Uncertainty shrouds high school draft entrants
By Rob Harrington, special for USATODAY.com


With the obvious exception of LeBron James, the five remaining high school players who have decided to skip college for the NBA are largely unproven as they head into the June 26 draft.



While James is expected to be picked first in the draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, no other high school prospect in the draft currently projects as a lottery pick. The five hopefuls are Kendrick Perkins, Ndudi Ebi, Charlie Villanueva, James Lang and Travis Outlaw.

Of course, the tenuous nature of their status could cause one or more players to withdraw from the draft before the June 19 deadline and retain their college eligibility.

On the other hand, upcoming individual workouts could cause a major fluctuation in draft status either way. Only Lang was expected to play at the NBA's pre-draft camp in Chicago

To examine how each of the five players stacks up heading into the draft, we've polled NBA scouts, college coaches and recruiting analysts to get a broad range of opinions.

Ndudi Ebi, 6-8, 200, WF, Houston (Texas) Westbury Christian— Slender but blessed with very long arms and good athleticism, Ebi's announcement to forego college (assuming he doesn't withdraw) was the most surprising. He always was considered a very good college prospect, but didn't truly blow up until midway through his junior season.

Ebi needs a lot of strength to play in the NBA and must learn to control temper issues, but scouts' overall impression is that he has excellent long-term potential.

Current projection: Mid-to-late first

What they're saying:

• "He didn't back down to LeBron in the all-star games, which tells you about his pride and quickness on defense."

• "Most of his skills are 'four' (power forward) related. He's not as much of a 'three' (wing forward) yet as he thinks he is, but he is a big-time athlete and shot-blocker."

• "(Our college) never really got a good feel for Ndudi. We recruited him but just never figured him out."

James Lang, 6-10, 310, C/PF, Birmingham (Ala.) Central Park— Lang previously weighed in the neighborhood of 400 pounds. When he lost the weight and hit the summer circuit as a rising senior in 2002, he established himself as one of the nation's best big men.

Lang has good hands and excellent agility for a big guy, but conditioning and ball skills remain a long-term concern, especially if he's forced to play power forward in the NBA. He also appears the most likely of the five players to remain in the draft, as he is uncommitted to any college and opinions on his potential vary widely.

Current projection: Late first to mid-second

What they're saying:

• "If Lang commits himself to working on his game and avoiding the buffet, he might end up a player."

• "He scores because he's big, so you don't know how his skills will translate."

• "Lang was good at one all-star game and terrible at the other, but he does have the size everyone likes."

Travis Outlaw, 6-9, 195, WF, Starkville (Miss.) High— Freakish athleticism is the name of Outlaw's game and always has been. He doesn't have the game of a wing right now but will have to be one in the NBA, so any team that drafts him must be patient.

It's really a question of risk tolerance. On draft night you'll see which team, if any, is willing to gamble on Outlaw's length and leaping ability and overlook his lack of strength and skills.

Current projection: Late first to early second

What they're saying:

• "He's raw, but his upside is tremendous."

• "Athleticism is definitely his No. 1 strength. He has well-chronicled shooting problems and you don't know whether his body can take and sustain contact."

• "He's a big-time athlete, but his shot is really bad."

Kendrick Perkins, 6-10, 290, C/BF, Beaumont (Texas) Ozen— After the July camps of 2001, many speculated that Perkins was a cinch to become a lottery pick, possibly as early as 2003. But Perkins ballooned from 265 pounds to a bloated 290, which has affected his athleticism and conditioning.

Overall, Perkins remains a very skilled post player with ample (to say the least) bulk to withstand physical play, but he must address questions about his work ethic and competitive desire.

Current projection: Late first

What they're saying:

• "He absolutely dominated at the ABCD Camp as a junior. You can't forget that."

• "Kendrick's big and strong, but has a tendency to play soft for such a big guy."

• "He's never really had to play against the number of top athletes he will in the NBA."

Charlie Villanueva, 6-9, 215, WF, Blairstown (N.J.) Blair— Maybe the most likely candidate to withdraw from the draft, Villanueva took official visits to colleges in the spring and committed to Connecticut last weekend. If he stays in the draft, then he's banking on his height and skills to entice a team to take the plunge.

Though many laud his physical abilities, others are scared away by his "relaxed" court persona and relative lack of athleticism for an NBA wing. Scouts also expressed concerns that he rode the coattails of Duke-bound teammate Luol Deng in high school and never has been truly dominant.

Current projection: Mid-second.

What they're saying:

• "He brings versatility and has the overall talent level to play in this league, but is sort of stuck between positions and needs to prove he can carry a team."

• "He relies too much on his outside game and may not be able to guard NBA small forwards."

• "He'd better go to school or he'll end up dancing in rap videos with (2002 high school draft entrant) Lenny Cooke."

nice rip jobs huh.

must be apart of david stern's big marketing plan to make sure the overseas influx takes place this draft.

lol pike. but i still want the knicks to take outlaw.

I want outlaw. the words " freakish Atleticism" is what gets me, those were the same words they used with Amare Stoudamire last year.
And about his shot being bad, Amare had a bad shot and look at what he did.. I can deal with that, I think that shot will improve but in the interim, his athleticsm is what we need. I mean it's not like Shandon Anderson, Nailon, Knight, and Postell are shooting lights out.... I rather have outlaw on the floor instead...

Posted by prodson:

pike. tk. hopefully the knicks will take him because they say his shot is bad.

hahaaa