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Post by Commissioner on Jun 21, 2018 22:53:50 GMT -5
It's hardly new, but I still find myself blinking each year at draft time. I might have missed someone, but a quick look at the board it looks like the first guy to play more than two years in college and be drafted this year is Villanova's Mikal Bridges, a junior this past year, taken with the 10th overall pick.
The first senior drafted is Grayson Allen, at #21. The only other senior to go in the first round was Boise State's Chandler Hutchinson, who went at right after Grayson at #22.
Jevon Carter of West Virginia (#32 overall), Kansas Jayhawks Devonte Graham (#34) and Sviatslov Mykhailik (#47), Alize Johnson of Missouri State (#50), Purdue's Vince Edwards (#52), Virginia's Devon Hall (#53) and UT-Arlington's Kevin Hervey are the only seniors to go with the second round almost over (3 picks to go). I'd guess a majority of the players taken, certainly in the first round, were freshmen and sophs, if not just freshmen.
It just seems weird. And while I don't favor (nor do I think we could) go back to the old pre-Spencer Haywood days, it does seem to me that this has really damaged both the college and pro game.
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Post by motorcitysam on Jun 23, 2018 5:36:58 GMT -5
It's hardly new, but I still find myself blinking each year at draft time. I might have missed someone, but a quick look at the board it looks like the first guy to play more than two years in college and be drafted this year is Villanova's Mikal Bridges, a junior this past year, taken with the 10th overall pick. The first senior drafted is Grayson Allen, at #21. The only other senior to go in the first round was Boise State's Chandler Hutchinson, who went at right after Grayson at #22. Jevon Carter of West Virginia (#32 overall), Kansas Jayhawks Devonte Graham (#34) and Sviatslov Mykhailik (#47), Alize Johnson of Missouri State (#50), Purdue's Vince Edwards (#52), Virginia's Devon Hall (#53) and UT-Arlington's Kevin Hervey are the only seniors to go with the second round almost over (3 picks to go). I'd guess a majority of the players taken, certainly in the first round, were freshmen and sophs, if not just freshmen. It just seems weird. And while I don't favor (nor do I think we could) go back to the old pre-Spencer Haywood days, it does seem to me that this has really damaged both the college and pro game. Agreed. I used to love the long drafts of the early 80s. I remember the 1980 draft was something like ten rounds. Back then, with most players staying four years in college, many were well known by the time they were eligible for the draft. I used to enjoy guessing if and when some of my favorites would be drafted. Some advocate for the shorter drafts because they believe it gives players more opportunities. The school of thought is that an undrafted player has his pick of which clubs he would like to try to make. In reality, it doesn't work that way. Players can't make a team invite them to summer league or sign them to a contract. Those players might be on the outside looking in. Players who are drafted know that they are going to at least get a look from the team that picked them, and will probably get a chance to showcase themselves for other clubs, too, in summer league and exhibition games. It will never happen, but I think it would be beneficial for the players to go back to a more rounds in the draft. Not ten, but four seems like a good number. Early entry into the NBA and the practice of teams readily drafting freshmen has had a negative impact on both the college and the pro game. You have a lot of new player hitting the league without the skill level and basketball IQ of players in the past. The top college players are basically using college as a quick stop for a few months on the way to the pros, and sometimes that attitude leads guys to declare for the draft before they are ready. And we really miss seeing college basketball at a consistently high level. I don't begrudge individual players for taking advantage of the system to make money, but from a purely entertainment standpoint, neither college basketball or the NBA are as good as they used to be.
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Post by motorcitysam on Aug 6, 2021 3:52:01 GMT -5
Some random thoughts on the NBA draft, because I'm on the midnight shift for a week and so far, it's been an uneventful night.
Cade Cunningham of Oklahoma State went number one to the hometown Pistons. He looked worthy of the top pick during the course of the season. It's a win/win for OK State; Cade led them to 21 wins and the conference finals, and a second-round appearance in the NCAA tournament. In addition to that, the Cowboys now have a powerful recruiting tool available: Cade's status as number one pick in the NBA draft.
Jalen Green went #2 to the Rockets, after spending his post high school year in the G League.
Australian Josh Giddey went to OKC at #6, the first of four first round picks who entered the draft straight from overseas.
Franz Wagner of Michigan went #8 to Orlando, higher than some thought he would go. He's slow and not a good defender, and only shot 31 and 34 % from three during his college years in Ann Arbor. Count me as being surprised that he went so high.
Chris Duarte went #13 to the Pacers. This is a guy who was JUCO player of the year and then led the Ducks to back to back conference titles. He averaged 18 points per game this past season, shooting 53%, 42%, and 81%. He averaged five boards, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Seems like he would have gone higher, but some teams didn't like him because he is considered "too old' at 24 years of age. The NBA sometimes baffles me.
Jalen Johnson of Duke went at 20 to the Atlanta Hawks, despite a consensus among observers that the basically quit on Duke halfway through the season. His numbers were decent, nothing special, and of course Duke was really bad this season. On the other hand, Coach K basically quit the non-conference schedule by unilaterally cancelling the remaining games after Duke lost to Michigan State and Illinois, so maybe JJ was just following his coach's lead.
Detroiter Isaiah Jackson went #22 to the Lakers. Jackson's another guy from that Kentucky team who didn't live up to the hype, but still got drafted in the first round.
Day'Ron Sharp of North Carolina, didn't have great stats, but showed enough to sneak into the first round at number 29.
Power forward Santi Almada was the 30th pick out of Loyola Maryland, the first mid major player to be taken.
Jason Preston, a guard out of Ohio U, became the next mid major guy to go at 33.
JT "God of Thunder" Thor went to Detroit in the second round, overall pick 37.
Ayo Dosunmu, projected as a first round pick since his high school days, went second round, #38 to Chicago, his hometown team.
Former Titan target Isaiah Livers of Michigan went to the Pistons at 42. He'll get a shot.
Luka Garza, College Basketball Player of the Year and big time scorer, went to the Pistons at 52. Scouts say he's not a good NBA fit, I'm guessing because he can't shoot the three or guard the three.
Charles Bassey of Western Kentucky went to Philly at 53. The big center was the focus of one of our "mid major coup" posts when he went to the Hilltoppers. Didn't translate into an NCAA tournament for WKU, or a first round selection for Bassey, but at least his guardian got paid as an assistant coach there for three years after head coach Rick Stansbury hired him to make sure he got Bassey to commit.
Jericho Sims, a front court player from the University of Texas with the name of a stagecoach robber, went to the Knicks at 58.
Power forward Raquan Gray of Florida State went to the Nets at 59. He was the last of three FSU guys to get drafted. The 'Noles have sent six guys to the NBA via the draft in the last three years, and it has paid off in wins and recruiting success.
Aaron Henry of Michigan State went undrafted. He signed a free agent deal with the Sixers. It seems like Henry's focus was on the NBA for the past two years while he was at State.
Michigan native Duane Washington of Ohio State also went undrafted.
The NBA made a nice gesture using an honorary league pick to "draft" Terrence Clarke, a player from Kentucky who entered the draft after his freshman year but was killed in a car accident in the Spring. His Mom, sister, and brother were there for the emotional moment.
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