The snobby NBA is about to pass judgment on this past season of college basketball, and it's going to hurt. No sense lying to you. It's going to be painful.
The snobby NBA's June 28 draft will be a slap in the face to anyone who loves the college game. Players that were gods in the NCAA will be of no use to the NBA, which prefers 7-foot European teenagers, whoever they are, to UCLA's leading scorer or an ex-ACC player of the year or one of the most accomplished guards in NCAA history.
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| Taylor Coppenrath is 6-9, 250 pounds and can score. What would the NBA want with a guy like that? (Getty Images) |
Pat Carroll, Saint Joseph's: He's getting no mentions -- none -- on any mock drafts, and there's a reason for that. At 6-feet-5, Carroll doesn't seem quick enough to guard anyone on the next level. Then again, he's not all that different from his brother, former Notre Dame scoring leader Matt Carroll, and the elder Carroll became a solid NBA two-guard this season with Charlotte. Pat Carroll averaged 18.3 points and led the A-10 at 43.4 percent on 3-pointers. Maybe he's not NBA material, but someone's going to have to make him prove it on the court.
Taylor Coppenrath, Vermont: For some reason his NBA stock is sliding. When you figure it out, let me know. The guy averaged 25 points per game and nine rebounds as a senior, was a three-time conference player of the year and scored more than 2,400 career points. And at 6-9, 250 pounds, he's got NBA size. If only he were Baltic. Or Brazilian ...
Travis Diener, Marquette: There's no tougher player in college basketball, and there aren't many with more skill, either. Before his senior season dissolved into a series of injuries even Diener couldn't play through, he averaged 19.7 points and 7.2 assists, good enough to lead Conference USA in both had he played enough games. But, no, you're right. Diener's not good enough for the NBA. Sure.
Ryan Gomes, Providence: Strong but smooth, Gomes is the No. 1 scorer in Providence history (2,138 points), and No. 5 in rebounds (1,028). But he's 6-7 and 240 pounds, so the NBA isn't sure he's quick enough to guard on the perimeter or big enough to defend in the paint. Tell you what, NBA. Gomes will score more at one end of the floor than he'll give up at the other -- and isn't that the point?
Quemont Greer, DePaul: A self-made scorer, the 6-7, 240-pound Greer missed leading C-USA in scoring by four-hundredths of one point per game. As it is, he averaged 18.3 and 7.6 rebounds, and hit 36 percent of his 3-pointers. His next assist will be his first assist, but since when did the NBA care about that?
Michael Harris, Rice: The most depressing guy on this list because his name is appearing nowhere in NBA circles. It's true, he's a squatty forward at 6-6, 240 pounds. But Harris nearly pulled off the WAC triple crown, finishing second in points (20.6) and rebounds (11.7) and leading in shooting at 60.8 percent from the floor. He would have done well in the Big East, too, considering he had 22 points and nine rebounds against Connecticut, and 25 points and eight rebounds against Syracuse.
Luther Head, Illinois: Dee Brown is the Big Ten player of the year and Deron Williams is the lottery pick, but Head led the Illini at 15.9 points. He added 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals, and hit 41 percent of his 3-pointers. Add his exceptional vertical leap and ability to penetrate, and he's not the No. 3 guard on a college team. He's Cuttino Mobley.
Julius Hodge, North Carolina State: He does everything well above average, despite his average (at best) athleticism. Hodge was the ACC player of the year in 2003-04, and as a senior he ranked among ACC leaders at 17 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists. You know the NBA, though. They don't care what your stats look like. They care what your poster looks like. And Julius Hodge isn't coming to a poster near you.
John Lucas III, Oklahoma State: He's not big (5-11, 152) or explosive, but Lucas is a winner. As a senior he averaged 17.7 points and 4.1 assists, and shot 43.1 percent on 3-pointers. With Lucas running the show, Oklahoma State went from a Top 25 program to the top 10. The NBA needs winners, right?
Jason Maxiell, Cincinnati: Every year, a 'tweener muscles his way into the NBA. This year, this is your guy. The 6-7, 240-pound Maxiell is strong enough to defend (slightly) bigger players, and he can hit the mid-range jumper. He averaged 15.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks as a senior, and usually was the best player on the floor. That was the case in the NCAA Tournament against Iowa and Kentucky.
