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The Sports Xchange

OVERVIEW

Joey Dorsey excels as a rebounder and shot blocker, but has yet to discover his offensive game, instead creating opportunities for teammates with his deft passing out of the post.

A punishing post defender, Dorsey understands position and gives relentless effort. His competitiveness can work against him at times and he's never been shy sharing his thoughts and emotions on and off the court.

Prior to meeting Ohio State in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, Dorsey called All-American center Greg Oden "a lot overrated" player.

"I think (the pro scouts) will really be watching this game because it's two great big men going against each other," Dorsey said. "I'm an underrated big man and he's a lot overrated as a big man. It's going to be a great rebounding game for me. It's going to be David and Goliath."

Dorsey added, "I'm Goliath. He's the little man. I'm going to outwork him to every ball. I think I'm going to have like a 20-rebound night. Coach Cal said this is going to be my breakout game."

Ohio State downed Memphis 92-76, as Oden poured in 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field to go with nine rebounds. Dorsey was quickly in four trouble, drawing four personals while totaling zero points and three rebounds for the evening.

Dorsey again saw himself in the national spotlight, and not for his exploits on the court. With the Chicago Bulls having secured the top pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Memphis forward insisted to the media that he has the inside scoop that former college teammate Derrick Rose will be bypassed by Chicago and fall to Miami in next month's NBA Draft.

Apparently, that was news to Bulls general manager John Paxson, whose team holds the top pick.

''There's absolutely no reason anyone would have any clue,'' Paxson said at the NBA predraft camp. Dorsey's comments, followed three hours later by Paxson's vehement denial, spiced up festivities on the first full day of the camp, where the focus remained on the top prospects who had yet to arrive instead of the ones fighting for NBA jobs.

That also made Dorsey one of the more sought-out players during the interview session that followed his team's game Wednesday morning. Asked if he had any idea where Rose might land, Dorsey offered what he said was ''inside info'' on Chicago's plans to draft Kansas State power forward Michael Beasley instead of Rose, a Chicago native.

''Chicago's got a lot of pressure on them because Derrick's from Chicago,'' Dorsey said. ``But they're going to take Beasley. I've talked to (Rose), and (Miami is) where I think he's going to end up. You watch what I tell you. I know.''

Dorsey was a well-traveled prep basketball player, starting at Douglass High School in Baltimore, helping lead the team to the Maryland Class 3A title in 2001-02. He averaged 11.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals that season, earning All-State and Baltimore Sun All-Metro Team honors.

The forward then transferred to Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham, North Carolina in 2002-03. After the season, he was again on the move, heading to Laurinburg Prep in 2003-04, where he averaged 16.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocked shots in his final season. He also shot 76.3 percent from the foul line, as he helped lead his team to a 28-7 record and a No. 6 final national ranking.

Dorsey played in the prestigious Derek Anderson Derby Festival in Louisville in April of 2004, where he had 17 points and eight boards in helping lead his team to a 123-108 win. He also finished second in the dunk contest at the festival. He was ranked the seventh-best power forward in the nation by HoopScoop following his performance at the Adidas ABCD Camp in the summer of 2003.

In 2004-05, Dorsey played in 37 games and started seven at Memphis. He averaged 4.6 points and 6.0 rebounds (second on the team), as he had 43 blocked shots (second on team) and 22 steals. He shot 54.6 percent from the floor (led team) and posted three double-doubles and seven double-digit rebounding contests, earning a spot on the Conference USA All-Freshman Team.

As a sophomore, Dorsey started 35 of 37 contests, ranking third in the Conference USA in rebounding (7.5 per game) and led the league with 66 blocked shots, the 10th-best season total in school annals. He also averaged 6.9 points per game while leading the team by making 63.1 percent of his shots from the floor. He posted six double-doubles and 10 double-digit rebounding contests.

In 2006-07, Dorsey was an All-Conference USA first-team selection and named the league's Defensive Player of the Year. He started all 37 games, blocking 81 shots, the sixth-best season total in school annals. He led the team with 9.4 rebounds per game and also had a scoring average of 8.5 points. He registered seven double-doubles and 20 double-digit rebounding contests.

Dorsey was named Conference USA and NABC All-District VII second-team. He missed the team's first two games with a right toe injury, averaging 6.9 points per game, as he shot 64.7 percent from the field. He averaged a career-high 9.5 rebounds per game and blocked 74 shots. He scored in double digits ten times and had at least ten rebounds in 18 contests.

ANALYSIS

Positives: Has a well-built, thick frame with decent wingspan, broad shoulders, thick chest, wide hips and good lower-body thickness in the thighs and calves…Talented defender who is very physical in the paint, whether it is crashing the boards, blocking shots, setting blocks or hustling after loose balls…Despite lacking great height, he does a good job of elevating above the rim to alter shots of bigger opponents…Relishes the competition, as the team will usually rotated him out to defend vs. the opposition's top frontcourt player…His success on help defense is due largely to his above-average lateral agility…If a defender gives him room around the basket, Dorsey is quick to drive on his man…Too strong for a defender to get him to backed down in the post…Equally effective rebounder on the offensive and defensive glass…Times his leap well and works hard to establish position in the paint…Plays a physical low-post game, where he uses his strength and athleticism to dominate on both boards…Takes on contact and finishes when working around the basket…Has a knack for gaining and maintaining position in the paint, working to effectively box out the opponent…Very comfortable moving around without the ball, good at hedging screens and taking his man off the dribble…Shows good body control, balance and footwork playing in the post…Has the quickness to step back from the basket, hedge on screens and disrupt the pick-and-roll with his active hands…High-energy type with enough quickness to run the floor and good speed to get back to try to break up the fast break…Has the long reach and good vision to reach around and take his man off the dribble (has one of the higher steal totals among frontcourt players in this draft)…Consistently takes bigger forwards out of their game with his intimidating style of play, but when he gets too aggressive, he has foul issues…Has a good drop step and while still a work in progress, he is becoming more confident in using a mini jump hook to go with his dunking skills…Has a very good feel for establishing his position on defense, as he has the lateral movement to stay in front of his man to prevent the perimeter shooters from slashing on him and closing quickly…Lacks blazing speed, but with his impeccable timing, leaping ability and reach, he is able to block shots from a variety of angles…Lacks any sort of outside shooting range, but can crash the boards to follow through on putbacks and puts in a resounding dunk when he captures the ball and elevates above the rim…Gets most of his scoring on putbacks around the offensive glass…His offensive game is otherwise limited to playing with his back to the basket, but he has more than enough leg drive to power his way to the rim working through a crowd.

Negatives: Knows he will have to make a living as a stellar defender, as his offensive game is extremely limited -- think Ben Wallace -- and might have already peaked…Has no range to take shots more than five feet away from the basket, failing to show a quick release or a high release point…Must play with less emotion, as he is constantly jabbering with the opponents and refs and has a short fuse…Must also learn how to control his mouth off the court, as his comments to the press will rub future teammates the wrong way…Has great width and strength, but lacks the size to bang heads with NBA centers and is really nothing more than an undersized pivot man…High-energy type, but has a very inconsistent motor and except for his play under the boards, he will disappear for long stretches…Must play with better alertness and is apt to bite on pump fakes and hesitation moves because of his strong desire to make a big play…Stays on the ball-handler, leaving his man open for easy shots…Gets hit with a lot of unnecessary penalties because of his dirty play at times…Teams know they can get him out of his game quickly, as he is often rattled, especially when matched up vs. a more physical opponent…Likes to establish his presence but is too much of an agitator…Horrible free-throw shooter, making him a viable option for an opponent to foul in crunch situations, knowing he has made only 42 percent of his shots from the charity stripe during his career…Must be more patient shooting, as he often rushes his attempts or pushes the ball forward too hard, resulting in him constantly overshooting the rim when he backs away from the basket (any time he is away from the basket, he seems lost and out of place)…Dominant defender, but gets so caught up in the action, he tries to punish his man, leading to a high amount of fouling issues…Can put the ball on the ground for one or two power dribbles, but if he keeps it there longer, he has marginal ball handling skills to prevent the turnover…Spends too much time trying to overpower smaller opponents, again leading to foul issues (charges, traveling calls)…The team has very little confidence in his offensive game, as he has to rely on dunks and putbacks for his garbage points…Has no creativity with the ball in his hands and while he can draw contact going to the rim, he rarely converts from the charity stripe…Has almost no touch at all to score in the post.

Compares To: BEN WALLACE-Cleveland…Like Wallace, Dorsey will never have much of an offensive game. Both are really undersized centers who lack touch around the basket and their aggressiveness sometimes negates their stellar rebounding and shot-blocking skills. Dorsey has no face-the-basket skills whatsoever and is a horrible free-throw shooter. He is very good at setting screens and attacking both boards, but he needs to play with a better emotional level, as the opposition knows that when they rattle him, he will be taken out of his game and soon get into foul trouble by trying to retaliate. Unless he matures quickly, Dorsey might struggle to acclimate in the locker room at the NBA level.

CAREER NOTES

Started 111-of-148 games he played in at Memphis, scoring 991 points (6.7 per game) on 397-of-657 field goals (60.4 percent ) and 197-of-469 free throws (42.0 percent )…Averaged 8.2 rebounds per game, as his 1,207 boards rank second in school history, topped only by Keith Lee's 1,336 rebounds (1981-85)…Handed out 80 assists and had 159 steals…Blocked 262 shots, the second-best career total in Memphis annals behind Keith Lee (320, 1981-85)…Charged with 458 personal fouls and 195 turnovers, fouling out of 22 contests…His 360 rebounds in 2007-08 rank seventh on the school record list while his 347 boards in 2006-07 rank ninth…His 81 blocked shots in 2006-07 rank sixth on the Memphis annual record list, while his 72 blocks in 2007-08 rank eighth…His 43 blocked shots in 2004-05 are the fifth-best season total by a Memphis freshman…His seven blocked shots vs. Rice (2/22/07) rank seventh on the school game-record chart…The Tigers won 126-of-148 games that Dorsey played in for the school…His 22 rebounds vs. Houston (1/30/08) were the most by a Memphis player since Marion Hillard pulled down 25 boards vs. Florida State (12/09/74).

2007-08 SEASON

All-Conference USA and NABC District VII second-team selection…Named the league's Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season…Chosen to the NCAA Tournament All-South Region Team…Sat out the team's first two games vs. Tennessee-Martin and Richmond with a right toe sprain…Scored 255 points (6.9 per game), as he hit on 105-of-164 field goals (64.0 percent ) and 45-of-119 free throws (37.8 percent )…Pulled down 360 rebounds (9.6 per game), including 133 from the offensive glass…Credited with 19 assists, 40 steals and 72 blocked shots…Fouled out of five games, as he had 102 personal fouls and 40 turnovers…Scored in double digits ten times and had ten or more rebounds in 18 contests.

2007-08 GAME ANALYSIS

In his first game back from his toe injury, vs. Oklahoma, he had 12 rebounds, nine points and five blocks…Grabbed 12 boards and had three blocks vs. Connecticut…Produced a 12-board game vs. Alabama-Birmingham and had 16 points in that contest…Added another 12 rebounds vs. Houston and put in 12 points to go with 13 rebounds vs. Central Florida…Totaled 10 points and 14 boards vs. Southern Methodist and tallied a career-high 22 rebounds in the team's second meeting vs. Houston…Blocked four shots and had 13 rebounds vs. Gonzaga…Snared 19 boards vs. Tulsa and 14 more vs. Rice…Scored 11 points with 12 rebounds vs. Marshall and made 14 boards with 12 points vs. Siena…Had three blocked shots. 13 rebounds and 11 points vs. Georgetown…Totaled 12 rebounds and 11 points vs. Middle Tennessee State…Added 10 boards and 10 points vs. Austin Peay State, dishing out four assists in that game…Snared 12 boards to go with 13 points vs. Mississippi State…Grabbed nine rebounds and added eight points vs. Tulsa in the Conference USA Tournament title game…In the NCAA Tournament, Dorsey had the 26th career double-double vs. Texas, with 11 points and 12 rebounds…Dorsey's 15-board game vs. UCLA was 55th double-digit rebounding game of career (Tigers have a 52-3 record when he grabs double-digit boards).

SUMMER 2007

Selected to Team USA for the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ... Team USA placed fifth with a 3-2 record ... The team dropped its first two games, but bounced back to win its final three contests ... Averaged 3.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in five appearances ... In first two games, averaged only 3.0 minutes of action and scored two points and grabbed one rebound…In last three contests, averaged 19.3 minutes and posted 4.3 points and 5.3 boards per game..Hit a key free throw late and blocked a last-second 3-point attempt in Team USA's upset over Argentina ... Had three points, four rebounds and three assists vs. Argentina ... Grabbed nine boards vs. the U.S. Virgin Islands ... Had five points, three boards and three steals vs. Panama.

2006-07 SEASON

All-Conference USA first-team selection, adding Conference USA All-Defensive Team honors, while also being named the league's Defensive Player of the Year…Member of the Conference USA All-Tournament squad…Named Conference USA Player of the Week for Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2007…Started all 37 games ... Averaged 8.5 points, as he scored a career-high 313 points on 121-of-197 field goals (61.4 percent ) and 71-of-152 free throws (46.7 percent )…Had 347 rebounds (9.4 per game), snatching 162 from the offensive glass…Led the team with 81 blocked shots, the sixth-highest season total in school history…Ranked second on the squad with 53 steals and handed out 13 assists…Fouled out of six games, as he was charged with 106 personal fouls and 63 turnovers…Posted seven double-doubles and 20 double-digit rebounding contests ... The Tigers were 18-2 when he had double-digit rebounds (only losses at Tennessee and at Arizona).

2006-07 GAME ANALYSIS

Recorded a double-double of 15 points and 12 boards in a thrilling road win at Gonzaga, as he tied a career high with five steals vs. the Bulldogs and also had three rim-rattling dunks in the first half vs. Gonzaga that helped the Tigers build a 39-31 halftime edge ... Grabbed 10 boards and had five steals vs. Cincinnati ... Had eight points and 11 boards in a road game at Arizona ... Posted nine points, 11 boards, two blocks and two steals vs. Austin Peay ... Pulled down double-digit rebounds in consecutive games vs. Ole Miss (10 boards) and Tennessee (13) ... Had a double-double performance with 10 points and 12 rebounds vs. Manhattan, as he also had five blocks and four steals vs. the Jaspers ... Scored 10 points and added seven rebounds vs. Arkansas State ... Had six points and seven boards in a win over Kentucky in the EA Sports Maui Invitational third-place game ... Slammed home a thunderous dunk during a second-half run that put the game out of reach ... Had six boards and three blocks vs. Georgia Tech in the EA Sports Maui Invitational semifinal ... Named Conference USA co-Player of the Week for Jan. 29-Feb. 4 for the Tigers' games vs. Southern Methodist and Central Florida…Averaged 14.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.5 steals while shooting 75 percent from the field in the two wins ... Had seven points, nine rebounds and four steals vs. SMU ... Netted a career-high 22 points on 10 field goals (also a career best) and two free throws vs. UCF, as he added a career-best five steals ... Grabbed a season-high 16 boards in a home win over Southern Miss, as he also had seven points, three blocks and three steals vs. the Golden Eagles ... Had a double-double performance of 13 points and 11 boards in a home victory over Tulsa ... Posted 15 rebounds vs. East Carolina and had 12 boards at home vs. UAB ... Recorded a double-double game of 14 points and 11 boards in a road win at Southern Miss, as he also had six blocks vs. the Golden Eagles ... Grabbed 10 boards and swatted three shots at Houston ... Scored seven points, with 13 rebounds, four blocks and four steals vs. Marshall ... Recorded his seventh double-double of season with a 14-point, 11-rebound performance vs. Marshall in the C-USA Tournament quarterfinal ... Had eight points and four boards vs. Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament South Regional semifinal ... Posted eight points, nine rebounds and two blocks vs. Nevada and its All-America post Nick Fazekas in the NCAA Tournament second round.

2005-06 SEASON

Member of the Conference USA All-Tournament Team…Played in all 37 games and started 35 ... Averaged 6.9 points and 7.5 rebounds (led team) ... Had 66 blocked shots (led team) and 44 steals ... The 66 blocks are the 10th-most for single season in Tiger history ... Shot 63.1 percent from the floor (led team) ... Posted six double-doubles and 10 double-digit rebounding contests ... The Tigers were 9-1 when he had double-digit rebounds (only loss at UAB).

2004-05 SEASON

Played in 37 games and started seven ... Averaged 4.6 points and 6.0 rebounds (second on the team) ... Had 43 blocked shots (second on team) and 22 steals ... Shot 54.6 percent from the floor (led team) ... Posted three double-doubles and seven double-digit rebounding contests ... The Tigers were 7-0 record when he had double-digit rebounds.

INJURY REPORT

2007-08: Sat out the team's first two games vs. Tennessee-Martin (11/05) and Richmond (11/06) with a right toe sprain.

PREP SCHOOL

Attended Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham, North Carolina in 2002-03…After the season, he transferred to Laurinburg (N.C.) Prep in 2003-04, where he averaged 16.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocked shots in his final season…Also shot 76.3 percent from the foul line, as he helped lead his team to a 28-7 record and a No. 6 final national ranking.

HIGH SCHOOL

Attended Douglass High School in Baltimore, Maryland, helping lead the team to the Maryland Class 3A title in 2001-02…Averaged 11.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals that season, earning All-State and Baltimore Sun All-Metro Team honors.

SUMMER BASKETBALL

Ranked the seventh-best power forward in the nation by HoopScoop following his performance at the Adidas ABCD Camp in the summer of 2003….Played in the prestigious Derek Anderson Derby Festival in Louisville in April of 2004, where he had 17 points and eight boards in helping lead his team to a 123-108 win…Also finished second in the dunk contest at the festival.

PERSONAL

Interdisciplinary Studies major…Son of Charlene Dorsey…Born Richard E. Dorsey on 12/16/83…Resides in Baltimore, Maryland.