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Scouts tell McDonalds All-Americans to stay in school
by chad

High school star Charlie Villanueva came to the McDonald's All-American game with one major goal in mind.

He wanted to shine in front of the gaggle of NBA scouts. Historically, a strong performance in the tournament means that you can write your own ticket to the NBA. It isn't working out that way this year.

"I'm a small forward and they have me playing center," Villanueva told the N.Y. Post. "It's frustrating. He gets all the love."

Of course, the "he" Villanueva is referring to is LeBron James. Villanueva, along with a number of other high school prospects, are being showed up by James this weekend. Some aren't happy about it.

"You can't get mad at LeBron," Villanueva said. "He's a cool guy, but other players deserve to get some shine and that hasn't really happened."

Villanueva, along with several other top high school prospects, have a lot on the line. With a 20-year-old age limit looming, they'd like to get into the league now, before it's too late. For the players here, skipping the draft this year means waiting until 2005 or 2006 to go to the NBA.

That's led to major speculation among NBA scouts that Villanueva, along with Kendrick Perkins, James Lang, Travis Outlaw, Jackie Butler and Kris Humphries, might forego college and declare for the NBA draft.

Declaring now, according to multiple NBA scouts and personnel guys, would be a major, major mistake.

"They all need to forget about the NBA right now," one NBA assistant GM told Insider. "None of them are even ready. They aren't even close. Not only are all of these guys out of LeBron's league. They're out of Kwame Brown's league too. Let's put this into perspective. Nikoloz Tskitishvili had no business being in the league either this year. He'd go off for 50 against this group. No question."

Those are harsh words for All-Americans. But to a man, scouts were unanimous in their assessments. LeBron is the only high school player in the country ready to take on the NBA.

"These kids don't have a clue what it takes to make it," another scout said. "They don't know how to play hard. They're bent over, grabbing their shorts in practice, all out of breath. Didn't they just finish their season? Villanueva can complain all he wants that he's not getting the spotlight. He doesn't deserve it. He needs to go Illinois badly. Travis Outlaw and Jackie Butler need to go to Mississippi State badly. And they need to stay at least two years. They just aren't ready."

Scouts feel that the second-best player in the high school class of 2003 is Luol Deng, a 6-foot-8 swingman from New Jersey. Deng, however, has committed to Duke and scouts believe he'll honor the commitment.

"He's a smart basketball player and a great athlete," one scout said. "He has the ability to play three positions in the pros. He's an excellent ball handler and he just has a good feel for the game. He's kind of in the same boat Carmelo Anthony was in last year. If he declared he'd be a mid first rounder. But a couple of solid years at Duke and he's a lock for the high lottery."

"He's got the size and strength that you like in a big man," another scout said. "But he doesn't always play hard, he has a lot of conditioning issues and he isn't a great athlete. He's a big of a ground hog. He's a classic center in that he's comfortable playing with his back to the basket, has soft hands and several low post moves. But he's undersized to play that position in the pros. I think he needs to go to Memphis and figure out how to be a more complete basketball player."

# Scouts feel that the other dominant high school big man, James Lang, is more skilled. However, Lang, a 6-foot-10, 310-pound center, has even more serious conditioning issues. He dropped 70 pounds this year just to get down to 310. Scouts consider him a good athlete and love how aggressively he plays the game. He's a solid rebounder and a good shot blocker, but stamina is a major issue. He also is very foul prone.

"I think he'll have weight problems his whole career," one NBA scout said. "I think he has to prove to folks that he can get in great shape and stay in great shape. If he does that, he'll be a high prospect."

Outlaw is leaning toward declaring for the draft.
Of all of the high school seniors, Mississippi native Travis Outlaw, seems like the most predisposed to test the draft waters now. Outlaw, a super athletic, 6-foot-9, 210-pound power forward, runs the floor like a guard and is an excellent shot blocker. However, he doesn't have much of a face-the-basket game. Scouts say that Outlaw would have to make the transition to small forward in the pros.

"He has some real physical gifts, but he doesn't know how to play the game," one scout said. "He reminds me a little of Darius Miles. Great athlete, no real offensive game, thin frame and no position. He really hasn't made big improvements over the last few years. I think he really needs some solid coaching. In a couple of years, he could be a big time prospect if he improves."

If Outlaw does declare as expected, he'll probably end up in the late first round.

# Charlie Villanueva, a teammate of Deng, is a rangy 6-foot-10, 215-pound small forward and has the full complement of skills. He has Lamar Odom-like versatility. He can score inside or from the perimeter. He's an excellent ball handler, a solid passer and an above-average athlete.

So what's the knock? Heart. Villanueva has a rep for lollygagging at times. He doesn't play with the type of intensity that scouts demand. His work ethic is somewhat questionable. He doesn't play defense or block shots. Villanueva is planning on attending Illinois next year if he doesn't declare for the draft.

I have to say, after watching a few NCAA games, I'm really really happy about the 20-year age limit. Reasons:

- Improves the quality of the NCAA game and the tourney (badly needed)
- Will make the draft more exciting (more elite players ready to play in the NBA)
- Separate the wheat from the chaff: A lot of these kids just want to be famous and rich. What the NBA needs is guys who love basketball and can play the game BEFORE they get in the league. Real players who have the work ethic to work hard at the college level.
- Less draft risk for teams. All these high-schoolers and underclassmen, you never know who is really going to turn out to be good in the NBA for 2 or 3 seasons, and sometimes, by the time they become good, they leave your team (TMac).
- No more using the NBA as its own developmental league

It's hard to tell a teenager that 2 or 3 more years isn't a long time, but they'll be better players for it.

It has been mentioned before but if they apply the 20yrs old age rule they should decrease the current NBDL age rule of 20 to 18. Perhaps even affiliate NBA teams directly to NBDL teams as done in the MBL with minor leagues. Should help raise attendance in the NBDL and will develop players who aren't committed to college. The big prospects from HS could go to the euroleague as well if they insist on not going to college for monetary reasons.

Personally I'm against the rule, if a kid can play let him play, but it is probably wise to protect NBA teams from making picks with potential determining the draft position. Still actually training in NBA facilities against a higher caliber of players would speeds up the learning curve contrary to college where the average size and talent is alot lower plus the amount of time spend on basketball less.

The bottom line is the NBA teams are picking these players. They get players out of high school because they havent finished developing physically and are easier to mold before they get any bad habits in college. There is an element of "there is no ceiling of their talent". If anybody is to blame its the GMs who waste a top pick on a player. Now they have buyers remorse. GMs need to grow up more not the players.

I think there should be an age limit, but I also agree with the NBDL idea. A lot of these players, as aforementioned, are extremely poor. Guys like Kwame Brown, whos mom I believe was a maid before he was drafted, need the money and that's why they leave. If they could go to the NBDL and get paid a few thousand dollars a month for 2 years, it would improve everything: NBA, NBDL, NCAA.

Posted by BigSm00th:

I think there should be an age limit, but I also agree with the NBDL idea. A lot of these players, as aforementioned, are extremely poor. Guys like Kwame Brown, whos mom I believe was a maid before he was drafted, need the money and that's why they leave. If they could go to the NBDL and get paid a few thousand dollars a month for 2 years, it would improve everything: NBA, NBDL, NCAA.

Why would they go to the NCAA if they can get paid in the NBDL. If anything players who need the money will leave for the money that is why most leave for the NBA anyway the money. Now if the NCAA can give these kids money to play then both idea would be great. This way the NCAA can win out because some players would opt for education and the money and basketball whereas the NBDL can only offer Basketball and money.

[Edited by - vmart on 03/27/2003 16:00:01]

I needed to reply to this topic this is a good subject i was just thinking about. I agree with the idea that These kids should be allowed to go into the draft at 18. There should not be any age restriction on them. Lets first of all look at the Players postion if I ways good enough to get drafted. There is no doubt in my mind that i would be in the draft. It wouldn't matter if i could afford college or not a chance of a lifetime im going for it. lets just say i do go to college and then i do blow out a knee whose going to pick me then nbody would even can expect for the direct family.IN in college i could be one of dickie V's sob storiesof how good i could have been, at least in the NBA i could be getting paid for my injury so i a would look out for me and my family a get paid. Lets see now why people are really getting upset that these kids are coming out early, uhhmmm because they are only 18 and making more than 35 year old executive. That sounds a lot like envy and a jealous opinion. I hear so little complain about players like kg, tmac, bender, Harrington, curry, chandler now. Think about it was it a good choice to come straight to the nba( Yes). People are dying for these high school kids to flop and mess up. Name a player besides leon smith from HS that is or was really bad and was a mistake. As far as i see it they are and were better than most of the guys in the draft with them. If your so mad and obsessed with them flopping than what guys that went 2 or 3 years to college and flopped or not even drafted why don't we complain about them. they don't have a degree or a nba check. If they went of HS they could have aleast gotten a little money and of they flopped they could of had money to go to college.

Lets not forget whose paying for these HS Guys to play, we do the fans we love it. suppose the knicks gat a KG or kobe or j oneal we would have no problem ( Im not saying we have a problem just and example). we as fans pay are teams ( tickets, gear, *cable companies, etc)a salary so that our teams have agents and gm to scout for these type of players and pick the best one suited for the teams needs. thats part of the beauty of the draft its a type of gamble, a million dollar gamble.

the point of the arguement is that now that we as fans have made the nba such a highly paid organization that everyone has dreams about being apart of, You can't blame these kids for wanting to jion this company called the NBA, why not we are the ones willing to pay their salary.

"We as fans can't be upset for the monster that we have crated."

The funniest part about this on going arguement is that i never hear sports like Hockey and Baseball having such a big problem with drafting HS kids. I wonder WHY ??????

honestly, the NBA draft has to change. it's garbage.

the first round only turns up on average 5 or 6 contributing guys per year. if a rookie contributes, it's amazing to us, the fans, and the press, because we expect players to only be able to contribute after 3 or 4 years in the league. that's not how it should be.

There are so many BUSTS in the first round, it really is sad, and it's why the Knicks deal draft picks for "proven" (over the Hill) vets.

And the second round is a joke, it's just modified version of free agency. If one guy from the second round actually ever does anything in the NBA it's a shocker. Being picked in the 2nd round and remaining in the NBA on a team's injured reserve is big news in the NBA nowadays. Why even have the second round if it is so worthless. Why force teams to draft? just have the first round and cut the second round loose, kind of how the NBA did to the 3rd and 4th and 5th rounds of the NBA draft. call the second round what it really is, free agency where the salary cap is about half a million per year.