Ostensibly Hoops

[Saint]

DS, who was that basketball player at Kernersville Glenn High in the late '90s, early '00s that was supposed to be so great but never panned out, as I recall. can't remember his name to save my life now.

It was early to mid 2000's. Roy recruited him for a while. IIRC, he thought he had an offer and tried to commit, but that blew up in his face. I can't remember his name either. I can picture him though. He was highly touted at 15 and 16 but flamed out early.

damn, you're zero help. he was an IC darling for a while then turned to shit. not sure if he even played anywhere. I thought he was a top 10 player as a 9th or 10th grader.

[Saint]

Eric Wallace, thanks to Dave Telep on Twitter. sendek offered after his freshman year at Glenn. played at tOSU, DePaul and finished at Seattle U.

[Bklyn]

Sullinger has been sucking ROYALLY in every draft combine category.

#SeanMayRedux

[hedge]

I saw where he got 9 reps on the bench press, Zeller had 16...

[Jungle Rat]

[eCat]

RIP Henry Hill

[10ac]

A hit?

[Saint]

how did he live this long? the blow should have killed him long ago

[eCat]

heart attack. Dude was old and still using/dealing.

[hedge]

Who was he?

[eCat]

The real Ray Liotta in Goodfellas

[Bklyn]

BILAS' TOP 5 PROSPECTS

In college basketball, one can often tell the viability of a Final Four contender by "counting the pros." Teams with the most NBA-caliber players on the roster are far more capable of crashing the Final Four than the cohesive units filled with little engines that think they can. We praise the latter during the season, but great talent that plays together will beat lesser talent that plays together every time.

That same kind of thing goes for the NBA, but it is more pronounced. The NBA is a superstar-driven league, where the major talents are the difference between a playoff team and a championship team. Every title team needs "pieces" to go around its superstars, and the NBA draft is the best place to collect those pieces and score a superstar to build around.

The 2012 NBA draft is very deep with good talent. From the first round to the very last pick in the draft, I cannot recall a deeper draft of solid players who can make a roster and help a team win. There may not be a lot of no-brainer, sure-thing superstars, but there are some really good players who have a chance to get better.

Here are five that I believe have a chance to be the best players in this draft class, and six who have potential but also more questions.

Anthony Davis, Kentucky Wildcats
Davis is the only player in this draft who is a sure thing. Even if he never develops as an offensive player, his defensive range and ability to impact the game on the defensive end makes him the consensus No. 1 selection. He gracefully covers ground. With his mobility, length, timing and tenacity, Davis can block and change shots from at the rim to 15 feet out.

He doesn't just block shots, he blocks jump shots, and can move his feet to cover the court like no other big man in this class. Davis has a freaky 7-foot-5 wingspan, and his hands are phenomenal. He catches everything, and he is just scratching the surface of how good he can be on the offensive end. As he gets stronger and more mature, Davis will be a star.

Bradley Beal, Florida Gators
When I first went in person to see Beal play in high school, I asked Florida coach Billy Donovan who Beal reminded him of. "He's a Ray Allen-type player," Donovan said. He was right. Beal is a great kid -- which most of the top picks have in common this year -- and blended into an older Florida team this season, even though he was the best player.

He's just shorter than 6-5, but he has the arms of a 6-8 player and uses them. He is versatile, efficient and can really shoot it. Beal is a very good rebounder for a guard, and he can defend. He's not the best athlete among guards, but he can really play.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky
MKG has very good size and athleticism, but what sets him apart is his will. He just plays harder than his opponent, and it is contagious. Kidd-Gilchrist can guard anyone from an athletic point guard to a power forward, especially with his 7-foot wingspan and 35-inch vertical leap, and he is relentless.

He is at his best in transition, can go off the bounce and will simply outwork people. He needs to work on his shooting, but that is something that he can improve over time to become more reliable and consistent. I'm not sure MKG is an All-Star, but I like his ability to work his way there more than some others who may be more offensively gifted.

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina Tar Heels
I think Barnes can be a better pro than college player, and he was a terrific college player. Barnes has size, length and very good athleticism. I believed he was an elite athlete when I saw him in high school, but I changed my assessment of him in college. At North Carolina, I thought Barnes was a very good, but not world-class, athlete.

At the combine, he tested out as a true world-class athlete. Barnes had a 39-inch vertical leap and a 38-inch "no-step" vertical, which is phenomenal. His agility was equally impressive, to the point of jaw dropping. That tells me that Barnes was thinking too much in college. He seemed very "process-oriented," and I think, as good as he was, he will be better in the NBA.

Barnes is an outstanding jump-shooter and has the ability to handle and drive it, and he should improve in that area in the NBA. He is also long-armed with the tools to be a terrific defender. He's going to live up to our wild predictions of him in high school.

Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut Huskies
Lamb may have a sleepy look on his face, but he has tools. With a 6-11 wingspan and a high release point on his shot, Lamb can get shots off against lengthy defenders, and he can move without the ball and create his own shot. His midrange game is outstanding, and he can pull up and hit contested shots.

He has a 38-inch vertical and is just as fast and agile as Tony Wroten Jr. of Washington. Lamb needs to improve his long-range shooting consistency, but I think he can do that. I like his potential as an NBA player.

Six prospects with tools but more questions

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State Buckeyes
Sullinger is simply a basketball player. He knows how to play, but he may not be athletic enough to be a star in the NBA. He did not test well in Chicago, which was predictable. He had a 31-inch vertical leap and was the slowest player there. But he has a 7-1 wingspan and the ability to rebound and use his body.

However, despite that wingspan, Sullinger does not block or change shots. My question all along has been his ability to score over size in the paint. I think Sullinger's effectiveness will be determined by his ability to step away and hit a face-up jumper up to 20 feet.

Royce White, Iowa State Cyclones
White has all of the physical tools to be a terrific player in the NBA. He is a point guard in the body of a defensive lineman. White doesn't shoot it, and there are question marks on the defensive end, but his offensive versatility and passing make him very attractive. He has had some off-the-court issues and suffers from anxiety, which has affected his willingness to fly, but if a team satisfies itself that White is worth the risk, he is a first-round talent.

Andre Drummond, Connecticut
Drummond is a beast. He has every tool you want in a player -- except shooting. He is huge and can run, rebound and block shots. And if you pitch the ball up near the rim, Drummond can go get it. He is a junior Dwight Howard in that regard, but he does not make free throws and is not a natural offensive player.

However, with those tools, Drummond could be outstanding at the next level. The real question with Drummond is: How bad does he want it? Will he do the work, and do it every night in the NBA? If he does, he can be terrific.

Perry Jones III, Baylor Bears
Jones is a great kid who has every tool you want and is very pleasing to the eye. When he plays well, the sky is the limit for his potential, but when the lights are on and the expectations are high, he can really tease. Jones is young, and we often expect such young players to have it all figured out. I think he is worth the risk in the lottery because of his tremendous talent. But Jones needs to show more toughness, leadership and "want to."

Meyers Leonard, Illinois Fighting Illini
Leonard is another player with every tool one needs to be great, but also has questions about his toughness. I'm not concerned as much about the toughness issue, because Leonard played on a dysfunctional team at Illinois, and he has had the normal maturation for an outstanding big man. An excellent athlete with very good strength, Leonard is a true 7-footer with a 7-3 wingspan. He has a really nice shooting touch and can rebound and block shots. As he matures, I think Leonard has a real chance to be a terrific NBA player.

Austin Rivers, Duke Blue Devils
Rivers is so good with the ball and has such an uncanny ability to get past defenders and get into the lane that I believe he will do very well in the NBA. He is quick with the ball and can get his own shot, and defenders have a tough time staying in front of him.

Put Rivers in the NBA, where the rules will benefit that skill, and you have an offensive weapon. Rivers is a good shooter but can still refine his perimeter shot, and he needs to be a more consistent handler and passer, but he is a willing defender and willingly takes on challenges. Some have questions about his demeanor or "cockiness," but I don't. Rivers competes and will be very good in the NBA.

[sardis]

Bobcats still got jipped...

[Bklyn]

yep...and Stern is feeling the heat, considering how he unloaded on Rome over a very benign question.

[hedge]

I didn't feel that was an unload, I thought he was just busting his chops a little. Rome seemed to take too much umbrage. It was, after all, an inherently insulting question. He was basically asking Stern if he was a cheater, Stern responded with "are you still beating your wife?" (an underused chestnut, IMO). Then Rome got all pissy when Stern calmly mentioned that Rome and all the rest of his ilk do indeed make "cheap thrills" the cornerstone of their entire careers. I also liked Stern's sign off "I've got an important call next, with Stephen A. Smith". Hilarious. Rome came off as the rube in that exchange...

[Jungle Rat]

People still listen to Jim Rome?

[Gator by God's Grace]

only rubes...

[Jungle Rat]

[youtube]7GpdUjgPYRE[/youtube]

[eCat]

Rodney King died at his home - drowning is what is being reported.

[Jungle Rat]

C'mon now. Do you know a brother who can swim?