=========================================================================== Name: Anfernee Hardaway College: Memphis State Height: 6'7" Weight: 195 Position: Shooting Guard Other positions: Point Guard, Small Forward Strenghts: versatilely (can play 3 postitions at high level, passing, rebounding, shooting range, ball handling Weaknesses: defense (minor) Poop: Hardaway has been called the next "Magic" because of his size and exceptional ability to handle and pass the ball. He is also an exceptional shooter (and a great clutch shooter). I myself am not sure about the comparison to Magic, I see Hardaway as a *much* better Walt Williams (and that is not knock). Hardaway is clearly the best player *ever* to play for Memphis State and he has the potential to be a all-star at three postions. He may be a little on the small side (only 195 lbs) for Small Forward but as he physically matures, he sould dominate at that spot as well. Hardaway is a great rebounder for his size. A sure top 6 pick. From the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook: "Hardaway is one of few highly touted newcomers to not only live up to their advanced billing, but exceed it. With his versatility and magical ball handling skills, in addition to the rare trait of being able to put a team on his shoulders and take it to great heights, Hardaway is destined to become a star in the NBA." Scout: Craig Simpson=========================================================================== Name: J.R. Rider College: Nevada-Las Vegas Height: 6'5" Weight: 215 Position: Shooting Guard Strenghts: Scoring, can Drive down the lane Weaknesses: Defense, Academic woes Poop: Rider is a proven scorer. He can drive to the hoop with the best of them. If he finds a consistent jump shot he'll be set. He will need to work on his defense. Another concern is how his academic troubles at UNLV will affect him in the NBA. Hopefully it won't affect his reputation and he can play the game without worrying about trash-talkers. Scout: Doug Mraz More Poop: "Rider is an execlent outside shooter and a good passer, but he needs to improve his ballhandling skills. A great leaper, he is tough on the boards. His senior season ended with controversy with an academic suspension. Rider will be a lottery pick." Scout: Basketball Weekly via Craig Simpson =========================================================================== Name: Alan Houston College: Tennessee Height: 6'6" Weight: 195 Position: Shooting Guard Other positions: Point Guard, Small Forward Strenghts: Scoring!! Outside shooting Weaknesses: Maybe a bit soft, but nothing else really Poop: Houston is a pure shooting guard, who has played point guard on occasion during his collegiate career. He is a big-time scorer, and there's no doubt he'll be able to put up the numbers in the pros as well. He finished his career as the SEC's 2nd all-time leading scorer, behind none other than Pistol Pete Maravich. Allan can hit the 3, drive to the hoop, and even post up on occasion. He is silky smooth, and his shot is about as pure as they come. He also is a deadly FT shooter. While this past season, he didn't put up the assist numbers he had put up in the past, he still is a good ballhandler and passer. Houston played at forward his senior season, and is an excellent rebounder for his size. Houston really doesn't have an ego, and can either start or come off the bench. He should be able to contribute immediately in the pros. While he didn't have the greatest of final games (scored only 3 and went something like 1-15 from the field against Kentucky), he should rebound and become an excellent pro. Look for him to be taken in the lottery for sure. Scout: Jazzy J =========================================================================== Name: Terry Dehere Height: 6'4" College: Seton Hall Position: Shooting Guard Other Positions: possibly point guard Stengths: great scorer, shooting range, go-to guy in clutch Weaknesses: defense, strength & ability to break double teams Poop: Terry Dehere likes to score. A lot. He will shoot from anywhere on the floor, and he *can* shoot from anywhere on the floor. He will drive to the hole with authority and slam with even more. He loves the ball with the game on the line, because he can either shoot his team to victory or else get to the line, where he's almost automatic at the end of games. He will be a great NBA player. That being said, however, he probably won't be as good as JR Rider, a very similar player out of UNLV this year. Rider doesn't quite have Dehere's shooting range (Dehere's extends several feet beyond the NBA 3-point arc), but he's much stronger and can find a way to score when opponents double-team him towards the ends of games, which Dehere has a problem doing. But back to Dehere. His defense progressed under PJ Carlessimo's tutelage, but only to the point where he wasn't a defensive liability on the court. He can play decent man coverage, but he can't pressure like his similarly-sized teammate Bryan Caver can. But Dehere will be drafted by a team looking for offense, not defense, and he definitely knows all about offense, being the Big East's all-time scoring leader (surpassing Chris Mullin this year). The thing that hurts Dehere's chances in this year's draft the most is that he's probably the fourth-rated shooting guard. Rider, like I said, has a very similar, but superior game; Calbert Cheney is believed to have the best basketball smarts; and Allan Houston is an even better shooter than Dehere. Look for Terry to go either toward's the end of the lottery or else in the middle of the first round. Scout: Alan Sepinwall ============================================================================ Name: James Robinson Height: 6'2" School: Alabama Position: Off Guard Other Positions: --- Strengths: Scoring!!, Creating, speed, defense Weaknesses: Turnover-prone, Size, Shot-happy attitude, Point guard skills Poop: Robinson is one of the most explosive scorers in the country. Playing exclusively at off guard at Alabama his entire career, Robinson can light it up in an instant. He was perhaps the best scoring guard the SEC had seen since Chris Jackson. And that's exactly what he is basically, another Chris Jackson. Robinson can score at will. He can pull up for the 3, he can drive to the hoop, he can finish with a dunk on the break. He has a great vertical, and can crash the offensive boards. Robinson is also an excellent ball-handler, but wouldn't know a good pass if it hit him in the head. He is very turnover prone and makes many mistakes. "Hollywood" probably would have benefitted from staying in school his senior year and working on some point guard skills. However, he can score, and can score a lot (20+ppg). He's perhaps the best guard to ever come out of Tide country. While he's small at off guard, he could perhaps be an offensive sparkplug off the bench, like a Vinnie Johnson. Talent alone, he deserves to be a late 1st round pick, but we'll probably see otherwise. Scout: Jazzy J More Poop: Alabama's leading scorer this year. Excellent 3-point shooter, good 1-on-1 player. Hit for 35 pts against LSU. He can score from anywhere - outside, drive to the basket. Great vertical leaper. He's a Dee Brown type - a tweener guard for the NBA - too short to be full-time 2 guard, not polished enough to carry the point. I think his talent alone will put him on somebody's roster; any one of the Clippers, Charlotte, Nets, Jazz could use him. Scout: Ellie Cutler ==================================================================== Name: Scott Burrell School: University of Connecticut Height: 6-7 Position: Shooting Guard Other Possible Spots: Small Forward Strenths: Athleticism, defense, has shown ability to improve game in college. Weaknesses: Inconsistency, ball handling (as a guard), can he create his own shot in the NBA? will he play baseball instead? (my best guess is that he'll play basketball if he's drafted in the 1st round and can get a good enough contract.) Poop: Burrell is one of the best athletes available in this year's draft. At about 6-6 he played both SF and SG in college depending on team needs, but projects more as a SG in the pro's. His bread and butter skill is as a defender. He's been at or near the NCAA lead in steals throughout his career. His basketball skills improved significantly throughout his college career. He developed a a jump shot and became a three point threat. His senior year was something of a disappointment (2nd team all Big East), as he went through cold spells that he would try to shoot himself out of. (In general, he's something of a streak player, for better or worse.) He runs the wing well on transition, but in the half court he has trouble penetrating. He's a decent rebounder for his size and in college scored well off the offensive boards. He's most famous in college for throwing the length of the court pass to Tate George that allowed UConn to beat Clemson in the '90 NCAA tournament. He was named to the all-tournament team at the recent desert classic (?) for senior prospects. Scout: Thomas R. Hancock =========================================================================== Name: Sam Cassell College: Florida State Height: 6'3" Position: shooting guard Other Positions: point guard Strengths: speed, ball-handling, shooting, defense, versatility, atheleticism Weaknesses: shooter's mentality when running point, size-a bit on the skinny side Poop: Sam Cassell was a JUCO transfer to FSU, and played for only two years. He quickly became a crowd favorite for his high-flying, high-scoring antics, as well has for his agressive defense, and goofy smile. Cassell, when Charlie Ward was healthy, was able to slip into his natural role as a shooting guard. From this position, Cassell could light it up on any given day. In this year's NCAA tourney, Cassell set the record for three point shots made, with 6. He can play both inside and out, and has exceptionally quick hands and feet. One of his biggest assests, however, is his defense. Cassell was one of the leading thiefs in the ACC, and is very good in a trapping and pressing D. Due to injuries to Ward (as well as football), Cassell was forced to take over the point guard spot. He played solid - mostly due to his great athleticism - but he continued to play with a shooter's mentality, thus causing the team to suffer. As the year went on, Cassell did improve, and managed to become a very solid, if not great, point guard for FSU. Cassell's good shooting and very good defense should serve him well in the NBA. A team needing a versitile guard would be smart in picking him up. Should go in the 1st or second round. Scout: Kevin Delgado (kdelgado@loligo.cc.fsu.edu) =========================================================================== Name: Greg Graham College: Indiana Height: 6'4" Weight: 173 Position: Shooting Guard Other positions: Strenghts: Versatility, Shooting, Athletic ability, Quickness Weaknesses: Strength Poop: Greg Graham is probably the sleeper of the draft. He's only 6'3" but has a wing span of 6'9". (That's wider than Geert Hammink of LSU who is 6-11). He also has a 33" vertical leap. Greg was also the first player in Big Ten history to lead the conference in FG % (.551) and 3-Pt FG %(.514) while averaging 16.8 PPG. He also shot 83% from the FT line. Greg is an excellent athlete with great open court skills and a good jump shot. The main concern about Greg is his overall strength in playing a rigorous 82 game schedule. Greg recently participated in the Desert Classic (tournament for seniors with NBA aspirations) and Greg was voted the MVP of the tournament. Greg Graham finished his IU career as the seventh all-time leading scorer with 1,600 total points. Greg had to play a structured offense while at IU but the pro game should better suit his abilities. He was primarily a shooting guard in college but has the necessary ball handling skills to play at the point as well. Scout: Mike Von Foerster ========================================================================== Name: Rex Walters College: Kansas Height: 6-3 Position: Off Guard Other Positions: Point (maybe in a pinch) Strengths: Weaknesses: Poop: A good combo type guard with legit NBA trey range and strong slashing moves to the bucket. Very strong and durable with a good vertical leap. Very fast end to end and a good finisher on the break. A reasonable one on one player when the J is dropping but tends to underestimate the defense and drive to often if the J is off. He is a tireless worker and is extremely coachable. A steal late in the first round. Scout: Milton C. Thompson More Poop: Walters is a good outside shooter whit nice passing skills and a fiery and competitive spirit. He has worked hard on his defensive game without sacrificing offensive productivity, making him a likely first-round pick. Scout: Basketball Weekly via Craig Simpson ========================================================================== Name: Thomas Hill College: Duke Height: 6-5 Weight: 200 Position: Off Guard Other Positions: Small Forward Strengths: Leaping ability, overall athleticism, ability to run the floor, rebounding, good size Weaknesses: Streaky shot, ball handling, passing, tendency to disappear Poop: Thomas Hill started from the obscurity of being the third guard in a class that included Bobby Hurley and Billy McCaffrey and became a key player in Duke's recent success. He made his reputation with his hustling play and defense, and eventually became a solid scoring threat, stepping up when McCaffrey transferred. He made a few game winning shots as a sophomore and was the second leading scorer as a junior. Expected to come up big as a senior, he instead had an inconsistent year. His scoring went up a point, but his percentage went down from 53% to 48%, and his foul shooting went down from 77% to 68%. Some of this was due to a stress fracture of the fibula, but some of it may have been due to feeling pressure to be an offensive leader, rather than a second option. Performance in post-season camps will be crucial for his draft position. At 6-5, he's too small to post up most players in the NBA like he did at Duke, so he'll mostly play guard. Thus, he must demonstrate a reliable jump shot, something he's never done at Duke. Thomas would benefit from playing on a good team with experienced guards, that has an uptempo style. His quickness and strength would allow him to guard many NBA players, and he could get most of his baskets in transition. Trying to put him in a halfcourt system where he would have to do a lot of passing would ill suit his style. A team like Portland might be a good fit for him. All in all, his athleticism and pedigree will land him either a ate first, or more likely, early second round selection. Scout: Rob Clough ==================================================================== Name: Antoine Stoudmire School: University of Oregon Height: 6-5 Position: off-guard Other Possible Spots: Strengths: scorer, creates own shots, athletic Weaknesses: gets out of control Poop: Imagine the quickness of Terell Brandon (another UofO product, now with the Cavaliers) but with a little more size and strength. Take away some of the smarts, and you've got Stoudmire. Antoine, in all fairness, suffered under the offensive schemes of first-year coach Jerry Green, being much more at home in Monson's style, where he racked up good numbers. Stoudmire has good moves, and good shooting touch, but sometimes gets a little out of control. An exciting player, nonetheless, but probably a second-round pick at best. This may be due to lack of exposure, for I think Stoudmire could give some team some valuable minutes at the 2 guard spot. Scout: Rajeev K. Pandey ==================================================================== Name: Parrish Casebier Height: 6'3" School: Evansville Position: Shooting Guard Other Positions: Small Forward Strengths: Strength! Scoring Weaknesses: Size, Outside shooting, Attitude Poop: Casebier is a throwback to the old days of smaller guys in the frontcourt. He is a big-time scorer who mostly scored on baskets inside, but is projected as an off guard in the pros. He can shoot the outside shot, but is not terribly consistent. Casebier is a very solidly built 6'3", 220 lbs, and can outmuscle just about anyone his size. He is a terrific rebounder, especially on the offensive glass, as he often would follow his own misses into baskets. Casebier was often impossible to guard at Evansville. If he can improve his outside shot, he will be quite a prospect -- so coming out early may have been a slight mistake. Attitude is a bit of a problem, as he has been suspended from the team before. But, he's certainly worth a 2nd round look, and could sneak into the 1st round to the right team. Scout: Jazzy J ============================================================================ Name: Dale Brown College: Kentucky Height: 6'3" Position: Shooting Guard Other Positions: --- Strengths: Defense, Streak Shooting, Athleticism Weaknesses: Streak Shooting, Inconsistency Poop: Dale Brown finished his UK career known as a gritty competitor and stellar defender. He was, perhaps, UK's best defensive player. Coming out of junior college, Brown adjusted from big-time 3-pt bomber to big-time defender. He often gave opponents fits -- just ask Jalen Rose. Brown was always noted for his 3-pt bombing, but during his UK career, he was very inconsistent with his shooting. He's the kind of guy who can hit 6 in a row, and then miss his next 10. Brown can create his own shot though, and has plenty of athletic skills. While his offensive skills will be considered marginal in the NBA, defense will be his meal ticket. A guy to compare him with -- Dudley Bradley, who carved out quite a long NBA career. Scout: Jazzy J ============================================================================ Name: Val Barnes College: Iowa Height: 6'2" Position: Shooting Guard Other Positions: Point Guard Stengths: Shooting, Passing, Ball handling, Weaknesses: Consistency, Leadership skills, Defense Poop: Iowa's Val Barnes can be as good a scorer as any shooting guard in this year's class. When he is on, he can be impossible to stop. He has shown the ability to hit the 3, drive to the hoop and take bigger defenders inside. Unfortunately for Tom Davis and his team, he has also shown that his consistency leaves a bit to be desired. Val has a tendency to disappear in clutch situations (as do all Iowa players) and this more than anything will hurt him in the upcoming draft. Val could be a real sleeper, he has all the offensive skills required, but he could also be a real dog for someone because of his laissez faire attitude.. Scout: Walt Maley ============================================================================ Name: Kevin Anglin College: Vanderbilt Height: 6'4" Position: Point Guard Other Positions: Shooting Guard Stengths: Ball-handling, Versatility Weaknesses: Inconsistent Shooting, Athleticism Poop: After being the Commodore's point guard for 2 seasons, Anglin moved to small forward to allow the insertion of newcomer Billy McCaffrey at point guard. In essence, the torch of team leader was also handed over. As a result, Anglin had a down senior season. He struggled with his shooting all year, ending up below 40%. However, Anglin still displayed the ball-handling and versatility abilities he had shown earlier in his career. Anglin is a solid playmaker, and can play either guard spot. He is not very athletic, however, but does do well for his size on the boards. Anglin is an excellent defensive player. Probably the best word to describe Anglin is "overachiever". Worth a look at, but probably as a free agent. Scout: Jazzy J