======================================================================= Name: Jamal Mashburn College: Kentucky Height: 6'8" Position: Small Forward Other Positions: Power Forward Stengths: Versatility, Strength, Shooting, Ball-handling Weaknesses: Perhaps leaping ability, mental attitude, average defender Poop: Jamal Mashburn finished his UK career as one of the all time greatest Wildcat players. He finished his career leading the Wildcats to their 1st final four since 1984, and ended up the #4 leading scorer in UK history. Mashburn is a jack of all trades. At 6'8", 235, he can play either inside or outside. Inside, he has a variety of moves, a la Kevin McHale, with all sorts of head fakes and turnaround moves. He can be virtually unstoppable in the low post, especially against smaller and weaker players. If that isn't enough, he can take his game outside, where he can easily stroke the college 3-pter, and I wouldn't be surprised if his range could extend to the NBA 3-pt line. He can score from a set shot, he can score posting up, and he can score off the dribble. He is an excellent ball-handler. Rick Pitino himself calls him the prototype small forward in the NBA. Mashburn is a tough one-on-one task for any defender. Not too many weaknesses on this 1st-team all-american, however, he always has been noted for a lackadasical attitude, and is prone to "falling asleep" during games. Doesn't really have that take-over attitude. Mashburn also has been accused of not really being able to jump, and he doesn't block many shots. He is an average defender at best, according to Pitino. However his versatility is very well suited to today's NBA game, and expect him to be one of the 1st 3, if not the 1st player picked in the 1993 draft. Scout: Jazzy J====================================================================== Name: Calbert Cheaney College: Indiana Height: 6'8" Weight: 206 Position: Small Forward Other Positions: Shooting guard Stengths: Versatility, Mental Attitude, Strength, Shooting Weaknesses: Perhaps leaping ability, ball handling Poop: Calbert Cheaney completed his 4-year career at Indiana as the all-time leading scorer in Big Ten history finishing with 2,613 points. The silky smooth lefty leaves IU as probably the best forward ever to play at IU. It would be easier to list the POY awards Calbert didn't win rather than the ones he did win. Calbert is extremely versatile. He can hit the 3-pointer or hit the short jumper in the lane or drive around you on the baseline. He had a career FG percentage of .559. Additionally he averaged 19.8 PPG and almost 6 rebounds a game over his 4 year career. Most importantly the young man has a great attitude and is willing to work hard to succeed. Ray Jackson of Michigan said that Calbert Cheaney was the hardest player he ever had to guard. Pretty impressive when you consider that Ray Jackson also had to guard opposing players like Jim Jackson. Calbert really knows how to move without the ball. Calbert's major weaknesses coming into this year were his ball-handling and his concentration level. He answered his critics on the concentration part of his game however his ball handling remains as his major weakness. At IU, Calbert wasn't called on to handle the ball much unless it was on the baseline. Calbert had plenty of help scoring with the number of picks and screens set for him. The NBA will not be quite so accomodating. Calbert is going to have to be able to work for a shot on his own which means a lot more one-on-one play. Calbert came to IU and only wanted to contribute. Calbert is entering the pro ranks the same way he entered college. I wouldn't be surprised if he made his pro career as solid as his college career. Calbert's progress over the last 4 years is just a credit to the young man's dedication and work ethic. Scout: Mike Von Foerster ====================================================================== Name: Vin Baker College: Hartford Height: 6'10" Position: Small Forward Other Possible Spots: Power Forward Strengths: Ballhandling, shooting, scoring (inside and outside), shot blocking, ball handling Weaknesses: Lack of Size (bulk), Inside Game Poop: Vin Baker has been tabbed as a lottery pick by most GM's. He is the son of a minister. I know there has been a lot of criticism by some due to his lack of competition, but I think as he further develops his outside game he can be a solid NBA pro. I'd compare him to Cliff Robinson, but with a more consistent jump shot. Although he had solid rebounding stats, I think he may get mauled by bigger, more physical small forwards. If he gains weight he'll be ok. Scout: Doug Mraz More Poop: "Baker has been compared favorably to Danny Manning. He is very quick and runs the court well. Baker could be a potential star, but be could be a bust due to his slender build and lack of competition. He will be a late-lottery or mid-first round choice." Scout: Basketball Weekly via Craig Simpson More Poop: Reviews range from: "potential NBA all-star; handles, dishes, shoots with range like a guard (also inside shooter), and in his free time rejects shots like Hakeem" to: "Another tall skinny type - fairly quick but not physical enough to be an NBA center. Prefers to play facing the basket He's highly skilled and can dribble and shoot and score. He prefers to play facing the basket. However, he is very thin and built soft. Seems like the only disappointing thing about Baker is that he won't play center in the NBA. For SF, or even PF (if he bulks up), he is one talented player. He has scored a ton of points and collected a similar number of rebounds in his collegiate career. Excellent shot-blocking instincts. Could've been a sleeper pick, but league GMs have caught on. Scout: Ellie Cutler ====================================================================== Name: Chris Mills College: Arizona Height: 6'6" Position: Small Forward Other Positions: Off Guard Strengths: Consistency, Versatility, Scoring, Defense, Rebounding Weaknesses: Intensity, Not a pure shooter, Lacks great speed Poop: After transferring from UK, Chris was billed as the second coming of Sean Elliott. He never fulfilled these expectations but had three very good seasons at Arizona. One reason Chris never lived up to the Sean Elliott com- parisions was his lack of leadership. Chris was content to score his 15 points, grab 7.5 rebounds and dish off a couple of assists a game (I am only guessing at the stats). Unfortunately, most of the times these stats were racked up in the first 25-30 minutes of the contest and Chris would vanish down the stretch. However in all fairness, Chris was by far Arizona's best rebounder the last two seasons. In addition, he plays good fundamentally sound defense, like most of Lute Olson's players do, and is usually willing to expend energy on the defensive side of the court. On the offensive end of the court, Chris is a good scorer who has some ability to create for himself. But his outside shot is just average and he has trouble canning it when people get in face. Also, like many college players he does not take it to the hole strong enough. I believe in the pros he will be a good sixth man who swings between small forward and off guard. Given the time, he will develop the strength needed for the physical play in the NBA. However, the great speed required to play a lot of minutes at the two spot is not here. Skillwise, Mills does not excel in any one area but does everything well enough to be a good overall contributor on the NBA level. In addition, he appears to have a good team attitude and does not come with any emotional baggage. Summarizing, he is a good pick if one is risk averse and is picking from twelve on; unlikely to be an all-pro but also unlikely to be a bust. Scout: Jason Shachat More Poop: "...Mills will swing between gueard and forward in the pros. He can score from anywhere, but he needs to improve his overall defensive game. A good rebounder for his size, Mills could be a late-lottery or mid-first-round pick." Scout: Basketball Weekly via Craig Simpson ========================================================================= Name: Josh Grant College: Utah Height: 6'10" (210lbs) Position: Small Forward Other Positions: guard? Stengths: Shooting (particularly 3-pters), Ball-handling, intellegence Weaknesses: Perhaps leaping ability, mental toughness, average defender, sat out 91-92 year due to knee surgery, age (26 years old in Aug.) Poop: Josh finished the season as the WAC MVP( second time in three seasons-sat out 91-92), all-WAC defensive team, second leading scorer and rebounder in Utah history, one of 12 finalist for POY, and honorable mention all-american. Josh led the Utes to the second round of the NCAA (lost to Kentucky) with 17 points and 11 rebounds per game. He also led the country in free throw shooting percentage (92%). Josh has a great outside game and has a range that extends out to NBA three. His inside game is decent, but he has been known to disappear against better opponents. Josh has had the advantage of a two year church mission to help give him valuable maturity. This enabled him to be a real team leader last year. Josh's biggest critics question his intensity. He seems to be too nice. Also he appears slow, but has good quickness and good hands. He also has the ability to block shots (ask Shawn Bradley -7'4"). Scout: Eric W. Stroup =========================================================================== Name: George Lynch School: North Carolina Height: 6-8 (6-7?) Position: Small Forward Other Possible Spots: Big Forward Strengths: rebounding, quickness, defense, attitude Weaknesses: outside shooting, ball handling, may be a "tweener" Poop: First team ALL-ACC and made the all NCAA-tourney team. He is quick on quick (runs a 4.4 forty) and is a great leaper. He is listed at 6-8, but is probably closer to 6-7. He played PF at UNC for all four years due to the fact that UNC had no one else who could play it (at least no one who could play it as well as Lynch) and also due to Lynch's lack of SF skills (i.e. shooting and ball handling). That said, it should also be noted that Lynch made great strides in those ares in his senior year and showed that he could run the break and stick the 15-17 footers. Everyone talks about his 6 footer over two Michigan players in the Championship game, but he could always do that. The play that stands out for me is the 17 footer he hit in the last few minutes. This was something he could not do his first three years. Lynch has the ability to play SF and is certainly athletic enough, he needs to get to a team that will allow him the time to develop the skills. George is a Rodman type of rebounder, that is he is relentless for the ball sometimes tipping the ball 3-4 times until he (or a teammate) can grab it. Scout: Craig Simpson =========================================================================== Name: Stacey Poole School: Florida Height: 6'6" Weight: 215 Position: Small Forward Other Positions: Off guard Strengths: Determination, Savvy, Hustle, Scoring Weaknesses: Outside shooting, Injuries Poop: Stacey Poole is a living symbol of determination. Suffering thru several knee injuries (including a torn ACL), Poole has worked himself back into an All-SEC performer in his senior season. He was unquestionably the Gators' leader the past few seasons. Poole was a big-time high school all-american, and despite the injuries, did rather well in college. Poole is a jack of all-trades, he can score either inside or outside, and spent most of his time at forward in college. He does not have great range, however. Despite the knee problems, Poole is a gritty defender and always hustles. With all the injury problems he's had, U have to wonder. His game was probably suited more to the college game, but he could be worth a look later in the draft. Scout: Jazzy J =========================================================================== Name: Tony Dunkin School: Coastal Carolina Height: 6'7" Position: Small Forward Other Possible Spots: Shooting guard Strengths: great athlete Weaknesses: lack of competition Poop: We've all seen that series of adds (for shoes?) where various players have famous names which they have to live up to. "Now entering the game... Knute Rockne." Well, imagine if you're a basketball player, and your name is "Dunkin". The first 4-time conference POTY for the Big South(?), Dunkin has the skills, but hasn't been tested at the level of most other Seniors. His draft status is uncertain - you have to know that some GM is gonna be thinking, "Hmm... the next Scottie Pippin". Look for a team with multiple second round picks to take a flyer on him. First round outlook: unlikely Scout: Matthew Merzbacher More Poop: Three time Big South POY. Averaged 23 pts/8RB last year. I don't know too much about him, other than he's enough of a big-time player/go-to guy that the Lakers (at least) were scouting him in the NCAA. Scout: Ellie Cutler =========================================================================== Name: Will Flemons School: Texas Tech Height: 6'7" Position: Small Forward Other Possible Spots: Power Forward Strengths: rebounding Weaknesses: outside range, ballhandling skills Poop: Flemons is a strong rebounder but because he was a inside player for Texas Tech he does not really own small forward skills. He is also not a great athlete. Flemons has an extremely accurate jump shot within 10 feet and can score facing the basket, or with his back to the basket. He did have some foot injury problems earlier in his career but it seems to have solved with special support pads in his shoes. He will be a second round pick or free-agent. Scout: Craig Simpson =========================================================================== Name: Joe Harvell College: Mississippi School: Mississippi Height: 6'7" Position: Small Forward Other Positions: Off guard Strengths: Scoring, Versatility Weaknesses: Ball handling, size Poop: Harvell had an off season after a wonderous season the year before in which he led the SEC in scoring at 25ppg. His senior season, he averaged about 17ppg. Harvell is a pure small forward. He also is a pure scoring machine. He can hit the 3, and can post up inside against smaller players. While he can create his own shot, it will be a lot harder for him in the pros. Harvell struggles a bit ball handling wise, and is not a great passer. At Mississippi he was "the man", it won't be that way in the pros. Harvell might be 6'7", but may actually be shorter than that listed height. He may have to make the transition to off guard in the pros, and that's not going to be easy for him. Harvell is adequate defensively. He also is not a great rebounder. It's hard to say how scouts will look upon him after a down senior season, but my guess is for him to go somewhere maybe in the late 2nd round. Scout: Jazzy J =========================================================================== Name: Evric Gray School: UNLV Height: 6'7" Weight: 235 Position: Small Forward Other Possible Spots: Power Forward, shooting guard Strengths: excellent athlete, rebounding Weaknesses: Outside shot, an underachiever Poop: Gray is an excellent athlete who thrives in the transition game. He He can play three positions but has played mostly at center which has not allowed him the opportunity to work on his outside shot. Former coach, Jerry Tarkanian said of Gray, "He could be a great shooter if he worked at it, but he seems content to be average. If Evric was a great shooter he could play in the NBA, he's such a great athlete. He is a likely second-rounder. Scout: Basketball Weekly via Craig Simpson =========================================================================== Name: Andy Kaufman School: Illinois Height: 6'5" Position: Small Forward Other Possible Spots: Shooting Guard Strengths: Scoring Weaknesses: Defense, Passing, Attitude Poop: In his 5 years at lllinois, Andy Kaufman has been the center of much debate. This year was no exception. He hit the game-winning shot vs. Iowa but later on did not travel with the team to Penn State. Coach Lou Henson benched him in the game at Minnesota, and I think this put Andy in a psychological shell. He never seemed to score the rest of the season like he had in the first part. Yet his passing did improve after the benching. He seems too small to play small forward, and too slow to defend at the shooting guard position. He can score, but can he create his own shot, a neccessity in the NBA? I doubt it. Probably headed for Europe, but some team will give him a free agent offer in the preseason. Scout: Doug Mraz (jdm42241@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu)