DAILYSports
WALL: Shawn Taggart: addition by subtraction
ARTICLE MEDIA (Iowa State Daily)
(4.26.06)
It was just one year ago that Taggart was the highlight of ISU men's basketball coach Wayne Morgan's recruiting class.
The 7-footer from Virginia was said to have passed on the NBA to attend Iowa State. His potential was almost endless.
ISU fans spent the offseason dreaming of Taggart running and gunning with Curtis Stinson, Will Blalock and Rahshon Clark.
A player of his size and athleticism was a dream come true for Iowa State; another star center to follow in the footsteps of Kelvin Cato, Marcus Fizer, Jackson Vroman and Jared Homan.
He was the final piece to the Cyclone puzzle, an inside scoring force to complement Iowa State's trio of standout guards.
And then Taggart stepped on the basketball court and fans' hopes came crashing back down to a harsh reality of unrealized potential. His numbers were unimpressive - 5.6 points and a measly 3.6 rebounds per game - as was his overall game.
Now, one year later, Taggart is gone - the latest move in Iowa State's basketball exodus.
He joins guards Tasheed Carr and Farnold Degand and forward Mike Evanovich as players who have shown themselves the door.
Stinson and Blalock are also out testing the waters of the NBA Draft. Both can still return to the team if they so choose, provided the draft doesn't go in their favor.
Of Iowa State's offensive production from last season, only 35 percent returns, with almost half of that coming in the form of Rahshon Clark.
Clark is an exceptional player - an athletic slasher who can penetrate and score at will, and has also developed a reliable outside shot - but all that remains around him is Jiri Hubalek, Ross Marsden and Jessan Gray.
Talk about a bare cupboard.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
More on Shawn Taggart
Shawn Taggart
Player Page
SI.com
#0 Shawn Taggart
Iowa State Cyclones (16-14)
Year: Freshman
Averages: 5.6 PPG 3.6 RPG 0.3 APG 45.1 FG%
Season Statistics
531 Minutes (17.7 mpg avg)
64-142 FG-FGA (45.1%)
0-2 3FG-3FGA (0.0%)
41-59 FT-FTA (69.5%)
54 Off Rebs (1.8 avg)
53 Def Rebs (1.8 avg)
107 Total Rebs (3.6 avg)
8 Assists (0.3 avg)
83 Personal Fouls (2.8 avg)
4 Disqualifications
14 Steals (0.5 avg)
40 Turnovers (1.3 avg)
8 Blocks (0.3 avg)
169 Points (5.6 avg)
1 Double-Double
vs. Colorado February 5, 2006 (11 pts, 10 rebs)
6 Double Fugure scoring games
vs. Mountain State Univ November 20, 2005 (16 pts)
vs. Howard November 25, 2005 (15 pts)
vs. Northern Iowa November 29, 2005 (10 pts)
vs. Ohio State December 17, 2005 (13 pts)
vs. Colorado February 5, 2006 (11 pts)
vs. Missouri February 28, 2006 (10 pts)
2 Double Fugure rebounding games
vs. Colorado February 5, 2006 (10 rebs)
vs. Kansas State February 8, 2006 (11 rebs)
Shawn Taggart
C, 6-9, 215, Freshman
Richmond, Va. (George Wythe/Mt. Zion [N.C.] Christian Academy)
Rivals.com
Shawn Taggart
High School: One of the top big men in the class of 2005, Taggart can block shots, rebound and score in a variety ways around the basket...well known for his strong defensive skills...ranked as the 35th-best player in the nation according to Rivals.com...Rivals.com also lists him as the third-best center in this year's class...ranked as the 24th-best prep player in HoopScoop's ratings...rated No. 72 by Sporting News and No. 85 by Basketball News...Lindy's rates him as the 94th-best player in the nation...averaged 20.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and four blocks as a senior, helping Mt. Zion to a prep school national championship...Taggart and Brandon Rush formed one of the best two-man games in prep school in 2005...was teammates in his junior season with Cyclone Tasheed Carr...averaged 10.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg and 2.2 bpg as a junior, helping Mt. Zion to a 30-1 mark...was one of the best players at the ABCD Camp in the summer of 2004...tallied 16 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals in one game...coached in prep school by Antonio Fozard...chose ISU over Memphis, Virginia Tech, Florida State and St. John's.
Player Page
SI.com
#0 Shawn Taggart
Iowa State Cyclones (16-14)
Year: Freshman
Averages: 5.6 PPG 3.6 RPG 0.3 APG 45.1 FG%
Season Statistics
531 Minutes (17.7 mpg avg)
64-142 FG-FGA (45.1%)
0-2 3FG-3FGA (0.0%)
41-59 FT-FTA (69.5%)
54 Off Rebs (1.8 avg)
53 Def Rebs (1.8 avg)
107 Total Rebs (3.6 avg)
8 Assists (0.3 avg)
83 Personal Fouls (2.8 avg)
4 Disqualifications
14 Steals (0.5 avg)
40 Turnovers (1.3 avg)
8 Blocks (0.3 avg)
169 Points (5.6 avg)
1 Double-Double
vs. Colorado February 5, 2006 (11 pts, 10 rebs)
6 Double Fugure scoring games
vs. Mountain State Univ November 20, 2005 (16 pts)
vs. Howard November 25, 2005 (15 pts)
vs. Northern Iowa November 29, 2005 (10 pts)
vs. Ohio State December 17, 2005 (13 pts)
vs. Colorado February 5, 2006 (11 pts)
vs. Missouri February 28, 2006 (10 pts)
2 Double Fugure rebounding games
vs. Colorado February 5, 2006 (10 rebs)
vs. Kansas State February 8, 2006 (11 rebs)
Shawn Taggart
C, 6-9, 215, Freshman
Richmond, Va. (George Wythe/Mt. Zion [N.C.] Christian Academy)
Rivals.com
Shawn Taggart
High School: One of the top big men in the class of 2005, Taggart can block shots, rebound and score in a variety ways around the basket...well known for his strong defensive skills...ranked as the 35th-best player in the nation according to Rivals.com...Rivals.com also lists him as the third-best center in this year's class...ranked as the 24th-best prep player in HoopScoop's ratings...rated No. 72 by Sporting News and No. 85 by Basketball News...Lindy's rates him as the 94th-best player in the nation...averaged 20.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and four blocks as a senior, helping Mt. Zion to a prep school national championship...Taggart and Brandon Rush formed one of the best two-man games in prep school in 2005...was teammates in his junior season with Cyclone Tasheed Carr...averaged 10.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg and 2.2 bpg as a junior, helping Mt. Zion to a 30-1 mark...was one of the best players at the ABCD Camp in the summer of 2004...tallied 16 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals in one game...coached in prep school by Antonio Fozard...chose ISU over Memphis, Virginia Tech, Florida State and St. John's.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Info on Transfer Shawn Taggart
Height/Weight
6-10/225
Position
Forward
High School
One of the top big men in the class of 2005...can block shots, rebound and score in a variety of ways around the basket...ranked as the 35th-best player in the nation according to Rivals.com...Rivals.com also lists him as the third-best center...ranked as the 24th-best prep player by HoopScoop...rated No. 72 by the Sporting News and No. 85 by Basketball News...Lindy's rated him as the 94th-best player in the nation...averaged 20.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and four blocks as a senior, helping Mt. Zion to a prep school national championship...Taggart and Kansas' Brandon Rush formed one of the best two-man games in prep school in 2005...Mt. Zion teammate of current Cyclone Tasheed Carr...averaged 10.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg and 2.2 bpg as a junior, helping Mt. Zion to a 30-1 mark...one of the best players at the ABCD Camp in the summer of 2004...tallied 16 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals in one game...played for the Richmond Squires AAU team...Missouri's Glen Dandridge and Colorado's Chris Copeland were AAU teammates...coached in prep school by Antonio Fozard...chose ISU over Memphis, Virginia Tech, Florida State and St. John's.
Personal
Born March 26, 1985 in Richmond, Va...son of Charleine Taggart...sociology major
Rivals.com
Four Stars (out of five)
Position Ranking: 8
RivalsHoops 2005: Top 150 (#35)
RivalsHoops: 2005 Power Forwards (#8)
Quotes
He's very aggressive. He's more of a defensive player right now, blocking shots, holding his man and things like that. -Mt. Zion Head Coach Antonio Fozard
Transfer To Be Shawn Taggart Arrives in Memphis
Iowa State transfer ready to sign
By Gary Parrish, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Contact May 6, 2006
Any doubt about whether Shawn Taggart was really transferring from Iowa State disappeared Friday night when he arrived at Memphis International Airport, headed to baggage claim and snagged a ridiculously large black suitcase. "It weighs 71 pounds, but you should've seen it before," Taggart said. "I packed everything and then got the rest of my stuff shipped back home. I had to get out of there."
Apparently so. Now that he's officially out of there -- there being Ames, Iowa -- Taggart was all smiles in a makeshift press conference during which he addressed a number of issues, among them what other schools he considered before choosing to transfer to the University of Memphis.
"None," Taggart said. "As soon as I decided to transfer I was like, 'I just hope Memphis takes me.' ... I just told my AAU coach that I was ready to make that move to Memphis. I'm so happy."
When will he sign?
"As soon as they put the papers in front of me," Taggart answered. "I'll just pull the pen out and sign them."
A 6-10 forward, Taggart averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season as a freshman at Iowa State while battling a slew of illnesses and injuries that hampered his development. His decision to leave the Cyclones program came after coach Wayne Morgan -- whom Taggart liked -- was replaced by Greg McDermott.
Taggart said he met with McDermott only twice, and that the two never bonded.
"I said a curse word in the gym, and he told me that wasn't allowed," Taggart said. "I was like, 'I've got to get out of here.'"
Informed that things are much different at Memphis, that cursing is allowed though more often players are the ones sometimes cursed -- particularly for poor defense -- Taggart just smiled and shook his head.
"That's good," he said. "That's what I need to make me better."
Per NCAA transfer rules, Taggart will only be allowed to practice next season. He'll be eligible to play in 2007-008 and have three years of eligibility left.
By Gary Parrish, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Contact May 6, 2006
Any doubt about whether Shawn Taggart was really transferring from Iowa State disappeared Friday night when he arrived at Memphis International Airport, headed to baggage claim and snagged a ridiculously large black suitcase. "It weighs 71 pounds, but you should've seen it before," Taggart said. "I packed everything and then got the rest of my stuff shipped back home. I had to get out of there."
Apparently so. Now that he's officially out of there -- there being Ames, Iowa -- Taggart was all smiles in a makeshift press conference during which he addressed a number of issues, among them what other schools he considered before choosing to transfer to the University of Memphis.
"None," Taggart said. "As soon as I decided to transfer I was like, 'I just hope Memphis takes me.' ... I just told my AAU coach that I was ready to make that move to Memphis. I'm so happy."
When will he sign?
"As soon as they put the papers in front of me," Taggart answered. "I'll just pull the pen out and sign them."
A 6-10 forward, Taggart averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season as a freshman at Iowa State while battling a slew of illnesses and injuries that hampered his development. His decision to leave the Cyclones program came after coach Wayne Morgan -- whom Taggart liked -- was replaced by Greg McDermott.
Taggart said he met with McDermott only twice, and that the two never bonded.
"I said a curse word in the gym, and he told me that wasn't allowed," Taggart said. "I was like, 'I've got to get out of here.'"
Informed that things are much different at Memphis, that cursing is allowed though more often players are the ones sometimes cursed -- particularly for poor defense -- Taggart just smiled and shook his head.
"That's good," he said. "That's what I need to make me better."
Per NCAA transfer rules, Taggart will only be allowed to practice next season. He'll be eligible to play in 2007-008 and have three years of eligibility left.
Tigers Adding Transfer Shawn Taggart from Iowa State
Tigers adding transfer
By Gary Parrish, Memphis Commercial Appeal
May 5, 2006
He's seen the campus and the Finch Center. He knows the coaching staff and most of the players. So for Shawn Taggart, today's visit to the University of Memphis will serve as little more than a formality because he's already decided to transfer from Iowa State and into John Calipari's basketball program. "I can't wait to get there because I'm going to make it official as soon as I get off the airplane," Taggart told The Commercial Appeal by cell phone Thursday. "I'm transferring to Memphis."
A 6-10 forward, Taggart averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds as a freshman, but he decided to transfer when Iowa State coach Wayne Morgan was fired in the wake of Gregg Doyel's report at Sportsline.com that detailed the school's dealings with a shady scheduling company founded by a California junior college coach. Taggart finished his final class at ISU on Thursday morning and said he plans to enroll in classes at Memphis this summer. Per NCAA rules, Taggart will sit out next season -- though he will be allowed to practice with the Tigers -- and be eligible for the 2007-08 campaign with three years of eligibility remaining.
"I know a lot of people don't want to do a redshirt year, but I think it's going to make me more mature and better," said Taggart, who cited his relationship with Tigers assistant Derek Kellogg as one reason he's transferring to Memphis. "It's going to be a beautiful thing for me."
Taggart originally visited the UofM in September 2004 and was a major target for the Tigers considering he was tagged as the 24th-best prospect in the nation by The Hoop Scoop. But the Mt. Zion Academy product ultimately chose Iowa State over Memphis thanks mostly to his connection with Tasheed Carr, a former teammate at Mt. Zion who was already a Cyclone but is now also transferring out of ISU.
"It was very close (in 2004) between Iowa State and Memphis, like a coin toss," Taggart said. "I'm not going to tell a lie. I didn't choose Memphis (in 2004) because Tasheed Carr was at Iowa State. I was a young boy coming up, and one of my old players I had played with was telling me he was going to pass me the ball and all that kind of stuff. What would you choose? But now I've realized that what I did wasn't the best thing for me."
Though Taggart's freshman campaign was unspectacular, there is an explanation for his slow adjustment. Prior to the season the Richmond, Va., native endured a lengthy battle with a serious stomach virus that caused him to miss a portion of the preseason and lose close to 30 pounds, something from which he said he did not properly recover.
"It was a bad year, but I feel like all the bad times are finally behind me," Taggart said. "Now I'm looking to the future, and I'm just ready to play ball."
-- Gary Parrish: 529-2365
Thursday, May 04, 2006
UCLA, Texas, Memphis All OK With Waiting
UCLA, Texas, Memphis all OK with waiting
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
UCLA can take the hit. So can Texas and Memphis.
That's why Ben Howland, Rick Barnes and John Calipari can all deal with the limbo over the next six weeks while multiple players on each of their teams decide on whether to stay in the NBA draft.
"We're going to be good if we lose both," Howland said of sophomore guards Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo. "If we get them both or one of them back, we'll have a chance to make another run."
Farmar and Afflalo declared for the NBA draft but neither signed with an agent. Farmar is the more likely of the two to be a first-round pick at this juncture -- and as a result, could stay in the draft. Neither is expected to accept, if invited, a berth in the Orlando NBA pre-draft camp in June. The advice being given is for them to work out for a handful of teams and see what kind of commitment they receive.
The reason for Howland's optimism this month, though, is that he feels fairly certain that the Bruins are set -- either way.
He thinks they would be set at point guard with sophomore-to-be Darren Collison, if Farmar stays in the draft, and at shooting guard with a healthy Josh Shipp (out with a hip injury for most of the season). Then add the development of rising sophomores Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Michael Roll and the arrival of late signee Russell Westbrook out of Lawndale, Calif., and Howland feels good about his already-returning talent.
"If both kids were guaranteed draft places then [they would go], but if not, I would hope that they come back and be more successful," Howland said. "I just worked out Luc and he's shooting the ball very well. Collison is an improved shooter. Russell had 51 in a high school game. We're going to be OK from a shooting standpoint."
Howland said this problem of players declaring and testing the process for two months is a good one to have.
"I'd rather be in limbo and have guys flirt with this and eventually be NBA players than not," Howland said.
UCLA, which always plays a national schedule, isn't waiting on the return of Afflalo and/or Farmar to determine its schedule. The Bruins already have booked games at West Virginia, versus Michigan, possibly with BYU and Boise State at home and maybe against George Mason in the John Wooden Classic in Anaheim. The Bruins also are in the Maui Invitational with Kentucky, Memphis, Georgia Tech, DePaul, Oklahoma, Purdue and Chaminade.
Like UCLA, Texas could again make a similar deep run in the NCAAs if its two underclassmen return. The Longhorns definitely are losing a third player -- center LaMarcus Aldridge -- after he signed with agent Arn Tellem. The other two -- forward P.J. Tucker and point guard Daniel Gibson -- still are testing the process.
Is Barnes sweating over their decisions? Hardly.
The Longhorns, who already were going to lose senior combo guard Kenton Paulino and classmate Brad Buckman, had freshman A.J. Abrams play the point for most of the Big 12 season. Then the Longhorns signed point guard D.J. Augustin, a highly coveted prep originally out of Louisiana who relocated to Sugar Land, Texas, after Hurricane Katrina. If you're looking for shooters to replace Gibson (if he departs), the Horns still return J.D. Lewis and picked up newcomers Harrison Smith and Justin Mason.
And even if Tucker bolts, there's a certain McDonald's All-American named Kevin Durant arriving in the fall to replace him (or play next to him). Durant is sure to give Ohio State signee Greg Oden a run for national freshman of the year if he gets as many touches as is possible next season.
The Longhorns already are banking on rising sophomore Connor Atchley to replace Aldridge by adding more strength and getting more run next season. And don't sleep on Mike Williams, a rising junior who finally found his place in the program in the final month of the season. Williams can offset a Tucker or Aldridge loss by being more productive in the post.
Like Farmar and Afflalo, Tucker and Gibson are being advised by their staffs against going to Orlando. They're more likely to go through workouts and see where they stand before making the decision by June 18 on whether to stay in the draft.
"I don't worry about what I don't have to worry about," Barnes said. "I realize the process they're going through. I just hope they make the right decision. Believe me, we'll have options. We'll be young, but we've been young."
Barnes won't speculate on particular lineups just yet but he did say he could see going with three guards as one option if Gibson and Tucker joined Aldridge in the NBA. Either way, the schedule will be rigorous again, with road games at Villanova and Tennessee, a game with Gonzaga in Phoenix, home against Arkansas, the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in November and possibly a game with LSU in Houston.
Calipari is almost cavalier about the declarations of sophomore point guard Darius Washington and freshman forward Shawne Williams. He said he has plenty in the stable and NBA personnel have told him that the most talented player on the roster is still in check -- rising sophomore forward Robert Dozier.
Add Dozier to a core of Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey inside to go with returning guards Antonio Anderson, Andre Allen and newcomer point guard Willie Kemp, and the Tigers seem to be loaded again.
Calipari wouldn't be surprised if Washington stayed in the draft but Williams might take a wait-and-see approach. Either way, Calipari has been of the belief that if you declare you should go after it without reservation and spend all of your time working toward going as high as possible. If they take his advice, both players likely would stay in the draft.
Calipari said without Washington and Williams, the Tigers wouldn't be preseason top-five, but could end up being in the 10-20 range. The Tigers are loading up on their schedule again with a road game at Gonzaga, the Maui event, games with Cincinnati and Ole Miss at home, and a few other options to come.
Elsewhere, San Diego State, George Washington, Iowa State and Connecticut all have multiple underclassmen on the early-entry list as well.
• One of SDSU's underclassmen (Marcus Slaughter) now cannot come back after he also declared after last season. The other, Brandon Heath, is likely to return.
• GW's Carl Elliott and Danilo Pinnock likely will get their names out to get some buzz and then come back.
• Iowa State will lose Curtis Stinson (he signed with an agent), but his backcourt mate, Will Blalock, almost certainly would return with an expected guarantee unlikely.
• UConn planned for the departures of its big three -- Rudy Gay, Marcus Williams and Josh Boone -- by signing six players in the fall. Boone is the only one who could return since he isn't expected to sign with an agent yet.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
By Andy KatzESPN.com
UCLA can take the hit. So can Texas and Memphis.
That's why Ben Howland, Rick Barnes and John Calipari can all deal with the limbo over the next six weeks while multiple players on each of their teams decide on whether to stay in the NBA draft.
"We're going to be good if we lose both," Howland said of sophomore guards Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo. "If we get them both or one of them back, we'll have a chance to make another run."
Farmar and Afflalo declared for the NBA draft but neither signed with an agent. Farmar is the more likely of the two to be a first-round pick at this juncture -- and as a result, could stay in the draft. Neither is expected to accept, if invited, a berth in the Orlando NBA pre-draft camp in June. The advice being given is for them to work out for a handful of teams and see what kind of commitment they receive.
The reason for Howland's optimism this month, though, is that he feels fairly certain that the Bruins are set -- either way.
He thinks they would be set at point guard with sophomore-to-be Darren Collison, if Farmar stays in the draft, and at shooting guard with a healthy Josh Shipp (out with a hip injury for most of the season). Then add the development of rising sophomores Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Michael Roll and the arrival of late signee Russell Westbrook out of Lawndale, Calif., and Howland feels good about his already-returning talent.
"If both kids were guaranteed draft places then [they would go], but if not, I would hope that they come back and be more successful," Howland said. "I just worked out Luc and he's shooting the ball very well. Collison is an improved shooter. Russell had 51 in a high school game. We're going to be OK from a shooting standpoint."
Howland said this problem of players declaring and testing the process for two months is a good one to have.
"I'd rather be in limbo and have guys flirt with this and eventually be NBA players than not," Howland said.
UCLA, which always plays a national schedule, isn't waiting on the return of Afflalo and/or Farmar to determine its schedule. The Bruins already have booked games at West Virginia, versus Michigan, possibly with BYU and Boise State at home and maybe against George Mason in the John Wooden Classic in Anaheim. The Bruins also are in the Maui Invitational with Kentucky, Memphis, Georgia Tech, DePaul, Oklahoma, Purdue and Chaminade.
Like UCLA, Texas could again make a similar deep run in the NCAAs if its two underclassmen return. The Longhorns definitely are losing a third player -- center LaMarcus Aldridge -- after he signed with agent Arn Tellem. The other two -- forward P.J. Tucker and point guard Daniel Gibson -- still are testing the process.
Is Barnes sweating over their decisions? Hardly.
The Longhorns, who already were going to lose senior combo guard Kenton Paulino and classmate Brad Buckman, had freshman A.J. Abrams play the point for most of the Big 12 season. Then the Longhorns signed point guard D.J. Augustin, a highly coveted prep originally out of Louisiana who relocated to Sugar Land, Texas, after Hurricane Katrina. If you're looking for shooters to replace Gibson (if he departs), the Horns still return J.D. Lewis and picked up newcomers Harrison Smith and Justin Mason.
And even if Tucker bolts, there's a certain McDonald's All-American named Kevin Durant arriving in the fall to replace him (or play next to him). Durant is sure to give Ohio State signee Greg Oden a run for national freshman of the year if he gets as many touches as is possible next season.
The Longhorns already are banking on rising sophomore Connor Atchley to replace Aldridge by adding more strength and getting more run next season. And don't sleep on Mike Williams, a rising junior who finally found his place in the program in the final month of the season. Williams can offset a Tucker or Aldridge loss by being more productive in the post.
Like Farmar and Afflalo, Tucker and Gibson are being advised by their staffs against going to Orlando. They're more likely to go through workouts and see where they stand before making the decision by June 18 on whether to stay in the draft.
"I don't worry about what I don't have to worry about," Barnes said. "I realize the process they're going through. I just hope they make the right decision. Believe me, we'll have options. We'll be young, but we've been young."
Barnes won't speculate on particular lineups just yet but he did say he could see going with three guards as one option if Gibson and Tucker joined Aldridge in the NBA. Either way, the schedule will be rigorous again, with road games at Villanova and Tennessee, a game with Gonzaga in Phoenix, home against Arkansas, the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in November and possibly a game with LSU in Houston.
Calipari is almost cavalier about the declarations of sophomore point guard Darius Washington and freshman forward Shawne Williams. He said he has plenty in the stable and NBA personnel have told him that the most talented player on the roster is still in check -- rising sophomore forward Robert Dozier.
Add Dozier to a core of Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey inside to go with returning guards Antonio Anderson, Andre Allen and newcomer point guard Willie Kemp, and the Tigers seem to be loaded again.
Calipari wouldn't be surprised if Washington stayed in the draft but Williams might take a wait-and-see approach. Either way, Calipari has been of the belief that if you declare you should go after it without reservation and spend all of your time working toward going as high as possible. If they take his advice, both players likely would stay in the draft.
Calipari said without Washington and Williams, the Tigers wouldn't be preseason top-five, but could end up being in the 10-20 range. The Tigers are loading up on their schedule again with a road game at Gonzaga, the Maui event, games with Cincinnati and Ole Miss at home, and a few other options to come.
Elsewhere, San Diego State, George Washington, Iowa State and Connecticut all have multiple underclassmen on the early-entry list as well.
• One of SDSU's underclassmen (Marcus Slaughter) now cannot come back after he also declared after last season. The other, Brandon Heath, is likely to return.
• GW's Carl Elliott and Danilo Pinnock likely will get their names out to get some buzz and then come back.
• Iowa State will lose Curtis Stinson (he signed with an agent), but his backcourt mate, Will Blalock, almost certainly would return with an expected guarantee unlikely.
• UConn planned for the departures of its big three -- Rudy Gay, Marcus Williams and Josh Boone -- by signing six players in the fall. Boone is the only one who could return since he isn't expected to sign with an agent yet.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Rodney Carney Named Tennessee Sports Writers Assoc Player of the Year
Carney Named Tennessee Sports Writers Association Player Of The Year
Washington, Williams selected to the TSWA All-State Team
May 1, 2006
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - University of Memphis senior Rodney Carney has been named the 2005-06 Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Year, the organization announced Monday. The honors were voted on by media members and media relations directors from across the state of Tennessee.
Sophomore Darius Washington Jr. and freshman Shawne Williams joined Carney on the TSWA All-State Team. East Tennessee State's Tim Smith and Tennessee's Chris Lofton rounded out the all-state squad.
A consensus All-America second team pick, Carney was selected the Conference USA Player of the Year and was named to the Conference USA All-Tournament and All-Conference USA first teams. The 6-foot-7 forward was a finalist for three national Player of the Year honors (Naismith Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Adolph F. Rupp Trophy) and was on the Wooden Award mid-season list. The Indianapolis, Ind., native, who participated in the College Basketball Slam Dunk Championships at the 2006 NCAA Final Four, led the Tigers in scoring (17.2 ppg) and three-point field goal percentage (39.1) this past season.
Carney moved into the No. 3 spot on the Memphis career scoring list with 1,901 points (trailing only Keith Lee and Elliot Perry) and set the school's career three-pointers made record with 287 treys. He also set the school's single-season three-pointers made mark with 102 in 2005-06. Carney finished his career ranked among Conference USA career leaders in scoring (No. 4) and three-pointers made (No. 3).
Washington, a 2005-06 Associated Press All-America honorable mention pick, was named to the NCAA Tournament All-Regional (Oakland) squad and All-Conference USA first team. One of 16 finalists for the 2006 Bob Cousy Award, the 6-foot-2 guard was a Wooden Award and Naismith Award preseason candidate. The Winter Park, Fla., native was second on team in scoring (13.4 ppg), assists (110) and free throw percentage (78.3). This past season, Washington became the 41st player in Memphis basketball history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. He has 1,054 career points and is No. 34 on the Tiger all-time scoring chart.
A consensus national Freshman All-America Team pick, Williams was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year and was an All-Conference USA third team selection. The 6-foot-9 forward, who earned the Conference USA Tournament MVP award, was the team's third-leading scorer (13.2 ppg) and second-leading rebounder (6.2 rpg) and shot a team-high 78.6 percent from the free throw line. The Memphis, Tenn., native posted five double-doubles in 2005-06, including performances in wins over Gonzaga (14 pts/11 rebs) and Tennessee (21 pts/14 rebs).
Washington, Williams selected to the TSWA All-State Team
May 1, 2006
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - University of Memphis senior Rodney Carney has been named the 2005-06 Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Year, the organization announced Monday. The honors were voted on by media members and media relations directors from across the state of Tennessee.
Sophomore Darius Washington Jr. and freshman Shawne Williams joined Carney on the TSWA All-State Team. East Tennessee State's Tim Smith and Tennessee's Chris Lofton rounded out the all-state squad.
A consensus All-America second team pick, Carney was selected the Conference USA Player of the Year and was named to the Conference USA All-Tournament and All-Conference USA first teams. The 6-foot-7 forward was a finalist for three national Player of the Year honors (Naismith Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Adolph F. Rupp Trophy) and was on the Wooden Award mid-season list. The Indianapolis, Ind., native, who participated in the College Basketball Slam Dunk Championships at the 2006 NCAA Final Four, led the Tigers in scoring (17.2 ppg) and three-point field goal percentage (39.1) this past season.
Carney moved into the No. 3 spot on the Memphis career scoring list with 1,901 points (trailing only Keith Lee and Elliot Perry) and set the school's career three-pointers made record with 287 treys. He also set the school's single-season three-pointers made mark with 102 in 2005-06. Carney finished his career ranked among Conference USA career leaders in scoring (No. 4) and three-pointers made (No. 3).
Washington, a 2005-06 Associated Press All-America honorable mention pick, was named to the NCAA Tournament All-Regional (Oakland) squad and All-Conference USA first team. One of 16 finalists for the 2006 Bob Cousy Award, the 6-foot-2 guard was a Wooden Award and Naismith Award preseason candidate. The Winter Park, Fla., native was second on team in scoring (13.4 ppg), assists (110) and free throw percentage (78.3). This past season, Washington became the 41st player in Memphis basketball history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. He has 1,054 career points and is No. 34 on the Tiger all-time scoring chart.
A consensus national Freshman All-America Team pick, Williams was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year and was an All-Conference USA third team selection. The 6-foot-9 forward, who earned the Conference USA Tournament MVP award, was the team's third-leading scorer (13.2 ppg) and second-leading rebounder (6.2 rpg) and shot a team-high 78.6 percent from the free throw line. The Memphis, Tenn., native posted five double-doubles in 2005-06, including performances in wins over Gonzaga (14 pts/11 rebs) and Tennessee (21 pts/14 rebs).
U of M 2006 Graduates
Thirty-Three Tiger Athletes Set to Graduate Saturday
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Thirty-three student-athletes out of the University of Memphis athletic department are scheduled to graduate on Saturday, May 6th. Football leads the way with eight graduates, while women's track will graduate seven athletes in one of two ceremonies to be held on Saturday at FedExForum.
Anthony Rice, Men's Basketball - A four-year letterwinner, Anthony Rice placed his name in the Memphis basketball annals as one of the program's top shooters. He played in a school-record 134 career games, and started 98 of his last 99 contests. The Atlanta, Ga., native scored 1,201 career points, which is No. 23 on the Tiger all-time scoring chart. But, shooting the three-point shot was his specialty, and he hit key three-pointers throughout his career. He is No. 2 on the Memphis career three-pointers made list with 242 treys, and is also No. 2 on the season chart with 82 three-pointers in 2004-05. Named to the 2005 Conference USA All-Tournament Team, Rice was a member of Tiger squads that advanced to four-straight postseasons tournaments and won the 2002 NIT title. The 6-foot-4 guard will graduate with a bachelor's degree in University College/Art Gallery Management. Rice is currently playing with the North Mississippi Tornadoes of the World Basketball Association. Atlanta, Ga./North Clayton HS.
Almamy Thiero, Men's Basketball - Almamy Thiero, who missed the entire 2005-06 season with an ACL injury, had seen action the three previous years. The 6-foot-10 forward saw his most playing time during the 2004-05 campaign when he averaged 0.5 points and 1.7 boards in 23 games. The Mali, West Africa, native has played in 28 career games, but most of his time at Memphis has been limited as a result of injuries and illness. The latest injury was a torn right ACL in the summer of 2005 that kept him out the 2005-06 season. Thiero will graduate with a bachelor's degree in French, and he will continue his studies in 2006-07 as he completes his collegiate eligibility. Mali, West Africa/Mt. Zion (N.C.) Academy
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Thirty-three student-athletes out of the University of Memphis athletic department are scheduled to graduate on Saturday, May 6th. Football leads the way with eight graduates, while women's track will graduate seven athletes in one of two ceremonies to be held on Saturday at FedExForum.
Anthony Rice, Men's Basketball - A four-year letterwinner, Anthony Rice placed his name in the Memphis basketball annals as one of the program's top shooters. He played in a school-record 134 career games, and started 98 of his last 99 contests. The Atlanta, Ga., native scored 1,201 career points, which is No. 23 on the Tiger all-time scoring chart. But, shooting the three-point shot was his specialty, and he hit key three-pointers throughout his career. He is No. 2 on the Memphis career three-pointers made list with 242 treys, and is also No. 2 on the season chart with 82 three-pointers in 2004-05. Named to the 2005 Conference USA All-Tournament Team, Rice was a member of Tiger squads that advanced to four-straight postseasons tournaments and won the 2002 NIT title. The 6-foot-4 guard will graduate with a bachelor's degree in University College/Art Gallery Management. Rice is currently playing with the North Mississippi Tornadoes of the World Basketball Association. Atlanta, Ga./North Clayton HS.
Almamy Thiero, Men's Basketball - Almamy Thiero, who missed the entire 2005-06 season with an ACL injury, had seen action the three previous years. The 6-foot-10 forward saw his most playing time during the 2004-05 campaign when he averaged 0.5 points and 1.7 boards in 23 games. The Mali, West Africa, native has played in 28 career games, but most of his time at Memphis has been limited as a result of injuries and illness. The latest injury was a torn right ACL in the summer of 2005 that kept him out the 2005-06 season. Thiero will graduate with a bachelor's degree in French, and he will continue his studies in 2006-07 as he completes his collegiate eligibility. Mali, West Africa/Mt. Zion (N.C.) Academy
SI's Luke Winn on the Six Teams Who Stand to Lose the Most From Early Entry
(I'm sure your all going to be shocked to learn that Memphis is one of the six - ed.)
Prospects are proceeding with caution, at an 84 percent clip. Fifty-three of the 63 NCAA-produced early entrants in the NBA draft have yet to hire an agent following the April 29 deadline to declare. Which means that the slate of available pro prospects -- released today by the league -- is hardly set in stone, and the real parties in limbo between now and June 18, the deadline to withdraw from the draft, are the college teams who have stars sitting on the NBA fence.
The departures of already-represented underclassmen such as Gonzaga's Adam Morrison, LSU's Tyrus Thomas and Texas' LaMarcus Aldridge were foregone conclusions in our early look at the 2006-07 landscape. But three schools in that initial top 10 -- UCLA, Memphis and Texas -- are now in jeopardy of taking less-expected hits to their Final Four hopes. Here are the six teams, including the Bruins, Tigers and Longhorns, with the most at stake in the next month and a half.
6. George Washington
Declared without agents: Junior guards Carl Elliott and Danilo (né J.R. Pinnock)
A letdown from the Colonials' 26-2 regular season in 2005-06 is expected. The above duo of experienced guards will determine the size of that slide -- slight or significant. If Elliott and Pinnock suit up for their senior seasons, GW likely challenges Xavier for the Atlantic 10 title and a third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. If not, it becomes the Maureece Rice show at the Smith Center ... which could be entertaining, but that production, at best, ends in the NIT.
The return scenario is looking likely: Both players, at present, seem to be (smartly) taking advantage of their "free junior pass" to test the draft waters, build a bit of free pub for the future, and withdraw. GW coach Karl Hobbs, who also remains in Foggy Bottom (partly due to the fact that his stock was hurt by his recruitment of prep-school players with questionable academic histories), expects Elliott and Pinnock to be back. NBA scouts -- see the developing pattern here -- don't consider either guard as a major 2006 draft prospect. Their value is as a late second-rounder (Pinnock) and an undrafted free agent (Elliott).
While Pinnock, a 6-foot-5 athlete who led GW in scoring last season with 14.5 points per game, could eventually play in the league, Elliott's best shot at a pro career may be in shoulder pads: During last season, Hobbs said he would phone NFL GMs -- specifically the Ravens' Ozzie Newsome -- on Elliott's behalf if the stocky guard wished to follow the road of Antonio Gates, Jai Lewis and Ed Nelson and become a gridiron convert.
5. Rutgers
Declared without an agent: Junior guard Quincy Douby
When the Big East was purportedly the nation's toughest conference in 2005-06 (although it had no reps in the Final Four), the Scarlet Knights managed to quietly finish 7-9, just behind the tourney-bubblicious pack of Seton Hall, Syracuse and Cincinnati. If Douby, the league's leading scorer at 25.4 points per game, returns -- keeping Rutgers' entire starting lineup intact -- the Knights would (gasp) be among the better teams in the Big East. And an NCAA tournament trip is precisely what new head coach Fred Hill needs to kick-start his Jersey revival. Hill is a respected East Coast talent hawk -- as an assistant under Jay Wright at Villanova, he recruited the nucleus for the Wildcats' rise to national prominence -- but there's little allure for Jersey or NYC prep stars to sign on with a school that hasn't been to an NCAA tournament since 1991.
One more season with Douby helps get Rutgers over the hump; without him, the Knights are hardly a force. Unfortunately, as more NBA teams catch on to Douby's spectacular scoring ability in the coming weeks, there will be fewer and fewer concerns about his skinny frame ... and he'll get enough assurances of first-round-dom that he'll stay in the draft.
4. Memphis
Declared without agents: Sophomore guard Darius Washington, freshman forward Shawne Williams
D-Wash, although presently sans agent, is gone for good. At least that's how it seems. He announced his intentions on his Web site on April 24 -- "I truly appreciate the support my friends, family, coaches and the fans have given me over the years and hope they will stand by me as I enter the next stage of fulfilling my lifelong dream" -- and hasn't given any indication that the decision is flexible. Unfortunately (for Darius), his personal Web site has an unmoderated message board, which has given numerous fans a venue to post less-than-supportive remarks about Washington's pro plans. Even more unfortunate is that NBA scouts seem to agree -- one scout we talked to said Washington is a second-round pick at best.
Washington, however, is not the big reason Memphis makes this list. His turnover rate (on 24.5 percent of possessions, according to kenpom.com) was higher than his assist rate (22.2 percent) in '05-06, and the Tigers have one semi-experienced point guard, Andre Allen, waiting in the wings and talented local prospect Willie Kemp on his way in. It could, quite possibly, be addition by subtraction, a la Florida improving once Anthony Roberson bid Gainesville adieu.
The big deal is Williams, a 6-9 forward who's the kind of star Memphis needs to make another deep tournament run (and perhaps earn a second straight NCAA No. 1 seed out of the C-USA). Williams' grandfather told the Commercial Appeal that Shawne's magical "limit" for staying in the draft was the top 20. Williams already has first-round stock, and one NBA scout told SI.com he expects Williams to be safely in the top 20 by June. That isn't great news for Memphis. It may need to cultivate a new star.
3. Villanova
Declared without an agent: Sophomore guard Kyle Lowry
The four-guard era at 'Nova is over, to be replaced by ... what, exactly? Either a more traditional, balanced attack led by Lowry on the perimeter and rehabbed forward Curtis Sumpter in the post, or, if Lowry leaves, a team that's heavily reliant on Sumpter and hopes its lone remaining guard, Mike Nardi, can do more of the scoring. The former team could still be a Big East force, the primary challenger to Georgetown for the league title, perhaps; the latter won't exactly strike fear in opponents' hearts.
Lowry, if he remains on the Main Line, has a chance to be an All-America point guard. At many points during the '05-06 season -- despite being overshadowed by the Wildcats' two decorated senior guards, Randy Foye and Allan Ray -- Lowry was the most dominant player on the floor. A sub-6-footer, he is a fearless penetrator who's lightning-quick off the dribble.
The more Lowry weighs his options, however, the more he may lean toward staying in the draft. One NBA scout told SI.com this week that Lowry would likely be the point guard on his team's board behind UConn's Marcus Williams and ahead of both UCLA's Jordan Farmar and Kentucky's Rajon Rondo. That would make Lowry somewhat of a first-round lock. The scout indicated that he expected Lowry would flourish in a faster-paced NBA environment, as opposed to the slower offense preferred by 'Nova.
2. Texas
Declared without agents: Sophomore guard Daniel Gibson, junior forward P.J. Tucker
Consider the strength of the lineup on the left versus the lineup on the right:
Probable 2006-07 Texas lineups Gibson/Tucker return Gibson/Tucker head to NBA PG: A.J. Abrams, So./D.J. Augustin, Fr. PG: A.J. Abrams, So./D.J. Augustin, Fr. SG: Daniel Gibson, Jr. SG: Justin Mason, Fr. SW: Kevin Durant, Fr. SF: Kevin Durant, Fr. SF: P.J. Tucker, Sr. PF: Mike Williams, Jr. C/PF: Mike Williams, Jr./Connor Atchley, Jr. C: Connor Atchley, Jr./Matt Hill, Fr.
The left side challenges Kansas for the Big 12 title and is a viable Final Four pick. It's a lineup of four McDonald's All-Americans (Augustin, Gibson, Durant and Williams), and the fifth, well, he's only the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year (Tucker) who racked up point-rebound double doubles in six of UT's final seven games. The right side still has a three-hamburger star rating, but no clear leader (Durant, by default?) and very little experience -- at least not enough to be considered one of the nation's elite teams.
Tucker and Gibson are both keeping their options open; according to the university they're still working out on campus and completing the spring semester's academic requirements in order to maintain eligibility for the 2006-07 season. Tucker would be the more likely player to stay in the draft, due to the fact that this is considered a weaker draft class than 2007's and his stock may be at its peak, since he averaged nearly a double double on the season. He's currently a second-rounder, but one NBA scout said opinions of Tucker are widely varied and he has the potential to rise into the first round with a big showing in Orlando.
Gibson, on the other hand, would be making a mistake by keeping his name in the draft. He very well may be a better pro prospect than Tucker, but Gibson's present stock is at its nadir. The same scouts who raved about him last summer were consistently disappointed in his point-guard skills during '05-06, and turning pro now would be a massive risk. The wild card in the decision process is that with the arrival of Augustin in Austin -- a true point who expects to have a hand in running the show -- will D-Gib get the proving ground he needs?
1. UCLA
Declared without agents: Sophomore guards Arron Afflalo and Jordan Farmar
The Bruins won't crash and burn if Afflalo and Farmar depart; by subbing Darren Collison (their speedy backup point) and Josh Shipp (the injured scoring star) into the backcourt, UCLA still makes the NCAA tournament in 2007. No one in Westwood, however, cares about simply making the NCAA tournament, especially when they know what's possible with the sophomore duo joining Shipp and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute in the lineup: the school's 12th national championship.
To put it nicely, Afflalo is far more desirable to UCLA at this point than he is to the NBA. He left a miserable last impression in the minds of NBA scouts with a poor (3-of-10 shooting, average defensive) showing in the title-game loss to Florida, and his stock fell accordingly -- enough to make it unwise for him to have declared for the draft at all. To the Bruins, however, he is their rock -- on a team riddled with injuries in '05-06, he played the most minutes (83.3 percent), had the highest offensive rating (an efficiency of 115.0) and was the best lock-down perimeter defender (a nonstatistical trait that may be paramount to the other two in coach Ben Howland's mind).
Farmar could rationalize a decision to stay in the draft; he has similar draft stock to 'Nova's Lowry, which would put him in the first round (but not the lottery). Despite taking a few too many shots (on 30.2 percent of UCLA's offensive possessions), Farmar had one of the highest assist rates of any point guard in the nation (37.6) and was the team's lone bright spot against the Gators, scoring 18 points in the finale. But he could take a lesson from title-game opponents Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer and Al Horford and put the pros on hold in favor of another taste of the Final Four. The 2007 draft will be much lighter on point guards, anyway. And that, Jordan, seems like a win-win situation.
Prospects are proceeding with caution, at an 84 percent clip. Fifty-three of the 63 NCAA-produced early entrants in the NBA draft have yet to hire an agent following the April 29 deadline to declare. Which means that the slate of available pro prospects -- released today by the league -- is hardly set in stone, and the real parties in limbo between now and June 18, the deadline to withdraw from the draft, are the college teams who have stars sitting on the NBA fence.
The departures of already-represented underclassmen such as Gonzaga's Adam Morrison, LSU's Tyrus Thomas and Texas' LaMarcus Aldridge were foregone conclusions in our early look at the 2006-07 landscape. But three schools in that initial top 10 -- UCLA, Memphis and Texas -- are now in jeopardy of taking less-expected hits to their Final Four hopes. Here are the six teams, including the Bruins, Tigers and Longhorns, with the most at stake in the next month and a half.
6. George Washington
Declared without agents: Junior guards Carl Elliott and Danilo (né J.R. Pinnock)
A letdown from the Colonials' 26-2 regular season in 2005-06 is expected. The above duo of experienced guards will determine the size of that slide -- slight or significant. If Elliott and Pinnock suit up for their senior seasons, GW likely challenges Xavier for the Atlantic 10 title and a third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. If not, it becomes the Maureece Rice show at the Smith Center ... which could be entertaining, but that production, at best, ends in the NIT.
The return scenario is looking likely: Both players, at present, seem to be (smartly) taking advantage of their "free junior pass" to test the draft waters, build a bit of free pub for the future, and withdraw. GW coach Karl Hobbs, who also remains in Foggy Bottom (partly due to the fact that his stock was hurt by his recruitment of prep-school players with questionable academic histories), expects Elliott and Pinnock to be back. NBA scouts -- see the developing pattern here -- don't consider either guard as a major 2006 draft prospect. Their value is as a late second-rounder (Pinnock) and an undrafted free agent (Elliott).
While Pinnock, a 6-foot-5 athlete who led GW in scoring last season with 14.5 points per game, could eventually play in the league, Elliott's best shot at a pro career may be in shoulder pads: During last season, Hobbs said he would phone NFL GMs -- specifically the Ravens' Ozzie Newsome -- on Elliott's behalf if the stocky guard wished to follow the road of Antonio Gates, Jai Lewis and Ed Nelson and become a gridiron convert.
5. Rutgers
Declared without an agent: Junior guard Quincy Douby
When the Big East was purportedly the nation's toughest conference in 2005-06 (although it had no reps in the Final Four), the Scarlet Knights managed to quietly finish 7-9, just behind the tourney-bubblicious pack of Seton Hall, Syracuse and Cincinnati. If Douby, the league's leading scorer at 25.4 points per game, returns -- keeping Rutgers' entire starting lineup intact -- the Knights would (gasp) be among the better teams in the Big East. And an NCAA tournament trip is precisely what new head coach Fred Hill needs to kick-start his Jersey revival. Hill is a respected East Coast talent hawk -- as an assistant under Jay Wright at Villanova, he recruited the nucleus for the Wildcats' rise to national prominence -- but there's little allure for Jersey or NYC prep stars to sign on with a school that hasn't been to an NCAA tournament since 1991.
One more season with Douby helps get Rutgers over the hump; without him, the Knights are hardly a force. Unfortunately, as more NBA teams catch on to Douby's spectacular scoring ability in the coming weeks, there will be fewer and fewer concerns about his skinny frame ... and he'll get enough assurances of first-round-dom that he'll stay in the draft.
4. Memphis
Declared without agents: Sophomore guard Darius Washington, freshman forward Shawne Williams
D-Wash, although presently sans agent, is gone for good. At least that's how it seems. He announced his intentions on his Web site on April 24 -- "I truly appreciate the support my friends, family, coaches and the fans have given me over the years and hope they will stand by me as I enter the next stage of fulfilling my lifelong dream" -- and hasn't given any indication that the decision is flexible. Unfortunately (for Darius), his personal Web site has an unmoderated message board, which has given numerous fans a venue to post less-than-supportive remarks about Washington's pro plans. Even more unfortunate is that NBA scouts seem to agree -- one scout we talked to said Washington is a second-round pick at best.
Washington, however, is not the big reason Memphis makes this list. His turnover rate (on 24.5 percent of possessions, according to kenpom.com) was higher than his assist rate (22.2 percent) in '05-06, and the Tigers have one semi-experienced point guard, Andre Allen, waiting in the wings and talented local prospect Willie Kemp on his way in. It could, quite possibly, be addition by subtraction, a la Florida improving once Anthony Roberson bid Gainesville adieu.
The big deal is Williams, a 6-9 forward who's the kind of star Memphis needs to make another deep tournament run (and perhaps earn a second straight NCAA No. 1 seed out of the C-USA). Williams' grandfather told the Commercial Appeal that Shawne's magical "limit" for staying in the draft was the top 20. Williams already has first-round stock, and one NBA scout told SI.com he expects Williams to be safely in the top 20 by June. That isn't great news for Memphis. It may need to cultivate a new star.
3. Villanova
Declared without an agent: Sophomore guard Kyle Lowry
The four-guard era at 'Nova is over, to be replaced by ... what, exactly? Either a more traditional, balanced attack led by Lowry on the perimeter and rehabbed forward Curtis Sumpter in the post, or, if Lowry leaves, a team that's heavily reliant on Sumpter and hopes its lone remaining guard, Mike Nardi, can do more of the scoring. The former team could still be a Big East force, the primary challenger to Georgetown for the league title, perhaps; the latter won't exactly strike fear in opponents' hearts.
Lowry, if he remains on the Main Line, has a chance to be an All-America point guard. At many points during the '05-06 season -- despite being overshadowed by the Wildcats' two decorated senior guards, Randy Foye and Allan Ray -- Lowry was the most dominant player on the floor. A sub-6-footer, he is a fearless penetrator who's lightning-quick off the dribble.
The more Lowry weighs his options, however, the more he may lean toward staying in the draft. One NBA scout told SI.com this week that Lowry would likely be the point guard on his team's board behind UConn's Marcus Williams and ahead of both UCLA's Jordan Farmar and Kentucky's Rajon Rondo. That would make Lowry somewhat of a first-round lock. The scout indicated that he expected Lowry would flourish in a faster-paced NBA environment, as opposed to the slower offense preferred by 'Nova.
2. Texas
Declared without agents: Sophomore guard Daniel Gibson, junior forward P.J. Tucker
Consider the strength of the lineup on the left versus the lineup on the right:
Probable 2006-07 Texas lineups Gibson/Tucker return Gibson/Tucker head to NBA PG: A.J. Abrams, So./D.J. Augustin, Fr. PG: A.J. Abrams, So./D.J. Augustin, Fr. SG: Daniel Gibson, Jr. SG: Justin Mason, Fr. SW: Kevin Durant, Fr. SF: Kevin Durant, Fr. SF: P.J. Tucker, Sr. PF: Mike Williams, Jr. C/PF: Mike Williams, Jr./Connor Atchley, Jr. C: Connor Atchley, Jr./Matt Hill, Fr.
The left side challenges Kansas for the Big 12 title and is a viable Final Four pick. It's a lineup of four McDonald's All-Americans (Augustin, Gibson, Durant and Williams), and the fifth, well, he's only the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year (Tucker) who racked up point-rebound double doubles in six of UT's final seven games. The right side still has a three-hamburger star rating, but no clear leader (Durant, by default?) and very little experience -- at least not enough to be considered one of the nation's elite teams.
Tucker and Gibson are both keeping their options open; according to the university they're still working out on campus and completing the spring semester's academic requirements in order to maintain eligibility for the 2006-07 season. Tucker would be the more likely player to stay in the draft, due to the fact that this is considered a weaker draft class than 2007's and his stock may be at its peak, since he averaged nearly a double double on the season. He's currently a second-rounder, but one NBA scout said opinions of Tucker are widely varied and he has the potential to rise into the first round with a big showing in Orlando.
Gibson, on the other hand, would be making a mistake by keeping his name in the draft. He very well may be a better pro prospect than Tucker, but Gibson's present stock is at its nadir. The same scouts who raved about him last summer were consistently disappointed in his point-guard skills during '05-06, and turning pro now would be a massive risk. The wild card in the decision process is that with the arrival of Augustin in Austin -- a true point who expects to have a hand in running the show -- will D-Gib get the proving ground he needs?
1. UCLA
Declared without agents: Sophomore guards Arron Afflalo and Jordan Farmar
The Bruins won't crash and burn if Afflalo and Farmar depart; by subbing Darren Collison (their speedy backup point) and Josh Shipp (the injured scoring star) into the backcourt, UCLA still makes the NCAA tournament in 2007. No one in Westwood, however, cares about simply making the NCAA tournament, especially when they know what's possible with the sophomore duo joining Shipp and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute in the lineup: the school's 12th national championship.
To put it nicely, Afflalo is far more desirable to UCLA at this point than he is to the NBA. He left a miserable last impression in the minds of NBA scouts with a poor (3-of-10 shooting, average defensive) showing in the title-game loss to Florida, and his stock fell accordingly -- enough to make it unwise for him to have declared for the draft at all. To the Bruins, however, he is their rock -- on a team riddled with injuries in '05-06, he played the most minutes (83.3 percent), had the highest offensive rating (an efficiency of 115.0) and was the best lock-down perimeter defender (a nonstatistical trait that may be paramount to the other two in coach Ben Howland's mind).
Farmar could rationalize a decision to stay in the draft; he has similar draft stock to 'Nova's Lowry, which would put him in the first round (but not the lottery). Despite taking a few too many shots (on 30.2 percent of UCLA's offensive possessions), Farmar had one of the highest assist rates of any point guard in the nation (37.6) and was the team's lone bright spot against the Gators, scoring 18 points in the finale. But he could take a lesson from title-game opponents Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer and Al Horford and put the pros on hold in favor of another taste of the Final Four. The 2007 draft will be much lighter on point guards, anyway. And that, Jordan, seems like a win-win situation.
It's Official! - The Official NBA List of Underclassmen Early Entries
Players who want to enter the NBA Draft early were required to file by April 29. The draft is June 28. Here is the early entrant list released by the NBA on May 3:
Name, Position, School, Year
1) Akbar Abdul-Ahad, G, Idaho St., Jr.*
2) Arron Afflalo, SG, UCLA, So.*
3) LaMarcus Aldridge, C, Texas, So.
4) Morris Almond, SG, Rice, Jr.*
5) Renaldo Balkman, F, South Carolina, Jr.*
6) Larry Blair, G, Liberty, Jr.*
7) Will Blaylock, PG, Iowa State, Jr.*
8) Jahsha Bluntt, G, Delaware State, Jr.*
9) Josh Boone, F, UConn, Jr.*
10) Ronnie Brewer, SG, Arkansas, Jr.*
11) Bobby Brown, G, Cal State Fullerton, Jr.*
12) Shannon Brown, G, Michigan State, Jr.*
13) Derek Burditt, G/F, Blinn College (TX), So.*
14) LeRoy Dawson, G, Emporia State (KS), Jr.*
15) Travis DeGroot, G, Delta State, Jr.*
16) Guillermo Diaz, G, Miami, Jr.
17) Cem Dinc, F, Indiana, Fr.*
18) Quincy Douby, G, Rutgers, Jr.*
19) Mike Efevberha, SG, Cal State Northridge, Jr.*
20) Carl Elliott, G, George Washington, Jr.*
21) Jordan Farmar, PG, UCLA, So.*
22) Nick Fazekas, F, Nevada, Jr.*
23) Thomas Gardner, SG, Missouri, Jr.*
24) Rudy Gay, SF, UConn, So.
25) Reggie George, C, Robert Morris (Ill.), Jr.*
26) Daniel Gibson, PG, Texas, So.*
27) Aaron Gray, C, Pittsburgh, Jr.*
28) LeShawn Hammett, G, St. Francis, Pa., Fr.*
29) Brandon Heath, PG, San Diego State, Jr.*
30) Tedric Hill, C, Gulf Coast CC (Fla.), Fr.*
31) Clarence Holloway , C, IMG Academy, 5 yr. HS*
32) Ekene Ibekwe, F, Maryland, Jr.*
33) Donald Jeffes, n/a, Roxbury CC (MA), n/a
34) Alexander Johnson, F, Florida State, Jr.
35) David Johnson, n/a, Clinton JC (SC), n/a
36) Trey Johnson, G, Jackson State, Jr.*
37) Coby Karl , G, Boise St., Jr.*
38) Mark Konecny, n/a, Lambuth University (TN), n/a
39) Kyle Lowry, G, Villanova, So.*
40) Alexis Maric, C, Nebraska, So.*
41) Japhet McNeil, G, ECU, Jr.*
42) Paul Millsap, F, Louisiana Tech, Jr.*
43) Matt Mitchell, n/a, Southern University-New Orleans, n/a
44) Adam Morrison, F, Gonzaga, Jr.
45) Patrick O'Bryant, C, Bradley, So.*
46) Evan Patterson, G, Texas Wesleyan, Jr.*
47) Danilo Pinnock, G, George Washington, Jr.*
48) Leon Powe, F, California, So.*
49) Richard Roby, SG, Colorado, So.*
50) Rajon Rondo, PG, Kentucky, So.
51) Blake Schlib, G, Loyola-Chicago, Jr.*
52) Mustafa Shakur, PG, Arizona, So.*
53) Cedric Simmons, C, NC State, Jr.*
54) Marcus Slaughter, F, San Diego State, Jr.
55) Curtis Stinson, PG/SG, Iowa State, Jr.
56) Tyrus Thomas, F, LSU, Fr.
57) P.J. Tucker, F, Texas, Jr.*
58) Jontae Vinson, F, Cal State-Los Angeles , Jr.*
59) Ian Vouyoukas, C, St. Louis, Jr.*
60) Darius Washington, G, Memphis, So.*
61) Albert Weber, n/a, Connors State, n/a
62) Marcus Williams, G, UConn, Jr.
63) Shawne Williams, F, Memphis, Fr.*
*Player is testing the waters, but retains college eligibility by not hiring an agent.
Name, Position, School, Year
1) Akbar Abdul-Ahad, G, Idaho St., Jr.*
2) Arron Afflalo, SG, UCLA, So.*
3) LaMarcus Aldridge, C, Texas, So.
4) Morris Almond, SG, Rice, Jr.*
5) Renaldo Balkman, F, South Carolina, Jr.*
6) Larry Blair, G, Liberty, Jr.*
7) Will Blaylock, PG, Iowa State, Jr.*
8) Jahsha Bluntt, G, Delaware State, Jr.*
9) Josh Boone, F, UConn, Jr.*
10) Ronnie Brewer, SG, Arkansas, Jr.*
11) Bobby Brown, G, Cal State Fullerton, Jr.*
12) Shannon Brown, G, Michigan State, Jr.*
13) Derek Burditt, G/F, Blinn College (TX), So.*
14) LeRoy Dawson, G, Emporia State (KS), Jr.*
15) Travis DeGroot, G, Delta State, Jr.*
16) Guillermo Diaz, G, Miami, Jr.
17) Cem Dinc, F, Indiana, Fr.*
18) Quincy Douby, G, Rutgers, Jr.*
19) Mike Efevberha, SG, Cal State Northridge, Jr.*
20) Carl Elliott, G, George Washington, Jr.*
21) Jordan Farmar, PG, UCLA, So.*
22) Nick Fazekas, F, Nevada, Jr.*
23) Thomas Gardner, SG, Missouri, Jr.*
24) Rudy Gay, SF, UConn, So.
25) Reggie George, C, Robert Morris (Ill.), Jr.*
26) Daniel Gibson, PG, Texas, So.*
27) Aaron Gray, C, Pittsburgh, Jr.*
28) LeShawn Hammett, G, St. Francis, Pa., Fr.*
29) Brandon Heath, PG, San Diego State, Jr.*
30) Tedric Hill, C, Gulf Coast CC (Fla.), Fr.*
31) Clarence Holloway , C, IMG Academy, 5 yr. HS*
32) Ekene Ibekwe, F, Maryland, Jr.*
33) Donald Jeffes, n/a, Roxbury CC (MA), n/a
34) Alexander Johnson, F, Florida State, Jr.
35) David Johnson, n/a, Clinton JC (SC), n/a
36) Trey Johnson, G, Jackson State, Jr.*
37) Coby Karl , G, Boise St., Jr.*
38) Mark Konecny, n/a, Lambuth University (TN), n/a
39) Kyle Lowry, G, Villanova, So.*
40) Alexis Maric, C, Nebraska, So.*
41) Japhet McNeil, G, ECU, Jr.*
42) Paul Millsap, F, Louisiana Tech, Jr.*
43) Matt Mitchell, n/a, Southern University-New Orleans, n/a
44) Adam Morrison, F, Gonzaga, Jr.
45) Patrick O'Bryant, C, Bradley, So.*
46) Evan Patterson, G, Texas Wesleyan, Jr.*
47) Danilo Pinnock, G, George Washington, Jr.*
48) Leon Powe, F, California, So.*
49) Richard Roby, SG, Colorado, So.*
50) Rajon Rondo, PG, Kentucky, So.
51) Blake Schlib, G, Loyola-Chicago, Jr.*
52) Mustafa Shakur, PG, Arizona, So.*
53) Cedric Simmons, C, NC State, Jr.*
54) Marcus Slaughter, F, San Diego State, Jr.
55) Curtis Stinson, PG/SG, Iowa State, Jr.
56) Tyrus Thomas, F, LSU, Fr.
57) P.J. Tucker, F, Texas, Jr.*
58) Jontae Vinson, F, Cal State-Los Angeles , Jr.*
59) Ian Vouyoukas, C, St. Louis, Jr.*
60) Darius Washington, G, Memphis, So.*
61) Albert Weber, n/a, Connors State, n/a
62) Marcus Williams, G, UConn, Jr.
63) Shawne Williams, F, Memphis, Fr.*
*Player is testing the waters, but retains college eligibility by not hiring an agent.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
David Glenn's ACC Journal - Why Calipari Really Turned Down N.C. State
David Glenn's ACC Journal David Glenn, editor of the ACC Sports Journal and ACCSports.com and host on 850 The Buzz, dishes out the latest news on top recruiting prospects and shares his insights on ACC basketball and football for WRAL.com.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Hidden (Lee) Fowler Factors
The N.C. State coaching search just entered its second month, one national sportswriter recently referred to Wolfpack athletic director Lee Fowler as a "clown," and coaches all over America are asking why in the world it's taking the Pack so long to find a successor for Herb Sendek.
Only Fowler can fully explain the reasons for the delays, but many NCSU fans understandably are frustrated after very public rejections from Texas coach Rick Barnes, Memphis coach John Calipari, former UCLA coach Steve Lavin and West Virginia coach John Beilein, plus no-thanks responses to unofficial Wolfpack inquiries from another dozen or so men.
Fowler certainly has left himself open to criticism, especially after week-long discussions with Lavin (West Coast, family matters, guaranteed money) and Beilein ($3 million buyout) broke down at least in part over matters all parties were aware of from their very first conversations. Those things simply don't happen in well-orchestrated searches, and if Fowler has a good explanation, he hasn't shared it yet.
Nevertheless, it's probably time to examine a few behind-the-scenes factors -- mostly ignored by the media to this point -- that make Fowler's job considerably more difficult and complicated than his critics would like to believe. These things certainly don't give him immunity for his missteps, but they do help explain some of the events of the last 30 days.
(1) N.C. State's current academic requirements. This factor is explained below in great detail.
(2) The rules of the UNC system, of which N.C. State is a part, prevent its schools from guaranteeing money to coaches beyond their base salaries. (As with everything else, it is possible but rare to get exceptions through the Board of Governors.) These guidelines, adopted in the early 1990s after UNC football coach Dick Crum and NCSU basketball coach Jim Valvano were owed big bucks long after their contracts had been terminated, are complicating Fowler's task in a market where many schools now guarantee higher percentages of coaches' total compensation.
(3) According to several ACC athletic directors, it is very difficult in a collegiate setting to get permission to pay a large buyout for another coach. One called it a "political hot potato" and said it's easier to get approval for a big-money contract than it is to get approval for a large buyout. In the case of Beilein, for example, State would have had to pay about as much ($3 million) just to hire Beilein (before paying him or his staff) as it paid Sendek over the past four seasons combined.
Leaving the details of #2 and #3 for later (perhaps), let's take a closer look at #1.
Much has been made of Calipari’s doubts about State’s ability to compete successfully against Duke and UNC on a regular basis, but there was far more to those sentiments than simply a coach who was afraid to go head-to-head with Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams.
State officials said that, during their discussions with Calipari, he asked many questions that fell into the domain of the school’s compliance director, admissions office and academic support staff. During his brief trip to Raleigh, he even asked to meet with some of those people. He later said that State’s academic requirements made the job less attractive to him.
One of the things that alarmed Calipari was the significant difference between UNC-system academic requirements and those of the NCAA. As a public university in North Carolina, N.C. State is part of the UNC system, which also includes UNC, East Carolina and a dozen other schools. Each of those universities must abide by the rules set forth by the UNC-system Board of Governors, which in recent years has raised minimum academic requirements to a point well above the NCAA minimums.
"I didn’t even know about (the new rules) in North Carolina," one ACC coach said. "Anybody who tells you it doesn’t matter doesn’t know recruiting. If your school’s (academic) requirements are higher than the NCAA requirements, whether it’s because of these state rules or your university’s philosophy or any other reason, it makes your job tougher. It’s not the only variable -- lots of other things impact whether a job is good or bad -- but it’s an important variable.
"Calipari probably looked at his roster at Memphis and asked himself how many of his best players would have been admitted under the new rules at N.C. State. If he doesn’t think he can get players into State, there’s no way he can take the job. It’s that simple."
At Memphis, generally speaking, the coaching staff could sign and enroll anyone who met basic (GPA, SAT) NCAA minimums. The Tigers even could sign non-qualifiers, who under NCAA rules must sit out a year and meet certain academic guidelines during that year before becoming eligible during their second year on campus, at the earliest.
State abides by the ACC rule against non-qualifiers, and the school (as part of the UNC system) also has several requirements that are higher than those of the NCAA. For example, starting this fall, all UNC-system schools will require at least two units of foreign language. (The NCAA requires none.) UNC-system schools also now require four units of math and three of science. The NCAA requires only two math and two science units right now.
As recently as 2004, the UNC-system had no requirements for foreign language and demanded only three math units. The extra (beyond the NCAA minimums) math units involve classes beyond algebra I and algebra II, such as geometry and calculus. The extra science unit typically involves biology, chemistry, physics or a laboratory course.
"Those are important differences," the ACC coach said. "Can you imagine recruiting a star player, and Memphis tells him he can take so-and-so classes as a senior, and you have to tell him that he still needs calculus and physics?
"Hell, yes, that matters. Many kids are thinking about basketball and girls going into their senior year, and the last thing they want to hear from you is that they have to take difficult classes that this team over here is telling them they don’t have to take."
There is some good news on the horizon for N.C. State, UNC and the other UNC-system schools. Beginning in 2008, the NCAA will require all Division I athletes to meet academic minimums in 16 core courses, rather than the current 14, and this is expected to lessen the impact of the UNC-system rules. Under the new NCAA rules, for example, recruits will need at least three math units, up from the current two.
"That will help to level the playing field a little bit," the ACC coach said. "Just remember: The more flexibility you have, the better it is for recruiting. Every school draws that line in a different place, and coaches know what (academic) questions to ask when they’re considering a new job."
------
UNC System Requirements -- Effective Fall 2006
Six course units in language, including:
* four units in English emphasizing grammar, composition, and literature, and* two units of a language other than English.
Four course units of mathematics, in any of the following combinations:
* algebra I and II, geometry, and one unit beyond algebra II,* algebra I and II, and two units beyond algebra II, or* integrated math I, II, and III, and one unit beyond integrated math III. Three course units in science, including:
* at least one unit in a life or biological science (for example, biology),* at least one unit in physical science (for example, physical science, chemistry, physics), and* at least one laboratory course. Two course units in social studies, including one unit in U.S. history, but an applicant who does not have the unit in U.S. history may be admitted on the condition that at least three semester hours in that subject will be passed by the end of the sophomore year.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Hidden (Lee) Fowler Factors
The N.C. State coaching search just entered its second month, one national sportswriter recently referred to Wolfpack athletic director Lee Fowler as a "clown," and coaches all over America are asking why in the world it's taking the Pack so long to find a successor for Herb Sendek.
Only Fowler can fully explain the reasons for the delays, but many NCSU fans understandably are frustrated after very public rejections from Texas coach Rick Barnes, Memphis coach John Calipari, former UCLA coach Steve Lavin and West Virginia coach John Beilein, plus no-thanks responses to unofficial Wolfpack inquiries from another dozen or so men.
Fowler certainly has left himself open to criticism, especially after week-long discussions with Lavin (West Coast, family matters, guaranteed money) and Beilein ($3 million buyout) broke down at least in part over matters all parties were aware of from their very first conversations. Those things simply don't happen in well-orchestrated searches, and if Fowler has a good explanation, he hasn't shared it yet.
Nevertheless, it's probably time to examine a few behind-the-scenes factors -- mostly ignored by the media to this point -- that make Fowler's job considerably more difficult and complicated than his critics would like to believe. These things certainly don't give him immunity for his missteps, but they do help explain some of the events of the last 30 days.
(1) N.C. State's current academic requirements. This factor is explained below in great detail.
(2) The rules of the UNC system, of which N.C. State is a part, prevent its schools from guaranteeing money to coaches beyond their base salaries. (As with everything else, it is possible but rare to get exceptions through the Board of Governors.) These guidelines, adopted in the early 1990s after UNC football coach Dick Crum and NCSU basketball coach Jim Valvano were owed big bucks long after their contracts had been terminated, are complicating Fowler's task in a market where many schools now guarantee higher percentages of coaches' total compensation.
(3) According to several ACC athletic directors, it is very difficult in a collegiate setting to get permission to pay a large buyout for another coach. One called it a "political hot potato" and said it's easier to get approval for a big-money contract than it is to get approval for a large buyout. In the case of Beilein, for example, State would have had to pay about as much ($3 million) just to hire Beilein (before paying him or his staff) as it paid Sendek over the past four seasons combined.
Leaving the details of #2 and #3 for later (perhaps), let's take a closer look at #1.
Much has been made of Calipari’s doubts about State’s ability to compete successfully against Duke and UNC on a regular basis, but there was far more to those sentiments than simply a coach who was afraid to go head-to-head with Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams.
State officials said that, during their discussions with Calipari, he asked many questions that fell into the domain of the school’s compliance director, admissions office and academic support staff. During his brief trip to Raleigh, he even asked to meet with some of those people. He later said that State’s academic requirements made the job less attractive to him.
One of the things that alarmed Calipari was the significant difference between UNC-system academic requirements and those of the NCAA. As a public university in North Carolina, N.C. State is part of the UNC system, which also includes UNC, East Carolina and a dozen other schools. Each of those universities must abide by the rules set forth by the UNC-system Board of Governors, which in recent years has raised minimum academic requirements to a point well above the NCAA minimums.
"I didn’t even know about (the new rules) in North Carolina," one ACC coach said. "Anybody who tells you it doesn’t matter doesn’t know recruiting. If your school’s (academic) requirements are higher than the NCAA requirements, whether it’s because of these state rules or your university’s philosophy or any other reason, it makes your job tougher. It’s not the only variable -- lots of other things impact whether a job is good or bad -- but it’s an important variable.
"Calipari probably looked at his roster at Memphis and asked himself how many of his best players would have been admitted under the new rules at N.C. State. If he doesn’t think he can get players into State, there’s no way he can take the job. It’s that simple."
At Memphis, generally speaking, the coaching staff could sign and enroll anyone who met basic (GPA, SAT) NCAA minimums. The Tigers even could sign non-qualifiers, who under NCAA rules must sit out a year and meet certain academic guidelines during that year before becoming eligible during their second year on campus, at the earliest.
State abides by the ACC rule against non-qualifiers, and the school (as part of the UNC system) also has several requirements that are higher than those of the NCAA. For example, starting this fall, all UNC-system schools will require at least two units of foreign language. (The NCAA requires none.) UNC-system schools also now require four units of math and three of science. The NCAA requires only two math and two science units right now.
As recently as 2004, the UNC-system had no requirements for foreign language and demanded only three math units. The extra (beyond the NCAA minimums) math units involve classes beyond algebra I and algebra II, such as geometry and calculus. The extra science unit typically involves biology, chemistry, physics or a laboratory course.
"Those are important differences," the ACC coach said. "Can you imagine recruiting a star player, and Memphis tells him he can take so-and-so classes as a senior, and you have to tell him that he still needs calculus and physics?
"Hell, yes, that matters. Many kids are thinking about basketball and girls going into their senior year, and the last thing they want to hear from you is that they have to take difficult classes that this team over here is telling them they don’t have to take."
There is some good news on the horizon for N.C. State, UNC and the other UNC-system schools. Beginning in 2008, the NCAA will require all Division I athletes to meet academic minimums in 16 core courses, rather than the current 14, and this is expected to lessen the impact of the UNC-system rules. Under the new NCAA rules, for example, recruits will need at least three math units, up from the current two.
"That will help to level the playing field a little bit," the ACC coach said. "Just remember: The more flexibility you have, the better it is for recruiting. Every school draws that line in a different place, and coaches know what (academic) questions to ask when they’re considering a new job."
------
UNC System Requirements -- Effective Fall 2006
Six course units in language, including:
* four units in English emphasizing grammar, composition, and literature, and* two units of a language other than English.
Four course units of mathematics, in any of the following combinations:
* algebra I and II, geometry, and one unit beyond algebra II,* algebra I and II, and two units beyond algebra II, or* integrated math I, II, and III, and one unit beyond integrated math III. Three course units in science, including:
* at least one unit in a life or biological science (for example, biology),* at least one unit in physical science (for example, physical science, chemistry, physics), and* at least one laboratory course. Two course units in social studies, including one unit in U.S. history, but an applicant who does not have the unit in U.S. history may be admitted on the condition that at least three semester hours in that subject will be passed by the end of the sophomore year.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Tough Work Starting for Tigers' Carney
Tough work starting for Tigers' Carney
By Gary Parrish, Commercial Appeal
April 29, 2006
The final workout of a five-day stretch began with an unconventional exercise. Rodney Carney grabbed the end of a blue tarp and walked, looking more like someone preparing for a rain delay than the NBA draft.
Pull the tarp?
Must be a new technique, right?
Must've read about it somewhere, no?
Actually, it was nothing more than a necessity. A tarp from a Thursday night function still covered the court at the Finch Center on Friday afternoon. And since you can't take a 3-pointer when you can't see the 3-point line, Carney's day began with a peeling, of sorts, that enabled the former University of Memphis standout to put in another 90-minute workout with Wayne Hall, otherwise known as the personal trainer of Rockets star Tracy McGrady.
"He's been working me hard," Carney said. "I've never worked this hard in my life."
Rodney Carney is destined to be a pro.
There were times when this seemed in doubt, like when he enrolled at Memphis as an unheralded prospect. But there he was Friday in an isolated gym talking like a pro and training like a pro, having signed with a sports agency, Octagon, based just outside Washington, D.C., that manages plenty of other young pros, among them Chris Paul (Hornets), Kirk Hinrich (Bulls) and Francisco Garcia (Kings).
"I talked to Chris Paul, and he had nothing but good things to say about them," Carney said explaining his choice of agency. "I just sensed they were the right people for me. It's where I needed to go."
In many cases, it's only a few seconds after a prospect signs with an agent that he requests a line of credit and purchases that first house or car (or houses and cars).
But Carney said he hasn't bothered with anything on that level and won't any time soon.
"I'm just concentrating on getting better," Carney said. "I'm not worried about any house or car right now. I just want to get better."
To do that, Carney will head to Houston next week, where he will remain the subsequent three weeks and continue his training sessions with Hall. Some others scheduled to participate are McGrady, Luther Head (Rockets) and JamesOn Curry (Oklahoma State).
"Rodney needs to work on his change of direction, getting stronger for the NBA game and creativity. He just needs to be a more creative basketball player," said Hall, who has been with McGrady since the NBA All-Star's prep days at Mt. Zion Academy in North Carolina.
"Fundamentally, I've been impressed with Rodney, and it takes a lot to impress me because I've worked with a lot of athletes. But I've been impressed. He has a lot of similarities to Tracy."
Among them, not being a college graduate (McGrady turned pro out of high school). But Carney said when this semester is completed he'll be just a project and one class short of his degree, something he plans to finish online within the next year.
"I'm going to get that done for me," Carney promised. "That's an accomplishment nobody will ever be able to take away."
While Carney said he has been invited to participate in the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando next month, he plans only to attend and not play. The idea is that his status as a probable lottery pick is secure and not worth risking in that atmosphere.
As for his former Tiger teammates also trying to turn pro, Carney expressed optimism both sophomore Darius Washington and freshman Shawne Williams can make it.
Like many others, he said he believes "Darius is gone" and is not considering returning to school under any circumstances.
But Carney said he spoke with Williams recently and offered some advice that could perhaps lead the Hamilton High product back to college so long as he maintains his amateur status.
"I talked with Shawne the other day, and he said he just wants to test the waters," Carney said. "I just told him to be careful and go out there and do what you can do. And then if you feel it's not going right, then come back (to school)."
-- Gary Parrish: 901-529-2365
Friday, April 28, 2006
UT Knoxville's Take on Washington and Williams NBA Intentions
Memphis' loss is UT's gain
By: Randy Moore, tennessee.scout.com
Date: Apr 27, 2006
Tennessee’s basketball future just keeps getting brighter and brighter.
Despite a 22-8 record and an SEC East title, the Vols were the state’s second-best college team in 2005-06. The University of Memphis beat the Big Orange head to head and earned a No. 1 seeding for the NCAA Tournament. Since then, however, Tennessee has improved its roster by signing a top-five recruiting class. Conversely, the Tiger roster has taken a big hit. Two of the team’s finest players have announced they are forgoing their remaining collegiate eligibility and making themselves available for the upcoming NBA Draft.
The two are forward Shawne Williams and guard Darius Washington. Both played key roles in the Tigers’ 88-79 defeat of Tennessee last Jan. 18 in Memphis. Williams produced 21 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocked shots in 34 sterling minutes. Williams sank just 2 of 12 from the floor but still finished with 17 points and 5 assists in 29 minutes.
Memphis still has some outstanding players available for the 2006-07 season but its talent advantage over Tennessee is greatly diminished by the loss of Williams and Washington. The Vols’ chances of being the best team in the state will be significantly enhanced if Williams and Washington follow through with their pro plans.
Tennessee’s chances of being the best team in the SEC next winter also may be getting a boost. Conference champion LSU is about to lose standout freshman forward Tyrus Thomas, who also declared for the draft. Meanwhile, several NBA insiders believe reigning NCAA champ Florida will lose one or two underclassmen to the draft. Both 6-foot-11 Joakim Noah and 6-foot-8 forward Al Horford are projected as possible NBA lottery picks, even though both say they plan to return for the 2006-07 college season.
For what it’s worth, ESPN.com lists Noah as the No. 1 prospect for
By: Randy Moore, tennessee.scout.com
Date: Apr 27, 2006
Tennessee’s basketball future just keeps getting brighter and brighter.
Despite a 22-8 record and an SEC East title, the Vols were the state’s second-best college team in 2005-06. The University of Memphis beat the Big Orange head to head and earned a No. 1 seeding for the NCAA Tournament. Since then, however, Tennessee has improved its roster by signing a top-five recruiting class. Conversely, the Tiger roster has taken a big hit. Two of the team’s finest players have announced they are forgoing their remaining collegiate eligibility and making themselves available for the upcoming NBA Draft.
The two are forward Shawne Williams and guard Darius Washington. Both played key roles in the Tigers’ 88-79 defeat of Tennessee last Jan. 18 in Memphis. Williams produced 21 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocked shots in 34 sterling minutes. Williams sank just 2 of 12 from the floor but still finished with 17 points and 5 assists in 29 minutes.
Memphis still has some outstanding players available for the 2006-07 season but its talent advantage over Tennessee is greatly diminished by the loss of Williams and Washington. The Vols’ chances of being the best team in the state will be significantly enhanced if Williams and Washington follow through with their pro plans.
Tennessee’s chances of being the best team in the SEC next winter also may be getting a boost. Conference champion LSU is about to lose standout freshman forward Tyrus Thomas, who also declared for the draft. Meanwhile, several NBA insiders believe reigning NCAA champ Florida will lose one or two underclassmen to the draft. Both 6-foot-11 Joakim Noah and 6-foot-8 forward Al Horford are projected as possible NBA lottery picks, even though both say they plan to return for the 2006-07 college season.
For what it’s worth, ESPN.com lists Noah as the No. 1 prospect for
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Tyler Smith Shuns Tigers, Will be a Hawkeye
Iowa signs top-50 recruit Smith
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Iowa added one of the nation's best prep school players Wednesday when coach Steve Alford announced that forward Tyler Smith had signed with the Hawkeyes.
Smith is a 6-foot-7, 210-pound small forward from Pulaski, Tenn.
In 2005, he was rated among the nation's Top 50 high school seniors by Scout.com, a recruiting publication.
Smith spent a post-graduate season at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia in 2005-06. He averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists a game while leading the team to a 28-2 record.
Smith will enter the 2006-07 campaign as a freshman. Scout.com rated Smith as the second-best prep school player in the nation last season.
"Tyler will have an immediate impact on our team next season," said Alford in a statement. "He is a very talented player, but also a great person, and that is something we always look for in recruiting."
Smith is the fourth newcomer slated to join the Hawkeyes next season. During the fall signing period, Iowa inked Canadian big man Jamie Vanderbeken and junior college transfers Justin Johnson and Cyrus Tate.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Darius Washington and Shawne Williams to Enter Draft
Letter posted on dwash.net (Darius Washington's personal website)
April 24, 2006
Dear Fans,
It is with a great deal of excitement that I announce my decision to declare for the 2006 NBA Draft. Playing in the NBA has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I first learned to play basketball from my dad when I was just a kid and I have been fortunate to play for some great coaches over the years who have helped me prepare for the challenges of collegiate and professional basketball.
There were a lot of things to consider before I made my decision to enter the draft and after careful consideration I am confident that I made the best decision for me. I truly appreciate the support my friends, family, coaches and the fans have given me over the years and hope they will stand by me as I enter the next stage of fulfilling my lifelong dream.
Thank you,
Darius Washington Jr.
Article in the Memphis Commercial Appeal
By Gary Parrish
April 25, 2006
University of Memphis standout Shawne Williams plans to make himself eligible for the 2006 NBA Draft but will not immediately hire an agent, Williams’ grandfather told The Commercial Appeal today. Consequently, the freshman forward can maintain his college eligibility and return to the Tigers if he withdraws from the draft by June 18. The draft is June 28.
"He’s torn on the decision because he enjoys school, but the (financial) needs overshadow everything else," said Leon Williams, who helped raise Shawne. "The time is right if he can get the money and get a good contract."
Meanwhile, teammate Darius Washington has also announced his intentions to enter the draft. The sophomore guard declined to answer questions when reached by phone today, instead referring The Commercial Appeal to his personal Web site (dwash.net) where a statement had been published that explained his decision.
Though Washington wasn’t specific, his statement indicates he will remain in the draft no matter what despite no one projecting him as a first-round pick. On the other hand, a chance remains that Shawne Williams will play at Memphis again.
Leon Williams said his grandson intends to maintain his amateur status and that if he is not projected as a top-20 pick "he will probably go back to school." As it stands, there is no guarantee Williams will go that high, though most analysts believe he’s a lock for the top 30.
UofM coach John Calipari did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
— Gary Parrish: 901-529-2365
April 24, 2006
Dear Fans,
It is with a great deal of excitement that I announce my decision to declare for the 2006 NBA Draft. Playing in the NBA has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I first learned to play basketball from my dad when I was just a kid and I have been fortunate to play for some great coaches over the years who have helped me prepare for the challenges of collegiate and professional basketball.
There were a lot of things to consider before I made my decision to enter the draft and after careful consideration I am confident that I made the best decision for me. I truly appreciate the support my friends, family, coaches and the fans have given me over the years and hope they will stand by me as I enter the next stage of fulfilling my lifelong dream.
Thank you,
Darius Washington Jr.
Article in the Memphis Commercial Appeal
By Gary Parrish
April 25, 2006
University of Memphis standout Shawne Williams plans to make himself eligible for the 2006 NBA Draft but will not immediately hire an agent, Williams’ grandfather told The Commercial Appeal today. Consequently, the freshman forward can maintain his college eligibility and return to the Tigers if he withdraws from the draft by June 18. The draft is June 28.
"He’s torn on the decision because he enjoys school, but the (financial) needs overshadow everything else," said Leon Williams, who helped raise Shawne. "The time is right if he can get the money and get a good contract."
Meanwhile, teammate Darius Washington has also announced his intentions to enter the draft. The sophomore guard declined to answer questions when reached by phone today, instead referring The Commercial Appeal to his personal Web site (dwash.net) where a statement had been published that explained his decision.
Though Washington wasn’t specific, his statement indicates he will remain in the draft no matter what despite no one projecting him as a first-round pick. On the other hand, a chance remains that Shawne Williams will play at Memphis again.
Leon Williams said his grandson intends to maintain his amateur status and that if he is not projected as a top-20 pick "he will probably go back to school." As it stands, there is no guarantee Williams will go that high, though most analysts believe he’s a lock for the top 30.
UofM coach John Calipari did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
— Gary Parrish: 901-529-2365
Monday, April 24, 2006
NBA Mock Draft Updates
NBADraft.net
9. Golden St. Rodney Carney 6-7 205 SF Memphis Sr.
Hoopsvibe.com/DraftExpress.com
13. Rodney Carney SG/SF New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets
Collegehoopsnet.com
6. Rodney Carney
14. Shawne Williams
9. Golden St. Rodney Carney 6-7 205 SF Memphis Sr.
Hoopsvibe.com/DraftExpress.com
13. Rodney Carney SG/SF New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets
Collegehoopsnet.com
6. Rodney Carney
14. Shawne Williams
UPDATE: 31 Underclassmen Have Now Declared for the NBA Draft
31 Underclassmen have now declared for the draft with 23 deciding not to hire an agent.
Players who want to enter the NBA Draft early must file by April 29. The draft is June 28. Here is the early entrant list to date:
2006 NBA Draft Early Entrants
Name, Position, School, Year
1) Arron Afflalo, SG, UCLA, So.*
2) LaMarcus Aldridge, C, Texas, So.
3) Morris Almond, SG, Rice, Jr.*
4) Will Blaylock, PG, Iowa State, Jr.*
5) Josh Boone, F, UConn, Jr.*
6) Shannon Brown, G, Michigan State, Jr.*
7) Guillermo Diaz, G, Miami, Jr.*
8) Mike Efevberha, SG, Cal State Northridge, Jr.*
9) Carl Elliott, G, George Washington, Jr.*
10) Jordan Farmar, PG, UCLA, So.*
11) Nick Fazekas, F, Nevada, Jr.*
12) Thomas Gardner, SG, Missouri, Jr.*
13) Rudy Gay, SF, UConn, So.
14) Daniel Gibson, PG, Texas, So.*
15) Brandon Heath, PG, San Diego State, Jr.*
16) Ian Vouyoukas, C, St. Louis, Jr.*
17) Alexander Johnson, F, Florida State, Jr.*
18) Trey Johnson, G, Jackson State, Jr.*
19) Paul Millsap, F, Louisiana Tech, Jr.
20) Adam Morrison, F, Gonzaga, Jr.
21) Patrick O'Bryant, C, Bradley, So.*
22) Danilo Pinnock, G, George Washington, Jr.*
23) Leon Powe, F, California, So.*
24) Richard Roby, SG, Colorado, So.*
25) Rajon Rondo, PG, Kentucky, So.
26) Mustafa Shakur, PG, Arizona, Jr.*
27) Marcus Slaughter, F, San Diego State, Jr.
28) Curtis Stinson, PG/SG, Iowa State, Jr.*
29) Tyrus Thomas, F, LSU, Fr.
30) P.J. Tucker, F, Texas, Jr.*
31) Marcus Williams, G, UConn, Jr.
*Player is testing the waters, but retains college eligibility by not hiring an agent.
Players who want to enter the NBA Draft early must file by April 29. The draft is June 28. Here is the early entrant list to date:
2006 NBA Draft Early Entrants
Name, Position, School, Year
1) Arron Afflalo, SG, UCLA, So.*
2) LaMarcus Aldridge, C, Texas, So.
3) Morris Almond, SG, Rice, Jr.*
4) Will Blaylock, PG, Iowa State, Jr.*
5) Josh Boone, F, UConn, Jr.*
6) Shannon Brown, G, Michigan State, Jr.*
7) Guillermo Diaz, G, Miami, Jr.*
8) Mike Efevberha, SG, Cal State Northridge, Jr.*
9) Carl Elliott, G, George Washington, Jr.*
10) Jordan Farmar, PG, UCLA, So.*
11) Nick Fazekas, F, Nevada, Jr.*
12) Thomas Gardner, SG, Missouri, Jr.*
13) Rudy Gay, SF, UConn, So.
14) Daniel Gibson, PG, Texas, So.*
15) Brandon Heath, PG, San Diego State, Jr.*
16) Ian Vouyoukas, C, St. Louis, Jr.*
17) Alexander Johnson, F, Florida State, Jr.*
18) Trey Johnson, G, Jackson State, Jr.*
19) Paul Millsap, F, Louisiana Tech, Jr.
20) Adam Morrison, F, Gonzaga, Jr.
21) Patrick O'Bryant, C, Bradley, So.*
22) Danilo Pinnock, G, George Washington, Jr.*
23) Leon Powe, F, California, So.*
24) Richard Roby, SG, Colorado, So.*
25) Rajon Rondo, PG, Kentucky, So.
26) Mustafa Shakur, PG, Arizona, Jr.*
27) Marcus Slaughter, F, San Diego State, Jr.
28) Curtis Stinson, PG/SG, Iowa State, Jr.*
29) Tyrus Thomas, F, LSU, Fr.
30) P.J. Tucker, F, Texas, Jr.*
31) Marcus Williams, G, UConn, Jr.
*Player is testing the waters, but retains college eligibility by not hiring an agent.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Washington, Williams on Fence About Pros
Washington, Williams on fence about pros
By Gary Parrish, Memphis Commercial Appeal
April 20, 2006
With nine days remaining until the deadline and underclassmen declaring at a staggering rate, Darius Washington and Shawne Williams remain publicly undecided about whether to return to the University of Memphis or enter the NBA Draft. "We haven't decided anything," said Washington's father, Darius Washington Sr.
"Shawne doesn't know yet," said Williams' grandfather, Leon Williams. So the wait continues.
Previously, John Calipari said he expected both Washington and Williams to turn pro, even putting the odds at 60-40. And while that is still a strong possibility, the families of both Tiger stars remain non-committal on the issue, apparently set to have every bit of desired information before scheduling an announcement.
The deadline is April 29, though that doesn't necessarily mean anything will be decided by then. Williams and Washington could announce that they are going to enter the NBA Draft and still return to college so long as they maintain their amateur status (i.e., don't hire an agent) and withdraw by June 18.
For what it's worth, Washington is not projected to go in the first round, and it's unclear if he'd be selected at all. Still, there's little doubt the sophomore guard could earn a paycheck playing basketball somewhere next season if that is the goal.
"Right now we're just focused on finishing (this semester of classes) strong," said Darius Washington Sr. "That's the only thing we're worried about."
Williams' pro prospects appear much brighter. The freshman forward would likely be a first-round pick, but whether it's near the top or the bottom of the round is hard to predict, which is apparently why the decision is hard to make.
"If he was in the top 10, I'd imagine he'd go, but other than that I don't know," Leon Williams said. "So he's just waiting, trying to see how high he could go."
-- Gary Parrish: 901-529-2365
By Gary Parrish, Memphis Commercial Appeal
April 20, 2006
With nine days remaining until the deadline and underclassmen declaring at a staggering rate, Darius Washington and Shawne Williams remain publicly undecided about whether to return to the University of Memphis or enter the NBA Draft. "We haven't decided anything," said Washington's father, Darius Washington Sr.
"Shawne doesn't know yet," said Williams' grandfather, Leon Williams. So the wait continues.
Previously, John Calipari said he expected both Washington and Williams to turn pro, even putting the odds at 60-40. And while that is still a strong possibility, the families of both Tiger stars remain non-committal on the issue, apparently set to have every bit of desired information before scheduling an announcement.
The deadline is April 29, though that doesn't necessarily mean anything will be decided by then. Williams and Washington could announce that they are going to enter the NBA Draft and still return to college so long as they maintain their amateur status (i.e., don't hire an agent) and withdraw by June 18.
For what it's worth, Washington is not projected to go in the first round, and it's unclear if he'd be selected at all. Still, there's little doubt the sophomore guard could earn a paycheck playing basketball somewhere next season if that is the goal.
"Right now we're just focused on finishing (this semester of classes) strong," said Darius Washington Sr. "That's the only thing we're worried about."
Williams' pro prospects appear much brighter. The freshman forward would likely be a first-round pick, but whether it's near the top or the bottom of the round is hard to predict, which is apparently why the decision is hard to make.
"If he was in the top 10, I'd imagine he'd go, but other than that I don't know," Leon Williams said. "So he's just waiting, trying to see how high he could go."
-- Gary Parrish: 901-529-2365
As NBA Declarations Increase, Will it Mean Williams and Washington Will Stay?
As the list of underclassmen declaring for the NBA draft increases, does it mean Shawne Williams and Darius Washington, Jr. will have more incentive to stay in school another year. Today UCLA's Aaron Afflalo and Jordan Farmar both declared but neither will sign with an agent.
As of today 23 underclassmen have declared with 16 not planning to hire agents. Tyrus Thomas of LSU is the only freshman declaring.
Of those deciding to hire agents several are definites for getting drafted including: LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay, Paul Millsap, Adam Morrison and Tyrus Thomas. I'd put Rajon Rondo at about 50/50 based on who might ultimately be available. I am not very familiar with Marcus Slaughter of San Diego State.
Underclassmen in the NBA Draft
Players who want to enter the NBA Draft early must file by April 29. The draft is June 28. Here is the early entrant list to date:
Name Position School Year
Arron Afflalo SG UCLA So.*
LaMarcus Aldridge C Texas So.
Morris Almond SG Rice Jr.*
Will Blaylock PG Iowa State Jr.*
Josh Boone F UConn Jr.*
Guillermo Diaz G Miami Jr.*
Mike Efevberha SG Cal State Northridge Jr.*
Jordan Farmar PG UCLA So.*
Nick Fazekas F Nevada Jr.*
Thomas Gardner SG Missouri Jr.*
Rudy Gay SF UConn So.
Brandon Heath PG San Diego State Jr.*
Alexander Johnson F Florida State Jr.*
Trey Johnson G Jackson State Jr.*
Paul Millsap F Louisiana Tech Jr.
Adam Morrison F Gonzaga Jr.
Leon Powe F California So.*
Richard Roby SG Colorado So.*
Rajon Rondo PG Kentucky So.
Mustafa Shakur PG Arizona Jr.*
Marcus Slaughter F San Diego State Jr.
Curtis Stinson PG/SG Iowa State Jr.*
Tyrus Thomas F LSU Fr.
*Player is testing the waters, but retains college eligibility by not hiring an agent.
Andy Katz on Rice University's Morris Almond Testing the NBA Waters
If Almond jumps, there will be no joy at Rice
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
Take a guess which school could be hit harder than any other if its early entrant decides to stay in the draft.
How about ... Rice.
Why the Owls? Well, no other school could have its postseason chances swing on the decision of one player. Most schools can absorb the hit, but not Rice.
Owls leading scorer Morris Almond declared for the NBA draft with the intent of testing the process. He isn't expected to sign with an agent, but he wants to see where he stands. You're probably not too familiar with Almond, but if you were watching Conference USA, you would have seen the junior average 21.9 points a game, grab 5.8 rebounds and lead the Owls to a 6-8 league record (12-16 overall).
The 6-6 wing isn't a lock for the first round, but through workouts and, potentially, the Orlando pre-draft camp June 6-12, he could entice someone to take a serious look.
If Almond returns to Rice, the Owls have a chance -- and we underscore chance -- to earn their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1970.
"If he comes back, we've got a chance to be really good -- as good as we've ever been," said 14-year Rice coach Willis Wilson. "If he doesn't come back, it's a whole different ball game."
With Almond, Rice would return six of its top eight scorers and Wilson is confident that newcomers should add depth at the point and inside and the toughness that could make this his best Owl squad ever.
"The kid should dominate and impact winning at Rice before he considers this, but how high could he go? Well, at this stage, the draft is wide open and there are several spots for guys to play their way in, and he's a part of that group," one NBA player personnel director said. "He is a good athlete and can get you a bucket."
Wilson said NBA personnel have told him Almond is an unknown commodity, a player who needs to improve his ballhandling, passing and defense. But one undisputable point is that he can score.
He did that in bunches against C-USA champ Memphis, putting up 30 in an 84-79 loss Feb. 4.
"If he comes back and played like he did against us, then he'll put himself in a better position in the [2007] draft," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "They were good with him. They'll have a chance with him back. Look, he killed us with 30."
The deadline to withdraw is June 18.
With Morris, Wilson said he could see C-USA having five teams in play for NCAA berths, with the Owls joining Memphis, Houston, UAB and UTEP.
"And there's no reason why we couldn't get three teams in," Wilson said. "If Morris comes back, we'll be really good because I like our chemistry, our bigs, and [we have] kids who can score and shoot."
The deadline to declare is still 10 days away.
By Andy KatzESPN.com
Take a guess which school could be hit harder than any other if its early entrant decides to stay in the draft.
How about ... Rice.
Why the Owls? Well, no other school could have its postseason chances swing on the decision of one player. Most schools can absorb the hit, but not Rice.
Owls leading scorer Morris Almond declared for the NBA draft with the intent of testing the process. He isn't expected to sign with an agent, but he wants to see where he stands. You're probably not too familiar with Almond, but if you were watching Conference USA, you would have seen the junior average 21.9 points a game, grab 5.8 rebounds and lead the Owls to a 6-8 league record (12-16 overall).
The 6-6 wing isn't a lock for the first round, but through workouts and, potentially, the Orlando pre-draft camp June 6-12, he could entice someone to take a serious look.
If Almond returns to Rice, the Owls have a chance -- and we underscore chance -- to earn their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1970.
"If he comes back, we've got a chance to be really good -- as good as we've ever been," said 14-year Rice coach Willis Wilson. "If he doesn't come back, it's a whole different ball game."
With Almond, Rice would return six of its top eight scorers and Wilson is confident that newcomers should add depth at the point and inside and the toughness that could make this his best Owl squad ever.
"The kid should dominate and impact winning at Rice before he considers this, but how high could he go? Well, at this stage, the draft is wide open and there are several spots for guys to play their way in, and he's a part of that group," one NBA player personnel director said. "He is a good athlete and can get you a bucket."
Wilson said NBA personnel have told him Almond is an unknown commodity, a player who needs to improve his ballhandling, passing and defense. But one undisputable point is that he can score.
He did that in bunches against C-USA champ Memphis, putting up 30 in an 84-79 loss Feb. 4.
"If he comes back and played like he did against us, then he'll put himself in a better position in the [2007] draft," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "They were good with him. They'll have a chance with him back. Look, he killed us with 30."
The deadline to withdraw is June 18.
With Morris, Wilson said he could see C-USA having five teams in play for NCAA berths, with the Owls joining Memphis, Houston, UAB and UTEP.
"And there's no reason why we couldn't get three teams in," Wilson said. "If Morris comes back, we'll be really good because I like our chemistry, our bigs, and [we have] kids who can score and shoot."
The deadline to declare is still 10 days away.
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