NCAAM

NBA Mock Draft

Chris McGlynn Basketball, Draft, NBA, NCAAM ,

by Matt Luppino

The NBA Draft goes live tonight at 7 pm. Here are my predictions for how the first round goes:

  1. Minnesota Karl-Anthony Towns, F/C, Kentucky

Best player with most upside and fewest flaws.  A sure pick for the Wolves.

  1. L.A. Lakers Jahlil Okafor, F/C, Duke

The Lakers need a big guy more than they need another guard.  Kobe Bryant, Jeremy Lin, and Nick Young are all still there, so grab the polished Okafor and have at it on offense.

  1. Philadelphia Mario Hezonja, G/F, Croatia

A classic “why the $*&%?” moment out of Sam Hinkie, but there is a method to the madness here.  Apparently, he can shoot the lights out, which will help a hapless offense in Philly.

  1. New York D’Angelo Russell, G, Ohio State

Finally, someone on the Knicks that can shoot!  Russell can run the offense and put up points too, perfectly fitting into Phil Jackon’s arsenal.

  1. Orlando Kristaps Porzingis, F/C, Latvia

If he’s here at 5, Orlando is ecstatic.  7’1” with a jump shot.

  1. Sacramento Emmanuel Mudiay, G, China

Kings need a guard to feed Cousins and hopefully make him happy enough to stay in Northern California.

  1. Denver Justise Winslow, F, Duke

Winslow is a strong defender and an athletic slasher, but he shot over 40% from 3 as well at Duke.  With those numbers, he could be a beast.

  1. Detroit Willie Cauley-Stein, F/C, Kentucky

So what if Greg Monroe leaves in free agency?  Cauley-Stein will be cheap and probably better by the end of the day.

  1. Charlotte Devon Booker, G, Kentucky

Another great shooter, he can step in alongside Kemba Walker to take the spot of the since-traded Lance Stephenson.

  1. Miami Stanley Johnson, F, Arizona

Johnson is another athlete, who can bring some life to the Heat, who are still reeling from the loss of LeBron James, and maybe now Dwayne Wade too.

  1. Indiana Cameron Payne, G, Murray State

Paul George is healthy, and the front court in Indiana is still pretty strong.  A point guard will put it all together for them.

  1. Utah Frank Kaminsky, F/C, Wisconson

Utah became a defensive stronghold last season, but lacked scoring.  Frank the Tank will not only slot right into the defense, but the big guy can shoot with the best of them.

  1. Phoenix Trey Lyles, F/C, Kentucky

He, like Okafor, is a skilled offensive big man, who could slot in alongside the big, lumbering Alex Len.

  1. Oklahoma City Justin Anderson, G/F, Virginia

The Thunder are only here because of injuries.  But in Anderson, they get a good outside shooter and a great perimeter defender – the last piece they might need to finally win a title.

  1. Atlanta Myles Turner, F/C, Texas

Fits in alongside the punishing defender in Al Horford and the skilled shooter in Paul Millsap.  Can fill in for either one off of the bench.

  1. Boston Sam Dekker, F, Wisconson

A good shooter and an above average defender, he boosts the Celtics immediately.

  1. PHILADELPHIA (Tony Wroten, 2 2nd rounders (35 and 37)) Tyus Jones, G, Duke

THAT’S WHAT HINKIE IS DOING WITH ALL THOSE PICKS!!!  In a shocker, and Milwaukee not seeing many players they need here, they take the back up point guard and more picks in a solid group of second round talent.  Meanwhile, the Sixers get the point guard they desperately need.

  1. Houston Bobby Portis, F, Arkansas

Portis is a big bruiser who went toe-to-toe with Kentucky a few times.  The dude can play.

  1. Washington Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, F, Arizona

With Paul Pierce and Trevor Ariza not getting any younger, a fresh infusion of defensive prowess and energy is a great fit here late in the first round.

  1. Toronto Kelly Oubre, F, Kansas

Oubre has a ton of potential, who will have the time to develop with the young, talented nucleus above the border.

  1. Dallas Jerian Grant, G, Notre Dame

Arguably one of the best scorers in the draft, Grant can play alongside either Rajon Rondo as the scorer, or Monta Ellis as the facilitator.

  1. Chicago Terry Rozier, G, Louisville

When Derrick Rose is off the court, the Bulls take a serious step back.  Here, they get their much needed asset at the point.

  1. Portland Montrell Harrell, F/C, Louisville

Now that Lamarcus Aldridge plans on leaving Portland, Harrell, skilled at both ends and the centerpiece behind another strong Louisville team, can begin his role as the successor.

  1. Cleveland Delon Wright, G, Utah

With how frail Kyrie Irving is and how inefficient the Cavs were without a true point guard this postseason, a ball handler has to be at the top of the list for them.

  1. Memphis Anthony Brown, G, Stanford

A 3 and D player, Brown fits in perfectly with the tough defense in Memphis, and Mike Conley will get him the ball.

  1. San Antonio Pat Connaughton, G/F, Notre Dame

Another great shooter and a really high energy guy on defense.  He is an excellent role player for Gregg Popovich.

  1. L.A. Lakers RJ Hunter, G, Georgia St.

Not just the star of the Cinderella Bulldogs, Hunter is a skilled scorer and ball handler, capable of stepping up for the now ancient Kobe.

  1. Boston Kevon Looney, F, UCLA

He might be really, really good at the stretch 4, so the Celtics can take that risk with Jared Sullinger proven in front of him.

  1. Brooklyn Michael Frazier, G, Florida

Deron Williams and Joe Johnson are getting up there in age, so this begins the new wave of Brooklyn talent.

  1. Golden State Nikola Milutinov, C, Serbia
    Scouting report: “Potential pick-and-roll monster that can protect the rim.”  Sounds like the champs to you?  He will be a bigger Draymond Green, alongside Draymond Green.

Value picks in the NBA draft

Chris McGlynn Basketball, Draft, NBA, NCAAM , , , ,

The NBA Draft is still a few weeks away but the fanfare for the draft got underway today with the pre-draft combine. Some major storylines turned some heads, specifically Pat Connaughton’s 44” vertical jump. The draft always features guys projected to be locks at the next level. There will be others that don’t have the same promise of greatness in the pros but could turn out to be a steal if they reach their full potential. Here are the best potential sleepers or value picks in the this year’s draft.

Robert Upshaw, Junior
Center, University of Washington
Robert Upshaw is massive. He had the biggest hands at the draft combine by far and his 7’5.5” wingspan is intimidating. He stands at 6’10” and weighed in at 258 pounds. Upshaw has the build to be an impact player in the paint for a team that selects him. He played a year of college ball at Fresno State before transferring to the University of Washington. In his 19 games as a Husky, Upshaw averaged 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots. He also shot an impressive 59.3 percent from the floor. Upshaw is obviously much better on the defensive end but he has the physical tools to develop into a good player.

The things that will hold him back are his free throw percentage (43.4) and his off the court issues. Upshaw has been suspended on multiple occasions and was dismissed from both of the programs he was in. Recent reports have indicated that Upshaw spent time in a treatment program and matured a lot but the red flags are still there. Those alone could push Upshaw to the second round. However, with all of the talent he possess, someone will take a chance on him and if has in fact matured, he could develop into a terrifying defensive anchor. His size and shot blocking ability would already make him an instant impact on defense. In the end, Upshaw could be a very good big man.

Ryan Boatright, Senior
Point Guard, University of Connecticut
In recent years, UConn guards have done pretty well at translating to the NBA. Kemba Walker went on a title run and then jumped to the Association. Shabazz Napier led the Huskies to another championship before making his move to the pros. Neither has been transcendent by any means but both are solid players playing starting caliber basketball. That is likely what Ryan Boatright will bring to the table as well. He is going to best serve as a sixth man in the NBA due to his size (5’11”, 175 pounds).

However, he is a quick, sharp shooter. He shot 41 percent from behind the arc last season and averaged 17 points per game. He was an average facilitator at the college level, tallying about four per game to go along with four rebounds. He is an effort player who will make his fair share of plays. He will never really be a starter in the league without some major development but he can be a very useful bench player. Boatright reminds me a lot of Isaiah Thomas with the Boston Celtics. His energy coming off the bench and shooting ability makes him an asset to his team. Boatright will likely go in the second round but with his overall talent, he could turn in a long career as a sixth man when all is said and done.

Vince Hunter, Sophomore
Power Forward, UTEP
Vince Hunter went to a smaller school but today he showed he can compete with the big boys too. In his combine scrimmage, Hunter accounted for 18 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals. What is the most impressive thing there is that nine of those boards were on the offensive end. Hunter got his team a lot of second chance points. He also shot 50 percent from the floor, which was actually below his college average. Hunter averaged around 15 points and 9 rebounds a night in college. He is a solid player in the paint and excels at cleaning up after his teammates miss.

There are some obvious concerns with Hunter though. He fouled out of the game today, being the only player in either scrimmage to do so. He also is a 61 percent career free throw shooter. Neither of those things are killers but they are certainly knocks on his game. What concerns me a little more is that Hunter had four of his shots blocked in today’s scrimmage. It might only be one game so we cannot read too much into it but that definitely seems like he was pressing a bit and forcing shots. Hunter is young though at only 20 years old and can develop at the next level. He has good size and decent length. I will be paying close attention to how he tests throughout the rest of the combine to see what I can read about his gameplay.

Rakeem Christmas, Senior
Power Forward, Syracuse University
Syracuse dipped a bit this year in terms of overall play but the man who powered that team showed up to play more often than not. Rakeem Christmas played extremely well this season averaging 17.5 points, 9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game on 55.2 percent shooting. He also shot well from the free throw line at 71.2 percent. Christmas showed up into today’s combine scrimmage, dropping 20 points on 7 of 10 shooting to go with 6 boards. He already has a very polished post game and has plays great defense on the block. If Rak could add a viable jump shot to his arsenal, he could be a dangerous player.

Christmas played center in college but not even reaching 6’10” with shoes on, meaning he would likely fit better as a power forward in the NBA. He has already dropped his weight from 250 to 242 making the move even more logical. He is grinder who can go to work and spend the whole night wearing down his opponents. He does not possess outstanding athleticism or great dribbling abilities. He is also a candidate to end up in foul trouble on a night-to-night basis. However, Christmas is a scrappy player who will fight for rebounds and force opponents into tough shots. He won’t dazzle you, but Christmas could become a very accountable big man in the NBA.

Are these freshmen making the jump too early?

Chris McGlynn Basketball, Draft, NCAAM , ,

The NBA draft is still a couple of months off but the buzz surrounding the biggest basketball event of the summer has already begun. With the NCAA deadline to declare for the draft just four days away, the draft class has all but taken form. The seniors obviously had no choice but there were several underclassmen who decided to make the jump early despite having plenty of eligibility and potential championships left at their universities. For some, leaving school for the NBA will seem like a no-brainer. For others, the decision was maybe a little rushed. Out of the dozens of underclassmen to declare, there are a couple that stick out that should have stayed in school.

Tyus Jones, Freshman
Point Guard, Duke
He has yet to actually declare and I sincerely hope he does not. Jones is a very talented player and based on his performance in Duke’s national championship run, his value is probably as high as it will ever be. However, he is not truly pro-ready. The comparisons I have frequently heard have been to former Syracuse guard Tyler Ennis. Not that their style of play is all that similar but they face (faced) similar situations. Ennis had a stellar freshman year for the Orange and the talent around him was at a high point. He was not pro-ready either but because his value was so high, and Syracuse’s outlook for the following season was not as strong, Ennis declared and has since bounced around the NBA D-league. Jones is in the same position. Duke will almost definitely drop next year as Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow will both be playing in the NBA.

He also struggled a bit to find his shot at times this year, finishing with a 41.7 percent conversion rate. Jones never really managed to find a way to truly blend scoring and assisting. The stretch of games Jones played in the tournament underlines his streaky play. Jones only registered ten plus points and five plus assists in two games. And one of those was against #16 seed Robert Morris. Jones exploded in the finals for 23 points but was limited to only one dime. He also shot below 40 percent in four of those six games. Simply stated, Jones is a project with a lot of upside. He benefitted from the talent around him and will need some time before he turns into a viable NBA prospect.

Chris McCullough, Freshman
Power Forward, Syracuse
McCullough was a one-and-done candidate entering the season, but that changed quickly when he tore his ACL back in December. Now, with McCullough not set to be cleared until December of next season, he will not be of much use to teams in the short term. He will need to finish rehabbing and likely would need some time to learn the new system for whatever team he lands with. McCullough is likely trying to bolt from the uncertain situation in Syracuse right now with NCAA sanctions leveled against the basketball program and Jim Boeheim set for suspension from ACC games. Other news points to McCullough making the leap based on having a child due in May.

Either way, McCullough is far from a finished product. He showed plenty of promise as a rebounder and shot blocker. He racked up about seven boards per game and over two blocks per contest. He even tallied 1.7 steals a night as well. On offense though, McCullough definitely needs some work. He only shot 48 percent from the field, on the lower end for a big man. He almost relapsed when it came to scoring as well. After notching at least ten points per game through his first eight matchups, McCullough went cold and failed to hit ten again for his next eight appearances. With his offensive and injury concerns, McCullough will definitely be sliding into the second round. Had he returned, he would have had the chance to significantly boost his draft stock in another year for the Orange.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Freshman
Power Forward, Kentucky
Towns was one of the best players in college basketball this season. Don’t get me wrong, I think he will be an excellent player at the professional level. I just think that another year in the collegiate ranks would be very beneficial to Towns. He played on one of the most talented teams potentially ever assembled in college basketball history, which limited his ability to showcase and develop his talents. He occasionally flashed the ability to take over games, but failed to do it regularly.

There are also a couple of concerns that I have about Towns that I have voiced before. First, he didn’t play very many minutes, (Towns registered over 30 minutes once) which makes me wonder how quickly he will adjust to the professional level. Then there is the issue of his inconsistency on offense. He shoots the ball at a high percentage, but in eight different games this year, Towns failed to score even five points. That includes the Sweet 16 game against West Virginia when he went 0-3 from the field and only registered a single point. I think that another year under Coach Calipari in Kentucky would really serve Towns well. He could become the complete package and make a real splash at the focus of what will be almost definitely another talented Wildcat squad.

Fighting to be considered Elite

Chris McGlynn Basketball, NCAAM ,

And then there were 16. Must be pretty sweet to still be dancing at this point in the tournament. Each region has it’s own story. The Midwest is still Kentucky’s to lose but apparently West Virginia (who busted my bracket last week) believe that Kentucky’s perfection ends tonight when the two teams take the court. Witchita State is still alive and kicking as well. In the East, the top seeds have fallen and the remaining matchups read eight versus four and three versus seven. Upsets have riddled this side of the bracket as Virginia and Villanova fell last weekend. Out West, the bracket has avoided too many upsets, as Baylor is the sole top-four seed not to reach the Sweet 16, only to be replaced by sixth-seeded Xavier. Down South, old school powers meeting the new kids on the block. UCLA is the surprise in the regional semi-final as an eleven seed in this one. All of these storylines mean we are in for a great four days of basketball.

Midwest

#1 Kentucky vs. #5 West Virginia: West Virginia freshman Daxter Miles Jr. made it clear that he does not think much of Kentucky. He called them out for not playing hard. That sounds like something you should do after you have beaten them if you ask me. Kentucky will come into this game with even more of something to prove now than ever before. The Wildcats rank third in the country in defensive scoring and second in blocks. That will spell trouble for a Mountaineer team that already does not shoot the ball very well from the field.

#3 Notre Dame vs. #7 Witchita State: Many said that the Shockers would be a tough matchup for Kansas and that proved to be true as Witchita rolled through the Jayhawks. However, I think the run stops here for the Shockers. They will have their eyes set on a rematch with Kentucky after the Wildcats knocked them out of the tournament last year and ended their perfect season. I don’t think Witchita gets the chance though. The Irish are battled tested with victories in a couple of close games. Notre Dame has only dropped one game in past eleven, I think they will move on to the Elite Eight.

West

#1 Wisconsin vs. #4 North Carolina: This is a tough one to call. UNC has the talent and ability to beat anyone in the country, and I mean anyone, when they are firing on all cylinders. However, they aren’t playing at their best very often. This Tar Heel squad is often streaky and they are facing one of the most consistently dominant teams in America tonight. The Heels rank second in the country for rebounds and assists per game this year though. That is a pretty tough combination to top. If Marcus Paige is on, UNC marches on to the next round.

#2 Arizona vs. #6 Xavier: The Musketeers were fortunate to have made it this far if you ask me. With games against Ole Miss and Georgia State, Xavier has yet to play a team that is not a double-digit seed. That said, they might stand a chance in the Sweet 16, if they were playing a team other than Arizona. The Wildcats have won by fewer than 10 points just once since playing Utah back in February. That one game? It was against UCLA, another Sweet 16 team. Arizona advance.

East

#4 Louisville vs. #8 North Carolina State: Raise your hand if you picked this game to happen. I wish I could say I did. NC State really busted my bracket last week when they knocked out Villanova, whom I had in the finals. As if this game was not important enough, this is rematch between ACC teams. The Wolfpack won the first time around but with Louisville finally starting to find a bit of a rhythm offensively, the Cardinals will be the ones who get to keep dancing a little longer.

#3 Oklahoma vs. #7 Michigan State: I didn’t predict this game correctly either. I had Dayton pulling the upset of Oklahoma but the Sooners ruined my fun. However, the Spartans looked convincing in their last two wins, especially Sunday against Virginia. Travis Trice caught fire against the Cavaliers, and if he does again on Friday, that could mean lights out for Oklahoma. I’ve got Tom Izzo’s crew heading to the next round.

South

#1 Duke vs. #5 Utah: This one will be fun to watch. We get to see Jahlil Okafor and the highlight reel that is Duke’s offense pitted against a Utah squad that excels in locking down the defensive end of the floor. The Utes ranked eleventh in the country this season in points allowed per game. Moreover, Utah has seven-footer Jakob Poeltl to contend with Okafor. Watch these two freshmen battle it out in the paint should be an entertaining matchup. I still think Duke has too many offensive weapons for Utah to contain. Blue Devils slide into the Elite Eight.

#2 Gonzaga vs. #11 California Los Angeles: Talk about a surprise guest. There were not too many people who foresaw UCLA in the Sweet 16. The Bruins were a bubble team to begin with. Gonzaga has been good this season but this has every element of a trap game to it. I think the Bruins will come out with a chip on their shoulder and give the Zags a tough test early. If Gonzaga can weather that test than they will be fine. If they falter early, like I think they will, UCLA will continue their Cinderella run.

Even as we approach the Sweet 16, many college athletes can be left bitter

Chris McGlynn Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, NCAAF, NCAAM, Soccer, Social Issues ,

The NCAA tournament is in full swing at the moment as the Sweet 16 will take place at the end of this week. However, it seems the NCAA is never safe from scrutiny. President Obama cast his lot into the conversation regarding the corrupt and questionable practices of college athletics’ governing body. He made a couple of different points but the one that rung out the strongest to me was his criticism of players losing scholarships due to injury. The NCAA allows programs to revoke scholarships from players who are injured or who are cut from their respective teams.

What the NCAA continually does to college athletes is something like this. And yes I am looking at you Mark Emmert:

Let’s say that you want to learn how to cook better, so you decide to take some cooking lessons. Upon signing up for the lessons, you discover that the first four months of classes are free. This is a great deal for you, probably all of the classes you might need, and looking at the price, you probably would not be able to afford the classes otherwise. So, you begin taking classes at this local cooking shop and begin learning all sorts of new skills from a chef acting as your teacher. A week or so in, you begin to make your own dishes. The chef continually tells you that you should be researching recipes and practicing on your own time, but you have a full-time job that is meant to take your priority so this is a difficult task.

About a month into your classes, you hurt yourself during one of the sessions. You cut yourself fairly deep on your hand with a knife after you slip up chopping vegetables. An honest mistake but now you cannot go to the cooking classes for the next month due to the stitches in your hand. You take time and heal properly, just as your doctor and teacher tell you, and then return to the class.

Upon your return, someone who works higher up in the corporation that runs the cooking class approaches you. He tells you that because you missed the past month of classes, you are no longer eligible for the discount and you will need to start paying to take the cooking classes now. You complain that you were injured in one of the classes and that the injury was outside of your control. The man insists that there is no other way for you to continue attending the cooking school and you must find a way to pay.

In that story, you are fundamentally wronged and loose out an opportunity to do something you really enjoy because the school turned its back on you. Everyone recognizes that what happened is morally wrong. Yet, this happens to college athletes over and over again. And the scary thing is that there is very little that the NCAA requires colleges to provide regarding healthcare. In fact, most of the healthcare services are optional for schools to provide. So not only are they at risk of losing their scholarships due to the injury, they are not guaranteed to have any medical costs covered. Schools will occasionally cover the fees of surgeries for students but they are not required to and that they are not is what is concerning.

There are many things fundamentally wrong with the NCAA. The amount of money they make while maintaining they are a non-profit is one. The fact that they are exploiting young, college students is another. But pulling away a kid’s hopes and dreams due to an injury sustained while playing for a university under the NCAA is awful. This issue falls on both the school’s and the NCAA’s shoulders to fix, as they are both equally to blame. Schools are not required to honor scholarships; that does not meant they cannot honor them. And the NCAA, does not require schools to honor scholarships, which is sickening. People can talk all they want about how college athletes should be paid (I’m not saying they should or should not) and how the NCAA is exploiting students. Above all else, the NCAA needs to begin protecting the kids who suffer serious injuries playing collegiate athletics. That has got to be the top priority. If you want to maintain that these kids are student-athletes, with the student part coming first, then do not take away their chance to be a student because they got hurt being an athlete.