Biggest Risers

Who said that Conference USA doesn’t have any talent outside of Memphis? While these teams aren’t tremendous, some of the individual talent in this conference is solid. Jeremy Wise and Rob McKiver are two of a handful of top talents in the league. McKiver went on a scoring explosion averaging 31 PPG over the past five games. No other guard I know can make that claim right now, including freshmen phenom Eric Gordon. Teams aren’t really questioning McKiver’s scoring ability, but his passing and court leadership. To his credit, he is playing the game to win and his team personnel doesn’t allow McKiver to showcase his point guard skills. Wise gained a nice boost in his stock with his play against Memphis, throwing up 26 points and 5 assists. He’s a year older than most sophomores due to a year of prep school, so I anticipate that Wise will opt to test the waters this year. He’s easily one of the most forgotten players at his position, but make no mistake about him, as Wise possesses first round to early second round talent. One issue however, despite his spidery body and jet quickness, he hasn’t proven to be a winner, leading some to question his ability to run a team. Southern Mississippi hasn’t had the influx of talent for Wise to work around, but as a point guard he needs to understand his team’s success will arouse questions more than answers.

Hasheem Thabeet continues to show what makes him so intriguing. The Tanzanian native has been blocking shots, rebounding and scoring when needed. Unlike many who underrated Thabeet and wrote him off early on, TDR has long known that he’s in good standing with NBA personnel. Opposed to some other African prospects, Thabeet’s age isn’t disputed and his improvement over the course of two years intrigues many. If he declares this year a top 15 pick is probable, as he’ll possibly become the second center selected after Brook Lopez. But this also depends on DeAndre Jordan’s decision at the end of the season.

The power forward position may be the deepest in the draft, as Jason Thompson and D.J. White, despite their improvement and productivity, aren’t guaranteed a spot in the first round. In White, there are some concerns that durability and potential could hinder him. Although it’s hard to argue against a player that is the favorite to win the Big-10 Conference Player of the Year, White isn’t the athletic player he was in high school because college injuries have affected his explosiveness. In Thompson, TDR loves his face-the-basket ability but questions if he can ever develop a back to the basket game and toughness. Between the two players, White stands to lose out and could drop even further if Richard Hendrix from of Alabama and Patrick Patterson declare for the draft.

Take my advice and do yourself a favor - get to know Lester Hudson. His shooting ability off the dribble is creative and unequalled by most players in the country. He has first round talent and shows promise playing the point guard spot. If everything goes right for the talented junior he could end up becoming a first rounder.

Biggest Drops

Rumors abound that J.J. Hickson will test the draft process this year. Most of the time it’s hard to argue against a freshman averaging the kind of numbers he is in one of the nation’s top conferences, but his play of late hasn’t done much to improve his chances as a first rounder. Physically, there is a lot to like, but from mental standpoint his court decisions and basketball IQ aren’t where they need to be. Furthermore, in several games that I’ve watched, Hickson’s aggressiveness and mental mistakes have damaged his team’s confidence in him. Clearly they don’t feel as comfortable with him in the post as they once did.

International power forwards Nikola Pekovic, Nathan Jawai, and Serge Ibaka are continuing to lose ground with us. Pekovic is a bruiser, but it’s questionable if his style of play will be able to carry over in the NBA against players that are athletically and physically more advanced. Yes, Pekovic will be drafted, but he lacks upside. The Nathan Jawai internet hype that we spoke of in our previous mock observations continues to fade. He’s an intriguing baller with a good amount of potential, but as a power forward, considering all the talent that could enter this year it’s hard for TDR to rationalize a first round or early second round slot for Jawai. Once these players let their intentions be known, we’ll be able to better analyze his projection. Serge Ibaka, the supposed golden boy of the draft that most draft services were projecting as a top 15 selection before the season, is steadily slipping. After getting the chance to watch even more game film and talking with contacts in Spain, he is literally a walking conundrum. There is much to like with his athleticism, aggressiveness and potential, but there’s equally as much to dislike with his failure to play team basketball, lacking fundamentals, mental mistakes, and growth as a player that hasn’t matched expectations.

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