 48.3 points per game, and Mayo ended his high school career with a 41 point, 10 rebound, 11 assist performance. DraftExpress was on hand to take in one of their blowout victories, providing in depth breakdowns of the performances of Mayo and fellow Huntington star Patrick Patterson. /article/Mayo-Leads-Huntington-To-Third-Straight-State-Title-1937/ /article/Mayo-Leads-Huntington-To-Third-Straight-State-Title-1937/ Mon, 19 Mar 2007 22:52:46 -0400 [c]Tripkovic hit 6/8 three-pointers for 26 points against Joventut[/c]In a relatively disappointing season for him, Uros Tripkovic finally erupted for a memorable performance against Joventut, recording a Euroleague career-high with 26 points to keep Partizan alive in the competition. That?s why he has earned Player of the Week honours. We also pay special attention to the Latvian skilled seven-footer Kaspars Berzins and to the next super-sized Turkish small forward, Baris Hersek. /article/Roundup-Serbian-Bomber-Uros-Tripkovic-in-a-Massacring-Performance-1936/ /article/Roundup-Serbian-Bomber-Uros-Tripkovic-in-a-Massacring-Performance-1936/ Mon, 19 Mar 2007 21:04:53 -0400 A look at the prospects who saw their stock drop or remain neutral in the fourth day of games at the NCAA tournament.Kevin Durant gets his, but his teammates were nowhere to be found...Joakim Noah struggles for touches but finds other ways to contribute to another Florida victory...Nick Fazekas disappears for his third straight NCAA tournament. Alando Tucker disappoints... And much much more. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-Sunday---Stock-Down-Neutral-1935/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-Sunday---Stock-Down-Neutral-1935/ Mon, 19 Mar 2007 05:01:43 -0400 A look at the prospects who helped themselves the most in the fourth day of games in the NCAA tournament.Dominic McGuire declaring for the draft...Al Horford puts together arguably his most impressive performance in a Florida uniform...Wendell White powers his way past Wisconsin, helping his draft stock tremendously along the way...Julian Wright holds serve amongst top prospects who are having excellent NCAA tournament runs so far...Nick Young helps take down Kevin Durant and Texas...and much much more. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-Sunday-games---Stock-Up-1934/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-Sunday-games---Stock-Up-1934/ Mon, 19 Mar 2007 04:15:52 -0400 A look at the prospects who saw their stock drop or remain neutral in the second day of games at the NCAA tournament.Aaron Gray plays a solid, but not overwhelming game against an undersized VCU frontcourt. Greg Oden has a poor first half but recovers nicely in a near-loss to Xavier. Darren Collison, Jeff Green, Terrence Williams, Mike Jones and much much more. Final Update /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-Saturday---Down-Neutral-1933/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-Saturday---Down-Neutral-1933/ Sun, 18 Mar 2007 05:29:24 -0400 Danilo "JR" Pinnock was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks out of George Washington 58th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft before being promptly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. After an impressive stint in the Long Beach Summer Pro League, JR signed a contract with Los Angeles, but was unable to make the roster out of training camp. Discouraged, but not defeated, Pinnock went overseas and once again faced adversity when he joined the Giessen 46ers, a team that was slowly falling apart. JR rallied himself and came back into the NBA family, where he?s now averaging 11 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per contest, with the NBDL?s Arkansas Rimrockers /article/Interview-with-JR-Pinnock-of-the-Arkansas-Rimrockers-1932/ /article/Interview-with-JR-Pinnock-of-the-Arkansas-Rimrockers-1932/ Sun, 18 Mar 2007 02:36:55 -0400 Drew Barnette gives us his picks for Sunday's second round NCAA Tournament games. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Picks-and-Previews-for-Sunday-s-Second-Round-Games-1931/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Picks-and-Previews-for-Sunday-s-Second-Round-Games-1931/ Sun, 18 Mar 2007 01:06:33 -0400 A look at the prospects who helped themselves the most in the second day of games at the NCAA tournament. Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough combine for a spectacular performance against Michigan State. Ron Lewis and Mike Conley Jr. take down Xavier with some clutch play. Eric Maynor, Acie Law, Derrick Byars, Roy Hibbert, Jared Dudley, and much much more. Final Update /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-Saturday-games---Stock-Up/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-Saturday-games---Stock-Up/ Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:08:57 -0400 [c]Joakim Noah reminds us why we liked him so much to begin with last March[/c]A look at the prospects who helped themselves the most in the second day of games at the NCAA tournament.J.R. Reynolds, Chris Lofton and Sean Singletary started off the day right from the guards department as far as dominating offensive performances go, while Carl Landry, Joakim Noah, and Craig Bradshaw dominated the inside from the frontcourt. That and much much more in what turned out to be a phenomenal day of college basketball. Final Update /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-64,-Friday-games---Stock-Up-1929/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-64,-Friday-games---Stock-Up-1929/ Sat, 17 Mar 2007 04:57:27 -0400 Drew Barnette gives us his picks for Saturday's second round NCAA Tournament games, along with a brief breakdown of each game. Also included is a recap of Friday's games... /article/NCAA-Tournament-Picks-and-Previews-for-Saturday-s-Second-Round-Games-1928/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Picks-and-Previews-for-Saturday-s-Second-Round-Games-1928/ Sat, 17 Mar 2007 01:27:45 -0400 [c]Mustafa Shakur ends his NCAA career with another uneven performance[/c]A look at the prospects who saw their stock drop or remain neutral in the second day of games at the NCAA tournament.Kevin Durant has an average performance by his standards, but still finishes with 27 points. Alando Tucker wakes up early enough to not see his team fall to #15 seed Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton put in mediocre efforts against UNLV and are therefore already on their way home. That and much much more inside. Final Update /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-64,-Friday-games---Down-Neutral-1927/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-64,-Friday-games---Down-Neutral-1927/ Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:52:28 -0400 [c]Eric Maynor had his coming out party in the biggest upset of day one[/c]A look at the prospects who helped themselves the most in the first day of games at the NCAA tournament. Sophomore Eric Maynor takes down Duke in the most exciting game of day one. Stephen Curry announced his presence to the national scene with 30 points in a loss to Maryland. Tyrese Rice showed great leadership skills in helping Boston College take down Texas Tech, and much more.[Final Update] /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-64,-Thursday-games---Stock-Up-1926/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-64,-Thursday-games---Stock-Up-1926/ Fri, 16 Mar 2007 02:21:52 -0400 Drew Barnette gives us his picks for Friday's First Round NCAA Tournament games, along with a brief write-up of all of today's action. We didn't see too many upsets on the first day of the Tournament, but there are more likely candidates in today's games. Check out who some of this year's Cinderellas might be... /article/NCAA-Tournament-Picks-and-Breakdown-of-Friday-s-First-Round-Games-1924/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Picks-and-Breakdown-of-Friday-s-First-Round-Games-1924/ Fri, 16 Mar 2007 01:00:13 -0400 A look at the prospects who hurt or did nothing for their stock with the way they played in round one of the tournament on Thursday. Josh McRoberts puts up career numbers in a shocking upset to VCU. Dominic James exits the tournament disappointed courtesy of Tom Izzo's Michigan State. Greg Oden takes care of business. And much much more. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-64,-Thursday---Down-Neutral-1923/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-64,-Thursday---Down-Neutral-1923/ Thu, 15 Mar 2007 14:51:54 -0400 A quick look at every First Round NCAA Tournament game, updated throughout the day. [Last Update: 7:00 EST, VCU-Duke, Michigan State-Marquette] /article/The-Madness,-Day-1-What-to-Look-For-1922/ /article/The-Madness,-Day-1-What-to-Look-For-1922/ Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:22:51 -0400 [c]Joakim Noah and Al Horford teamed up to secure Florida another title[/c]In the part four of our NBA Draft stock watch series for the conference tournament week that is now concluded, we look at a number of prospects that saw their stock rise, fall or remain steady thanks to the way they played. Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Bryce Taylor and Stephane Lasme conclude our discussion. /article/NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch-Conference-Tournament-Week--Part-Four--1921/ /article/NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch-Conference-Tournament-Week--Part-Four--1921/ Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:13:16 -0400 Drew Barnette gives us his picks for Thursday's First Round NCAA Tournament games, along with a brief write-up of all of today's action. As always, there will almost assuredly be some upsets. Check out and see who Barnette thinks the most likely candidates are. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Picks-and-Breakdown-of-Thursday-s-1st-Round-Games-1920/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Picks-and-Breakdown-of-Thursday-s-1st-Round-Games-1920/ Wed, 14 Mar 2007 19:49:13 -0400 DraftExpress' Doug Thonus spent time in the Chicago Bulls lockerroom catching up with Luol Deng discussing some his transition into the NBA and how he's continued to develop as a player. /article/In-Depth-with-Luol-Deng-1918/ /article/In-Depth-with-Luol-Deng-1918/ Wed, 14 Mar 2007 03:23:46 -0400 [c]Brandan Wright and Brandon Costner were the two best players at the ACC Tournament in Tampa[/c]In the part three of our NBA Draft stock watch series for the conference tournament week that is now concluded, we look at a number of prospects that saw their stock rise, fall or remain steady thanks to the way they played. Brandan Wright, Trey Johnson, Brandon Costner, Josh McRoberts and others are included in the discussion. /article/NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch-Conference-Tournament-Week--Part-Three--1919/ /article/NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch-Conference-Tournament-Week--Part-Three--1919/ Wed, 14 Mar 2007 03:08:17 -0400 All of the latest news and transactions from around the NBA's Development League. Randy Livingston is the D-League player of the week, Louis Amundson receives his second chance at the NBA, and updates on the teams and NBA assigned players. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1917/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1917/ Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:56:08 -0400 In the part two of our NBA Draft stock watch series for the conference tournament week that is now concluded, we look at a number of prospects that saw their stock rise, fall or remain steady thanks to the way they played. Greg Oden, Jeff Green, Caleb Green, Joey Dorsey and many others are included in the discussion. /article/NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch-Conference-Tournament-Week-Part-Two--1916/ /article/NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch-Conference-Tournament-Week-Part-Two--1916/ Tue, 13 Mar 2007 04:04:38 -0400 Drew Barnette shares his thought's on this year's NCAA Tournament bracket and compares the committee's bracket to his own. Barnette got 63 out of 65 teams in the field correctly, and 51 teams within one of the actual seed. Barnette also gives us a preview of tonight's Opening Round/Play-In game as the NCAA Tournament officially gets underway tonight. /article/Critiquing-the-Committee,-and-Looking-at-Tonight-s-Opening-Round-Game-1915/ /article/Critiquing-the-Committee,-and-Looking-at-Tonight-s-Opening-Round-Game-1915/ Tue, 13 Mar 2007 01:32:39 -0400 [c]Yi Jianlian will face Wang Zhizhi in the CBA Finals [/c]Yi Jianlian earns Player of the Week honors after leading Guangdong to the CBA Finals by unexpectedly rolling over Jiangsu in the semis. We also take a look at Nemanja Aleksandrov, trying to regain his old self after his ACL injury. And don?t forget to check out Romain Duport, a new name that has emerged in the French League these last weeks. /article/Roundup-Yi-Jianlian-Leads-Guangdong-to-the-CBA-Finals-1914/ /article/Roundup-Yi-Jianlian-Leads-Guangdong-to-the-CBA-Finals-1914/ Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:36:18 -0400 [c]Kevin Durant continues to show why he's the best player in the country[/c]In the first part of our NBA Draft stock watch series for the conference tournament week that is now finished, we look at a number of prospects that saw their stock rise, fall or remain steady thanks to the way they played. Kevin Durant, Roy Hibbert, Thaddeus Young, Aaron Gray and many others are included in the discussion. /article/NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch-Conference-Tournament-Week--Part-One--1913/ /article/NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch-Conference-Tournament-Week--Part-One--1913/ Mon, 12 Mar 2007 03:50:27 -0400 Which games are NBA scouts booking as must-sees on their itinerary for this upcoming weekend? What matchups or potential matchups are making them salivate? To answer that, we take a look at the 10 best head to head clashes we?re looking forward to from an individual NBA draft perspective. /article/NCAA-Tournament,-Weekend-One-10-Best-Individual-Player-Matchups-1912/ /article/NCAA-Tournament,-Weekend-One-10-Best-Individual-Player-Matchups-1912/ Mon, 12 Mar 2007 03:31:14 -0400 Drew Barnette has posted his final bracket of the season pending the results of today's conference championship games. See who he believes is in the field, who he believes is just out, and read his analysis as to why. Also included is Drew Barnette's S Curve rankings, so you can see how each team was placed into the bracket. Barnette also takes a look at the six teams who he believes still have a shot at ending up as #1 seeds. Check this article throughout the day as things develop in the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big Twelve and Southland Conference Championship games. /article/BX-FINAL-BRACKET-PROJECTION-OF-THE-2007-SEASON--updated-542pm,-est--1911/ /article/BX-FINAL-BRACKET-PROJECTION-OF-THE-2007-SEASON--updated-542pm,-est--1911/ Sun, 11 Mar 2007 10:58:56 -0400 Drew Barnette looks at 13 teams who are on the bubble, and gives a precise evaluation and analysis of each team. Check out why each team could be selected, as well as why each team could be left out. There is also a rundown of today's five conference championship games. Ohio State and Wisconsin will battle in the Big Ten in a game where the winner will almost assuredly get a #1 seed. Kansas and Texas are most likely in the pod system, and will face each other in a rematch of last year's Big Twelve Championship game.North Carolina State has strung together three straight upsets and advanced to the ACC Championship where they'll face rival North Carolina. A win puts them in the NCAA Tournament, and takes a bid away from a bubble team.Arkansas is also right on the bubble, but can clinch an automatic bid by winning the SEC Championship today.One last automatic bid is available to whoever wins the Southland Championship.All that, and much more... /article/BX-Bubble-Rundown,-Conference-Championship-Games,-and-More...-1910/ /article/BX-Bubble-Rundown,-Conference-Championship-Games,-and-More...-1910/ Sun, 11 Mar 2007 04:09:54 -0400 Drew Barnette gives us his latest bracket projections on the eve of Selection Sunday. Check to see who is in, who is out, and who is seeded where. Included along with the bracket is a look at how six teams could potentially still end up with #1 seeds. Barnette also gives us a thorough analysis of all the teams on the bubble, and outlines the reasons those teams may just be able to sneak in, or may be left out. All that, and much more... /article/BX-BRACKET-PROJECTIONS-AND-NOTES-FOR-SAT,-3-10--updated-950pm,est--1909/ /article/BX-BRACKET-PROJECTIONS-AND-NOTES-FOR-SAT,-3-10--updated-950pm,est--1909/ Sat, 10 Mar 2007 12:14:50 -0500 Drew Barnette continues to monitor Championship week and give a thorough analysis of how all the games will most likely impact the NCAA Tournament.We are in the final stretch run with several automatic bids being given out today in leagues like the MEAC, SWAC, American East, Big East, Pac Ten, WAC, Atlantic Ten and Mountain West Conferences.The SEC semifinals are today, and three of the four teams playing are still fighting for their tournament lives in what has been a crazy tournament. Mississippi might be able to play their way into the field with an upset win over Florida, and Arkansas and Mississippi State face each other with a chance to advance to the championship game, and possibly wrap up an at-large bid in the process.Purdue is on the bubble and fighting to cement themselves a spot in the NCAA Tournament. They can do that today if they can somehow upset Ohio State.All that, and much more... /article/Conference-Tournament-News,-Notes-and-Match-ups-for-Saturday,-3-10-1908/ /article/Conference-Tournament-News,-Notes-and-Match-ups-for-Saturday,-3-10-1908/ Sat, 10 Mar 2007 03:33:20 -0500 Drew Barnette's most recent bracket projections are up as we come down to the 11th hour before Selection Sunday. Check out to see what teams he believes are in, where he believes they'll be seed, and why with some of the most thorough analysis available concerning the bracket. Also included in the article is a very thorough rundown of all the teams on the bubble, and what the teams that are still playing must do in order to secure themselves a spot in the field. Barnette also gives a rundown of some potential Bubble Busters, which are teams that could get hot and end up winning an automatic bid, which would take an at-large bid away from a current bubble team. All that, and much more. /article/BX-BRACKET-PROJECTIONS-AND-NOTES-FOR-FRIDAY,-3-9-1907/ /article/BX-BRACKET-PROJECTIONS-AND-NOTES-FOR-FRIDAY,-3-9-1907/ Fri, 09 Mar 2007 11:15:52 -0500 Drew Barnette continues to follow Championship Week with a thorough analysis of all the conference tournament games and the impact each game will likely have on the NCAA TournamentFlorida State can lock themselves into the NCAA Tournament with an upset win over North Carolina.North Carolina State struggled for most of the season, but they upset Duke last night and have a match-up against a Virginia Tech team they beat twice this season. Another automatic bid is on the line as Holy Cross and Bucknell face each other for the Patriot League Championship. The SEC, ACC and Big Twelve Quarterfinals get underway today as well.All of that, and much more... /article/Conference-Tournament-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games--3-9--1906/ /article/Conference-Tournament-News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games--3-9--1906/ Fri, 09 Mar 2007 02:55:21 -0500 THURSDAY OF CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK IS FINALLY HERE!!!Drew Barnette gives a complete and thorough rundown of all of today's conference tournament action. All of the major conference tournaments are in full swing, and several teams such as West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Washington, Xavier, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and a slew of others are fighting for some final quality wins in order to secure a spot in the field. Other teams, such as New Mexico State and San Diego State, are looking to get hot and win their conference tournaments. It is one of the best days in the college basketball season. So many of the teams from the major conferences are still alive and they're fighting to continue their seasons and keep their NCAA Tournament hope alive. Check out Barnette's rundown of that, and much more!!! /article/Conference-Tournament-Games-and-Info-for-Thursday,-March-8th-1905/ /article/Conference-Tournament-Games-and-Info-for-Thursday,-March-8th-1905/ Thu, 08 Mar 2007 10:15:05 -0500 [c]Al Thornton is soaring up draft boards after another terrific performance[/c]Al Thornton, D.J. Augustine, Ivan Radenovic, Craig Bradshaw and Avis Wyatt wrap up the last installment this season of our NCAA weekly performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers---3-8-2007,-Part-One-1904/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers---3-8-2007,-Part-One-1904/ Thu, 08 Mar 2007 02:55:31 -0500 Arron Afflalo is the DX Pac-10 Player of the Year, a distinction that could have gone to a number of worthy candidates. Brook Lopez takes Freshman of the year in a similarly loaded field, and Darren Collison's breakout season earns him conference Draft Prospect of the Year /article/DX-Indvividual-Awards-Pac-10-1903/ /article/DX-Indvividual-Awards-Pac-10-1903/ Wed, 07 Mar 2007 18:03:05 -0500 [c]Nicolas Batum will try to work his way into the lottery through the Hoop Summit, ala Saer Sene[/c][t]The Nike Hoop Summit will feature a couple of very legitimate NBA prospects, in what might be considered the best roster that has been compiled in a few years now. Nicolas Batum, arguably the top international prospect in the world as far as potential goes, has been selected, which will surely draw NBA scouts into Memphis in droves. Batum played inconsistent minutes in the Euroleague this year with Le Mans, but was the MVP of the Under 18 European Championships held this past summer. He is considering entering this year?s draft according to multiple sources, and will surely attempt to use this game as a platform to elevate himself into the lottery of the 2007 draft, where his potential--although not his production thus far at the senior level-- says he deserves to go. Other top prospects include Alexis Ajinca, Chen Jianghua, Nemanja Aleksandrov, Omri Casspi, Nihad Djedovic, Emir Preldzic and others. /article/Batum,-Ajinca-Selected-For-Nike-Hoop-Summit-in-Memphis-1902/ /article/Batum,-Ajinca-Selected-For-Nike-Hoop-Summit-in-Memphis-1902/ Wed, 07 Mar 2007 12:35:49 -0500 Trey Johnson, Al Horford, D.J. Strawberry (pictured) and Aleks Maric help us kick off the first edition of our weekly NCAA performers column. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers---3-7-2007,-Part-One-1901/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers---3-7-2007,-Part-One-1901/ Wed, 07 Mar 2007 02:24:00 -0500 Drew Barnette continues to monitor and thoroughly analyze all of the action during Championship Week, and explain how it all impacts the NCAA Tournament.The new bracket projections are up, and take into account last night's games. Find out who's bubble was burst, and what new teams have made it into the field.Some of the major conference tournaments get underway today. West Virginia is playing for their NCAA Tournament lives in the Big East, while Marquette and Villanova are looking to secure good seeds in the NCAA Tournament.Pac Ten action also gets underway as Washington, who has struggled all season, looks to advance to the quarterfinals where they'll face bitter rival Washington State.Two more automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament will be decided tonight as Sacred Heart faces Central Connecticut for the Northeast Conference Championship, and Northern Arizona squares off against Weber State for the Big Sky Championship.All that, the Bubble Watch, and much more... /article/BX-BRACKET-PROJECTIONS-AND-CONFERENCE-TOURNEY-NEWS--3-7--1900/ /article/BX-BRACKET-PROJECTIONS-AND-CONFERENCE-TOURNEY-NEWS--3-7--1900/ Wed, 07 Mar 2007 02:14:00 -0500 All the latest happenings from around the D-League. Will Conroy returns to the Los Angeles Clippers, while Jeremy Richardson gets his second chance with the NBA. Also, team updates and NBA assigned player updates across the entire league. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1899/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1899/ Tue, 06 Mar 2007 21:05:56 -0500 [c]Only injuries can prevent Splitter from cracking the lottery.[/c] Tiago Splitter is back. After playing in pain for months, he once again looks like the same old intense, aggressive and active player we always knew. It?s a completely different feeling from what he transmitted just a few weeks ago. With his recovered health has come a significantly increased production; his performances in the Euroleague and the ACB League has granted him Player of the Week honors in our roundup. It wasn't all about Splitter, though, this past week was surprisingly productive for International draft prospects. /article/Roundup-Splitter-Returning-to-Form-1898/ /article/Roundup-Splitter-Returning-to-Form-1898/ Tue, 06 Mar 2007 12:50:37 -0500 On Saturday night, two California high school basketball powerhouses faced off in a game that would decide the sectional champion. The two teams featured a total of 7 high division 1 college prospects, which set the stage not only for an entertaining game, but also a good platform to examine how each of the prospects have progressed. Sophomore Renardo Sidney paced Artesia with 22 points 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks, while James Harden chipped in 19 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Taylor King contributed 31 points in a losing effort for Mater Dei. /article/Sidney,-Harden-lead-Artesia-over-Mater-Dei-1897/ /article/Sidney,-Harden-lead-Artesia-over-Mater-Dei-1897/ Tue, 06 Mar 2007 09:40:00 -0500 Rod Benson updates his D-League Diary with all new stories from the past week including his games at Colorado and at home vs. Bakersfield, his night with Matteen Cleaves, and his horrible packing job... /article/Another-Week-in-the-D-League-1896/ /article/Another-Week-in-the-D-League-1896/ Tue, 06 Mar 2007 02:02:32 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest bracket projections have been posted. Check out his bracket to see who he believes is in, who is out, and who is seeded where as we enter the final week before Selection Sunday.Barnette also gives us Part Two of his Conference Tournament Preditions, where he gives a rundown of who he thinks will win each conference tournament, and why.Tonight's conference tournament games are also highlighted. Rivals Butler and Wright State go at it in the Horizon League. Butler has a bid to the dance pretty much locked up, but is still playing for seeding. It is one of the biggest home games in the history of Wright State as they try and pull off the upset and earn a place in the Big Dance.Oral Roberts tries to get to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, but they'll have to get by conference foe Oakland first. A bid is also on the line in the Sun Belt Conference as Arkansas State and North Texas square off. All that, and much more... /article/BRACKET-PROJECTIONS,-CONF.-TOURNEY-NEWS,-AND-TOURNEY-PREDICTIONS--3-6--1895/ /article/BRACKET-PROJECTIONS,-CONF.-TOURNEY-NEWS,-AND-TOURNEY-PREDICTIONS--3-6--1895/ Tue, 06 Mar 2007 01:56:51 -0500 Rosters for the 43rd Annual Roundball Classic were announced, led by stars O.J. Mayo and Kevin Love. The game will be played Tuesday April 3rd at The United Center in Chicago, Illinois. DraftExpress will be on hand for all of the practice sessions and the game itself. /article/2007-Roundball-Classic-Rosters-Announced-1894/ /article/2007-Roundball-Classic-Rosters-Announced-1894/ Tue, 06 Mar 2007 01:47:47 -0500 As we continuously add new features to enhance the viewing experience of users on DraftExpress, we?d like to familiarize you with them and encourage you to spend some time exploring them. /article/Latest-Additions-Features-on-DraftExpress/ /article/Latest-Additions-Features-on-DraftExpress/ Tue, 06 Mar 2007 01:33:17 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest bracket projections have been posted. Check out his bracket to see who he believes is in, who is out, and who is seeded where as we enter the final week before Selection Sunday.Barnette also gives us a thorough rundown of all the teams' resumes who are on the bubble in his BUBBLE WATCH section. Tonight's conference tournament games are also highlighted. Rivals Gonzaga and Santa Clara will face each other in the WCC Championship where the winner will move on to the NCAAs and the loser will likely go to the NITGeorge Mason, who was the Cinderella team of the NCAA Tournament last year, has been the Cinderella team of the Colonial Athletic Tournament this year. They finished 6th in the standings, but defeated a very good Old Dominion team rather handily yesterday, and can advance to the NCAA Tournament today if they can pull off a win. All of that, and much much more... /article/BX-BRACKET-PROJECTIONS-AND-CONFERENCE-TOURNEY-NEWS--3-5--1891/ /article/BX-BRACKET-PROJECTIONS-AND-CONFERENCE-TOURNEY-NEWS--3-5--1891/ Mon, 05 Mar 2007 02:20:46 -0500 Chris Lofton takes home player of the year honors in DraftExpress' 2006-2007 SEC Postseason Awards. That, and much more inside. /article/DraftExpress-2006-2007-SEC-Postseason-Awards-1892/ /article/DraftExpress-2006-2007-SEC-Postseason-Awards-1892/ Mon, 05 Mar 2007 02:14:32 -0500 Drew Barnette continues to monitor championship week and other important regular season games that will impact the NCAA Tournament. Today, Barnette gives us a thorough rundown of all of today's conference tournament action, a look at the important games of the final day of the regular season, and a look back at some highlights from yesterday.Duke and North Carolina square off in an important game. A loss for the Tarheels could knock them down to a #4 seed in the ACC Tournament.Kentucky tries to get a big time win against Florida, who has also been struggling lately.Two huge games in the Colonial Athletic Semifinals today as Drexel, VCU and Old Dominion are all fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Old Dominion is pretty safe, but can make themselves a virtual lock if they can take care of a very tough George Mason team. VCU will have their hands full with Drexel as well. Gonzaga and Santa Clara both look to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.All that, and much much more on a huge day in college basketball... /article/Conference-Tourney-News,-Notes-%26-Match-up,-and-other-Games-for-Sun-3-4-1890/ /article/Conference-Tourney-News,-Notes-%26-Match-up,-and-other-Games-for-Sun-3-4-1890/ Sun, 04 Mar 2007 08:34:27 -0500 The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is one of only two pre-draft camps, although it is locally organized and not officially run by the NBA. PIT is traditionally held in the weekend following the NCAA Final Four in Portsmouth, Virginia, and is usually well attended by every NBA team, at least for the first few days. It is also a popular destination for European teams to get a first look at some of the best American players who might be starring in their leagues over the next few years. If you ever felt the urge to see what it would look like if every agent and runner in America came together in one gym for four days, this would be your spot. The organizers attempt to assemble the 64 best NCAA senior draft prospects in the country for an 8 team, 12 game tournament held over a four day period. The 55th edition of the tournament will be conducted this year from April 4th to April 7th. For the second straight year, DraftExpress presents our own version of who we think should be invited to the tournament. /article/Suggested-Rosters,-2007-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament/ /article/Suggested-Rosters,-2007-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament/ Sat, 03 Mar 2007 22:49:29 -0500 Drew Barnette continues to monitor all of the conference tournaments and other important regular season action. It is one of the biggest days of the season so far with conference tournament action heating up.Creighton and Missouri State square off in a hugely important game in the Missouri Valley semifinals. The winner will most likely secure a bid to the NCAA Tournaemnt. Bradley is fighting for their NCAA lives in the other semifinal game against highly ranked Southern Illinois.The Colonial Athletic gets underway today as Drexel, VCU and Old Dominion are all fighting to solidify their spots. Avoiding an early loss in that tournament is crucial to all of those teams. Four automatic bids will be given as the SoCon, Big South, Ohio Valley and Atlantic Sun championhips are all today. The Horizon League semifinals are today as well, as Butler looks to secure a good seed in the NCAA Tournament, and other teams like Wright State will try to get the opportunity to pull an upset and play their way into the field with the automatic bid. In the regular season, Texas and Kansas square off in a game where first place in the Big Twelve is on the line.All that, and much much more on a HUGE day in college basketball!!! /article/Conference-Tourney-Games,-%26-Other-Highlighted-NCAA-Games-for-Sat,-3-3-1888/ /article/Conference-Tourney-Games,-%26-Other-Highlighted-NCAA-Games-for-Sat,-3-3-1888/ Sat, 03 Mar 2007 03:05:18 -0500 Drew Barnette continues to monitor all of the conference tournament action as teams compete for spots in the NCAA Tournament. Penn can clinch an NCAA bid tonight with a win.The Missouri Valley gets underway today as well. Bubble teams Creighton and Missouri State get their chances to make a final push for a bid. Southern Illinois is in action as well.All of that, and much more... /article/Conference-Tournament-Games-for-Friday,-March-2nd-1886/ /article/Conference-Tournament-Games-for-Friday,-March-2nd-1886/ Fri, 02 Mar 2007 01:08:34 -0500 Seniors rule the roost, with Jared Dudley edging out Al Thornton and a hard-charging Zabian Dowdell for ACC Player of the Year honors. Maryland's Greivis Vasquez is Freshman of the Year, narrowly beating out an absolutely loaded field. /article/ACC-Individual-Postseason-Awards-1885/ /article/ACC-Individual-Postseason-Awards-1885/ Fri, 02 Mar 2007 00:52:22 -0500 Why is it that players with ?it? often seem to have nicknames that make reference to a power beyond the physical? Ervin ?Magic? Johnson, Hakeem ?The Dream? Olajuwon, Shawn ?The Matrix? Marion- all earned nicknames for their other-worldly basketball abilities, but the qualities that came to define their games on the deepest level seem to point to something outside of the realm of basketball for the source of their unique artistic powers on the court. Being able to observe a young player grow into the type of talent that is capable of taking over a game through willing these moments that create nicknames is a rare treat for any basketball fan. Like watching Neo discover his control of the Matrix, fans in Toronto have been privy to another such becoming in the form of their first pick overall, Andrea Bargnani. /article/Finding-the-%91It--Factor-Andrea-Bargnani-1884/ /article/Finding-the-%91It--Factor-Andrea-Bargnani-1884/ Thu, 01 Mar 2007 23:50:08 -0500 Drew Barnette Continues to monitor all the conference tournament action as teams fight for the automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. Tonight, the Missouri Valley Tournament gets underway. Winthrop out of the Big South could be in a position to get an at-large bid if they can avoid being upset tonightAction also continues in the Southern Conference, Northeast Conference and Atlantic Sun Conference Tourneys.Other important action includes a huge game in the ACC between Virginia and Virginia Tech. Both teams are tied for first place and trying to get a #4 seed or better in the NCAA Tournament. There is nothing more exciting than a high stakes rivalry game. It's also a big night in the Pac Ten as UCLA visits Washington State.All that, and much much more... /article/Conference-Tourney-Games,-and-other-NCAA-News-and-Notes-1883/ /article/Conference-Tourney-Games,-and-other-NCAA-News-and-Notes-1883/ Thu, 01 Mar 2007 06:24:57 -0500 [c]The Milk House--where it all gets settled?[/c]Buried in an excellent blog entry by ESPN Insider?s Chad Ford today was the extremely interesting news about a major rule change that could have significant implications on this year?s draft process. According to Ford, the NBA has decided to ban all agent and team-sponsored workouts until after the NBA pre-draft camp (bumped up a week to May 27th) is completed. Everyone agrees that the system was broken and that a change is in order, but is this the right move? To find out, DraftExpress dipped into our network of NBA personnel, the NBA?s official Scouting Service, and player agents to find out how the most important sides of the process feel about this new policy. /article/Shaking-Up-the-Draft-Process%97No-Workouts-before-the-NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-1882/ /article/Shaking-Up-the-Draft-Process%97No-Workouts-before-the-NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-1882/ Thu, 01 Mar 2007 02:55:13 -0500 [c]Herbert Hill continues to power his way up draft boards[/c]Three seniors and one junior get the call in part two of our NCAA weekly performers. Herbert Hill finishes off the season in style. Gabe Pruitt is slowly adapting to his new role as USC's point guard. Jared Jordan shows a national audience what they've been missing out on all year. And Alando Tucker loses some ground in the national player of the year award race. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers---3-1-2007,-Part-Two-1881/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers---3-1-2007,-Part-Two-1881/ Thu, 01 Mar 2007 02:43:39 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all of today's games from the conference tournament, as well as other regular season games that will impac the NCAA Tournament /article/Conference-Tourney-Games-and-Other-Highlighted-Games-for-Wed,-2-28-1880/ /article/Conference-Tourney-Games-and-Other-Highlighted-Games-for-Wed,-2-28-1880/ Wed, 28 Feb 2007 07:59:41 -0500 [c]Kevin Durant returns to form just in time for March Madness[/c]Kevin Durant, Lawrence Hill and Bobby Brown are our chosen standouts in this edition of the NCAA Weekly Performers. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers---2-28-2007,-Part-One-1879/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers---2-28-2007,-Part-One-1879/ Wed, 28 Feb 2007 02:53:07 -0500 Mike Hall called up for a 10-day by Washington. Will Conroy has been signed to a 10 day contract by the Clippers. Mile Ilic assigned to Colorado, Ramos out for the season, and team updates for the entire D-League. /article/Inside-the-D-League--edit-2-28--1878/ /article/Inside-the-D-League--edit-2-28--1878/ Tue, 27 Feb 2007 16:35:11 -0500 [c]Yi Jianlian is solidifying his lottery chances for the upcoming draft.[/c]It took only one game for Yi Jianlian to show his credentials in the CBA playoffs, with a 38-point performance to ignite Guangdong?s dominance in the postseason. That?s why the Chinese big has earned Player of the Week honors this time. With a less eye-popping stat-line, but battling at the very top international level, we also follow Ricky Rubio?s impressive showing against Olympiacos in the Euroleague. /article/Roundup-Yi-Jianlian-Strong-in-the-CBA-Playoffs-1877/ /article/Roundup-Yi-Jianlian-Strong-in-the-CBA-Playoffs-1877/ Tue, 27 Feb 2007 13:41:27 -0500 Conference tournaments get underway tonight, which means that even though the calendar still says February, March Madness is officially here!!!Drew Barnette takes a look at all of tonight's conference tournament action, as well as other important regular season games that will impact the NCAA Tournament. The first half of Barnette's annual conference tournament predictions have also been posted for the 14 conferences who have completed regular season play. He tells us who he believes the champion will be, and gives a brief analysis as to why.All that, and much more... /article/Conference-Tourney-Games,-Highlighted-Games,-and-other-NCAA-News-1876/ /article/Conference-Tourney-Games,-Highlighted-Games,-and-other-NCAA-News-1876/ Tue, 27 Feb 2007 07:15:34 -0500 Continuing with part two of our conference by conference postseason awards, DraftExpress looks at the Big East. Jeff Green comes away with the top honor, while a trio of virtual unknowns emerge from anonymity to a spot in our All-Big East first team. /article/DraftExpress-2006-2007-Big-East-Postseason-Awards/ /article/DraftExpress-2006-2007-Big-East-Postseason-Awards/ Tue, 27 Feb 2007 02:07:24 -0500 DX begins a new series, looking at a different conference every day this week. Ohio State dominated the Big Ten as expected, taking four of the five major categories. But Alando Tucker earns Big Ten POY, and Drew Neitzel's late season heroics land him a spot on the All-Big Ten First Team. While the Thad Five certainly dominate in terms of newcomer press, there is more to the All-Freshman team than Oden, Cook and Conley. /article/DX-Individual-Awards-The-Big-Ten-1874/ /article/DX-Individual-Awards-The-Big-Ten-1874/ Mon, 26 Feb 2007 03:40:07 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest NCAA Tournament Bracket Projections have been posted. Check out which teams would be in or out and where they would be seeded if today were Selection Sunday. Barnette also shows us where all 65 teams ranked on his S Curve and gives a rundown of every single team in the field. He talks about which teams are on the rise, which teams have slipped, and which ones still have work to do in a very detailed article that explains virtually everything about all the teams who are in contention to make the NCAA Tournament. All that, as well as tonight's highlighted match-ups. /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-FOR-MONDAY,-FEB-26-1873/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-FOR-MONDAY,-FEB-26-1873/ Mon, 26 Feb 2007 01:14:48 -0500 Rosters for the 2007 McDonald?s All America Game to be played March 28th in Louisville, KY were announced Saturday. While all of the big name players such as O.J. Mayo, Derrick Rose, and Kevin love made the game, there were two glaring omissions of top fifteen players in the country that surprised most insiders within the basketball community. /article/2007-McDonald-s-All-America-Game-Rosters-Announced-1872/ /article/2007-McDonald-s-All-America-Game-Rosters-Announced-1872/ Sun, 25 Feb 2007 15:47:05 -0500 The Colorado 14ers sent 4 players (Elton Brown, Pooh Jeter, Rick Rickert and Von Wafer) to the D-League All-Star Game along with their coaching staff. It was part of a grueling "four-games-in-four-days" road trip for these All-Stars, yet their spirits reamined high. /article/D-League-Colorado-All-Stars-shine-despite-schedule-1871/ /article/D-League-Colorado-All-Stars-shine-despite-schedule-1871/ Sun, 25 Feb 2007 05:10:01 -0500 [c]This season hasn't gone exactly as planned for Thaddeus Young so far (Reuters)[/c]With the NCAA season about three quarters of the ways through, many college prospects are already seriously contemplating entering this year's draft. This year more than ever, considering the sheer depth of this year's draft class; it's crucial for prospects to gather the right type of information from as many well-informed sources as possible. With that said, we continue our series discussing players that we're hearing strong rumors about potentially declaring for the draft or leaving college altogether, and who may want to think twice before they make a career-defining move. Thaddeus Young gets the honor of being our 2nd prospect analyzed. /article/Striking-While-the-Iron-is-Cold-Thaddeus-Young-1870/ /article/Striking-While-the-Iron-is-Cold-Thaddeus-Young-1870/ Sun, 25 Feb 2007 04:43:54 -0500 In front of 20 NBA scouts, arguably the top two center prospects in the collegiate game not named Greg Oden matched up against one and another in Pittsburgh. Washington freshman Spencer Hawes and Pitt senior Aaron Gray had the most highly touted matchup of two center prospects the college game has had to offer us thus far this season. While neither player was outstanding in the game, one prospect did clearly win the matchup in Pitt?s narrow 65-61 victory at home. Also included is an interview with Washington freshman Spencer Hawes. /article/Marquee-Matchup-Spencer-Hawes-vs.-Aaron-Gray-1869/ /article/Marquee-Matchup-Spencer-Hawes-vs.-Aaron-Gray-1869/ Sun, 25 Feb 2007 00:40:01 -0500 Drew Barnette gives us a rundown of all of today's important action, and explains how each game could impact the NCAA Tournament. /article/Highlighted-NCAA-Games-for-Sunday,-Feb-25th-1868/ /article/Highlighted-NCAA-Games-for-Sunday,-Feb-25th-1868/ Sun, 25 Feb 2007 00:07:37 -0500 Drew Barnette gives a rundown of all of today's important games and explains how each could impact the NCAA Tournament. It is a huge Saturday for college basketball.Georgetown and Pittsburgh will battle for control of first place in the Big East, and for a big time statement win.Tennessee and Arkansas, who both desperately need a win, will face ach other.Winthrop tries to wrap up a perfect regular season in the Big South as they face Coastal Carolina today.Michigan State and Indiana are two teams who need a big win. They'll face each other in a crucial Big Ten game.All that, and much much more... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-games-for-Sat,-Feb-24-1867/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-games-for-Sat,-Feb-24-1867/ Sat, 24 Feb 2007 10:33:39 -0500 [c]Yi Jianlian will challenge for a spot in the lottery in next June?s draft[/c]The 2006/07 CBA regular season is history, and it seems like a good moment to take a look at what?s happening in China, particularly in terms of NBA prospects. Of course, our biggest concern in the Chinese competition is no other than Yi Jianlian, a serious candidate for the lottery, but there are other interesting guys around, particularly Chen Jianghua, a talented and super quick point guard. /article/Chinese-CBA-Update-Yi-Jianlian-and-Co.-1863/ /article/Chinese-CBA-Update-Yi-Jianlian-and-Co.-1863/ Thu, 22 Feb 2007 02:43:29 -0500 The regular season of the most competitive international league is over, and the Top 16 stage is just revving into high gear. Some prospects are done as far as the Euroleague goes, but others continue onto the next round. To reflect on what we've learned since the beginning of the season, we look at 15 players who have seen their stock rise, drop or remain steady, ending with those who dropped. /article/Euroleague-Prospects--Part-3,-Stock-Down--1865/ /article/Euroleague-Prospects--Part-3,-Stock-Down--1865/ Thu, 22 Feb 2007 02:10:46 -0500 Drew Barnette gives a rundown of tonight's action and talks about what affects it may have on the NCAA Tournament. It's a huge night in the Pac Ten, Duke has a big game at Clemson, and much more... /article/News-Notes-and-Highlighted-NCAA-Games-for-Thurs,-Feb-22-1864/ /article/News-Notes-and-Highlighted-NCAA-Games-for-Thurs,-Feb-22-1864/ Thu, 22 Feb 2007 00:46:59 -0500 [c]Nick Young is establishing himself as one of the most dangerous shooting guards in the country[/c]Nick Young, Tyler Hansbrough, Derrick Byars and Reggie Williams get the call in this edition of the NCAA Weekly Performers. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-20-07---Part-One-1862/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-20-07---Part-One-1862/ Wed, 21 Feb 2007 03:17:09 -0500 Drew Barnette gives a rundown of tonight's games in what should be a big night in college basketball. Alabama and Tennessee face off in a game where both teams are looking to improve their resumes.Purdue is on the road at Iowa, and desperately needs some road wins to solidify their spot as an at-large.Florida State and Maryland play in a pivotal ACC match-up.All that, and much more... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Wed,-Feb-21-1861/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Wed,-Feb-21-1861/ Wed, 21 Feb 2007 01:51:10 -0500 Mike Schmidt provides a recap of all the latest happenings in the D-League. Allen Ray has been assigned to the Austin Toros, Julius Hodge to re-join the D-League, and player and team updates from across the league. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1860/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1860/ Tue, 20 Feb 2007 18:19:23 -0500 [c]The Invitation to Jamie Foxx's Party says a lot without having to read it[/c]Former Cal Bear and current D-Leaguer Rod Benson takes a look at the All-Star break like only a basketball player truly could. The lights, the celebrities, the groupies... After considering all the options in Vegas, Rod decides that he's not going -- this time. Instead of the popular trip, he takes his 4 day break back in California. Still, all the happenings of the Sin City just could not be ignored... /article/Why-I-didn-t-go-to-Vegas-for-the-All-Star-Break----This-time.-1859/ /article/Why-I-didn-t-go-to-Vegas-for-the-All-Star-Break----This-time.-1859/ Tue, 20 Feb 2007 08:07:10 -0500 Drew Barnette gives a rundown of tonight's important match-ups and talks about how they could impact the NCAA Tournament selections and seedings. /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Tuesday,-2-20-1858/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Tuesday,-2-20-1858/ Tue, 20 Feb 2007 02:02:16 -0500 Jonathan Watters explains why Florida is still #1, breaks down the craziness in the ACC, and offers up an example of why the Big East's unbalanced schedule isn't a good thing. /article/The-JW-Top-25-Debating-1-1857/ /article/The-JW-Top-25-Debating-1-1857/ Mon, 19 Feb 2007 23:41:37 -0500 [c]Danilo Gallinari, currently the best U-20 player in international basketball (AJ Milano)[/c]Last week we devoted our attention to the Spanish King?s Cup, but it wasn?t the only Cup competition going around in Europe. Actually the biggest news draft-wise was happening in Italy, where Danilo Gallinari delivered an impressive exhibition in the Coppa semifinals, extended with another terrific showing in the Italian Lega this past weekend, which has left us no choice but to select him as the Player of the Week. We also take a long look at Dimitriy Khvostov, the only 1989 European player who is seeing playing time in top international competition this season. /article/Roundup-Danilo-Gallinari,-King-of-Cups-1856/ /article/Roundup-Danilo-Gallinari,-King-of-Cups-1856/ Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:06:18 -0500 [c]Adam Morrison is one of many 2007 NBA rookies who hasn't lived up to expectations so far (AP)[/c]The safest bet in sports history has to have been the sophomore team taking down the rookies in last Friday?s NBA All-Star Challenge. It was indeed kind of the rookie squad not to ruin this article?s lead (or impede the inaugural David Lee Dunk ?til You Drop Festival), but to give up and lose by the most points in this exhibition game?s history - that was truly icing on the cake. Honestly, though, did anyone expect anything else from what is shaping up to be one of the worst performing rookie draft classes of all time?It is no secret that the 2006 draft was thought to be the weakest in years. It was most likely the weakest since at least 2000 when Kenyon Martin went first and...well, it really doesn?t matter much after that. There were several reasons for the poor showing in 2006. This was the first year since 1994 without high school kids, the college talent pool was thin due to players entering early in 2005 to ensure that new age requirements did not snare them in 2006, and the international pool was fairly humble. /article/Will-the-Draft-Class-of-2006-Please-Stand-Up-1855/ /article/Will-the-Draft-Class-of-2006-Please-Stand-Up-1855/ Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:33:28 -0500 As you may have noticed, DraftExpress completed an extraordinary upgrade this past weekend, completely revamping the layout and design of the site while adding some new features that will significantly enhance your surfing experience. With that said, we?d like to familiarize you with a handful of our new features and encourage you to spend some time exploring them and providing us with feedback to further improve your experience. /article/Welcome-to-the-New-and-Improved-DraftExpress!-1854/ /article/Welcome-to-the-New-and-Improved-DraftExpress!-1854/ Mon, 19 Feb 2007 03:31:33 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest bracket projections have been posted. Check out what teams would be in the field and where they would be seeded if today were Selection Sunday.Barnette also gives us a detailed analysis of all the bubble teams, and talks about what each has to do between now and the end to secure a bid.There is also a rundown of how teams in one-bid conferences are positioning themselves for the conference tournaments by fighting to either win home court advantage or byes deep into the tourneys. All that, a rundown of tonight's highlighted games, and much more... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-AND-NOTES-FOR-MON,-2-19-1853/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-AND-NOTES-FOR-MON,-2-19-1853/ Mon, 19 Feb 2007 01:27:05 -0500 [c]Nicolas Batum showed his upside, but was extremely inconsistent in the Euroleague (FIBA)[/c]The regular season of the most competitive international league is over, and the Top 16 stage is just kicking off. Some prospects are done as far as the Euroleague goes, but others continue onto the next round. To reflect on what we've learned since the beginning of the season, we look at 15 players who have seen their stock rise, drop or remain steady, continuing with those who remained neutral. /article/Euroleague-Prospects-Stock-Neutral-1852/ /article/Euroleague-Prospects-Stock-Neutral-1852/ Sun, 18 Feb 2007 00:44:06 -0500 Drew Barnette gives a rundown of all of today's games that could have an impact on the NCAA Tournament selections /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Sun,-2-18-1851/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Sun,-2-18-1851/ Sat, 17 Feb 2007 23:24:24 -0500 Drew Barnette runs down one of the biggest Saturdays of the college basketball regular season. With the Bracket Buster teams being played today, read about who is on the bubble and could really improve their NCAA Tournament resumes with quality wins today. Also read about teams who are favored to win their conference tournaments, and who are facing each other in games that will have an impact on their seeding, and possibly put them in a better position to pull a big upset.Other big games include Louisville looking for their second big road win in a row as they travel to Marquette, Vanderbilt plays one of their biggest home games of the year as they host Floirda, Georgetown and Villanova Square off in an important Big East showdown, All that, and much more in a huge Saturday for college hoops... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Sat-2-17-Bracket-Buster-Edt-1848/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Sat-2-17-Bracket-Buster-Edt-1848/ Fri, 16 Feb 2007 21:16:02 -0500 NBDL All-Star point guard Brian Chase is known for his deadly outside shot and leadership on the court. The same qualities he displayed previously at Virginia Tech and then later in the CBA with the Gary Steelheads. Now playing nightly for the Los Angeles D-Fenders at Staples Center, Chase continues to prove his doubters wrong, as he leads his team in points, assists, steals and, of course, 3-point shooting. I had an opportunity to speak with Brian after a game against the Colorado 14ers to get his perspective on how his style of play is evolving and the D-League in general. /article/Interview-with-NBDL-All-Star-Brian-Chase-1847/ /article/Interview-with-NBDL-All-Star-Brian-Chase-1847/ Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:50:17 -0500 [c]Roy Hibbert is rising up draft boards with his outstanding play as of late[/c]In part two of our weekly NCAA performers series we take a long look at the play of Georgetown junior duo Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, evaluating the success they've seen both individually and as one of the hottest teams in the country as of late, and discuss how that might affect their draft stock. Sophomore point guard Tyrese Rice, who is currently leading the ACC in assists, is also discussed. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-16-07---Part-Two-1536/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-16-07---Part-Two-1536/ Fri, 16 Feb 2007 03:25:19 -0500 Drew Barnette gives his thoughts and opinions about the upcoming Bracket Buster, talks about how he feels mid-majors are viewed by the media today, looks at tonight's big game between Winthrop and Missouri State, and more... /article/Mid-Major-Ramblings-on-the-Eve-of-the-Buster-1846/ /article/Mid-Major-Ramblings-on-the-Eve-of-the-Buster-1846/ Fri, 16 Feb 2007 01:20:50 -0500 [c]Monta Ellis' 17 ppg make him arguably the biggest steal of the 2005 draft[/c]The Golden State Warriors once again found themselves in transition after the approval of their eight player trade with the Indiana Pacers on January 17th. The addition of Al Harrington to the Warriors frontcourt has completely altered the team?s identity. Harrington, Stephen Jackson and Sarunas Jasikevicius have brought the team added experience and the offensive skills Head Coach Don Nelson needs to guide his team to a playoff birth. While the Warrior?s eight player trade could go a long way towards getting them the playoff birth they covet, the development of Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins into legitimate starters has been the highlight of this season. One could even argue that Ellis and Biedrins are the key components to the Warrior?s playoff aspirations. Regardless of whether or not the team gets into the postseason, the Warriors have certainly found two players who they can build around in the future. /article/NBA-Player-Report-Andris-Biedrins-and-Monta-Ellis-1845/ /article/NBA-Player-Report-Andris-Biedrins-and-Monta-Ellis-1845/ Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:49:52 -0500 The regular season of the most competitive international league is over, and the Top 16 stage is just kicking off. Some prospects are done as far as the Euroleague goes, but others continue onto the next round. To reflect on what we've learned since the beginning of the season, we look at 15 players who have seen their stock rise, drop or remain steady, starting with the most impressive performers first. /article/Euroleague-Prospects-Stock-Up-1844/ /article/Euroleague-Prospects-Stock-Up-1844/ Thu, 15 Feb 2007 17:04:25 -0500 Part one of our weekly performers series examines three super-scoring seniors and one all-around sophomore. Julian Wright has a career game with 33 points that looked a lot more impressive in the boxscore than it did on tape. Demitris Nichols also breaks his career mark with a 39 point effort against St. John's. Morris Almond has an average game by his standards, scoring a measly 29 points. And Adam Haluska is making a strong case for 1st team All-Big 10 honors with a couple of recent 30-point performances. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-14-07---Part-One-1535/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-14-07---Part-One-1535/ Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:38:26 -0500 Drew Barnette gives a rundown of tonight's action involving all the teams who are in the hunt for the NCAA Tournament... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Thu,-2-15-1843/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Thu,-2-15-1843/ Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:51:13 -0500 NBA teams not only look for draft prospects at the Spanish King?s Cup. There are many past draft investments, mostly second-round bets, still playing and developing in the ACB League, while it?s also one of the best international markets to acquire quality free-agent veterans to help a team out right away. /article/2007-Kingas-Cup-A-Look-at-the-Oldies-Drafted-PlayersFree-Agents--1534/ /article/2007-Kingas-Cup-A-Look-at-the-Oldies-Drafted-PlayersFree-Agents--1534/ Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:52:29 -0500 Drew Barnette runs down all of tonight's action involving teams who are in the NCAA Tournament hunt... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Wed,-2-14-1842/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Wed,-2-14-1842/ Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:35:07 -0500 A steady rotation player for the Jazz all season as a rookie, Paul Millsap has earned recognition from pundits, fans, fellow players, and coaches ? including his own, who cites Millsap?s ceaseless on-court activity as a model for the rest of the team. In recent weeks, Millsap?s role has become more important to the Jazz?s short-term and long-term success. /article/The-Long-and-Short-of-Paul-Millsap-1841/ /article/The-Long-and-Short-of-Paul-Millsap-1841/ Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:21:34 -0500 All the latest events from around the D-League. Robert Hite has been acquired by Sioux Falls, Pops Mensah-Bonsu temporarily re-called, and Rodger Powell named has been named the D-League Performer of the Week, as well as team and assigned player updates. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1840/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1840/ Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:18:35 -0500 Drew Barnette runs down another big night in college basketball. Kentucky has a big road game against Tennessee.Texas Tech (who has not won since beating Texas A&M) and Texas A&M (who has not lost since losing to Texas Tech) square off in a rematch of what was a great game earlier this season.San Diego State, one of the hottest teams in the country, has another big game tonight against UNLVVirginia Tech visits North Carolina.All that, and much much more... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Tue,-2-13-1839/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Tue,-2-13-1839/ Tue, 13 Feb 2007 02:45:24 -0500 Once again the Spanish ACB League came to a halt to celebrate one of the most spectacular and anticipated competitions of the season, the King?s Cup. With a massive following from the basketball community in Spain (this is a perennially sold-out event that brings people from all over the Spanish geography), the Final-Eight format guaranteed thrills and strong emotions. Many 1985-born NBA Draft eligible Europeans participated in this year's edition, but it was a 16-year old kid that stole the show. /article/2007-Spanish-Kings-Cup-NBA-Draft-Prospects-1533/ /article/2007-Spanish-Kings-Cup-NBA-Draft-Prospects-1533/ Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:24:11 -0500 Georgetown surges, Duke Plummens, and Arizona reappears in the latest JW Top 25. /article/The-JW-Top-25-1838/ /article/The-JW-Top-25-1838/ Mon, 12 Feb 2007 18:05:46 -0500 The NBDL is filled with players who have NBA potential. There are guys who are looking to make a name for themselves, guys who are trying to prove that they deserve to be on an NBA roster, and there is Rod Benson: a guy who believes the same things and also appreciates the D-League life for what it is.A former California Golden Bear and current Dakota Wizard, Rod chronicles life in the D-League from a different perspective. /article/Game-Time,-Fan-Fare,-and-Extra-Curriculars-1837/ /article/Game-Time,-Fan-Fare,-and-Extra-Curriculars-1837/ Mon, 12 Feb 2007 14:01:40 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest bracket projections have been posted. Check out whether your team would be in or out, and where they'd be seeded if today were Selection Sunday.Barnette gives a rundown on why Nevada might end up with a poorer seed than expected. He also gives us a great analysis of the teams that are on the bubble, and what they need to do in order to secure a bid. All that, and a rundown of tonight's highlighted games... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-%26-NOTES-FOR-MON,-2-11-1836/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-%26-NOTES-FOR-MON,-2-11-1836/ Mon, 12 Feb 2007 01:01:53 -0500 In-depth report on a 7-2 Center who put up 2 solid games and helped Zagreb get past Euroleague team Cibona on thier way to the Final, where they eventually lost to hot-favorite Zadar in a close game. /article/Croatian-Cup-Ante-Tomic-analysis-1835/ /article/Croatian-Cup-Ante-Tomic-analysis-1835/ Sun, 11 Feb 2007 05:39:35 -0500 Drew Barnette runs down all of today's important action, and more... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Sunday,-2-11-1834/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Sunday,-2-11-1834/ Sun, 11 Feb 2007 01:35:52 -0500 Kevinn Pickney was recently named to the NBA D-League Western Conferenece All Star Team as a power forward. He leads his team, the Bakersfield Jam, in scoring (19.4 ppg) and is second in rebounding (7.3 rpg). Pickney went undrafted in 2005 after graduating from the University of Nevada and has since been on a journey to get to the NBA. We talked to him after a recent game. /article/Kevinn-Pinkney-is-taking-the-long-road-to-the-NBA-1833/ /article/Kevinn-Pinkney-is-taking-the-long-road-to-the-NBA-1833/ Sat, 10 Feb 2007 17:22:34 -0500 With the NCAA season about two thirds of the ways through, many college prospects are already seriously contemplating entering this year's draft. This year more than ever, considering the sheer depth of this year's draft class; it's crucial for prospects to gather the right type of information from as many well-informed sources as possible. With that said, we are kicking off a series discussing players that we're hearing strong rumors about potentially declaring for the draft or leaving college altogether, and who may want to think twice before they make a career-defining move. Hasheem Thabeet gets the honor of being the first player analyzed. /article/Striking-While-the-Iron-is-Cold-Hasheem-Thabeet-1832/ /article/Striking-While-the-Iron-is-Cold-Hasheem-Thabeet-1832/ Fri, 09 Feb 2007 23:16:18 -0500 Drew Barnette highlights another huge Saturday in college basketball as teams are jockeying for position in terms of seeding, and for a place in the NCAA Tournament field. Florida travels to Kentucky for what is quite possibly their most difficult road game so far. Bitter rivals VCU and Old Dominion hook up in a hugely important game out of the Colonial as both try and get themselves in position for an at-large bid.Bitter ACC rivals Virginia and Virginia Tech will do battle today as UVA tries to remain in first place in the ACC standingsButler tries to nail down home court advantage in their conference tournament as they travel to Wright State, who is right on their heels in the conference standings.Creighton and Southern Illinois are deadlocked for first in the MVC, and will square off today.All that, and MUCH MUCH more on a HUGE Saturday in college basketball!!.... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-2-10-1831/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-2-10-1831/ Fri, 09 Feb 2007 21:24:37 -0500 FIBA announced in a press release today that the U19 World Championship, previously scheduled to be held in Vancouver, Canada, has been awarded to Novi Sad, Serbia. /article/Novi-Sad-to-host-the-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-1830/ /article/Novi-Sad-to-host-the-FIBA-U19-World-Championship-1830/ Fri, 09 Feb 2007 16:33:39 -0500 Drew Barnette takes a look at some of tonight's action in the Patriot League, the Ivy League, and the Metro Atlantic as teams try to position themselves for the conference tournaments. All the races are tight, and all the regular season games are important. The Ivy League has no tournament, so winning the regular season championship gets a team to the dance. The regular season Champion of the MAAC byes into the semifinals, and the regular season champion of the Patriot has home court advantage throughout the conference tournament... /article/A-Big-Night-for-Some-of-the-One-Bid-Leagues-1829/ /article/A-Big-Night-for-Some-of-the-One-Bid-Leagues-1829/ Fri, 09 Feb 2007 09:36:27 -0500 Following an NBA callup and lone 10-day contract from the Memphis Grizzlies, Will Conroy will not continue with the team and is expected to return to the D-League. Considered the top point guard in the D-League after having averaged double-digit assist figures for much of the season, Conroy was named to the allstar game on February 18th and will now almost certainly be there. Replacing him in Memphis will be 6-4 point guard Junior Harrington, who played in Memphis' training camp and was the last player cut from the roster. He will sign a 10-day contract tomorrow, according to informed sources. The 26 year old Harrington, a graduate of Division II Wingate University, has two years of NBA experience under his belt after having caught on with the Denver Nuggets in 2002-2003 and then with the New Orleans Hornets in 2004-2005. He spent last season with Pamesa Valencia in the ACB league, Spain. /article/Junior-Harrington-In,-Will-Conroy-Out-1828/ /article/Junior-Harrington-In,-Will-Conroy-Out-1828/ Thu, 08 Feb 2007 22:38:01 -0500 In the second installment of our interview, Maurice Evans talks about finding a home on the Lakers, the importance of oportunity in the NBA, and what it means to be a role player as well as what that transition is like for a player. /article/Maurice-Evans--Journey-Part-Two-1827/ /article/Maurice-Evans--Journey-Part-Two-1827/ Thu, 08 Feb 2007 14:23:05 -0500 Drew Barnette gives a rundown of tonight's action. /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Thursday,-2-8-1826/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Thursday,-2-8-1826/ Thu, 08 Feb 2007 09:14:53 -0500 Part two of our weekly performers series concludes with Brandan Wright of North Carolina, Jarrius Jackson of Texas Tech, Josh McRoberts of Duke, and Josh Carter of Texas A&M. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-8-07---Part-Two-1532/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-8-07---Part-Two-1532/ Thu, 08 Feb 2007 03:12:37 -0500 As the high school season rolls on, national television networks are finally beginning to realize more and more how special this high school class of 2007 is at the top. We?ve seen Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, Kyle Singler, and O.J. Mayo. Over the weekend, Fox Sports aired their second regionally televised game of another player in this echelon, with Kevin Love?s Lake Oswego (OR) team matched up against perennial powerhouse Mater Dei (CA). /article/Love-Carries-Lake-Oswego-Past-Loaded-Mater-Dei-Squad-1531/ /article/Love-Carries-Lake-Oswego-Past-Loaded-Mater-Dei-Squad-1531/ Wed, 07 Feb 2007 22:04:23 -0500 Three seniors and one freshman kick off this edition of the NCAA Weekly Performers. Acie Law might have had the most impressive week we've seen from any player all season long. Sherron Collins has worked his way firmly into KU's deep rotation and is showing us just how bright his future might be. Jared Dudley continues to play like a 1st team All-American, and finally gets some recognition for it on this site. And lastly Cartier Martin explodes for seven 3-pointers in an upset road win over Texas. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-7-07---Part-One-1530/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-2-7-07---Part-One-1530/ Wed, 07 Feb 2007 02:36:28 -0500 Mike Schmidt provides an overview of all the latest happenings in the D-League. Louis Amundson has earned a call-up, the All-Star game roster is set, and Loren Woods has a big week. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1825/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1825/ Wed, 07 Feb 2007 02:31:58 -0500 Drew Barnette gives a rundown of tonight's important games. It's a big night for basketball involving many intense rivals playing in high stakes games. USC can move into first place in the Pac Ten with a win over UCLA, Duke and North Carolina are squaring off, Pittsburgh and West Virginia face off in a bitter Big East rivalry, and much much more on a HUGE night for collegbe basketball... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Wed,-2-7-1824/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Wed,-2-7-1824/ Wed, 07 Feb 2007 00:55:18 -0500 The NBDL is filled with players who have NBA potential. There are guys who are looking to make a name for themselves, guys who are trying to prove that they deserve to be on an NBA roster, and there is Rod Benson: a guy who believes the same things and also appreciates the D-League life for what it is.A former California Golden Bear and current Dakota Wizard, Rod chronicles life in the D-League from a different perspective. /article/Observations-From-an-8-Day-Road-Trip-1823/ /article/Observations-From-an-8-Day-Road-Trip-1823/ Wed, 07 Feb 2007 00:32:18 -0500 The National Basketball League is a sport driven by its star power. The greatest names in the sport are iconic is stature worldwide and have helped perpetuate the game to global popularity beyond all other American games. But behind goodwill tours and the gear that millions worldwide wear, the business of winning basketball games comes down to more than just star power. The process of building winning organizations that aspire to championship success require contributions from more than the headliners. As the nation has seen in recent international competition, the power of team can supercede the spectacle of the individual when rotational unity is out of balance. There has been an obvious shift in attention placed on domestic player development in the US over the past couple of years as the reverence and respect for international basketball has grown. But at the professional level in this country there is still a lot to be learned about patience when it comes to cultivating a team of contributors that have what it takes to form cohesive championship chemistry one through fifteen. Maurice Evans of the Los Angeles Lakers has played on both sides of the pond and shares with us his observations about making it as a supporting actor in a league driven by the star system. /article/The-Journey-Maurice-Evans-on-life-in-the-league-1822/ /article/The-Journey-Maurice-Evans-on-life-in-the-league-1822/ Tue, 06 Feb 2007 17:15:29 -0500 This week we have quite a Balkan-influenced roundup, as Zoran Erceg is our player of the week, with Stanko Barac and Nenad Mijatovic escorting him as our highlighted guys. Although not really a glamorous prospect, Erceg managed to deliver both in the ULEB Cup, in an extremely important game in the eight-finals, and the Adriatic League, where FMP remains strong. /article/Roundup-Balkan-Intrigue-1821/ /article/Roundup-Balkan-Intrigue-1821/ Tue, 06 Feb 2007 13:14:46 -0500 Drew Barnette gives a rundown of tonight's highlighted action... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Tuesday,-2-6-1820/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Tuesday,-2-6-1820/ Tue, 06 Feb 2007 01:13:41 -0500 The annual edition of the Copa Del Ray, the Spanish King?s Cup, kicks off this Thursday once again, and with it comes plenty of interest from NBA teams looking to take advantage of being able to watch the eight best teams in Spain together in the same arena. This year?s King?s Cup will be held in the small, but beautifully modern arena in Malaga, and will be well supported once again from the very tight Spanish basketball community. The competition itself doesn?t mean much except for just a few points towards the guaranteed Euroleague 3-year contract, but teams take it very seriously regardless because of the prestige involved in taking home the trophy. DraftExpress lists the names of all the NBA teams and their personnel who will be present at the event. /article/NBA-Interest-High-at-the-Spanish-King-s-Cup-1819/ /article/NBA-Interest-High-at-the-Spanish-King-s-Cup-1819/ Mon, 05 Feb 2007 22:04:43 -0500 Marquette enters the Top 10, Virginia makes an appearance, and Arizona is unranked for the first time this season... /article/The-JW-Top-25-1818/ /article/The-JW-Top-25-1818/ Mon, 05 Feb 2007 19:24:17 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest bracket projections are up. Check out what teams would make the field, and where they would be seeded if the NCAA Tournament began today. This week's article takes a look at the teams who are contending for the Pod System. Barnette also takes a look at some of the teams whose resumes have really improved, and other teams whose resumes have really dropped. All that, a look at the teams on the bubble, tonight's highlighted games, and more... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-AND-NOTES-FOR-MON,-2-5-1817/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-AND-NOTES-FOR-MON,-2-5-1817/ Mon, 05 Feb 2007 01:24:57 -0500 Dimitris Ritsonis brings us up to speed on the latest happenings from the world of European basketball. The Top-16 round of the Euroleague is right around the corner, prompting us to examine how the best teams and players in the competition are faring so far. /article/Checking-up-on-the-European-Scene-1816/ /article/Checking-up-on-the-European-Scene-1816/ Sun, 04 Feb 2007 14:13:21 -0500 Earlier this week, DraftExpress made the very tough decision to place Kevin Durant ahead of Greg Oden in our 2007 mock draft. This wasn?t a knee-jerk reaction to Durant?s ridiculous 37 point, 23 rebound outing against Texas Tech, although that certainly was the straw the broke the camel?s back. Actually, it didn?t even take us until the end of that game to realize that the decision had already been made for us. With about 10 minutes to go in the 2nd half, as you can see by the 10:37 tagline for the last mock draft edit, we decided that enough is enough. This one game just confirmed to us what we knew from seeing the incredible level Durant has been playing at all season--we?re talking about the best player in college basketball right now. /article/Durant-Eclipses-Oden-on-DraftExpress-Mock-Draft-1815/ /article/Durant-Eclipses-Oden-on-DraftExpress-Mock-Draft-1815/ Sat, 03 Feb 2007 19:06:06 -0500 Elton Brown left the Virginia Cavaliers as 20th all-time in scoring and 13th all-time in rebounding. After college Elton went to Greece where he lead the league in rebounding. Elton now brings that same down low power game nightly for the NBDL?s Colorado 14ers. I spoke with Elton after a game against the Los Angeles D-Fenders to get his feedback on his career so far and where it?s going from here. /article/Interview-with-Elton-Brown-of-the-Colorado-14ers-1814/ /article/Interview-with-Elton-Brown-of-the-Colorado-14ers-1814/ Sat, 03 Feb 2007 15:41:57 -0500 Thursday evening, Indiana recruit Eric Gordon put on arguably the most memorable performance that we have seen out of a high school player since the network began televising high school games 5 years ago. The Lawrence North guard poured in 43 points, as his squad blew out #22 Loyola Academy, which included Michael Jordan?s sons, Jeffrey and Marcus. /article/Eric-Gordon-Abuses-Loyola-Academy-On-ESPN-1813/ /article/Eric-Gordon-Abuses-Loyola-Academy-On-ESPN-1813/ Fri, 02 Feb 2007 23:57:33 -0500 The dream of every elite NBA prospect is to come out with that most cherished of commodities, the first round guaranteed contract. However, with only thirty spots available in the first round of the draft, even the most promising player can drop to the second round in the blink of an eye. Paul Gearan and Heather Allen conduct a study examining players drafted from 1980 to 2006 to analyze the success rates of 2nd round picks historically, collectively and from an individual team perspective, as well as shedding light on the growing trend we've seen over the past few years in regard to 2nd round picks. /article/Chasing-Gilbert-Arenas-The-Grail-of-the-Second-Round-1529/ /article/Chasing-Gilbert-Arenas-The-Grail-of-the-Second-Round-1529/ Fri, 02 Feb 2007 19:09:19 -0500 Drew Barnette gives a rundown on another huge Saturday in college basketball. Get his detailed analysis on all of the games that could impact the NCAA Tournament selection process. /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-2-3-1812/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-2-3-1812/ Fri, 02 Feb 2007 19:06:32 -0500 Drew Barnette writes about teams that earned some big wins that they desperately needed this past week. He also writes about the Colonial Athletic Conference and Atlantic Ten Conferences and their chances of receiving at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament.All that, and more... /article/Bracket-Express-Notebook-Ramblings-1811/ /article/Bracket-Express-Notebook-Ramblings-1811/ Fri, 02 Feb 2007 01:38:44 -0500 A huge match-up in the Pac Ten tonight between Oregon and UCLA, both of whom are in the hunt for a #1 seed. Virginia also faces Duke in a big ACC match-up. All that, and more... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Thursday,-2-1-1810/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Thursday,-2-1-1810/ Thu, 01 Feb 2007 03:33:18 -0500 Brook Lopez of Stanford, Aaron Brooks of Oregon, Zabian Dowdell of Virginia and Brandon Rush of Kansas are our four feature players for the second installment of our NCAA weekly performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-31-07---Part-Two-1527/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-31-07---Part-Two-1527/ Thu, 01 Feb 2007 03:09:59 -0500 The Jordan Classic sends us a press release informing us of the rosters for the all-star game to be held on April 21st at Madison Square Garden. O.J. Mayo, Derrick Rose and Eric Gordon are the headliners, but other top prospects such as Jerryd Bayless, Michael Beasley, Kyle Singler and Donte Green are not far behind. Michael Jordan's son Jeffrey Jordan has also been invited to participate.DraftExpress will be represented at both the practices and all-star game. /article/2007-Jordan-Brand-All-American-Team-Announced-1809/ /article/2007-Jordan-Brand-All-American-Team-Announced-1809/ Wed, 31 Jan 2007 12:11:06 -0500 Part one of our NCAA weekly performers series includes in-depth progress reports on Tywon Lawson of North Carolina, Nick Fazekas of Nevada, Aaron Bruce of Baylor, and Gary Neal of Towson. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-30-07---Part-One/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-30-07---Part-One/ Wed, 31 Jan 2007 02:54:39 -0500 Drew Barnette outlines all the key match-ups on what is a huge night for college basketball. Wisconsin has a tough road test at Indiana, VCU has a very tough road test at Hofstra, Texas and Texas Tech square off in a rivalry game that is important both on and off paper for both teams, Tennessee tries to climb out of their slump against Georgia, and much more... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Wed,-1-31-1808/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Wed,-1-31-1808/ Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:37:15 -0500 Mike Schmidt provides a recap of all the D-League action over the past week. Will Conroy has recieved a 10 day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, Jose Juan Barea has multiple 40 point games, and updates on the NBA assigned players. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1807/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1807/ Tue, 30 Jan 2007 17:10:57 -0500 In a strange twist of events, Cabell County Circuit Judge Dan O?Hanlon issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday against the previous suspension of top player in the country O.J. Mayo and five of his Huntington High School teammates, allowing them to play in their Tuesday night showdown agianst #11 Artesia (CA) HS in Durham, North Carolina. Artesia features Arizona State signee James Harden, USC recruit Malik Story, and 6?10 sophomore stud Renardo Sidney. /article/O.J.-Mayo-Saga-Continues,-Injunction-Granted-1806/ /article/O.J.-Mayo-Saga-Continues,-Injunction-Granted-1806/ Tue, 30 Jan 2007 15:24:10 -0500 After several weeks performing at superb level in the top European competition, it was about time for Jonas Maciulis to receive Player of the Week honours in our roundup. His physical dominance from the small forward position makes him one of the most interesting youngsters in the international basketball. Also, the Bosnian pool gets special attention with Nihad Djedovic and Mirza Teletovic. /article/Roundup-Maciulis-Outmuscling-the-Euroleague-1805/ /article/Roundup-Maciulis-Outmuscling-the-Euroleague-1805/ Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:13:29 -0500 Cedric Bozeman is currently working on his game for the Albuquerque T-Birds in the NBA D-League after being waived by the Atlanta Hawks. In his six games, the 6' 6" rookie guard from UCLA has already posted one triple double and had a 20-assist game. He is averaging 15ppg, 11apg and 6rpg. /article/One-on-one-with-Cedric-Bozeman-1804/ /article/One-on-one-with-Cedric-Bozeman-1804/ Tue, 30 Jan 2007 03:52:06 -0500 A brief look at some of the Bracket Buster games, as well as a rundown of tonight's action... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Tues,-1-30-1803/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Tues,-1-30-1803/ Tue, 30 Jan 2007 01:00:14 -0500 Jonathan Watters' Top 25, presented in a conference-by-conference format. /article/The-JW-Top-25-1802/ /article/The-JW-Top-25-1802/ Mon, 29 Jan 2007 19:50:11 -0500 Drew Barnette's latest Bracket Projections have been posted. Click here to see whether your team would be in or out, and where they'd be seeded if the tournament were to begin today. Drew also lists his S Curve rankings, and gives a rundown on all 65 teams who are in the bracket. All that, as well as tonight's highlighted games... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-FOR-MON,-1-29-1799/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-FOR-MON,-1-29-1799/ Mon, 29 Jan 2007 01:35:40 -0500 A rundown of today's action... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Sun,-1-28-1801/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Sun,-1-28-1801/ Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:27:47 -0500 Michael Cooper is currently the head coach for the NBA?s Developmental League Albuquerque Thunderbirds, whom he coached to the NBDL championship last season. Prior to that Cooper was Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and, as a former Showtime Laker, won 5 NBA championships before becoming an assistant coach under Los Angeles Lakers head coach Del Harris. He was named Coach of the Year while coaching the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks to back-to-back championships before returning to the NBA as interim coach with the Denver Nuggets. Michael Cooper now utilizes his trademark defense and proven coaching style nightly while coaching in the NBDL. I spoke with Michael after a loss to the Anaheim Arsenal where nobody could contain a red hot Andre Owens. /article/Interview-with-Thunderbirds-coach-Michael-Cooper-1800/ /article/Interview-with-Thunderbirds-coach-Michael-Cooper-1800/ Sat, 27 Jan 2007 19:44:45 -0500 Last year, an unprecedented number of senior players were drafted extremely high. Five of the eight players taken from the 5th to 12th spot were seniors, while eight were taken overall in the first round. The year before that, only one senior (Channing Frye) was selected in the lottery, but eight more seniors were selected in the remainder of the first round. The 2007 draft, early on, looks more similar to the 2005 senior class than 2006, but might even have some more depth. /article/Senior-Class-has-Depth,-but-Lacks-Star-Power-1798/ /article/Senior-Class-has-Depth,-but-Lacks-Star-Power-1798/ Fri, 26 Jan 2007 20:34:05 -0500 Drew Barnette outlines another huge Saturday in college basketball. Join us in discussion on our forums on Saturday in the NCAA game thread. Oregon tries to rebound from a surprising loss to Washington, but must do so on the road against a red hot Washington State team in a game that has Pac Ten title implications, as well as Pod System Implications.Arizona hosts North Carolina in a huge out of conference game between two teams that could make deep runs into the tournament.VCU, who is unbeaten in Colonial conference play travels to Drexel for a massively important game between two bubble teams.Multiple big games from the Big East, SEC, Mountain West, Big Ten and Big Twelve conferences as well, and more... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-1-27-1797/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-1-27-1797/ Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:57:46 -0500 The Bracket Buster match-ups will be announced after this weekend. Drew Barnette looks at some of the participants who are in a position to make the NCAA Tournament, and outlines some of the match-ups he'd like to see. He also talks about how some of the potential bubble teams need to be paired with as quality an opponent as possible, and the different impacts the potential match-ups can have. All that, and more... /article/Bracket-Buster-Projections-and-Analysis-1796/ /article/Bracket-Buster-Projections-and-Analysis-1796/ Fri, 26 Jan 2007 00:21:15 -0500 DraftExpress takes a look at Chicago Simeon?s resounding upset of #1 ranked Oak Hill Academy last week in Chicago, with in depth breakdowns of the performances of Chicago Simeon?s Derrick Rose and Kevin Johnson, as well as Oak Hill Academy?s Brandon Jennings, Nolan Smith, Alex Legion, and Julian Vaughn. /article/Chicago-Simeon-vs.-Oak-Hill-Academy-Breakdown/ /article/Chicago-Simeon-vs.-Oak-Hill-Academy-Breakdown/ Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:50:45 -0500 Part two of our NCAA Weekly Performers series takes an in-depth look at Joakim Noah of Florida, as well as three ACC players in Thaddeus Young of Georgia Tech, J.R. Reynolds from Virginia, and James Mays of Clemson. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-24-07---Part-Two-1524/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-24-07---Part-Two-1524/ Thu, 25 Jan 2007 03:32:35 -0500 Notre Dame loses their point guard for the remainder of the season, and the committee will take that into account when it comes to evaluating some of Notre Dame's bigger wins.Some of the best teams in the SEC are the ones that aren't currently ranked.Clemson faces another tough road test against Duke in a game that features two potential pod system teams.All that, the rest of today's action, and more... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Thurs,-1-25-1795/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Thurs,-1-25-1795/ Thu, 25 Jan 2007 01:14:17 -0500 This Portland Trailblazers (17-25) do not appear to be headed toward the playoffs, but they made some huge strides during the first half of this season. Much of the team?s improvement from the beginning of this season to now can be attributed to the play of its young talent. Brandon Roy has come back extremely strong from his early injuries and is the clear-cut favorite to be the Rookie of the Year this season, LaMarcus Aldridge is finally starting to see consistent minutes, and Sergio Rodríguez has put up some huge numbers in recent games. While the Trailblazers may miss out on the playoffs this season, they have shown the blend of production and potential that should get them there in the long-run. /article/NBA-Team-Report-Portland-Trailblazers-1794/ /article/NBA-Team-Report-Portland-Trailblazers-1794/ Wed, 24 Jan 2007 18:59:08 -0500 Just two days after being touted on DraftExpress and Hoopshype.com as possibly the top prospect in the D-League, Jeremy Richardson has been called up by the Atlanta Hawks for a 10-day contract. /article/D-League-Callup-7-Jeremy-Richardson-to-the-Hawks-1793/ /article/D-League-Callup-7-Jeremy-Richardson-to-the-Hawks-1793/ Wed, 24 Jan 2007 14:43:37 -0500 There are some great match-ups tonight. Kentucky travels to Georgia to face a much improved Bulldog's team in a game that will affect both team's NCAA Tournmament resumes.Texas Tech and Texas A&M square off as the Red Raiders look to pull off yet another big upset at home, and Texas A&M looks to pick up their biggest road win of the year so far. All that, and much more... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Wed,-1-24-1792/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Wed,-1-24-1792/ Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:18:25 -0500 In a surprising and quite disappointing move, Vancouver has opted to pull out of hosting the Under-19 FIBA World Championships scheduled to be played July 12-22nd, sources told DraftExpress today. Citing ?significant additional risks? which could not be eliminated or mitigated,? the Canadian Basketball Association has left FIBA to find a new host city, board of organizers and financing for supporting this not so simple endeavor. The U-19 World Championships has been described as ?the world's most prestigious basketball youth event.? /article/Vancouver-Pulls-Out-of-Hosting-World-Championship-1791/ /article/Vancouver-Pulls-Out-of-Hosting-World-Championship-1791/ Tue, 23 Jan 2007 22:55:17 -0500 Mike Schmidt provides an overview of all the D-League action since the Showcase. The Arsenal have fired Larry Smith as their head coach, Tulsa and Austin complete a trade, the Pistons recall Amir Johnson, and more. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1790/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1790/ Tue, 23 Jan 2007 22:43:05 -0500 This weekend?s 20-point performance against FMP gave Milenko Tepic the edge to be named our Player of the Week, and also provides an excellent chance to take a long look at a player who is emerging as one of the most solid promises out of the Serbian pool. We also pay special attention to a couple of second-round candidates, such as Ali Traore and Marko Tomas. /article/Roundup-Milenko-Tepic,-a-Serbian-Standout-1789/ /article/Roundup-Milenko-Tepic,-a-Serbian-Standout-1789/ Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:15:52 -0500 Dominic McGuire of Fresno State, Ron Steele of Alabama, Mike Conley Jr. of Ohio State and Stanley Robinson of UConn are featured in part one of this week's NCAA performers series. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-22-07---Part-One-1523/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers,-1-22-07---Part-One-1523/ Tue, 23 Jan 2007 01:47:10 -0500 Behind schedule, but here nonetheless. The Pac-10 continues its rise, the MVC continues to confuse, with a striking lack of qualified teams from elsewhere in the country. /article/The-JW-Top-25-1788/ /article/The-JW-Top-25-1788/ Mon, 22 Jan 2007 23:34:37 -0500 Drew Barnette continues to monitor all of the teams who are fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Check out where they'd be seeded if the season ended today, read about some of the teams that still have some work to do, and much much more...Also check out Tuesday night's highlighted games. /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-AND-NOTES-FOR-1-22-1787/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-AND-NOTES-FOR-1-22-1787/ Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:34:33 -0500 Here is a rundown of today's big games... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Monday,-1-22-1786/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-Monday,-1-22-1786/ Mon, 22 Jan 2007 06:19:26 -0500 Jonathan Givony explores the development aspect of the NBA's Developmental League following the D-League Showcase in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Included is an in-depth look at six players who are clearly taking advantage of their playing time and showing substantial progress in their all-around skill-set since graduating from college. /article/Translating-Potential-into-Production--The-D-League-is-Working/ /article/Translating-Potential-into-Production--The-D-League-is-Working/ Sun, 21 Jan 2007 22:56:48 -0500 A rundown of today's action... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Sunday,-1-21-1785/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Sunday,-1-21-1785/ Sun, 21 Jan 2007 11:47:38 -0500 Texas-Oklahoma State, James Mays, Wilson Chandler, Stanley Robinson, USC, Washinton State, Kyle Weaver, and UNC-Ga Tech /article/Saturday-Quick-Shots-1784/ /article/Saturday-Quick-Shots-1784/ Sun, 21 Jan 2007 03:37:27 -0500 Here is a rundown of all of Saturday's action. There are some huge games in the Pac Ten, a must win for a good, but unproven New Mexico State team against Nevada, and many many more. It's Saturday, and we've got another jammed packed day of college hoops action... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-1-20-1783/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-1-20-1783/ Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:28:37 -0500 ESPN?s Andy Katz brought some not-so-shocking news yesterday regarding Sean Williams being permanently dismissed from Boston College for ?unspecified violations,? together with teammate Akida McLain. DraftExpress explores the reasons for Williams' dismissal, his options now that his college career is seemingly over, and what this all means for his NBA draft stock. /article/Shooting-Yourself-in-the-Foot,-by-Sean-Williams-1782/ /article/Shooting-Yourself-in-the-Foot,-by-Sean-Williams-1782/ Fri, 19 Jan 2007 02:09:17 -0500 This final article completes our coverage from Sioux Falls, South Dakota of the D-League Showcase tracking the progress of the NBA send-downs and potential call-ups. Part two of day three tracks the last two games of the showcase, featuring big outings from Jared Reiner, Jose Juan Barea, Pooh Jeter, but beyond all, Quemont Greer?s 40 point effort. /article/NBA-Developmental-League-Showcase,-Day-Three--Part-Two-1521/ /article/NBA-Developmental-League-Showcase,-Day-Three--Part-Two-1521/ Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:07:24 -0500 DraftExpress got a chance to sit in at the Spalding HoopHall Classic this past weekend and got a glimpse of some of the finest High School level players in the country. There were some excellent performances turned in by a number of players, certainly some future professional talent amongst the participants. The following breakdown will list out the top 15 performances in terms of overall production and pro potential. While there were some players who produced statistically superior games than others, the skill set used to accomplish those numbers and the overall physical attributes/limitations of each player factor heavily into this analysis. The First Team is a list of the players that appeared most ?pro-ready? with the Second and Third Teams rounding out the rest of the field in order. Obviously, the structure and developmental training at the collegiate level may drastically increase of decrease the learning curves of these players. This is just a synopsis of where they stand now. /article/Spalding-HoopHall-Classic-Player-Report-1518/ /article/Spalding-HoopHall-Classic-Player-Report-1518/ Thu, 18 Jan 2007 09:00:21 -0500 DraftExpress President Jonathan Givony and D-League Director of Scouting Mike Schmidt are present in frosty Sioux Falls, South Dakota to track the progress of the NBA send-downs and potential call-ups. Because of the length of the article, we?ve decided to split this one into two parts. The first half of day three saw a couple of very strong performances, including perimeter oriented big man Kevinn Pinkney, former Syracuse point guard Gerry McNamara, Michigan State swingman Alan Anderson and Orlando Magic send-down James Augustine. /article/NBA-Developmental-League-Showcase,-Day-Three---Part-One-1520/ /article/NBA-Developmental-League-Showcase,-Day-Three---Part-One-1520/ Thu, 18 Jan 2007 05:10:33 -0500 Marcus Williams sets a career best with 27 points against Oregon State, only to trump himself with 34 points three days later against Oregon. Herbert Hill is quietly making a case for Big East Player of the Year while averaging 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game, though he won't likely be under the radar for much longer. And Malik Hairston puts up a solid performance in a win over Arizona, as many still wonder if he'll ever live up to expectations. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers----1-18-07,-Part-Two-1519/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers----1-18-07,-Part-Two-1519/ Thu, 18 Jan 2007 02:57:50 -0500 Lots of head-scratchers last night. Tennessee, Southern Illinois, Old Dominion, Providence, Alabama and Notre Dame all lost on the road to teams they appeared to be better than. As for tonight, a huge matchup in the Pac Ten between USC and Arizona. Fresno State will play at Nevada in a game they desperately need to win if they want to impress the Selection Committee. Oregon is hosting a Stanford team that has been playing very well lately, and Northern Iowa tries to get a big time signature win against Missouri State. All that, and more... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-1-18-1781/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-1-18-1781/ Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:48:46 -0500 According to D-League officials here at the Showcase in Sioux Falls, Renaldo Major has been called up by the Golden State Warriors for a 10-day contract. He was scheduled to play today in Sioux Falls, but is already en route to join the depleted Warriors. Patrick O'Bryant will also be joining him. In other news, Jose Juan Barea has been sent down to the D-League and should be in uniform tonight at 7:30. /article/Call-Up-6--Renaldo-Major-to-the-Warriors-1780/ /article/Call-Up-6--Renaldo-Major-to-the-Warriors-1780/ Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:38:28 -0500 Greg Oden explodes for 24 points and 15 rebounds in a narrow win over Tennessee. Dominic James emerges from a slump against West Virginia. Jeff Pendergraph gives scouts a good reason to visit Arizona State with the impressive numbers he's putting up as of late. And Jason Smith has a typical performance against San Diego State. /article/Weekly-NCAA-Performers,-1-17-07,-Part-One-1517/ /article/Weekly-NCAA-Performers,-1-17-07,-Part-One-1517/ Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:20:38 -0500 DraftExpress President Jonathan Givony and D-League Director of Scouting Mike Schmidt are present in frosty Sioux Falls, South Dakota to track the progress of the NBA send-downs and potential call-ups. Kevin Pinkney and Pooh Jeter raise some eyebrows with strong performances against Arkansas and Los Angeles respectively, while CJ Miles bounces back amongst the players sent down. Renaldo Major has reportedly been called up by the Golden State Warriors. /article/NBA-Developmental-League-Showcase,-Day-Two-1515/ /article/NBA-Developmental-League-Showcase,-Day-Two-1515/ Wed, 17 Jan 2007 03:21:32 -0500 A look at tonight's big games, along with a look back at last night's exciting action. Air Force was upset by Utah. Texas and Oklahoma State went to triple overtime in what was one of the most exciting and well played games of the entire season so far.North Carolina travels to Clemson tonight in what will be a huge game. Clemson has just one loss, but are they good enough to beat one of the best teams in the country?? It's a home game for Clemson, and their fans will be going crazy for this one. All that, and more... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Matchups-for-1-17-1779/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Matchups-for-1-17-1779/ Wed, 17 Jan 2007 01:19:43 -0500 DraftExpress President Jonathan Givony and D-League Director of Scouting Mike Schmidt are present in frosty Sioux Falls, South Dakota to track the progress of the NBA send-downs and potential call-ups. Jeremy Richardson and Stephen Graham were the top two non-NBA affiliated players, while Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Amir Johnson and Saer Sene did good work as send-downs. /article/NBA-Developmental-League-Showcase,-Day-One-1514/ /article/NBA-Developmental-League-Showcase,-Day-One-1514/ Tue, 16 Jan 2007 13:20:09 -0500 A rundown of tonight's action... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-1-16-1778/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-1-16-1778/ Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:35:32 -0500 Almost nothing has gone right for the Memphis Grizzlies through the first half of this season. The team?s star player, Pau Gasol, missed the first 22 games, forcing former head coach Mike Fratello to rely on a largely untested group of players. Subsequently, none of the players stepped up in Gasol?s absence, leading to a dismal 5-17 start. One win and seven losses later, Fratello found himself without a job and the Grizzlies had a whole new set of questions to answer.Rudy Gay found himself in a rather unenviable situation throughout this entire scenario. He had been playing relatively well in an offense that didn?t suit his style of play under Fratello, and had struggled to take his game to the next level. When Tony Barone was brought in as the new head coach, it appeared that his new up-tempo style would allow Gay?s production to really take off. Unfortunately, that hasn?t been the case. While Gay has by no means been a disappointment, he hasn?t had an easy go of things either. /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Rudy-Gay-1777/ /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Rudy-Gay-1777/ Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:34:15 -0500 Jonathan Watters has to struggle to come up with nation's 25 best teams through January the 14th. /article/Fear-and-Loathing-in-The-JW-Top-25-1776/ /article/Fear-and-Loathing-in-The-JW-Top-25-1776/ Mon, 15 Jan 2007 19:20:00 -0500 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 15, 2007) -- Selecting a talented roster that features both coaches and seven players possessing prior USA Basketball experience, USA Basketball today announced the coaching staff and 10 players selected for the 2007 USA Basketball Junior National Select Team that will compete in the 10th annual Nike Hoop Summit on April 7 at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. /article/2007-USA-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-Announced-1775/ /article/2007-USA-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-Announced-1775/ Mon, 15 Jan 2007 16:46:18 -0500 Our international weekly roundup is back after Christmas break. It?s 2007 folks! New year, new life? or not. Some things don?t change, and one of them is the terrific season Rudy Fernández is delivering. Nobody has shined more than the Spanish shooting guard these past weeks. We also pay special attention to Gasper Vidmar, one of the Geoplin Slovan youngsters who is particularly stepping up lately. /article/Roundup-New-Year,-Same-Rudy-1774/ /article/Roundup-New-Year,-Same-Rudy-1774/ Mon, 15 Jan 2007 15:20:00 -0500 Check out the latest Bracket Projection!!! Today's article features a rundown of all 31 div1 conferences and talks about who's on top, who needs to improve their resume, and where some of the teams might end up in the final bracket.Tonight's highlighted games are in the article as well... /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--AND-NOTES-FOR-1-15-1773/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS--AND-NOTES-FOR-1-15-1773/ Mon, 15 Jan 2007 03:49:32 -0500 The DraftExpress NCAA Freshman rankings, announced and broken down. /article/NCAA-Freshman-Rankings-1772/ /article/NCAA-Freshman-Rankings-1772/ Sun, 14 Jan 2007 01:19:03 -0500 A rundown of today's action... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Sunday,-1-14-1771/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Sunday,-1-14-1771/ Sat, 13 Jan 2007 23:52:30 -0500 UCLA will look to rebound from their loss at Oregon, but it doesn't get any easier as they will be playing on the road against arch rival USC in a game that means a lot to both teams on and off paper. Read about that, as well as all of today's action... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-1-13-1770/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-1-13-1770/ Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:07:19 -0500 Helping lead North Carolina to a national championship in 2005 with his heady play and defensive presence, Jackie Manuel continued his success heading into the NBA draft with a stellar performance at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament where he showed scouts a surprising offensive game. Unfortunately, after breaking his foot, he went undrafted and was forced to sit out a year. Now, after being drafted by the NBDL Los Angeles D-Fenders, Jackie hopes to continue the defense that got him recognized in the first place, while upping his offensive game. I sat down with Jackie to get his thoughts where he's been and what he's up to now. /article/Interview-with-Jackie-Manuel-of-the-L.A.-D-Fenders-1769/ /article/Interview-with-Jackie-Manuel-of-the-L.A.-D-Fenders-1769/ Fri, 12 Jan 2007 15:43:10 -0500 Today, Drew Barnette looks at some teams that you probably aren't all that familiar with, but that are probably as good or better than several of the teams you are familiar with. All are early Cinderella candidates, and a few are good enough to end up on the bubble and could end up with at-large bids if they fail to win their conference tournaments. /article/Teams-Flying-Under-the-Radar,-and-more...-1756/ /article/Teams-Flying-Under-the-Radar,-and-more...-1756/ Fri, 12 Jan 2007 01:02:10 -0500 Brothers Jrue and Justin Holiday have impressed many people on the basketball court as high schoolers. Jrue is the 2nd best player in the class of 2008, and has an important college decision in his future. Get to know Jrue and Justin both on and off the court. /article/Holidays-Display-their-Gift-at-the-Timberwolves-Shootout-1513/ /article/Holidays-Display-their-Gift-at-the-Timberwolves-Shootout-1513/ Thu, 11 Jan 2007 22:37:49 -0500 For the third straight season, DraftExpress.com has attended the very prestigious L?Hospitalet Tournament, one of the most important youth events in Europe. This has been well reflected by the increasing number of NBA teams following the competition. By our fallible accounts, no less than seven NBA franchises were represented.Unfortunately, this hasn?t resulted in a particularly interesting edition; actually, it probably qualifies as the poorest in several years. However, an excellent final, where FMP Zeleznik brilliantly beat Real Madrid, came to rescue the tourney from mediocrity and left a final sweet taste. /article/L-Hospitalet-2007-Reflections-of-A-Poor-Class-1512/ /article/L-Hospitalet-2007-Reflections-of-A-Poor-Class-1512/ Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:37:08 -0500 Continuing with part two of our NCAA Weekly Performers, we take a look at three freshman in Chase Budinger, Javaris Crittenton and Greg Oden, as well as one junior in Richard Roby. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers----1-10-2007,-Part-Two-1511/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers----1-10-2007,-Part-Two-1511/ Thu, 11 Jan 2007 01:00:59 -0500 A rundown of today's important games... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Thursday,-1-11-1768/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Thursday,-1-11-1768/ Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:29:17 -0500 Our first installment of the weekly NCAA performers series features three outstanding young wing players, and one experienced senior point guard. Kevin Durant leaves us no choice but to lead off with him following an amazing 37 point, 16 rebound performance against Colorado. Corey Brewer puts up another near-triple double against Georgia. Quincy Pondexter explodes off the bench against Arizona. And in the same game for the opposing team, Mustafa Shakur shows that his phenomenal senior year is no fluke and he's truly a changed player. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers----1-9-2007,-Part-One-1510/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers----1-9-2007,-Part-One-1510/ Wed, 10 Jan 2007 01:45:10 -0500 A rundown of all of today's meaningful college basketball games, and the impact they could have on the selection committee... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-1-10-1767/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-1-10-1767/ Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:37:36 -0500 Mike Schmidt provides an update on all of the latest happenings in the NBA's Development League. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1766/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1766/ Tue, 09 Jan 2007 19:04:49 -0500 Ohio State and Wisconsin face off in a huge Big Ten game. Ohio State has lost on the road to Florida and North Carolina, but has another chance to pick up a massive road win that would go a long way in them ending up as a #1 seed. Notre Dame tries to bounce back after an embarrassing loss to Georgetown, but hosts a very tough West Virginia team.All that, and more... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-1-9-1765/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-1-9-1765/ Tue, 09 Jan 2007 00:53:35 -0500 Few changes at the top, but Washington State and Missouri State make big jumps and five new teams enter the rankings... /article/The-JW-Top-25-1764/ /article/The-JW-Top-25-1764/ Mon, 08 Jan 2007 19:41:36 -0500 With the recent call-ups of 5 D-League players to the NBA, we?ve decided to compile a list of the top call-up candidates remaining. When looking at the list, it?s important to keep in mind that each NBA team has its own criteria that they use to decide who to add to their team. Some teams look for a guy with potential and some look for a player who can step in and play a role right away. Some players will do better in certain systems than others. After the D-League showcase, look for us to release a list of the top 5 players at each position. /article/Top-10-D-League-Call-Up-Candidates-1763/ /article/Top-10-D-League-Call-Up-Candidates-1763/ Mon, 08 Jan 2007 18:36:34 -0500 Daniel Gibson might not be a rookie of the year candidate, but he has been a very pleasant surprise for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Given the depth of the Cleveland backcourt, it didn?t appear likely that the former 42nd overall pick would see the floor at all this season, let alone crack Mike Brown?s rotation. However, Gibson found himself in the starting lineup in early December after Larry Hughes went down with an ankle injury and David Wesley went into a shooting slump. Though his stint as a starter in the backcourt was short, Gibson played well enough to garner minutes behind Larry Hughes for the rest of the season and outplayed a number of the Cleveland?s seasoned veterans. /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Daniel-Gibson-1762/ /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Daniel-Gibson-1762/ Mon, 08 Jan 2007 08:00:53 -0500 The new bracket has been posted!! Check out who is seeded where and read about some of the teams that are close, but just haven't built up their resumes quite yet. This article focuses on some of the teams that are hard to place, and how some of the highly ranked teams still need to prove themselves in conference play. There is also a rundown of tonight's highlighted games. /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-FOR-1-8-1761/ /article/BRACKET-EXPRESS-PROJECTIONS-FOR-1-8-1761/ Mon, 08 Jan 2007 01:13:25 -0500 There was plenty of NBA talent in the Target Center on Saturday afternoon, but the only current Minnesota Timberwolf in attendance was on the sideline calling the game. Mark Madsen, DraftExpress.com and several thousand other area hoop fans got the chance to watch a number of the best high school prospects in the country at the 2007 Gatorade Timberwolves Shootout. Several of the top teams in the country were in town to take on the best the host state had to offer. On display were the basketball born and raised Larry Drew Jr. (son of former NBA standout Larry Drew Sr.), Jrue Holiday (brother, Justin, headed to Washington next fall), and Kevin Love (son of former Laker Stan Love). While Wisconsin-bound point guard Jordan Taylor stole the show from Drew, Holiday and Love put on a show that those in attendance won?t be forgetting about anytime soon. Check out the complete rundown inside, with more player-specific coverage to follow. Marquette commit Nick Williams, LSU pledge Garrett Green, Minnesota-bound Blake Hoffarber, promising local sophomore Raymond Cowles also metioned. /article/Bloodlines-Run-Strong-at-Timberwolves-Shootout-1509/ /article/Bloodlines-Run-Strong-at-Timberwolves-Shootout-1509/ Sun, 07 Jan 2007 20:01:31 -0500 Deron Williams entered the NBA with very high expectations. When the Utah Jazz selected him 3rd overall in the 2005 draft many fans anointed him as the next Jason Kidd. Even though Williams doesn?t rebound as well as a younger Jason Kidd, he is shooting at a higher percentage from the field than Kidd has in his entire career this season. /article/Player-Report-Deron-Williams-1760/ /article/Player-Report-Deron-Williams-1760/ Sun, 07 Jan 2007 14:29:57 -0500 Luke Jackson will be the 5th D-League player called up to the NBA this season, according to sources from his team, the Idaho Stampede, reports DraftExpress correspondent Jim Hlavac. Jackson will join the Los Angeles Clippers after a short six game stint in the D-League, in which he averaged 12.5 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.3 rebounds in 31 minutes per game. Jackson shot an outstanding 53% the field and 58% from behind the arc. Sources close to the situation tell us he will sign a 10-day contract and meet the Clippers in Oklahoma City for their away game on Monday. /article/Callup-5-Luke-Jackson-to-the-LA-Clippers-1759/ /article/Callup-5-Luke-Jackson-to-the-LA-Clippers-1759/ Sun, 07 Jan 2007 04:19:10 -0500 A rundown of all of today's big games, and a look back at yesterday's action that was covered in our forum... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-1-7-1758/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-1-7-1758/ Sat, 06 Jan 2007 22:59:18 -0500 Renaldo Major?s tip in with 0.2 seconds remaining was the game winner for the Dakota Wizards as they defeated the D-Fenders in Los Angeles 103-101. Major had a game high 22 points and a team high 6 rebounds. His 18 ppg is currently 13th in the D-League. I caught up with Renaldo after the game. /article/Interview-with-Renaldo-Major-1757/ /article/Interview-with-Renaldo-Major-1757/ Sat, 06 Jan 2007 03:21:34 -0500 Conference play is now in full swing, and there are several big matchups today. Arizona better be on upset alert at Washington State, LSU and Connecticut will face each other hoping to pick up a quality win, and much more... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-1-6-1755/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-1-6-1755/ Fri, 05 Jan 2007 21:06:20 -0500 After a slow start to his rookie campaign, Randy Foye has stepped up his game lately, and won the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for December. In addition to solid individual play, Foye has taken minutes from struggling point guard Mike James. /article/Rookie-Update--Randy-Foye-1754/ /article/Rookie-Update--Randy-Foye-1754/ Fri, 05 Jan 2007 15:36:41 -0500 Andre Brown will sign a 10-day contract with the Seattle SuperSonics tomorrow, according to sources close to the situation. Brown is the fourth D-League player to be added to an NBA roster this season. He will be in uniform on Saturday night as the Sonics play on the road against the Golden State Warriors. /article/Call-Up-4--Andre-Brown-Added-to-Sonics-1753/ /article/Call-Up-4--Andre-Brown-Added-to-Sonics-1753/ Thu, 04 Jan 2007 21:18:53 -0500 Dijon Thompson has landed in Atlanta and will officially sign a contract with the Hawks tomorrow (Friday), sources close to the situation informed DraftExpress. Thompson is the third player to be called up to the NBA from the D-League this season, and will sign a 10 day contract with the Hawks. He will be in uniform for Atanta's home game Saturday against the Clippers. /article/Call-Up-3--Dijon-Thompson-Joins-Atlanta-1752/ /article/Call-Up-3--Dijon-Thompson-Joins-Atlanta-1752/ Thu, 04 Jan 2007 20:37:02 -0500 The Bobcats continue to struggle record-wise and in a number of other statistical categories in this, their third season in the league. The team is last in scoring differential giving up an average of almost 7 points per game more than they score themselves. The team?s defensive field goal percentage is average, ranking 15th in the league. But the team ranks last in the NBA in shooting themselves, 30th in overall percentage and 25th in three point percentage. /article/Team-Report-Charlotte-Bobcats-1751/ /article/Team-Report-Charlotte-Bobcats-1751/ Thu, 04 Jan 2007 18:33:20 -0500 A rundown of tonight's action... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-1-4-1750/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-1-4-1750/ Thu, 04 Jan 2007 14:41:28 -0500 Continuing with part two of our NCAA Weekly Performers series, we take a look at Kyle Visser of Wake Forest, as well as Taj Gibson and Nick Young of USC. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers---1-3-2007,-Part-Two-1507/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers---1-3-2007,-Part-Two-1507/ Thu, 04 Jan 2007 01:49:12 -0500 While the month of December hasn?t gone entirely according to plan for the Orlando Magic, the team has been one of the pleasant surprises of this NBA season. Since the Magic feature no player scoring more than 17 points per game, their 19-14 record is indicative of a consistent balanced attack. Much of Orlando?s success can be attributed to head coach Brian Hill helping his players understand their roles. He has helped players like Trevor Ariza become contributing members of his rotation. The team features a bright young star in Dwight Howard, but it is the team?s deep, versatile, bench that has gotten it this far. /article/NBA-Team-Reports-Orlando-Magic-1748/ /article/NBA-Team-Reports-Orlando-Magic-1748/ Wed, 03 Jan 2007 15:47:53 -0500 Luis Fernandez breaks down the Top-10 international moments of 2006. Ricky Rubio, Marco Belinelli, Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Rodriguez, Yi Jianlian and others are featured. /article/The-Top-10-International-Moments-of-2006-1506/ /article/The-Top-10-International-Moments-of-2006-1506/ Wed, 03 Jan 2007 14:21:08 -0500 After a one week hiatus, our weekly performers series returns with an in-depth look at four impact players from late December. Mario Boggan is carrying Oklahoma State to an unexpected NCAA Tournament berth with his play so far. James Davis is a 7-1 junior college transfer who is showing high-major talent playing against Lamar. Aaron Gray is showing why he decided to return for his senior season, and Arron Afflalo puts together one of the most impressive first half performances we've seen all year in a blowout win over a talented Washington team. Stay tuned tomorrow for part two. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers---1-2-2007,-Part-One-1505/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers---1-2-2007,-Part-One-1505/ Wed, 03 Jan 2007 03:33:01 -0500 There are several big games in the Big East, Big Ten and Mountain West today. Read about that, and the other games of note... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-1-3-1749/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-1-3-1749/ Wed, 03 Jan 2007 02:07:28 -0500 Justin Williams has been signed by the Sacramento Kings, according to his agent Darren White. Melvin Sanders to re-join the D-League, Julius Hodge recalled by the Nuggets, and D-League Showcase creates NBA assignment possibilities. /article/Call-Up-2--Justin-Williams-to-the-Kings-1747/ /article/Call-Up-2--Justin-Williams-to-the-Kings-1747/ Wed, 03 Jan 2007 01:33:49 -0500 Mike Schmidt provides an update of all the D-league happenings over the past week, as well as a recap of each team. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1745/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1745/ Tue, 02 Jan 2007 17:41:25 -0500 Drew Barnette's new Bracket Projections are up. Click here to see the bracket and read the article. This week focuses on teams who aren't in the current projections, but have a very good chance of making the dance come March. It also takes a look at some of the teams who are on the skids... /article/BRACKET-PROJECTIONS-AND-NOTES-FOR-1-2-1746/ /article/BRACKET-PROJECTIONS-AND-NOTES-FOR-1-2-1746/ Tue, 02 Jan 2007 15:04:00 -0500 Jonathan Watters checks in with recent Minnesota signee Blake Hoffarber, discussing what the sweet-shooting high school senior out of Hopkins (MN) has accomplished since his ESPY-winning moment two years ago, and what his commitment means for a struggling Golden Gopher program. (Hoffarber is one of many highly regarded D-1 recruits participating in the 2007 Timberwolves Shootout this Saturday, January 6 at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. Also in attendence will be nationally rennowned UCLA commit Kevin Love, elite class of 2008 guards Jrue Holiday and Larry Drew, and many others. More information provided within the article). /article/%22The-Shot%22-Just-One-of-Many-for-Minnesota-s-Hoffarber-1504/ /article/%22The-Shot%22-Just-One-of-Many-for-Minnesota-s-Hoffarber-1504/ Tue, 02 Jan 2007 05:12:06 -0500 Winthrop desperately needs a quality win if they want to be considered as an at-large team. They've got a huge opportunity today against Texas A&M. That, and the rest of today's action... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Tuesday,-1-2-1744/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Tuesday,-1-2-1744/ Tue, 02 Jan 2007 01:32:47 -0500 Not much change at the top, but it continues to be a massacre outside the Top 10. It really wasn't fair to stop at 25 this week, with at least five more teams just as worthy as anybody outside the Top 20. As conference play begins, we should really start to get a feel for who is going to be a factor in March. /article/The-JW-Top-25-1743/ /article/The-JW-Top-25-1743/ Mon, 01 Jan 2007 22:07:46 -0500 Jonathan Watters offers up a series of brief observations made over a full day of college hoops. Highlighted individuals include Brook Lopez, Bryce Taylor, DaSean Butler, Nick Fazekas, Mario Chalmers, Julian Wright and Christian Polk. /article/Saturday-Quick-Shots-1742/ /article/Saturday-Quick-Shots-1742/ Sun, 31 Dec 2006 05:15:01 -0500 A rundown of the notable games over the next two days... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Dec-31-%26-Jan-1-1741/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Dec-31-%26-Jan-1-1741/ Sun, 31 Dec 2006 00:14:26 -0500 DraftExpress recently had the chance to take in the Italian league All-Star game at the hosts of the 2006 Winter Olympics, Turin. The expanded squad of the local Italian national team blew out the ?Champion All-stars? made up of some of the top foreigners in Lega Basket?s Seria A 93-76 behind the strong play of MVP Massimo Bulleri, but it was the performance of 18 year old Danilo Gallinari that caught our eye in particular. /article/Danilo-Gallinari-Another-Italian-Star-Emerging-1740/ /article/Danilo-Gallinari-Another-Italian-Star-Emerging-1740/ Sat, 30 Dec 2006 01:25:46 -0500 A rundown of all of Saturday's action. The Pac Ten and Missouri Valley conferences are in full swing. The Big East also begins conference play today. That, and the rest of today's notable games... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-12-30-1739/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-12-30-1739/ Fri, 29 Dec 2006 13:15:27 -0500 There were some MAJOR surprises yesterday. Duquesne defeated Boston College, Oral Roberts knocked off Seton Hall, Purdue was blown out by Indiana State and USC kncoked off Washington. All that, as well as the rest of yesterday's action!!!There are some big games today as well. Xavier will face Illinois in a game that they desperately need to win. Providence and Florida State face off, and Winthrop and Old Dominion will face each other in the hopes of adding a big win to their resumes... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-12-29-1738/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-12-29-1738/ Fri, 29 Dec 2006 02:32:30 -0500 Devin Green has left the Los Angeles D-Fenders to play with a Euroleague team, RheinEnergie Cologne (Köln) in Germany. He paid a $20,000 buyout to get out of his D-League contract. Green?s decision is puzzling, considering he was one of the most likely candidates to get called up to the NBA. Rumors indicate that Green had a falling out with D-Fenders head coach Dan Panaggio. /article/Devin-Green-Leaves-Los-Angeles-to-Play-Overseas-1737/ /article/Devin-Green-Leaves-Los-Angeles-to-Play-Overseas-1737/ Thu, 28 Dec 2006 18:16:01 -0500 We are 9 games into the season and roughly a month before 16 of the 32 teams are sent home in advance of the top-16 stage. The Euroleague season is in full swing, and after exploring who some of the hottest players in the league are last week, we now turn our head to top players who are not having great seasons so far. /article/Euroleague-Who-s-Not-1736/ /article/Euroleague-Who-s-Not-1736/ Thu, 28 Dec 2006 11:59:26 -0500 Lots of intriguing matchups today. Air Force battles George Washington in a game where both teams could use a big win on their NCAA Tourney resumes. Pac Ten play opens tonight as well. Washington State has just one loss, but will really be tested tonight at UCLA. All that, and much more... /article/Highlighted-games-for-12-28-1735/ /article/Highlighted-games-for-12-28-1735/ Thu, 28 Dec 2006 02:11:24 -0500 At this time last season, college hoops fans and draft nuts alike were enjoying one of the best NPOY races the game had seen in some time. Both Adam Morrison and JJ Redick were considered near-lock lottery picks, both flirted with the mythical 30 ppg level, and both continued to one-up each other well into their respective conference seasons. 2007, projected to be one of the more top-heavy drafts in recent memory, is surprisingly thin on lottery picks producing at an All-American level. Other than truly sensational freshman Kevin Durant, not a single player projected to go in the Top 10 is even threatening the 20 ppg barrier. /article/JW-s-Non-Con-All-Americans-Off-the-Beaten-Mock-1734/ /article/JW-s-Non-Con-All-Americans-Off-the-Beaten-Mock-1734/ Wed, 27 Dec 2006 18:48:14 -0500 Mike Schmidt provides an overview of all the happenings in the D-League over the past week. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1733/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1733/ Wed, 27 Dec 2006 16:29:33 -0500 A rundown of today's action... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-12-27-1732/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-12-27-1732/ Tue, 26 Dec 2006 23:52:50 -0500 We all know that the NBA superstars don't like the new composite basketball. But what about the non-superstars - the D-League professionals? The players I talked to all liked the new ball. /article/-1731/ /article/-1731/ Tue, 26 Dec 2006 17:07:17 -0500 It had to happen sooner or later. Indeed, we could have picked him earlier, virtually any given week, as he?s a permanent source of amazement. Anyway, Ricky Rubio finally earns Player of the Week honors with a couple of terrific performances to fuel what?s already been an incredible season for him. We also check in on the Aussie front, featuring both Joe Ingles and Brad Newley. /article/Roundup-Europe-Hails-Ricky-Rubio-1730/ /article/Roundup-Europe-Hails-Ricky-Rubio-1730/ Tue, 26 Dec 2006 13:19:43 -0500 If there?s one thing that the Portland Trailblazers can bank on for the future, it is that Brandon Roy will be an impact player when healthy. Roy put up 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists one game removed from his return from a leg injury that kept him out of action for nearly a month. While the rest of the team?s has played to a 12-15 record without him for all but seven games, Roy?s presence brings an entirely new dimension to their rotation. Some of the other young players on the Portland roster have shown some marked changes in their production in Roy?s absence. While a lot of these changes can be attributed simply to minutes, there are things we can take away regarding LaMarcus Aldridge, Jarrett Jack, and Travis Outlaw. /article/NBA-Team-Reports-Portland-Trailblazers-1729/ /article/NBA-Team-Reports-Portland-Trailblazers-1729/ Tue, 26 Dec 2006 12:18:24 -0500 Jonathan Watters releases his latest Top 25 power ranking. Florida regains the top spot, with Duke and Tennessee joining the defending 'champs as the big gainers and Gonzaga tumbling to the bottom of the poll. Drexel and Clemson lurking just outsdide the Top 25, with both teams likely to break through next week. /article/The-JW-Top-25-1728/ /article/The-JW-Top-25-1728/ Mon, 25 Dec 2006 18:47:35 -0500 The New Bracket Projections are up. Click here to check them all out, as well as several other teams who were were considered. This is a projection of where I believe the teams currently stand and not a prediction of March, but in this week's article I speculate about how I believe many of the teams' profiles will change between now and March... /article/BX-Bracket-Projections,-Christmas-Edition!!!-1727/ /article/BX-Bracket-Projections,-Christmas-Edition!!!-1727/ Mon, 25 Dec 2006 12:17:28 -0500 Jonathan Watters gives his thought on the Pac-10 as conference play looms. Behind the emerges of Darren Collison, UCLA is the clear favorite. But Arizona and Washington have both displayed the ability to beat just about anybody. Spencer Hawes is emerging as the top player on the West Coast, with Chase Buddinger right there with the 7-footer for top prospect honors. Meanwhile, Oregon, USC and Washington State lurk in a strong middle of the pack, looking for the chance to play spoiler. /article/Holiday-Catch-Up-The-Pac-10-1726/ /article/Holiday-Catch-Up-The-Pac-10-1726/ Sun, 24 Dec 2006 17:02:45 -0500 Louisville finally played like a solid NCAA Tournament team against Miami yesterday. Read about that, and a few other notes from yesterday... /article/Louisville-Dominates-Miami,-and-other-news...-1725/ /article/Louisville-Dominates-Miami,-and-other-news...-1725/ Sun, 24 Dec 2006 12:46:54 -0500 The holiday edition of our "Adriatic Pearls" series features Georgian guard Manuchar Markoishvili, athletic forward Damjan Rudez, talented playmaker Igor Milosevic and Croatian Center Jure Lalic. /article/New-Pearls-in-the-Adriatic-Sea-part-three-1724/ /article/New-Pearls-in-the-Adriatic-Sea-part-three-1724/ Sat, 23 Dec 2006 21:46:36 -0500 Jonathan Watters reacts to Florida's emphatic holiday win. /article/Gators-Send-a-Message-1723/ /article/Gators-Send-a-Message-1723/ Sat, 23 Dec 2006 20:28:17 -0500 Wichita State has fallen from the ranks of the unbeaten as New Mexico gets a huge upset win against them. Check that out, along with some other games from yesterday, and a rundown of all of today's action. /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-12-23-1722/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-12-23-1722/ Sat, 23 Dec 2006 01:52:01 -0500 Jonathan Watters discusses all things ACC, giving his take on the upcoming conference race and highlighting major non-conference developments. Boston College has rebounded after a poor start and is under the radar nationally, while it might be time to cut Greg Paulus and the Blue Devils some slack as well. Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Virginia Tech were three popular sleepers headed into the year, but all three squads appear to have their fair share of issues at the moment. And at the top, the Tar Heels are only getting started. /article/Holiday-Catch-UpThe-ACC-1721/ /article/Holiday-Catch-UpThe-ACC-1721/ Fri, 22 Dec 2006 22:21:06 -0500 A recap of yesterday's action, as well as a look at the important games being played today. /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-12-22-1720/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-12-22-1720/ Fri, 22 Dec 2006 01:38:26 -0500 Originally drafted out of Florida St. by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 39th pick in the second round of the 2005 NBA draft, Von Wafer now shows off his impressive athleticism and deadly shooting nightly for the NBDL?s Colorado 14ers. Shooting 52% from behind the arc, and 4th in the D-League in scoring, Von talked with me after his game in Los Angeles against his former NBA team?s affiliate squad, the LA D-Fenders. /article/Interview-with-Von-Wafer-of-the-Colorado-14ers-1719/ /article/Interview-with-Von-Wafer-of-the-Colorado-14ers-1719/ Thu, 21 Dec 2006 16:46:51 -0500 With the first half of the Euroleague regular season behind us, we take a look at the most impressive performers as well at those who didn?t live up to preseason expectations. The article doesn?t include NBA draft prospects, but rather players that are Free Agents or have their rights owned by NBA teams. /article/Euroleague-Who-s-Hot-1718/ /article/Euroleague-Who-s-Hot-1718/ Thu, 21 Dec 2006 07:08:25 -0500 Two big games tonight, both of which will likely impact the pod system and potentially the #1 seed. Gonzaga takes on Duke and Pittsburgh faces Oklahoma State. Read about that, along with a rundown of yesterday's action and the all the other games today... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-games-for-12-21-1717/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-games-for-12-21-1717/ Thu, 21 Dec 2006 02:29:49 -0500 Drexel upsets Syracuse and Appalachian State upsets Virginia. Kent State took Duke to the wall, but couldn't get over the top. Memphis and Arizona square off tonight. Read about that as well as the rest of tonight's action, and other news and notes from yesterday. /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-12-20-1716/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-12-20-1716/ Wed, 20 Dec 2006 02:14:58 -0500 It was a quiet week for college hoops, but several notable performances still took place. Greg Oden, Wilson Chandler, Mike Mercer, Bobby Brown, and Hasheem Thabeet are discussed. /article/Weekly-Top-Performers-Holiday-Edition-1502/ /article/Weekly-Top-Performers-Holiday-Edition-1502/ Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:29:38 -0500 Battling against his own struggles, Marco Belinelli rebounded for a 29-point performance in the Italian Lega and clinched our Player of the Week feature. Besides, we talk extensively about Mirza Begic and Serbian combo-guard Stefan Markovic, just to finish with our view on the best prospects seen in the recently finished Asian Games. /article/Roundup-Belinelli-Looking-for-Redemption-1715/ /article/Roundup-Belinelli-Looking-for-Redemption-1715/ Tue, 19 Dec 2006 15:09:18 -0500 Mike Schmidt covers all of the latest happenings in the NBA's Developmental League. This week's entry discusses the NBA assigned players as well as the strong play of Andre Brown. D-League player movement and team updates are also provided. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1714/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1714/ Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:17:44 -0500 Al Jefferson is starting to realize the potential that Danny Ainge saw in him when Ainge selected Jefferson with the Boston Celtics' 15th pick in the 2004 NBA draft. During the Celtics' current five game winning streak, which includes victories on the road against New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, and Charlotte, as well as a home win against Denver, Jefferson is averaging 36 minutes, 19.8 points, and 11.8 rebounds per game. /article/Player-Report-Al-Jefferson-1713/ /article/Player-Report-Al-Jefferson-1713/ Tue, 19 Dec 2006 13:52:15 -0500 Saint Louis beats Missouri State in a major upset and Tennessee gets a huge win against Oklahoma State.There are a ton of interesting games tonight. Illinois faces Missouri in the Braggin' Rights game, Kentucky, Providence and Syracuse need to be on upset alert, and more... /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-12-19-1712/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-Games-for-12-19-1712/ Tue, 19 Dec 2006 01:29:06 -0500 The Tar Heels hold on to the top spot...for now. /article/JW-Top-25-1711/ /article/JW-Top-25-1711/ Mon, 18 Dec 2006 20:21:14 -0500 After being swept out of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks as the five seed last postseason, the Memphis Grizzlies came into this season expecting to take another step toward the top of Western Conference. Unfortunately, things have not gone according to plan. With their franchise player, Pau Gasol, and most experienced wing, Eddie Jones, out with injuries, the team has found itself wallowing at the bottom of the Western Conference with a league worst 5-19 record. While both Gasol and Jones have returned to the Memphis lineup, the Grizzlies still face an uphill battle.In the absence of Gasol and Jones, head coach Mike Fratello relied heavily on largely inexperienced players such as Rudy Gay and Hakim Warrick. While this season will likely be a difficult one for the team, the minutes logged by Gay should help the team in the long run. He won the rookie of month award in the Western Conference in November, and has shown some glimpses of how good he can become. DraftExpress will be tracking his progress throughout the season and watching to see how he fits into the Memphis rotation when Gasol and Jones are at full strength. /article/NBA-Rookie-Progress-Report-Rudy-Gay-1710/ /article/NBA-Rookie-Progress-Report-Rudy-Gay-1710/ Mon, 18 Dec 2006 15:40:07 -0500 The new bracket is up. Be sure to check it out, along with the notes that go with it!! /article/Bracket-Projections-and-Notes-for-12-18-1709/ /article/Bracket-Projections-and-Notes-for-12-18-1709/ Mon, 18 Dec 2006 12:35:53 -0500 Tennessee and Oklahoma State square off tonight in what should be a big game. Read about that, and the rest of today's action... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Monday,-12-18-1708/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Monday,-12-18-1708/ Sun, 17 Dec 2006 23:54:00 -0500 The Cavaliers/Bobcats game Wednesday night gave fans a glimpse of two of the more interesting rookies as of late. The Cavaliers brought promising second round guard Daniel Gibson, who has been outstanding in Cleveland?s previous two games against Indiana and New Orleans/Oklahoma City. The Bobcats on the other hand possess the number 3 pick Adam Morrison, who leads all rookies in scoring. Both players started the game on the bench, and while neither was on the floor during crunch time, a lot was learned in Cleveland?s 104-101 victory. /article/Cavs-Bobcats-Rookie-Report-1501/ /article/Cavs-Bobcats-Rookie-Report-1501/ Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:22:34 -0500 Here is a rundown of today's notable games... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Sunday,-12-17-1707/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Sunday,-12-17-1707/ Sun, 17 Dec 2006 05:19:13 -0500 12/12 Tulsa 66ers 105, Anaheim Arsenal 9812/14 Idaho Stampede 96, Los Angeles D-Fenders 86 /article/Southern-California-D-League-Week-in-Review-1706/ /article/Southern-California-D-League-Week-in-Review-1706/ Sat, 16 Dec 2006 15:06:39 -0500 Butler faces their last high caliber opponent against Purdue, Western Kentucky is looking for a high quality win against Tennessee, Pitt and Wisconsin face off in an important game as far as #1 seeds are concerned.All that, and a rundown of the rest of the day's action... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-Dec-16-1705/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-Dec-16-1705/ Fri, 15 Dec 2006 17:20:52 -0500 What has happened to Louisville since their trip to the Final Four?? Last year they failed to make the Final 65, and may not get back in again this year if things don't change in a hurry. Xavier loses to cross-town rival Cincinnati, which is important because XU doesn't have a very tough schedule the rest of the way. Those topics, and more... /article/BX-News-and-Notes-1704/ /article/BX-News-and-Notes-1704/ Fri, 15 Dec 2006 02:39:57 -0500 With half of the Adriatic league regular season behind us, we take a look at 4 relatively new guys on the NBA radar. These 4 prospects have built up their reputation among scouts because of thier steady play this season. /article/New-Pearls-in-the-Adriatic-Sea-Part-Two-1703/ /article/New-Pearls-in-the-Adriatic-Sea-Part-Two-1703/ Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:33:29 -0500 In part 2 of our recap covering last week's top performers, we take a look at a pair of standout freshman in Matt Bouldin of Gonzaga and Spencer Hawes of Washington. We also examine Alando Tucker breaking out in Wisconsin, Ramon Sessions establishing himself in Nevada, and the prolific scoring of Rodney Stuckey of Eastern Washington. /article/Weekly-Top-Performers--12-12--Part-2-1500/ /article/Weekly-Top-Performers--12-12--Part-2-1500/ Thu, 14 Dec 2006 04:47:27 -0500 A huge second half lead by 14er swingman Von Wafer, and bigs Louis Amundson and Elton Brown, helped spur the visiting Colorado team to victory in a blowout over the Los Angeles D-Fenders Sunday afternoon at Staples Center. /article/Los-Angeles-D-Fenders-vs.-Colorado-14ers-1702/ /article/Los-Angeles-D-Fenders-vs.-Colorado-14ers-1702/ Wed, 13 Dec 2006 19:25:06 -0500 A recap of last week's NCAA action. Featured game reports on Arizona PF Ivan Radenovic, Villanova SF Curtis Sumpter, Tennessee shooter Chris Lofton, and Notre Dame wing Russell Carter. (Weekend Recap featuring Alando Tucker, Courtney Lee, Rodney Stuckey, Spencer Hawes, and Matt Bouldin coming tomorrow) /article/Weekly-Top-Performers--12-12--Part-1-1492/ /article/Weekly-Top-Performers--12-12--Part-1-1492/ Wed, 13 Dec 2006 04:22:10 -0500 The New Bracket has been posted. Click here to check it out, along with the notes... /article/Bracket-Express-Projections-for-Wed,-12-13-1701/ /article/Bracket-Express-Projections-for-Wed,-12-13-1701/ Tue, 12 Dec 2006 20:29:32 -0500 An ordered listing of the 25 teams compiler Jonathan Watters believes to be the best in the land. (It may sound absurd, but give the JW Top 25 a chance)A discussion of the rationale for his methodology is also included. /article/The-JW-Top-25-1700/ /article/The-JW-Top-25-1700/ Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:10:20 -0500 Our normal intention with this weekly roundup is to try and spotlight different players from one week to the next. But Rudy Fernández has left us no choice and repeats as our Player of the Week. Not only did he play an excellent Euroleague game as usual, but he erupted for the highest scoring mark in the ACB League this season, 36 points. We also take a long look at Jonas Maciulis and his top notch all-around performance in the Euroleague, George Tsintsadze providing offensive punch for Tartu Rock and Dragan Labovic in his typically solid outing. /article/Roundup-Rudy-Fern%E1ndez-Explodes-for-36-Points-1699/ /article/Roundup-Rudy-Fern%E1ndez-Explodes-for-36-Points-1699/ Tue, 12 Dec 2006 18:33:56 -0500 Mike Schmidt breaks down all of the latest happenings in the NBA's Developmental League. Recent activity includes Bobby Jones and Louis Williams being recalled from the D-League, and Martynas Andriuskevicius being sent to the Dakota Wizards. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1698/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1698/ Mon, 11 Dec 2006 21:52:34 -0500 As one of the worst offensive teams in the NBA last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves came into this season searching for answers. The team acquired well traveled point guard Mike James through free agency in hopes that he would reproduce the numbers he put up during this past season in Toronto. The Timberwolves also acquired former Villanova combo guard Randy Foye through a draft day trade to bolster their backcourt scoring. Through the first twenty games, it has become clear that Mike James won?t be the solution to Minnesota?s scoring woes. The team, which has posted an 11-9 record, has also missed the presence of second year guard Rashad McCants who is out for the season with a knee injury. McCants struggled early last year, but came on strong in last weeks of the season. Randy Foye has found himself in a similar situation. He hasn?t seen consistent minutes in the early going, and hasn?t put up the numbers many anticipated he would. He has shown flashes, but has struggled to string together good performances. DraftExpress will be tracking Foye?s progress throughout the season and watching to see if he can turn things around as the season progresses. /article/NBA-Rookie-Progress-Reports-Randy-Foye-1697/ /article/NBA-Rookie-Progress-Reports-Randy-Foye-1697/ Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:01:39 -0500 Former Los Angeles Lakers swingman Devin Green was selected by their D-Leauge affiliate in the first round of the NBDL draft. A very good defensive player, and ranked 10th in scoring right now, Devin is near the top of most potential call-up lists. I sat down with him to talk about his experiences with the Lakers, and his new club, the Los Angeles D-Fenders. /article/Interview-with-Devin-Green-of-the-LA-D-Fenders-1696/ /article/Interview-with-Devin-Green-of-the-LA-D-Fenders-1696/ Mon, 11 Dec 2006 13:05:35 -0500 The Gonzaga vs Washington rivalry is going on an unfortunate hiatus. There were lots of other teams were in action this week. Read about that and how their games affected their profiles... /article/News,-Notes-and-Reviews-From-This-Past-Weekend-1695/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Reviews-From-This-Past-Weekend-1695/ Mon, 11 Dec 2006 03:49:33 -0500 The Los Angeles D-Fenders got out to a slow start Friday Night against the Tulsa 66ers, but rallied with good defense and some heady play down the stretch to improve their record to 5-3 with a win. /article/Los-Angeles-D-Fenders-vs.-Tulsa-66ers-1694/ /article/Los-Angeles-D-Fenders-vs.-Tulsa-66ers-1694/ Sun, 10 Dec 2006 14:30:36 -0500 Jonathan Watters explains why the discontinuation of the Gonzaga-Washington series would be a bad thing for college basketball fans, and comments on last night's rivalry barnburner. Team and individual scouting notes included. /article/Zags-Huskies-One-Rivalry-That-Must-Continue!-1693/ /article/Zags-Huskies-One-Rivalry-That-Must-Continue!-1693/ Sun, 10 Dec 2006 07:14:07 -0500 A rundown of today's games... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Sunday,-12-10-1692/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Sunday,-12-10-1692/ Sun, 10 Dec 2006 01:33:59 -0500 The surprising Utah Jazz are out to a hot start this season sitting atop the association with a 15-4 mark. Utah finished last year?s campaign with a disappointing .500 record and missed the playoffs by 3 games. During the offseason, General Manager Kevin O?Conner did little to tinker with the Jazz roster relying heavily on veteran free agent acquisition Derek Fisher, 3 draft picks, and the health of Carlos Boozer for the team to make a run at the playoffs. Utah has benefited from the play of their rookies including Paul Millsap who has emerged as an effective undersized power forward drafted in the second round and who will inevitably draw some rather obvious but superficial comparisons to Ryan Gomes. The Jazz first round pick, Ronnie Brewer, is a 6?7? three position player who has also seen significant playing time and has started 10 of the Jazz 19 games thus far. Draft Express will be following the progress of Brewer during his rookie season with a monthly report, of which, this is the first installment. /article/NBA-Rookie-Progress-Report-Ronnie-Brewer-1490/ /article/NBA-Rookie-Progress-Report-Ronnie-Brewer-1490/ Sat, 09 Dec 2006 19:47:10 -0500 Two weeks ago, the Hornets where one of the surprise teams in the Western Conference. They were 8-3 (now 8-8) and were not getting the consistent play out of Peja Stojakovic they?d been hoping for when they inked him to a huge 64 million dollar deal over 5 years. He had just began to play well when he suffered back spasms in an 86-79 loss to the Timberwolves at home. Factor in a 5 game skid, a sore elbow from David West and last week?s injury (cracked rib) to spark plug Bobby Jackson, and the beginning of this three game west coast swing did not look promising. But wait! The Hornets still have Chris Paul! /article/Around-the-NBA-Hornets-@-Lakers-12-6-1691/ /article/Around-the-NBA-Hornets-@-Lakers-12-6-1691/ Sat, 09 Dec 2006 11:28:15 -0500 Former Oklahoma State guard Cheyne Gadson leads the D-League Tulsa 66ers in scoring with 18 points per game. He recently scored 19 points and handed out 7 assists against the Los Angeles D-Fenders at Staples Center where we caught up with him. /article/Interview-with-Tulsa-66ers-Cheyne-Gadson-1690/ /article/Interview-with-Tulsa-66ers-Cheyne-Gadson-1690/ Sat, 09 Dec 2006 03:51:58 -0500 Like just about every Saturday, it's another HUGE day for college basketball. There are several rivalry games that mean a lot both on and off paper as teams are working on building up their resumes. Some other teams that have big records are really being tested today... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-12-9-1689/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-12-9-1689/ Fri, 08 Dec 2006 19:15:59 -0500 Today, I take a look at several teams who have made some noise early on and take my best guess at where I think they'll be in March. That, a bit of news about North Dakota State, and a rundown of today's action... /article/BX-Weekly-Reset--Predicting-the-Future,-and-More-1688/ /article/BX-Weekly-Reset--Predicting-the-Future,-and-More-1688/ Fri, 08 Dec 2006 04:00:07 -0500 Notre Dame comes away with a 99-85 win over #5 Alabama, behind Russell Carter's 27 points and clutch play down the stretch. /article/Carter-Finishes-Off-Alabama,-Last-Year-s-Demons-1687/ /article/Carter-Finishes-Off-Alabama,-Last-Year-s-Demons-1687/ Fri, 08 Dec 2006 00:36:49 -0500 Here is a review of some of the games that were played earlier this week, along with a look at what's on tap for tonight. /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-games-for-Thu,-12-7-1686/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Highlighted-games-for-Thu,-12-7-1686/ Thu, 07 Dec 2006 01:59:51 -0500 Here is a rundown of today's action... /article/Highlighted-games-for-Wednesday,-Dec-6th-1685/ /article/Highlighted-games-for-Wednesday,-Dec-6th-1685/ Wed, 06 Dec 2006 10:35:35 -0500 Al Thornton, JR Giddens, Ron Lewis and JamesOn Curry complete our spotlight on this week's NCAA performers. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers--12-4-2006---Part-Two-1489/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers--12-4-2006---Part-Two-1489/ Wed, 06 Dec 2006 00:45:02 -0500 Mike Schmidt provides an overview of all the lastest happenings in the NBA's Developmental League. /article/Inside-the-D-League-1684/ /article/Inside-the-D-League-1684/ Tue, 05 Dec 2006 23:49:52 -0500 A rundown of today's action... /article/Highlighted-games-for-Tuesday,-12-5-1683/ /article/Highlighted-games-for-Tuesday,-12-5-1683/ Tue, 05 Dec 2006 11:51:14 -0500 Off the top of your head, can you guess which team has the best record in the Eastern Conference? If you guessed any team that made the playoffs last year, you?re wrong. The correct answer is the Orlando Magic, who have posted a surprising 13-5 record so far this season. With almost every player returning from last season?s 36 win team, the Magic have seemingly come out of nowhere. With a strong mix of veteran leadership and young talent, they appear poised to keep their spot at the top of the Southeastern Division and earn their first playoff appearance since the 2002-2003 season. The Magic?s success in this venture is partially dependent on the play of young superstar Dwight Howard and point guard Jameer Nelson. However, this team?s success is rooted in its balance and the contributions players have made off the bench can?t be overlooked. Head coach Brian Hill has relied on a number of young players to round out his rotation and has gotten some quality minutes from the likes of Darko Milicic and Trevor Ariza. With a deep rotation and a well balanced scoring attack, the Magic are one of the leagues most improved teams. /article/NBA-Team-Reports-Orlando-Magic-1682/ /article/NBA-Team-Reports-Orlando-Magic-1682/ Tue, 05 Dec 2006 08:38:06 -0500 Kevin Durant, Sean Williams, a trio of Tar Heels and Jeremy Pargo highlight our first installment of our weekly NCAA performers series. All had performances this week that helped us learn a little bit more about their status as NBA draft prospects. /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers--12-4-2006---Part-One-1488/ /article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers--12-4-2006---Part-One-1488/ Tue, 05 Dec 2006 03:53:11 -0500 /article/Anaheim-Arsenal-Win-A-Thriller-1681/ /article/Anaheim-Arsenal-Win-A-Thriller-1681/ Tue, 05 Dec 2006 02:56:31 -0500 We?ve reached the end of regular season?s first round, and are now about one-third of the way done with the Fantasy game itself. The game lasts till the end of the top-16 and you have to be alert as the winner will probably be decided at the end of the year. /article/Euroleague-Fantasy-Challenge--Week-7--1680/ /article/Euroleague-Fantasy-Challenge--Week-7--1680/ Mon, 04 Dec 2006 19:26:56 -0500 DKV Joventut gets the headline this week thanks to its extremely promising backcourt. Rudy Fernández, our player of the week, is on fire lately, while Ricky Rubio astonishes by leading the Euroleague and the ACB League in steals per game at the age of 16. Other highlighted players include Uros Tripkovic and Zoran Erceg. /article/Roundup-Impressive-Joventut-Duo-1679/ /article/Roundup-Impressive-Joventut-Duo-1679/ Mon, 04 Dec 2006 16:09:42 -0500 One of the more exciting basketball matches at the 15th Doha Asian Games in Qatar featured the two tall teams China and Kazakhstan. But more talked about was the match-up between China's Yi Jianlian, who finished with 14 points and Kazakhstan's young star Anton Ponomarev, who ended the night with 15 points. Four NBA scouts made their way over to the game, representing the Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trailblazers. /article/Marquee-Matchup-Yi-Jianlian-vs.-Anton-Ponomarev-1678/ /article/Marquee-Matchup-Yi-Jianlian-vs.-Anton-Ponomarev-1678/ Mon, 04 Dec 2006 14:24:25 -0500 Andrea Bargnani had Raptors fans scared. If not scared, then at least a little nervous. For a player drafted number one and with all the accompanying expectations, he was struggling. Lost on defense, unsure of his role offensively, and generally looking like a fish out of water. ?Il Mago?, as he?s known in his native country, began to cause some analysts to question whether the young Italian was performing a disappearing act, the kind that would even make David Copperfield jealous. Fast forward a couple of weeks and all of a sudden the player with a reputation for doing magic tricks on the court is beginning to re-appear as a key contributor off the bench for the struggling Raptors. As part of a series of articles examining the progress of high profile rookies, DraftExpress is putting Bargnani under the spotlight to chart his development throughout the season. /article/NBA-Rookie-Progress-Report--Andrea-Bargnani-1487/ /article/NBA-Rookie-Progress-Report--Andrea-Bargnani-1487/ Mon, 04 Dec 2006 03:29:03 -0500 THE NEW BRACKET PROJECTIONS HAVE BEEN POSTED!!! There were a ton of surprises this past weekend, which resulted in several shakeups in this week's bracket projections. Check that out, along with the notes about the bracket and today's highlighted games. /article/Bracket-Projections-for-Monday,-December-4-1677/ /article/Bracket-Projections-for-Monday,-December-4-1677/ Mon, 04 Dec 2006 03:09:06 -0500 A rundown of all of today's keynote matchups... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-December-3-1676/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-December-3-1676/ Sun, 03 Dec 2006 06:15:22 -0500 Bobby Jones and Louis Williams made their NBDL debuts on Friday night as the Fort Worth Flyers hosted the Bakersfield Jam. Mike Schmidt provides a recap of how they performed, as well as an update on Charlotte Bobcat Ryan Hollins. /article/Jones,-Williams-make-their-D-League-Debut-1675/ /article/Jones,-Williams-make-their-D-League-Debut-1675/ Sat, 02 Dec 2006 15:29:32 -0500 Alchemy is defined as any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value. This magical process is in effect Western conference style formulated by Head Coach Don Nelson who has transmuted the recent NBA commoners Golden State Warriors from scant league-wide value in the win column to considerable legitimacy and substantive worth.The Warriors enter this weekend with an overall record of 9-7, showcased by an up-tempo offensive flair that is 2nd best league wide at 106.7 per game... /article/NBA-Team-Report-The-Golden-State-Warriors-1674/ /article/NBA-Team-Report-The-Golden-State-Warriors-1674/ Sat, 02 Dec 2006 00:28:24 -0500 Lots of important matchups today. Wichita State and Syracuse both face off against each other looking to remain unbeaten. Read about that and all of the other action today... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-December-2-1673/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-Saturday,-December-2-1673/ Fri, 01 Dec 2006 19:02:38 -0500 The Memphis Grizzlies, a team in transition on multiple fronts. The Grizzlies have struggled out of the gates, but have gotten some quality play from a number of youngsters who are taking the oportunity to get out on the court and are making the most of it. As new ownership eventually comes in and makes tough decisions about personnel, they should have a better idea about what they have to work with. /article/Team-Report-Memphis-Grizzlies-1485/ /article/Team-Report-Memphis-Grizzlies-1485/ Fri, 01 Dec 2006 12:06:12 -0500 A look back at some of the big games from this week and an analysis of what they mean. Also, check out my Top 25, which looks quite a bit different than the actual Top 25. All that, and tonight's highlighted matchups. /article/Reviewing-This-Past-Week-s-Action-1672/ /article/Reviewing-This-Past-Week-s-Action-1672/ Fri, 01 Dec 2006 01:00:38 -0500 The Boston Celtics are entering year 4 of Team president Danny Ainge's reconstruction plan. The founding element behind his methodology has been to supplement his two veteran leaders, Paul Pierce and Wally Szczerbiak, with young talent to grow around them. The principle element in this strategy is to have the youth realize enough of an increase in production to establish whom to keep and whom to trade in order to take the next step... /article/Team-Report-Boston-Celtics-1671/ /article/Team-Report-Boston-Celtics-1671/ Thu, 30 Nov 2006 11:45:15 -0500 A rundown of today's big games... /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Thursday,-November-30th-1670/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Thursday,-November-30th-1670/ Thu, 30 Nov 2006 09:04:28 -0500 Recently, the Chinese National Team stomped on the reigning NBA D-League champions Albuquerque Thunderbirds 82-55 in game one of a two game exhibition series held in China. While the Thunderbirds offered no real prospects of note, the Chinese National Team brought two in 7'0 power forward Yi Jianlian and 6'9 guard Sun Yue. China had a third in 1989 born point guard Chen Jianghua, but he did not log any minutes. DraftExpress was able to view the game, in order to provide detailed breakdowns of the performances of these two potential draftees who did play. /article/Team-China-vs-Albuquerque-Game-One-1669/ /article/Team-China-vs-Albuquerque-Game-One-1669/ Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:58:17 -0500 Jonathan Watters explores the recent success of finesse-oriented combo guards at the NBA level. Several intriguing freshman prospects who fit into this mold are discussed, including the player who last night delivered one of the nation's most outstanding performances thus far, Maryland freshman Greivis Vasquez. /article/Vasquez,--Roy--and-the-Modern-Combo-Guard-1668/ /article/Vasquez,--Roy--and-the-Modern-Combo-Guard-1668/ Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:52:22 -0500 The New York Knicks are off to a 5-11 start, already being the only team in the league to amount that many losses. The team is struggling to find a balance with many of its talented players, and things aren't looking much unlike last season. /article/Team-Report-New-York-Knicks-1667/ /article/Team-Report-New-York-Knicks-1667/ Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:14:20 -0500 The new bracket projections are up!! Check out where each team would end up if the NCAA Tournament began today... /article/Bracket-Express-Projections-for-Wednesday,-11-29-1666/ /article/Bracket-Express-Projections-for-Wednesday,-11-29-1666/ Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:08:08 -0500 Part three of our player recaps from the various tournaments conducted over the past week or more. Prospects discussed include Thaddeus Young, Josh McRoberts, Reyshawn Terry and DJ White. /article/Stock-Watch---Tournament-Week--Part-Three,-Stock-Down--1484/ /article/Stock-Watch---Tournament-Week--Part-Three,-Stock-Down--1484/ Wed, 29 Nov 2006 03:18:07 -0500 LOTS of big games today!! Click here for a complete rundown... /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Wed.,-November-29th-1665/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Wed.,-November-29th-1665/ Wed, 29 Nov 2006 01:30:09 -0500 Mike Schmidt provides coverage on the latest happenings in the D-League, and the 11 games from the opening weekend of the season. /article/Opening-Weekend-from-the-D-League-1664/ /article/Opening-Weekend-from-the-D-League-1664/ Tue, 28 Nov 2006 19:50:59 -0500 Player recaps from the Maui Invitational, Preseason NIT, CBE Classic, Alaska Shootout, Old Spice Classic and Las Vegas Invitational.Prospects include DeVon Hardin, Joakim Noah, Javaris Crittenton, Brandon Rush, Al Horford, Tywon Lawson, Mario Chalmers, and Ayinde Ubaka. /article/Stock-Watch---Tournament-Week--Part-Two,-Stock-Neutral-/ /article/Stock-Watch---Tournament-Week--Part-Two,-Stock-Neutral-/ Tue, 28 Nov 2006 01:47:05 -0500 A rundown of today's action, and a look at possibly why the "mid-majors" are be doing so well... /article/Highlighted-Matchups,-News,-Notes-and-More...-1663/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups,-News,-Notes-and-More...-1663/ Tue, 28 Nov 2006 01:35:38 -0500 Our Player of the Week is Ante Tomic, who recorded a career high in the Adriatic League with 23 points. He?s slowly living up to expectations and still can be considered the most intriguing young big man in Europe. We also devote special attention to Tiago Splitter, heating up after some injury problems, Semih Erden, who keeps leaving drops of his excellent potential in the Euroleague, and Giorgos Printezis, a rather marginal prospect who erupted for 31 points this weekend in the Greek League. /article/Roundup--Career-High-For-Tomic-1662/ /article/Roundup--Career-High-For-Tomic-1662/ Mon, 27 Nov 2006 17:11:24 -0500 It may be even less stable than the Euroleague itself, but it can easily be considered one of the least predictable and most fascinating online games. And now it?s becoming even more competitive. With 25% of the fantasy season already gone, the players? prices are almost ?frozen? to the expected levels for the rest of the season, becoming less and less changeable and forcing the users to start rebuilding their teams with a new mentality; credit. /article/Euroleague-Fantasy-Challenge--Week-6--1661/ /article/Euroleague-Fantasy-Challenge--Week-6--1661/ Mon, 27 Nov 2006 11:14:59 -0500 A rundown of today's keynote games... /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Monday,-November-27-1660/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Monday,-November-27-1660/ Mon, 27 Nov 2006 11:14:56 -0500 Player recaps from the Maui Invitational, Preseason NIT, CBE Classic, Alaska Shootout, Old Spice Classic and Las Vegas Invitational.Prospects include Dominic James, Brandan Wright, Josh Heytvelt, Julian Wright, Darrell Arthur, Jared Jordan, Ryan Anderson, Taurean Green and more. /article/Stock-Watch---Tournament-Week--Part-One,-Stock-Up--1482/ /article/Stock-Watch---Tournament-Week--Part-One,-Stock-Up--1482/ Mon, 27 Nov 2006 02:57:52 -0500 With roughly a month of the NBA season already in the books, its time take a look back at how some of the younger teams in the league have performed. This new weekly feature here at DraftExpress will track the progress of players on some of the youngest teams in the League, giving an in depth look at their performance. Coming off what can only be described as a highly eventful 2006 draft, the Portland Trailblazers came into this season with a renewed sense of direction. With a grand total of 7 players returning from last season?s 21 win team, second year head coach Nate McMillan has looked for production from some of the teams least experienced players in the early going. The team hasn?t looked bad behind the encouraging play of Zach Randolph, posting 6 wins through their first 14 games. /article/NBA-Team-Reports-Portland-Trailblazers-1659/ /article/NBA-Team-Reports-Portland-Trailblazers-1659/ Sun, 26 Nov 2006 16:26:18 -0500 Yesterday was a big day. Kansas downed Florida in overtime, LSU fell to Wichita State in an upset, Butler held on to win in double overtime, and more... /article/News,-Notes,-Ramblings-and-Matchups-for-Sun,-11-26-1658/ /article/News,-Notes,-Ramblings-and-Matchups-for-Sun,-11-26-1658/ Sun, 26 Nov 2006 11:10:50 -0500 There were several surprises yesterday. Butler, Dayton and Missouri State all had big upset wins. There are even more big matchups today... /article/News,-Notes-and-Matchups-for-Saturday,-11-25-1657/ /article/News,-Notes-and-Matchups-for-Saturday,-11-25-1657/ Sat, 25 Nov 2006 11:36:19 -0500 A look back at yesterday's action, and a look ahead at today's... /article/Highlighted-Matchups,-News-and-Notes-for-11-24-1656/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups,-News-and-Notes-for-11-24-1656/ Fri, 24 Nov 2006 10:27:00 -0500 The first three weeks of the NBA season are now complete, and it?s time to take a look at how the rookies around the league are settling in with their new teams. This new recurring feature here at DraftExpress will track the progress of the best rookies in the NBA, as they adapt to their new environments. /article/NBA-Rookie-Reports-Top-10-1655/ /article/NBA-Rookie-Reports-Top-10-1655/ Thu, 23 Nov 2006 13:56:03 -0500 Gonzaga once again looks like a top ten team, Butler pulls another upset, and more... /article/Bracket-Express-News-and-Notes-1654/ /article/Bracket-Express-News-and-Notes-1654/ Thu, 23 Nov 2006 02:19:24 -0500 Ryan Hollins of the Charlotte Bobcats has become the first NBA player sent to the D-League for the 2006-2007 season. Hollins was drafted 50th in the second round during the 2006 draft, after averaging 7.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and .9 blocks per game for UCLA last season. /article/Hollins-Assigned-to-the-Fort-Worth-Flyers-1653/ /article/Hollins-Assigned-to-the-Fort-Worth-Flyers-1653/ Wed, 22 Nov 2006 21:12:29 -0500 In a game that saw Cleveland lead for all but a few seconds, the injury plagued Memphis Grizzlies gave a surprising second half effort to make the game close after a very lackluster first half. Although they didn?t get many minutes in the second half, quite a few young players made appearances early in this game.Looking at the way both of these teams are currently structured, you can see a stark contrast in the use of young players. On one hand, Cleveland doesn?t need Shannon Brown or Daniel Gibson to contribute immediately. On the other, Memphis is looking to Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick, Kyle Lowry, Lawrence Roberts, and Dahntay Jones to play significant minutes every night. With both Pau Gasol and Eddie Jones out, The Grizzlies are letting their younger players gain experience, which should pay huge dividends for them in the long run. /article/Around-The-NBA-Memphis-vs.-Cleveland--11-21--1481/ /article/Around-The-NBA-Memphis-vs.-Cleveland--11-21--1481/ Wed, 22 Nov 2006 09:46:17 -0500 Going up against a European powerhouse in Maccabi Tel Aviv, teen sensation Ricky Rubio of DKV Joventut logged 21 minutes of playing time before fouling out. This game provided a good look at the wide variety of skills the 16 year old possesses. /article/Ricky-Rubio--An-American-Perspective-1480/ /article/Ricky-Rubio--An-American-Perspective-1480/ Wed, 22 Nov 2006 07:48:55 -0500 Steve Nash brought the NBA spotlight back to Phoenix in 2004, and hope seemed to spring eternal for the Suns and their fans. Two seasons, two MVP awards, and two million fast break points later, the desert heat has taken its toll on Captain Canada and his running mates. Out to a stale 4-6 start this season, has the run-and-gun river already run dry out west? All signs point to yes. /article/Setting-Suns-1652/ /article/Setting-Suns-1652/ Wed, 22 Nov 2006 04:00:26 -0500 Jonathan Watters offers up a preview of tomorrow's sure-to-be barnburner between Gonzaga and UNC. Also included is reaction to Marquette's upset CBE Classic win and the outstanding play of Tom Crean's elite sophomore guard duo. /article/Previewing-UNC-Gonzaga--James-and-McNeal-Thoughts-1651/ /article/Previewing-UNC-Gonzaga--James-and-McNeal-Thoughts-1651/ Wed, 22 Nov 2006 02:24:48 -0500 Air Force gets a big win in CBE third place game, Marquette beats Duke to win the CBE Classic title, UCLA and Georgia Tech win two thrilling Maui Invitational semifinal games, Several teams from the Big East are struggling, the Preseason NIT Semifinals get underway tonight, a five overtime game, and more... /article/News,-Notes,-Ramblings-and-Matchups-for-Wed,-11-22-1650/ /article/News,-Notes,-Ramblings-and-Matchups-for-Wed,-11-22-1650/ Wed, 22 Nov 2006 01:47:49 -0500 Scattered thoughts and observations from the early portion of tourney week. Team and prospect-based analysis on games and players involved in the Paradise Jam, Maui Classic, CBE Classic, and Preseason NIT. Georgia Tech discussed more in-depth. Also included is a mid-week Top 25. /article/Tournament-Week-Musings-1649/ /article/Tournament-Week-Musings-1649/ Tue, 21 Nov 2006 17:54:35 -0500 As the first round of the regular season is approaching its end, we are learning more and more about the prospects of the fantasy game. In the first four weeks, we learned that there are steals, and players whose price will fall enough to make them purchasable. /article/Euroleague-Fantasy-Challenge-Week-5-1648/ /article/Euroleague-Fantasy-Challenge-Week-5-1648/ Tue, 21 Nov 2006 14:10:26 -0500 A rundown of the exempt tournament games, as well as other key matchups... /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Tuesday,-November-21-1647/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Tuesday,-November-21-1647/ Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:07:52 -0500 We were eager to at some point start our report with this fantastic NBA prospect, and finally this week Nicolas Batum has earned the stripes to do it with a 15-point showing in the Euroleague. Indeed he inaugurates our ?Player of the Week? feature in our revamped roundup. Other remarkable performers include Danilo Gallinari or Vitor Faverani, while we pay special attention to the likes of Manuchar Markoishvili or Peja Samardziski. /article/Roundup-Nicolas-Batum,-Finally-1646/ /article/Roundup-Nicolas-Batum,-Finally-1646/ Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:55:03 -0500 The New Bracket Projection has been posted. A lot of teams have already managed a few statement wins, and that had a major impact on which teams got in and where they were seeded... /article/Bracket-Express-Projections-for-Monday,-Nov-20-1645/ /article/Bracket-Express-Projections-for-Monday,-Nov-20-1645/ Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:24:08 -0500 Coverage of the third day of the National Prep Tip-Off in Worcester, Massachusetts. Coverage includes recaps of Troy Gillenwater, Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Mamadou Diarra, Kene Obi, Jin Soo Kim and others. /article/National-Prep-Showcase--Day-Three-1478/ /article/National-Prep-Showcase--Day-Three-1478/ Mon, 20 Nov 2006 02:41:55 -0500 Recap and analysis of the 2006 Paradise Jam semifinals, with a focus on Jermareo Davidson's standout performance in Alabama's win over Iowa. Mini scouting reports on Davidson and Hawkeye freshman NBA prospect Tyler Smith. Team-based thoughts and discussion of the Xavier-Villanova nightcap also included. /article/Davidson-Inspires-Alabama-to-Paradise-Jam-Finals-1644/ /article/Davidson-Inspires-Alabama-to-Paradise-Jam-Finals-1644/ Mon, 20 Nov 2006 00:47:20 -0500 Both Xavier and Alabama advance to the finals of the Paradise Jam, The CBE Classic semifinals are underway, The Maui Invitational tips off today, Winthrop squares off against Maryland, and more... /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Monday,-11-20,-and-More-1643/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Monday,-11-20,-and-More-1643/ Mon, 20 Nov 2006 00:27:14 -0500 A brief rundown of today's games... /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-11-19-1642/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-11-19-1642/ Sun, 19 Nov 2006 03:24:59 -0500 Coverage of the second day of the National Prep Tip-Off in Worcester, Massachusetts. Over 65 Division I colleges have attended so far. Coverage includes recaps of Michael Beasley, Troy Gillenwater, Craig Brackins, Matthew Bryan-Ammaning, Mamadou Diarra, Jeff Allen, Dogas Balbay and others. /article/National-Prep-Showcase---Day-Two-1477/ /article/National-Prep-Showcase---Day-Two-1477/ Sun, 19 Nov 2006 00:08:58 -0500 In a group B Euroleague match-up on Thursday, 2-1 Maccabi Tel Aviv faced off against 2-1 Spanish team DKV Joventut. Unfortunately, Joventut was left without two of their top players. NBA prospect Rudy Fernandez sat out the game with an injury, and center Andrew Betts, who was an NBA draft pick in 1998, also didn?t play. This was a nice opportunity for teen sensation Ricky Rubio of Joventut to log some quality Euroleague minutes at age 16. /article/Blogging-Through-Israel--part-five--1641/ /article/Blogging-Through-Israel--part-five--1641/ Sat, 18 Nov 2006 11:49:45 -0500 Just over 1 year ago, Ersan Ilyasova was sent to the NBA?s Developmental League. Now at the age of 19, he was just named the starter over veteran Brian Skinner on an injured Milwaukee Bucks team. Ilyasova makes his debut as a starter at 8:30 EST tonight as the Bucks host the Indiana Pacers. /article/From-the-D-League-to-the-Big-League-1640/ /article/From-the-D-League-to-the-Big-League-1640/ Sat, 18 Nov 2006 11:28:58 -0500 DraftExpress covers the first day of the National Prep Showcase in Worcester, Massachusetts.Coverage includes recaps of Michael Beasley, Justin Burrell, Eric Wallace, Mamadou Diarra, Boubacar Sylla, Troy Gillenwater, Angelo Johnson and others. /article/National-Prep-Showcase---Day-One-1476/ /article/National-Prep-Showcase---Day-One-1476/ Sat, 18 Nov 2006 02:44:39 -0500 Maryland wins the Coaches vs Cancer Classic!! Check that out as well as a rundown of all of today's action, and a brief review of some of the other teams who took to the court Friday night. /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Saturday,-11-18-and-more-1639/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Saturday,-11-18-and-more-1639/ Sat, 18 Nov 2006 01:22:22 -0500 All the news, notes, and analysis behind all of today's notable games. /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Friday,-11-17-1638/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Friday,-11-17-1638/ Fri, 17 Nov 2006 05:04:14 -0500 Mike Schmidt continues his basketball coverage from Israel. This edition further discusses prospect Omri Casspi, and a Maccabi team that is still trying to build chemistry. /article/Blogging-Through-Israel--part-four--1637/ /article/Blogging-Through-Israel--part-four--1637/ Thu, 16 Nov 2006 10:19:09 -0500 ORAL ROBERTS UPSETS KANSAS!!! We may not see a bigger upset all year long. The semifinals are set for both the Preseason NIT and the CBE Classic,the Coaches vs Cancer semifinals get underway tonight, and Oklahoma State and Kentucky escape near upsets... /article/Highlighted-Matchups,-News-%26-Notes-for-Thu,-11-16-1636/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups,-News-%26-Notes-for-Thu,-11-16-1636/ Thu, 16 Nov 2006 01:31:52 -0500 Nothing is more rewarding than seeing a late 2nd round pick get a chance to get some playing time early in the season. Injuries in the Celtics? frontcourt and foul trouble early on in this game allowed Leon Powe to get his first crack at playing time. Powe checked in at the 2:20 mark in the first quarter and established himself early on both sides of the court. While his final stat line was impressive, 10pts 7rbs 2blks, it was Powe?s technique and assertiveness that made his performance stand out. /article/Opportunity-Knocks-Leon-Powe-1635/ /article/Opportunity-Knocks-Leon-Powe-1635/ Wed, 15 Nov 2006 14:21:14 -0500 On Tuesday evening, DraftExpress attended a Cleveland area high school scrimmage which included cosensus national top five junior Delvon Roe, and the rest of his St. Edward squad. The matchup was thought to be an intriguing one prior to the tip, as Roe was matched up against two 6?8 future division one post players in Warren Harding?s Damian Eargle and Chris Henderson, but Delvon stole the show and showed everyone in the gym why he is a future McDonald?s All American. /article/Roe-Dominant-In-Scrimmage-1634/ /article/Roe-Dominant-In-Scrimmage-1634/ Wed, 15 Nov 2006 07:46:13 -0500 Western Kentucky gets a big win, Air Force barely survives and has a very important early season game tonight, Texas Tech rolls into the CBE semifinals, all of today's highlighted matchups, exempt tournament games, and much more... /article/News,-Notes,-and-Highlighted-Matchups-for-11-15-1633/ /article/News,-Notes,-and-Highlighted-Matchups-for-11-15-1633/ Wed, 15 Nov 2006 02:12:54 -0500 Another week is gone for the Euroleague Fantasy League and the ups and downs keep coming. Players are rising, falling, signing and leaving their teams, as it happens with the greatest of ease in Europe. We are now facing a totally different situation, before even the fourth week of the best club competition in the world, outside the NBA. /article/Euroleague-Fantasy--Week-4--1632/ /article/Euroleague-Fantasy--Week-4--1632/ Tue, 14 Nov 2006 19:18:54 -0500 The exempt tournaments are getting into full swing. Check out an analysis of what's happened along with a preview of what is to come. There are some significant regular season games today as well. Check those games out, as well as a look back at the action from yesterday... /article/Highlighted-Games-for-11-14,-and-Other-Ramblings..-1631/ /article/Highlighted-Games-for-11-14,-and-Other-Ramblings..-1631/ Tue, 14 Nov 2006 01:05:30 -0500 We open our weekly roundup with Marco Belinelli, who is yet to get free from his shooting struggles, but still erupted for 31 points in the Italian League. Other notable performers this week are Rudy Fernández, Ante Tomic and Vitor Faverani, who is quickly becoming one of the hottest acts in the international scene draft-wise. /article/Roundup-Belinelli,-a-Small-Relief-in-a-Bad-Season-1630/ /article/Roundup-Belinelli,-a-Small-Relief-in-a-Bad-Season-1630/ Mon, 13 Nov 2006 11:52:47 -0500 Most of the highly ranked teams had little trouble winning their season openers. However there were other games that involved tournament caliber teams that you may have missed.... /article/A-Review-and-Analysis-of-Last-Week-s-Action-1629/ /article/A-Review-and-Analysis-of-Last-Week-s-Action-1629/ Mon, 13 Nov 2006 03:41:08 -0500 Jonathan Watters delves into team-related issues behind the recent disappointments of Team USA and relates them to difficulties Lute Olson and his Arizona program have dealt with for many years. The conclusions are then used in commentary on tonight's exciting Arizona-Virgina season opener. /article/Synergy,-Team-USA,-and-Point-Guard-U-1475/ /article/Synergy,-Team-USA,-and-Point-Guard-U-1475/ Mon, 13 Nov 2006 03:15:12 -0500 The college basketball season officially kicked off with our first important prime-time game and the first of what will surely be many upsets. Sean Singletary, Ivan Radenovic, Chase Budinger, Marcus Williams and others get their due... /article/Virginia-Guards-Will-Cavaliers-Past-Arizona-1628/ /article/Virginia-Guards-Will-Cavaliers-Past-Arizona-1628/ Mon, 13 Nov 2006 01:51:44 -0500 The Preseason NIT gets underway today. After several teams had a few games against low caliber competition to ease into their seasons, tougher competition is definitely on the Horizon... /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Monday,-November-13-1626/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Monday,-November-13-1626/ Sun, 12 Nov 2006 23:30:38 -0500 A quick follow up on the "want to make it in the NBA?" article by Rexer Analytics which incited a great deal of emails and message board chatter from Duke and North Carolina fans. /article/Follow-up-to-%22Want-to-Make-it-in-the-NBA%22-Article.-Re-Duke-vs.-UNC-1474/ /article/Follow-up-to-%22Want-to-Make-it-in-the-NBA%22-Article.-Re-Duke-vs.-UNC-1474/ Sun, 12 Nov 2006 14:54:00 -0500 D-League training camps kicked off this weekend and team rosters are beginning to take shape. In addition to the D-League Draft, teams also had 4 other routes to supplement their rosters. DraftExpress had a chance to speak to the Director of Operations for the D-League, Chris Alpert, to discuss these routes. A full list of training camp rosters is included. /article/2006-D-League-Training-Camp-Rosters,-News-1627/ /article/2006-D-League-Training-Camp-Rosters,-News-1627/ Sun, 12 Nov 2006 14:19:39 -0500 Four Syracuse players highlight our 2nd installment of the Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Big East. For the sake of consistency, the very talented freshman class has been left out of the equation until we have a chance to evaluate them as college prospects against their peers. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Two-6-10--1473/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Two-6-10--1473/ Sat, 11 Nov 2006 17:39:22 -0500 Darius Washington has accepted an offer to play for Greek team P.A.O.K Thessaloniki. Washington was recently a first round pick of the Austin Toros in the NBDL draft, and was expected to be one of the better point guards in the league. /article/Darius-Washington-Signs-With-P.A.O.K.-1625/ /article/Darius-Washington-Signs-With-P.A.O.K.-1625/ Sat, 11 Nov 2006 15:07:45 -0500 Rundown and detailed analysis of season openers for three elite prospects. Kevin Durant showed why he is currently considered the #2 prospect in the country, but also why some consider him a high-risk, high-reward proposition; Damion James proved that there is more than one big time freshman NBA prospect at Texas this year; Rodney Stuckey dazzled with a polished offensive package that appears to be tailor made for the modern NBA game; more thoughts on prospects such as Hasheem Thabeet, Stanley Robinson, DJ Augustin, Josh Heytvelt and Matt Bouldin /article/First-Look-Durant,-James,-Stuckey,-More...-1624/ /article/First-Look-Durant,-James,-Stuckey,-More...-1624/ Sat, 11 Nov 2006 04:53:47 -0500 Here is a rundown of all of today's action. Most may not realize this, but games this early can and do play a role in March when it comes to the selection process. Even though it's early, there are still several key matchups today... /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Saturday,-November-11-1623/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Saturday,-November-11-1623/ Sat, 11 Nov 2006 03:33:29 -0500 Mike Schmidt is currently covering live basketball in Israel, including games from the Euroleague, Uleb Cup, and Israeli league. /article/Blogging-Through-Israel--part-three--1622/ /article/Blogging-Through-Israel--part-three--1622/ Fri, 10 Nov 2006 20:39:22 -0500 The non-exempt season gets underway tonight, so tons of teams are in action. Here is a rundown of all the games involving potential NCAA Tournament teams, as well as a look at all of the exempt tournaments that are still going on. /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Friday,-11-10-1621/ /article/Highlighted-Matchups-for-Friday,-11-10-1621/ Fri, 10 Nov 2006 13:52:09 -0500 Mike Schmidt is currently traveling in Israel, providing live coverage of Euroleague, ULEB Cup, and Israeli League games. /article/Blogging-Through-Israel--part-two--1620/ /article/Blogging-Through-Israel--part-two--1620/ Thu, 09 Nov 2006 04:01:12 -0500 There have been many great college basketball programs over the years; UCLA, Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and Indiana have all had their day. Some have been great for years, even decades at a time. When it comes to impact on the NBA, however, one program clearly stands apart from the rest. Two schools, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UCLA, have developed the most quality NBA talent over the span of the 60 years of league history, and over the last 25 years the Tar Heels have left the Bruins far behind. Carolina has had more first round draft picks than any other program (beating out archrival Duke for the honor), and the second highest number of draft picks overall (behind UCLA). Those draft picks have gone on to consistently meet or beat expectations for their performance in the NBA. As icing on the cake, Carolina has also had more former players develop into winning NBA coaches than any other college program, and in this regard there is not even a close second. /article/Want-to-Make-it-in-the-NBA-Start-at-the-End-of-Tobacco-Road--West-End-1472/ /article/Want-to-Make-it-in-the-NBA-Start-at-the-End-of-Tobacco-Road--West-End-1472/ Thu, 09 Nov 2006 03:23:31 -0500 Maryland won in impressive fashion over Vermont to advance to the semifinals of the Coaches vs Cancer Classic. Michigan State struggled with Brown, but won and advanced to the quarterfinals.... /article/Coaches-vs-Cancer,-Maryland-Advances-to-Semis-1619/ /article/Coaches-vs-Cancer,-Maryland-Advances-to-Semis-1619/ Thu, 09 Nov 2006 03:06:57 -0500 Where the majority of colleges are in the middle of their exhibition slates, a few schools are already playing games that count. Tonight the Maryland Terrapins took the court for the second time, pulling away in the second half to defeat Vermont 81-63. /article/Maryland-First-Look-1607/ /article/Maryland-First-Look-1607/ Thu, 09 Nov 2006 01:09:14 -0500 In a game that was surprisingly close, the Atlanta Hawks pulled out an overtime victory behind the momentum of a game tying floater by Tyronn Lue at the end of regulation. Even though they didn?t play in crunch time, a number of rookies saw significant playing time. Given the directions of both of these teams, you can expect that each of their rookies will see their role change over the course of the season. On one hand, you have Shannon Brown, a player who many thought was better than the 25th selection he ultimately fell to. On the other hand, you have a player who was selected significantly higher than most expected in Shelden Williams. Another Atlanta rookie, Cedric Bozeman, also saw significant playing time. Even though Bozeman didn?t hear his name called on draft day, he didn?t play like an undrafted rookie during this game. /article/Around-the-NBA-Atlanta-vs.-Cleveland--11-7--1606/ /article/Around-the-NBA-Atlanta-vs.-Cleveland--11-7--1606/ Wed, 08 Nov 2006 03:10:45 -0500 Both Michigan State and Maryland will be in action today. Maryland could have their hands full with an up and coming Vermont squad... /article/Coaches-vs-Cancer-Classic-Continues-1618/ /article/Coaches-vs-Cancer-Classic-Continues-1618/ Wed, 08 Nov 2006 02:18:30 -0500 Two weeks after leaving one Euroleague team in Dynamo Moscow, one of the top point guards in Europe landed on another Euroleague team, Lottomatica Rome. /article/Mire-Chatman-Lands-in-Rome-1605/ /article/Mire-Chatman-Lands-in-Rome-1605/ Tue, 07 Nov 2006 20:22:37 -0500 Mike Schmidt is currently traveling in Israel over the next 3 weeks, covering numerous games live from the Euroleague, ULEB Cup, and Israeli League. /article/Blogging-Through-Israel--part-one--1617/ /article/Blogging-Through-Israel--part-one--1617/ Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:15:42 -0500 My preseason bracket is posted in the Bracket Projection portion of the site. Click here to read about that as well as the official start to the college basketball season. /article/Bracket-Express-Preseason-Bracket-Notes,-and-More-1616/ /article/Bracket-Express-Preseason-Bracket-Notes,-and-More-1616/ Tue, 07 Nov 2006 05:46:03 -0500 The MVC Preview, as well as the WAC, Mountain West, and Colonial Athletic Previews have now been posted. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team!!! /article/Missouri-Valley-Conference-Preview-1615/ /article/Missouri-Valley-Conference-Preview-1615/ Tue, 07 Nov 2006 03:16:49 -0500 This entire conference has improved. Everyone is more experienced and more talented. It?s also worth noting that most of the teams have a lot of winnable games in their out of conference portion of the schedule, but everyone has a couple of chances to get some quality victories as well. The more out of conference wins that this league collectively gets, the better it is for their RPIs. I could see as many as three teams dancing out of this league. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each of the teams. /article/Mountain-West-Conference-Preview-1614/ /article/Mountain-West-Conference-Preview-1614/ Tue, 07 Nov 2006 03:15:09 -0500 Nevada is definitely the class of this league, but New Mexico State could make a run at an NCAA bid as well. Fresno has the potential to be a threat to either of those teams as well. After that there appears to be a bit of a drop off. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each of the teams. /article/Western-Athletic-Conference-Preview-1613/ /article/Western-Athletic-Conference-Preview-1613/ Tue, 07 Nov 2006 03:14:25 -0500 This league sent two teams to the NCAA Tournament a season ago, and many thought they should have had a third. Once again, it is a very strong league and could get two teams into the dance again this year. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each of the teams. /article/Colonial-Athletic-Association-Conference-Preview-1612/ /article/Colonial-Athletic-Association-Conference-Preview-1612/ Tue, 07 Nov 2006 03:13:30 -0500 Its common for people to focus in on the end result when it comes to watching a game. After all, before you know how a play is going to go down, what else can you focus on but the ball? The following is a posession by posession look at Gilbert Arenas' performance against Sebastian Telfair during Arenas' 44 point game from this past weekend... /article/How-d-he-do-that-Telfair-vs.-Arenas-play-by-play-1611/ /article/How-d-he-do-that-Telfair-vs.-Arenas-play-by-play-1611/ Tue, 07 Nov 2006 01:44:49 -0500 Continuing with our preview of the Top NBA Draft Prospects in the NCAA, we move our attention to the Big East, with the prospects ranked #1 to #5. Dominic James, Roy Hibbert, Aaron Gray, Jeff Green and Wilson Chandler get the spotlight. For the sake of consistency, the very talented freshman class has been left out of the equation until we have a chance to evaluate them as college prospects against their peers. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-One-1-5--1471/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-One-1-5--1471/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:19:48 -0500 Continuing with our Euroleague Fantasy Challenege series, DraftExpress provides the users with as many tools possible in order to improve their odds in chasing 1st place, either in the weekly competition or for the entire prize. /article/Euroleague-Fantasy-Challenge--Week-3--1610/ /article/Euroleague-Fantasy-Challenge--Week-3--1610/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:15:37 -0500 aaa /article/Fantasy-Euroleague-Weekly-Update--Week-2--1609/ /article/Fantasy-Euroleague-Weekly-Update--Week-2--1609/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:14:31 -0500 aaaa /article/Euroleague-Fantasy-Challenge-Preview-1608/ /article/Euroleague-Fantasy-Challenge-Preview-1608/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:13:29 -0500 What a thriller! The Euroleague experienced an extremely memorable highlight this week when Rudy Fernández miraculously managed to score off an alley-oop from an in-bounds play with the game tied and only 0.1 seconds left in the clock. But there was more this week. Besides Rudy?s terrific performance, we devote special attention to a couple of extremely intriguing kids born in 1988: Danilo Gallinari and Vitor Faverani. Sooner or later, these two guys are bound to make some serious noise. /article/Roundup-Rudy,-Only-0.1-Seconds-for-the-Glory-1604/ /article/Roundup-Rudy,-Only-0.1-Seconds-for-the-Glory-1604/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 11:43:10 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Click here to check out the Atlantic Ten, West Coast, Conference USA, Metro Atlantic, Horizon League, Mid American, Big Sky and Sun Belt conferences!!! /article/Atlantic-Ten-Conference-Preview-1603/ /article/Atlantic-Ten-Conference-Preview-1603/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 03:04:16 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Click here to see the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team. /article/West-Coast-Conference-Preview-1602/ /article/West-Coast-Conference-Preview-1602/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 02:03:26 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each of the teams. /article/Conference-USA-Preview-1601/ /article/Conference-USA-Preview-1601/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 01:59:41 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Click here to see the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team. /article/Metro-Atlantic-Athletic-Conference-Preview-1600/ /article/Metro-Atlantic-Athletic-Conference-Preview-1600/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 01:54:59 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each of the teams. /article/Horizon-League-Conference-Preview-1599/ /article/Horizon-League-Conference-Preview-1599/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 01:51:25 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little bit about each of the teams. /article/Mid-American-Conference-Preview-1598/ /article/Mid-American-Conference-Preview-1598/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 01:47:20 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team in the conference. /article/Big-Sky-Conference-Preview-1597/ /article/Big-Sky-Conference-Preview-1597/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 01:41:24 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team in the league. /article/Sun-Belt-Conference-Preview-1596/ /article/Sun-Belt-Conference-Preview-1596/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 01:37:22 -0500 A breakdown of the 2006-2007 NCAA Preseason All-Conference 1st, Second and third Teams, including the All-Freshman Teams, for all 31 NCAA conferences. /article/2006-2007-NCAA-Preseason-All-Conference-Teams/ /article/2006-2007-NCAA-Preseason-All-Conference-Teams/ Sun, 05 Nov 2006 13:42:59 -0500 Does Anybody still think John Calipari can't reel in NBA talent coaching in the marginalized Conference USA? One of the most publicized sagas in modern-era recruiting history came to a close this evening, with elite Chicago-area point guard Derrick Rose's announcement that he will take his game to the C-USA in the fall of 2007. Why Memphis, instead of the successful in-state school in desperate need of a talent infusion, or a neighboring program that offers the chance to continue playing with AAU teammate Eric Gordon? Make no mistake about it, the lure of the NBA was written all over this decision. /article/Derrick-Rose,-John-Calipari-and-the-NBA-1595/ /article/Derrick-Rose,-John-Calipari-and-the-NBA-1595/ Sun, 05 Nov 2006 03:01:40 -0500 Derrick Rose, DraftExpress? #2 player in the class of 2007, has announced that he will make his collegiate decision public Saturday night at 7:00 PM Central in a press conference in his hometown of Chicago. It is widely speculated that Rose will decide between Memphis and Indiana, while in state schools Illinois and Depaul still remain possibilities. /article/Rose-Set-To-Announce-Choice-Saturday-Night-1593/ /article/Rose-Set-To-Announce-Choice-Saturday-Night-1593/ Fri, 03 Nov 2006 16:52:47 -0500 James White has signed a two-year partially guaranteed deal with the San Antonio Spurs, a league source told DraftExpress.com. White was recently waived by the Indiana Pacers despite being picked with the first pick in this year?s 2nd round. The Indiana Pacers used three second round picks to acquire his rights before waiving him. White cleared waivers and will receive 1.1 million dollars from Indiana as part of the two-year fully guaranteed contract he signed. He will also additionally be paid the league minimum over the next two years by the Spurs as long as he stays on their roster. /article/James-White-Signs-Two-Year-Deal-with-Spurs-1592/ /article/James-White-Signs-Two-Year-Deal-with-Spurs-1592/ Fri, 03 Nov 2006 12:52:01 -0500 The 12 teams of the NBA?s Developmental League participated in the annual draft, cycling through 10 rounds worth of players. In the first round of the draft, many teams decided to invest in big men, as front court players made up 7 of the first 12 picks of the draft. The teams who didn?t take big men seemed to want point guards. 4 point guards were drafted in the first round, including Devin Green and Kevin Burleson, both of whom have NBA experience. In the draft, there were two big steals, a number of good picks, and every team came out with a new outlook for the 2006-2007 NBDL season. /article/2006-D-League-Draft-Recap-1591/ /article/2006-D-League-Draft-Recap-1591/ Fri, 03 Nov 2006 05:11:48 -0500 The annual D-League draft will be held tonight at 9 PM and will be covered live by NBA TV, NBA Radio on SIRIUS Channel 127 and D-LEAGUE.com. DraftExpress.com has obtained a copy of the eligible player list for the 10 round draft and breaks down some of the more interesting players whose name could be called. /article/D-League-Draft-Preview-NBATV-830-PM-EST--1590/ /article/D-League-Draft-Preview-NBATV-830-PM-EST--1590/ Thu, 02 Nov 2006 14:44:24 -0500 nON /article/2006-D-League-Draft-Eligible-Player-List-1589/ /article/2006-D-League-Draft-Eligible-Player-List-1589/ Thu, 02 Nov 2006 14:43:13 -0500 You will have to forgive me for getting a little riled up over an exhibition pounding that felt more like a JV-Varsity scrimmage than any sort of real competition, but I think I speak for many hoops fanatics when I say that it has been a long freakin' offseason. The night was packed full of elite prospects donning their respective college uni's for the first time, but the feature event had to be the debut of North Carolina's elite freshman trio. Let me tell you, Tywon Lawson, Wayne Ellingon, and Brandan Wright did anything but disappoint. /article/Exhibition-Coverage-Tar-Heel-Freshmen-Dazzle-1588/ /article/Exhibition-Coverage-Tar-Heel-Freshmen-Dazzle-1588/ Thu, 02 Nov 2006 04:28:47 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team in the conference. /article/Big-South-Conference-Preview-1587/ /article/Big-South-Conference-Preview-1587/ Thu, 02 Nov 2006 01:22:29 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team. /article/Ohio-Valley-Conference-Preview-1586/ /article/Ohio-Valley-Conference-Preview-1586/ Thu, 02 Nov 2006 01:20:00 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team in the conference. /article/Patriot-League-Preview-1585/ /article/Patriot-League-Preview-1585/ Thu, 02 Nov 2006 01:16:35 -0500 Florida is everyone?s preseason pick to repeat as NCAA champions. With five returning starters from last year?s team, including four probable first round NBA draft picks, the Gators are more loaded than the frat brothers of Phi Vodka Absoluta during homecoming weekend. Billy Donovan is blessed with players who bring it every night, and he has molded them into a team with the ability to mangle opponents no matter what style they play. But laying in the weeds of the swamp are five teams, with five impact players, each of whom has a taste for Gator meat and the NCAA crown? /article/Gator-Bait-1470/ /article/Gator-Bait-1470/ Thu, 02 Nov 2006 00:08:25 -0500 DraftExpress evaluates the Top 15 NBA Draft prospects in the Big 12, continuing with part three, from prospects ranked #11 to #15. Mamadou Diene, Marcus Dove, Rahshon Clark, Cartier Martn and CJ Jerrells are all profiled. For the sake of consistency, the very talented freshman class has been left out of the equation until we have a chance to evaluate them as college prospects against their peers. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-Three-11-15--1469/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-Three-11-15--1469/ Wed, 01 Nov 2006 04:27:36 -0500 DraftExpress? new NBA coverage kicks off strong on opening night, taking a look at two young rookies already playing key roles for the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat. On one hand we have an undrafted rookie that is only seeing minutes due to circumstance, and on the other we have a lottery pick who may very well be the most naturally gifted player in the entire draft class. /article/Around-the-NBAChicago-Bulls-vs-Miami-Heat--10-31--1584/ /article/Around-the-NBAChicago-Bulls-vs-Miami-Heat--10-31--1584/ Wed, 01 Nov 2006 02:35:29 -0500 It has been quite a year for Big XII basketball, and I don?t mean that in a good way. The bombs have dropped almost everywhere, starting with Missouri finally putting Quin Snyder out of his misery halfway through last season and continuing right up to the doorstep of the new season. Last week it was Bill Walker?s shocking enrollment at Kansas State as a 2006 recruit, and Ricardo Patton picking up the slack for the Colorado administration and firing himself. Today came news that two more elite Big XII players are sidelined for significant chunks of time. Sasha Kaun?s knee injury is getting a lot more press than it would have if fellow junior big man CJ Giles hadn?t gotten the boot earlier this month, and Bob Knight?s decision to dismiss all-everything guard Jarrius Jackson may have effectively ended Texas Tech?s NCAA Tournament hopes. /article/Big-XII-Bombshells-Continue-to-Fall-1583/ /article/Big-XII-Bombshells-Continue-to-Fall-1583/ Wed, 01 Nov 2006 01:52:11 -0500 With the first quarter of the Adriatic league season behind us, some new names are emerging as possible draft picks. For starters we are presenting two Geoplin Slovan rookies in 6-9 Small Forward Emir Preldzic and 7-3 Center Mirza Begic. Stay tuned for more insight on the players to watch out for in the Balkans. /article/New-Pearls-in-the-Adriatic-Sea-1581/ /article/New-Pearls-in-the-Adriatic-Sea-1581/ Tue, 31 Oct 2006 17:53:42 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each of the teams in the conference. /article/Southland-Conference-Preview-1580/ /article/Southland-Conference-Preview-1580/ Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:56:08 -0500 Following last year, where 15 undrafted rookie free agents made opening day rosters, nine players made NBA rosters this year. The following nine accomplished the very difficult task of not being one of the 60 players drafted and nevertheless managing to find a way to stick in the league regardless. /article/Nine-Undrafted-Free-Agents-Make-NBA-Rosters-1582/ /article/Nine-Undrafted-Free-Agents-Make-NBA-Rosters-1582/ Tue, 31 Oct 2006 02:51:53 -0500 David West will ink a five-year extension with the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, a league source confirmed to DraftExpress.com today. He will play for 2 million dollars in the last year of his rookie contract this season. The league source indicated that his extension is worth over 45 million dollars. Hornets GM Jeff Bower and West's agent Lance Young of Octagon had until Tuesday to come to terms on the extension. /article/West-agrees-to-five-year,-45-million-extension-1579/ /article/West-agrees-to-five-year,-45-million-extension-1579/ Mon, 30 Oct 2006 18:06:31 -0500 The Euroleague has started this week with Dimitriy Khvostov surprising everyone with an unexpectedly strong outing. On the domestic front, Emir Preldzic stands out with gross production in the Adriatic League. Out of Europe, Yi Jianlian drops 38 points in the Chinese CBA and Joe Ingles continues impressing in the Australian NBL. /article/Roundup-The-Euroleague-Kicks-Off-1578/ /article/Roundup-The-Euroleague-Kicks-Off-1578/ Mon, 30 Oct 2006 14:46:20 -0500 Continuing with our coverage of the Euroleague, DraftExpress will attempt to give some tips/advice to the players of the progressively rising Fantasy game of the Euroleague. We will try to check on every single player of the 24 Euroleague teams and give some hints to our readers on a game-by-game basis for the coming week, discussing both the games the players had in the previous Euroleague week, as well as their weekend domestic league performance. /article/Fantasy-Euroleague-Weekly-Update-1577/ /article/Fantasy-Euroleague-Weekly-Update-1577/ Mon, 30 Oct 2006 08:06:28 -0500 DraftExpress continues to evaluate the top prospects in the NCAA on a conference by conference basis, this time with the Big 12. Sasha Kaun, Aaron Bruce, Mario Chalmers, Joseph Jones and Jarrius Jackson highlight the middle of the crop. For the sake of consistency, freshman have been left out of the equation. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-Two-6-10-/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-Two-6-10-/ Mon, 30 Oct 2006 03:53:09 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team in the conference. /article/Big-West-Conference-Preview-1576/ /article/Big-West-Conference-Preview-1576/ Sun, 29 Oct 2006 22:34:09 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Click here to see the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team in the conference. /article/Southern-Conference-Preview-1575/ /article/Southern-Conference-Preview-1575/ Sun, 29 Oct 2006 20:04:40 -0500 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team in the conference. /article/Ivy-League-Conference-Preview-1574/ /article/Ivy-League-Conference-Preview-1574/ Fri, 27 Oct 2006 21:37:26 -0400 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each of the teams in the conference. /article/Northeast-Conference-Preview-1573/ /article/Northeast-Conference-Preview-1573/ Fri, 27 Oct 2006 18:21:04 -0400 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team in the conference. /article/Mid-Continent-Conference-Preview-1572/ /article/Mid-Continent-Conference-Preview-1572/ Fri, 27 Oct 2006 18:11:16 -0400 Bracket Express continues to preview all of the division one conferences. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each of the teams in the conference. /article/Atlantic-Sun-Conference-Preview-1571/ /article/Atlantic-Sun-Conference-Preview-1571/ Fri, 27 Oct 2006 18:05:17 -0400 Continuing with our preview of the Euroleague season that kicked off this week, we turn our attention to the NBA draft prospects we find on the various rosters that are making their debut. After first focusing our attention on the ?veteran? Euroleaguers, we bring you the seven most interesting ?rookies? to be found here. Nicolas Batum and Ricky Rubio lead this crop. /article/Euroleague-Preview-NBA-Draft-Prospects--The--1467/ /article/Euroleague-Preview-NBA-Draft-Prospects--The--1467/ Fri, 27 Oct 2006 01:38:23 -0400 Jonathan Watters continues his NCAA Preview coverage, with this segment featuring the Big XII. The lower half of the conference is unlikely to be very competitive this season, with four new head coaches appearing here and one more headed out the door at the end of the season. The new faces were by and large excellent hires and should eventually bring about an entirely new level of top-to-bottom competitiveness in the conference. But coaching changes happen for a reason, and rarely does a coach inherit a full cupboard from his predecessor. Nebraska's Doc Sadler appears to be in the worst trouble, while at Missouri Mike Anderson may have the best chance of landing on his feet. /article/Big-XII-Conference-Preview,-Part-1-1570/ /article/Big-XII-Conference-Preview,-Part-1-1570/ Thu, 26 Oct 2006 03:12:01 -0400 DraftExpress continues to evaluate the top prospects in the NCAA on a conference by conference basis, this time with the Big 12. Julian Wright, Brandon Rush, Acie Law, Richard Roby and CJ Giles highlight this crop. For the sake of consistency, freshman have been left out of the equation. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-One-1-5--1466/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-12--Part-One-1-5--1466/ Thu, 26 Oct 2006 00:57:51 -0400 A list of the 2006-2007 Wooden Award Preseason Nominees. /article/2006-2007-Wooden-Award-Preseason-Nominees-1569/ /article/2006-2007-Wooden-Award-Preseason-Nominees-1569/ Wed, 25 Oct 2006 20:07:52 -0400 Continuing with our preview of the Euroleague season, which kicks off this week, we turn our attention to 13 NBA draft prospects we find on the various rosters. Split into a two part series, we first focus our attention on the ?veteran? Euroleaguers, the mostly older NBA prospects who will be participating in at least their 2nd Euroleague season. Most, if not all of these players are considered potential first round picks at this early stage of the season. /article/Euroleague-Preview-NBA-Draft-Prospects--The-Veterans--1465/ /article/Euroleague-Preview-NBA-Draft-Prospects--The-Veterans--1465/ Wed, 25 Oct 2006 00:22:54 -0400 DraftExpress has learned that Cincinnati North College Hill star Bill Walker has graduated high school early and obtained a qualifying standardized test score, and plans to enroll at Kansas State. The only thing that could possibly hold Walker back is the NCAA Clearinghouse, however his paperwork has already been sent in and no red flags are expected. /article/Bill-Walker-Graduates,-Qualifies--Headed-to-KSU-1566/ /article/Bill-Walker-Graduates,-Qualifies--Headed-to-KSU-1566/ Tue, 24 Oct 2006 23:22:22 -0400 This is the first installment of a new feature here at DraftExpress, where we will monitor the progress of young players in the NBA, tracking their development after they?ve been drafted. This feature will provide you with a comprehensive analysis of various players? development and adaptation into the NBA, helping you keep track of all the young players constantly developing around the league. In this first installment, we?ll take a look at the youths on the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, as the teams square off in a preseason contest at Madison Square Garden. /article/Around-the-NBA-Knicks-vs-76ers--10-24--1568/ /article/Around-the-NBA-Knicks-vs-76ers--10-24--1568/ Tue, 24 Oct 2006 23:10:08 -0400 DraftExpress Director of NCAA Scouting Jonathan Watters takes a look at ten ACC players who could be on the verge of bigger and better things. Boston College C Sean Williams, Virgina G JR Reynolds, Georgia Tech F Jeremis Smith, NC State SF Gavin Grant, and Virginia Tech wing AD Vassallo headline the list. /article/ACC-Breakout-Players-1567/ /article/ACC-Breakout-Players-1567/ Tue, 24 Oct 2006 23:00:25 -0400 The Euroleague is kicking off its third edition of the Euroleague Fantasy Challenge, and DraftExpress would like to invite you to join our league. In this article we'll present the format of the league and some potential sleepers to keep an eye on. /article/Euroleague-Fantasy-Challenge-Preview-1463/ /article/Euroleague-Fantasy-Challenge-Preview-1463/ Mon, 23 Oct 2006 20:28:41 -0400 We?re only a day away from the Euroleague start, but we turn our heads to a major talent we won?t see there, Ante Tomic. The debut of Marko Keselj in the Spanish ACB, the dominance of Yi Jianlian in the Chinese CBA and the consistency of Danilo Gallinari in the Italian Lega have also drawn our attention. /article/Roundup-Ante-Tomic-In-Progression-1565/ /article/Roundup-Ante-Tomic-In-Progression-1565/ Mon, 23 Oct 2006 11:34:42 -0400 Continuing with our in-depth Euroleague Preview, DraftExpress breaks down our favorite sleepers to make the Euroleague Final Four in late April. The Euroleague season kicks off on Tuesday, and as is customary in European basketball, we find huge changes in most rosters. Maccabi Tel Aviv will attempt to make their fourth straight Final Four in a row, but is coming off a number of significant changes including a new coach and an almost completely new roster. Barcelona has to be considered a contender to make it as far as possible in every competition they participate in based off the fact that they have the most expensive roster in all of Europe, but the way they?ve looked early on does not leave too much optimism about that. Unicaja Malaga is another perennially strong Spanish team with an experienced roster and plenty of talent, but they?ve also struggled badly in the beginning of the season. Efes Pilsen and Dynamo Moscow are two more outsiders looking in, solid teams with excellent coaches and expensive players at every position. Stay tuned in the coming days as we present the NBA draft prospects competing in this year's Euroleague. /article/Euroleague-Preview-Final-Four-Sleepers-1462/ /article/Euroleague-Preview-Final-Four-Sleepers-1462/ Sun, 22 Oct 2006 22:46:43 -0400 One of the top American guards in European basketball shockingly became available today, less than a week before the opening round of the Euroleague. After a reported falling out with the coaching staff, Mire Chatman will be replaced at Dynamo Moscow by former Indiana Pacer Eddie Gill. /article/Mire-Chatman-Leaving-Dynamo-Moscow-1564/ /article/Mire-Chatman-Leaving-Dynamo-Moscow-1564/ Thu, 19 Oct 2006 12:38:50 -0400 A special mention for St. Peter's combo guard and European rookie Keydren "Keekee" Clark, who put on one of the more memorable scoring displays we've seen in Europe in the past few years with 51 of his team's 83 points. /article/Keydren-Clark-Scores-51-Points-in-Greece-1563/ /article/Keydren-Clark-Scores-51-Points-in-Greece-1563/ Thu, 19 Oct 2006 11:43:59 -0400 DraftExpress? Director of Prep Scouting Rodger Bohn had the chance to sit down and speak with Maccabi Tel-Aviv Elite stars Will Bynum and Yotam Halperin immediately following their blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both players were visibly upset about the loss, but gave good excellent quotes on a wide variety of topics. Here is what they had to say: /article/Will-Bynum,-Yotam-Halperin-Interviews-1562/ /article/Will-Bynum,-Yotam-Halperin-Interviews-1562/ Wed, 18 Oct 2006 21:53:31 -0400 For the third straight year, DraftExpress breaks down our favorites to make the Euroleague Final Four (this time in Athens) in late April. The Euroleague season kicks off in exactly one week, and as is customary in European basketball, we find huge changes in most rosters. CSKA Moscow is a rare team that actually returns its entire core, and after winning last year?s Final Four in Prague, that makes them the early favorites to repeat. Panathinaikos was one of the biggest players on the market all summer long, and their eye for talent combined with their keen eye for putting together a roster leaves them not far behind. Tau Vitoria is also right there, as they return most of their core from last year but have reloaded in some very important places with a couple of highly ambitious signings. Olympiakos is our fourth pick, not only because of the huge amounts of money they spent in acquiring some of the most talented individuals to be found, but also because of their new coach, Pini Gershon, formerly of Maccabi Tel Aviv. Stay tuned in the coming days as we present the sleeper teams to make the Final Four as well as the NBA draft prospects competing in this year's Euroleague. /article/Euroleague-Preview-Final-Four-Favorites-1461/ /article/Euroleague-Preview-Final-Four-Favorites-1461/ Wed, 18 Oct 2006 03:38:31 -0400 Bracket Express is once again previewing all the conferences between now and the beginning of the season. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team in the MEAC Conference /article/MEAC-Conference-Preview-1561/ /article/MEAC-Conference-Preview-1561/ Tue, 17 Oct 2006 02:35:39 -0400 The first season of the NBDL working as a full minor league system for the NBA was fairly successful, though some improvements to the system do need to be made. 29 NBA players were sent down to the D-League by 18 different NBA teams. In addition, 13 NBDL players were signed by NBA teams during the course of the season. This season, the league has expanded by the addition of both expansion teams and CBA teams. As the NBDL continues to grow, its success will be characterized by how well it functions as a product of the NBA. /article/NBDL-Season-Preview-1560/ /article/NBDL-Season-Preview-1560/ Tue, 17 Oct 2006 01:15:28 -0400 Bracket Express is once again previewing all of the conferences between now and the beginning of the season. Check out the predicted order of finish and read a little about each team in the SWAC Conference. /article/SWAC-Conference-Preview-1559/ /article/SWAC-Conference-Preview-1559/ Tue, 17 Oct 2006 00:33:58 -0400 We take a look at the most interesting performances taken place this last week. Mirza Teletovic leads the pack with his scoring efforts in the ACB League, but there's also room for the likes of Danilo Gallinari, Uros Tripkovic or the dominating Yi Jianlian. /article/Roundup-Teletovic-on-Fire-1558/ /article/Roundup-Teletovic-on-Fire-1558/ Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:56:48 -0400 DraftExpress evaluates the Top 15 NBA Draft prospects in the ACC, continuing with part three, from prospects ranked #11 to #15. For the sake of consistency, the very talented freshman class has been left out of the equation until we have a chance to evaluate them as college prospects against their peers. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-Three-11-15--1460/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-Three-11-15--1460/ Mon, 16 Oct 2006 04:27:01 -0400 DraftExpress evaluates the Top 10 NBA Draft prospects in the ACC, continuing with part two, from prospects ranked #6 to #10. For the sake of consistency, the very talented freshman class has been left out of the equation until we have a chance to evaluate them as college prospects against their peers. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-Two-6-10--1459/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-Two-6-10--1459/ Fri, 13 Oct 2006 18:06:17 -0400 Wondering where your favorite college player ended up after going undrafted this past June? Well here?s the full list. Leagues are ranked subjectively from best to worst. /article/Undrafted-Rookie-Free-Agent-Destinations-1557/ /article/Undrafted-Rookie-Free-Agent-Destinations-1557/ Thu, 12 Oct 2006 14:54:41 -0400 DraftExpress evaluates the Top 15 NBA Draft prospects in the ACC, starting with part one from #1 to #5. For the sake of consistency, the very talented freshman class has been left out of the equation until we have a chance to evaluate them as college prospects against their peers. /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-One-1-5--1458/ /article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC--Part-One-1-5--1458/ Wed, 11 Oct 2006 13:58:42 -0400 Another season is upon us. Teams can officially begin practicing this Friday, October 13. However, Midnight Madness isn?t until Friday night. If a team really wanted to they could begin practice at midnight Thursday night/Friday morning, but since Midnight Madness is more for the fans than anything else most schools opt to have it on a weekend night. The season officially begins on November 7th and exhibition games begin a week or so before that. /article/NCAA-Offseason-News-and-Notes...-1556/ /article/NCAA-Offseason-News-and-Notes...-1556/ Wed, 11 Oct 2006 09:17:30 -0400 A look at the training camp rosters of all five Pacific Division teams, with an eye on open spots on each roster, and the potential favorites we might see emerge. /article/NBA-Training-Camp-Watch-Pacific-Division-1555/ /article/NBA-Training-Camp-Watch-Pacific-Division-1555/ Wed, 11 Oct 2006 02:29:27 -0400 A look at the training camp rosters of all five Northwest Division teams, with an eye on open spots on each roster, and the potential favorites we might see emerge. /article/NBA-Training-Camp-Watch-Northwest-Division-1554/ /article/NBA-Training-Camp-Watch-Northwest-Division-1554/ Tue, 10 Oct 2006 02:47:44 -0400 After a week of training camp, the Dallas Mavericks held a scrimmage last Friday night. Here's a look at how the scrimmage was assembled, and an overview of some of the younger players hoping to find a place on a veteran team. /article/Dallas-Mavericks-Scrimmage-Recap-1553/ /article/Dallas-Mavericks-Scrimmage-Recap-1553/ Tue, 10 Oct 2006 02:04:00 -0400 While a lot of attention in Europe is directed towards the NBA Europe Live tour, and the excitement that comes with the possibility of defeating NBA squads, domestic leagues kept their rhythm. Arguably the most remarkable young performer this last week was Marco Belinelli, a true European star in his own right. /article/Roundup-Belinelli,-Italian-League-s-Capo-1552/ /article/Roundup-Belinelli,-Italian-League-s-Capo-1552/ Mon, 09 Oct 2006 16:21:37 -0400 For the most part, this doesn?t appear to be a typical ACC season in terms of experience or competitiveness. There are only four likely NCAA Tournament teams, with a large group likely fighting it out for the one or two remaining dance tickets. But at the top, the ACC remains the elite college basketball force it always has been. Duke and North Carolina have been playing out their regional turf wars on a national stage for what seems like eternity, and that isn?t going to change in 06-07. The NCAA?s two premier programs should finish atop the conference and the national polls yet again. Boston College was a hit in its first ACC run, and represents the opposite of everything Tobacco Road. Instead of glamour recruits, magazine covers and media exposé?s to keep everybody occupied, Al Skinner just targets the right under-the-radar players, develops them, and wins games at an elite level. But the Eagles will face stiff competition for third place from Paul Hewitt?s Yellow Jackets, who will feature two of the nation?s truly elite basketball prospects and a solid core of returnees who now have a better idea of what it will take to succeed in the ACC. /article/ACC-Preview-Part-3-National-Elite--1-4--1457/ /article/ACC-Preview-Part-3-National-Elite--1-4--1457/ Mon, 09 Oct 2006 03:48:03 -0400 A look at the training camp rosters of all five Southwest Division teams, with an eye on open spots on each roster, and the potential favorites we might see emerge. /article/NBA-Training-Camp-Watch-Southwest-Division-1551/ /article/NBA-Training-Camp-Watch-Southwest-Division-1551/ Mon, 09 Oct 2006 00:39:49 -0400 In a very surprising and quite unexpected move, Dynamo St. Petersburg officially announced that the team is folding, releasing itself from all of it?s obligations to the millions of dollars in (often multi-year) contracts they owe their players. Considering the fact that we?re talking about one of the richest clubs in all of Europe, a team that finished in 2nd place last year in arguably the third best league in the continent?this is a major blow to both the Russian League and European basketball in general. /article/The-Ugly-Side-of-European-Basketball--DSP-Collapse-1550/ /article/The-Ugly-Side-of-European-Basketball--DSP-Collapse-1550/ Fri, 06 Oct 2006 23:42:12 -0400 A look at the training camp rosters of all five Southeast Division teams, with an eye on open spots on each roster, and the potential favorites we might see emerge. /article/NBA-Training-Camp-Watch-Southeast-Division-1549/ /article/NBA-Training-Camp-Watch-Southeast-Division-1549/ Fri, 06 Oct 2006 23:37:02 -0400 A look at the training camp rosters of all five Central Division teams, with an eye on open spots on each roster, and the potential favorites we might see emerge. /article/NBA-Training-Camp-Watch-Central-Division-1548/ /article/NBA-Training-Camp-Watch-Central-Division-1548/ Thu, 05 Oct 2006 23:01:56 -0400 The Arvydas Sabonis Cup, an annual tournament held in Kaunas, is becoming a nice tradition for junior teams to meet in the start of the Fall in the Lithuanian heart of basketball. We hope it becomes a custom for DraxtExpress.com to be there every time as well. After presenting the Arvydas Sabonis Basketball School in last year?s review of the Cup, without further ado we head to 2006 edition of Arvydas Sabonis Cup. /article/2006-Sabonis-Cup-@-the-Arvydas-Sabonis-Basketball-School-1456/ /article/2006-Sabonis-Cup-@-the-Arvydas-Sabonis-Basketball-School-1456/ Thu, 05 Oct 2006 02:14:22 -0400 A look at the training camp rosters of all five Atlantic Division teams, with an eye on open spots on each roster, and the potential favorites we might see emerge. /article/NBA-Training-Camp-Watch-Atlantic-Division-1547/ /article/NBA-Training-Camp-Watch-Atlantic-Division-1547/ Thu, 05 Oct 2006 01:05:05 -0400 Notes from Ljubljana as the Adriatic league continues, Olimpija was able to came from behind and beat Buducnost in overtime 91:85.Nenad Mijatovic and Vladimir Dasic played leading roles for the road team, while Manuchar Markoishvili had a solid outing for the winners. /article/Adriatic-Report---Impressive-Nenad-Mijatovic-1546/ /article/Adriatic-Report---Impressive-Nenad-Mijatovic-1546/ Tue, 03 Oct 2006 18:51:19 -0400 The middle of the pack in the ACC is going to be wild this year. This isn?t a particularly deep conference in terms of NCAA Tournament teams, but just about everybody has a chance. And just about everybody in the middle of the pack is gunning for a bid. My guess is that two teams will dance out of this group, and it could just as easily be the last team in this article as the first. The experienced, guard-heavy teams here generally have glaring roster holes and little pedigree, while the talented teams haven?t shown enough in recent seasons to get my full confidence. In the end, there is little separating Florida State, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Maryland, and Clemson. /article/ACC-Preview-Part-2-Middle-of-the-Pack-Pick-%91Em--5-9--1455/ /article/ACC-Preview-Part-2-Middle-of-the-Pack-Pick-%91Em--5-9--1455/ Tue, 03 Oct 2006 03:46:25 -0400 Our weekly international roundup is back. A few leagues had already kicked off before last week, and still many others are yet to get on the march, but the start of the Adriatic League (the most prolific when it comes to draft prospects) and the ACB League (the world?s strongest domestic competition outside the NBA) set the right moment to bring the International roundup back. /article/International-Roundup-Splitter-Doesn-t-Miss-Scola-1545/ /article/International-Roundup-Splitter-Doesn-t-Miss-Scola-1545/ Mon, 02 Oct 2006 15:27:21 -0400 Tennessee Vols rising senior Major Wingate lands on his feet in Greece after being kicked off the team for allegedly failing two consecutive drug tests.Edit: We've learned that Wingate will be going on a one month long tryout. /article/Major-Wingate-Signs-in-Greece-1544/ /article/Major-Wingate-Signs-in-Greece-1544/ Fri, 29 Sep 2006 19:02:44 -0400 In their first official match-up of the season, the Greek cup, two teams that could very well be considered among this season?s Euroleague early favorites, Olympiakos and Panathinaikos, were drawn to play an early game which would knock one of the two out for the rest of the cup competition. /article/Testing-the-Potential-of-Euroleague-Contenders-1543/ /article/Testing-the-Potential-of-Euroleague-Contenders-1543/ Thu, 28 Sep 2006 05:47:06 -0400 18 year old Joe Ingles, a 6-8 small forward who plays for the Melbourne based South Dragons, announced his presence to the basketball world with an impressive 29 point showing in a 112-106 loss to the New Zealand Breakers. Carlos Powell reminds us not to forget about him quite yet. /article/Newcomer-Aussie-Ingles-Shows-his-Stuff-1542/ /article/Newcomer-Aussie-Ingles-Shows-his-Stuff-1542/ Thu, 28 Sep 2006 01:13:00 -0400 John McCarthy of McCarthy Sports Inc. in Delray Beach, Fla., and representatives from the city of Wadsworth, Ohio, are proud to announce the creation of the Collegiate Basketball Invitational to be held April 19-21, 2007. /article/Collegiate-Basketball-Invitational-Is-Announced-1541/ /article/Collegiate-Basketball-Invitational-Is-Announced-1541/ Wed, 27 Sep 2006 22:44:36 -0400 With the French Pro A league seeing it?s first action this past weekend, DraftExpress had the chance to scout two of France?s most interesting prospects, Nicolas Batum and Yannick Bokolo, as their Le Mans Sarthe club narrowly lost to Dijon, 69-70. /article/Batum-And-Bokolo-Impressive-in-French-Opener-1540/ /article/Batum-And-Bokolo-Impressive-in-French-Opener-1540/ Tue, 26 Sep 2006 23:19:49 -0400 Jonathan Watters kicks of DraftExpress? 2006 NCAA preview coverage with an in-depth look at the ACC. Part one looks at the bottom the much-changed conference, where Wake Forest, NC State, and Miami may be in for rough seasons. The ACC is a very tough conference to predict this year, once you get past number one. Several contenders lost key contributors, impact freshmen appear on nearly every roster, and several teams appear capable of making a jump from the lower half of the standings. Like usual, every squad has plenty of talent, and every squad is capable of a .500 finish. The middle of the pack is quite large and undefined, but somebody has to be picked last. Wake Forest, Miami and NC State appear to be the three teams least likely to impact the ACC race in 2007. /article/ACC-Preview,-Part-One--10-12--1454/ /article/ACC-Preview,-Part-One--10-12--1454/ Mon, 25 Sep 2006 03:18:23 -0400 With the ACB league starting less than a week from now, Barcelona's coach Dusko Ivanovic is caught in an unfortunate position.His team seems nowhere near ready for competitive basketball, despite all the major roster additions, losing thier last two preparation games by a combined margin of 46 points. /article/Barcelona-Struggling-Early-On-1539/ /article/Barcelona-Struggling-Early-On-1539/ Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 Greek and Euroleague powerhouse Olympiakos made a huge splash today in finalizing their roster with the addition of Croatian International Damir Mulaomerovic.A breakdown of their signings this summer is included along with their depth chart and the known salaries of each of their players. /article/Euroleague-Arms-Race-Continues,-Mulaomerovic-signs-1538/ /article/Euroleague-Arms-Race-Continues,-Mulaomerovic-signs-1538/ Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0400 A summer full of youth competitions left us with the authoritative triumph of the Chinese Junior National team, led by MVP Chen Jianghua in the U18 Asian Championship. A few days later, saying hello to the autumn, the Spanish SuperCopa turned the green light for the season in Europe. None other than Tiago Splitter earned MVP honors while leading Tau Vitoria to victory in this four-team opening tournament. /article/Summer-to-Fall-Jianghua-to-Splitter-1453/ /article/Summer-to-Fall-Jianghua-to-Splitter-1453/ Sun, 24 Sep 2006 20:00:26 -0400 Tiago Splitter's season is off to a nice start, helping his team Tau Vitoria clinch the ACB SuperCup and winning MVP honors for the tournament in the process. /article/Tiago-Splitter-MVP-of-ACB-SuperCup-1537/ /article/Tiago-Splitter-MVP-of-ACB-SuperCup-1537/ Sun, 24 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0400 Part Two of our U-20 European Championship coverage features Ersan Ilyasova, Cenk Akyol, Luigi Datome, Emir Preldzic, Milenko Tepic and more. /article/A-Look-Back-At-The-U-20-European-Championships--Part-Two--1452/ /article/A-Look-Back-At-The-U-20-European-Championships--Part-Two--1452/ Fri, 22 Sep 2006 02:00:40 -0400 It?s been a couple of months since Serbia and Montenegro won the gold at the U-20 European Championships, and despite the fact that DraftExpress couldn?t be in Turkey to watch it live, we take a look at some of the players that shined there by taking advantage of footage we were able to acquire.Part One of this article features prospects such as Mantas Kalnietis, Martynas Pocius, Vilmantas Dilys, Dusan Sakota and Anton Ponkrashov. /article/A-Look-Back-At-The-U-20-European-Championships-Part-One--1451/ /article/A-Look-Back-At-The-U-20-European-Championships-Part-One--1451/ Wed, 20 Sep 2006 13:06:51 -0400 This is the last chapter of DraftExpress.com?s extensive coverage of the European Junior Championships. Centers are usually the most tracked and desired pieces in the international market, and we could see some guys here that could develop into very valuable inside players in the future. /article/U-18-European-Championship-Prospects-Centers-1450/ /article/U-18-European-Championship-Prospects-Centers-1450/ Sun, 17 Sep 2006 20:56:07 -0400 Continuing with our player-by-player recap of the European Junior Championships, the power forwards demand our attention. Vladimir Dasic leads this crop, perhaps not utterly intriguing, nor too much prolific in outstanding players, but featuring some interesting potential that might pay off in the long run. /article/U-18-European-Championship-Prospects-Power-Forwards-1449/ /article/U-18-European-Championship-Prospects-Power-Forwards-1449/ Fri, 15 Sep 2006 02:57:54 -0400 It?s time for the wing players in this player-by-player recap of the 2006 European U-18 Championships. This edition hasn?t been too prolific in terms of promising shooting guards; that?s why we?ll deal with both wing positions together in the same article. Still, the small forward spot features some of the most intriguing prospects seen in the tournament (even with top-prospects Gallinari and Keselj out of the competition), all led by tournament MVP Nicolas Batum. /article/U-18-European-Championship-Prospects-The-Wings-1448/ /article/U-18-European-Championship-Prospects-The-Wings-1448/ Wed, 13 Sep 2006 01:24:24 -0400 If not featuring the very most intriguing prospects, the point guard position probably delivered the largest amount of interesting players in these championships. It especially deserves to be mentioned the splendid 1989-born generation, a year where, for the moment, point guards seem to be en vogue. /article/U-18-European-Championship-Prospects-Point-Guards-1447/ /article/U-18-European-Championship-Prospects-Point-Guards-1447/ Mon, 11 Sep 2006 11:32:45 -0400 The resurgence of the Turkish national team deserves and receives special mention in our 2006 World Championship Coverage. The future of this team as well as its present are broken down. Also, the main talents of this excellent generation are broken down. /article/Welcome-Back-Turkey,-Turkish-Talents-Tantalize-1446/ /article/Welcome-Back-Turkey,-Turkish-Talents-Tantalize-1446/ Fri, 08 Sep 2006 11:14:05 -0400 Unlike what happened last year at the Eurobasket in Belgrade, the World Championship has been keen on good performances delivered by draft prospects. Tiago Splitter and Marco Belinelli led their teams in scoring, Mantas Kalnietis showed great potential at times, Yi Jianlian continues to improve, and others dropped enough glimpses from time to time to always keep the NBA scouts in attendance on their toes. /article/NBA-Draft-Intrigue-at-the-2006-World-Championship-1445/ /article/NBA-Draft-Intrigue-at-the-2006-World-Championship-1445/ Wed, 06 Sep 2006 02:03:11 -0400 A thorough analysis of the world order we find following the World Championships in Japan, including a look at the flaws and potential future of Team USA, as well as the different perspectives of international basketball that are emerging through the various International teams as we approach the Olympics and beyond. /article/Looking-Beyond-the-World-Championships--the-National-Teams-1444/ /article/Looking-Beyond-the-World-Championships--the-National-Teams-1444/ Tue, 05 Sep 2006 03:29:36 -0400 Four teams were penciled in advance as the consensus favorites for the Gold in this World Championships: Argentina, USA, Spain and Greece. All of them have fulfilled expectations so far by going undefeated in their respective groups and advancing to the quarterfinals without much trouble...Africa Improves, South America Disappoints as FIBA will continue to search for an ideal competition model. /article/Storylines-from-the-FIBA-World-Championships-in-Japan-1443/ /article/Storylines-from-the-FIBA-World-Championships-in-Japan-1443/ Mon, 28 Aug 2006 14:23:56 -0400 We?re running out of adjectives to describe what Ricky Rubio has achieved in these Cadet Championships. After his terrific run leading Spain to the semifinals with a perfect record, he saved his best for the last and decisive games, a couple of ridiculous performances that included a quadruple double in the semifinal and a 51-point game in the double-overtime final that handed the title to the Spanish squad and the MVP award to him. /article/U-16-European-Championships-Unbelievable-Rubio-1442/ /article/U-16-European-Championships-Unbelievable-Rubio-1442/ Tue, 22 Aug 2006 16:41:55 -0400 DraftExpress took in four days of competition this past week at the U-16 European Championship. We?re talking about a terrific chance to make first contact today with kids who might eventually become the stars of tomorrow. Like last summer, we?ve decided to apply a restrictive criteria when talking about these young guys, although spreading a little bit around the amount of players featured. Seven teenagers are highlighted here, but it?s important to stress that every single of them is currently just about potential, and nothing else. Hard work, humbleness, good attitude, that?s the way to keep improving and fulfilling that potential.Leading the pack is the very hyped Ricky Rubio, who is in the pole position for the MVP award after what?s so far been an amazing performance in this tournament. Also deserves special mention is the amount of quality big guys seen this year, contrary to what happened last summer. And we don?t want to forget the improved organization from the past edition, likely due to the more active presence of FIBA Europe. /article/U-16-European-Championship-Rubio-Rules-1441/ /article/U-16-European-Championship-Rubio-Rules-1441/ Sat, 19 Aug 2006 12:20:16 -0400 Group D consists of Italy, Slovenia, Puerto Rico, Senegal, China, and the USA, and is headlined by no less than 15 current and a number of future NBA players competing in just one group. Our final preview article focuses on the United States, China and Senegal. /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-D,-Part-Two-1440/ /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-D,-Part-Two-1440/ Sat, 19 Aug 2006 00:26:49 -0400 In the calmness of the summertime, just waiting for the World Championships action to start, it's a good moment to take a look a couple of months back and reproduce a meeting we had with Reebok Eurocamp director Pete Philo, in order to discuss stuff from the camp itself as well as what concerns international basketball in general. This interview took part during the final day of the camp in Treviso. We joined Pete Philo during his coffee break. He looked exhausted, but kindly answered all our questions. /article/RBK-Treviso-Eurocamp-Epilogue-A-Meeting-With-Pete-Philo-1439/ /article/RBK-Treviso-Eurocamp-Epilogue-A-Meeting-With-Pete-Philo-1439/ Thu, 17 Aug 2006 21:30:00 -0400 Group D consists of Italy, Slovenia, Puerto Rico, Senegal, China, and the US, and is headlined by no less than 15 current and a number of future NBA players competing in just one group. /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-D,-Part-One-1438/ /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-D,-Part-One-1438/ Thu, 17 Aug 2006 02:19:00 -0400 Group C consists of Brazil, Lithuania, Turkey, Greece, Australia and Qatar, and is headlined by a slew of promising young NBA players including Leandro Barbosa, Andrew Bogut and Anderson Varejao. /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-C,-Part-Two-1437/ /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-C,-Part-Two-1437/ Wed, 16 Aug 2006 02:48:56 -0400 Group C consists of Brazil, Lithuania, Turkey, Greece, Australia and Qatar, and is headlined by a slew of promising young NBA players including Leandro Barbosa, Andrew Bogut and Anderson Varejao. /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-C,-Part-One-1436/ /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-C,-Part-One-1436/ Tue, 15 Aug 2006 01:21:53 -0400 Group B consists of Spain, Germany, New Zealand, Panama, Angola and Japan and is headlined by arguably the two best power forwards in the tournament in Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki. /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-B-1435/ /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-B-1435/ Sat, 12 Aug 2006 20:45:06 -0400 Much has been made about team USA?s most recent failure on the world stage, and popular wisdom finds it easier to compare the current crop of participants to those that most recently wore the mantel. While focusing on the obvious missing entrants such as Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups, and Ray Allen, may be an easier story, it doesn?t accurately convey the diversity of talent and skill-set that makes this roster substantially more formidable than it has been in some time. /article/Operation-Gold-Standard-Team-USA-Roster-Analysis-1434/ /article/Operation-Gold-Standard-Team-USA-Roster-Analysis-1434/ Sat, 12 Aug 2006 18:32:32 -0400 DraftExpress? FIBA World Championship coverage continues by breaking down the top players participating in Group A at the upcoming tournament in Japan beginning August 19th. The teams are analyzed individually from a player perspective, exploring who the leaders and top stars are on each squad, and which intriguing players with NBA upside are lurking on every roster. /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-A-Part-Two-1433/ /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-A-Part-Two-1433/ Wed, 09 Aug 2006 01:45:08 -0400 DraftExpress? FIBA World Championship coverage kicks off by breaking down the top players participating at the upcoming tournament in Japan beginning August 19th. The teams are analyzed individually from a player perspective, exploring who the leaders and top stars are on each squad, and which intriguing players with NBA upside are lurking on every roster. /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-A,-Part-One-1432/ /article/FIBA-World-Championship-Preview-Group-A,-Part-One-1432/ Tue, 08 Aug 2006 02:14:09 -0400 An interview conducted by DraftExpress' Luis Fernandez with the MVP of the U-18 European Championships and one of the most highly regarded International prospects in the world, Nicolas Batum. /article/Interview-Nicolas-Batum-1431/ /article/Interview-Nicolas-Batum-1431/ Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:25:45 -0400 Before we break down the top prospects at the U18 European Championships, we take a look at the top teams seen here and the players that were the biggest difference makers in Greece, not just for showing up, but also with their absence. /article/U18-European-Championships-Final-Report-1430/ /article/U18-European-Championships-Final-Report-1430/ Sat, 29 Jul 2006 12:13:17 -0400 Continuing our coverage from the U18 European Championships, the quarterfinals round is history and the semifinal slate is already set. Joining the early surprise of seeing Russia out of this round, now Serbia and Montenegro has joined them as another fallen title candidate, although still having the possibility of redemption looking for 5th place in the last days of the tournament that would qualify them for the next year?s World Junior Championships. /article/U18-European-Championships-Quarterfinals-Heat-1429/ /article/U18-European-Championships-Quarterfinals-Heat-1429/ Wed, 26 Jul 2006 10:41:14 -0400 Top Prospects Bounced Out of Vegas Prematurely...Thoughts on Greg Monroe, Gary Johnson, Kosta Koufos, Nolan Smith, Austin Freeman, Tyreke Evans and Michael Beasley. /article/Las-Vegas-AAU-Summer-Tournaments-Thoughts-from-Day-Three-1428/ /article/Las-Vegas-AAU-Summer-Tournaments-Thoughts-from-Day-Three-1428/ Tue, 25 Jul 2006 02:55:39 -0400 Thoughts on the Star Prospects of Day Two. /article/Las-Vegas-AAU-Summer-Tournaments-Thoughts-from-Day-Two-1427/ /article/Las-Vegas-AAU-Summer-Tournaments-Thoughts-from-Day-Two-1427/ Tue, 25 Jul 2006 01:02:25 -0400 Once again this summer, DraftExpress.com brings you coverage of the top youth event that takes place in the Old Continent, the European Junior Championships. Kids born in 1988 and 1989 fight for the continental throne, but also a berth in the World Junior Championships to be held next summer in Vancouver. /article/U18-European-Championships-Preliminary-Thoughts,-Preliminary-Round-1426/ /article/U18-European-Championships-Preliminary-Thoughts,-Preliminary-Round-1426/ Sun, 23 Jul 2006 16:59:44 -0400 Some initial thoughts on the first day of the Las Vegas AAU Tournaments. The pretty and ugly sides of AAU basketball...OJ Mayo and Bill Walker start off on the right foot. The SoCal Allstars look like the early favorites...Kosta Koufos makes his presence felt...Eric Gordon explodes for 36 points...DeAndre Jordan shows his upside. /article/Las-Vegas-AAU-Summer-Tournaments-Thoughts-from-Day-One-1425/ /article/Las-Vegas-AAU-Summer-Tournaments-Thoughts-from-Day-One-1425/ Sun, 23 Jul 2006 15:59:21 -0400 Atlanta goes home with a one point win behind 16 points from Marvin Williams, Anthony Grundy and Anthony Wilkins. Louis Williams leads the way for Philadelphia again with 27 points, 6 assists and another 8 turnovers. Steven Smith adds 16 points to go with Carney's 18 points and 2 blocked shots.Seattle tries a twin towers lineup featuring Swift and Sene, but these towers can't shoot.. Dallas counters with a balanced attack led by Darius Washington, Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Rawle Marshall. Dallas wins 91-87.Utah finally starts Brewer and he rewards them with an excellent effort but a poor shooting night. Araujo finds his shooting touch for the second night in a row. Melvin Saunders puts the ball in the hoop over and over again and the Spurs win 86-75 /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Six--Final-Day--1424/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Six--Final-Day--1424/ Sun, 23 Jul 2006 15:54:26 -0400 In a surprise start, Aaron Miles leads the Sonics with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists to a close 88-86 victory. Robert Swift has a much better game with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocked shots. Louis Williams and Steven Smith both go off for 21 points and Carney leads a late charge with 15 points.Darius Washington and Maurice Ager tallied 24 points a piece as the Mavs outrun the Spurs to a 90-81 win. Taquan Dean has his best game with 13 points and 6 rebounds but he still play like point guard. Donta Smith bursts through the curtain he had been hiding behind in a performance that was much more impressive then his 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in 21 minutes indicated.Salim Stoudamire leaves to parts unknown and Marvin Williams doesn't dress, which meant the Hawks lose 77-56 despite Sheldon Williams? best game of 10 points, 9 rebounds, a steal and a block. The Jazz are lead by another awesome performance by Paul Millsap with 11 points, 12 rebounds, an assist and a steal in 24 minutes of play and Rafael Araujo's best game of the Revue. Also Dee Brown point guard or revisited. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Five-1423/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Five-1423/ Fri, 21 Jul 2006 19:52:11 -0400 DraftExpress will be on hand in Las Vegas this weekend and beyond to cover the AAU tournament bonanza involving the terrific 2007 high school class. Four DraftExpress staff members will be in attendance so make sure to stop by this weekend and especially next year to hear about the next group of stars of college basketball and eventually the NBA. /article/DraftExpress-Covering-Nike,-Adidas-and-RBK-AAU-Tournaments-in-Vegas-1422/ /article/DraftExpress-Covering-Nike,-Adidas-and-RBK-AAU-Tournaments-in-Vegas-1422/ Fri, 21 Jul 2006 02:18:15 -0400 Today?s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies marked the eleventh and last day for the 2006 Long Beach Summer Pro League. Yet again it was a foul ravaged four quarters with the teams amassing 69 fouls between themselves. With Lakers center Andrew Bynum sitting this one out, the two Grizzlies stars, Hakim Warrick and Rudy Gay, pulled down 11 offensive rebounds. Down by 21 at one point, the Lakers rallied hard in the fourth with some last minute heroics by Devin Green and Marcus Slaughter, only to fail in the end losing 111-108. /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Eleven-1421/ /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Eleven-1421/ Fri, 21 Jul 2006 01:09:12 -0400 Louis Williams continues to score and throw the ball away at prolific rates with 23 points and 8 turnovers. Edin Bavcic figures out the American game to the sound of 21 points on 7 of 10 shooting. San Antonio committed 40 fouls and turned it over 27 times, which made it easy for Philadelphia to win 87-61. Atlanta wins a tight game 88-85 behind Marvin Williams 26 points in spite of 27 by Desmon Farmer. Saer Sene doesn't play with a rolled ankle, but Robert Swift does.Utah wins 76-75 over Dallas on a last second tip by Paul Millsap off a missed Brewer layup. Jose Barea shows a point guard?s creative spark and Dee Brown doesn't. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Four-1420/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Four-1420/ Wed, 19 Jul 2006 15:15:41 -0400 It?s the tenth day of the Long Beach Summer Pro League and the Washington Wizards upped the ante in their last game by playing Iron Man basketball. They only dressed 6 players which left only Scottie Pippen look-a-like Jon Rogers as the lone backup off the bench. Despite having 7 DNPs in the boxscore, the Wizards played some impressive basketball (shooting 53% overall), but couldn?t overcome their lack of defense to win the game, ultimately losing 132-123 to the Los Angeles Lakers. After a cold start they rallied and led at the half, but fatigue kicked in on the defensive end allowing the Lakers to shoot a ridiculous 60% from the field for the game. /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Ten-1419/ /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Ten-1419/ Wed, 19 Jul 2006 14:22:53 -0400 DraftExpress Director of Prep Scouting Rodger Bohn recently had the chance to chat with incoming Washington freshman Spencer Hawes. Hawes told DraftExpress of his summer workouts with Robert Swift, his reasoning for choosing Washington, and his experience going up against the #10 pick in this year?s NBA draft Saer Sene in the Hoop Summit, among other things. /article/Getting-To-Know-Spencer-Hawes-1418/ /article/Getting-To-Know-Spencer-Hawes-1418/ Wed, 19 Jul 2006 01:55:55 -0400 We?re getting close to the end of here at the Long Beach Summer Pro League and the players are feeling it just as much as the fans. The Memphis Grizzlies toppled the Washington Wizards in a lopsided victory 105-80, leading them in every period and outscoring them in the fourth 32-19. Rudy Gay sat once again due to a groin injury, but is expected to play on Wednesday. Lawrence Roberts also continues to sit with what the staff suspects is a broken nose and is unlikely to play again in the SPL. /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Nine-1417/ /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Nine-1417/ Tue, 18 Jul 2006 22:44:54 -0400 Louis Williams scores 20 in the first half as the 76ers roll to a 90-59 over the Mavericks.The Hawks prevail in a hard fought game 84-74 behind Marvin William's 22 and Salim Stoudamire's 19 despite 16 points from Ian Mahinmi and 13 from Jamar Smith.Saer Sene takes two giant steps towards playing in the NBA tonight with his best game in an overtime thriller. He stayed on floor for 28 minutes and out of foul trouble, at least a little. He also showed a rough but effective scoring touch around the basket. He scores 13 points, blocks 5 shots, tallies 6 rebounds and saves 3 balls by diving out of bounds. The Sonics win 76-75 in overtime despite Ronnie Brewers great game with 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steal and 1 block. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Three-1416/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Three-1416/ Tue, 18 Jul 2006 01:35:37 -0400 Today gave us our first double-header in Long Beach at the Summer Pro League. First up were the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite an uninvolved day from Hakim Warrick and star Rudy Gay sitting on the bench, the Grizzlies started out the gate in command and road a one-sided third quarter to victory 88-73. Head official Joey Crawford was on hand and there was a lot of questionable refereeing both ways with 69 total fouls between the two teams, making for a slow and torturous game. The second game was a blowout of the Washington Wizards by the Dallas Mavericks 120-99. Unfortunately I wasn?t on hand to witness the second game, but Andray Blatche had a huge night with 38 points on 12 of 22 shooting and pulled down 12 boards (5 offensive). The Mavs were lead by Milwaukee pick David Noel who scored 26 points on 12 of 19 shooting, grabbed 8 boards and dished 7 assists. Impressive performances on both sides and some very serious regret on my end for missing the game. /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Eight-1415/ /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Eight-1415/ Mon, 17 Jul 2006 01:20:41 -0400 San Antonio Spurs 73 Seattle Sonics 70Yotam Halperin leads the Sonics with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Melvin Saunders scores 15. Dallas Mavericks 94 Atlanta Hawks 93Marvin Williams erupts for 30 points and 10 rebounds. Undrafted rookie Jose Juan Barea counters with 20 points and 8 assists. Philadelphia 76ers 81 Utah Jazz 74 Louis Williams and Steven Smith combine for 50 points between them. Ronnie Brewer leads the Jazz with 17. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Two-1414/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-Two-1414/ Sun, 16 Jul 2006 13:02:12 -0400 Philadelphia 88, Seattle 74Shavlik Randolph dominates with 25 points and 13 rebounds. San Antonio 79, Dallas 71Rawle Marshall scores 20 on poor shooting. Utah 98, Atlanta 76Deron Williams dominates with 16 points and 7 assists in just 19 minutes. Marvin Williams responds with 22 points on 9 shots. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-One-1413/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue-Day-One-1413/ Sat, 15 Jul 2006 12:57:58 -0400 Day 7 of the Long Beach Summer Pro League was blessed by the arrival of the Washington Wizards warmed up and ready to go after their stint in Las Vegas. With only 3 NBA teams up to this point the Wizards arrival is like a breath of fresh air to the talent starved SPL fans. Unfortunately first round pick Oleksiy Pecherov didn?t get into the game during Washington?s 114-85 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers today, but we?re looking forward to seeing him in the upcoming games. Despite leading from tipoff the game was actually much closer than the score would indicate, with the Lakers making their run and taking charge in the fourth quarter. /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Seven-1412/ /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Seven-1412/ Sat, 15 Jul 2006 12:25:08 -0400 Memphis star Hakim Warrick grabbed an offensive board with 17 seconds left in the game and layed it in to take the lead. Sweet shooter Ryan Forehan-Kelly then faked left and spun right for a fadeaway from behind the college arc to tie it up for the Mavericks with 3 seconds left sending the game into overtime. Forehan-Kelly then went on to score 7 more points during the extra period, but it wasn?t enough to overcome the significantly more talented Memphis roster, finally falling 121-117. The bonus news for Memphis? Rudy Gay showed up signed and ready to play with 21 and 10 in only 24 minutes of action. /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Six-1411/ /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Six-1411/ Fri, 14 Jul 2006 03:20:29 -0400 Game Three Final: Indiana Pacers 89 -Miami Heat 81Taylor Coppenrath erupts for 19 points. Earl Barron and Dorell Wright combine for 36 points. Game Two Final: Orlando Magic 93- Chicago Bulls 87Travis Diener puts on a shooting exhibition. Drago Pasalic helps his cause once again. Game One Final: New Jersey Nets- 92 Charlotte Bobcats 87Antoine Wright has another solid showing, Marcus Williams and Josh Boone both come away with double-doubles. Adam Morrison and Sean May both score over 30. /article/Orlando-Summer-League,-Day-Four-1410/ /article/Orlando-Summer-League,-Day-Four-1410/ Thu, 13 Jul 2006 17:05:23 -0400 Both teams started their benches today leading to an ugly game that eventually gave way to a Los Angeles Lakers win over the Dallas Mavericks 99-87. Dallas didn?t score in the first 6 minutes of the game and shot 40% overall with 21 turnovers. Both teams played poorly with the Mavericks looking overmatched in the first quarter and then taking turns one-upping each other on bad plays throughout the third. It wasn?t until the final minutes of the game when the Lakers started to pull away and sealed the victory. /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Five-1409/ /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Five-1409/ Thu, 13 Jul 2006 02:49:53 -0400 Game Three Final: Miami Heat- 92 Chicago Bulls 88Tyrus Thomas powers his way to another double-double, Dorell Wright puts up a near triple-double. Game Two Final: Indiana Pacers 89-New Jersey Nets 62Josh Boone with another very solid outing. David Harrison punishes the Nets inside. Game One Final: Charlotte 103- Orlando 87Adam Morrison scores 24 points despite a poor shooting day from the field. Travis Diener controls the Magic extremely well at the point, but was let down by his teammates' poor finishing. /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Day-Three-1408/ /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Day-Three-1408/ Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:13:07 -0400 A recap of the first three games played at day five of the Vegas Summer League. /article/Vegas-Summer-League,-Day-Five-1407/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League,-Day-Five-1407/ Wed, 12 Jul 2006 12:53:13 -0400 Another great finish tonight in Day Four of the Long Beach Summer Pro League with the Los Angeles Lakers squeaking by the Memphis Grizzlies 87-84 behind some inspired play from first round draft choice Jordan Farmar and a solid game from Andrew Bynum. After Bynum hit two free throws to tie the game in the final minute and a half Farmar came through with a nasty crossover that left his man standing allowing him to take is straight to the rack and lay it in. After the game asked if he would do anything different Jordan joked that he only wished he had dunked it instead. /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Four-1406/ /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Four-1406/ Wed, 12 Jul 2006 12:41:14 -0400 Game Three Final: Charlotte 88- Chicago 87Adam Morrison explodes for 25 points in one half. Thabo Sefolosha, Tyrus Thomas and Aaron Miles lead a balanced effort from the Bulls. Game Two Final: Orlando 80- Indiana 79Travis Diener dominates the game, Granger steps into the go-to scoring role. Game One: Miami Heat 91- New Jersey Nets 85. Earl Barron continues to establish himself as a summer league allstar, with 33 points. Marcus Williams shows the good of his game, as well as the bad. /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Day-Two-1405/ /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Day-Two-1405/ Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:00:10 -0400 Following yesterday?s blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers the Dallas B team once again took a beating while facing the Memphis Grizzlies. Outmatched from tipoff by a vastly better Memphis squad, the Mavericks ended up losing 113-82, mostly due to the efforts of second year Grizzly player Hakim Warrick. /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Three-1403/ /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Three-1403/ Tue, 11 Jul 2006 03:06:34 -0400 As the NBA becomes more conscious of salary cap and luxury tax implications and looks to get better value from the rotation players they bring off the bench, we are beginning to see a growing trend of exploring the overseas markets for more mature and polished help from established players that put up excellent numbers in the various international leagues. In part two of our series, we break down four more free agent candidates and update on the latest news coming out of the European and domestic market. /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2006-Market-Part-Two--1402/ /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2006-Market-Part-Two--1402/ Tue, 11 Jul 2006 02:55:05 -0400 Marcus Williams?s draft day plight is symbolic. Not merely of the tremendous potential for embarrassment if you accept an invitation to the green room, or NBA personnel folks? preference for measurements like body fat percentage and time recorded in hopscotch over the ability to actually play basketball. More than that, Williams?s plummet from the mid-lottery to Pavel Podkolzine territory symbolizes the death of the point guard as a position of consequence in today?s NBA. /article/Missing-the-Point-1401/ /article/Missing-the-Point-1401/ Mon, 10 Jul 2006 20:56:58 -0400 Today?s NBA matchup in Long Beach proved to be a blowout with the Los Angeles Lakers besting the Dallas Mavericks 97-69 behind 14 points from center Andrew Bynum and a late game surge from guard Von Wafer. Dallas sent the lesser of their two summer league teams to Long Beach and it showed as they were outplayed and outmatched in the second half. In an interesting twist the Dallas roster featured Milwaukee Bucks second round draft choice David Noel. /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Two-1400/ /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-Two-1400/ Mon, 10 Jul 2006 02:44:06 -0400 Game Four Final: Los Angeles Clippers 78- Boston 61Rajon Rondo making Danny Ainge look very smart. Daniel Ewing continues with his strong summer league showing. Game Three Final: Portland 78- Minnesota 65Brandon Roy putting on a show for the Blazers. Randy Foye starts slow but finishes well for Minnesota. Game Two Final: Sacramento 86? Toronto 79Kevin Martin making a living at the free throw line. Bargnani shows his talent. /article/Vegas-Summer-League,-Day-4-1399/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League,-Day-4-1399/ Sun, 09 Jul 2006 19:07:51 -0400 With only four NBA teams participating in the 2006 Long Beach Summer Pro League the schedule only allows for one game on most days with a few double-headers. After Bo Outlaw posted his customary 25 points and 17 rebounds in the full 48 minutes for his L. Smith & Associates team in beating Hoosier Daddy 90-84, the main event began. Today's featured match up was the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Memphis Grizzlies.Sadly missing were Memphis first round picks Rudy Gay and Kyle Lowry, however the team wasn't deterred and after jumping out to a 13 point lead in the first quarter they managed to eek out an 89-87 win with the Lakers taking and then giving up the lead in the final minute of the game. /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-One-1398/ /article/2006-Summer-Pro-League---Day-One-1398/ Sun, 09 Jul 2006 17:30:48 -0400 Game Five Final: Phoenix 89? New York 70Amare Stoudemire looks like he might have a chance to make Phoenix's roster. David Lee the lone bright spot for the Knicks. Game Four Final: Houston 73? Cleveland 58John Lucas continues to earn an NBA paycheck with another MVP type performance. Game Three Final: Golden State 93? Los Angeles Clippers 86James Singleton impresses for the Clippers, Jose Juan Barea does a great job running the Warriors. Game Two Final: Washington 80- Detroit 67Alex Acker and Andray Blatche really stand out as NBA prospects. Game One Final: Boston 92- Dallas 85Ryan Gomes looking like a 10 year vet, Josh Powell showing his all-around game. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-3-1397/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-3-1397/ Sat, 08 Jul 2006 15:55:01 -0400 Game Five Final: Sacramento 91? New Orleans 72Ron Artest and Kevin Martin bring a taste of the real NBA to the Vegas summer league. Game Four Final: Portland 87 - Golden State 70Brandon Roy and Martell Webster combine for a fantastic game for the Trailblazers in a blowout win. Game Three: (Final) Minnesota 91- Phoenix 83Amare Stoudemire looking like his dominant self and even showed some perimeter skills that we weren't aware of previously. Randy Foye scored 20+. Game Two Final: Houston- 93 Denver 90John Lucas and Steve Novak once again showing that they are very legit NBA players. Casey Jacobson with another solid outing. Game One Final: New York 95- Cleveland 71. Sharrod Ford and Sasha Pavlovic playing well for Cleveland, Nate Robinson again looking like a summer league allstar. Channing Frye logs a nice game too. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Two-1396/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-Two-1396/ Fri, 07 Jul 2006 16:12:18 -0400 Game Four: Toronto 93- Washington 85Bargnani puts on a great offensive showing.Game Three: Sacramento 90- Minnesota 83Kevin Martin doing his usual thing, scoring plenty of points in a number of different ways. Justin Williams impressing as always with his fantastic shot-blocking and rebounding ability.Game Two: Denver 113- Dallas 83Casey Jacobson gives the Nuggets something to think about with the way he shoots it in a horrible blowout. Game One: Houston 88- Portland 82. Steve Novak and John Lucas steal the show from nearly the entire actual Portland Trailblazers roster. Martell Webster shoots the lights out. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-One-1395/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Day-One-1395/ Thu, 06 Jul 2006 17:41:56 -0400 As the NBA becomes more conscious of salary cap and luxury tax implications and looks to get better value from the rotation players they bring off the bench, we are beginning to see a growing trend of exploring the overseas markets for more mature and polished help from established players that put up excellent numbers in the various international leagues. Over the next week, we'll break down the top overseas candidates for NBA teams to sign on the 2006 free agent market. /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2006-Market--Part-One--1394/ /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2006-Market--Part-One--1394/ Thu, 06 Jul 2006 02:33:58 -0400 Wednesday night?s draft taught us some valuable lessons for next year and beyond about the way the NBA conducts their business this time of the year. Let?s look back at a few of them to see what we can learn. /article/Lessons-Learned-from-Draft-Night-1393/ /article/Lessons-Learned-from-Draft-Night-1393/ Tue, 04 Jul 2006 02:16:59 -0400 While it?s WAY too early to evaluate how well teams made out in this draft, we?ll attempt to take an early shot at grading the draft based on what we know now and what we heard and saw from covering the draft over the past few months.This report card was based off three things:I: How well did the team in question satisfy their personal needs or fill the gaps they have on their roster with the hand they were dealt.II: How much value teams got from the picks they had. III: Subjective opinions on the player they got and how well they fit with the team?s style of play, the direction they are headed and what we know about the organization. /article/2006-NBA-Draft-Report-Card--Part-Three-22-Rest--1392/ /article/2006-NBA-Draft-Report-Card--Part-Three-22-Rest--1392/ Sun, 02 Jul 2006 23:16:00 -0400 DraftExpress will be attending and covering all four summer leagues once again this year. It starts on July 6th in Las Vegas, continues on the 8th in Long Beach, and then moves into Orlando on the 10th and Salt Lake City on the 14th. Pencil us in for our typical comprehensive coverage throughout the month of July. Compiled here are the known rosters so far, which will be updated with the rest as soon as news becomes available. Also included is a list of undrafted rookie free agents and the summer league teams they will be playing for. /article/Moving-into-Summer-Leagues-Undrafted-Free-Agents,-Rosters--UPDATED--1391/ /article/Moving-into-Summer-Leagues-Undrafted-Free-Agents,-Rosters--UPDATED--1391/ Sat, 01 Jul 2006 22:14:15 -0400 While it?s WAY too early to evaluate how well teams made out in this draft, we?ll attempt to take an early shot at grading the draft based on what we know now and what we heard and saw from covering the draft over the past few months.This report card was based off three things:I: How well did the team in question satisfy their personal needs or fill the gaps they have on their roster with the hand they were dealt.II: How much value teams got from the picks they had. III: Subjective opinions on the player they got and how well they fit with the team?s style of play, the direction they are headed and what we know about the organization. /article/2006-NBA-Draft-Report-Card--Part-Two-11-21--1390/ /article/2006-NBA-Draft-Report-Card--Part-Two-11-21--1390/ Fri, 30 Jun 2006 23:46:10 -0400 While it?s WAY too early to evaluate how well teams made out in this draft, we?ll attempt to take an early shot at grading the draft based on what we know now and what we heard and saw from covering the draft over the past few months.I: How well did the team in question satisfy their personal needs or fill the gaps they have on their roster with the hand they were dealt.II: How much value teams got from the picks they had. III: Subjective opinions on the player they got and how well they fit with the team?s style of play, the direction they are headed and what we know about the organization. /article/2006-NBA-Draft-Report-Card--Part-One-1-10--1389/ /article/2006-NBA-Draft-Report-Card--Part-One-1-10--1389/ Fri, 30 Jun 2006 04:14:20 -0400 The 2006 draft is already history, but still there?s room for a little analysis. The international scene took over this year by stealing the first pick through the hands of Andrea Bargnani, but there was even more. Let?s take a look at what you can expect from some of these guys, as well as getting to know some of the less hyped ones. /article/International-Draft-Overview-1388/ /article/International-Draft-Overview-1388/ Fri, 30 Jun 2006 03:55:01 -0400 Strengths Powe has a complete floor game on both ends of the court. Powe's low-post game is strong as the constant double teams he has faced in his two years at Cal have refined his decision making. Powe keeps his head up at all times and hardly ever gets caught by the help defender. Powe prefers to go to his right both on the block and facing up, but mixes in a series of fakes, spins and drop-steps to get free for the score. Powe's hands are his greatest asset as he can finish his shot with deft touch even under heavy duress...Powe has solid athleticsim. He isn't super explosive, but has great secondary jumping quickness as well as above average fluidity and coordination.......Powe has big hands and long, chisled arms that enable him to absorb contact well. Powe's standing reach is equivilant to a player much taller than himself and he uses it well as he shoots the ball with almost full arm extension-over 3/4 delivery. Powe has range out to the collegiate 3 point line and has solid ball handling skills for his size, although he must utilize his left hand more...Powe is also pretty vocal on the court. While he doesn't have a fiery personality, his calm and controlled demeanor helps to anchor his team and he gets his teammates into positon well. Powe is also extremely patient with his shot selection due to the continual double teams he faces on a nightly basis. It's rare to see Powe force a shot, instead he'll work off the ball to get in position for offensive rebounder, or will present himself on the cut for an easy assist. Powe patience is often rewarded with numerous trips to the free throw line where he's got a great stroke......Defensively, Powe is fundemental and solid. Powe uses his long frame well getting wide in his defensive stance and switching stances and distance well to make his opposition uncomfortable. Powe is a decent shot blocker, though he shows more potential than anything right now, both on the ball and off and has good instincts when going for steals. Powe makes sure to keep body seperation when going for the challenge, but is physical with his body on the man when their back is toward the basket. Powe has great lateral quickness for his size and positon which makes it tough to get around him...Powe's rebounding is by far his greatest skill. Powe anticipates rebounds before the shot hits the iron and works hard to get positon on his man. Powe is a great positional rebounder due to superior timing, but he also gets many rebounds outside his area because of his plus instincts and anticipation... /article/Leon-Powe-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2785/ /article/Leon-Powe-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2785/ Thu, 29 Jun 2006 22:41:03 -0400 Strengths In the case of this Senegalese, it’s very easy to identify his virtues, the reason why he might draw some attention: Samb enjoys an impressive combination of size and athleticism that is hard for any player to match. He’s a legit seven footer, perhaps 7-1 in shoes, who enjoys a great wingspan. Cheick displays an excellent vertical leap and good speed on the floor.On the defensive end is where he shows his best potential, being a very promising shot-blocker. It’s not only a matter of how high Samb gets, but also in the timing he shows looking for the block. He feels more comfortable operating in motion, on defensive help coming from the weak side, rather than blocking his own matchup (even if he produces here as well). He shows excellent lateral mobility that only needs some work to translate it into more effective defensive movement. Rebounding is another area where his physical and athletic gifts help him produce.When it comes to his offensive skills, it’s surprising to check that his most reliable weapon is his free-throw shooting ability. It’s not common to see a big man that is this skilled in this department (not being a Reggie Miller, but still good enough to shoot a 70% clip), much less in such a raw player as him. His mechanics are pretty decent, and it’s a smooth release that helps the ball go in if it touches the rim before. Of course, he uses that shooting touch with the clock moving, even by daring to shoot from three-point range once in a long while, although he significantly losses accuracy. He also shows a decently soft touch around the basket and above average hands when it comes to grabbing the ball.Despite his extreme rawness, he’s a player who seems to understand the game well enough, usually showing criteria operating with the ball. Besides, he’s not a passive guy at all concerning what happens on court. He actively talks with his teammates and looks quite motivated. /article/Cheick-Samb-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2875/ /article/Cheick-Samb-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2875/ Thu, 29 Jun 2006 17:00:18 -0400 Strengths At 6-10 or 6-11, Mavrokefalidis is tall enough for the center position in Europe or the NBA. He is a good post player, not soft the way most Euro guys are. His many years on his team's bench have strengthened his character and his game seems really polished offensively. He has a fine mid-range touch and a pretty good long-range one. He has a steady offensive pace and has a couple of nice moves inside too. Generally speaking, he seems to control his offensive game pretty well and this season he has been much of a go-to player for his young team. Whenever needed, he can translate his game to a more team-oriented one, using his passing skills, which are generally above average. His ability to get out of the paint and either attempt a shot or pass the ball either creates alternatives for his teammates or creates free space for action. He is also a nice static three point shooter, but only when unguarded. His ball handling is fair for a man his size.Defensively, he is not bad either. He likes contact and has a strong body, but not for up-tempo basketball. He has strong hands and understands the game's fundamentals on the defensive end. He is a good rebounder and prefers to guard close to the paint, when he will not have to run much. He is a fine blocker, a relatively nice player for a 3-2 zone defense, where he will have to stop a player with only small distance between them. His inside defense can generally be considered to be very good. /article/Loukas-Mavrokefalidis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2876/ /article/Loukas-Mavrokefalidis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2876/ Thu, 29 Jun 2006 16:40:46 -0400 Interviews conducted with most of the Green Room participants following their selection in the NBA draft, courtesy of the NBA. /article/Post-Draft-Interviews-1387/ /article/Post-Draft-Interviews-1387/ Thu, 29 Jun 2006 13:23:43 -0400 Couldn?t make it to the draft? I could and I did, with a media credential and my trusty laptop in tow. What follows is your chance to see the big night through my eyes, the eyes of DraftExpress.com columnist, the eyes of a sage. /article/Live,-From-New-York,-It-s-Wednesday-Night-1386/ /article/Live,-From-New-York,-It-s-Wednesday-Night-1386/ Thu, 29 Jun 2006 12:13:31 -0400 It?s not when you get drafted, it is who you get drafted by. Is there anything else to take away from the 2006 NBA Draft? After a year of meticulously analyzing every available draft-related detail I could get my hands on, the same lesson comes to the forefront. The NBA Draft is not an exact science. Different teams are in different places, with different philosophies and different needs. And just because a player dropped 10 spots from his projected ranking doesn?t make him any less of a prospect than he was before he started to slide. The examples from this year?s draft are almost endless. /article/2006-NBA-Draft-Still-An-Inexact-Science-1385/ /article/2006-NBA-Draft-Still-An-Inexact-Science-1385/ Thu, 29 Jun 2006 12:05:29 -0400 DraftExpress continues to cover the players just taken in the NBA Draft at the Las Vegas and Orlando Summer Leagues. /article/Next-Up-Summer-League-Coverage-on-DraftExpress-1384/ /article/Next-Up-Summer-League-Coverage-on-DraftExpress-1384/ Thu, 29 Jun 2006 00:32:09 -0400 All of the top prospects in the 2006 draft gathered in New York City on Tuesday afternoon to conduct interviews with the media. Because there was very limited time to speak with the players, the focus of today was on new developments since the Orlando pre-draft camp and on the intriguing Italian power forward, Andrea Bargnani. /article/Media-Day-Interviews-with-Green-Room-Attendants-1382/ /article/Media-Day-Interviews-with-Green-Room-Attendants-1382/ Wed, 28 Jun 2006 05:20:10 -0400 NBA draft week is a time of infinite hope, even in a year when the prospects are considered relatively weak Fans begin to speculate on whom would fill that hole in the rotation, how that ?piece? is out there if their GM is just savvy enough to obtain him. For teams ready to compete sooner rather than later, there is deep consideration given to the more ?NBA ready? player, sometimes code for those college seniors who have refined their game. But infused in much of this talk, is the belief that, at least by the player?s second year certainly, he will begin to meaningfully contribute to the team?s success. /article/Help-is-Not-on-the-Way--at-least-not-immediately--1381/ /article/Help-is-Not-on-the-Way--at-least-not-immediately--1381/ Wed, 28 Jun 2006 02:55:08 -0400 An analysis of the total number of players drafted in the first and second round throughout the past 11 years by position and draft class. /article/Breaking-Down-the-NBA-Draft-by-Positions-and-Draft-Class-1380/ /article/Breaking-Down-the-NBA-Draft-by-Positions-and-Draft-Class-1380/ Wed, 28 Jun 2006 02:06:29 -0400 The latest news from around the NBA draft. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Redick-Slipping---Last-Update-547-PM--1377/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Redick-Slipping---Last-Update-547-PM--1377/ Tue, 27 Jun 2006 13:39:30 -0400 Eric Weiss concludes his Training Grounds series by interviewing Clearwater, Florida based David Thorpe. /article/Training-Grounds,-Part-Four-An-Interview-with-David-Thorpe-1376/ /article/Training-Grounds,-Part-Four-An-Interview-with-David-Thorpe-1376/ Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:23:30 -0400 In part three of our four part series we look at the wing players or wannabe wing players available in this draft. We find three age eligible 1984-born prospects, one lock first rounder, one first round hopeful, and two that could be draft and stash prospects for the second round. Thabo Sefolosha is a long wing player who combines American athleticism with European fundamentals. Marquinhos is a rangy Brazilian with good touch from the perimeter but limited experience in competitive five on five settings despite his age. Lior Eliyahu is a prolific combo forward who is one of the most improved players in Europe over the past few years. And Panagiotis Vasilopoulos is a smart and reliable all-around player who is a key rotation piece on an excellent Euroleague squad. /article/An-American-Perspective-on-Europe-The-Wings-1375/ /article/An-American-Perspective-on-Europe-The-Wings-1375/ Tue, 27 Jun 2006 03:59:16 -0400 Numerous sources from around the league told DraftExpress Sunday night that a draft day deal is in place between the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks. Boston is looking to trade down 6-13 spots in an attempt to guage where Cedric Simmons and Rajon Rondo will land on draft night. Seattle and Phoenix trade update. A report from Boston's interesting workout today. Duhon to Boston? Farmar Cancels Memphis. #1 Pick Odds. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Hawks-Rockets-Finalizing-Draft-Day-Deal--825-PM--1374/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Hawks-Rockets-Finalizing-Draft-Day-Deal--825-PM--1374/ Mon, 26 Jun 2006 01:52:25 -0400 In part two of our four part series on the International prospects available in this year's draft, we look at four early entrants with excellent size, two likely first round picks and two more potential 2nd rounders. Saer Sene's size, length and athleticism makes him one of the most intriguing big men amongst any of the prospects available. Oleksiy Pecherov is coming off a breakout season in Europe and looks poised to land somewhere in the mid-late 1st round. Damir Markota and Kosta Perovic are both fairly established Euroleague players who are hoping to be drafted somewhere in the 2nd round. /article/An-American-Perspective-on-Europe-The-Big-Men--Part-Two--1373/ /article/An-American-Perspective-on-Europe-The-Big-Men--Part-Two--1373/ Mon, 26 Jun 2006 01:04:53 -0400 Eric Weiss continues his training grounds series by interviewing Washington DC based trainer Idan Ravin. /article/Training-Grounds,-Part-Three-An-Interview-with-Idan-Ravin-1372/ /article/Training-Grounds,-Part-Three-An-Interview-with-Idan-Ravin-1372/ Sun, 25 Jun 2006 23:17:46 -0400 Joe Abunassar of Abunassar Impact Sports goes into great detail explaining his philosophy in regards to training players and preparing prospects for the NBA draft. /article/Training-Grounds,-Part-Two-An-interview-with-Joe-Abunassar-1371/ /article/Training-Grounds,-Part-Two-An-interview-with-Joe-Abunassar-1371/ Sun, 25 Jun 2006 10:20:22 -0400 In part one of our four part article about the top International prospects in this year?s draft, we?ll look at three power forwards who are projected in various spots in our mock draft. Andrea Bargnani is a name that has become well known to NBA draft fans everywhere over the past two years, and he carries the torch as far as European prospects in this draft are concerned. Joel Freeland was unknown to most NBA scouts up until two weeks ago, but he too might end up cracking the first round if the buzz from his latest batch of workouts is any indication. Vladimir Veremeenko is probably the one that NBA GMs heard first of any player on this list, but as is all too often the case, waiting too long to enter the draft has hurt him in the eyes of scouts when considering the lack of significant improvement he?s shown since he first emerged. /article/An-American-Perspective-on-Europe-The-Big-Men--Part-One--1370/ /article/An-American-Perspective-on-Europe-The-Big-Men--Part-One--1370/ Sun, 25 Jun 2006 02:44:28 -0400 Rumors are swirling of a potential trade between Phoenix and Seattle. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Suns,-Sonics-Closing-in-on-Deal--Update1255-AM--1369/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Suns,-Sonics-Closing-in-on-Deal--Update1255-AM--1369/ Sat, 24 Jun 2006 21:12:22 -0400 Every year between the end of the end of the NCAA Tournament and Draft Day, scores of NBA hopefuls begin the intense process of preparing themselves for the audition of a lifetime. In a mere three months and change, top players from the United States and European Leagues will be poked, prodded, weighed, measured, and interrogated by the top brass of every Pro team. For the lucky few who show themselves well, the golden ticket of a guaranteed contract can be won, and with that a chance to play and prove their true worth on the next level. But, there are only so many chances and so small a time frame to showcase any and all hidden talents that somehow didn?t manifest themselves during seasonal play. For those players who are in favor coming into the process, the hungry masses competing for status will attack relentlessly from behind, scratching and clawing their way ever higher. /article/Training-Grounds-The-Minds-Behind-the-Madness-of-Pre-Draft-Workouts-1368/ /article/Training-Grounds-The-Minds-Behind-the-Madness-of-Pre-Draft-Workouts-1368/ Sat, 24 Jun 2006 03:42:13 -0400 Strengths In terms of physical attributes, Gibson passes the test for a modern day point guard or combo guard. He has decent size at 6-2, aided by his above average wingspan and excellent athleticism. Gibson is a shifty athlete, possessing very good quickness and overall footspeed, along with a nice first step, which allows him to move fluidly on the court and get by his man in half-court sets. His lateral quickness is excellent, which allows him to play good defense out on the perimeter. Offensively, Gibson is a deadly threat on the catch and shoot, with range out to the NBA 3-point line, although he can get streaky depending on the flow of the game. He is excellent moving off the ball and possesses very nice shooting mechanics and an extremely quick release which makes him an excellent option to bring off screens and knock down shots in half-court sets or off the drive and kick. He elevates high off the floor and gets his shot off instantaneously even with a hand in his face. His physical attributes lead you to believe that he has the potential to develop into a bit more than just a spot-up shooter, though, mainly in terms of getting his man to overcommit to his shot and then blow by him for an easier mid-range shot or layup at the hoop.Defensively, Gibson puts pride into this part of his game and was known as one of the top perimeter defenders in the Big 12. He gets low to the ground and has excellent lateral quickness and the smarts to know how to stay in front of his man. Gibson is also an accomplished ball-thief, with good length and excellent hands to get in the passing lanes and ignite the fast break. In terms of intangibles, Gibson is a coach’s son and is never one to cause problems off the court. He is quiet, a very good student, and has an excellent attitude towards the game, with a solid work ethic and an overall good court demeanor. Being only a college sophomore, he still has a considerable upside to continue to improve considering the intriguing tools he brings to the table. He was a very highly touted high school player, and many penciled him in for the lottery in 2006 before he failed to live up to expectations in his sophomore year after regressing significantly in his point guard skills. /article/Daniel-Gibson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2731/ /article/Daniel-Gibson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2731/ Sat, 24 Jun 2006 01:46:41 -0400 A wide-ranging interview conducted with Toronto Raptors blog RaptorsHQ. /article/NBA-Draft-Chat-6232006-1367/ /article/NBA-Draft-Chat-6232006-1367/ Sat, 24 Jun 2006 01:32:19 -0400 Tyrus Thomas visits Houston and Minnesota for measurements and an interview. James White to Los Angeles at #26? Bargnani slipping to mid-lottery? /article/Word-on-the-Street-Thomas-Visits-Houston,-Minnesota--Update-1257--1366/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Thomas-Visits-Houston,-Minnesota--Update-1257--1366/ Fri, 23 Jun 2006 18:05:48 -0400 Important details about this year's draft, as presented by the NBA. TV Coverage, Structure, Location, 2006 Highlights, History, Business, NBA TV, and NBA Cares. /article/NBA-Draft-2006-Presented-by-Sprite-1365/ /article/NBA-Draft-2006-Presented-by-Sprite-1365/ Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:06:06 -0400 Swiss swingman Thabo Sefolosha sits down with Jonathan Givony and Eric Weiss to talk about the NBA draft process as he sees it coming off a grueling season in the Italian first division. /article/Interview-Thabo-Sefolosha-1364/ /article/Interview-Thabo-Sefolosha-1364/ Fri, 23 Jun 2006 00:58:33 -0400 The exclusive 15 man list of players invited to the Green Room at Madison Square Garden Theater on June 28th. Roy, Aldridge refuse the Bobcats. Randy Foye steals the show in Toronto. More trade talk. Gibson promised by Cleveland? /article/Word-on-the-Street-Green-Room-Invites,-Trades--Final-Update-136-AM--1363/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Green-Room-Invites,-Trades--Final-Update-136-AM--1363/ Thu, 22 Jun 2006 21:16:47 -0400 The surfeit of discussion about how teams should best utilize their relative position in the draft begs the question: what do historical trends tell us about the probability of successful outcomes given even broad parameters? Obviously it still comes down to the evaluation of the individual, but even broadly, are there types of players who tend to do better than others? What is the wisdom of moving down and for what purpose? What have been some of the biggest errors made and who has made them? What can an analysis of player outcomes tell us about these and other issues? /article/Predicting-NBA-Draft-Success-and-Failure-through-Historical-Trends-1362/ /article/Predicting-NBA-Draft-Success-and-Failure-through-Historical-Trends-1362/ Wed, 21 Jun 2006 22:42:14 -0400 The fallout from Tyrus Thomas cancelling his workout with Portland, and the promise he may or may not have received. /article/Word-on-the-Street-No-Promise-for-Thomas-1360/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-No-Promise-for-Thomas-1360/ Wed, 21 Jun 2006 01:27:10 -0400 It was once thought that June of 2006 would be Greg Oden?s moment to shine. He would be working out for NBA teams, going through the Pre-Draft combine, and preparing for life the in the NBA. Instead, Oden and several other probable lottery picks from the high school class of 2006 are heading off to summer school. While the age limit has left this month?s draft in a bit of a weakened state, it stands to make the 2007 Draft a truly special affair. The high school class of 2006 is one of the strongest in recent memory, and potential ?one and done? candidates will soon be popping up everywhere. The following is a short run down of which incoming freshmen to pay particularly close attention to. /article/What-If-2006-High-School-Class-Boasts-Several-One-and-Done-Candidates-1359/ /article/What-If-2006-High-School-Class-Boasts-Several-One-and-Done-Candidates-1359/ Wed, 21 Jun 2006 01:25:26 -0400 Saer Sene impresses the Bulls at the Berto Center. Michael Jordan playing a part in Charlotte's draft decision. Danny Ainger and Kevin McHale reunite in Minnesota...more. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Sene-Highlight-Reel-Clip,-Jordan,-Trade-Talk-1358/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Sene-Highlight-Reel-Clip,-Jordan,-Trade-Talk-1358/ Tue, 20 Jun 2006 02:04:13 -0400 Strengths Boone is an athletic big man who runs the floor extremely well and possesses very good quickness and footspeed. He moves well for a player his size in all directions, especially laterally. He is a very good leaper off one foot, but is just average off two feet. Physically, he has an excellent frame that will carry about as much weight as needed, with broad shoulders, strong legs and an excellent wingspan. His wide body and low base allows him to establish position deep in the post for rebounds or occasional garbage points around the hoop. He is not a soft player and does not seem to have too much of a problem throwing his body around. He has solid fundamentals and is generally a very intelligent player with a good court demeanor when things are going well. Offensively, he is limited, but his length, strength and hands allows him to score some points on occasion inside the paint, and especially in transition with how hard he runs the floor. From baseline to baseline, there are few big men who are quicker than Boone in this draft, and it wasn’t rare at all to see him get out in the open floor and beat guards down the court. He is also a solid interior passer who knows how to make the simple pass to give his teammate the easy bucket. All in all, he is an unselfish player who doesn’t mind living on scraps and doesn’t need to be a focal point of his team’s offense to be effective. As a rebounder is where he is likely most attractive initially. He has all the physical tools to become a factor here, including an above average wingspan, outstanding hands, quickness, timing, and an excellent knack for anticipating where the ball will end up next. The offensive glass is where he shines the most; as almost 50% of his rebounds over his three year college career have come from there. Boone is also an excellent defender, featuring terrific footwork, a fundamentally sound defensive stance and imposing positioning immediately when his man gets the ball. He will bump his chest right into him and glide quickly laterally from left to right. He has a good understanding of the game here, showing very well on the pick and roll and knowing when to rotate on help defense inside the paint. His quick hands and feet along with his length make him a threat to disrupt the post entry pass and come up with the steal on any given possession. In terms of intangibles, Boone is intelligent both on and off the court, being both an excellent student and a solid citizen. He will do the little things in order to win, and does not have much of an ego like some top NCAA players from large programs too. In terms of his resume, it’s hard to argue with his credentials. He’s won about as many games as any junior in this draft, was a three year starter at arguably the best college basketball program in America, played under an outstanding coach, and has numerous accolades under his belt. /article/Josh-Boone-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2729/ /article/Josh-Boone-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2729/ Mon, 19 Jun 2006 23:46:54 -0400 Videoclips of the top prospects in the 2006 draft, courtesy of NBA Entertainment. The clips are accompanied by expert commentary from NBA Assistant Director of Scouting Ryan Blake. The show is hosted by Bruce Beck and analyst Glenn Consor of NBATV. Also included is NBATV's analysis of the Team Needs of all 30 NBA teams. That portion is hosted by NBATV's Matt Loughlin, and features analysis from Gail Goodrich, Fred Carter, and Frank Isola. /article/NBA-Entertainment-s-2006-Draft-Top-Prospect-Videoclips,-Team-Needs-1357/ /article/NBA-Entertainment-s-2006-Draft-Top-Prospect-Videoclips,-Team-Needs-1357/ Mon, 19 Jun 2006 15:54:49 -0400 Our stay in Treviso couldn?t have resulted in a better ending than a game at the Italian League Finals featuring this year?s top international draft prospect, Andrea Bargnani.After upsetting Climamio at Bologna in game one, with an excellent showing by Andrea (16 points and 5 rebounds), Benetton was playing game two at home in Treviso on Friday, therefore giving us a great opportunity to almost completely watch the series become decided. /article/Tales-from-Treviso-Italian-Heat-1356/ /article/Tales-from-Treviso-Italian-Heat-1356/ Mon, 19 Jun 2006 02:28:29 -0400 Sergio Rodríguez keeps his name in the draft...Tiago Splitter, Aaron Gray pull out. Pecherov, Markota and Eliyahu staying in...Farmar hiring an agent and staying in for good. Portland, Phoenix, Portland trading up? New Jersey and Seattle moving down? (Final Update: 10:36 PM) /article/Word-on-the-Street-Early-Entry-Deadline--Last-Update-1036-PM--1355/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Early-Entry-Deadline--Last-Update-1036-PM--1355/ Sun, 18 Jun 2006 16:08:18 -0400 It?s that time of the year again. Workouts are in full swing and NBA hopefuls are jetting around the country aiming to convince teams that they belong. For media and draft junkies alike, it?s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of workout buzz. Every day it seems like a mysterious new Brazilian with a 15 foot wingspan explodes onto the workout scene and instantly makes himself into a candidate for the lottery. But what do these workouts really mean? Can players really cancel out unproductive college careers by looking great during workouts for a month? Perhaps most importantly, what can NBA teams learn about players from watching them workout? It depends on who you talk to. /article/Workout-Wondering-1354/ /article/Workout-Wondering-1354/ Sat, 17 Jun 2006 22:27:59 -0400 There is news, big news, and news you should actually pay attention to. The Volume Shooter has filtered the pollutants out of the draft news river, and provided 5 clean, crisp, and compelling stories to keep you current. Drink up? /article/High-Five-1353/ /article/High-Five-1353/ Sat, 17 Jun 2006 22:26:38 -0400 Strengths A world class athlete, White could have been a track and field star had he chosen not to play basketball. He is one of the best leapers in this draft, with an incredible vertical leap that will surely secure him a spot in next year’s dunk contest. He elevates off the floor as quickly as anyone in this draft, and has great hangtime to help him finish at the rim emphatically in crowd pleasing fashion. White also has excellent footspeed and overall quickness, which comes to play mostly in the work he does in transition as well as on the defensive end. White has prototypical size for the swingman position at approximately 6-7 and very good length. His conditioning level is fantastic and you’d rarely see him leave the floor playing for Cincinnati. On physical attributes alone, White is one of the most attractive players in this draft at his position. Offensively, White has made consistent improvement over his four year college career. This is most noticeable in his ball-handling, which allowed him to bring the ball up the floor and even handle the point guard position at times for Cincinnati. White is an unselfish player by nature, certainly to a fault at times, and has shown to be capable of making intelligent and highly creative passes thanks to his very solid court vision, and even run an offense semi-effectively. The range on his shot has also improved dramatically, to the point that he shot 37.4% from the NCAA 3-point line, albeit mostly on spot-up threes. His mechanics smooth when he sticks to them and it would not be a shock to see him develop in a solid NBA 3-point shooter. In transition is where White is truly at his best, as he flies up and down the court in the open floor and is able to beat point guards down the court after he gets going on his 2nd or 3rd dribble. Defensively is where White currently stands out the most as far as his NBA draft potential goes. He has good length and outstanding lateral quickness, being able to stay in front of almost anyone at the college level when focused and be a real threat in the passing lanes. He’s extremely versatile in the sense that he’s been asked to defend every position from the 1-4 in college, and has generally enjoyed great success doing so. In terms of intangibles, his mentality and overall toughness have been questioned repeatedly over the past four years, but his coaching staff raves about his work ethic. Although he never quite developed into the superstar many envisioned him becoming out of high school, he has improved significantly and is a fairly complete all-around player. /article/James-White-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2742/ /article/James-White-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2742/ Sat, 17 Jun 2006 21:53:28 -0400 The results of the NBA Pre-Draft Camp Athletic Testing. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Athletic-Testing-Combine-Results-1352/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Athletic-Testing-Combine-Results-1352/ Sat, 17 Jun 2006 03:22:34 -0400 He has a 7-6 ¾ wingspan, and a 9-3 ½ standing reach. He jumps out of the gym with a 39 inch vertical, bench presses 185 pounds 24 times and runs a 3.3 in the three quarter court sprint. But can he shoot? Dribble? Catch a rebound? Play? Do we even care? It?s that time once again, our favorite time of the year of course; ten days before the draft when everything logical in regards to analyzing basketball gets flushed down the toilet. Instead we focus on superficial things that have proven again and again to have very little correlation with actual success in the NBA. /article/But-Can-He-Play-Analyzing-the-NBA-Pre-Draft-Combine-Results-1351/ /article/But-Can-He-Play-Analyzing-the-NBA-Pre-Draft-Combine-Results-1351/ Sat, 17 Jun 2006 02:23:15 -0400 With the release of wingspans as well as with the release of standing reach, the true size of an NBA prospect can be broken down to the last inch. There were some surprise and astonishment when some players measured out very favorably while other players did not seem to possess the correct wingspan and/or standing reach to go with their height. /article/Wings--spans--N--Things-Analyzing-the-Pre-Draft-Measurements-1349/ /article/Wings--spans--N--Things-Analyzing-the-Pre-Draft-Measurements-1349/ Fri, 16 Jun 2006 03:29:35 -0400 Strengths In terms of physical attributes, Williams is one of the more intriguing wing small forwards in this draft. He has outstanding height at just a shade under 6-9 with a terrific wingspan and standing reach, and his frame shows plenty of potential to play either the 3 or the face-up 4 position depending on the direction he decides to head in. As an athlete, the best way to describe him would be “smooth”. Williams is not terribly explosive, but he gets to where he needs to on the floor and is quick off his feet to finish with a dunk or pull down a rebound. Offensively, Williams has terrific potential as a mismatch threat. His size and the high release point and elevation he gets on his shot means that he will be able to get his shot off almost whenever he pleases, as well as the quickness in which he gets his shot off. Although he is anything but a consistent shooter from long range at this point in his career, there is plenty of reason to believe that he will become a fine outside shooter if he puts the work in. He was used mostly as a pick and pop threat at the collegiate level; and this is what his role in the NBA projects at as well. Whether it was from the high or low post, Williams consistently showed the ability to use his height to see the entire floor and find the open man with his terrific passing skills. Thanks to his height and length, Williams has nice potential as an all-around stat-stuffer and has put together some nice lines in college with steals, blocks, rebounds and assists. Considering the direction the NBA is heading towards, players like Williams are en vogue these days. Only being a freshman, he still has plenty of upside to continue to improve. /article/Shawne-Williams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2811/ /article/Shawne-Williams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2811/ Fri, 16 Jun 2006 01:45:52 -0400 Strengths Sene is a physical specimen in the truest sense, with the type of attributes that would put him in a rare class in the NBA right off the bat. Standing 7 feet tall, he has terrific size for the center position, with a 7’8.5’’ wingspan that will make him the longest player in the league. Sene isn’t particularly bulky at this point in time, but his frame is good enough to lead you to believe that he’ll put on all weight he’ll ever need in his upper and lower body. In terms of athletic ability, Sene passes the test as well. He is quick off his feet and has a terrific second bounce after his initial vertical leap. He has excellent footspeed and overall quickness, and runs the floor extremely well for a player his size. Offensively, Sene is a massive target in the paint and is the type of player who you can potentially just throw the ball in the general direction of and let him go get it. He won’t always be able to catch it at this point in his development curve, but it’s impressive to see just how much potential he has as a target around the rim, particularly when running the floor in transition. If he does manage to catch the ball in a favorable position, his size, length and the quickness in which he gets off his feet usually do the rest, as he’s able to stick it the ball in the basket emphatically while barely leaving the ground. Watching him on film, he’s often able to avoid the initial challenge in the air from his defender and dunk the ball while already well on his way down, just before landing on his feet. If he has time to gather himself after catching the ball in the post, he shows some sparks of a raw jump-hook shot he can utilize. Defensively is where Sene is probably the most attractive. His length alone already makes him a force as a shot-blocking threat, but the raw timing he shows leaves even more room for optimism in his potential as a game changer in the paint. Sene recovers extremely well and is quick to get over and challenge slashers that dare enter the paint. His nimble feet allow him to stay in front of players much smaller than him with his lateral quickness and force them into some extremely difficult shots high off the glass over his outstretched arms. For every blocked shot that he comes up with, he alters countless other just with his mere presence and the intimidation factor he establishes early on. With Sene manning the post, opposing guards need to bring it strong into the paint, or they will most likely be denied. A part of his game that really shows just how freakishly long he is when being posted up. On numerous occasions on film we’d see Sene stripping his man clean while being posted up on a one on one back to the basket play. When the post-entry pass comes, Sene can just stick his long arm out and around his man from behind and deflect the ball free. More reasons for optimism are left when watching just how hard he works on this end, as Sene is anything but a lazy player and has no problem mixing things up and getting dirty in the paint. It’s not rare to see him hit the deck for a loose ball. Effort never seems to be an issue with him. Much of what makes Sene so intriguing as a shot-blocking presence is also what impresses with his rebounding potential. Sene’s size, length and athleticism are always on full display in this part of his game, as is the tenacity in which he works the glass. He fights for every rebound and enjoys a lot of success here almost solely off his physical attributes, bouncing off the ground repeatedly in the post trying to get his hands on loose balls, going after long rebounds with his tremendous reach and being fairly effective on the offensive end as well to get 2nd opportunities or easy baskets for his team.In terms of his upside, there is absolutely no doubt that Sene’s ceiling is just about as high as anyone in this draft due to his incredible physical attributes. Consistent reports from people that have worked with him, including his coaching staff at Belgium, say that his work ethic and personality are terrific and that he’s very hungry and motivated to become the best basketball player that he can possibly become. Seeing the way he works out on the court, it’s hard to dispute that. Sene has improved quite over the past few years according to unbiased professionals in the basketball world who have followed him, coached him and watched him in person, and should continue to improve over the next few years. /article/Saer-Sene-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2801/ /article/Saer-Sene-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2801/ Fri, 16 Jun 2006 01:25:03 -0400 The official NBA Pre-Draft Camp Height, Weight, Wingspan and Standing Reach measurements. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Heights,-Weights,-Wingspans-and-Standing-Reaches-1348/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Heights,-Weights,-Wingspans-and-Standing-Reaches-1348/ Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:09:39 -0400 The 2006 Reebok Eurocamp is as good as done after four intense days that alowed the attendants to get a grasp of a good number of interesting young international players. The camp all-stars faced the Italian U-20 national team. Marquinhos has a slightly better showing. A summary of what was seen here, including our Eurocamp MVP: Anton Ponkrashov. /article/RBK-Treviso-Eurocamp-2006-The-Final-Cut-1347/ /article/RBK-Treviso-Eurocamp-2006-The-Final-Cut-1347/ Thu, 15 Jun 2006 10:40:27 -0400 DraftExpress names its 1st, 2nd and 3rd team All-Orlando Pre-Draft Camp teams, as well as the camp MVP. Detailed recaps on each player's performance are included. /article/DraftExpress-All-Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Teams-1345/ /article/DraftExpress-All-Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Teams-1345/ Thu, 15 Jun 2006 03:36:03 -0400 Interviews from media day featuring Cedric Simmons, Rodney Carney and J.J. Redick. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Media-Day--Part-Three--1346/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Media-Day--Part-Three--1346/ Thu, 15 Jun 2006 03:35:37 -0400 The third day is in the books and we?re quickly approaching the end of the camp, and it?s everyday becoming a longer shot to find some first round material here. At this point, all the hard work done these days is leaving the kids exhausted. /article/RBK-Treviso-Eurocamp-2006-Day-Three-1343/ /article/RBK-Treviso-Eurocamp-2006-Day-Three-1343/ Wed, 14 Jun 2006 12:29:17 -0400 NBA Source; Redick Out for Several Months with Back Injury. Garnett to Sacramento? Pistons looking to move up after promise to Fesenko falls through. Rodríguez conducts final workouts, will wait for first round promise in Spain. Shelden a lock at #5? Lakers willing to trade Odom for Roy? /article/Word-on-the-Street-Redick-s-Back,-Trade-Speculation-1341/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Redick-s-Back,-Trade-Speculation-1341/ Tue, 13 Jun 2006 19:49:15 -0400 The second day of the Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso arrived with little changes in the general landscape. Following a similar scheme of drills in the morning and games in the evening, the novelty comes in the form of a daily real game against a U-20 National Team. Unfortunately, the first feature was Finland, a very weak opponent for the young squad put together for the occasion. Croatia and Italy are expected to bring a lot more interest in the remaining days. /article/RBK-Treviso-Eurocamp-2006-Day-Two-1340/ /article/RBK-Treviso-Eurocamp-2006-Day-Two-1340/ Tue, 13 Jun 2006 09:30:45 -0400 A chat conducted with the Brazilian basketball website DraftBrasil.net, discussing many wide-ranging topics about the NBA draft in general as well as specific Brazilian prospects. /article/NBA-Draft-Chat--6-13-06--1339/ /article/NBA-Draft-Chat--6-13-06--1339/ Tue, 13 Jun 2006 01:34:49 -0400 Once again, DraftExpress.com is attending the Reebok Eurocamp that annually takes place in the impressive facilities of La Ghirada in Treviso. It?s an excellent opportunity to take a look at a large amount of international prospects that are not always easily reachable for extended playing time with their teams. /article/RBK-Treviso-Eurocamp-2006-A-First-Look-1338/ /article/RBK-Treviso-Eurocamp-2006-A-First-Look-1338/ Mon, 12 Jun 2006 13:19:40 -0400 Interviews from media day featuring Ronnie Brewer, Adam Morrison, Marcus Williams, Patrick O'Bryant and Rudy Gay. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Media-Day--Part-Two--1337/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Media-Day--Part-Two--1337/ Mon, 12 Jun 2006 02:41:30 -0400 Interviews from media day featuring Tyrus Thomas, Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Randy Foye, J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams. Check back tomorrow for part two, featuring in-depth interviews with Adam Morrison, Rudy Gay, Ronnie Brewer, Rodney Carney, Patrick O'Bryant and Cedric Simmons. /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Media-Day--Part-One--1336/ /article/NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Media-Day--Part-One--1336/ Sat, 10 Jun 2006 22:23:16 -0400 Hartford Senior Kenny Adeleke gives us a recap of his NBA draft experience thus far. /article/Draft-Diary-Kenny-Adeleke-1335/ /article/Draft-Diary-Kenny-Adeleke-1335/ Sat, 10 Jun 2006 10:27:14 -0400 Continual updates from the fourth day of the pre-draft camp in Orlando all day long. /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-4--Last-Update-815PM--1334/ /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-4--Last-Update-815PM--1334/ Fri, 09 Jun 2006 12:14:13 -0400 DraftExpress attended an incredibly intense workout between pre-draft sessions conducted by trainers David Thorpe and Rico Hines featuring Ryan Hollins, Alexander Johnson, Guillermo Diaz, Jeremy Kelly, Jamaal Williams and Pooh Jeter. The workout was attended by 15 NBA teams and numerous decision makers, including Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh of the Indiana Pacers, Elgin Baylor of the Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Mullin of the Golden State Warriors, Sam Presti of the San Antonio Spurs and Nate McMillan of the Portland Trailblazers. Other teams in attendance included the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Seattle Supersonics, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, and Sacramento Kings. /article/Private-Workout-Hollins,-Johnson,-Diaz,-Kelly,-Williams,-Jeter-1333/ /article/Private-Workout-Hollins,-Johnson,-Diaz,-Kelly,-Williams,-Jeter-1333/ Fri, 09 Jun 2006 10:52:51 -0400 Updates all day long from the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp on an hourly basis. /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-3--Last-Update-1046-AM--1332/ /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-3--Last-Update-1046-AM--1332/ Thu, 08 Jun 2006 11:52:29 -0400 Updates all day long from the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp. The first game starts at 11 AM today between Team 5 and Team 6. /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-2--last-update-1038-PM--1331/ /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-2--last-update-1038-PM--1331/ Wed, 07 Jun 2006 10:36:27 -0400 Our second visit to IMG Academy on the morning before the NBA pre-draft camp started gave us a chance to watch two likely lottery prospects and two other likely first round picks. Big men Cedric Simmons and Patrick O?Bryant trained on one end of the floor while guards Thabo Sefolosha and Kyle Lowry worked out on the other. /article/Private-Workout-Cedric-Simmons,-Thabo-Sefolosha,-Lowry,-O-Bryant-1330/ /article/Private-Workout-Cedric-Simmons,-Thabo-Sefolosha,-Lowry,-O-Bryant-1330/ Wed, 07 Jun 2006 02:08:04 -0400 A recap from day one of the Orlando pre-draft camp. Louis Amundson, Carl Krauser, Morris Almond, JP Batista, CJ Watson, Viktor Keirou and others impress. /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-First-Impressions,-Day-One-1329/ /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-First-Impressions,-Day-One-1329/ Tue, 06 Jun 2006 20:01:10 -0400 DraftExpress had the opportunity to view a well-attended workout at the Pro Training Center in Clearwater Florida yesterday hosted by Coach David Thorpe. Members of the Houston Rockets were in attendance along with ESPN and the Miami Herald, who were covering local product Diaz. /article/Private-Workout-Alexander-Johnson,-Guillermo-Diaz,-Jeremy-Kelly-1328/ /article/Private-Workout-Alexander-Johnson,-Guillermo-Diaz,-Jeremy-Kelly-1328/ Tue, 06 Jun 2006 18:53:54 -0400 For the fourth and final workout of DraftExpress? West Coast swing, we visited the 360 Health Club in Los Angeles to watch a private workout with likely top 5 pick Adam Morrison. /article/West-Coast-Swing-Adam-Morrison-Workout-1327/ /article/West-Coast-Swing-Adam-Morrison-Workout-1327/ Mon, 05 Jun 2006 02:59:28 -0400 For the third part of our West Coast Swing, we were fortunate enough to catch Bobby Brown in an exclusive workout in LA. Brown was nice enough to grant us a 45 minute workout despite the fact that he had worked out earlier that day for the Los Angeles Clippers. In it, he put on one of the more impressive offensive displays we?ve seen in a workout in the three years we?ve been doing this. /article/West-Coast-Swing-Bobby-Brown-Workout-1326/ /article/West-Coast-Swing-Bobby-Brown-Workout-1326/ Sun, 04 Jun 2006 03:18:24 -0400 Rudy Gay sat down for a candid interview with Jonathan Givony and Charlie Bury after a workout in Washington DC. Here is the transcript. /article/Interview-Rudy-Gay-1325/ /article/Interview-Rudy-Gay-1325/ Sun, 04 Jun 2006 03:02:52 -0400 Our lengthiest Word on the Street column ever brings a huge amount of workout reports, rumors and more from around the world of the NBA draft. Brandon Roy pulls out of a Charlotte workout with Rudy Gay. Tyrus Thomas refusing competitive workouts? Trade speculation runs rampant. Our updated Orlando pre-draft invite list. Saer Sene cancels his participation in Treviso. 42 of the 48 players invited to Treviso announced. Workout reports with Houston and Chicago featuring many interesting prospects. And much much more. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Private-Workouts,-Treviso-Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-1324/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Private-Workouts,-Treviso-Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-1324/ Fri, 02 Jun 2006 22:26:29 -0400 In a small gym out in Southern California an unexpected gift walked through the doors as we awaited the arrival of Marcus Williams for his workout. We knew there was going to be some competitive play that day, but we didn?t expect it to be former Duke standout Jay Williams. By now everyone is familiar with the Jay Williams story. It has been one that is told with the tones of sorrow and the loss of what once was. But, missing in the somber waxings of the reporters who lament the tragedy of promise lost is the fact that Jay Williams has still got game. /article/Pale-Specters-and-Blue-Devils-An-Interview-with-Jay-Williams-1323/ /article/Pale-Specters-and-Blue-Devils-An-Interview-with-Jay-Williams-1323/ Fri, 02 Jun 2006 21:01:25 -0400 In the second workout of the weekend trip to Southern California, DraftExpress got an exclusive glimpse at Connecticut Junior Marcus Williams and Maryland Junior DJ Strawberry as they went up against former Duke standout Jay Williams, who has been working out with Marcus and trainer Joe Abunassar of Abunassar Impact Basketball (AIB), for the past month. /article/West-Coast-Swing-Marcus-Williams,-Jay-Williams,-D.J.-Strawberry-1321/ /article/West-Coast-Swing-Marcus-Williams,-Jay-Williams,-D.J.-Strawberry-1321/ Fri, 02 Jun 2006 03:42:28 -0400 DraftExpress recently got the chance to sit down with top point guard prospect Marcus Williams, after his workout with former Duke Star Jay Williams. Not many are questioning the skills he brings to the court, and for good reason as Marcus was able to meet and even exceed our expectations with his solid showing. /article/Interview-with-Marcus-Williams-1322/ /article/Interview-with-Marcus-Williams-1322/ Fri, 02 Jun 2006 03:41:18 -0400 Strengths Alexander Johnson has the type of body that would put most body-builders to shame with how trim and chiseled his physique is. After battling weight problems for much of his college career, Johnson is even a little too skinny right now, but has a perfect frame to continue to add weight. His shoulders are massively broad and his waist is slim, while his lower body looks outstanding. In the unlikely scenario that he does not make it in basketball, Johnson most certainly has a future in the NFL as a tight end. He is down to 225 pounds, and is considered by many to be the most athletic power forward in this draft after Tyrus Thomas. His feet are extremely nimble, his vertical leap is off the charts (somewhere in the 40” area), and he gets off his feet as quickly as any big man in this draft, often to pull down monster rebounds well out of his area. Offensively, he has some very nice basic post moves, including a sweet jump-hook shot with either hand that is very tough to stop due to the quickness in which he spins and gets it off. He does a good job establishing deep position in the paint, but doesn’t see a ton of one on one situations in the paint as he doesn’t have a true playmaker or post entry passer on the team. When he does get the ball, his explosiveness and aggressive demeanor make him a magnet for drawing fouls. As his ball-skills continue to improve, he’ll be able to utilize his terrific first step to take people off the dribble and draw fouls that way as well. At the free throw line, he has a nice looking stroke, getting plenty of air underneath the ball, and should develop into a consistent 75%+ shooter as he continues to work on this part of his game. In transition is where Johnson might have the most success in the NBA, as the way he runs the floor combined with his outstanding quickness and leaping ability put him in a class of his own. Johnson can also step outside and knock down the jump-shot outside to 18 feet, displaying nice elevation and a high release point, or even beyond that at times as he’s shown knocking down some 3-pointers this year. In the high post, he has a good feel for making unselfish passes, rifling in rocket passes the way he only hope would be returned to him next time down the floor. Defensively, he is tough and aggressive, using his body well, being very physical and moving his feet extremely well. Florida State liked to front the post quite a bit, which reduced his chances of being a shot-blocking threat, but this is a part of his that we might see more out of in the pros in a traditional defense when foul trouble isn’t as much of an issue as it was in college. As a rebounder, he is tenacious; combining both superb quickness and leaping ability with the willingness to go after anything that is even remotely in his area. In terms of intangibles, Johnson’s are very solid. He is a very hard worker, a great competitor and reportedly an excellent teammate, being the player that his coaching staff repeatedly pointed out as their best player to have in practices. /article/Alexander-Johnson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2786/ /article/Alexander-Johnson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2786/ Thu, 01 Jun 2006 03:26:04 -0400 Strengths Blalock is a deceptively strong, athletic point guard with a massive (6-6) wingspan for someone his size. He’s a true point guard with strong ball-handling and passing skills. Blalock has a quick first step and does well in the lane, especially excelling on the drive-and-dish, where he uses his good court vision and passing to exploit defensive seams and get the ball to his teammates in open position, either near the basket or on the perimeter. He can take the ball to the basket or pull-up in the lane, having a good touch near the basket and nice elevation and balance on his pull-up jumper. Blalock runs the break just as well as he does a halfcourt set, making good decisions and getting the ball to the open man. Defensively, Blalock is a scrappy defender that uses his length and good hands to harass his opponent. /article/Will-Blalock-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2866/ /article/Will-Blalock-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2866/ Thu, 01 Jun 2006 03:25:51 -0400 DraftExpress flew out to Southern California this past week to watch a number of potential lottery and first round prospects conduct private and public workouts either exclusively for us or alongside different NBA executives. The first workout, on Saturday morning in Carson, California, featured Memphis Freshman Shawne Williams, Missouri Junior Thomas Gardner, Northern Iowa Senior Ben Jacobson and Mountain State Senior Rodney Epperson. /article/West-Coast-Swing-Shawne-Williams,-Thomas-Gardner-Workout-1320/ /article/West-Coast-Swing-Shawne-Williams,-Thomas-Gardner-Workout-1320/ Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:59:35 -0400 As the 2005/06 season winds down, we turn our heads to two players that have significantly improved their stock lately. Sergio Rodríguez and Ante Tomic are two of the most heralded NBA draft prospects in Europe. Both have raised their level of play significantly in the past few weeks, realizing some of the vast potential they enjoy. For Rodríguez, it was just in time to face the NBA draft process. For Tomic, it?s an appetizer for better things to come in the future, starting next season. We also take a quick look at Cheick Samb, an automatically eligible and rather marginal 1984 International draft prospect whose combination of size and athleticism might draw some attention. /article/International-Scene-Late-Season-Bloomers-1319/ /article/International-Scene-Late-Season-Bloomers-1319/ Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:24:08 -0400 Stanford Senior Dan Grunfeld checks in with his second Draft Diary installment. The former First Team All Pac-10 guard writes about participating in NBA private workouts; his history with the process, what he is trying to show there, and the upcoming Orlando pre-draft camp. /article/Draft-Diary-Dan-Grunfeld--Part-Two--1318/ /article/Draft-Diary-Dan-Grunfeld--Part-Two--1318/ Wed, 31 May 2006 07:44:26 -0400 One common theme that seems to permeate the atmosphere around draft time is the notion that somehow a player?s ranking is indicative of his true worth as a basketball talent. To many, this statement may seem like a given, in fact it is valued beyond the common fan and finds it?s way into even the most levelheaded basketball minds from time to time. However, if the history of the draft has taught us anything, its that the best laid plans go to waste once the tide of battle commences. For all the planning, posturing, and pontificating that goes on during the build up to June 28th, never has a career been made simply by being a lottery pick. /article/Draft-Etiquette-It-s-about-situation,-not-position-1317/ /article/Draft-Etiquette-It-s-about-situation,-not-position-1317/ Tue, 30 May 2006 04:49:45 -0400 The latest truth and rumors from around the world of the NBA draft.Cedric Simmons hires Andy Miller and Justin Zanik as his agents, an early look at nearly half the Orlando pre-draft camp invite list, Brandon Roy works out for the LA Lakers, Europeans begin to pull out of the draft, and much more. Orlando Pre-Draft Invite List Updated, 9:21 PM EST /article/Word-on-the-Street-Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Invites,-Simmons-Gone-1316/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Invites,-Simmons-Gone-1316/ Mon, 29 May 2006 04:37:01 -0400 Regardless of what happens between now and the NBA draft, expect a great storyline to emerge around Andrea Bargnani, including drama, deceit, and the type of behind-the-scenes action that would rival your favorite spy movie.Rob Fraser studies the many angles surrounding getting Andrea Bargnani from Italy to North America, possibly into a Toronto Raptor uniform. /article/The-Politics-Behind-Drafting-Andrea-Bargnani-1315/ /article/The-Politics-Behind-Drafting-Andrea-Bargnani-1315/ Mon, 29 May 2006 04:31:03 -0400 DraftExpress had the pleasure of attending a small workout in Northern California Friday to check in on draft mystery man Saer Sene and St. Mary?s product Reda Rhalimi. The workout was run by former San Jose Spartans coach Keith Moss who was quite forthcoming and very enthusiastic about his two studies. Moss has only had 9 days to work with both players, but he?s made up for lost time by running them hard and heavy every day since they stepped through his door. /article/Private-Workout-Saer-Sene,-Reda-Rhalimi-1314/ /article/Private-Workout-Saer-Sene,-Reda-Rhalimi-1314/ Sun, 28 May 2006 14:55:14 -0400 Strengths If you can get past the fact that he is at least 2-3 inches undersized, Tucker has very good physical attributes. Unlike most players, though, he uses his to the fullest extent at all times. Tucker has an NBA ready frame and a super-hero’s build, with very soft and strong hands, great upper and lower body strength, and a superb wingspan. He has a powerful first step and very solid ability to get off the ground and finish strong at the basket.Tucker is essentially the prototype for what most coaches look for in a player. He is fundamentally sound, tough as nails, and incredibly hard-working; always giving everything he has out on the floor, showing superb confidence in himself, but usually playing strictly up to his strengths. Offensively, Tucker does most of his damage from 18 feet and in. He started his college career out as a post player, and will still go back to this part of his game if the matchup is right for him, which was often considering how much of a mismatch he was at the college level. His footwork is outstanding and both his jump-hook and turn-around jump-shot are very polished. He’s got great touch and feel around the hoop and will go up and try to dunk anything within a few feet around the basket. Once he gets the ball in the paint, he is almost impossible to rattle, as he is superbly coordinated, incredibly strong and will almost never be forced off-balance. Tucker became more of a perimeter player his junior year, and showed the ability to overpower his matchup on the way to the hoop with his tenacious first step and accurate footwork, shielding the ball from the defender with his body. He’s also an accomplished mid-range shooter, being quite reliable from 15-17 feet out, even using the glass if necessary.Defensively, Tucker is again tough as nails, fundamentally strong and absolutely tenacious due to his outstanding motor. He’s not the most experienced perimeter defender, but will usually give his matchup hell regardless just because of the way he plays. As a rebounder is where he truly shines, going after every ball as if it was his last, and displaying superb timing and hands. In terms of intangibles, for what GMs look for in a basketball player, Tucker’s are superb. He has a tireless work ethic and a winner’s mentality, which is what makes it nearly so hard to write him off despite his atypical profile. /article/PJ-Tucker-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2865/ /article/PJ-Tucker-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2865/ Sun, 28 May 2006 14:36:14 -0400 Strengths In terms of physical attributes, Simmons has a great package. He stands 6-10 in shoes, with an outstanding 7-4 wingspan. His frame is outstanding and will undoubtedly fill out perfectly as he continues to mature physically. As an athlete, Simmons has a terrific bounce to his step, fitting the bill and then some for a modern day NBA power forward or center. He has outstanding quickness in particular, great explosiveness with his vertical leap, and very solid footspeed. Offensively, Simmons is raw, but shows sparks of potential at times with the moves he’ll make in the post, for example with an occasional spin-move, drop-step, or pivot move. He appears to be a well-coached player and a fairly quick learner, which leaves some room for optimism about the fact that he will develop into a capable offensive player down the road. As a passer is where he surprises you the most, clearly having learned a thing or two from the Princeton offense and showing signs of solid court vision with the bounce passes he’ll drop from the high or low post. Although he rarely got a chance to show it, his jump-shot doesn’t look half bad, either. He elevates off the floor the way a small forward would, and has nice mechanics complete with a high release point. Where Simmons will be able to offer the most early on in his career is as a defender and rebounder. His size, length and athleticism help him out greatly in this area, but he is also not afraid to throw his body around down low to make his presence felt. He covers ground quickly and elevates intelligently from the weak-side to come up with blocks, and will even block shots on the ball on occasion, showing nice timing in the process. Simmons boxes out well for rebounds, and again, effort is never an issue with him. His tenacity helps him out greatly as a rebounder, and it’s not rare to see him go well out of his area to track one down, particularly on the offensive end.His court demeanor is solid and by all accounts he’s an excellent kid off the court who is likely to achieve his upside due to his solid work-ethic. There is little doubt that he hasn’t reached anywhere near his full potential as a player. /article/Cedric-Simmons-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2872/ /article/Cedric-Simmons-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2872/ Sun, 28 May 2006 14:05:59 -0400 Our first edition of ?My NBA Draft Experience" featured a former early-entry underclassmen who went on to win the Wooden Award and flourish in the NBA in Jameer Nelson. Our second focused on a 4-year college player who was drafted in the 2nd round and was asked to hone his game in Europe before making and finding success in the NBA in Matt Bonner. For the third edition we look towards the International scene to talk with a well established European prospect that was clearly on the verge of going undrafted before an outstanding performance at the Chicago pre-draft camp; Beno Udrih of the San Antonio Spurs. /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience--Part-3--Beno-Udrih-1313/ /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience--Part-3--Beno-Udrih-1313/ Sat, 27 May 2006 00:30:19 -0400 Andrea Bargnani's agent responds to persistent rumors about promises and package deals. Alexander Johnson working himself into the 1st round. Tyrus Thomas' agents cancel a workout invite due to unfavorable ranking. Mardy Collins slipping? And much more. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Bargnani-Responds,-Orlando-Invites-Go-Out-1312/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Bargnani-Responds,-Orlando-Invites-Go-Out-1312/ Thu, 25 May 2006 21:56:23 -0400 The lottery is in the books, the playoffs are winding down, and the draft is quickly becoming the main topic on the minds of fans and NBA personnel everywhere. Considering how well this part of the site went last year, especially when you look back at the final results, DraftExpress is again going to extend an offer to the most knowledgeable fans for every NBA team to write what THEY think their team needs and give them a chance to make their voices heard. /article/DraftExpress-Team-Needs-Section-1311/ /article/DraftExpress-Team-Needs-Section-1311/ Thu, 25 May 2006 03:01:45 -0400 Strengths Sergio Rodríguez is an off-the-charts basketball talent; one of just a few players capable of surprising even the most knowledgeable minds in the game with his moves. A very creative playmaker, he has a superb ability to generate offense, whether for himself or for his teammates, based on an outstanding skill set.Not a superb athlete, nor a physical freak, Sergio fills the bill for the basic tools required to carry his game to the next level. At 6-3, he has good size to handle the position while showing a nice enough frame for a point guard. Even if there’s still significant work to do, his body development in the past few years has been noticeable, particularly during the previous season. He won’t blow anybody with his athleticism, but he’s a fairly quick guy and he let’s his skills do the rest.As you can see, there is nothing particularly special regarding his physical profile; what really sets him apart from virtually every other youngster is his skill set. To start with, Sergio is a terrific ball-handler. More in the line to what we usually see in American playmakers, he dominates the ball. High dribble, low dribble, crossover, behind-the-back dribble, he’s mastered every single variant at a young age with both hands. But he’s not an exhibitionist; it’s only a matter of gaining advantages through this skill. He’s really quick driving the ball, and creative in order to get to where he wants.With these credentials, it’s very hard to stop him whenever to decides to step into the lane. He’s a great one-on-one player. Even if he’s not that explosive, he has a nice first step, terrific footwork, and the ability to easily change gears. Predictable is not a word in Sergio’s dictionary, although it’s true that he tends to go right looking the way for the basket. One of his patented moves is, once in motion, faking going right and then crossing the ball and slashing the other way right by his defender, a move that is very difficult to contest. Sergio also shows nice ability finishing his slashing moves. Although he might have his shot blocked from time to time, particularly when he’s trying to drive past too many rivals, he usually finds the way to leave the layup, using the glass if necessary. He also has an effective short off-the-dribble jumpshot that he can release even over players that are significantly taller than him. Perhaps the most spectacular among his skills, Sergio is a consummate passer. Enjoying outstanding court vision, it’s in those slashing situations where he probably shines the most. Whenever he forces a defensive rotation, he has the ability to find the open man, intelligently seeing the floor and utilizing the opposite side of the floor for a quick reverse to get the defense off-balance. He’s automatic in pick and roll plays, showing perfect timing to distribute the ball, or finishing himself if the defenders opt not to switch. It’s needless to say how helpful this will be in the NBA, where there’s more emphasis on individual defenses rather than team defenses. When Sergio is on the court, it’s not rare to see a wing cutting by the baseline while the pick and roll takes all the attention, and to be perfectly fed by Rodríguez.Sergio is not only a drive and dish player; he can distribute from the perimeter, rewarding strong off the ball movement, not only for the players going outside looking for an open look from the three-point line, but also being able to deliver difficult entry passes on sharp cuts to the basket. Like we’ve said, he’s not an exhibitionist, and you won’t see him performing a fancy pass just for the sake of doing it. He does like to give the ball up with a no-look pass, but on one hand it helps to create confusion for the defense, and on the other, for him it’s as easy and natural as breathing. He can use both hands or just one in the delivery (usually the right), while he elegantly takes advantage of the bounce pass when he finds the opportunity. Behind-the-back passes or other things of that nature is not the most common thing to see him do; only when the situation requires it. He’s perhaps even a better passer in transition. He never gives up the chance of a full-court pass if it will create an advantage for his team. If he takes the ball up-court on a fastbreak, he shows excellent decision making looking for the best option, whether feeding the running wings, the trailer coming behind him or finishing himself.Despite his tremendous passing ability, Sergio is not necessarily a pure pass-first point guard, even if his shooting struggles this season have sometimes driven him that way. He likes to score as much as the next guy. Besides his ability to score while slashing to the basket, he’s not a bad off the dribble shooter at all, even with International three-point range. He shows nice confidence and quick mechanics releasing his jumpers, and can get very hot at times from the perimeter, although he hasn’t done it regularly this season. He also shows a remarkable ability shooting in front of bigger rivals near the basket, managing to stay in the air and release the ball over them.Sergio is a player that loves the up-tempo pace. He rarely wastes a chance to score two quick and easy points. While this tendency might result (indeed, frequently results) in excessively rushing, he’s learning to control the rhythm of the game better. Still running whenever he thinks it can benefit his team, he’s now more aware of when the team needs to take a break, run down the shot-clock and involve other players in major creating roles. He’s a player who tends to absorb a huge chunk of the offensive game, a troubling issue for a youngster playing pros; but he’s now more comfortable sharing the ball, and more confident making decisions. He keeps taking risks, but shows better timing doing it.Sergio might sometimes produce the wrong impression, the feeling that he’s out of control, and that he’s not that smart on the court. But he’s a highly intelligent player who only needs to find confidence and his rhythm playing the game in order to be effective. He’s absolutely nuts about basketball, which is easy to tell watching him play. Indeed he’s a guy who loves big games, the decisive moments, and who never hides when the ball burns for other players in clutch situations. He’s a winner who already has an impressive resume for a player so young, having enjoyed starting status in the Euroleague and ACB League with Adecco Estudiantes, being called up to the Spanish National Team, or earning MVP honors in the European Junior Championships while leading Spain to the gold. That’s valuable experience at the most demanding settings of international basketball.At this point, we’re just starting to scratch the surface on what Sergio can become as a player. He has still a lot of potential left to be fulfilled, showing flaws that he should be able to fix as he matures and keeps working on his game.----------------------------------------------------------------(April 2004, Juan Antonio Hinojo)He's a point guard of, officially, 6 feet 3 inches tall, although he might actually be an inch shorter. He played for 3 years in the Federación Siglo XXI center; an academy in the mold of the French ones where Tony Parker was brought up. This year he signed with Estudiantes, and he doesn't play with the junior team, where he should be playing according to his age, although he will be playing in the Spanish Junior Championships. He also plays in the EBA team. The EBA is a sort of a fourth division league in Spain, where veteran and young players play. The level is not too good, but for a kid still 18 years old is not bad. Gasol and many other Spanish prospects played there before joining the ACB (Spanish first division) teams. On this EBA team he plays along with other Spanish prospects such as Jan Martín, Josep Mestres and Adrián García. He's an absolutely spectacular player to watch. He has many of the characteristics of Raul López, handles the ball better than anybody in the ACB, with both hands as well, and he's very flexible and agile. His one advantage over Raul López, who I followed quite a bit when he was Sergio's age: he's much more of a scorer. Just so you have some context, as a Junior player Raul was actually considered a better player than Tony Parker, and along with Juan Carlos Navarro led the Spanish Junior Team to the gold medal in the World Championships and the European Championships. I've read in some places about comparisons being made with Navarro, to me he only resembles him in his fearlessness and pentration ability. Like Navarro he has the willingness to practically create his own shot going 1 on 5. But other then that his technical level is superior to Navarro's, especially his handles and passing ability. He's a pure point: he gets a lot of assists and controls the team around him. Navarro's assists also used to come more from dishing the ball off after or while penetrating, which is not bad at all, he is just not as pure of a point. Rodríguez has very good shooting mechanics coupled with great quickness, but for whatever reason his shooting percentages are not very high from the perimeter. When he shoots the ball you think he will hit it, simply because of how smooth his form is, but then you see that his percentages are not exactly sharpshooter-esque. Other then that, he's reliable from the mid-range area, and I think he will eventually be a good shooter, like Raul López turned out to be. Physically he's very fast and explosive, like Raul López, but taller and with slightly superior leaping ability. His physical characteristics, especially his agility, make him an ideal point guard. The combination he possesses of physical tools combined with his unbelievable handles, superior even to Lopez's, along with his enormous repertoire of technical skills to finish in the most difficult of situations, go a long way in confirming that. His penetrations to the basket, ability to change gears in the blink of an eye, and fantastic creativity make a tremendous scorer out of him. His passing game is also on par with the rest of his game: he has good execution and the technical ability to perfect a large array of passes, both from a static position and in transition. I think his court vision is superior to Lopez's (I always use Raul as a comparison to Sergio because of their position on the court and the fact that Lopez is the only Spanish perimeter player in the NBA). Rodríguez is probably the best Spanish passer I've seen at the youth level. I say Spanish because Panchi Barrera, from Uruguay, is the best passer I've seen at this level. /article/Sergio-Rodriguez-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2704/ /article/Sergio-Rodriguez-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2704/ Wed, 24 May 2006 15:48:27 -0400 Strengths Hilton Armstrong has a good set of physical attributes to play PF/C in the NBA, possessing a great combination of height, length, and athleticism. Armstrong is about 6’11 with a massive wingspan to boot. For a big man, he’s very quick off the ground, both on his first and second jump. He has the ability to run the floor well for a big man, is very mobile on both ends of the floor, and is coordinated in all his movements. Offensively, Armstrong has a very versatile set of skills, though they were not always on display in UConn’s offense, where Armstrong often played a small role in regards to scoring. When Armstrong was given the opportunity, he showed a potent inside-out game with no major weaknesses to speak of. Armstrong’s most NBA-ready offensive skill is his mid to long range jumper, which he can consistently hit from up to 16-18 feet away from the basket. His shot has good form, a high release point, and he gets good elevation, which along with his height and length, makes the shot very difficult to block. In the right situation, Armstrong could have a major offensive impact with his jump shot in his rookie year, similar to how Knicks rookie Channing Frye did this past season.Armstrong’s perimeter skills don’t stop at his jump shot, as he also possesses a respectable off-the-dribble game to complement his shot, making him tough to defend on the perimeter. Using the threat of his jump shot, Armstrong is good at taking his man off the dribble to the right, and has enough ball-handling ability to get to the basket without getting in trouble. He finishes well at the basket, possessing good body control when he makes contact with a defender. He also uses the glass and rim very well, understanding how and when to use the glass or go reverse on a lay-up. Armstrong didn’t show much of a low-post game until his senior year, but has made outstanding progress over the course of the season, now possessing a respectable array of moves in the post, which he converts with very good efficiency. Armstrong’s most reliable move in the post is a jump-hook across the lane, which with his length, is extremely hard to contest. He also has a nice dropstep towards the baseline, which he can finish with a jam, a lay-in, or a reverse lay-in. He also uses fakes well, doing so to either get his man off his feet or by faking one way and going the other. He has a very nice touch around the rim, shooting 61% from the field on the year, albeit on not a very large number of shot attempts.Armstrong doesn’t get many opportunities to use his passing abilities, but he shows good court vision and awareness from both the low and high post, recognizing double teams and making strong, crisp passes on kick-outs to the three-point line. Defensively, Armstrong is most well-known for his weakside shot-blocking, which was his greatest contribution to UConn this season. Armstrong averaged 3.1 blocks in 27.7 minutes for the Big East powerhouse, doing so against great competition, while still having the potential to have done even more. Armstrong combines his length and athleticism with impeccable timing to swat away shots both near and away from the basket. On the low block, when focused, Armstrong quickly moves from the weakside to contest or block shots near the basket, both against opponents slashing and posting up. When he exerts himself, Armstrong has a very strong presence near the basket, having the ability to alter every shot an opponent takes in the lane.Armstrong’s ability to block shots is magnified even further because of his excellent mobility, which allows him to impact the game both near the basket and on the perimeter. When Armstrong is pulled out to the perimeter to defend his man, he has the ability to pick up slashers entering from the top of the key, following them in their route to the basket, and using his length, athleticism, and timing to block their shot from behind. He has this same ability when his own man gets past him on the perimeter, having an excellent chance to recover with a block from behind. He also can be utilized to step up and double team on the perimeter, as he can quickly recover back to his own man in the post. In terms of man-to-man defense, Armstrong is adequate on the perimeter, possessing decent lateral quickness for a big man, a good fundamental base, and when all else fails, the ability to recover with a block from behind if his man gets past him. In the post, Armstrong has a solid fundamental base, and great length, which he can use to alter shots and poke at the ball. When strength is not an issue, Armstrong does well to contain his man in the post, often being able to block his man one-on-one if he goes at him. He understands how to use his body, arms, and legs to man up with his opponent. With his excellent length and athleticism, Armstrong is also very good at fronting the post.Because of his length and athleticism, Armstrong has the ability to get rebounds from out of position, and also can track down long rebounds with his mobility. Overall, Armstrong is a decent rebounder, usually being in good position on the defensive end, and usually boxing out his man.Armstrong had a small role in Connecticut’s offense, indicating that he’s a coachable player. He often is the one setting picks on the perimeter, not having his number called very often. Because of the extremely high talent level on his team, his skills were often underutilized on the offensive end. He is young for a senior, only 21 years old, and just really began to tap into potential in this his senior year. He made major strides in his game in this one season, still being fairly raw with plenty of room to improve. /article/Hilton-Armstrong-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2832/ /article/Hilton-Armstrong-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2832/ Wed, 24 May 2006 15:48:14 -0400 Strengths Brown is one of the most explosive athletes in this draft, possessing good length, huge hands and excellent strength to make an impact off an NBA bench. His first step is terrific, and he finishes with reckless abandon thanks to his impressive strength, body control, tenacity and outstanding vertical leap. He’s worked very hard on his shooting range to the point that he shot 39% from behind the arc as a junior. As a passer, Brown shows good awareness and is very much adept at finding the open man. He puts a lot of pride into his ability to get in right in his matchup’s grill and dictate where he wants to lead them. His intangibles are solid as he’s been praised for being highly coachable and an outstanding citizen both on and off the court. /article/Shannon-Brown-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2789/ /article/Shannon-Brown-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2789/ Wed, 24 May 2006 15:48:02 -0400 Strengths A natural born winner, McNamara might be the accomplished NCAA player in this year’s draft. His clutch shooting and scoring made him a household name over the past four seasons. His shooting mechanics, quick release, deep range and the elevation he gets on his shot are all top notch, being able to knock down shots either with his feet set or off the dribble. From the free throw line, he shot an excellent 90%. As a passer, McNamara had a career high 6 assists per game with a fairly solid 1.77/1 assist to turnover ratio. He is smart and unselfish, understanding how to utilize his teammates, particularly when passing on the move. His intangibles are superb and he’s learned how to make the most of his ability despite his seemingly average physical attributes, possessing great toughness and leadership ability. /article/Gerry-McNamara-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2737/ /article/Gerry-McNamara-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2737/ Wed, 24 May 2006 15:46:49 -0400 Strengths Vukusic is a highly skilled offensive player whose main virtues lie in his perimeter scoring ability. He has an odd-looking release on his jump-shot, but it’s effective enough to allow him to score 19 points per game in the Big 10 on decent shooting percentages despite his team’s very deliberate pace. He can put the ball on the floor and go left or right equally well, either to pull-up off the dribble for a jumper or make his way to the basket for a layup. He is very smart coming off screens and clearly understands the little nuances of the game. /article/Vedran-Vukusic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2858/ /article/Vedran-Vukusic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2858/ Wed, 24 May 2006 15:29:33 -0400 Strengths Noel is a terrific athlete and the consummate role player. He has great strength, excellent leaping ability and outstanding hands. Noel does what the coach tells him, executes well, plays hard and shows a high basketball IQ. He is an excellent defender and possesses strong leadership skills. Most of his damage offensively comes within 16 feet and in, but he expanded his game out to the perimeter more this year and did a good job knocking down open looks with his feet set. /article/David-Noel-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2860/ /article/David-Noel-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2860/ Wed, 24 May 2006 15:19:17 -0400 Strengths Francis most definitely passes the eye test, as he has good size and length to go along with a massive, NBA-ready frame. He has some basic, but effective moves in the paint, including a jump-hook, drop step and reverse pivots. Stepping out to 14-16 feet, he shows flashes of a decent mid-range, complete with a very high release point. When motivated, Francis can use his body and strong hands well to box out, rebound, and even play solid defense. He was once considered a likely lottery pick, so there is no doubting that the potential was once there. Off the court he’s a very intelligent player. /article/Torin-Francis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2714/ /article/Torin-Francis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2714/ Wed, 24 May 2006 14:41:33 -0400 Strengths Most of Batista’s damage comes within 10 feet of the basket. His massive frame and outstanding lower body strength allow him to establish deep position in the paint, while his fantastic hands allow him to catch anything thrown his way and his footwork, smarts and super-soft touch around the hoop do the rest. Once Batista gets the ball in the paint he is almost impossible to stop at this level as he could very well be the strongest player in the entire country. He also has great post skills and a high basketball IQ to go along with that. Fouling him is an option, but unlike most brute big men, Batista shoots 85% from the line. /article/J.P.-Batista-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2831/ /article/J.P.-Batista-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2831/ Wed, 24 May 2006 14:40:24 -0400 Strengths Yue is a very unique player in this draft, being a very long 6-9 international who shows legitimate point guard skills. Watching him move with the ball in his hands, its hard not to be impressed by the talent he shows. Strongly favoring his left hand, Yue is a remarkable dribbler with his good hand, while improvable with his bad one. Already an excellent passer, he takes advantage of his size to see the entire floor thanks to his impressive court vision. Displaying solid athleticism, he slashes well to the hoop with a good first step, primarily looking to dish the ball or sometimes finish with an elegant finger roll. He plays under control and appears to have an excellent feel for the game, being highly unselfish, almost to a fault at times. The game looks very easy for him, particularly playing in the minor leagues. Defensively, he is capable of getting in the passing lanes, pulling down rebounds and even blocking some shots on occasion, being a true stat-stuffer for his team. /article/Sun-Yue-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2873/ /article/Sun-Yue-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2873/ Wed, 24 May 2006 14:37:20 -0400 Strengths At nearly 6’4, he has as much size as any point guard prospect in this year’s draft. Combine that with his quickness and length and we’re talking about one of the more intriguing physical specimens in this draft. With the ball in his hands, he’s shown to be capable of doing a capable job at times of running a talented team. His unselfishness and up-tempo style of play could suit some NBA teams well. Shakur shows potential to slash and score quite well at times when needed, mostly from inside the arc. He is at his best in transition, and thrives the most as a point guard on the drive and dish. His length allows him to play even bigger than his size, and he shows potential to develop into a shut-down defensive type down the road if he can find a way to maintain his focus throughout the game and an entire season, which hasn't really happened yet. /article/Mustafa-Shakur-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2784/ /article/Mustafa-Shakur-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2784/ Wed, 24 May 2006 14:00:57 -0400 With the order of one of the most wide open drafts in recent memory now being set in stone, things will truly start warming up in terms of workouts, jockeying for position, and smokescreens. With the help of our contacts around the league, DraftExpress takes an early look at the top ten teams drafting in the lottery to analyze whom might be looking at who. /article/Post-Lottery-Analysis-the-Implications-1310/ /article/Post-Lottery-Analysis-the-Implications-1310/ Wed, 24 May 2006 03:16:46 -0400 Following the NBA lottery, Toronto Raptors General Manager Bryan Colangelo conducted a conference call with the media to discuss the implications of winning the #1 pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. DraftExpress columnist Charlie Bury participated and had some interesting questions for Mr. Colangelo. Also included are more reactions from Secaucus from the other team representatives at the lottery, courtesy of NBA.com. /article/Post-Lottery-Interview-Bryan-Colangelo,-Other-NBA-Personnel-1309/ /article/Post-Lottery-Interview-Bryan-Colangelo,-Other-NBA-Personnel-1309/ Tue, 23 May 2006 23:33:24 -0400 DraftExpress attended an insightful workout this past weekend in Suburban Washington DC featuring Rudy Gay, Steve Novak, Justin Gray and Alex Loughton. The hour and a half workout was conducted by trainer Idan Ravin and was one of the most intense and telling ones we?ve seen in the past three years. /article/Private-Workout-Rudy-Gay,-Steve-Novak,-Gray,-Loughton-1308/ /article/Private-Workout-Rudy-Gay,-Steve-Novak,-Gray,-Loughton-1308/ Tue, 23 May 2006 03:51:44 -0400 As the NBA draft approaches, players of all stripes will be preparing in their own ways for the night of their lives, for better or for worse. Some of the big-name school kids will walk away disappointed, while some of the small school talents will have the casual NBA fan scratching his head.One of those players you may not know, but who the NBA scouts are very familiar with, is La Salle forward Steven Smith, who tested the waters in 2005, and who now approaches the process as a draft veteran, and as a player clearly hungry and driven to make it work. /article/Talking-NBA-draft-with-La-Salle-s-Steven-Smith-1307/ /article/Talking-NBA-draft-with-La-Salle-s-Steven-Smith-1307/ Mon, 22 May 2006 13:50:14 -0400 Stanford Senior Dan Grunfeld checks in with his first Draft Diary installment. The former First Team All Pac-10 guard writes about what led him to choose Stanford, his four year experience there, his ACL injury and the recovery process, and more. /article/Draft-Diary-Dan-Grunfeld-1305/ /article/Draft-Diary-Dan-Grunfeld-1305/ Mon, 22 May 2006 01:47:56 -0400 DraftExpress presents the latest juice from around the NBA draft world. The Rockets bring in an intriguing group of point guards for a very competitive workout. The top two rebounders in the NCAA go up head to head. James White moving up the charts. Shakur and Boone flop, Shannon Brown impresses. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Private-Workouts-Fallout-1304/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Private-Workouts-Fallout-1304/ Sat, 20 May 2006 23:16:06 -0400 Maryland Senior Travis Garrison checks in with his first Draft Diary installment.Garrison talks about his experiences at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, his senior year at Maryland, his daily regimen at IMG Academy, what he is working on, and his thoughts on what might lie ahead in the near future. /article/Draft-Diary-Travis-Garrison-1303/ /article/Draft-Diary-Travis-Garrison-1303/ Fri, 19 May 2006 20:49:17 -0400 DraftExpress spent the past weekend traveling up the beautiful west coast of Florida to visit two of the most prestigious NBA draft training facilities in America, IMG academy in Bradenton and Five Star Pro Training in Clearwater.We had the chance to take an in-depth look at many prospects for this draft, weeks before the NBA will, including Patrick O'Bryant, Kyle Lowry, Alexander Johnson, Guillermo Diaz, Yemi Nicholson, Rashad Anderson, and others. This report will focus on the second gym we visited, IMG Academy, where we watched one day of workouts. /article/IMG-Academy-Private-Workout-O-Bryant,-Lowry,-Nicholson,-etc-1302/ /article/IMG-Academy-Private-Workout-O-Bryant,-Lowry,-Nicholson,-etc-1302/ Thu, 18 May 2006 02:31:28 -0400 DraftExpress spent the weekend traveling up the beautiful West Coast of Florida to visit two of the most prestigious NBA draft training facilities in America, IMG academy in Bradenton and Five Star Pro Training in Clearwater.We had the chance to take an in-depth look at many prospects for this draft, weeks before the NBA will, including Patrick O?Bryant, Kyle Lowry, Alexander Johnson, Guillermo Diaz, Yemi Nicholson, Rashad Anderson, and others. This report will focus on the first gym we visited, Five Star Pro Training, where we watched two days of workouts. /article/Five-Star-Pro-Training-Private-Workouts-Diaz,-Johnson,-Kelly-1301/ /article/Five-Star-Pro-Training-Private-Workouts-Diaz,-Johnson,-Kelly-1301/ Tue, 16 May 2006 03:04:00 -0400 DraftExpress collects the latest juice from around the NBA Draft world. Marcus Williams making his case to be drafted in the mid-high lottery. Leon Powe and Louis Amundson battle it out. J.J. Redick and Brandon Roy don't. Shakur, Douby hiring an agent? Orlando invites begin to go out. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Private-Workouts,-Orlando-Invites-1300/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Private-Workouts,-Orlando-Invites-1300/ Sun, 14 May 2006 02:55:10 -0400 Strengths Patrick O’Bryant has the type of body that will always attract NBA attention. O’Bryant is legitimately 7 feet tall, and has an outstanding frame. Despite already weighing in at 260 pounds, O’Bryant has plenty of room to add weight. While O'Bryant doesn't appear particularly athletic at first glance, he is that and more when you consider just how big he is.He posses a 7’5 wingspan and a 9’4 standing reach, freakish even for NBA standards. By the time he is done developing, he could be one of the more physically imposing big men in the NBA. Of course, there is more than just a prototype NBA body here. O’Bryant is your classic late bloomer, after a non-descript high school career and very little high-D1 recruiting interest (local school Minnesota didn’t offer him). He has made a stunning turnaround at Bradley, developing into a force as a rebounder and shot blocker, and dramatically improving his all-around game. Obviously, improvement like this doesn’t come without a lot of hard work and dedication. For this reason, it is likely that O’Bryant will continue to improve down the road. While he isn’t even close to filling out his frame, O’Bryant already has the size and bulk to be an imposing position defender in the NBA. He overpowered nearly every true center he went up against at the college level, and isn’t done adding bulk. He can move opponents off the block, while his long arms allow him to recover and alter the shots of big men that aren’t used to having their shots contested. O’Bryant is a dominant shot blocker, able to alter shots with either hand. While he isn’t as bouncy as many of the nation’s leading swatters, he is quick off his feet for a player his size. Typical back to the basket scorers have trouble with his size and length, and O’Bryant does a great job of not just blocking shots as a help defender, but also altering the shots of the man he is guarding. O’Bryant has been more of a shot blocker and rebounder for most of his two seasons at Bradley, but has recently shown signs of a developing offensive game. He does a great job of getting position close to the basket. While a player his size should always be able to physically dominate smaller defenders in the MVC, O’Bryant proved that he can get position and convert against players his own size in the NCAA Tournament this past March.O’Bryant is very tough to stop once he gets the ball close to the basket, as he is very strong finisher. Using that potent combination of strength, size, and athleticism, he can power up and dunk where most post players would have to rely on a finesse move. He is either bigger or more athletic than almost anybody he could face at the college level. As far as a back to the basket game, O’Bryant is still raw, but progressing. He utilizes hook shot and drop step moves, and appears to have a basic understanding of how to score on the low blocks. With his ability to gain position close to the basket and his wingspan, O’Bryants jump hook could be particularly devastating down the road. While O’Bryant still has a lot to work on, he is already proving to be much more than just a prospect. Teams that attempted to attack him early in games near the end of the season came away largely unsuccessful. Don’t think for a minute that O’Bryant’s mere presence in the middle (even in the games where he didn’t score a lot of points) wasn’t a major reason Bradley was able to make a Sweet 16 run this season. /article/Patrick-O-Bryant-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2819/ /article/Patrick-O-Bryant-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2819/ Sat, 13 May 2006 20:13:50 -0400 DraftExpress columnist Charlie Bury continues to explore the NBA Draft experiences of current league players by interviewing Raptors power forward and former late 2nd round pick Matt Bonner. Bonner talks about the workout process, where he watched the draft, playing in Europe and his Alma Matter and current national champions, the Florida Gators. /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience--Part-Two--Matt-Bonner-1299/ /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience--Part-Two--Matt-Bonner-1299/ Fri, 12 May 2006 01:29:26 -0400 DraftExpress had the opportunity this past week to sit in at a workout with some of the more mysterious prospects in this year?s draft, featuring Brazilians Marquinhos and Morro at Cleveland State University. The Brazilian duo was joined by South Carolina?s Tarance Kinsey, who made a name for himself in March with an excellent performance in the NIT. The three are being trained by former Hornets and Cavalier assistant coach Bob Donewald, who spent this past season coaching Marquinhos? team in Brazil. /article/Marquinhos,-Morro,-Kinsey--DraftExpress-Private-Workout-1298/ /article/Marquinhos,-Morro,-Kinsey--DraftExpress-Private-Workout-1298/ Thu, 11 May 2006 03:47:55 -0400 Strengths (junior year scouting report, see player blog tab for more recent updates)Fazekas has great height for a power forward at 6-11 combined with average athletic ability. He runs the court fairly well for a big man, and will score points in transition due to his high basketball IQ and how hard he usually plays. His offensive game is what makes him a special prospect at the next level, having quite a complete package of polished offensive skills; being able to score from both inside and out. At first some might consider him strictly a perimeter oriented big man due to his extremely thin build; however, he has improved his low post scoring and arsenal to the point that he can be quite dangerous down low as well. He knows how to get low and establish good post position to make up for his lack of bulk; and has a very quick release that makes it hard for slower big men to block his shot. Fazekas has a knack for finding open space around the hoop, and is always moving to get open in the post and rarely stands still if he isn’t able to do so. In terms of consistency, ever since Fazekas was a freshman at Nevada when they made that famous NCAA tournament run, he has always showed the ability to score the basketball. He has been very consistent on offense and has developed into a regular 20 point per game scorer over the past two seasons. An aspect of his offensive game that is quite unique is his ability to tip in shots when jumping in the air. Unlike some players who go to dunk these type of rebounds in, Fazekas gets offensive rebounds to fall softly off his fingertips. He is remarkably skilled at using a variety of finger rolls or set shots when close to the basket. That ability effectively demonstrates his overall hand eye coordination and basketball IQ. Even though he is not a great ball handler, he can create shots off short dribbles and is comfortable with the ball in his hands even when pressured. Fazekas also has the ability to step away from the basket and hit jump-shots. He has a very good looking jump-shot and is not above using the glass every now and then either. Considering how fundamentally sound his jump-shot looks, one would think his shooting percentage would be better. Nonetheless, he has great touch shooting the basketball. His jump shots are quick and very effective. He shoots the ball on his fingertips and it shows in the rotation he gets.In terms of post scoring, what makes Fazekas an effective post player at the college level is the fact that he has a variety of different moves he uses. He has a very fine jump-hook shot with either hand out to about 12 feet, and uses his thin frame to slither his way around the post and gain position. The jump-hook shot is his go-to move offensively; he executes it quickly and fluidly and gets a very high release point on it which makes it difficult to block. It’s obvious he has worked long and hard to perfect this move to the point that it’s become automatic. Fazekas also has a very effective turnaround jump-shot that adds to his arsenal down low. When post defenders try to get physical with him, it does not always affect his game, as he is surprisingly effective finishing after contact. Fundamentally, he is well-schooled; keeping the ball above his shoulders in the post and always putting himself in a triple threat position on the perimeter. He knows how to get his shot off in difficult situations, and shows quick decision making when doing so. He gives his defender very little time to make up his mind how he wants to guard him. On top of that, Fazekas can also pass the ball very effectively. He is wonderful at using the bounce pass, and can also find cutters effectively from either the post or the perimeter. He is also skilled at passing out of double teams. When pressured, he does not get flustered because he is quick when passing the basketball and accurate. He is generally a very intelligent player with an excellent feel for the game. Fazekas is also a solid rebounder at the college level despite being so skinny; mostly thanks to his height, excellent hands and long arms. He is a sneaky rebounder, using his footwork to get around a box out, or just anticipating better than the opponent and getting to the basketball before they do. Fazekas is not above hitting the floor either; as he will dive for loose balls and sacrifice his body. /article/Nick-Fazekas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2791/ /article/Nick-Fazekas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2791/ Wed, 10 May 2006 17:19:51 -0400 Strengths Horton knows how to use the athletic ability he has. He is more athletic than most think and has pretty good quickness with the ball is in his hands. On defense he has shown very good anticipation and quick reaction time when playing on the ball defense. Along with that, despite being only 6-2, his wingspan is solid which allows him rebound and play on the ball defense quite effectively.For Horton to reach his full potential at the next level he will have to develop into more of a true point guard, and based on his current skill level that transition could very well happen. During his senior campaign he has proven he can set up teammates on the drive and dish and run a simple offense at times reasonably well. What makes Horton so dangerous as a versatile scoring point guard to bring off the bench is that he has the mentality and skill set of a shooting guard. He is wonderful running off curls to free himself for open jump shots. He also has the instincts and ability to get to the basket and finish strong. Another aspect of his game he improved as a senior is his free throw shooting, he has become an outstanding free throw shooter to the point where he is almost automatic. Thus the more aggressive he is going to the hoop, which he usually is, the more he can go to the line.Horton is also extremely dangerous in the open court shooting short jump-stop shots; he can stop on a dime and pull up from mid range, and do so fluidly. That ability to stop quickly and rise up for a shot benefits him improvise in a set offense as well coming off curls and in transition.He is also a fine ball handler, not being very flashy with the basketball, but just getting the job done. He is strong with the ball, using his body well to shield the defender and making it hard for opponents to pick his pocket. He is fairly trustworthy with the basketball, taking care of possessions and not making many foolish mistakes. Even though he is not a flashy ball handler, he has a strong crossover and can go strong to his left or right. He will get by defensive players mainly by using his strength and instincts, being able to utilize a great change of pace dribble and right when the defender goes for the steal, make a quick move and get around him. He changes gears when dribbling the ball very well, not going full speed blindly on every play, but rather being crafty and instinctive in getting to where he needs on the court. Horton also has a wonderful floater going to the basket that is almost impossible to block. What stood out about Horton since his freshman year has been his perimeter shooting ability. He is a set-shooter who does not get a lot of elevation on his jump-shot, but is effective nonetheless. He has very good 3-point range, but his mid range game is where he is at his best. Going back to his ability to use a great jump stop, when he is dribbling full speed down-court he has no problems using pulling up for a quick stop and pop jumper. His quick release benefits him greatly in transition and when he is close to the hoop. A testament to his improvement as a senior, his percentages went up in ever shooting category, free throws, 3-point shooting and field goals.Horton truly has the complete arsenal of scoring options. He can stop and pop, fade away or he can square up with his feet set from the 3-point line. He can also take it to the hoop and put up a floater or he can get to the line and display his great looking free throw shot.Horton’s shooting ability would be somewhat limited if he could not get to the hoop when he is overplayed on defense. Over time he has greatly improved in that area. When going to the basket off the dribble he can get shots off in the lane over bigger players. He does this by using crafty floaters and surprising the defense with his quickness. He uses pump fakes well and is quite intelligent in how he sets up the players that are defending him. Generally Horton will not blow by defensive players and get to the hoop, but he is sneaky and will get to the basket when he wants nonetheless. Horton’s passing ability is more of a mixed bag. He can make crisp passes and sees the floor well enough to find the open man when he’s interested in doing so. When compared to earlier in his career, he is now more willing to give the ball up and find his teammates more on offense. His passing arsenal includes knowing how to effectively use bounce passes. His ability to drive and dish effectively makes him a legitimate lead guard option in the NBA.On the defensive end, when he is motivated he can be a very effective player. He plays very impressive deny defense at times. He is good face-guarding solid offensive players when he is motivated to do so. He is quite skilled at cutting down passing lanes and getting steals off long passes across court. Horton is not shy when going after rebounds either; he has the toughness and strength to rebound quite well for a guard. When he decides to turn on his defensive intensity, he is a surprisingly good on the ball defender. /article/Daniel-Horton-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2772/ /article/Daniel-Horton-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2772/ Wed, 10 May 2006 14:31:59 -0400 Strengths Anderson is a catch and shoot offensive specialist. He is very effective at coming off screens, catching the ball and getting his shot off, all in one quick, fluid motion. He knows how to use screens properly to free himself for open jump shots. He is very smart at running the wings aggressively on the break and can be very dangerous in transition because of it. His off the ball movement is absolutely superb. Anderson has one of the prettiest jump shots in this year’s draft. Even though a majority of his shots will come from behind the 3-point line, after you see his jumper you can see why that is the case. Anderson gets great elevation on his jump shot, jumping higher than most shooters off the ground and because of that his release point is higher and thus becomes more difficult to block. His footwork is superb, allowing him to hit step-back threes, short pull-ups, and other jump-shots that make him more than just a threat on the catch and shoot. He also has a lightning quick release; really not needing that much room to get himself free. Even though he has a quick release, his technique does not get decreased when he quickly shoots the basketball. Simply put, Anderson is a deadly outside shooter that has picture perfect form on his jump shot. When he puts his mind to it he can be a decent perimeter defender. He moves his feet well from side to side and has the smarts to stay in front of most SGs at the college level. Although he does have some trouble in other areas on defense, he has the potential to at least not be a liability as on the ball defender at the next level.What makes Anderson an interesting prospect is that fact that he has a long history of hitting very clutch jump shots in very big games. If he was just a jump shooter that has had success over the years, it would be doubtful of him having any chance of being drafted. However, with team he played for and the resume of hitting big shots he has put together in the past few seasons, his stock is higher than it normally would be for a player with his skill level because of his recognizability. He is a big time role player in that regard, as everyone in the country knows that he has great potential to come off the bench and hit big shots in important games. Another feather in Anderson’s camp as far as the pros should be concerned is the fact that over the years he has basically been a 6th man off the bench--rarely did he consistently start—and to his credit he never really complained about that role. He took it on, embraced it, and was a team player for a very talented UCONN basketball team that won a huge amount of games in his four years there. He was the leading 6th man scorer in the entire country this past season. Mental toughness is one of his biggest strengths. Although he is comfortable being a role player, his mentality and confidence is that of a star’s. His belief in himself to be able to knock down big shots never wavers, and the possibility of an extended shooting slump is simply not an option for him. He will take any shot at any time, fully believing that every single one will go in for him. /article/Rashad-Anderson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2701/ /article/Rashad-Anderson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2701/ Wed, 10 May 2006 03:00:39 -0400 Strengths Luksa Andric is a raw big man with intriguing potential who showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie season in the Euroleague, Adriatic and Croatian Leagues.Andric has decent physical attributes, listed at 6-10 (209cm) with a pretty good wingspan for the power forward position. Luksa is a very agile player who runs the floor pretty fast and moves his feet well on defense. Andric also has the ability to get off the floor and finish strong around the hoop. Luksa already has better body strength than most players his age in Europe and his frame looks very good, so adding more weight shouldn’t be a problem for him.Offensively, Andric was a non-factor in his team’s game for most of the season, but is showing some intriguing skills lately by being Cibona’s best scorer in the first three games of the Croatian championship. He has a nice jumper with the range out to the international three-point line and is able to hit it on a good clip when given time and space. His mechanics look rather solid, but he doesn’t get the opportunity to show it off much in the game since he is strictly a utility player in the team concept at this point. Occasionally Andric shows the ability to score with his back to the basket, exhibiting a nice spin move and half-hook shot.On defense, Andric has all the tools to become a very good defender at least at the European level. As mentioned, he has quick feet and good length, but also shows great intensity and aggressiveness, something that is usually not in common with European bigs. He is very active as a help defender often switching on smaller players on the perimeter and being able to disrupt them from getting into the lane. Andric shows the tenacity and willingness to go after balls in the paint, making him along with his athletic ability a capable rebounder, especially on the offensive end where he has a nose for the ball and often gets a rebound or tip-in by just being in the right place at the right time. Andric is an energy player; a hustler, always giving everything he has on the floor and earning coach Anzulovic’s praise for his attitude more often than any of his teammates. He is a hard worker and solid citizen on and off the court. /article/Luksa-Andric-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2874/ /article/Luksa-Andric-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2874/ Wed, 10 May 2006 02:09:42 -0400 The NBA Pre-Draft camp (traditionally held in Chicago, this year outside of Orlando) is the only official NBA Pre-Draft camp open to NCAA seniors, underclassmen and International players. It will be conducted this year from June 6th-10th at Disney?s Wide World of Sports Complex. To give fans an idea of what to expect at the Pre-Draft camp next month, DraftExpress will provide an in-depth analysis of last year?s roster and ?physical only invites? and attempt to project which players should or will be invited this year. /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Preview--Part-Two--Suggested-Rosters-1297/ /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-Preview--Part-Two--Suggested-Rosters-1297/ Tue, 09 May 2006 21:50:49 -0400 George Washington Small Forward Mike Hall checks in with his first Draft Diary installment. The All-Atlantic-10 Senior talks about his season at George Washington, what it was like to be ranked in the top 10 for much of the year and to play Duke in the NCAA tournament, his thoughts from participating at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, how he is preparing for the NBA draft, and more. /article/Draft-Diary-Mike-Hall--Entry-1--1296/ /article/Draft-Diary-Mike-Hall--Entry-1--1296/ Tue, 09 May 2006 00:11:27 -0400 A crowd of agents, NBA scouts, NCAA coaches and European general managers gathered a few weeks ago at the prestigious Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Mannheim, considered the Unofficial World Junior Championships for U-18 players. The quality of the players featured here makes this competition a wonderful showcase for the ?next season?s fashion,? meaning the stars we?ll see making a name for themselves in the years to come.Antonio Rodríguez of Digital+ breaks down the top prospects for us. /article/2006-Albert-Schweitzer-Tournament-Top-Prospects-1295/ /article/2006-Albert-Schweitzer-Tournament-Top-Prospects-1295/ Mon, 08 May 2006 15:13:07 -0400 DraftExpress columnist Charlie Bury sits down for a chat with Jameer Nelson to discuss his personal NBA draft experience. Jameer talks about testing the waters, the workout process, the NBA pre-draft camp, the actual NBA draft, and much more. /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience--Part-One--Jameer-Nelson-1294/ /article/My-NBA-Draft-Experience--Part-One--Jameer-Nelson-1294/ Mon, 08 May 2006 03:18:13 -0400 DraftExpress digs deeper into the many new rules and changes affecting the NBA pre-draft camp this year. We explore the topic of moving the venue of the camp to Orlando, getting and keeping GMs in their seats, and conducting public workouts for top prospects in between sessions. Also discussed are the new rules in regards to the age-limit, the testing the waters process, paying for NBA workouts, the pull-out deadline, and more. /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-More-Relevant-Than-Ever--Part-1--1293/ /article/Orlando-Pre-Draft-Camp-More-Relevant-Than-Ever--Part-1--1293/ Sat, 06 May 2006 23:58:21 -0400 A complete list of all the realistic NBA draft prospects available in the 2006 draft, along with their known representation. Now updated. /article/2006-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Agent-Listings-1289/ /article/2006-NBA-Draft-Prospect-Agent-Listings-1289/ Fri, 05 May 2006 18:57:37 -0400 Strengths Listed at 6 feet, 10 inches, Williams has good height for the NBA power forward position. He combines that with a nice wingspan and an excellent standing reach. As an athlete, Williams is incredibly quick getting off the floor, with an excellent vertical leap and plenty of footspeed to get the job done. His upper-body is very much underdeveloped, but his legs are strong and act as a springboard for him to get off the ground and challenge shots. Despite not having the type of bulk you would hope for in a 4-year senior, his frame shows a lot of promise to continue to put weight on as he makes the transition from the college campus to an NBA weight room, particularly his broad shoulders.Offensively, Williams is extremely raw, scoring most of his points off offensive rebounds, in transition, and off layups or dunks around the basket. When given the opportunity, Williams finishes strong and confidently at the rim. He has an underdeveloped jump-hook shot that serves as his go-to move within a few feet of the hoop. Williams’ biggest asset as far as the NBA is concerned lies in his game-changing shot-blocking ability. He averaged an astounding 5.4 blocks per game as a college senior, good for 2nd best in the country, and a full 1.5 more blocks per game than the third best shot-blocker in the nation. Beyond his physical gifts, Williams is blessed with amazing timing and instincts in regards to challenging and intimidating around the rim. He often doesn’t even need to jump to block a shot, just positioning himself perfectly with his arms high in the air and pinning the ball to the glass in one quick, fluid motion. His massive hands help him out a great deal in this regard. Williams gets his fair share of blocks on the ball while guarding his man, but makes most of his living on the weak-side. He rotates in the blink of an eye, anticipates his opponent’s leap to let him get in the air before he does, and then goes straight up with no hesitation at all. Even when he doesn’t come up with a block on any given possession, his mere presence in the lane is enough to make opposing guards leery about driving into the paint. Being more than just a shot-blocker, as a team defender Williams is quite good as well. He is a pesky, physical type, always looking to scrap, never being afraid of contact, holding his ground against stronger opponents and showing tremendous hustle on this end of the floor. His work-ethic and athleticism are on full display in the way he defends the pick and roll especially; coming out to hedge the screen, showing extremely well and then recovering in the blink of an eye right back into the post to continue to get the job done. If a teammate blows his assignment, Williams is quick enough to even step out on the perimeter and contest jump-shots from opposing guards as well. Williams is also a tremendous rebounder at the collegiate level, averaging 11 per game in just 30 minutes per outing. The same physical attributes that make him an excellent shot-blocker make a factor here too; length, quickness, vertical leap, toughness, timing and a tremendous motor. He goes after anything and everything that is even remotely in his area, showing little regard for anyone that is in his way. In terms of intangibles, Williams’ improvement as a basketball player can be directly attributed to his excellent work-ethic. He averaged more rebounds and blocked shots his last year at Wyoming than he did in Junior College, which tells you a bit about the strides he’s made as a basketball player. On the court, he’s known as a highly coachable player who knows his role and does exactly what is asked of him. He played much of the season on a bad ankle that most players would not even consider practicing on, showing his dedication to his team along with his ability to play through pain. Off the court, Williams is billed as an outgoing person with a good attitude as well as a solid teammate. /article/Justin-Williams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2826/ /article/Justin-Williams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2826/ Fri, 05 May 2006 17:21:28 -0400 Stanford Point Guard Chris Hernandez checks in with his second Draft Diary installment. The All-Pac 10 Senior Hernandez talks about his daily regimene and intense physical preperations for private NBA workouts, both on the basketball court and off. /article/Draft-Diary-Chris-Hernandez--Entry-2--1292/ /article/Draft-Diary-Chris-Hernandez--Entry-2--1292/ Fri, 05 May 2006 02:26:42 -0400 With the season finally at its conclusion, and the NBA All-Rookie team released, let?s take a look back at the rookie class from this year and see how they faired. The parts written in italics were written before the season began in our Rookie Preview. Below each preseason rookie analysis will be an evaluation of how accurate our assessment was of each player?s role and anticipated success. At the end of the review we?ll do a tally to see how close we were in each category to predicting all the players? respective impacts. /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Season-Review-Part-Two-1291/ /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Season-Review-Part-Two-1291/ Fri, 05 May 2006 02:10:29 -0400 With the season finally at its conclusion, and the NBA All-Rookie team released, let?s take a look back at the rookie class from this year and see how they faired. The parts written in italics were written before the season began in our Rookie Preview. Below each preseason rookie analysis will be an evaluation of how accurate our assessment was of each player?s role and anticipated success. At the end of the review we?ll do a tally to see how close we were in each category to predicting all the players? respective impacts. Players featured here include Ike Diogu, Deron Williams, Martell Webster, Rashad McCants, Chris Paul, Hakim Warrick, Sean May, Raymond Felton, Marvin Williams, Andrew Bogut, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Joey Graham, Charlie Villanueva and Ryan Gomes. /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Season-Review-Part-One-1290/ /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Season-Review-Part-One-1290/ Fri, 05 May 2006 01:24:41 -0400 As we do every year, DraftExpress takes a look at the top individual players that participated at the Euroleague Final Four from an NBA perspective. The players are seperated into NBA Draft prospects, Formerly drafted players whose rights are still held by NBA teams, and potential free agent targets for this upcoming summer. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-NBA-Prospects-1288/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-NBA-Prospects-1288/ Thu, 04 May 2006 04:40:09 -0400 Dimitris Ritsonis presents a recap of the atmoshpere at the Euroleague Final Four in Prague, with a look at the five best prospects seen at the Junior Tournament that was conducted alongside the men's games. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Junior-Tournament-1287/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Junior-Tournament-1287/ Thu, 04 May 2006 02:08:18 -0400 Strengths While Jordan Farmar’s physical attributes certainly don’t jump out at you, at 6-2 he will not be considered undersized for the NBA point guard position. His best attributes all revolve around his phenomenal playmaking skills, basketball IQ, and the way he makes everyone around him better; which separates him from every other PG in this draft except for possibly Marcus Williams of Connecticut. Farmar is an unbelievable passer first and foremost, possessing terrific court vision and an uncanny knack for getting the ball to teammates in a favorable position to score. This skill will undoubtedly look infinitely better at the next level when he is playing next to more talented teammates. Farmar is capable of executing every pass in the point guard instruction manual to perfection; whether it’s threading the needle from the perimeter with a bullet pass, driving and dishing to find the open shooter on the wing, throwing up imaginative lobs perfectly out of nowhere for alley-oops, or especially with simple and highly effective bounce passes into the post right to the hands of his big man or cutter for an easy basket. Farmar is just as good passing on the move as he is from stand-still positions, and is equally adept at making top 10 highlight reel passes as he is playing fundamental old-school basketball to set players up for easy layups. He consistently makes the game easier for everyone around him with the way he gets his teammates involved, and indeed helped his UCLA squad overachieve severely and make the NCAA tournament finals, where they lost to Florida. As a floor general, Farmar is outstanding at controlling tempo, organizing his teammates and executing half-court sets. He picks up on plays quickly, knows when and how to improvise, and very rarely looks unprepared for what is evolving around him on the floor. Farmar played a style of grind it out basketball that did not really suit his strengths as a player, but adapted himself wonderfully as an assistant coach out on the floor for Coach Ben Howland. He loves to push the tempo of the game and is excellent at organizing the fast-break, but is also just as good at slowing down the pace of the game, eating up clock, and getting his team a good look at the end of the shot-clock. Much of his success as both a passer and a scorer has to do with his terrific ball-handling skills. Farmar is a natural born dribbler, keeping the ball low and always in control and never being phased or rattled by anything around him. He keeps the ball alive at all costs in the most impossible of situations, often in And-1 style. His ball-handling skills are a huge reason why he’s found plenty of success as a scorer at the NCAA level as well. Farmar possesses all the crafty little tricks in his arsenal that all great shot-creators have, including nifty head and ball-fakes, plenty of change of pace ability, but also a surprising and quite unexpected extra gear he can go to on his 2nd and 3rd step once he gets his man off-balance. He sees and uses all the angles available to him to create scoring opportunities for teammates, but especially to find an angle to slash to the basket, often splitting apart the double team if needed on his way to the hoop.Considering that he is not an explosive athlete, this ability to create space for himself to operate is extremely important. Once he gets past his man, either on his own accord or preferably with a screen, the defense is at a serious disadvantage. Farmar is excellent at using his body to fend off defenders while he’s dribbling, keeping them on his hip and holding them at bay, being the one who dictates his motion and not the only way around. Just like in all other facets of the game, Farmar displays great toughness here, never backing down and having no problem taking contact on his way to the basket. Despite his youth, his leadership skills are excellent. Farmar became the unequivocal leader of a young team that as mentioned overachieved severely in going all the way to the final game of the NCAA tournament. He did it on the floor with his voice, off the floor by example, and always with a calm and cool demeanor about him that is extremely rare for a player that only turned 19 a month into the season. He gained the respect of his upperclassmen teammates very early on in his tenure at UCLA thanks to his poise and focus, and never gave them any reason to lose it, particularly with the way he played through multiple nagging injuries all season long. This comes as no surprise as he’s both a physically and mentally tough player who seems to be programmed to succeed. In the clutch, Farmar wants the ball in his hands and is pretty reliable in terms of making good decisions. Off the court, Farmar is an honors student. /article/Jordan-Farmar-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2800/ /article/Jordan-Farmar-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2800/ Wed, 03 May 2006 03:27:58 -0400 Miami junior guard turned pro Guillermo Diaz sits down with Charlie Bury to discuss how the NBA draft process is going for him so far. Diaz talks about his training regimen, his background in volleyball, his experience at the University of Miami and a host of other topics. /article/Interview-Guillermo-Diaz-1286/ /article/Interview-Guillermo-Diaz-1286/ Tue, 02 May 2006 22:48:08 -0400 The Official 2006 NBA Draft Early-Entry List. 30 International Players, 62 underclassmen and one lone 5th year high school player make up this year's list, for a total of 93 early-entrants. Extensive commentary and early draft status projections are included. /article/Official-2006-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List,-with-Commentary-1285/ /article/Official-2006-NBA-Draft-Early-Entry-List,-with-Commentary-1285/ Tue, 02 May 2006 04:34:40 -0400 Strengths Kyle Lowry’s game is all about explosiveness. Certain point guards have that electric ability to do something special every time they put the ball on the floor, and Lowry belongs in that category. Thick-bodied and physical, Lowry embodies that tough Villanova mentality we saw all season long, and is probably the most athletically imposing point guard in the 2006 draft. Simply put, Lowry is a blur on the court. His pure speed makes him a threat to create a fast break basket in the blink of an eye, and he generally makes good decisions in the open court. He pushes the ball relentlessly at every opportunity, seeming to pick up steam when other players begin to tire. His first step sticks out even at the NBA level, as very few point guards anywhere are as dangerous as Lowry off the dribble. It doesn’t take much of an opening for Lowry to get to the basket, even with defenders usually daring him to beat them with his jumper. He will cross defenders over, slash to the basket, or pull up for the occasional midrange jumper in traffic. Lowry’s strength is a major advantage here, as he has no problem powering through a bit of body contact on the way to the basket. Lowry’s explosiveness is even more evident on the defensive end, where is capable of changing a game at the drop of a hat with his brutal on-the-ball pressure defense. Villanova’s vaunted 4-guard lineup was known for its suffocating fullcourt defense, and while Randy Foye and Allan Ray might have been the big-time scorers, Lowry was the catalyst on the defensive end. An opposing point guard’s worst nightmare, Lowry never stops pressuring the basketball. He has lightning quick hands and feet, and that thick frame perfect for getting physical with already overmatched lead guards. Lowry seems to relish playing the aggressor on the defensive end, and shows great anticipation skills any time an opponent starts to get lazy passing the ball. He led the Big East in steals as a sophomore, and given Lowry’s ability to handle the ball and get down the court, many of those steals resulted in two points before the opposition even had a chance to react. As a point guard, Lowry has received plenty of help in his two seasons at Villanova, but took over as Jay Wright’s primary floor general as a sophomore. Flawless as a dribbler, Lowry has excellent court vision and does a good job of moving the ball within the offense. Very rarely does he make a pass that isn’t productive in some way. He improved his Ast/TO ratio substantially this season, finishing at a respectable 1.7-to-1. When things are clicking for him, there are times when Lowry can take over as a fullcourt ballhandler, breaking presses by himself, making lightning quick decisions and creating for his teammates effortlessly. Lowry uses his physical nature to his advantage around the basket. He rebounds very well for a smaller point guard (4.3 per game), and his ability to get off the floor quickly allows him to find success on the glass against much taller players. If one only saw his game-winning offensive rebound put back against Notre Dame this past season, they would never guess that Lowry is a 6’0 PG. Finally, special mention must be given to the way that Lowry plays the game. He had a bit of a hothead reputation coming out of high school, but Lowry has managed to filter out most of the negatives while keeping every bit of his fiery, aggressive on-court persona. He plays with unrivaled physicality and passion, and displays a relentlessness that many college-level guards really can’t prepare for. Every coach wants to have a KyleLowry-style guard in his backcourt. /article/Kyle-Lowry-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2870/ /article/Kyle-Lowry-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2870/ Sun, 30 Apr 2006 19:38:43 -0400 The latest news on who is hiring who, which underclassmen might be entering, and other related tidbits concerning the NBA draft.Alexander Johnson hires an agent. Tyrus Thomas taking the road less traveled in preparing for private workouts. Cedric Simmons finds himself in somewhat of a bind. Yannick Bokolo declares for the draft. Ian Vouyoukas back to Greece? Clarification on International rules regarding entering the draft. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Agent-Hirings-and-Early-Entry-Speculation-4-1284/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Agent-Hirings-and-Early-Entry-Speculation-4-1284/ Fri, 28 Apr 2006 03:30:19 -0400 Like every spring, around the end of April, the European club basketball season comes to an end with the Euroleague Final Four, on the 28th ? 30th of the month in Slazka Arena of Prague. Columnist Dimitris Ritsonis is representing DraftExpress in Prague and will be providing us with commentary from the most important competition in European basketball. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Preview-The-Participants-1283/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Preview-The-Participants-1283/ Thu, 27 Apr 2006 03:01:09 -0400 DraftExpress? Brazilian correspondent Giancarlo Giampietro had a chance to interview countryman Tiago Splitter right before he took off with his team for the Euroleague Final Four in Prague. Splitter confirms his entry in the 2006 NBA draft, talks about his buyout issues with Tau Vitoria, and discusses his upcoming matchup on Friday with Maceo Baston and Maccabi Tel Aviv. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Preview-Tiago-Splitter-Interview-1282/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Preview-Tiago-Splitter-Interview-1282/ Wed, 26 Apr 2006 18:29:57 -0400 Balkan Scout Kristian Hohnjec provides us with a thorough update on what has traditionally been the most intriguing International league in the world for European draft prospects--the Goodyear Adriatic League.Hohnjec explains the struggles the league is going through at the moment and breaks down the top NBA draft prospects that are found here, including Ante Tomic, Goran Dragic, Uros Tripkovic, Yotam Halperin, Damir Markota and many others. /article/Adriatic-League-2005-2006-Recap-1281/ /article/Adriatic-League-2005-2006-Recap-1281/ Wed, 26 Apr 2006 03:58:48 -0400 Milwaukee Bucks Director of Player Personnel Dave Babcock took some time out of his busy schedule to speak with DraftExpress Columnist Charlie Bury. Before being promoted to his current position last June, Babcock served as the Bucks director of scouting for seven years. Babcock has also held scouting positions with the New Jersey Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, and Denver Nuggets. /article/Interview-Dave-Babcock-of-the-Milwaukee-Bucks-1280/ /article/Interview-Dave-Babcock-of-the-Milwaukee-Bucks-1280/ Tue, 25 Apr 2006 02:27:09 -0400 Interviews conducted with all of the top high school players in the country at the Jordan Classic, Roundball Classic, and Nike Hoop Summit. Interviewed players include Greg Oden, Thaddeus Young, Kevin Durant, Spencer Hawes, Paul Harris, Brandan Wright, Wayne Ellington, Tywon Lawson, Derrick Caracter, Lance Thomas, Earl Clark, Damion James, Daequan Cook, Curtis Kelly, David Lighty, Duke Crews and Edgar Sosa. /article/High-School-Allstar-Games-Recap-Player-Interviews/ /article/High-School-Allstar-Games-Recap-Player-Interviews/ Tue, 25 Apr 2006 02:20:54 -0400 The main event for Saturday?s Jordan Classic took place center-stage in the greatest arena in the world, Madison Square Garden. The stars were lined up along the court; LL Cool J, T.I., Vince Carter, Rudy Gay, and none other than Michael Jordan himself. The home team, wearing white and blue, defeated the away team, wearing red and black, by a final score of 108-95 in a game where no one was really worrying about the score. Kevin Durant and Thaddeus Young took the MVP honors for their respective teams. Prior to the main event Saturday night, there was a regional all-star game held, featuring the best high school seniors from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut areas. Many of these players will be playing with prominent major universities next season, including Boston College, Villanova, West Virginia, and Florida, among others. /article/At-the-Jordan-Classic-Main-Event-and-Regional-Game-Recaps/ /article/At-the-Jordan-Classic-Main-Event-and-Regional-Game-Recaps/ Mon, 24 Apr 2006 00:35:00 -0400 The latest news on who is hiring who and which underclassmen might be entering. Shannon Brown testing the waters. Daniel Gibson likely leaving Texas. Patrick O'Bryant confirms his entry in the draft. Richard Roby hiring an agent? /article/Word-on-the-Street-Agent-Hirings-and-Early-Entry-Speculation-3-1277/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Agent-Hirings-and-Early-Entry-Speculation-3-1277/ Sun, 23 Apr 2006 23:22:36 -0400 Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com joined HoopChina.com for an hour long interactive chat with Chinese basketball fans. Questions ranged from Yi Jianlian, Sun Yue and other Chinese prospects to many other NBA draft related topics. /article/NBA-Draft-Chat--4-22-2006--1276/ /article/NBA-Draft-Chat--4-22-2006--1276/ Sun, 23 Apr 2006 12:31:53 -0400 Stanford Point Guard Chris Hernandez checks in with his first Draft Diary installment. The All-Pac 10 Senior Hernandez talks about leaving Stanford after five years with the Cardinal, his preperations for the draft, and playing at the all-seniors Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, where he was named to the All-Tournament team. /article/Draft-Diary-Chris-Hernandez--Entry-1--1275/ /article/Draft-Diary-Chris-Hernandez--Entry-1--1275/ Sat, 22 Apr 2006 22:51:45 -0400 Kevin Durant (Texas), Tywon Lawson (UNC), and Edgar Sosa (Louisville), among others, show their stuff in Friday's 40-minute inter-squad scrimmage, leading up to the main event on Saturday night. /article/At-the-Jordan-Classic-Friday-Scrimmage/ /article/At-the-Jordan-Classic-Friday-Scrimmage/ Sat, 22 Apr 2006 09:35:03 -0400 The latest news on who is hiring who and which underclassmen might be entering. Josh McRoberts returning to Duke? Millsap and Stinson shut the door on college by hiring agents. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Agent-Hirings-and-Early-Entry-Speculation-2-1273/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Agent-Hirings-and-Early-Entry-Speculation-2-1273/ Sat, 22 Apr 2006 03:08:55 -0400 Seven ties among teams that finished the 2005-06 NBA regular season with identical records were broken today through random drawings to help determine the order of selection for NBA Draft 2006, which will be held on Wednesday, June 28 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. /article/Ties-Broken-for-NBA-Draft-2006-Order-of-Selection-1272/ /article/Ties-Broken-for-NBA-Draft-2006-Order-of-Selection-1272/ Fri, 21 Apr 2006 15:36:51 -0400 Paul Harris (Syracuse), Spencer Hawes (Washington), and Thaddeus Young (Georgia Tech), among others, show their stuff in the second practice session for the Nike Jordan All-American Classic. /article/At-the-Jordan-Classic-Thursday-PM-Practice-1271/ /article/At-the-Jordan-Classic-Thursday-PM-Practice-1271/ Thu, 20 Apr 2006 22:33:33 -0400 Strengths (2006 draft scouting report, see player blog tab for more recent updates)Coming from the lately very prolific Brazilian talent pool, Tiago Splitter is one of the most consistent big men the emerge out of the international scene in the past few years. Long, athletic, tough, intense, but also featuring a few promising skills, Splitter has made a name for himself in Europe by becoming a very important cog (the starting center) on one of the top teams in the Old Continent, Tau Vitoria. This is a team whose place amongst the elite teams in Europe was established by reaching the Euroleague Final Four both this season and last.Taken to Spain at the age of 15, the once perimeter-oriented big man has been developed as a center by Tau Vitoria, creating a curious combination that sees Splitter playing as a face-up big man with the Brazilian National Team, while sticking to the low post and off-the-ball moves with Tau. However, there’s a strength he delivers regardless of the competition he plays in: defense.Splitter measured out at 6’11 ¾ two years ago at the Chicago pre-draft camp, 7 feet for all intents and purposes if he hasn’t grown since then, displaying a nice (although not great) 7’2 wingspan, and an impressive 9’1.5 standing reach. He also possesses a very solid frame that will allow him to carefully continue to add the weight if needed and allow him to handle either frontcourt position, even if he looks a bit thin right now. That process of adding strength, if properly done, shouldn’t interfere with what is one of Splitter’s main assets at this point, his quickness. Splitter excels moving around the court, whether running the break or in shorter efforts in the set offense or defense. It’s not only a matter of capability, but also of willingness, as he consistently shows great intensity playing the game. It helps that he is also is a highly coordinated athlete with excellent reflexes who always seems to maintain great balance. Having the length, quickness, attitude and already some decent strength, just a bit of understanding of the game is required to produce a good defender; and Splitter is oozing with it. The Brazilian shows excellent decision making on defense. He enjoys remarkable lateral quickness, understands defensive angles extremely well and is highly efficient in his movements. If the defensive rotation calls for it, he can switch his matchup onto a wing player and still manage to contain the rival. He also enjoys excellent timing in pick and roll plays, stepping out to slow down the ball-handler and recovering his matchup quite fast. Splitter never avoids contact in the low post, being able to hold his ground against the physicality of stronger players (up to a certain point). He does a great job of keeping his hands in the air and not reaching down for ticky-tack fouls (although he doesn’t get much respect from the referees, often being called for very questionable fouls due to his age). He also shows good positioning on weak-side defense, nicely executing rotations or quickly going for the block if the proper situation arises, again with nice timing. However, while he certainly provides some intimidation, Splitter is not a shot-blocking type of defender; he never risks his defensive position for the sake of adding blocks to his stat-line. All in all, he’s quietly becoming one of the best defensive big men in Europe.When we move to the offensive end, there’s less certainty at the moment and more potential to speak of, but Tiago’s skills shouldn’t be underestimated. Playing for Tau Vitoria he has developed a great understanding of off-the-ball movement, which is required to take advantage of the pick-and-roll plays of which his team’s offensive game is so heavily based on. Setting the screen himself and perfectly rolling afterwards to the basket while presenting himself for the pass, or looking for spaces near the basket while other teammates (usually Pablo Prigioni and Luis Scola) execute the play and draw the attention of the defense, he knows how to find open looks and spaces. Less frequently, Splitter will also benefit from the excessive low-post defenses that Luis Scola suffers from, gaining his defender’s back to receive near the basket. Tiago enjoys good soft hands and the ability to finish with either of them around the rim in half-court situations or after running the floor and catching tough passes in transition. He likes to score using a two-handed dunk when given a bit of space.When it comes to creating his own points, he focuses on the low post in Vitoria and adds a face-up game handling the ball when playing with the Brazilian national team. Not the most fancy and consistent post-up player, Tiago already can produce down low with some simple moves and a nice soft touch. He primarily looks to seal his defender with a spin move and score through a layup, or to find space to deliver a right-handed semi-hook shot as close as possible to the basket. Already a decent player establishing position to receive the ball in the post, getting stronger will only help him in this department, and also whenever he needs to do a little banging to get the job done more effectively.Playing for Tau, if Splitter gets the ball in the high post or further, he will pass it or, much less frequently, put it on the floor to come closer to the basket with the intention of posting up whoever he finds in his way. When playing for Brazil, he doesn’t hesitate to face and attack his matchup while looking for a layup, showing surprisingly good ball-handling skills (particularly considering how little dribbling he shows in Spain), a really interesting first step and some nice footwork. Although still inconsistent, this could potentially become an excellent weapon to better take advantage of his quickness. He even shoots the ball from the perimeter playing for his National Team, enjoying range out to the international three-point line.Attitude, maturity, intelligence and character are key factors when discussing Splitter’s skills and potential. Whenever other players produce doubts and questions about their real desire and ability to fulfill their potential, the Brazilian transmits confidence in a successful development that already has taken him quite far. Splitter is a hard worker that still puts great effort on improving his weaknesses beyond the team practices. The same attitude is translated to the court, where he delivers full effort throughout the game. Rebounding is a good example, as even if it’s not his best strength, he delivers nice aggressiveness cleaning the glass, particularly on the offensive end, besides showing nice timing. But he’s also a smart player, extremely well coached (and coachable), that accurately executes what’s expected from him, committing few mistakes while slowly (but constantly) expanding his game. He enjoys a high basketball IQ, showing good decision making, and some nice passing ability, especially facing the basket and on the move after putting the ball on the floor while driving towards the basket, although you will also see him passing the ball out of the low post reasonably well.-------------------------------------------(Luis Fernández: January 16th, 2005)Tiago shows most of the physical gifts you should ask for in a big man, as he has an excellent long frame, that's ready to put some weight on, a nice vertical leap, good quickness and great mobility that allow him to excel at running up and down the court. He's pretty athletic for a guy his size.The Brazilian is a very dangerous weapon in the paint. He enjoys a very effective post-up game that's really hard to stop; which is completely logical considering we're talking about a guy with good footwork, nice footspeed, 6-11 size, long arms, the ability to finish with both hands, a soft touch and no fear of contact, sometimes even looking for it to perform his movements.Another of his favourite situations on the offensive end is the pick and roll. He sets good picks and perfectly rolls towards the basket, trying then to take advantage of his size and soft touch, or dishing to a teammate whenever he sees a better option than his. Indeed, he sees the floor quite well, especially facing the basket, and makes good decisions, never panicking when double-teamed, although he could improve his passing execution. While not a superb handler, he can reliably put the ball on the floor if needed, and even penetrate, usually against centers, beating them with his quickness, being able to drive both left or right.Defensively, Tiago is very solid, and quite intense. He's rarely banged in the low post despite usually being lighter than his rivals, and he enjoys accurate lateral quickness to stop his matchups and even to contain (to a certain degree) smaller rivals after defensive changes. He never forgets team defense, and generally shows very good positioning. He's a decent shot blocker, but he rarely risks his defensive position to get the block, so in the end he's not very prolific.By now you'll have realized that Splitter has quite a high basketball IQ. He's a smart kid, and knows what the game is about. He's also a hard worker and a kid who shows good attitude on the court. Everything seems in place in his head. /article/Tiago-Splitter-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2705/ /article/Tiago-Splitter-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2705/ Thu, 20 Apr 2006 21:17:51 -0400 The future of basketball is on display in New York City this weekend, as a horde of the nation's best prospects perform in the 2006 Nike Jordan Classic. Kevin Durant (Texas), Thaddeus Young (Georgia Tech) and Brandan Wright (UNC) are among the big names present, but it's also a possible showcase for some of the other top prospects to strut their stuff, including Paul Harris (Syracuse) and Spencer Hawes (Washington). /article/At-the-Jordan-Classic-Thursday-AM-practice-1270/ /article/At-the-Jordan-Classic-Thursday-AM-practice-1270/ Thu, 20 Apr 2006 18:22:35 -0400 Strengths Jones has good height at 6-10, but plays much bigger than his size thanks to his pterodactyl-like wingspan. Athletically, he is outstanding, featuring great footspeed, an excellent (and very quick) vertical leap and all the quickness he needs to make his presence felt on the floor.Being a player who really just started coming into his own in his 2nd season playing Divison I basketball (his senior year), his offense shows sparks, but is still lagging way behind his defensive ability. His mid-range jumper is a part of his game that has come a long way in the past few years, but still needs even more work to become a consistent part of his offensive arsenal. Jones has soft hands and can even put the ball on the floor a little and spot up for a 14-foot jumper featuring a very high release point; generally showing a soft touch in regards to everything surrounding the way he shoots the ball. The most obvious sign of this comes from the fact that he shoots an outstanding 78% from the free throw line, with picture perfect mechanics, plenty of backspin and excellent concentration at the line. Even though he consistently showed sparks of new raw (but inconsistent) skills throughout his senior year, Jones still gets most of his points either in transition or off offensive rebounds, running the floor extremely well, being very active on the glass, and getting many of his points by setting solid picks and rolling to the basket before finishing athletically around the hoop. Where he really excelled in college was in terms of rebounding and defense. Jones has a knack for shot-blocking that can’t be taught, averaging 3 per game on the season, good for 10th in the country (tied with Tyrus Thomas, just behind Patrick O’Bryant), doing so while playing in the toughest conference in America night in and night out, the Big East. He gets his blocks both on the ball as well as off, using his length, timing, instincts and excellent leaping ability to intimidate around the hoop; recovering and rotating to get where he needs to be and send back shots at times without even having to jump in the air. Even when he gets beat by his man in the post, he is often quick enough to recover and swat away his shot on his 2nd attempt. Defensively, he is probably a better team defender than he is man to man (he gets outmuscled frequently in one on one situations), closing out well to trap on the baseline, switching or hedging athletically on the pick on the roll, rotating from the weakside, being active and showing a good all-around attitude in this area. As a rebounder, Jones shows a lot of potential, but also managed to translate that potential into actual ability in his time in college. He finished 2nd in the Big East in rebounding at 9.8 per game. He shows a good feel for anticipating and timing, boxing out about as well as his skinny frame will allow him to, again being very active in this area and going after everything that is even remotely in his area, on either his first or second bounce. Thanks to his quickness, length, tenacity, leaping ability and soft hands, it’s not rare at all to see Jones go well out of his area and sky for an impressive looking rebounding. In terms of attitude, Jones’ looks very good, as he plays hard, appears to be very coachable, and doesn’t give up on plays. He has never gotten much recognition over his basketball career (rightfully so as he wasn’t all that good up until his senior year) and therefore doesn’t seem to have much of an ego. Despite being a college senior, Jones has as much upside as almost any of the underclassmen big men in this draft still. He was playing JV basketball up until his junior year of high school, and only garnered interest from a Divison II college in Tampa as a senior as well as a couple of local community colleges, due to the fact that he was only 6-7 and 180 pounds at that point. He’s improved considerably not just from year to year, but even from game to game in his team’s Big East slate this season, and appears nowhere close to realizing his full potential. Besides, he’s only 21 and won’t turn 22 until after the draft. /article/Solomon-Jones-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2869/ /article/Solomon-Jones-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2869/ Thu, 20 Apr 2006 14:35:15 -0400 With the NCAA tournament becoming a distant memory, our focus shifts to Europe, where domestic competitions are coming down to the wire right before the playoffs and the Euroleague Final Four is just over a week away. That means we have plenty of news to inform our readers about on the always crucial International part of the NBA draft. Tiago Splitter and Sergio Rodríguez are the biggest names making themselves available on the early-entry list today. Yi Jianlian and Sun Yue's availability for the draft are still a question mark both for NBA people and our increasingly large Chinese readership. Puerto Rico has become a regular spot on the itineraries of NBA scouts doing their homework. And more random draft news from our International and American sources. /article/Word-on-the-Street-International-Version-1269/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-International-Version-1269/ Thu, 20 Apr 2006 01:54:58 -0400 Strengths Measuring in at the Chicago pre-draft camp last June at 6-8 ¾ in shoes with a 7 foot wingspan and 8-10 standing reach, Smith has ample size to play either forward position in the NBA. He is not an incredibly explosive athlete, but is a highly coordinated; the type of player who is never off balance, has excellent reflexes, and moves very smoothly on the court. The type of minutes he plays (last season an astounding 39.6 of a possible 40, this year 36 per game) tells you all you need to do about his level of conditioning. Offensively, Smith is the definition of a mismatch at the college level, scoring nearly 2200 total points in his four year college career in 117 games, or close to 19 points a game on average each season. He gets most of his points simply by outsmarting and outworking his opponents, doing a great job of playing to his strengths and taking advantage of the oppositions’ weaknesses. Smith is an opportunistic scorer, the type of player that’s always in the right place at the right time and can score in many different ways from all over the court. His bread and butter at the college level is his mid-range game, usually being able to take advantage of his height advantage to release the ball from a high release point and with pretty fluid mechanics; with excellent results. Smith sets excellent screens and is very good moving off the ball, knowing how to utilize his teammates’ screens effectively as well to cause even further mismatches. Smith will be a very effective pick and pop threat in the NBA if his coach decides to utilize that part of his game. Smith is his team’s go-to guy, and acts like it too, constantly asking for the ball, looking to get himself in position to score, and shouldering much of his team’s scoring load in a very unselfish manner. Smith likes to go to work right outside the paint on the baseline with his back to the basket, slithering around defenders with his quickness if they get too close or elevating over the top of them for a turnaround jump-shot if he has even an inch of daylight. If his shot isn’t there or the double team comes (they always do), Smith displays an excellent basketball IQ passing the ball out of the post or from the perimeter to find the open man. He is extremely unselfish and will only force the issue when his team absolutely needs him to, which happens all too often unfortunately. He averages 2.5 assists per game, but would finish every game with twice as many if his teammates did a better job of finishing around the rim or knocking down open shots. If given space--which is extremely rare considering his status as far as opposing defenses are concerned--Smith will knock down shots out to the college 3-point line and sometimes even beyond with his feet set. Even though his turnovers on paper look to be very high (3.6 per game), this has more to do with his team’s grind it out style of play and the fact that he’s usually the one asked to go out of his element and create something out of nothing at the end of possessions with the shot clock running down. In the NBA he’ll likely be known as the type of player who doesn’t make many mistakes and will never hurt his team on the offensive end. Defensively, Smith does an adequate job for the most part at the college level, but is in no position to wear himself out physically or get into foul trouble considering how important he is to his team’s efforts. His team plays plenty of zone to make sure this isn’t an issue, which makes him a little more difficult to evaluate. If needed, Smith will hit the deck for loose balls, setting an example for his teammates despite the fact that he is the team’s unquestioned star. Another strong suit of his is his rebounding ability. Smith’s size, excellent wingspan and standing reach, terrific hands, high basketball IQ and the toughness he shows on the floor make him a force in this area. He doesn’t always play near the basket, but still managed to come up with a very solid 8 rebounds per game this season. In terms of intangibles, there isn’t a whole lot you can ask for here. Smith is the kind of guy who seems to have “figured it out,” possessing an excellent attitude both on and off the court to go along with a terrific work ethic. As mentioned, his feel for the game is outstanding, as are his leadership skills, being the type of player who leads both with his voice as well as by example. In his senior year he took a young team without much talent on his back and carried them to a surprising 10-6 record in the Atlantic 10 (good for 3rd in the conference) and an 18-10 record overall. /article/Steven-Smith-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2838/ /article/Steven-Smith-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2838/ Tue, 18 Apr 2006 17:13:03 -0400 The latest news and rumors about who is hiring who and which underclassmen might be entering. Adam Morrison confirms he's entering the draft and hiring an agent. Tyrus Thomas signs with Elfus and Siegel. Shelden Williams hooks up with Redick again. UConn players preparing for the NBA draft. Novak hires Diener's agent. Ronnie Brewer Wavering? /article/Word-on-the-Street-Agent-Hirings-and-Early-Entry-Speculation-1268/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Agent-Hirings-and-Early-Entry-Speculation-1268/ Tue, 18 Apr 2006 01:37:18 -0400 Strengths Jonathan Givony (4/17/2005)In terms of physical attributes, Rondo possesses everything the NBA looks for in a successful starting point guard, minus possibly an inch of height. He is a phenomenal athlete with an incredibly quick first step, awesome foot-speed in the open floor, and terrific leaping ability. Rondo also has a gigantic wingspan and enormous hands, which allows him to play much bigger than his size. As a point guard, Rondo is of the pass-first variety, being highly unselfish and featuring excellent court vision and passing ability. Although he didn’t always get a chance to show it, he is everything scouts look for in terms of being able to run a team, particularly his intelligence and poise with the ball in his hands, along with his ball-handling skills and natural talent in finding the open man. Rondo is at his best on the drive and dish, being able to get into the lane almost at will thanks to his terrific speed and ball-handling ability, and once he does being highly creative in finding open shooters spotting up on the wing. He didn’t get to show this off too often, but Rondo is a very flashy playmaker who can thread the needle to spectacular lobs from the perimeter or sharp bounce passes to open cutters. Although his assists average isn’t incredibly high, his assist to turnover ratio is one of the best amongst point guards in this draft at 2.11/1. Rondo is a very confident ball-handler going either left or right, keeping the ball very low to the ground, and is excellent at breaking the full-court press thanks to his terrific speed and poise. As a slasher, Rondo has plenty of potential, but didn’t really get to show off everything he can do at the college level because of Kentucky’s slow it down style of play that prefers excessive ball-movement around the perimeter rather than one on one play. If given the green light, Rondo will be an excellent shot creator at the next level, as he is extremely difficult to stay in front of. Once he did get into the lane in college, he showed plenty of creativity finishing around the hoop, particularly with an assortment of runners and floaters. He is capable of stopping abruptly in the paint if the lane is too clogged, and floating a six to eight footer high off the glass. When making his way all the way to the basket, his long arms, terrific leaping ability and excellent body control aid him greatly in finishing creatively around the rim, often with contact. He is generally a tough player who has no problem getting dirty to get the job done. Despite his diminutive size, Rondo can get up and dunk with the best of them and will sometimes just flush the ball through after a penetration rather than laying it up to ensure that he gets his team two points. Defensively is where Rondo really made a name for himself as a high school player and initially in college. He has excellent lateral quickness and superbly quick and incredibly big hands. These two things together combined with his length make him a terror getting in the passing lanes, and Rondo indeed has league leading potential in this area if playing for a coach that doesn’t mind him gambling for steals on occasion. He’s extremely smart and confident in his defensive ability, and has the potential to develop into a smothering perimeter defender thanks to all of his outstanding physical attributes and the skills he already shows here. He’s not afraid to step in the lane and take a charge if the situation calls for it. Due to these same physical attributes (length, superb quickness and leaping ability, outstanding hands) Rondo is also a terrific rebounder who indeed led his team in this area from the point guard position. His toughness helps him out greatly in this area, and his Kentucky team would likely have been in very bad shape without his 6+ rebounds in 31 minutes per game. He managed to pull down 19 rebounds in 33 minutes in one extremely impressive performance against Iowa early on in the year. In terms of intangibles, it’s hard to get a great read because of all the chaos surrounding Kentucky’s program this year, but it appears that Rondo will test out just fine. He by all accounts has a good attitude towards the game and a strong character, being a bit on the quiet side (particularly with the Kentucky media who he never seemed very fond of), highly unselfish, and probably not a trouble-making type. His work ethic is reportedly very strong and as we saw all season long, does exactly what he’s told by his coaching staff.-----------------------------------------(J.L. Weill, 11/1/2006)There is little doubt that Tubby Smith evicted some of his tough recruiting luck when Rajon Rondo fell into his lap. Originally focused on his hometown Cardinals, Rondo didn't hesitate when the big blue skipper came calling with a scholarship. Rondo is a Smith player if there ever was one, a defensive hound that changes the game with his wingspan and instincts. In his first year, all the dynamic guard did was set the school record for steals in a season, demonstrating that he was perhaps the quickest player in college basketball. There are times when Rondo is on the court that it appears he's moving a few steps faster than the rest of the players. While for some players this could be nothing more an interesting sidenote or even possibly a detriment, for Rondo this is the trait that feeds all his other strengths.Rondo's unusually long arms and giant hands, combined with his quickness, adds up to an enormous amount of steals leading to easy scores. In fact, Rondo's attention to defense may be his most promising trait as a player.The Kentucky point guard also has already displayed pro-caliber body control, which makes him difficult to stop on the drive. Like Allen Iverson, another speedster, Rondo uses his athleticism to create space between himself and a defender even when he's already in the air. Rondo has a great demeanor for a major college point guard. Rarely in a rush, his complete control of the ball gives him time to scan the whole court. He is most adept on the fast break, where whomever is trailing the play better keep his eyes open. /article/Rajon-Rondo-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2798/ /article/Rajon-Rondo-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2798/ Mon, 17 Apr 2006 20:56:14 -0400 Strengths In terms of physical attributes, few can match those of Carney’s in this draft. He has prototypical size and length for a modern day NBA swingman, with a solid frame to boot. What makes him most intriguing, though, is his incredible athletic ability. Carney has an outstanding combination of amazing quickness in the open floor, a fantastic first step, and possibly the best vertical leap in college basketball. He simply explodes off the ground from unheard of distances and glides his way to the basket for extremely creative dunks. Carney has athleticism in his genes, as his mother DeAndra Ware held the world record in the Indoor 60 yard dash, and also was an Indiana state champion in the 100 and 200 meter dash. Carney himself was the Indiana state champion as a high school senior in the high jump, with a personal-best jump of 6-11. He also excelled in the 400 meter dash. Offensively, Carney is not “just an athlete;” showing the ability to score in many ways. His perimeter shooting stroke is a thing of beauty, elevating high off the ground to get his shot off almost whenever he pleases, and showing deep range and picture perfect mechanics releasing the ball. Carney can heat up in a hurry from behind the arc, but can be fairly streaky as well at times. He shows flashes of being able to use his phenomenal quickness to just explode past his man and elevate instantaneously off the dribble from mid-range as well. In terms of slashing to the basket, when Carney puts his mind to it there are few that can stay in front of him at the NCAA level. His first step is incredibly explosive and he shows some flashy, although not always highly effective, spin moves and floaters to get his shot off once inside the paint. Defensively, Carney has improved significantly this year and features all the tools in the world needed to be a lock down defender, particularly his size, length and superb quickness. He’ll usually get in the passing lanes about once a game and entrench himself in that night’s Sportscenter Top 10 highlight reel with the ensuing dunk. Despite being a senior, the overall impression of Carney is that he still has a massive upside to continue to improve, particularly if he can be coached into understanding the little nuances of the game that he’s missing right now. /article/Rodney-Carney-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2745/ /article/Rodney-Carney-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2745/ Mon, 17 Apr 2006 00:50:49 -0400 On March 20th, the NCAA (specifically the Agent, Gambling and Amateurism Activities division) released a four page memorandum to every Division I college in America with information regarding the 2007 NBA draft, agents, and tryouts; from an intercollegiate eligibility perspective. DraftExpress received a copy of this memo for the second consecutive year, and as a media outlet dedicated to providing complete coverage of the NBA draft, is publishing it, as well as our own commentary on it's implications, in order to urge public discussion about the meaning of this policy and how it affects the NCAA and NBA draft process. /article/A-Crash-Course-in-%22Testing-the-Waters%22-1267/ /article/A-Crash-Course-in-%22Testing-the-Waters%22-1267/ Mon, 17 Apr 2006 00:17:53 -0400 Strengths When talking about all-around offensive threats at the wing position, Maurice Ager’s name has to come up near the top of the 2006 list. Ager is blessed with standout athleticism, an NBA-ready body, and explosive scoring ability. He has all the tools to succeed at the next level in a fast paced system. Ager is at his best in the open court. Blessed with fantastic end to end speed, Ager is very difficult to contain on the break. He runs the floor relentlessly, and fills the lane for slashing, above the rim finishes. Ager is a downright spectacular athlete, and will regularly throw down highlight reel dunks. As Ager’s game has progressed, he has become much more than just a leaper. After playing second fiddle to several upperclassmen and being slowed down by several nagging injuries early in his time at Michigan State, Ager really improved his overall skill level over his final two seasons. Ager has a beautiful 3-point shot, with a quick release, nice elevation, and range well beyond the NBA arc. He has no trouble connecting with a hand in his face. Ager is a volume scorer, capable of getting hot and burying opponents with a barrage of long-distance bombs. When he actually looks to attack the basket, Ager is dangerous in a number of ways. When going to his right, he can take defenders off the dribble. His explosiveness and wingspan allow him to get into the lane very quickly, and he is capable of slashing to the basket with ease once defenders start overplaying his shot. Ager has also shown a serviceable midrange game at times, capable of hitting turnaround fadeaways and midrange floaters. Ager is blessed with all natural attributes to be a good defender at the NBA level. He is long, athletic, and is strong enough to compete physically with most professional wings. /article/Maurice-Ager-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2827/ /article/Maurice-Ager-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2827/ Mon, 17 Apr 2006 00:06:43 -0400 This is the sixth edition of our Mailbag feature. Every so often we will try to answer the best questions we are asked either by email or other methods. Questions about specific prospects, requests for features on the site, the policies, methods and principles we try to incorporate into the site, complaints, praise or anything else is fair game. If you would like to write an observation about a prospect, team or trend we are seeing lately anywhere in the world, feel free to as well. If you would like to participate, please get in touch using the ?contact us? form or by sending an email.This time around we talk about the agent selection process, one player who might be a sleeper, Randolph Morris, Monta Ellis and discuss what upside means and why it?s important. /article/DraftExpress-Mailbag--6--1266/ /article/DraftExpress-Mailbag--6--1266/ Sat, 15 Apr 2006 16:14:53 -0400 Strengths Listed at 6-5 (196 centimeters), Halperin has terrific size for an NBA point guard. He compliments that with a nice frame featuring solid lower body strength, and a good wingspan as well. Halperin’s biggest strengths revolve around his offensive versatility, intelligence, and the experience he brings to the table. Halperin has the potential to play either backcourt position in the NBA depending on what role his team is looking for from him. He started playing the point guard position at a very young age and has done it fairly extensively at the European level. Offensively, Halperin is intriguing since he’s the type of player that can score from anywhere on the floor, being both a terrific shooter and slasher as well as possessing a solid mid-range game. He has terrific form on his jump-shot, getting nice elevation off the floor and releasing the ball quickly with range that extends to the NBA 3-point line. He shot 50% from behind the 3-point line on a sizeable amount of attempts (4 per game) in the Adriatic league. In the Euroleague his percentages dropped a bit to 37.2%, but much of this has to do with the poor way his team was built and the lack of support he got from his teammates on the offensive end. Halperin is equally comfortable shooting in rhythm off the dribble as he is in catch and shoot situations, and has been forced to take a large amount of attempts of these sort this past season. As a slasher is where Halperin really made a name for himself at the European level, though. He’s first and foremost an outstanding ball-handler, particularly with his crossover, and he has the ability to change speeds quickly and show an extra gear on his 2nd and 3rd step that most would not anticipate. Halperin reads the angles presented to him instantaneously and makes quick decisions with the ball in his hands, changing directions, contorting himself with superb body control, changing hands and finishing beautifully off the glass, often with contact. He gets to the line at a pretty nice rate and converts 90% of his attempts at the Euroleague level. Halperin is not an explosive athlete by any means, but he does a great job getting by defenders using his head more than he uses his feet. He has an assortment of crossovers, hesitation moves, and head or body fakes he can throw at opponents, being extremely shifty in his movements and constantly keeping his man off balance and on his heels with his herky-jerky style of play. He has a really nice crossover he can go to in particular. He creates his own shot very well at the European level, and is more than capable of going to a pretty polished mid-range game if the lane is not available for him. Halperin likes to stop on a dime and pull-up off the dribble, and shows very nice elevation on his jump-shot when doing so. His release is silky smooth, and his shot falls for him at a very good rate thanks to his excellent touch. In the Adriatic League Halperin shot 58% from inside the arc on a sizeable number of attempts, while at the Euroleague level he shot 52.2%. As a point guard, Halperin’s ball-handling skills, court vision and basketball instincts all lead to believe that he has what it takes to continue to play the position in the NBA as well. He is a fine passer in both static situations as well as on the move, driving the lane with his head up and picking up plenty of assists on the drive and dish. On the pick and roll is where Halperin particularly excels, as getting a screen set for him by a teammate is all he usually needs to create offense by getting into the lane and either finishing himself or finding the open man, or pulling up off the dribble for the jump-shot if the passing or slashing angle isn’t there. Halperin is the type of point guard who will regularly create something out of absolutely nothing, threading the needle unexpectedly with a bounce pass from the baseline to a cutting man for a wide-open layup, throwing a sudden lob from the perimeter for an alley-oop, or just finding the open man simply and unselfishly coming off a curl for a jump-shot. His peripheral vision allows him to make difficult passes in all directions, and he shows no hesitation to go and make the play once he starts seeing it develop. His basketball IQ is generally considered terrific and the word “heady” always comes up numerous times when discussing him with scouts and basketball people. In terms of intangibles, Halperin’s are very strong. Beyond his excellent feel for the game, Halperin has played and performed extremely well at every single level of play Europe has to offer. Starting with the junior categories with the Israeli national team, Halperin was always the top scorer in Europe at every competition he attended, whether with the cadets, the U-18’s, the U-20’s or the U-21’s as recently as last summer in Argentina by scoring 23.5 points a game. Halperin played for four seasons with Maccabi Tel Aviv and won four Israeli championships, four Israeli national cups and most impressively, two Euroleague championships. Halperin only played marginal roles on these teams, but still garnered valuable experience everyday in practice by going up against the likes of Sarunas Jasikevicius, Anthony Parker, Arriel McDonald and others. This year Halperin was arguably the best young player in the first stage of the Euroleague, scoring nearly 14 points a game, with 3.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 36 minutes a game. On the court, Halperin has a cool and calm demeanor to his game, which can often be taken as apathy or passiveness. He’s highly coachable and an outstanding teammate who first looks to get everyone around him involved in the game, and only then will start to look for his own points. The fact that his extremely well respected coach never takes him out of the game should tell you plenty about how much he is appreciated by him. Off the court, Halperin is considered a pretty impressive kid as well, well-spoken and not known to cause any problems. /article/Yotam-Halperin-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2766/ /article/Yotam-Halperin-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2766/ Sat, 15 Apr 2006 02:49:16 -0400 Strengths In terms of physical attributes, Augustine has an ideal package of what scouts usually look for in an NBA power forward. He is a lefty with good size at 6-10, an excellent frame, a nice wingspan, and more than enough athleticism to get the job done. Augustine is extremely agile, running the floor well--especially in transition--having good quickness and footspeed and being able to get off the floor swiftly to rebound, block shots and especially dunk. Offensively, he has a few decent moves he can go to in the paint, but gets most of his baskets simply by being in the right place at the right time, often in transition. Moving off the ball is where Augustine truly excels, and it would not be a surprise at all to see him end up becoming an excellent player to run the pick and roll with. He’s a fairly intelligent player with good hands and quick feet, so once he sets the (very solid) pick and rolls to the basket he will usually finish emphatically around the hoop if he’s not being too fiercely contested. Augustine’s go-to move is the left-handed jump-hook. It’s a move he’s practiced to the point of perfection, spinning quickly to his right shoulder, elevating slightly off the floor and releasing it fluidly with a nice touch. Augustine doesn’t take too many shots, but the ones he takes he converts at a very high rate, 62.4% on the season and 61.7% in his career, which puts him in 1st place on the all-time list at Illinois. A place where he shows plenty of potential is in his face-up game. The same nice touch he shows inside the paint extends to a certain extent outside the paint as well. Augustine was never a prolific mid-range shooter in college, but he did show sparks of potential here to knock down open shots with range out to about 18 feet when given the chance, particularly in the last few months of his career at Illinois. He also has an excellent 1st step for a big man with flashes of some ball-handling skills. It’s not out of the question that he could mold all these skills into a legit high post game, which would make him, along with his raw post moves, versatile enough offensively to see legit playing time in the NBA. The fact that he is a decent passer only adds to this initial impression. Augustine finished his career as the best rebounder in Illinois history, pulling down over a thousand in his career. He relies mostly on his wingspan, hands, quickness and leaping ability in this area, not being incredibly prolific but definitely getting the job done effectively. Augustine is also the winningest player in Illinois history (tied with Dee Brown), which should tell you something about the experience he brings to the table and how intriguing it is that he still has legit upside to continue to improve. He’s been to the NCAA tournament multiple times, and helped his team reach the National Championship game with a very solid showing in the 2005 NCAA tournament up until that game. In terms of intangibles, Augustine’s appear to be fairly strong. He has a cool and calm demeanor on the floor, and has a similar reputation off the court as well, never being one to cause problems for his coaches or teammates. He was named to the Big 10 all-academic team his sophomore year. /article/James-Augustine-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2782/ /article/James-Augustine-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2782/ Thu, 13 Apr 2006 13:53:46 -0400 DraftExpress sat down for a short interview with NBA Assistant Director of Scouting Ryan Blake at the end of the PIT to summarize and talk about what's next for many of these players. /article/Interview-with-Ryan-Blake-1265/ /article/Interview-with-Ryan-Blake-1265/ Thu, 13 Apr 2006 09:20:30 -0400 Strengths Sefolosha has good size for an NBA shooting guard at 6-7 (200 centimeters) with a very nice wingspan. He’s a smooth athlete, not incredibly explosive, but clearly possessing necessary NBA physical attributes, similar to Brandon Roy in this area. He’s a fluid player, highly coordinated, fundamentally sound, with nice quickness, a good first step and excellent leaping ability. Sefolosha is a physical player who likes to mix it up and get dirty, not being soft in the least bit like your stereotypical European draft prospect is perceived to be. At Biella he will often have to switch out and guard big men in the post at times on rotations and will absolutely refuse to let anyone back him down. Playing in the very strong Italian first division, Sefolosha is always asked to defend the opposing team’s best player. He has shown throughout the season that he can face-guard players from positions 1-3 without any problems at all. He is extremely intense on this end of the floor, being very pesky and getting right up in his man’s face on the perimeter. On team defense he is just as good, having the athleticism and feel for the game to know how to guard space and get the job done on rotations and pick and rolls. Defensively he is aided greatly by his terrific footwork, but also by his quickness, wingspan and intelligent style of play. Sefolosha is a true stat-stuffer, blocking shots, getting in the passing lanes, and enjoying doing all the little things for his team. His best attribute surprisingly enough might be his rebounding ability. Sefolosha has phenomenal hands and timing, so his aggressive demeanor, activity level and wingspan help him out greatly in this area. He’s got a great nose for the ball and takes plenty of pride in this area as he’s more of a small forward at the European level anyway. Often times he’ll crash the glass and ignite the fast break on his own.Offensively, he is mostly a slasher at this point. He is a good ball-handler with either hand with experience as a point guard at the junior levels, with the understanding for breaking defenses down off the dribble that comes along with that. He already brings the ball up the floor for his team at times, and being a pretty mistake free player, does a good job at minimizing turnovers. He has a nice first step and the footwork to create his own shot or for others, being highly creative once he gets in the lane finishing or finding the open man on the drive and dish. Also related to his experience at the point are his playmaking skills. Sefolosha is a creative passer who is highly unselfish (to a fault at times) with the ball in his hands, looking smooth and effortless moving the ball around the floor.Sefolosha generally has an outstanding feel for the game. He is very intelligent moving off the ball, extremely poised for a player his age competing at such a high level of competition, and doesn’t rush or force anything out on the floor. He’s your consummate role player, not having a problem being just another cog in his team’s ball-movement. He is clearly the most talented player on his team, but because of his youth and the fact that the three Americans that start around him are shoot first one-on-one type players, he’s only the 4th or 5th option offensively. He’s a willing role player, and is happy to do everything for his team on the court.In terms of shooting, Sefolosha has European 3-point range, but mostly with his feet set. This year he’s started to show more in terms of shooting off the dribble, but he’s still not consistent enough in this area. This is the part of the game that has shown the most improvement over the last year or two, going from a player with no range whatsoever to a 43.3% shooter (at the time of this report in mid-April) in the Italian league, albeit on only 2.6 attempts per game. The first thing most people mention about Sefolosha is the type of person he is off the court. Coming from a unique background of musician/artist parents, he gets nothing but praise from everyone who’s been around him for his personality and attitude. His work ethic is excellent, and on the court he has a very calm and poised demeanor despite his energetic style of play. His coach appears to have full confidence in his abilities as a player and lately plays him more than any of his much more expensive and experienced Americans, which is very rare for a player his age at this level. Although he is in his last year of draft eligibility as a 1984 born international player, Sefolosha appears to be far from reaching his full potential as a player as he has been constantly improving for the past few years and even noticeably from week to week this season in the Italian league. /article/Thabo-Sefolosha-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2806/ /article/Thabo-Sefolosha-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2806/ Wed, 12 Apr 2006 21:28:26 -0400 The 2006 EA Sports Roundball Classic was a surprisingly competitive game, with the players looking to win more than showboat as is usually the case in most all-star games. The West team was able to snatch a 118-102 win from the East, after a late fourth quarter surge to give them the victory. Mike Conley Jr.?s 13 assists tell the story of how the West team shared the ball, as they had 7 players score in double figures. Daequan Cook and Greg Oden shared Co-MVP honors for the winning West team, while Derrick Caracter and Alex Stepheson shared MVP honors for the East squad. /article/Roundball-Classic-Game-Recap-1264/ /article/Roundball-Classic-Game-Recap-1264/ Wed, 12 Apr 2006 04:00:49 -0400 Strengths Bobby Jones is a defensive stopper in the truest sense. He has great size and quickness and moves his feet intelligently, always staying in front of his man and taking great pride in harassing whoever he is guarding. He is a versatile defender as well; being used in college to defend any position on the court 1-5. Jones does a good job with post defense and he can defend shorter players on the perimeter as well. He is exceptional at sliding his feet from side to side, knowing when to extend or advance his on the ball defensive position and having the instincts to retreat backwards while staying in his defensive stance and keeping his technique.He is not incredibly thick or bulky as a player physically but is a very good athlete overall. He runs the court well, can slash to the hoop, finish in traffic and make some agile plays while in the air. He is a quick leaper as well that can get off the ground in a hurry. Jones has a very good wingspan and uses it on defense to get into the passing lanes and pick up steals.Jones is mostly a role player and doesn’t seem to have a problem with that. Offensively he is a decent slasher, being able to take a few short dribbles with his right hand to get to the hoop. Jones moves well without the ball, cutting to the basket and looking for opportunities to come up with cheap baskets in the paint. Once at the rim, he has the length and athleticism to finish well at the hoop. Most of his scoring opportunities on offense will come in the form of put backs off offensive rebounds or layups created by teammates. Jones anticipates well and uses his quick leaping ability on the glass to get the ball at its highest point. For a SG or SF he is an above average rebounder, and can also use his length and quickness to get loose balls on defense and offense.Bobby Jones is not going to be a star at the next level, instead he is your consummate role player who could be a true defensive stopper in the NBA under the right coach. The special thing about Jones is the defensive versatility he has shown in college, being asked to guard all positions on the floor. If asked to switch on a screen in the NBA this will come in very handy as he is used to defending all kinds ofoffensive players, which will increase his value at the next level. He is a smart defender, and he just understands that part of the game.It would have been very easy for Jones, a starter for years at Washington to demand more shots and more of a role on offense. He did not do that though, he just did what was asked of and in many ways relished and grew into that role. If asked to set screens he did that, if asked to defend a bigger, larger player than him in the post he did that, if asked to guard a quick athletic scoring guard he did that as well.In terms of intangibles, Jones is about as solid as they come. His coaches rave about his work ethic and attitude off the court, and he’s known as a quiet hard-working type off the court as well. /article/Bobby-Jones-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2824/ /article/Bobby-Jones-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2824/ Tue, 11 Apr 2006 03:58:44 -0400 Strengths Ryan Hollins is all upside at this point, mostly based off his impressive athletic ability for a seven-foot center. Hollins is indeed a true seven feet tall, and has a very long wingspan to boot. Despite seeing inconsistent minutes in college for one reason or another, he showed some flashes on the court, mainly in the last month of his college career. He is not an ideal specimen physically because he is not very strong, however he is not frail.Being a former track star, he has very impressive leaping ability, being able to get off the ground quickly and knowing how to use his length well to finish around the hoop if strength is not an issue. At times on offense UCLA would just throw the ball up to him and let him go get it. Hollins is a ferocious dunker when no one challenges his shot, if he has a free lane or path to the basket he can finish with authority. He is also very efficient at running the court, physically being in good condition and not appearing to have any problems in an up and down basketball game. Ideally if Hollins runs the court possession after possession, he has the ability to be very dangerous in transition. He is not a powerful athlete, relying more on his quickness than anything.On the offensive end, Hollins gets a majority of his shot opportunities either running the court or getting put back dunks on the offensive glass. He really knows how to finish when he gets the opportunity, as his long arms and quick leaping ability make it possible for him to take off far away from the basket and still finish. With his quickness, size and long arms if he polishes his post moves and improves his lower body strength he could be a real force down low.In terms of shooting, Hollins can step away from the basket and make shots periodically. He has a surprisingly effective fifteen-foot jump shot at the top of the key that he uses with regularity, showing a nice soft touch for a big man. Expanding his range to all areas of the court inside of the three point line will be critical to his success at the next level. With his quickness and length, Hollins can potentially be a real asset on defense. He has the ability to step away from the basket and provide help, and is exceptional when doubling on the perimeter because of his length really. With his good conditioning and overall athletic ability he is a very adequate defender away from the basket. Hollins is not really a shot blocker though, instead he can get in the way and make it difficult to dribble around him or make a pass. /article/Ryan-Hollins-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2815/ /article/Ryan-Hollins-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2815/ Tue, 11 Apr 2006 03:26:16 -0400 Strengths Although he doesn’t show enough of the skills to be projected there just yet, at 6-8 (measured in Chicago) Slaughter has a prototypical frame for an NBA small forward, featuring huge shoulders, a thin waist, strong legs and a 6-11 wingspan. Athletically, he has excellent quickness running the floor, good leaping ability and plenty of strength to compliment his overall tenacity. His best attribute right now is his rebounding ability, thanks largely due to his quickness, length, above average hands, strength and toughness. Slaughter attacks the glass ferociously, averaging 11 rebounds per game, making him the 5th best rebounder in the NCAA statistically. His attitude is much improved here, showing better understanding of how to utilize his skills on the glass to go along with a very solid motor, allowing him to go out of his area to get rebounds and always be somewhere around the ball. This shows up particularly well on the offensive glass, where he pulls down nearly half his rebounds. Slaughter’s overall aggressiveness also helps him get to the free throw line at a fantastic rate, well over 9 times per game. Once he’s there he knocks down his free throws at a solid 76% clip. He was almost strictly an inside player in his first two seasons at San Diego State, but is now starting to move his game out to the perimeter and is making some small, but important strides in this area. His ball-handling in particular looks slightly better, being able to lead the break or put the ball on the floor somewhat awkwardly from the perimeter and attack his man. Slaughter has very powerful legs and is able to get to the basket in just two very large strides from the 3-point line thanks to his athleticism, often being sent to the line because of how tough it is for big men to contain him. When properly utilized, Slaughter is one of the toughest players to defend on the west coast because of his all-around versatility at the power forward position. Few can keep up with his combination of strength and athleticism both inside and out, but especially on the glass. His passing ability is much better as well, showing better decision making skills, an improved attitude, and just a better all-around understanding of the game. His assists are way up while the turnovers are down on the year to back this up. /article/Marcus-Slaughter-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2828/ /article/Marcus-Slaughter-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2828/ Tue, 11 Apr 2006 03:01:34 -0400 It seems like every year we see at least one unknown NBA prospect come out of nowhere and boosts his stock into the stratosphere with a private workout or two or some well placed hype on one of the prominent NBA draft sites. This year?s candidate, Saer Sene, comes from a bit of a different background, going through the pipeline of an all-star game and heavily attended practices that have him as the talk of every International scout in the NBA. /article/Saer-Sene%97All-the-Rage-Amongst-NBA-Scouts-1263/ /article/Saer-Sene%97All-the-Rage-Amongst-NBA-Scouts-1263/ Tue, 11 Apr 2006 02:16:03 -0400 An overview of the year's first pre-draft camp, including the handing out of awards and an analysis of the tournament's draft implications. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Recap-1262/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Recap-1262/ Tue, 11 Apr 2006 01:47:12 -0400 DraftExpress Director of Prep Scouting Rodger Bohn was in Chicago this past weekend to take in the 2006 EA Sports Roundball Classic. There were two practices on Friday and Saturday that proceeded the game, and DraftExpress was there for every second. Here are our recaps of the top performers from the two days of practices: /article/Roundball-Classic-Practice-Reports-1261/ /article/Roundball-Classic-Practice-Reports-1261/ Tue, 11 Apr 2006 00:45:58 -0400 Mike Schmidt was in attendance for much of the week in Memphis and gives us a short recap of the Nike Hoop Summit and detailed analysis of all the players in attendance. /article/2006-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Game-Recap-1260/ /article/2006-Nike-Hoop-Summit-Game-Recap-1260/ Mon, 10 Apr 2006 03:47:05 -0400 Strengths One of the most fiery competitors in the college game, Jose Juan Barea is a rare point guard who shows excellent ability to both score and get his teammates involved. Physically, Barea makes up for his smallish stature to a certain extent with his excellent quickness as well as his outstanding basketball instincts. If needed, Barea can surprisingly go to the hoop and dunk the ball with authority as he has extremely strong legs and a very nice vertical leap. It would not be a huge surprise to see him do his in the NBA, as he has a Pitbull’s mentality, and is constantly in attack mode.As a point guard, Barea is very much adept at finding the open man, as his outstanding 8.4 assists per game will attest. He’s your consummate modern day floor general who can score as well as run his team effectively, showing very good court vision finding his teammates unselfishly, particularly on the drive and dish. Barea is a quick thinker who sees plays as they happen, and will feed his man instaneously with a lob or backdoor bounce pass for an easy layup, showing very good timing in the process. It’s the tougher and flashier passes that he actually excels the most in. Playing alongside better teammates than he had at Northeastern, for example at Portsmouth or with the Puerto Rican national team, Barea showed to be an even better point guard than anyone could have predicted based on what was seen in college.In these settings Barea showed the ability to push the tempo of the game intelligently while still staying under control, making numerous pin-point accurate full court passes to a wide open man or getting in the paint himself. Barea looks out of control at times with the way he plays, but this might be due more to how fast he thinks, acts and improvises-- rather than because of a lack of poise. He shows an incredibly wide variety of passes in his arsenal, whether with a beautiful bounce pass from the perimeter or from 50 feet away, moving left or right from outside and slinging a perfect one-handed pass to a cutter, driving and dishing no-look passes with incredible creativity, or with an assortment of underhanded or over-handed alleyoop lobs. Most of his assists are for easy dunks, layups or wide open looks from behind the arc, as he makes the game extremely easy for his teammates, passing the ball equally well to everyone to make sure they all stay happy and knowing exactly where to place it to ensure that it finds it's way into the opponent's basket.Barea's perimeter game is extremely advanced and shows most of the moves you would expect from a player with years of experience creating shots for himself. He’s a terrific ball-handler, going left or right equally well. Barea has an excellent crossover, as well as a wide array of other hesitation moves to keep his man off balance and constantly guessing. He improvises extremely well and is very adept at creating something out of nothing when the offense bogs down. Barea sees small openings in the defense and will react immediately to exploit them, splitting the double team right down the middle to shred apart the defense if needed. His body control is excellent and he really knows how to sell his moves to create space for himself. He’ll act like he’s about to take his man right, but will instead make a sharp ball-fake left and then blow right by his man when he has him on his heels. If he feels the urge, he has a nice in-between game he can go to at this point, being able to pull-up off the dribble and knock down the mid-range shot, or spin his way into the paint and finish creatively off the glass. Once he’s in the lane, he’s strong enough to finish at the basket with contact as his 620+ career free throw attempts will attest. He likes to keep his man on his hip and ride him all the way to the basket, drawing the foul only when he decides the time is right. He is small, but extremely strong and stocky, which makes him tough to rattle and get off-balance. He maintains his focus very well and will get the unconventional 3-point opportunity a few times a game at the mid-major level. If the lane is too crowded for him to make his way all the way to the basket, Barea has some floaters/runners/tear-drops in his arsenal that he can go to to finish over bigger and more athletic opponents. His shot-fakes are equally as effective, and he uses them to perfection to get himself into the lane. If he can find a way to become a more consistent outside shooter, his credibility in this area will only get much better. As it is, it’s not rare to see him get his man in the air a couple of times per game with just how herky-jerky and unpredictable he is. Barea’s outside shot is extremely streaky, but he can knock it down in a variety of ways. The type of defenses that are usually thrown at him has made him adapt his game accordingly, as Barea can square his shoulders in an instant and get his shot off even while on the move going left or right. His mechanics are not pretty, but he gets his shot off quickly, which is what’s most important. Barea has range that extends well beyond the NBA 3-point line, but he abuses it, which hurts his percentages. Barea already possesses all the wily veteran moves needed to make up for his size and create an advantage for himself. Little tricks like pushing off coming off a screen, tugging his man’s shirt to slow him down or giving him a little business by sticking his elbows out when setting screens are certainly not beneath him. His play borders on dirty at times, but he does it well enough to usually not get caught by the refs. Defensively, Barea is capable of playing very aggressive pressure defense, getting right in his man’s grill and pestering him without mercy. His exhausting offensive role and the fact that he must stay out of foul trouble means that he isn’t always able to show this, though. Considering his size, he’s an excellent rebounder, averaging 4.4 per game, often snatching rebounds away from players a foot taller than him. This is largely due to his toughness, also not being afraid of stepping in to take a charge. Despite playing for just a decent team in an average conference by national standards over the past four years, he has plenty of experience to fall back on from his play with the Puerto Rican national teams. He's held his own or even outplayed present or future NBA players like Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo and many others in international play. In terms of intangibles, you won't find many players with stronger ones than his. He comes from an academic family and clearly has a great head on his shoulders, being a pleasure to be around both on and off the court according to every report we've received. He has a rare combination of brains, a huge heart and plenty of cojones, and just refuses to be denied success. His leadership skills are outstanding, and he appears to have the perfect mentality needed for a basketall player to succeed. /article/Jose-Juan-Barea-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2788/ /article/Jose-Juan-Barea-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2788/ Sun, 09 Apr 2006 16:49:58 -0400 Mike Schmidt was present in Memphis for the practices of both the US and World team in their preparations for the Nike Hoop Summit. Schmidt first presents his take on the practices of the World team. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-World-International-Team-Practice-Recaps-1259/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-World-International-Team-Practice-Recaps-1259/ Sun, 09 Apr 2006 16:04:26 -0400 Mike Schmidt was present in Memphis for the practices of both the US and World team in their preparations for the Nike Hoop Summit. Schmidt first presents his take on the practices of the US team. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Practice-Recaps-1258/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Team-USA-Practice-Recaps-1258/ Sun, 09 Apr 2006 15:52:59 -0400 The fourth and final day of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament provided three back to back to back exciting games filled with intriguing matchups and interesting performances from potential NBA draft picks. Jose Juan Barea shattered the all-time record for assists in a single game with 18 assists and one lone turnover in the first and best game of the day. Steve Novak had a terrific game shooting the ball from the perimeter with 7 threes and 25 total points. Solomon Jones led his team to victory and the championship in the final game. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Four-1257/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Four-1257/ Sun, 09 Apr 2006 04:26:05 -0400 A breakdown of the best and worst performances seen at day three of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. Sean Dockery continues to show NBA scouts what Duke fans missed out on over the past four years. Daniel Horton shows that he's a worthy draft prospect, and CJ Watson for the second time this season leads a group of overachievers much farther than anyone would have thought with his outstanding play. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Three-1256/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Three-1256/ Sat, 08 Apr 2006 04:33:51 -0400 A preview of the 2006 Nike Hoop Summit, to be played on Saturday, April 8th at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee and broadcasted live on FSN at 4 PM EST. This is a look at the prospects on the International Team. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Preview-International-Team-1255/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Preview-International-Team-1255/ Fri, 07 Apr 2006 19:37:04 -0400 A look at yesterdays matchup between Sean Dockery and Tim Smith with an analysis of their play and a look at its possible meaning within the context of talent evaluation on a larger scale. /article/Style-vs.-Substance-Lessons-learned-at-Portsmouth-1254/ /article/Style-vs.-Substance-Lessons-learned-at-Portsmouth-1254/ Fri, 07 Apr 2006 15:30:09 -0400 A breakdown of the best and worst performances from day two of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.Jose Juan Barea and Bobby Jones again helped their cause, and joining them are Justin Williams, Sean Dockery and Daniel Horton. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Two-1253/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Two-1253/ Fri, 07 Apr 2006 04:01:00 -0400 A breakdown of the best and worst performances from day one of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. Bobby Jones and Jose Juan Barea were the two most impressive players today. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-One-1252/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-One-1252/ Thu, 06 Apr 2006 04:04:58 -0400 A preview of the 2006 Nike Hoop Summit, to be played on Saturday, April 8th at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee and broadcasted live on FSN at 4 PM EST. First up is the US Team. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Preview--USA-Team-1251/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Preview--USA-Team-1251/ Wed, 05 Apr 2006 03:02:50 -0400 Joakim Noah proved his worth as a potential top-3 pick with his overall play in the NCAA tournament. Al Horford shows more of the all-around complete package that makes him such an intriguing draft prospect. Jordan Farmar's team didn't win, but he did show awesome individual and team skills keeping his team in the game. Those and more in our final installment of the NCAA tournament stock watch. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--National-Championship--1250/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--National-Championship--1250/ Tue, 04 Apr 2006 04:51:00 -0400 Strengths Gansey is a basketball player in the truest sense. He has anexcellent basketball IQ, fitting seamlessly into any role and justknows how to play the game. Offensively, Gansey is outstanding running off curls to free himself up for open shots, helping him shoot an incredibly efficient 55% from the field. He moves extraordinarily well on offense and is constantly in motion making his matchup work extremely hard to defend him. Gansey knows how to use screens well and is very smart in the way he sets up defenders to run into them.Much like his other West Virginia teammate Kevin Pittnosgle, Gansey can also stick it from the three-point line at a superb rate. Gansey shot 43% from behind the arc on the year on just under 6 attempts per game, but can also knock down shots equally well from mid-range. He has a quick release, deep range and excellent mechanics on his jump shot, and can also take and make his jump-shot under pressure. Combine his ability to shoot accurately with his ability to run around screens or curls and we are talking about a potentially dangerous weapon.If the jump-shot is not available to him, Gansey will not force the issue and instead shows outstanding court vision finding the open man, being extremely patient and efficient in the way he reads defenses. One of the most impressive parts about Gansey’s game is that he is a very good rebounder on offense and defense. Despite his lack of size and great athletic ability, he gets rebounds from his ability to relentlessly go after the ball, even if that means putting his body in harm. Usually he gets to the ball quicker and faster than the opponents do because he anticipates very well and has the sheer desire to pull it down. Despite only being listed at 6-4 and possessing a pretty frail frame, Gansey led West Virginia in rebounding on the season. Defensively, Gansey also does a great job anticipating and getting in the passing lanes, being pretty smart and pesky in this area and showing plenty of toughness. Gansey is also a decent ball handler, not being a great shot-creator, but having the ability to bring the ball up court, slash to the basket when the lane is open or use the quick pull-up jumper from mid-range. Gansey catches defenses off guard when they try to deny his 3-point shot, taking his man off the dribble and making his way to the basket with moderate success if the opportunity is available for him. Despite his lack of ideal size, he is not afraid to go into the post by any means and can finish creatively around the rim.What might be the most valuable part of Gansey’s game is the fact that he is a very gritty basketball player. Gansey is a tough competitive kid on the court, not being afraid of contact, showing plenty of hustle and all the willingness in the world to take charges, hit the deck or scrap for a loose ball. Physically he is in good shape even though he is not an extremely gifted athlete, being able to play for long stretches without leaving the court. His intangibles appear to be superb, whether it’s his calm demeanor on and off the floor, his outstanding feel for the game or his terrific work ethic and attitude. In the clutch is when Gansey is truly at his best, as his ridiculous 19 points in just two overtime sessions in the 2005 NCAA tournament will attest. In the unlikely event that Gansey accomplishes nothing for the rest of his career, his place in basketball history is already secure with that one incredible performance. He's been very clutch in many other games too, but that outing will be a tough act to match. /article/Mike-Gansey-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2867/ /article/Mike-Gansey-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2867/ Mon, 03 Apr 2006 02:18:12 -0400 Strengths Pittsnogle is the absolute prototype of a face up power forward, having the potential to cause major mismatch problems in the NBA with his excellent three-point shooting ability. When watching him play, it appears that he has quite a bit more experience playing away from the basket than in the post, despite his 6-10 size. His jump shot is not picture perfect, he does fade away on his three-point shot almost every time, however, that is not really a major concern because he can get his jump shot off under intense pressure with surprising ease and incredible accuracy. Pittsnogle has a very quick release, and his jumper is straight as an arrow and very fluid which allows him to shoot a very good percentage from the three-point line. He has great rotation on his shot and a very soft touch, and shows absolutely no hesitation shooting the ball from anywhere on the floor. He’s also a terrific free throw shooter at just under 86%, although he only gets to the charity stripe about three times a game. In terms of offensive moves outside of shooting he is some what limited, but the few moves he does have in the paint he uses with perfection. With his back to the basket in the post, one of the rare times he posts up he will either shoot a soft spinning fade-away jump shot, or a good-looking short jump-hook. Where he plays on the basketball court on offense is a matter of where he is comfortable, and where he is comfortable is on the perimeter, as he is almost strictly perimeter oriented. Pittsnogle’s comfort level shooting three-point shots is like that of a shooting guard. What he does exceptionally well in terms of offensive plays is run the pick and roll, with his size to get his shot off against anyone and ability to shoot a great percentage from the three-point line, he is great coming off the high screen roll. Pittsnogle also likes to run fades in transition or just simply pop out and shoot benefiting off of his teammates’ penetration. His off the ball movement is excellent and despite the fact that everyone in the country knows he wants to shoot the three all day long and tries to gear the defense to stop it, he still got off nearly 7 attempts a game while shooting 40% from behind the arc. If his shot isn’t there, Pittsnogle has shown the ability to find the open man with his excellent court vision and passing skills. Despite his lack of outstanding athletic ability, he does run the court moderately well for a post player when motivated. When he does that he can get a lot of open looks at the three-point line, and when he gets an open shot he will knock it down more often than not. It’s obvious that he is at his best when he puts the effort in and runs the court, because during that time he will actually go to the basket and attack.Mental toughness is another one of his other strengths as a prospect, he is an emotionally and mentally tough kid. Despite his lack of a physical game, he will put his body on the line in key situations, take hard charges, and he has been the emotional leader of the West Virginia team. He has stepped up in many big games over the years and provided emotional energy and intensity even under stressful situations. Pittsnogle has greatly improved his game this year, taking it to another level after getting in much better shape over the summer and has legitimately become one of college basketball’s elite players. /article/Kevin-Pittsnogle-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2837/ /article/Kevin-Pittsnogle-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2837/ Mon, 03 Apr 2006 01:01:49 -0400 A look at the prospects who helped and hurt themselves the most in the tenth and last day of action in the NCAA tournament.Corey Brewer plays outstanding on both ends of the floor, helping his team to the National Championship. Al Horford shuts George Mason down inside and on the glass. Jordan Farmar shows the poise and confidence of a true leader in dismantling LSU. Those and much more in our ninth installment of the NCAA Tournament stock watch. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Final-Four--1249/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Final-Four--1249/ Sun, 02 Apr 2006 18:39:04 -0400 Strengths In terms of physical attributes, we’re talking about one of the most athletic players in the draft; featuring a 42 inch vertical leap, excellent strength, terrific quickness and an explosive first step. Few players can stay in front of him in college basketball, and he uses this to create his own shot dozens of times in every game he plays in. Offensively, there are very few spots on the court that Diaz is not capable of scoring from, showing a terrific combination of perimeter shooting, slashing ability and shot creating skills, and a very nice in-between game to compliment that. His aggressive shot-creating style of play appears to be tailor made to the NBA, much more than it was in the NCAA where defenses could guarantee a victory simply by doing whatever it takes to shut him down. Diaz has a picture perfect stroke from beyond the arc, featuring terrific elevation, a quick release, deep range and a beautiful high-arch on his jumper. He can hit shots both from static positions and off the dribble, and appears to become better and better as the game wears on, showing little hesitation to hoist up shots at any point. His numbers here (36.4% from 3-point range) don’t do justice to the kind of shooter he really is because of his team’s offensive system and the number of contested shots he was forced to take at the end of the shot clock every single game. If his man is crowding him on the perimeter, Diaz will blow right past him with the greatest of ease thanks to his phenomenal first step. He has a very strong crossover he can go to as well as a variety of hesitation moves and head/body fakes, showing significant improvement in his ball-handling skills over the past year. He’s become much better at creating space for himself, which means that he doesn’t have to just barrel his way into the lane like we saw all too often last season. Even when he does, though, Diaz has wonderful body control and an incredible vertical leap to make spectacular plays look easy. It’s here where Diaz looks most like an NBA player, contorting himself, finding the smallest of openings to split double teams, spinning wildly and using his strength to finish gracefully high off the glass, often with contact. Diaz is a tough and hard nosed player who does not mind challenging bigger and stronger players at the rim in order to get to the free throw line. If the lane is just too crowded to force his way into, Diaz has developed a very nice mid-range game this season to make things easier on him. He has the ability to stop on a dime and just explode off the floor, getting to the apex of his jump to where he is almost parallel to the rim and then showing great touch and concentration to knock the shot down. In terms of passing or point guard skills, he didn’t have many opportunities to get more than just a few minutes at the point each game so it’s hard to judge, but when he did he would at times show a very nice feel for the game in terms of his unselfishness finding the open man and making the extra pass. His court vision isn’t bad; underdeveloped would probably be the better way to describe it. Diaz is likely a better passer than most people realize, but he was in the wrong system to show that playing next to two other undersized shooting guards on the perimeter and no legit big men at Miami. Defensively, Diaz doesn’t seem to place nearly as much of a priority on this part of his game as he does on the offensive end. His quickness, strength and footwork mean he has plenty of potential to develop here, but this isn’t an area where he really excelled in college due to his lack of intensity here. Off the court, Diaz is a quiet guy who draws rave reviews from his coaching staff for his work ethic and attitude. Considering that he’s only been playing organized basketball for 4 years, his feel for the game is excellent and his potential to continue to improve his skills is still tremendous. In terms of the guard prospects in this draft, there may not be anyone with a ceiling as high as his. /article/Guillermo-Diaz-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2718/ /article/Guillermo-Diaz-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2718/ Sun, 02 Apr 2006 14:09:53 -0400 The official rosters of the 2006 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, straight from the hands of the committee and exclusively on DraftExpress. The biggest and possibly the most surprising names on the official Portsmouth Invitational Tournament rosters are Terrell Everett and Taj Gray of Oklahoma. Other potential first round candidates on the official rosters include: James Augustine (Illinois), Yemi Nicholson (Denver), Solomon Jones (South Florida), Justin Williams (Wyoming), James White (Cincinnati) and NCAA 3-point champion Steve Novak (Marquette) among others. This is widely considered to be the strongest list of seniors at Portsmouth in the last 5-10 years. /article/Official-2006-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Rosters-1248/ /article/Official-2006-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Rosters-1248/ Fri, 31 Mar 2006 15:28:50 -0500 Strengths A prototypical NYC-style combo guard, Randy Foye is considered one of the best pure scorers in college basketball. If deemed to have serious point guard potential for the NBA, Foye has excellent size for the position at 6-3. He is a very smooth athlete, possessing a couple of different gears he can go to, solid leaping ability, good strength and excellent body control in the lane. Offensively, he is an attractive prospect because of how versatile and advanced a scorer he is. Foye is first and foremost a slasher, mostly thanks to his outstanding ball-handling skills and the way he can create space for himself to get his shot off. He is absolutely fearless taking the ball to the basket, and finishes strong in the toughest of situations, even with contact. Foye has all the crafty moves needed to create offense for himself, using hesitation moves, a strong crossover, excellent footwork, heads fakes and the threat of his perimeter shot. He’s terrific at changing gears and keeping his man on his heels, showing excellent improvisation skills and never being predictable in what he’s going to throw at you next. His first step isn’t incredible, but his 2nd are 3rd are much better than what you would expect, as once he gets going he just overpowers his way into the lane. Once in the lane, Foye has excellent body control and really knows how to use his strength to his advantage, contorting himself, using the glass and scoring even in the most awkward of situations. His excellent leaping ability helps him out greatly here, as he hangs in the air for extended periods and can finish in a variety of ways. He gets to the free throw line over five times a game and never shies away from challenging players much bigger than him in the paint. One of Foye’s biggest strengths has to be considered his mid-range game. He has no problem stopping on a dime after creating his own shot and elevating for a smooth looking jump-shot, whether he’s leaning in, fading away or using unorthodox floaters and runners to score from 8-10 feet out. He’s also very good coming off screens for the catch and shoot. Foye consistently surprises you here with his ability to knock down tough shots with ease, both spotting up and after creating off the bounce.A part of his game that appeared to have improved greatly this year is 3-point shooting, as he was shooting right around 40% for the first few months of the season. Being more of a volume shooter, he regressed significantly down the stretch, but still showed the ability to knock shots down especially when he has space on the perimeter and isn’t forcing the issue. Unlike from mid-range, he’s significantly better on the catch and shoot than he is off the dribble, and has shown deep range here on a number of occasions this season. If a shot he thinks he can make is available for him, Foye will pull the trigger with no hesitation whatsoever, for better or for worse. He’ll never be the type of player for whom confidence will ever be an issue. Defensively, Foye is usually just as aggressive as he is on the offensive end, possessing nice footwork and good lateral quickness. He’s willing and able to get right in his man’s grill to play tough pressure defense, stick his nose in for the charge, or come up with his fair share of steals thanks to his hands and anticipation skills. His strength and tenacity help him out greatly in this area too, as he’s the type of player that just will not be backed down without a fight. This shows up in the rebounding department as well, where he is extremely aggressive and has kept his undersized team in many games solely off the way he would help take care of the glass. This is where his toughness and leaping ability really become evident, as he likes to sky straight into the air off two feet and rip a rebound away from anyone regardless of their size. Foye by all accounts has a winner’s mentality and appears likely to carve out a niche for himself for a long time in the NBA thanks to his aggressive style of play, his excellent attitude and the heart he shows on the court. His upbringing was not the easiest, growing up in a rough part of Newark, losing his father at age 3 and his mother at age 6, but this appears to have only made him a stronger person. His intangibles appear to be solid, particularly his leadership skills. /article/Randy-Foye-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2859/ /article/Randy-Foye-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2859/ Fri, 31 Mar 2006 10:42:19 -0500 In four days, life resumes its dreary pace. Brackets get thrown away and the American workforce becomes productive again, as we slowly start forgetting the drama and glory of the NCAA tournament. On your slow roll back towards normalcy and away from basketball heaven, I encourage you all to remember what the Tournament has taught you about college basketball these past two weeks. Here are some Tournament lessons about players, teams, coaches, and conferences to keep in mind for next year and beyond. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Lessons-Learned-1247/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Lessons-Learned-1247/ Fri, 31 Mar 2006 00:04:30 -0500 The high school class of 2006 is one of the best in recent memory. Unfortunately for them however, they will be forced to attend college for at least one year under the NBA?s new age limit. Even so, over 20 NBA scouts were in attendance Wednesday night to watch stars such as Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Thaddeus Young, and the rest of the top high school players in the country take part in the most recognizable all star game our country has to offer.Here are our observations on some of the top players playing in the game. Please keep in mind that we have seen every one of the players play before, so we may refer back to certain things that stick out in our memory from the past. /article/2006-McDonald-s-All-American-Game,-individual-player-breakdown/ /article/2006-McDonald-s-All-American-Game,-individual-player-breakdown/ Thu, 30 Mar 2006 09:39:56 -0500 Strengths Looking at Glen Davis before actually watching him play, you would assume that he is your typical wide, slow, undersized center that can barely get up and down the court and is just used for setting screens or getting a few rebounds. That however is completely not the case when discussing Glen Davis.What stands out first when watching him play is his surprisingly good ball-handling ability. He is very good at taking defenders off the dribble and is able to change gears use hesitation moves even use a crossover move that can use to get to the hoop off the bounce. He utilizes this very well at the college level to take slower centers by surprise in the way he can handle the ball. Once he gets by the defender it is very hard to stop him because it is difficult stopping a man of his size and strength from getting a shot up. His ball-handling is not only limited to one on one situations, as he has even shown the ability to get the rebound and bring the ball up court if need be.When he wants to get to the basket either off the dribble or when posting up, it is very hard for defenders to stop him from finishing at the rim. When a man that size gets into the air, he has to come down, and usually most post-men are not used to having to stop someone with incredible strength. Thus Davis can get his shot off around the basket and he has the potential to get a lot of continuation baskets because of his ability to follow through after contact.Another very surprisingly aspect of Davis’s game is that he has a verydeveloped mid-range jump shot. He can shoot efficiently and effectively from the 15-17 foot range or even beyond and shows great shooting touch for a man his size. Davis really likes shooting at the top of the key in the circle, which is where he is most effective if left open. When he is on the block posting up, Davis also has a very good fade-away jump shot that he can use off of a spin move. As the SEC player of the year, he’s a true go-to player for his team and will look for his shot in all situations to try and carry his team offensively. Athletically, Davis is very rare. A player his size, with his strength and bulk, combined with his unique agility and nimbleness on the court does not come along very often. He has very quick feet, and can get up and down the court a lot better than most would assume. Davis is a mountain of a man, an immoveable object in the paint in many respects because of his wide body and physical strength. He has massive arms and looks like he could bench press a truck if really wanted too. The key is that he knows how to use his strength, too. It is not wasted on the court; he can use it when carving space for himself to post up, or to limit post players from setting up where they want to in the paint on offense. Another intriguing part of his game is that he is very coordinated for a big man, and has huge and soft, but strong hands on defense and offense.On offense if there is one play that Davis can execute to perfection it is the pick and roll. It all starts with his ability to set a great screen with his wide body, and then use his quickness to get open followed by implementing his fine short-range jump shooting ability. He is a pick and pop player and if he gets in trouble he knows how to pass his way out of a double team. Davis is comfortable with the basketball in his hands and simply goes out and makes plays.On the defensive end he has his virtues as well, being able to move players around in the post with his strength and width space. He does not have slow feet; if anything he is fairly nimble on defense and moves his feet well. What he is at his best on defense is stopping the offensive player from backing up close to the basket. Davis knows how to use his leverage and size to push the offensive player away from where they want to ideally post up. When he boxes out aggressively he can really clear space. He takes out almost anyone in his path and no player can stop him from getting the ball if he puts his mind to it. Davis is known as one of the most charismatic players in the NCAA, and from watching him interact with his teammates he appears to have a great personality. At times he can be a fun loving guy that likes tojoke around, and at other times he is a serious competitor and is one of the emotion leaders of his LSU team which reached the Final Four. Davis was one of the more vocal leaders not only on the court but also in the media during their trip to the Final Four. Having a likeable sincere guy like that on any NBA team would do nothing but help in terms of team cohesiveness. /article/Glen-Davis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2842/ /article/Glen-Davis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2842/ Wed, 29 Mar 2006 21:17:11 -0500 Strengths (sophomore season scouting report, see player blog tab for more recent updates)At 6-11 or even 7-0, Noah has outstanding size for either the power forward or center positions in the NBA. His wingspan is outstanding and he uses it to the fullest extent to wreak havoc on both ends of the floor. Noah is also an excellent athlete for a player his size, running the floor like a man possessed, having nice footspeed, solid leaping ability both on his first and second jump, and possessing a nice first step to get by post players from the perimeter. He is highly coordinated, greatly improving on his fluidity, reflexes and hand/eye coordination recently despite shooting up over a foot in just a couple of years in high school. He is an extremely reactive 7-footer who responds to everything around him almost instantaneously and has still held on to many of the guard skills he had from playing the point early in his career. Noah is a well conditioned athlete with an incredible motor and boundless energy, allowing him to play for long stretches and seemingly never tire.Offensively, Noah is one of the more unique players in the NCAA. Inside the paint he can score like you expect your near 7-footer to, relishing contact, always finishing strong and showing the raw ability to finish with either hand around the hoop. The jump-hook is currently his weapon of choice, and he’s able to get shots off thanks to his combination of tenacity, slithery quickness, reasonable foot-work and outstanding length. Despite being extremely unselfish, he’s the type of player that wants the ball in his hands as much as possible and will work extremely hard to establish deep position in the paint to attack the basket. His touch here is improving all the time, although his lack of strength will sometimes affect him by throwing the ball too high off the glass. If it’s at all possible, though, there is nothing Noah enjoys more than finishing with a thunderous dunk. He’s been on the right end of numerous highlight reels this year, aided greatly by his fantastic reach, which allows him to take the ball right at his matchup and finish impressively at the hoop in traffic and over opponents. What makes Noah all the more intriguing, though, are the many guard skills he shows operating from the perimeter in half-court sets as well as in transition on either end of the fast break. After a rebound, Noah loves to bring the ball up the floor himself to ignite the fast break if the lane is available and his guards are not ready to take the pass. Florida has used him as a legit weapon this year in breaking the full-court press, and Noah has been extremely reliable in his decision making here. He shows outstanding ball-handling skills for a player his size, weaving his way in and out of traffic impressively, always with his head up and having the fluidity and reactiveness to avoid smaller players looking to slide in for the charge. In the half-court, Florida will sometimes play zone and go with a lineup composed of 3 big men, with Noah sliding over to the small forward position offensively. Whether at the 3 or the 4, Noah loves to operate from the high post and shows impressive ability to take his man off the dribble and make his way towards the hoop, either to finish off the glass himself, draw contact to get to the line or pass off while in motion to an open teammate after the defense rotates. He probably gives his coaches heart attacks doing so, but it’s not rare to see him even throw in a crossover move, bring it behind his back or even use basic hesitation moves to get his man off balance. On somewhat rare occasions this season when left wide open, Noah has attempted to show off his mid-range jump shot while operating from the high post. He actually knocked them down at a pretty good clip despite his extremely ugly release, and even tantalized a bit by shooting and making them off the dribble in the NCAA tournament.In static positions from the post or the perimeter, or while on the move after breaking his man down off the dribble, Noah is a fantastic passer for a 7-footer. He’s extremely unselfish and uses his height very well to see over the top of the defenses and make highlight-reel caliber passes that most would just not expect from a player his size. His interior passing to his big man partner in crime Al Horford, or out of the post after a double team is particularly impressive.Considering his style of play and the means in which he is used offensively, it’s no surprise to see that he draws a large number of fouls each and every game, particularly as the season went on and his role increased. Once he gets to the line, Noah shot an excellent 73% during the season, and improved to 82% in 4 games in the NCAA tournament, despite his unorthodox release.Defensively, Noah puts just as much, if not more pride in on this end of the floor. He shows a lot of potential as a shot-blocking threat, utilizing his terrific length, excellent instincts, intelligence, timing, tenacity and athleticism to average just under 2 and a half blocks in 24 minutes during the regular season and 4.8 in 33.5 minutes in the NCAA tournament. Defending man to man, Noah does not give his opponent any space to operate, bumping him with his chest, challenging him, keeping his arms high and changing just as many shots around the rim as he sends back. As in everything he does, he’s shows superb toughness, not being afraid to sacrifice his body and jump into the stands for a loose ball even when his team is well ahead and he’s on his way to a 37 point night as he showed against Georgia. He definitely lacks strength and will struggle at times with wider and bulkier opponents, but he makes the most of every ounce he has on his thin frame and will never give up on a play. The same attributes above that make him an excellent shot-blocking threat also make him a terrific rebounder. He’s very active on the glass, going after anything that is remotely in his area and having good hands and perfect length to get the job done. Regarding his intangibles, there really isn’t a whole lot more you could ask for here. Being a worldly person who has traveled around the globe as the son of a famous tennis player and musician, coaches and teammates rave about his attitude and character both on and off the court. Benefiting immensely from a couple of extremely late growth spurts, it’s impossible not to notice just how incredibly much Noah has improved over the past few years, which leads to believe that he’s nowhere close to realizing his full potential. His basketball IQ is high and his motor is simply off the charts, making it that much more likely that he’ll be able to achieve his potential as a player. Being more than just an upside type, his production is there too, as Noah was the MVP of the Minneapolis region as Florida’s go-to guy in making the Final Four, and was arguably the best player in the entire tournament. Just from watching him for a moment it’s impossible not to notice how much passion he has for the game of basketball, constantly firing up himself, his teammates and the crowd with his antics (chest-pounding, primal screams, etc), showing great leadership skills and being just as good of a cheerleader for his teammates when a big play is made, whether he’s off or on the court. /article/Joakim-Noah-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2868/ /article/Joakim-Noah-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2868/ Wed, 29 Mar 2006 16:19:30 -0500 DraftExpress Director of Prep Scouting Rodger Bohn recently had the chance to sit down and talk with high school star Kevin Durant. Durant spoke with DraftExpress about his decision to attend Texas, the NBA?s new age limit, and the areas of his game that must be improved upon before he reaches his full potential. Durant will be playing in the McDonald's All-American game tonight on ESPN at 10 PM EST. /article/McDonald-s-All-American-Game-Kevin-Durant-Interview-1245/ /article/McDonald-s-All-American-Game-Kevin-Durant-Interview-1245/ Wed, 29 Mar 2006 04:00:40 -0500 Cinderella Swan Song: Will the NBA age limit shatter the glass slipper for smaller upstart schools? /article/Cinderella-Swan-Song-1244/ /article/Cinderella-Swan-Song-1244/ Wed, 29 Mar 2006 02:46:48 -0500 DraftExpress Director of Prep Scouting Rodger Bohn recently sat down with Colorado sophomore shooting guard Richard Roby. Roby, who announced that he will be entering the NBA Draft, spoke about his decision to enter, what it will take for him to stay in this year?s draft, and his struggles late in the season among a wide variety of topics that were brought up. /article/Richard-Roby-Interview/ /article/Richard-Roby-Interview/ Tue, 28 Mar 2006 01:08:57 -0500 A look at the prospects who helped and hurt themselves the most in the eighth day of action in the NCAA tournament.Joakim Noah comes up with another monster stat-line leading his team to the Final Four. Marcus Williams loses, but continues to make a case to be the first point guard off the board. Al Horford shows that he?s not the only Florida big man with a wide array of skills. Hilton Armstrong teases once again but comes up short in the end. Allan Ray appears to be intent on shooting himself out of the draft. Those and much more in our eighth installment of the NCAA Tournament stock watch. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Elite-Eight,-Sunday-Games--1241/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Elite-Eight,-Sunday-Games--1241/ Sun, 26 Mar 2006 23:09:59 -0500 Strengths In terms of physical attributes, there are few players in the NBA right now who can match Thomas’ combination of length and athletic ability. His leaping ability is something that has to be seen in person to truly comprehend. Beyond the fact that he has a 40+ inch vertical leap, runs the floor like a guard and explodes off the ground like he has a trampoline at all times at his personal disposal, he uses that athleticism to the fullest extent, which separates him even further from the Stromile Swifts and Tyson Chandlers of the world. The majority of Thomas’ strengths right now revolve around his defense and rebounding skills, along with the occasional havoc he can create on the offensive end.Thomas can truly change a game with his shot-blocking ability, using not only his outstanding physical attributes, but also his mind and instincts to get the job done. Thomas possesses excellent timing on his vertical leap along with a great feel for anticipating; getting better and better all the time in terms of not biting on pump-fakes and doing exactly what he needs to keep possessions alive by tapping the ball gently or sending it off the glass rather than swatting it to the 2nd row. Throughout the year he has shown to be equally adept at blocking shots both coming from the weak-side as well as straight up on the man he’s guarding. Even when he gets caught biting on a pump-fake, he is quick enough to recover in the blink of an eye and get the block on the 2nd attempt when his man thinks he clearly has him beat. It’s the same way in transition as if he’s anywhere within a 10 foot radius of the ball with a running start, no basket is safe in the hoop until is actually goes down because of the sheer speed in which he covers ground and pounces off the floor. For every shot he blocks he alters countless others with the intimidation factor he establishes early on; forcing players to travel, throw shots high off the glass and always sneak a peek from the corner of their eye to see whether Thomas is lurking somewhere in the background. Unlike most freakish athletes, he has an innate understanding of how to utilize his tools as well as an outstanding motor and activity level, making him absolutely relentless going after anyone that dares enter the paint. For a player his age he is surprisingly good at staying out of foul trouble for someone as raw as you’d think he’d be. He only fouled out of 1 game all season long and reached 4 fouls on only 5 out of 30 games despite the drive he plays with. Thomas doesn’t come from the Theo Ratliff or Samuel Dalembert school of shot-blocking, meaning he doesn’t risk his position to pad his stats and will rarely be called for goaltending. He is capable of playing outstanding man to man and team defense all over the floor when he’s not intimidating around the hoop, showing a lot of pride in this part of his game. He’s quick and effective stepping out to hedge the pick and roll and recovers beautifully getting right back into the post. If his man is trying to post him up on the block calling for the post-entry pass, Thomas will sometimes just outsmart and outquick him by going around him and coming up with the steal when the ensuing pass comes. Lazy passes are the kind of things he feasts on as he has the instincts and explosiveness to get right into the passing lanes with his wingspan and take the ball the length of the floor for the slam. Thomas is also a terrific rebounder despite his lack of bulk, coming up with 8 rebounds or much more in every game this year in which he played over 25 minutes except one (in which he had 7). He’s extremely active on the glass and once again uses his combination of outstanding length, instincts, leaping ability, tenacity, hands and timing to simply outquick and outjump almost anyone he’s going up against. He regularly goes out of his area to come up with an important rebound for his team and will get his hands on a couple of balls every game that most would not in order to keep possessions alive for his team. His excellent hands help him out greatly in this area, as you’ll rarely see him bobble anything or lose control of a ball if strength is not a factor.Offensively, Thomas is absolutely dynamite in the open floor and shows some small important sparks that lead you to believe he has more in him than he’s currently showing. On the fast break or even in half-court sets his teammates have learned that if they are in trouble they can just throw the ball to the general area at the top of the square on the glass and Thomas will go get it and usually throw it down emphatically too. Most of his points come off lobs of these sort as well as tip-ins on offensive rebounds, but against weaker opponents he’s shown some signs of raw footwork in the post, a mid-range jump-shot and a little jump-hook shot he can go to. It’s fair to call him raw offensively, but he’s also a little more difficult to gauge since he is usually his team’s 4th or 5th option on the floor and has probably had a handful of plays called for him all season long. He’s an unselfish player and is not as much of a liability as you would think handling the ball on the perimeter and making post entry passes. He shows a good feel for the game here too, as well as reasonable ball-handling skills in the open floor on a number of occasions. Thomas’ frame isn’t huge, but it looks good enough to make us think that he won’t have any problems putting on the 15-20 pounds of bulk he will need in the NBA.Thomas is generally an extremely aggressive player, noticeably being more concerned with helping his team get wins rather than get on a highlight reel. He is a humble and very intelligent player both on and off the court, and is said to be an excellent student in the classroom and a highly coachable player in LSU’s practices. On the court he is surprisingly poised and focused for a player with such little basketball experience, not making many mistakes and generally showing an outstanding court demeanor amongst his teammates. His relentless attitude is an attribute that is both rare in a player of his mold and impossible to teach. Being a 6-6, 190 pound player in high school made him have to work much harder than anyone else to succeed in the post and this attitude has translated over at his current height of 6-9 and 215 pounds. From interviews with him you can tell that he has a chip on his shoulder, and you can only hope that he keeps it once he makes the NBA. Right now he goes after everything that is even remotely in his area and never gives up on any play. Despite his lack of bulk he uses the strength he has very cleverly, challenging players who are bigger and stronger than him with no fear and no regard for his own personal safety. It would not be a stretch to say that he has a higher ceiling that any other player in this draft class considering his physical attributes and how long he’s been playing basketball, but his intangibles lead you to believe that he also has what it takes to actually realize that potential as well. /article/Tyrus-Thomas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2862/ /article/Tyrus-Thomas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2862/ Sun, 26 Mar 2006 02:42:15 -0500 A look at the prospects who helped and hurt themselves the most in the seventh day of action in the NCAA tournament.Tyrus Thomas enters the conversation for the #1 overall pick with an explosive game on both ends of the floor in the biggest game of his career so far. Glen Davis completely outplays LaMarcus Aldridge on both ends of the floor. Ryan Hollins awakens at just the right moment for UCLA. Rodney Carney and the aforementioned Aldridge likely finish up their college careers with extremely disappointing performances. Those and much more in our seventh installment of the NCAA Tournament stock watch. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Elite-Eight,-Saturday-Games--1240/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Elite-Eight,-Saturday-Games--1240/ Sun, 26 Mar 2006 00:19:29 -0500 A look at the prospects who helped and hurt themselves the most in the sixth day of action in the NCAA tournament.Marcus Williams establishes himself as the frontrunner for MVP of the NCAA tournament with yet another fantastic scoring and passing display. Joakim Noah shows off his half-court skills this time in a physical grind it out setting. Randy Foye carries his team to victory and shows why he might be the most talented shot-creating guard in the country at the moment. Rudy Gay and Allan Ray come up flat when their teams need them him the most. Those and much more in our sixth installment of the NCAA Tournament stock watch. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Sweet-Sixteen,-Friday-games--1238/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Sweet-Sixteen,-Friday-games--1238/ Sat, 25 Mar 2006 03:35:37 -0500 A look at the prospects who helped and hurt themselves the most in the fifth day of action in the NCAA tournament.LaMarcus Aldridge bounced back to deliver a performance worthy of consideration for the #1 pick. Tyrus Thomas' defensive explosion makes you wonder if there is any player with more upside at the NCAA level. Shelden Williams again showed why he might be the most surefire bet of any player in this draft. J.J. Redick comes up with possibly the worst game of his college career at the worst time possible for him and his team. Those and much more in our fifth installment of the NCAA Tournament stock watch. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Sweet-Sixteen,-Thursday-games--1237/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--Sweet-Sixteen,-Thursday-games--1237/ Fri, 24 Mar 2006 04:15:30 -0500 While the NCAA tournament isn?t the end-all-be-all of talent evaluation, there is a great deal that can be determined from how prospects perform under the immense pressure that the lime-light of tournament play brings to bear. Less than a month from now, when the bright lights and perspiration of this college season are a distant and fading memory, aspiring NBA prospects will be competing in an entirely different way. Teamwork and sacrifice, two defining elements of tournament success, will take a back seat to the cut-throat world of draft positioning. Like a heard of well-cured meat, prospects will line up to be measured, weighed, poked and prodded while dozens of league personnel make their final assessments on each players? worth. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Heart-Condition-1236/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Heart-Condition-1236/ Wed, 22 Mar 2006 01:34:47 -0500 Strengths A legit 6-6 point guard. Mardy Collins has great size for the position, and unlike many converted wing to point prospects, really plays like one too. He is not a spectacular athlete, but is highly fluid in his movements, has extremely quick feet and outstanding instincts. Collins is a highly unselfish player that controls tempo and plays the game with tremendous poise and patience. He’s a coach’s dream since he always plays within himself, never forces things and rarely makes unforced errors. Being smart and fundamentally sound, he seems to have a great understanding of the game; knowing when to look for his shot and when to get his teammates involved. He has very good playmaking skills, running his team's halfcourt offense to perfection and executing extremely well. His court vision is excellent, utilizing his height to see the entire floor and being able to make passes that most shorter point guards just can’t, particularly into the post. His passing skills aren’t particularly flashy, as he’s more of your fundamental bounce pass-type who just gets the job done effectively. Typically strict Hall of Fame coach John Chaney appears to trust him with eyes closed. Collins is an excellent ball-handler as well, dribbling the ball low to the ground with an array of hesitation moves and great confidence. Despite having just an above average first step, he is able to create his shot with ease at the college level thanks to all the many tricks he has in his arsenal, by using his head more than he does his feet. His ability to change gears and keep his man on his heels thanks to his assortment of head and body fakes helps him out greatly in this area. He has a strong crossover that he likes to use to get defenders off balance and either slash to the hoop, possibly using a spin-move, or pull up for the jump shot from mid-range, especially right around the free throw line. Once he gets to the rim he finishes creatively, utilizing his strength and toughness as well as his craftiness to usually score with a layup off the glass, and being just as effective after taking contact. Collins loves to post up his man right on the edge of the paint or starting at the free throw line. His strength, footwork and overall intelligence help him out greatly here, being able to either find the open man if the double team comes, pull up for a turnaround jumper, or make his way all to the way to the basket. Even though his perimeter shot is not particularly effective, it isn’t because of flawed mechanics or anything of that nature. Collins gets nice elevation on his jump shot, has a pretty high, albeit slow, release and looks smooth delivering his jumper. He is more effective from mid-range at the moment than he is from long-range, but considering his mechanics and his excellent work-ethic, it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see him become an acceptable shooter from behind the arc in the NBA down the road. Right now he is forced to take too many tough, contested perimeter shots at the end of the shot-clock because of Temple’s archaic style of offense, something that obviously hurts his shooting percentages. Being the type of player who doesn’t seem to give a damn about his stats, this doesn’t appear to really bother Collins since that’s just what his coach asks him to do. Another attractive part of his game is his defensive ability. Collins plays at the top of John Chaney’s trademark matchup zone, and has established himself as one of the top ball-hawks in the country over the past four years. He has superb hands and outstanding anticipation skills, and his excellent footwork, wingspan and lateral movement do the rest. He gets his hands on a huge amount of deflections every game, coming up with steals, blocks and igniting the fast break for his team and often finishing it himself. He's also a solid rebounder for his position, averaging just under 5 per game on the year. Collins is a very experienced basketball player, starting in every game for Temple since he stepped on campus. He keeps himself in fantastic shape, playing the full 40 minutes for his team more often then not, even as a Sophomore, but especially as a Junior and Senior, usually looking as if he isn't breaking a sweat. Collins’ intangibles are outstanding, possessing fine leadership skills and an excellent demeanor on the floor. He’s an intelligent player both on and off the court who does exactly what’s asked of him by his coaches. /article/Mardy-Collins-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2822/ /article/Mardy-Collins-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2822/ Tue, 21 Mar 2006 17:42:39 -0500 Strengths Williams has excellent size for an NBA point guard at 6-3, with a very well built body that allows him to take contact and maintain his poise and balance in tough situations. He has huge hands that help him both control the ball masterfully as well as make impossible passing angles look simple. Williams’ steering paws combined with his peripheral vision allow him to whip the ball using impossible angles to the sides or behind him with a quick swoop and great accuracy when other point guards would struggle getting the ball off their finger tips. Many consider Williams to be the best pure point guard in the country because of the poise he shows running UConn’s offense as well as his unselfishness, outstanding court vision and passing ability. He easily tops the point guard prospect rankings in assist to turnover ratio with a 2.42 average, coming in at 8.5 assists per game compared with 3.5 turnovers despite the fact that he was not available for the usually cupcake non-conference schedule that most point guards use to pad their stats.Williams sees things on the floor in half-court sets that most point guards don’t and reacts to them instantaneously rather than waiting for plays to develop. He’s perfected the art of the ideal pass down to a science, showing a wonderful assortment of styles and outstanding creativity in the process. The lost art of the post-entry pass is absolute cake for him, using quarterback to wide-receiver style lobs, fundamental bounce passes, full-court heaves or the more modern and ballsy two-handed alley-oop chest pass right to the rim. Williams loves to push the tempo of the game, so naturally in transition is where his stripes as a point guard really come out, as he organizes the break wonderfully, makes spectacular passes to his incredibly athletic frontcourt look easy, and knows how to put the ball in the cup himself if the pass isn’t there. He rarely gets rattled and usually makes the best possible decision available to him here. No point guard in the country knows his teammates’ strengths better than Williams does. He distributes the ball exactly the way Coach Jim Calhoun would want him to, rewarding his teammates after a strong rebound or nice defensive play with an easy bucket the next time down the floor to ensure they remain happy, keeping the morale of the team high in the process by making sure that everyone puts in maximum effort for every second they are on the court. That’s not easy when you have as much talent as UConn does this year, but Williams does a great job making sure everyone gets involved, particularly when it comes to his big men, who might otherwise starve for touches on most NCAA teams. No legit point guard prospect would be complete without outstanding ball-handling skills, and this is a part of his game that he’s improved remarkably in over the past few years. The left-handed Williams dribbles the ball confidently with either hand, always under control, averaging a surprisingly low number of turnovers considering the number of high risk passes he makes, largely due to the fact that he does not make many unforced errors handling the ball. Williams possesses a strong crossover that he uses to break down defenses, get his man off-balance and give himself space to get into the lane, a move that he executes wonderfully when his team’s half-court offense breaks down. In these instances he rarely gets fazed, being very patient making his way into the lane, taking his time, always with his head up surveying everything around him and doing a fantastic job of getting the ball to his athletic teammates approaching the rim for the easy two points. He has some shiftiness to his game here, changing gears, utilizing hesitation moves, throwing head-fakes or using screens to get by his man, which is a bit tougher for him considering his average first step. As the season has progressed he’s done a better job at going all the way to the rim (particularly going left) and finishing himself using his excellent strength, something that was absolutely necessary since some teams will prefer to play him this way rather than rotate and let Williams find the open man on the drive and dish, which as noted he is brilliant at. In other facets of his offensive game, Williams has shot the ball pretty well from 3-point range over the last two seasons, although this is something GMs will want to look more closely at in private workouts considering his limited amount of attempts. As a sophomore he shot a little over 40% from behind the arc on only two attempts per game, and as a junior he sits at 38% on about 2.5 attempts at the time of this report heading into the Sweet 16. At the free throw line Williams is excellent, being exactly the type of player you want to have with the ball in his hands in late-game situation. He’s improved his free throw shooting from 72% as a sophomore to 84.5% as a junior, being especially impressive in clutch/pressure-packed circumstances.In terms of his intangibles, we find mostly a mixed bag. On one hand Williams appears to be an extremely crafty player who understands the game, realizes his role, follows instructions and is an outstanding teammate both on and off the court. Experience-wise, he has competed and played well at the highest level of college basketball for the past three years despite the fact that he’s been ineligible for large chunks of that time. He has noticeably improved throughout his three years at UConn, actually being closer to playing only two full seasons because of academic and off the court issues. /article/Marcus-Williams--UConn--NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2793/ /article/Marcus-Williams--UConn--NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2793/ Tue, 21 Mar 2006 04:39:08 -0500 While there was no instant classic like last season?s West Virginia-Wake Forest thriller, the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament gave us a bit of everything we like to see in March. There was late-game drama (Lofton beats Winthrop), several memorable performances by big names (Mr. Morrison), a couple of bonafide breakout stars (O?Bryant, Noah), and new Cinderella stories being churned out by the volume. The following is a breakdown of the top storylines from Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Capping-Off-Weekend-One-1235/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Capping-Off-Weekend-One-1235/ Mon, 20 Mar 2006 23:09:36 -0500 A look at the prospects who helped and hurt themselves the most in the fourth day of action in the NCAA tournament.Patrick O?Bryant announced his presence to the national audience with a career high 28 points and an unlikely Sweet 16 berth. Two players by the name of Marcus Williams help their draft stock out with terrific individual performances, one in a winning effort and one for the losers. Rajon Rondo likely finishes up his career at Kentucky with a solid all-around performance concluding in a loss. LaMarcus Aldridge comes up extremely flat for Texas but still sees his team win emphatically without him. Those and much more in our fourth installment of the NCAA Tournament stock watch. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-Sunday-games--1234/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-Sunday-games--1234/ Mon, 20 Mar 2006 02:55:27 -0500 A look at the prospects who helped themselves the most in the third day of action in the NCAA tournament.Joakim Noah has himself another Andrei Kirilenko-type statline in a dominating all-around performance to propel Florida into the Sweet 16. Brandon Roy does the same for UW, but in much more discreet fashion. James Augustine appeared to be on his way to a career night but was stopped short in so small part due to his teammates. The Dukies click on all cylinders and all find themselves amongst many others in the Stock Up department. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-Saturday-games----Stock-UP-1232/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-Saturday-games----Stock-UP-1232/ Sun, 19 Mar 2006 03:35:22 -0500 A look at the prospects who hurt themselves the most or didn't do anything to their stock in the third day of action in the NCAA tournament.Dee Brown finishes his college career on a sour note in a loss to Washington. Ron Steele exits but not before he shows the entire country that one of the best PGs in America will be playing for Alabama next season. Adam Morrison struggles badly from the field but still manages to advance to the Sweet 16. Marco Killingsworth is eliminated from the tournament after not disappointing in his last game against Gonzaga. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-1-,-Stock-DOWN-NEUTRAL-1233/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Stock-Watch--round-of-32,-1-,-Stock-DOWN-NEUTRAL-1233/ Sun, 19 Mar 2006 03:34:38 -0500 A look at the prospects who helped and hurt themselves the most in the second day of games at the NCAA tournament.LaMarcus Aldridge was one of the few lottery prospects to back up the hype on the biggest stage he's played in so far. Mustafa Shakur exploded for what might have been his best game of his career at the best possible time for the Arizona Wildcats. Tyler Hansbrough looked like a senior leading his team to victory behind 24 points and 9 rebounds individually, and Brandon Rush finished off his college career on a very sour note that murks his NBA draft future up considerably. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--round-of-64,-Friday-games--1231/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--round-of-64,-Friday-games--1231/ Sat, 18 Mar 2006 06:26:56 -0500 A look at the prospects who helped and hurt themselves the most in the first day of games at the NCAA tournament.Adam Morrison showed why he is a legit college basketball superstar who can will his team to victory virtually all by himself. Christian Maraker took advantage of the big stage to put his name right in the middle of NBA draft discussions. Joakim Noah and Al Horford toyed with South Alabama on the way to some intriguing stat-lines. And Gerry McNamara and Taj Gray came up extremely flat in what we now know were the last games of their college career. /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--round-of-64,-Thursday-games--1230/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch--round-of-64,-Thursday-games--1230/ Fri, 17 Mar 2006 04:16:52 -0500 For anyone reading these words right now, this is most likely your favorite time of year. The college game enthusiast has the NCAA tournament to look forward to, the gambler has their standard office pool, and the NBA fanatic is eagerly tracking every big game from the designated prospects they dream about watching on their favorite team.While it is easy to get caught up in the fever of big game players making big-time shots, the true basketball connoisseur must try with all due diligence to separate themselves from the hype of it all and use their analytical mind to separate out who truly constitute the good, the bad, and the ugly. /article/Draft-Etiquette-Surviving-the-Madness-of-March-1229/ /article/Draft-Etiquette-Surviving-the-Madness-of-March-1229/ Thu, 16 Mar 2006 04:12:45 -0500 A breakdown of all the NBA draft prospects scouts will be watching in the Oakland bracket of the NCAA tournament. The most stacked bracket of all in terms of NBA caliber talent, we find numerous lottery prospects littered around the various teams, particularly with extremely young and talented Memphis and Kansas teams. Adam Morrison, Rodney Carney, Brandon Rush and Ronnie Brewer will be followed the closest, but nearly every game here will feature more than one first round prospect. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Oakland-Bracket-NBA-Draft-Prospects-1228/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Oakland-Bracket-NBA-Draft-Prospects-1228/ Thu, 16 Mar 2006 02:48:12 -0500 Strengths One of the fastest players in college basketball in the open floor. Brown’s well-deserved nickname is the “one man fast break,” a title he has earned for his ability to get from one end of the floor to the other in the blink of an eye. As a point guard, Brown has a good sense for being able to find the open man--especially off the dribble-- thanks to his instincts as a basketball player as well as his unselfishness. As his senior year progressed, he adapted more and more to playing the point, trusting his teammates and learning to utilize their strengths on his way to posting a very solid 2/1 assist to turnover ratio. His team played a very particular (and highly effective) style of basketball which needed a point guard that knows how to control tempo on both ends of the floor. Brown executed this role fairly well, especially considering his lack of experience at the point. As a shooter, his numbers dropped off dramatically in his senior year, but it can not be forgotten what an outstanding perimeter threat he was in his junior year (50% FG, 43.4% 3P) helping his team reach the national championship game. He moves off the ball extremely well and is a superb shooter in catch and shoot situations. Brown’s size and quickness allow him to stay low to the ground and minimize careless turnovers thanks to his ball-handling skills. He plays under control for the most part and is a smart player who understands the game, even though the role he played at Illinois this year wasn’t tailor made to his strengths. Brown is one of the better on-ball defenders in the NCAA. He has extremely quick feet, superb instincts to stay in front of his man and anticipate steals to ignite the fast break, outstanding hands and a relentless motor that just does not quit. His ability to play tough pressure defense and get in his man’s face at all times is a staple in Bruce Weber’s outstanding half-court defense. Brown has excellent intangibles, appearing to be the type of player who is programmed to succeed. He has great leadership qualities, an excellent work ethic and a superb demeanor both on and off the court. Brown is a natural born winner whose energy and enthusiasm for the game is infectious. His charisma and flair have made him a fan favorite not just locally, but around the country, as well as a media darling to the point that he is one of the most recognizable faces in the college basketball. Teammates enjoy playing with him, and rival opponents respect him. He’s an excellent student as well, finishing up his bachelor’s degree early and being named to the All-Big 10 Academic team in his sophomore year. He played for one of the top coaches in all of college basketball in Bruce Weber, known for his complicated offensive and defensive schemes, and garnered plenty of experience playing in a top conference and with multiple appearances in the NCAA tournament. /article/Dee-Brown-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2771/ /article/Dee-Brown-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2771/ Wed, 15 Mar 2006 15:51:00 -0500 It?s late in the week, and your NCAA tournament brackets are sloppier than Tara Reid. Your team of consultants includes every print and internet pundit on the face of the earth, your friends, your shrink, and your Magic 8 Ball. Looking for direction in these troubling times can be tough on all of us, but luckily, DraftExpress.com readers now have an ace up their sleeve: me. It?s time to get paid, so dive into your office pool and let me be your water wings. Here are all the NCAA Tournament winners, round by round until the nets are cut down. /article/Perfect-NCAA-Tournament-Picks-1227/ /article/Perfect-NCAA-Tournament-Picks-1227/ Wed, 15 Mar 2006 13:10:43 -0500 A breakdown of all the NBA draft prospects scouts will be watching in the Atlanta bracket of the NCAA tournament. This particular bracket has plenty of NBA draft caliber talent, with Duke and Texas both featuring numerous lottery and 1st round prospects for this year and the future. Tyrus Thomas will be drawing crowds wherever he goes, and other upperclassmen in this bracket have plenty to gain from the exposure they will be seeing here. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Atlanta-Bracket-NBA-Draft-Prospects-1226/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Atlanta-Bracket-NBA-Draft-Prospects-1226/ Wed, 15 Mar 2006 03:58:32 -0500 A breakdown of all the NBA draft prospects scouts will be watching in the Minneapolis bracket of the NCAA tournament. This particular bracket features a couple of potential lottery picks, plenty of experienced seniors and more tweeners than any Euroleague scout could possibly hope for. Villanova and Florida will be keeping the scouts in their seats, with Arizona and Oklahoma not too far behind. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Minneapolis-Bracket-NBA-Draft-Prospects-1225/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Minneapolis-Bracket-NBA-Draft-Prospects-1225/ Tue, 14 Mar 2006 01:53:00 -0500 Strengths Adams is a pure physical specimen. He has tremendous athleticism, highlighted by his outstanding leaping ability, to go along with a very strong frame, which he knows how to use. He also possesses excellent length. He has a very explosive first step and has that same explosiveness on his leap. He runs the floor very well, is pretty coordinated, and plays with a good level of fluidity.Slashing is definitely Adams’ best weapon, where he makes great use of his strength and quickness to create high-percentage shots in the lane. He is very creative with the ball and is certainly not afraid of contact. When Adams wants to, he can usually get to the hole with one or two short, but powerful dribbles. He uses his explosive first step to blow past his man, then with his combination of strength, creativity, and leaping ability, finishes very well at the rim. His strength allows him to maintain good balance even after contact, helping to ensure a high-percentage shot attempt. He utilizes a hop-step move especially well to make use of his explosiveness once in the lane.Adams also has a pretty decent mid-range game when spotting up with his feet set. He hits these mid-range shots with a pretty good frequency, which in turn helps open up his slashing opportunities. He also moves pretty well without the ball, putting himself in good position for either a mid-range shot or a drive to the basket once he gets the ball.Adams is at his best in the open floor, where he can really make use of his athleticism for some tenacious finishes. He frequently gets out in transition to put himself in position for easy baskets.Defensively, Adams has all the tools a swingman could ever need. He has good lateral quickness, length, reflexes, and strength. He can lockdown an opponent when he really wants to. He plays very aggressively on defense, especially when picking at the ball using his great hands. He gets a lot of steals this way, as well as by anticipating and reacting in the passing lanes.Adams is also a very good rebounder for his position. He makes it a priority to attack the boards on both ends of the court, especially offensively. His strength and athleticism benefit him here greatly. /article/Hassan-Adams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2740/ /article/Hassan-Adams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2740/ Tue, 14 Mar 2006 00:10:00 -0500 Strengths Horner possesses a good combination of size and strength for a PG, measuring in at 6’3 with a strong frame to boot. He is highly coordinated, has an excellent motor, and is well-conditioned to play long games at high speeds.Horner is the consummate “pure point guard.” He is highly intelligent and understands how to control the tempo, excelling in both the half and full court. He manages a game well: running plays, directing his teammates, and establishing good offensive spacing for his team. In terms of court vision, you can’t get much better than Horner. He sees the floor extremely well and reacts on it quickly. He never puts his head down with the ball, always ready to make a pass to the open man.While he won’t blow you away with fancy moves, Horner is a good ball-handler. He rarely commits unforced turnovers and always dribbles with a purpose. He can handle well with both his right and left hands, keeping the ball low to the ground and protecting it from defenders.Horner’s passing is simply a beautiful thing to watch. Making use of his excellent court vision, Horner routinely will “thread the needle” to get the ball past multiple defenders to the open man in good position for an easy bucket. He utilizes this skill well in the half-court, but is at his best on the break, where he’s always a threat to make a big play. Horner can easily throw a pinpoint chest pass from one free throw line to the other, keeping the ball fast and low to the ground. In the half-court, he uses his passing from static positions or off the dribble to feed the post, hit cutters, or even throw the occasional alley-oop.Shooting is another of Horner’s strengths, as he possesses one of the purest strokes in the country. His shooting mechanics are picture perfect with a high, quick, and consistent release. He can effortlessly shoot the ball from NBA three-point range with good accuracy. His shot is better than his season’s .356 percentage would suggest. Hobbled by a shaky start and a mid-season knee injury, Horner didn’t hit full stride until the final weeks of the season. His .408 and .425 percentages of the previous two seasons are better indications of his ability.Horner can shoot the ball by spotting up or taking it off the dribble, but he’s much better when spotting up. He moves very well without the ball and is good at moving to the open spaces on the floor. He makes good use of screens and once he gets the ball, can maintain his balance and put up a good shot even in tight situations. He doesn’t get fazed from hands in his face and even can hit a leaning or fade-away shot when the situation calls for it.In terms of slashing, Horner does fairly well once in the lane. He makes good use of screens to get separation for a first step, and usually can create a high percentage shot for himself or a teammate once in the paint. Horner never puts his head down and can often dish it to the open man once the defense is drawn to him. He can quickly recognize defenses and change gears to adjust to them. Once again, he’s not one to make any flashy moves, and he's not going to evade a slew of defenders, but Horner can consistently hit a routine floater or lay it in with either hand once he’s in the lane.Defensively, Horner is very fundamentally sound and intelligent. He understands how to use his feet, body, and hands to defend both on and off the ball. Horner is a good off-the-ball defender, understanding how to stay between his man and the ball to prevent the pass. He can be a threat in the passing lanes with his strong instincts, though he doesn’t gamble very often. He’s also not afraid to take a charge, even against the biggest man on the floor.Intangibles are perhaps Horner’s greatest strength. He is extremely intelligent and makes use of that intelligence in every aspect of the game. He is very coachable and often serves as an extension of the coach on the floor. He’s a good character guy, never having on or off court issues. He’s very sportsmanlike, always patting a guy on the back, never getting into altercations, even occasionally offering a hand to an opponent who hit the floor. He wears his heart on his sleeve and visibly shows his desire to win. He rarely shows negative body language and if so it’s just out of frustration with his own game, not his teammates. He works as hard as anyone and will be the first guy to dive for a loose ball or into the stands, even if he has a brace on his knee (which he did on multiple occasions this year while recovering from injury).Horner is also very good down the stretch of games. He can hit big shots or make good plays in the closing minutes of games when the score is close. He has an excellent poise and doesn’t falter in big situations. At the same time he can also provide the fire and confidence that spurs his team onwards. /article/Jeff-Horner-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2843/ /article/Jeff-Horner-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2843/ Mon, 13 Mar 2006 20:52:27 -0500 A breakdown of all the NBA draft prospects scouts will be watching in the Washington bracket of the NCAA tournament. This particularly loaded bracket in terms of potential NBA draft picks features a potential #1 overall pick in Rudy Gay, numerous future lottery picks and first and second round prospects galore. /article/NCAA-Tournament-Washington-Bracket-NBA-Draft-Prospects-1224/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-Washington-Bracket-NBA-Draft-Prospects-1224/ Sun, 12 Mar 2006 22:51:08 -0500 (5:30 PM EST:) The Bracket is set. Drew Barnette gives us a sneak peak at his Final Bracket. The Bracket will be updated throughout the day as things change, so stick around to see how the bracket evolves. In this week's article you'll find the S Curve Rankings, a breakdown of the teams on the outside of the bubble, and some thoughts on potential changes that could be made to the bracket after the championship games today. /article/Final-BracketExpress-NCAA-Tournament-Field-Projections-1223/ /article/Final-BracketExpress-NCAA-Tournament-Field-Projections-1223/ Sun, 12 Mar 2006 11:52:16 -0500 The fifth edition of our mailbag. Every week or so we will try to answer the best questions we are asked either by email or other methods. Questions about specific prospects, requests for features on the site, the policies, methods and principles we try to incorporate into the site, complaints, praise or anything else is fair game. If you would like to write an observation about a prospect, team or trend we are seeing lately anywhere in the world, feel free to as well. If you would like to participate, please get in touch using the ?contact us? form or by sending me an email. /article/DraftExpress-Mailbag--5--1222/ /article/DraftExpress-Mailbag--5--1222/ Sat, 11 Mar 2006 00:38:34 -0500 Drew Barnette and BracketExpress continue to monitor the nitty gritty of the NCAA with the most comprehensive and accurate NCAA Tournament Bracket projections on the internet. Barnette continues to monitor the scores, RPI and which 65 teams will end up in the NCAA tournament with his latest weekly projections. Also included are the notes on the bracket with a breakdown of the last 4 teams in the bracket, the last 6 teams out of the bracket, as well as some potential spoilers we might see steal bids from the last projected at-large teams. /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-3-10-1221/ /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-3-10-1221/ Fri, 10 Mar 2006 13:57:15 -0500 While the focus of Jonathan Watters? columns are mostly the NCAA, don?t think for a moment that you won?t hear about high school hoops every now and again. The problem is that there aren?t many opportunities to see the top prep level kids play. Watters manages to his hands on a bit of tape from time to time, but you generally have to work a bit harder to get a good feel for the high school kids. That is where Dave Telep comes in. The National Director of Basketball Recruiting for Scout.com, Telep is considered one of the premier authorities in the nation on the topic of prep level hoops and college recruiting. He also runs his own recruiting service for college coaches, and hosts a TV show with Bobby Cremins called ?Countdown to Signing Day?, on FoxSports. Essentially, if you have a question about your team?s new big time recruit, Dave Telep is the guy you want to ask. He?s probably been scouting the kid for years. Watters recently had a chance to ask him a few questions of his own, and here is what he had to say. Amongst other topics, they delve into scouting philosophy, age limit implications, and the top NBA prospects in the class of 2006. /article/A-Chat-With-Dave-Telep-1220/ /article/A-Chat-With-Dave-Telep-1220/ Fri, 10 Mar 2006 01:05:00 -0500 A breakdown of the 2005-2006 NCAA All-Conference 1st, second and third teams, including the All-Freshman and Defensive teams for all 31 NCAA conferences, as well as the coach of the year honors and other specialty awards for all conferences. /article/-1219/ /article/-1219/ Tue, 07 Mar 2006 19:30:33 -0500 Our last edition of the NCAA?s Top Weekly series concludes with 5 players who have helped, hurt or hedged their stock leading up to the NCAA tournament. Joakim Noah?s terrific 37 point performance leads off the list of players who?ve helped themselves as much as anyone else as of late, while Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina is right there with him after going into Cameron Indoor stadium, pulling off an incredible upset and outplaying a future lottery pick in Shelden Williams. Point guards Rajon Rondo and Darius Washington have both seen their draft stocks take hits this year for completely different reasons; while Patrick O?Bryant made us scratch our heads and wonder whether we have a future star or slouch on our hands with the way he played at the Missouri Valley conference tournament. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-NCAA-s-Weekly-Performers,-3-1-3-6-1218/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-NCAA-s-Weekly-Performers,-3-1-3-6-1218/ Tue, 07 Mar 2006 03:17:49 -0500 At Draftexpress.com, we specialize in bringing you the most comprehensive scouting information available, so you can follow the blue chippers and mock draft all day and night. Our coverage is so thorough, not only do we mock the NBA draft, we mock the mock NBA draft. Here is the second installment of ?Mocking the Draft,? complete with all the hits and misses you?d expect from the Volume Shooter. /article/Mocking-the-Draft---March-Edition-1217/ /article/Mocking-the-Draft---March-Edition-1217/ Tue, 07 Mar 2006 03:15:55 -0500 Drew Barnette and BracketExpress continue to monitor the nitty gritty of the NCAA with the most comprehensive and accurate NCAA Tournament Bracket projections on the internet. Barnette continues to monitor the scores, RPI and which 65 teams will end up in the NCAA tournament in March with his latest weekly projections. Also included are the notes on the bracket with a breakdown of the resumes of 15 bubble teams, either looking out or in. /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-3-6-1216/ /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-3-6-1216/ Mon, 06 Mar 2006 03:06:33 -0500 More than any other year in recent memory, the 2006 NBA Draft appears to be stacked at the wing positions. And it couldn?t have come at a better time, as the retirements of former swingmen studs such as Reggie Miller, Allan Houston, Grant Hill (inevitably), Steve Smith, Scottie Pippen, Glen Rice, Latrell Sprewell (essentially) and the decline of other former stars in the past few years has lead to a huge talent gap that has not been amply filled by the NBA draft since 1996. This could be the year that the NBA restocks at the swing positions, as our 2006 mock draft is filled accordingly with 7 swingmen being projected in the top 11 spots. /article/Wing-Prospects-Dominate-2006-Lottery-1215/ /article/Wing-Prospects-Dominate-2006-Lottery-1215/ Mon, 06 Mar 2006 00:57:52 -0500 Strengths There is a lot to talk about here. While Brandon Roy has always been talented, it wasn’t until his senior season that he put everything together and became a legitimate star. 2006 has been a truly breakout season for Roy, and he has become one of the most well-rounded (perhaps the most well-rounded) and versatile players in the country. Roy’s main weapon, and the aspect of his game that has kept scouts intrigued over the years, is his ability to create off the dribble. His smooth, patient manner of breaking defenses down is nearly impossible to deal with on the college level. He has a nice first step and usually has no trouble getting a shoulder past his defender. Once he gets that step, defenses are in trouble. Roy can slash all the way to the basket or find his teammates as well as any player in the country. Roy has a beautiful midrange pull-up jumper. He is able to nail the traditional, jumpstop 15 footer with ease. As he gets closer to the basket, that textbook shot becomes more of a one-handed floater that is almost impossible to block. At the rim, Roy finishes creatively, and in a variety of ways. He is very aware of where the shot blockers are and will hang in the air, switch hands, or reverse angles to get a shot off. Of course, what makes Roy really dangerous is the fact that he almost never forces these slashing moves. He is patient enough that when he sees help defense closing in, he immediately looks to find the open man - even if he’s already in the air or his teammate isn’t within his peripheral vision. For this reason, he is averaging over 4 assists per game on the season, and has a sparkling 1.8-1 Ast/TO ratio. There is even some question as to whether Roy might be able to play a bit of PG on the next level. His court vision is first rate, and he has a calm, collected presence with the ball in his hands. Roy rarely commits turnovers or makes mistakes in creating situations. The silky smooth way in which he picks apart defenses is undeniably effective. The old knock on Brandon Roy was his suspect outside shot. He has always been able to make a difference closer to the basket, but what NBA team wants a shooting guard that whose effectiveness is limited to within 15 feet of the hoop?Roy is a much better shooter this season, adding range well past the college 3-point line (35% on 20 attempts last season, 39% on 78 attempts so far this season). This has really opened up his game. Where he was once a very nice complementary player, he is now a feared go-to scoring force. Roy will always get the ball in clutch situations for the Huskies and has come through with big plays on numerous occasions, whether it is a contested outside jumper or a beautiful look to a teammate. Another aspect of Roy’s offensive game that has to be discussed is his ability to post up. He is very comfortable taking smaller guards into the paint and backing them down. Once again, we see Roy’s excellent court awareness come into play. If help approaches, he will locate the open man and deliver the ball. If allowed to continue backing down his man, he is more than capable of turning and elevating for a turnaround J. On offense, we see a player that can do almost everything. Whether it is handling the ball, creating for teammates, creating his own shot, or hitting the perimeter J, Roy is capable. On defense, we see this same versatility. Roy has guarded four positions very effectively throughout his career, and is just as comfortable checking a point guard as he is a wing. His most notable defensive exploit this season was probably locking up UCLA PG Jordan Farmar, forcing the sophomore into one of his worst games of the season (2-13 shooting, 7 TO’s). In the end, Brandon Roy is such an effective player because there really aren’t any weaknesses in his game. While he is certainly the go-to scorer for Lorenzo Romar this season, he is just as comfortable blending in and getting his teammates open looks. Roy hasn’t taken 20 shots in a game since December, and has only passed that mark twice all season. Roy is a physical rebounder (nearly 6 per game), an on-court leader, and an efficient shooter (50% from the floor, 80% from the line).While it has taken him four seasons to get here, the question now must be asked: what’s not to like about Brandon Roy? /article/Brandon-Roy-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2823/ /article/Brandon-Roy-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2823/ Sun, 05 Mar 2006 19:29:06 -0500 Strengths The wide-bodied and skilled big man is a load to handle in the post at the NCAA level. Killingsworth’s physical attributes land mostly in the “weaknesses” section of this scouting report, but he does have excellent strength and a very strong base that he uses extremely well to accomplish what he does at the college level. Offensively, Killingsworth is a man amongst boys in the NCAA. He establishes good, deep position on the block, and has extremely soft hands to make tough catches, as well as terrific footwork and a very soft touch around the basket. When he gets the ball in position to go to work with his back to the basket, he usually gets the job done for his team, to the tune of 17 points a game on 55% shooting. Killingsworth is left-handed which makes him very tough to contain when he has his man pinned around the hoop. He gets very low to the ground, showing great balance, and uses his rock-solid trunk to create space for himself, being able to spin to either shoulder and finish with a wide array of moves and with either hand off the glass, particularly with a beautiful jump-hook or sky-hook shot. He’s smooth, confident, smart, very patient, fundamentally sound and always knows exactly where he is in the post. In terms of rebounding, Killingsworth gets the job done reasonably well mainly because of his ability to box-out his man effectively and make tough catches thanks to his terrific hands. He is a tough player who is not afraid to stick his nose in and make the extra effort to come away with a rebound.Killingsworth is generally a smart player who appears to know his limitations, showing a solid understanding of the game and knowing how to maximize his ability at the collegiate level. He displays nice skills passing out of the post to find the open man when he’s committed to playing a team game. /article/Marco-Killingsworth-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2871/ /article/Marco-Killingsworth-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2871/ Fri, 03 Mar 2006 22:15:52 -0500 Andrea Bargnani delivered this week what was perhaps his best game in his short professional career. It wasn?t just any given game, but a showdown against Panathinaikos, the consensus favorite to win this year?s Euroleague, in the dramatic Top-16 stage.Luis Fernandez analyzes the potential Bargnani showed in this terrific performance, and compares them alongside what he's seen from the other three candidates for the #1 pick; LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay and Adam Morrison . /article/Andrea-Bargnani-The-%93Mago%94-In-the-Euroleague-1214/ /article/Andrea-Bargnani-The-%93Mago%94-In-the-Euroleague-1214/ Fri, 03 Mar 2006 20:35:00 -0500 Drew Barnette and BracketExpress continue to monitor the nitty gritty of the NCAA with the most comprehensive and accurate NCAA Tournament Bracket projections on the internet. Barnette continues to monitor the scores, RPI and which 65 teams will end up in the NCAA tournament in March with his latest weekly projections. Also included are the notes on the bracket with a breakdown of the resumes of the 10 most likely bubble teams. /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-3-3-1213/ /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-3-3-1213/ Fri, 03 Mar 2006 15:35:36 -0500 Strengths One of the most dangerous offensive threats the college game has seen in quite some time, J.J. Redick has mastered the art of putting the ball in the basket and has been rewarded by shattering countless team, conference and NCAA records in his four years of college.Redick became known on the national scene first and foremost for his perimeter stroke, despite the fact that there is now more to his game than just that. He is legitimately one of the best shooters the college game has ever seen. Redick’s mechanics are perfect, and absolutely identical every time; starting with his outstanding footwork, the way he squares his shoulders and balances himself instantaneously, the lift he gets on his jump shot, the incredible quickness of his release, and the beautiful follow through he puts on his shot every single time. There is absolutely no way to become the type of shooter he has developed into without putting countless hours of hard work based on pure repetition and understanding the physics of what effective 3-point shooting is based on. This will translate into well over 450 3-pointers made by the time Redick is done at Duke, tops in NCAA history. Redick is not only a volume shooter, he’s also deadly accurate, shooting around 41% from behind the arc for his career at Duke despite being one of the most closely guarded players in the country for much of that time. His range extends well beyond the 3-point line without losing much of its accuracy, showing the ability to nail some incredibly contested shots from 28 feet or more without changing his mechanics one bit. It’s not just his mechanics and range that make him so dangerous, but also the effort he puts in to utilize them that has made him so prolific in his NCAA career. Redick’s off the ball movement is a thing of beauty. He is one of the tougher players to guard in the NCAA not just because of his outstanding skill level, but also because of how hard he makes his defenders work to defend him. He’s constantly in motion moving off the ball, working the entire 25 foot radius around his basket from sideline to sideline which constitutes the shooting range in which he is virtually automatic with his feet set and an inch of space. He has worked extremely hard on his conditioning level, and is now able to run endlessly around the floor for 37 minutes per game on average without tiring. He uses screens incredibly well (much like Reggie Miller or Rip Hamilton) and understands the right angles to take, the sharp cuts he needs to make and having the perfect timing to execute the plays run for him to perfection to free himself up. His specialty is coming off a screen on the baseline, catching the ball from behind the left part of the 3-point line, leaping in the air and turning towards the basket simultaneously while releasing and swishing his shot in one fluid motion. Redick is just an extremely intelligent player who understands the game and has figured out how to maximize his time within it. Beyond just being a threat from behind the 3-point line, Redick has also mastered the art of the mid-range shot which compliments his outside shooting proficiency so well. Because it takes him such little space and time to get his deadly shot off, he’s guarded about as closely as anyone in the NCAA, usually being the focal point of the opposing team’s defense. What Redick will do to counter that is use an impressive arsenal of head, shot and body fakes (which obviously have a ton of credibility) to get his man off-balance and drive right by him. He then is able to stop on a dime, elevate quickly while fading away left, right, backwards, forwards or straight up to knock down the mid-range jumper from anywhere inside the arc. This part of his game has become a deadly part of his arsenal in his senior year, to the point that he has to rely on his outside shot only for about half of his field goal attempts, as opposed to nearly 2/3rds of the time as a freshman or sophomore. His ball-handling has improved enough he can make his way to the basket effectively without much trouble, either to finish himself with a nifty layup off the glass or find the open man on the drive and dish if the paint is too crowded for his liking. In his senior year Redick is shooting an outstanding 50% from the field and 43.4% of his outside shots at the time of this report. To back up just how much more versatile Redick’s offense has become, he gets to the free throw line almost 8 times per game, compared with just 3.3 times as a freshman and 4.0 as a sophomore. For comparison’s sake, uber-athlete Rodney Carney goes to the line 3.5 times per game, Brandon Rush is there 2.25 times, and similarly sized Randy Foye is there 5 times per. Once he gets to the free throw line, Redick is about as close to automatic as you can get. He will likely finish as the all-time best free throw shooter in NCAA history if he continues at his current pace. At the time of this report (March 1) he was still on track to break Gary Buchanan’s record of 91.3%, with Redick sporting a 92% average himself. His effectiveness from the line has dropped a bit this season as the minutes and attempts have piled up, but at 88% he’s still world-class. Redick is a pretty good passer, generally being an unselfish player who knows his limitations and understands his teammates’ strengths enough to not abuse his offense. He doesn’t make many mistakes and has shown the willingness and ability to make the extra pass and coexist within a highly structured offense. You will rarely see him take a bad shot, or at least one that he is not capable of making more often than not. In terms of intangibles, you know what you are going to get every night with Redick, and that is maximum effort and consistency. He’s scored 18 or more points a game in all but two games this season so far, and has put up 30 or more in half of his games, hitting 40+ three times on the way. He has an outstanding work ethic and by all accounts appears to be an excellent teammate both on and off the floor. His leadership skills look very strong, leading by example with the impressive way he carries himself, but also not being afraid to get on his younger teammates when they don’t execute. Redick is a clutch player who wants the ball in his hands at the end of games, and his shown absolutely no fear of taking the last shot with the clock running down. He shows some veteran savvy that will work well for him once his credibility is established with NBA refs, already using the Reggie Miller trademarked scissor kick leg action to draw fouls when he’s being heavily contested. He is usually the most intense player on the floor, playing the game with a ton of passion, but not letting this allow him to get out of control and lose his focus for getting the win. No player in the NCAA has been more abused in his career both by opposing fans and players who try to get under his skin with insults and cheap shots, but Redick has the mental toughness to not let any of this phase him. He plays for who many consider to be the best coach in the NCAA in Mike Krzyzewski, at one of the top programs in the country at Duke. During his four years in college he’s garnered as much experience winning games and playing in pressure situations as a player conceivably can in an NCAA career. /article/J.J.-Redick-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2698/ /article/J.J.-Redick-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2698/ Fri, 03 Mar 2006 02:36:56 -0500 Strengths A stat-stuffer with #1 overall pick upside, Gay is probably the most gifted and naturally talented physical specimen in the NCAA. It’s impossible to watch him and not get excited about his potential.Gay has a prototypical body and frame for a modern NBA small forward, with great size at 6-9 and terrific length. He has the height and wingspan of a power forward, but moves and gets up and down the court like a 6-3 guard.Most of Gay’s upside rests in his athleticism. He’s incredibly explosive; possessing an outstanding vertical leap that is both high and extremely quick. He gets in the air and just hangs for what seems like days. His length and explosiveness make him an acrobatic dunker and a regular fixture on highlight reels. Being more than just a dunker when he gets in the lane, Gay is extremely creative finishing around the hoop, whether it’s with a beautiful pull-up floater in the lane, a nifty scoop shot or a circus shot layup off the glass. He consistently surprises you with how adept he is at finishing around the paint, and has all the tools in the world to get even better in this part of his game.In transition is where Gay is truly at his best, looking smooth and effortless and without a care in the world. His quickness makes him a terror in the open floor, as he’s nearly impossible to stay in front of when he receives the ball with space to operate. His first step is phenomenal in open spaces and this is the part of his game where his length and explosiveness are most easily seen and taken advantage of. Defensively he has great potential thanks to his height, length and extremely quick feet. His attitude here is not what you would expect from a legit NCAA star, as he has plenty of hustle in him and has no problem getting dirty for the benefit of his team. Gay covers a ton of ground in a very short amount of time, which allows him to recover quickly and be a shot-blocking threat from the weakside. He has very good hands and a good knack for coming up with steals and blocks as well. He shows not only the ability to be a great defender but also the willingness to smother his man, although he can be inconsistent in this area too. Gay shows flashes of a well-rounded perimeter game, with great footwork, quick spin moves and plenty of willingness to create offense pulling up off the dribble, particularly going right. His shooting mechanics are beautiful; possessing good elevation on his jump-shot and a high release point. When he has a chance to set his feet, Gay has shown the ability to hit the NCAA 3-pointer with ease, or even a step or two beyond. Even though he is not a great shooter when he’s forced to put the ball on the floor, he is better from long-range than his numbers would indicate. Gay is a very good teammate, showing many of the intangibles that lead you to believe he has what it takes to reach his high ceiling. He is extremely unselfish and an excellent passer, using his height to see the floor and a good understanding of how to put his teammates the ball in a position to score, either on the perimeter or inside the paint. He doesn’t mind making the extra pass, almost to a fault at times. Off the court Gay is well-spoken and according to all reports a very hard worker who is committed to becoming an excellent all-around basketball player. On the court he has a very good demeanor and appears to be highly coachable. He plays for one of the top coaches and programs in the country on a team that has become a factory for developing NBA lottery picks. /article/Rudy-Gay-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2713/ /article/Rudy-Gay-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2713/ Fri, 03 Mar 2006 02:36:36 -0500 Strengths One word: instincts. College basketball hasn’t seen a player with Adam Morrison’s natural feel for the game in a very long time. Obviously Morrison knows how to score the basketball, but his instincts make him much, much more than just that. Mentally, he is just a step ahead of everybody else on the floor.The first thing that you notice about Morrison is his ability to score. He understands how to create his own shot better than anybody we've seen at the college level in years. Not only does utilize contact and spacing better than any player in the country, he has also mastered the art of the contested jumpshot. If he is able to get a step going toward the basket, the defense might as well give up. He is going to get a shot off, and whether or not it goes in has little to do with a hand in his face. Morrison nails Nowitzki-style turnaround fadeaways with ease, and is very comfortable throwing up one-handed floaters on the move from 10-15 feet. These types of shots (that the average player would get benched for even attempting) are what Morrison has built his legend on, and are the main reason for the controversial Larry Bird comparisons. Already mentioned was the fact that if Adam Morrison gets a step on his man, he is literally unguardable. Morrison’s improved outside jumper is making it even harder for teams to keep him from attacking off the dribble. Where defenses could almost sag off him a season ago (31% from beyond the arc as a Sophomore), Morrison has begun to hit the 3-pointer at a frightening clip in 2006. He recently made 8-13 3-pointers in a 44-point explosion against Loyola Marymount, and is hitting nearly 45% of his long-distance attempts on the season. This percentage is even more impressive considering how much attention Morrison gets, and how often his 3-point attempts are contested, end of the shot clock types of looks. Morrison’s shot is a thing of beauty. He uses multiple release points, and is able to get it off in an almost limitless number of ways. When you realize the technical mastery behind Morrison's form, it makes a bit more sense when those freakishly difficult fadeaways start dropping. The rim is definitely Morrison’s friend, as his touch seems to almost force the ball through the basket after an initial bounce. Of course, Morrison will still have an off shooting night from time to time. It is in those moments that one gains another level of appreciation for his game. Despite a herky-jerky running style and an almost frail appearance at first glance, Morrison will aggressively attack the basket when his shot stops falling. Whether it is slashing into the lane before defenses can react, posting up smaller defenders for midrange hook shots, relentlessly running the floor or simply scrapping for offensive rebounds, Adam Morrison always gets his 25.Of course, it all comes back to instincts. Morrison has two and often three defenders thrown at him for entire games, and he still manages to find a way to score. Not only does he have all these offensive tools, but Morrison exhibits a nearly machine-like ability to recognize defenses and take advantage of whatever he is being given. Take away his dribble drive, and he will spot up. Play him tight, and he will take the ball to the basket all night. Put a big guy on him, and he will get the step. Defend him with a smaller guard, and he will go to work in the post. Sticking with the instincts theme, Morrison has also nearly mastered his ability to utilize screens. Many see Reggie Miller or Rip Hamilton in the way that he never stops “attacking off the ball”, and always manages to exploit the pick to the fullest. Morrison consistently makes perfectly timed backdoor cuts and will pick up a freebie around the rim the instant a defense loses a bit of focus. Adam Morrison’ ability to read and exploit defenses in the blink of an eye, combined with his formidable shot creating tools allows him to be one of the most feared clutch scorers in the country. Morrison has earned his reputation as a guy that always hits the big shot (see games against Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Stanford), and relishes the pressure that comes with that “go-to” role. We aren’t just talking buzzer beaters, either. Morrison hits “momentum” shots, ending a run by the opposition or giving his team a boost with a 3-pointer right before halftime. Morrison’s clutch plays don’t always show up in the scoring column, either. While he averages less than 2 assists per game, he finds his teammates at crucial moments on a regular basis. Sometimes it is just a steal or a rebound, but Morrison can almost always will Gonzaga to victory. That will to win is just one more thing that sets Morrison apart, and adds to his national appeal. While he sometimes takes his scrappy, fiery demeanor a bit too far, Morrison is always the most competitive player on the court. He will do anything to win, and his emotional on-court displays electrify both his team and the crowd. Not only is he uniquely talented, but his intensity and flair make him the type of unique personality that will always draw people in. --------------------------------------------------------------------1/20/05 - Jonathan WattersPerhaps the best pure scorer at the NCAA level. Morrison Lights it up in a variety of ways, whether it be on an outside jumper, taking his man off the dribble, or fading away from fifteen. Despite his awkward looks, is quick enough to get a step on most NCAA defenders. Once he's by his man, it's as good as two points. Uses his length to take the ball all the way to the basket, finishing with a dunk or finger roll, but is more prone to pull up for a circus-style, fading jumper. Probably more comfortable shooting the ball falling away with a man in his face than he is with his set shot. Furthermore, the very Larry Bird-esque way he shoots from above his head makes it almost impossible to block his shot. As well as he creates for himself, he also knows how to create for others. Handles the ball well for his size, and will find his teammates with regularity when teams try to double him off the drive. Despite having the ball in his hands a lot, almost never commits a turnover. When he gets going, he wins games by himself. Morrison is a firey competitor, and seems to relish getting in mouthy, one-on-one challenges on the floor. /article/Adam-Morrison-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2790/ /article/Adam-Morrison-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2790/ Fri, 03 Mar 2006 02:36:18 -0500 The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is one of only two NBA pre-draft camps, traditionally held in the weekend following the NCAA final four in Portsmouth, Virginia. The organizers attempt to assemble the 64 best NCAA senior draft prospects in the country for an 8 team, 11 game tournament held over a four day period. The 54th edition of the tournament will be conducted this year from April 5th to April 8th. This is not the official list made by the committee, but rather our own personal suggestions and observations of who will or should be invited, made in conjunction with a large number of people who will have a say one way or another in who gets invited and/or attends, including NBA General Managers, Assistant General Managers, Player personnel directors, Scouts, NCAA coaches, NCAA players, NBA agents who will likely be representing some of these players, as well as others. /article/Suggested-Rosters-for-2006-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-1212/ /article/Suggested-Rosters-for-2006-Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-1212/ Thu, 02 Mar 2006 22:25:46 -0500 The interviews conducted for our recent ?foreign exchange students? article, with ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla, and Oregon State and Indiana players Sasa Cuic and Cem Dinc. /article/Foreign-Exchange-Students--Behind-the-Scenes-1211/ /article/Foreign-Exchange-Students--Behind-the-Scenes-1211/ Thu, 02 Mar 2006 02:50:00 -0500 From Dakar to Duke, Vilnius to Villanova, international players from around the globe have migrated to American college campuses in hopes of advancing their basketball careers. Never in the history of hoops have so many foreign born players filled the rosters of NCAA teams. But is the move worth it? /article/Foreign-Exchange-Students-1210/ /article/Foreign-Exchange-Students-1210/ Wed, 01 Mar 2006 02:26:08 -0500 Another edition of the Top Weekly Performers, which means another batch of under the radar and slightly controversial NBA draft prospects. Shawn James of Northeastern is on pace to break the single season NCAA shot-blocking record; Alan Daniels is toiling in obscurity in Texas, but is still finds a way to score 40+ points for the second time this season; Marcus Williams puts up the first UConn triple-double since Emeka Okafor on his way to a massive week for his team; Daniel Horton is doing his best to make the scouts forget about his inconsistency and off the court problems with an impressive 39 point performance; and Glen Davis continues to make his case for first team All-America honors by helping his team wrap up the SEC regular season championship in style. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-2-20-2-27/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-2-20-2-27/ Tue, 28 Feb 2006 03:19:43 -0500 Drew Barnette and BracketExpress continue to monitor the nitty gritty of the NCAA with the most comprehensive and accurate NCAA Tournament Bracket projections on the internet. Barnette continues to monitor the scores, RPI and which 65 teams will end up in the NCAA tournament in March with his latest weekly projections. Also included are the notes on the bracket with a breakdown of why some big name or highly ranked RPI teams are on the outside of the bubble looking in right now. Michigan State?s odd resume, the bubble teams, one-bid leagues and the last at-large teams that made it are the focus of this week?s column. /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-2-27-1208/ /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-2-27-1208/ Mon, 27 Feb 2006 03:43:50 -0500 The conundrum with the 2006 sophomore class and the NBA draft; the whacky SEC is looking stronger by the day; an early All-America ballot; and the Top 25 teams in the NCAA. /article/Bouncing-Around-the-Nation--7--1207/ /article/Bouncing-Around-the-Nation--7--1207/ Mon, 27 Feb 2006 02:36:58 -0500 DraftExpress' Brazilian scout Giancarlo Giampietro was recently able to attend a private workout in São Paulo, Brazil, featuring one very familiar name to NBA scouts and one completely unknown. 6-9 athletic small forward Marquinhos is in the draft for good this year after pulling out in each of the last two years. 6-11 power forward Leonardo di Pacce dos Santos, better known as "Morro," is a diamond in the rough that is hoping to garner enough interest from teams in workouts to end up being drafted in June. /article/Brazilians-Marquinhos,-Morro-set-eyes-on-NBA-Draft-1206/ /article/Brazilians-Marquinhos,-Morro-set-eyes-on-NBA-Draft-1206/ Sat, 25 Feb 2006 23:46:23 -0500 When the promoters from Scholastic Play by Play scheduled their Cincinnati Play by Play classic last spring pairing Oak Hill Academy and Cincinnati North College Hill against each other, it was easy to see why they thought fans would come out and pay at least $15 a ticket to see the top three juniors in the country, another junior guard who is heading to Duke, and the best senior point guard in the country. What they did not envision was that this game would be the unofficial high school national championship, pairing USA Today?s top two ranked teams against each other in North College Hill?s final regular season game. /article/The-Unofficial-High-School-National-Championship/ /article/The-Unofficial-High-School-National-Championship/ Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:05:25 -0500 Like every year, the Spanish King?s Cup becomes one of the hottest spots in NBA international scouting, a perfect opportunity to watch the cream of the ACB League (probably the strongest in Europe) in a very competitive environment in one arena over a few days. Unlike what happens in other countries with monotonous cup competitions, the Cup in Spain is a very prestigious tournament that every team looks forward to participating in and winning. The fans love it as well, as they proved once again packing the Madrid Sports Palace last week for every single game.Previous editions of this same tournament saw the likes of Pau Gasol and Rudy Fernandez blossoming. From last year, three participants were selected in the 2005 draft (Fran Vazquez, Mickaël Gelabale and Axel Hervelle), while four more signed as free agents with an NBA team (Arvydas Macijauskas, Fabricio Oberto, José Manuel Calderón and Pat Burke). It wouldn?t be a stretch to say that because of the fact that every team in the NBA is represented here, including numerous GM?s and player personnel directors, these could be the most important games of the year as far as showing NBA potential is concerned.Part two of our two part series looks at the undrafted free agents in Spain as well as players that have already been drafted in the past few years and whose rights are still owned by NBA franchises. /article/Kings-Cup-Drafted-Players-and-Potential-Over-22-Free-Agents-1204/ /article/Kings-Cup-Drafted-Players-and-Potential-Over-22-Free-Agents-1204/ Thu, 23 Feb 2006 02:46:21 -0500 Like every year, the Spanish King?s Cup becomes one of the hottest spots in NBA international scouting, a perfect opportunity to watch the cream of the ACB League (probably the strongest in Europe) in a very competitive environment in one arena over a few days. Unlike what happens in other countries with monotonous cup competitions, the Spanish Cup is a very prestigious tournament that every team looks forward to participating in and winning. The fans love it as well, as they proved once again by packing the Madrid Sports Palace last week for every single game.Previous editions of this tournament saw the likes of Pau Gasol and Rudy Fernández blossoming. From last year, three participants were selected in the 2005 NBA draft (Fran Vázquez, Mickaël Gelabale and Axel Hervelle), while four more signed as free agents with an NBA team (Arvydas Macijauskas, Fabricio Oberto, José Manuel Calderón and Pat Burke). It wouldn?t be a stretch to say that because of the fact that every team in the NBA is represented here, including numerous GM?s and player personnel directors, these could be the most important games of the year as far as showing NBA potential is concerned. Part one of our two part series looks at the NBA draft prospects on display at the tournament. Part two will look at players already drafted in the past as well as potential future NBA free agent targets. /article/Kings-Cup-Splitter-Solidifies-his-Spot-in-the-Top-10-1203/ /article/Kings-Cup-Splitter-Solidifies-his-Spot-in-the-Top-10-1203/ Wed, 22 Feb 2006 02:03:03 -0500 After a brief week of negativity we are back in full force with another edition of the top weekly performers.This week's version is a bit of a mixed bag. Half a tribute to some of the best and most consistent upperclassmen who haven't gotten enough recognition on the site, and half a look at a couple of intriguing sleepers who have caught our eye as the season nears it's conclusion. There is a bit of overlap between the two as well as you might expect. Solomon Jones has been one of the best big men in the incredibly tough Big East all season long, but hasn't gotten much hype to back it up until now; Brandon Roy is making a strong case out West for joining Redick and Morrison as a first team All-American with a near triple-double; Alexander Johnson and FSU are finally starting to see the fruits of his labor pay off in the form of double-double after double-double in the ACC; Allan Ray finally gets a well-deserved mention thanks to his outstanding performance against UConn last week as well as his play all season long; Justin Williams is the 2nd best shot-blocker in the country despite playing on one leg all season long; and Maryland transfer Andre Collins is quietly showing the country why he may have deserved more opportunities than he garnered in his first three years in college, to the tune of nearly 27 points per game. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-2-13-2-20-1202/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-2-13-2-20-1202/ Tue, 21 Feb 2006 03:47:05 -0500 Drew Barnette and BracketExpress continue to monitor the nitty gritty of the NCAA with the most comprehensive and accurate NCAA Tournament Bracket projections on the internet. Barnette continues to monitor the scores, RPI and which 65 teams will end up in the NCAA tournament in March with his latest weekly projections. Also included are the notes on the bracket with a breakdown of the pod teams, an analysis of the effects of the Bracket Buster games, and teams inside the bubble who can really help their resumes in the next few weekss. /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-2-20-1201/ /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-2-20-1201/ Mon, 20 Feb 2006 10:40:16 -0500 An open letter to Bobby Knight. /article/Dear-Bobby-Knight-1200/ /article/Dear-Bobby-Knight-1200/ Mon, 20 Feb 2006 02:31:06 -0500 Continuing with our coverage of the top youngsters in the Euroleague Regular Season, it?s time to look at the best performers outside of our top-5. This bunch is basically made up of role-playing contributors; players with limited responsibilities and prominence on their teams.Starting with Damir Markota, who missed our top-5 by a hair, this young Croatian has enjoyed a breakthrough season. Coming off the bench, he established himself as the top frontcourt scorer for Cibona while decisively helping his team advance to the Top-16 stage. Olympiacos is another team still in the competition, with Panagiotis Vasilopoulos and Renaldas Seibutis, both newcomers in the Euroleague, certainly contributing to their team?s success with solid displays, providing excellent depth to the Greek roster. It was a different situation for Uros Tripkovic and Kosta Perovic. Both were meant to have a very significant role in Partizan (particularly Tripkovic) and they left a certain degree of disappointment, on par with the Serbian team, once again unable to escape from mediocrity. Finally, Marko Tomas and his inconsistent performances for Real Madrid puts an end to this coverage. /article/Euroleague-Regular-Season-s-Best-of-the-Rest-1199/ /article/Euroleague-Regular-Season-s-Best-of-the-Rest-1199/ Mon, 20 Feb 2006 01:47:51 -0500 The Euroleague?s regular season finished up this past week, and in our effort to keep DraftExpress? visitors informed about the most important basketball competition in the world outside the NBA, particularly concerning draft prospects, we take a look at the best youngsters playing in this tough and demanding environment. The players in this article are ranked according to their overall performance, relative to their roles and the strength of the squad they play for rather than their NBA potential. /article/Euroleague-Regular-Season-s-Top-5-Performers-1198/ /article/Euroleague-Regular-Season-s-Top-5-Performers-1198/ Sat, 18 Feb 2006 00:07:22 -0500 Thabo Sefolosha is a player who was considered quite an obscure prospect when he first started appearing in our weekly European roundups and 2006 mock draft well over a year ago. These days Sefolosha is flying under the radar no longer after having established himself as one of the most unique players for NBA scouts to watch outside of the NCAA. But the question remains, where in the world did Sefolosha come from? And how did he surpass so many European prospects who have been hyped through FIBA tournaments for years? We had a chance to ask Sefolosha some of these questions ourselves, as well as give you a detailed scouting report on where he stands as a prospect at the moment. /article/Stat-Stuffing-Swiss-Swingman-Sefolosha-Sounds-Off-1197/ /article/Stat-Stuffing-Swiss-Swingman-Sefolosha-Sounds-Off-1197/ Fri, 17 Feb 2006 02:52:33 -0500 Strengths Bruising big man who is on track to led the NCAA in rebounding for a record third time consecutively.Millsap has an NBA body minus an inch or two, an excellent frame and some of the longest arms in the NCAA relative to his height. He has decent quickness, good leaping ability and excellent strength; especially in the lower body. He’s also highly coordinated and possesses a very wide base and low center of gravity which allows him to control his body with ease. Millsap’s biggest virtue as far as the NBA is concerned is easily his rebounding ability. He has suction cups for hands and is aided greatly by his outstanding motor and terrific reach. Like all great rebounders, he not only has excellent technique boxing out and the physical gifts needed to make his presence felt on the glass, but also combines that with outstanding anticipation skills to help him predict where a missed shot will end up and get there before his opponent is able to react. Millsap will clean up any missed shot in his area with ease, but will also go well out of his area to come up with rebounds. He is extremely active and absolutely relentless when he sets his eyes on the target. Seeing him coming up with a rebound after his 2nd or 3rd bounce after a tip or the ensuing scramble is something you get used to quickly when watching him play. He just refuses to give up on any play.Offensively, Millsap is able to do a lot of damage at the mid-major level thanks to his bulk, athleticism, tenacious attitude and the way he runs the floor. He wanted to be the man in college (the reason he plays for Louisiana Tech) and that is exactly what he is, to the tune of over 20 points a game. He relishes contact and will finish in the toughest of situations even when being fiercely contested. Defenders at the mid-major level just seem to bounce off of him, and it’s not even clear that Millsap notices them. He uses his body extremely well to establish position deep inside the paint and then seal off his man. Once he has him pinned he will extend and outstretch one of his super long arms to make tough catches and then finish strong at the basket. He watches the trajectory of the ball much like a wide receiver would in football, anticipating the lob, following it with his eyes and adjusting accordingly, corralling it with his extremely soft hands and then finishing with aggression. Millsap has a fairly soft touch around the basket and knows how to use the glass, even though he clearly prefers to make a statement by throwing down powerful dunks. He can finish with the jump-hook or baby hook shot in and around the paint area, and shoots a very high percentage from the field at 57%. That is mostly the extent of his offensive game at this point except for some basic spin-moves and a nice baseline jump-shot he will show on occasion, but not nearly enough. He gets his points quietly, within the flow of the offense and doesn’t show anything close to a superstar attitude when he’s not getting enough touches. Defensively, Millsap blocks a decent amount of shots thanks to his wingspan and leaping ability, but not quite enough (2.2 a game) to make us think that this will completely translate over to the NBA considering his height.Don’t expect anything flashy out of him, he’s a lunch pail type who will get the job done and go home without making much noise. /article/Paul-Millsap-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2812/ /article/Paul-Millsap-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2812/ Thu, 16 Feb 2006 16:35:51 -0500 International basketball certainly doesn?t end with the Euroleague. There?s a whole world of leagues and players waiting to be scouted and receive attention. We?ve picked three very different players for this article from diverse backgrounds that lately are making some serious noise with their respective clubs.Goran Dragic, a new name from the always prolific Balkans; Oleksiy Pecherov, an emigrated Ukrainian now in France searching for an opportunity; and Sun Yue, a rare Chinese specimen showcasing his talent in the very complicated environment of the American ABA.We could presume that all three share the dream of hearing their names called in the first round of the NBA draft. Or perhaps not, since at the end of the day, the draft shouldn?t be the sole aspiration of a basketball player; nor the NBA the one and only goal. Regardless, all three players mentioned here enjoy the talent level and potential that might eventually lead them there. /article/International-Scene-Dreaming-About-the-First-Round/ /article/International-Scene-Dreaming-About-the-First-Round/ Thu, 16 Feb 2006 02:23:40 -0500 The left hand side of the country has a bunch of things going for it. States are neatly shaped and clearly demarcated. There are some beautiful landscapes, and exploring the great outdoors entails more than stepping out on to your fire escape. More than half the land used to be Mexico before America stole it, so the Mexican food is pretty damned good. But let?s get one thing clear: in 2006, college basketball teams out West can?t hold the East?s jock. /article/East-Coast-Bias-1195/ /article/East-Coast-Bias-1195/ Tue, 14 Feb 2006 22:17:53 -0500 Since not all is always as rosy in the world of the NCAA and NBA draft as you may have been led to believe in this space over the past few months, we've decided to put a twist on this edition's weekly performers article. Instead of repeating the same names over and over again we've instead decided to look at 6 players whose stock has taken a bit of a hit with the way them and their teams have performed as of late. Tyrus Thomas has come down to earth and is back on the 2007 mock draft for now; Maurice Ager is struggling to regain the excellent form he showed in Maui and is again having his consistency and mental toughness questioned; Marco Killingsworth's stock is clearly on the decline as his averages drop and Indiana moves dangerously close to the NCAA tournament bubble; Taquan Dean could only wish his team was on the bubble and that he had another ball-handler in the lineup next to him; Eric Williams and Wake Forest are just hoping for an invite to the NIT at this point as his draft stock is at an all-time low; Kevin Pittsnogle has no such concerns but is trying to bounce back from his two worst performances of his senior year, coming back to back. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-WORST-Weekly-Performers,-2-6-2-13-1194/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-WORST-Weekly-Performers,-2-6-2-13-1194/ Tue, 14 Feb 2006 03:00:37 -0500 Drew Barnette and BracketExpress continue to monitor the nitty gritty of the NCAA with the most comprehensive and accurate NCAA Tournament Bracket projections on the internet. Barnette continues to monitor the scores, RPI and which 65 teams will end up in the NCAA tournament in March with his latest weekly projections. Also included are the notes on the bracket with a breakdown of teams that are on the inside and outside of the bubble right now. Teams contending for a #1 seed and favorable placement in the tournament are the focal point of this week's edition. /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-2-13-1193/ /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-2-13-1193/ Mon, 13 Feb 2006 03:31:39 -0500 Jonathan Watters returns with his weekly NCAA column, covering a variety of topics from around the hoops landscape. This week?s column includes Ohio State separating itself in the Big Ten, Brandon Roy proving to be one of the most underrated players in the country, complaints about the Top 25 polls, the Missouri Valley conference and his personal top 25 for the week. /article/Bouncing-Around-the-Nation--6--1192/ /article/Bouncing-Around-the-Nation--6--1192/ Mon, 13 Feb 2006 03:07:49 -0500 For every J.J. Redick, there's a Chris Lofton. If you don't yet know his name, you soon will. Despite not being highly sought after as a high school prospect, the quiet kid from Maysville, Ky. has been torching SEC nets and punishing the schools who let a potential scoring machine slip through their fingers. /article/Chris-Lofton-The-One-That-Got-Away-1191/ /article/Chris-Lofton-The-One-That-Got-Away-1191/ Mon, 13 Feb 2006 02:42:59 -0500 Strengths Brown is an excellent athlete who possesses most of the physical attributes and skills NBA teams look for in a backup point guard. He doesn’t have great size at around 6 feet, but he makes up for that to a certain extent with his long arms and sheer explosiveness. He has great quickness and body control, which allows him to create his own shot with ease, get to the rim and finish. He’s extremely tough to stay in front of as he has terrific footwork and all the confidence in the world in his offensive ability. Brown has a very smooth and polished offensive game and is prone to erupt for effortless looking scoring outbursts in very short spans. His ball-handling skills are very good, having all the skills needed to create space for himself offensively and get his man off balance and either create shots for himself or for his teammates if the defense collapses. He has all the little tricks and gimmicks that all great ball-handlers do, including the change of pace dribble, hesitation moves, a strong crossover, between the legs, behind the back, the reverse dribble, the pull-back and others. He changes gears in the blink of an eye, stopping on a dime and then just exploding past his man using crafty head and body fakes or just with his pure quickness. If the lane isn’t there he can use his footwork to come to an immediate halt and then jump backwards purposefully to knock down the mid-range jumper. He likes to skip through the lane horizontally to avoid contact, showing plenty of flash and creativity finishing in the lane; sometimes with a one-handed floater/runner ala Nick Van Exel. Brown is a prolific 3-point shooter, possessing superb footwork and body control, a high and quick release on his jump shot, deep range and great elevation to get his shot off almost whenever he pleases—which is both a blessing and a curse. He makes tough contested shots look easy; fading away, going either left or right, squaring his shoulders, maintaining his balance and knocking down tough shots even in very tight spaces. As a point guard Brown is at his best in transition, as he loves to push the tempo and is absolutely a blur in the open floor. He has a good feel for making difficult passes, whether in transition, in half-court sets in tight spaces or with a bullet-pass down the floor to a streaking teammate. He’s very flashy with the ball but sometimes tries to do too much to try and please the crowd. On the other end of the floor Brown has all the tools in the world except for ideal height to be a very good defender if he can put it all together. His quickness, footwork and length make him a very good pressure defender when he puts his mind to it, which unfortunately he does not on a consistent basis. Still, he shows superb lateral movement at times gliding to stay in front of his man and has the quickness, hands and anticipation skills to get in the passing lanes and ignite the fast break. /article/Bobby-Brown-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2864/ /article/Bobby-Brown-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2864/ Sun, 12 Feb 2006 04:30:53 -0500 Strengths Brewer is one of the most versatile players in college basketball A legit 6-7 point guard, he can control the tempo of the game, defend three positions, set up his teammates wonderfully and fill up every part of the stat sheet. Brewer has all the physical attributes down pat. He's a very good athlete, extremely fluid, possesses an excellent first step, good leaping ability, superb body control and very good overall speed. He's more of a long jumper than he is a high jumper, and even though he might not wow you with his explosiveness on first sight, he grows on you with how well-rounded he is athletically and just how well he uses that athleticism to make plays. Brewer has an NBA-ready body, possessing good size and strength, enabling him to play any of the 1-3 positions. He has an outstanding wingspan and big, quick hands that he uses to come up with a couple of steals each game. It seems as if he can run around screens for days and never tire.Offensively, Brewer is mostly a slasher and shot-creator thanks to his fantastic ball-handling skills. Being highly fluid and extremely intelligent, he can dribble the ball with purpose using either hand, allowing him to get into the lane almost whenever he pleases. He's extremely aggressive attacking the rim and is a great finisher once he gets to the basket, being very creative and having the strength, toughness and intelligence to either finish the play or get to the line. Brewer's game is not limited to only slashing, though. He can also score from behind the arc or by stopping and popping for the mid-range jump shot. He's very patient with the ball in his hands, letting the game come to him. Playing up-tempo and/or in transition is where he excels the most. As you would expect from a legit 6-7 point guard, Brewer's court vision is superb. He understands how to feed the post and usually puts the ball exactly where his teammates want it. In terms of passing, he has the entire package: he can drive and dish, pass from static positions or be flashy and throw a pinpoint lob pass for an alley-oop from behind the three point line. He's extremely unselfish, almost to a fault at times, but really knows how to make his teammates better. Defensively, Brewer usually guards the opposing team's best perimeter player and has all the tools in the world to be a shut-down defender; including strength, length, superb instincts, excellent hands and footwork. He has great reflexes and an amazing knack for anticipating what the opposing team will do next, being a constant threat in the passing lanes because of that. Brewer's intangibles are excellent. He has an outstanding demeanor on the court and carries himself extremely well. He's a glue-type guy with endless energy that is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team go home with the win, having the kind of attitude you love to see from such a talented player. Despite the fact that he's a legit college basketball star, he has no problem doing the little things like taking charges and diving on the floor for loose balls. By all accounts he's an extremely hard worker that is constantly looking to improve his game. /article/Ronnie-Brewer-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2736/ /article/Ronnie-Brewer-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2736/ Sun, 12 Feb 2006 03:35:01 -0500 As recent headlines have already announced, the nation?s top fifth year high school player Davon Jefferson is no longer a member of the basketball team at The Patterson School. The 6?7 WF left Patterson over a week ago, and there have been some conflicting reports of the reasoning behind Jefferson?s departure. Davon spoke with DraftExpress Director of High School Scouting Rodger Bohn to set the record straight on his departure from Patterson, college recruitment, and possible early entry to the NBA Draft. /article/Davon-Jefferson-Setting-the-Record-Straight-1190/ /article/Davon-Jefferson-Setting-the-Record-Straight-1190/ Thu, 09 Feb 2006 23:22:45 -0500 Strengths Gardner has a good combination of strength, speed, and athleticism for a SG. He has a pretty solid build and possesses about average athleticism for a SG in the NBA. He is fast in getting up and down the court and also moves well within the halfcourt, where he can change direction quickly to get himself open on offense.Gardner’s greatest skill is his shooting, especially from long range. He has a high and quick release with range out to the NBA three-point line. He shoots with good, consistent mechanics and is especially accurate when spotting up. He can also shoot it off the dribble and usually maintains good balance in doing so. He responds pretty well to hands in his face and doesn’t let it alter his motion. The majority of his shooting is done from behind the arc, but he can also step in to hit mid-range shots. He can get himself open without the ball by using his speed to lose his defender.Passing is another of Gardner’s strengths, due to his strong court vision. He has good recognition for when his teammates are open and makes strong, crisp passes to get them the ball.Defensively, Gardner shows good ability as a perimeter defender. He possesses strong lateral quickness and reaction speed, allowing him to stay in front of his man. He is fundamentally sound with his footwork and technique. He keeps his center of gravity low and his arms extended while moving laterally to stay in front of his man. /article/Thomas-Gardner-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2863/ /article/Thomas-Gardner-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2863/ Wed, 08 Feb 2006 01:37:19 -0500 Strengths (2006 draft scouting report, see player blog tab for more recent updates)Belinelli's physical tools are very good, especially at the European level. At 6-5 he has decent size for an NBA shooting guard, especially considering his athleticism and long arms which allow him to play bigger than his height. His overall bulk has improved over the past few years, as now both his upper and lower body strength are more solid than they were a couple of years ago. He looks like he’ll be able to add some more pounds too. Belinelli's athleticism is excellent for Europe and would be considered good even in the NBA, as he runs the floor well, has good overall speed and quickness and is an explosive leaper.Offensively, Belinelli already has many of the skills required to play shooting guard in the NBA. He's a solid ball-handler who can dribble with either hand, usually playing under control, and is able to go right or left equally well. His passing ability is decent, as he shows no selfishness and seems to have good court vision. A couple of years ago he was projected as a PG, and although he's developed quite a bit more towards the shooting guard position, he can handle spot minutes at the point when needed.Belinelli's biggest asset on the offensive end, especially as far as the NBA is concerned is definitely his outside shot. Every facet of it has improved dramatically over the past two years. He specifically worked on this part of his game and has become more and more consistent. He's especially good as a set shooter thanks to his quick release, compensating for the fact that his feet barely leave the ground (a la Brent Barry). He has amazing accuracy and range, out to well beyond the NBA 3-point line. When trying a jumper off the dribble he uses his athleticism to elevate and shoot over the defender, often going for a fade-away jumpshot. He moves well without the ball, and his shot selection is decent; not being afraid to shoot when opportunity strikes or his team needs him to, but also not forcing up too many shots.Defensively, Belinelli is much more solid than many of the other young European prospects. In fact, in the past two seasons he was primarily used as a defensive specialist by his coach, as he can effectively guard multiple positions in Europe. He has good footwork and lateral quickness, which along with his length and quick hands in the passing lanes make him a great asset in pressure defense situations. He usually guards the opponents' best backcourt player. Climamio plays both man to man and zone, and his effectiveness is quite the same.Generally, for a guy who's not even 20 years old, he shows good maturity when he's on the court, being known as a coachable player with a good work ethic. Climamio's coach Jasmin Repesa is known for his ability to develop young players, and was not afraid to give him meaningful minutes ever since Belinelli was 17 years old. He already showed that he's a clutch player, as he's not afraid of taking big shots in the crucial moments, being a factor in his team's triumph in the past Italian League playoff Finals. The experience he has garnered playing at the highest level of competition to be found outside of the NBA is something that must be considered a huge plus; as Belinelli more than holds his own in the very tough Euroleague and Italian league. /article/Marco-Belinelli-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2794/ /article/Marco-Belinelli-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2794/ Wed, 08 Feb 2006 00:59:26 -0500 Strengths Oleg Pecherov is another example of your stereotypical European big, a long guy not in love with the paint but rather skilled who enjoys a very nice shooting touch. Standing 6-11, the Ukranian is gifted with excellent size for a power forward and nice athleticism to play that position, indeed fairly good if we consider that height.Pecherov’s main virtue and best skill on the floor is his shooting stroke. Many of the offensive situations he enjoys have the jumper as the final purpose. He displays nice mechanics, looking fluid while executing it, being able to nail his shots off the dribble, although feeling more comfortable in static fashion, while he enjoys three point range. He also uses his shooting ability in the low post, where he likes to finish with a rather effective turnaround jumper that rather difficult to stop.Oleksiy can put the ball on the floor for slashing purposes. He has a decent first step, feeling more comfortable going to his right, and enjoys the quickness and ball-handling skills to be capable of beating his power forward matchups. Able to play without the ball, he’s automatic finishing around the rim with a dunk whenever he receives the ball near the basket, showing a good vertical jump and reactivity. He certainly has very good resources to put the ball in the basket regardless his opponent.In the rebounding department, even if he isn't the most active or aggressive player on the floor, he displays good positioning to take advantage of his size and athleticism to come up with a good amount of boards. Showing a nice basketball IQ, Pecherov’s best weapon rests in his potential. He has some intriguing tools for a guy of his size, and could develop into an offensive force. /article/Oleksiy-Pecherov-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2778/ /article/Oleksiy-Pecherov-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2778/ Tue, 07 Feb 2006 23:41:20 -0500 As you may have noticed on our sidebar already, we?ve decided to launch an official message board as another tool for our users to interact with the main site.This has been a long time in the making, and we are very excited about finally getting it off the ground. We've had many requests to implement an official discussion board and have toyed around with many ideas over the past few months about how to properly implement it. /article/Official-DraftExpress-Message-Board-Launches-1189/ /article/Official-DraftExpress-Message-Board-Launches-1189/ Tue, 07 Feb 2006 12:19:44 -0500 More point guards and more late bloomers, this time from the sophomore and junior ranks dominate another edition of the Top Weekly Performers.Joakim Noah and Taurean Green showed the country why they are anything but overrated on primetime television on Saturday night; Rudy Gay thinks it's way too early to be calling his season a disappointment; Don't call PJ Tucker a tweener; Quincy Douby explodes for 41 points in the Carrier Dome; Matt Haryasz wants to carry Stanford on his back to an unlikely at-large bid in the NCAA tournament, and Curtis Stinson puts up an impressive triple-double with style. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-1-31-2-6-1188/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-1-31-2-6-1188/ Tue, 07 Feb 2006 02:59:30 -0500 Twice a year, that rising storm of Duke-North Carolina mania overtakes College Hoops Nation. That day has come yet again, and tomorrow night?s game promises to be more hotly contest and controversial than ever. The national media has finally picked up on a story that has been festering in the minds of non-Blue Devil fans for years. Are the officials in bed with Coach K? After two hotly contested wins in which the Blue Devils shot 56 more free throws than their opponents, plenty of fans would now say that they are. /article/Duke-and-the-Officials-A-Conspiracy-Brewing-1187/ /article/Duke-and-the-Officials-A-Conspiracy-Brewing-1187/ Tue, 07 Feb 2006 01:14:15 -0500 Drew Barnette and BracketExpress continue to monitor the nitty gritty of the NCAA with the most comprehensive and accurate NCAA Tournament Bracket projections on the internet. Barnette continues to monitor the scores, RPI and which 65 teams will end up in the NCAA tournament in March with his latest weekly projections. Also included are the notes on the bracket with a breakdown of why some big name or highly ranked RPI teams are on the outside of the bubble looking in right now. Teams that have appeared to have eliminated themselves from consideration for an at-large bid are the focus of this column. /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-2-6-1186/ /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-2-6-1186/ Mon, 06 Feb 2006 15:53:00 -0500 Strengths Everett has terrific size for an NBA point guard at 6-4, to go along with a good wingspan and very smooth athletic ability. The fact that he is left handed makes him that much more interesting and difficult to defend. Like many lefties, he has a unique style to his game that isn’t easy to find at the NCAA level. Despite being recruited to play the shooting guard position at Oklahoma, Everett has the instincts of a pure point guard. He is capable of making everyone around him better thanks to his terrific passing skills. Everett possesses superb court vision and uses his size extensively to see the entire floor and exploit openings in the defense as they happen. He often makes very tough passes look easy by threading the needle and creating opportunities for teammates out of absolutely nothing. While he can be very flashy at times, he also doesn’t have a problem making fundamental bounce passes or lobs into the post to feed his big guys with entry passes. In transition is where he particularly excels, either being able to finish plays by himself with his length and athleticism or set up a teammate for an easy basket, often in spectacular fashion. He has very good speed in the open floor and absolutely loves to push the tempo, especially when he has the horses to run with him. Offensively, Everett has the ability to create his own shot thanks to a nice first step. He has a solid mid-range game, being able to put the ball on the floor and either find the open man on the drive and dish or elevate off the dribble with a high arching lefty release. His shot mechanics look decent and he has inconsistent range out to the NCAA three point line when he has time to set his feet. He can get to the rack and score as well, showing solid toughness taking contact and finishing around the hoop. Defensively, Everett is very solid thanks to his quick feet and long arms. Oklahoma is one of the best defensive teams in the country, and Everett has a lot to do with that. He has good hands and likes to get into the passing lanes to ignite fast-breaks. /article/Terrell-Everett-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2861/ /article/Terrell-Everett-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2861/ Sun, 05 Feb 2006 19:48:11 -0500 For the second straight year, the Nike Hoop Summit will be conducted at the same exact time as the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. DraftExpress explores the implications of the Nike Hoop Summit being conducted on the same weekend as the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-collides-with-Portsmouth%85again-1185/ /article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-collides-with-Portsmouth%85again-1185/ Sun, 05 Feb 2006 04:55:09 -0500 Mike Schmidt of DraftExpress.com recently had an opportunity to sit down with Rawle Marshall and discuss the different aspects of the NBDL. As an undrafted rookie, Rawle used a solid performance in the summer leagues and a lot of hard work to obtain a roster spot with the Dallas Mavericks. In the interview, Rawle talks about his path to the NBA, life in the D-League, and some comparisons between the two. /article/NBDL-Interview-Rawle-Marshall-1184/ /article/NBDL-Interview-Rawle-Marshall-1184/ Fri, 03 Feb 2006 23:10:23 -0500 Strengths Damir Markota is a perimeter oriented power forward with a good shooting touch and a decent physical set.At 6-11 Markota has excellent size for the power forward position. He’s very athletic for his size, being highly fluid running up and down the floor, extremely coordinated and showing a good motor to put those things to work. Markota has good speed getting up and down the floor. His vertical leap is one of his biggest assets as he can jump high and get off the floor quickly. His footwork is the paint is above average, but could stand some further improvement.Offensively, Markota’s only reliable tool and probably his best strength when discussing his NBA potential is his jumper. His mechanics are somewhat ugly, but he gets good enough elevation to get his shot off even with a defender in his face. Damir needs some time to settle his feet--think about Dirk Nowitzki’s odd stance at the free throw line--but has enough size and lift to get his shot off against anyone. He is an accurate shooter from beyond the arc with excellent range from behind the international three-point line.Inside the paint, Markota has a soft touch around the rim and is good finisher using both hands. Once he gets the ball close to the basket he can release an effective hook shot.His off the dribble play has been inconsistent, but he can put the ball on the floor just enough to create space to release his shot on the perimeter. He especially likes to use a series of fakes and jab-steps when is guarded closely on perimeter. He has shown potential at times to hit shots in difficult situations even without his feet set, being off-balance or fading away His first step is very good and that leaves the impression that he could be a dangerous slasher threat if he improves his ball-handling ability. On defense Markota has improved significantly over the past year and that is the main reason why he is getting consistent playing time now for a Euroleague team. He is a very active defender and plays hard despite his skinny body. Damir is already a good rebounder at the European level, with potential to become an excellent one due to his height and vertical leap.Markota is a gifted passer with court vision that is well above average for a big man, but he often risks too much which leads to an increased number of turnovers. When speaking of his intangibles, some time ago he was labeled as a problematic player with off the court issues, mainly surrounding his coachability and professional attitude or lack thereof. This seems to be behind him right now and he actually shows a very good demeanor on the court. /article/Damir-Markota-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2780/ /article/Damir-Markota-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2780/ Fri, 03 Feb 2006 22:39:04 -0500 Before the season, there was plenty of talk about the new Big East being too big. Coaches complained about the unbalanced schedule, and how worth teams could easily get left out of the conference tournament. But as we hit the midway point in the new Big East?s inaugural season, the fan really couldn?t ask for a better brand of basketball. We have three legitimate national championship hopefuls, at least seven NCAA tournament-caliber teams, and (most importantly) super-competitive, fun-to-watch games on a nightly basis. Louisville and Notre Dame actually might end up missing the Big East Tournament. We have yet to see how many bids the selection committee will give a 16 team conference.. But from a fan?s perspective, the new Big East is about as good as it gets. The following is a roundup of what has caught my eye in the first half of the Big East slate. /article/Bouncing-Around-the-Big-East-1183/ /article/Bouncing-Around-the-Big-East-1183/ Fri, 03 Feb 2006 01:23:06 -0500 At Draftexpress.com, we specialize in bringing you the most comprehensive scouting information available, so you can follow the blue chippers and mock draft all day and night. Our coverage is so thorough, not only do we mock the NBA draft, we mock the mock NBA draft. Here is the first installment of ?Mocking the Draft,? complete with all the hits and misses you?d expect from the Volume Shooter. Feel free to refer to DX?s NBA mock to get your bearings. /article/Mocking-the-Draft---February-Edition-1182/ /article/Mocking-the-Draft---February-Edition-1182/ Thu, 02 Feb 2006 20:53:30 -0500 Calling all wannabe NBA Scouts...Ever disagreed with one of our scouting reports, disappointed by a player you know well not being written about quick enough, or just wanted to be able to have your own say at DraftExpress? Well starting today, you will be able to make your own custom scouting reports or player observations exactly the way YOU think it should done. /article/My-Scouting-Feature-Released-1181/ /article/My-Scouting-Feature-Released-1181/ Thu, 02 Feb 2006 02:16:02 -0500 Mike Schmidt looks around the world of the NBDL with a comprehensive update on the development of the first and second year NBA players sent down so far, the regular D-League players who have caught the eyes of NBA scouts, and the latest news and notes of the recent callups. The NBA D-Leaguers including Gerald Green, Martell Webster and others are ranked based on the potential they've shown so far in their time in the league. /article/Inside-the-D-League--4--1180/ /article/Inside-the-D-League--4--1180/ Tue, 31 Jan 2006 23:32:47 -0500 Strengths Much improved big man with average size and decent length. Doesn’t have a huge frame but makes the most of it. Keeps himself in good shape and uses his strength to the fullest.An above average athlete at the college level; moves well, gets off the floor nicely and is quick to react to things happening around him on the floor. Most of his productivity comes off his sheer desire and tenacious style of play.Offensively, he does almost all of his damage running the floor in transition or within 8 feet of the basket. He’s aggressive establishing position in the paint, and has a few fundamental moves he uses mostly with his back to the basket, including a quick and strong drop step, a simple jump-hook shot, quick spin moves in the post, and an awkward looking turnaround jump-shot. Amundson is an unselfish player who plays for the team, understands his role on the floor, sets strong picks and executes well in half-court sets. He’s not a bad passer, even from the perimeter, and will find the open man cutting to the basket with a bounce pass or make the extra pass out of the double team. He’s generally a smart passer who doesn’t make many mistakes and possesses a solid understanding of the game.Defensively, Amundson scraps, hustles and shows strong fundamentals to go along with a good motor. He is a pesky defender who likes to get in his man’s face and puts a lot of effort and pride into this part of his game.His best skill as far as his NBA potential goes is definitely his rebounding ability. Amundson crashes the glass with the best of them at the NCAA level, using his slithery quickness, long arms, excellent boxing out technique and solid toughness to rebound in traffic or out of his area. He has good hands and is extremely active in this area, corralling rebounds with a no-nonsense attitude and swinging his elbows around like it’s no one’s business.In terms of intangibles, Amundson appears to be a very smart and coachable player both on and off the court who is willing to put the effort in to get better. He’s improved vastly in his five years in college, graduating early cum laude with a degree in philosophy and now working on another degree in financial accounting. The time he spent at Pete Newell’s big man camp last summer appears to have helped him out a great deal. /article/Louis-Amundson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2746/ /article/Louis-Amundson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2746/ Tue, 31 Jan 2006 14:16:57 -0500 Point guards and late bloomers dominate this edition of the Top Weekly NCAA performers.Mardy Collins and Temple are back on track behind two excellent offensive explosions; Terrell Everett dominates in front of a horde of scouts at just the right moment for him and OU; Brandon Rush becomes more assertive and continues to establish himself as one of the most gifted offensive players in the country regardless of age; Chris Quinn makes us wonder why he was playing the 2-guard spot for three years next to Chris Thomas at Notre Dame; Richard Hendrix capitalizes on Alabama's injuries to show why he was one of the most highly touted recruits in the nation; Michael Southall is looking for another chance to get his name back on the NBA radar; and Carl Krauser gets a well deserved mention for unexpectedly leading Pitt to the top of the Big East. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-1-23-1-30/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-1-23-1-30/ Tue, 31 Jan 2006 03:51:59 -0500 Jonathan Watters returns with his weekly NCAA column, covering a variety of topics from around the hoops landscape. Home court advantage in the Big Ten and Texas' big loss to Oklahoma are discussed. Also included are Adam Morrison and JJ Redick's pursuit of a major milestone, a recap of Sunday's Oak Hill vs Episcopal high school matchup, and Jonathan's latest national Top 25 rankings. /article/Bouncing-Around-the-Nation--5--1177/ /article/Bouncing-Around-the-Nation--5--1177/ Mon, 30 Jan 2006 03:30:27 -0500 This week's NCAA tournament bracket projections, courtesy of Drew Barnette of BracketExpress. Last year, Barnette correctly predicted 63 of the 65 teams in the tournament in his final bracket, including 59 teams perfectly or within one spot of their eventual seeding, making it--as with our 2005 mock draft--the most accurate predictions found anywhere on the internet, mainstream media or not. This week we focus on some of the more interesting resumes out there as far as the bigger and small name teams go. Tradition-rich teams with shaky resumes seem to be the trend right now. We also look at the bubble picture and what teams need to do to get off it. /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-1-30-1178/ /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-1-30-1178/ Mon, 30 Jan 2006 03:29:03 -0500 With Andrea Bargnani and Tiago Splitter currently being the only realistic international lottery prospects for this year?s draft, there isn?t a matchup outside of the NCAA that could be any more intriguing for us than Tau Vitoria vs. Benetton Treviso in the Euroleague. The interest increases when we take into account that these two squads are among the finest in all of Europe with both youngsters playing important roles in their teams. /article/Marquee-Matchup-Tiago-Splitter-vs.-Andrea-Bargnani-1176/ /article/Marquee-Matchup-Tiago-Splitter-vs.-Andrea-Bargnani-1176/ Sat, 28 Jan 2006 17:26:16 -0500 Strengths Nichoslon has good basic physical attributes including size (6-10 or 6-11) a very big frame, excellent strength and long arms. Offensively, Nicholson will score 20 or more points at the mid-major level on most nights thanks to his physical attributes and raw skills. His hands are soft, allowing him to catch almost anything thrown his way. He goes up strong at the basket and likes to finish emphatically with an aggressive dunk, even with contact. Early in games he runs the floor well and is a viable option to finish in transition. He is fairly quick off his feet here, and shows a lot of passion attacking the rim. The jump-hook or baby hook shot are his best finesse weapons; he executes them well with a nice soft touch off the glass. Nicholson plays with a lot of fire when conditioning isn’t an issue, and will often just will the ball into the basket with his strength. He also can knock down the simple baseline jumper with range out to about 15 feet. His touch from the free throw line isn’t bad either, with percentages hovering around 70% this year. Nicholson shows a surprisingly good understanding of the game considering his rather limited basketball experience. He passes well out of the double team and generally uses his height well to see the floor. Defensively, he blocks a lot of shots in the Sun-Belt conference thanks to his size, strength, length and relative athleticism. In terms of intangibles, it’s nice to see the type of fire he brings to the floor when he’s energized. He’s a tough player, but also usually has a big smile on his face running up and down the court. You can tell that he enjoys playing basketball. Despite not being the youngest player in this draft, his upside is a bit higher than your average senior since he has not been playing organized basketball for all that long. He’s been playing Division 1 basketball for three years and has improved considerably from year to year. /article/Yemi-Nicholson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2825/ /article/Yemi-Nicholson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2825/ Thu, 26 Jan 2006 01:48:23 -0500 New DraftExpress columnist Michael Jeffries releases his first piece. My head is spinning. The college basketball season is half way over, and I have no idea what to think. Usually, by the end of January I?ve got my Final Four picks taken care of. The cream has risen, and while conference play yields plenty of parody, my opinions on the real noise makers rarely change. Last year, for instance, UNC was playing with a roster full of soon to be Charlotte Bobcats, and Illinois looked downright invincible. This year the odds on favorite mauled #2 Texas in Austin and then fell apart at unranked Georgetown. With no one to trust, I?ve turned my attention to more confident speculation: who not to trust. Here are five baskets not to put your eggs in as we move deeper into conference play and beyond. /article/Can-t-Trust-It-1175/ /article/Can-t-Trust-It-1175/ Thu, 26 Jan 2006 01:31:47 -0500 New DraftExpress contributor Charlie Bury recently had the opportunity to speak with Joey Meyer, head coach of the NBADL's Tulsa 66ers. Coach Meyer is in the midst of his fifth season as a head coach in the D-League, and is looking to become the first coach in NBADL history to win three straight D-League championships. In addition to being a successful college coach at DePaul, Coach Meyer helped team USA qualify for the World Championships by serving as an assistant during the FIBA Americas tournament last summer. Coach Meyer and I discussed a wide range of topics, from Ersan Ilyasova and Tiago Splitter, to the future of USA Basketball. /article/NBDL-Interview-Joey-Meyer-1174/ /article/NBDL-Interview-Joey-Meyer-1174/ Wed, 25 Jan 2006 01:25:44 -0500 We dug deep to find 6 of the best performances in the NCAA this past week, with an emphasis to talk about players that haven't gotten much (positive) attention this past season. Cedric Simmons showed Shelden Williams and the rest of the nation that he is going to be a force to be reckoned with; Marcus Slaughter is a much better all-around player this year and has been proving that emphatically lately; Marcus Williams is one of the few bright spots in what has been a turbulent season so far for Arizona fans; Richard Roby is becoming one of the best 3-point shooters in the NCAA for the surging Colorado Buffaloes; Daniel Gibson redeems himself with one of the best shooting performances we've seen all year and Quinton Hosley is a JUCO transfer that has Fresno State fans as excited as they've been for a while. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-1-16-1-23-1173/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-1-16-1-23-1173/ Tue, 24 Jan 2006 02:14:00 -0500 This week's NCAA tournament bracket projections, courtesy of Drew Barnette of BracketExpress. This week we look at how all the various conferences from big to small are shaping up as far as at-large and potential automatic bids go. /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-1-23-1172/ /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-1-23-1172/ Mon, 23 Jan 2006 15:14:02 -0500 It?s not rare to see youngsters struggling in the season after they start making some noise. Expectations, pressure, over-exposure, perhaps even some complacency, as it?s hard to stay focused on improving every day. However, it usually happens that at some point of the season, these players manage to return to their best form.Two of the most heralded international prospects coming into the year, Tiago Splitter and Uros Tripkovic, somehow disappointed with their poor playing during the first few months of the season, damaging their draft stock as we told you here at DraftExpress. Nevertheless, both might have passed their season?s turning points through a much more consistent and productive game. /article/International-Scene-Turning-Points-1171/ /article/International-Scene-Turning-Points-1171/ Sun, 22 Jan 2006 19:10:31 -0500 The fourth edition of our mailbag. Every week or so we will try to answer the best questions we are asked either by email or other methods. Questions about specific prospects, requests for features on the site, the policies, methods and principles we try to incorporate into the site, complaints, praise or anything else is fair game. If you would like to write an observation about a prospect, team or trend we are seeing lately anywhere in the world, feel free to as well. If you would like to participate, please get in touch using the ?contact us? form or by sending me an email. /article/DraftExpress-Mailbag--4--1170/ /article/DraftExpress-Mailbag--4--1170/ Sun, 22 Jan 2006 03:50:54 -0500 DraftExpress NBDL scout Mike Schmidt recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Pape Sow of the Toronto Raptors. Pape was recently called up by the Raptors after spending the majority of the season dominating in the NBDL. Sow shared his feelings about the D-League, along with some thoughts on the lifestyle of the NBDL and the NBA draft process among other things. /article/NBDL-Interview-Pape-Sow-1169/ /article/NBDL-Interview-Pape-Sow-1169/ Sat, 21 Jan 2006 12:04:18 -0500 Ever disagreed with the way we ranked the prospects, who might be coming out or just wanted to follow at home with your own draft board? Well starting today, you will be able to make your own custom mock draft exactly the way YOU think it should done.This is the first of many exciting new interactive features on DraftExpress... /article/My-Mock-Draft-Feature-Released-1168/ /article/My-Mock-Draft-Feature-Released-1168/ Thu, 19 Jan 2006 01:37:07 -0500 Strengths Aldridge possesses all the physical characteristics NBA GM’s dream about in a big man. He has terrific size for an NBA big man at 6-11 or possibly even 7 feet, long arms that extend almost to his knees, and all-star caliber athletic ability. Aldridge is a quick and fluid player who moves like a ballerina and runs the floor like a guard. He is extremely coordinated for his size, and possesses a vertical leap that allows him to spring high off the floor in the blink of an eye. In today’s modern NBA that is so much more reliant on quickness and athleticism rather than brute strength, he has the ability to play either the 4 or the 5 spot for his team depending on where he is drafted. Offensively, Aldridge is about as talented and versatile as you can ask for out of a big man, but at the same time is also fundamentally sound. It is obvious that he was well coached as a youngster. He already has a number of silky smooth go-to moves in his arsenal that are downright impossible to stop at this level, mostly of the finesse type. The first would be a terrific jump-hook shot. Aldridge sets up shop on the baseline anywhere out to 15 feet, catches the ball, spins to either shoulder, squares them simultaneously, elevates gracefully with one hand underneath the ball and flicks his wrist at the height of his leap with a soft touch. All in one quick, fluid motion. The second would be his turnaround jump-shot. When he doesn’t have the strength or will to back his man all the way to the basket, Aldridge can catch the ball, spin and fade away quickly, elevate straight up off the ground and get high enough to give him all the time in the world needed to knock down his shot with deadly accuracy. Both of these moves are simple and fundamental, but Aldridge executes them perfectly and has the perfect physical characteristics to make them nearly unblockable. Watching him practice these moves, there is little doubt that he has spent some time studying tape on Kevin Garnett. Since Aldridge appears to be used to playing with guards who often have absolutely no idea how to get him the ball in the paint, he is able to step outside and do some damage from there as well. He has a beautiful jump-shot with range out to about 18 feet, but has looked to rely less on this part of his game over the past few years, which is certainly a good from a player his size. With that said, having the ability to punish his man with a jump-shot makes him that much more versatile and dangerous. Being a player who runs the floor like a deer and often beats guards down the floor with his huge strides, he is obviously a lethal finisher in transition. But he is also skilled and smart enough to not be a liability with the ball in his hands here, and can even do some ball-handling of his own, either to finish smoothly himself or find the open man. If you don’t box out on the defensive end, he’ll get off his feet instantaneously and flush the put-back down emphatically. Aldridge is not just able to get up and down the court in the blink of an eye; he is also quite willing as well, as he doesn’t seem to tire easily. He is tough to get a body on in the paint because of his quickness and executes his moves fluidly enough that a smart guard can just run the floor with him, set him up in the paint with a good post-entry pass and walk away knowing that he will finish the play or get to the line. Aldridge gets low to the ground to catch the ball and can surprise his rival by elevating quickly and strongly for a soft finish off the glass. His reflexes are superb and his hands are good enough to let him catch nearly anything that is thrown his way as long as he isn’t being pushed around too much. At the line, Aldridge has all the makings of a very good free throw shooter, thanks to the perfect mechanics on his shot. Defensively, Aldridge has extremely quick feet and the coordination and reflexes to react to most situations. His length, leaping ability and mind usually do the rest at the college level, blocking a decent amount of shots and altering countless others. In terms of rebounding, the same can be said. He has the physical gifts needed to simply outquick and outleap rivals in and out of the paint. This allows him to pull down double digit rebounds most games, many out of his area, without really breaking a sweat.In terms of intangibles, everything I’ve heard and seen says that he is a great teammate both on and off the court. At times you can tell that he wants to be somewhat of a leader on his team, but just doesn’t know how yet. He is very unselfish, almost to a fault at times, but looks very good moving the ball around in a set offense, especially passing out of the double team. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the game comes easy to him and that he is just now beginning to scrape the surface on his vast potential. /article/LaMarcus-Aldridge-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2730/ /article/LaMarcus-Aldridge-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2730/ Wed, 18 Jan 2006 01:45:17 -0500 A look at 7 of the top performances in the NCAA last week. Al Thornton may have had his coming out party at the national level; Quincy Douby continues to tear up the Big East, Yemi Nicholson puts up monster numbers on a small team in a losing effort; Mike Gansey shows why he is one of the best pure shooters in the country but also much more than that; Jermareo Davidson delivers a knockout blow to Kentucky; Julian Sensley's name continues to pop up as it tends to do on occasion and Shelden Williams lands his first ever triple-double. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-1-09-1-16-1167/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-1-09-1-16-1167/ Tue, 17 Jan 2006 03:08:21 -0500 This week's NCAA tournament bracket projections, courtesy of Drew Barnette of BracketExpress. Teams that are on the outside looking in at this point are the focus of this week's column. /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-1-16-1166/ /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-1-16-1166/ Mon, 16 Jan 2006 01:14:28 -0500 When talking about the international NBA draft prospects, it?s impossible to ignore the consistency that Rudy Fernández has been showing day in and day out with DKV Joventut in the ACB League this season. He?s delivering an excellent campaign displayed with surprising maturity and all-around effort. Fernández currently ranks third in efficiency while playing for a playoff contending team in arguably the strongest domestic league in Europe.DraftExpress' International Director of Scouting Luis Fernandez found the perfect scenario to watch him live while staying in Barcelona, a couple of days after watching the L?Hospitalet Tournament. /article/Marquee-Matchup-Rudy-Fernandez-vs.-Juan-Carlos-Navarro-1165/ /article/Marquee-Matchup-Rudy-Fernandez-vs.-Juan-Carlos-Navarro-1165/ Sat, 14 Jan 2006 21:27:06 -0500 The third edition of our mailbag. Every week or so we will try to answer the best questions we are asked either by email or other methods. Questions about specific prospects, requests for features on the site, the policies, methods and principles we try to incorporate into the site, complaints, praise or anything else is fair game. If you would like to write an observation about a prospect, team or trend we are seeing lately anywhere in the world, feel free to as well. If you would like to participate, please get in touch using the ?contact us? form or by sending me an email. /article/DraftExpress-Mailbag-3--1164/ /article/DraftExpress-Mailbag-3--1164/ Thu, 12 Jan 2006 22:31:11 -0500 Strengths Listed at 6-9 in shoes, Williams has average size for an NBA power forward, but makes up for that with his chiseled frame, warriors mentality and extremely long wingspan (rumored to be somewhere around 7-2). He will be able to hold his own in the paint immediately defensively and in terms of rebounding, and will do some damage offensively as well against weaker or softer opponents. He is a solid athlete that runs the floor extremely well and gets off the ground quickly to challenge shots, sky for rebounds and finish emphatically with powerful dunks. Offensively, his game is based around hard work and brute strength rather than a finesse approach. He has been a center at Duke for all four years, and plays like your traditional back to the basket pivot. He runs the floor extremely hard and finishes well on the break. Williams sets terrific screens and is a solid target on the pick and roll, improving his hand-eye coordination dramatically over the past few years and becoming a very steady presence for passes and easy finishes around the basket. Williams uses his lower body strength to the fullest at the college level to carve out space for himself, bump his man and work his way to the basket for a strong finish. He shows solid footwork, a simple, but effective jump-hook shot, and decent touch around the rim. Williams gets to the free throw line at a solid rate (6.7 times per game on the season at the time of this report) and has made himself into a very decent free throw shooter at the stripe. He’s gone from shooting 63% as a freshman to 76% as a senior, a testament of his work ethic. He’s improved substantially as a passer over the past four years, going from being a semi-black hole who is completely unable to pass out of the post when double-teamed to an average passer at the moment. Being your consummate garbage-man, possibly his best traits as a player revolve around his hustle skills, specifically his defense and rebounding. He has a great knack for being in the right place at the right time, and does not make many mistakes. Thanks to his strength, length, fundamental technique, tenacity and timing, Williams is an outstanding rebounder at the college level, leaving us very little reason to believe that this skill will not translate to the pros. He will go out and get rebounds out of his area as well, regardless of who or what is in the way. He has a certain knack for anticipating that all great rebounders do. Defensively he is extremely reliable as well, thanks to his work ethic and fundamentals. His lateral quickness and footwork are terrific, allowing him to stay in front of his man. His length and athleticism come in handy, but he also displays fantastic timing blocking shots, staying out of foul trouble for the most part and routinely being amongst the top 10 shot-blockers in the country despite the level of competition he goes up against compared with his peers in this area. He does not leave his feet prematurely (and therefore does not expose his team for offensive rebounds) and is smart enough to keep many of his blocked shots in-bounds rather than swatting them into the 2nd row. He hedges and recovers extremely well defending the pick and roll, and displays solid understanding of the team defense concept in general. Williams makes his teammates better in this area by giving them the freedom needed to gamble on steals and get up on their man knowing that the Landlord has their back guarding the paint. While his shot-blocking might not translate 100% over to the NBA (a la Emeka Okafor), his terrific all-around defensive ability most certainly will. Playing for one of the top programs in the country over the past four years, he’s been involved in as many big games and pressure filled situations as any player in college basketball, and for the most part performed extremely well. He is a smart player who plays under control and is very team oriented. The experience he’s garnered here will be invaluable over his career, as he’s the type of guy that should be able to step on to an NBA floor and contribute immediately. In terms of intangibles, Williams is a coachable player who has shown the work ethic needed to make necessary improvements in all facets of his game over the past 4 years. He’s a reliable player who knows his role and does exactly what the coach asks him to do. His court demeanor is solid and he’ll likely be a solid citizen off the floor as well. /article/Shelden-Williams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2699/ /article/Shelden-Williams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2699/ Thu, 12 Jan 2006 02:48:38 -0500 This past week DraftExpress? International Director of Scouting Luis Fernandez was on hand for another edition of the L?Hospitalet Tournament, one of the top junior competitions in all of Europe, which usually features some of the most promising basketball talents to be found on the continent. In past editions, the likes of Pau Gasol, Erazem Lorbek, Rudy Fernández, Sergio Rodríguez, Josh Smith, Rajon Rondo and Yaroslav Korolev showed their credentials here. It was here that the Russian small forward laid the ground work for being selected in the lottery by the Clippers 6 months later after an amazing run at L?Hospitalet.On our list we find four well-known guys for the veteran DraftExpress readers. Among them, Víctor Claver had his comeback party after some forgettable summer performances, while Ricard Rubio keeps defying all logic considering his age. We also introduce you to African-Spanish sensation Mamadou Samb. /article/2006-L-Hospitalet-Tournament-the-Top-5-prospects/ /article/2006-L-Hospitalet-Tournament-the-Top-5-prospects/ Wed, 11 Jan 2006 17:33:53 -0500 In addition to the 2 freshman forwards profiled yesterday, we bring you 5 more of the top weekly performances from around the nation. Jim Calhoun is working on developing yet another first round caliber big man at UConn in Hilton Armstrong; The top all-around freshman in the country statistically, Tyler Hansbrough, finally gets some love from DraftExpress; The most prolific scorer in the country over the past 4 years in Keydren Clark showed us his all-around game with an impressive triple-double; and Guillermo Diaz scores in bunches as usual but shows that he can move the rock around as well. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-1-03-1-10-1162/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-1-03-1-10-1162/ Wed, 11 Jan 2006 01:18:13 -0500 As the NCAA season reaches the in-conference portion of the schedule, its just about time for a few of the freshmen to step up and establish themselves as legit draft prospects for this year and beyond. Under the heavy glare of the national spotlight, Brandon Rush and Tyrus Thomas both delivered outstanding performances both on the individual and team level against a pair of traditional national powerhouses. /article/Freshman-Forwards-Fantastic-Under-the-Spotlight-1161/ /article/Freshman-Forwards-Fantastic-Under-the-Spotlight-1161/ Tue, 10 Jan 2006 03:05:12 -0500 Drew Barnette and BracketExpress continue to monitor the nitty gritty of the NCAA with the most comprehensive and accurate NCAA Tournament Bracket projections on the internet. Last year, Barnette correctly predicted 63 of the 65 teams in the tournament in his final bracket, including 59 teams perfectly or within one spot of their eventual seeding, making it--as with our 2005 mock draft--the most accurate predictions found anywhere on the internet, mainstream media or not. Barnette continues to monitor the scores, RPI and which 65 teams will end up in the NCAA tournament in March with his latest weekly projections. Also included are the notes on the bracket with a breakdown of how all the various conferences are faring so far. As he does every day, the major stories flying under the radar in the college world are discussed along with a look at the day's best and worst matchups. /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-1-09-1160/ /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-1-09-1160/ Mon, 09 Jan 2006 18:10:14 -0500 Strengths At 6-10, possesses terrific size for a small forward.Offensively, his calling card in the NBA and easily his biggest strength lie in his shooting ability. Novak has been one of the best 3-point shooters in the country over the last four years, hitting 293 of his 640 attempts or 46% from behind the arc in his career as of the time of this report midway through the season.His shooting mechanics are picture perfect; featuring a solid release point, an ultra quick release, and decent elevation on his jump shot. That, combined with his outstanding height, makes him a difficult player to fully contain on the perimeter, as he gets his shot off with very little space and is a threat from well beyond the NBA three point arc thanks to his deep range. His mechanics remain the same regardless of the nature of his attempt, whether it’s off the catch and shoot, fading away off-balance with a man in his face, or either elevating or stepping back off the dribble from mid-range or beyond the arc. Novak catches the ball with great poise, squares his shoulders immediately and gets his shot off with the utmost confidence.While he is not going to get to the line much in the NBA, Novak is about as close as you can get to being automatic from the stripe. At the time of this report Novak had only missed 14 free throws in his entire college career, shooting 93% over that span, and is currently working on a streak of 65 consecutive free throws which started almost a year ago.Mostly a one-dimensional spot-up shooter as an underclassmen, Novak has put in the necessary work over the past few years to expand his offensive arsenal and make himself more of a diverse threat. He is now fully capable of putting the ball on the floor for short dribbles to create the inch or two of daylight that he needs to get his shot off, maybe with the combination of a head or shot fake to get his man in the air first. His terrific footwork and balance help him greatly in this area.Although it’s not as easy to see this skill translate to the NBA, he is also capable of punishing shorter matchups at the college level by catching the ball with his back to the basket and shooting over the top of them with a turnaround jumper (a move Nowitzki uses often at 7-1).Generally being a smart player, as you would expect from a coach’s son, he shows extremely good shot selection, even too good considering what an outstanding shooter he is. He is a fine passer and decision maker to boot, quite unselfish and always looking to make the extra pass; again, to a fault at times. Novak moves extremely well off the ball and appears to have a very good understanding of his team’s half-court offense and how to maximize himself within it. He is excellent coming off screens and will make his defender work very hard to try and stop him with how crafty he is.In terms of intangibles, Novak is reportedly a hard worker with an outstanding work ethic who is constantly looking to improve as a basketball player. He is also reportedly an excellent teammate, which is evidenced by his unselfish play. Off the court he often defers praise from himself from the media and instead prefers to talk about the team effort and his young teammates instead.As noted in the competition section, Novak made a name for himself already as a freshman with his clutch shooting in the NCAA tournament, so you could say that he is experienced and no stranger to big games. /article/Steve-Novak-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2773/ /article/Steve-Novak-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2773/ Sat, 07 Jan 2006 04:01:49 -0500 Point guards have become a regular fixture in the early lottery over the past three years. Three of the top five picks in the past two drafts (Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Raymond Felton in 2005, Ben Gordon, Shaun Livingston, Devin Harris in 2004) came from that position, while four of the top eight picks (Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Kirk Hinrich, TJ Ford) in 2003 have all logged significant minutes for their teams as playmakers or lead guards. But with the way this year?s crop is shaping up so far, the worst teams in the NBA could be hard pressed to find viable candidates to run their offense in the 2006 draft.With the NCAA season entering the in-conference portion of their schedules, we take a look at how ten point guard prospects have fared so far, while examining what they will be expected to show in the next three months to up their stock. /article/Poor-Point-Guard-Prospect-Play-an-Early-Disappointment-for-NBA-Scouts-1159/ /article/Poor-Point-Guard-Prospect-Play-an-Early-Disappointment-for-NBA-Scouts-1159/ Fri, 06 Jan 2006 18:57:18 -0500 Another week and another fresh batch of 7 of the NCAA?s top weekly performers. Brandon Roy showed his three-point shooting ability on his way to 70 points in three days; Tyrus Thomas told the nation that he will fly under the radar no longer against Ohio State; Patrick O'Bryant is a 7-foot mid-major prospect with 1st round caliber skills and production; J.P. Batista continues to do the dirty work for the Zags; James White says he is more than just a big bundle of upside; Hassan Adams recovers from a slow early-season start and Kevin Pittsnogle shows that terrific shooters come in all shapes and sizes. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-12-26-1-03-1158/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-12-26-1-03-1158/ Tue, 03 Jan 2006 04:41:51 -0500 In quite possibly their biggest test of the season, the Ohio University Bobcats squared off with the Kentucky Wildcats Friday night at a neutral site in Cincinnati, Ohio. This supposed ?neutral site? was exactly like a UK home game; approximately 75-80% of the arena was filled with Wildcat fans. Ohio, coming off of a great season last year in which they nearly upended Florida in the NCAA Tournament, gave Kentucky a run for their money and literally gave the game away at the end.The matchup that we will be featuring today is that of Kentucky?s Rajon Rondo and Ohio?s Jeremy Fears. While all of you have more then likely read of the heralded Rondo, Fears has the potential to be a legitimate draft prospect in his own right with due time. At 6?4, he has great size for the point guard position and is able to disrupt virtually every opposing team?s point guard with his length and athleticism. This was a fairly average performance on the part of both players, with Fears getting the best statistically, and Rondo getting the victory, but both players showing most of their strengths and weaknesses. /article/Marquee-Matchup-Rajon-Rondo-vs.-Jeremy-Fears-1157/ /article/Marquee-Matchup-Rajon-Rondo-vs.-Jeremy-Fears-1157/ Mon, 02 Jan 2006 05:12:10 -0500 Part two of DraftExpress? High School Road trip took us to the campus of Marshall University, where Cincinnati North College Hill HS squared off against national powerhouse The Patterson School (NC). Cincinnati North College Hill is led by the top two juniors in the nation, O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker. /article/O.J.-Mayo-and-Bill-Walker-High-School-Phenoms--Part-IV--1156/ /article/O.J.-Mayo-and-Bill-Walker-High-School-Phenoms--Part-IV--1156/ Fri, 30 Dec 2005 16:34:58 -0500 Another installment of Inside the D-League brings us news and notes from around the league, a look at the performances of the NBA players participating in the action here, as well as some thoughts on what it takes to stand out in a league such as this. /article/Inside-the-D-League--3--1155/ /article/Inside-the-D-League--3--1155/ Fri, 30 Dec 2005 13:27:55 -0500 A horde of scouts were on hand to watch 8th ranked Gonzaga take on 4th ranked Memphis at FedEx Forum in Memphis. What they got was one of the most entertaining matchups we?ve seen so far in the college basketball season to go along with a couple of highly intriguing performances from no less than four potential lottery picks.This article breaks down the matchup between two of the top small forwards in the country, Adam Morrison and Rodney Carney, two terrific scorers that otherwise can be considered exact opposites of each other. The matchup left us with a lot to think about regarding both players, with Morrison getting the upper hand in the boxscore, but Carney?s team coming away with the win. /article/Marquee-Matchup-Adam-Morrison-vs.-Rodney-Carney-1154/ /article/Marquee-Matchup-Adam-Morrison-vs.-Rodney-Carney-1154/ Wed, 28 Dec 2005 05:04:12 -0500 Drew Barnette and BracketExpress continue to monitor the nitty gritty of the NCAA with the most comprehensive and accurate NCAA Tournament Bracket projections on the internet. Last year, Barnette correctly predicted 63 of the 65 teams in the tournament in his final bracket, including 59 teams perfectly or within one spot of their eventual seeding, making it--as with our 2005 mock draft--the most accurate predictions found anywhere on the internet, mainstream media or not. Barnette continues to monitor the scores, RPI and which 65 teams will end up in the NCAA tournament in March with his latest weekly projections. Also included are the notes on the bracket with explanations of who might be overrated and underrated at this point. As he does every day, the major stories flying under the radar in the college world are discussed along with a look at the day's best and worst matchups. /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-12-27-1153/ /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-12-27-1153/ Tue, 27 Dec 2005 03:25:17 -0500 DraftExpress' Director of International scouting, Luis Fernandez, provides us with a comprehensive update on the status of the top prospect in the world outside of Europe, Chinese 7-footer Yi Jianlian.The rules regarding Jianlian's potential entry into the NBA draft in the coming years are discussed, along with an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of this talented 18 year old. /article/Yi-Jianlian,-China-Still-Have-a-Long-Way-to-Go-1152/ /article/Yi-Jianlian,-China-Still-Have-a-Long-Way-to-Go-1152/ Mon, 26 Dec 2005 03:54:09 -0500 Jonathan Watters ranks the most important mid-season additions in his weekly column. This Tuesday's Gonzaga-Memphis matchup is also discussed. /article/Bouncing-Around-the-Nation--3----The-Mid-Season-Addition-Edition-1151/ /article/Bouncing-Around-the-Nation--3----The-Mid-Season-Addition-Edition-1151/ Mon, 26 Dec 2005 03:24:21 -0500 Part two of our newest feature on DraftExpress, the Mailbag. Every week or so we will try to answer the best questions we are asked either by email or other methods. Questions about specific prospects, requests for features on the site, the policies, methods and principles we try to incorporate into the site, complaints, praise or anything else is fair game. If you would like to write an observation about a prospect, team or trend we are seeing lately anywhere in the world, feel free to as well. If you would like to participate, please send us an email using the ?contact us? section. /article/DraftExpress-Mailbag--2--1150/ /article/DraftExpress-Mailbag--2--1150/ Sat, 24 Dec 2005 04:03:18 -0500 Halfway through the group stage of the Euroleague we take a look at how some of the most talented young prospects in Europe have been faring in this tough and extremely demanding competition so far. Some prospects have received numerous opportunities to prove their worth to their teams, coaches and the omnipresent NBA scouts in attendance at each game, and have stepped up to the plate in a huge way with some magnificent performances. Others have either not received enough opportunities, not taken the ones they?ve been handed or have completely regressed compared with what was expected out of them. Part two of our Euroleague Stock focuses in on the prospects who seen their stock rise in the first seven games of the season so far. Andrea Bargnani headlines this pack, with fellow Italian Marco Belinelli not far behind. /article/Euroleague-Stock-Watch-Part-2--Stock-Up--1149/ /article/Euroleague-Stock-Watch-Part-2--Stock-Up--1149/ Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:25:27 -0500 2005 marks the 33rd year of the City of Palms Classic, a high school basketball tournament held annually in the city of Ft. Myers, Florida. Each year, several of the top high school programs in the nation are invited to Southwest Florida to participate along with several of the state?s own high schools in the seven day event.In the past, NBA and college stars such as Chauncey Billups, Tyson Chandler, Chris Duhon, Tayshaun Prince, Joe Johnson, and Marvin Williams have competed in the prestigious tournament. This year is no different as highly touted prospects Kevin Love (No. 2 C, 2007), Brandan Wright (No. 1 PF, 2006), Wayne Ellington, (No. 1 SG, 2006), Gerald Henderson (No. 3 SG, 2006), and Lance Stephenson (2009) will be competing with their teams for a C.O.P. title. /article/City-of-Palms-Can-t-Go-Wrong-with-Wright-1148/ /article/City-of-Palms-Can-t-Go-Wrong-with-Wright-1148/ Wed, 21 Dec 2005 20:52:40 -0500 Halfway through the group stage of the Euroleague we take a look at how some of the most talented young prospects in Europe have been faring in this tough and extremely demanding competition so far. Some prospects have received numerous opportunities to prove their worth to their teams, coaches and the omnipresent NBA scouts in attendance at each game, and have stepped up to the plate in a huge way with some magnificent performances. Others have either not received enough opportunities, not taken the ones they?ve been handed or have completely regressed compared with what was expected out of them. Part of our Euroleague Stock watch starts with the prospects who have seen their stock drop or remain stable in the first seven games of the season so far. Tiago Splitter of Tau Vitoria highlights this bunch, with Uros Tripkovic not very far behind. /article/Euroleague-Stock-Watch-Part-1--Stock-Down,-Neutral--1147/ /article/Euroleague-Stock-Watch-Part-1--Stock-Down,-Neutral--1147/ Wed, 21 Dec 2005 03:44:36 -0500 Another week and another fresh batch of 7 of the NCAA?s top weekly performers. Rajon Rondo guarded his home turf and showed us exactly why many consider him to be the best point guard prospect in this draft; Jordan Farmar went on the road and helped his team beat a tough Michigan team with another outstanding individual performance; Corey Brewer put up a rare NCAA triple-double in a crushing home win over in-state Jacksonville; Cedric Simmons tried to do the same in NC State?s ACC opener against Miami; Steven Smith played an incredible 59 minutes and scored 41 points in quadruple overtime; Greg Paulus broke the record for assists by a freshman at Duke; and Sammy Mejia willed his team to victory on the road against Wake Forest. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-12-12-12-19-1146/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-12-12-12-19-1146/ Tue, 20 Dec 2005 02:05:29 -0500 DraftExpress' team of college scouts combine with a number of bloggers from around the net for our weekly NCAA Rankings poll. /article/DraftExpress-NCAA-Rankings-Poll,-12-19-1145/ /article/DraftExpress-NCAA-Rankings-Poll,-12-19-1145/ Tue, 20 Dec 2005 00:38:48 -0500 In his weekly column, Jonathan Watters offers up his "top five" for numerous college basketball categories. Also discussed is the suddenly competitive SEC East, and the surprising lack of success within Mike Krzyzewski coaching tree. /article/Bouncing-Around-the-Nation--3--The-Top-5-Edition-1144/ /article/Bouncing-Around-the-Nation--3--The-Top-5-Edition-1144/ Mon, 19 Dec 2005 00:17:45 -0500 We?re introducing a new feature on DraftExpress.com. Every week or so we will try to answer the best questions we are asked either by email or other methods. Questions about specific prospects, requests for features on the site, the policies, methods and principles we try to incorporate into the site, complaints, praise or anything else is fair game. If you would like to write an observation about a prospect, team or trend we are seeing lately anywhere in the world, feel free to as well. If you would like to participate, please send us an email using the ?contact us? section or with the email link at the bottom of the article. /article/DraftExpress-Mailbag--1--1143/ /article/DraftExpress-Mailbag--1--1143/ Fri, 16 Dec 2005 20:59:47 -0500 The DraftExpress team kicks off coverage of the high school basketball season with a bang, covering the Kentucky Bank Shootout in Paris, KY, before traveling to Huntington, West Virginia the next day to catch O.J. Mayo, Bill Walker, and Co. take on the Patterson School in a 2pm matinee. Saturday night?s journey took Rodger Bohn to watch two games at the Kentucky Bank Shootout in Bourbon County High School in Paris, Kentucky. Part one in a two part series details the matchup featuring top five high school senior and North Carolina signee Brandan Wright?s Brentwood Academy (TN) against local powerhouse Scott County (KY). /article/High-School-Roadtrip-Scouting-Brandan-Wright-and-Michael-Beasley-1142/ /article/High-School-Roadtrip-Scouting-Brandan-Wright-and-Michael-Beasley-1142/ Wed, 14 Dec 2005 23:45:05 -0500 The season for the NBA's Developmental League has been under way for nearly a month now, and only 8 NBA players have been sent down as part of the new minor league system. Though this is not surprising to many people, all of the players who have been sent down have been given minutes to produce and opportunities to improve their game. Mike Schmidt has been following the D-League from the inside and is here to break down the latest rumblings from this league, the NBA players who have sent down so far and the Fort Worth Flyers and their prospects. /article/Inside-the-D-League--2--1141/ /article/Inside-the-D-League--2--1141/ Wed, 14 Dec 2005 05:50:15 -0500 Another edition of our weekly roundup of the top performances of the week in college basketball is back, with a look at another seven NBA draft prospects who went above and beyond the call of duty for their teams in the week of December 5th to the 12th. J.J. Redick tops this edition after a sizzling 41 point performance in a huge win against Texas. Gabe Pruitt is not far behind him in terms of point production but rightfully receiving nowhere near the same exposure. Paul Millsap returns for his 3rd appearance in the past year after a huge outburst in a terrific road win against Texas Tech. C.J. Giles makes his debut thanks to an extremely impressive performance against Leon Powe and Cal, Thomas Gardner tries to prove that he is doing anything but putting up monster numbers on a terrible team, Taquan Dean shows why Louisville is his team this year, and Maurice Ager returns thanks to his newfound passing skills and extreme consistency. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-12-05-12-12-1140/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-12-05-12-12-1140/ Tue, 13 Dec 2005 02:14:21 -0500 Drew Barnette and BracketExpress continue to monitor the nitty gritty of the NCAA with the most comprehensive and accurate NCAA Tournament Bracket projections on the internet. Last year, Barnette correctly predicted 63 of the 65 teams in the tournament in his final bracket, including 59 teams perfectly or within one spot of their eventual seeding, making it--as with our 2005 mock draft--the most accurate predictions found anywhere on the internet, mainstream media or not. Barnette continues to monitor the scores, RPI and which 65 teams will end up in the NCAA tournament in March with his latest weekly projection. Also included is a rundown of every conference in the NCAA with a look at how their teams have fared individually and collectively. /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-12-12-1139/ /article/BracketExpress-Projections-for-12-12-1139/ Mon, 12 Dec 2005 02:23:44 -0500 A horde of NBA scouts were on hand in the Meadowlands this past weekend to watch one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the early NCAA season so far. #1 Duke took on #2 Texas with two of the most intriguing big man prospects in the country matching up head to head at the center position for both teams. While the stat-lines of both big men suggested that the matchup was a draw, the outcome of the game and the personal battle between the two clearly was not. The Blue Devils blew out the Longhorns in emphatic fashion behind a career best performance by J.J. Redick and important contributions from Williams, while Texas struggled with its anemic backcourt and a big man in Aldridge who shows flashes of brilliance but is clearly still figuring out the type of player he can become down the road. /article/Marquee-Matchup-LaMarcus-Aldridge-vs.-Shelden-Williams-1138/ /article/Marquee-Matchup-LaMarcus-Aldridge-vs.-Shelden-Williams-1138/ Mon, 12 Dec 2005 01:49:12 -0500 Jonathan Watters tackles a number of NCAA related issues in his weekly column. What to make of the term "mid-major", revisiting the experience factor argument, the fallout from the heavyweight Duke-Texas matchup and another look out towards the West Coast are the topics highlighting this week's column. /article/Bouncing-around-the-nation--2--1137/ /article/Bouncing-around-the-nation--2--1137/ Mon, 12 Dec 2005 01:35:06 -0500 Another week and another intriguing slate of games are in the books. In this installment of the Rookie Report we?ll look at the excellent play of Knicks center Channing Frye, Jazz point guard Deron Williams, Hawks combo guard Salim Stoudamire and Warriors power forward Ike Diogu. Our spotlight matchup of the week pits Deron Williams against superstar Kobe Bryant. /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Week-4-1136/ /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Week-4-1136/ Wed, 07 Dec 2005 02:21:27 -0500 Our weekly roundup of the top performances of the week in college basketball is back this season, with a look at seven NBA draft prospects who went above and beyond the call of duty for their teams in the week of November 28th to December 4th. Adam Morrison makes his seemingly weekly appearance on this site with another incredible 43 point performance, while players like Randy Foye, Marco Killingsworth, Corey Brewer, Shawne Williams, Cartier Martin, Reyshawn Terry make their debuts on this column. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-11-28-12-04-1135/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It...the-Top-Weekly-Performers,-11-28-12-04-1135/ Tue, 06 Dec 2005 03:08:32 -0500 With the college basketball season now three weeks old, Jonathan Watters brings you a rundown of NCAA happenings around the nation. Who is worthy of consideration for being ranked #1 in the country, a blast from the past with some familiar names popping up on mid-major rosters, tackling the paradox of inexperience on NCAA rosters and a look out to the West Coast are the issues at hand in this week?s column. /article/Bouncing-around-the-nation...-1134/ /article/Bouncing-around-the-nation...-1134/ Mon, 05 Dec 2005 01:46:40 -0500 While ?East Coast Bias? has developed into somewhat of a cliché in recent years, there is some truth to that term if you play for a non-powerhouse program on the west coast. Arizona, UCLA, and Gonzaga all get their fair share of TV time and attention these days, but what about everybody else? One player who may be suffering from a bit of underexposure is Oregon wing Malik Hairston. Everybody had Hairston on their preseason list of breakout players, but nobody seems to have any actual information on his game. Jonathan Watters caught his first Oregon action of the season on Saturday afternoon when the Ducks hosted Georgetown, and now will give you the lowdown on how Malik Hairston?s game has progressed over the past year. /article/Malik-Hairston-Under-the-Radar-1133/ /article/Malik-Hairston-Under-the-Radar-1133/ Sun, 04 Dec 2005 05:04:37 -0500 17 NBA scouts were on hand to watch Nevada and Nick Fazekas go into storied "Phog" Allen Fieldhouse and challenge a young, but extremely talented Kansas team that is loaded with potential NBA prospects at almost every position. The man in charge of slowing Fazekas down-- 6-11 Russian big man Sasha Kaun?has established himself this season as one of the most consistent sophomore big men in the country and came out with a lot to prove. /article/Marquee-Matchup-Nick-Fazekas-vs.-Sasha-Kaun-1132/ /article/Marquee-Matchup-Nick-Fazekas-vs.-Sasha-Kaun-1132/ Fri, 02 Dec 2005 23:18:52 -0500 Another excellent field of teams and players at the Guardians Classic and Preseason NIT tournaments this past week provided us more opportunities to evaluate some of the most intriguing NBA draft prospects in the country head to head against outstanding competition. While no one gets drafted based solely off how they played in November, this was a great chance to get an early read on the improvement or lack thereof made by the many excellent prospects in attendance here over the summer. Players here got a great chance to show their stuff to some of the most important decision makers in the NBA that weren?t in Maui, which was still a substantial group. Between the two tournaments there was a fair share of lottery and first round caliber prospects for this year and beyond to evaluate in New York City and Kansas City. /article/NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch-Guardians-Classic-Preseason-NIT-1131/ /article/NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch-Guardians-Classic-Preseason-NIT-1131/ Tue, 29 Nov 2005 01:54:50 -0500 An incredibly deep and talented field of teams and players at the Maui Invitational this past week provided us with a fantastic opportunity to evaluate some of the most intriguing NBA draft prospects in the country in a neutral setting against outstanding competition. While no one gets drafted based solely off how they played in November, this was a great chance to get an early read on the improvement or lack thereof made by the many excellent prospects in attendance here over the summer. Players here got a great chance to show their stuff to some of the most important decision makers in the NBA. Most of them capitalized, but some didn?t. Check back tonight for a look at the draft prospects at the Guardians Classic and Preseason NIT, along with an update to our 2006 and 2007 mock drafts reflecting the developments described in this article and tonight's. /article/NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch-Maui-Invitational/ /article/NBA-Draft-Stock-Watch-Maui-Invitational/ Mon, 28 Nov 2005 03:48:23 -0500 In perhaps the most anticipated individual matchup of the new season, small forwards Rudy Gay and Adam Morrison went head to head in the championship game of the Maui Classic. While Gay vs. Morrison may not have lived up to the pre-game hype that had developed from their play earlier in the tournament, there was a lot to learn about both prospects on the whole. /article/Marquee-Matchup-Rudy-Gay-vs.-Adam-Morrison-1129/ /article/Marquee-Matchup-Rudy-Gay-vs.-Adam-Morrison-1129/ Fri, 25 Nov 2005 11:26:08 -0500 Another week and another intriguing slate of games are in the books. In this installment of the Rookie Report we?ll look at a couple of first year tandems who are starting to get into the groove with their clubs and making contributions that are worth mentioning. The Raptors landed a couple of early-mid first rounders and though they are a team in transition, the chaos created by the team?s situation has opened up an avenue for these two talents to take their games to the court. In Charlotte, the Bobcats have continued to build off the battling spirit that carried them through last season. The freshmen additions of May and Felton have added depth and skill to the steady development of this young club. /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Week-3-1128/ /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Week-3-1128/ Wed, 23 Nov 2005 13:01:15 -0500 Jonathan Watters explores the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement and the fallout from the 2005 NBA draft, looking at the impact it is having and will continue to have on the college game. Part one in a two part series. /article/The-NBA-s-new-CBA,-the-DL,-the-IL,-and-what-it-all-means-for-the-NCAA-1127/ /article/The-NBA-s-new-CBA,-the-DL,-the-IL,-and-what-it-all-means-for-the-NCAA-1127/ Mon, 21 Nov 2005 02:14:42 -0500 Beginning Monday, what some are calling the best preseason invitational tournament in college basketball history will tip off in the nation's 50th state. A lineup featuring four of the preseason top 10 teams in the nation should give hoops junkies a steady diet of poi, mai-tais, thunderous dunks and behind-the-back dimes.With six former national champions, plus upstarts Gonzaga and host Chaminade, the tournament field is a who's-who of the nation's top talents, both collective and individual. DraftExpress' J.L. Weill offers a primer for college hoops fans and NBA Draftniks alike. /article/DraftExpress--2005-Maui-Preview-1126/ /article/DraftExpress--2005-Maui-Preview-1126/ Sun, 20 Nov 2005 18:15:11 -0500 The semifinals of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic yesterday in Madison Square Garden afforded us an excellent opportunity to get a look at two versions of a rare specimen in college basketball?the old school big man. Eric Williams of Wake Forest and Al Horford of Florida went at it from the very start and showed us sparks of what NBA scouts like and dislike about their physical characteristics and style of play, along with some glimpses of how it might translate to the NBA. /article/Marquee-Matchup-Eric-Williams-vs.-Al-Horford-1125/ /article/Marquee-Matchup-Eric-Williams-vs.-Al-Horford-1125/ Fri, 18 Nov 2005 18:16:56 -0500 After escaping the 2005 NBA draft relatively unscathed with only two underclassmen leaving and being drafted in the first round in Antoine Wright and Linas Kleiza, the Big 12 conference not only looks like the best conference in America in terms of the quality of teams represented here, it also might be the most talented conference in the NCAA when it comes to the individual talent NBA scouts can find on almost every roster.The three powerhouse teams in terms of prep recruiting dominate the top of this list in Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma, but teams like Iowa State, Kansas State, Colorado and even Baylor also have plenty to offer in what is shaping up as possibly the deepest and toughest Big 12 conference ever. /article/Top-15-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-1123/ /article/Top-15-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Big-12-1123/ Wed, 16 Nov 2005 00:44:43 -0500 Week two of the 2005 NBA season has come to a conclusion and the further we go the more we?ll see out of an already exciting crop of young guns. It?s early in the season schedule, but already there are some newcomers cracking the veteran rotations of their respective clubs. Here at DraftExpress we will follow the adjustments and provide coverage of all the season?s developments as they pertain to these first year dynamos as they scratch and claw their way through the depth charts and become household names. Five by five they come alive each and every week, complete with play summary and capped off with a feature match-up analyzing one of the spotlight rookies. /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Week-2-1122/ /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Week-2-1122/ Mon, 14 Nov 2005 15:30:28 -0500 Fans salivating for the beginning of the college hoops regular season are about to get their big, fat T-bone. The annual start of major college basketball arrives with the first round of the NIT Season Tip-Off, previously known as the Preseason NIT. And despite all the hand-wringing over exemptions, agreements, legislation and what have you, the biggest preseason tournament there is features several high profile teams, including the DraftExpress Preseason No. 1 club, Duke.DraftExpress' J.L. Weill gives readers an appetizer look at the major players, teams and matchups before fans can get those forks and knives dug into the main course. /article/NIT-Season-Tip-Off-Preview-1121/ /article/NIT-Season-Tip-Off-Preview-1121/ Sun, 13 Nov 2005 18:00:14 -0500 The Big Twelve has picked up a lot of recent flack because a member of the conference hasn?t won a national championship in nearly two decades. This seems a bit unfair, as there is a lot more to a good basketball conference than one team bringing home the trophy at the end of the year. The Big Twelve has more depth than usual, and just to satisfy those that want to see a team in the conference win it all before handing out credit, might be the only league in America with two legitimate national championship contenders. Texas and Oklahoma are both primed for deep NCAA tournament runs. Texas Tech and Iowa State feature nice mixes of returnees and newcomers, and both should be able to continue their recent success. The final teams in this segment are Kansas and Oklahoma State. While both drop down several spots from last season, these two powerhouse programs are in great shape. Neither team returns much of anything, but the Jayhawks and Cowboys each pulled in impressive recruiting classes. There is a clear-cut top tier in the conference, but the competition for third place should be fierce. The fact that the conference hasn?t won a title recently doesn?t change the fact that the Big Twelve is likely the top conference in the nation this season. /article/Big-Twelve-Conference-Preview--Part-Two--1120/ /article/Big-Twelve-Conference-Preview--Part-Two--1120/ Sat, 12 Nov 2005 21:24:01 -0500 While it isn?t normal to think of the Big Twelve on the same level as the ACC when it comes to basketball, this might be a season where that comparison holds some water. The bottom of the conference has been traditionally weak, but several programs here have reloaded and could be in for better days in the near future. Nebraska and Texas A&M both look to improve on last year?s encouraging seasons. Colorado, Missouri, and Kansas State are programs that have stagnated in recent years and are under some serious pressure to win right now. None of the three is a likely NCAA tournament team, but all have the potential to put in competitive seasons. At the bottom we have Baylor, a program brimming with talent but burdened by inexperience and the NCAA-imposed preseason ban. In any case, there isn?t likely to be a night off in the Big Twelve this year /article/Big-Twelve-Conference-Preview--Part-One--1119/ /article/Big-Twelve-Conference-Preview--Part-One--1119/ Fri, 11 Nov 2005 01:52:36 -0500 While the SEC is getting the most mention for having lost so much to the professional ranks, it was the ACC that lost the players the NBA were actually interested in. Seven ACC players were drafted in the first round, and two more were gone within the first ten picks of the second. While there is an incredible amount of professional level talent joining the ACC in 2006, it has been a while since the conference has been this diluted in terms of NBA prospects. Not surprisingly, the majority of the legitimate first round prospects at this juncture are Blue Devils. The only really proven non-Blue Devil prospect is Miami's Guillermo Diaz, who certainly wouldn't be considered a polished prodcut just yet. There is plenty of raw talent in the freshman and sophomore classes, and you can be sure that several of the underclassmen will emerge as legitimate first round prospects of the course of this year's Atlantic Coast Conference action. /article/Top-15-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-1118/ /article/Top-15-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-ACC-1118/ Tue, 08 Nov 2005 00:01:46 -0500 The ACC continues to be the center of the college basketball universe, even though most teams in the conference lost major pieces in the offseason. Duke didn't lose much, and enters the season as the clear-cut number one team in the country. There is a significant gap between the Blue Devils and the rest of the conference, where the real battle is for second place. Newcomer Boston College might be the favorite here, though Gary Williams and the Terrapins might have something to say about that. The other teams in the top half of the conference return enough to compete as well, though NC State will miss Julius Hodge and Wake Forest won't be the same without Chris Paul. Miami would be the one non-traditional power here, but Frank Haith has put together an explosive lineup capable of competing in this toughest of conferences. /article/ACC-Conference-Preview--Part-Two--1117/ /article/ACC-Conference-Preview--Part-Two--1117/ Mon, 07 Nov 2005 02:41:38 -0500 While the ACC is always the center of the college basketball universe, it is quite surprising to see the some teams that rank near the bottom of the conference this season. North Carolina and Georgia Tech both begin major rebuilding projects, and could struggle mightily. Virginia Tech was shockingly competitive last season, and probably would have been a top 6 team in this preview if not for several preseason injuries. This conference is brutally competitive in the top half, and you see it when looking at teams like Clemson and Florida State. Both programs have proven coaches that can recruit and strategize with the best. But neither Oliver Purnell nor Leonard Hamilton has been able to get their respective program to a truly competitive level. Dave Leitao is in a similar situation over at Virginia. Only time will tell if he can resurrect his fallen program, or if the rebuilding effort will stall out like so many others have in the ACC. /article/ACC-Conference-Preview--Part-One--1116/ /article/ACC-Conference-Preview--Part-One--1116/ Fri, 04 Nov 2005 23:04:59 -0500 The National Basketball Association?s Developmental League held its draft on Thursday night, marking the beginning of a new dawn for the league. As part of an agreement under the new collective bargaining agreement, eligible players from NBA teams can be allocated to the NBDL for development. The first draft under this new system was not only a bumpy start for the league, but also could be a sign of rough waters ahead. DraftExpress will be following the progress of the D-League all season long in addition to our normal coverage of the NCAA, International Basketball, High School, and of course the world of the NBA draft. /article/A-New-Era-Begins-for-the-NBDL-1115/ /article/A-New-Era-Begins-for-the-NBDL-1115/ Fri, 04 Nov 2005 19:33:26 -0500 While this will probably be another down year for the SEC in terms of the number of teams it sends to the NCAA tournament and just how far they go, the overall talent level that the South produces never seems to end. Eight underclassmen from the SEC put their names on the early entry list last June, but only one of them ended up being drafted?-LSU's Brandon Bass in the 2nd round. The rest are gone, including would-be SEC freshmen and eventual 2nd rounders Monta Ellis and Louis Williams. These names would have undoubtedly made up the majority of this list going into the 2006 season, but there is still plenty of first round talent for NBA scouts to watch amongst the 12 teams here, especially in terms of size and athleticism, which the South seems to specialize in. /article/Top-15-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-1114/ /article/Top-15-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-SEC-1114/ Thu, 03 Nov 2005 03:20:47 -0500 One aspect of the Euroleague that makes it truly fascinating for fans and NBA scouts alike to watch is the quality of youngsters that play in this highly competitive competition. There is no tougher league for draft prospects anywhere in the world to participate in, making this an outstanding showcase to see just what these young players are capable of doing on a weekly basis against the cream of the crop that basketball has to offer outside the NBA. This year there is once again a nice crop of players to follow and evaluate all season long, including two strong candidates for the number one overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft. Multiple potential future first rounders also lurk here, some seeing more playing time than others. We?ve attempted to rank and categorize the NBA draft prospects not only by their NBA potential, but also by the amount of minutes and production that can be expected out of them in the 2005/2006 Euroleague season. /article/Top-10-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Euroleague-1113/ /article/Top-10-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Euroleague-1113/ Wed, 02 Nov 2005 03:21:28 -0500 The SEC took hits to foolish NBA aspirations, transfers, academic issues, and pretty much anything else you might be able to imagine, and no team in the West division was immune. Alabama would be a top 10 team if either Kennedy Winston or Ray George was suiting up this fall. Arkansas would be that much more deep with the return of Olu Famutimi. Jeff Lebo would have a legitimate first option in Toney Douglas over at Auburn, and you can bet that LSU would have welcomed Brandon Bass back on to campus with open arms. Arkansas, Alabama, and LSU still have the horses to make plenty of noise come March, but Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Auburn are in full-on rebuilding mode. There is plenty of exciting talent suiting up in this divsion, but the unfortunate departures have left SEC West as whole just a little bit light. /article/SEC-West-Conference-Preview-1112/ /article/SEC-West-Conference-Preview-1112/ Tue, 01 Nov 2005 04:21:38 -0500 Continuing our series of previews just in time for the kickoff of the 2005/2006 Euroleague season, we look at five teams who will be coming in just under the radar in their bid to land a spot in this year?s Final Four in Prague. In a league that features no minimum or maximum amount for money that can be spent to sign players, it?s no coincidence that this group of teams all hail from the two richest domestic leagues in Europe, Italy and Spain. Coming off winning the ACB League championships, a team with some of the deepest pockets in the continent both in football and basketball, Real Madrid, checks in at the top of this preview with a legion of hired guns from all of the most talented basketball producing countries in the world. Three other mainstays from the cream of the crop of Europe and Italy over the past few years, Benneton Treviso, Climamio Bologna, and Montepaschi Siena are once again gunning for a Final Four berth, joined by Armani Jeans Milano from the same country, fresh off their first appearance in the Italian Lega Finals in 40 years. /article/Euroleague-Preview--Part-Two--Final-Four-Sleepers-1111/ /article/Euroleague-Preview--Part-Two--Final-Four-Sleepers-1111/ Mon, 31 Oct 2005 02:15:06 -0500 The common theme in many of this year's SEC previews has been "down year". There is certainly truth in this, as the conference is going to suffer after losing the majority of its star power this offseason to graduation and the draft. However, it must be said that this is definitely a temporary situation in the SEC East. The new kids on the block, Dennis Felton and Bruce Pearl, are rising stars and are currently recruiting at very high levels. Give Tennessee and Georgia a couple of seasons to re-establish themselves, and it is going to be very tough to find a division doormat here. Tubby and Billy D aren't going anywhere, while Kevin Stallings and Dave Odom don't need to recruit well to stay competitive. Ultra-competitive, defense-oriented, smashmouth hoops is sure to follow. It sounds a bit like SEC football, doesn't it? As for this season, traditional roles will be maintained. Kentucky and Florida both suffered the loss of multiple standout veteran performers, but have the young talent to remain the divisonal favorites. They will be pushed by Vanderbilt and South Carolina, both coming off of encouraging NIT performances and returing the majority of their rosters. Georgia and Tennessee will both struggle, but positive changes have already been made by Dennis Felton and Bruce Pearl. They might be the easy night on the schedule for now, but that could change very quickly. /article/SEC-East-Conference-Preview-1110/ /article/SEC-East-Conference-Preview-1110/ Sun, 30 Oct 2005 21:08:18 -0500 While the new Big East has clearly taken a step forward as a true power conference, coming up with a list of top draft pick is a bit more difficult. There are two legitimate lottery picks in Rudy Gay and Josh Boone, and then a whole lot of guesses. The players with upside (Jeff Green, Terrance Roberts, Juan Palacios, Sammy Mejia) are young and unproven. The proven players often lack upside, or a true NBA position. There are more than enough players to keep an eye on here, though. The list was expanded to twenty five players, and very easily could have been extended to thirty five. With the volatility and unpredictability that a sixteen team conference brings, this is a list that is going to change dramatically as the season wears on. /article/Top-25-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-1109/ /article/Top-25-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East-1109/ Fri, 28 Oct 2005 21:25:57 -0400 Another edition of the Euroleague is about to start. Needless to say, this exciting competition features the best players you will find outside of the NBA, as well as excellent squads capable of displaying some of highest-quality basketball you will find anywhere in the world. 24 teams will fight for a spot in the 2006 Final Four in Prague in late April. Despite losing a few stars to the NBA, such as Sarunas Jasikevicius, Arvydas Macijauskas and José Manuel Calderón, the level remains in good shape. After two spectacular years where the offensive show of Maccabi Tel Aviv ruled the tournament, making history with back-to-back titles and securing a place in the memory of basketball fans worldwide, this year?s edition looks a bit more open. Of course, Maccabi is in the mix again despite losing Jasikevicius, as are the other three teams that made the Final Four last year: a deeper and perhaps stronger Tau Vitoria, a renewed CSKA Moscow and the always defensively strong Panathinaikos. Two other teams have to be taken very seriously into account given their recent accomplishments performances and ambitious rosters; they are Winterthur FC Barcelona, featuring a deep and talented roster, and the always solid Efes Pilsen. These six squads look like the most steadfast early candidates for the final triumph. Of course, they are not the only ones, but they are ones that have been chosen for the first DraftExpress preview of the 2005/06 Euroleague. /article/2005-06-Euroleague-Preview-The-Favorites-1108/ /article/2005-06-Euroleague-Preview-The-Favorites-1108/ Thu, 27 Oct 2005 02:02:11 -0400 The jockeying for position has taken place. Teams have moved on. The media and coaches have put their two cents in. Now, all that is left for the sixteen team basketball juggernaut is to actually play the season. Nobody really knows how this is going to turn out. The Big East looks like the strongest conference in the nation with the additions of Louisville, Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette, and South Florida. However, there are serious issues that have yet to be resolved. How many NCAA bids can a conference this big recieve? Will the unbalanced schedule work out? Is this leage geographically viable, now that it includes teams nearly all the way out to the Mississippi? And what about balance? In this league, how does team number sixteen ever hope to compete with team number one? The inaugural new Big East season will go a long way in answering some of these questions. Those ranked teams ranked at the top of this conference are the true heavyweights, eating up the media spotlight and tv time. The contenders are very strong, though various issues have weakened each of the top three teams. Laptopgate will continue to be the Big East's most watched off the court story, and will effect Connecticut's season dramatically, depening on whether Marcus Williams is allowed to play. Villanova's Curtis Sumpter is likley out for the season, knocking the Wildcats out of the preseason top spot. Finally, Louisville's Juan Palacios is likley to miss a chunk of the non-conference slate at the very least, and leaves Rick Pitino a bit thin in the frontcourt. These issues leave the conference title very much up for grabs, and the next group of teams - Georgetown, Syracuse, and West Virginia - is ready to pounce. /article/Big-East-Conference-Preview--Part-Three--1107/ /article/Big-East-Conference-Preview--Part-Three--1107/ Wed, 26 Oct 2005 02:14:33 -0400 The middle of the pack in the New Big East is very much up for grabs. With TV time, national attention, and potential NCAA tourney bids up for grabs, a team in this conference probably needs at least finish in the top seven or eight to feel safe about being included in the field of 64 at the season's end. It still isn't clear just how many bids a 16 team conference will receive, and there is much concern from coaches around the league that the worst teams in the league will struggle getting exposure. These are the teams fighting to stay above water, so to speak. West Virginia likely belongs with the first group, but teams like Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, and Cincinatti will be fighting for program legitimacy this season. Rutgers has struggled recently, but there are several things working in the favor of the Scarlet Knights. An easy schedule, a standout recruiting class, and the presence of rising star assistant coach Fred Hill gives Rutgers the nod over several other programs trying to claw their way up from the bottom. /article/Big-East-Conference-Preview--Part-Two--1106/ /article/Big-East-Conference-Preview--Part-Two--1106/ Tue, 25 Oct 2005 00:01:38 -0400 One of the disadvantages of the new Big East might just be the inequality between the top and the bottom of a 16-team league. In addition to the schedule irregularities, there is a giant gulf between Connecticut and South Florida as the best and worst teams in the conference. For the most part, we see talented but young teams in the bottom half of the conference. Depaul, Marquette, Providence and St. John's certainly fit that description. All three will struggle at times this season, but the fans certainly have reason to be optimistic for the future. Given Tom Crean's excellent recruiting class and the return of several key contributors, the Golden Eages must be given the preseason edge to jump out of this group. Things really get ugly at the bottom, where Seton Hall and South Florida will have to do their best just to not get embarrassed on a nightly basis. /article/Big-East-Conference-Preview--Part-One--1105/ /article/Big-East-Conference-Preview--Part-One--1105/ Mon, 24 Oct 2005 01:17:39 -0400 October signals the beginning of training camp and with it comes another season full of intriguing prospects to watch. Many talented players will emerge from this years draft class, one of the deepest on record. While this deep and talented crop of rookies may be one of the best from a standpoint of pure volume, it is also one of the least predictable. /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Preview-1104/ /article/NBA-Rookie-Report-Preview-1104/ Mon, 24 Oct 2005 00:25:13 -0400 A major talent infusion is taking place in the West Coast?s power conference. There isn?t a big name, lock lottery pick here, but there are plenty of young, developing prospects that must be watched closely. Malik Hairston, Jordan Farmar, Jawann McClellan, Nick Young, and Gabe Pruitt headline a brilliant sophomore class. It?s doubtful that every player in this group will have emerged into stardom by the end of the season, but you can bank on a couple of them developing into legitimate first round prospects when its all said and done. If it?s upperclassmen you are looking for, players like Brandon Roy, Hassan Adams, Bobby Jones, and Matt Haryasz fit the bill. Overall, there is a lot for NBA scouts to keep tabs on in the Pac-10. /article/Top-15-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10-1103/ /article/Top-15-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10-1103/ Wed, 19 Oct 2005 15:09:43 -0400 Out with the old, in with the new ? that should be the theme for the Pac-10?s 2005-2006 season, as many of the big names around the West Coast have either graduated or headed pro. Salim Stoudamire and Channing Frye are professionals, and the new headline makers at Arizona could be Mustafa Shakur and Hassan Adams. Washington?s deadly perimeter trio is old news, just in time for Brandon Roy and Bobby Jones to emerge. Teams like Stanford, Oregon, and UCLA underwent their transformations last season, but their key players remain relatively new to the Pac-10 spotlight. California?s Leon Powe replaces lottery pick Ike Diogu as the conference?s premier big man. There are four teams primed for NCAA tourney contention here, in Stanford, Arizona, Washington, and UCLA. All four have a case for being the preseason favorite, though some recent injures might bump the Bruins down a bit. California would be the sleeper to jump into the top half of the conference. /article/Pac-10-Conference-Preview--Part-Two--1102/ /article/Pac-10-Conference-Preview--Part-Two--1102/ Tue, 18 Oct 2005 00:33:25 -0400 Out with the old, in with the new ? that should be the theme for the Pac-10?s 2005-2006 season, as many of the big names around the West Coast have either graduated or headed pro. While the Pac-10 hasn?t exactly measured up to other heavyweight conferences in recent years, that could change in 2006. Pac-10 coaches are recruiting better than ever, and this is the year it starts to pay off. The bottom four remain weak, though the Trojans might not stay in this group for long. In cellar we find Arizona State, a team that could be in for a rough season. While the marquee faces are new, the talent level may have gone up a bit in the Pac-10. This is a conference that should improve quite dramatically over the next couple of years, and it starts right now.Part one of our Pac-10 preseason preview analyzes the teams ranked 6-10 in the conference: Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State, USC and Arizona State. /article/Pac-10-Conference-Preview--Part-One--1101/ /article/Pac-10-Conference-Preview--Part-One--1101/ Mon, 17 Oct 2005 00:03:56 -0400 The career of wonderkid Ricard ?Ricky? Rubio is starting to look like an essay on precociousness. Last Saturday, at the age of 14 years, 11 months and 24 days, he made his debut in the ACB League in Granada playing with DKV Joventut, setting the record as the youngest player to ever take part in this competition. Rubio became the all-time most hyped Spanish kid since dominating a televised U-14 tournament played early in 2004. The combination of natural talent and the Internet?s massive information power has been the recipe for this exposure. /article/Ricard-Rubio-Sets-Age-Record-in-Spanish-ACB-League-1100/ /article/Ricard-Rubio-Sets-Age-Record-in-Spanish-ACB-League-1100/ Sun, 16 Oct 2005 15:54:18 -0400 While there isn?t a surefire first rounder in the Big 10, there are several players that could develop into one over the course of the season. For seniors like Dee Brown, James Augustine, Maurice Ager, Paul Davis, Vincent Grier, Daniel Horton, and Terence Dials, this is the last chance to impress the scouts. There will be a young talent infusion next season, but projects to watch out for this season are a bit scarce. Centers Courtney Sims and Michael Thompson might fit the bill, however. This is DraftExpress? ranking of the top 15 NBA prospects in the Big Ten. /article/Top-15-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-1099/ /article/Top-15-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Ten-1099/ Fri, 14 Oct 2005 19:00:30 -0400 Part two of our Big Ten preview continues with the teams ranked 1-5 in our preseason conference index. Jonathan Watters breaks down the top candidates for accolades in the conference, the rotations of all 11 teams, a look at the recruiting classes that each team is bringing in and working on for 06, and the most comprehensive analysis on the teams themselves that you will find anywhere on the internet. /article/Big-Ten-Conference-Preview--Part-Two--1098/ /article/Big-Ten-Conference-Preview--Part-Two--1098/ Thu, 13 Oct 2005 01:14:35 -0400 All it took was two games for everyone to forget about what a ?down year? it had been for the Big Ten. Illinois shocked the world with their miracle comeback against Arizona. Michigan State edged Kentucky in overtime, after the nation spent 15 minutes trying in vain to discern whether Patrick Sparks? foot was actually on the line. With two teams in the final four, it suddenly didn?t matter that outside of Illinois, the entire Big Ten only came up with no more than a couple of decent non-conference wins. It suddenly didn?t matter that the fourth place team in the conference failed to receive a bid for the NCAA tournament. Thanks to some inspired performances and a couple of timely appearances by lady luck, the Big Ten was back.On that note, the 2006 Big Ten promises to be significantly more competitive than last year's one team race. There is a clear-cut favorite, (Michigan State), but then a bunch of teams that will beat the living hell out of each other for the rights to five or six NCAA tournament bids. After the Spartans, who return three potential first round picks from last year?s final four team, it looks like Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan could have a leg up on the competition.Jonathan Watters presents Part One of our Big Ten preview, with the six teams ranked 6-11 in what appears to be yet another strong conference coming out of the Midwest. /article/Big-Ten-Conference-Preview--Part-One--1097/ /article/Big-Ten-Conference-Preview--Part-One--1097/ Wed, 12 Oct 2005 01:42:17 -0400 Yesterday a very interesting game draft-wise was seen at Trnsko in Croatia as Cibona Zagreb easily beat KK Zagreb 87:73 in the first round of the Adriatic league. Damir Markota played perhaps his best game ever in a Cibona jersey and was the team?s best player on the floor along with former Ohio State star Scoonie Penn. Ante Tomic opened in the starting lineup for Zagreb?s senior team for the first time ever in his young career. Three new guys on the block also introduced themselves in Kruno Simon, Luksa Andric and Ivan Papac, all showing that they have a lot to improve on before they'll get serious consideration for a draft spot, but displayed some intriguing size and potential regardless. Aleksandar Ugrinoski didn?t get off Cibona?s bench. /article/Zagreb-Prospects-Old-and-New-Make-Early-Impact-1096/ /article/Zagreb-Prospects-Old-and-New-Make-Early-Impact-1096/ Tue, 11 Oct 2005 01:46:00 -0400 DraftExpress' Top 40 preseason poll finally comes to an end with our top ten teams in college basketball. Duke, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Texas, Villanova, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Stanford, Arizona and Boston College complete our coverage of the Top 40 preseason teams in the NCAA. Stay with us for the remainder of October as we break down every single conference in America along with the top NBA prospects on each team and at every position, in our typical and trademark comprehensive fashion. /article/NCAA-Preseason-Top-40-1-10-1095/ /article/NCAA-Preseason-Top-40-1-10-1095/ Mon, 10 Oct 2005 03:08:14 -0400 DraftExpress' comprehensive coverage of the Top 40 teams in America continues with the teams ranked #11-20 in our preseason poll of college basketball experts. Alabama, Washington, Memphis, UCLA, Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas, Texas Tech, Iowa State and George Washington round out part three of this preview. /article/NCAA-Preseason-Top-40-11-20-1094/ /article/NCAA-Preseason-Top-40-11-20-1094/ Thu, 06 Oct 2005 21:47:34 -0400 The fifth season of the Goodyear Adriatic league, composed of the top teams the talent rich Balkan area has to offer, is just about to kick off. This year?s edition features 14 clubs ? 5 from Serbia and Montenegro, 4 from Slovenia, 3 from Croatia and 2 from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The competition is composed of 26 regular season games that decide the 8 teams that will eventually advance to the Final 8 playoffs. Teams from this area can not compete financially with clubs from Western Europe, so their destiny is to produce young talent and sell them off to richer franchises. This league is generally known and is often discussed here on DraftExpress because of the prominent role that youngsters enjoy at a very early stage in their careers. The Balkans is known as the most prolific pool for NBA talent outside the United States and this generation also features some players who will most likely end up in the NBA. Kristian Hohnjec presents to you the prospects, stars and top teams of the Adriatic league for the 2005/2006 season. /article/Adriatic-League-Preview,-2005-2006-1093/ /article/Adriatic-League-Preview,-2005-2006-1093/ Thu, 06 Oct 2005 03:53:10 -0400 DraftExpress' preseason coverage of the Top 40 teams in the NCAA continues with the teams ranked #21-30 in our poll of college basketball experts. Arkansas, Cal, Wake Forest, Charlotte, Illinois, Old Dominion, Syracuse, Nevada, Ohio State and Ohio round out part two of this four part preview. /article/NCAA-Preseason-Top-40-21-30-1092/ /article/NCAA-Preseason-Top-40-21-30-1092/ Wed, 05 Oct 2005 00:58:12 -0400 The 12th edition of the annual international Sabonis Cup tournament ended last weekend in Kaunas, Lithuania. Throughout the years this has mostly been a tournament for younger boys between the ages of 13-15, however, this time it was staged for U17 or 1988 and later born teenage prospects.The Sabonis Cup is the largest and most prestigious tournament organized by the Arvydas Sabonis basketball school. Players such as Andrei Kirilenko (Utah Jazz), Giedrius Gustas (European champion with Lithuania in 2003), Martynas Andriuskevicius (Cleveland Cavaliers) and others are some of the alumni from this event. The Arvydas Sabonis basketball school?s own players have been the winners of this tournament in most cases. They were very close this time as well, but were denied by CSKA Moscow?s juniors in a thrilling final. DraftExpress is here to tell you about the top prospects and performers seen in Kaunas from the teams in attendance. /article/2005-Sabonis-Cup-@-the-Arvydas-Sabonis-Basketball-School-1091/ /article/2005-Sabonis-Cup-@-the-Arvydas-Sabonis-Basketball-School-1091/ Tue, 04 Oct 2005 23:18:21 -0400 Drew Barnette and BracketExpress are back with the most comprehensive and accurate NCAA Tournament Bracket projections on the internet. Last year, Barnette correctly predicted 63 of the 65 teams in the tournament in his final bracket, including 59 teams perfectly or within one spot of their eventual seeding, making it--as with our 2005 mock draft--the most accurate predictions found anywhere on the internet, mainstream media or not. Barnette is back in October now to predict which 65 teams will end up in the NCAA tournament in March. Keep in mind that there are many personalities on DraftExpress who all watch way too much college basketball for their own personal health. Every analyst sees things in their own way, but still deserve a voice, meaning that there will be many opinions voiced here over the next month, sometimes conflicting with each other. /article/BracketExpress-Preseason-Bracket-1090/ /article/BracketExpress-Preseason-Bracket-1090/ Tue, 04 Oct 2005 02:47:57 -0400 DraftExpress kicks off a month of extensive NCAA basketball preseason coverage with a breakdown of the top 40 programs in the country. First up in our poll of college basketball experts is the teams ranked #31-40; including Indiana, Northern Iowa, Georgetown, Michigan, LSU, Miami, Wisconsin, Florida, San Diego State and Northeastern. /article/NCAA-Preseason-Top-40-31-40-1089/ /article/NCAA-Preseason-Top-40-31-40-1089/ Mon, 03 Oct 2005 02:24:44 -0400 With the new age limit in place, a pool of a dozen or more potential high school early entries for next year's draft has been narrowed down to one. His name is Davon Jefferson, and he'll be showing his stuff for NBA scouts all year long at The Patterson (Prep) School in North Carolina. Rodger Bohn has watched him play and practice live in person many times over the past 6 months and is here to give you a full breakdown of his game. /article/Davon-Jefferson-An-NBA-Age-Limit-Case-Study-1088/ /article/Davon-Jefferson-An-NBA-Age-Limit-Case-Study-1088/ Thu, 29 Sep 2005 22:23:40 -0400 The Eurobasket tournament is in the books, and Greece has been crowned as the champions of Europe. DraftExpress digs a little deeper to explore what has been learned over the past few weeks in Serbia and Montenegro. The team concept in International basketball still prevails, but as always the game continues to evolve. The All-Eurobasket Team is presented and broken down individually to explore the players involved and what made them so successful. And finally, we look ahead to the wildcard berths that will be issued by FIBA in late November in Rome for the World Championships in Japan. Who are the leading candidates, what do they bring to the table, and what FIBA might and should take into consideration when making the final decision. /article/Eurobasket-The-Final-Summary-1087/ /article/Eurobasket-The-Final-Summary-1087/ Wed, 28 Sep 2005 00:20:52 -0400 Croatian analyst Kristian Hohnjec presents three of many fascinating storylines from a crazy Eurobasket tournament at the hands of Croatia. The Croatian media and basketball community has still not forgiven and definitely not forgotten the tragic turn of events that saw them ousted from the Eurobasket tournament against Spain. Raptors draftee Roko-Leni Ukic displayed some incredible sparks of star potential in a dominant span that may have been the biggest 10 minutes of his career so far in the same quarterfinals. He will be looking to continue that momentum in Spain this year with Tau Vitoria, before achieving his dream of playing in the NBA. Marko Tomas' emergence in the quarterfinals against Spain and beyond made him the most intriguing NBA draft prospect at this tournament. /article/Croatia-in-Eurobasket--Reason-for-Hope,-Frustration-1086/ /article/Croatia-in-Eurobasket--Reason-for-Hope,-Frustration-1086/ Tue, 27 Sep 2005 23:58:45 -0400 A packed weekend of international basketball saw four teams advance directly to the quarterfinals, four teams eliminated and eight teams moving on to a do or die elimination game.Some of the top storylines from the three days of action so far include Darko Milicic's emergence, Dirk Nowitzki showing why he is a superstar at any level, Tony Parker disappointing, Igor Rakocevic and Tal Burstein cementing their place among Europe's elite guards, a lack of playing time for most of the draft prospects and younger players, and much more. /article/Top-Storylines-from-the-Eurobasket-Preliminary-Round-1085/ /article/Top-Storylines-from-the-Eurobasket-Preliminary-Round-1085/ Tue, 20 Sep 2005 03:28:13 -0400 DraftExpress? European Championships coverage continues with the top players participating in group B at the upcoming Eurobasket tournament in Belgrade beginning September 16th. The teams are analyzed individually from a player perspective, exploring who the leaders and top stars are on each squad, and which intriguing players with NBA upside are lurking on every roster. Group D consists of Serbia & Montenegro, Spain, Israel and Latvia, headlined by Nenad Krstic, Igor Rakocevic, Marko Jaric, Darko Milicic, Jorge Garbajosa, Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez, amongst others. /article/Eurobasket-Preview-Group-D-1084/ /article/Eurobasket-Preview-Group-D-1084/ Thu, 15 Sep 2005 23:15:30 -0400 DraftExpress? European Championships coverage of the top players participating at the upcoming Eurobasket tournament in Belgrade continues, this time with the fascinating Group C. The teams are analyzed individually from a player perspective, exploring who the leaders and top stars are on each squad, and which intriguing players with NBA upside are lurking on every roster. Group C consists of France, Greece, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, headlined by NBA players such as Tony Parker, Mickael Pietrus, Boris Diaw, Rasho Nesterovic, Beno Udrih and many others. /article/Eurobasket--European-Championships--Preview-Group-C-1083/ /article/Eurobasket--European-Championships--Preview-Group-C-1083/ Sun, 11 Sep 2005 18:07:15 -0400 DraftExpress? European Championships coverage continues breaking down the top players participating at the upcoming Eurobasket tournament in Belgrade beginning September 16th. The teams are analyzed individually from a player perspective, exploring who the leaders and top stars are on each squad, and which intriguing players with NBA upside are lurking on every roster. Group B consists of Lithuania, Croatia, Turkey and Bulgaria, headlined by Utah Jazz big man Memo Okur, and former and future NBA draftees Roko Leni-Ukic, Cenk Akyol and Marko Tomas. /article/Eurobasket--European-Championships--Preview-Group-B-1082/ /article/Eurobasket--European-Championships--Preview-Group-B-1082/ Fri, 09 Sep 2005 05:18:37 -0400 DraftExpress? European Championships coverage kicks off by breaking down the top players participating at the upcoming Eurobasket tournament in Belgrade beginning September 16th. The teams are analyzed individually from a player perspective, exploring who the leaders and top stars are on each squad, and which intriguing players with NBA upside are lurking on every roster. Group A consists of Germany, Italy, Russia and the Ukraine, headlined by NBA all-stars Dirk Nowitzki and Andrei Kirilenko. /article/Eurobasket--Men-s-European-Championships--Preview-Group-A-1081/ /article/Eurobasket--Men-s-European-Championships--Preview-Group-A-1081/ Wed, 07 Sep 2005 02:53:20 -0400 Luis Fernandez breaks down Tiago Splitter's performance in the medal games of the Tournament of the Americas, where Splitter came up in a huge way to help his team win the gold medal, averaging 20.5 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 1.5 steals down the stretch. /article/Splitter-Impresses-in-the-Tournament-of-the-Americas-1080/ /article/Splitter-Impresses-in-the-Tournament-of-the-Americas-1080/ Tue, 06 Sep 2005 19:40:03 -0400 We finally arrive to the most prized pieces, the seven footers. The object of the biggest desires for many teams, but at the same time, a frequently risky proposition. Everybody wants the next Gasol, but nobody wants to mix up with the next Frederic Weis. Indeed we?ve seen some great kids in Belgrade in terms of potential, but none of them is free from serious concerns. Only time will tell, we can just guess. We?ve addressed every player in the neighborhood of seven feet in this ?centers? article, even if some may end up playing power forward. The bunch featured in this chapter enjoys easily the biggest NBA draft potential among the positions dealt in this articles series. Take a look, and you?ll see why? /article/The-European-Junior--U-18--Championships-The-Centers-1079/ /article/The-European-Junior--U-18--Championships-The-Centers-1079/ Mon, 05 Sep 2005 17:30:14 -0400 Basketball never stops in Europe. Whether it?s leagues making noise, players leaving and players signing, youth tournaments or international championships, there's always something interesting going on. Right in the middle of the preparation process for the teams taking part in the upcoming Eurobasket, we take a random look at what's happened so far and what's happening this summer with some of the young European talent. /article/Summertime-in-Europe-1078/ /article/Summertime-in-Europe-1078/ Wed, 31 Aug 2005 01:52:50 -0400 Power forwards are next in this player-by-player recap of the best prospects seen in the European Junior Championships played this summer in Belgrade. Younger players at these ages are frequently played out of position in their National Teams, usually because of the lack of bigs that push perimeter players to the paint. On the other hand, they?re not physically or technically developed, so many times it?s just about guessing what their final position on the court will be when it?s all said and done. Vladimir Dasic, Maxim Sheleketo, Omri Caspi, Dragan Labovic, Jose Angel Antelo and others highlight this crop. /article/The-European-Junior--U-18--Championships-The-Power-Forwards/ /article/The-European-Junior--U-18--Championships-The-Power-Forwards/ Tue, 30 Aug 2005 00:34:42 -0400 After watching him play numerous times this summer, DraftExpress' high school scout Rodger Bohn presents an in-depth look at the progress of the consensus #1 prospect in the 2006 high school class, Greg Oden. His strengths, weaknesses, character and more are explored in this article. /article/Greg-Oden-Backing-up-the-Hype-1076/ /article/Greg-Oden-Backing-up-the-Hype-1076/ Mon, 29 Aug 2005 03:00:18 -0400 DraftExpress continues it?s coverage of the best prospects seen at the European Junior Championship earlier this month in Belgrade, focusing on the small forwards this time. Among the players featuring the best potential, the most typical specimen seen in this position was a big forward, with the size to play inside (at least in Europe), but showing perimeter skills and nice athleticism. This was perhaps the strongest position in terms of potential and depth, even if top guys like Ersan Ilyasova or Nemanja Aleksandrov were missing at the competition. Clipper lottery pick Yaroslav Korolev headlines this bunch, with Italians Luigi Datome and Danilo Gallinari not too far behind, amongst others. /article/The-European-Junior--U-18--Championships-The-Small-Forwards-1075/ /article/The-European-Junior--U-18--Championships-The-Small-Forwards-1075/ Tue, 23 Aug 2005 03:26:53 -0400 Quietly and without being paid too much attention by the basketball world, Tiago Splitter is showing off a wide array of all-around skills and having a terrific summer for himself playing with the Brazilian national team alongside three NBA teammates. Before his heavily favored squad heads off to the Dominican Republic to compete for the Gold Medal in the Tournament of Americas, DraftExpress and Giancarlo Giampietro present an article examining how the potential #1 pick's summer has been going so far. /article/Tiago-Splitter-Back-in-Brazil-1074/ /article/Tiago-Splitter-Back-in-Brazil-1074/ Sun, 21 Aug 2005 14:48:38 -0400 In the first of many articles about the European Championships this summer, the Eurobasket, we start with a very telling game played today between the Italian national team and Croatia. /article/Eurobasket-Warmup-Italy-defeats-Croatia-86-75-1073/ /article/Eurobasket-Warmup-Italy-defeats-Croatia-86-75-1073/ Sat, 20 Aug 2005 23:50:06 -0400 Luis Fernandez continues his analysis of the top prospects seen at the Europen Junior (U-18) Championships in Belgrade earlier this month. Atlanta draftee Cenk Akyol headlines this crop, along with talented sniper Vasily Zavoruev, the top scorer of the tournament Ernests Kalve and more. /article/The-European-Junior--U-18--Championships-The-Shooting-Guards-1072/ /article/The-European-Junior--U-18--Championships-The-Shooting-Guards-1072/ Thu, 18 Aug 2005 05:02:19 -0400 A couple of weeks after the European Junior (U-18) Championships is over, watching the international stars of tomorrow, DraftExpress takes a look back to analyze the best prospects seen there in more depth. We start with the point guards, and in the following days we?ll continue with the shooting guards, forwards and centers. Last year, in Zaragoza, we saw the Junior Championship tyrannized by Sergio Rodríguez, a player who displayed most of the best playmaking virtues seen there. On the contrary, and for our pleasure, this year we saw a very nice bunch of true distributors whose game went beyond the typical drive and dish movement, a skill from which many current points can?t escape. /article/The-European-Junior--U-18--Championships-The-Point-Guards-1071/ /article/The-European-Junior--U-18--Championships-The-Point-Guards-1071/ Mon, 15 Aug 2005 05:02:26 -0400 Rodger Bohn had a chance to sit down with both O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker in his time in Las Vegas this summer for a rare and exclusive interview with the two. Walker and Mayo discuss their college options, workouts schedule, getting Kevin Love to join in on their NCAA "package deal" and the NBA age limit. /article/O.J.-Mayo-and-Bill-Walker-Interview--Part-III--1070/ /article/O.J.-Mayo-and-Bill-Walker-Interview--Part-III--1070/ Thu, 11 Aug 2005 04:15:55 -0400 For one week in late July, the city of Las Vegas is the high school basketball capital of the United States. Virtually every player imaginable will be in Sin City for one of the three major AAU tournaments: The Nike Main Event, Adidas Super 64, and Reebok Big Time. The top players in the country play in the tournament which corresponds with their AAU team?s shoe affiliation. The Reebok Big Time happened to contain the two players we will be featuring in this article, rising juniors O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker. These two led their team to the championship game and absolutely dazzled all fans in attendance during the meantime. Mayo is a 6?5 scoring point guard with a streetball handle and NBA three point range. Walker is a 6?6 wing whose game is eerily reminiscent of Vince Carter during his first few years, slashing to the hole and powerfully dunking on any opposing foe in sight. DraftExpress first featured Mayo and Walker at the EA Sports Roundball Classic in March, where we were privileged to watch an astonishing workout in front of only 10 or so people. The fabulous duo from Cincinnati has lived up to their rep all summer by dominating the AAU circuit and DraftExpress? Rodger Bohn will provide you with a detailed recap of their performance in Vegas from what he saw there. /article/O.J.-Mayo-and-Bill-Walker-High-School-Phenoms--Part-II--1069/ /article/O.J.-Mayo-and-Bill-Walker-High-School-Phenoms--Part-II--1069/ Thu, 11 Aug 2005 03:58:33 -0400 Luis Fernandez delivers his final report from the European Cadet Championship (U-16) in Spain, focusing in-depth on the top three prospects seen here, Antoine Diot from France, Ricard Rubio from Spain, and Bojan Bogdanovic from Croatia. Turkey came out as the champions of this particular age group this time. /article/The-European-Cadet-Championship-Final-Report-1068/ /article/The-European-Cadet-Championship-Final-Report-1068/ Tue, 09 Aug 2005 01:35:16 -0400 USA Basketball?s men Senior national team is holding it?s tryouts in Miami, Florida right now. DraftExpress? Jonathan Givony has been on hand at the first two days of the tryouts to see who will make the cut from the team that will compete in the FIBA Americas World Championship qualifying tournament in Santo Domingo later this summer. Today the team conducted a scrimmage against the Miami Heat. Key players reported on here are Charlie Bell, Tyus Edney, Jerome Beasley and Alex Scales from the USA team, and Wayne Simien, Matt Walsh, Earl Barron, Gerald Fitch and others from the Miami Heat. /article/USA-Basketball-Men-s-Senior-National-Team-Tryouts-1067/ /article/USA-Basketball-Men-s-Senior-National-Team-Tryouts-1067/ Sun, 07 Aug 2005 00:45:45 -0400 DraftExpress continues its coverage of the European Cadet Championship, which is being held in Spain right now. The competition has moved to León, where the quarterfinal round has been taking place over the last three days.The Frenchman Antoine Diot has been exposed a bit over the past few games, while Luis Fernandez has had an opportunity to take a closer look at the tournament's leading scorer so far, the Bosnian/Croatian Bojan Bogdanovic. /article/The-European-Cadet--U-16--Championship-New-Faces,-Same-Story-1066/ /article/The-European-Cadet--U-16--Championship-New-Faces,-Same-Story-1066/ Fri, 05 Aug 2005 21:02:52 -0400 The NBA has issued a press release of their official explanation of the principal points of the CBA, the Rookie and Minimum scale contracts. DraftExpress has decided to publish it as many of the points have yet to be explained by the mainstream media, especially the rules regarding the active roster and the NBADL. /article/NBA-CBA-Principal-Deal-Points,-Rookie-and-Minimum-Salary-Scales-1065/ /article/NBA-CBA-Principal-Deal-Points,-Rookie-and-Minimum-Salary-Scales-1065/ Tue, 02 Aug 2005 23:46:44 -0400 Jonathan Givony presents an in-depth study into the effect of the recent turn of events regarding draft picks Fran Vazquez and Roko Leni Ukic deciding to "snub" the NBA and sign lucrative contracts in Europe instead. Vazquez's 4 year, 10 million dollar deal with Girona has to be especially concerning for NBA teams. The logic behind these moves are presented in a way that might shock you considering how much of an impact this could have on the future of international players and the NBA draft, including an analysis of the financial perspective which will play a huge role in how things pan out in the future. Quotes from agents who this deeply affects are brought to you along with the perspective of an NBA scout who was kind enough to give us his insight. /article/Tables-turning-on-NBA-s-relationship-with-Europe-1064/ /article/Tables-turning-on-NBA-s-relationship-with-Europe-1064/ Mon, 01 Aug 2005 16:11:30 -0400 DraftExpress continues tracking down the international youth tournaments this summer with the European Cadet Championship, a competition for players born in 1989 and later, which means players 16 years old at maximum. This year?s edition of the tournament is being played in Spain. Astorga and Ponferrada are hosting the preliminary round, while León will take care of the rest of the competition. In this first article, Luis Fernandez takes a look at two of the more intriguing players seen in the preliminary stages, Antoine Diot from France and Ricky Rubio from Spain. /article/The-2005-European-Cadet-Championships-To-Hype-or-Not-to-Hype-1063/ /article/The-2005-European-Cadet-Championships-To-Hype-or-Not-to-Hype-1063/ Mon, 01 Aug 2005 00:26:11 -0400 Luis Fernandez delivers the 2nd part of his report from the European Junior Championship in Belgrade, breaking down the new U-18 champions, the Serbians, and telling us more about the most interesting prospects seen here amongst the stars of tomorrow. /article/The-European-Junior-Championship-Serbia-and-Montenegro-Prevails-1062/ /article/The-European-Junior-Championship-Serbia-and-Montenegro-Prevails-1062/ Wed, 27 Jul 2005 03:43:35 -0400 Croatian scout Kristian Hohnjec takes a look at the opportunity that Damir Markota finds himself in this upcoming season on his way to potentially becoming a first round pick in next year's draft. Markota led the U-20 European Championship in scoring and rebounding and is in prime position to get substantial playing time for a Euroleague team next season. Quotes from an NBA scout are included, along with a complete breakdown of his game. /article/Breakout-Candidate-Damir-Markota-1061/ /article/Breakout-Candidate-Damir-Markota-1061/ Wed, 27 Jul 2005 02:00:50 -0400 Laird Doman and Damion Tolman complete their Rocky Mountain Revue coverage from Salt Lake City with Day 6, featuring some of the best games and performances seen all week, including Salim Stoudamire lighting up the Bobcats for 39 points and RMR MVP Sean May going off for yet another strong double-double. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue,--Day-6--Final-Day--1060/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue,--Day-6--Final-Day--1060/ Tue, 26 Jul 2005 01:42:02 -0400 The Summer Pro League held in Long Beach attracted crowds of record numbers. Attendance was off-the-chart with many fans being turned down entrance for the first three Laker games. DraftExpress' latest addition, Mike Garcia, breaks down what he saw from 30 of the most intriguing players at the Summer Pro League in Long Beach over the last two weeks. Jim Hlavac contributes more photographs from the event. /article/Long-Beach-Summer-Pro-League-Recap-1059/ /article/Long-Beach-Summer-Pro-League-Recap-1059/ Sat, 23 Jul 2005 15:00:19 -0400 Director of International scouting Luis Fernandez is in Belgrade right now checking out the top European stars of tomorrow. His first report from the tournament will give you a brief overview of the competition, introduce you to the brightest stars seen so far, including Atlanta Hawk draftee Cenk Ankyol, give you an update on the biggest letdowns so far, including Clippers lottery pick Yaroslav Korolev, and much more. FIBA Europe announced today that they will be streaming broadcasts of the four last games from the semi-finals, finals and 3rd-4th place matchups on their website for all to see, free of charge. The link is inside. /article/The-European-Junior-Championships-A-First-Look-1058/ /article/The-European-Junior-Championships-A-First-Look-1058/ Fri, 22 Jul 2005 06:49:58 -0400 Laird Doman and Damien Tolman recap day five of the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City, including an outstanding performance by Raymond Felton in front of former UNC coach Roy Williams. Bernard Robinson, Mateen Cleaves and Josh Powell also had standout games. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue,--Day-5-1057/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue,--Day-5-1057/ Fri, 22 Jul 2005 05:28:07 -0400 Laird Doman and Damien Tolman recap day four of the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City. Sean May had another extremely productive day with 22 points and 7 rebounds, while Boris Diaw and Deron Williams both had breakout games with 15 and 19 points respectively. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue,--Day-4-1056/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue,--Day-4-1056/ Thu, 21 Jul 2005 05:41:23 -0400 After a grueling 10 day tour of wall-to-wall basketball. Eric Weiss has put together his All-Vegas teams. Rookies, undrafted free agents and other players who did not play much last year are the focal point of this roundup, to give you an idea of who might actually have a chance at translating their summer league success to a contract, a starting job or increased minutes next year. /article/All-Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Team-1055/ /article/All-Las-Vegas-Summer-League-Team-1055/ Wed, 20 Jul 2005 03:10:55 -0400 Laird Doman and Damien Tolman recap another full day of Summer League action in Salt Lake City from the Rocky Mountin Revue. In day three it was Raymond Felton who finally managed to put things together and have a real impact on the game. Matt Carroll and Britton Johnson also continued to impress. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue,--Day-3-1054/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue,--Day-3-1054/ Wed, 20 Jul 2005 02:29:18 -0400 The Minnesota Summer League came to a close Tuesday afternoon, after five days of action. While some of the no-shows were a bit disappointing, there were quite a few exciting moments. Nate Robinson shocked the crowd with a dunk that is sure to be remembered for years, Ron Artest returned to the court for the first time since his infamous run in with the crowd, and we got a chance to evaluate Andrew Bogut. This is the final recap - it includes summary evaluations, as well as statistical leaders and an all-tournament team. /article/Minnesota-Summer-League-Final-Recap-1053/ /article/Minnesota-Summer-League-Final-Recap-1053/ Wed, 20 Jul 2005 00:32:03 -0400 Laird Doman continues his coverage of the Rocky Mountain Review by breaking down the three games played on day two in Salt Lake City. The Spurs beat the Sonics 74-72, Atlanta toppled Dallas 88-76 and Utah edged Charlotte 73-69. Britton Johnson, Kris Humphries and Sean May were the best players at the Review today. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue,--Day-2-1052/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue,--Day-2-1052/ Tue, 19 Jul 2005 03:59:28 -0400 As even more players pulled out of competition, a major storyline still managed to emerge on Monday afternoon. After a first half in which he was thoroughly outplayed by David Harrison, Andrew Bogut got into an altercation with the little-used John Edwards and was ejected. In other news, everyone in attendance is trying to figure out how in the world Lonny Baxter slipped overseas last season and couldn't even get off the bench...A link to a video of Nate Robinson's unbelievable put-back jam for the Knicks is included, courtesy of the Minnesota Timberwolves. /article/Minnesota-Summer-League-Day-4-1051/ /article/Minnesota-Summer-League-Day-4-1051/ Tue, 19 Jul 2005 02:23:30 -0400 Laird Doman will be covering the Rocky Mountain Revue all week long from Salt Lake City, with daily recaps of the scores and best players seen here starting on Monday. In day one Charlotte defeated Seattle 82-65 and Utah beat Atlanta 80-72. Josh Childress, Kris Humphries and Matt Carroll were the most impressive players seen in day one. /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue,--Day-1-1050/ /article/Rocky-Mountain-Revue,--Day-1-1050/ Mon, 18 Jul 2005 04:56:57 -0400 The Houston Rockets took on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the final game of the day. The officials made sure the pace was slow, but the game actually ended up being quite competitive. John Lucas led a balanced Minnesota effort, but Dwayne Jones and the Timberwolf frontcourt simply couldn?t control Lonny Baxter in the second half. /article/Minnesota-Summer-League-Houston-vs-Minnesota-1049/ /article/Minnesota-Summer-League-Houston-vs-Minnesota-1049/ Mon, 18 Jul 2005 00:55:15 -0400 There is a break in the action at the Target Center, after two early afternoon games. Andrew Bogut has bounced back a bit since his somewhat humble debut, but the big story here is the in-air acrobatics of Nate Robinson. This is a rundown of the major events that have taken place thus far. Check back later tonight for a rundown of the final game of the day, which features an injury-plagued Minnesota squad going up against Luther Head and the Houston Rockets. /article/Minnesota-Summer-League-Mid-Day-Update-1048/ /article/Minnesota-Summer-League-Mid-Day-Update-1048/ Sun, 17 Jul 2005 17:58:13 -0400 DraftExpress scout Richard Walker was in attendance in Long Beach, California at many of the games in the first half of the Summer Pro League (SPL). He is here to share his thoughts on some of the top prospects from all of the NBA teams present here. /article/Summer-Pro-League--The-First-Half-1047/ /article/Summer-Pro-League--The-First-Half-1047/ Sat, 16 Jul 2005 01:42:57 -0400 The Minnesota Summer League kicked off Friday afternoon, with all six teams playing games. The initial contest pitted Indiana and Ron Artest against Houston and Luther Head. Next up was New York and their three first round draft picks against a watered down Toronto team. The headline event featured number one pick Andrew Bogut and Milwaukee against the hometown Minnesota Timberwolves. You might be surprised at who did the dominating in the final game. /article/Minnesota-Summer-League-Day-One-1046/ /article/Minnesota-Summer-League-Day-One-1046/ Sat, 16 Jul 2005 01:17:21 -0400 Jonathan Givony and Eric Weiss bring you Day Ten of the Vegas Summer League, including live scores and recaps all day long from the gym.Last Update: 8:00 (PST) Final Score: Los Angeles Clippers 94 Denver Nuggets 78. Kaman playing extremely well in the 2nd half, Hodge and Kleiza shouldering the offensive load for Denver as usual. Final Score: Sacramento Kings 83 Dallas Mavericks 76. Kevin Martin lighting up the perimeter once again for the Kings with 21 points, Josh Powell working down low on his way to yet another impressive double double. Final Score: Cleveland 58- Portland 54. No one looked good in by far the worst game we've seen so far in Vegas. Travis Outlaw scored 16 points on 4-16 shooting. Both teams combined to shoot 31% from the field. Final Score: Detroit Pistons 73 Boston Celtics 69. Maxiell dominating the Celtics front court. Tony Allen answered with 29 points himself. Alex Acker had yet another outstanding game. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Ten-1045/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Ten-1045/ Fri, 15 Jul 2005 16:00:20 -0400 Jonathan Givony and Eric Weiss bring you live coverage of the Vegas Summer League all day long, including live scores and the top performers from each team. Last Update: 9:03 (PST) Final Score: Denver Nuggets 87 Phoenix Suns 79. Stevie Graham and Ron Slay the two best players for the Suns, Linas Kleiza shouldering the offensive load for the Nuggets. Final Score: Boston Celtics 108 Golden State Warriors 89. Andris Biedrins with a monster first half on his way to 17 points and 10 rebounds, Tony Allen with 23 and Ryan Gomes with 15 were the best players for the Celtics. Detroit 87- New Orleans 73. Chris Paul showing a complete floor game for the Hornets, Alex Acker matching him step for step and even scoring better for the Pistons. Portland 90 Washington 78. Telfair playing wonderful again with 27 points and ~12 assists, Andray Blatche having his best game of the SL so far with 11 points. Henry Domercant kept the Wiz in the game with 19 points, mostly in the 2nd half /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Nine-1043/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Nine-1043/ Thu, 14 Jul 2005 16:28:29 -0400 Jonathan Givony and Eric Weiss bring you live recaps of the Vegas Summer League straight from the gym as it's happening, including scores every half and the top performers on each team. Last Update 7:57 (PST) Final Score: Cleveland 79 Portland 74. Telfair and Outlaw the best players for Portland with 40 points between them. Luke Jackson seems to be back, stroking the ball very well, but Blake Stepp was the man for the Cavs. Final Score: Clippers 74 - Kings 68. Chris Kaman dominating inside offensively once again with 28+16. Garcia had his best game of the summer league with 23 points and 4 assists.Final Score: Orlando Magic 73 - Washington Wizards 65. Diener and especially Roger Mason lighting it up for Orlando, Hiram Fuller with a double double for the Wizards. Final Score: New York Knicks 79- Chicago Bulls 77. Channing Frye breaks out with 14 points, 7 rebounds in 18 minutes, Mario Austin and Eddie Basden the two best players once again for the Bulls. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Eight-1042/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Eight-1042/ Wed, 13 Jul 2005 16:52:46 -0400 Jonathan Givony and Eric Weiss bring you live coverage of the Vegas Summer League all day long from the gym, including scores every half and the top performers from every team.Last Update: 9:00 (PST) Final Score: Orlando 74- Dallas 76. Dwight Howard dominating on both ends with 13 points and 7 rebounds at the half. Marquis Daniels scores 12 points on 5-15 shooting. Final Score: Chicago 84- Denver 79. Linas Kleiza led the Nuggets and played extremely well, a balanced attack from Chicago led by Eddie Basden. Final Score: New Orleans Hornets 84 New Jersey Nets 67. J.R Smith had a fantastic game with one of the best first half performances we've seen so far, Sam Clancy taking the Nets on his back with 20 points+. Final Score: Cleveland Cavaliers 71 Boston Celtics 65. Ryan Gomes the best player for Boston for the second straight game, Blake Stepp led the Cavs to the win. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Seven-1041/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Seven-1041/ Tue, 12 Jul 2005 17:01:53 -0400 Jonathan Givony and Eric Weiss bring you live coverage all day long from the Vegas Summer League, including the scores and top performers. Included today in our final edit is a mini version of "word on the street" from the gym in Vegas. Last Update 9:57 (PST): Final Score: New York 86 New Jersey 74. Antoine Wright lighting it up with 20+ points. David Lee leading the Knicks along with Nate Robinson. Final Score: Detroit Pistons 73- Los Angeles Clippers 69. Maxiell the best player on the Pistons once again with 20 points or so, Kaman also added a good 20 points or so. Final Score: Boston Celtics 82 Phoenix Suns 53. Justin Reed and Ryan Gomes the best players for Boston with 17 and 14 respectively, Gomes added 11 rebounds. The Suns looking horrible mostly because of the poor and confined play of Barbosa.Final Score: Washington Wizards 88- Golden State Warriors 79. Monta Ellis led the Warriors with a great game on both ends of the floor, finishing with 19 points. Gerald Fitch and Donell Taylor led the Wizards with excellent games between them, with 18 and 15 respectively. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Six-1040/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Six-1040/ Mon, 11 Jul 2005 17:15:13 -0400 Jonathan Givony and Eric Weiss bring you live coverage of the Vegas Summer League all day long as it unfolds, including scores and the top performers from each game. Last Update: 10:09 PM (PST). Final Score: Chicago 72- Sacramento 71. Kevin Martin killing it from the perimeter once again with 28 points on 9-12 shooting. Eddie Basden looking like a lock to make the Bulls with 18 points, the game winning free throws and some awesome defense on Garcia. Final Score: Dallas 82 Portland 60. Telfair injured, Josh Powell with a double double. Final Score: Cleveland 78- Denver 56. Luke Jackson was the best player on the floor today with a good 15 points and 10 assists. Denver was absolutely awful, with Julius Hodge stinking it up the most probably. Final Score: Orlando 75-New Orleans 71. JR Smith showing ALL of the good and the bad of his game in the absence of Chris Paul, Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard collaborate for around 35 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists in the Magic win. Check out the semi-accurate boxscores at VegasSummerLeague.com /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Five-1039/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Five-1039/ Sun, 10 Jul 2005 16:57:26 -0400 DraftExpress once again introduces the crop of International free agents whose names will be bounced around in NBA discussions this month, with the second of our now three part article. Two former NBA players in Igor Rakocevic and Marcus Brown are fielding offers from NBA teams, while two new relatively new candidates in Matjaz Smodis and Walter Hermann are also considering their options. /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2005-Market,-Part-Two-1038/ /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2005-Market,-Part-Two-1038/ Sun, 10 Jul 2005 16:38:00 -0400 Jonathan Givony and Eric Weiss are at the Vegas Summer League and will be bringing you live updates throughout the day on the scores and best players seen here so far. Last Update: 9:51 (PST): Final Score: Cleveland Cavaliers 82 Golden State Warriors 61. Chris Taft doing his job inside for the Warriors, Luke Jackson catching fire from outside for the Cavs.Final Score: New York Knicks- 80 Washington Wizards 71. Nate Robinson is putting on an incredible show for the fans, scoring around 20 with 5 assists. Gerald Fitch kept the Wizards in the game with a good 20 points, most of them in the 2nd half.Final Score- Suns 74-Clippers 68. Livingston not playing, Kaman working underneath the basket for a good 20+10. Balanced attack from the Suns led by Barbosa who put up a good 25 points if not more. Final Score: Denver Nuggets 92- Detroit Pistons 75. Acker and Maxiell once again putting on a show for the Pistons, Maxiell with 25 or so and Acker with about 20. Hodge and Kleiza contributing for Denver. Hodge with 17 or so and Kleiza with about 14. Final Score: Sacramento 71- New Jersey 60. Kevin Martin the best player for Sacramento and in the game with 21 points. Antoine Wright had a halfway decent game for the Nets with 12 points on terrible shooting. Melvin Sanders leads the Nets with 16.Check out the boxscores at VegasSummerLeague.com /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Four-1037/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Four-1037/ Sat, 09 Jul 2005 15:49:06 -0400 Jonathan Givony and Eric Weiss bring you live coverage of day three as it happens from the gym in Las Vegas. Last update (10:30 PM). Final Score: Hornets 86- Wizards 84. Blatche putting on a show for the Wizards in the 1st half, JR Smith scoring in bundles on a lot of shots to bring the Hornets back from a huge deficit. Donell Taylor hit the game winning shot and JR Smith blew his fuse as he thought he was fouled at the end. We are done for the day. See you tomorrow and please help us spread the word. Final Score: Orlando Magic 89- Chicago Bulls 85. Dwight Howard absolutely crushed this game with his work around the basket. Eddie Basden helped the Bulls put up a fight. Final Score: Phoenix 70- Detroit 64. Barbosa led Phoenix with 19 points, 16 points for Alex Acker and Jason Maxiell to lead Detroit. Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks. Boston beats Dallas 77-73. Leading scorer for Dallas was Michael Harris and Marquis Daniels with 13 points each. 13 points, 6 rebounds 4 assists for Justin Reed. Portland Trailblazers vs. Golden State Warriors. Final Score: Portland 90- Golden State 74. Telfair 23 points, 10 assists. Diogu 16 points, 8 rebounds. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Three-1036/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Day-Three-1036/ Fri, 08 Jul 2005 16:19:05 -0400 DraftExpress Columnists Eric Weiss and Jonathan Givony were present for most of the games played at the Reebok Las Vegas Summer League on day one and day two, and would like to share some of their thoughts from some of the more interesting players seen here. /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Days-One-and-Two-1035/ /article/Vegas-Summer-League-Recap,-Days-One-and-Two-1035/ Fri, 08 Jul 2005 15:26:43 -0400 DraftExpress once again introduces the crop of International free agents whose names will be bounced around in NBA discussions this month, this time in a two part article. Three candidates from last year's article, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Arvydas Macijauskas and Fabricio Oberto are still considered top candidates for guaranteed money and years from NBA teams this year, while a "new" name, Charlie Bell, has already agreed to terms with an NBA team. Check back tomorrow for some new and also some familiar names in part two. /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2005-Market,-Part-One-1034/ /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-2005-Market,-Part-One-1034/ Wed, 06 Jul 2005 04:44:27 -0400 Say hello to your NBA Summer League headquarters. DraftExpress will have two representatives at the premier NBA Summer League this year, the Reebok Vegas Summer League, featuring 16 NBA teams. We'll be bringing you daily updates of all the 1st round, 2nd round and undrafted players from this year's draft, along with an in-depth look at drafted and undrafted players from past years who are trying to make or stay in the league right now. DraftExpress will also be represented at the SPL in Long Beach and the Minnesota Summer League in Minneapolis. Please help us spread the word. European teams looking for scouting help and Media looking for stringers or quotes on local players, please get in touch. /article/NBA-Summer-Leagues-at-DraftExpress.com-1033/ /article/NBA-Summer-Leagues-at-DraftExpress.com-1033/ Mon, 04 Jul 2005 15:52:04 -0400 With the 2005 NBA Draft behind us, the scouting process begins again. We can all speculate on who will see their name called in June of 2006, but it?s mostly just educated guessing at this point. The only thing for certain is that our mock draft is going to look drastically different in 11 months. The following players definitely aren?t considered can?t miss prospects headed into 2006, nor should they be. These are just a few names that are completely under the radar at the moment that have a chance to cause a stir in draft circles over the next year or two. Also take a look at our 2007 mock draft, which was just released this past weekend. /article/2006-A-Few-Names-to-Remember-1032/ /article/2006-A-Few-Names-to-Remember-1032/ Mon, 04 Jul 2005 00:45:35 -0400 Strengths Eliyahu has a prototypical body for an NBA small forward, minus a couple of pounds. He has great size at 6-8 or maybe even the 6-9 as he’s listed by his team, with an excellent wingspan and big hands. He is very athletic for a European prospect, with good quickness and foot speed and the ability to get off the floor and finish. Offensively, he shoots a very high percentage (63%) because most of his offense comes from 15 feet and in. His shot selection is usually very good, especially when you consider his age and the level he plays at. He is smart and slithery around the basket, and really has a knack for scoring around the basket. Thanks to his long arms, athletic ability, footwork and a super soft touch, he is almost automatic in the paint. Eliyahu really has a nose for the ball. He scores a lot of points just by being in the right place at the right time. Having a quick first step and long enough strides to make it to the basket from the perimeter with only two dribbles, Eliyahu has a lot of potential in the slashing department. He has shown that he can finish creatively around the basket, with a nice little floater or even a half hook shot in the lane. He can hit the three pointer if he’s open, but he’s much better from mid-range. Eliyahu is an intelligent player who excels moving off the ball. He doesn’t have much of a position in the half court offense, but that also makes him extremely tough to guard as he just loves to roam around the floor and create havoc wherever he goes with his quickness and long arms. In transition is where he really excels, really knowing where to run and place himself on the fast break to help his team come up with the points, and often being the one who finishes the play himself with an athletic dunk. The fact that he runs the floor like a deer really helps him in this aspect. Unlike most European draft prospects his age, Eluyahu is already an extremely productive player. He plays a ton of minutes amongst grown men and puts up numbers consistently every single night, in every competition he plays in, despite the fact that he is only 19. In the FIBA Europe league this year (12 games), he averaged 19 points a game and 6 rebounds on 70% from the field and 44% shooting from behind the arc in only 29 minutes per game. In the Israeli league playoffs (10 games), he averaged 16 points and 6 rebounds (62% FG, 42% 3P) in 24 minutes per game. Eliyahu has made some incredible strides in his game over the past two years. If he continues to work and improve in a similar fashion over the next few years, the sky is limit for this kid and he will certainly make the NBA. He appears to have the right attitude towards the game, being willing to pass the ball when needed, but also not shying away from taking things on himself and putting the ball in the basket. He has a large upside to improve, but must continue to work on his many weaknesses. /article/Lior-Eliyahu-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2857/ /article/Lior-Eliyahu-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2857/ Sun, 03 Jul 2005 01:10:02 -0400 DraftExpress' Eric Weiss brings us a study of the CBA, NBDL and the Post Jordan Era to evaluate the decline of American basketball over the past few years, while analyzing how the new CBA and NBDL will attempt to bring American basketball back to it's place at the top of the basketball world. /article/The-Rebirth-of-the-American-Basketball-Player-1031/ /article/The-Rebirth-of-the-American-Basketball-Player-1031/ Sat, 02 Jul 2005 22:02:58 -0400 Too often lost in the smoothed over TV coverage and manicured process of the NBA Draft are the stories of the players themselves, each trying to reach the pinnacle of the sport they live and breathe every day of their lives. DraftExpress writer J.L. Weill takes a look at four of those stories. /article/In-the-Spotlight-Four-Stories-on-Draft-Night-1030/ /article/In-the-Spotlight-Four-Stories-on-Draft-Night-1030/ Thu, 30 Jun 2005 15:01:50 -0400 Jonathan Givony hands out a 100% subjective report card to NBA teams on how they handled the craziest draft of all time, while sharing some inside information about what happened behind the scenes, telling you what's next for a couple of prospects and looking at some of more disturbing trends from this year's draft. /article/2005-NBA-Draft-Grades-1029/ /article/2005-NBA-Draft-Grades-1029/ Thu, 30 Jun 2005 05:51:05 -0400 Fraser MacKinlay breaks down the second round of the draft for DraftExpress by explaining the importance of the newly established developmental league in the thought process of many teams picking in the 2nd, while also taking a look at some of the more interesting players who were and weren't picked. /article/The-Second-Round-Sleepers,-Keepers-and-Weepers-1028/ /article/The-Second-Round-Sleepers,-Keepers-and-Weepers-1028/ Wed, 29 Jun 2005 14:18:31 -0400 Now that the business side of the draft is over, DraftExpress writer J.L. Weill takes a lighter look at the 2005 NBA Draft. Who is most likely to succeed? Who is best dressed? Who cares! Wouldn't you rather know who's most likely to battle Chris Mihm to a draw? Read on, intrepid draftniks... /article/The-2005-Draft-High-School-Yearbook-Edition-1027/ /article/The-2005-Draft-High-School-Yearbook-Edition-1027/ Wed, 29 Jun 2005 13:19:21 -0400 DraftExpress is in the thick of things in New York as events unfold. Monday brought us to Media Day, where the Green Room invitees took questions about the draft, their games, their futures and each other. Today, part III of the interviews, featuring Yaroslav Korolev, Gerald Green, Fran Vazquez, Deron Williams, Martell Webster, Rashad McCants and Antoine Wright are brought to you by Rodger Bohn. /article/DraftExpress-DraftStation-Media-Day,-Part-III-1026/ /article/DraftExpress-DraftStation-Media-Day,-Part-III-1026/ Tue, 28 Jun 2005 15:49:10 -0400 DraftExpress is in the thick of things in New York as events unfold. Monday brought us to Media Day, where the Green Room invitees took questions about the draft, their games, their futures and each other. Today, part II of the interviews, featuring Raymond Felton, Hakim Warrick, Danny Granger, Channing Frye and possible overall number one pick Marvin Williams. /article/DraftExpress-DraftStation-Media-Day,-Part-II-1025/ /article/DraftExpress-DraftStation-Media-Day,-Part-II-1025/ Tue, 28 Jun 2005 13:31:56 -0400 DraftExpress columnists Patrick J. Austin and Jonathan Watters bring you an in-depth statistical analysis evaluating the trends of the NBA draft over the past ten years. We look at every single draft class from 1995 to today, as well as from a positional standpoint, while including our own projection on what is going to happen tomorrow and seeing how that fits into the trends of the past few years. Graphs of every category of prospects involved in the draft are presented, including the different college classes, high school players and internationals over the years. /article/A-Statistical-Analysis-of-the-NBA-Draft-1024/ /article/A-Statistical-Analysis-of-the-NBA-Draft-1024/ Mon, 27 Jun 2005 22:41:14 -0400 DraftExpress is in the thick of things in New York City as events unfold. Monday brought us to Media Day, where all the Green Room invitees sat down for questions at the Westin Hotel near Times Square. Reporters J.L. Weill and Rodger Bohn will post updates throughout Monday and Tuesday's action in the Big Apple. Find out what the soon-to-be NBA millionaires had to say about their draft status, preparations for the draft and each other... /article/DraftExpress-DraftStation-Media-Day-Coverage-1023/ /article/DraftExpress-DraftStation-Media-Day-Coverage-1023/ Mon, 27 Jun 2005 18:03:29 -0400 Check back with us all day long as we bring you the latest rumors from the world of the NBA draft. Trades are all anyone wants to talk about right now, and we've already heard about a number of deals which are being discussed for draft night right now. The latest (7:10 PM EST): Garcia to Minnesota or Indiana?...Atlanta making a move on Ukic?...Graham and Diogu working out for Boston?...Denver trading up to #12 for McCants?...A trade is in the works between Utah and Portland which would send Andrew Bynum to Portland at #6 and Deron Williams to Utah at #3...More trade talk and draft rumors are coming so stay tuned. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Garcia-to-Minnesota-1022/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Garcia-to-Minnesota-1022/ Mon, 27 Jun 2005 13:05:38 -0400 Strengths When watching Amir Johnson, the first noticeable skill has to be his great athletic ability. Amir runs the floor extremely well for a big man, often resulting in wide open lay-ups or dunks at the high school level. He also possesses long arms and nice leaping ability, enabling Johnson to snatch rebounds from high above, dunk on unsuspecting foes, and alter or block countless shots throughout the game. An added bonus is that Amir is comfortable jumping off of both his right and left legs which allows him to use his body to shield opposing defenders when going to the basket. Offensively, he brings all the budding skills necessary for the “new age” power forward. Although the form on Johnson’s shot is poor, he still manages to consistently knock down jumpers all the way out to the NBA 3 point line. He has shown an impressive post game for such a young player consisting of both right and left handed jump hooks, as well as a flurry of quick spins off the blocks. Amir’s ball handling skills are not excellent, but they are very adept for a 6’10 player. Amir’s sheer athletic ability will allow him to be a solid defender at whatever level he decides to play at next year. He has the ultimate combination of length, quickness, and leaping ability to enable himself to potentially be a stopper. Johnson has all of the tools you can ask for in a post player, the question is whether he will actually put them to use or not. /article/Amir-Johnson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2810/ /article/Amir-Johnson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2810/ Sun, 26 Jun 2005 04:32:39 -0400 Strengths Marcin Gortat’s main value rests in the fact that he’s one of the most athletic and physically mature big men out of Europe. The Polish is a legit seven footer who enjoys excellent mobility. For a guy his size, it’s remarkable how he runs the floor. He has a nice vertical, with decent timing, and shows good reactivity and quickness in his movements. Perhaps the most uncommon thing about him, considering where he’s coming from, is that he’s a pretty strong guy. He isn’t huge, but he has quite a good frame and a nice body. Therefore, he has the tools to become a really interesting defender. His mobility translates quite well into lateral defensive quickness, clearly with above average results among centers. He’s strong enough to be capable of holding on his position in the low post, while he has the athleticism and length to intimidate around the basket, as well as grab a good amount of rebounds. On the offensive end, he’s usually searching for open looks to finish near the basket. He can also score on fast breaks plays and off of offensive rebounds. In the low post, with enough space and time, he can try some unorthodox back-to-the-basket movement, with mixed results. Gortat seems to have a good attitude, displaying nice activity in his game, which is a pleasant characteristic in a big guy like him. /article/Marcin-Gortat-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2765/ /article/Marcin-Gortat-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2765/ Sun, 26 Jun 2005 04:05:09 -0400 Strengths Milan Majstorovic is mobile European power forward, who enjoys good length and solid athletic ability. At 6-10. Majstorovic has good size for the PF position, with a nice wingspan to compliment that. One of Majstorovic’s best assets is his footspeed, he is really good running up and down the court for a big man, while also showing good footwork in the post, especially on the defensive side of the floor. While his body strength should improve in order to become an NBA caliber player, Milan is built better than most international prospects. He seems to have a good frame and should be able to put on good amount of weight. Offensively, Majstorovic prefers to play with his face to the basket. He knows how to put the ball on the floor and take his man of the dribble. He has a very solid jumpshot with range out to the international three point line. Still, most of Milan’s points came from putbacks, where he shows good anticipation skills and a nose for rebounds. Majstorovic uses his good footwork and length to play very solid if not good defense. Majstorovic seems to be good teammate and hard-worker, who is eager to improve. /article/Milan-Majstorovic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2841/ /article/Milan-Majstorovic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2841/ Sun, 26 Jun 2005 03:51:28 -0400 Strengths The 6'9 Ilyasova has a promising frame and athletic ability for a European player his age. Probably his biggest advantage is the fact that he’s rather physically developed for his age. He worked a lot on his upper body during his injury, enough to fight for many rebounds on both ends of the floor. He’s frequently used at the Power Forward position, which considering his combination of size, athleticism, balance and body control, creates mismatches on offense. He has improved his outside shot to the point of becoming a dangerous threat from the outside, easily having range which extends beyond the European three point line. Thanks to a very good first step he also has the ability to create his own shot, being capable of finishing with fade-away jumpers. It also helps him with his penetrations. He’s a pretty good slasher, being fearless and very determined when it comes to going all the way to the basket. Due to his body, he has the possibility to effectively post up his opponents when going up against the competition he has so far. His ability to play inside and outside, and the versatility that comes with that, making him one of the most valuable players in his age group. Ilyasova's defensive abilities are split. His man to man defense is tremendous and he’s fearless trying to get the ball as fast as he can. He has a special feel for defensive rebounds. Both as a Small Forward and a Power Forward he helps a lot in the paint after missed shots. Due to the fact that he is playing more at the Small Forward position he has a big advantage when defending a Power Forward due to his good foot work. Ilyasova has a good feel for the game, knowing how and when to use his moves and shots. He is very well coordinated on the floor with good ball handling skills. The ability which made him to the most valuable player of the Turkish cadets national team was his leadership. Ilyasova is not afraid of taking shots at any time. On the contrary, you can count on him when the minutes/seconds are running down in the fourth quarter. He does not worry about missed shots; his only thought is to lead his team to a win. Giving him enough minutes against the competition he has played against so far in Europe, he can easily reach a double-double per game with points and rebounds. /article/Ersan-Ilyasova-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2802/ /article/Ersan-Ilyasova-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2802/ Sun, 26 Jun 2005 03:17:32 -0400 DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony has poured through dozens of tapes of European Forward prospects over the past few months to bring you the most comprehensive scouting reports you can find outside of an NBA draft war room. Part one in this report looks at the European Forwards who are eligible for the 2005 draft, including Fran Vázquez, Mickael Gelabale, Mile Ilic, Erazem Lorbek and Stefano Mancinelli. /article/An-American-Perspective-on-Europe-the-Forwards--Part-One--1020/ /article/An-American-Perspective-on-Europe-the-Forwards--Part-One--1020/ Fri, 24 Jun 2005 23:51:10 -0400 DraftExpress' Greek scout, Dimitris Ritsonis, sits down with Yiannis Bouroussis for a candid look into the life of a young, athletic 7 footer who is oozing with NBA potential, but can't seem to get off the bench playing for a top team in Europe. /article/Yiannis-Bouroussis-Interview-1019/ /article/Yiannis-Bouroussis-Interview-1019/ Fri, 24 Jun 2005 22:17:12 -0400 In our latest version of "the Word on the Street," we discuss the incredible depth of this year's draft, a not so secret workout that happened yesterday in Portland with Andrew Bynum, the Utah Jazz and what they might do on Tuesday, Danny Granger and the Raptors, Martell Webster, the Green Room and much more. /article/Word-on-the-Street-the-Deepest-Draft-of-all-Time-1018/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-the-Deepest-Draft-of-all-Time-1018/ Fri, 24 Jun 2005 04:52:57 -0400 DraftExpress columnist Eric Weiss looks at the rosters of the Charlotte Bobcats, New Jersey Nets and Golden State Warriors to help them decide who they should pick in this draft in order to make a push for the playoffs. /article/3-to-Tango-Teams-whose-picks-will-help-them-push-for-the-playoffs-1017/ /article/3-to-Tango-Teams-whose-picks-will-help-them-push-for-the-playoffs-1017/ Wed, 22 Jun 2005 20:52:24 -0400 DraftExpress reporter J.L. Weill recently sat down with former Florida standout David Lee to talk candidly about the upcoming draft, his draft status, his teammates Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson and his time as a collegian in Gainesville. /article/J.L.-Weill-s-On-the-Record-David-Lee-1016/ /article/J.L.-Weill-s-On-the-Record-David-Lee-1016/ Wed, 22 Jun 2005 17:10:55 -0400 NEW YORK, June 21 Fifty players who had declared as early entry candidates for NBA Draft 2005 have withdrawn their names from the draft. There are currently 49 collegiate and high school players and 11 international prospects that are early entry candidates. This is the official list from the NBA. /article/Fifty-Early-Entry-Candidates-Withdraw-from-NBA-Draft-2005-1015/ /article/Fifty-Early-Entry-Candidates-Withdraw-from-NBA-Draft-2005-1015/ Wed, 22 Jun 2005 13:47:21 -0400 Check back with us all day long and we keep updating the Early Entry List as new information comes to us regarding who is staying in and who's pulling out. The latest: (12:34 PM EST) The list is now complete except for a few minor names...According to Louisville, Amir Johnson kept his name in the draft...NBA Draft guru Frank Burlison informed us that Jibril Hodges pulled his name out over the weekend...Olu Famutimi stays in...TJ Parker pulls out...CJ Miles stays in...Nemanja Aleksanderov pulls out...As expected, Carl Krauser withdraws while Randolph Morris stays in...Brandon Rush withdraws...Shavlik Randolph shockingly stays in...Jermareo Davidson going back to school...Contrary to information we initially received, Jarrett Jack is staying IN the draft according to multiple media sources...Dwayne Jones officialy staying in...According to their agent Marc Cornstein, Mile Ilic is staying in the draft, while Peja Samardziski and Marko Lekic are out...Linas Kleiza is staying in...Steven Smith is pulling out...Kyle Luckett is staying in...Rudy Fernandez is going back to Europe, more... /article/The-Latest-on-who-is-staying-in-and-who-s-pulling-out-1014/ /article/The-Latest-on-who-is-staying-in-and-who-s-pulling-out-1014/ Tue, 21 Jun 2005 13:59:18 -0400 In part two of our interview with the top big man in this draft, Andrew Bogut, we talk about Bogut's impact as a rookie, Toni Kukoc, Linas Kleiza, Australian basketball, the future of the Australian national team and much more. /article/Andrew-Bogut-Interview,-Part-Two-1013/ /article/Andrew-Bogut-Interview,-Part-Two-1013/ Tue, 21 Jun 2005 03:12:01 -0400 Strengths At 6-2 ½, Gilchrist has good size for the PG position with a pro body and excellent strength. He is a fantastic scorer that can put the ball in the hoop from anywhere on the court when he is on. Gilchrist is a solid ball-handler with a very strong crossover, which he uses to get into the lane at will at the college level. He has excellent footwork on both ends of the court and his herky-jerky style of play makes up for his average athletic ability and makes him a tough player to guard when you factor in his strength. His footwork and strength along with his tenacity help his out tremendously on the defensive end of the court, but only when he is really trying.Gilchrist actually has good court vision and passing ability, he just barely every uses it. He’s very solid on the drive and dish for example, but only if his shot isn’t there. His perimeter stroke can be very good from outside, but only when he isn’t abusing it. He’s a very good mid-range shooter who owns a quick release on his jump shot. Gilchrist can heat up quickly from outside, and when that happens he is extremely tough to guard as he can score on you from any spot on the court basically. Gilchrist is a fiery competitor who plays the game with a lot of emotion, for better and for worse. His skill level is high, but his mental capacity appears to be low. He makes hard things look easy and easy things look hard. /article/John-Gilchrist-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2693/ /article/John-Gilchrist-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2693/ Tue, 21 Jun 2005 02:26:49 -0400 Trade rumors, promises, players pulling out and more dominate our latest edition of ?Word on the Street?. Diogu staying in, Jack pulling out and more of the latest on who else is on the fence, all the latest trade rumors, Gerald Green in Portland, an update on Fran Vazquez and Andrew Bynum and much more in what is shaping up as possibly the craziest draft ever. /article/Word-on-the-Street-the-Home-Stretch-1012/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-the-Home-Stretch-1012/ Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:33:24 -0400 In part one of our interview with the top big man in this draft, Andrew Bogut, we asked Andrew about the NCAA tournament and what he's been up to since then, his personality in interviews, Team USA, the Chicago combines, Kobe Bryant and much more. /article/Andrew-Bogut-Interview,-Part-1-1011/ /article/Andrew-Bogut-Interview,-Part-1-1011/ Mon, 20 Jun 2005 04:04:12 -0400 DraftExpress hit the road once again to see how a couple of prospects are preparing themselves for the NBA draft. This trip brought us back to Clearwater once again, to see how Tiras Wade and Orien Greene are coming along, and gave us a chance to take a good hard look at Moussa Badiane from East Carolina. /article/Private-Workout-at-Five-Star-Pro-Training-Center--Part-Two--1010/ /article/Private-Workout-at-Five-Star-Pro-Training-Center--Part-Two--1010/ Fri, 17 Jun 2005 04:41:59 -0400 DraftExpress' Italian scout, Marco Fracasso, who was present at the Eurocamp in his hometown of Treviso for the 2nd straight year has the following report to present. It was a rather shallow camp as far as this year's draft is concerned, with only one real NBA prospect who is surely staying in, but with a few interesting International prospects who need to be followed for the future regardless. /article/The-Reebok-Eurocamp-in-Treviso-1009/ /article/The-Reebok-Eurocamp-in-Treviso-1009/ Fri, 17 Jun 2005 00:30:54 -0400 The NBA Draft is officially in full swing, with rumors, supposed "promises" and smokescreens being thrown out left and right. DraftExpress is right in the middle of all this, and frankly, there is no place we would rather be. In this edition of "Word on the Street" we bring you all the latest in the world of the NBA draft, including some rumors regarding promises handed out to Hakim Warrick, Yaroslav Korolev and Ersan Ilyasova, the Lakers scheming up a way to land Gerald Green, Joey Graham testing out as the top athlete in the draft and landing a shoe deal with Nike, and much much more. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Mental-Masturbation-1007/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Mental-Masturbation-1007/ Thu, 16 Jun 2005 02:37:20 -0400 DraftExpress scout Jonathan Watters gives his personal take on the 2005 Chicago Pre-Draft Camp, telling us what we knew about the prospects on hand, what we learned, and how this affects the draft. /article/Jonathan-Watters--Pre-Draft-Camp-Recap-1006/ /article/Jonathan-Watters--Pre-Draft-Camp-Recap-1006/ Thu, 16 Jun 2005 01:33:28 -0400 Two DraftExpress scouts were present at Media Day at the Chicago Pre-Draft camp last week to talk with ten of the top prospects in this draft. This is what they had to say. /article/Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Media-Day-1005/ /article/Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Media-Day-1005/ Wed, 15 Jun 2005 02:12:03 -0400 Strengths It’s pretty easy to realize about what Ciukinas brings to the table at first sight. He’s a tall and rather long player that enjoys great mobility. He has quite a good motor, and is capable of running the court almost like a deer, while enjoying pretty nice explosiveness and reactivity. His frame is not bad, even if he needs to work on his body. Beyond that, things get complicated. It’s not easy to find too many assets in his game beyond his physical attributes. On the offensive end, he looks for spaces to score near the basket, where he easily dunks in a very quick leap that shows his good reactivity. He performs pick & roll movements rather well, being quick in the process. He has an unorthodox semi-hook shot that helps him score in the paint against opposition. He can also hit the mid-range jumper, although without consistency at this point. Finishing fastbreaks is another option for him, given how well he runs the floor. On defense, he has quite good lateral movement for a paint player, and given his size, he displays some very nice tools to become reliable in this department. That size and his athleticism allow him to grab a decent amount of rebounds. /article/Povilas-Ciukinas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2856/ /article/Povilas-Ciukinas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2856/ Tue, 14 Jun 2005 03:21:02 -0400 Strengths A walk-on when he arrived at the University of Washington, Conroy developed into one of the best passers in the NCAA by his senior season. Conroy averaged 6.4 assists per game as a senior to lead the Pac-10 and rank in the top 20 nationally. Conroy became the UW's all-time leading assister as a season, handing out 515 assists in his career. His 209 assists in 2004-05 were also a school record.Conroy was at his best in transition, where the Huskies were lethal against opposing teams. He controlled tempo and got the ball to the myriad scorers he teamed with. He has great court vision and puts passes on the money, giving his teammates a chance to get good shots. When he gets into the lane, Conroy usually looks for his own shot, and he made an impressive 56.4% of his two-point shots. He likes to use a floater in the lane to much success.Defensively, Conroy has the potential to become a standout one-on-one defender. Though just 6-2, he is solidly built and plays opposing point guards physically. Not exceptionally quick, Conroy moves well laterally and did a good job of containing penetration despite the pressure the Huskies put on ballhandlers far away from the basket.Leadership is Conroy's strongest asset, and was the subject of countless columns in local newspapers that became repetitive by the end of his senior season. Conroy had the complete respect of his teammates and kept the Huskies together on and off the court. He had the ability to score more than he did as a senior (after scoring 12+ points per game as a sophomore and junior, he averaged just 9.4 as a senior), but subverted his ego in favor of a pass-first style and the good of his team. After the season, Conroy earned co-team MVP honors as well as the Most Inspirational award. /article/Will-Conroy-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2846/ /article/Will-Conroy-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2846/ Tue, 14 Jun 2005 03:03:53 -0400 Strengths The aptly-named Simmons developed into one of the better pure shooters in the NCAA during his two seasons at the University of Washington. He connected on 80 3-pointers as a senior, shooting them at a 41.7% clip after hitting 40.3% of his 3s as a junior. NBA 3-point range should not be an issue for Simmons. He also shot 86.8% from the free-throw line as a senior, ranking fourth in the Pac-10.Simmons has a quick release that enabled him to get his shot off with little difficulty. He also gets good extension on the shot as a true jump-shooter. His is a self-made shot; an unreliable shooter in high school, Simmons has honed his skills over the last four years, leading to the potential for continued improvement at the NBA level.More than just a spot-up shooter, Simmons averaged 16.0 points in just 26.2 minutes in a balanced UW offense. His 24.5 points per 40 minutes were better than Pac-10 Player of the Year Salim Stoudamire. Simmons was particularly dangerous in transition for the up-tempo Huskies, capable of either floating to the wing for a 3 or scoring in the paint.When opponents overplay Simmons to shoot, he is capable of driving and creating his own shot.Simmons plays the passing lanes well and averaged 1.3 steals per game as a senior. /article/Tre-Simmons-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2836/ /article/Tre-Simmons-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2836/ Tue, 14 Jun 2005 02:59:37 -0400 Heights are among the most ballyhooed of NBA statistics and often the most misleading. Take Tim Duncan, who was elevated to 7? feet by the Spurs to promote the fabled ?twin towers? theme (after David Robinson retired, Tim miraculously shrunk an inch and is now listed at 6?11). In the new millennium, we?ve had the liberty of getting pinpoint measurements every June from the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp, but even these can be misread. In short, height is almost meaningless- standing reach and wingspan are far more important when calculating a prospect?s ?true size?. /article/Gauging-Stock-after-the-Chicago-Measurements-1004/ /article/Gauging-Stock-after-the-Chicago-Measurements-1004/ Tue, 14 Jun 2005 00:43:27 -0400 Strengths March 2005 update:Garcia's stock has fallen in our eyes, and apparently in the eyes of the scouts as well from what we are hearing. He has struggled mightily when going up against top teams, but for reasons that aren't being discussed in the media and when he is playing on TV. There are serious concerns about how his game will translate to the NBA.The reason that he is having so much trouble against top teams and especially top defenders is the fact that he just isn't all that athletic. In a league like the NBA where the entire game revolves around speed, especially at the position he'll be playing (SG), this weakness severely limits his NBA potential. Garcia's first step is average at best, he lacks quickness and has problems creating his own shot and creating space for himself to operate when he is being guarded by quick and long defenders who guard him closely and don't give room to get his shot off. The fact that he is a 23 year old junior and has the type of body that doesn't look capable of putting on much more weight is a concern as well. Defensively, he lacks lateral quickness and strength, and it wouldn't be surprising if he was a below average defender in the NBA in his first couple of seasons until he learns to get around his physical deficiencies. Garcia handles the ball extremely well and can play three different positions, but that's what makes his game so misleading because of the way he scores against poorer defenders with limited athletic ability in the NCAA. He'd probably be more of an off the bench type role player in the NBA, but his team could probably get him shots if they bring him off a couple of screens. This isn't saying that he won't get drafted, far from that actually. There is definitely a spot for a guy like Garcia in the NBA. He can shoot and score with the best of them, from anywhere on the floor, he is long, versatile and a superb passer. He plays the game agressively and with a ton of passion and is one of the most competitive players you will find in the NCAA. That's exactly what makes him so hard to write off. No one would be surprised to see him drafted somewhere in the 20's, especially considering the type of shooting guards this draft has to offer. Garcia also has a very high basketball IQ, which makes you think that he may be able to adjust his game to the NBA eventually and learn the little tricks that most savvy NBA veterans have to get their shot off as their athletic ability begins to decline. He is creative and cerebral and will not take no for an answer from anyone. Think of Reggie Miller maybe in this aspect, but not nearly as deadly a shooter. The Chicago pre-draft camp will be huge for Garcia, along with individual workouts and the personal combine style tests that each prospect goes through in every city they visit. An excellent tournament showing could help his stock tremendously. February 2004: Francisco Garcia is an extremely versatile player, he plays 3 positions for Louisville, the 1,2 and 3. He's silky smooth and extremely confident. Has a passion and unique flair to his game and is extremely fun to watch. Garcia loves to put the ball on the floor, usually without getting called for an offensive foul. A lights out shooter, either stationary or off the dribble. Has great range on his shot and an ultra quick release, arguably one of the best shooters in the NCAA. He can score from anywhere on the court. Moves very well off the ball too, comes off screens and is an excellent free throw shooter. A very intelligent player, understands the game and acts as a floor general on the court. Very vocal on both sides of the court, a natural leader. A fearless competitor, not afraid to hit the floor to come up with loose balls. Never backs down from a challenge, plays with an incredible amount of heart. Fantastic handles for a player his size, dribbles extremely well with both hands and can take the ball either left or right. Drives in and out of traffic like a pro. Will often bring the ball up the floor for Louisville and set up the offense. Great court vision, 2nd in conference USA in assists. Has point guard skills in a 6-8 body. Holds the school record for assists in one game, with 15. Good wingspan and uses it well, blocks a lot of shots and gets in the passing lanes for steals. Has good timing when going up for blocks. Very coachable. A team player. Not afraid to take big shots. Huge heart, that can't be stressed enough. Just a very unique player in terms of his versatility. /article/Francisco-Garcia-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2768/ /article/Francisco-Garcia-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2768/ Mon, 13 Jun 2005 20:05:46 -0400 Strengths He is a versatile 7 footer plus with good agility, moves well up and down the court. Has a good wingspan, but doesn't use it enough quite yet. Offensively he is versatile, he can score from both inside and out. He has a nice shooting touch, and it's not a stretch to imagine him becoming a good midrange shooter in the NBA. He is a good passer, which lets his team dump the ball inside to him in the post and make things happen. He is good at using his height advantage to pass over smaller defenders to streaking guards. He actually is a good ball handler for a guy his size, although his dribble is a bit high. He can put the ball on the floor, going either left or right and finishing on either side. A good free throw shooter. Lots of potential to improve, especially on the defensive end because of his mobility and wingspan. Practicing in Sabonis' academy should certainly be helping his development. /article/Martynas-Andriuskevicius-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2717/ /article/Martynas-Andriuskevicius-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2717/ Mon, 13 Jun 2005 18:55:43 -0400 Strengths January 2005: First off, his body looks completely different then it did last year. Bogut started the season last year looking extremely buff, and in result his mobility (especially his quickness and leaping ability) suffered. Over the course of the year he appeared to be losing weight, and it appears that he's now finally found the perfect equilibrium between strength and quickness, as his body looks great, and his mobility is much improved. He's definitely a lot quicker up and down the floor this year, laterally he is moving much better, and he is definitely much faster getting off the floor as well. The biggest change, though, has to be in his confidence level. Suddenly you see him getting emotional after a big play or in timeouts with his teammates, demanding the ball in the paint, not being shy about shooting the three, and even speaking up and voicing his opinions in the press. All great things to see out of such a talented, but sometimes-bashful player. Skill wise, Bogut is one of the most fundamentally sound players you'll find in all of college basketball. He possesses extremely solid footwork in the post, on both offense and defense. He is smart, strong, very coordinated, aggressive and not soft in the least bit when he's posting up his man in the paint. His gigantic hands and excellent wingspan (he plays more like he's 7-2 with those long arms) make him a constant threat to receive the ball at almost any moment. His teammates can just throw the ball in his general direction, and Bogut will go get it, and then score with either hand. If you double him, he'll use his outstanding court vision and passing ability to find the open man on the wing and pick apart the defense (Bogut is able to see and execute passes that most NCAA PG's aren't able to). Foul him and he'll go right to the line and nail his free throws (shooting 74% from the line so far this year). He's got a terrific touch around the basket and an assortment of post moves he can use, including a very nice half hook shot. Thanks to his strength, magnet-like hands, wingspan and especially his mind, he's now considered one of the best rebounders in the NCAA. In fact, his hands are so big and soft that he can palm the ball in mid-air and pass it to his teammate, all in one fluid motion. His size, excellent reflexes and wingpsan make him a potential shotblocking threat, and he actually displays good timing and solid fundamentals in this area. He sets good solid picks and is a great guy to have on the recieving end of the pick and roll. Bogut is a threat in the paint, but he's equally dangerous in the high post. He has a very nice shooting stroke with a high release that makes it very hard to block, and range all the way out to the three point line. His mid-range game is quite solid, he can put the ball on the floor and take it all the way to the basket, find the open man with the drive and dish, or pull up and nail the 14 footer.Lastly, Bogut has a great demeanor and personality both on and off the floor. By all accounts, he is an extremely hard worker, and is always looking for ways to improve his game. He never takes off possessions and always looks like he's giving 100%. He acts as Utah's floor general when he is on the court, directing his teammates on both offense and defense and always encouraging them whether he's on or off the floor. Considering his rapid improvement over the past few years, he appears to be only scratching the surface on his potential at the moment. December 2003: Despite being only 19 years old, Andrew Bogut is already looked at right now as the best player to ever come out of Australia. Bogut is an excellent rebounder due to his long arms and big soft hands. He really has a knack for getting position in the post and boxing out his man which explains the huge numbers he put up last summer and this season in the NCAA. Bogut is a rare breed in today's NCAA- a true post player who is not afraid to mix it up down low. He is one of those players that always gives 110% and never leaves anything on the court. He is a very unselfish player which may explain his underwhelming scoring average in the NCAA thus far. Once he starts to develop chemistry with his young teammates they will realize that Bogut can make them all better if they play to his strengths. Already has a nice frame and he should have no problem putting on some more weight in the future. Right now Bogut is already one of the toughest matchups in the NCAA and the only way to stop him from dominating the paint (if you aren't Emeka Okafor) is to front him or even double team him. He has a full arsenal of post moves including a gorgeous hook shot that is extremely hard to stop without fouling. Andrew's life would undoubtedly be a lot easier if he had some better and more experienced teammates to feed him the ball and hit their jump shots when he is double teamed. Bogut might not be lightning quick but he runs the floor extremely well for a player his size. His outside shot is still a work in progress but he has a nice stroke and I think it's only a matter of time before he starts nailing the 16 footer on a regular basis. People who have seen him play outside of the NCAA say he can step out and hit the three as he did last summer in Greece, but he hasn't really shown that yet. He's got decent handles and can dribble with both hands and take his man to the hoop. Bogut is a very fundamentally sound player and has a great work ethic and attitude towards the game. He is a true student of the game and turned down big money to come and work on his game in the NCAA with Utah. With his wingspan and hands I could definitely see him eventually becoming one of the premier rebounders in the NBA. He likes to post up his man and he looks good backing his defender down off of the dribble. All in all I would say that he has what it takes to be at least a solid starting big man in today's NBA. /article/Andrew-Bogut-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2741/ /article/Andrew-Bogut-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2741/ Mon, 13 Jun 2005 18:48:18 -0400 Strengths Marshall is an extremely long, lanky and athletic swingman from a small NCAA school who led his team into the NCAA tournament this year and gave his stock a tremendous boost in the process. Physically, he has good size for the 2/3 position in the NBA at 6-7 and with a fantastic wingspan. He is a terrific athlete who possesses excellent quickness and body control and a very solid first step and vertical leap. In terms of raw tools, Marshall certainly fits the bill and has a big upside to improve.Offensively, Marshall's team often relied almost exclusively on his ability to create his own shot from almost any situation. His ball-handling skills were good enough for the level he played at, and combined with his excellent first step he could get to the hole and finish strong simply by jumping off one foot and letting his length do the rest. He showed flashes of potential in terms of perimeter shooting as well, hitting 39 three pointers this year in 32 games and showing very nice elevation on his shot combined with a high release. He has shown a little bit of ability to hit shots off the dribble as well at times. Marshall might be viewed by some teams as a potential hustle player who can bring a lot of energy off the bench with his raw athletic ability. He is a good rebounder because of his physical tools, and has the toughness and body control needed to take a hit at the basket and finish after contact. He was somewhat of a positionless player at the NCAA level, roaming freely around the court (he is very quick off the ball) looking to create havoc and playing every position from the 1-4 for his team this year. The experience he received playing bringing the ball up the floor his Oakland at times undoubtedly helped his progression as a player. Defensively, he has all the physical tools needed to lock down his man as a SG or SF, but wasn't allowed to fully show that this year because of the fact that his team played a lot of zone and they needed him to stay out of foul trouble at all costs. He still averaged just under 2 steals (he can be a terror in the passing lanes) and a block and a half per game. /article/Rawle-Marshall-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2818/ /article/Rawle-Marshall-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2818/ Mon, 13 Jun 2005 18:35:11 -0400 Strengths The first thing to talk about with Joey Graham is his impressively sculpted body. At 6'7 and 225, Graham looks like he could be playing in the NFL. With his combination of first tier athleticism and superior strength, there are very few NBA wing prospects as physically equipped to play in the league. Once Graham gets going to the basket, rim-rocking dunks are sure to follow. He uses his leaping ability and long wingspan to convert with ease near the basket, and rarely forces things at the offensive end. However, where Graham's potential really shows through is on the defensive end. He is a converted PF, and this tendency towards physical play could allow him to develop into an absolute terror on the defensive end. Graham is currently up and down on the defensive side of the ball, but clearly has as much upside in this area as any wing prospect in the draft. As he continues to improve his perimeter play, Graham's defense could be the area that really explodes. The aspect of the game that Graham has already mastered is the mid-range jumper. He doesn't have a very consistent release, but his shots simply keep going in. He seems to have no problem hitting it with a man in his face, and as long as he gets his feet set, Graham is as good as automatic. On the season, Graham shoots a very impressive 54% from the floor and an astonishing 88% from the line. The three-pointer isn't a regular part of Graham's arsenal at this point, but he is showing signs of being able to shoot a very high percentage from behind the arc. Mentally, Graham plays under control and with the savvy of a veteran. Despite a tendency to float at times, he usually plays an aggressive, physical style, and thanks to his days as a 4-man, really knows how to pick up easy points at the rim. /article/Joey-Graham-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2753/ /article/Joey-Graham-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2753/ Mon, 13 Jun 2005 18:24:25 -0400 Strengths A world class athlete, lightning quick and an unbelievable leaper. One of the most exciting dunkers in all of college basketball. Plays above the rim, gets off the floor in the blink of an eye, which helps him throw down monster alley-oops and ferocious put backs. Runs the floor extremely well, and will often beat his man up the floor. /article/Hakim-Warrick-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2719/ /article/Hakim-Warrick-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2719/ Mon, 13 Jun 2005 18:23:42 -0400 Strengths Granger has a prototypical body for an NBA small forward. He has good size and strength at 6-8, 225 pounds, a solid wingspan and very solid athletic ability. He is smart and smooth, but very physical, and has fantastic footwork to go along with an excellent (and very quick) vertical leap.What makes Granger an especially intriguing player for playoff teams who are picking in the 2nd half of the 1st round (15-30) is the fact that he is so versatile. He can score from anywhere on the floor, create his own shot, defend, rebound, block shots, come up with steals, and pass very well.Granger is a team player, he's extremely competitive and unselfish and only cares about one thing, and that's winning games. He had numerous opportunities to pad his stats and show off for the many NBA scouts who have made the trip to Albuquerque this year, but has shown absolutely no interest in doing so. He has a good court demeanor and plays the game calm, but very confident. In terms of character everyone agrees that Granger is the type of player and person an NBA team can feel comfortable investing money in. He's very smart on and off the court. Granger does not take many bad shots, which is especially impressive if you consider that his team usually needs him to score in bundles to win. Most star players who play for smaller schools don't shoot a great percentage from the field, but Granger is sitting at a very solid 53% on the year. He is a very good passer with nice court vision and a knack for putting the ball exactly where his teammates like it, especially when it comes to feeding the post. He prefers to make the simple pass, but can also throw up good lob passes for the alleyoop dunk. At times he can be a little too unselfish even, making the extra pass when his team would clearly benefit from him trying to use his skills to take over the game. This is a borderline strength/weakness on the NBA level, though, especially considering what his role on the floor will be. Defensively, his team plays a lot of zone, but he shows excellent potential in this area in the rare opportunity he gets to guard the other team's star player. New Mexico wisely saves his energy for the offensive end where they need him more, and therefore can not afford to get in foul trouble either. When he does get to play the type of tough man to man defense he seems to enjoy, though, he really shines. His combination of strength, length, athletic ability, intensity, determination and excellent footwork give him the potential to be a very good defender on the NBA level once he is fully unleashed. These same skills along with his good hands and the ability to elevate quickly off the floor also make him a very good rebounder as well, pulling down nine rebounds or more 17 times so far this season. He is also a terrific shotblocker on the college level thanks to his wingspan and excellent leaping ability, but also has very nice timing to really intimidate and alter shots at the rim. He rotates well and possesses a solid understanding of where to place himself in a zone defense, while also showing good leadership skills in directing his teammates on this side of the floor. He anticipates well and knows how to get in the passing lanes, coming up with many steals and igniting the fast break. Offensively, he has a wide variety of skills he can use to score, although none of them can be considered too polished right now. He likes to use his strength and footwork to back his man down towards the basket, finishing in a variety of ways (spin moves, around the hoop thanks to his wingspan. He can put the ball on the floor and take the ball strong to the basket, finishing with contact if necessary. His range has improved dramatically over the years, a testament to his work ethic, going from hitting 9 threes in his first two seasons at a 24% clip to shooting 44% from behind the arc on over three attempts per game. He has very good mechanics and a high release on his jump shot. He is also pretty solid from the line at 74% and possesses a decent mid-range game. /article/Danny-Granger-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2751/ /article/Danny-Granger-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2751/ Mon, 13 Jun 2005 18:22:41 -0400 Tau Vitoria has defeated Unicaja Malaga 3-1 in the semi-finals of the ACB playoffs and advanced to the finals. Game four saw Tiago Splitter once again give scouts and fans a lot to think about regarding the differences between him and Fran Vázquez with a 12 point, 7 rebound, 2 assist outing to help his team advance. /article/Splitter-Vs.-Vazquez-Take-Four-1003/ /article/Splitter-Vs.-Vazquez-Take-Four-1003/ Mon, 13 Jun 2005 17:14:06 -0400 Have no fear. Russ Granik is here. Welcome to the wonderful world of the second round. I know it?s not as glamorous that fancy first round, but who needs the security of a guaranteed 3 year multi-million dollar deal. The second round is where the real talent is anyway and this year?s second round could be the most talented ever. /article/The-Almost-Perfect-Second-Round-1002/ /article/The-Almost-Perfect-Second-Round-1002/ Mon, 13 Jun 2005 16:34:42 -0400 The NBA released the Official Pre-Draft measurements list and there are some shocking figures on it. Channing Frye came out at only 6-10 in shoes, McCants is a legit 6-4, Chris Paul is 6-1, Charlie Villanueva lost an inch and a half and much more. /article/Official-Chicago-Pre-Draft-Measurements-1001/ /article/Official-Chicago-Pre-Draft-Measurements-1001/ Mon, 13 Jun 2005 13:48:37 -0400 The fourth and final day of the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp was once again a bit of a snoozer this year. During the lunch break, the DraftExpress crew was invited to a workout with the Graham brothers. The Moody Bible gym was quiet, tired and had very little atmosphere today. There was still some talent to be found, though, we just had to look a little harder for it this time. /article/Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-Four-1000/ /article/Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-Four-1000/ Mon, 13 Jun 2005 04:24:19 -0400 Day three of the Chicago Pre-Draft camp was the most interesting yet. A number of excellent games and fascinating private workouts with top prospects were held. Luther Head established himself as a legit first round prospect and a number of other players bounced back strong to put themselves right in the mix. /article/Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-Three-203/ /article/Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-Three-203/ Sun, 12 Jun 2005 16:11:37 -0400 Day two of the Chicago Pre-Draft saw three games kick off the competitive action, after a few hours in the morning of drills. Certain players began to establish themselves as standouts in this day. DraftExpress is here to bring you all the action. /article/Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-Two-202/ /article/Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-Two-202/ Sun, 12 Jun 2005 16:11:37 -0400 The Chicago Pre-Draft camp kicked off Tuesday, June 7th and DraftExpress had three representatives in the gym to cover all the action for you. On the first day, the players went through drills and competitive five on five half court scrimmages. DraftExpress brings you some initial thoughts on the prospects in attendance. /article/Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-One-201/ /article/Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp,-Day-One-201/ Sun, 12 Jun 2005 15:56:36 -0400 One of the best games of this year's playoffs, fans were treated to 50 minutes of intensity, thrills, and drama culminating in a double-overtime victory for Unicaja Malaga over Tau Vitoria that leaves the series 2-1. However, this was Splitter's game, who contributed greatly in various departments of the game. /article/Splitter-Vs.-Vazquez-Take-Three-199/ /article/Splitter-Vs.-Vazquez-Take-Three-199/ Wed, 08 Jun 2005 03:45:28 -0400 The official list of the 2005 NBA Pre-Draft Camp participants, as provided to us by the NBA. This list includes those participating in the camp, and a list of players who will only be present for physicals. /article/2005-NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Participants-198/ /article/2005-NBA-Pre-Draft-Camp-Participants-198/ Tue, 07 Jun 2005 11:14:59 -0400 DraftExpress has three representatives in Chicago at the moment and will be attending numerous private and public workouts both at Moody Bible and in other parts of the city. In this edition of the "Word on the Street," we discuss the latest movers and shakers that have have come up numerous times in NBA draft conversations over the past week. Rumors regarding Raymond Felton, Roko Leni-Ukic, Ike Diogu, Matt Walsh and others are all discussed. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Chicago-Pre-Draft-camp-edition-197/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Chicago-Pre-Draft-camp-edition-197/ Tue, 07 Jun 2005 03:21:13 -0400 DraftExpress's J.L. Weill spent a sunny Saturday afternoon at a private workout for NBA scouts and media members that featured high school star Andrew Bynum and college standouts Otis George, Jack Ingram and Jamaal Levy. Here's the scoop. /article/The-Andrew-Bynum-workout-196/ /article/The-Andrew-Bynum-workout-196/ Mon, 06 Jun 2005 14:54:31 -0400 This series arrives at the second game with Tau Vitoria leading 1-0 over Unicaja Malaga after winning the first game at home on Thursday. Playing again in Vitoria, Unicaja really needed a win, as it would be next to impossible for them to come back again from a 2-0 deficit as they did in the quarterfinals. Tau came away with the important win, but it was Vazquez who clearly won the head to head lottery matchup with Splitter by putting up a great stat line. /article/Splitter-Vs.-Vazquez-Take-Two-195/ /article/Splitter-Vs.-Vazquez-Take-Two-195/ Sat, 04 Jun 2005 19:54:33 -0400 Strengths Salim is the best shooter in college basketball and without a doubt is the best shooter in this upcoming draft. The statistics do not lie, he shot a ridiculous percentage of 50.4% from the three-point line his senior year, which leads the nation. He shoots a very soft jump shot, getting great arch and rotation on the ball, with an extraordinarily quick release. He has a high release on his shot and that makes it very hard to block. Salim does not have trouble getting his shot off either, and he is surprisingly accurate even when his feet are not set, or if he is shooting off the dribble, moving left or right, fading away, with a hand in his face, from forty feet outit just doesn't matter how he shoots it, the odds are the ball is going to end up in the bottom of the net. Salim is extraordinary at getting the proper footwork on his jump shots and setting himself before the ball comes to him. He can step on a dime and pull up for a lightning quick jumper, often more his defender even realizes what happened. He moves well without the ball and is very calm and under control on the basketball court. He does not need much room to get his shot off from the outside.He is not only a three-point shooter, but that is what he does best and is where he is most dangerous. He will not have a difficult time making the move back to the NBA three-point line because he already shoots shots from that distance, and even beyond.He has improved his ball handling skills since he first entered college, being able to create going to the hoop now at times. He has a sneaky quickness about him and controls the basketball well, not being afraid to take the ball with purpose to the basket if he can. He dribbles close to his body and he protects the basketball as well in terms of shielding off the defender. Salim has also matured over these four seasons at Arizona. He used to have a little bit of an attitude and did not get along well with his teammates. That has begun to change this past season, as he has shown to be a vocal leader at times that isn't afraid of taking his team on his back or taking big shots. He has learned how to channel his angry and aggression to help himself on the basketball court. Now he looks like a very calm costumer for the most part and an extremely tough competitor.Stoudamire is left-handed, which makes him just that much more difficult to react to as most players are used to guarding right handed players, unless the scouting report tells them otherwise and they internalize that. /article/Salim-Stoudamire-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2758/ /article/Salim-Stoudamire-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2758/ Sat, 04 Jun 2005 19:48:53 -0400 Strengths Marcelihno is a flashy point guard, one of those guys that people either fall in love with or absolutely hate. He enjoys good quickness and excellent handles with both hands. Despite being right handed, you might be led to believe that he's actually left handed while watching him dribble the ball. He's really fast with the ball in his hands. Huertas' quickness and handles, paired with a nice first step, give him the ability to beat most of his defenders, using this gift to create a big part of his game off the dribble. When he penetrates, he can look for the assists showing a quick mind to make decisions, he can finish himself with a layup, or he can deliver a flashy mid-to-short-range shot in motion, many times using the glass, with nice accuracy. This kind of shot can be very useful at the next level when facing bigger and more athletic players who usually doesn't allow classic layups in the half court. He's very skilled performing reverses or changing gears. It's a kind of drive to the basket, wild and unpredictable, a little bit in the mold of Steve Nash (of course, on a much lower key), that can open many opportunities for him and his teammates. Even if that's his primary way to distribute the ball, he can pass the rock in static situations, trying to help the ball movement. He's a player with pretty nice court vision and good passing skills. He likes to play in transition, and actually loves the up-tempo game. Not a bad shooter at all, Marcelihno shows good range, even out to the NBA three-point land. He is capable of hitting even some rather wild shots, although with limited range. His mechanics aren't the most orthodox, but they are pretty reliable. On defense, Huertas uses his quickness and shows a good attitude and intensity. His lateral defensive movement is good enough to defend his position. In general, he's a very active player who saves little effort. /article/Marcelo-Huertas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2709/ /article/Marcelo-Huertas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2709/ Sat, 04 Jun 2005 17:27:42 -0400 Strengths Ewing has excellent physical attributes for the PG position. This makes him an intriguing player for NBA teams if they think he can fit into their system and be molded into what they need him to be. Ewing very good size to play the point (if he can make the transition) at 6-3 and a nice body to go along with it. Athletically, he is extremely solid, possessing a very good combination of strength, quickness, a good first step to go along with a solid and quick vertical leap.Offensively, Ewing is very good at putting the ball on the floor (sometimes after a strong crossover) and using his athleticism to get to the rim. He is an extremely tough player and can therefore get to the basket, take off (displaying nice body control) and finish strong even after taking contact. What makes Ewing even more interesting is that he compliments his slashing ability with a pretty good outside shot. His mechanics are solid, he gets good (and quick) elevation on his shot, with a solid release, and he can hit it off the dribble or after pulling up from mid-range. He's not a deadeye shooter at this point, but he has plenty of potential to be very solid in this area. Defensively, Ewing is a tough and hard nosed player who has all the physical tools needed to shut down his man. At times this year he showed great potential in this area, but like many parts of his game, nothing was consistent. He has quick hands and is good at getting in the passing lanes, but sometimes abuses this and leaves his team hanging. Ewing is a fiery competitor who always leaves everything he has out on the court. He plays with confidence and is not afraid of taking big shots or making mistakes. He certainly has shown the attitude and court demeanor of an NBA player. This was his first year playing the point full time, and Ewing did a pretty good job for the most part with all things considered. /article/Daniel-Ewing-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2691/ /article/Daniel-Ewing-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2691/ Sat, 04 Jun 2005 16:01:39 -0400 DraftExpress was invited to watch a private workout held by Momentum Sports Group in San Antonio for scouts and executives from a number of NBA teams over Memorial Day weekend. Joey Graham, Stevie Graham and Winsome Frazier were the players participating in this workout. /article/Private-Workout-in-San-Antonio-194/ /article/Private-Workout-in-San-Antonio-194/ Sat, 04 Jun 2005 05:37:18 -0400 /article/Word-on-the-Street-18/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-18/ Sat, 04 Jun 2005 00:00:01 -0400 Strengths Stefano Mancinelli is clearly an NBA caliber athlete. He's a well built 6-8 forward, who runs and hustles all over the floor showing explosiveness and a great vertical leap. His team, Fortitudo Bologna, runs an uptempo offence and that lets him shine while closing the primary fastbreak with spectacular dunks or going for dynamic offensive rebounds. He usually plays as the starting small forward or as the 6th man (there is no real set starting line-up for this team), giving the team an energy boost on both sides on the floor. On defense he's often matched up with bigger players which he doesn't suffer too much playing against, but who he can often outrun them on the other side of the ball. He's always a threat in the passing lanes or to come up with a block from the weak side. In the half court, he usually hangs out around the 3 point line, from where he's become a decent spot-up shooter, improving dramatically on what was his always biggest weakness, his lack of shooting touch. He often likes to cut to the basket, showing good hands for catching the ball, and both the strength and the will for a strong finish even if he's being contested by a big man. He's still working on his game, even recently showing a mid-range jumper off the dribble, a fundamental he never mastered. He's a very good passer from outside of the 3 point line, both able to find slashing cutters or make the entry pass to his big man. Mancinelli has been an important contributor for one of the top teams in Europe, and he's one of the most proven international players in the draft this year. /article/Stefano-Mancinelli-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2762/ /article/Stefano-Mancinelli-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2762/ Fri, 03 Jun 2005 13:48:17 -0400 DraftExpress's J.L. Weill recently got the chance to sit and chat with one of the most underrated big men vying for a spot in this year's NBA draft, Arizona State standout Ike Diogu. A power forward with a penchant for blocking shots, Diogu is testing the waters, but has been gaining in buzz based on individual club workouts. Here's what one of the 2005 draft's sleeper prospects had to say about his school, his workout schedule and a rumor developing about a head-to-head battle with another big name early entrant. /article/J.L.-Weill-s-On-the-Record-Ike-Diogu-193/ /article/J.L.-Weill-s-On-the-Record-Ike-Diogu-193/ Fri, 03 Jun 2005 12:26:02 -0400 Strengths Paulius Jankunas is quite a solid power forward who at his young age is already starting on a regular basis for a fairly strong team in Europe in Zalgiris Kaunas. This left-handed player is a pretty mobile guy, with some athleticism, rather strong considering his age and the fact that he's European, a fighting attitude and a nice set of skills. Jankunas can look for his points in the low post. He enjoys nice footwork, being smart using his body, and even his elbows, combined with spin moves performed with accurate footspeed to take advantage of his rival. He likes to look for a left-handed semi-hook shot to finish his actions there, although he can use his right hand too. Even if in Zalgiris he has little chances to use his post-up game, it can be a go-to skill for him, as he showed playing in Lithuanian second division. If he's not working in the post, the jumper is his biggest scoring threat. He's pretty solid from mid-range distances, but is also able to fire with range up until the international three-point line. He's not a shooter, being that his jumper is basically static, and his mechanics a little strange (placing the guiding hand with a very open angle from the hand that releases the ball), but he's usually effective. He can also put the ball on the floor if needed, preferably with his left hand, although it's not the most common thing to see him do. He's also a decent passer from both the low or high posts. Jankunas is a player whose visual impact tends to fool the viewer. He usually looks worse than he really is in certain areas of the game. It happens with his strength, athleticism, but also with his defense. The guy doesn't seem to have the best tools, but he usually gets the job done. He's smart in positioning and doesn't fear contact at all, indeed displaying fight whenever necessary. These characteristics, as well as a great instinct (particularly in the offensive end), make him a pretty good rebounder as well. All in all, he's a player that makes few mistakes and who shows a great attitude; one of those guys whose game style and reactions on the court seem to belong to an older player. /article/Paulius-Jankunas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2776/ /article/Paulius-Jankunas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2776/ Fri, 03 Jun 2005 12:09:04 -0400 The semifinals of the ACB League provide us with a terrific matchup between Tau Vitoria and Unicaja Málaga, which means that draft fans have two of the best international prospects for the upcoming draft: Tiago Splitter and Fran Vázquez, going head to head. 's Luis Fernandez breaks down game one of the series. /article/Splitter-Vs.-Vazquez-Take-One-192/ /article/Splitter-Vs.-Vazquez-Take-One-192/ Fri, 03 Jun 2005 03:43:12 -0400 has hit the streets hard the past few weeks to bring you all the latest that is going on in the world of the NBA draft. In this latest roundup, we discuss the main topics which have become the focal point of conversations over the past few days. An update on the European prospects, a few workout reports, the latest on Chris Taft, Wayne Simien, and much much more is included. /article/Word-on-the-Street-Rounding-Up-the-Latest-Rumors-191/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-Rounding-Up-the-Latest-Rumors-191/ Thu, 02 Jun 2005 21:06:29 -0400 Strengths Popovic is an extremely smart point guard with great instincts and feel for the game, often being looked at as an extension of his coach out on the floor. At 6-4, Bojan has great size for the PG position. He also has a well built body and frame, which could handle some more pounds. He has a very good wingspan and quite a nice first step as well. Popovic excels in half court sets, possessing decent court vision, having a knack for getting his teammates involved and just knowing how to move the ball around and run his team's plays. His movement without the ball is exceptional and he doesn't need to have ball in his hands necessarily to be effective. Popovic is a very good if, not great penetrator. He uses his quick first step and good handles to get by defenders with ease at this level. Bojan has a reliable mid-range jumper, which he can perform off the dribble as well if needed. He gets to the free-throw line often and is almost automatic from there. Popovic is a very solid defender, who shows good intensity and desire on the defensive end of the floor. He reads passing lanes extremely well and comes up with lots of steals, finishing 1st in this department in the Adriatic league. Popovic has one of the highest basketball IQ's of any player his age in Europe. He has great knowledge of the game and plays like he is a 35 year old veteran. Popovic is the leader of his team and has a great demeanor on the court. He is also a hard worker who never gives up. /article/Bojan-Popovic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2855/ /article/Bojan-Popovic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2855/ Tue, 31 May 2005 01:42:23 -0400 users present the team needs of the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Washington Wizards. The opinions expressed here are the strictly that of the writers at not . /article/Team-Needs-Southeast-Division-190/ /article/Team-Needs-Southeast-Division-190/ Tue, 31 May 2005 00:40:57 -0400 DraftExpress has poured through dozens of tapes of Forward prospects in Europe over the past few months to bring you the most comprehensive scouting reports you can find outside of an NBA draft war room. This report looks at Martynas Andriuskevicius, Tiago Splitter, Johan Petro, Peja Samardziski, Kosta Perovic and Lucas Tischer... but with an American twist this time. /article/An-American-Perspective-on-Europe-The-Centers-189/ /article/An-American-Perspective-on-Europe-The-Centers-189/ Sat, 28 May 2005 04:41:14 -0400 The latest stop on 's incredibly comprehensive NBA draft coverage took Rodger Bohn to Speed Strength Systems Inc, located in Cleveland, Ohio. Here we got a chance to observe the fascinating training process four draft prospects, including Louis Williams, Ricky Shields, Devin Green and Chet Mason are put through as they prepare themselves for private workouts and possibly the Chicago Pre-Draft camp next month. /article/Private-Workouts-at-Speed-Strength-Systems-Inc.-188/ /article/Private-Workouts-at-Speed-Strength-Systems-Inc.-188/ Fri, 27 May 2005 23:35:40 -0400 Strengths Petro's biggest strengths at the moment relate to his physical attributes, which put him in a class of his own in this year's draft class. Petro has great size and an outstanding body for a 19 year old, being ready to come in and get minutes right off the bat and take the pounding that NBA big men dish out after some minor work in the weight room. His frame is excellent and is ready to put on about as much muscle as he'll need in the NBA. His wingspan is very good as well, and he already knows how to use it quite well to intimidate around the basket. Athletically, he moves extremely well for a 7 footer, running the floor quickly, fluidly and with good coordination. He has somewhat of a laid-back demeanor to him, but when he wants to, he can certainly get up off the floor, on both ends around the basket. He's not Amare Stoudemire or anything like that, but he'll definitely be considered one of the more athletic 7 footers in the league almost right off the bat. The ease in which he moves around the court is particularly impressive, he's mobile moving both east to west and north-south, and can show on the pick and roll and then get right back to his place in the post. Offensively, Petro relies mainly on a lethal baby hook shot, which is clearly his best asset in the paint. It's pretty hard to block as he performs it swiftly off the dribble and fluidly, sometimes off a quick spin move, but with a very soft touch. He is adding range to his shot (out to about 14 feet), mostly from the baseline or from various positions around the post (although no bank shot at all), but he has room to improve here still. Through his hard work, Petro has become a very good free throw shooter for a 7 footer, going from 46% two years ago at the line, to 50% last year, and up to 72% this year in the French league and 75% in the Euroleague. He has the footwork and quickness to beat his matchup in the paint and enjoys attacking the rim, not being soft at all and having no problem taking contact around the basket. He has a decent handle for a player his size, although he does not use that much because of his role on the floor. On the defensive end, his size, wingspan and athletic ability make him very intimidating around the basket. He has very good lateral quickness, which allows him to stay in front of his man in the paint. He used to be incredibly foul prone, and although he still has trouble with this occasionally, he has reduced the amount of unnecessary fouls he commits drastically this year, showing that he is coachable and able to learn from his mistakes. The fact that he is a physical player that likes to bang (allow the refs rarely let him), along with his excellent physical attributes, should tell you that he has a future on the defensive end in the NBA.Considering his age (he'll only turn 20 mid-way through all-star weekend next season, being younger than both Robert Swift and Gerald Green), size, frame and athleticism, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that he has a big upside to improve. He's already a much better player than he was last year when he entered the draft. /article/Johan-Petro-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2721/ /article/Johan-Petro-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2721/ Fri, 27 May 2005 19:33:44 -0400 The first edition of our â??Word on the Street' column focuses in on the upcoming Chicago Pre-Draft camp at Moody Bible, including the typical thoughts and concerns that go into building the roster for it, but also looking at a new and extremely intriguing twist that the NBA is implementing this year that could completely change the face of the camp. /article/Word-on-the-Street-the-Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp-187/ /article/Word-on-the-Street-the-Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp-187/ Fri, 27 May 2005 01:30:08 -0400 Strengths Webster just has a great feel for putting the ball in the basket at the high school level, especially from the perimeter. Part of this is due to the fact that he's so much more mature than most players his age both physically (much bigger and stronger than anyone at his position) and mentally, but the fact that he is a very skilled player who has a good feel for the game can not be ignored.Webster is a very natural shooter with excellent mechanics and nice elevation on his jump shot, although his release is a bit on the slow side because of his very deliberate motions. Once he sets his feet and gets his shoulders square, though, he is lights out. He can hit his jumper from anywhere on the court, and is good at getting his shot off in tough situations. Physically, he's got a great body that is certainly ready for the NBA, and an above average wingspan. These skills make him an above average rebounder for the swing positions, because he can simply out-muscle his fellow guards for rebounds. And of course, his leaping ability also helps in this regard as he is quick to rise.His playing style is pretty unique, and that's probably why so many people are intrigued by his game. He is most definitely not explosive, but has a certain smoothness to him, combined with good court awareness, maturity and an understanding of what's going on around him. In transition, he has powerful long strides, which are deliberate, but help him get to the basket and then finish strong. He shows a willingness to play within a set offense, not forcing the issue too much compared with most players his age (all-star games aside) and appearing to understand his role.In terms of his intangibles, they appear to be fairly strong. His court demeanor looks good, he interacts well with his teammates and he seems to be a well spoken kid. He plays unselfishly and appears to be pretty mature for his age while carrying himself well on the court. He also supposedly has a very good work ethic. /article/Martell-Webster-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2805/ /article/Martell-Webster-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2805/ Fri, 27 May 2005 01:15:09 -0400 had the chance to sit down with another top prospect in this draft, Gerald Green, who is about to graduate from high school and is currently preparing himself for the NBA draft from his home in Houston. Green tells us about his daily routine, his physical attributes and the fact that he is willing to "work out against anybody." Sort of. /article/Gerald-Green-Interview-186/ /article/Gerald-Green-Interview-186/ Thu, 26 May 2005 03:10:07 -0400 users present the team needs of the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Hornets and Dallas Mavericks. The opinions expressed here are strictly of the writers and not . /article/Team-Needs-Southwest-Division-185/ /article/Team-Needs-Southwest-Division-185/ Thu, 26 May 2005 00:00:53 -0400 The Milwaukee Bucks came away with the #1 pick in the NBA Draft lottery tonight, against all the odds. Their GM, Larry Harris, was available for questions from the media shorty after and this is what he had to say. Also included are the responses from the other 13 teams in the lottery who weren't so lucky, courtesy of NBA.com. /article/Milwaukee-Bucks-GM-Larry-Harris-Press-Conference-Transcript-184/ /article/Milwaukee-Bucks-GM-Larry-Harris-Press-Conference-Transcript-184/ Wed, 25 May 2005 00:02:00 -0400 got an exclusive up close look at Danny Granger on Thursday as he prepares for a huge week of NBA workouts, a day before NBA teams will open up their doors. Granger went up against his workout partner Britton Johnsen, who has spent some time in the NBA and will be surely getting some free agent looks this summer. Jason Klein is here to break it down for you. /article/Danny-Granger-Britton-Johnsen-Private-Workout-183/ /article/Danny-Granger-Britton-Johnsen-Private-Workout-183/ Tue, 24 May 2005 01:53:30 -0400 Strengths Jared Homan isn't quite a household name, but he has a very intriguing package of size, skill, and mentality that has certainly piqued the interest of NBA scouts. Playing in a conference known for its rugged, physical play, Homan threw his body around with the best of them. At 6'10, 250, he never backs down from a physical challenge, and seems to relish a heated, energetic post matchup. One could say that he plays the game with a mean streak, and in the case of a scrappy player like Homan, that isn't a bad thing. Once Homan has position in the post and gets the ball in his hands, good things tend to happen. Homan has a beautiful jump hook, that he is comfortable using fading away from the basket, or spinning into the middle of the lane. He has nice touch on the shot, and given his bulk, it's very hard to keep him from getting good looks on a consistent basis at the college level. Homan also has touch on his midrange jumper, and is very comfortable facing up for a 10-15 footer. As touched on above, Homan defines the term scrapper, and is a menace on the glass. Given that he doesn't mind using his body and creating contact, he always gets great position on the defensive glass. As a defender, Homan will always battle to keep his man off the blocks and understands the nuances of good post defense. Surprisingly, Homan is also an accomplished shot blocker. He doesn't have the bounce of your typical shot-altering big man, but he does a good job of anticipating and helping out on the weak side. Finally, it must be mentioned that Homan has shown steady improvement all four years at Iowa State. He started out as a mere roleplayer his freshman season, but was the Cyclones' main post option by his senior year. /article/Jared-Homan-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2844/ /article/Jared-Homan-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2844/ Mon, 23 May 2005 03:48:24 -0400 users present the team needs of the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets and Boston Celtics. The opinions expressed here are strictly of the writers and not . /article/Team-Needs-Atlantic-Division-182/ /article/Team-Needs-Atlantic-Division-182/ Mon, 23 May 2005 02:37:03 -0400 Strengths Caio Torres is a true big man; just a hair under seven feet, surprisingly strong given his age, coordinated, and with some really nice budding skills to compliment that package. Caio is a pretty good scorer. He can be a force both in the low post or from mid-range area. Near the basket, he shows a pretty good post-up game. He takes advantage of his body to establish position and receive the ball, then moves rather well around the post thanks to his decent footwork, while making good use of his big body. He is able to put the ball on the floor if needed, often to release a one-handed shot over his rival thanks to a soft touch (using both hands if he's not close enough to the basket), even with a slight fade-away movement if necessary. He feels rather comfortable there and doesn't force the issue, so if he doesn't see a clear option, he'll prefer to swing the ball out again. Indeed, he's not a bad passer at all from the post. So we're talking about a player with the ability to play consistently from the post for himself and for his team, which is quite a valuable characteristic these days. Facing the basket, his weapon of choice is the mid-range jumper. He has range out to close to the international three-point line, and shows decent mechanics and quickness in the process. Of course, it's strictly a static shot, typical of a player his size. Thanks to his size, bulk, and 7-3 wingspan, he has the potential to become a nice defensive presence in the paint. Caio seems to be a smart kid. He shows a quick mind, the ability to make good decisions, whether to pass the ball or to look for his own scoring option, and an understanding of the game. He doesn't feel intimidated if he plays against older players, being rather mature for his age. /article/Caio-Torres-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2816/ /article/Caio-Torres-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2816/ Sun, 22 May 2005 20:29:01 -0400 Strengths Physically, Ellis has excellent size for the PG position at 6-3 and a good frame to put on more weight. His main draw is the fact that he's an outstanding athlete, being extremely quick and smooth in the open floor with a dynamite first step. He gets into the lane at the high school level whenever he pleases, elevating off one foot in the lane and hanging to finish fearlessly and creatively at the basket. He is very quick off his feet. Ellis is a tough player who doesn't mind taking contact at the basket and still usually finishes strong, sometimes just rising over the top of his opponent and throwing down a strong dunk. He might struggle initially a bit in his first year because he is fairly skinny, but this shouldn't be too much of a concern once his frame fills out a bit. Offensively, Ellis is an excellent one on one player. He excels in the in the triple threat position and can get his shot off in many ways, even in tough situations (for good and for bad). His first step is excellent, but so is his 2nd and 3rd. His handle is just average for an NBA point guard at this point, but it's still very advanced for a player his age and will get better as long as he continues to work on it. His crossover is strong, and he's good at changing directions, being able to step back quickly and elevate for a pull up jumper. He gets to the line an awful lot as he has no problem putting the ball on the floor and going all the way to the rim, but he also combines that with excellent shooting skills to make him a very tough guard. Ellis is a dead-eye shooter (or at least as much as you can be as a high school player) who can score from anywhere on the floor. He has great elevation on his jump shot, and hits the 3 ball at a very good clip, especially in rhythm or off the dribble, but not so much on the catch and shoot (think Stevie Francis in this aspect). His stroke is smooth and effortless, and his mechanics look good. /article/Monta-Ellis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2809/ /article/Monta-Ellis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2809/ Sun, 22 May 2005 19:30:03 -0400 's latest stop on the road in providing you with the best draft coverage on the internet brought us to a private open run at the University of Akron ran by LeBron James. LeBron was not the only NBA star participating, as New Orleans rookie J.R. Smith was in Cleveland for a few days and decided to partake. Draft prospects Louis Williams, Devin Green, and Chet Mason were also in attendance. Rodger Bohn is here to break it down for you. /article/LeBron-s-Open-Gym-181/ /article/LeBron-s-Open-Gym-181/ Sat, 21 May 2005 13:44:50 -0400 had a chance to sit down and talk with NCAA star PG Chris Paul this past week, from his current base in Washington DC where he is preparing for the draft. Paul talks about the ACC and its terrific group of point guards, some thoughts about his upcoming NBA career, his training and workouts for the draft and much more. /article/Chris-Paul-Interview-180/ /article/Chris-Paul-Interview-180/ Sat, 21 May 2005 02:28:28 -0400 Strengths Has all the physical characteristics an NBA team looks for in a small forward. At 6-9 and with a nice wingspan, he certainly has the body, although he is a little skinny. The most impressive thing about Katelynas is his incredible athletic ability, which rivals basically any player in this draft. He moves very well and is extremely quick up and down the floor. On top of that, he probably has the best vertical leap of any player his size in the draft, with an NCAA slam dunk contest trophy to back that up. He not only jumps for height, but also for distance, thanks to his excellent hang-time. He can receive the ball right on the outskirts of the lane, and elevate for a dunk without needing a head start to finish strong and comfortably, thanks to his athleticism and wingspan. Offensively, Katelynas' role in college appeared to be limited from the two tapes of his we've acquired this year. His team loved to run the floor, and so does he, so he was the perfect big man to do that in their system as he usually beats most guards down the floor. This is how he scored a lot of his points, along with the many offensive rebounds he would collect. His motor is outstanding and he never stops moving for even a second. Katelynas is excellent moving off the ball as he understands the concept of team play and looks very efficient executing in set plays, as you would expect from a European prospect. He is a solid passer, and plays the game patiently, almost never taking bad shots (56 FG%, 46% 3P) and always playing within himself. Katelynas is an excellent rebounder thanks to his physical attributes, motor and sheer desire. He knows how to box out and position himself for rebounds and has pretty nice hands as well. These same characteristics also make him a shotblocking threat when he is guarding players who are smaller than him, which will happen often in the NBA if he's playing his projected position at the 3. In general, he is a very hard worker both on and off the court, who never complains about his role and always gives 100% effort. He is a team player who sets excellent picks and is willing to hustle and sacrifice his body to give his team an advantage. He isn't soft in the least bit and will take a charge or hit the deck without thinking twice if the opportunity presents itself. He plays the game with a lot of energy and has a great court demeanor, appearing to be an excellent teammate. He is a very intelligent player who understands the game and has a huge upside to continue to improve thanks to his size, smarts, body, freakish athleticism, work ethic, attitude and excellent feel for the game. He's a true sleeper in this draft. /article/Mindaugas-Katelynas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2835/ /article/Mindaugas-Katelynas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2835/ Fri, 20 May 2005 20:13:44 -0400 This year, more than ever, there are an incredible amount of underclassmen, internationals, and high school players declaring for the draft. History tells us that the large majority of them will not keep their name in the draft, for a variety of reasons. Those names are not very hard to pick out from the early entry list if you are familiar with the player's situation, his skills, and the range he will be expected (or expecting) to be picked at--based on what we've seen from him over the course of the season and relying on NBA sources who have a good feel for who is serious about keeping their name in. Rather than take up a spot on the mock draft for these players for an entire month, we have instead decided not to list them with an explanation as to why, for the sake of consistency. /article/Not-on-the-Mock-Draft-Early-Entry-List-Commentary-179/ /article/Not-on-the-Mock-Draft-Early-Entry-List-Commentary-179/ Fri, 20 May 2005 03:39:35 -0400 The National Basketball Association announced today that 108 players, including 73 college and high school players and 35 international players, have filed as early entry candidates for NBA Draft 2005. Underclassmen and international players wishing to renounce their remaining intercollegiate eligibility and enter NBA Draft 2005 were required to submit a letter to the NBA postmarked no later than Saturday, May 14. Players who have applied for early entry have the right to withdraw their names from consideration for the Draft by notifying the NBA of their decision in writing no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 21. /article/EARLY-ENTRY-CANDIDATES-FOR-NBA-DRAFT-2005-178/ /article/EARLY-ENTRY-CANDIDATES-FOR-NBA-DRAFT-2005-178/ Thu, 19 May 2005 16:45:32 -0400 Strengths The consummate point guard, Travis Diener comes from a basketball family and truly has the mental aspects of the game mastered. He understands how to get people the ball in the right situations, and how to get every last bit out of his natural tools. Diener began his career as more of a distributor, in a supporting role to players like Dwyane Wade and Cordell Henry. Very early on, he showed the ability to effectively run an offense, use tempo to his advantage, and create scoring opportunities for others. Where many guards with this creative ability struggle with decision making and commit more than their fair share of turnovers, Diener has always played relatively mistake-free basketball. His Ast/TO ratio never fell below 2.5/1 in his four years at Marquette. During the early part of his career, Diener's offense generally came from spot-up shooting. He has textbook form on his jumper, and shot 41% from behind the arc while at Marquette. Diener helps himself in this area with an incredibly quick release, allowing him to get his shot off over many physically superior defenders. As an upperclassman, Diener became Marquette's go-to scorer, averaging nearly 20 points per game his senior season. He is a threat to pull up for a long range bomb at almost any moment, and uses this to gain a step on defenders when heading to the basket. Diener is very creative on the drive, utilizing floaters, changes of pace, and all sorts of other craft to get by defenders. In terms of persona, there aren't many more competitive players out there. Diener has a confident fire about him, which some might even call cocky, and a desire to win above all else. You couldn't ask for a better lead guard in terms of attitude. /article/Travis-Diener-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2747/ /article/Travis-Diener-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2747/ Thu, 19 May 2005 06:34:01 -0400 In Part two of our interview, Maurice tells us about his rookie NBA season, four NBA summer league campaigns, his seasons in Greece and Italy, the differences between the NBA and Europe, Team USA, escaping from Moscow, Benneton Treviso's draft prospects and much more. /article/Maurice-Evans-Interview,-Part-Two-177/ /article/Maurice-Evans-Interview,-Part-Two-177/ Thu, 19 May 2005 04:41:48 -0400 Users present the team needs of the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and Cleveland Cavaliers. The opinons expressed here are strictly of the writers and not . /article/Team-Needs-Central-Division-176/ /article/Team-Needs-Central-Division-176/ Thu, 19 May 2005 04:27:54 -0400 In an interview that anyone that is involved or interested in the draft process should read and learn from, Sacramento Kings guard Maurice Evans tells us the story of his remarkable journey to the NBA. From being a star in high school, the Missouri Valley conference, the Big 12, and then surprisingly going undrafted as an early entry before becoming a star in Europe, Evans has been through almost every scenario and level of basketball we talk about regularly here on . Part one talks about this past season in Sacramento and leads into Maurice's disappointment on draft night. /article/Maurice-Evans-Interview,-Part-One-175/ /article/Maurice-Evans-Interview,-Part-One-175/ Tue, 17 May 2005 23:19:40 -0400 's Director of Scouting Jonathan Givony spent the past few weeks pouring over dozens of tapes of all the European prospects in this draft. After evaluating the talent there and comparing that with what we know already about the NCAA and high school talent, we've decided to publish some of our thoughts. This first article will focus on the European guard prospects for this year's draft and beyond. /article/An-American-Perspective-on-Europe...the-Guards-174/ /article/An-American-Perspective-on-Europe...the-Guards-174/ Mon, 16 May 2005 14:49:56 -0400 Strengths Raymond Felton possesses tremendous speed and quickness. With or without the ball, he is one of the fastest guards in the country, college or pro. His explosive quickness allows him to beat defenders off the dribble and dash past defenders in the open court. He can change speeds in an instant and is rarely caught off balance. On the break, he has the ability to rise above the rim and finish strong due to his great vertical. Felton makes up for any lack of size or strength with his superior athleticism. He has shown during his career at North Carolina that he is extremely tough and resilient and able to play through injuries, which were many. Felton never missed a game in college due to injuries.Felton is a fantastic ball handler, probably the best in the draft. He can get anywhere on the court at any time. Coupled with his relentless attacking style this puts constant pressure on the defense. Felton has the ability to beat defenders off the dribble either to his left or right and does so often. Once in the paint he can finish at the rim with either hand. His speed and ball handling skills make him almost impossible to press against. He splits defenders with ease, using a low fast dribble to his advantage. He always dribbles with his head up looking for open teammates ready to dish at any moment.Felton is a rare breed these days. He is a true pass first point guard looking to get his teammates involved before looking for his own offense. He has incredible court vision and sees things develop long before they are there. On the break he is deadly. He can make difficult passes look easy and is not scared to make those passes, even in traffic. After beating his man off the dribble he does a great job of drawing defenders then dumping the ball off to open teammates in the paint. Despite all his passing skills, Felton is not a showboat and does not make unnecessary, flashy passes. He gets the right person the ball, in rhythm, at the right time.When Felton needs to score he can and he showed it throughout North Carolina's title run. His jump shot has improved drastically from last season to this season, going from 31% to 44% (70 out of 159) on 3 point attempts. He is now showing good form with his elbow tucked in, solid follow-through with his hand and good rise and lift going straight up. He has stopped the unnecessary drifting and fading that plagued him during his first two years at North Carolina. Felton is no longer a liability from behind the arc.On defense, Felton is a tireless worker, showing great energy, desire and anticipation. He has incredibly quick hands which allow him to get to many errant passes or loose balls. He also has exceptionally quick feet and he knows how to get position, which makes him tough to beat off the dribble. His speed, quickness and athletic ability also allow him to guard opponents far from the basket. Felton is a very aggressive defender, often gambling for steals in the passing lanes, although much of this was due to Roy Williams' defensive philosophy. Despite his aggressiveness, Felton does a good job of avoiding fouls. He only fouled out of one game his junior year. Felton also played man to man almost exclusively at North Carolina, which should give him a head start over some guards.Felton has certain traits that you just can't teach. He is a natural leader, he is very competitive and he is a clutch performer, rising to accept any challenge. He's been a winner at every stage in his basketball career. In high school he won back to back state titles. He scored 45 points in the championship game his senior year. Now you can add a college national championship to that resume. /article/Raymond-Felton-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2692/ /article/Raymond-Felton-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2692/ Mon, 16 May 2005 04:27:00 -0400 Strengths Very few players at this age are able to display the kind of gifts and skills that Yaroslav Korolev enjoys. We're talking about a point forward here, who at 6-9 has the perfect size to play the small forward position, with excellent athleticism to go with it, and the skills of a guard. He's a pretty long kid, as besides his size, he enjoys a nice wingspan. Of course at this age he's far from being a strong player, but his frame is decent, good enough to play in the NBA with no problem at all after adding some strength. He's very quick for being so tall, really coordinated, and combines a good vertical leap with some explosiveness. To sum up, he's quite an athlete, particularly if we're talking about a European guy, and has the tools to make things happen. Before digging into his skills, it's interesting to point that Yaroslav's father is a basketball coach. It's surely a big reason why the guy is so skilled and fundamentally sound. To start with, he has very good ball-handling skills. He can drive in traffic and handle the ball in transition with ease. He barely losses speed while dribbling and utiziles both hands very well. This is a key department in his game, which allows him to be so versatile. To complete the playmaking package, he's a quite a good passer. Standing 6 feet and 9 inches off the floor, he has the privilege to see the court particularly well, and he fully takes advantage of it. He can dish it off in many situations: transition plays, feeding a cutting teammate, as well as on drive and dish plays to deliver to an open teammate after causing defensive rotations. He's first a passer, a game creator, then a scorer. He loves to run the offense, but more importantly, he doesn't abuse these skills. He lets the game come to him, not forcing unnecessary situations, not overshadowing his teammates. He doesn't over-handle the ball, playing in the flow of the offense while showing great decision making. When it comes to scoring, he can use a variety of weapons. He's not a shooter, but he's rather consistent with his jumper. He has range, solid mechanics and shows ability to release it off the dribble if necessary. But he's not too prolific in this department, and it's rarely a first option for him. When he receives the ball, if he doesn't find a good pass (or he isn't fully open, of course), he usually looks to drive rather than firing. With a good first step, he takes his man off the dribble rather easily, and has the ability to finish, whether with a powerful dunk, or with a creative lay-up, depending on the situation. He's pretty fluid and smooth. If you think that such a talented and skilled guy will likely be a defensive liability, you're wrong. Korolev has all the tools to become an excellent defender, and he already shows quite good results. He has more than enough lateral quickness to defend his position, the length to annoy any rival (that helps him to come up with some steals) and he puts some intensity and effort. He's quite dangerous on the block coming from the weak side, showing good timing in the process. He can give a hand in the rebounding department too, which isn't unexpected given his athleticism and length. Korolev is a very special player, a big time prospect oozing with potential. He's a guy with a natural talent to play this game, a very high basketball IQ, who plays with intensity and passion and who is a pleasure to watch. /article/Yaroslav-Korolev-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2803/ /article/Yaroslav-Korolev-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2803/ Mon, 16 May 2005 01:31:03 -0400 Strengths C.J. Miles doesn't have one specific area that jumps out at you when watching him play. He is a fairly well-rounded player that can do a lot of different things well, and has a nice feel for the game. The first thing you will notice about Miles is the smooth way that he moves around the floor. While he isn't blessed with a blow-by first step, or rim-rocking explosiveness as a leaper, Miles has very nice body control and is always shifting past defenders. In this area, you might compare him to a Ray Allen. You might also think of Allen when you see his body type. Miles comes in about 6'5 (maybe 6'6), and has very long arms. Despite having a quite frail upper body, Miles' arms and body control allow him to be a very effective rebounder from the SG position. Miles' main strength at this point is probably his outside shot. He is a great natural shooter, and has very nice range on his shot. It's his shooting ability that allows him to get by defenders off the dribble, and pull up for midrange jumpers. When Miles does attempt to attack the basket, he has proven reasonably effective at this. There has been talk of Miles playing some PG if he was to pull out of the draft and attend Texas, and he does have some ball handling ability. While he certainly doesn't have the handle or quickness to ever be considered even a combo guard, he does look comfortable with the ball in his hands, and his size allows him to see the court well. While it is always hard to project how a high school kid defends on the NBA level, Miles has some decent natural tools here as well. His smooth athleticism and long arms could translate into something successful down the road. Miles appears willing to play hard on the defensive end as well, always something nice to see from a high school kid. /article/C.J.-Miles-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2804/ /article/C.J.-Miles-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2804/ Sun, 15 May 2005 17:19:34 -0400 Strengths At a chiseled 6-6, 215 pounds, Graham already has an NBA body, complete with a pair of huge arms, wide shoulders, large hands and a very strong lower body. This is always the first thing mentioned by players who have went up against him in high school, college and lately in NBA workouts, just how tough he is to put a body on and how physically impressive he is. With his strength and tenacity, he is not a fun matchup for most players to go up against. He has a prototypical body for an NBA shooting guard, and is even big enough to log some minutes as a small forward without giving up too much. Graham is also an excellent athlete, much like his brother Joey, but much more fluid in his movements. Watching him move with or without the ball in his hands, it's hard not to be impressed by how much bounce he has in his step. He is extremely quick off his feet and possesses a very nice vertical leap. His lower body strength and good body control make him more of a long jumper (which comes to play in the many memorable soaring put-backs he had at Oklahoma State) than a high jumper, but he can get off the floor to snatch rebounds, alter shots and dunk just fine.What makes Graham somewhat of an intriguing prospect for the next level, despite his paltry production in college, is his versatility. Restricted almost exclusively to the post at Oklahoma State, he never really got a chance to showcase any of this versatility, but he actually played PG throughout high school and for most of his first two seasons in college before transferring to Oklahoma State. Watching him handle the ball on the perimeter, it's not hard to see that his PG instincts are still there. He is a very creative passer who understands ball movement and is very good at setting the table for his teammates just where they like it. He makes crisp passes and has a knack for anticipating things and finding the open man. He's an unselfish player, probably too unselfish actually, which hurts his NBA potential. He is very good moving with and without the ball, picking his spots well and understands where to place himself in the offense to maximize his time on the floor. His ball-handling is very solid, and thanks to this attribute combined with his athleticism and PG skills, he is excellent on the drive and dish. Like his brother Joey, he is a solid mid-range shooter, but he's a little bit better at utilizing NBA type moves to free himself up from 14-16 feet to get his shot off, especially strong body fakes to get his man off balance and then pull up for the mid-range jumper. /article/Stephen-Graham-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2853/ /article/Stephen-Graham-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2853/ Sat, 14 May 2005 17:24:18 -0400 Strengths Morris is a big kid, a bit lumbering, but has quick feet and good instincts. Even though he's not a legit seven feet, he looks comfortable in his body and possesses great natural awareness of where to be in proximity to the basket. This comes in most handy when catching the post feed and setting up for what has become a signature move -- the turn-around 10-15 foot jumper.The big Georgian has enormous hands and uses them well, handling tough passes from either wing effectively. If Morris catches the ball near the basket, he will dunk it. A few feet away and he has more trouble. As a full-court player, he is above-average athletically for his size, but is nowhere near the leaper former AAU teammate Dwight Howard is. Morris is more agile than he is athletic, using good timing in lieu of overwhelming jumping ability. His frame is certainly NBA caliber, and once he starts working out full-time in an NBA weight room he should be one of the bigger and stronger players on the floor at any given time. As intelligent a young man as he is off the court, Morris' freshman year at UK showed that he can utilize this prowess on the court, too. He plays the angles well, using space provided him when he needs to rather than always bulling his way to the hoop.Probably the most intriguing number in Morris' stat-line this year are his 143 free throw attempts in only 672 minutes. Compared with other centers around the country, that is an extremely impressive ratio. He accomplished that despite the fact that Kentucky's offense was in no way built around feeding him the ball. Simply seeing more of Morris on the court, rather than sitting on the bench in foul trouble, would no doubt extend his list of positives. He showed some sparks of being able to do more at times, especially in terms of his post moves and footwork, but nothing consistent. /article/Randolph-Morris-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2711/ /article/Randolph-Morris-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2711/ Wed, 11 May 2005 11:57:29 -0400 's European scouts, who have followed the Euroleague closely all season long, would like to tell you about the top players whose teams made the Final Four in this very competitive league. Just like last year's Euroleague Final Four, there were many prospects that could be interesting for the NBA. We'll separate them once again into three categories, the NBA draft prospects, the free agents, and the players whose rights are currently owned by NBA teams. This article will deal with the over-22 free agents who NBA teams might or should be looking at starting July 1st. /article/The-Euroleague-Final-Four-NBA-Prospects,-Part-2-173/ /article/The-Euroleague-Final-Four-NBA-Prospects,-Part-2-173/ Wed, 11 May 2005 03:38:28 -0400 DraftExpress' European scouts, who have followed the Euroleague closely all season long, would like to tell you about the top players whose teams made the Final Four in this very competitive league. Just like last year's Euroleague Final Four, there were many prospects that could be interesting for the NBA. We'll separate them once again into three categories, the NBA draft prospects, the free agents, and players whose rights are currently owned by NBA teams. This article will deal with the NBA draft prospects and the players who have already been drafted by NBA teams. /article/The-Euroleague-Final-Four-NBA-Prospects,-Part-1-172/ /article/The-Euroleague-Final-Four-NBA-Prospects,-Part-1-172/ Tue, 10 May 2005 18:32:08 -0400 Strengths A very unique prospect in this draft. At 6-10, he possesses excellent height on the perimeter for a small forward, and the budding skills to take advantage of it.Bell is tall, but also extremely long. His wingspan (measured at 7-1 in Portsmouth) and reach is absolutely tremendous, reminding somewhat of Tayshaun Prince with his frame. Like Prince, he is also very skinny. In terms of athleticism, Bell compares favorably with most of the small forwards in this draft not named Hakim Warrick or Joey Graham. His foot-speed is good, he is fairly quick and possesses a nice first step and excellent vertical leap. Those physical attributes combined with his excellent wingspan make him a threat to pull down almost any rebound in sight if he puts his mind to it. This also gives him the potential to become an excellent defender down the road, although he is definitely not there as of right now. Offensively, while nothing he does at this point is completely polished or consistent, he shows some extremely intriguing skills on the perimeter. His outside is better than his numbers will indicate, and if he continues to work hard he should become a very solid outside threat thanks to his height and range. If left open, Bell is usually money from outside and can hit the three from both a stationary position and off the dribble. His mechanics are good, with a high release and nice elevation on his jump shot to make it even tougher to guard. Bell has some fairly nice moves on the perimeter to create shots for himself right now, thanks to his intelligence with the ball in his hands and nifty footwork. He likes to use an array of head, shot and body fakes to get his man off balance and then either take him off the dribble all the way to the basket or pull up for the mid-range shot. His ball-handling skills are pretty good for a player of his size, he looks fairly comfortable handling the ball in the open floor and will even bring the ball up for his team sometimes. His crossover dribble is particularly strong. Despite being the main offensive reference on his team and the player expected to carry most of the scoring load, Bell is not a selfish player and displays pretty good passing skills, especially out of the double team. In terms of character, he's a soft spoken kid who doesn't look to be capable of hurting a fly. This might be considered either a strength or a weaknesses of his depending on who you ask. /article/Mike-Bell-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2852/ /article/Mike-Bell-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2852/ Mon, 09 May 2005 20:29:28 -0400 DraftExpress traveled up the West coast of Florida this past week to visit two of the most prestigious basketball training camps in America, IMG academy in Bradenton and Five Star Pro Training Center in Clearwater. We had the chance to take an in-depth look at many NBA prospects for this draft, weeks before the NBA will, including Matt Walsh, Ryan Gomes, Sean Banks, Carlos Powell, Brandon Rush, Tiras Wade, Orien Greene and others. This report will focus on the second day of the trip at Five Star Pro Training Center. /article/Private-Workouts-at-Five-Star-Pro-Training-Center-171/ /article/Private-Workouts-at-Five-Star-Pro-Training-Center-171/ Mon, 09 May 2005 04:07:03 -0400 Maccabi Tel Aviv are once again the European Champions. brings you a summary of the four important Euroleague games played in Moscow this past weekend, including the top performers, some noteworthy stats and more. /article/The-Euroleague-Final-Four-Game-Recaps-170/ /article/The-Euroleague-Final-Four-Game-Recaps-170/ Mon, 09 May 2005 01:16:33 -0400 Strengths His biggest strength has to be his size, at nearly 7 feet tall. For a player his size, he runs the floor extremely well and can get up off the floor to finish plays at the basket, change shots defensively and rebound in traffic. On top of that, he has a very nice wingspan which makes him an excellent shot blocking threat at the college level, especially coming from the weak side. When he is focused and motivated, his timing can be very impressive.Offensively, Frye is a finesse player who prefers to face the basket and owns a very nice looking jump shot. He has range out to about 16-18 feet and can consistently knock down the mid-range jumper if you give it to him. His numbers from the free throw line most certainly back that up, at 83% which is outstanding for a big man. In the pros, the pick and pop should be a great play to run for him. Around the basket, Frye can score as long as he isn't being contested too fiercely thanks to his height, length and athletic ability. He has a nice little jump hook shot that could become his go to move in the pros. Frye is an efficient scorer who makes the most of his touches, shooting 56% from the floor in his four years at Arizona on over 700 field goals made. In terms of character and intangibles, Frye is about as solid as you'll find. He is an intelligent, soft spoken kid who carries himself well both on and off the floor and will be an excellent locker room presence in the pros. /article/Channing-Frye-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2750/ /article/Channing-Frye-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2750/ Sun, 08 May 2005 20:35:36 -0400 traveled up the West coast of Florida this past week to visit two of the most prestigious basketball training camps in America, IMG academy in Bradenton and Five Star Pro Training Center in Clearwater. We had the chance to take an in-depth look at many NBA prospects for this draft, weeks before the NBA will, including Matt Walsh, Ryan Gomes, Sean Banks, Carlos Powell, Brandon Rush, Tiras Wade, Orien Greene and others. This report will focus on the first day of the trip at IMG academy. /article/Private-Workouts-at-IMG-Academy-169/ /article/Private-Workouts-at-IMG-Academy-169/ Sun, 08 May 2005 03:42:32 -0400 has decided to take its coverage to another level, this time covering the prestigious AAU tournaments throughout the country. Our first stop was the Spiece Pump N Run. While there were many players participating that will be very good college players and eventual NBA prospects, we had to focus on five players who are either NBA prospects right now, or who are definite ones in the very near future. We will be giving you a detailed breakdown on the performance of those five players (O.J. Mayo, Bill Walker, Greg Oden, Daequan Cook, and Kyle Luckett), as well as the buzz and interesting stories that surrounded them at Spiece. /article/Recap-of-the-Spiece-Pump-N-Run-Tournament-168/ /article/Recap-of-the-Spiece-Pump-N-Run-Tournament-168/ Sat, 07 May 2005 14:50:21 -0400 The Euroleague Final Four will kick off on Friday (May 6th) in Moscow (5:10 PM CET, 9:10 AM EDT, NBATV) and is here to introduce you to the four teams participating and all of their top players. Dimitris Ritsonis takes you inside the two matchups. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-preview-the-Participants-167/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-preview-the-Participants-167/ Thu, 05 May 2005 02:35:07 -0400 Strengths Akindele possesses an outstanding body for an NBA center. He has great size for the position at around 7 feet tall, a fantastic wingspan and a picture perfect frame. In terms of physical attributes, and on first glace, he looks the part of a legit NBA center. He's a bit skinny at the moment, but that shouldn't be a concern at all since he has wide shoulders and plenty of room to add lots of strength once he starts hitting the NBA weight rooms.Beyond that, Akindele is simply a fantastic athlete for a player his size. He is extremely quick off his feet and is a very good leaper, which, combined with his outstanding reach, makes him an excellent shotblocking threat. He is an extremely fluid player who gets up and down the floor with ease and moves from side to side effortlessly. He has no coordination problems at all in terms of the way he moves and reacts to things. On top of that, his footspeed is excellent, and he is extremely quick to get to whichever spots he wants to on the floor (from the post to the perimeter in the blink of an eye for example) and when he wants to, can beat most Mid-Con guards down the floor on the break. Because of the physical attributes noted above, Akindele can (sometimes) catch a pass in the post, receive and dunk in one quick and fluid motion, get off the floor to sky for rebounds, and really intimidate opponents around the rim, especially in the conference he plays in.Defensively, his lateral quickness is excellent, and he is extremely quick to rotate and make slashers think twice about putting up something soft that he can just swat away. /article/Deji-Akindele-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2833/ /article/Deji-Akindele-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2833/ Wed, 04 May 2005 03:39:07 -0400 This weekend the Final 8 round of the Adriatic league took place in Belgrade, where the experienced but draft prospect-less team Hemofarm won its first trophy ever in their history. They beat Partizan in their own hall in front of many NBA scouts. This was probably the most interesting tournament outside the U.S. this year in terms of NBA prospects, and it would be very surprising if every NBA team wasn't represented in one way or another. All the NBA prospects in attendance got at least some playing time, and DraftExpress is here to tell you how they looked. /article/The-Adriatic-League-s-Final-Eight-166/ /article/The-Adriatic-League-s-Final-Eight-166/ Tue, 03 May 2005 15:29:32 -0400 Dimitris Diamantidis has come a long way over the past six years. A player that once wasn't even a blip on the NBA's radar as a teenager has emerged as one of the most intriguing PG's in Europe, especially from a defensive standpoint. His skills will be on full display this Friday (May 6th) at the Euroleague Final Four in Moscow (5:10 PM CET, 9:10 AM EDT, NBATV) being one of a number of players that will undoubtably be scouted by every team in the NBA. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-preview-Greek-PG-Dimitris-Diamantidis-165/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-preview-Greek-PG-Dimitris-Diamantidis-165/ Mon, 02 May 2005 03:42:28 -0400 Strengths Kristian Hohnjec (May 2005): Ukic is a talented player with all tools needed to become one of the best European point guards for years to come. He's one of the most attractive players in Europe in terms of his style of play and is always a pleasure to watch. Roko possesses good athleticism for the PG position. At 6-5 he has great size for the PG spot and he combines that with good quickness. Ukic has a very quick first step, which makes him one of the best slashers at this level. His wingspan (reportedly 6-9) is also above average and helps him a lot on the defensive end to get in the passing lanes and come up steals. Ukic is a very complete offensive player who can score in many different ways. As already mentioned, there are very few players in Europe who better than him when it comes to slashing to the hoop. He beats defenders off the dribble on a regular basis, because of his quick first step and excellent ball-handling. He handles the ball equally well with either hand and can go either left or right when driving to the basket. He has a very nice crossover in his arsenal, to go with all sorts of other flashy ball-handing moves which he developed while playing streetball in Croatia. Ukic is very unpredictable while driving to the basket. He can go all the way to the basket for a lay-up, pull up and hit the jumper, or pass the ball very well to the open man. He is skinny, but has no problem finishing with contact and is a master when is comes to drawing fouls. This season he has become more aggressive in taking his defender of the dribble then in previous seasons. Ukic has great range on his jumper and shouldn't have any problems adjusting to the NBA 3 point line. He has a high and quick release and has shown a good ability to catch and shoot on some occasions, but that is not his main role. He doesn't need much space to release his jumper and is capable of shooting with a defender's hand in his face; becoming a specialist this year at making extremely tough off-balance shots. Shooting off the dribble is where he particularly shines, and he is indeed an accurate shooter from mid-range. He gets to the foul line often and is an excellent shooter once he gets there; converting 86% of his FT's this season. While at 6-5 he has many characteristics that you would like to see from a good shooting guard, there is no doubt that he is a pure PG. Roko has good natural playmaking instincts and exceptional court vision, knowing how to create high-percentage shots for his teammates. Based on the flashy no-look and behind the back type passes he has in his repertoire you could say that he is pretty creative with the ball in his hands. He is also a good decision maker who excels in transition. In the half court set he has improved and now has become better at getting all of his teammates involved. Because of his size he can see over the top of most defenders and occasionally shows some post up skills against smaller guards. Defensively, he reads passing lanes very well and thanks to that skill and his wingspan he gets a few steals every game. He is capable of playing good defense like he showed last year, by giving Sebastian Telfair a hard time during the Nike Hoop Summit game. He also reportedly guarded Devin Harris very well during private workouts. Recently he is being used more often at home to guard SG's and is doing quite well, for example he guarded fellow highly-rated Croatian prospect Marko Tomas recently, holding him scoreless in the first 20 minutes of their battle. Even right now he shouldn't be a defensive liability in the NBA and could eventually become good a defender if and when he adds some bulk. Ukic is an above average rebounder for a point guard, especially on the offensive end, where he shows good anticipation skills. Ukic is a player who takes responsibility when the game is on the line and usually performs very well under pressure. He is a leader and has a good demeanor on the court. He is considered a mentally strong player and has plenty of confidence in his abilities even when he is having an off-night. Ukic is a very exciting player to watch and you don't have to be an expert to realize his special talent while watching him play. He possesses a high basketball IQ, a terrific work ethic and a great knowledge of the game. He works very hard on the small details, usually spending some hours in the gym even when practice is over. He lives for basketball, and is the biggest expert on everything related to the NBA amongst players in this area. He surely knows what it takes to succeed in the NBA. ------------------------------------------Luis Fernández (February 2004): Roko-Leni Ukic is a true talent. From the first time you see him you notice a special elegance in his game, in his movements, and the kind of excitement that only a 6-5 (perhaps still growing) highly skilled and fundamentally sound playmaker is able to produce.He combines a high level of offensive savvy with excellent distributing abilities. Being quite a fast player, knowing where to place his feet, and having great handles with both hands, he's able to penetrate easily even in traffic to finish himself, dish off to a teammate or get to the line. Ukic is a good shooter anywhere on the court. He can shoot it stationary, off the dribble, in motion from the mid-range area and even off-balance as well. He can create his own shot by faking a move and dribbling, and then using his quick release to get off his shot. He is really difficult to stop when hot, and never avoids responsabilities when the game is on the line.Ukic displays the court vision and passing abilities that a good point guard is supposed to possess. He fills the bill whether in a transition game or in the set offense, and he usually makes the right decisions. Besides, he doesn't abuse his ball-handling, and he understands the importance of moving the ball around and even enjoys doing so. He knows how to improvise and find a good option when he hits a dead end. He has a high basketball IQ and shows a lot of confidence.Defensively, he reads the passing lanes pretty well. He also has really quick hands which he often uses to steal the ball from his match-up, on help defense or just by anticipating a pass before his matchup makes it. /article/Roko-Leni-Ukic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2706/ /article/Roko-Leni-Ukic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2706/ Sun, 01 May 2005 00:22:00 -0400 Strengths Wright is a productive and extremely talented NCAA player who possesses all the physical tools and skills you look for in an NBA shooting guard. Wright is an outstanding athlete with some serious bounce in his step and a prototypical body for an NBA wing. He has great size at 6-7 and a pretty nice frame that shouldn't have a problem taking on some more weight. His wingspan appears to be above average as well. His first step is pretty explosive and his overall speed in the open court is excellent. Wright has all the fluid tools needed to get to the hoop, and once he's there he is quick off his feet with the ability to hang in the air and finish creatively around the basket, thanks to some very nice body control. There are probably more impressive dunkers than Wright in this draft, but he certainly would hold his own if David Stern decided to organize a dunk contest on draft night. Offensively, Wright is a true talent and can score in many different ways. His athletic ability makes him an outstanding slashing threat, but what makes him truly unique and dangerous is how he combines that with a deadly perimeter shot. His stroke is beautiful, with nice mechanics, and he hits it at a very accurate clip (about 45% on a large number of attempts). He can shoot it with a man in his face or off the dribble, and he uses just the threat of shooting very nicely as a decoy to catch his man off balance with a head or shot fake and drive towards the lane. He loves to put the ball on the floor and pull-up from the mid-range area (NBA style), usually from 14-16 feet out, and is pretty accurate from here as well. His shot selection is outstanding, as you may have guessed by the fact that despite the fact that he's a star on a small team, he shoots slightly over 50% from the field. If his shot isn't there, Wright has absolutely no problem giving the ball up to the open man and will never be the one who stops the ball movement. He is extremely unselfish (to a fault at times) and has very nice passing skills from both static position and on the drive and dish.Defensively, Wright does not play the game like you would expect such a talented offensive star player to. He is not afraid of getting into an aggressive defensive stance, and can be a very pesky defender with his disruptive length and lateral quickness. His athleticism and wingspan have made him a very good ball-thief and shot blocker at the NCAA level, and he has shown good instincts in the passing lanes at times to come up with steals and ignite the break. Even though he isn't the most effective defender in the draft at this point, he rarely takes off possessions and generally gives 100% effort in almost everything he does on the court. Considering all the raw tools mentioned above, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Wright has some serious upside. He has the body, the athleticism, the skills, and what appears to be the mental approach to bring it all together, if the light bulb has indeed come on for him the way it looked like it had all season long. /article/Antoine-Wright-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2770/ /article/Antoine-Wright-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2770/ Thu, 28 Apr 2005 05:46:27 -0400 Strengths Zhu Fangyu is a reasonably athletic and well built small forward, rather strong for his age, with enough size to play that position even if he's not really that big. He's a rarity coming from China, as the majority of Chinese NBA prospects are paint players. His main offensive weapon is his jumper, showing good mechanics and deep range, also being able to make it off the dribble, even if he prefers the static approach. Zhu can put the ball on the floor to attack the basket. He has some handles and a decent first step. He tries to take advantage of favorable situations, like when his matchup is unbalanced. He can be a decent player without the ball, cutting to get open looks nearer the basket, but many times he's not prolific enough in this department, preferring to hang around the three-point line waiting for the ball. Regarding his passing abilities, he shows them mostly driving and dishing although perhaps not as often as it would be desired. Defensively, he shows some pretty nice lateral movement, and shouldn't have too much trouble defending the small forward position at a higher level. /article/Zhu-Fangyu-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2755/ /article/Zhu-Fangyu-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2755/ Wed, 27 Apr 2005 03:15:54 -0400 Strengths Kleiza is a unique prospect in this draft, as there are not many prospects with his skill level in terms of how many different things he brings to the table; and the approach you need to take to guarding him. The first thing you notice about him is the way he fights. Unlike most European draft prospects you are used to reading about, this kid is tough as nails, and relishes contact, especially when he gets to dish it out. He's a competitor, but he's a lot more than just a bruiser, he's extremely skilled as well. Like you would expect from a European, he is a fundamentally sound player who understands the game, has an excellent feel for how to maximize his time within it, and is best suited playing in the team concept. Although he didn't have many chances to show it off (considering the quality of his teammates), Kleiza is a very good passer who recognizes changes in defense and knows how to make plays with an easy bounce pass. He often gets double teamed playing at Missouri, but he does not panic and usually is very good about finding the open man. What makes him particularly interesting in this draft is his overall versatility on offense. He's very active and can beat you in many different ways, either by facing up or down low, making him a tough player for the opposing team to find a matchup for. Linas has a good first step, which he can use to slash to the basket and finish strong even with contact. He has a nice stroke from the perimeter, if you leave him open he has the ability to knock down the three with relative ease, although this is something that he will probably have to really master to make an impact in the NBA. In the post he has the hands to catch the ball, and the footwork and strength to maneuver himself around the post and finish with a soft touch. Offensively, I don't think there should be too many concerns around him. He has the skills needed to put points up on the board if he's being guarded straight up. On the glass, Linas is a very good (and intelligent) rebounder for his size, thanks to his rare combination of smarts and toughness, combined with big and soft hands. He uses his strength very well to box out players and establish position in the paint. He fights hard on the glass and has a knack for anticipating where the ball will end up landing and going after it. In terms of his intangibles, he's a hard working player both on and off the court. He has always been described as a gym rat who plays with a lot of heart. /article/Linas-Kleiza-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2787/ /article/Linas-Kleiza-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2787/ Tue, 26 Apr 2005 04:34:01 -0400 The NBA draft is really starting to warm up. The lottery teams are known, the complete order will be found out on May 24 and a couple of teams' interests are already starting to leak out. explores the concept of smokescreens, as they pertain to the NBA draft. The early smokescreen candidates are discussed, along with bringing up numerous examples from past years and just how much they can shake up the draft and drive draft fans crazy. /article/Smokescreens-and-the-suckers-who-fall-for-them-164/ /article/Smokescreens-and-the-suckers-who-fall-for-them-164/ Tue, 26 Apr 2005 01:46:07 -0400 Strengths Bargnani is a prototypical player in terms of the physical attributes and raw skills that scouts salivate over in their search for the next young European (star?) big man.First his physical attributes. He's tall (easily a 7 footer), and a very fluid athlete that runs the court very well, has a very nice first step and is a decent leaper. He'll never be a power player in the paint, but his frame suggests that his bulk will be adequate for the power forward position in the future. Second are his skills. What distinguishes him from most American prospects his age is his complete outside game. He can handle the ball pretty well, and has a great stroke from anywhere on the court, complete with a quick and high release point. He can catch and shoot or put the ball on the floor to beat any big man off the dribble, going aggressively to the rim to finish, or stop and pull up for a sweet jump shot. What sets him apart from other 7 footers is his coordination and quickness to put the ball on the floor to drive to the basket. He's going to be a match-up nightmare in his prime once he gets stronger, probably being the player most resembling a young Dirk Nowitzki that you've seen in a while. This season he didn't have too many opportunities to demonstrate his skills, but showed great flashes when given a chance while playing against the best competition you will find outside of the NBA.NBA people surely remember him because of the very solid performance he had in a preseason game against the Toronto Raptors, showing he can beat players off the dribble numerous times, even a very quick power forward like Chris Bosh. Bargnani always plays in the flow of the offense, being too young at this point to afford any kind of selfishness on a veteran team with a defensive minded coach like Ettore Messina. He sometimes forced a few situations this year, but those were usually on broken plays, showing personality and creativity while trying to solve tough situations rather than selfishness to take more shots. Andrea is very active on defense, being more effective than what someone would expect against European small forwards thanks to his quick feet. He tries to do his best against big men too, the kind of players he will likely be matched against in his future career. While it's not easy to imagine him guarding small forwards full time in the NBA, his versatility won't expose his team defensively in cases of rotations and switches on pick and rolls. /article/Andrea-Bargnani-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2781/ /article/Andrea-Bargnani-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2781/ Sun, 24 Apr 2005 11:04:04 -0400 Strengths Kosta Perovic is a semi-mobile center with great size and a soft touch around the basket. Perovic possesses average athleticism, but runs the court well and has a decent vertical leap. He has a good wingspan which might allow him to become a shot-blocking threat in the future, although at this point he isn't much of one at all. His wingspan will help him defensively and on the glass, though, as well as giving him more options to finish around the basket. Perovic has the potential to become a very good offensive center; he has very soft hands and is a good finisher around the basket. Right now many of his points come off of offensive rebounds, where he uses his size and long arms to grab rebounds over small opponents. His go-to-move is the hook shot and it's a pretty effective weapon. He can use it with either hand, and generally has no problem using his left around the basket, which speak volumes about his skill level. He has a decent post-up game, where he takes advantage of his size to release mainly those half hooks. And while his quickness is not good at all, he shows some flashes of using the footspeed he has there, being able, for example, to spin quickly towards the hoop trying to beat his matchup off the baseline to score with a reverse lay-up. Kosta also has a very nice mid-range jumper. His mechanics and shooting stroke are surprisingly good for a center, and most importantly, he is an accurate shooter with range out to 18 feet. Perovic is also a good free throw shooter for a big man. He also has very good court vision and is a very good passer out of the low or high post. Perovic seems to have a very good knowledge of the game to go along with his above average basketball IQ. He is a very experienced player compared with most 20-year olds, European or not, and has already had a chance to test himself against some of best centers in Europe, at all age levels. /article/Kosta-Perovic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2777/ /article/Kosta-Perovic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2777/ Sun, 24 Apr 2005 03:23:16 -0400 Strengths Possesses good size for an NBA point guard (if he can make the transition), with a strong upper body. Has good enough quickness to get to where he wants to get to on the floor. Possesses a solid handle which is good enough to make him a capable ball-handler in the NCAA.Dean's biggest strength at the NBA level is that he's a great shooter with excellent range and a quick release. Hes also a good free throw shooter. When his jumpshot is on he is easily one of the top five shooters in America. He gets good lift on his jumpshot which allows him to get his shot off against virtually any guard in the college game. Dean is a competitive player who understands the game, although his feel is not one of a true point guard, but rather understands how to come off screens and manipulate his defender to get open looks at the basket. He flashes the ability to break his man down off the dribble, although nowhere nearly consistent enough to project him at the PG or SG position in the NBA. Shows the athletic ability to defend point guards and has the size and strength to defend the position at the next level. Has improved as a shooter in every season. Shows tremendous heart and desire as evidenced by his play in the regional final battling injuries to his ankle and leg. /article/Taquan-Dean-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2830/ /article/Taquan-Dean-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2830/ Sat, 23 Apr 2005 14:43:40 -0400 's scout in Greece, Dimitris Ritsonis, conducts a wide-ranging, but highly unconventional personal interview with one of the most impressive young stars in this year's past Euroleague season, Nikos Zisis from AEK Athens. Zissis discusses his thoughts on his season so far, his philosophy on basketball, and how he views the draft and especially the NBA from his side of the ocean. /article/Nikos-Zisis-Interview-with-a-Young-Euroleague-Star-163/ /article/Nikos-Zisis-Interview-with-a-Young-Euroleague-Star-163/ Sat, 23 Apr 2005 01:01:32 -0400 Strengths (Kristian Hohnjec, April 2005):Tomas is very good all-round player with solid athletic abilities, and should be considered one of the best shooting prospects in this years draft. Marko has very good size for the SG position and is not undersized for the SF spot either at 6-7 3/4. He is a fluid player who enjoys a good vertical leap and is rather quick running the floor. As of right now, the best thing about Tomas as far as the NBA is concerned is his shooting ability, being considered one of the best shooters this part of the world has to offer for his age. He has great shooting mechanics and a very quick release on his jumper. He has good range and shouldn't have any problems adjusting to the NBA three point line, because he has shown many times this season that he can shoot the ball from well behind the European arc. His shot off the dribble is pretty accurate and he uses it quite often. The best part about his stroke is the fact that he needs very little space and time to get it off. He has shown some versatility this year in creating shots for himself as well as for his teammates at this level, as during the season he was forced to play the PG position at times and showed very decent, if not good court vision and passing skills. Although Tomas is the first offensive option on his team, he has very good shot selection and rarely forces bad shots. Tomas showed very solid defensive footwork and can be a very aggressive defender and rebounder on occasion. He is aggressive on the offensive glass and gets a few offensive rebounds every night. Thanks to his vertical leap he is able to block some shots from the weak side as well. Marko is a player who possesses great knowledge of the game and a high basketball IQ. The development that he has shown over last two seasons should tell you everything about his attitude and work ethic. Tomas is a pretty consistent player at this point who has shown that he can provide leadership on the court on a young team and take responsibility when the game is on the line, despite his young age. ----------------------------------(Ivo Krka, May 2004): He's already a good basketball player at his young age. Has good size and quick feet. He's a good shooter, with a nice jump shot, which he can shoot either static or off the dribble. He can also put the ball on the floor. He has very good ball control, dribbles really well and causes lots of problems for the man defending him. His leaping abilities are quite good, he can dunk the ball in an attractive way, but he uses his dunks mainly on fast breaks. He's usually the first to run from one end of the court to the other in transition. His rebounding is excellent for an outside player, especially his offensive rebounding timing which is very good. His perimeter defense is OK, he has good footwork, but his defense in the passing lanes is what makes him a potentially very good defender, he anticipates opponent's passes well. He rarely causes turnovers, is very concentrated during the game and is a great teammate. He is a very gutsy player who doesn't give up. /article/Marko-Tomas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2726/ /article/Marko-Tomas-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2726/ Fri, 22 Apr 2005 06:06:46 -0400 Strengths Radivojevic is fairly athletic player with good footspeed, but what makes him better then most young European guards is his aggressiveness and competitiveness. Vuk is overall a decent athlete with nice defensive footwork, good size and a very solid first step. He uses his quickness very well on offense while driving to the basket. Offensively, he scores most of his points when beating his defender off the dribble. He is a pretty effective penetrator and gets to the foul line quite often. He posseses very solid court vision and passing abilities. Radivojevic has good handles with both hands and is solid decision maker. Currently his main strength is his defense. He is extremely aggressive on the defensive end of the floor and always give 100%. He really knows how to frustrate his opponents and plays hard, often committing some very hard, but useful fouls. He posses nice footwork and is capable of defending some smaller and quicker players. He is also good a rebounder for guard. Vuk is a mentally strong player who loves to take responsibility when the game is on the line. Because of his attitude and aggressiveness, he is fan favorite. /article/Vuk-Radivojevic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2808/ /article/Vuk-Radivojevic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2808/ Fri, 22 Apr 2005 04:10:52 -0400 Will Conroy from Washington takes time out of his schedule to tell about one of the first of many NBA workouts that will be conducted over the next two months. Conroy was in Houston on Monday, working out with the Rockets with Aaron Miles, Andre Owens and Corey Santee. The workout is broken down for us piece by piece, with Conroy giving us an in-depth and exclusive, but light-hearted look at what it's like to be a former walk-on fighting for a spot in the NBA. /article/Will-Conroy-Interview-Preview-for-NBA-Workouts-162/ /article/Will-Conroy-Interview-Preview-for-NBA-Workouts-162/ Thu, 21 Apr 2005 05:37:44 -0400 Strengths Kresimir Loncar is a fairly skilled and fundamentally sound big man, in the mold of what you can expect out of a typical European big man. He has size, a decent frame and he's rather mobile and coordinated. Offensively, he's pretty versatile, being a threat both inside the paint or while facing the basket from further distances. He can play in the low post, showing nice movements there with decent footwork and footspeed, while having the resources needed to finish around the basket, like a useful half hook shot that he can perform. Facing the basket, his best weapon is his jumper, enjoying good mechanics and range out to the international three-point line (of course, it's basically a static shot). He has the handles to put the ball on the floor and try to beat his matchup, usually after a pump fake or by taking advantage of his defender's unbalanced position. Loncar is rather solid on defense. He has decent lateral defensive movement for a center, while he usually manages to contain his matchups in the low post. He delivers good enough intensity. He's also pretty active looking for the rebound, especially on the offensive glass. Kresimir can pass the ball too, particularly from the high post. In general, he shows a good basketball IQ. /article/Kresimir-Loncar-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2724/ /article/Kresimir-Loncar-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2724/ Wed, 20 Apr 2005 05:25:01 -0400 The Adidas Derby Classic is not a very well known high school all-star game, but this reputation may need a re-evaluation. At this year's Derby Classic there were many players who will be having an impact next year at the NCAA level, and even a few players that are considered NBA prospects already, such as Brandon Rush and Greg Paulus. 's Rodger Bohn was at the Derby Classic and recaps all the action. /article/Adidas-Derby-Classic-Recap-161/ /article/Adidas-Derby-Classic-Recap-161/ Tue, 19 Apr 2005 20:53:08 -0400 Strengths Peric possesses good athletic abilities, although his movement might seem lackadaisical when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. Despite that initial first impression, though, he is quite an explosive player for his size, especially considering that he is European. He has a very decent vertical leap and loves to finish strong around the basket. He also he has a good wingspan, which allows him to occasionally block a few shots. His first step is above average and good enough to beat his defender off the dribble. Overall, Hrvoje is not an athletic freak at the NBA level, but is clear that his athleticism is one of his best attributes at the moment, and the main reason he is considered a draft prospect along with his size, age and budding skills. Just like most European 19-year old players, though, he is skinny and gets pushed around, but has a good frame and could put some weight on to it without too much trouble. His ball-handling skills are above average for SF position, just like his court vision and passing abilities. When he penetrates he usually makes smart decisions with the ball in his hands and when he can't find a good chance to score he will often find the open man instead. Peric can create shots for himself and loves to shoot off the dribble, although he isn't particularly polished at this skill right now. He shines in the rebounding department and gets a lot of rebounds defensively and offensively, because of his size, athleticism and the aggressiveness that he shows crashing the boards. He also posses good range on his jumper and can hit the International 3 pointer with good accuracy when he gets open looks, although he is more reliable from mid-range. Because of his athletic abilities he is a good defensive presence at this level and gets some steals thanks to his wingspan. He reads the passing lines well and is a good shotblocker from the weak side. Hrvoje has a high basketball IQ and is a very fluid player athletically. At this early stage of his development overall, Peric is a pretty balanced all-around player that can do a little bit of everything. /article/Hrvoje-Peric-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2850/ /article/Hrvoje-Peric-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2850/ Tue, 19 Apr 2005 04:04:19 -0400 Strengths While a fan will first look at his athleticism and ability to run the floor as an unusual thing for a big man, the first thing a scout will notice when watching Gigli play is his maturity and high basketball IQ. He never forces anything, and knows his role on the team. On offense Gigli scores most of his points off of cuts to the basket, where he often finishes with a dunk, or by freeing himself out of the paint for a solid set shot. When he gets the ball in the low post he uses his quickness to separate himself from the defender and hit a turnaround shot, or to find a way to the basket for a lay-up, but more often tries to set up his teammates thanks to his special passing abilities. He never looks for the unnecessary spectacular play, while he can find both the cutter or the free man on the perimeter. He can finish pretty well near the rim with both hands, while his range can go as far as the European 3pt line, and there's no reason to think that it can't go further. His ball-handling is good for a big man, but not at same level of other European big men entering the draft. He can put the ball on the floor in the open court, but he'll have a hard time protecting it if pressed by smaller players. He has a remarkable nose for the offensive rebound, thanks to his reactivity he collects tons of them, and scores several points off them each game. On defense the most interesting part is the way he helps his teammates, using his quick feet to contest every shot in the paint. This makes him the Italian league leader in blocked shots at the moment. His feet also make him a great defender in pick and roll situations, where he's able to both help on the dribbler and then contain him for a few seconds on the switch. A difference between him and other European prospects is that Angelo is actually playing starting minutes and contributing on an overachieving team (Reggio Emilia went to the finals of the Italian Cup, after being expected to be in the bottom part of the standings) in one of the best leagues in Europe. Considering the recent struggles of completely unproven teenagers from Europe, his experience will be surely appreciated, because this experience won't come at the expense of his potential. This is a guy who has dramatically improved since last year and showed a constant progression even during the current season. /article/Angelo-Gigli-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2754/ /article/Angelo-Gigli-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2754/ Mon, 18 Apr 2005 01:38:51 -0400 's Rodger Bohn was present at the Adidas Derby Classic, another High School all-star game played this past weekedn. He also had a chance to sit down and talk to three of the best prospects there: Brandon Rush, Greg Paulus, and Clarance Holloway. /article/Brandon-Rush,-Greg-Paulus,-and-Clarence-Holloway-Interviews-160/ /article/Brandon-Rush,-Greg-Paulus,-and-Clarence-Holloway-Interviews-160/ Sun, 17 Apr 2005 23:26:08 -0400 Strengths Krauser is an extremely talented ball-handler; his ability to handle the basketball is easily one of his biggest assets. He is a very creative dribbler and knows all the little tricks to get to the hoop and get his shot off. He has a nice floater he uses against the big boys in the paint. He is very crafty around the hoop and is a strong finisher for a guard in the paint. He is not afraid of contact around the basket and is physically a well built PG. For his size, he is an effective rebounder and he can over power other PG's, be it through rebounding or posting them up on offense with his sheer desire.At times, Krauser has shown to be a very good PG at the college level and knows how to be the orchestrator on offense when he is focused. He is a gifted passer; and can make passes most other PG's cannot make, thanks to his creativity with the ball in his hands. If there is an opening for a pass in the post or on the fast break, Krauser will usually find it, often in spectacular fashion. He likes to make the flashy passes and you could say that he has a flair for passing. He is good at finding the open man and using his first step off the dribble to penetrate to the basket and kick it back out to the open shooter. He plays the game at a high speed and is dangerous in the open court.On the defensive end, he is very effective at times, and has shown that he can be a tenacious defender when he wants to be. He has good feet, plays intense defense on the ball and knows how to get into the passing lane to come up with steals. For his size, he is a strong guard and has a solid wingspan that helps him on the defensive end. He has big strong hands and when the ball is in his possession it is hard to take it away from him. He also uses his strong hands to get he gets steals and grab loose balls.Krauser is an emotional leader from the PG position, that is one asset that could set Krauser apart from the rest of the competition. Krauser is a true competitor and you can tell he always wants to win. He plays the game confidently and he has a certain swagger and an aura about him that is hard not to like. He communicates well with his teammates and is also not afraid to get into their face if they make a mistake. His Bronx New York background is shown in his game because he plays with the typical toughness and swagger that is associated with New York City PGs. /article/Carl-Krauser-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2738/ /article/Carl-Krauser-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2738/ Sun, 17 Apr 2005 15:33:31 -0400 /article/Jordan-Classic-Recap-158/ /article/Jordan-Classic-Recap-158/ Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:00:01 -0400 Strengths Dynamic, Explosive, Electric, Dominantonly a few of the words used to describe Chris Paul's game. Paul is one of the better all-around PG prospects to come along in the past decade, and there isn't much about his game that isn't a strength.The first thing you notice about Paul is his explosiveness with the ball. There really isn't anybody that can stop him from getting to the basket, with his dynamite first step and ability to get the ball above the rim before shot blockers can alter it. Furthering this strength is Paul's ability to recognize offensive opportunities and exploit them. He understands how to get by defenders on the break, and is relentless at pushing the ball and getting to the basket. If he sees a potential help defender slacking, he will be at the rim before that defender realizes what is happening. Paul is a master of things like splitting defenders, and changing pace to gain that miniscule opening he needs. While he certainly has the open court speed of a TJ Ford, Dee Brown, or Raymond Felton, none of those point guards break down the defense off the dribble and consistently get to the basket as effectively as Chris Paul. As a floor general, Paul might not quite have the creativity of the truly great pass-first point guards, but he runs an offense effectively and is very efficient with the ball. Paul has incredibly quick hands, as his nearly 2.5/1 assist-to-turnover ratio would indicate. At Wake Forest, Paul ran an offense full of players that needed consistent shots, and always shared the ball quite nicely. He understands tempo, distributes the ball in an intelligent fashion, and always finds the open man. Some might question why a player of Paul's obvious talents only averaged 15 points per game, and was so inconsistent as a scorer on a night-by-night basis. Rest assured that this is only because of Paul's role as a distributor, and the fact that he played on a team with numerous other capable scorers. In addition to his ability to break down defenses off the dribble, Paul has developed into a great outside shooter, hitting 47% of his 3-pointers this season. He can score in a variety of ways, whether it set shots from the outside or acrobatic, floating drives from the mid-range. Paul has developed a reputation as a clutch player, and always steps up against big competition. He scored 50 points in two games against Duke this season, and had 27 against UNC and Raymond Felton early in the ACC slate. Paul seems to understand when his team needs a big scoring performance, or even simply a big basket. He will always step up his scoring output in these situations. While his team ended up losing, Paul's performance down the stretch against West Virginia in the second round of the NCAA tourney typifies the kind of player that he is. While the Mountaineers kept finding ways to hit big shots, Paul nearly single-handedly matched them, basket for basket, before he fouled out. Finally, Paul is the consummate competitor on the floor. While this desire to win sometimes causes him to take things too far, he leaves it all out on the court every time, and oftentimes simply wills his team to a victory. It's hard not to get excited about a player that is so complete in doing what he can to get a win. /article/Chris-Paul-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2697/ /article/Chris-Paul-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2697/ Sat, 16 Apr 2005 19:45:14 -0400 Strengths Roberts is a prolific and consistent NCAA big man who has put up solid numbers for his entire four years in college. He is a 6-9 fundamentally sound PF who came very close to scoring 2,000 points in his NCAA career. Offensively, he has terrific hands and excellent footwork in the post, combined with a very soft touch around the basket. He runs the court well and does a lot of different things for his team. He is an outstanding rebounder at the college level, thanks to his fundamentals and excellent positioning, to go along with a knack for anticipating where the ball will end up. Roberts has nice mechanics on his shot, with a high release point that makes it very hard to block. He has range out to the college three point line, although he sometimes tries too hard to prove that. His handle is decent, but nothing really to write home about because he lacks quickness and explosiveness. Roberts is a smart, patient player who understands the game of basketball and knows how to play it. He has good court vision and passing ability and has no problem passing the ball if his shot isn't there. He is the type of guy you could say lets the game come to him. His character is strong and he is a very experienced player who is ready to step in and play from day one. /article/Lawrence-Roberts-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2749/ /article/Lawrence-Roberts-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2749/ Sat, 16 Apr 2005 19:23:13 -0400 The NBA regular season is just about over, and the draft is quickly becoming one of the main topics on the minds of fans and NBA personnel everywhere. Considering how well this part of the site went last year, especially when you look back at the final results, is again going to extend an offer to the most knowledgeable fans out there for every NBA team to write what THEY think their team needs and give them a chance to make their voices heard. /article/DraftExpress--Team-Needs-Section-157/ /article/DraftExpress--Team-Needs-Section-157/ Sat, 16 Apr 2005 17:59:45 -0400 Strengths Dijon Thompson has a very nice overall offensive package, including length, athleticism, and scoring tools. The most appealing thing about Thompson's game is his ability to create his own shot. While he's always shown the raw tools of a go-too scorer, this was the season that Thompson really began to make things happen for himself. He has a beautiful mid-range jumper that he will utilize in a variety of ways, whether it's a dribble-drive and pull-up, or backing his man down and turning around from 15 feet. He also uses his length to float the ball into the basket a bit closer to the rim. Overall, Thompson just knows how to get his shot off, and is just as comfortable shooting the ball fading away or on the move as he is from a set position. This is the skill that could potentially make Thompson some money in the NBA. Nonetheless, Thompson also has a very nice outside jumper. He will hit it when spotting up open on the wing, or with a man in his face. When he hits a few jumpers early, Thompson can really light it up, as a 39-point outburst on 13-18 shooting against Arizona State will attest. He can really put points up in a hurry this way, as he can be cold for large portions of a game but will then hit several in a row over the course of just a few plays. Physically, Thompson has ideal size for an NBA wing, coming in at a fairly solid 6'7. He's not going to blow you away with a dynamite first step, but he is very crafty off the dribble and has that smooth athleticism that many great scorers utilize. Given his length, he certainly has the athletic tools to get by in the NBA. While Thompson has often been derided for a lack of focus and effort (especially on the defensive end), this is an area where he has dramatically improved. Last season's attempt to enter the draft didn't go so well, and Thompson must have taken it to heart. As one of the few seniors on the team and one of the last remnants of the Steve Lavin era, Thompson picked up his consistency and intensity on both ends of the floor this season, and was a veteran leader on an NCAA tournament team. Not many people would have expected that from Thompson coming into the year. One area where this really shows up is his rebounding, where he went from averaging 4.9 per game to 8.3 per game in roughly the same amount of playing time. While he can be considering anything but a good defender, Thompson at least put it some effort on that end of the floor as well. /article/Dijon-Thompson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2760/ /article/Dijon-Thompson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2760/ Sat, 16 Apr 2005 17:34:23 -0400 Strengths Dwayne Jones has all the physical tools you look for in a solid big man rotation player in the NBA.He is built like a rock and has great size at about 6-10 (although he's listed at 6-11) on a terrific NBA body that is already chiseled to perfection. He is extremely athletic, he runs the floor very well, possesses a very good vertical leap and is extremely quick off his feet. He has gotten better consistently every year in many key areas since his freshman year, and there is no reason to believe that he won't continue to do so since he has a very good work ethic. Defense is Jones' forte as of right now. He is a terrific shot blocker, thanks to his strength, wingspan and outstanding vertical leap, and can block shots with either hand which is a nice skill to have from a player his size. Weak-side shot blocking is where he excels the most right now, he is very quick to rotate over and elevate for an emphatic rejection. His timing is extremely impressive and this leads you to believe that this is certainly a skill that will translate over to the NBA. Thanks to his body, timing and athletic ability, Jones is a terror on the offensive glass. This is where he scores most of his points, as getting touches offensively are very hard for him to come by in St. Joe's extremely perimeter oriented offense. That, along with setting picks seems to be his main role right now in St. Joe's offense. Occasionally he will get the ball after sealing off his man, and Jones is always sure to finish strong around the basket with an emphatic dunk. /article/Dwayne-Jones-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2849/ /article/Dwayne-Jones-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2849/ Sat, 16 Apr 2005 00:32:07 -0400 Strengths An extremely unique prospect in this draft, one of a kind in terms of the size, skills, athleticism and talent he possesses at his position.Greene is a 6-5 pass-first PG with outstanding athletic ability, a great wingspan and fantastic skills on the defensive end. His physical attributes alone should get him quite a few looks, as he is built extremely well and has all the size, strength and length you could ask for from a player at his position. Greene has been playing the PG position his entire life except for his two seasons in Gainesville and appears to have very good instincts at the position. He played for probably the best mid-major team you never heard of or saw on TV, a superb group of talented athletes that came very close to knocking off a Final Four team in Louisville in the NCAA tournament. Watching him play it's hard not to think what a talent he is, and you have to wonder what might have been had things fallen his way in the luck department since he graduated from high school. Those who followed high school basketball 5-6 years ago will remember that Greene was considered one of the most talented players in the nation at his position (a top 30 recruit) and was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Florida after putting up one of the most impressive senior years of any Florida player in years, helping to lead a no-name team from Gainesville to back to back state titles. Defensively is where he excels the most right now, and he was named the Sun Belt defensive player of the year two years in a row to back that up, despite playing on one leg for most of the last season. His lateral movement is superb and his hands are excellent, he can guard both the 1 and the 2 positions and has the ability to stay in front of pretty much any PG in the country. He has an uncanny knack for anticipating steals and getting in the passing lanes, and has been on the right end of numerous breakaways to finish with an emphatic dunk thanks to this skill. Greene is excellent at putting pressure on the ball, and is very good at sticking his hand in just the right spot to pick his opponent's pocket and come up with the steal. He has no problem getting dirty to help out his team, and will put his body in the right place to draw the offensive foul. He is an excellent rebounder for his position, averaging close to 5 rebounds per game In terms of his playmaking skills, he is as mentioned an extremely unselfish, pass-first PG. His court vision is above average (better than his best NBA comparison--Keyon Dooling), and certainly good enough to get by as a backup on most NBA teams. He is good at putting the ball where his teammates like it, knows how to find the open man, and is probably at his best when he is making the simple, but efficient bounce pass for an easy lay-up. His ability to get in the lane make him a very good drive and dish threat. In transition is where Greene really excels. He has very good speed in the open court, and shows much better decision making skills than in the half-court, where he is still a bit rough around the edges. He plays on a team that loves to get up and down the floor, and when Greene is focused (on) and playing within himself, he can push the tempo and his team can run with the best of them. Offensively, he can create his own shot, although he has a tendency to get ahead of himself and try to do a little too much. His shooting is probably better than his numbers would indicate--he is by no means a great shooter--but he can knock down the open three if you give him space. He is more of a rhythm shooter, I've seen him knock down threes from close to NBA range during games, but he has a long ways to go in this area despite being adequate on the catch and shoot. He can pull-up from mid-range off the dribble or use his size to post up his man and muscle his way to the hoop, a nice skill to have considering that he'll always be bigger and stronger than his matchup at any level he plays at. Basketball is clearly something that is in Greene's blood, as he's been playing the game from a very young age. He is very smart without the ball and really knows how to pick his spots. Thanks to his outstanding athletic ability, he is excellent at making good sharp cuts towards the basket and he changes directions quickly. He's an extremely fluid athlete with good quickness, a very nice first step and a terrific vertical leap. Once his ball-handling gets a little better, he'll most likely be exceptionally quick with the ball in his hands as well, as he is already very quick without it. Off the court, despite the hardships he has been through, he is described by his coaching staff at Lafayette as a quiet kid and solid citizen with an outstanding attitude who is well respected by his teammates. Once you get outside of the top 5 PG's (Paul, Felton, D-Williams, Jarrett Jack, Roko Leni-Ukic) he has about as much upside as any of the PG's in this draft. /article/Orien-Greene-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2854/ /article/Orien-Greene-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2854/ Thu, 14 Apr 2005 03:12:01 -0400 Strengths Marvin has the size, length, versatility, athleticism and especially the upside that teams love. These traits give him the ability to play both forward positions. He has a strong upper body and even more impressive is his lower body strength with a very stable, explosive trunk. He can absorb contact and still get shots off. It looks like he could still develop a little more physically. He has room to grow and definitely will continue to mature into his body, which will provide him with even greater control of his athleticism. He is quick in the open floor, explosive and has a good first step. Marvin shows great hops and is a pretty quick leaper, especially going for rebounds. His second and third bounce to get off the floor is almost as good his first. He definitely takes advantage of his athleticism offensively. The most developed part of Marvin’s offensive game right now is his almost flawless jumpshot. It’s a very natural shot and he shows great form for his size. His shot looks almost effortless and each shot is nearly identical with his elbow tucked in, arms straight, good follow-through and height. His form looks the same whether it’s a mid-range jumper or a 3 pointer, and he releases it fairly quick. His great leg strength really helps him because he less likely to shoot tired jumpers. Marvin has shown he is a great FT shooter (nearly 85% on almost 5 attempts per game). He is calm and poised at the line and is always confident in the shot.The few times that Marvin put the ball on the floor toward the basket he showed he has very good handles for a player his size. He displays a low, fast, under control dribble and rarely forces the issue. He provided solid help bringing the ball up the court against full court pressure. Unfortunately for us, Marvin did such a good job playing within the team at Carolina that he didn’t display his ball handling skills often. Marvin does not over dribble and does a good job at keeping the ball moving. He is a very unselfish player and shows great floor instincts in his passing. He was not double-teamed often but he did a pretty good job of passing out of it when help defense arrived. After rebounds he was usually quick in finding Raymond Felton with his outlet passes, helping ignite a tremendous fast break offense.In the paint, Marvin has decent footwork, but not great footwork. He usually wastes no time while in the lane and is rather decisive with his moves. He can play with his back to the basket or facing it, not seeming to have a preference and sometimes he just takes what the defense gives him. He is very aggressive when establishing position offensively, stays low with strength and has good balance. Marvin doesn’t shy away from contact and actually looks for it often. He has no problem finishing strong at the rim, even after taking contact. When catching passes in traffic he shows good hands and receives the ball fairly well. Unlike many athletic big men these days, Marvin has shown a desire to rebound the ball. He boxes out well and goes hard after every loose rebound and at least gets a hand on almost anything that comes near him. His solid frame and quick leaping will help make him a tremendous rebounder in the NBA.Defensively, Marvin has the ability to guard both forward positions. He is quick enough to stay with most small forwards away from the basket and has enough length and strength to guard most power forwards down low. He has a tendency to gamble on defense (part of Roy William’s philosophy) but rarely did he gamble and lose. He has a nice wingspan and shows good timing and anticipation, resulting in several memorable steals and subsequent breakaways. Marvin never gives up on a play and shows tenacity and hustle. He is a student of the game and his knowledge and preparation help him on the defensive end. All of the above are impressive enough, but the most impressive part about Marvin Williams, and we can’t stress this enough, are his intangibles. Ask any of his current or former coaches and they will all tell you Marvin has an incredible attitude, motor, work ethic, and understanding of basketball. His basketball IQ is extremely high (he grew up watching Dean Smith instructional videos). He understands what to do and where to go at all times, and is extremely unselfish. Marvin plays with a passion and desire that is hard to find these days and is very driven but not consumed by basketball. For a player his age, he has shown that he is very mature. The fact that he never once complained about his role or playing time his freshman year and the fact that he understood and embraced his role speak volumes about his maturity. He plays within the team and within his abilities at all times. /article/Marvin-Williams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2732/ /article/Marvin-Williams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2732/ Wed, 13 Apr 2005 23:20:41 -0400 Strengths It's rather difficult for someone with the physical attributes of Marcus Vinicius Vieira De Souza (Marquinhos) to go unnoticed. He's a true wing player in a 6-9 (on his way to 6-10) body with nice quickness and athleticism. It's not that he's anywhere close to a freak athlete, but when you mix it with his size to get the whole picture, the outcome is pretty intriguing. The player himself has taken care of making it clear that he's in no way material for the paint by spending most of the time on the perimeter, where he frequently uses his most dangerous weapon: the three-point shot. Having gained consistency throughout the season, it has become quite effective by now. His mechanics are not those of an automatic shooter, but they are ok, making his stroke look pretty comfortable. His size gives him a good advantage over his defenders in this area obviously, and it's not just the typical static shot of a forward; he can make it off the dribble too. He can also play in the post, although mostly to release a turnaround jumper. While it's still a skill for him to develop, he has great tools to become a very dangerous slasher, starting with a nice first step, his quickness and general athletic ability, and the size to finish easily when he gets to the basket. At the small forward position, he should be quick enough to beat his matchups, and still have the size advantage to operate comfortably. Indeed, if you combine that recipe mentioned above, it's easy to picture that he can create his own shot (faking and shooting over his rivals), even if he's not too effective at it right now. On defense, he shows decent lateral movement for a small forward, and it shouldn't be a matter of concern in the future if he works hard enough. He takes advantage of his size and good wingspan to grab a decent amount of rebounds. Those same characteristics, along with his quickness and activity with his hands, allow him to get away with a good number of steals per game as well. Even if his basketball IQ doesn't look too high, Marquinhos has a certain feel for the game. He's a pretty fluent and smooth player, both in static and the transition game, and he loves to run the floor. /article/Marcus-Vinicius-Vieira-De-Souza-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2725/ /article/Marcus-Vinicius-Vieira-De-Souza-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2725/ Wed, 13 Apr 2005 05:07:31 -0400 Strengths Greer is predominantly a post player that runs the court very well. He is best when he is running north-south, and getting easy points in transition.On offense, he is fairly skilled as he is good at facing the basket and taking slower opponents off the dribble to the hoop. He does a good job rebounding and getting loose balls with his strength and quickness as a post player. He looks like a post player but played significant minutes as a perimeter player this year. He sets up in the high post a lot and has a solid short jump shot. He uses his quickness and bulky frame to take PF's to the hoop and finish in the paint, at times basically bullying his way to the hoop. Greer is a built player, with good bulk and a wide base. He is a good rebounder for his 6-7 height because he has strong arms and hands to grab balls off the backboards. He uses his quickness advantage against slower post players and has a wide enough frame to carve out space in the paint to score. If he gets the right position in the post, he can be very effective with his back to the basket, but feels more comfortable in the high post. Greer expanded his shooting range this season and has become a much more dangerous offensive player. This, along with his added intensity, is why there was a increase from 12 points a game to 18 this year. /article/Quemont-Greer-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2817/ /article/Quemont-Greer-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2817/ Wed, 13 Apr 2005 05:00:35 -0400 Draftcity had a chance to sit down with Ryan Blake, in person at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament on Saturday afternoon. We discussed who some of the better performers were from the tournament, what it takes to play well here, the absence of some of the scouts at the end of PIT and more. /article/Interview-with-Ryan-Blake-2-156/ /article/Interview-with-Ryan-Blake-2-156/ Tue, 12 Apr 2005 05:12:35 -0400 Some final thoughts on the Portsmouth Invitational tournament, who helped themselves and who didn't, and who we think might get an invitation to Chicago from this group of players. Some of the players have been discussed extensively in the recaps, so take a look back at those if you want more info on the players that really stood out on certain days. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Final-Recap-155/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Final-Recap-155/ Tue, 12 Apr 2005 03:36:04 -0400 It's no secret that the Balkans is the most prolific basketball talent pool outside of the United States, and the Adriatic League (or Goodyear League) hosts almost every serious draft prospect in the area. With the regular season recently finished, Kristian Hohnjec takes a look at the most promising players seen this year. /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Adriatic-League-154/ /article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-Adriatic-League-154/ Mon, 11 Apr 2005 19:45:07 -0400 Strengths An outstanding athlete who can jump with the best of them. Has great instincts on the defense end, terrific lateral movement and can guard the 1-3 positions. Has a good wingspan; blocks shots, gets in the passing lanes and can provide a good sparkplug off the bench if needed. High character player who will do whatever is asked of him. Has 4 years of experience playing at the highest level NCAA basketball has to offer. Has been asked to guard all the best perimeter players in the ACC over his collegiate career. Very competitive player, attacks the rim and does a great job on the glass because of his tenacity, wingspan and athletic ability. Not afraid to sacrafice his body to come up with the charge. /article/Jackie-Manuel-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2848/ /article/Jackie-Manuel-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2848/ Mon, 11 Apr 2005 18:07:22 -0400 Strengths Defense, defense and defense. Hayes was named the 2004 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, no small feat for an undersized power forward. Often asked to guard the opponent's best big man (whether he was 6'5" or 7'0"), Hayes could be counted on to lock down his man.The beefy former Wildcat is also a rebounding machine who uses brawn to fight for loose balls and is effective at tipping the ball until he can get his mitts on it firmly. Hayes is also a surprisingly good shot-blocker for his size. In fact, Hayes left Kentucky in the top ten in rebounds and blocked shots.Tubby Smith's system at UK turned Hayes into a superior interior passer, which could help elevate his draft stock tremendously. Hayes also developed excellent slashing skills, often finding ways to sneak the ball into the basket under or around bigger defenders.Finally, Hayes is a leader. While the leadership angle is often overlooked at the pro level, ask the Warriors about having leaders. Ask the Hornets if they need a leader. There is a place in the NBA for guys who put teams on their backs. Whether Hayes can do that is unknown, but he's got the heart, if nothing else. /article/Chuck-Hayes-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2759/ /article/Chuck-Hayes-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2759/ Mon, 11 Apr 2005 04:47:43 -0400 Strengths See Portsmouth recap in links section, day 4. /article/Ivan-McFarlin-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2851/ /article/Ivan-McFarlin-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2851/ Sun, 10 Apr 2005 17:46:05 -0400 The last day of PIT was definitely the best one of them all. The basketball played today was top notch, everyone was in good spirits, and some of the prospects really put on a show. Will Conroy tied PIT's all-time record for assists, Ivan McFarlin did his best Reggie Evans impersonation, a couple of new guys showed some sparks, and Chuck Hayes came away with the MVP award. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-Day-four-153/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-Day-four-153/ Sun, 10 Apr 2005 04:29:55 -0400 In another well-played amateur all-star game, the US team handily defeated a watered-down group of internationals. Much like other all-star games this spring, there was a surprising amount of defense played. While much of what went on only confirmed previous conclusions, standouts for the US team included Duke-bound Greg Paulus and UNC signee Tyler Hansbrough. On the international side of things, a lesser known Blue Devil signee, Martynas Pocius, showed that he is going to make a major impact in Durham next season. /article/Hoop-Summit-Recap-152/ /article/Hoop-Summit-Recap-152/ Sat, 09 Apr 2005 23:26:27 -0400 Another day of basketball at PIT. Many GM's and scouts bailed on the tournament today in favor of the Nike Hoop Summit in Memphis, but they might end up kicking themselves for missing out on one particular prospect that is really starting to seperate himself. Mindaugas Katelynas is starting to draw comparisons to a young Andrei Kirilenko with the way he's been playing so far, Jared Homan solidified himself as a legit NBA body, and Jawad Williams came back to life to earn his team another look in tomorrow's final day. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-Day-Three-150/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-Day-Three-150/ Sat, 09 Apr 2005 06:45:52 -0400 Strengths Azubuike averaged over 40 points a game in high school, so his scoring prowess is well-established. He's an athletic marvel, chiseled and lean, and owns a 38-40+ inch vertical leap.Possessing a smooth jump shot and a superior slashing game, Azubuike is probably better-suited to the pro court than the college court. Many of his travelling calls in college would not be called in the NBA, possibly opening up more room for him to maneuver on strong moves to the basket.The gifted scorer is also a strong free-throw shooter, hitting a cool 75% for his collegiate career, and rarely missing key free throws in tight games. He also managed a 49% mark from the field overall, despite shooting 37% from three-point range, a testament to his excellent mid-range and slashing game.On his best days, Azubuike finishes like Jason Richardson and shoots like Tracy McGrady. But those days certainly aren't every day.The junior's defensive skills improved mightily over the course of his UK career, and like many former Tubby Smith players, he projects as an above-average on the ball defender at the next level, something that should help him tremendously as he moves forward.Most of all, Azubuike's a first-team All-Potential squad member, somewhat of a raw commodity, much as he was upon arriving in Lexington for college. /article/Kelenna-Azubuike-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2769/ /article/Kelenna-Azubuike-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2769/ Sat, 09 Apr 2005 03:57:54 -0400 While we were covering the EA Sports Roundball Classic in Chicago on March 21st, we happened to get to see two of the top high school players in the nation, regardless of age, go through an extensive workout in front of only 10 or so people. We also had a chance to talk with both Mayo and Walker for a little bit. /article/O.J.-Mayo-and-Bill-Walker-High-School-Phenoms-149/ /article/O.J.-Mayo-and-Bill-Walker-High-School-Phenoms-149/ Fri, 08 Apr 2005 22:40:35 -0400 A full day of basketball at Portsmouth, and lots to report about. Will UNC produce SIX NBA draft picks from this year's roster? Jackie Manuel might have something to say about that...Jason Maxiell dominates once again, some new prospects emerge, lots of interviews and the daily "Dajuan Wagner award" is handed out. /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-Day-Two-148/ /article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament,-Day-Two-148/ Fri, 08 Apr 2005 05:57:14 -0400 Two games were played today at the first day of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. Some of the players were somewhat nervous at first, but there were still a couple that managed to stand out. Expect a full recap tomorrow, but I did not want to keep you guys hanging in the meantime. /article/Quick-Update-from-the-Portsmouth-Invitational--Day-One--147/ /article/Quick-Update-from-the-Portsmouth-Invitational--Day-One--147/ Thu, 07 Apr 2005 04:51:09 -0400 Continuing our Portsmouth preview, another interview, this time with an NBA scout who was kind enough to give us his insights on what he personally looks for in a tournament like Portsmouth, some general thoughts on the art of scouting, and how NBA teams approach scouting a camp like the PIT. /article/Portsmouth-Preview-Interview-with-an-NBA-Scout-146/ /article/Portsmouth-Preview-Interview-with-an-NBA-Scout-146/ Thu, 07 Apr 2005 04:02:51 -0400 's Jonathan Givony had a chance to talk with Assistant Director of NBA scouting services, Ryan Blake, about the Portsmouth Invitational, the Chicago Draft Camp, and the NBA draft in general. This is part two. /article/Portsmouth-Preview-Interview-with-Ryan-Blake--part-two--145/ /article/Portsmouth-Preview-Interview-with-Ryan-Blake--part-two--145/ Tue, 05 Apr 2005 22:07:53 -0400 The college season is officially over, and the North Carolina Tar Heels are the national champions. A thrilling final managed to expose all the draft prospects for exactly what they are, with every player showing us what their strengths and weaknesses are perfectly, except Sean May, the NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player. /article/Checking-Tourney-Stock-at-the-National-Championship-144/ /article/Checking-Tourney-Stock-at-the-National-Championship-144/ Tue, 05 Apr 2005 04:27:35 -0400 's Jonathan Givony had a chance to talk with Assistant Director of NBA scouting services, Ryan Blake, about the Portsmouth Invitational, the Chicago Draft Camp, and the NBA draft in general. The interview will be presented in two parts. This is part one of two. /article/Portsmouth-Preview-Interview-with-Ryan-Blake-143/ /article/Portsmouth-Preview-Interview-with-Ryan-Blake-143/ Mon, 04 Apr 2005 21:08:35 -0400 Strengths Tall, versatile, triple-double threat with unique skills that make him an intriguing draft prospect.Acker is an athletic 6-5 guard with legitimate PG skills, and that alone will get him some serious looks if history has anything to say about that. While he is more of a swingman at the college level (because that's what his team needs), watching him play its impossible not to think that his natural position at the next level will be at the point.He has terrific ball-handling skills with either hand, a very good feel for the game, and the natural instincts needed to run the point off the bench for an NBA team. He can run an offense and is generally an unselfish player. His court vision is very good and he has a certain knack for putting his teammates in a position to score that just can't be taught. His passing skills are very good at the moment and he looks just as comfortable making the simple bounce pass to a cutting teammate for an easy layup as he does throwing a pin-point accurate heave from half-court for an alley-oop. There is no doubt that he's an extremely talented player. On top of that, he is a very solid athlete. He's fluid, very smooth, fairly quick, and has a very good 1st step which makes him a threat to get into the lane at any time when you combine that with his outstanding handle. His jumper is getting better and better, up to 43% a game from behind the arc on 4.5 attempts per game, a testament to his work ethic. It looks smooth, with nice mechanics, and good elevation. He can make it off the dribble (although not consistently) or off a turnaround jumper. Acker is a solid rebounder for a guard, thanks to his height, athletic ability and an above average wingspan. Acker plays a ton of minutes for his team, only sitting for 88 of a total 1240 minutes this season. His conditioning is excellent and he always keeps his body in top shape.According to anyone around the program, Acker is a class act both on and off the court. /article/Alex-Acker-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2821/ /article/Alex-Acker-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2821/ Sun, 03 Apr 2005 20:45:05 -0400 After a historically competitive Elite Eight, the round of four featured two very well-played games that ended up lacking the end game heroics. While the two games featured several of the top prospects in the nation, we are now looking for confirmation of what we have learned over the course of the tournament. There were several very interesting matchups to scout tonight, including Deron Williams locking up Francisco Garcia, and Michigan State's powerful show of backcourt athleticism against North Carolina's dominating open floor attack. Here is 's recap of what went down in Saint Louis so far. /article/Checking-Tourney-Stock-at-the-Final-Four-142/ /article/Checking-Tourney-Stock-at-the-Final-Four-142/ Sun, 03 Apr 2005 01:44:49 -0500 DraftExpress.com turns its head to Europe once again, where some of the best and most exciting basketball in the world is currently being played, digging into the Euroleague's Top-16 round this time. Once again we have to highlight Nikos Zissis and AEK Athens' huge success, even if they're now out of the competition. Unlike what has become the usual pattern with draft prospects, the Greek guard has been the true leader of a team that has constantly overachieved. Erazem Lorbek joins him as someone who has lately become an extremely important player for Climamio Bologna's offense. We couldn't forget Mickaël Gelabale's excellent contributions for Real Madrid, while the last games of the up-and-coming Andrea Bargnani are extremely worthy of being looked at. /article/Euroleague-Rising-Prospects-from-the-Top-16-round-141/ /article/Euroleague-Rising-Prospects-from-the-Top-16-round-141/ Sat, 02 Apr 2005 14:17:34 -0500 In what appears to be one of the deepest pools in recent memory, the rosters for this year's Portsmouth Invitational Tournament have been released today to the general public. The NBA pre-draft camp for seniors only will be conducted next week from the 6th to the 9th, and will be there of course to provide you our typical indepth coverage. This camp has a little bit of everything for everyone and should be extremely competitive. Keep checking back for more as we get comments from people around the league. /article/Portsmouth-Rosters-released-140/ /article/Portsmouth-Rosters-released-140/ Fri, 01 Apr 2005 17:36:44 -0500 Strengths Mensah-Bonsu is an explosive and very aggressive athlete. He is an awesome leaper that can really finish strong with authority around the rim. Pretty much a highlight dunk waiting to happen and potentially a future slam dunk contest participant if he ever makes the league.Mensah-Bonsu is slowly figuring out how to maximize his athletic ability; he runs the court very well for a post player and knows how to get easy buckets on offense. In the post, he is very quick and hard to handle. He does not take a lot of time to get his shot off and if he gets position in the post, he will shoot quickly. When he is quick and decisive he is very hard to defend down low. He is good at getting his shot off in the post and with his jumping ability and length, he knows how to rise up over defenders and finish.Mensah-Bonsu is a very good shot-blocking prospect because of his leaping ability, dexterity and overall quickness. He is also an improving rebounder in the post, he is learning how to use his quickness and length to get rebounds in the paint.I like Mensah-Bonsu's intensity on the court as well. When he throws down a strong aggressive dunk, he lets you know about it. When you watch him play, you can see he enjoys competing and being aggressive. He will go after loose balls and will hit the floor if need be, that is impressive for a player his size because that is a long way to the ground. Along with his great athletic ability, I think his mentality and assertive play is what makes Mensah-Bonsu a very good NBA prospect down the road. Off the court he is supposedly a very nice and likeable kid as well.Considering how long he's been playing basketball for (not long) along with the fact that he is extremely athletic, expect the word upside to be brought up next to his name plenty in discussions around him. /article/Pops-Mensah-Bonsu-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2814/ /article/Pops-Mensah-Bonsu-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2814/ Fri, 01 Apr 2005 05:08:29 -0500 's Rodger Bohn was at the game yesterday and had a chance to sit down and talk to some of the players afterwards, as well as attending the press conferences. Monta Ellis, Martell Webster, Josh McRoberts, CJ Miles and others all had interesting things to say. /article/McDonald-s-Post-Game-Interviews-139/ /article/McDonald-s-Post-Game-Interviews-139/ Thu, 31 Mar 2005 21:02:38 -0500 One of the best McDonald's All-American games EVER left us with a lot to think about tonight. The #1 high school prospect in America delivered the goods and put some insurmountable ground between himself and the rest of his class. The undersized SG matchup we heard so much about fizzled, and some unexpected future college stars stole the show. was there, and after consulting with one another and calling on some outside help, we've made the following observations. /article/McDonald-s-All-American-Game-Recap-138/ /article/McDonald-s-All-American-Game-Recap-138/ Thu, 31 Mar 2005 08:25:04 -0500 In this article, scout Rodger Bohn talks to McDonalds All-American game participant (and current/future NBA prospects) Andrew Bynum, Louis Williams, and Richard Hendrix. /article/McDonalds-All-American-Game-Interviews-137/ /article/McDonalds-All-American-Game-Interviews-137/ Wed, 30 Mar 2005 18:10:39 -0500 's coverage of the McDonald's All-American game continues, with a look at the practice session that was conducted today. We were aided today by the opinions of NBA scouts and GM's in making our own assessment of the players in question, and will be at the shootaround and game itself tommorow. /article/McDonald-s-Practice-Session-Recap-136/ /article/McDonald-s-Practice-Session-Recap-136/ Wed, 30 Mar 2005 02:59:02 -0500 Strengths Very good athlete who runs the court and gets off the floor quickly as well as anybody in Europe his size. He is not afraid of physical contact and uses his vertical leap and explosiveness to dunk or rebound in traffic. He is a very good transition player, knowing where to go to get easy buckets. Offensively, Koffi has improved his range on his jump shot this year; he’s become efficient out to 16 feet, especially on the baseline. When getting the ball in the low post he generally chooses between working for a hook shot (his go to move) and finishing strong at the basket. Defensively, his long arms and timing help him become consistent in terms of rebounding and shotblocking in the French league. His man to man defense is solid, he can also cover his guy on the perimeter because his lateral quickness is above average and he does not bite too much on pump fakes. He started playing basketball late, so he is not a finished product, but has become a productive player this year for one of the best teams in the French league. His work ethic is tremendous; he has a very good attitude towards the game and is always eager to learn. /article/Alain-Koffi-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2813/ /article/Alain-Koffi-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2813/ Wed, 30 Mar 2005 01:19:42 -0500 Strengths A college beast, does everything you would like an NCAA big man to do. Scores a little bit in the post using his brute strength, and finishes creatively around the basket thanks to a terrific wingspan. Tough and physical. A tenacious rebounder thanks to his strength, vertical leap and very good hands. Has expanded his range out to 16-18 feet this year and can hit them when he is open, especially from the baseline. Fairly smart, and very efficient, shoots a high percentage from the field. Unselfish, and a good passer out of the double team. Solid free throw shooter. More athletic than he looks, possesses a solid vertical leap. Defensively, he blocks many shots and alters countless others around the rim. Rotates well on help defense. Plays very hard, experienced and very durable. /article/Jason-Maxiell-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2845/ /article/Jason-Maxiell-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2845/ Tue, 29 Mar 2005 06:41:03 -0500 Strengths Hard working, smart, gritty, energy type swingman. Fundamentally sound. Strong, chiseled body that he always keeps in top shape. All around role player who does a little bit of everything. Capable of dominating a game at the NCAA level without scoring. Plays with passion, but patiently and under control. Doesn't force things, lets the game come to him. Tough player, mentally strong and has an excellent court demeanor. Not afraid to hit the deck to come up with a loose ball. Good intangibles and the right attitude. Quiet leader who doesn't complain and leads by example. Best attribute as far as the NBA is concerned is his outstanding disruptive defense, both man to man and team. Capable of locking down anyone from the 1-3 positions. An instinctive defender, sees things before they happen and always seems be in the right place at the right time. Terrific anticipation skills, gets in the passing lanes, comes up with a lot of steals, but without risking his defensive positioning excessively. Speed is not an issue as his lateral movement is fantastic. Has excellent strength and terrific hands. An excellent rebounder, despite his size.Offensively, he's not a scorer, but he won't hurt you in the team concept. Has good ball-handling skills and is capable of bringing the ball up the floor. Will score some baskets if you give him an open look, by getting in the passing lanes and coming up with steals, or simply by being in the right place at the right time. Good unselfish passer, who understands the game and how to fit in within it. Averages almost 4 assists per game, which is excellent for a swingman who doesn't always have the ball in his hands. /article/Eddie-Basden-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2839/ /article/Eddie-Basden-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2839/ Tue, 29 Mar 2005 06:04:55 -0500 Strengths Lucas Tischer is an exclusive post player, who loves to bang and wrestle inside. Looking at him, the first thing you will notice is his huge frame. He is 6-10, blond and light skinned, weighs 270 pounds, and has wide shoulders and great upper body strength. Very muscular, in the way Alonzo Mourning used to be, Lucas lights up the game with his explosiveness and energy when he is on the floor. He uses his long arms to throw down thunderous dunks and block shots, making him a fan favorite. Also, he is quick off his feet, contrary to what his weight might suggest. The kid is very athletic, runs the floor extremely well and has a nice vertical leap to go with his speed. His first step is good, but not great, as he is able to take advantage of it in Brazilian competition. Around here he outmuscles everybody, being challenged only by Estevam Ferreira Jr. (7-0, 250lbs) and Murilo (Becker) da Rosa (6-10, 250lbs). Tischer is basically a defensive player at the moment, he patrols the paint swatting and altering shots, grabbing rebounds and tipping the ball off directly to his teammates to start fast breaks. He puts forth great effort on the defensive end, but can’t do it for long periods as he finds himself in constant foul trouble. His positioning needs work as well and he tends to keep his hands down most of the time, near the basket, when he should keep them half way up or totally up, the way Tim Duncan does. This alone, would definitely help him rebound better and alter/block shots. He does play nice defense, switching with teammates and pressing his man, but he isn’t the space eating defender he could be, considering his size, nor can he lock down his man consistently.Tischer is limited offensively, however, he has shown signs of potential on the offensive end. He is a solid post player, restricted to the post, but solid. Possesses a solid baby hook and when given a little space takes off for powerful dunks which few players can stop. He suffers from not being involved enough in the game as he is given the ball, always strictly in the paint, only two or three times a game. In the past, Lucas has delivered several games of 20 points or more, playing in top tournaments against top competition. One game a couple of years back sticks out in particular, when he went head-to-head with Murilo (Becker) da Rosa, probably the top big man in Brazil these days, and both of them had huge games with 20 points and 10 rebounds. /article/Lucas-Tischer-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2757/ /article/Lucas-Tischer-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2757/ Tue, 29 Mar 2005 06:04:41 -0500 Strengths Another example of the seemingly endless pool of Lithuanian wing shooters, Renaldas Seibutis also features other intriguing characteristics that make him worthy of another look. We're talking about a rather complete shooting guard here, who's still very young but has a good feel for the game. Starting with his shot, he's really an awesome gunner from the mid-range area. Of course, he also enjoys three point range, but prefers to step in and secure the two points. He shows excellent mechanics, whether in static fashion or off the dribble. One of his favourite moves is to penetrate from behind the arc and then pull up and release a jumper a couple of strides later, taking advantage of his defender's unbalanced position, and showing a fairly quick first step and good handles in the process. Of course, if he has the chance, he will go all the way to the basket and deliver a layup, preferably using his right hand. He looks like a promising slasher. On defense, he shows the right attitude. He's intense and takes care of both his man and the team defense. In general, he's a player that transmits a hard working and team-oriented attitude, not saving effort and not being selfish. Indeed, Renaldas is quite a nice passer. More than just delivering definitive passes, though, he's an excellent cog in his team's ball movement, thinking and delivering quickly, usually to the right man. He can execute some point guard duties as well, such as bringing the ball up the floor and distributing it, although he's no playmaker. He has a pretty good basketball mind, he knows the game and it seems that he loves to play it. /article/Renaldas-Seibutis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2847/ /article/Renaldas-Seibutis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2847/ Tue, 29 Mar 2005 06:04:28 -0500 Strengths Wright is an extremely talented offensive player at the college level. He has had some absolute monster games against some very good competition over the course of his career. When his jump shot is going for him, he can put up 30 points easily on any given night. He is not only a three-point shooter, he also has a nice mid range game as well. He can get to the line and use pump fakes and a nice handle with either hand to work his way to the rim. Wright has been a consistent scorer in college for a long time and has proven he can put up numbers on offense on a semi-consistent basis. He is a good ball-handler and has become better at creating shots off the dribble since he was a freshman. He has a sneaky quickness about his game and because players have to respect his jump shot and play him close on defense, he can use that to his advantage to get around them at get to the basket. When he is in rhythm and has his jump shot going, it is a beautiful thing to watch. The ball won't even graze the rim. With his ability to hit jump shots from all areas of the court, it is very hard to stop him when he is on. He shoots the ball with very good rotation and he has a nice release on his shot. His shooting form is picture perfect and he can get it off in many different ways, including off the dribble. He already has some NBA moves to his game, baiting his defender into thinking he is going to the rim and then stepping back and elevating for the pull-up jumper off the dribble, using pump fakes, jab-steps and body fakes to his advantage and getting his man off-balance, and just showing off his talent and elegance in many different ways.He is also a decent rebounder for his size and has put up good rebounding numbers throughout his career. Part of the reason he rebounds so well is because he has a good wingspan and large hands for a 6-3 guard and he can palm a basketball relatively easy. /article/Bracey-Wright-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2774/ /article/Bracey-Wright-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2774/ Tue, 29 Mar 2005 06:03:59 -0500 Strengths Impressive point guard with a very developed offensive game. Quick and creative, Milosevic can beat anyone in Greece with his one-on-one game, while his shooting touch is very precise and his game lasts as long as his coach wants it to. His thin body and great flexibility help fuel a good motor, which allows him to run around the court for 40 minutes without getting tired. He can shoot from downtown and due to some nice slashing skills, he is not predictable at all offensively and thus, he seems to be able to score in many different ways. He is very mature for his age, mainly due to his experience both in A1 and his leading role in the Greek Junior National Teams. His passing is very good and on any occasion he proves that he is a very smart player and his organization skills can be great too, but only when he puts his head to it. He is competitive and his leadership skills are definitely above average. Defensively, despite the fact that he is small and skinny, he guards space well and can be a tough defender, actually a "bull" when he wants to, running around and following his opponents without ever giving up. His ability to get in the passing lanes and come up with steals makes him special, proving once again his smarts. /article/Igor-Milosevic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2797/ /article/Igor-Milosevic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2797/ Tue, 29 Mar 2005 06:03:47 -0500 Strengths He is a terrific ball handler at the PG position. Knows how to use the spin move to his advantage and uses it well on the break to free himself up, create space, get to the basket and use his strength to finish strong. Simply put, he knows how to get to the rim and put the ball in the cup. Washington is definitely a scoring guard first and foremost, he is very dangerous in the open court and is extremely fast with the ball in his hands. Washington has a great first step, and can break people down off the dribble at any moment. He is very good at changing directions, and loves to push the ball up the floor. He always has his head up in traffic, and knows how to find spaces to attack the defense, draw them in and kick it out to the open man. He has good foot-speed both with and without the ball.Washington has good strength for such a young player, and is very good at finishing plays in traffic. He is not a hesitant player at all, and will attack the basket no matter who is in the paint on defense. He is very advanced for his age at drawing fouls with his ability to get to the rim. He has exceptional quickness and ball handling ability and gets to a line often for a player his size. Washington is a gifted one on one offensive player, and seems to move effortlessly on the basketball court, possessing the natural scoring instincts that just can't be taught. He is very fluid and is a very good athlete for a guard. Washington has proven to be an effective outside shooter at times, but he is at his best around the hoop, where he is very good at getting his shot off and can make nimble moves while in the air off penetration.Throughout his freshman year, Washington has become an increasingly productive outside shooter; he is not the type of guard that can only penetrate to create on offense. He has learned how to use pump fakes and jab steps to free himself up, and if he gets an open shot, he will knock it down. In his first season at Memphis, he almost shot 40% from the three-point line, and showed better and better shot selection as the season progressed.He's shown to be a fiery competitor who does not back down from challenges and is not afraid to take a team on his back, which is great to see from a player his age and surely a good sign for the future. /article/Darius-Washington-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2799/ /article/Darius-Washington-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2799/ Tue, 29 Mar 2005 06:03:35 -0500 Strengths May is a load in the paint. He has a very wide frame and is a real physical presence down on the blocks. He is an exceptional rebounder, he anticipates well and with his wide frame he can box out almost any player in college basketball. When he gets in position and boxes out properly, vary rarely does he miss a rebound. At the next level, his rebounding ability should be his best asset.Part of the reason May is such a great rebounder is because he has outstanding hands. His hands are like magnets regardless if he is on offense and defense; he engulfs every ball that he can get his hands on. After he secures the rebound, he is skilled at throwing a good outlet pass to start the fast break. His soft hands make him very good at catching entry post passes as well. He knows how to carve out space in the paint for himself. He's very skilled and when he gets position down low, it is very hard to push him away from the basket. He boxes out very well for a post player and can be an extremely dominant rebounder at times; he has collected 20+ rebounds multiple times against good competition. May is a fundamentally sound player, which is what you would expect from the son of a former NBA player. Not only can catch almost every pass thrown his way, he can also finish very well close to the hoop. He has a feathery soft touch around the basket and can also step outside and shoot a nice short jump shot. He knows how to use the backboard on his shot and can finish in traffic as well. He is an improving scorer with his back to the basket; he has a variety of post moves down low and has solid footwork. He has a nice short hook shot and since he has such good hands, when he catches the ball deep in the paint you can usually count on him for the field goal. During a few games this year he has been an absolute beast in the paint, dominating on the backboard and scoring every time he touches it in the post. He is a workhorse in the paint; he has a very good work ethic and is willing to do whatever it takes to win. At times during his career at North Carolina he has been the only post presence they have had, however that did not limit his effectiveness on the court. If he has to rebound, he will do that, and if he has to score, he will do that as well. /article/Sean-May-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2695/ /article/Sean-May-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2695/ Tue, 29 Mar 2005 06:03:23 -0500 *Warning, spoilers inside*'s latest adventure takes us to the University of Notre Dame to cover the 2005 McDonald's All American game. Tonight Rodger Bohn got to watch the dunk contest that will be partially broadcasted before the game itself on Wednesday on ESPN. /article/McDonald-s-Dunk-Contest-Recap-135/ /article/McDonald-s-Dunk-Contest-Recap-135/ Tue, 29 Mar 2005 05:52:20 -0500 Another incredible day of college basketball, in what is shaping up as one of the best NCAA tournaments ever so far. We had a third overtime game out of four Elite Eight matchups, and another terrific game in Syracuse between North Carolina and Wisconsin. Sean May, Shannon Brown, Randolph Morris and others all gave us a lot to think about concerning their draft stock today. /article/Checking-Tourney-Stock-at-the-Elite-Eight,-part-2-133/ /article/Checking-Tourney-Stock-at-the-Elite-Eight,-part-2-133/ Mon, 28 Mar 2005 02:01:56 -0500 One of the most memorable days in recent college basketball history produced some terrific performances from a couple of draft prospects. Deron Williams, Hassan Adams, Francisco Garcia, Salim Stoudamire and others all gave us something to think about concerning their draft stock in overtime games today. /article/Checking-Tourney-Stock-at-the-Elite-Eight,-part-1-132/ /article/Checking-Tourney-Stock-at-the-Elite-Eight,-part-1-132/ Sun, 27 Mar 2005 01:23:21 -0500 The first half of the Sweet 16 lived up to expectations tonight, with two games going down to the wire and two others displaying some outstanding basketball. Francisco Garcia continued to show why his stock is on the rise, Joey Graham bounced back strong and Deron Williams showed us exactly why many consider him to be the best playmaking PG in the draft this year. /article/Checking-Tourney-Stock-at-the-Sweet-16,-part-1-130/ /article/Checking-Tourney-Stock-at-the-Sweet-16,-part-1-130/ Fri, 25 Mar 2005 05:27:55 -0500 exclusive: Nemanja Aleksanderov and Marco Belinelli headline the Hoop Summit World Select team which was announced today. The Hoop Summit will take place on April 9th in Memphis and will covered in our usual in-depth fashion from top to bottom here at . /article/Hoop-Summit-Rosters-Finalized-126/ /article/Hoop-Summit-Rosters-Finalized-126/ Wed, 23 Mar 2005 16:59:22 -0500 Day two of the NCAA tournament was even better than the first, with some shocking upsets and some fantastic (and not so fantastic) individual performances from players who needed to step up their game the most, as well as from players who are firmly on the radar, that boosted their stock even more. Julius Hodge, Marvin Williams and Joey Graham highlight this edition. /article/Checking-Tourney-Stock,-day-two-120/ /article/Checking-Tourney-Stock,-day-two-120/ Sat, 19 Mar 2005 06:39:35 -0500 /article/In-Case-you-Missed-It-the-Best-NCAA-Performances-2-22-3-1/ /article/In-Case-you-Missed-It-the-Best-NCAA-Performances-2-22-3-1/ Sat, 19 Mar 2005 00:00:01 -0500 /article/Checking-Stock-in-Day-One-of-the-NCAA-Tournament-119/ /article/Checking-Stock-in-Day-One-of-the-NCAA-Tournament-119/ Sat, 19 Mar 2005 00:00:01 -0500 Strengths Really a promising player, Uros Tripkovic is a very solid prospect who should emerge soon as one of the best guards in all of in Europe. He's very skilled, smart, athletic and a good competitor. He displays almost the entire package. Uros is quite an athletic kid. He enjoys very good legs that make him quick and even explosive, showing a good vertical leap. When it comes to scoring, Tripkovic likes to use his jumper. He's an excellent shooter, using his strong legs to fire away from high in the air, with beautiful mechanics and a quick release. He's very consistent from static positions, but he can make them off the dribble too, showing the ability to create his own shots. He's pretty skilled translating his horizontal quickness into a balanced leap to deliver the jumper. Besides, he enjoys great range, even out to the NBA three-point line. Almost as good as his shooting is his ability to slash to the hoop. You would expect no less, as we're talking about a player with great handles, a good first step, the quickness and the fearlessness to be effective. He can attack both sides of his defender, but many times he doesn't finish the action himself, whether it's because he pulls up to deliver a jumper at some point of the way, or because he sees a better option and feeds an open teammate. And that's because he's a fine passer as well, enjoying remarkable court vision for a wing player. He's also pretty good at playing pick & roll situations as well as in transition. Tripkovic has the versatility to play some point guard. He has the handles, the quickness, the court vision and the passing skills. He has good enough legs to defend both guard positions, showing very good lateral movement. He played the point on a regular basis when he was younger, although right now he's pretty much focusing on the off-guard position, even if he sporadically is in charge of directing his team because of teammate Vule Avdalovic's injury. Anyway, with Tripkovic's skills and basketball IQ, the possibilities are multiplied. He really feels and knows the game. You will find very few people doubting his bright future. He's a very special player, even from an esthetical point of view. His game, his movements--all show a particular elegance that makes the experience of watching him even more enjoyable. /article/Uros-Tripkovic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2795/ /article/Uros-Tripkovic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2795/ Thu, 17 Mar 2005 10:11:09 -0500 Draftcity's NCAA tournament coverage continues with our final bracket, the Austin region, and we're focusing in on the top prospects, where they rank in the eyes of the scouts and what they need to do in the tournament to improve their stock. Duke, Kentucky, and Oklahoma headline this bracket. As usual, no one gives you this much in-depth coverage as we do here at Draftcity, regardless of the fact that it's 100% free. Please show your support and help us stay alive. /article/Draft-prospects-in-the-Austin-bracket-116/ /article/Draft-prospects-in-the-Austin-bracket-116/ Thu, 17 Mar 2005 05:50:28 -0500 DraftExpress' NCAA tournament coverage continues, digging a little bit deeper this time with the open practices at Cleveland State University, featuring Wake Forest, Alabama, Boston College and West Virginia. /article/NCAA-Tournament-practices-at-Cleveland-State-University-118/ /article/NCAA-Tournament-practices-at-Cleveland-State-University-118/ Thu, 17 Mar 2005 03:15:22 -0500 Strengths Eduardo Hernandez-Sonseca is a true center, which is not the most common thing these days. He's a legit seven footer with a good wingspan and decent mobility. He has a nice frame, and has already put some strength on it. Sonseca displays some of the skills that you would like to find in this kind of player. He can play in the post, displaying some decent moves and the ability to finish with a hook. He can also shot the ball with good range, even close to the international three-point line, although just from catch and shoot type situations. On the defensive end is where he shines the most. He can be a very solid presence in the paint, using his size and intelligence whether on individual defense or team defense to intimidate the rivals near the basket. He enjoys decent leaping ability for a guy of his size, and good timing, which paired with his long arms make him potentially a very good shot blocker (indeed, he delivered a great season in this department some years ago). Sonseca is an excellent rebounder. It's not that he's very aggressive when it comes to fighting for a rebound, but he combines his very accurate physical tools with a nice sense of positioning to amass a remarkable amount of boards in limited playing time. /article/Eduardo-Hernandez-Sonseca-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2761/ /article/Eduardo-Hernandez-Sonseca-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2761/ Thu, 17 Mar 2005 01:50:16 -0500 Draftcity's NCAA tournament coverage continues, and this time we are here to tell you all you need to know about the top prospects in the Syracuse region, where they rank in the eyes of the scouts and what they need to do in the tournament to improve their stock. North Carolina, UConn and Kansas headline this especially interesting bracket. /article/Draft-prospects-in-the-Syracuse-bracket-115/ /article/Draft-prospects-in-the-Syracuse-bracket-115/ Tue, 15 Mar 2005 22:07:45 -0500 Strengths Promising, long-term talent, with an excellent shot for his height. Despite being only 18, he has the type of experience that other players could only dream of. He "plays" for one of the best teams in Europe (Panathinaikos, Greece) and has been a factor offensively in the few times his coach has asked him to enter the court during the past two seasons. He is not afraid to take the crucial, last minute shots. He has cold blood and is able to release a trey even when he is being guarded closely. He is a smart player, making good decisions and taking the shot in such a way that it is impossible to be blocked. His shooting style shows that the guy is as pure a shooter as they come, with a curvy way of getting his shot off. He has developed a nice slashing game, which allows him to create mismatches with opposing SF's, as he is too tall for other players at this position at close to 6-11. In defense, he may not be big, but he can steal the ball in a very smart way, due to his quick, long arms. Considering his age (18) you could say that he has a lot of potential to improve down the road. His father is a coach in Greece and therefore has been around basketball his whole life. /article/Dusan-Sakota-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2796/ /article/Dusan-Sakota-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2796/ Tue, 15 Mar 2005 04:57:44 -0500 While the eye of the nation is on the NCAA tournament this week, there will be some very good basketball players lacing it up a bit further away from the bright lights. The NIT features some of the best 2005 draft prospects, and you can be sure that there will NBA scouts in the stands watching them perform. Here is Draft City's rundown of 10 prospects to watch if you want a break from analyzing your NCAA tourney bracket. /article/Scouting-the-NIT-114/ /article/Scouting-the-NIT-114/ Tue, 15 Mar 2005 01:29:35 -0500 The tournament field is set, and Draftcity is here to tell you all you need to know about the top prospects in the Albuquerque region, where they rank in the eyes of the scouts and what they need to do in the tournament to improve their stock. Washington, Wake Forest and Gonzaga headline this bracket. /article/Draft-prospects-in-the-Albuquerque-bracket-113/ /article/Draft-prospects-in-the-Albuquerque-bracket-113/ Mon, 14 Mar 2005 04:09:00 -0500 The tournament field is set, and Draftcity is here to tell you all you need to know about the top prospects in the Chicago region, where they rank in the eyes of the scouts and what they need to do in the tournament to improve their stock. Illinois, Oklahoma State and Arizona headline this bracket. /article/Draft-prospects-in-the-Chicago-bracket-112/ /article/Draft-prospects-in-the-Chicago-bracket-112/ Mon, 14 Mar 2005 00:58:43 -0500 Strengths Wayne Simien is one of the most successful players in recent college history, playing in two final fours with one more chance to win a national title yet to come. He is one of the top post scorers in the country, period. Seemingly relishing contact on the blocks, he can score with a variety of fundamental spin moves, hooks, fadeaways, and bank shots. He is willing to take bigger players in the mid/high post, while abusing the traditional PF on the low blocks. There aren't many college defenders that can slow Simien down. He has a very nice traditional PF frame, standing around 6'8 and weighing a chiseled 260 pounds. Most players simply aren't strong enough to keep him from doing what he wants on the blocks. Simien is a standout rebounder and a physical post defender as well. Simien's feel for how to score down low is what sets him apart from the pack. He is a very savvy, cerebral player, and understands how to get the ball in the air before help defenders can react. He has absolutely outstanding touch on the ball, and his post moves almost never do anything but swish. His midrange jumper is improving, and Simien has even started hitting an occasional three pointer. He is also an exceptional free throw shooter, and destroys teams by getting to the line multiple times in short amounts of time. /article/Wayne-Simien-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2748/ /article/Wayne-Simien-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2748/ Sun, 13 Mar 2005 16:37:16 -0500 Strengths Ultra talented big man, with big potential and unlimited strength. Long, lanky and athletic, Bouroussis is not your average European young big body. He's very well built, not soft at all. He plays with a strong and powerful game, and can cause many problems to any defender as he can score in many ways, both under the basket and the perimeter. He runs the floor well, is a very good rebounder, an exceptional athlete for a European his size, and a player with a good knowledge of basketball fundamentals. He can use his body well in defense and can post up successfully too, but only when he wants too. His slashing ability is quite good, which is especially rare for such a big player. He can pull out of the paint and shoot, or even fire from downtown, as he has worked on his shot with patience, improving his shooting touch significantly, to the point that he is now an above average three-point shooter. He is pretty confident on the perimeter. In a word, he is a great talent /article/Yiannis-Bouroussis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2764/ /article/Yiannis-Bouroussis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2764/ Sun, 13 Mar 2005 16:35:45 -0500 Strengths January 2004: A great shooter, Vassiliadis can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court, although he specializes from three point range. He's very fast releasing his jumper, and he has the ability to get his shot off in many different ways, over the arms of defenders if needed. He can catch and shoot, launch off the dribble, off a screen, in motion, make turnaround jumpers, or almost any other way you can imagine. It's just an instinct for him to shoot the ball. He's very confident, and he won't give up shooting even if he's not having his best day.But that's not all. Vassiliadis can flat-out pass the ball. He sees the court very well and knows where to put it too. I'm not talking just about assists, but more about keeping the offense fluid by using his knack for keeping the ball moving quickly in the offensive set, and just making good decisions in the open court. You can tell by watching him that he has a high basketball IQ. He also has good handles, and has no problem dribbling the ball with either hand in transition or when penetrating.Costas is an intense defender. He will usually come up with some steals because of his activity in this department. Because he's a winner and knows the game is played on both ends of the court, he won't neglect his defensive duties despite being a shining spot on the offensive end. He's such a competitor that you can see him getting on his teammates' case (some of them quite older and veteran) when they miss an assignment on defense, or because of a poor decision on offense. He is a leader, or at least he tries to be one. It's not hard at all to get the picture that he plays with passion, and the crowd loves him as he transmits that passion to them with his body language, gesticulating, regretting errors and celebrating success.He's quite a mature player for his age, and he's rewarded for that with big minutes on the court. This is truly uncommon for a player so young on one of the best teams in such a strong league as the Greek league. 3/10/05 edit: Vassiliadis now seems more capable of settling down when his coach asks him to. He can co-operate with other players easily, despite his star character. Actually, he has quickly switched his profile to a more team-oriented one. /article/Costas-Vassiliadis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2708/ /article/Costas-Vassiliadis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2708/ Sun, 13 Mar 2005 16:35:27 -0500 Strengths Anderson is a physical, strong SG/SF that likes to post up and can defend with toughness. He is very good at scoring in the post for a guard, thanks to a very solid back to the basket game, and a surprisingly effective short hook shot. He is a strong finisher close to the hoop and knows how to use his physical strength to his advantage. He has improved his outside range over his career and is a moderately good outside shooter at this point. He's not a great shooter, but he can shoot from deep and usually makes them if he is left open. He has a very good touch around the basket and in the post is where he is most dangerous on offense.Anderson has very good hands; if he gets position down low, he just vacuums the ball into his grasp. He usually makes good decisions and if he has the mismatch against a smaller guard, he will take advantage of it. On offense, Michigan State sometimes uses Anderson as the PG and that shows that he has some versatility and can handle the basketball. He is not a true PG, but he does have ball-handling skills and can set up his teammates if asked to.Anderson is a very good leader as well; he has been one of the hardest working players on Michigan State over the past four seasons. He is an intense, fiery competitor that gets along with his teammates but also expects the best out of them as well. He has a history of making big shots throughout the season and is not afraid to take the big shot if he needs to. /article/Alan-Anderson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2834/ /article/Alan-Anderson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2834/ Sun, 13 Mar 2005 16:32:56 -0500 Strengths A smooth and skilled athletic shooting guard who can score with the best of them. Winston has the type of game that looks tailor made for the NBA in terms of the moves he executes. Things that NBA rookies need to be taught or polished when they come into the league, like jab-steps, head and body fakes and triple threat scoring, have already been in his repertoire for a long time. Winston is a tremendously skilled player who makes very complicated moves look easy. He has solid athletic ability and is very fluid offensive player.Winston has many tools he can go to to create space and get his shot off, and he uses them to score from all over the court. He is a very tough player to guard because he can hurt you in so many different ways. His outside shot (48% for threes on the year) has become deadly this year and needs to be respected and even feared. He has a beautiful stroke now, with a quick release and does not need a lot of space to get his shot off. His improvement in all areas of shooting from his freshman to junior year speaks volumes about his work ethic. He went from shooting 37% from the field, 21% for three and 67% from the line as a freshman to 47% from the field, 48% for three and 77% from the line as a junior. What makes his numbers even more impressive is the fact that Winston doesn't take too many easy shots from a static, stand-still position. Many of them are of a high level of difficulty, off the dribble and/or fading away, but he still shoots an excellent percentage. If Winston's man is guarding him too closely he will blow right by him with a very nice first step. Probably the best part of his game is his ball-handling skills. He dribbles the ball like it's attached to a string, and moves gorgeously with it in small areas to frustrate and confuse his man. He is very good at getting his man off balance, and his crossover dribble is deadly on the NCAA level. Alabama will regularly clear out the floor for him to take his man one on one, and Winston is very effective in this area. As mentioned above he has lots of moves he can go to, thanks to his outstanding footwork and how quickly he can change gears. His mid-range game is solid as he likes to put the ball on the floor and elevate quickly for the pull-up jumpshot. He can also take the ball strong all the way to the hoop, slicing and spinning his way to the hoop, although (see weaknesses). Winston can also turn around quickly from the face up position and use his footwork to back his man down and score in the post. /article/Kennedy-Winston-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2767/ /article/Kennedy-Winston-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2767/ Sun, 13 Mar 2005 16:31:22 -0500 Strengths Ronny Turiaf started his college career as a skinny unknown with a mean streak. In the four years since he has added an astonishing amount of bulk, but hasn't lost a bit of the fire that made him a household name almost the minute he stepped onto the floor for Gonzaga. While many people think of Turiaf as a fundamental back-to-the-basket scorer first, it's pretty obvious that his strength lies in his ability to disrupt things around the basket. Currently listed 6'10 and 250, it wouldn't surprise me if he weighs 10-15 pounds more than that. He looks like a completely different player than he did as a freshman, but hasn't lost any of that explosiveness that makes him so tough to contain. Turiaf is blessed with a fire for the game, and seems genuinely eager to knock people around down low. Given his impressive frame and strength, this allows Turiaf to dominate doing the little things. He is an incredible offensive rebounder, a first-rate post defender, and an enthusiastic shot blocker. He gets good position in the low blocks on offense, and when he wants to hold his ground on defense, he might as well be a 7-foot block of granite. He might not look like a guy that can get up and block a lot of shots, but he has great anticipation, and that unexpected burst in his legs. Where other players tire, Turiaf keeps coming at you. Eventually, he will start winning the battle around the basket. In this way, Rony Turiaf is very reminiscent of your classic enforcer PF, of which we seem to be seeing fewer and fewer these days. Turiaf has some work to do on his post fundamentals, but seems to understand what it takes to get his shot off down low, and has an adequate midrange jumper for this point in his career. /article/Ronny-Turiaf-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2734/ /article/Ronny-Turiaf-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2734/ Sun, 13 Mar 2005 16:30:21 -0500 Drew Barnette puts down his final bracket projections, and takes the time to explain some of the details. The actual bracket will be announced on March 13th at 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on CBS. /article/Final-BracketCity-March-Madness-Projections-111/ /article/Final-BracketCity-March-Madness-Projections-111/ Sun, 13 Mar 2005 15:54:19 -0500 The close of the regular season brought with it some tense, down-to-the-wire conference races and, thankfully for us, some of the best NCAA performances of the year. This was particularly so with many of the so called "mid-major" conferences. But don't be fooled, there was nothing mid-major about these performances, or the many talented players dominating those conferences. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It-The-best-NCAA-performances,-3-2---3-9-110/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It-The-best-NCAA-performances,-3-2---3-9-110/ Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:14:11 -0500 Two potential lottery prospects, Guillermo Diaz and Jarrett Jack, went head to head last weekend in a thrilling ACC matchup. This was an outstanding chance to see how the two stack up, and Jonathan Givony is here to tell you how they looked. /article/Marquee-matchup-Guillermo-Diaz-vs.-Jarrett-Jack-109/ /article/Marquee-matchup-Guillermo-Diaz-vs.-Jarrett-Jack-109/ Thu, 03 Mar 2005 04:15:29 -0500 Jonathan Givony had the chance to sit down and talk with Danny Granger late last week. In this unconventional interview, Granger talks about his draft stock, the team he wants to draft him, the impending age limit and much more. /article/Danny-Granger-Interview-108/ /article/Danny-Granger-Interview-108/ Tue, 01 Mar 2005 20:38:45 -0500 Strengths A very explosive offensive player that can put up points with the best of them. He can get his shot off at any point in time and is very acrobatic in the air and on the move. With that being said, he is obviously a very solid athlete, he has deceptively good quickness and is well conditioned. Grier has blasted onto the national scene this year and has been one of the most dangerous and offensively creative players in the Big Ten. He was absolutely dynamite in two particular games for the Golden Gophers games this season against Wisconsin and Northwestern. In those two, Grier scored half of the Gophers points in both of those games with 32 points each. He is very good at scoring in the post for a guard, not being afraid to take it hard to the hoop no matter who is in front of him. He rebounds well for a guard and when he has the ball in his hands on the break, he just seems one step quicker than his competition. Grier is very creative going to the hoop, he will not always look to dunk the basketball, and he is very good at putting up circus shots and making them.In terms of ball handling, he is good at creating off the dribble due to his strength, as most of his points come from dribble penetration, and he knows how to finish when he gets the chance. At times, he throws up some crazy and ill-advised shots but he is surprisingly accurate and makes a majority of those types of shots. Physically he is a well-built player; however, he still needs to getstronger as do most for the move to the next level. He does not have outstanding quickness or leaping ability, but when you least expect it, he will do something amazing. His physical strength allows him to get his shot off in traffic.Grier is a good teammate, he seems to get along with his teammates and does not appear to have any attitude problems. He is a hard worker and his improvement from being a freshman at UNC Charlotte to what he is now shows that. In terms of competitiveness, he is an intense player, but I would not classify him amongst the great competitors from what he has shown so far. /article/Vincent-Grier-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2829/ /article/Vincent-Grier-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2829/ Sun, 27 Feb 2005 16:04:13 -0500 Strengths Panagiotis Vasilopoulos is a player with very specific strengths to his game, which is based around his mental strength and defensive play. Looking more experienced than his age, he understands well the need of a player to work for his team and attempt fewer shots than expected in order to make sure that all baskets will be a product of team work and that the best shot possible is found to maximize the possession. When he is needed, he can take over on the offensive end; he is a fine shooter, confident, fairly athletic, versatile, has a nice vertical leap and his passing abilities are above average. Defensively, he uses his strong and well-built body in order to stop his opponents, either in the post or more successfully on the perimeter. He can control his body well and is able to commit smart fouls when needed, while it is no problem for him to chase smaller players, as his feet are strong enough for him to simply do it. He is a really good rebounder and despite his small size, he is a steady blocker. In general, although he has very good offensive characteristics, his role on his team is more defense-oriented. /article/Panagiotis-Vasilopoulos-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2840/ /article/Panagiotis-Vasilopoulos-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2840/ Sun, 27 Feb 2005 08:19:21 -0500 Another edition of the Spanish King's Cup, this time played in Zaragoza, and again a crowd of NBA scouts were there to check out some of the better international draft prospects and over-22 players. Luis Fernandez is here to tell us what they saw. /article/2005-Spanish-Kings-Cup-105/ /article/2005-Spanish-Kings-Cup-105/ Wed, 23 Feb 2005 01:40:45 -0500 Whether it's big men swatting shots, little guys swiping the ball, shooters launching from deep or "glue" guys doing the dirty work, is here every week detailing the best NCAA performances. This week we take a look at some sweet strokes as well as some under-publicized giants toiling away and dreaming of NBA stardom. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It-The-best-NCAA-Performances,-2-15---2-21-104/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It-The-best-NCAA-Performances,-2-15---2-21-104/ Tue, 22 Feb 2005 14:50:25 -0500 Strengths Possesses great size for the PG position at 6-3 with an excellent body that he always keeps in top notch shape. Very physical, strong and tough, both mentally and physically and uses that to the fullest on both ends of the floor. Has very good PG skills; good court vision, nice ball-handling skills with both hands, and the size to see over the top of defenses. Jack plays the game with extreme confidence. He isn't the flashiest passer in the NCAA, which is why you don't see or hear his name nearly as much as he deserves, but he knows where his teammates like the ball and makes smart and efficient passes to put them in position for the easy basket. Jack is an assistant coach on the floor who is constantly directing his teammates and telling them where to position themselves on both ends of the court. He's a great playmaker who reads defenses well and knows how to run his team's offense in the half-court as well as excelling in transition. He appears to be a natural born leader who will gain his teammates respect by leading by example. He is very unselfish, almost to a fault at times, but this shouldn't be much of a problem at the next level. He has very good shot selection, hardly ever taking bad shots out of the context of the offense and is shooting over 50% for the year. What makes Jack stand out a bit in this excellent class of PG's in this draft is his defense. He is probably the best defensive PG in this draft along with Aaron Miles, but has more potential at the NBA level with this skill because of his excellent size and body. His footwork is absolutely fantastic and he never takes off a possession. He'll get right in the grill of his opponent and won't give him an inch. He is very physical and always plays the game with a lot of intensity, not having any problem getting scrappy or taking the charge. He has good anticipation skills and excellent hands, which makes him a constant threat in the passing lanes. He will not risk his defensive position to come up with the steal like other PG's in this draft who average a little higher in the steals category. He's also a very good rebounder for a PG, averaging 5.5 for the season. Georgia Tech is the best defensive team in the ACC and Jack is a huge part of that. Offensively, Jack is a very complete and versatile player. He can score from anywhere on the court, but doesn't force the issue. His bread and butter is the drive and dish, but he's not afraid to take the ball all the way to the basket and finish strong even with contact, slashing to the hoop with reckless abandon and little to no regard for his personal safety. He is very skilled in this aspect and you'll rarely see him lose his focus and miss once he's in the lane. He has a knack for getting to the basket despite the fact that his first step isn't out of this world, relying more on his strength, footwork and smarts to spin and dice his way through the lane, rather than just his above average athletic ability. He can also pull up quickly and hit the one handed floater or nail the mid-range jumper with good accuracy, which compliments his in-between game quite well. He has developed a nice post-up game to better compliment his size and strength at the PG position, once again thanks to his strength and footwork. He is almost automatic from the free throw line, hovering around 90% for most of the season. While he has all the attributes you can ask for out of an NBA PG, he also shows some potential at the 2 guard spot as well, even defensively for spot up minutes if needed. His off the ball movement is excellent, and while he doesn't shoot too many of them, he's over 40% for the year from behind the arc as well. He is a clutch player who wants the ball in his hands at the end of the game. Off the court, Jack is an intelligent, humble and hard working kid with exactly the type of personality you want to see out of a guy you are investing millions of dollars in. His work ethic is second to none and you can tell that just by looking at his rapid improvement in all aspects of the game since his freshman season, but especially at the free throw line (improved by 20%) and from behind the arc (from 28% to 41%). He is a student of the game (and an excellent student in the classroom) and is always looking to make himself better. /article/Jarrett-Jack-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2694/ /article/Jarrett-Jack-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2694/ Tue, 22 Feb 2005 02:45:37 -0500 30 of the 31 division one conferences have a tournament to determine their champion. Here are the dates, locations, and formats of each tournament for the 2007-2008 season. /article/Conference-Tournament-Info-1866/ /article/Conference-Tournament-Info-1866/ Sun, 20 Feb 2005 13:09:06 -0500 The Euroleague's regular season has just ended, and this is a good moment take a look back and see which draft prospects have performed the best over these last months at the highest level of European competition. /article/Euroleague-Youngsters-Fighting-for-a-Place-Under-the-Sun-101/ /article/Euroleague-Youngsters-Fighting-for-a-Place-Under-the-Sun-101/ Fri, 18 Feb 2005 21:56:06 -0500 's most faithful readers have decided that Raymond Felton is at least the 2nd best PG in the draft this year. Jonathan Watters takes you deeper into the good and bad of Felton's game. /article/A-Tale-of-Two-Rays-102/ /article/A-Tale-of-Two-Rays-102/ Thu, 17 Feb 2005 01:43:01 -0500 Just as the season is starting to come into clearer focus, this week's edition of our weekly 'Best Performances' features some high profile names playing for some high profile schools. Conference play and the impending NCAA seedings have ratcheted things up across the nation, just in time for some of the country's best ballers to answer the call. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It-The-best-NCAA-Performances,-2-8---2-14-100/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It-The-best-NCAA-Performances,-2-8---2-14-100/ Tue, 15 Feb 2005 18:04:11 -0500 With the continuing success of international players in the NBA and league GMs' desire to find mature players wherever they can, a new secondary market in draft choices is likely to open up soon: the rights to previously drafted European and other international stars. Guest columnist Robert Windrem explores this option and examines how it has worked out for NBA teams over the past few years. /article/The-Secondary-Market-in-Draft-Rights-98/ /article/The-Secondary-Market-in-Draft-Rights-98/ Mon, 14 Feb 2005 13:17:15 -0500 Strengths An extremely skilled offensive player. Scores from all over the court and just has a great knack for putting the ball in the basket. An outstanding shooter with great range. Has great form on his jump shot and should have no problem making the transition to the NBA three point line. Excellent free throw shooter and has a good mid-range game as well (although he doesn't use it enough). Very strong, has good upper and lower body strength and has a good vertical leap. Has an excellent post-up game, but it's hard to see this translating to the NBA considering that he'll always be giving up a couple of inches to his matchup. McCants is a fiery competitor. He always wears his heart on his sleeve, for better or for worse. He's not afraid of challenges and will take the ball strong to the hoop no matter who is guarding it. McCants has shown improvement in many areas this year, including his defense, shot selection and passing. He appears to be a more mature player this year. /article/Rashad-McCants-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2696/ /article/Rashad-McCants-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2696/ Sun, 13 Feb 2005 20:59:24 -0500 Strengths Taft combines the size, strength and athletic ability that the NBA is desperately looking for, and that's exactly the reason he is considered almost a sure-fire lottery pick and potentially even a #1 pick if he can find a way to erase the many concerns scouts have about his game. The first thing you notice about him is his body; he's just a monster for only being 19 years old, he's strong, and built very well in all the important places, but surprisingly quick and agile for a guy that size. You can see that he's got great potential just in the way he moves. He can really get up and down the floor in a hurry, and when an opponent is driving down the lane Taft will get up off the floor in an instant to block his shot. Taft also has long arms and big soft hands, which makes him a reliable target down low (and potentially an excellent rebounder). He can also pass the ball fairly well, even out of the double team. Defensively he appears to be quite solid. His lateral movement is good, and he doesn't panic and pick up stupid fouls like a lot of raw, talented big men his age. It's hard to post him up or fake him out because of his strength and poise, and he can be pretty active when he wants to be and actually rotate well if he puts his mind to it. He's not a great shotblocker, but considering his body and athletic ability, along with his excellent timing, he has some potential here. Taft is an above average free throw shooter for his size, that combined with a few sparks of a decent jumper along with showing that he can be a decent ball-handler, in the rare opportunity that he's asked to leave the post, lead you to believe that he will be able to develop a decent face up game sometime down the road. /article/Chris-Taft-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2783/ /article/Chris-Taft-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2783/ Tue, 08 Feb 2005 19:11:00 -0500 Our weekly 'Best Performances' feature is growing by leaps and bounds, due in part to the demands of readers everywhere and in part to the great performances being put up all over the country. In a week of brilliant games and eye-opening box scores, more than a few earned our respect, and this week's edition is stuffed full of prospects. We're going coast to coast this time to check them out. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It-The-best-NCAA-Performances,-2-1---2-6-97/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It-The-best-NCAA-Performances,-2-1---2-6-97/ Tue, 08 Feb 2005 15:06:48 -0500 While the ACC and the Big East seem to get all the hype these days, there is some very solid basketball being played out on the west coast. There are two legit contenders in Arizona and Washington, and several other teams that could easily end up with NCAA berths. As far as draft prospects go, there isn't that dynamite lottery lock as of right now, but there is a surprising amount of young talent in this league that you will be hearing a lot about over the next few seasons. Here's how things are stacking up at the moment... /article/Scouting-the-Pac-10-96/ /article/Scouting-the-Pac-10-96/ Sat, 05 Feb 2005 07:11:47 -0500 Strengths Gray is an energetic, versatile and skilled PF who is probably the biggest reason behind Oklahoma's success this year besides the coaching of Kelvin Sampson. It's scary to think that this is just his first year of playing Division I basketball, his rapid improvement over the season considering the transition he's had to make has been nothing short of remarkable for those who have followed him.Gray is extremely athletic and will likely thrive in an up-tempo offense; he runs the floor very well and has an outstanding vertical leap. He gets off the floor instantly and can bounce back quickly to go up for the rebound or blocked shot. Gray is a fantastic player to have in transition because he can handle the ball for short periods of time, pass real well, or get off the floor to finish with a thunderous alley-oop. Gray is a skilled and physical post player who can be counted on for a field goal when his team needs it most. He is strong enough to establish position deep in the paint, and once he receives it he has the skill, smarts, quickness and strength to work his way to the basket and finish with a great touch, being almost automatic from short range. He is not afraid to take the ball up strong to the hoop, often drawing contact and finishing, but also showing that he can nail the turnaround jumper if his matchup over-commits. His defense is pretty solid, showing good lateral quickness and very nice shot-blocking ability thanks to his strength, athleticism and an above average wingspan. Gray shows a very good court demeanor, he is unselfish and very energetic, knowing how to get the crowd fired up with the way he leaves it all out on the floor, but especially with his shot-blocking ability and highlight reel finishes. He's a real fun player to watch, a true sparkplug. He also has no problem doing little things like diving for loose balls if it means giving his team a better chance to come up with the victory. According to people around the team, especially Coach Sampson, Gray has an outstanding work ethic and is often the last player to leave the gym after practice. He is a strong player, but has the frame to add even more bulk if needed.The most intriguing part of his game is probably his outstanding court vision and passing ability. Gray has a great feel for the game, and has shown to be an excellent interior passer as well as a player that can make good decisions with the ball out on the perimeter, be it finding the open man while he cuts to the basket, or just making a simple bounce pass to the open man for an easy bucket. Considering that he was playing Junior College just last season, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that the game comes easy for him. /article/Taj-Gray-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2820/ /article/Taj-Gray-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2820/ Fri, 04 Feb 2005 04:00:34 -0500 High school sensation Louis Williams was on national television tonight, and is here to break down his game for you and what he needs to work on now and in the future to make it in the NBA, including our humble opinion on his potential draft stock. /article/Louis-Williams-on-ESPN2-95/ /article/Louis-Williams-on-ESPN2-95/ Fri, 04 Feb 2005 01:07:22 -0500 Strengths The arrival of Dirk Nowitzki to the NBA has brought an increasing demand and expectation for similar shooting ability from any European big man who has followed him since. And while this pattern is frequently false, as good of a stroke of many of those guys might have, in the case of Vladimir Veremeenko we're talking about a true sniper. The Russian enjoys one of the quickest releases amongst forwards you will find anywhere; it's automatic and very reliable from mid-range distances. He can make it off the dribble, while squaring himself for a balanced shot, and almost never in a wild fashion. Fortunately, Veremeenko is not just a one-dimensional player. Standing 6-11, he takes advantage of his great mobility and coordination from the power forward position. He runs the court very well, and enjoys a very good first step and nice handles that allow him to penetrate, giving him the ability to punish his defender with his superior quickness. He can also produce from the low post, although he usually looks for a turnaround jumper in those situations. Veremeenko understands the game pretty well. You can feel it while watching him pass the ball, quickly and to the right place, or just by observing his efficient movement without the ball while looking for room to operate. He's quite a nice team defender, careful with rotations and sometimes even energetic while trying to come up with a block from the weak side, showing a nice vertical leap and good timing. He has good lateral quickness for the power forward spot as well. /article/Vladimir-Veremeenko-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2723/ /article/Vladimir-Veremeenko-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2723/ Wed, 02 Feb 2005 14:15:43 -0500 Draftcity's weekly look at the best college performances goes big this Tuesday, highlighting some outstanding displays of muscle and power. While there are plenty of talented 6'7" to 6'10" players in the college ranks, few are cut from the Wes Unseld or even David Robinson/Pat Ewing mold. More likely, these 'Tweener Big Men are long and lean, showcasing the versatile skills that NBA scouts are looking for. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It-The--Tweener-Big-Man-Edition-94/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It-The--Tweener-Big-Man-Edition-94/ Tue, 01 Feb 2005 14:13:21 -0500 Strengths Fran Vázquez is an athletic paint player who displays great speed and mobility, nice coordination and very good leaping ability. He's gifted with very long arms and decent strength despite his skinny appearance. On the offensive end, he takes advantage of his superior speed to beat the defense by running the break or using screens to get an open position. He plays quite well without the ball, particularly in pick and roll situations. He's a pretty explosive finisher: he can receive the ball and dunk it in a second. Perhaps his best offensive weapon is his jumper out to 12-14 feet, being able to deliver it with a slight fade-away movement, which, combined with his wingspan and vertical, makes his shots very difficult to stop. He also displays a semi-hook shot, which is very reliable and helps him to produce in the low post. He's also consistent from the free-throw line. On defense, he can be a good intimidator. Using his long arms and leaping ability with perfect timing, he gets a good amount of blocks on a regular basis. He has the physical tools, such as wingspan or quickness, and shows the right attitude to become a reliable defender. He's also a nice rebounder, getting many defensive boards thanks to his athleticism. Vázquez is a natural-born worker, always trying to get better, always improving on his weaknesses, and pretty intense on the floor. He's really serious about the game and shows great maturity and character; he doesn't hesitate if he's needed to lead his team. He knows his current limitations and plays under control. Given his physical profile and attitude, he still has lots of potential. /article/Fran-Vazquez-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2703/ /article/Fran-Vazquez-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2703/ Sun, 30 Jan 2005 19:25:05 -0500 Australian scout Andrew Floyd gives us a short recap of Australian basketball's ups and downs over the past few seasons, with an emphasis on the new generation of Aussie ballers that are making their marks across the globe, and an exclusive introduction to the newest Australian draft prospect, Brad Newley. /article/Aussie-Ball-is-Back-92/ /article/Aussie-Ball-is-Back-92/ Tue, 25 Jan 2005 15:31:46 -0500 Welcome to the first installment of 's "In Case You Missed It," where we spend each Tuesday highlighting the previous week's top college performances. /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It-The-Week-s-Top-NCAA-Performances-91/ /article/In-Case-You-Missed-It-The-Week-s-Top-NCAA-Performances-91/ Tue, 25 Jan 2005 15:22:15 -0500 Starting today, you will notice a brand new section on the "features" bar on the left. It's called BracketCity and in it you will find Drew Barnette's latest projections, highlighted matchups and discussions regarding the potential seedings and bids for our favorite time of the year, March Madness. Read the article to find out more. /article/Welcome-to-Bracket-Express!!-90/ /article/Welcome-to-Bracket-Express!!-90/ Tue, 25 Jan 2005 04:49:53 -0500 Strengths Unlike the majority of international big man coming to the NBA, Axel Hervelle is much more of a physical-oriented athlete rather than an incredibly skilled player. He displays good athleticism, enjoying a good vertical and quickness that make him a very mobile paint player, always running up and down the court. His body looks decently strong, showing broad shoulders and a good frame to keep adding weight, and a nice wingspan. Hervelle is a high-energy guy. He’s very intense on the court, and never saves any effort playing the game. You can see him all over the court, running the break, going after any loose ball, flying to get a block, actively looking for the rebound, multiplying himself on defense, etc. Indeed, being a nice defender with an accurate lateral quickness, he excels on team defense. His sense of positioning is great, rarely committing any mistakes in defensive rotations. He’s particularly aggressive looking for the offensive rebound. On the offensive end, Hervelle moves reasonably well without the ball which allows him to get open looks near the basket. He also is working on his shot, being able to make the international three pointer with some accuracy. His mechanics aren’t bad, and his release is rather fast. The Belgian is a team player, a hard worker who always shows the right attitude. /article/Axel-Hervelle-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2807/ /article/Axel-Hervelle-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2807/ Mon, 24 Jan 2005 19:30:54 -0500 What's going on with Sergio Rodríguez? He's been struggling for most of the season so far, but from time to time he blows up for a game. Yeah, we know: he's still very young. So, is that all their is to it? Luis Fernández doesn't think so. /article/Sergio-Rodriguez,-All-or-Nothing-88/ /article/Sergio-Rodriguez,-All-or-Nothing-88/ Thu, 20 Jan 2005 13:20:38 -0500 Strengths Athletic, versatile big man who can play multiple positions, score from both inside and out and is a mismatch every time he steps on the floor. Villanueva moves very well for his height, 6-11, and can really get off the floor to block shots and finish in transition. He also has a pretty nice first step for a near 7 footer, aided by his long strides and good ball-handling skills. He can drive both left or right equally well. He can also handle the ball on the break and find the open man. Has a very good body, big hands and an excellent wingspan, and that really comes to play in his rebounding and shot blocking. Thanks to his physical stature and athletic ability, Villanueva can really be a force down low defensively, especially by altering shots around the rim, and on the boards, when he puts his mind to it. A good weakside defender, rotates well to intimidate inside the post. He has some developing post moves, especially a fadeaway hook shot and spin moves, aided by decent footwork which he uses to score around the basket if he can establish deep enough position (doesn’t happen enough). Villanueva is a good perimeter player with range out to the three point line. He is an excellent player to have in the high post because he is smart, can put the ball on the floor, hit the 18 footer, or find the open man with his above average passing skills. Cuts well himself to find the best angle to get open and receive the ball, works the pick and roll nicely. A very unselfish player, almost too unselfish at times. /article/Charlie-Villanueva-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2733/ /article/Charlie-Villanueva-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2733/ Wed, 19 Jan 2005 02:05:17 -0500 A little over halfway through the season, right as things start to get REALLY interesting in the NCAA, it's just about that time where you can start to put your finger on teams and players that have gone above and beyond the early expectations and can no longer be considered flukes with their surprising success. 's NCAA scout Jonathan Watters takes a look at five teams that have gone above and beyond this season so far, while evaluating the potential NBA talent they possess on their roster. /article/The-NCAA-Scene-Five-emerging-programs-87/ /article/The-NCAA-Scene-Five-emerging-programs-87/ Sun, 16 Jan 2005 05:42:06 -0500 The once sure fire #1 pick for the 2005 draft, Nemanja Aleksandrov, now finds himself on our 2006 mock draft. Luis Fernández explains the reason behind the move. /article/Aleksandrov-moved-to-the-2006-mock-draft-86/ /article/Aleksandrov-moved-to-the-2006-mock-draft-86/ Fri, 14 Jan 2005 17:34:21 -0500 L'Hospitalet Tournament is back. The junior competition that has recently hosted the likes of Sergio Rodríguez, Rudy Fernández, Josh Smith, Rajon Rondo or Erazem Lorbek, added last week another edition to its bright history, while bringing up new names to take into account for the future. Draftcity's Luis Fernández was there. /article/L-Hospitalet-Tournament-Searching-for-New-Talent/ /article/L-Hospitalet-Tournament-Searching-for-New-Talent/ Sun, 09 Jan 2005 19:35:30 -0500 Strengths Incredibly smart, strong and tough PG with an outstanding handle with either hand. He can take you left or right equally well, with a lethal crossover and strong body fakes, and if his man hesitates or backs off him for just a second he'll stop on a dime and nail the mid-range jumper right on top of him. Despite his average foot speed, Williams always finds a way to get inside the lane. Fundamentally sound. Has an incredible knack for running a basketball team, he knows how to feed his teammates and always places the ball exactly where they want it thanks to his outstanding court vision and feel for the game. Watching him run the pick and roll (and he can be on either end) is a thing of beauty. Williams can make the simple bounce pass just as well as he can heave precise full-court bombs to ignite the fast break. Plays with incredible patience and composure for a player his age, doesn't panic and always lets the game come to him, always fully taking advantage of his strengths. He plays terrific defense (in the NCAA), mainly because of his strength and footwork, but also because of his excellent fundamentals and high basketball IQ. Doesn't risk his defensive position to get in the passing lanes and come up with steals. Whether he's scoring or not, Williams always makes his presence felt on the floor. He also seems to have a pretty good demeanor on and off the floor, which is nice to see from the heart and brains of your team. Williams is a good perimeter shooter, hitting about two threes a game in the NCAA over the past two seasons, usually on good percentages. In crunch time, Williams wants the ball in his hands and usually does exactly what's needed to help his team come away with the W. He's exactly the type of guy you want handling the ball when the game is on the line, as his decision making is usually superb. A good free throw shooter as well. /article/Deron-Williams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2743/ /article/Deron-Williams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2743/ Sun, 09 Jan 2005 06:23:08 -0500 Strengths Miles is the heart and soul of the Kansas Jayhawks. He is an old school, fundamental, playmaking point guard that makes a huge impact on the game whether he's scoring or not. His game is full of the intangibles that coaches love. Both J.R. Giddens and Wayne Simien have him to thank for many of the easy baskets that he hands them every single game. It's his consistency and impeccable decision making that separates him from most other young point guards his age. Miles is smart, patient and absolutely fantastic at putting the ball where his teammates want it. He controls the tempo of the game wonderfully, and can break down defenses in many different ways. He is excellent in both the half court offense as well as when he's pushing the ball in transition. His court vision is superb, and his post entry passing is almost an art form with the way that he just arcs the ball effortlessly right over the defense perfectly into the hands of his teammate for an easy dunk or lay-up. Defensively, he is as solid as they come. His lateral quickness is excellent, and he almost always stays in front of his man and has no problem getting right in his grill if needed. He's got quick hands to get in the passing lanes and come up with steals, but he doesn't risk his defensive positioning excessively. He fights through screens like a real pro, and is excellent at putting pressure on the ball. It appears that his shooting this year is much improved. He shot 46% from the field and 50% percent from behind the arc, although without a huge number of attempts to rely on for an accurate measure (about 6 FGA's and 2.5 3PA's per game). That has been one of the main things holding back his NBA potential in recent years, and if he manages to keep shooting at a good clip his stock will only continue to rise. Miles has a very good demeanor both off and on the court, and is described by his teammates, coaches and basically everyone around him as a natural born leader; a gym rat, very humble and a perfect teammate with an outstanding boyscout type personality. Something else that needs to be considered is the fact that he's racked up an unbelievable amount of wins in his 4 year NCAA career so far, and has also taken his team deep in the tournament in each of those seasons (two Final Fours and one Elite Eight so far). Considering that he's a PG and has played a big role since his freshman year, that's got to raise some eyebrows. Matt Broz 2003-04: While smaller than most PG's, Miles has great court vision. His ability to dish the ball is the main reason he has seen so much floor time on a team with many stars. His ability to give the ball up to a shooter, is among the best in the nation. He's a natural leader on the court which goes well with his capacity as Kansas' floor general. Plays tenacious defense. /article/Aaron-Miles-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2744/ /article/Aaron-Miles-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2744/ Sun, 09 Jan 2005 05:23:29 -0500 Much maligned over the past several seasons for not pulling it's weight in March, the Big Ten looks to make a comeback in 2004. The conference has the nation's number one team in Illinois, as well as several other sweet 16 contenders. While there aren't any surefire lotto picks in the Big 10 at the moment, there are quite a few young players to keep an eye on. /article/Scouting-the-Big-Ten-83/ /article/Scouting-the-Big-Ten-83/ Thu, 06 Jan 2005 23:23:20 -0500 One of the most promising youngsters from across the ocean, Ersan Ilyasova, is still a perfect stranger for many people, but a very talented kid with a story of health problems and confusing origins. Now that his comeback from his latest injury is near, Draftcity's Turkish scout Sadik Iliman digs into the small forward's already troubled young career while picturing him for us. /article/Ersan-Ilyasova-the-Turkish-pearl-82/ /article/Ersan-Ilyasova-the-Turkish-pearl-82/ Wed, 05 Jan 2005 03:07:02 -0500 The real 2004-2005 basketball season is about to heat up. That means that certain prospects will make their name, and others will fall off the map. In three months, the draft landscape is going to look dramatically different from the way it does right now. Here are five college prospects that I think can shake things up over the next few months. /article/5-to-Watch-in-05-81/ /article/5-to-Watch-in-05-81/ Thu, 30 Dec 2004 22:04:56 -0500 Strengths The first thing you notice about Mickael Gelabale is his great athleticism and his smooth movements. The guy can jump out of the gym and he's quite fast. Combine this with a 6-8 body and a very good wingspan, and we can start talking about some very nice physical potential for him in the wing. But Gelabale is more than his athleticism and his long body, he's a player with skills that are already good enough to be very valuable to any team, particularly his shooting and his defense, and with the potential to develop other abilities nicely as well. The consistency he shows with his jumpshot is quite remarkable. He's usually money in the bank when he's open up to 18-19 feet. He can also nail the three-pointer with fairly good accuracy, but he still hasn't fully mastered it. He shows nice mechanics and he's fairly quick on the release, which is also pretty high thanks to his vertical. Therefore, he doesn't even need to be fully open to make it. His shot is mainly static, although he can make it off the dribble too. It's not the usual pattern, though. He's a player who tries to minimize risks and make as few mistakes as possible. So he never forces shots unless it's necessary. He's a decent slasher too, and he can become quite a good one. His first step is nothing out of this world, but he has handles, athleticism and the footwork to fill the bill. Like it happens with his shooting, he doesn't take too many chances, so it's not the most usual thing to see him try and penetrate. He waits for a good option, finds the opening, and takes advantage of it. He likes to run the floor a lot, and he has already finished this season some spectacular alley-oops in transition. On defense, he's hard to beat, really hard if a screen isn't used. He has very good lateral defensive speed and his long arms are a nightmare for the opponents. His defense is not really very aggressive, but his intensity is constant and he's usually focused. He has the tools to become a very good rebounder, and he can make some nasty blocks if needed, but he rarely risks his defensive position for a rejection. Gelabale shows decent basketball IQ. He seems comfortable on the court, he knows the game. Concerning his character, he shows a good attitude, being very serious on the floor, always focused, always willing to work, always thinking first about the team. Because that's what the Frenchman is, a team player. /article/Mickael-Gelabale-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2756/ /article/Mickael-Gelabale-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2756/ Tue, 28 Dec 2004 14:51:55 -0500 Luis Fernández discusses the growing trend of international prospects getting drafted and signed only to sit on the bench and develop slowly if at all. /article/Leave-the-kids-in-Europe!-80/ /article/Leave-the-kids-in-Europe!-80/ Fri, 24 Dec 2004 22:31:26 -0500 Tiago Splitter's amazing last game is the perfect excuse for DrafCity's Luis Fernández to update us on the Brazilian big man. /article/You-can-count-on-Tiago-Splitter-78/ /article/You-can-count-on-Tiago-Splitter-78/ Mon, 20 Dec 2004 12:21:57 -0500 Australian big man Andrew Bogut has been on a tear recently in the NCAA. 's Jonathan Givony digs deeper into the type of player Bogut is /article/Andrew-Bogut-looking-outstanding-so-far-77/ /article/Andrew-Bogut-looking-outstanding-so-far-77/ Fri, 17 Dec 2004 10:05:22 -0500 Strengths (2005 draft scouting report, see player blog tab for much more recent updates)Rudy Fernández is a talented and skilled shooting guard who shows almost every characteristic that a player at his position should display. He's very intense and plays the game with passion. Gifted with very nice athleticism, his main strength is his versatility in the offensive end. The kid can flat out shoot the ball, including three-pointers, with polished mechanics and a good quick release. A clear clue of his ability is his remarkable free throw percentage. Also, his shot selection is very efficient.Perhaps, more than shooting, Rudy likes to penetrate to split defenses. With his amazing handles and great first step, he puts the ball on the floor, fakes and then dribbles easily past his defender using his quickness, sometimes finishing with a nice dunk or a variety of lay-ups. He also has the ability to dish off to the open man with great accuracy or perhaps to stop and release a mid-range jumper. He's very hard to stop and seems to have an answer for any difficulty. He also has good court vision and knows who give the ball to. He definitely understands the game, usually taking the best option when the ball is in his hands. His great wingspan, nice vertical and great desire allows him to grab a good amount of rebounds, even on the offensive end, and he can also block some shots when given the chance. Rudy is a good defender, being very active in this department. He has the right attitude, and can steal some balls with his quick hands, long arms and ability to see the passing lines.The kid shows an uncommon maturity for his age, he's a very hard working player (reportedly, he was attempting over 300 shots a day in practice last year) and he's playing big minutes in a very tough competition. He's already shown the ability to step up and score clutch baskets. He always manages to keep his cool under pressure, and he loves big games, never feeling intimidated. He's a special player, truly competitive, and despite his great present ability, there's still room for big improvement. /article/Rudy-Fernandez-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2702/ /article/Rudy-Fernandez-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2702/ Thu, 16 Dec 2004 19:31:51 -0500 staff writer J.L. Weill gives us a different perspective on the nationally televised matchup between Greg Oden and Tyler Hansbrough. /article/Believe-the-hype-Greg-Oden-vs.-Tyler-Hansbrough-76/ /article/Believe-the-hype-Greg-Oden-vs.-Tyler-Hansbrough-76/ Fri, 10 Dec 2004 09:28:16 -0500 Strengths An intriguing combination of athleticism, size, and skill. Is a high-flyer wing with a score-first mentality, but also has the ability to play the point. At 6-4, moves like a PG, and certainly has the handles. Will use his first step to blow by almost any guard. Can finish on anybody, but will also score over people with a nice midrange floater. Opportunistic and versatile defender, with the potential to get a lot better. Can bother a lot of guards with combination of speed, size, and strength. Averaged nearly six rebounds per game last season, and has the leaping ability to steal rebounds away from the big boys. /article/Pierre-Pierce-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2792/ /article/Pierre-Pierce-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2792/ Tue, 07 Dec 2004 19:47:12 -0500 Strengths Zisis is one of the most experienced players in this upcoming NBA Draft. This season is his fourth in the Euroleague, while he has already been a star for all the National Teams of Greece (Cadets, Juniors, Young Men and recently National Team). He is an excellent player to depend on in the game's last minutes. He is very steady, he has shown extensive maturity in his game decisions and during the past two months he has been successfully transferred from a starting shooting guard to a starting point guard. As a point guard, he can immediately provide a team with certain characteristics, that only a few players in Europe can provide. He separates sentiments from the game needs and looks patiently for his teammates. His passing is on the rise and is already above average, while his mind is always clear and his body ready to contribute. Like most of the modern European point guards, he is very smart, he is a very good defensive player, a solid presence during the game, he challenges all opponents and always tries to find a way to help his team. But after his recent transfer from the SG spot, what really makes him special is his ability to finish all his scoring opportunities and he is a nearly excellent three-point shooter. This is a very important characteristic of his games and separates him from most good European point-guards. /article/Nikolaos-Zisis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2763/ /article/Nikolaos-Zisis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2763/ Sat, 04 Dec 2004 14:07:25 -0500 Jonathan Watters completes his evaluation and predictions for the new NCAA season, with the Big 12, Big Ten and Conference USA. /article/NCAA-Preview-Part-3-74/ /article/NCAA-Preview-Part-3-74/ Sun, 28 Nov 2004 12:43:25 -0500 The Euroleague season kicked a few weeks ago and would like to acquaint you with the teams participating in the 2nd best league in the world, one by one on an individual basis. We end our comprehensive Euroleague Preview with the final article of our three-part series, introducing you to the teams of Group A. /article/Euroleague-Preview-Group-A-73/ /article/Euroleague-Preview-Group-A-73/ Sun, 28 Nov 2004 00:03:09 -0500 Jonathan Watters continues his evaluation and predictions for the new NCAA season, this time with the Pac-10 and ACC. /article/NCAA-Preview-Part-2-71/ /article/NCAA-Preview-Part-2-71/ Thu, 25 Nov 2004 10:15:30 -0500 warmly welcomes it's newest NCAA scout and writer, Jonathan Watters, by presenting his personal vision of how the NCAA will shape up in this much-anticipated 2004-2005 season. In part 1, Watters takes a look at the Big East and the SEC. /article/NCAA-Preview-Part-1-70/ /article/NCAA-Preview-Part-1-70/ Tue, 23 Nov 2004 10:56:02 -0500 The Euroleague season kicked off last week and would like to acquaint you with the teams participating in the 2nd best league in the world, one by one on an individual basis. Next up is Group B, headlined by Maccabi Tel Aviv, the reigning Euroleague Champions. /article/Euroleague-Preview-Group-B-68/ /article/Euroleague-Preview-Group-B-68/ Wed, 17 Nov 2004 13:31:13 -0500 The Euroleague season kicked off this week and would like to acquaint you with the teams participating in the 2nd best league in the world, one by one on an individual basis. First up is Group C, headlined by CSKA Moscow, the hosts and favorites for the final four. /article/Euroleague-Preview-Group-C-66/ /article/Euroleague-Preview-Group-C-66/ Sat, 06 Nov 2004 19:01:14 -0500 Several interesting developments over the past week have opened up a fantastic opportunity for the young, much hyped Lithuanian center Martynas Andriuskevicius to show exactly what he is capable of doing this season in front of the constantly present NBA scouts. Will he take advantage? /article/A-Golden-Opportunity-for-Andriuskevicius-to-Shine-65/ /article/A-Golden-Opportunity-for-Andriuskevicius-to-Shine-65/ Tue, 26 Oct 2004 08:14:51 -0400 The college season couldn't come any faster for us at . Guest contributor Wade Smith takes a look at some of the players who might be headed towards a breakout season in the NCAA. /article/NCAA-Breakout-Players-Watch-List-63/ /article/NCAA-Breakout-Players-Watch-List-63/ Sat, 16 Oct 2004 03:27:02 -0400 Strengths Nenad Mijatovic is a flashy point guard with a special ability to score. Gifted with nice athletic ability, he's really a quick player. His offensive repertoire is based on two main strengths: his jumper and his penetrations. His shot is quite effective, with his range reaching the three point line, and he feels comfortable shooting off the dribble. Good mechanics, good release speed, Mijatovic is already a very nice gunner. His quickness and great handles with both hands make him a very good penetrator. He shows a good first step and can drive in traffic. He can finish himself, using both hands with equal ability, or he can feed a teammate, which becomes perhaps his main source of production and, therefore, assists within the set offense.But where Nenad's game really flourishes is on the break. You can feel how much he loves it. He's hard to stop because of his quickness and his decision making. He can finish the play easily thanks to his superior speed, good athleticism and size, or pass the ball generally with very good results, even with a flashy move, given the chance.Nenad's quickness is reflected on his lateral defensive movement, as he's a hard player to beat. It's up to him how good of a defender he wants to become. Right now he shows quite a good attitude, although he doesn't give the full effort everytime. He also has decent hands to steal the ball. /article/Nenad-Mijatovic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2779/ /article/Nenad-Mijatovic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2779/ Mon, 27 Sep 2004 16:12:26 -0400 Strengths Has all the physical attributes you could ask for out of an NBA point guard; extremely quick, good leaper and possesses a fantastic first step. One of the best and most potent shooters in the NCAA, can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court with unlimited range, and can get his shot off from any position; off the dribble, stationary, moving left or right, falling out of bounds, from half court, he always finds a way to square his shoulders and he makes it look easy. His mechanics are as solid as they come, jumps high in the air and has a lighting quick release. Has a good mid-range game too, but doesn't use it enough. Excellent at creating separation from his defender and elevating for a soft jump shot. He's a good ball handler. Has a lethal cross-over. Can take his man off the dribble fearlessly and get to the hoop in the blink of an eye, and will almost always finish strong. Thrives in transition, loves to push the ball and will usually find the open man. Has shown that he has decent court vision when he wants to. Oozing with confidence, not afraid to take a big shot or any kind of shot for that matter, thrives when the game is on the line. Hits big shots when his team needs them most. Has made many game winning shots in his basketball career so far. Plays the game with a passion, will fire up his teammates and get the crowd involved. Tough as nails, never backs down from a challenge. /article/Anthony-Roberson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2775/ /article/Anthony-Roberson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2775/ Sun, 26 Sep 2004 20:10:18 -0400 Strengths Ivan Koljevic is a skilled point guard with remarkable quickness, especially considering European standards. His quickness is reinforced with his great handles, with a magnificent cross-over, which allow him to keep up the speed while dribbling. With those skills he can't be anything but a good penetrator, and Koljevec certainly is. He possesses remarkable driving ability, and either go for the lay-up in heavy traffic, or dish to a teammate, during which he shows a nice passing ability and court vision. His other main offensive weapon is his jumper, particulary three-poointers (40% from the international three point arc), which are rather effective and delivered with lightning speed. He loves to dribble while facing the defender matched up against him, and can choose to either cross him over or release a trey in the blink of an eye. This causes the defender to keep an eye on both those abilities, making it hard to adjust. On the defensive end, Koljevic shows decent intensity. Koljevic possesses a fantastic work ethic. He is said to be working out either with or without the ball at least 10 hours each day. /article/Ivan-Koljevic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2715/ /article/Ivan-Koljevic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2715/ Sun, 26 Sep 2004 16:43:55 -0400 Strengths A terrific athlete. High riser that loves to dunk with authority. Extremely quick and mobile in the post. Possesses a nice array of post moves, great footwork, Ambidextrous, meaning he can dribble and finish equally well with both his left and right hands (he's a natural lefty). Lee is especially good at establishing position in the paint and his soft hands make him a reliable target in the post. Has bulked up significantly, putting on over 15 pounds of pure muscle and dropping his body fat from 12% to 7%. Free throwing shooting has improved leaps and bounds, from under 55% his freshman year to over 75% this season. Could leave Florida as the all time best field goal shooter in school history, currently at 62%. That should tell you a little bit about the role he played for the Gators. Outside shooting has improved as well, used to be extremely limited outside the paint but is now hitting shots from the perimeter and especially from the baseline on a regular basis. If this trend continues he will be extremely a very tough player to match up with. Runs the floor well and is always a streaking threat on the break. Has good handles for a big man and likes to take his defender off the dribble. Lee is also a very gifted passer out of the post, he might be the best passing big man in the NCAA. He has a knack for finding the open man and passes extremely well out of the double team. /article/David-Lee-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2752/ /article/David-Lee-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2752/ Sun, 26 Sep 2004 13:11:07 -0400 Strengths Bogdanovic is a talented, skilled, and fundamentally sound small forward. He's one of those players who bases his game on his basketball abilities over his physical capabilities. To start with, Luka has a sweet touch from all over the court. He can nail the three pointer and the mid-ranger on a regular basis and shows a soft touch around the basket. His good ball handling skills allow him to penetrate easily and he can usually stop and finish with his very reliable mid-range shot. He can also post up his defensive matchup to deliver a slight fade-away shot off a spin movement. The quality of his movements is very impressive, and it's quite clear he has put in a lot of work into them.Luka has a great basketball mind. He sees the court really well and shows a remarkable passing ability facing the basket from the perimeter area. It would be hard to ask him for better decision making as he typically chooses the right option. He always plays under control and with an unusual composure for a player so young. A good example is his ability to finish under the basket against bigger rivals, faking, waiting for the best moment and not feeling intimidated. His movement without the ball also deserves to be mentioned. Although not very prolific, he knows where and when to make a cut in order to get good position. Definetly, a great basketball IQ.Physically, he has very good height for a small forward, he also benefits from a nice wingspan and a decent vertical leap. In fact, he's usually in charge of the tip-offs in his team's games. Besides, he's stronger than his age and weight would lead you to believe. His coach uses him to defend post players quite often and Luka doesn't shy away when it comes to looking for an offensive rebound. Quite a tough guy, we could say. /article/Luka-Bogdanovic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2735/ /article/Luka-Bogdanovic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2735/ Mon, 20 Sep 2004 12:47:48 -0400 Strengths Robinson is probably the quickest player in college basketball and maybe the most exciting one as well. At 5-9, he has the ability to stay low to the ground with his dribble and can push the ball from end to end as well as anyone. Thanks to his extraordinary leaping ability (his vertical is reportedly 40 inches or more), Robinson can finish with ease and is effective at either end of the alley-oop (one of the highlight plays of the first half of the season was Robinson's alley-oop dunk against Arizona). He has become a fixture on SportsCenter's Top Ten. More than just an athlete, Robinson can shoot the ball effectively with college three-point range (37.3% this season, up from 25.7% as a freshman), and the NBA three doesn't appear to be a problem for him. Because of his speed and quickness, he can get a shot whenever he wants and his jumping ability has meant that blocked shots haven't really been a problem for him in college despite his height. When he's going well, this means he can take over a game. On the offensive glass, Robinson has a tendency to get lost in the trees, making him extremely difficult to box out. He has put together a handful of spectacular tip dunks, and also come up with other important offensive rebounds. This skill will probably not translate as well to the NBA, but is valuable nonetheless. Nearly half his rebounds this season are on the offensive end. Robinson's quick hands and feet make him an effective full-court defender, and he can harass opposing point guards. /article/Nate-Robinson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2739/ /article/Nate-Robinson-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2739/ Fri, 17 Sep 2004 01:56:22 -0400 Strengths Really a long player, at 7'1 Mile Ilic enjoys enough athleticism to be considered a very interesting prospect. He shows decent mobility, being able to run the court pretty well as a trailer, and a nice vertical leap. Already quite a good shot blocker, his leaping ability and long wingspan gives him the potential to become a great one. He also shines as an offensive rebounder, getting many rebounds with those physical gifts and his eagerness looking for them.Besides scoring some easy baskets off of put-backs and offensive rebounds in general, Ilic shows an incipient mid-range jumper that, if properly worked on, could help him a lot to raise his production. He also has some game with his back to the basket, especially scoring off turnaround jumpers or a semi-hook shot. Although not having great handles, he can put the ball on the floor to try the penetration. His first step isn't anything more than average, but his long strides do the rest. He's not a bad passer, particulary facing the basket.More than anything, Ilic shows potential, great potential to become a nice inside presence on both ends of the court. He has been playing significant minutes with Reflex's first team from not long ago, and he has already given signs of his great possibilities as a player. /article/Mile-Ilic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2716/ /article/Mile-Ilic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2716/ Thu, 16 Sep 2004 11:14:48 -0400 Strengths Brandon Bass is considered to be one of the premier Freshman Power Forwards coming into the NCAA this year. He has all the skills you could ask for out of a PF and he is developing other skills that could make him more of a perimeter threat as well. He has a very bright future ahead of him and if he continues to work hard he will be a first round draft pick when he decides to come out. The first thing his coaches will tell you about him is that he's an extremely hard worker and a very motivated young man. Everyone that's worked with him agrees that he is a very coachable player and strives to do all he can to get better as a player. He takes his academics very seriously and was named student athlete of the month in December. You would never guess that he is only 18 years old. He has a solid NBA body, big soft hands and a nice wingspan which allows him to play bigger then his height. He's getting a ton of minutes and playing a big role in LSU's offense already in his freshman year. He has no problem playing 30+ minutes a game because he keeps himself in excellent shape. He rarely gets more then 5 minutes of rest in an entire game and he seems to have no problem with that whatsoever. Bass made a name for himself in high school mostly by being a force in the paint. He blocks a lot of shots and rebounds extremely well. He knows how to establish position in the paint and box his man out for the rebound on both ends of the court. He's very hard to move out of the low blocks once he's established position. Very good upper body strength. Even though he is very big and bulky he is a mobile player, runs up and down the court extremely well and can get off the floor in a second to catch the alleyoop pass and throw it down. He's a very good athlete and he uses his skills well. Bass was a late bloomer, started growing pretty late and you can tell that he was used to being more of a perimeter type player up until his final years of high school. He'll sometimes step out of the paint and attack the basket off the dribble or pull up for the 15 footer. His jump shot is getting better everyday, if this trend continues he will be an extremely tough player to guard on any level. He is already an excellent free throw shooter by all standards and that might imply that he has what it takes to become a solid outside shooter down the road as well. We're not talking 3 point range here but more of a 16-18 foot jump shooter like Chris Webber or Jermaine O'neal. We'll see how that comes along. He's got a beautiful shooting stroke for a big man right now and all it will take probably is a lot of hard work to get where he needs to be. /article/Brandon-Bass-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2728/ /article/Brandon-Bass-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2728/ Sun, 12 Sep 2004 15:39:25 -0400 Strengths As a Freshman, Banks has shows incredible poise and determination playing against a stiffer competition than he did in his HS days. He has an uncanny ability to receive the ball anywhere on the floor and get it to his favorite spot on the floor, the low post right at the blocks. Time after time he continues to find the bottom of the bucket with a routine turnaround jumpshot. Whether the defender allows him to push it closer to the hoop to get the basket and 1, or force him to take the tough angled turnaround fadeaway, he does it effortlessly.If he is playing against a team with a tough frontcourt, Sean has no problems taking the ball outside where he can be dangerous with the 3 pointer. His height, wingspan, and ability to get off the floor on a jumpshot allow him to easily get the shot over the heads of most defenders.Rebounding is another strong area for Sean Banks. He is not a real big guy at this point weight-wise, but he plays with a strong determination to get to the ball or atleast get his hands on it with every possesion, whether it is offensive or defensive. He pushes his way inside and gets great position for rebounds on both ends of the court. If he is not in perfect position he can use his quickness to step around the player boxing him out to sneak around for the offensive board.Banks' height and length help in other ways too such as shotblocking and deflecting passes. He had a season high 5 blocks in an all around defensive effort where he had his hands in all the passing lanes and disrupting the dribble of his opponents.Came into the Memphis program with a decent understanding of the game, but as the season progresses it is obvious that Calipari is spending time with him in order to further his knowledge and awareness of the game. He originally started out driving the lanes and picking up dumb fouls on the offensive side of the ball, but now he seems to have that checked and knows what, and what not to do with the ball in particular situations where it could be costly. Banks' ability to play SG as well as both Forward positions comes from his HS days when he was only about 6'5. /article/Sean-Banks-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2727/ /article/Sean-Banks-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2727/ Sun, 12 Sep 2004 15:33:11 -0400 Draft City concludes our look at the best prospects seen during the European Junior Championships at Zaragoza. Aleksandrov, Andriuskevicius, and Petro were not the only frontcourt players impressive enough to merit our attention. Here are some other guys about whom we might be hearing in the future. /article/Zaragoza-The-Best-of-the-Rest--Frontcourt-48/ /article/Zaragoza-The-Best-of-the-Rest--Frontcourt-48/ Thu, 09 Sep 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Strengths Arslan is a true PG. He can dish out many asissts and control his team on the offensive end. He is one of those PG's who knows how and when to use his players. He is an excellent ballhandler and keeps his turnover rate to a minimum. He can penetrate and find the open man by using screens very effectively or by making a quick move from the perimeter. For him to miss an open three pointer off a double team is a rarity for Arslan, because he is a nice three point shooter and also has the ability to create his own shots by using screens or smart crossovers.His goal is to share the ball as quickly and as effectively as possible to make the offensive game of his team faster, which is one of the biggest problems for Efes. Arslans ability at the PG position would fit in well in a motion offense, because he always is in the triple threat position (pentrate, pass, shoot). Another important point about his game is the amazing quietness he has. He is not stressed if his team has some problems during the game and also does not force any shots in these situations. He is very smart and intelligent for his young age and is not afraid of leading his team in crunch time and attempting some crucial shots. /article/Ender-Arslan-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2712/ /article/Ender-Arslan-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2712/ Wed, 08 Sep 2004 05:33:44 -0400 Strengths A finesse player. You can see the talent and his elegance as soon as he touches the ball. A left handed player, he can shoot the ball from anywhere. He has very solid mechanics for a power forward that will allow him to improve even more. Never the less, he's not a great shooter yet. More of a reliable post player right now, but feels more comfortable facing the basket. Fine passer, good decision maker with the ball in his hands. He plays under control. Can put the ball on the floor and go strong to the hoop. Slokar started to play basketball really young, and it's easy to notice it because of his fundamentals. Decent mobility, rather fast for a big man, he can run the floor quite well, although he doesn't excel here. /article/Uros-Slokar-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2722/ /article/Uros-Slokar-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2722/ Sat, 04 Sep 2004 07:37:07 -0400 Strengths As a low-post scorer, Gomes already has NBA-caliber footwork on the low block, enabling him to make up for a lack of height among the trees. And when he's clearly outsized, he possesses the ability to back out and hit the tough bank shot or the midrange jumper. He's much like Wayne Simien of Kansas in that regard. Gomes' low-post positioning is second to none among forwards in the college game. Aggressive on the boards, it is his footwork and positioning that gives him the edge boxing out bigger foes. This ability to find where the ball is going gives him better angles down low. This, in turn, allows him to get offensive rebounds, which he did at better than a three-per-game clip this season. Gomes is an even better defensive rebounder, and is extremely consistent for a guy listed at 6'7, averaging over six a game. Gomes has great touch on both the midrange jumper and the bank off the glass. His range, while not to NBA-three range yet, is improving. He hit 33% of his threes this season (29 total) after hitting none his sophomore year.Finally, NBA scouts no doubt notice that Gomes lives at the free throw line. This year, he hit 87% of his free throws, knocking down a whopping 134, more than double the number made by any of his Providence teammates. For good measure, Gomes also led his team in scoring, rebounding and steals.While some draft prospects might have better natural athleticism, few will outwork Gomes on the low block. He's a hard worker who makes defenses stay on task the whole game. /article/Ryan-Gomes-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2720/ /article/Ryan-Gomes-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2720/ Wed, 01 Sep 2004 17:56:09 -0400 Strengths Erazem Lorbek is a super-skilled player who, offensively, can do it all. It's very hard to find 6-10 men like him with such a repertoire of abilities and solid fundamentals. Where do we start? Lorbek can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court on a good percentage. Unlike the majority of power forwards, he has a reliable jump shot off the dribble. You can see him often put the ball on the floor and take it to the basket. If his matchup overreacts, he'll step back and make him pay with a midrange fade away jumper. Speaking of dribbling, Lorbek has nice handles with both hands. He can use them in transition, as he runs the court decently. Also when penetrating, where he can beat his opponent by faking his shot. One of Erazem's most positive attributes is his post game. He has good footwork and knows how to use his body to take full advantage of his skills. A very nice soft touch around the basket completes the package. Lorbek sees the court very well, and always passes to the right man. He can attract defenses and then find the open man with a nice dish. He's a better passer facing the basket then from the post. The pick and roll comes naturally to him. He usually makes the right decision. Fully understands the game. He has great basketball IQ. A clutch player and loves big games, so you won't see him afraid of taking responsibilities. He's very competitive. /article/Erazem-Lorbek-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2710/ /article/Erazem-Lorbek-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2710/ Wed, 01 Sep 2004 17:40:41 -0400 Strengths The jumper is the most noticeable attribute of this big man. He can shoot it from three point land, although his mid-range shot is more reliable. He delivers it quite fast, receiving the ball and shooting right away, and his mechanics are surprisingly good for a player of his size. But this is not the only pleasant surprise; Pasalic is very well proportioned and coordinated for a player of his height. He is quite an athletic big guy, showing mobility, running the court pretty well and displaying a decent vertical leap. He also has a good body frame that will allow him to put some weight.He's a decent rebounder, shining particularly on the offensive end, where he shows skill especially on put-backs. He also has a soft touch around the basket. Considering his skills and the way he uses them, Pasalic is an intelligent player; He knows how to play without the ball, and he seems to have a good understanding of the game. /article/Drago-Pasalic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2707/ /article/Drago-Pasalic-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2707/ Wed, 01 Sep 2004 17:35:21 -0400 Strengths 2003-2004: A very versatile player, has a nice all around game. Excellent athlete. He is North Carolina's utility man, he does all the small things needed to secure the win.Jawad has showed improvement in many aspects since entering college. His free throw shooting has improved leaps and bounds, over 20% from his freshman year. Williams isn't afraid of hard work, and is willing to put in time to get better as a player. His range has also dramatically improved since arriving in Chapel Hill, and he has put on over 20 pounds of muscle just in the last off-season. Right now he's a good rebounder due to his athleticism, wingspan and desire.A good man to man defender, capable of playing the type of physical and exhausting lock down defense that opponents hate. He has a nice wingspan and he uses it well to block shots and come up with steals.Jawad is extremely athletic, but he's also tough as nails, he's played through numerous injuries in his career so far. He broke his nose earlier this season and continued to play through the pain. Has gone through dozens of stitches on his face in his career at North Carolina so far. He has no fear of anything and no regard whatsoever for his own personal safety. He'll do anything to secure the win. Jawad is a very good transition player, he runs the floor well, and knows how to find the open man, although you do not want him leading the break. His court vision in general is impressive for a small forward, he's an unselfish player and usually moves the ball around well. In fact, you might say that passing is one of his strong points, and that might catch you off guard because of his rugged style of play.This year in particular Williams has shown that he is a clutch shooter that wants to take the big shots at the end of the game. /article/Jawad-Williams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2700/ /article/Jawad-Williams-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-2700/ Wed, 01 Sep 2004 17:24:57 -0400 There was more to Zaragoza than its celebrated stars. Many players showed enough skills, talent, or potential to deserve at least a few lines about what type of players they are. This latest installment in 's coverage of the European Junior Championships takes a look at the standout guards from the tournament in Zaragoza. /article/Zaragoza,-The-Best-of-the-Rest--Guards-47/ /article/Zaragoza,-The-Best-of-the-Rest--Guards-47/ Fri, 20 Aug 2004 01:00:01 -0400 The Olympics will soon begin, but too often we are told that people cannot become suitably excited because they simply do not know half the players playing. is here to correct this by providing you with thorough breakdowns of the teams participating in this year's games. We will provide you with the nation's brief basketball history, a breakdown of the players playing this year, and what is expected of them. In part 2 of this series we look at Argentina, Serbia and Montenegro, Lithuania, and Puerto Rico. /article/Olympic-Preview-Part-2-45/ /article/Olympic-Preview-Part-2-45/ Fri, 13 Aug 2004 01:00:01 -0400 The Basketball Without Borders Camp (Europe) was held in La Ghirada sports complex in Treviso, Italy from July 24th-27th. This is the same place where the Reebok Eurocamp and Big Man Camp were held. /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-in-Treviso-62/ /article/Basketball-Without-Borders-in-Treviso-62/ Sun, 08 Aug 2004 01:00:01 -0400 /article/Nemanja-Aleksandrov-The-sure-fire-1-pick-42/ /article/Nemanja-Aleksandrov-The-sure-fire-1-pick-42/ Thu, 05 Aug 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Petro or Andriuskevicius, Andriuskevicius or Petro? That has been one of the hottest topics amongst the crowd during the European Junior Championships played in Zaragoza last week. Both came with a good amount of hype surrounding them, especially the Lithuanian, both come from countries that are recognized as basketball hotbeds for their own unique reasons and both declared and withdrew from last year's NBA draft. /article/Andriuskevicius-%26-Petro-Centers-of-Attention-61/ /article/Andriuskevicius-%26-Petro-Centers-of-Attention-61/ Sun, 01 Aug 2004 01:00:01 -0400 This year's European Junior Championship in Zaragoza was perhaps not the best or most thrilling tournament in the history of this competition, but nobody will soon forget the six feet, three inches of pure talent who answers to the name of Sergio Rodríguez. Rodríguez (who was first introduced to .com readers over three months ago by Juan Antonio Hinojo) amazed the lucky crowds with his flashy game. /article/Sergio-Rodri%ADguez-The-Spanish-Magician-60/ /article/Sergio-Rodri%ADguez-The-Spanish-Magician-60/ Fri, 23 Jul 2004 01:00:01 -0400 This week I got to check out the last couple of days of the Orlando Pepsi Pro Summer League, I thought I would share my thoughts with whoever is left out there reading. Here are some observations. Keep in mind that it's just summer league we are talking about here. As a Milwaukee Bucks scout that was sitting next to me wisely said: Try not to read too much into the games here, just always remember that Tim Duncan played pretty poorly in his first summer league.Anyway, here are some thoughts about players that stood out for good or for bad in one way or another. /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Observations-59/ /article/Orlando-Summer-League-Observations-59/ Tue, 13 Jul 2004 01:00:01 -0400 This article isn't really NBA draft related, but sometimes players we scout aren't ready for the NBA when their eligibility expires or when they declare themselves eligible for the draft. They need a few more years to continue to hone their game and work on their weaknesses, and they might still be considered good prospects for the best league in the world a few years later and are therefore worthy of being scouted. /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-Market-58/ /article/The-Top-Overseas-Free-Agents-on-the-Market-58/ Thu, 08 Jul 2004 01:00:01 -0400 /article/Suddenly,-Everything-has-Changed-34/ /article/Suddenly,-Everything-has-Changed-34/ Thu, 24 Jun 2004 01:00:01 -0400 /article/Interviews-with-the-Green-Room-Invitees-39/ /article/Interviews-with-the-Green-Room-Invitees-39/ Thu, 24 Jun 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Jonathan Givony lists his All-Underrated 1st team. /article/DraftExpress--All-Underrated-1st-Team-29/ /article/DraftExpress--All-Underrated-1st-Team-29/ Tue, 22 Jun 2004 01:00:01 -0400 The buzz is what you hear first as you walk in, that hum of excited voices rising and falling like smoke billowing above a fire you can't yet see.Someone lets out a yell: KNIIIICKS!You see Barkley straightening his tie for the tenth time in ten minutes. Now he looks like he's ready to go, so Sager's outlandish suit can't be far away. What is it this year, Craig, topaz? /article/Feeling-a-Draft-30/ /article/Feeling-a-Draft-30/ Tue, 22 Jun 2004 01:00:01 -0400 We have already established that the NBA Draft is the Greatest Day of the Year and one of the many reasons why: trades. Lots and lots of useless, silly trades. I'll trade you an Alaa Abdelnaby, two Ed Pinckneys, and box of broken Hot Wheels for your Blue Edwards and the rest of your cheeseburger. Sounds like fun, right? /article/We-Have-a-Trade-to-Announce-19/ /article/We-Have-a-Trade-to-Announce-19/ Mon, 21 Jun 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Jonathan Givony interviews Green Room invitee Jameer Nelson. /article/Interview-Jameer-Nelson-27/ /article/Interview-Jameer-Nelson-27/ Fri, 18 Jun 2004 01:00:01 -0400 /article/Word-on-the-Street/ /article/Word-on-the-Street/ Thu, 17 Jun 2004 01:00:01 -0400 's Jonathan Givony is in Chicago this week to give you the lowdown on what's happening in Chicago. /article/2004-Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-3-23/ /article/2004-Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-3-23/ Sat, 12 Jun 2004 01:00:01 -0400 's Jonathan Givony is in Chicago this week to give you the lowdown on what's happening in Chicago. /article/2004-Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-4-24/ /article/2004-Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-4-24/ Sat, 12 Jun 2004 01:00:01 -0400 's Jonathan Givony is in Chicago this week to give you the lowdown on what's happening in Chicago. /article/2004-Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-2-22/ /article/2004-Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-2-22/ Fri, 11 Jun 2004 01:00:01 -0400 's Jonathan Givony is in Chicago this week to give you the lowdown on what's happening in Chicago. /article/2004-Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-1-21/ /article/2004-Chicago-Pre-Draft-Camp-Day-1-21/ Thu, 10 Jun 2004 01:00:01 -0400 This year's edition of the Euro Big Man Camp took place in the La Ghirada Sporting Complex in Treviso. The camp brought together some of the most promising young big men in Europe from ages 16-24 for a three day training session with some of the best coaches in the world. Every single NBA team was represented, and many of the sessions were taught by NBA personnel like Nuggets GM Kiki Vanderweghe, Dallas VP of Basketball Operations Donnie Nelson, and former Cleveland and San Antonio player Danny Ferry, among others. Scouts and GMs were on hand along with DraftExpress to watch these young big men show their skills and to analyze their NBA potential. /article/2004-Reebok-Euro-Big-Man-Camp-57/ /article/2004-Reebok-Euro-Big-Man-Camp-57/ Thu, 03 Jun 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Jonathan Givony talks to the latest in a long line of Oak Hill Academy standouts, Josh Smith. /article/Interview-Josh-Smith-16/ /article/Interview-Josh-Smith-16/ Sat, 29 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Jason Walker will attempt to go to as many workouts as allowed and bring the news and his opinions of the workout back to Hawks fans everywhere. On Tuesday, May 25, 2004, the Hawks brought in Oregon's Luke Jackson, Kirk Snyder of the University of Nevada, Morehead State's Ricky Minard, and high school standout J.R. Smith. /article/Snyder-and-Jackson-Show-JR-the-Way-55/ /article/Snyder-and-Jackson-Show-JR-the-Way-55/ Wed, 26 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 This is just about the time when all hell breaks loose in the draft world. Cell phone bills skyrocket, disinformation spreads daily through the media, scouting reports get thrown out the window, career statistics and achievements are glanced at simply to be pushed aside later, and camps like Portsmouth are remembered as a distant memory. All the while NBA draft prospects are flown around the country every day to interview, take mind numbing psychological tests, and most importantly: work out, individually and against each other, in private, and not-so-private, settings. In these hectic times, your best friend, and really the only thing you can trust, is your own two eyes. /article/DraftExpress-Hits-the-Road-for-Workouts-15/ /article/DraftExpress-Hits-the-Road-for-Workouts-15/ Tue, 25 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Jason Walker will attempt to go to as many workouts as allowed and bring the news and his opinions of the workout back to fans everywhere. On Saturday May 22, the Hawks brought in Rafael Araujo from Brigham Young, Auburn's Kyle Davis, Chris Garnett from Indiana Southeast (NAIA) and Colorado junior David Harrison. /article/Hawks-Pre-Draft-Workout-54/ /article/Hawks-Pre-Draft-Workout-54/ Mon, 24 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 With all the high schoolers and foreign prospects flooding into this year's draft, it is pertinent to recall the remarkably similar 2001 NBA Draft. Both drafts feature several prominent high schoolers, a fair sampling of foreign teenagers, and a weaker than normal class of college upperclassmen. As it turns out, the 2001 NBA Draft class is quite possibly the least successful draft class after three seasons of any group in history. For the sake of teams choosing in the 2004 draft, one only hopes this upcoming draft class is far more successful than its similar predecessor. /article/2001-Draft,-A-Preview-of-2004-53/ /article/2001-Draft,-A-Preview-of-2004-53/ Sun, 23 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Jonathan Givony delivers the scoop on Haffa vs. Harrison, Snyder's showing in New Jersey, Pavel's health, Childress to GS Rumors and Slokar's situation. /article/The-Word-on-the-Street-14/ /article/The-Word-on-the-Street-14/ Thu, 20 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Jonathan Givony talks to Oregon superstar Luke Jackson. /article/Interview-Luke-Jackson-13/ /article/Interview-Luke-Jackson-13/ Tue, 18 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 /article/Is-it-Drafty-in-Here-52/ /article/Is-it-Drafty-in-Here-52/ Fri, 14 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 /article/Does-Size-Matter-36/ /article/Does-Size-Matter-36/ Wed, 12 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 While most people at the Hershey Centre on Saturday came to see, hear from, and talk about Ivan Chiriaev those that kept an eye on the other Canadian High School All-Stars in the building was in for a real treat. Canadian talent, all the way from Vancouver, BC to Halifax, NS came together for the first annual Adidas All-Canadian Game. Draftcity.com had the chance to sit down with 15 of the players, and see what some of their interests are off the court. /article/All-Canadian-Profiles-51/ /article/All-Canadian-Profiles-51/ Wed, 12 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 /article/Breaking-Down-Ivan-s-Game-41/ /article/Breaking-Down-Ivan-s-Game-41/ Mon, 10 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Never in the history of Canadian sports has a basketball player traveled to both extremes of public opinion in such a limited amount of time. Unless you've been under a rock for the past few months, you probably know who Ivan Chiriaev is. The 7-1 sensation from St. Thomas Aquinas High school in Oakville, ON by way of St. Petersburg Russia burst his way onto the NBA draft scene when scouts, the media, and even himself started talking about a 7-1 player with the unheard of ability play the point even at the NBA level. /article/The-Two-Sides-of-Ivan-Chiriaev-50/ /article/The-Two-Sides-of-Ivan-Chiriaev-50/ Mon, 10 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Jonathan Givony checks in with Nevada's Kirk Snyder. /article/Interview-Kirk-Snyder--Part--2-12/ /article/Interview-Kirk-Snyder--Part--2-12/ Sun, 09 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Jonathan Givony checks in with Nevada's Kirk Snyder. /article/Interview-Kirk-Snyder--Part-1-11/ /article/Interview-Kirk-Snyder--Part-1-11/ Sat, 08 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 /article/The-Greatest-Day-of-the-Year-35/ /article/The-Greatest-Day-of-the-Year-35/ Fri, 07 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 In part two of our two part coverage of the Euroleague Final Four Jonathan Givony and Luis Fernandez cover the other two methods by which a player can come to the NBA: via free agency and via a combination of both the draft and free agency. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Part-2-10/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Part-2-10/ Thu, 06 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 While the NBA playoffs continue to make even the purest of basketball fans fall asleep--with teams like the New Jersey Nets struggling to score 60 points not in one half, but in an entire game--basketball on the other side of the ocean is blossoming. Anyone who tuned in for this year's Euroleague final four was in for a delightful treat, a contest that was far more entertaining then any NBA playoff game I've seen so far this year. /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Part-1-9/ /article/Euroleague-Final-Four-Part-1-9/ Wed, 05 May 2004 01:00:01 -0400 /article/Eight-Common-Profiles-of-a-Bust-37/ /article/Eight-Common-Profiles-of-a-Bust-37/ Fri, 30 Apr 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Every year the NCAA Tournament becomes a springboard for some players leading into the draft, their stock soaring with a great team run or awesome individual performance on the game's biggest stage. The average fan and non-local media take notice and become enamored with these March heroes, often stars from smaller conferences or good players on what becomes a popular, great team. But the savvy draftniks and good NBA GMs know that for every unearthed diamond, there are plenty more lumps of NBA coal. /article/March-Diamonds-Often-Revert-to-Coal-49/ /article/March-Diamonds-Often-Revert-to-Coal-49/ Tue, 27 Apr 2004 01:00:01 -0400 Jonathan Givony chats with Israeli star Amit Tamir. /article/Interview-Amit-Tamir-8/ /article/Interview-Amit-Tamir-8/ Sun, 25 Apr 2004 00:00:01 -0400 The Portsmouth Invitational Tournamen is over and one of the names on everyone's minds is Nate Williams. Who? Don't worry, not many people know who that is. His name is Nate Williams and he goes to a small school in Atlanta called Georgia State from the Atlantic Sun conference. He has been playing there for the past three years, after transferring from Junior College at High Land Community College in Illinois, as a native of Chicago. He was recruited by their current coach, Michael Perry, who we had a chance to have a nice chat with on Thursday. /article/Portsmouth-Sleeper---Nate-Williams-7/ /article/Portsmouth-Sleeper---Nate-Williams-7/ Sat, 10 Apr 2004 00:00:01 -0400 Many future stars took part in this important national team competition over the past week in Poland, Greece and Croatia. There is a lot at stake as 18 teams are competing for 11 available spots in the Final, which will be held this summer from July 9th-18 in Zaragoza, Spain. We decided to make sure you are all updated about the progress of some future NBA draft prospects, along with acquainting you with some new ones as well. There were many more excellent players at this competition, but we decided to focus on these 11. /article/Under-18-European-Championship-6/ /article/Under-18-European-Championship-6/ Tue, 06 Apr 2004 00:00:01 -0400 Ever since Pau Gasol blossomed in 2001 while playing in this contest, a number of NBA team representatives, including Scouts, Presidents and GM's have circled the date of this prestigious event in a thick black marker months and months in advance. It's a great opportunity for scouts to see a large collection of present and future draft prospects competing against each other, as well as to evaluate the development of drafted players who still remain in Europe, and to look at some of the players who slipped between the cracks when they were younger and to collectively smack their foreheads and vow for that never to happen again. /article/Checking-Stock-at-the-King-s-Cup-2/ /article/Checking-Stock-at-the-King-s-Cup-2/ Fri, 19 Mar 2004 00:00:01 -0500 Pavel Podkolzine, the next dominant big man? A bust waiting to happen? Easy baby, easy. He's a 19 year old kid still getting the hang of this game. But can anything be more intriguing then a 7-5, 300 pound, well built teenager who actually has some mobility and even a decent jumper? We had the chance to see him in action during the quarterfinals of the ULEB Cup, by all means a very good opportunity to observe the progress of his development against some decent competition and in a very competitive environment. /article/Get-to-Know-Pavel-Podkolzine-s-Game-3/ /article/Get-to-Know-Pavel-Podkolzine-s-Game-3/ Fri, 19 Mar 2004 00:00:01 -0500 /article/DraftExpress-Stat-Legend-1849/ /article/DraftExpress-Stat-Legend-1849/ Fri, 19 Mar 2004 00:00:01 -0500 /article/Damn-You-Lottery-43/ /article/Damn-You-Lottery-43/ Fri, 20 Feb 2004 01:00:01 -0500 So your team lands in the lottery after missing the playoffs. Maybe it was a fluke season rattled with injuries, or perhaps it's an annual ritual. The point it your team needs help and it needs it quickly in order to become more competitive and earn those valuable playoff home gate recepits. /article/Patience-Not-a-Virtue-for-Lottery-Teams-46/ /article/Patience-Not-a-Virtue-for-Lottery-Teams-46/ Thu, 05 Feb 2004 01:00:01 -0500