Center
Israel Sheinfeld will forgo his
final season of eligibility at Wright State and pursue a professional basketball
career. The 6-11, 260-pound native of Israel, will play this summer for the
Superior League in Puerto Rico before looking for professional basketball
opportunities in home country. Sheinfeld was a second-team all-Midwestern
Collegiate Conference selection this past season after averaging 14.7 points
and 6.1 rebounds as the Raiders finished 18-10, their best record since
1992-93. He finished second in scoring and rebounding behind senior Kelvin
Melson. Sheinfeld shot an impressive 59.4% from the field and 80.1% from the
line. Despite his size, Sheinfeld is not a great rebounder and shotblocker
(just ten all season and can be turnover-prone. He had 96 turnovers and had
four or more miscues in 15 of his 29 games. His numbers dropped from his
sophomore season when he averaged 17 points and 7.7 rebounds per game and was
named First team All-Midwestern Collegiate Conference. Sheinfeld averaged just
4.0 points and 3.5 rebounds as a freshman, starting only one game. He was the
oldest player in the MCC this year. Sheinfeld, who turns 25 on July 1st,
spent three years in the Israeli Army and played with military club teams. He
could not play in the NBA, since he is not draft eligible and would be a part
of the 2002 Draft.
The
Raiders’ only other loss was 7-1 center Bruno Petersons, who averaged 3.5
points and 3.5 rebounds, but the team will be hard-pressed to fins the 29.7
points and 12.5 rebounds to replace Melson and Sheinfeld. The Raiders signed
just one player, 5-10 point guard Malcolm Andrews of Cincinnati (OH) Western
Hills.
Hawaii
big man Troy Ostler has been invited
to the Chicago pre-draft camp. He is lone senior who was not invited to the
Portsmouth and Phoenix camp who is playing in Chicago. The 6-10 forward/center
averaged 15.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this season. He shot 49.5% from
the field and 70.5% from the line. Ostler missed his three three-point
attempts. He weighed just 205 pounds during the season, but reportedly has
added ten pounds to his frame. Ostler is a very good leaper and has a 7-2 wing
span. A strong showing in Chicago could elevate him into the late second round.
May 30, 2001
I feel that Layne will fortunate if he hears
his name announced on draft night, due to the number of quality underclassmen
entering the draft and questions about his playmaking skills.
6-7
power forward Ousmane Cisse will
skip the Chicago pre-draft camp. He was ranked by recruiting guru Bob Gibbons
as the top high school player in the fall, but his stock dropped after a so-so
showing in the Slam Dunk to the Beach. Cisse, who missed the McDonald’s
All-American Game and Sonny Vaccaro Roundball Classic due to injuries, did not
finish among the top three team of five among the recent USA Today
All-Americans. He averaged 29 points, 16 rebounds, 13 blocks and four assists
per game. He shot 51% from the field and 85% from the line. Cisse is a strong
rebounder and warrior, but he is very raw offensively and he does not have a
small forward’s game. He was recruited by such schools as Louisville, North
Carolina and Duke before deciding to turn pro. Cisse is a native of Mali.
May 29, 2001
RIVERSIDE
HAWKS WINS 17 & UNDER CHAMPIONSHIP OF NIKE MEMORIAL DAY CLASSIC
Keydren
Clark made a 15-foot shot with 6.2 seconds left to give the Riverside Hawks a
63-62 win in the 17 & Under Championship of the Nike Memorial Day Classic
over Boo Williams. Boo Williams’ guard Johnny Gilchrist three-pointer went in
and out to seal the win for the Hawks. Boo Williams trailed by as much as 14
points before rallying for the lead. Richard Soliver scored 20 points for the
winners and Clark and Jason Wingate added ten. Boo Williams was paced by 19
points by Virginia signee Elton Brown and 17 each by Robert Strickland and
Gilchrist. Boo Williams, which won the St. Louis Eagles Tournament last week,
was without standout shooter J.J. Redick, who played in the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions.
TEAM
INDIANA RED WINS 16 & UNDER CHAMPIONSHIP OF NIKE MEMORIAL DAY CLASSIC
Matt
Pait hit a cutting Sonny Troutman with 1.9 seconds left as Team Indiana Red
scored the final seven points of the game to win the 16 & Under Nike
Memorial Day Classic 65-64 over Howard Pulley Red. Errek Suhr led Team Indiana
Red with 16 points. Sam Pharr had eleven and Troutman finished with ten points.
6-7 Dan Coleman led Howard Pulley with 19 points and eight rebounds. 6-6 Matt
Annen added 13 points and 6-7 Kevin Fitzgerald scored twelve. Their leading
scorer for the tournament, Kammaron Taylor, was held to just four points.
May 28, 2001
The Michigan Hurricanes won The Eighth Annual
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation Bob Gibbons Tournament of
Champions (say that three times fast) defeating Long Island Panthers 67-64 in
the championship game. The Atlanta Celtics had won the three previous titles.
The Mustangs were led by tournament MVP 6-2 point
guard Anthony Roberson. He is one of the country’s top players and is being
heavily recruited by the likes of Duke and Michigan State, where his close
friend and former AAU teammate Kelvin Torbert signed this year.
Long Island was paced by 6-6 forward Lenny Cooke
of Old Tappan (NJ) High, who finished with 13 points and five rebounds. Some
observers feel that Cooke is the top senior-to-be and is a future pro. Cooke is
being recruited by St. John’s, Seton Hall, Miami (FL), Ohio State, Tulane and
St. Peter’s (NY) and may elect to bypass college for the NBA Draft. He was
ineligible for most of the season due to age requirements after transferring
from La Salle High (N.Y.) and has said publicly that would like to spend at
least one year at college. Athletic shotblocker Jason Fraser added eight points
and eight rebounds. Fraser played with the Tim Thomas Playaz at the Nike Pulley
Tournament in Minneapolis earlier in the month.
Michigan bested Illinois Gold 77-55 in the
semifinals to advance to the championship game, while the Long Island Panthers
defeated Beach Ball Select 72-70 in the other semifinal.
ALL-TOURNAMENT
TEAM
Raymond Felton, Beach Ball Select
Denham Brown, Grassroots Canada
J.J. Redick, Raleigh Heat
Brandon Roy, Seattle Yes
Dee Brown, Illinois Gold
Amare Stoudemire, Fastbreak USA
Greg Brunner, Martin Brothers
Shavlik Randolph, Raleigh Heat
Allen Ray, New York Ravens
Evan Burns, Team Dada
Rodrick Stewart, FOH Seattle
Lodrick Stewart, FOH Seattle
Casey Gibbons, Middlesex Magic
Elijah Ingram, Tim Thomas Playaz
Ilian Evtimov, Masters Hoops
Sani Ibrahim, Atlanta Celtics
Sean Dockery, Illinois Fire
Cameron Bennerman, Team Carolina
Chuck Davis, Alabama Ice
Kennedy Winston, New Orleans Jazz
Cortez Davis, Sky’s The Limit
Jackie Butler, Southeast Raptors
Al Jefferson, Jackson Tigers
Eric Hicks, Charlotte Aces
Vincent Grier, Durham Disciples
Matt Anderson, Tennessee Travelers
Lenny Cooke, Long Island Panthers
Jason Fraser, Long Island Panthers
Maurice Ager, Michigan Hurricanes
Matt Trannon, Michigan Hurricanes
Select MVP: Fabian Davis, Durham Disciples
Shootout MVP: Mario Moore, Tennessee Travelers
The Michigan Hurricanes, formerly known as the
Mustangs, won their first T.O.C. championship as they defeated the Long Island
Panthers 67-64. Point guard Anthony Roberson was named the MVP of the event.
May 27, 2001
WOLVERINES
STILL WAITING FOR TWO RECRUITS
6-7 Chuck Bailey
of Detroit Martin Luther King High recently became the second University of
Michigan basketball recruit to qualify to play for the Wolverines this upcoming
season. However, new head coach Tommy Amaker is still waiting on news about two
other signees. 6-6 guard JaQuan Hart
of Flint (MI) Northern and 6-8 power forward Kelly Whitney of Chicago (IL) Marshall have yet to get a qualifying
score.
Bailey, who was a sixth-man as a junior, averaged
22.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots a game and finished 10th in the
voting for Michigan's Mr. Basketball. He is a good outside threat who figures
to come off the bench as a freshman.
Hart, who was runner-up for Michigan’s Mr.
Basketball behind Michigan State recruit Kelvin
Torbert, plans to take the ACT on June 9th. The Wolverine' fourth 2001 recruit, 6-3
guard Dommanic Ingerson of Santa
Barbara, Calif., has already qualified and will attend summer school in Ann
Arbor. Ingerson was suspended for three games by his high school coach for
trash talking. He is an explosive scorer who shined last July at the adidas Big Time Tournament.
The Wolverines landed College Basketball News’ third best recruiting class in the Big
Ten. Michigan lost just Josh Asselin
from a 10-18 team that was just 4-12 in Big Ten play.
Second
year Eastern Michigan basketball coach Jim Boone received some good news and
bad news. 6-3 sophomore guard Melvin
Hicks tore his patella tendon in his right knee in a pickup game in Detroit
and underwent surgery earlier that day. He will likely miss all or part of next
season. Hicks led the Eagles (13.1) in scoring and three-pointers. He was
perhaps the MAC’s most improved player last season after averaging just 0.8
points per game in 1999-2000. Unfortunately, Hicks already used a redshirt year
as a freshman.
The
Eagles did have some positive news when freshman guard Ricky Cottrill picked up his grades in the winter semester.
Cottrill was the team’s second leading scorer (12.3 points per game), when he
was ruled ineligible after eleven games. He had scored 20 or more points in his
final four games and averaged 20.0 points per game in those contests before
being ruled ineligible, due to a 1.6 GPA in the fall. Cottrill buckled down and
scored a 3.5 GPA in the winter and will be ready for the start of the 2001-02
season.
The
Eagles will add Cottrill’s roommate Steve
Pettyjohn next season. Pettyjohn played for Boone at Robert Morris as a
sophomore, averaging 12.3 points and a team-high 8.4 rebounds per game before
following Boone to Eastern Michigan. Pettyjohn is an excellent student and his
work ethic inspired Cottrill. Pettyjohn is expected to graduate in December,
despite having another year and a half of eligibility remaining.
The
Eagles were just 3-25 last season and won only one conference game. Boone
turned around Robert Morris in quick fashion as the Colonials went 4-23 in his
first year, but the Colonials were 15-12 in his third season and 18-12 in his
fourth.
Eastern
Michigan signed a strong five-man recruiting class. The Eagles inked 6-6
forward Adam Sommer of Pickerington (OH) High, 6-10 center Ryan Stennent from
Kimbell (MI) Royal Oak, 6-5 shooting guard Markus Austin of White Plains (NY)
High, 5-9 point guard Michael Ross from Beckley (WV) Woodrow Wilson and 67
small forward Rodney Hughes of Owens CC.
Western Michigan has lost three players from
their 7-21 team. 6-0 sophomore guard K.C.
Cavette, 6-4 freshman guard Maverick
Carter, and 6-3 freshman guard Nate
Richie will transfer to other school and continue their playing careers.
Cavette averaged 6.0 points per game in just 15 games this season. Carter
played in 26 of the Broncos’ 28 contests and averaged 2.0 points per game.
Richie failed to score in his five games this season.
The Broncos added a strong recruiting class under
first-year head coach Robert McCullum. He signed 6-8 power forward Nicola Evola
of Schoolcraft (MI) CC, 6-0 point guard Rick Willis from Detroit (MI) McKenzie,
6-10 center Steve Green of Macomb (MI) Lutheran North, 6-3 shooting guard Ben
Reed from Battle Creek (MI) Central and 6-7 small forward Jeff Bronson of
Clearwater (FL) Countryside Central. Western Michigan lost leading scorer Jon
Powell, but he was the lone senior on the team.
St.
Bonaventure siwngman Kevin Houston
was expected to play in the Portsmouth Invitational, but he had to miss the
event after having his knee scoped. He will likely have to miss the Chicago
pre-draft camp, but he is hopeful that he will be able to participate in
individual workouts before the draft. Houston is an excellent athlete with a 32
inch vertical jump and can bench-press 335 pounds. He was the second leading
scorer in Seward County (KS) CC history with 1,485 points. Houston was a first
team NJCAA All-American and was the 1997-98 Jayhawk West Conference Player of
the Year. He led Seward to a 35-3 mark and a spot in the NJCAA tournament
semi-finals. Houston signed with Miami (FL) and started six of 18 games for the
23-7 Hurricanes, who advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He
missed 12 games, due to injury and averaged 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per
game. Houston decided to transfer to a school closer to his Brooklyn, New York
home. He was one of the team’s three captains this and scored in double figures
in 29 of the Bonnies’ 30 games. Houston averaged 19.5 points and 6.9 rebounds
per game. He shot 42% from the field, 35.4% from three-point range and 81.3%
from the line. Houston made 71 three-pointers this season, a big improvement
from his year at Miami, when he made just seven. He needs to continue to
improve his perimeter skills to make the move to shooting guard in the pros.
Houston could possibly go in the second round, but is more likely to go
undrafted. He figures to be one of the more highly-sought free agents who
should get an invite to a summer league tryout.
The draft is not the only way to build a team.
Another option is signing a player via free agency. The summer of 2001 will not
be as action-packed as last year when there were big name free agents like Tim
Duncan, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Eddie Jones, Tim Thomas, Brian Grant and
Jalen Rose.
However,
Chris Webber of Sacramento could produce a shopping frenzy as teams like
Houston, Detroit, New York and Orlando are likely suitors along with the
Kings.
Teams
can start negotiating with free agent on July 1st and the dates that
free agents can be signed has been moved up to July 18th. The
following is a look at the top 40 free agents listed in order of their current
team.
KEY
- (P) Player Option, (T) Team Option, (TB) Potential Team Buyout, (R)
Restricted Free Agent
|
Nazr Mohammed |
Atlanta |
|
Eddie Robinson
(R) |
Charlotte |
|
Brad Miller
(T) |
Chicago |
|
Clarence
Weatherspoon |
Cleveland |
|
Calvin Booth
(R) |
Dallas |
|
Shawn Bradley |
Dallas |
|
Michael Finley
(P) |
Dallas |
|
Joe Smith |
Detroit |
|
Marc Jackson
(R) |
Golden State |
|
Shandon
Anderson (P) |
Houston |
|
Hakeem
Olajuwon |
Houston |
|
Maurice Taylor
(P) |
Houston |
|
Horace Grant |
Los Angeles
Lakers |
|
Robert Horry
(P) |
Los Angeles
Lakers |
|
Anthony Carter
(P)/(R) |
Miami |
|
Tim Hardway |
Miami |
|
Anthony Mason |
Miami |
|
LaPhonso Ellis
|
Minnesota |
|
Felipe Lopez |
Minnesota |
|
Allan Houston
(P) |
New York |
|
Tyrone Hill
(P) |
Philadelphia |
|
Todd
MacCulloch |
Philadelphia |
|
Aaron McKie |
Philadelphia |
|
Dikembe
Mutombo |
Philadelphia |
|
Rodney Rogers
(P) |
Phoenix |
|
Arvydas
Sabonis |
Portland |
|
Rod Strickland |
Portland |
|
Doug Christie
(P) |
Sacramento |
|
Chris Webber |
Sacramento |
|
Derek Anderson
(P) |
San Antonio |
|
David Robinson
|
San Antonio |
|
Patrick Ewing |
Seattle |
|
Ruben
Patterson (P)/ (R) |
Seattle |
|
Shammond
Williams (P)/(R) |
Seattle |
|
Antonio Davis
(P) |
Toronto |
|
Alvin Williams
|
Toronto |
|
Jerome
Williams (P) |
Toronto |
|
John Stockton |
Utah |
|
Christian
Laettner |
Washington |
|
Mitch Richmond
(TB) |
Washington |
6-8
freshman forward Quadir Habeeb of the St. Bonaventure has announced that will
not return next season. He played in 29 games this past season for the Bonnies,
who finished 18-12 under former coach Jim Baron. Baron left the team to take
over at Rhode Island and was replaced by former Pepperdine head man Jan van
Breda Kolff. Habeeb averaged 2.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per
game. He started seven contests. Habeeb is from Buffalo (NY) Turner-Carroll,
where he led his team to consecutive State Federation titles. He spent the
1999-2000 season at Bridgton Academy, where he averaged 10.8 points and 9.7
rebounds per game.
The
Shaw's Pro Summer League 2001 will be held at the Clark Athletic Center
Gymnasium at the University of Massachusetts - Boston from Monday, July 16th
through Monday, July 23rd. The eight-day basketball exhibition will feature the
Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey
Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs, Seattle Super Sonics
and Washington Wizards. The teams will be comprised of roster players, free
agents and rookies. Young players like Dion Glover, DerMarr Johnson, Hanno
Mottola, Speedy Claxton, Joel Przybilla and Desmond Mason are expected to
participated.
Ohio
State shotblocker Ken Johnson has
begun individual workouts this week. He was in Houston on Monday and will be in
Vancouver Friday. Johnson is expected to workout for Orlando, Philadelphia, Boston
and Toronto in the near future. He led the country in shotblocking as a junior
and finished fifth this season, after being granted an extra year of
eligibility. He is not much of a scoring threat, but showed an improved
offensive game this year. Johnson, due to trying to block every shot, is often
out of position to rebound the missed shot. He is an excellent athlete, but
needs to add strength. Johnson weighed just 224 pounds at the Desert Classic.
He was measured at 6-10 ¼ in Phoenix, but he has a 7-4 wingspan. Johnson is a
decent leaper with a 27-inch vertical. Johnson averaged 12.5 points and 7.3
rebounds per game this season and he is expected to play in the Chicago
pre-draft camp. He was just seven of 23 from the field in Phoenix and finished
with 18 points and 18 rebounds in three games. Johnson is a likely late first
or early second round pick.
The
following is a look at the commitments for the 2002-03 season to date.
|
PLAYER |
HT |
POS |
SCHOOL |
COMMITMENT |
|
Chris Rodgers |
6-3 |
PG |
Portland (OR)
Wilson |
Arizona |
|
Jonathan
Modica |
6-5 |
SG |
Smackover (AR)
High |
Arkansas |
|
Derek Burditt |
6-7 |
SF |
Marrero (LA)
John Ehret |
California |
|
Michael
Thompson |
6-11 |
C |
New Lenox (IL)
Providence Catholic |
Duke |
|
J.J. Redick |
6-3 |
SG |
Roanoke (VA)
Cave Spring High |
Duke |
|
Lee Melchionni
|
6-7 |
SF |
Fort
Washington (PA) Germantown Academy |
Duke |
|
Matt Walsh |
6-6 |
SG |
Fort
Washington (PA) Germantown Academy |
Florida |
|
Sean Mallon |
6-8 |
PF |
Spokane (WA)
Ferris High |
Gonzaga |
|
Jeff Horner |
6-2 |
SG |
Mason City
(IA) High |
Iowa |
|
Adam Haluska |
6-5 |
SF |
Carroll (IA)
High |
Iowa State |
|
Brandon
Stockton |
5-9 |
PG |
Glasgow (KY)
High |
Kentucky |
|
TaQuan Dean |
6-2 |
PG |
Neptune (NJ)
High |
Louisville |
|
Amare
Stoudemire |
6-9 |
PF |
Orlando (FL)
Cypress Creek High |
Memphis |
|
Qyntel Woods |
6-8 |
SF |
Moberly (MO)
CC |
Memphis |
|
Lester Abram |
6-6 |
SF |
Pontiac (MI)
Northern High |
Michigan |
|
Paul Davis |
6-10 |
PF |
Rochester (MI)
High |
Michigan State
|
|
Roy Enright |
6-9 |
PF |
Omaha (NE)
Burke High |
Nebraska |
|
Raymond Felton
|
6-1 |
PG |
Latta (SC)
High |
North Carolina
|
|
Rashad McCants
|
6-4 |
SG |
New Hampton
(NH) Prep |
North Carolina |
|
Chris Quinn |
6-1 |
PG |
Dublin (OH)
Coffman |
Notre Dame |
|
Daryl Jacobs |
6-10 |
C |
Buffalo (NY)
Traditional |
Pittsburgh |
|
John
Blackgrove |
6-2 |
SG |
Hillsdale (NJ)
Pascack |
Seton Hall |
|
Gerry McNamara
|
6-1 |
PG |
Scranton (PA)
Bishop Hannan |
Syracuse |
|
Carmelo
Anthony |
6-6 |
SF |
Mouth of
Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy |
Syracuse |
|
Mario Moore |
5-10 |
PG |
Antioch (TN)
High |
Vanderbilt |
|
Richard Joyce |
6-5 |
SF |
Mt. Airy (NC)
White Plains High |
Wake Forest |
|
Taylor Mokris |
6-5 |
SG |
Charlotte (NC)
Providence Day |
William &
Mary |
6-4
guard Gerrod Henderson of Louisiana Tech has been granted another year of
eligibility. He was invited to the Portsmouth Invitational, the first of the
three pre-draft camps, but he elected not to play and return for a fourth year
with the Bulldogs. Henderson averaged 18.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game
this season. He scored in double figures in 24 of 27 games this year. Henderson
was named first team All-Sun Belt. He was the Sun Belt Player of the Year in
2000 after averaging 18.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He
averaged 9.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game during the 1998-99
season.
The
Bulldogs will return their top six scorers from a 17-12 team that was 10-6 in
conference play. They lost their last four games, which cost them a chance at
postseason play. The Bulldogs signed a strong four-man recruiting class next
season and should battle defending champions Western Kentucky in the Sun Belt
Conference
Tournament
co-MVP's Elton Brown and Jarrett Jack led Boo Williams (VA) to a 83-70 victory
over Howard Pulley Blue (MN) in the championship game of the sixth annual St.
Louis Eagles tournament.
Brown
scored 14 of his game-high 23 points in the second half. Jack added 18 points
for the winners. Robert Strickland scored eleven points and Mario Taybron
chipped in ten. Jeff Halbert of White Bear Lake led Howard Pulley with 16
points. Guards Forrest Bryant and Terry Pettis added 12 points for Pulley.
Brown
signed with Virginia, but he has yet to become academically eligible. He could
wind up at prep power Hargrave (VA) Military Academy. Jack is expected to land
at Hargrave.
Boo
Williams beat the Wisconsin Playground Warriors 66-60 to advance to the finals,
while Howard Pulley defeated the Tennessee Travelers 65-60. Boo Williams, the
Wisconsin Playground Warriors and Howard Pulley squads will play in the Nike
Memorial Day Tournament in Bloomington, Indiana this weekend.
The
NBA lottery was held and already people are talking conspiracy theories as the
Washington Wizards wound up with the top overall pick. The Wizard fans are
hoping that Michael Jordan return and some fans are convinced that the NBA
“steered” the top pick to Jordan as a “payback” for his contributions to the
league. The lottery figures to be dominated by underclassmen and high
schoolers. The top pick figures to be Seton Hall’s Eddie Griffin. The key pick could be the second overall selection
by the Los Angeles Clippers, who moved up from the eighth spot. They need a
power forward and could take Eddie Curry,
who is good friend with Darius Miles and is represented by Arn Tellum, a
California agent. The Clips could also take local product Tyson Chandler, who would be a fan favorite. However, Chandler is a
long, lean player on a team that already has similar built players like Miles
and Lamar Odom. Atlanta could take the more sure thing like Duke’s Shane Battier, but they would be
hard-pressed to pass on Georgia high schooler Kwame Brown. The Bulls with the fourth pick, after sliding three
spots, would love to grab local star Curry, if available. If he is gone, center
DeSagana Diop makes sense. Golden
State would take the left-over high schooler, be it Diop or Chandler. Vancouver
would look hard at athletic Jason
Richardson of Michigan State. New Jersey needs help at center and shooting
guard and would love Richardson, if available. With him likely gone, North
Carolina big man Brendan Haywood is
an option. Cleveland needs frontcourt muscle and is still hoping that Zydrunas
Ilgauskas can stay healthy. Michigan State freshman Zach Randolph needs to shed some baby fat, but he is an outstanding
player on the offensive glass. Detroit could use help in the middle and could take
Haywood, if available. Battier would be a fan favorite for Piston hopeful.
Detroit has plenty of money to spend on free agents and who they think they can
sign in the offseason, could effect their draft strategy. The Celtics could end
up with the tenth and eleventh picks. They need size and could take Arizona
center Loren Woods with their top
pick and would likely choice between Big East forwards Michael Bradley of Villanova and Troy Murphy from Notre Dame. Foreign shooter Paul Gasol is an
option after GM Chris Wallace just scouted him in Europe. Seattle could deal
Vin Baker in the offseason and either of the two remaining power forwards would
make sense, despite a lack of athleticism for the up-tempo Sonics. A center
like Haywood or Woods would be possibility, if available. Houston could use an athletic small forward and Richard Jefferson’s stock
is high after his strong showing in the NCAA tournament. Joe Johnson of Arkansas and
Rodney White could go in the late lottery.
Here
is my current top 13. Expect plenty of changes as we lead up to the June 27th
NBA Draft.
|
|
Team (move +/-) |
Player |
School |
|
1 |
Washington
(+2) |
Eddie Griffin |
Seton Hall |
|
2 |
L.A. Clippers
(+6) |
Eddie Curry |
South Holland
(IL) Thornwood |
|
3 |
Atlanta (+2) |
Kwame Brown |
Brunswick (GA)
Glynn Academy |
|
4 |
Chicago (-3) |
DeSagana Diop |
Mouth of
Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy |
|
5 |
Golden State
(-3) |
Tyson Chandler |
Compton (CA)
Dominguez |