Because Case will be asking anyway...

Borchardt better than Marcus
by Chad Ford

NBA personnel were out in force on Thursday, scouting some of the nation's top prospects as March Madness officially got underway.

The marquee match-up of Western Kentucky center Chris Marcus and Stanford center Curtis Borchardt, both considered lottery picks if the declare for the NBA draft, turned out to be a dud.

A few early fouls took Marcus out of the game for an entire half, and the Hilltoppers never recovered. In the few minutes that Marcus and Borchardt went head to head it was the more athletic Borchardt outplaying the lumbering Marcus.

One scout told Insider that he counted a representative from every team in the NBA, including Knicks GM Scott Layden. Layden, who is looking for a big man in this years' draft, will have a difficult choice between the two.

Borchardt used his quickness and superior offensive game to rack up 19 points in 28 minutes on 7-for-11 shooting. He also grabbed a game high 12 boards, 7 of them on the offensive glass, and blocked 5 shots.

Marcus, on the other hand, logged only 18 minutes, only 4 in the first half and ended with a disappointing 10 points, 2 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.

"It was hard to get into a rhythm because I sat so much in the first half," Marcus said after the game. "Once I got the second foul I realized I would be sitting for the rest of the half and that hurt, because I knew my teammates needed me."

During the few minutes the two actually played head to head, Borchardt acknowledged the Marcus pushed him around a bit.

"He's huge, and he's strong," Borchardt told the San Francisco Chronicle. "And strength isn't my -- ummm -- my strong point? Nah, that's a bad pun. Oh, OK, it's not my strength. I've never been so tired in a basketball game, physically and cardiovascularly."

After the game, one scout confirmed that Borchardt's stock is on the rise. "He's got the size and the shot blocking ability to make a difference in the NBA. One game doesn't tell the whole story, but from the buzz, even before the game, Borchardt has a leg up on Marcus. The key will be proving to teams that he can stay healthy."

Before we get ahead of ourselves, remember, Borchardt is a junior. He hasn't indicated whether he'll return for his senior season or declare for the draft, but given his history of injuries, league insiders feel it's likely he'll put his name in the draft.

The key for Marcus will likely be an off-season conditioning program. He has never truly gotten back in shape after missing 14 games earlier this season with some broken bones in his foot. Since his return, he's struggled to get his game back to where it was before the injury. Overall he has the size, NBA body and the traditional back to the basket game that teams like in centers. Private workouts will be the key for Marcus, who needs to show scouts that he can hold his own against stiffer competition than the other big men he regularly faced in the Sun Belt Conference.

So what does everyone think... just a bad day for Marcus?

Posted by Knixkik:

Chris Marcus sucked last night. To all of you who say Marcus will be good because of his massive frame, forget about it. Yao Ming may have yet to prove he is for real, but Chris Marcus has definitely proved he is not. In the NBA he will get in early foul trouble, occationally be injured, never score, and will be the last one up and down the court.

Who does this Chris Marcus guy think he is, a 39 year old Ewing?

Posted by BigSm00th:

Now we'll be able to see Gooden vs. Borchardt, which should be better then Borchardt/Marcus.

Unfortunately, I didn't catch the game, but Marcus probably had a crappy game. He's worth taking with a pick after 7 though.