A look at future NBA prospects 06.14.2007 - Updated on 06.14.2007
 | | | | | | | | | | Now maybe I’m getting a little bit ahead of myself here, after all we haven’t even had the 2007 NBA draft yet, but I’m already looking towards the future at some future college players. Then again most hoops fans that follow the game closely had an early radar on Kobe Bryant, Eddy Curry, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Gerald Green, Kevin Durant, Greg Oden and many others well before they came. A scout friend and I were looking at game tapes of future prospects, and I have seen some of thes players in person and loved the way they played, so I figured what the heck I’ll get a head start sharing some info with my readers. So here is a look at the next two incoming college classes, I’ll give you 10 players from each one in the order that I like them and share a brief report.
2007-08
1. O.J. Mayo is 6’4, 190 pound, PG, and has committed to USC. He is very skilled on the perimeter, has great range on his shot, and is a good finisher. He controls the tempo real well, and sets up teammates well. He is very poised with a high basketball IQ, and is big time play maker.
2. Eric Gordon is 6’3, 185 pound, PG, and committed to Indiana. He is a good athlete and has a high basketball IQ. He works hard and loves the game with a passion. He is capable of being a big time scorer, with a great outside shot. He likes shooting off the dribble on the perimeter.
3. Kevin Love is 6’9, 260 pound, C, and has committed to UCLA. Will come in with polished skills like Spencer Hawes did. His dad is former NBA player Stan Love. He loves to play inside the paint and bang hard to put up big stats. A very intense player, rebounds and passes well also. He is developing range on his shot, and he may have not reached his peak physically yet.
4. Micheal Beasley is 6’8, 210 pound PF, has committed to Kansas State. He has great inside-outside talent. Puts up big numbers, has great length, and his versatility is awesome. He also is a very confident player.
5. DeAndre Jordan is 6’10, 210 pound C, has committed to Texas A&M. His stock rose quickly. He has great physical tools, long, athletic and runs the floor well. He can throw down awesome dunks, and will probably bulk up as he gets older.
6. Derrick Rose is 6’2, 180 pound PG, has committed to Memphis. Is most definitely a true PG like Mike Conley Jr, he runs the team at a high level. Has good size and athleticism, he finishes well, is unselfish, and a leader. He has nice range on his jumper and is one of Chi-towns finest.
7. Kyle Singler is 6’8, 200 pound SF, committed to Duke. Has a high basketball IQ, is a great character guy, and is a difference maker on the court. Has good ball-handling skills, nice deep jump shot, has good length and likes the perimeter.
8. Patrick Patterson is 6’8, 234 pound PF, has committed to Kentucky. Well built and is a very strong player. Can knock down the mid-range shot easily. He’s a great leaper, plays well facing the basket, and is a solid rebounder.
9. Bill Walker is 6’6, 200 pound SF, graduated early, so he has already got his first year of college ball in at Kansas State. He’s a massive dunker, has an ok perimeter shot, and is a very physical wing player. He is very athletic, finishes well, and can change the games tempo. He has become a great outside shooter.
10. Kosta Koufos is 7’0, 230 pound PF, has committed to Ohio State. Plays real well facing the basket, also has good skills inside the paint. Has a nice range to his shot, is very competitive and rebounds really well.
2008-09
1. Brandon Jennings is 6’1, 170 pound PG, and has committed to Arizona. Has a great floater, has great quickness and speed, and looks to play in attack mode. He has great court vision and plays really well against older players. He is a very good defender.
2. Jrue Holiday is 6’3, 180 pound PG, that has not made a commitment, but is heavily recruited by top schools. He can score, pass, shoot, and defend well. Has a great character and knows the importance of playing team ball and winning. He has a high basketball IQ, is very competitive, and makes a huge impact on the court.
3. Malcom Lee is 6’4, 165 pound PG, has committed to UCLA. Can get hot hitting the outside shot. Is good in traffic, and runs the floor well. He is a very good scorer and a pretty good athlete. He has nice length with good ball handling skills. He is a play maker with a nice perimeter shot.
4. Greg Monroe is 6’9, 195 pound PF, has not made a committement yet, but is a highly regarded prospect. Although he is slender for his height he is very strong. Has a solid mid range game, crashes the boards well, and has good length. He has alot of upside to his game.
5. William Buford is 6’5, 185 pound SG, has committed to Ohio State. We live in the same city so I have seen him play alot. He puts up big numbers in many categories, is not afraid of contact is always in attack mode. He is versatile and has become a solid rebounder. He has a nice outside and perimeter shot, is capable of being the go to guy, and he is a good leader.
6. Tyreke Evans is 6’4, 185 pound PG, hasn’t made a commitment yet, but is wanted by many top hoops schools. Has a good feel for the game, he is hard working, athletic, and play maker. He is a big time scorer, has a nice three point shot, and has good passing skills. Can play well on the perimeter, and is versatile , he also is a good finisher.
7. Samardo Samuels is 6’8, 240 pound C, committed to Louisville. He is a big time prospect. He is a good scorer in the post that loves to dominate inside. He is very powerful and is an impact player on the court. He finishes well at the basket, and if he keeps developing will be a special talent.
8. Ty Walker is 7’0, 220 pound C, has committed to Wake Forest. He needs to bulk up and get sronger inside. He runs the court well, is a great shot blocker, and is very long and athletic. He plays great defense. He keeps rapidly growing and improving which is a great sign for his potential.
9. Nate Miles is 6’6, 170 pound SG, he had committed to Xavier, but pulled out and now is committed to Connecticut. He also played in my city and I watched him many times. He is a big time scorer, has good range on his shot, and is a playmaker. He has a quick release to his shot, good perimeter player, and good athletic ability. He is improving his decision making skills on and off the court and is maturing. He has a chance to be an elite player with the right guidance.
10. Larry Drew Jr, is 6’0 170 pound PG, committed to North Carolina. He is the son of former NBA player Larry Drew Sr. He plays the PG position real well, he understands the game and is very poised along with his decison making skills. Has a good outside shot, is a decent athlete, with good on the dime passing skills. His size and shooting mechanics is a concern for some.
So there you have it HoopsVibe viewers, 20 players to look out for in the future. If they all play to their abilities you should most definetly hear their names frequently in the future in college, and hopefully some day in the NBA. |
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Posted by
on 06.4.2008 | hey!!! i played backetball with william buford this year he was a great bball player.. they are retiring his jersey!! #44!! but he didnt get the MVP of the bball team.. it was Lance Jones (comited to OVU ohio vally university) . | Posted by
on 06.4.2008 | hey!!! i played backetball with william buford this year he was a great bball player.. they are retiring his jersey!! #44!! but he didnt get the MVP of the bball team.. it was Lance Jones (comited to OVU ohio vally university) . | Posted by
Spider
on 06.19.2007 | In a few years, look out for Andrew Ogilvy (7’0" 240 lbs from Australia. Outstanding body already, big and strong, good athleticism. Solid mature inside game, decent passer. Has no problem running the floor and mixing it up inside. He isn’t afraid of contact and can finish in the lane. Absolutely a solid defender and shot blocker but not blessed with outstanding foot speed to guard out on the perimeter. He could be ready for the NBA draft right now! Also watch out for another Aussie by the name of Patrick Mills (5’11"). He is a pure point guard, tough as they come, blessed with outstanding speed and court leadership, can hit the open shot but is more of a pa-------first player. Remember you heard it first here... . | Posted by
king crush
on 06.15.2007 | Rose is going to be a player—hawks should listenbeasely will be the best though—he will end up a twolvelove gets no love—see gdavisi would take oden or durant over these guys though . | Posted by
hey!
on 06.15.2007 | Its Daniel booby Gibson . | Posted by
Anonymous
on 06.15.2007 | Dominic James, I am begging you. If you have not already, go back to college. You are way too talented to be taking this abuse. James, McNeal, and Matthews can be the big three for college basketball. Then, after your Senior year go to the draft. You will be 110% better, trust me.You are a great player just get your head on straight and practice hard don’t be arrogant, as some have called you, but walk with humility .Don’t take this as a set back, but take this as a learning experience and practice for the next season and the next time you enter the draft. The road to success takes a lot of off season practice and hard work. Your work ethic must improve if you want to play on the next level. It is going to take studying Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Jason Kidd, T.J. Ford, and even New Jersey’s Marcus Williams. When people talk about Tiny Archibald or Earl the Pearl Monroe listen up and take notes. You must get mentally tuff and make up in your mind that you are going to score when its needed. Don’t just watch an NBA game , study it. Look at the spacing and the way good point guards breakdown defenses . Also look for new ways to get your shot off. You know what you have to work, on so work on it so that I can see you in the NBA one day and say "he’s a hard worker" . Don’t ever slack off in practice. Hustle on every level is rewarded and can compensate for your weaknesses. I am looking forward to seeing you in the MU gold and blue! Remember what one former MU player turn Finals MVP says, "hard work pays off." Get connected with JESUS. Accept HIM a just see where HE will take you. Dedicate your life to HIM today . Let HIM cleanse you from everything you have done wrong. I did and I will never be the same! "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4."For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON that whosoever believeth in HIM should no perish but have everlasting life ! " John 3:16 . | Posted by
Dide
on 06.14.2007 | All I know is that The Cleveland Cavaliers should be thankful they have Lebron James and Booey Gibson - and Paplovich.THAT IS IT. THERE IS NO ONE ELSE ON THIS TEAM WORTH KEEPING. That is if they want to win next year, they need team "street" players that really want to win - LIke Lebron, Gibson and Paplovich.I mean, two guys the size of the rim and they don’t jump. Hey This is the NBA. Or am I missing something here.Sorry if I offended anyone, I really wanted Cleveland to win, because that performance by Lebron in Game 5 against Detroit goes down in history but unfortunately, the rest of his team did not want to win save for Gibson and Paplovich who are going to be awesome stars like Lebron.good luck Cleveland . | Posted by
JP
on 06.14.2007 | I have a feeling that Adam is an idiot. Who busted at DUKE? To me, Elton Brand, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Chris Duhon, Jay Williams, Shane Battier, Mike Dunleavy, Josh Mcroberts and even Casey Sanders all made huge strides in terms of development while at DUKE. That’s just the modern era, look back to the hurley, laettner, hill teams. You can say Shavlik busted but injuries played a huge role there. I’m not saying Singler is the next Bird but you can’t look at his game right now and say bust. If anything, his game is more developed at this stage than most everyone on this list. Go spread your lazy opinions elsewhere. . | Posted by
lil hooper named tye
on 06.14.2007 | Derrick rose is the s---look hin up on youtube . | Posted by
ZI
on 06.14.2007 | Thats why college basketball is better than the NBA. I think it was a good idea to make players play atleast one year of college hoops. Look at all the great talent coming in these next 2 years. We’ll get to see them shine more in college than we would in the pros I believe. . | Posted by
Future Scout
on 06.14.2007 | I’ll give you 4 other underrated players that aren’t on here to look out for. Coming in 2007- Jerryd Bayless going to Arizona, Jai Lucus who is small but got mad skillz is going Florida, his dad and brother were former hoops stars. Jon Diebler is a scoring machine and lights out 3pt shooter. For 2008-Delvon Rose going to Michigan St. Look out for all these players also. It’s alot of talented people coming within the next 2 years. . | Posted by
jeff
on 06.14.2007 | Byron Eaton who is entering his junior year at Ok State has had a great summer and is going to see his stock rise this season. He is passionate and fearless, a leader, and incredible athlete. Look for him to make a move early in the 07-08 season at Ok State! . | Posted by
True Hoops Fan!
on 06.14.2007 | I remember when Amare Stoudmire, Shaun Livingston, Monta Ellis, and Josh McRoberts were highly talked about way before they came. I think it’s cool to get a look at the future propsects. . | Posted by
Donshire Boyd
on 06.14.2007 | The best player by far out of all these players will be Greg Monroe mark it down now that I said this. Yes he will even be bigger and better than O.J.Mayo. . | Posted by
on 06.14.2007 | Two other great players not mentioned in the article are Donte Green coming in at Syracuse later this year. Then next year Ed Davis who is still selectng a school, and his dad played in the NBA for many years. They both also could be potential big time ballers. . | Posted by
Paul Sharp Jr
on 06.14.2007 | The prospect I’m ost hyped about is Brandon Jennings. He might be small, but he is a big time play maker for real. . | Posted by
Ty Jacobs
on 06.14.2007 | I have watched Larry Drew Jr, and he plays the game the same as his dad which is the solid and done the right way. However it truly is a concern with his size and shooting technic. And hopefully both will improve in the future. . | Posted by
TaSandra.Z
on 06.14.2007 | O.J. Mayo looks sexy! . | Posted by
Texas Mr.Basketball
on 06.14.2007 | I live in the San Antonio area, and I’m telling yaw right here right now, that Nate Miles is the most underrated prospect in the country, my dude got game for real. I agree he’ll be an elite player in the future. He’ll be the next great player out of UCONN. . | Posted by
Adam
on 06.14.2007 | I have a feeling Kyle Singler will be a bust. He’ll be another Duke underachiever. . |
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