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The Sports Xchange

OVERVIEW

Despite playing out of position at center most of his career, Hendrix had the dominating type of junior season many scouts expected him to eventually have. The team struggled on the court, but not through the fault of its powerful frontcourt standout. Hendrix, who briefly flirted with entering the NBA Draft after high school, applied for early entry for the 2008 NBA Draft.

Hendrix led the Southeastern Conference in double-double (17) performances and rebounding (10.1 rpg) in 2007-08, as he was the only league player to average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds per game. He scored 1,327 career points in three seasons at Alabama, which ranks 18th all-time, for a 14.0 career average. His 849 career rebounds ranks 11th all-time at Alabama (8.9 rpg).

At Athens High School, Hendrix earned 2005 "Mr. Basketball" in the state of Alabama, playing for his father, Venard. He added McDonald's All-American honors and was also a Parade All-American pick. Parade rated him the fifth-best prospect in the nation. He was named 2005 Class 5A Player of the Year.

During his four seasons at Athens High, Hendrix scored 2,915 points. He averaged 22.7 points, 14.9 rebounds and 5.4 blocks as a senior and averaged 22.1 points, 13.7 rebounds and 5.1 blocked shots during his junior campaign. He set the state record in career rebounds at 1,820 and in blocked shots with 667. He also set school all-time scoring, rebounding, shot blocking and consecutive game starts records.

Hendrix registered six triple-doubles his junior year in 2004 and three more as a sophomore. He had 92 double-doubles and played in a school-record 138 consecutive games, earning All-Area Class 5A honors his last two years. He was named Area 15 Tournament MVP.

During his summers, Hendrix played for the Alabama Lasers AAU team. He was selected to play in the 2005 Michael Jordan All-American All-Star Game in Madison Square Garden. He was also a World Select Team member at the NIKE Hoop Summit. Earlier in his prep career, he was a member of the Gold Medal-winning South Team at USA Junior Olympic Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs in both 2003 and 2004.

In 2005-06, Hendrix was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team by the league's coaches, adding Freshman All-American honors from Rivals.com. He started 22 of 31 games, seeing most of his action in the pivot. He produced seven double-double performances on the way to averaging 9.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. His average of 9.3 rebounds per game in SEC competition ranked second in the league.

Hendrix and guard Alonzo Gee were the only Crimson Tide players to start all 32 games in 2006-07. He garnered consensus All-SEC second-team honors, coming up with 13-double-doubles. He led the Tide in scoring with an average of 14.6 points per game, pacing SEC players with a .604 shooting percentage from the field. He led the team and finished fourth in the SEC with an average of 8.7 rebounds per game, picking up All-District honors.

Hendrix elevated his game to complete dominance of the boards as a junior. He blocked a career-high 63 shots, pulling down 323 rebounds to go with 59.8 percent shooting from the field for a 17.8-point average. He doled out 51 assists and chipped in with 41 steals, but saw his streak of 76 consecutive starts end when he missed the Feb. 8, 2008 Kentucky contest due to the flu.

ANALYSIS

Positives: Shorter than teams would like from a four- or five-spot player, but he has good chest thickness, solid upper body build, good wingspan (87 inches) that gives him extra length and the ability to block shots or crash the boards for the rebound ... Can simply overpower the opponent when establishing position under the basket and has the best strength of any power forward prospect in this draft ... Compensates for a lack of height with his long reach, which allow him to consistently alter shots from bigger opponents ... Lacks flash, but is one of the more consistent players you will find, with few weaknesses outside of his glaring free throw shooting problems ... Can play with finesse and guile, but is not to be confused as a passive player, as he can easily bang bodies with the bigger centers ... Wide post player with the low post skills to carry a team's scoring drive in tight quarters ... Has thick legs like that of a lineman's in football, but also is quick enough to move around well on the open floor ... His physique is very impressive, with a tight abdomen, big guns for arms and minimal body fat (3.45 percent) ... Very focused player with a good team-first attitude, showing no selfish attitude in his play, despite being the star on a mediocre team with a marginal supporting cast ... Has become much more agile, shedding excess weight before the 2007-08 campaign and the improvement was evident in his quickness, stamina and punishing defensive game ... Uses his raw power well to defeat physical contact by the defender ... Has good passing skills to get the ball out when facing double-team action ... It is very rare to see an opponent have much success backing him down in the post, thanks to his strong base ... Has a well-rounded game, with the ability to score in the post and developing face-the-basket skills, as he gets very good elevation on his right-handed hook shot when playing down low ... With his back-to-the-basket skills, he can consistently finish around the rim, as he showed as a junior steady improvement with his explosiveness working underneath ... Even though he is known for his physicality and dominance on the boards, he also shows very good touch around the basket, along with solid post moves, as he uses his size and power well when trying to box out his man ... Displays excellent leg strength, spring in his step and explosion elevating to get to the rebound ... Once he establishes position in the paint, he has the sure hands and power to drive to the basket and draw contact ... Still a work in progress, but showed improved range shooting with his left hand as a junior ... Not the type to keep the ball on the floor often, but can pull up and shoot off the dribble ... Has a good bounce in his step and the timing to know when and where to go up and compete for the put-backs ... When traffic gets too tight inside, he can spin away from contact, get out of the post and sink a jumper, even with a man in his face ... Does a good job of pinning his man and using his body as a shield when working around the hoop ... Smart, instinctive player with a good concept and understanding for establishing and maintaining position around the glass ... Gets up and down the court with good ease and has the suddenness and vertical agility to explode and get up past the rim to deflect the opponent's shots ... Creates mismatches vs. most power forwards with his quickness and finesse moves operating in the post ... Won't scare anyone out from the paint to defend him on the three-point shot, but can on occasion step out and away from the basket to put in a few mid-range jumpers from the 15-foot range ... Boxes out the opposition better than most front court players in the NCAA and it is also NBA caliber, using his strong moves to the basket, with reliable hands and excellent timing to go with the length to secure the ball away from smaller forwards ... With his gained confidence in his left-handed shooting, he no longer is predictable using his right hand so much, as he is very fluid switching the ball from hand to hand while elevating to the hoop ... Can slash to the basket and hang in the air for a long time to put in the emphatic dunk with either hand ... Has the touch to make his shots from mid range and very good hands to secure the post entry passes ... High percentage shooter with a quick release, high release point and very good wrist flick, getting the ball up and over the defender with good ease of motion ... Gets most of his scoring done in the post, keeping defenders at bay with a very effective and smooth right-handed jump hook that he can drop in from 10-12 feet out ... Has good balance elevating to block shots, especially coming from the weak side vs. the bigger shooters ... While not required to handle the ball often, he has no problems facing up and taking the opponent off the dribble, as he seems to have radar on his way to get to the rim.

Negatives: His defensive game is ideally suited for playing center in the NBA, but his lack of height will cause too many mismatches there at the next level ... For all of his mid-range and inside scoring ability, he is a big liability at the free throw line, where he struggles to get a good release point and has a noticeable hitch in his shot when releasing from the charity stripe (opponents have little concern fouling him, as he is a career 59.4 percent shooter from the free throw line) ... That hitch in his shot is also evident when taking a jumper from mid-range, as he tends to shot put those attempts ... Seems to be more of a meat-and-potatoes type of shooter (nothing fancy), as he is not yet consistently with his counter moves off the low block ... Gets good elevation, but takes too many off-balanced shots when he has a much bigger forward or center in his face ... Struggles to get his shot off in the post when he fails to set his feet first ... Likes to bang heads inside, but is not a fan of defending at the perimeter, as he will not always get in front of the quicker face-up shooters, who can put the ball on the floor and slash by him ... Has enough quickness for the half court game, but is not a gazelle running from one end of the court to the other and is usually a step behind when having to defend the distance vs. smaller forwards ... Does not show the lateral quickness to be effective on the pick--roll and needs to do a better job of taking his passers out of their element and get better position to hedge on screens ... Likes to drive to the basket often, but when backing away, he needs to a better job executing spin moves to his right shoulder.

Compares To: ELTON BRAND-Los Angeles Clippers ... His favorite player, there are a lot of similarities in the game Hendrix plays to that of Brand's. Both are power forward types with the strength to play center, only lacking the size to do so. Hendrix is a beast as a rebounder and shows good fundamentals and timing as a shot blocker. It is very hard for the defense to get him out of the paint once he establishes position. He has solid back-to-the-basket scoring skills, but after dropping more than 20 pounds last year, he has shown much better quickness bouncing out of the crowd to sink a mid-range jumper. He has excellent hands to secure the post-entry passes and is a capable ball handler, if he doesn't have to keep the ball on the floor for long. His biggest weakness is his free throw shooting, as he has a noticeable hitch in his shot. He lacks the ideal lateral agility to defend on the perimeter vs. quicker and smaller opponents, preferring to bang heads inside rather than just let the shooter have his way with him from long range. He also has some of the same abilities of Toronto's Carlos Boozer, but unlike Boozer, he is much better off playing at his trimmed weight, rather than bulking up again.

CAREER NOTES

Started 86 of 95 games during his career, scoring 1,327 points, the 18th-best career total in school history, as he averaged 14.0 points per game ... Made 523-of-886 field goals (59.0 percent), including 3-of-13 from three-point range ... Pulled down 849 rebounds (8.9 rpg), handed out 136 assists (1.4 apg) and added 82 steals (0.9 spg) ... Also blocked 152 shots (1.6 bpg) and registered 37 double-double performances ... His field goal percentage of .590 rank second on the school career record list behind Bobby Lee Hurt (63.1 percent, 1982-85) ... His average of 1.6 blocks per game and total 152 blocked shots both rank seventh on the Tide's all-time record list ... His 60.2 percent field goal shooting in 2006-07 is the seventh-best season average in school history ... His 229 rebounds in 2007-08 rank eighth on the Alabama single-season record list ... His 201 free throw attempts in 2007-08 rank seventh on the school single-season record books ... Produced 37 double-double performances during his career ... His 23 rebounds vs. Troy (11/09/07) rank sixth on the school single-game record chart.

2007-08 SEASON

All-American honorable mention by The NBA Draft Report and the Associated Press ... All-Southeastern Conference first-team choice ... John Wooden All-American team finalist and named to The National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District VI first-team ... Recipient of the team's Jerry Harper Rebounding Award, as he led the Tide and the SEC with an average of 10.1 rebounds (323 total) per game ... Winner of the squad's Paul Sullivan Most Blocked Shots Award (63) ... Also received Alabama's Highest Field Goal Percentage Award (59.8) and the Highest Scoring Average (17.8) Award ... Received a painted basketball commemorating his 1,000th Alabama career point and was lauded for his work in the classroom as a May 2008 graduate and for being one of six Crimson Tide players who were named to the Academic All-SEC team ... Made 229-of-383 field goals (229 field goals rank eighth on the school single-season record list), including 2-of-7 three-pointers ... Shot 53.7 percent from the free throw line (108-of-201) ... Dished out 51 assists (1.6 apg) and had 41 steals (0.9 spg) ... Led the team in scoring 13 times and in rebounds 20 times, as he produced 17 double-double games ... Had 55 turnovers and 94 personal fouls.

2007-08 GAME ANALYSIS

Opened the season in explosive fashion, earning SEC Player of the Week honors after grabbing 23 rebounds, including seven off the offensive glass while blocking two shots, handing out a pair of assists and scoring 22 points vs. Troy...Hit on 11-of-15 field goals for 28 points and had 14 rebounds, three blocks and two steals vs. Mercer ... Tallied 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting, grabbing 10 rebounds, as he blocked two shots and had three assists vs. Belmont ... Had his fourth-straight 20-point game, totaling 20 with 11 rebounds and two assists vs. Southern Mississippi ... Snared 12 boards to go with three blocks and 19 points vs. Texas A&M ... Accounted for a season-high 30 points on 13-of-15 shooting, adding nine rebounds, three blocks and two assists vs. Missouri State ... Took down 11 boards and scored 18 points with three assists vs. George Washington ... Added 13 rebounds with 19 points and four blocked shots vs. Chicago State, followed by 16 boards, three blocks, two steals, four assists and 24 points in the Florida clash ... Put in 21 points vs. Mississippi State and torched Auburn for 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, as he also had eight boards and two assists ... Followed with another 20 points, 12 rebounds and two steals vs. Tennessee ... Registered 10 boards and 17 points vs. South Carolina and 16 points with 13 boards and three assists vs. Louisiana State ... Hit on 8-of-10 free throws on the way to 22 points, four assists, two blocks, two steals and eight rebounds in a March clash vs. Florida ... Finished the season with 13 rebounds, two blocked shots, a pair of steals and 15 points vs. Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament.

2006-07 SEASON

All-Southeastern Conference second-team pick by the league's coaches and Associated Press ... USBWA All-District IV and NABC All-District VI selection ... Joined guard Alonzo Gee as the only Tide players to start all 32 games ... Led the Tide in scoring, averaging 14.6 points per game for a total of 468 points, shooting 60.2 percent from the field (186-of-309) to lead the SEC, as that percentage rank seventh on the school single-season record list ... Made 1-of-5 three pointers and 95-of-151 free throws (62.9 percent) ... Led the team and ranked fourth in the SEC with an average of 8.7 rebounds (279) per game ... Handed out a career-high 60 assists and had 17 steals ... Blocked 41 shots (1.3 bpg), as he had 69 turnovers with 96 personal fouls ... Produced 17 double-double performances.

2006-07 GAME ANALYSIS

Scored a career-best 34 points vs. Alabama State ... Added 20 or more points in four other contests, including 28 at home vs. Arkansas (12-of-18 from the field), 23 at North Carolina State, 21 vs. Kentucky and 22 vs. Mississippi State ... Had double digit rebounding in 14 games, including 15 vs. South Carolina and 13 vs. Auburn, both home games.

2005-06 SEASON

Freshman All-American second-team choice by Rivals.com and Freshman All-SEC first-team pick by the league's coaches ... Named SEC Freshman of the Week three times in 2005-06 ... Had seven double-double performances his freshman season, as he averaged 9.4 points and 8.0 rebounds ... Totaled 291 points on 55.7 percent shooting from the field (108-of-194) and 64.7 percent from the foul line (75-of-116) ... Grabbed 247 rebounds, came up with 25 assists and added 24 steals ... Blocked 48 shots (1.5 bpg), as he was charged with 80 personal fouls to go with 55 turnovers.

2005-06 GAME ANALYSIS

Scored a season-high 22 points vs. Mississippi State ... Posted 11 points and 17 rebounds vs. national champion Florida ... Added 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. Tennessee.

INJURY REPORT

2007-08 Season: Saw his 76 consecutive game starting streak end when he missed the Kentucky clash (2/09/08) due to the flu.

AAU/SUMMER BASKETBALL

During his summers, Hendrix played for the Alabama Lasers AAU team ... Selected to play in the 2005 Michael Jordan All-American All-Star Game in Madison Square Garden ... Was also a World Select Team member at the NIKE Hoop Summit ... Earlier in his prep career, he was a member of the Gold Medal-winning South Team at USA Junior Olympic Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs in both 2003 and 2004.

HIGH SCHOOL

Attended Athens (Ala.) High School, earning 2005 "Mr. Basketball" in the state of Alabama, playing for his father, head coach Venard Hendrix ... McDonald's All-American and was also a Parade All-American pick ... Parade rated him the fifth-best prospect in the nation. He was named 2005 Class 5A Player of the Year ... During his four seasons at Athens High, Hendrix scored 2,915 points ... Averaged 22.7 points, 14.9 rebounds and 5.4 blocks as a senior and averaged 22.1 points, 13.7 rebounds and 5.1 blocked shots during his junior campaign ... Set the state record in career rebounds at 1,820 and in blocked shots with 667 ... Also set school all-time scoring, rebounding, shot blocking and consecutive game starts records ... Registered six triple-doubles his junior year in 2004 and three more as a sophomore ... Had 92 double-doubles and played in a school-record 138 consecutive games, earning All-Area Class 5A honors his last two years ... Named Area 15 Tournament MVP ... Voted "Mr. AHS" and "Senior Class Favorite" at Athens High by the student body ... Member of the National Honor Society.

PERSONAL

Graduated in May, 2008 with a degree in Communications, earning that degree in a program-record three years ... His roommate and teammate Greg Cage also earned his degree in May within three years of enrolling at Alabama ... .First male of six family members to attend the University of Alabama ... His older sisters, Lesley Hendrix Bruinton (2000) and Kristina Hendrix (2003) both graduated from Alabama ... Lesley works in communications for the Tuscaloosa City School system and Kristina works in the communications office for NASA ... Son of Valarie and Venard Hendrix, both teachers Athens college graduates ... In addition to coaching basketball, his father also coaches tennis at Athens High ... Born 11/15/86 ... Resides in Athens, Alabama.