martin
Posts: 67903
Alba Posts: 108
Joined: 7/24/2001
Member: #2 USA
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6. Zarko Cabarkapa, Yugoslavia The line: 6-11, 220, 22 years old The skinny: He's another versatile athlete who plays three positions in Europe. He's an excellent outside shooter. He just needs to get stronger. Teams are also concerned that he's a little one dimensional. When I saw him in December, he looked uncomfortable putting the ball on the floor and taking it to the hole. However, several scouts have told me he's improved in this area. He's represented by super agent Bill Duffy, which won't hurt his stock come draft day. He's probably going somewhere in the late first round.
7. Victor Khryapa, Russia* The line: 6-9, 225, 21 years old The skinny: Gets a lot of comparisons to Andrei Kirilenko. Both players are long and mutli-dimensional. Khryapa impressed NBA scouts when he subbed for an injured Kirilenko for Team Russia during the World Championships. He's a good shooter with NBA range. However, he's not quite the athlete that Kirilenko is, nor is he quite as polished as his European counterparts. He also has to get stronger to compete at the next level. With all that said, most teams still consider him a great prospect. He'll likely be a late first-rounder.
8. Josh Howard, Wake Forest The line: 6-7, 205, Senior The skinny: While Howard doesn't do anything extraordinary, he seems to do everything well. Scouts love his maturity and patience on the court. He has a solid mid-range jumper, is great on the offensive glass, has solid handles and always seems to play in control. He's an above-average defender. He doesn't have deep range on his jumper, but his 3-ball is improving. He's a good athlete, but not an explosive one. Doesn't really play above the rim. At the start of the year, scouts had him penciled in as a borderline second-round pick. Now, several teams say they wouldn't be surprised if he slips into the late first round. While Howard doesn't project to be a star in the league, he has the potential to be a solid rotation player. You know what you're getting with him.
9. Darius Rice, Miami The line: 6-10, 215, Junior The skinny: Rice may be the best 6-10 shooter in the country. His uncle is Jerry, not Glen, but you'd never know it from his skinny frame. Rice weights just 215 pounds. "He's a great shooter," one league executive said. "But he has a real strength problem. It doesn't look like he's gained any weight at Miami. He has no post game and seems to just settle on the perimeter. I think he needs to hit the weight room. If he could put some meat on his bones, he'd go high." Rice was determined to put his name in the draft this year, assuming he'd go in the mid first round. The feedback he and his coach have gotten around the league hasn't been good. It looks like Rice is now leaning toward returning for his senior season at Miami.
10. Charlie Villanueva, New Jersey The line: 6-10, 215, HS Senior The skinny: Villanueva is a rangy 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. Teams like the talent, but believe he's years away from making an impact in the league. A couple of good years in college and he's a lottery pick. Right now he's a bubble first-rounder.
11. Carlos Delfino, Fortitudo Bologna (Argentina) The line: 6-7, 200, 21 years old The skinny: Delfino, a slick swingman who's often compared to a bigger, stronger version of Emanuel Ginobili, suffered a big setback last month when he injured ligaments in his ankle. However, sources in Italy claim that the injury wasn't as serious as it first appeared. Insider will be in Bologna next week to meet with Delfino. He's already practicing and the word from his team is that he might play in the team's playoff game on Tuesday. Delfino was widely considered a possible first-round prospect this year before the injury. Still no word whether he'll actually be in the draft.
12. Tommy Smith, Arizona State The line: 6-10, 205, Senior The skinny: Smith drew rave reviews with three solid performances at the PIT. For the tournament, Smith averaged 17 ppg, six rpg, three spg and 2.3 bpg on 54 percent shooting. While scouts are a little concerned with his frail looking body, they're in love with his versatility, athleticism and a newfound confidence in his shooting. Smith, who will have to make the transition to small forward in the pros, appears to be one of those players whose game is more suited for the NBA. If he can add some meat to his frame and continue to prove that he can consistently hit his jumper, Smith has a good shot at getting drafted early in the second round.
13. Luke Walton, Arizona The line: 6-8, 245, Senior The skinny: Walton had a terrible year. His lack of a consistent jumper along with a senior season riddled with injuries will likely keep him out of the first round. Still, his game is respected among NBA scouts. Several scouts have called Walton the best passer in college basketball period. He's deceptively athletic. A very cerebral player like his father. He's got a good shot at making a team somewhere.
14. Ugonna Onyekwe, Penn The line: 6-8, 230, Senior The skinny: Onyekwe is another PIT star. Onyekwe's superior athleticism, long wing span, offensive rebounding and frantic full-throttle play wowed scouts. He proved to scouts that he has the quickness to get by his defender and create his own shot. His rebounding is also well above average for a small forward. He still needs to prove, however, that he can hit his outside jumper with regularity. A strong showing in Chicago would help his stock, but it's unlikely he can play himself into the first round.
15. James Jones, Miami The line: 6-8, 220, Senior The skinny: Jones has great size for a small forward and his shooting touch at the PIT should get him a second look in Chicago. Jones shot 58 percent from behind the arc during the tournament.. "He's a much better shooter than I think people give him credit for," one scout told Insider. "At Miami, he played a lot more in the paint. Obviously in the pros he's a small forward. I think he can really help himself if he keeps shooting like that. The NBA needs plenty of shooters."
Others to watch: Kyle Korver, Creighton; Jason Kapono, UCLA; Marcus Vieira, Brazil; LaVell Blanchard, Michigan; Kasib Powell, Texas Tech; Blagota Sekulic, Yugoslavia
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