============================================================================= Name: Rashard Griffith College: Wisconsin Height: 6-11 Weight: 265 Position: Center Other positions: Strengths: Weaknesses: Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 93-94 Wisconsin 25 672 127 236 0 0 94 162 212 67 24 61 66 9 348 94-95 Wisconsin 26 756 167 295 0 0 113 195 281 69 21 76 58 11 447 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 51 1428 294 531 0 0 207 357 493 136 45 137 124 20 795 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 93-94 Wisconsin 26.9 53.8 ERR 58.0 8.5 1.0 2.4 2.6 0.4 13.9 94-95 Wisconsin 29.1 56.6 ERR 57.9 10.8 0.8 2.9 2.2 0.4 17.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 28.0 55.4 ERR 58.0 9.7 0.9 2.7 2.4 0.4 15.6 Poop: Pros: Big and strong. Doesn't run the floor too badly when he decides to run. Good rebounder and shot blocker. Cons: Probably a bit hefty for his 6'11" frame, so he often plays smaller than that. Poor FT shooter. Often takes ill-advised shots. Tends to have "lead legs" - hard to make short, quick moves. Often is hidden in a zone, and may not be the best man-to-man defender. Projection: The people that call him the next Benoit Benjamin might not be too far off the mark - Rashard really needs to work on his shooting and footwork. He will survive in the NBA because of this size, but he'll never play all that much unless he makes great improvements. Scout: Brian SaundersCraig Simpson - Usenet Draft CommissionerMore Poop: Just to update some of my comments: Rashard has been working out since he left Wisconsin last month, and looks to be in better shape than I've ever seen him. In addition, he is taking ballet classes (!!!) to improve his footwork. I still don't know what sort of impact he will have, but I have a much higher opinion of his work ethic than I did before (and I wasn't even in the "Rashard is lazy" camp to begin with). Scout: Brian Saunders ============================================================================= Name: Bryant Reeves College: Oklahoma State Height: 7-0 Weight: 292 Position: Center Other positions: Strengths: Weaknesses: Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 91-92 Okla St 36 763 111 213 0 0 69 109 182 116 24 55 26 7 291 92-93 Okla St 29 944 210 338 1 2 145 223 291 91 36 71 38 14 566 93-94 Okla St 34 1170 264 451 0 1 185 311 329 105 52 90 70 27 713 94-95 Okla St 37 1288 289 493 0 5 219 310 350 118 30 109 60 18 797 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTALS 136 4165 874 1495 1 8 618 953 1152 430 142 325 194 66 2367 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 91-92 Okla St 21.2 52.1 ERR 63.3 5.1 0.7 1.5 0.7 0.2 8.1 92-93 Okla St 32.6 62.1 50.0 65.0 10.0 1.2 2.4 1.3 0.5 19.5 93-94 Okla St 34.4 58.5 0.0 59.5 9.7 1.5 2.6 2.1 0.8 21.0 94-95 Okla St 34.8 58.6 0.0 70.6 9.5 0.8 2.9 1.6 0.5 21.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 30.6 58.5 12.5 64.8 8.5 1.0 2.4 1.4 0.5 17.4 Poop: Bryant Reeves. 7'0", 292, 21.4ppg, 9.5 reb. THE man for Oklahoma State. Soft hands, decent moves in the paint. Suprisingly mobile for a person of his size. Often played all available minutes in tight games. Should benefit from NBA defensive schemes. Scout: Teresa Merklin More Poop: Bryant "Big Country" Reeves (named his freshman year by then teammate and current Golden State WArrior Byron Houston) finally emerged into the national spotlight by leading his team nearly single handedly into the Final Four, dismantling highly regarded centers Tim Duncan, Marcus Camby, and George Zidek (although they lost to UCLA). People in the Big Eight have long known about him since his sophomore year when he came out of the shadows of the previous year when he started as a freshman on a senior dominated team. He led the league in scoring, rebounding and probably FG% to win Big 8 POY. He stayed consistent his junior year making first team all big eight and repeated again his senior year only this time winning another POY and (i believe) leading the league in scoring and rebounding (although he was pushed by OU's Ryan Minor in all three categories). During his career he made two trips to the sweet 16 and one the final four (and obviously picking up the sweet 16). By the time the dust was settled, he easily had the 2000 pts and 1000 rebounds that are the mark of a great college big man. Freshman year: Coming out of Gans, OK (pop 400) to play for his favorite coach as a kid, Eddie Sutton, he was not heavily recruited. And for good reason. He was in pathetic shape, had never played against any real competition, and only had his 7'0" 270 lbs going for him. Unfortunately that body was completely uncoordinated and rather flabby. Legendary coach Hank Iba said he "needed a bra" and others compared his motor skills to a youn puppy. But he didn't give up, accepting the challenges given to him by his trainers and coaches to get into shape and learn how to play the game his body was made for. He won the starting job on a small, senior laden team benefitting from their not relying on him for offense and learning from future first round draft pick, Byron Houston. He averaged 10 pts and five boards as the team opened the season 20-0 spending a lot of time at #2 behind Duke (who topped the polls all season). They began by winning the preseason NIT. The plane ride to the Big Apple was Reeves first. Legend has it that someone offered him a piece of gum for his ears. A few minutes later he asked them how was supposed to fit it in. (he denies this ever happened) Sophomore year: BC doubles his numbers, winning Big 8 POY and finishing second behind final 4 bound Kansas (for the third year in a row). Junior year: stays consistent, first team all big 8. Led the league in rebounding and fg%. His scoring went up but he finshed fifth since four others improved their averages as well. His team finished second. Senior year: Leads team to the final four, POY, again leading the league in scoring, rebounding and FG% (and finishing second behind Kansas). Probably made a lot of 2nd team All Americas (was on a few thirds his junior year and honorable mentions his soph). Career: One of the all time greats in the Big Eight, right up their with Manning and Tisdale (however didn't get the two titles that former Cowboy Bob Kurland - the first big man in college - got in 45 and 46, so he's second banana on his own campus :). Had some great battles with fellow class of 95 Big Eight center, Greg Ostertag (who always saved his best games for BC, and proving that Big O has some potential) splitting the last three seasons (when each began playing better). This year he had his career best and worst. In Stillwater, he dominated the game getting 33/20. In Lawrence, he was shut out but got double figures in rebounds. Offense: Very good. Has an amazing shooting touch in close. Doesn't miss the easy ones. Uses the glass very well and has a variety of post moves. His most devasting one is using his 290 lbs on an opponent, leading with a drop step to his left and going baseline (or turning to the lane if he's on the left side), overpowering them for an easy lay up. Greg Ostertag has been the only one to stop this (and only occasionally). He can dominate anyone under 260 lbs. He also has a nice shooting touch up to about 15 feet. Once he forced a game against Missouri into overtime by hitting a half court shot and spent a few minutes proving to reporters that it wasn't a fluke at the next practice making a few more of the same shot (turn around jumper). Knows how to use his body to get good post position and has good hands when receiving the ball. Has been prone to making turnovers when reacting to double and triple teams. But has hands that can easily palm the ball and can make some nice passes on occasion. Probably had a 1:2 assist to TO ratio. He knows when to make the pass and who to throw it to, but does not have the skill to make every pass. That is his only real weakness. Defense: Physical, physical, physical. Few can get position on him. An excellent rebounder, but not a great shot blocker (only about 2/game). His arms are proportioned to his body, so (unlike Ostertag) they are not notably long. That, coupled with his average vertical, he isn't going to block many shots. Not that many can get comfortable trying to shoot against him. He isn't lightning quick, but he isn't slow. Physical characteristics: 7'0" and 290 lbs. That says it all. Well not nearly. This guy is big and strong and can only get stronger. He had never touched a weight before coming to college and couldn't run more than half a mile. Now he has lost his baby fat, turned it into muscle and can play 40 minutes without losing a beat. His conditioning still has a long way to go. Right now his arms as thick as most people's thighs. They are not toned or cut in any way. He looks like he lifts tractors to work out. Compare Barkley to Jordan and you'll see what I'm getting at. Then imagine if Barkely would ever start lifting weights seriously. I'm sure Reeves does lift, since he is at least as strong as Shaq was his junior year but his body still has a ways to go. He could be the strongest player in the NBA if he could replace the rest of his fat (not much left but it's there) with muscle. Imagine David Robinson plus fifty pounds and you can see his potential body. Pro Prospects: Excellent. If the NBA is such that Eric Montross can average fourteen pts and eight boards, Reeves can easily keep his college numbers of 20/10. I'm sure a lot of people will compare him to Montross. Same size (only Reeves is 20lbs heavier), color, quickness and haircut. Off hand, I'd give the skill advantage at this very moment to Reeves and then make a note that he has only been playing in any real sense for four years to Montross' lifetime. His offense will flourish since the nBA is more physical than college (his shoulder won't get called) and he will see fewer double teams and no zones. His defense will be enough to stop all but the quickest. Hakeem and Robinson will school him. Ewing and Mourning will beat him by a little. Shaq will have to use quickness and skill since there is no way he can outmuscle him. All others could try praying. Up is the only place he has to go. He is guaranteed to average at least 15/8 for ten years. He is instantly the third best center in the West (behind Hakeem and Robinson - his actual offens puts him even with Mutumbo) and the fourth in the East (Ewing, Shaq and Mourning). That makes him a potential all-star. He is the best center coming out of college this year and that would be the case if every center came out and you projected them as seniors. Adonal Foyle would be the only contender. Joe Smith is not a center in the NBA. Rasheed Wallace can't handle Corliss Willimson, let alone someone taller and fifty pounds heavier. Cherokee Parks is more of a power forward and only really has a better outside shot (and is a little more mobile). Camby and Duncan... Well, he showed what would happen. Duncan will be a good center in the NBA and would probably project to third, followed by Griffith, McDyess, and Dampier. Camby will probably play forward unless he can get his weight up another 30 lbs without losing a step. Camby also hasn't developed any skills that don't rely on his quickness and leaping (which can easily be removed via an ankle or knee injury) nor does he really play like an NBA center. Actually Camby could be a Clifford Robinson-type which would mean playing all three front court positions above average and taking advantage of mismatched while exposing himself to say someone who is stronger but not as quick. BTW, Parks (in my expert opinion :) would be the third best prospect in this projected-to-senior ranking since he can play PF with no problem and I'm assuming a lot of improvement from Foyle. Actually it would go Reeves, then Duncan, Foyle and Parks (tie for second); Griffith, Wallace (based on other people's projections, personally I am pretty sure he will get his but kicked in the NBA, but "they" say he's gonna be a good one), and Duncan (tie for fifth), then Dampier, Camby, and McDyess (although Dampier could move up but I only saw him play in the tourney, so I can't really judge, but I know he's good). The reason I put Reeves and Foyle so high is due to their lack of experience. We know they can hold their own against any of the others but the others have had a lot of years of solid coaching (and big man camps, etc) and we know where they stand. Those two can get so much better and have the will to do so. I question the attitudes of Wallace and Griffith (punks)and Parks (laid back). I am not too sure about the physical potential of Camby (who might be a punk also, but he is damn quick and isn't going pro this year so I'll give him a chance to grow up - we'll see what he's like when he must lead his team next year), Duncan, and Wallace: meaning can they bulk up enough to match up in the NBA. And I haven't seen enough of McDyess and Dampier to really say whether or not they will be better than Reeves or Foyle (who is listed at 6'9" so he might not be tall enough but at 260 and built like Stallone (or Malone), he'll be damn good). I only considered people who could spend any serious amount of time at center (Alan Henderson or Gary Trent or Joe Smith will be power forwards). Others of note: Ostertag is behind all of them at ninth. His attitude and the fact that he is a senior now and has played half of them (coming out even on the average, considering he was never expected to get a lot of pts) say he is not as good as them. He has potential but has the worst attitude of all but Wallace. But of all the people who are only centers (BC, Griffith, Dampier, and maybe Foyle) he is fifth, and the third best pure center in the draft (I'm pretty sure Griffith is going, but I could be wrong).Othella Harrington is not a center in college (someone needs to tell him that) so is not a center in the NBA. But if you wanted to rank him, I'd have him tied with Ostertag since I'm pretty sure he peaked in high schools (as far as comparing himwith his peers - ie he was much better in high school, top 25% of ALL college centers and would be bottom of the barrel of people 6'8" or bigger who can play inside (although is pretty good for people who are that height and can't play outside either but think they are Patrick Ewing - I'm at the top of the people in that category who are specifically 5'6" - yes I'm being arrogant, but I am a better post player than most people my height and have an awful outside game - if projected as a senior (last year) I would probably be around 45000th on this list - I can play defense and have decent endurance :). SUMMARY: Reeves is the best big man in the draft. He can only play center and has three weaknesses: passing out of the post when mobbed (but he is no worse than average among centers), quickness and vertical leap. He is probably the strongest and biggest in the draft. He has real skills offensively and is smart defensively. He has no problem carrying a team or taking a big shot. Give him a marksman and some scrubs who play good defense and look at him go. Has only had four years of coaching and will improve for at least another ten. If Dallas has any chance of getting him, look for them to get to the second round of the playoffs. Detroit would love him, but have a longer way to go. Golden State would like him as well but if they get him, look for not less than three talented players to have season ending injuries by August. New Jersey would take him but he probably would cause a lot of problems with his teammates for listening to the coach. Minnesota could use him, but if they draft him, he will have a slow first few years (blowing my predictions) but then become an all star as soon as they trade him. Miami might like him. They could move Willis back to PF. Washington and Philly already have centers. Sacramento would do very well with him. I would love it if the Bucks took him. I love Glen Robinson (he is just like Bird only a little more agile and not quite as good of a passer, but both just put up the same jumpers with a mob covering them and they float right in. Both are from the same background: dirt poor in the dirt poorest section of Indiana, and have the same sixth sense about basketball that makes them look like they're in slo-mo. Totally relaxed, totally amazing) and the team needs a center, but might need more help at guard. Unless they can get Respert I can't think of any reason why they would not want of front court of Big Dog, Vin Baker and Big Country over BD, VB and Eric Mobely (who is good, but not a star). And PLEASE let the Clippers pick Wallace. I can't stand players I like being condemned there. Whoever they pick will start, hate it, and suck until traded. Of course it is more likely that he will be picked by Toronto or Vancouver, but I'm still pulling for Dallas or Milwaukee. Scout: Doug Glass ============================================================================= Name: Cherokee Parks College: Duke Height: 6-11 Weight: 240 Position: Center Other positions: Power Forward Strengths: Shotblocking, agility, finishing moves, rebounding, jump shot to 21' Weaknesses: Lack of concentration, occasional passiveness, stamina Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 91-92 Duke 34 435 60 105 0 0 50 69 81 57 13 30 35 5 170 92-93 Duke 32 899 161 247 0 0 72 100 220 68 14 56 65 25 394 93-94 Duke 34 1038 186 347 3 17 115 149 284 77 31 57 76 37 490 94-95 Duke 31 1091 222 443 31 85 114 147 289 68 45 63 55 26 589 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 131 3463 629 1142 34 102 351 465 874 270 103 206 231 93 1643 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 91-92 Duke 12.8 57.1 ERR 72.5 2.4 0.4 0.9 1.0 0.1 5.0 92-93 Duke 28.1 65.2 ERR 72.0 6.9 0.4 1.8 2.0 0.8 12.3 93-94 Duke 30.5 53.6 17.6 77.2 8.4 0.9 1.7 2.2 1.1 14.4 94-95 Duke 35.2 50.1 36.5 77.6 9.3 1.5 2.0 1.8 0.8 19.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 26.4 55.1 33.3 75.5 6.7 0.8 1.6 1.8 0.7 12.5 Poop: Cherokee Parks came to Duke as the most heralded big man to come out of California since Bill Walton. He was billed as impressive and dominating, both offensively and defensively. While he never quite lived up to that hype in his career at Duke, he did manage to carve out a very effective four years, with excellent shooting, rebounding and shotblocking numbers, as well as a substantial number of wins. Yet Parks will always be judged by his potential, and there is definitely a sense that he hasn't tapped all of his considerable talent. Whether his limitations will allow him to do that in the NBA remains to be seen. As a freshman, Parks started off well, scoring and rebounding in double digits until an injury slowed him down. The other factor that hurt his progress as a frosh was Christian Laettner's notorious verbal torture. Laettner, in an effort to make Parks a better and tougher player, insulted, taunted and humiliated Parks whenever possible. This ended up having the opposite effect, with the mild-mannered Parks sulking and languishing on the bench. When Laettner lightened up later in the year, Parks responded and ended up a valuable reserve as Duke won the national title. Parks started as a sophomore and stepped up his game with the departure of Laettner. Still, Parks would frequently disappear for long stretches at a time during games, especially defensively. This would often occur against teams with inferior post men. Parks would usually come to play against highly touted big men, such as when he played extremely well against future lottery picks Juwan Howard and Chris Webber in a game at Duke. "The Chief" did start to play consistently in the last ten games of the season, before disappearing and then getting injured in an NCAA loss. As a junior, Parks put up slightly improved numbers, but played with much greater consistency. He started putting up more jumpers, including the occasional three-pointer. He played fine defense and again rose to the occasion against big-time competition. His interior defense helped lead Duke to the national championship game. As a senior, he had his finest statistical season on a losing team. Without his offensive presence, the team would have been much worse. He became a prolific scorer playing with an inexperienced backcourt. He played excellent defense without the benefit of experienced forwards to play help defense. His three point shot became a consistent weapon. His scoring duties cut down on his rebounding somewhat, and he began to take some questionable shots. He was unable to unite a team that had young players in key spots, but that may have been beyond most players. The key to his season what that he felt confident as the main offensive threat. In general, Parks is a very good athlete who has decent speed, good leaping ability, and excellent agility around the basket. He is not extremely strong or dominating inside, relying more on timing and agility to pick up blocks. He doesn't have the strength to go inside consistently and draw fouls, although he is an excellent foul shooter once he's there. He has a servicable drop step though he lacks a consistent back-to-the-basket move, and never uses a hook shot around the basket. He's a good rebounder who can dominate when inspired, nabbing 20 in a game as a junior for a Duke team that was not rebound-oriented. He has very good hands and is a great face-up shooter. He has deadly baseline shots with a quick release. For shots 17' and further, his release is considerably slower but still very accurate. He is not a great passer and only an adequate ballhandler, and so has problems with double-teams around the basket. He plays much better with someone who can get him the basket, since his one-on-one moves are average at best when he's on the perimeter, although he did occasionally show a surprisingly quick first step. While better in a halfcourt game, he is an excellent outlet passer and is also capable of finishing the fast break. The major knocks on Parks as a pro are his aggressiveness, consistency and finding a true position for his size and speed. Parks has at times lacked the competitive fire necessary for success, although it has usually come while playing inferior opponents. This will obviously not be a big factor in the NBA. Parks proved as a senior that he could be consistent in every game for a team that needed him to play well to have any chance to win. He has the size and heft to play center in the NBA, but probably isn't strong enough to do so. Power forward is probably his eventual destination as a pro, although with his shot he could spend time as a small forward. I expect Parks to go in the early first round, possibly in the lottery. Any team that needs a big man that can score and block shots would do well to draft him, but they would be better served if they already had a good point guard and played more of a halfcourt game. He also would probably serve best as the third scoring option on the team. Scout: Rob Clough ============================================================================= Name: Greg Ostertag College: Kansas Height: 7-2 (7-0) Weight: 270 (279) Position: Center Other positions: Strengths: Strenght, reach Weaknesses: Quickness, inconsistent Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 91-92 Kansas 32 311 61 112 0 1 32 49 112 50 5 30 34 7 154 92-93 Kansas 29 389 61 118 0 0 33 55 118 59 11 36 36 8 155 93-94 Kansas 35 739 145 272 0 2 70 111 307 81 12 60 97 15 360 94-95 Kansas 31 604 121 203 0 0 57 103 233 73 13 50 91 11 299 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTALS 127 2043 388 705 0 3 192 318 770 263 41 176 258 41 968 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 91-92 Kansas 9.7 54.5 0.0 65.3 3.5 0.2 0.9 1.1 0.2 4.8 92-93 Kansas 13.4 51.7 ERR 60.0 4.1 0.4 1.2 1.2 0.3 5.3 93-94 Kansas 21.1 53.3 0.0 63.1 8.8 0.3 1.7 2.8 0.4 10.3 94-95 Kansas 19.5 59.6 ERR 55.3 7.5 0.4 1.6 2.9 0.4 9.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 16.1 55.0 0.0 60.4 6.1 0.3 1.4 2.0 0.3 7.6 Poop: Kansas coach Roy Williams says it all: "If you could put Jerod Haase's heart into Greg Ostertag, you would have one of the best players that ever played this game. Ostertag has every tool needed to be a NBA star, but his desire is a big time question mark, especially over an 82 game season plus playoffs. Scout: monahan mike More Poop: reach: can touch the rim flat footed (cuts down the nets that way). Offense: limited. Has a nice shooting touch. But it is inconsistent. If he would use the glass more, he would be much better. Sometimes has a nice jump hook but it is usually flat, meaning no arc. He often shoots it down towards the basket which would work if he was Wilt (who had at least a forty inch vertical), but since he isn't, the ball can fall short. Sometimes has a power game. If he's in the mood. Inconsistent is the best way to describe his offense. Sometime he'll run the floor, get lots of dunks and hit open jumpers. Other times he'll miss a bunch of two footers. Has a problem of bringing the ball down low when in close or after an offensive rebound. Defense: Very consistent. His long arms alter a lot of shots. Is improving his ability to use his body effectively. Once shut down Big Country. Good shot blocker. Does this with instincts rather than physical ability. Meaning he puts his hands up rather than leaping. Very good at blocking shots into his own hands rather than into the fifth row. Averaged about eight rebounds per game in twenty minutes of PT. Would have averaged more if not for sharing PT with Scot Pollard at center and having Raef Lafrentz at PF who averaged about the same in twenty four minutes. Physical abilities: here is his weakness. He is not in the best of shape. Apparently used to get excercise induced asmtha. That was diagnosed his junior year and he showed immediate improvement. but he didn't continue to improve over his senior year which he was disappointed with by about five pts and three boards (that he expectd to get - he might have if not for Raef). Usually displays a low vertical leap, but there is photographic evidence (ala Sports Ill) that he can jump. Not the most coordinated but compensates by knowing how to use his arms defensively. Can display sporadic feats of brilliance. He once had everyone at Allen Field House scratching their heads when flashed from the top of the key to a dunk in two fast steps, looking a bit like David Robinson (but that only lasted one play). He is strong, but could be stronger. He is stronger than he looks but looks a little flabby. Well, not flabby but chiseled doesn't come to mind. He does weigh 270. Hands: good when above his head, poor when below his waist. Intangibles: some call him exuberant and childish. Roy Williams attributes most of his grey hair to Ostertag. Needs major renovation of his work ethic (if he was black, he'd be stereotyped as lazy with physical gifts, he's white so he gets by being a playful texan). Pro prospects: good. Guaranteed to be a pro as long as he wants. The last few words sum it up. He needs to decide how bad he wants it. He has a lot of potential. His defense is adequate already. Does better against physical centers more than skilled ones (ie Hakeem and Robinson will school him, Shaq and Mourning will be surprised). His offense needs work, but it has the foundation. Getting into better shape is a must. He needs to weigh 290 and have under 10% body fat. If he can do that, his game should improve. Has the potential to be on the all star ballot. Can be a ten year pracitce player with his eyes shut. Can be a good bench player with some work. Could be a starter if his attitude improves a lot. Will benefit best as a backup to a great veteran center or as a defensive force on a team that doesn't rely on the five spot for offense. Two of the Texas teams fit that bill. San Antonio the first, and Dallas the second. Could start for Dallas next year and would love to go there (it's his home town). And that is their weakest position and he should be available then. But I doubt they'd take him at eleven (they would kill for Big Country and would probably pass on Cherokee, so maybe, but I don't see him that high, although the Mavs aren't looking for 1-3 and Popeye Jones is what they need at 4, and for the 5, they need someone to clog the lane so who knows). Summary: Can only improve. Attitude is most important. Defense is adequate for the NBA but offense needs work. Should be a first rounder based on the lack of great centers in this draft. Scout: Doug Glass More Poop: Ostertag was invited to the Desert Classic and averaged 7.5 points and 9 rebounds a game. Scout: Craig Simpson ============================================================================= Name: Loren Meyer College: Iowa State Height: 6-10 (6-9.5) Weight: 257 (253) Position: Power Forward Other positions: Center Strengths: Weaknesses: Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 91-92 Iowa St 34 406 72 140 3 10 28 47 106 75 15 26 23 21 175 92-93 Iowa St 31 698 116 214 0 3 71 100 153 90 40 66 30 20 303 93-94 Iowa St 12 369 97 159 0 0 73 99 114 25 20 26 31 7 267 94-95 Iowa St 34 1009 198 355 0 1 139 190 306 97 50 79 50 13 535 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 111 2482 483 868 3 14 311 436 679 287 125 197 134 61 1280 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 91-92 Iowa St 11.9 51.4 30.0 59.6 3.1 0.4 0.8 0.7 0.6 5.1 92-93 Iowa St 22.5 54.2 0.0 71.0 4.9 1.3 2.1 1.0 0.6 9.8 93-94 Iowa St 30.8 61.0 ERR 73.7 9.5 1.7 2.2 2.6 0.6 22.3 94-95 Iowa St 29.7 55.8 0.0 73.2 9.0 1.5 2.3 1.5 0.4 15.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 22.4 55.6 21.4 71.3 6.1 1.1 1.8 1.2 0.5 11.5 Poop: Strengths: Very physical player. Not afraid to bang bodies inside. He has got decent post moves and a jumper up to 12 feet. He can block some shots and a good rebounder. Weaknesses: Gets tired very easily. Not enough stamina for NBA. Fouls too much. Does not have enough experience since he missed almost a whole season due to injuries. He can be a decent backup center averaging 15-25 minutes in NBA. He can possibly play some PF but may not be quick enough to defend NBA PFs. Scout: Divyesh Sheth More Poop: Meyer really helped himself at the Desert Classic averaging 10.5 points and three rebounds. He made the MVP list. Scout: Craig Simpson ============================================================================= Name: George Zidek College: UCLA Height: 7-0 Weight: 250 Position: Center Other positions: Strengths: Work ethic, size, left and right handed hook shot Weaknesses: Speed Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 91-92 UCLA 17 66 8 21 0 1 2 4 19 21 2 3 1 1 18 92-93 UCLA 26 233 22 52 0 0 19 25 43 53 8 11 6 4 63 93-94 UCLA 28 688 120 232 0 2 71 93 197 98 15 47 16 9 311 94-95 UCLA 33 771 140 253 2 5 68 93 178 106 15 52 21 12 350 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTALS 104 1758 290 558 2 8 160 215 437 278 40 113 44 26 742 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 91-92 UCLA 3.9 38.1 0.0 50.0 1.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 1.1 92-93 UCLA 9.0 42.3 ERR 76.0 1.7 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.2 2.4 93-94 UCLA 24.6 51.7 0.0 76.3 7.0 0.5 1.7 0.6 0.3 11.1 94-95 UCLA 23.4 55.3 40.0 73.1 5.4 0.5 1.6 0.6 0.4 10.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 16.9 52.0 25.0 74.4 4.2 0.4 1.1 0.4 0.3 7.1 Poop: Since his freshman year, George Zidek has changed his name (twice), but that doesn't compare with how much his game has changed over the past 4 years. Zidek entered UCLA as a 7' "project", and left as a bona fide center. Biography: Born and raised in Prague, Czech Republic (how many of you can say that the country you were born in doesn't exist any more?). Discovered by former UCLA Assistant Tony Fuller. Economics Major. Academic All-American, with a GPA in the high 3's. Style of play: Bruiser. Defense: On defense, Zidek plays a rugged game based on his weight (around 300 lbs. - that's 135 Kg for our European friends) and strength. Unlike other players with similar games (Kansas' Ostertag and Oklahoma States' Reeves), Zidek's torso weight is high - up in his chest, rather than further down in the solar plexus. I don't know if that makes much difference, but it's an interesting observation, anyhow. Zidek tends to pick up fouls, although he doesn't actually deserve *all* of them. Being so big, other players tend to bounce off his chest - even when he has position and is "straight up". Offense: Zidek has one of the sweetest hook shots in the world. However, he's pretty damned slow - in fact I'd be worried about the shot clock expiring during his cross-lane "drive". Will he be able to get the shot off in the NBA, where the quick guards will be able to swipe the ball? Mebbe. He can shoot the hook both left *and* right handed, and he is, according to UCLA coach Harrick, the best "open" (i.e. unguarded) shooter at UCLA. Rebounding: Not as good as one would hope for such a huge guy. He boxes out well, but his hands are stone, and he doesn't get much air. Work Ethic: Zidek has gotten to his position by working incredibly hard. Every year at UCLA he exhibited an order of magnitude improvement. The question remains - will he continue to improve, or is his game at its theoretical maximum? Prospects: You can't coach height. And there aren't enough bodies in the NBA to go around. Ideal team for Zidek is one with a "teaching coach", such as Indiana's Larry Brown. A team that needs a backup center and can afford a project at the 5-spot will take a chance on George. I suppose there are unanswered questions about his interest in playing in Europe instead of the US. I figure he'll go late in the 1st round, tops. Scout: Matthew Merzbacher ============================================================================= Name: John Amaechi College: Penn State Height: 6-10 (6-8.25) Weight: 270 (279.5) Position: Power Forward Other positions: Center Strengths: Weaknesses: Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 91-92 Vandy 24 311 26 57 0 0 14 25 65 36 6 26 11 10 66 91-92 Penn St Did Not Play - Transfer Student 92-93 Penn St 27 897 114 241 15 48 130 182 206 64 20 56 65 20 373 93-94 Penn St 25 837 124 243 4 15 171 245 223 59 37 64 58 22 423 94-95 Penn St 32 1108 168 300 2 6 176 260 316 67 55 100 68 21 514 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 108 3153 432 841 21 69 491 712 810 226 118 246 202 73 1376 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 91-92 Vandy 13.0 45.6 ERR 56.0 2.7 0.3 1.1 0.5 0.4 2.8 91-92 Penn St Did Not Play - Transfer Student 92-93 Penn St 33.2 47.3 31.3 71.4 7.6 0.7 2.1 2.4 0.7 13.8 93-94 Penn St 33.5 51.0 26.7 69.8 8.9 1.5 2.6 2.3 0.9 16.9 94-95 Penn St 34.6 56.0 33.3 67.7 9.9 1.7 3.1 2.1 0.7 16.1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 29.2 51.4 30.4 69.0 7.5 1.1 2.3 1.9 0.7 12.7 Poop: If John Amaechi ends up in the NBA, he certainly will have taken the road less traveled. First off, he's from Manchester England. When he arrived to begin his college career at Vanderbilt, he had only played organized ball for about 2 years. After finding himself stuck behind Russell Larson, John transferred to Penn State. A hard worker, John put his redshirt year for transferring to good use, building up his body and getting out on the court all the time. I was a PSU gym rat at the time, and I can attest to his work ethic. Whereas most college players use pickup games against mediocre competition to show off, John used it as an opportunity to refine his game. Rather than overpowering everyone and showing off his dunk, John would settle for the kinds of shots he would have to take in rel games against players his size: hook shots, turnarounds, and medium to long jumpers. Offense: John's work ethic has made up for a lack of tremendous athletic ability. He uses his big body very well, and has a complete arsonal of post moves that make him very dangerous. He can hit medium range jump shots, and has shown the potential to make longer shots, although he was discouraged from moving away from the basket at Penn State. As a college player, he was basically unguardable one-on-one. This led to double-teams, which he struggled with. His passing improved steadily, but still needs work. His ball handling is not on par with better NBA power forwards, his natural pro position. These problems, I imagine, are ones which John will be able to work on and improve. His lack of speed means he'll never be much of a full-court NBA player, although he does work hard, and so is often in on the tail end of fast breaks. Defense: John is a position defender along the lines of Juwan Howard. He blocks some shots, but not on big people. He is a smart team defender, so he can be useful in the paint moving to help out on penetrating guards. This skill will, of course, be diminished when bigger guards come to him in the NBA. He is a smart player who knows when to use the foul and how to alter shots without fouling when necessary. In one on one situations, John will need help at first. Quicker power forwards will eat him up facing the basket. He can do a decent job getting position on the blocks, but his lack of quickness will become more obvious when NBA post players put moves on him. Overall: John is a big body who has some skills that NBA teams can use right away. On the blocks he can score against many NBA players one on one. He is a smart player (GTE Academic All-American of the Year) who will know his role and work hard to help the team. He'd be an excellent second round pick for a team with a need for depth inside and a stabilizing attitude in the locker room. On the upside, John could be a poor man's Juwan Howard, a smart, polished low post player and position defender who helps a defense without being overpowering. He will have to be out-wuicked, he won't be overpowered. On the downside, John will never run the floor like many NBA PF's do (Howard, for instance). He doesn't pass as well as guys like Howard, but has shown room for impovement here, and certainly won't see double teams right away. He could make a team that is the right fit for him, and potentially have a fine career. He has said, however, that if he doesn't make a team, he won't go the the CBA and hope for the future; he'll pursue a career as an Industrial Psychologist. Scout: Matt Mitchell ============================================================================= Name: Tony Maroney College: Hawaii Height: 7-2 Weight: 274 Position: Center Other positions: Strengths: Weaknesses: Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 91-92 Mrshltown .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 92-93 Mrshltown .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 93-94 Hawaii 32 1061 169 313 0 1 74 127 313 112 19 55 99 16 412 94-95 Hawaii 27 916 163 293 0 0 87 136 279 109 34 78 70 15 413 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Div I TOTALS 59 1977 332 606 0 1 161 263 592 221 53 133 169 31 825 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 91-92 Mrshltown ... 54.0 ... 67.0 12.5 ... ... 2.3 ... 14.4 92-93 Mrshltown ... 59.0 ... 74.0 10.4 ... ... 5.0 ... 18.2 93-94 Hawaii 33.2 54.0 0.0 58.3 9.8 0.6 1.7 3.1 0.5 12.9 94-95 Hawaii 33.9 55.6 ERR 64.0 10.3 1.3 2.9 2.6 0.6 15.3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Div I TOTALS 33.5 54.8 0.0 61.2 10.0 0.9 2.3 2.9 0.5 14.0 Poop: Maroney doesn't do a lot well that relates to basketball skills. He isn't much of a shooter, doesn't run the floor well, does not posess great hands, and does not move his feet well on d. He is, however, 7-1 and 290, and like others of his type (Luther Wright springs to mind), he will be drafted in the late first round and probably grace an NBA roster for the next decade. Scout: monahan mike ============================================================================= Name: Constantin Popa College: Miami (FL) Height: 7-3 (7-2.5) Weight: 235 (217) Position: Center Other positions: Strengths: Size Weaknesses: Not real athletic Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 91-92 Miami(FL) 32 683 81 187 0 1 54 100 152 101 19 69 64 30 216 92-93 Miami(FL) 27 693 145 275 0 0 66 111 197 103 20 60 85 22 356 93-94 Miami(FL) 27 610 100 216 0 0 47 67 162 85 30 56 59 23 247 94-95 Miami(FL) 27 635 126 239 0 0 61 84 190 86 19 44 55 14 313 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 113 2621 452 917 0 1 228 362 701 375 88 229 263 89 1132 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 91-92 Miami(FL) 21.3 43.3 0.0 54.0 4.8 0.6 2.2 2.0 0.9 6.8 92-93 Miami(FL) 25.7 52.7 ERR 59.5 7.3 0.7 2.2 3.1 0.8 13.2 93-94 Miami(FL) 22.6 46.3 ERR 70.1 6.0 1.1 2.1 2.2 0.9 9.1 94-95 Miami(FL) 23.5 52.7 ERR 72.6 7.0 0.7 1.6 2.0 0.5 11.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 23.2 49.3 0.0 63.0 6.2 0.8 2.0 2.3 0.8 10.0 Poop: What can I say, the guy is 7-3. He has some decent offensive moves including a nice little hook shot. Popa is not really smoth and is not really a very good rebound and shotblocker for his size. However you can not teach size and he will probably be drafted in the second round. Popa was invited to the Desert Classic and averaged 10.5 points and 3 rebounds a game. Scout: Craig Simpson More Poop: Popa is getting better. Still a stick, and a fouling machine, the offensive skills are beginning to really develop. But he's still a project, and shouldn't be considered before the 2nd round (but I *hate* projects, so what do I know?) Popa is the ugliest player in college basketball. A face that could scare the dead. But does that matter? Perhaps only to the snappier members of the NBA elite (e.g. Riley & Fratello). George Karl, here he comes! Scout: Matthew Merzbacher ============================================================================= Name: Samir Gouda College: Egyptian National Team Height: 7-3 (7-0.25) Weight: 245 Position: Center Other positions: Strengths: ??? Weaknesses: ??? Stats: Poop: The only thing that I know about him was that he was invited to the Desert Classic and was a starter for the Pacific team. Scout: Craig Simpson ============================================================================= Name: Anthony Pelle College: Fresno State Height: 7-0 Weight: 260 Position: Center Other positions: Power forward Strengths: Weaknesses: Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 90-91 Villanova 30 255 19 38 0 0 22 35 51 52 4 20 29 5 60 91-92 Villanova 27 314 18 49 0 1 27 36 68 56 2 26 26 9 63 92-93 Villanova 24 431 47 98 3 0 33 58 80 44 13 29 39 5 130 93-94 Fresno St Did Not Play - Transfer Student 94-95 Fresno St 26 829 102 200 0 0 76 117 208 59 28 63 53 24 280 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTALS 107 1829 186 385 3 1 158 246 407 211 47 138 147 43 533 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 90-91 Villanova 8.5 50.0 ERR 62.9 1.7 0.1 0.7 1.0 0.2 2.0 91-92 Villanova 11.6 36.7 0.0 75.0 2.5 0.1 1.0 1.0 0.3 2.3 92-93 Villanova 18.0 48.0 ERR 56.9 3.3 0.5 1.2 1.6 0.2 5.4 93-94 Fresno St Did Not Play - Transfer Student 94-95 Fresno St 31.9 51.0 ERR 65.0 8.0 1.1 2.4 2.0 0.9 10.8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 17.1 48.3 300.0 64.2 3.8 0.4 1.3 1.4 0.4 5.0 Poop: Pelle is a 7 footer who can play forward as well as center. He is a transfer from Villanova who is a good rebounder and decent shot blocker. He is very limited offensively. Pelle was invited to the desert classic and averaged 3.5 points and 7 rebounds. It is unlikely that he will be drafted but someone might reach late in the second round because of his size. Scout: Craig Simpson ============================================================================= Name: Joe McNaull College: Long Beach State Height: 6-10 Weight: 255 Position: Center Other positions: Power Forward Strengths: Weaknesses: Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 90-91 SanDiegoSt 29 438 56 105 0 1 25 39 114 57 14 22 32 8 137 91-92 SanDiegoSt 28 814 146 252 0 0 74 125 220 100 19 56 41 13 366 92-93 SanDiegoSt 29 849 131 270 0 0 78 136 238 92 19 67 41 16 340 93-94 LBSU Did Not Play - Transfer Student 94-95 LBSU 30 715 156 248 0 0 68 116 215 85 15 51 25 21 380 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTALS 116 2816 489 875 0 1 245 416 787 334 67 196 139 58 1223 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 90-91 SanDiegoSt 15.1 53.3 0.0 64.1 3.9 0.5 0.8 1.1 0.3 4.7 91-92 SanDiegoSt 29.1 57.9 ERR 59.2 7.9 0.7 2.0 1.5 0.5 13.1 92-93 SanDiegoSt 29.3 48.5 ERR 57.4 8.2 0.7 2.3 1.4 0.6 11.7 93-94 LBSU Did Not Play - Transfer Student 94-95 LBSU 23.8 62.9 ERR 58.6 7.2 0.5 1.7 0.8 0.7 12.7 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 24.3 55.9 0.0 58.9 6.8 0.6 1.7 1.2 0.5 10.5 ============================================================================= Name: Michael McDonald College: New Orleans Height: 6-10 (6-8.25) Weight: 232 (211) Position: Center Other positions: Power Forward Strengths: Weaknesses: Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 90-91 UT Val CC 31 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 153 ... ... 91-92 N Orleans Did Not Play 92-93 N Orleans 29 351 44 67 0 0 35 54 71 47 3 28 45 6 123 93-94 N Orleans 30 736 71 119 0 0 28 55 206 109 14 45 96 10 170 94-95 N Orleans 29 790 130 227 0 1 62 106 280 97 24 73 80 27 322 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 119 1877 245 413 0 1 125 215 557 253 41 146 374 43 615 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 90-91 UT Val CC ... ... ... ... 8.3 ... ... 4.9 ... 12.3 91-92 N Orleans Did Not Play 92-93 N Orleans 12.1 65.7 ERR 64.8 2.4 0.1 1.0 1.6 0.2 4.2 93-94 N Orleans 24.5 59.7 ERR 50.9 6.9 0.5 1.5 3.2 0.3 5.7 94-95 N Orleans 27.2 57.3 0.0 58.5 9.7 0.8 2.5 2.8 0.9 11.1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 15.8 59.3 0.0 58.1 4.7 0.3 1.2 3.1 0.4 5.2 Poop: McDonald is a very good rebounder and shot blocker. Not much offensively, he can still dominate a game at the defensive end. McDonald was invited to the Desert Classic but did not play because of an injured left foot. It is unlikely that McDonald will be drafted. Scout: Craig Simpson ============================================================================= Name: John Coker College: Boise State Height: 7-0 Weight: 253 Position: Center Other positions: Strengths: Strenght Weaknesses: quickness Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 90-91 Boise St Did Not Play - Redshirted 91-92 Boise St 11 ... 14 25 0 0 1 5 17 ... 3 8 6 1 29 92-93 Boise St 22 298 65 125 0 0 18 26 86 44 13 17 24 9 148 93-94 Boise St 30 866 231 403 0 0 59 117 203 78 39 55 77 9 521 94-95 Boise St 21 573 129 244 0 0 76 112 153 48 17 29 49 13 334 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTALS 84 ... 439 797 0 0 154 260 459 ... 72 109 156 32 1032 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 90-91 Boise St Did Not Play - Redshirted 91-92 Boise St 0.0 56.0 ERR 20.0 1.5 0.3 0.7 0.5 0.1 2.6 92-93 Boise St 13.5 52.0 ERR 69.2 3.9 0.6 0.8 1.1 0.4 6.7 93-94 Boise St 28.9 57.3 ERR 50.4 6.8 1.3 1.8 2.6 0.3 17.4 94-95 Boise St 27.3 52.9 ERR 67.9 7.3 0.8 1.4 2.3 0.6 15.9 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS ... 55.1 ERR 59.2 5.5 0.9 1.3 1.9 0.4 12.3 Poop: Offense: Seems to have some game around the basket - a short range turnaround. Defense: Well, has the body to plug the middle. Not particularly quick, but strength doesn't seem to be a problem. Overall: Coker seems to have a decent head for the game, some abilities on the offensive end and an NBA center body. He will have a hard time against the quicker, more agile NBA centers as he doesn't seem to run the court too well or react too quickly on the defensive end. May develop into a nice career backup after some time in Europe. Scout: Uncle Vasya ============================================================================= Name: Ryan Jamison College: California Height: 6-11 Weight: 240 Position: Center Other positions: Power Forward Strengths: Weaknesses: Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 91-92 Cal 27 494 40 88 0 0 27 47 93 86 36 51 7 13 107 92-93 Cal 29 357 32 71 0 0 28 54 78 58 17 31 3 15 92 93-94 Cal 30 741 88 188 0 0 49 82 156 104 45 59 6 11 225 94-95 Cal 24 336 31 62 0 0 11 30 56 62 16 24 13 17 73 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTALS 110 1928 191 409 0 0 115 213 383 310 114 165 29 56 497 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 91-92 Cal 18.3 45.5 ERR 57.4 3.4 1.3 1.9 0.3 0.5 4.0 92-93 Cal 12.3 45.1 ERR 51.9 2.7 0.6 1.1 0.1 0.5 3.2 93-94 Cal 24.7 46.8 ERR 59.8 5.2 1.5 2.0 0.2 0.4 7.5 94-95 Cal 14.0 50.0 ERR 36.7 2.3 0.7 1.0 0.5 0.7 3.0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 17.5 46.7 ERR 54.0 3.5 1.0 1.5 0.3 0.5 4.5 Poop: After showing much improvement from his sophomore to junior year, Jamison took a real dive his senior year. Their was not *one* statistical category that did not suffer this year. Jamison is a horrible free throw shooter and not a very good rebounder. Still he is big, but it is doubtful that he will be drafted. Scout: Craig Simpson ============================================================================= Name: Eric Meek College: Duke Height: 6-10 (6-9.5) Weight: 245 (243) Position: Center Other positions: Strengths: Size, rebounding, work ethic, error-free, post defense, aggressiveness Weaknesses: Shooting, speed, hands Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 91-92 Duke 25 143 22 38 0 0 18 36 30 18 5 6 5 3 62 92-93 Duke 32 371 38 64 0 0 36 63 92 51 5 21 10 11 112 93-94 Duke 34 474 36 66 0 0 48 80 142 69 13 23 19 12 120 94-95 Duke 31 889 118 190 0 0 83 143 256 103 26 50 39 29 319 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTALS 122 1877 214 358 0 0 185 322 520 241 49 100 73 55 613 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 91-92 Duke 5.7 57.9 ERR 50.0 1.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 2.5 92-93 Duke 11.6 59.4 ERR 57.1 2.9 0.2 0.7 0.3 0.3 3.5 93-94 Duke 13.9 54.5 ERR 60.0 4.2 0.4 0.7 0.6 0.4 3.5 94-95 Duke 28.7 62.1 ERR 58.0 8.3 0.8 1.6 1.3 0.9 10.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 15.4 59.8 ERR 57.5 4.3 0.4 0.8 0.6 0.5 5.0 Poop: Erik Meek came to Duke with Cherokee Parks knowing that Parks would get most of the glory. But Meek was a top 50 player and obviously didn't mind the work it would take to become successful. He made the most of his physical abilities and became a successful, valuable player. Before his freshman season, he was hit by a car and injured his knee and leg. Instead of redshirting, he was determined to prove to himself and his coaches that he could still play. It turned out to be a bad decision, because the range of motion in his leg was quite limited. Considering that his quickness wasn't great to begin with, it made him ineffective. On top of that, with Christian Laettner and Cherokee Parks on the team, he wasn't needed. Still, even as a freshman, Meek showed great toughness. Laettner tried to push him around once in practice, Meek gave him an elbow, and L8 never tried it again. Before his sophomore year, he had his leg operated on to remove scar tissue that was limiting his movement. But because he had to rest his leg most of the summer, he couldn't really work on improving as a player. He did play a lot more as a sophomore, but he wasn't able to nail down big minutes on a consistent basis. He came up with some excellent games against big-time opponents like UNC and Cal. His junior year proved to be a big one. After playing for an ACC All-Star team over the summer where he led the team in rebounds, he was finally well-prepared for the season. His leaping ability was greatly improved, and he earned a starter's role at the beginning of the year. His offensive production became a problem, however. When Meek would get the ball near the basket, he would try to lay it up instead of dunking it. This resulted in some misses, and hurt his confidence. His awful foul shooting didn't help matters either. Still, his per-minute rebound numbers were the best on the team, and he could always be counted on to play great post defense. His senior year was almost delayed, as he was going to redshirt. But it soon became clear that the team desperately needed another rebounder to help out Parks, and so he rejoined the team. He immediately turned into Mr. Consistency, getting several double-doubles. This was on a team that had trouble getting the ball to its big men. Meek had dominating performances against big men like James Forrest and Joe Smith. The games that Duke won were those in which he was most effective. Meek was MVP of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, and earned an invite to the Phoenix rookie tournament. In general, Meek's best attributes are his strength and intelligence. Not only is he big (and wide), but he knows how to use his size in the post. He can muscle into the post and muscle people out. He is always aggressive on both ends of the court, which has earned him some foul trouble in his career. Meek always works hard on defense and sets great picks. He never makes a careless error. He has a knack for rebounding, knowing how to use his body and get excellent position. He's especially adept at offensive rebounding. With Meek on your team, you'll have someone who will gladly handle the dirty work. While Meek is superb at the details of the game, the little things that many people miss, he is deficient in many of the skill areas. He has no shot at all, and has little confidence in his shot as a rule. He is an awful foul shooter, which is a shame because one of his best skills is drawing fouls with his aggressiveness and strength. His footwork around the basket is average at best, and has trouble scoring even near the basket. His hands also aren't great, as he has been prone in the past to drop passes thrown perfectly. His major defect is his lack of speed; whenever a team would use a smaller, quicker player against him, it was usually a successful tactic. But when people tried to muscle him up, Meek would either eat them up or battle them to a standstill. Meek is not a great passer or shotblocker, though he will occasionally come up with impressive examples of both. He's also not a good ballhandler, but he rarely puts himself into situations where he might get in trouble with the ball. His smarts offset many of his limitations, and highlight his strengths. As a pro, Meek could easily stand up to the physical aspects of the game. However, his lack of skills might prevent him from getting much playing time. Also, being 6-10 might hurt him against some of the true giants of the league, he might be able to shoot over him if they can't shoot around him. Still, a big body that plays great defense is usually in vogue in the league, particularly with expansion coming up this year. Meek will almost certainly be drafted, possibly in the late first round. He would be good for a team that needs a backup center, or for teams that need a Shaq Stopper. Teams that run a lot should probably take a pass on him. Scout: Rob Clough ============================================================================= Name: Andre Reid College: Florida State Height: 7-0 Weight: 250 Position: Center Other positions: Strengths: Size Weaknesses: Poor hands, poor defense, fouls too often, slow, bad mental attitude and work ethic, poor shooting, lacscks agression. Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 90-91 Florida St 32 302 22 64 0 0 17 28 88 56 5 16 34 5 61 91-92 Florida St 30 494 38 85 0 0 20 46 124 84 8 33 32 9 96 92-93 Florida St 5 101 7 14 0 0 3 6 21 18 2 4 2 2 17 93-94 Florida St 27 644 73 156 0 2 41 73 167 101 13 37 54 13 187 94-95 Florida St 27 425 46 85 0 0 19 31 107 76 6 45 39 6 111 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTALS 121 1966 186 404 0 2 100 184 507 335 34 135 161 35 472 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 90-91 Florida St 9.4 34.4 ERR 60.7 2.8 0.2 0.5 1.1 0.2 1.9 91-92 Florida St 16.5 44.7 ERR 43.5 4.1 0.3 1.1 1.1 0.3 3.2 92-93 Florida St 20.2 50.0 ERR 50.0 4.2 0.4 0.8 0.4 0.4 3.4 93-94 Florida St 23.9 46.8 0.0 56.2 6.2 0.5 1.4 2.0 0.5 6.9 94-95 Florida St 15.7 54.1 ERR 61.3 4.0 0.2 1.7 1.4 0.2 4.1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 16.2 46.0 0.0 54.3 4.2 0.3 1.1 1.3 0.3 3.9 * - granted medical redshirt in 92-93 Poop: Poop: Reid was a project player all five years of his carreer. He has no talent, a bad attitude, and basically has no business even being considered for the draft. Any GM picking this guy would be a fool of even greater than Shawn Bradley proportions. Scout: Kevin Delgado ============================================================================= Name: Bryan Collins College: Southwestern Louisiana Height: 6-10 Weight: 240 Position: Center Other positions: Power Forward Strengths: Weaknesses: Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 91-92 SW La 10 41 3 14 0 0 1 5 9 4 2 1 0 0 7 92-93 SW La 30 390 30 65 0 0 12 37 110 60 16 28 14 16 72 93-94 SW La 30 956 76 144 0 0 66 102 284 94 44 46 21 25 218 94-95 SW La 29 944 156 347 9 29 66 96 285 74 49 89 23 31 387 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTALS 99 2331 265 570 9 29 145 240 688 232 111 164 58 72 684 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 91-92 SW La 4.1 21.4 ERR 20.0 0.9 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.7 92-93 SW La 13.0 46.2 ERR 32.4 3.7 0.5 0.9 0.5 0.5 2.4 93-94 SW La 31.9 52.8 ERR 64.7 9.5 1.5 1.5 0.7 0.8 7.3 94-95 SW La 32.6 45.0 31.0 68.8 9.8 1.7 3.1 0.8 1.1 13.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 23.5 46.5 31.0 60.4 6.9 1.1 1.7 0.6 0.7 6.9 ============================================================================= Name: Bernie Salthe College: Loyola-Chicago Height: 6-11 Weight: 230 Position: Center Other positions: Strengths: Weaknesses: Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 90-91 Loyola 29 435 39 68 0 0 25 42 51 71 3 25 18 15 103 91-92 Loyola 4 67 4 9 0 0 1 3 8 16 0 6 4 0 9 92-93 Loyola 27 316 28 51 0 0 7 17 50 49 7 21 18 18 63 93-94 Loyola 27 469 33 73 0 1 9 19 88 58 12 25 51 19 75 94-95 Loyola 27 899 151 290 0 1 123 179 169 94 17 79 61 36 425 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTALS 114 2186 255 491 0 2 165 260 366 288 39 156 152 88 675 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 90-91 Loyola 15.0 57.4 ERR 59.5 1.8 0.1 0.9 0.6 0.5 3.6 91-92 Loyola 16.8 44.4 ERR 33.3 2.0 0.0 1.5 1.0 0.0 2.3 92-93 Loyola 11.7 54.9 ERR 41.2 1.9 0.3 0.8 0.7 0.7 2.3 93-94 Loyola 17.4 45.2 0.0 47.4 3.3 0.4 0.9 1.9 0.7 2.8 94-95 Loyola 33.3 52.1 0.0 68.7 6.3 0.6 2.9 2.3 1.3 15.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 19.2 51.9 0.0 63.5 3.2 0.3 1.4 1.3 0.8 5.9 * - granted medical redshirt in 91-92 ============================================================================= Name: Charles Claxton College: Georgia Height: 7-0 (6-11.5) Weight: 265 (265) Position: Center Other positions: Strengths: Weaknesses: Stats: G MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB PF AST TO BLK STL PTS 91-92 Georgia 29 644 109 208 0 0 55 102 190 68 8 51 48 8 273 92-93 Georgia 29 637 133 236 0 0 68 141 192 85 12 52 47 18 334 93-94 Georgia 30 728 132 249 0 0 63 149 236 94 18 57 58 14 327 94-95 Georgia 28 769 124 226 3 10 89 166 222 88 21 57 94 26 340 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTALS 116 2778 498 919 3 10 275 558 840 335 59 217 247 66 1274 MIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG 91-92 Georgia 22.2 52.4 ERR 53.9 6.6 0.3 1.8 1.7 0.3 9.4 92-93 Georgia 22.0 56.4 ERR 48.2 6.6 0.4 1.8 1.6 0.6 11.5 93-94 Georgia 24.3 53.0 ERR 42.3 7.9 0.6 1.9 1.9 0.5 10.9 94-95 Georgia 27.5 54.9 30.0 53.6 7.9 0.8 2.0 3.4 0.9 12.1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS 23.9 54.2 30.0 49.3 7.2 0.5 1.9 2.1 0.6 11.0 * - draft rights owned by Phoenix Suns