As many of you are probably aware, Kentucky beat Kansas on Monday to win the NCAA Championship. Kansas used their tried-and-true strategy of getting behind early and then coming back at the end, which they used to eliminate two Big Ten teams, but it wasn't enough.

So now we move to the first phase of the true offseason. We have already made it through the preliminary phase of coaching changes; now we are ready to see which big time non-seniors will not be returning.

Definitely not returning: Meyers Leonard, Jared Sullinger, Jorge Brian Diaz

Big guys tend to get drafted and Leonard showed some of his potential this year. With the late-season collapse and the coaching change in Champaign, this comes as no surprise. If he continues to improve, he should be able to make and stay on an NBA roster for at least a few years.

Sullinger will be a lottery pick this year, and whatever team gets him will immediately improve their frontcourt. He is not without his weaknesses, and playing in the NBA is a lot different than playing in college, but his combination of size, strength and skill should translate well in the pros. For a good read on what Sullinger meant to Ohio State, check out this article from Luke Zimmerman.

Diaz is leaving early to go to his native Puerto Rico, where he has the chance to make some money playing basketball. Diaz was a solid inside player for the Huskers, but he had injury issues this year. He will be remembered by most Big Ten fans for hitting two clutch free throws to beat Indiana.

Probably not returning: Trey Burke

Jeff Goodman of CBSsports.com reported that Burke will most likely become the second point guard in a row to leave Michigan after their freshman year. It's not quite a done deal yet, but the people who make a living writing about this stuff think that he is gone. Darius Morris may have regretted leaving so early, since he wasn't picked until late in the second round. Burke is not a lock for the first round, but this is supposedly a weak group of point guards, so he should go higher than Morris did.

Probably returning: Trevor Mbakwe

Mbakwe was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA in March and it is probable at this point that he will use that year. He tore his ACL this season, which probably isn't good for his draft status, but, on the other hand, injuries like that sometimes make players try to get paid as soon as possible.

Unsure: Deshaun Thomas

Thad Matta said that Thomas is still weighing his options as of Wednesday. Thomas showed a lot of improvement this year, in both offense and defense. He has the potential to be a good scorer at any level of play. It's a somewhat crowded draft, but he will definitely get selected if he goes.

On Thursday, five players were selected out of the Big Ten and into the NBA.  Only one of the five ended up in the first round, which included a massive slide for Michigan point guard Darius Morris to go from mid-first round to mid-second round.  All in all, the Big Ten must have mixed feelings about this draft and how it ended up for the conference.  Players like David Lighty, Jereme Richmond, and Demetri McCamey weren’t picked.

Many solid players in the NCAA weren’t selected.  Ben Hansbrough from Notre Dame, Matt Howard from Butler, and Jacob Pullen out of Kansas State are only a few of the players that didn’t end up hearing their name called Thursday.

JaJuan Johnson was the first guy from the Big Ten to hear his name called.  He went to New Jersey with pick 27 and was traded over to Boston in a trade.  Johnson fits great in coach Doc River’s system.  The Celtics need a lot of help in the frontcourt, so Johnson should see ample playing time in Boston.  He will be playing under Kevin Garnett.

(bump the jump!)

Continue reading this post »

As was previously stated in an earlier article, the Big Ten has had their share of amazing talent.  Nine players have been selected number one overall in the NBA draft.  It would be an even ten, but it’s hard to explain the whole Jerry Lucas going to the ABA instead of the NBA.  All in all, the ‘Legends’ and the ‘Leaders’ end up making great basketball players. 

So who will be the next one?  If you already look at next season’s draft, there are at least eight or nine players from the Big Ten that could be called on draft night.  The more astonishing thing though is that there are at least six of those guys that could end up going in the first round. 

Four of the six could’ve gone to the draft this season and would’ve been selected without a question.  Between heritage, pure strength, astonishing qualities, and knowledge of the game, the Big Ten has its share of men that will one day be in the NBA.  Another two players will begin their B1G careers this upcoming fall.  And don’t be mistaken, besides the following two, there are another five or so incoming freshman that’ll impress scouts and rise on draft boards. 

Branden Dawson

Who is he?  Many have asked that, but most are mistaken once they get to see this small forward play.  Dawson is the best recruit that coach Tom Izzo has convinced to go to Michigan State in a long time.  He was ranked number 20 overall this past season by Rivals and was selected as a McDonald’s All-American.  In his senior season, Dawson averaged almost 29 points and almost 19 rebounds.  If a small forward is able to get to the defensive glass on a consistent basis, the future is going to be bright. 

Dawson heralds amazing athleticism and has that physical nature that most small forwards don’t have coming into the college game.  His shot and his mechanics to go along with it aren’t perfect, but who better than Izzo to make it work.  Dawson must work on his range to become a better player and prospect.

Along with Draymond Green, Keith Appling, and others, Dawson will be welcomed into the lineup with talent around him.  He won’t have the pressure that he would’ve had if he had choice some of his other offers including Indiana and Georgetown.

(More after the jump...)

Continue reading this post »

Originally, this article was planned out to be just about former first round picks from the Big Ten.  So, I did the necessary research, and after looking through it all, this article needed to be tweaked.  Rather than talking about the first round talent that the Big Ten produces, there needs to be awareness that the Big Ten has had nine players selected with the first overall pick.

So, instead of talking about the greatness of players like Kevin McHale, Deron Williams, and the players that became great coaches like Don Nelson and Mike Woodson, the focus turned to the healthy dose of number one fever. 

Draft day is looming, and the Big Ten will not make it an even 10 for the list, but let’s look back at all the former number one picks. It’s been 50 years exactly since the first time a Big Ten player was selected with the first pick, with Walt Bellamy from the University of Indiana.  In 1980, three of the first four picks were produced from the Big Ten.  There was also a four-year stretch where the Big Ten produced the first pick.

But there is one player from that list of nine that sticks out in my opinion, and his name is Mychal Thompson.

Continue reading this post »

B1G basketball is cherished by many a Midwestern household. Teams are known for their stout defense and tough position players. The conference has produced many of the all time greats in NBA history, but the recent history of the B1G has been portrayed by the national (ahem, east coast) media as not being a top tier conference any longer. This past season was an exception to that portrayal, but none the less the conference has struggled to get high level talent into the NBA in recent years. In fact, the B1G is the power conference with the least number of players currently in the NBA.

This year's draft will be no different, with only two real possibilities at first round picks entering the draft. After the jump I will take a comprehensive look at the B1G first round hopefuls.

JaJuan Johnson

6'10" Power Forward

Senior Purdue

JaJuan comes off an impressive senior year at Purdue. He was a consensus first team All-American and was the conferences player of the year and defensive player of the year. He led the B1G in scoring and was by far the most consistent player in the conference. JaJuan bulked up his spindly frame before the season to answer the doubts on his strength, but he will need to do more to become a solid player in the NBA.

His rebounding, strength, perimeter shooting and free throw percentage were all vastly improved during his college career. He is also one of the most athletic big men in the draft. His perceived weaknesses are his lack of eye opening rebounding production, the diversity of his post game moves, difficulty defending the post and lack or strength. These are all major points that he needs to address at the next level.

Johnson is currently projected to go anywhere from the late first round into the early second. He will always have his athleticism to fall back on and his outside shooting is really what is keeping him alive as a first round possibility. If he continues to gradually improve as he did in college and can fill out his frame a bit more, his upside could be immeasurable. Draftexpress has him going to the bobcats in the second round at pick number nine, I personally believe he will be picked in the late first round by the Boston Celtics. Johnson is unfortunetly caught in the middle of a lot of international big man hype, and it has hurt his draft prospects.

Darius Morris 

6'5" Point Guard

Sophomore Michigan

This season was Darius' coming out party at Michigan. He was one of two reasons they were able to make the tournament this year and stay competitive against top teams, like Kansas, all year. He was the ultimate teammate with his B1G leading and Michigan record breaking assist numbers this year. Darius is also very tall for his position in college, and will be able to use that to his advantage at the next level.

His assist numbers were absolutely incredible this past season and it is his by far his greatest strength. At times he tends to force long passes and try to drop some show boat dimes, but in general he is very good with the ball and has a knack for finding open teammates. His shooting numbers need to improve in order to become a real dangerous threat in the NBA.

Morris has some fantastic upside in the next level. He is great with the ball, distributes effectively and is big and quick enough to cover two positions in the NBA on defense. He is also only 20 and if he can improve his shooting could be a very good point guard. Draftexpress has him going in the second round as well to the Sacramento Kings. I also do not agree with this assessment and I believe he would be a great help two spots up to the Miami Heat. The Heat need to get younger and more athletic at point guard and a pure distributor like Morris would hit the ground running in South Beach.

Carl Landry started his collegiate career at Vincennes University, a junior college in Southern Indiana that has produced great players such as Bob McAdoo and Shawn Marion. After playing two years for the Trailblazers, Landry joined the Purdue Boilermakers in 2004.

Landry immediately became the best player on Gene Keady's final team, averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds a game. Near the end of the season, Landry injured his right ACL. In Matt Painter's first year as coach, Landry played in only five games and was shut down for the rest of the season because of the same ACL injury. 

After sitting out most of the previous year, Landry, along with injured teammate David Teague, came back in the 2006-07 season. It was a successful season for Landry as well as the turning-point season for Painter's coaching career at Purdue. Landry dominated in the paint for the Boilers and earned First Team All-Big Ten honors.

In the 2007 NBA draft, which saw fellow Big Ten player Greg Oden of Ohio State selected as the top overall pick, Landry was selected as the first pick in the second round by the Seattle SuperSonics. He was traded to the Houston Rockets before the season started.

Continue reading this post »

The Big Ten has been known throughout the years to plug out solid prospects from the Midwest into the NBA draft.  This year is no different.  There are over five players that were reliable athletes for their respected teams that will not be drafted.  Along with that, there are another five guys that could hear their name called Thursday night.

The list includes the two players from Illinois, a versatile guard from Ohio State, a big shooter from Wisconsin, and a scorer from Purdue.  Of course, there is always the possibility that none of them get drafted.  The second round is so unpredictable.  Last season, I predicted the first 13 picks in the first round correctly.  However, I only guessed five total second round picks.

The five prospects are lined up according to my personal draft board.  At the end of each player, I will give my own guess of where the player should end up being drafted. 

The prospects

Jereme Richmond

6’7" Small Forward

Freshman: Illinois

NBA Comparison: Trevor Ariza 

The first prospect on the list is the only underclassman.  Richmond committed to Illinois a year ago ready to flourish in coach Bruce Weber’s system.  During his freshman season, he average 22 minutes a game with 7.6 points a game.  He shoots a very high percentage shot, which is something that pleases general managers.  Subsequently, his free throw percentage was dreadful, nailing only 60 percent.  His long wingspan and active mind on the defensive end also are huge pluses.  But, he is very turnover friendly and lacks a consistent range on his jumper. 

Richmond has a higher ceiling than the rest of these prospects.  He is still very young and raw at a positioned that always a need in the NBA.  If I had an early second round pick, I would take a flyer on Richmond solely for the potential.  On NBAdraft.net, they rate his potential a nine of out the possible 10.  Also, on the same site, they don’t even have Richmond being picked because many teams are worried about the potential lockout, so they need players that can contribute to a team right away.  It’ll take him a few years to develop, so the team must be patient. 

Perfect destination: Chicago Bulls at 43

(More prospects after the jump!)

Continue reading this post »

Reggie Evans attended Coffeyville Community College in Kansas for two years starting in 1998, then played his junior and senior years at Iowa. Evans had two terrific seasons at Iowa, averaging over 11 rebounds each season. He is only the fourth Iowa player to score 1,000 points in two seasons, and he racked up enough rebounds in that time to rank eighth in career rebounds at Iowa.

His name was not called at the 2002 NBA Draft, but Evans overcame this and turned into a solid NBA player.

Continue reading this post »