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| NYDailyNews.com |
Scott Machado, PG, Iona
In the fall, Machado was the biggest reason preseason
pundits had Iona pegged to make the NCAA tourney. Although the Gaels lost to
BYU, Machado posted 15 points and 10 assists in his final college contest. The
numbers were in line with his season averages of 13.6 points and 9.9 assists
per game.
At 22, Machado is more mature and polished than some of
those drafted, and although his upside may not be as high, he has a better assist
average than anyone in college basketball this year. That stat should translate
to the NBA. And, oh yeah, he can score.
Less than 10 hours after the draft ended, sources toldYahoo! Sports that Machado
had received calls inquiring about summer league play from the Atlanta Hawks,
Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Hornets
and Toronto Raptors. (Read: he’s a lock to make an NBA roster.)*
*Personally, I think the Knicks would be foolish not to make
a play for a guy whose college is within shouting distance from Madison Square
Garden, especially when the roster is unsettled at his position. Jeremy Lin is
the starter, for sure, but last year Baron Davis and Mike Bibby were the backup
point guards. Machado could be a traditional PG and the Knicks would suffer
little drop-off with him relieving Lin.
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| All-Pro Photo |
There is talk every year of an SEC bias in college football,
and a case can be made for a Big East bias in collegiate hoops. That being
said, Jones led the conference in rebounding (11.1 boards per game) and scoring
(20.1 points per game) and spearheaded an NCAA tourney berth for the
Mountaineers in their last season before departing for the Big 12.
Couple his hard work with proper coaching – a workout
routine that will switch fat for muscle on his 6’8”, 260-pound frame – and
Jones becomes a reliable role player who impacts the paint on both ends of the
floor.
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| AP Photo |
Tu Holloway, PG, Xavier
Tu Holloway won’t be the last
player left undrafted because he isn’t the prototypical size to play either
guard position in the NBA. At 6-foot-nothing, 187 pounds, he’s a tweener, but
Holloway probably missed out by entering such a deep draft.
After pulling out of the 2011
draft, Holloway completed his senior season at Xavier averaging 17 points and
5.1 assists per game. If he winds up on a pro roster, he’ll likely be called
upon as a scorer with occasional chances to run the point.
One thing going for Holloway is
that he didn’t shy away from playing defense in college, but rarely will he
have a size advantage against NBA players. Time will only tell if that is the
difference between a stateside career or an overseas calling.
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| Foxsports.com |
Hollis Thompson, SF, Georgetown
Thompson is trending upward after
three seasons at Georgetown, finishing his college career averaging 12.8 points
and 5.5 rebounds per game. Neither stat makes him a lock – it’s not unusual for
high-scoring college players to ride pine and toil in the pros (most recently,
see: Jimmer Fredette).
His jump shooting skills are
Thompson’s most coveted asset, but he needs to improve dramatically in other
areas if he’s serious about playing in the NBA. Defense counts in The
Association, now more than ever, and while big men often get free passes for
being poor free throw shooters, the same cannot be said for small forwards.
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| Icon SMI |
Henry Sims, C, Georgetown
Historically, centers from Georgetown have good basketball
reputations. That said, Sims had paltry numbers relative to the system in which
he played – 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
He’s also not ideally sized for a center, but at 6’10”, 245
pounds, he can still be a presence in the paint. Pair him with the right big
man coach, cover his less-than-stellar athleticism with smart play, and
Sims can be useful.
Garrett Stutz, C, Wichita State
Good centers are hard to come by in the pro game, and while
Stutz will get some long looks simply for being a legitimate seven-footer, he’s
a little slender at 255 pounds. As a major piece in the Shockers’ game, Stutz
averaged 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game as a senior. Playing
mid-major competition also hurt his draft stock.
Ware is point guard that made The Beach a preseason darling
much in the way Machado helped Iona’s standing, but for different reasons. Ware
has court vision (3.4 assists per game), but is primarily a scoring guard, as
evidenced by back-to-back seasons averaging 17+ points per game. The stats may
be skewed since he played in the relatively weak conference, and at 5’10”, Ware
lacks the size of archetypal NBA point guards. But if scouts can get past his
stature, they’ll see a quick, smart prospect who can play defense.
As a senior in a power conference, Buford recorded 14.7
points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. He also had Jared Sullinger and
a solid supporting cast that made other teams work. Still, his final season at
Ohio State saw his 3-point percentage drop nearly nine points (from 44.2 as a
junior to 35.8 his senior year) despite his unquestionable stroke. He struggled down the line
until the Buckeyes were booted late from the NCAA tourney by Kansas.
Gordon is another prospect who played against questionable
competition in a small conference. His 13.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game
made him an All-Mountain West selection last season. He’s a Derrick
Williams-type who has fantastic game around the rim and pops the occasional
mid-range shot. The best thing that Gordon can offer a team, though, is that he
knows how to position his 6’9”, 239-pound frame to get rebounds. He was a
leader in that stat category in college, and rebounding translates to the NBA.
If you think different, ask Kenneth Faried how he’s doing these days.
There are questions about his dedication to staying in
shape, and his role in instigating the Xavier-Cincinnati brawl caused only one
of numerous suspensions. Worse yet, he picks and chooses when to play. That
doesn’t change the fact that he has good size at 6’9”, 287 pounds, and a
wingspan of 7’3”. If he can refine his game and find a way to continue bullying
defenders around the bucket, there is hope for Gates yet.
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