2010 Hoopville Elite 8 – Final Notes

BOSTON – We have some last notes from the Hoopville Elite 8. It was a weekend with a lot of good basketball in all of the high school age groups, ending with some good championship games on the last day.

• The Expressions Elite 16-under team got some solid play from Jared Terrell (6’1″ Fr. SG, Weymouth (MA) High). The well-built guard played good defense and had a 15-point outing early Saturday.

• One of the more promising prospects we saw on Sunday was Ike Ngwudo (6’5″ Fr. SF-PF, Milton (MA) Academy). Ngwudo caught the eyes of many as he’s long, was a big factor inside and has nice ball skills for the stage he’s at. On a couple of occasions, he caught the ball at the foul line and skillfully drove to get a layup, and it didn’t hurt that he showed he can knock down jumpers from that area as well.

• Ramon Gibbons (6’0″ Fr. SG, Charlestown (MA) High) had his moments, but all in all has played better than he did this weekend. The one thing that stood out was his tendency to slow down when he’s approaching the basket, even on a fast break and has the opposing players beat. Rather than continue to go and finish right by the basket, it’s as if he was trying to go up and come back down in the same spot, and it cost him several layups.

• BABC’s 16-under team wins games for a lot of reasons, especially the chemistry the team has. But point guards go a long way toward winning, and Jaylen Brantley (5’9″ So. PG, Springfield (MA) Central HS) once again showed this weekend that he’s a very good one. He started out with 23 points on Friday night and added four three-pointers en route to 22 on Saturday.

• One player whose improvement might not leap out at the average observer is Georges Niang (6’7″ So. PF, Methuen (MA) Tilton School). The biggest reason is that he has figured out what he is and plays to it very well, and as a result, he impacts the game when he’s out there. He simply finds the ball at both ends and gets his share of stickbacks and other close field goals to go with the occasional mid-range jumper. He had games of 13 and 11 points in pool play.

• Watching that BABC team, you can’t help but appreciate how fundamentally sound Andrew Chrabascz (6’6″ So. SF-PF, Portsmouth (RI) High) is. He doesn’t try to do too much, plays well within the team concept and helps teams win.

• The 15-under MYCW team had a promising guard playing up. Matt Costello, who will attend St. John’s Prep in the fall, just finished the eighth grade and averaged 14 points in three games. He showed a nice stroke from long range, and his play was highlighted by a 17-point outing against Expressions Elite on Saturday.

• Another promising young guard was Malik Houghton (Fr. PG, Boston (MA) City on a Hill School), who closed out his weekend with a 16-point outing against Mass. Evolution on Saturday night.

• Jeylani Dublin (6’5″ Sr. SF-PF, Millbrook (NY) School) is still looking for a college next year. A very good student who has shown marked improvement this spring, he had a 17-point outing in his team’s tough loss at the buzzer on Saturday. Prep school is a possibility if the right college opportunity doesn’t present itself soon.

2010 Hoopville Elite 8 – Sunday Notes

BOSTON – Sunday was a day of championships to close out the Hoopville Elite 8 Tournament. Four games were played one right after the other in the high school age groups, and all were good matchups.

The 14-under final that opened the day proved to be the best game, as Expressions Elite and the Boston Spartans met in a rematch of the state AAU final just over a month ago. The teams traded early runs in what would be a tight game throughout, and each had their ways of scoring and holding the other team at bay in a great contrast of personnel and styles. Expressions used their size and 2-3 zone to slow down the Spartans, while the Spartans put the pressure on Expressions’ ball-handlers (especially minus injured point guard Pat Benzan) and created turnovers that led to baskets.

Expressions dominated inside, with future Milton High School big man Jeremy Miller blocking and altering shots and Jared Reuter, who will attend St. Mark’s, scoring in several ways in close and rebounding as the Spartans had no answer for him. Spartans guards like Damion Smith and Mike Rodriguez, who are among several on the team who will attend West Roxbury High School in the fall, made life difficult for the Expressions guards.

Expressions had a 54-53 lead in the final minute when they got the ball to Reuter and he drove around a couple of Spartans for a layup with less than 40 seconds left to put them up 56-53. After a late defensive stop and a foul, a missed front end of a one-and-one gave the Spartans one last chance. Expressions fouled a Spartan after the inbound to put him on the line with 1.4 seconds left, and after making the first and intentionally missing the second free throw, the ball was knocked around and the final 1.4 ran off to give Expressions Elite a 56-54 win.

Reuter led the winners with a game-high 31 points, scoring by backing players down and dribbling around defenders to get from the foul line to the block for scores. A balanced effort for the Spartans was led by 16 points from Markus Neale (West Roxbury (MA) High) and Rodriguez and 14 points from Smith.

The 15-under final was up next, and it was clear during the first half that one player wanted this game more than anyone else. As BABC and Expressions Elite battled in a back-and-forth game, Wayne Selden (6’3″ Fr. PG-SG, Roxbury (MA) O’Bryant HS) was being very aggressive at the offensive end. While Selden said after the game he knew they would have more driving lanes without their starting big man, that alone couldn’t explain how he grew up as a player in this one as he’s often shown an inconsistent motor despite having some clear talent.

BABC didn’t play the way they wanted to as Expressions largely controlled the pace, but down the stretch it was Selden and BABC that made the plays to take home a 68-56 win. Selden finished with a game-high 26 points and had a big offensive rebound off a missed free throw that helped them pull away late.

The 16-under final was all BABC, as they scored the first 10 points of the game against a depleted Expressions Elite team that was without three frontcourt regulars en route to an 89-41 win. BABC was without two guards that were injured, but they had a good size advantage that they took full advantage of along with their terrific team chemistry to take this one home behind a big game from Nerlens Noel (6’9″ So. PF-C, Everett (MA) High).

The 17-under final was a tale of two halves between the Long Island Lightning and Expressions Elite. The Lightning warded off a strong start by Expressions by getting points off turnovers, then they were the tougher team for much of the half to take a 10-point lead late in the opening frame and a 37-29 edge at the half. They continued that early in the second half, before Expressions Elite came alive with a 17-1 run that gave them the lead for good, and their defense was better down the stretch as they took home the title with a 71-62 win. Ricardo Ledo (6’6″ So. SG-SF, Providence (RI) St. Andrew’s School) led Expressions Elite with a game-high 19 points.

Stay tuned for one more notes column looking back at the Hoopville Elite 8 Tournament.

2010 Hoopville Elite 8 – Saturday Notes

BOSTON – Saturday of weekend tournaments like the Hoopville Elite 8 are always long days, and this one was no different. Some junior high games got the day rolling, and the high school kids took it home in grand fashion as the last games of the evening were all consolation games but were among the best of the day. Three of the four games that started at 9 p.m. were decided in the last minute and the fourth was still a single-digit game.

Here are some highlights of the day:

• An early 16-under game between Expressions Elite and Bomb Squad was a dandy. Expressions had a good lead in the first half, but Bomb Squad never stops competing and this game was no exception as they rallied to eventually take a 46-40 lead. Expressions had their chances to come back but couldn’t capitalize until late – almost too late, as they won at the buzzer 52-51.
• Bomb Squad would eventually pull out a later game, 56-45 over the Greater Boston Lions. Curtis Howe’s team got nice efforts from players like his son Curtis Howe II (So. PG-SG, West Roxbury (MA) Cathedral HS), who had a nice shooting game against Expressions Elite with four three-pointers en route to 16 points, and Keandre Stanton (6’6″ So. PF, Lynn (MA) English HS), who is long and battled inside and had 13 points in the morning loss.
• The Expressions 17-under entry cruised to two wins in their pool. A key to the first win was the excellent play inside of Imoh Silas (6’8″ Jr. PF, Plymouth (NH) Holderness Academy) as he showed his great motor and disrupted the Greater Boston Lions’ offense with blocks, deflections and boards.
• Silas’ opposite number, Jacquille Taylor (6’7″ Fr. PF-C, Cambridge (MA) Rindge & Latin), showed some nice progress this weekend. His body is maturing, he’s showing improvement on his post scoring although his footwork still leaves something to be desired, and he’s showing a better feel for the game. Evidence of the last point came when he caught the ball near the corner and fired off an excellent pass to a teammate for a layup.
• Taylor’s teammate Franklin Salvador (Sr. SG, Somerville (MA) High) had a big hand in keeping them close in the loss to Expressions Elite, as he had three three-pointers that included a couple down the stretch as his team tried to come back.
• A young Expressions player who has played well is Kaleb Joseph (6’1″ Fr. PG, Nashua (NH) South HS), picking up right where he left off on Friday night. Besides his passing ability and unselfish play, he’s starting to hit jump shots as he hit a few three-pointers on Saturday and even hit a nice stop-and-pop jumper from mid-range, the kind of plays that will make him that much tougher to guard. He had 15 points while playing up in the 16-under against Bomb Squad, including a clutch three-pointer that tied the game late.
• In the 14-under division, the expected matchup for the final materialized as Expressions Elite and the Boston Spartans won all of their games by double digits. It will be a rematch of the Massachusetts AAU final last month, which was won by Expressions Elite (then Bay State Jaguars Elite).
• Mount Vernon Boys & Girls Club handed the Greater Boston Lions a heartbreaking loss in 17-under when Anthony Walker (Jr. SG, Mt. Vernon (NY) High) hit a three-pointer as time expired for a 61-58 win. Walker finished the game with four three-pointers en route to 25 points.
• All For One went 2-1 on the weekend in the 16-under division, finishing with a late 82-71 win over New York-based Mount Vernon Boys & Girls Club on Saturday night. They were led by scorer Kenny Reed (So. SG, Roxbury (MA) Reading Memorial HS) and wing Tyrese Hoxter (So. SF, South Boston (MA) High), the latter of whom is lanky, active and athletic, but also showed some bad body language a couple of times that he’ll have to improve on.
• In one of the last games of the night, MYCW’s 15-under team gave a good effort in a 49-44 loss to Mass Evolution in a very competitive game. Leading the way was Alijiah Robinson (Fr. SF-PF, East Boston (MA) High), who impressed in a prior viewing in May and looked even better this time around. The long frontcourt prospect showed a great motor and really got after it, getting blocks and finishing aggressively en route to 14 points.
• Mass Evolution has their share of nice young prospects that showed well in their late win. Mabor Gabriel (Fr. PF, Manchester (NH) Trinity HS) is the best of them, a long and athletic post player who’s a baby physically, raw and very much a “potential” kid right now. While he falls into the trap of trying to block everything, he has two things that are important for a young post player: a good motor and a feel for the game. Nate Clark (Fr. SG, Reading (MA) Memorial HS) hit four three-pointers en route to 15 points on the evening. Johnnie Spears (Fr. PG, Georgetown (MA) High), the younger brother of St. Mark’s guard Jaymie, is a quick point guard who really gets after it on the defensive end. He has a better motor than his brother and looks like he can turn steals into layups more as he gets stronger, as he almost did that a couple of times but one time dished off to a teammate and other times just couldn’t quite finish. Steve Carangelo (Fr. SF, Lynnfield (MA) High) started for his high school varsity team this past season and battled inside at times on Saturday, and the staff is high on him.
• In another 9 p.m. Game in the 15-under, the New York Panthers had a double-digit lead for a time before the Rhode Island Hawks battled back to eventually tie the game at 61, then score three more unanswered points to take home a 64-61. In a late 17-under game at the same time, the Greater Boston Lions held off Montreal United 44-43.

Sunday is the day of championship games. The first one is the 14-under final at 9 a.m., and each game after that is the title game for the next age group until the 17-under final at 1 p.m.

2010 Hoopville Elite 8 – Friday Notes

BOSTON – The first day of the Hoopville Elite 8 got things started with seven games, and there was plenty to talk about with them. Some of the highlights:

• The best game of the evening in the high school age divisions was unquestionably an early 16-under matchup of All For One and Bomb Squad. It was another meeting between two programs full of Boston kids that have had a pretty good rivalry in recent years, meeting several times in state and regional AAU competition, and it lived up to the billing. The game was close throughout, and still tied at 40 late before All For One scored the last four points for a 44-40 win. Talented guard Kenny Reed (So. SG, Roxbury (MA) Reading HS) led the winners with 14 points.
• In the 14-under division, the Brockton Mavericks gave Expressions Elite a ballgame for a while, but Expressions broke the game open in the second half to take home an early win.
• The Expressions Elite 15-under team won their opener over MYCW. One thing is for certain about point guard Kaleb Joseph (6’1″ Fr. PG, Nashua (NH) South HS): he will never be considered a ball hog, as he’s almost unselfish to a fault. At times he passed up shots he should have finished, but that’s a pleasant problem to have in addition to the physical gifts he has.
• BABC won both of their games, with the 16-under team coasting over the Greater Boston Lions thanks largely to playing their game and great teamwork. It’s clear that this team’s experience playing together, especially playing up in the Nike EYBL, is a big reason for their success thus far. They don’t lack talent, but they’re not loaded, either.
• Blackstone Valley Chaos gave BABC a good game at the end of the night in the 15-under division. BABC broke the game open when they scored 13 unanswered points in the first half to go up 38-19, but Blackstone Valley rallied behind several three-pointers, including a few from Mark DeVries (Fr. SG, Uxbridge (MA) High), who has a reputation for being able to hit the outside shot. They eventually got within single digits a couple of times before BABC pulled away late.
• Colin Richey (Fr. PG, Whitinsville (MA) Christian School) had a solid 18-point outing against BABC and showed why he’s a player to watch, as he’s very comfortable using his left (off) hand and finds ways to score using his good basketball I.Q. The biggest thing he lacks is strength, and he’s working on that while part of it is that his body just needs to mature naturally. When that’s the biggest knock on a player, he’s clearly a talent.

Coming up on Saturday is a full day of action, starting with games featuring two junior high age groups at 8:30 in the morning. Once the afternoon arrives, the high school kids take over, including the 17-under teams as they start play a little past noon and culminate with second and third place games at the end of the day.

2010 Hoopville Elite 8 Tournament

(Updated: June 26, 2010, 11:30 p.m.)

Hoopville Elite 8 Invitational

June 25-27, 2010

Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, Boston

Pools – Junior High Ages

Pools – High School Ages

Note: Home team is listed first and must wear white or light-colored jerseys. Team listed second is the visiting team and must wear dark jerseys. Teams should bring both light- and dark-colored jerseys, or reversible jerseys if they have them.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Championship Games: All championship games will be played on the main court at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center.

Tournament Rules and Regulations

• Play will consist of two halves, each of which is 20 minutes running time until the last two minutes, which will be stop time.
• Halftime will be three minutes.
• If necessary, overtime will be three minutes.
• Teams get two full timeouts and one 30-second timeout per game. For each overtime session, each team will get an additional 30-second timeout.
• A player will be disqualified from the game after five fouls in all divisions except for 17-Under, in which case six fouls will disqualify a player.
• Seven team fouls in a half will lead to a one-and-one penalty, while ten fouls will be a two-shot penalty.
• Slaughter rule: if the scoring margin is 20 or more points with less than two minutes to play, play will continue as running time except during a timeout.
• Any player or coach who is ejected from a game during the tournament is automatically suspended for his team’s next game. If a player or coach is ejected from a second game, he is automatically suspended for the remainder of the tournament. There will be no exceptions to this rule.
• Only two coaches (head coach and one assistant) are allowed on the bench for each game and are allowed to get in for free. There is a roster limit of 12 players.
• Each team is responsible for a timer or a scorekeeper at each game.
• Teams must bring their own practice balls. The game ball is the responsibility of the head referee.
• Roster rule: a player’s age is based on his age as of September 1, 2009.
• Unless otherwise stated, college rules apply.

Tie-Breaker Scenarios

First tie-breaker is head-to-head result

Second tie-breaker is point differential – note that the maximum point differential for a team is 15 points. Forfeits are scored +15 for the winning team.

Admission

The tournament is open to the public.  Children under 12 get in free.  For adults, admission is $3 on Friday, $5 on Saturday and $5 on Sunday.

6 First Rounders Who Might Disappoint

In every NBA Draft, some players are just duds.

For every second-round steal — Gilbert Arenas, before the gun charges — there’s a second overall pick that labors to crack a starting lineup, let alone dominate opponents at an All-Star level. I’m talking to you Darko Milicic. Several players in this draft appear to be attractive picks, but certain red flags make them candidates to flop at the next level.

Top Tier Talent

Cole Aldrich, Kansas

What to love: The Jayhawks’ 6-10 junior has the look of a legitimate center, and he has a national championship under his belt. Aldrich was one of the top rebounders in college basketball, averaging 9.9 rebounds per game.

What to hate: Aldrich’s scoring was inconsistent last season. After adjusting scoring for playing time and team tempo, Aldrich had the second-worst per-possession scoring average of any potential lottery pick. And he didn’t have a great workout at the draft combine, posting some of the worst vertical jump results. Aldrich might not have the athleticism necessary to overcome better post defenders in the NBA.

Ekpe Udoh, Baylor

What to love: Udoh was a game-changing defender for the Bears because he averaged 3.7 blocks per game. At 6-10, Udoh is long and athletic, with an excellent vertical leap for a big man.

What to hate: His offensive game is behind the curve, especially for a 23 year old. Udoh had the worst per-possession scoring average of the likely lottery picks, and his shooting percentage, 49 percent, wasn’t great for a big man who stays mostly near the basket. Unlike Aldrich, Udoh has the athleticism of an NBA power forward but lacks any of the polish needed to shine at the next level.

First-Round Reaches

Eric Bledsoe, Kentucky

What to love: As the second option at guard alongside John Wall, Bledsoe helped the Wildcats storm through the regular season and NCAA Tournament before losing to West Virginia in the Elite Eight. He flashed plenty of potential for leading an offense, averaging 2.9 assists per game despite playing second fiddle to Wall at the point.

What to hate: Bledsoe’s shooting was inconsistent at 46.2 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the free throw line. And he committed too many turnovers: three per game. After adjusting for playing time and tempo, Bledsoe had the fourth-worst scoring average of the top 65 draft picks. He’s raw and could turn into a project.

Avery Bradley, Texas

What to love: Bradley was one of the most heralded recruits entering last season, and he finished No. 2 on the Longhorns in scoring. He shined at the combine, posting a nearly 38-inch vertical leap and torching the three-quarter court sprint in 3.1 seconds.

What to hate: Like Bledsoe, Bradley was horribly inconsistent, a problem that beset the entire Texas squad. Bradley barely edged Bledsoe as the fifth-worst prospect out of 65 in terms of scoring after adjusting for playing time and tempo. Bradley shot even worse than Bledsoe at 43.2 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from the free throw line. At 6-2, he’s a tiny, inconsistent shooter, making Bradley a risky pick. He’s too small to play the 2 guard spot in the NBA, and he didn’t run the point at Texas.

Craig Brackins, Iowa State

What to love: Brackins reliably delivered double-doubles for the Cyclones despite being the team’s only major threat. He averaged 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. And he has an eight-foot wingspan.

What to hate: Brackins’ scoring dipped significantly this past season, and his shooting percentage fell from 47.5 percent to 42.0 percent. His points per possession put him among the bottom 25 out of 65. He tested the NBA Draft waters last season and didn’t excite teams enough to receive a first-round guarantee. Since then, his game has seemingly regressed.

Soloman Alabi, Florida State

What to love: At 7-1, Alabi has the height that NBA teams covet. He was the centerpiece of a stout Seminoles defense that was one of the toughest to score against last season. Alabi averaged more than two blocks per game. Offensively, he shot better than 53 percent from the field.

What to hate: Alabi was a combine disaster with one of the worst vertical jumps and slowest agility and sprint times of all participants. Alabi’s offensive game is in the middle of the road when adjusting for playing time and tempo. And for a 7-footer, you’d think he’d grab more than 6.2 rebounds per game.

Players You Might Not Know — Yet

Despite reams of scouting reports and hours of tape review, NBA teams end up making their best educated guess when picking a player who usually is supposed to develop into a future starter — if not an All Star.

Shortly after team reps submit their picks to David Stern, team fans and executives cross their fingers and pray that the newest member of their squad can live up to expectations. For lottery picks, those expectations are lofty. For the rest of the first-round picks, expectations vary from long-term project to immediate bench contributor. And for second-round picks, anything more than 10 points per game in their first season or two is exceptional.

As always, there are a few players who exceed those expectations, much to the delight of fans, coaches and members of the front office. We have identified some of the potential steals in this year’s draft. … Continue Reading

Competitive Rumble in the Bronx Highlights Busy Weekend

BRONX, N.Y. – On a busy weekend in the world of grassroots basketball, the main team event was the Rumble in the Bronx. It’s a tournament with plenty of history and in an area that has produced its fair share of great players over the years. As usual, it was very competitive all around with a few overtime games mixed in.

The 15-under final was close throughout, with the host Albany City Rocks pulling out a 53-48 win behind 24 points from Jordan Gleason (Fr. SG, Watervliet (NY) High).

In the 16-under final, BABC led for most of the first half, although the PA Playaz stayed within striking distance much of the time. A strong finish to the first half helped BABC go up by double digits at the break, then in the second half they turned turnovers into easy baskets and broke the game open en route to a 78-51 win. The offensive star was Nerlens Noel (6’9″ So. PF-C, Everett (MA) High) with a game-high 23 points, while Georges Niang (6’6″ So. PF, Methuen (MA) Tilton School) added 12 off the bench. The game was won with defense as BABC held star guard Ryan Arcidiancono (6’3″ So. PG-SG, Langhorne (PA) Neshaminy HS) to just three points, two weeks after he averaged over 32 per game at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions.

The 17-under final went back and forth between East Coast Elite and Connecticut Basketball Club, the latter fresh off a dramatic overtime win in the semifinals. Both teams had some momentum swings, though neither team ever had a big advantage with East Coast Elite being stronger late in the game in a 63-58 win behind 28 points from A.J. English (6’3″ Jr. SG, Middletown (DE) Appoquinimink HS).

Now, a look at some of the players who competed this weekend.

Devonta Abron (6’8″ Jr. PF, Seagoville (TX) High) It doesn’t take long for him to catch an observer’s eye, as the lefty forward has a good post body. He scored inside on some good post moves and also showed the ability to hit a cutter for an easy basket. Although he played well, one gets the feeling he’s a better player than he showed.

Tavon Allen (6’7″ Sr. SF, New Haven (CT) Hillhouse HS) Although he’s had an excellent spring, this weekend wasn’t the best of it although he certainly had some highlights. Notably, in the semifinal win, he struggled for much of the game before turning it on in the final minutes to force overtime with two big three-pointers, including one from the corner to tie it, as well as a breakaway basket. Where he really struggled was in shooting off the dribble, as he came up short on a number of those shots and also looked different from before, as he usually shoots his jumpers with his left hand and runners with the right but took a lot of his jumpers off the dribble with his right hand. High-major-minus prospect will do a prep year at Worcester Academy.

Kazembe Azif (6’7″ Jr. PF, Lawenceville (NJ) School) There probably wasn’t a player here with a better motor than this left-handed forward. A live body, he’s always competing at both ends and scored in several ways, from a drive starting at the foul line for a layup to a turnaround post jumper and a shot from about mid-range. His offensive game isn’t great right now, but the way he competes gives one reason to believe he can develop it. Mid-major plus/high-major minus prospect.

Aaron Calixte (5’9″ Fr. PG, Stoughton (MA) High) In a nice win on Saturday night, his continued improvement was apparent. He continues to come off the bench for his team and constantly give them a lift, as he has a good motor and was active at both ends to go with scoring 13 points. At different times he’s shown different facets of his scoring ability, and here it was the in-between game that was highlighted by a nice baseline runner over a big man that dropped for him.

Renee Castro (6’2″ Fr. SG, Milton (MA) Beaver Country Day School) This young guard is starting to grow up as a player, as he’s putting the finishing touches on a good spring. Already able to score, he’s shown improvement handling and passing the ball and also is starting to show a little more of a touch from long range as well.

T.J. Curry (6’0″ Sr. PG-SG, Queens (NY) Christ The King HS) Although his size dictates that he plays the point at the next level, he might be able to get looks at a low level with his shooting if this weekend is any indication. He came in off the bench and basically couldn’t miss, hitting one jumper after another both off the catch and off the dribble, scoring 18 points in one game with most coming in the second half.

Marcus Dawkins (6’4″ Jr. SF, Reading (PA) Central Catholic HS) An athletic wing with some really good upside, he flew under the radar but is a nice prospect. He has a good frame and body, and the lefty really came alive during one stretch of an early Saturday win for his team as he made a nice baseline drive and dunk on one play and later finished the break with a tough shot while getting fouled. Mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.

Jevaune Dawson (5’11″ Jr. PG, White Plains (NY) Satellite Academy) Quick point guard was able to slash to the basket to score, and he also got a stickback while inside with the trees. Away from the basket, his shots included one from long range, and if he can do that consistently he’ll be tougher to guard.

Kevin Douglas (6’5″ Jr. SF-PF, New York (NY) Frederick Douglass Academy) He probably projects more as an undersized power forward than a wing or combo, as he doesn’t have the best ball skills and isn’t the most athletic player. He can finish, with most of his field goals coming close to the basket, isn’t a bad rebounder and has a good body, and he also took some tough shots that he might have been better off passing up.

Andre Drummond (6’10″ So. PF-C, Middletown (CT) St. Thomas More) This weekend wasn’t his finest hour, but as one might expect he showed some of his ability. When he stayed inside, he showed good post moves and also made a couple of nice interior passes. At the defensive end, he wasn’t himself, fouling out in the semifinal with a lot of time to play in part because of a couple of dumb fouls.

Greg Easter, Jr. (6’1″ Fr. SG, Little Rock (AR) Pulaski Heights HS) A good scoring wing, he knocked down some three-point shots and also showed the ability to drive in helping to lead his team to the 15-under final. He reached double figures in scoring a couple of times along the way.

A.J. English (6’3″ Jr. SG, Middletown (DE) Appoquinimink HS) He came up big in the championship game for his team, and it’s not hard to see why. He has a good body that can still get better, shot the ball well and showed a feel for being able to simply score.

Eric Fanning (6’5″ Jr. SF, Trenton (NJ) High) A physical wing, his body isn’t there yet but he was aggressive driving to the basket and drew contact often. He can finish close, including while fouled, and got out in transition several times while playing bigger than his size.

Phil Gaetano (5’11″ Sr. PG, Wallingford (CT) Sheehan HS) One of the reasons his team has had a great run of success this spring has been his floor leadership, and it was quietly on display this weekend. He competes all the time and knows how to find teammates, and while he at times struggled to make shots he seems to knock enough down to keep defenses from thinking his team is playing four-on-five offensively. Next year, this excellent student will do a prep year at Choate Rosemary Hall.

Sterling Gibbs (6’0″ Jr. PG, West Orange (NJ) Seton Hall Prep) Forget all the attributes and numbers we could give on this solid floor leader, even though there were some good things he did. Nothing will top what he did in a big playoff win for his team, where he got poked in the eye so badly you could look at him and know it happened hours later. After he sat on the bench for a while after it happened, he came back into the game and hit two big three-pointers to seal the win. The Maryland commit ran the show well, finished drives and played like a consummate winning point guard.

Malcolm Gilbert (6’11″ Jr. C, Bryn Athyn (PA) Academy of the New Church) A big factor in the championship game, he didn’t score at all but more than held his own against some formidable inside players. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he had a double-double with blocked shots and rebounds, as he has a mature post body and used it well inside.

Maurice Harkless (6’7″ Jr. SF, South Kent (CT) School) He started the weekend well with some solid games in pool play, as he put up some good point totals including a 25-point outing we saw. Later, though, he faded, with other players picking up the slack as his team advanced. Not the most athletic forward, he scored well from mid-range and with the in-between game. High-major/high-major-minus prospect has committed to Connecticut.

Anphernie Harris (6’5″ Fr. SF, Little Rock (AR) Hall HS) There’s a good deal of physical upside in this young wing, as he’s barely more than a baby physically but showed some good tools. He’s athletic and knocked down some mid-range jumpers, and as he fills out his development will be worth following.

Max Hooper (6’6″ Jr. SG, Irvine (CA) Mater Dei HS) Good size wing shot the ball well all weekend long to help his team reach the quarterfinals. He has a good frame and mature body, and when he got open he was making shots from deep off the catch with regularity. Mid-major prospect will play at Brewster Academy next year.

Deonte Houston (6’0″ Jr. PG, Bronx (NY) Wings Academy) In an early Saturday win for his team, he used his body well as he drove to the basket for scores all game long en route to 15 points. He’s not a jet and his body isn’t fully mature yet, and his aggressiveness was on display often, although he didn’t show all-world playmaking ability.

Anthony Jernigan (6’0″ Jr. PG, East Hartford (CT) High) Playmaking point guard made things happen for his team by driving and creating often. He’s not a jet, but has above-average quickness and can find his way inside to try to score or find a teammate, and he did just that in scoring 13 points and getting teammates some shots in an early game. Mid-major prospect.

Kindell Kinloch (6’8″ Fr. PF, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS) It’s unfortunate that he didn’t get the ball much, because he’s a prospect to keep an eye on. He has a mature body for his age that can mature more, as well as some length, and he often battled for position inside to the point where there was, understandably, some visible frustration when they didn’t throw the ball to him.

Greg Langston (6’4″ Sr. SF-PF, Lee (ME) Academy) There might not be a better example of an undersized power forward than him, a classic example of a player who might be a big-time prospect if he was about four or five inches taller. As it is, he’s capable of imposing his will on the game because he’s skilled and plays hard all the time, overcoming not only his lack of height at times but also the fact that his body has a fair amount of bad weight on it.

Khalid Lewis-El (6’3″ Jr. PG-SG, Trenton (NJ) Catholic Academy) A solid floor leader, he made his team go by creating for teammates and forcing the action. He won’t jump out at you with physical gifts, but he made things happen and passed the ball well to get his teammates going.

Derek Millinghaus (5’10″ Jr. PG, Schenectady (NY) High) Well-built point guard had a nice showing in large part by using his body and quickness to be effective. When he can get a good head of steam going to the basket, he’s tough to stop, especially since he has the strength to ward off defenders. He went for 21 points in a tough playoff loss for his team on Sunday.

Malik Nichols (6’5″ Jr. SF, Brooklyn (NY) Boys and Girls HS) Lefty wing isn’t the most fluid athlete, which limits his in-between game to a degree. His ball skills aren’t bad and he showed the ability to hit from long range, although that’s not his forte. He’s more of a scorer than a shooter with his good body, and his relative lack of fluidity is why it was a little surprising when he drove and dunked right on his man on one play.

Nerlens Noel (6’9″ So. PF-C, Everett (MA) High) The young man has basically played on one leg for much of the spring, but he’s growing up as a player and it’s especially evident offensively. In going for 23 points, he continued to show more aggressiveness at that end in addition to finishing the break when he got out in transition. He’s still not there yet physically as he continues to grow, and now that he will re-classify into the class of 2013 there’s that much more upside for him.

Chuck Oliver (6’0″ Jr. SG, Scotch Plains (NJ) High) He won’t pass the look test, as he’s undersized for his position and doesn’t have the best body, but he shot the ball well all weekend long. If he can shoot it more like he did here and get into better shape, he might get some looks as an undersized shooting guard.

Kahron Ross (5’8″ Fr. PG, Jonesboro (AR) Annie Camp Middle School) Small point guard really made his team go and was perhaps the biggest reason they reached the 15-under final. He has a good motor and drives often, finding teammates and scoring on other occasions, as he didn’t shoot it much in our observation.

Tevon Saddler (6’2″ Fr. PG-SG, Aberdeen (MD) High) Athletic guard has some talent for both guard spots. His passing stood out more than his scoring in a quarterfinal game his team lost, and at times he might have been a little too unselfish. At first glance, he doesn’t appear to have the same toughness his older brother has, although that’s not a major knock because his brother scores very high in that category.

Jerel Scott (6’5″ Jr. SF, Albany (NY) Bishop Maginn HS) A good rebounder for his position, he has a good body and uses it well on the glass. In a tough playoff loss, he struggled to score as he didn’t reach double figures.

Jeff Short (6’3″ Jr. SG, Bronx (NY) South Kent School) He flew under the radar a bit on his team, but had a solid weekend leading them deep into the playoffs largely with his shooting. His body’s not there yet, but he can get by a defender although he didn’t look to do that often here. He went for 18 in one playoff win and generally shot the ball well over the weekend.

Jherrod Stiggers (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Terrell (TX) High) Athletic wing was around the ball often and led his team into the playoff rounds. He showed a quick release, which helped him score with jumpers off the catch from mid-range and long range, and that showed up in an 18-point outing with four three-pointers in a late pool game.

Kaleb Tarczewski (6’11″ So. C, Claremont (NH) St. Mark’s School) In a very physical playoff game on Saturday night, he was right at home as he battled inside all night long. He blocked some shots, got rebounds, and even ran the floor a couple of times to score. Since he started playing up, he’s made a marked improvement, largely because he gets the ball enough times to get scoring opportunities.

Michael Taylor (6’3″ Jr. SG, Brooklyn (NY) Boys and Girls HS) Although he doesn’t have one area he can hang his hat on in being very good at, he’s at least good at several things offensively. He looks more like a scorer than a shooter offensively, and he put up 16 in an early Saturday win that included a three-pointer off the dribble among the few jumpers he put up.

P.J. Torres (6’3″ Jr. SG, New Rochelle (NY) High) A wing with a relatively mature body, he came to play and made a big impact in a Saturday win for his team as he was a key to his team create turnovers and getting transition baskets out of them. He constantly attacked the basket to score, while also knocking down a couple of three-point shots en route to 17 points, and his aggressive play epitomized what his team did. Mid-major prospect.

Vince Van Nes (6’11″ Jr. C, Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon) An improved big man, he has a good body and isn’t lacking in skills but is now starting to really show it. He missed a few close baskets early in late playoff games, but was better later on at the offensive end and was a factor defensively.

Anton Waters (6’6″ Fr. SF-PF, Baltimore (MD) Walbrook HS) Lanky forward wasn’t quite the factor he was when we saw him a couple of weeks ago, although there were still things to like. His body’s not there yet, but he’s quick off his feet and pretty active, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he winds up one day being able to play some of both forward spots.

Tanner Wozniak (6’5″ Jr. SG, St. Petersburg (FL) Keswick Christian School) He’s not the most athletic wing, but he has good size and a nice stroke that he had on display in an early Saturday game. In a losing effort, he hit six three-pointers en route to 24 points, and with his size and ability to shoot he’ll have plenty of suitors at the next level.

Stephen Zach (6’10″ Jr. C, Lewisberry (PA) Red Land Senior HS) Post player showed some good fundamentals inside, which bodes well if he can come along physically. His body isn’t there yet and not all of his weight is good weight, but he showed some scoring ability and made a nice outlet pass one time off a rebound.

Other players who caught our attention:

O’Shawn Bannister (6’8″ Jr. PF, Hartford (CT) Weaver HS)

Kris Dunn (6’2″ So. SG, New London (CT) High)

Jayon James (6’5″ Jr. SF, Brewster (NY) High)

Lucious Jones (6’5″ Jr. SF, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s)

Moussa Kone (6’7″ Jr. PF, New York (NY) Frederick Douglass Academy)

Blaise Mbougorba (7’0″ Jr. C, Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s)

Greg McKillion (6’6″ Fr. PF, Blytheville (AR) High)

Luke Mergerson (6’7″ Jr. PF, Duncanville (TX) High)

Keaton Miles (6’7″ Jr. SF-PF, Dallas (TX) Lincoln HS)

Luke Pietrowski (6’11″ Jr. C, Egg Harbor (NJ) Atlantic Christian)

Mike Zangari (6’9″ So. PF, Lewisberry (PA) Red Land Senior HS)

Conference Shakeup: Back to the Drawing Board

Conference realignment promises to once again wreak havoc across the country, spawning monster conferences that continue to undermine regional allegiances — and logic.

A few years ago, the Big East ravaged Conference USA by adding Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette, Louisville and South Florida. The resulting basketball powerhouse regularly puts eight or nine teams in the NCAA Tournament. But Big East opponents often must travel hundreds of miles to play opponents, and teams rarely play one another more than once during the regular season.

Now, the Pac-10 is looking to take apart the Big 12 in a form of conference cannibalism. Colorado is packing its bags and on its way. The Big Ten has Nebraska on board. Yes, that means the Big Ten has 12 members while the Big 12 is left with 10. Oh, but the ridiculousness is just beginning.

Colorado jumped at the chance to move to the Pac-10 before the Big 12′s meat and potatoes bolts and leaves the Buffaloes roaming a conference ghost town with Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa State. The Pac-10′s primary expansion target is Texas, which likely would be accompanied by Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Baylor. The Bears aren’t a guarantee, but Texas state officials probably would insist that all their schools go to the same loving home.

That super-conference, the Pac-16, would reach from Spokane, Wash., to College Station, Texas — a distance of more than 2,000 miles. Granted, Washington and Texas A&M would probably only travel to the other one’s home once every two or three years. But that’s a ridiculous amount of territory for 16 teams to cover. Travel costs would rise, and coaches would need to recruit a much broader segment of the country.

But the fun continues. The Big 12 refugee camp would include Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State. Iowa State and Missouri could be natural targets for the Big Ten. If not, the Mountain West might come calling. Perhaps the craziest rumor out there is that Kansas and Kansas State could join forces with the Big East, especially if the Big Ten grabs Notre Dame and Rutgers. Who wouldn’t love to see the Jayhawks and Connecticut Huskies go toe to toe every season? But the teams would be traveling nearly 1,500 to make that happen.

Oh, the insanity. Why don’t we just start over? Imagine if we took the top 112 programs — with a focus on college basketball and a nod to college football — and realigned them into eight 14-team conferences. But let’s set a ground rule based on common sense: All teams must reside within roughly 500 miles of the conference’s headquarters — or within two states of that headquarters. That two-state rule facilitates the Pacific Coast Conference.

After we move around teams, we need to revise the schedule, too.

• All eight conferences feature two seven-team divisions. Divisional opponents play one another twice each year (12 games).
• Every conference team plays the seven teams from the other division once each year (seven games), alternating home games each season.
• In addition to the 19 conference games, each team may schedule 10 non-conference games. Five of those games must be against teams outside the Power 112, and two of those five must be on the road. Teams that fail to comply lose a scholarship for the next season. Hit ‘em where it hurts.

Without any further ado, here’s my realignment plan.

Cream of Draft Crop Have Plenty of Promise

With the NBA Finals in full effect and the LeBron James sweepstakes as the preferred topic of discussion in the background, not everyone remembers the NBA Draft is also on this month’s schedule. And no one’s to blame, really. Despite the talent the 2010 class holds, the draft has seen better days.

These 2010 guys are out to prove something, though. One won’t know just how great a draft class it will be until years down the road, once these soon-to-be-rookies go on to participate in several All-Star games, win an MVP or simply bust out to play in Europe.

With that disclaimer in play, here is the best the 2010 NBA Draft has to offer.

1. John Wall, point guard, Kentucky

Wall’s undisputedly No. 1. Not only did he help make Kentucky one of the best teams in college basketball last season, he did it as a freshman while averaging great numbers: 16.9 points, 6.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. The 19-year-old is a pure point guard with terrific size, speed and court vision. What he needs to improve is his inconsistent jump shot. But other than that, he’s exactly what troubled Washington — owner of the No. 1 pick — needs after such a tumultuous season.

2. Evan Turner, small forward, Ohio State

Averaging 20 points and almost 10 rebounds per game, Turner got to the rim and grabbed misses almost at will in college. He’s an offensive workhorse who can pass while also excelling on defense. His court vision also is outstanding, evidenced by his six assists per game in 2009-10. Just call him Mr. Versatility. It would be interesting to see how much he gets the ball in Philadelphia, which has the No. 2 pick, though. He was the man in Ohio, but he would be Andre Iguodala’s sidekick in Philly.

3. DeMarcus Cousins, center, Kentucky

So Wall didn’t make Kentucky a contender by himself. He had himself a stud of a big man helping him. Standing at 6-11 and weighing 270 pounds, Cousins averaged 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in limited playing time — mostly because of foul trouble. He’s only 19 years old and has a lot of potential, good and bad. He has great hands and a scoring mentality, but there are concerns about his weight and maturity. There’s no question Cousins has all the tools necessary to be very good in the NBA. The New Jersey Nets, who have the No. 3 pick, would hope he decides to use them.

4. Greg Monroe, power forward, Georgetown

Two seasons at Georgetown was all Monroe needed to be NBA ready. He’s a double-double machine with great passing ability, and he’s a lefty. He can create his own shot but needs to work on his jump shot, a lot. He’s only 20, though, so there’s a lot of potential for the already-skilled big man. He’ll be a nice pickup for Minnesota, if the Timberwolves take him with the No. 4 pick, who could really use the help after going 15-67 last season.

5. Derrick Favors, power forward, Georgia Tech

The youngest player entering the 2010 NBA Draft, Favors was among the top players in field goal percentage (61 percent) during the 2009-10 season. He averaged 12.4 points and 8.4 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per game. He’s a very effective big man with quickness and athleticism. His youth also means his body hasn’t fully developed, though, so he’ll need to gain some muscle to be a difference-maker. There’s nowhere to go but up for Favors, and the Kings (No. 5 pick) will likely take him.

The only certainty in this 2010 Draft, it seems, is that Wall will go No. 1. Turner at No. 2 is also as good a prediction as a Tim Duncan bank shot. Picks No. 3 through 5, however, can be switched around among New Jersey, Minnesota and Sacramento. None of those big men will be immediate franchise saviors. Potential is their main label.

College Seniors Get Ready to Graduate to the NBA

For college seniors entering the NBA Draft, the most pressing – and depressing – question is: If you’re talented enough for the NBA, why aren’t you in the league already?

In 2009, the only college seniors to hear their name called in the first round were Tyler Hansbrough, who went No. 13 to the Indiana Pacers, and Toney Douglas, who went No. 29 to the New York Knicks. That’s not surprising, as many of the most talented players jump to the NBA long before graduating with a degree.

This draft figures to be similar, with freshmen like John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Derrick Favors coming off the board near the top of the draft. The first four-year player might be waiting a while to land an NBA home. Here’s a rundown of some of the best seniors by position.

Wing Players

Da’Sean Butler, West Virginia

No one who watched West Virginia in the Final Four will forget Da’Sean Butler going down with an ugly ACL injury. Will he ever recover? That’s a question that will scare away many NBA teams. However, someone might take a chance on him in the second round, especially because Butler is a warrior and leader who proved he can score. But even when healthy, Butler was a streaky shooter with inconsistent range.

Damion James, Texas

James was a double-double machine for the Longhorns last season, averaging about 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. He’s a strong three-point shooter and figures to transition nicely as a small forward at the next level. However, his lack of explosiveness will likely cause him to fall to the bottom half of the first round.

Quincy Pondexter, Washington

Pondexter’s game is on the rise. During his senior season with the Huskies, he improved his outside shooting to about 35 percent from behind the arc. And his scoring jumped to nearly 20 points per game. He’s a lean, athletic forward who could become a steal for a team at the end of the first round.

Stanley Robinson, Connecticut

Although Robinson is blessed with NBA-caliber athleticism, his inconsistency could land him in the NBA Development League. Just check out his three-point shooting stats. As a sophomore, he torched the nets, shooting 42 percent from behind the arc. But his shooting dropped like a rock as a junior, to 13 percent. During his latest campaign, his shooting touch was better but not spectacular at 34 percent. Robinson is a solid rebounder, but his total per 40 minutes dropped from his junior to senior season. Robinson is a classic tease – a super athletic forward who could be a star or complete bust.

Big Men

Jerome Jordan, Tulsa

Jordan flirted with the NBA Draft last season but pulled out to play for the Golden Hurricane in a season that was supposed to be special. The plans didn’t work out, and Jordan fell off the radar. He is a legitimate 7-footer – always a plus when looking to score an NBA job. And Jordan averaged more than two blocks per game in addition to contributing about 15 points and nine rebounds per game. His skills are unexceptional, which might scare away teams that need more post production. But he could become valuable to someone in the second round. It will be interesting to see if Jordan or Mississippi State’s James Varnado comes off the board first.

Dexter Pittman, Texas

The Longhorns’ beefiest post player will be lucky to hear his name called in the second round. In four years at Texas, Pittman struggled to maintain his weight around 300 pounds. He also frequently got in foul trouble, never averaging more than 20 minutes per game in four years. He’s a big guy, and if an NBA team can whip him into shape, he could become a solid reserve for a team’s post players.

James Varnado, Mississippi State

Varnado is a defensive maestro who dominated the post in college, averaging better than four blocks per game for the past three seasons. His great field goal percentage is largely attributable to his ability to collect offensive rebounds for putbacks and overwhelm undersized opponents in the post. That game won’t translate to the NBA, which requires big men to dominate on the level of Dwight Howard or possess a repertoire of offensive moves. Varnado is a risk in the first round but could be valuable to a team that wants to use a second-round pick to improve its interior defense.

Brian Zoubek, Duke

With Kyle Singler returning to Durham, Zoubek becomes the most likely Blue Devil to get drafted this year. That’s not something anyone expected eight months ago. However, the 7-footer turned out to be a late bloomer. After struggling with foul trouble for three and a half seasons, the light went on for Zoubek midway through the season, and he helped propel the Blue Devils to their fourth championship under coach Mike Krzyzewski. He averaged only about six points and eight rebounds per game – but that’s in less than 19 minutes per game. Take a look at his per-40-minute stats: 12 points and 16 rebounds per game. Those numbers and his recent development could land Zoubek an NBA spot in the second round. His lack of athleticism will likely keep him out of the first round.

Tweeners

Trevor Booker, Clemson

Booker falls into the dreaded category of tweeners. He is probably too small to be an NBA power forward, and he’s not a good enough shooter to be a small forward. However, some NBA team could be as happy with Booker as the San Antonio Spurs were this past season with Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair. Booker is a warrior and a winner. He’s tough as nails and hustles on every play. And his stat line backs that up: 15 points and eight rebounds per game with a little more than one block and one steal per game, too.

Point Guards

Sherron Collins, Kansas

Collins led the Jayhawks through one of their most successful four-year runs in team history. That’s quite a feat for any Jayhawk to crow about. However, his game might not make as much noise in the NBA. At 6-foot, Collins is rather short for an NBA guard. And he doesn’t shoot exceptionally well at 42 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range. Collins figures to be a second-round pick who could back up an established point guard.

Greivis Vasquez, Maryland

Vasquez is a curious case. He has the fire to lead teams and talent to take over games. He single-handedly beat North Carolina in 2009, when the Tar Heels won the championship. However, he’s also prone to committing lots of turnovers and can be a streaky shooter. His upside is higher than most projected second-round picks, especially among guards, but his risk factor is also fairly high. He’d be a great fit on a team with a strong locker room and talented lineup, especially a veteran point guard. That would allow Vasquez to be a sparkplug off the bench and learn the ropes, in hopes that he could eventually take over the starting point guard spot.

Sixers, Nets Poised to Surprise People in Draft

In recent days, we’ve shined the spotlight on the Washington Wizards and their likely top pick, Kentucky’s John Wall. Will Wall be good for Washington? Equally important, will Washington be good for Wall?

The next two teams picking at the top of the draft should deliver plenty of story lines, too. The Philadelphia 76ers were the other big winner in the NBA Draft lottery, moving up to the No. 2 spot. New Jersey, which was the favorite to land the No. 1 pick, slid to No. 3.

The 76ers have a chance to solve a fundamental flaw in their team composition. The team’s top player, swingman Andre Iguodala, and several young guards, including Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday, are best suited for an up tempo game. However, the team’s best big man is Elton Brand, who has been beset by injuries and surgeries that have rendered one of the most dominant post players to a plodding half-court player.

The 76ers intend to do everything they can to ditch Brand this off-season, which might be difficult to do because of his injury history and massive contract. But regardless of whether he’s on the team, the 76ers are in prime position to upgrade their athleticism at power forward. Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors or Kentucky’s DeMarcus Cousins would be great picks. Favors might have more upside than Cousins, who is the more polished player at this point. However, Favors didn’t have as tumultuous a season as Cousins, who frequently came across as a prima donna.

Meanwhile, the New Jersey Nets desperately wanted to land Wall to help market the team to this summer’s top free agents. Of course, free agents can’t start signing with new teams until July, so the Nets will enter the draft June 24 uncertain of what their team will look like in a matter of weeks. That makes projecting the team’s pick more difficult.

However, we do know that new owner Mikhail Prokhorov is extraordinarily rich and extraordinarily determined to win — and fast. He said he wanted to bring a championship to New Jersey/Brooklyn within two or three years. Those are lofty expectations for the worst team in the NBA.

Despite their awful record, the Nets have a decent foundation with Devin Harris at point guard, Brook Lopez at center and a cadre of wing players: Courtney Lee, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Terrence Williams. Prokhorov’s draft strategy might reveal which free agents he believes he can land. Everyone knows LeBron James is his top target. In addition, the Nets need a power forward. If Prokhorov plans to sign Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh or Amar’e Stoudemire, drafting a player like Favors or Cousins wouldn’t make sense. However, if one of those elite big men won’t be wearing a Nets jersey next season, Prokhorov likely would go with Favors or Cousins.

But if Prokhorov intends to open his checkbook wide enough to draw in one of those top big men, he could use the No. 3 pick on a shooter. Syracuse’s Wesley Johnson comes to mind. Johnson had a sensational year for the Orange, and he is a popular fellow in the greater New York City region. He also has a special talent for shooting the long ball, something the Nets desperately need. If Prokhorov can land Boozer, Bosh or Stoudemire to beef up the post and get James or Dwyane Wade, the Nets would be making an excellent selection by choosing possibly the most talented shooter in the draft.

After Washington makes its pick, the draft promises to become wide open. Expect the unexpected, possibly as soon as Philadelphia makes the No. 2 pick.

Will Washington Be Good for Wall?

Barring any shocking developments between now and June 24, the Washington Wizards will be drafting Kentucky’s John Wall with the No. 1 pick. Should Wall be scared?

None of Washington’s recent draft picks has emerged as a superstar. And if Wall thought Tennessee or Florida created a hostile environment, wait until he arrives in the city that spews criticism for a living.

Since 2000, the Wizards have made eight first-round picks. Only two are still with the team — Nick Young and JaVale McGee — and neither averages more than 20 minutes or nine points per game. The last time Washington picked in the top 10, the Wizards promptly traded Devin Harris to Dallas in a package for Antawn Jamison. And Washington’s last No. 1 pick was an unmitigated disaster. The Wizards took Kwame Brown straight out of high school in 2001. He never lived up to his hype, averaging only 10.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in his best season with the Wizards. By Brown’s fourth season, he was a locker room pariah and quickly became expendable. Washington booted him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Caron Butler and others.

The Kwame Brown experience has left Wizards fans cynical about overhyped, so-called franchise saviors. When Wall arrives, he will need to earn their respect and adoration — something he won’t be accustomed to doing after receiving nothing but praise and adulation during the past three or four years. Washington is a tough town, filled with people waiting to share a negative opinion. It’s the home of ESPN’s “PTI” program, which features Michael Wilbon, one of the most respected NBA analysts. Co-host Tony Kornhesier is no slouch either, and he’ll have a firsthand look at Wall’s development.

In addition, the Washington media will naturally compare Wall to his counterparts in other sports. Washington Nationals fans are worked up into a frenzy with the first start of star rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg scheduled for tonight. The Washington Capitals have one of the best players in the NHL in Alex Ovechkin. And the Washington Redskins will always be the No. 1 game in town.

Wall will enter a challenging sports environment in which he must excel — as in, at least 20 points, nine assists and a steal or two per game — to even crack the top spot on Washington sports pages. Yes, his early season performances will be big news. But the luster will fade fast, especially because the congressional midterm elections will coincide with the start of the 2010-11 NBA season.

And the most closely watched contests in Washington involve men and women in suits whose home court is several blocks southeast of the Verizon Center.

Evan Turner, Wesley Johnson Look to Defy Recent Trends

By draft night, 30 NBA teams will have spent countless hours reviewing game tape, scouting workouts, collecting measurements and conducting interviews of every player they will consider taking in the draft.

Although draft night is still two and a half weeks away, every team is busy crunching the numbers on players from John Wall and Evan Turner to Jon Scheyer and Scottie Reynolds. They want a player who can contribute next season — or sometime in the near future. In many cases, that requires filling a specific need. But in others, teams go with the most talented player available.

Obviously, draft results largely depend on the available talent and team needs. However, several trends have emerged during the past few years. And one trend might not bode well for someone like Turner.

Point forwards can dominate the college game. They have the ball handling skills to cut to the hoop, shooting touch to extend defenses beyond their comfort zone, and size to post up smaller guards. However, their skills don’t always translate to the NBA.

In 2008, Italian forward Danilo Gallinari went to New York at No. 6, and Milwaukee picked West Virginia’s Joe Alexander two picks later. Those top 10 picks didn’t exactly inspire much excitement for undersized forwards who like to shoot. Gallinari averaged 6.1 points in 28 games for the Knicks during his rookie season, and Alexander struggled to put up 4.7 points in 59 games. Gallinari improved significantly in his sophomore campaign, but the Bucks gave up on Alexander, shipping him to Chicago for John Salmons.

In 2009, no one took a shot at a point forward until New Jersey took Louisville’s Terrence Williams with the No. 11 pick. Shortly after Williams came off the board, Gerald Henderson and Austin Daye followed. Of the three, Williams fared the best, averaging 8.4 points per game in his rookie season. He appears to be a decent part of the Nets’ rebuilding plans. The other two didn’t impress their teams, the Charlotte Bobcats and Detroit Pistons, respectively. Neither averaged much more than five points per game. What’s worse is Henderson’s shooting: 35.6 percent from the field and 21.1 percent from three-point range. For a 215-pound point forward, that’s unacceptable. And it will scare teams away from guys who haven’t proven that they can be great shooters or legitimate post players.

That spells trouble for Turner. Ohio State’s junior superstar averaged 20.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game this past season en route to Player of the Year honors. However, Turner shot a decent-but-not-spectacular 36.4 percent from three-point range. And at 6-7 and 215 pounds, Turner might find scoring much tougher in the NBA.

Syracuse’s Wesley Johnson is another player looking to prove he can make it in the league as a small forward. In his one season with the Orange, Johnson dominated opponents for 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Unlike Turner, though, Johnson shot 41.5 percent from three-point range, proving that he has the goods to consistently deliver from long range.

Turner and Johnson seem to be safe top 10 picks, though perhaps not as high in the top 10 as expected. However, Wake Forest’s Al-Farouq Aminu might be in trouble. He seems to more closely resemble Daye or Alexander than Turner or Johnson. Aminu is 6-9, 215 pounds and a 44.7 percent shooter. It’s even uglier from three-point range, where Aminu shoots 27.3 percent. Aminu is a hard worker, and he averaged 10.7 rebounds per game for the Demon Deacons. But he’s a risky pick, who could follow in the footsteps of other college point forwards who don’t dominate the post but aren’t good enough shooters to play the 3 spot in the NBA.

If the trends of the past couple of years continue, we might see some surprising results at the top of the draft and some long waits for players projected to hear their names called toward the end of the lottery. In a couple of weeks, we’ll find out how much emphasis NBA executives place on recent history.

No. 1 Spot Doesn’t Guarantee Success

If the Washington Wizards stick with conventional logic, they will be picking Kentucky’s John Wall with the No. 1 pick June 24.

By most accounts, Wall is the undisputed top pick in the NBA Draft. However, the last time Washington owned the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Wizards ended up with current journeyman and all-around disappointment Kwame Brown. The man that Michael Jordan picked to be the future franchise player of the Wizards just finished this past season with the Detroit Pistons and averaged 3.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Ouch.

Brown’s career numbers are not much better: 6.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Those are the worst averages for any No. 1 pick who has actually played an NBA game. And recent draft history could give Wizards fans more nerves.

Last year’s top pick, Blake Griffin, has not played a minute in the regular season for the Los Angeles Clippers after a stress fracture worsened and forced him to undergo season-ending surgery. Griffin isn’t the only recent top pick to miss significant time.

The Portland Trail Blazers’ Greg Oden also missed all of his rookie season. Microfracture surgery on his right knee sidelined the Blazers’ top pick from 2007. In the three years since the Blazers drafted Oden, their No. 1 big man has played exactly 82 games, averaging 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

That news could frighten Wizards fans, who are accustomed to bad luck. However, Wall has no injury history. He’s not a massive guy whose knees take a pounding. He’s not an unproven high school head case.

For Washington fans, Wall’s most likely comparison could be the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose. Like Rose, Wall comes to the NBA after playing for coach John Calipari for one season. Both are uber-talented point guards who have already proven that they can lead their team to victory, often scoring in bunches when their teams need them. If the Wizards land a Rose clone, they will be thrilled — and set to rebuild a franchise looking to relaunch its identity.

Mr. Wall Goes to Washington

In a matter of weeks, Kentucky’s John Wall will become one of the most popular men in Washington, D.C. — a town where public opinion decides your fate.

Yes, nothing is official until the NBA Draft arrives June 24. But when the Washington Wizards won the NBA Draft lottery a few weeks ago — despite finishing only tied for the fourth-worst record in the regular season — Wall’s future home was all but decided. For the past two years, nearly every expert has pegged Wall as the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft, almost regardless of team need. Wall is supposed to be that good.

In just one season at Kentucky, Wall certainly teased NBA executives into a giddy state of optimism. The freshman point guard averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Those numbers would have made Wall the Wizards’ leading man for scoring and assists by the end of the regular season — discounting players no longer with the team, for one reason or another. And Wall tallied those numbers while playing in 40-minute college games.

For Wizards fans who just can’t embrace their good luck — and the professional sports legacy in Washington justifies a healthy amount of skepticism — there are a few reasons to tone down the optimism surrounding Wall. Despite leading the Wildcats in scoring, Wall proved to be an inconsistent shooter. He shot 46.1 percent from the field and just 32.5 percent from three-point range. And there was some concern about Wall’s potential to be a prima donna after he publicly complained that coach John Calipari criticized him following a poor performance in a loss to South Carolina.

The source for Calipari’s criticism was Wall’s propensity for turning over the ball — another chink in Wall’s seemingly impenetrable armor. Despite finishing as one of the best passers in college basketball, Wall also had 4.0 turnovers per game. He cannot afford to play sloppily and shoot poorly in the NBA or else he’ll be considered a bust.

However, the Wizards will focus on Wall’s undeniable upside. He is an electric player who can attract fans to the Verizon Center. Washington figures to undergo a massive overhaul this season. The team is dedicated to trading Gilbert Arenas, who Wizards execs reportedly labeled a cancer. They don’t want the young, impressionable Wall to come within shouting distance of their banished star. With nine unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents on the roster, the team could be completely different next season. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially considering the huge number of big name free agents who will be looking for a new home. Washington will be able to use Wall as the centerpiece for its marketing pitch.

And that includes selling Wall to a fan base that is desperate for a reason to embrace a floundering franchise.