November 27, 2009
Jonathan Givony of Draft Express checked out the National Prep Showcase in New Haven, Connecticut last weekend. Here is his scouting reports on the elite players that were in attendance, including our #8 recruit in the 2010 class, Future Memphis swingman, Will Barton.
Barton showed off the tools at the showcase that makes him such a highly regarded recruit, but this paragraph from Givony’s article definitely raises some questions about Barton’s character:
“Barton’s body language was probably the biggest turnoff from watching him play, as he seems far more concerned with getting his own shots than he is helping his team win games. He would visibly pout and even proceed (on multiple occasions) to chase after his teammates following plays and yell at them for not passing him the ball, even on possessions that his team scored regardless.”
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High School, High School Class of 2010, Will Barton | Tagged: andre drummond, Dominique Ferguson, Florida International, Gerald Coleman, High School, Lorenzo Brown, Memphis, N.C. State, Providence, Will Barton | 
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Posted by Jack Kett
November 25, 2009
Ohio State’s Evan Turner continued his hot start last night by recording his 2nd triple-double of the young season in a win over Lipscomb.
The junior guard is now averaging 20.6 points to go along with 7 assist and just under 14 rebounds a game in the Buckeyes first five contests.
Turner, who has been forced into the point guard role this year due to the lack of ball handlers on the OSU squad, has done a great job distributing the ball and getting his teammates open looks thus far. This experience will greatly benefit his play-making ability at the next level when he will be moved off the ball.
I currently have Turner rated as the 4th best prospect in this years draft. His versatility will be a welcome addition to any team. With his skill-set he will be able to contribute right away in any system.
I also want to pass along a great piece that ESPN’s Dana O’Neil wrote about the tough times that Turner faced while growing up.
We know how great of a player that Turner is on the court but this article shed’s light on how terrific of a young man that he is off the court as well.
Leave a Comment » | Evan Turner, NCAA Prospects, Uncategorized | Tagged: Evan Turner, NCAA, Ohio State | Permalink
Posted by Jack Kett
November 25, 2009
West Virginia’s Devin Ebanks was back with the team for Tuesday nights game, but did not play. West Virginia’s head coach, Bob Huggins, has now held his star sophomore out of the Mountaineers first two games for what he has referred to as, “personal issues.”
“I understand you all have a job to do,” Huggins said. “You also have to understand that if it was your kid, you don’t want your kid’s business all over the newspaper, radio and TV because it isn’t anybody’s business. My responsibility is to those kids.”
On Saturday Jonathan Givony from DraftExpress posted the following reason for Ebanks’ absense on his Twitter page…
“Was told that Devin Ebanks’ suspension at West Virginia was marijuana related. Supposedly failed second drug test. No comment from WVU SID.”
As I posted on Saturday, This incident will not be forgotten by NBA general managers come June. The longer West Virginia coach Bob Huggins decides to hold Ebanks out of the lineup, the more his stock will continue to drop.
Leave a Comment » | Devin Ebanks, NCAA Prospects | Tagged: Devin Ebanks, NCAA, West Virginia | Permalink
Posted by Jack Kett
November 24, 2009
Jonathan Givony from DraftExpress has a nice update on how Jan Vesely is doing over in Europe.
Here’s an excerpt from the article:
All in all, Vesely looks like an extremely useful player with plenty of upside to continue to develop. After all, he’s only 19-years old, and is somewhat of a late-bloomer on top of that. He may not have the offensive skills or natural talent NBA teams look for in a very high pick, and probably wouldn’t fit every team’s style of play, but there will be plenty of coaches who could fall in love with his physical attributes and the energy he brings to the table. The way Omri Casspi is playing thus far with the Kings surely has to be helping his cause, as the two have some clear-cut similarities in their style of play, although Vesely’s physical tools and upside are noticeably superior.
Make sure to read the whole article as he does a great job breaking down Vesely’s game.
HoopsNext currently has Vesely being picked 16th in its 2010 Mock Draft.
Leave a Comment » | International, Jan Vesely | Tagged: International, Jan Vesely | Permalink
Posted by Jack Kett
November 23, 2009
Vince Grippi of The Spokesman-Review had a nice article on Washington State guard Klay Thompson’s 37 point effort on Thursday night.
Thompson is off to a hot start this season averaging 27 points a game on 55% shooting through Washington State’s first three games. The 6′6” sophomore’s hot start earned him the Pac-10’s player of the week award.
He has already attempted 28 free throws over the first 3 games. He only attempted 31 free throws in the 33 games that he played in last season. This has been the key to his improvement thus far.
Thompson is someone who we will continue to follow closely. As of right now, I consider him a 2nd round pick. If he can keep up his good play, he will continue to rise up the board and into the 1st round.
Leave a Comment » | Klay Thompson, NCAA Prospects, Under The Radar | Tagged: Klay Thompson, NCAA, Under The Radar, Washington State | Permalink
Posted by Jack Kett
November 23, 2009
Here is HoopsNext’s first mock draft of the year. I have NOT taken into account the teams needs in this update. The reason that I have included the teams in here at all, is to give you an idea of where they would be currently selecting at, pre-lottery, and what players may be available when that team picks.
I went ahead and factored in all outstanding trades for 2010 first round picks. I have marked these with asterisks above the team. For example, New York owes Utah their 1st round pick this year due to a foolish Isiah Thomas trade from a few years back, so I have gone ahead and put Utah in the spot where New York would be selecting and have added an asterisk after Utah and put New York in the parenthesis to show that’s where they got the pick from.
Some players such as John Henson and Jeff Taylor, to name a few, have not been included in this mock draft because I believe that they are more likely to stay in school another year and enter the 2011 draft. If you have a question or if you want to make a comment about the mock draft, you can do so at the bottom of the page.
Click Here To See The 2010 Mock Draft! You can also access it by clicking “2010 NBA Mock Draft” at the top of the page.
Jack Kett
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Posted by Jack Kett
November 21, 2009
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress just posted this update on the Devin Ebanks situation on his Twitter page.
“Was told that Devin Ebanks’ suspension at West Virginia was marijuana related. Supposedly failed second drug test. No comment from WVU SID.”
If that’s true, that could come back to haunt him this June. Still no word on when Ebanks is due back.
Leave a Comment » | Devin Ebanks, NCAA Prospects | Tagged: Devin Ebanks, NCAA, West Virginia | Permalink
Posted by Jack Kett
November 20, 2009
As promised, here are the first few mini scouting reports for my list of the top 25 high school players in the class of 2010. I will be adding a few more every day. I have added a new page up top for the top 25 list. This will be its new permanent home.
1. Harrison Barnes SF 6′8” 209 lbs. North Carolina
- Has the ‘it factor.’ Great character guy who finds ways to win. Has one of the highest basketball IQ’s in his class.
- At 6′8” 209 lbs, he has the prototypical size for the wing position. Has the frame to put on more muscle.
- Able to score in every way imaginable. Can stroke it from deep, has a killer mid-range game and can get to the hoop off the dribble and finish with either hand. Utilizes the triple-threat position better than any player in this class.
- Good passer that always keeps his head up while dribbling and is able to find the open man.
- Silky smooth player that always plays the game under control and at his pace.
- Solid defender that uses his length to create havoc for opposing teams.
In my opinion, if high school players were still eligible to enter the draft, Barnes would be battling it out for the first overall pick in the 2010 draft. This kid is going to be a VERY special player. Likely the number 1 pick in the 2011 draft.
2. Brandon Knight PG 6′3” 183 lbs. Undecided
- Very smart kid on and off the court. Has a 4.2 GPA to go along with a high basketball IQ.
- Great speed and vision on the court. Explosive first step and changing speeds with the ball in his hands allows him to get to the hoop whenever he pleases. Also uses a nice cross-over dribble to get into the paint.
- Prefers to go right. Needs to mix in a few drives left at the next level to keep defenses honest.
- Improving jump shot that will open things up for him as he continues to progress.
- Great energy on the court. Always active and playing hard.
- Good on-ball defender due to size, speed and most importantly, effort.
As of right now, Knight has not decided what college he will attend next fall. Florida, UConn, Kansas, Miami and Kentucky are all still on his radar. If I had to guess, I would say that he stays home in Florida and plays for the Gators. Whichever program that he goes to, will be getting a very good floor general. Potential lottery pick in the 2011 draft.
3. Jared Sullinger PF 6′8” 262 lbs. Ohio State
- An absolute beast down low in the paint. Uses size and strength to be a dominant scorer in the post.
- Has a very good understanding of how to position himself in the post. Always creates good angles for his teammates to get the ball down low to him. Has terrific hands which allow him to catch bullet passes from penetrating guards.
- Big time rebounder who owns the glass. Will pull double-digit boards for Ohio St on a nightly basis.
- Has some perimeter skills as well. Solid ball handler and he can also shoot it out to 18 feet.
- A coaches son that brings all of the intangibles. Toughest player on this list.
Sullinger will produce right away for the Buckeyes. He is an absolute man-child at 6′8” 262 lbs. There are better NBA prospects that are rated lower than him on this list, but he just might be the best recruit out of anyone on this list, Barnes included, because he will probably stay in school for a few years to prove to scouts that he can be effective despite being a little on the short side for a NBA PF. The recent success of Paul Millsap and Carl Landry will help him convince scouts that he can be effective in the pro’s despite being an inch or two shorter than the average power forward.
1 Comment | Brandon Knight, Harrison Barnes, High School, High School Class of 2010, Jared Sullinger | Tagged: Brandon Knight, Harrison Barnes, High School, Jared Sullinger, North Carolina, Ohio State | Permalink
Posted by Jack Kett
November 20, 2009
John Goodman of FoxSports.com posted his Studs and Duds from yesterday’s busy day in college hoops.
Kentucky PF/C DeMarcus Cousins was among his studs of Thursday’s games after putting up a monstrous performance of 27 points and 18 boards on 10-15 shooting from the field. As you have read here on HoopsNext over the past week, Cousins is one of the most talented players in the NCAA. When he is motivated as he was yesterday, he can be a force down low on both ends of the floor. The problem is he goes through stretches where he gets very lazy and coasts through games. That is a reputation that he is going to have to shed this year if he wants to be seriously considered in the top half of the lottery.
Leave a Comment » | DeMarcus Cousins, NCAA Prospects | Tagged: DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky, NCAA | Permalink
Posted by Jack Kett
