For a while it looked like 09 was going to be a deep draft, and then Brackins, Ed Davis, Sanders, and Warren dropped out.

Finestrg wrote:See this is what TMS was trying to say in his Hill post. You're already talking about drafting another PF when we already have a good one in Jordan Hill who's not getting the time to show what he can do right now. How do you just dismiss Jordan Hill? HOW??? Based on what? Definitely not based on his body of work at Arizona, esp. last year where he went for 19 & 11.

Most of us are well aware of what Sanders and Brackins can do (I was the first one to talk about Brackins after watching him destroy Kansas on TV last year). Why don't we see what happens with Hill first before we start talking about moving up in the draft and taking another PF. We just drafted a damn good one at 8. Astonishing......

Hmmm, didn't expect this reaction. If you're a fan of Brackins, then you know he can do things that Hill can't. Hill scores on a lot of garbage stuff, which you need, he can replace Lee somewhat in that way, but Brackins is a primary scorer. He has the best post moves that I've seen from a college player since Carmelo. Would you disagree?

Yes, Hill will have plenty of time to prove that he was worth the #8, just like Gallo still has time. What he has shown is worrisome to me. Actually, he's shown some nice ability, but some concerning stuff too, like not being able to out-jump other PF's in the SL.

Brackins and Hill could play on the floor at the same time too without a problem. Sanders and Hill would play the same position. Its just a pipe dream anyway, we'll never have a shot to draft either.

They're just two crazy dominant players that will be fun to watch this year because they're so good vs their competition that it looks cartoonish.

Friday, November 13, 2009 | Print Entry

Posted by Chad Ford

Every summer NBA scouts are out in force, sniffing around, trying to get the latest on what top recruits -- both in the U.S. and abroad -- are doing to improve their games.

Whether it was playing internationally for the U.S. under-19 team or working as counselors at LeBron James' annual camp, players had ample opportunities to improve (or hurt) their draft stock in the summer. And after talking with a number scouts, here's a list of the players who made the most noise in that regard.

THE GOOD

Larry Sanders, F/C, VCU

As my blog partner Fran Fraschilla saw with his own eyes, no one did more to help his stock this summer than Sanders. The VCU junior was the talk of the LeBron camp. He measured in at 6-foot-10 in shoes with an incredible 7-foot-6½ wingspan. Scouts knew he could be a dominant rebounder and shotblocker, but were impressed to see the emergence of an offensive game. He gave Kansas' Cole Aldrich, a much more highly touted big man, fits in the camp.

Sanders began the summer ranked as a potential late first-round prospect but he's moved to No. 14 on our Big Board. He needs to add bulk (he weighed a paltry 217 pounds at the camp) and continue to improve on the offensive end, but if he can have a big year, he should cash in somewhere in the lottery.

Tyshawn Taylor, G, Kansas

Taylor was the standout player for Team USA's under-19 squad this summer. From his stellar play in Colorado Springs during the camp tryouts to his 18-point, six-assist, five-steal game against Greece to bring home the gold, Taylor was the most talked about player on the team.

He established himself as a defensive presence during his freshman season, but was able to show off his point guard skills and offensive abilities throughout the summer. Obviously, Sherron Collins will run the point for KU this season, but don't be surprised if Taylor ends up overshadowing him in the way Russell Westbrook overtook Darren Collison two years ago at UCLA.

Taylor started the summer ranked 40th on our Big Board. He's now up to No. 21.

Jan Vesely, F, Czech Republic

Vesely had the good fortune of having his team, Partizan, make a trip to the U.S. to play in some preseason games against NBA teams. A gaggle of NBA scouts followed Partizan's every move and after a shaky first game facing the Denver Nuggets, Vesely broke out with a 16-point, five-rebound performance against the Phoenix Suns.

Vesely is the rare European big man who relies more on hustle and athleticism and less on basketball IQ. He clearly looked like he belonged out there with the Suns. While he needs to get stronger and to improve his offensive game, a number of NBA scouts say he's got a chance to crack the lottery. Vesely began the summer ranked in the late 20s and has moved up to No. 16 on our draft board. If he has a big year in Europe, he'll move up even higher.

Willie Warren, G, Oklahoma

There isn't much room for Warren to move up right now. He was ranked by most NBA scouts as a surefire top-10 pick for the 2009 draft and with Blake Griffin gone from Oklahoma, he is now running the show. But it would be criminal if I didn't point out that every NBA scout I spoke with raved about his performance at the LeBron James Skills Academy this summer. He was the best player there, according to everyone I spoke with. Warren is currently ranked No. 4 on our Big Board.

Donatas Motiejunas, F, Lithuania

Motiejunas wowed NBA scouts and GMs at the Nike Hoop Summit in April, but decided against declaring for the 2009 draft. His follow-up performance was at the under-19 world championships this summer. He generally had an excellent tournament, averaging 17.3 points and 8 rebounds for Lithuania. But it bears mentioning that his big matchup against Team USA didn't go so well. Motiejunas had a respectable 12 points, but committed a whopping nine turnovers. He tried to do too much, and Team USA's defense wasn't going to allow it. While that one game clearly didn't impress, scouts who watched him over the entire tournament walked away feeling he was a virtual lock for the top 10 this year. We currently have him ranked No. 9 on our Big Board.

The Not So Good

Al-Farouq Aminu, F, Wake Forest

Everyone loves Aminu's athletic abilities, but most scouts feel he needs to make the transition to the small forward position in the pros. He struggled as a shooter at Wake Forest last season and his shooting woes carried over to the LeBron James Skills Academy. Scouts say he couldn't buy a bucket there. He's already slipped a bit in our rankings ... down to No. 8 on our Top 100. If he can't find his range this season at Wake, he could drop much further.

Cole Aldrich, C, Kansas

From getting outplayed by Sanders to struggling to keep up with the fast pace of the five-on-five games at the LeBron camp, Aldrich did little to impress. Everyone walked away a little less wowed. However, their disappointment came with a caveat: Aldrich is a system guy. He's not going to excel if the game really starts getting up and down. That's why his stock hasn't slipped on our Big Board. Teams still see him as the first center off the board on draft night.

Jerome Jordan, C, Tulsa

In 2008 at the LeBron camp, Jordan was a real standout, so much so that a few scouts thought he might be a top-10 pick in 2009. Once the season came, Jordan's stock fell back to Earth and he hasn't done much to help it climb again. Scouts came away unwowed by his performance at this summer's camp. Said one scout, "It's one year later and he's not any better." Ugh.

The Midrange Game

# Two games do not make an entire season, but Ohio State's Evan Turner sure created some buzz with an opening-night masterpiece: 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists. His follow-up on Thursday wasn't so bad either; Turner had 24 points, 17 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals.Turner is playing the point this season for the Buckeyes, and he looked terrific doing that in the first game. A few scouts have used Brandon Roy as a comp for him. If he keeps it up, he's a top-five pick in 2010.

# All eyes are on super sophomore Ed Davis at North Carolina, but it's been two other big men, Deon Thompson and Tyler Zeller, who have gotten off to a fast start for UNC. There's nothing to be concerned about with Davis' stock (at least not yet anyway) but Thompson especially is looking more and more like a legit NBA prospect. Thompson won't go in the lottery, but he might be able to crack the first round.

# The reports out of Duke this fall are that Stephen Curry's little brother, Seth Curry, may end up being an even better player. Unfortunately for fans of the Currys, they'll have to wait until he's eligible to suit up next season after transferring from Liberty. Scouts say he'd be a starter on Duke if he could play and that next year he should get a lot of draft buzz.

Also in Durham, Duke freshman Mason Plumlee broke his wrist on Thursday and is out indefinitely. Several NBA sources who had watched Plumlee play in practices and scrimmages this fall said that he was the most talented player on the floor and might have been a sleeper contender to sneak into the first round. A broken wrist probably will keep him out of the serious draft talk for the time being.