========================================================================== Name: Chris Webber School: University of Michigan Height: 6'10" Weight: ~250lbs Strengths: Quickness, strength, rebounding, shotblocking, inside passing Weaknesses: Free Throw shooting Poop: One of the best college players I've ever seen. From day one he has dominated everyone physically. He is stronger by far than anybody who can stay with his quickness, and anybody that can bang with him he will blow past. His aggressiveness, great hands, and quick leap make him a devastating offensive rebounder, and few can stop him down low once he has the ball. Webber is also an intelligent interior passer, and a very solid ballhandler. He shoots a flat jump shot with fair range. His post moves consist of a right-handed jump hook. and a blindingly quick spin move to the base line. Defensively, Webber loves to block shots, and is sometimes out of position as a result. He has a lot to learn about position defense in general. On the negative side, Webber is sometimes not as active in a game as you might like. He seems to pick and choose his spots, and as this year progressed, it became the consensus that his wind was not as good as it should be. You could see clearly the difference from 1st to 4th quarter in his rebounding and defense. His post game is not tremendously refined. By comparison with a Juwan Howard, his footwork needs work, and he could develop a few more moves. Webber's "problem" has been that he is able to get by with great strength and quickness, and hasn't been forced to develop his low post game. He reminds me of a young Olajuwon in the post. Webber is not a great shooter, but has pretty good form, and should be NBA quality here very soon. The worst part of his game is foul shooting. No two shots look the same. He is a little better this year than last, but needs quite a bit of work here. Conclusion: Chris Webber will be the #1 or #2 pick in the draft. Any problems he has are the kind fixed by work and experience. He is a monster talent who will have an All-Star career barring injury. Scout: Rob Skrobola======================================================================== Name: Rodney Rogers College: Wake Forest Height: 6'7" Position: Power Forward Other positions: Small Forward Strengths: strength, shooting, rebounding, quickness, attitude Weaknesses: decision-making, ball handling (minor), passing (minor) Poop: Rogers was the ACC player of the year and it was much deserved. An outstanding athelete, Rogers combines exceptional strength with a nice touch to be a great inside/outside player with range to the college three point range (and I expect that it will get to the NBA three before to long). The only knock on Rogers is his ball handling and passing, but it looked to be better this year and I expect that it will continue to improve in the NBA. Rogers has a great attitude and work ethic and should continue to improve in all aspects of the game in the NBA. Some people have pointed out his bad game against Kentucky, but it was a fluke. Wake just got steamrolled by a UK team that was playing a great game. I see Rogers a little like a taller Larry Johnson. He will probably start out as a PF and then move over to SF durning games to take advantage of his strength. Rogers had two of the best dunks I ever saw: in the 1992 ACC tourny, Rogers snatched a rebound with one hand from about 5 feet from the basket and in one motion, power dunked it over two UNC players. Then in this years blowout of UNC, Rogers had a 360 dunk on a break away. He is a sure top 5 pick. Scout: Craig Simpson ==================================================================== Name: Douglas Edwards College: Florida State Height: 6'9" Weight: 220 Position: Power Forward Other Positions: Small forward and center (both very rarely) Strengths: Strength, inside passing, shooting, unselfish play Weaknesses: attitude Poop: Doug Edwards was FSU's first "big-time" recruit, coming out of a class that included the likes of Kenny Anderson and Shaq, and being rated second to Anderson in the class. Edwards had to sit out his freshman year as a prop-48 case, but came on to be a major force in his sophomore year. Early in his career, Edwards showed that he was very strong inside, could pass well in the interior (usually to his team-mate Dobard for a jam). But Edwards did not posses an outside shot to speak of, and had a very lazy attitude. As he matured, Edwards did develope a very solid 18 foot jumper, and changed his attitude - becoming a very unselfish player (lead the ACC bigmen in assists). However, he still has a little problem with keeping his cool in a game. Edwards possess a tremendous amount of talent and skill as an inside player, and should fit in well with the NBA style of play. His defense, though not awe inspiring, is also solid. A team looking for a good power forward, and a role player, should do well with Edwards. Should go early in the 1st round, though the heavy amount of power forwards in this year's draft could push him down further in the draft. Scout: Kevin Delgado (kdelgado@loligo.cc.fsu.edu) ============================================================================ Name: Malcolm Mackey School: Georgia Tech Height: 6-11 Weight: 248 Position: Power forward Other position: Center Strengths: Scoring, rebounding, defense, shotblocking, size Weaknesses: Inconsistency, leadership skills, aggressiveness, free-throw shooting Poop: Malcolm Mackey showed great promise his first two years, first as a solid role-player for Lethal Weapon III and then as a surprise leader in rebounding in the ACC. Expected to take over and dominate his last two seasons, he often put up very good numbers. However, he would often disappear in the big games, and the younger players who looked up to him at those times would tend to fold also. This helps to explain some of Tech's mysterious losses this year. One of the other problems Tech faced was the fact that they had to play Mackey at center, when his true position is power forward. This was a problem two years ago when Matt Geiger had foul problems, and a problem this year when Ivano Newbill showed he couldn't play center either. Mackey has shown he can be a dominant rebounder, being near the leaders the past three seasons. He is also a very good athlete with decent post moves. He's also been among the league leaders in blocked shots, field-goal percentage and scoring. He's both quick and strong. However, he is often either over-aggressive, resulting in foul trouble, or under-aggressive, resulting in him disappearing in big games. His ball- handling is extremely suspect, a problem for someone who will mostly play forward. His jump-shot is extremely erratic. Mackey helped his cause by making the all-tournament team at the Desert Classic in Arizona. He was the leading scorer during the tournament. Most of his problems are mental, and this can be worked on with some dedication. He definitely has the body and the skills to play in the pros; he just needs to be consistent and disciplined as well. Mackey figures to be a first round pick, possibly late lottery. Scout: Rob Clough ============================================================================ Name: Corie Blount College: Cincinnati Height: 6'10" Weight: 242 Position: Power Forward Other Positions: Center Strengths: quickness, rebounding, shot-blocking Weaknesses: late bloomer, offensive game still needs work Poop: Agile for his height, Corie Blount also has a bit of bulk. A decent scorer, good rebounder, with good shot blocking skills, Corie needs to be a little more mentally involved in his game to stick in the NBA. Runs the floor well and has a bit of a nasty streak, which helps in the NBA. Will likely be a late 2nd round pick or a free agent. Corie might get shipped off to Spain or Europe for a year of seasoning before giving the NBA a go. A Scott Williams-type player to me, Corie might need a bit of luck to find a team he fits in with. If he gets a good match, he might surprise. Scout: Curtis Hill ====================================================================== Name: Kevin Thompson College: North Carolina State Height: 6'11" Position: Power Forward Other Positions: Center Strengths: Quickness, Passing, rebounding, post moves Weaknesses: Shooting, lack of intensity, passivity, weight, foul-shooting Poop: Kevin Thompson is a former role player who went on to great success at NCSU. He has been a stalwart on mediocre to terrible teams where he has had to handle most of the rebounding and virtually all of the post responsibilities. His main strength is his rebounding; he has very quick hands that dart in for offensive boards. He also is a true back-to-the-basket type player who has been a leader in field-goal percentage in the ACC, mostly on close-in type shots. His actual shot is not all that great and he had to be forced to take three-pointers by the coaching staff. The biggest problem with Thompson, like Malcolm Mackey of Georgia Tech, is his tendency to disappear at times. And with Thompson in a leadership role, this often proved disastrous to State's fortunes. Most of his teammates his last two years were either inexperienced or untalented or both. His team was hit hard with all sorts of unfortunate distractions, which may have contributed to his lack of concentration. His weight was another problem; despite his quick hands, his lack of mobility didn't allow him to guard a lot of big, quick forwards in the ACC, and Thompson is not exactly known for his vertical leap. He does have decent block totals (in the 40's the last three years), but not great for someone who plays in the post that much. Another problem is his poor (in the 50% range) free-throw shooting, problematic for someone who goes to the line a lot. Still, he has a number of skills. He is a very good passer for a big man, and they often ran the offense through him. His rebounding numbers cannot be questioned. And he can score a lot, against good defenses, when he gets the ball. Thompson will benefit a lot from NBA point guards, and the fact that he won't be depended on a lot at first. He needs to work on refining some parts of his game, like shooting & ballhandling, but he has the body to be a solid role-player and eventually a steady contributor. I expect him to be drafted somewhere late in the first round. Scout: Rob Clough ============================================================================ Name: Charles Outlaw School: Houston Height: 6-8 Position: Power forward Other position: Center (in a pinch) Strengths: rebounding, defense, shotblocking Weaknesses: Lack of an offensive game, size (may be to small for PF) Poop: From Dick Vitale's Basketball '92-'93: "The Cougars will get plenty of help from Outlaw, a premier rebounder and shot blocker, and the SWC Defensive Player of the Year for the '91-'92 season. He was the most accurate shooter in Division I (in '91-'92), but hardly is a scoring machine ('91-'92 11.9 ppg.) Outlaw's only reliable shot is the dunk." I saw the Cougar's twice on TV and would have to say the above is fairly accurate description. I would say that Outlaw's NBA potential will be limited until he develops a offensive game. As far as defense goes, I think he could do a good job guarding NBA PFs. So I only expect him at best to play 15-20 minutes for the team that drafts him, off the bench with little or no O. I don't see him going in the first round and maybe not even in the second. scout: Brian Neal West More Poop: "Outlaw is regarded as the top defender among the forward prospects in the draft. He needs to improve his free-throw shooting and cut down on his turnovers, though. He'll probably go in the second round." scout: Basketball Weekly via Craig Simpson ============================================================================ Name: Rodney Dobard College: Florida State Height: 6'9" Position: Power Forward Other Positions: Small forward, Center Strengths: Exceptional leaping ability, defense Weaknesses: outside shooting Poop: Rodney Dobard is a four year starter for FSU. Originally playing as a center due to FSU's lack of height at the time, Dobard was allowed to move over into his natural small forward postion as FSU's recruiting improved. Dobard is known for his incredible leaping ability. He always does the tip-off for FSU even when 7-footer Andre Reid is healthy, and consistently beats taller players to the ball. Dobard became a crowd favorite for his many, many dunks, especially off of the lob play. Dobard's greatest strength is his defense, however. He is the all-time leading shot-blocker in FSU history, and was near the top in this catagory in the nation, even though he is only 6'9". Dobard has a very serious work attitude, and is fearless on the court - even against "better" players (as in the NCAA tourney, where he did an excellent job of defending Mashburn). Dobard's primary weakness, his lack of an outside shot, is the only thing keeping him from being a star - but that can be worked on a la Ewing. Dobard has been a greatly under-rated player (partially due to the other talent on the team getting attention), but his performance in this year's tourney may have caught the attention of the pro scouts. Dobard will be a real steal for any team that takes a chance and drafts him, but will probably not go before the 2nd round in the draft Scout: Kevin Delgado (kdelgado@loligo.cc.fsu.edu) ====================================================================== Name: Harper Williams School: UMASS Height: 6'7" Position: Power Forward Other possible spots: Center Strengths: leadership, rebounding Weaknesses: to small for center will have to play PF, injured hand in senior season Poop: Harper was the heart and soul of UMass for the last two years. He was a 4 year starter at the center spot, despite being just 6'7". He is a south paw who will go left if possible. He was the A-10 player of the year in 1992 and probably would have won it again this year if not for a broken hand sustained early in the season. Harper gained national recognition after grabbing 15 or so rebounds in the 2nd round of the NCAA's against Conrad McRae and Syracuse. He may not have the size, but makes up for it with his passion. He was the tallest player in UMass's rotation (30-5 record) in 1992. His range extends out to 18-19 feet. He will take that shot without hesistating if left open. He hit the game winning 3 pointer against Syracuse to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in 1992. He scored well over 1000 pts in his career (i don't have the number). I could see him taken in the late 2nd round by a current NBA power that is looking for a role player. Scout: Scott D. Granowitz ====================================================================== Name: Brian Hendrick School: California Height: 6-9 Position: power forward Other Possible Spots: spot minutes at center in a small unit Strengths: nose for the ball, scores from post or out to 15 feet Weaknesses: recovering from knee injury--mobility a question Poop: Hendrick was All-Pac 10 his first three years, with numbers in the range of 15 points & 8 rebounds. Due to injury his stats were down as a senior, although he posted a number of double-doubles in Cal's late season run as his mobility and confidence improved. Hendrick is a hard worker who came in exclusively as a post scorer but developed a reliable jumper and some moves off the dribble during his time at Cal. Hendrick has never been spectacular, relying on hustle, long arms, subtle post moves and solid court smarts. Until the injury, he was improving steadily and expanding his game, but Hendrick never projected as an NBA star or big scorer. His game and personality are well suited to the role of defender, rebounder and opportunity scorer. He'll need to show he's healthy at every opportunity before the draft and he still may not be taken. Don't be surprised if he manages to hang on somewhere even if he has to go the free agent route. Scout: Ken Bowers (kbowers@esrc1.berkeley.edu) ====================================================================== Name: Evers Burns School: U of Maryland Height: 6-8 Weight: 247 Position: Power Forward Other Position: Center (in case of emergency!) Strengths: Scoring, strength, power, rebounding Weaknesses: Foul shooting, size, weight, foul-proneness Poop: Evers Burns went from being a football prospect to one of the best frontcourt players in the ACC. He showed flashes of promise his first two years that were realized in his junior year, when he scored 15.9 ppg and averaged 7 boards a game. He was the anchor of a very young Maryland team as a senior, leading the ACC in scoring for a time. He was the only true low-post threat that Maryland had, but still dealt with double-teams well. Evers' best attributes are his scoring and rebounding. He has range out to 16', and a decent jumphook. He has a big body and knows how to use it, and was not intimidated by other big players in the ACC. He is very effective in the halfcourt set and possesses decent post moves. Now the bad news. When he gets fouled, he doesn't make many of his shots. His career FT% has hovered at around 60% for most of his career. Also, he's not much of a defender, with low steals/blocks numbers; but what's worse is that he's extremely foul-prone. This only gets worse when his weight is up past 250; he fouls a lot because he gets beaten down low. He doesn't get up and down the floor very quickly either, limiting him somewhat for a running team. Burns was recently named to the All-Tournament team at the Desert Classic. He was the third leading scorer at that pre-draft event. He would be a good selection for a half-court team that needs some inside muscle and scoring. He has the potential to be a valuable role-player for years to come. Scout: Rob Clough ======================================================================= Name: Gary Trost College: Brighman Young University Height: 6'10" Position: Power Forward Other positions: Center, small forward Strengths: strength, rebounding,tough attitude, very hard worker Weaknesses: not a scoring threat, not an incredible athlete Poop: Trost has been overshadowed by the great Hype that Shawn Bradley received, but Gary has proven to be an outstanting ball player. He was All-WAC center the last two years, and honorable mention all-american this year. He led his team to two WAC championships and two NCAA appearences in the last two years while racking up a total of 50 wins over those two seasons. He has averaged (over both years) 29.9 mins/game,14.6 pts/game, 6.8 rbs/game, 0.5blocks/game, 2.4 assists/game. He is the true image of a hard working player. He would make an excellent 3rd or 4th guy off the bench who can play any position in the front court. He has great hands and plays terrific defense. He also has the ability to step his game up a level when the game is very close or when he is playing against tougher teams. His biggest weakness is that he is not a scorer. His role is more of a Larry Krystkowiak(Utah Jazz) or Kurt Rhambis (?). He may be drafted late, or some team may get a great deal by signing him as a free agent. Scout: Eric W. Stroup =========================================================================== Name: Jerry Walker School: Seton Hall Height: 6'7" Position: Power Forwards Other Positions: Center Stengths: Defense, attitude, toughness, effort Weaknesses: Too short for either of the power positions; offensive game Poop: Jerry Walker is probably the ultimate Jersey guy. He's not pretty, he's not the most talented, and he's not the biggest, but he gets the job done. At 6'7", he's probably too short to play power forward in the NBA. Then again, that's what they said about Barkley and Larry Johnson. I'm not saying that Jerry's the next Barkley or LJ, but his hard work on both ends of the court usually makes up for his lack of size (or at least, height - he shakes the floor at a very muscular 245 lbs). Jerry's never been afraid to step away from a challenge. When Seton Hall center Anthony Avent graduated and Luther Wright proved too fat to be counted on, Walker volunteered to play center for PJ Carlessimo's Pirates. He didn't do that bad a job - the only players who ever really exploited his height disadvantage were Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning (depending on who was playing center at the time). Walker used his bulk to bully his way around the low post, where he's developed some very nice moves, most notably a baby hook shot (although it probably won't work in the NBA). Still, Jerry knew that the days of Wes Unseld in the NBA were over, and that if he wanted to have any kind of pro career, he would have to go back to power forward and prove he could play there. His tenacious defense, which made him a multiple selectee to the Big East All-Defensive team, proved even stiffer against competition closer to his size, but his offensive game suffered. He had become used to maneuvering his way around in the low post, but with the now-svelte Wright clogging the middle, Walker had to take his game outside, and he didn't really have the shot to enable him to do that. He looked most comfortable when he was on the floor without Luther. This means that Jerry would probably be ideally suited to a team like Atlanta or Indiana, where the center shoots from the perimeter while the power forward is given the post. Unfortunately, both of those teams have drafted power forwards the last few years (Keefe in Atlanta, and Davis in Indiana). Walker will probably make it into the NBA, probably as a second-rounder, largely because he comes to play, day in and day out. If he has a bad game, it's not for lack of trying. Eventually, Walker could turn out to be a very valuable bench player to a good team (imagine how much better Chicago would feel if they had Jerry to sick on Mason and Oakley). Whoever winds up taking Jerry Walker might not wind up with the most talented, or the most physically endowed player, but they'll wind up with one of the toughest and hardest working ones. Scout: Alan Sepinwall =========================================================================== Name: Bryan Sallier School: Oklashoma Height: 6'8" Position: Power Forwards Other Positions: Center Stengths: Weaknesses: Poop: Had a choice of football and basketball coming out of highschool and most likely will have the same choice for the next level. Extremely powerful and a force when motivated but often appears to be unmotivated. Range to 15' on the J. Decent handler and passer but tends to make bad decisions. A second round choice. Scout: Milton C. Thompson More Poop: He's aggressive on D, very much an Oklahoma mold of forward (i.e., a 3-guard more than a forward). However, can play at the spot. Good, but sometimes streaky shot, reasonable from the 3-point line, and very much a Billy Tubbs style player - runs well in the trap, can get the turnover and the rebound, and very tenacious on defense. However, inconsistencies with shot and lack of refined talent means he won't go til mid-to-late 2nd round. Scout: Kokopeli