Name: Will Coleman Position: Power Forward Height: 6-9 (2.05m) Weight: 250 (113kg) College Team: Memphis Tigers Nationality: American Birthplace: Columbus, Georgia Birthdate: 11/16/1988 Drafted: Automatically eligible for the 2011 NBA Draft but was not drafted by an NBA franchise.

Background: Coleman entered his first year of organized ball as a junior at Pacelli Catholic. Unlike some raw prospects with tales of development, Coleman’s impact was instant as he helped guide the school to its first ever berth in the Georgia State Tournament. Much of this can be contributed to his natural athletic gifts.

Coleman was a Track and Field track state champion in the 100-and 200-meter dashes, with a vertical jump of 40+-inches. He played his senior year at Glenwood where he averaged 17.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while leading the school to a state championship. Despite his success, Coleman lacked any real publicity or exposure, because he never played AAU ball.

He originally signed with Arkansas-Little Rock, but academics were a roadblock, so he set out for Miami-Dade Junior College to improve his grades while raising his profile. Coleman entered the school at 6-foot-8 and weighing a mere 215 pounds. By his sophomore year Coleman grew to an intimidating 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds, and went from two-star recruit status into a four-star, top 10 junior college prospect. During his two years at Miami-Dade Coleman averaged 10.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game while having schools such as Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Tennessee and Connecticut after his services.

In the end Coleman chose Memphis due in large part to the school’s ability to develop NBA players. He endeared himself to Memphis fans after he held his commitment when former Memphis head coach John Calipari left for Kentucky. Coleman’s first season of Division I basketball was one of learning, yet he still led his team in rebounds, blocked shots and field goal percentage.