10. Thomas Hill - Duke
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Name: Anfernee Hardaway
College: Memphis State
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 195
Position: Shooting Guard
Other positions: Point Guard, Small Forward
Strenghts: versatilely (can play 3 postitions at high level,
passing, rebounding, shooting range, ball handling
Weaknesses: defense (minor)
Poop:
Hardaway has been called the next "Magic" because of his size and
exceptional ability to handle and pass the ball. He is also an
exceptional shooter (and a great clutch shooter). I myself am not
sure about the comparison to Magic, I see Hardaway as a *much* better
Walt Williams (and that is not knock). Hardaway is clearly the best
player *ever* to play for Memphis State and he has the potential to be
a all-star at three postions. He may be a little on the small side
(only 195 lbs) for Small Forward but as he physically matures, he sould
dominate at that spot as well. Hardaway is a great rebounder for his
size. A sure top 6 pick.
From the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook:
"Hardaway is one of few highly touted newcomers to not only live up to
their advanced billing, but exceed it. With his versatility and
magical ball handling skills, in addition to the rare trait of being
able to put a team on his shoulders and take it to great heights,
Hardaway is destined to become a star in the NBA."
Scout: Craig Simpson
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Name: J.R. Rider
College: Nevada-Las Vegas
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 215
Position: Shooting Guard
Strenghts: Scoring, can Drive down the lane
Weaknesses: Defense, Academic woes
Poop:
Rider is a proven scorer. He can drive to the hoop with the best of
them. If he finds a consistent jump shot he'll be set. He will need
to work on his defense. Another concern is how his academic troubles
at UNLV will affect him in the NBA. Hopefully it won't affect his
reputation and he can play the game without worrying about
trash-talkers.
Scout: Doug Mraz
More Poop:
"Rider is an execlent outside shooter and a good passer, but he needs
to improve his ballhandling skills. A great leaper, he is tough on the
boards. His senior season ended with controversy with an academic
suspension. Rider will be a lottery pick."
Scout: Basketball Weekly via Craig Simpson
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Name: Alan Houston
College: Tennessee
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 195
Position: Shooting Guard
Other positions: Point Guard, Small Forward
Strenghts: Scoring!! Outside shooting
Weaknesses: Maybe a bit soft, but nothing else really
Poop:
Houston is a pure shooting guard, who has played point guard on
occasion during his collegiate career. He is a big-time scorer, and
there's no doubt he'll be able to put up the numbers in the pros as
well. He finished his career as the SEC's 2nd all-time leading
scorer, behind none other than Pistol Pete Maravich. Allan can hit
the 3, drive to the hoop, and even post up on occasion. He is silky
smooth, and his shot is about as pure as they come. He also is a
deadly FT shooter. While this past season, he didn't put up the
assist numbers he had put up in the past, he still is a good
ballhandler and passer. Houston played at forward his senior season,
and is an excellent rebounder for his size. Houston really doesn't
have an ego, and can either start or come off the bench. He should be
able to contribute immediately in the pros. While he didn't have the
greatest of final games (scored only 3 and went something like 1-15
from the field against Kentucky), he should rebound and become an
excellent pro. Look for him to be taken in the lottery for sure.
Scout: Jazzy J
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Name: Terry Dehere
Height: 6'4"
College: Seton Hall
Position: Shooting Guard
Other Positions: possibly point guard
Stengths: great scorer, shooting range, go-to guy in clutch
Weaknesses: defense, strength & ability to break double teams
Poop:
Terry Dehere likes to score. A lot. He will shoot from anywhere on the
floor, and he *can* shoot from anywhere on the floor. He will drive to
the hole with authority and slam with even more. He loves the ball
with the game on the line, because he can either shoot his team to
victory or else get to the line, where he's almost automatic at the
end of games. He will be a great NBA player. That being said,
however, he probably won't be as good as JR Rider, a very similar
player out of UNLV this year. Rider doesn't quite have Dehere's
shooting range (Dehere's extends several feet beyond the NBA 3-point
arc), but he's much stronger and can find a way to score when
opponents double-team him towards the ends of games, which Dehere has
a problem doing. But back to Dehere. His defense progressed under PJ
Carlessimo's tutelage, but only to the point where he wasn't a
defensive liability on the court. He can play decent man coverage, but
he can't pressure like his similarly-sized teammate Bryan Caver can.
But Dehere will be drafted by a team looking for offense, not defense,
and he definitely knows all about offense, being the Big East's
all-time scoring leader (surpassing Chris Mullin this year). The thing
that hurts Dehere's chances in this year's draft the most is that he's
probably the fourth-rated shooting guard. Rider, like I said, has a
very similar, but superior game; Calbert Cheney is believed to have
the best basketball smarts; and Allan Houston is an even better
shooter than Dehere. Look for Terry to go either toward's the end of
the lottery or else in the middle of the first round.
Scout: Alan Sepinwall
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Name: James Robinson
Height: 6'2"
School: Alabama
Position: Off Guard
Other Positions: ---
Strengths: Scoring!!, Creating, speed, defense
Weaknesses: Turnover-prone, Size, Shot-happy attitude, Point guard skills
Poop:
Robinson is one of the most explosive scorers in the country. Playing
exclusively at off guard at Alabama his entire career, Robinson can
light it up in an instant. He was perhaps the best scoring guard the
SEC had seen since Chris Jackson. And that's exactly what he is
basically, another Chris Jackson. Robinson can score at will. He can
pull up for the 3, he can drive to the hoop, he can finish with a dunk
on the break. He has a great vertical, and can crash the offensive
boards. Robinson is also an excellent ball-handler, but wouldn't
know a good pass if it hit him in the head. He is very turnover prone
and makes many mistakes. "Hollywood" probably would have benefitted
from staying in school his senior year and working on some point
guard skills. However, he can score, and can score a lot (20+ppg).
He's perhaps the best guard to ever come out of Tide country. While
he's small at off guard, he could perhaps be an offensive sparkplug
off the bench, like a Vinnie Johnson. Talent alone, he deserves to
be a late 1st round pick, but we'll probably see otherwise.
Scout: Jazzy J
More Poop:
Alabama's leading scorer this year. Excellent 3-point shooter, good
1-on-1 player. Hit for 35 pts against LSU. He can score from anywhere
- outside, drive to the basket. Great vertical leaper. He's a Dee
Brown type - a tweener guard for the NBA - too short to be full-time 2
guard, not polished enough to carry the point. I think his talent
alone will put him on somebody's roster; any one of the Clippers,
Charlotte, Nets, Jazz could use him.
Scout: Ellie Cutler
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Name: Scott Burrell
School: University of Connecticut
Height: 6-7
Position: Shooting Guard
Other Possible Spots: Small Forward
Strenths: Athleticism, defense,
has shown ability to improve game in college.
Weaknesses:
Inconsistency, ball handling (as a guard), can he create his own shot in
the NBA? will he play baseball instead? (my best guess is that he'll play
basketball if he's drafted in the 1st round and can get a good enough
contract.)
Poop:
Burrell is one of the best athletes available in this year's draft.
At about 6-6 he played both SF and SG in college depending on team
needs, but projects more as a SG in the pro's. His bread and butter
skill is as a defender. He's been at or near the NCAA lead in steals
throughout his career. His basketball skills improved significantly
throughout his college career. He developed a a jump shot and became a
three point threat. His senior year was something of a disappointment
(2nd team all Big East), as he went through cold spells that he would
try to shoot himself out of. (In general, he's something of a streak
player, for better or worse.) He runs the wing well on transition,
but in the half court he has trouble penetrating. He's a decent
rebounder for his size and in college scored well off the offensive
boards. He's most famous in college for throwing the length of the
court pass to Tate George that allowed UConn to beat Clemson in the
'90 NCAA tournament. He was named to the all-tournament team at the
recent desert classic (?) for senior prospects.
Scout: Thomas R. Hancock
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Name: Sam Cassell
College: Florida State
Height: 6'3"
Position: shooting guard
Other Positions: point guard
Strengths: speed, ball-handling, shooting, defense, versatility, atheleticism
Weaknesses: shooter's mentality when running point, size-a bit on the skinny
side
Poop:
Sam Cassell was a JUCO transfer to FSU, and played for only two years.
He quickly became a crowd favorite for his high-flying, high-scoring
antics, as well has for his agressive defense, and goofy smile.
Cassell, when Charlie Ward was healthy, was able to slip into his
natural role as a shooting guard. From this position, Cassell could
light it up on any given day. In this year's NCAA tourney, Cassell set
the record for three point shots made, with 6. He can play both inside
and out, and has exceptionally quick hands and feet. One of his
biggest assests, however, is his defense. Cassell was one of the
leading thiefs in the ACC, and is very good in a trapping and pressing
D. Due to injuries to Ward (as well as football), Cassell was forced
to take over the point guard spot. He played solid - mostly due to his
great athleticism - but he continued to play with a shooter's
mentality, thus causing the team to suffer. As the year went on,
Cassell did improve, and managed to become a very solid, if not great,
point guard for FSU. Cassell's good shooting and very good defense
should serve him well in the NBA. A team needing a versitile guard
would be smart in picking him up. Should go in the 1st or second
round.
Scout: Kevin Delgado (kdelgado@loligo.cc.fsu.edu)
===========================================================================
Name: Greg Graham
College: Indiana
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 173
Position: Shooting Guard
Other positions:
Strenghts: Versatility, Shooting, Athletic ability, Quickness
Weaknesses: Strength
Poop:
Greg Graham is probably the sleeper of the draft. He's only 6'3" but
has a wing span of 6'9". (That's wider than Geert Hammink of LSU who
is 6-11). He also has a 33" vertical leap. Greg was also the first
player in Big Ten history to lead the conference in FG % (.551) and
3-Pt FG %(.514) while averaging 16.8 PPG. He also shot 83% from the FT
line. Greg is an excellent athlete with great open court skills and a
good jump shot. The main concern about Greg is his overall strength in
playing a rigorous 82 game schedule.
Greg recently participated in the Desert Classic (tournament for
seniors with NBA aspirations) and Greg was voted the MVP of the
tournament.
Greg Graham finished his IU career as the seventh all-time leading
scorer with 1,600 total points. Greg had to play a structured offense
while at IU but the pro game should better suit his abilities. He was
primarily a shooting guard in college but has the necessary ball
handling skills to play at the point as well.
Scout: Mike Von Foerster
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Name: Rex Walters
College: Kansas
Height: 6-3
Position: Off Guard
Other Positions: Point (maybe in a pinch)
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Poop:
A good combo type guard with legit NBA trey range and strong slashing
moves to the bucket. Very strong and durable with a good vertical
leap. Very fast end to end and a good finisher on the break. A
reasonable one on one player when the J is dropping but tends to
underestimate the defense and drive to often if the J is off. He is a
tireless worker and is extremely coachable. A steal late in the first
round.
Scout: Milton C. Thompson
More Poop:
Walters is a good outside shooter whit nice passing skills and a
fiery and competitive spirit. He has worked hard on his defensive
game without sacrificing offensive productivity, making him a likely
first-round pick.
Scout: Basketball Weekly via Craig Simpson
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Name: Thomas Hill
College: Duke
Height: 6-5
Weight: 200
Position: Off Guard
Other Positions: Small Forward
Strengths: Leaping ability, overall athleticism, ability to run the floor,
rebounding, good size
Weaknesses: Streaky shot, ball handling, passing, tendency to disappear
Poop:
Thomas Hill started from the obscurity of being the third guard in a
class that included Bobby Hurley and Billy McCaffrey and became a key
player in Duke's recent success. He made his reputation with his
hustling play and defense, and eventually became a solid scoring
threat, stepping up when McCaffrey transferred. He made a few game
winning shots as a sophomore and was the second leading scorer as a
junior. Expected to come up big as a senior, he instead had an
inconsistent year. His scoring went up a point, but his percentage
went down from 53% to 48%, and his foul shooting went down from 77% to
68%. Some of this was due to a stress fracture of the fibula, but
some of it may have been due to feeling pressure to be an offensive
leader, rather than a second option.
Performance in post-season camps will be crucial for his draft
position. At 6-5, he's too small to post up most players in the NBA
like he did at Duke, so he'll mostly play guard. Thus, he must
demonstrate a reliable jump shot, something he's never done at Duke.
Thomas would benefit from playing on a good team with experienced
guards, that has an uptempo style. His quickness and strength would
allow him to guard many NBA players, and he could get most of his
baskets in transition. Trying to put him in a halfcourt system where
he would have to do a lot of passing would ill suit his style. A team
like Portland might be a good fit for him.
All in all, his athleticism and pedigree will land him either a
ate first, or more likely, early second round selection.
Scout: Rob Clough
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Name: Antoine Stoudmire
School: University of Oregon
Height: 6-5
Position: off-guard
Other Possible Spots:
Strengths: scorer, creates own shots, athletic
Weaknesses: gets out of control
Poop:
Imagine the quickness of Terell Brandon (another UofO product, now
with the Cavaliers) but with a little more size and strength. Take
away some of the smarts, and you've got Stoudmire. Antoine, in all
fairness, suffered under the offensive schemes of first-year coach
Jerry Green, being much more at home in Monson's style, where he
racked up good numbers.
Stoudmire has good moves, and good shooting touch, but sometimes gets
a little out of control. An exciting player, nonetheless, but probably
a second-round pick at best. This may be due to lack of exposure, for
I think Stoudmire could give some team some valuable minutes at the 2
guard spot.
Scout: Rajeev K. Pandey
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Name: Parrish Casebier
Height: 6'3"
School: Evansville
Position: Shooting Guard
Other Positions: Small Forward
Strengths: Strength! Scoring
Weaknesses: Size, Outside shooting, Attitude
Poop:
Casebier is a throwback to the old days of smaller guys in the
frontcourt. He is a big-time scorer who mostly scored on baskets
inside, but is projected as an off guard in the pros. He can shoot
the outside shot, but is not terribly consistent. Casebier is
a very solidly built 6'3", 220 lbs, and can outmuscle just about
anyone his size. He is a terrific rebounder, especially on the
offensive glass, as he often would follow his own misses into
baskets. Casebier was often impossible to guard at Evansville.
If he can improve his outside shot, he will be quite a prospect --
so coming out early may have been a slight mistake. Attitude is
a bit of a problem, as he has been suspended from the team before.
But, he's certainly worth a 2nd round look, and could sneak into
the 1st round to the right team.
Scout: Jazzy J
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Name: Dale Brown
College: Kentucky
Height: 6'3"
Position: Shooting Guard
Other Positions: ---
Strengths: Defense, Streak Shooting, Athleticism
Weaknesses: Streak Shooting, Inconsistency
Poop:
Dale Brown finished his UK career known as a gritty competitor and
stellar defender. He was, perhaps, UK's best defensive player. Coming
out of junior college, Brown adjusted from big-time 3-pt bomber to
big-time defender. He often gave opponents fits -- just ask Jalen
Rose. Brown was always noted for his 3-pt bombing, but during his
UK career, he was very inconsistent with his shooting. He's the kind
of guy who can hit 6 in a row, and then miss his next 10. Brown can
create his own shot though, and has plenty of athletic skills. While
his offensive skills will be considered marginal in the NBA, defense
will be his meal ticket. A guy to compare him with -- Dudley Bradley,
who carved out quite a long NBA career.
Scout: Jazzy J
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Name: Val Barnes
College: Iowa
Height: 6'2"
Position: Shooting Guard
Other Positions: Point Guard
Stengths: Shooting, Passing, Ball handling,
Weaknesses: Consistency, Leadership skills, Defense
Poop:
Iowa's Val Barnes can be as good a scorer as any shooting guard in
this year's class. When he is on, he can be impossible to stop. He
has shown the ability to hit the 3, drive to the hoop and take bigger
defenders inside. Unfortunately for Tom Davis and his team, he has
also shown that his consistency leaves a bit to be desired. Val has a
tendency to disappear in clutch situations (as do all Iowa players)
and this more than anything will hurt him in the upcoming draft. Val
could be a real sleeper, he has all the offensive skills required, but
he could also be a real dog for someone because of his laissez faire
attitude..
Scout: Walt Maley
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Name: Kevin Anglin
College: Vanderbilt
Height: 6'4"
Position: Point Guard
Other Positions: Shooting Guard
Stengths: Ball-handling, Versatility
Weaknesses: Inconsistent Shooting, Athleticism
Poop:
After being the Commodore's point guard for 2 seasons, Anglin moved
to small forward to allow the insertion of newcomer Billy McCaffrey
at point guard. In essence, the torch of team leader was also
handed over. As a result, Anglin had a down senior season. He
struggled with his shooting all year, ending up below 40%. However,
Anglin still displayed the ball-handling and versatility abilities
he had shown earlier in his career. Anglin is a solid playmaker, and
can play either guard spot. He is not very athletic, however, but
does do well for his size on the boards. Anglin is an excellent
defensive player. Probably the best word to describe Anglin is
"overachiever". Worth a look at, but probably as a free agent.
Scout: Jazzy J
Craig Simpson - Usenet Draft Commissioner