NCAA Stock Watch
The past week or so has been one of the most interesting times of the year at the NBA Combine. Players are measured in height, weight, length, speed, quickness and agility and then put forth a variety of shooting drills and one-on-one interviews as well. Basically, anything that you want to know about a prospect for your team you could find out this weekend. After we have had the weekend to digest the information, here's our analysis of some of this week's trending prospects.
Marshon Brooks - SG
We've written about and received quite a few questions about Brooks, the nation's number two scorer this past season at Providence. He turned heads with his ridiculous 7'1" wingspan- that helped him create a few turnovers on the defensive end in drills and then convert offensively around the rim in traffic. His perimeter shot is a work in progress, but we think he can help a rotation next season and is steadily climbing into the early-to-mid 20s range.
Jordan Hamilton - SF
Hamilton was listed at 6'7" in his playing days with Texas, but measured in at 6'8 ½" in shoes at the Combine. With an 8'8" standing reach. With that size and his offensive firepower, Hamilton could move into the top half of the lottery if teams feel that he'll mature and their coach can keep Hamilton's shot selection in check.
Charles Jenkins - SG
As we continue to evaluate Jenkins on tape, the more we find that we like him. Jenkins is as tremendous of a scorer as advertised (2,513 career points in the CAA, 38.3 career shooting from 3-point range), but also showing the ability to slide over and play some point guard. He averaged a career-best 4.8 assists per game, while cutting his turnovers by a full mistake per game to a healthy 2.16 assist-to-turnover ratio. He's a mid-to-late first round prospect starting with New York at No. 17.
Kawhi Leonard - SF
It's not as much as Leonard's measurements have helped his stock (although his 7'3" wingspan does help) - he was never a knockdown shooter (25 percent from behind the arc in his career), but has been shooting the ball much better as of recent. He has also improved his handle to give him a pretty good shot to remove his "tweener" label and slide over to the small forward spot permanently. He has the versatility to guard 2s, 3s and 4s in the NBA, which only helps his cause as a lottery pick- he'll be off the board in the top ten. Teams love his athleticism, motor and rebounding prowess.
Josh Selby - PG/SG
Selby's name has been a topic of conversation all season long built up with all of the hype- he started off as a potential lottery pick, but looked more like a second-rounder during the season. His hype was followed by a nine-game NCAA-imposed suspension, woeful shooting and decision-making, an injury and overall, a disappointing freshman year. However, he's regaining steam and moving not only back into the first-round, but up draft board into the late-lottery to mid-first again. He's not a point guard, but his quickness and scoring instincts are at an elite level. The biggest reason for his rise is his one-on-one interviews. He's been impressing a lot of front office personnel right now.
Nikola Vucevic - PF
The big Montenegro forward raised some eyebrows when he made his initial decision to put his name in the draft with an agent, but Vucevic has come a long way since then. He measured in at 6'11 ¾", 260 pounds with a 7'4 ½:" wingspan making him a legitimate center prospect at the next level. His size and finesse have allowed him the ability to dominate around the rim in college, but he added a new wrinkle to his game this past season with his ability to face-up and knock down jumpers with 3-point range. Starting with Philadelphia at No. 16, Vucevic is in play.
