The Absurd & Often Overrated Mock Draft: A 23-Year Historical Study of Mock Draft Boards

Mocking the Mock: 23-Year Historical Study of Mock Draft Boards

As a long time draftnik, nothing is quite as fun and useless as looking at a mock draft. It's purely a mental exercise powered by endless possibilities, debates and sometimes the most ridiculous of projections.

The earliest mock draft relic I unearthed was from 1982. What was once sporadic is now commonplace. Anybody and their momma who has a website can not only provide you with a mock, but now give it to you two years in advance. This led me to an interesting question: What players were projected as first rounders in a mock, but went undrafted? And so the historical study ensured.

Clearly I'm looking for a player's worst moment, when the dream was so close to reality, yet crashed and burned. How cruel of me to re-hash demise? I can assure you there's no malice in this. My intent is to simply illustrate the absurd and often overrated nature of Mock Drafts. The 90's decade gave it to us the worst. Let's check this out...

1990
Scott Williams
Position: Center
Mock Draft Consensus: Mid-Late First
Despite being a 3-year starter for the University of North Carolina, one of the nation’s premier basketball programs, Williams was passed over on draft night. He was tagged a first round NBA draft pick by many analysts due to his size, productivity and high level of coaching, but disappointing senior year, compounded by a nagging shoulder issue forced Williams draft stock entirely off the board. Seven centers were drafted that draft night. Fourteen years later, all were in and out the league, with Williams playing 106 games more than his nearest draft classmate at his position (Felton Spencer).

1991
Melvin Cheatum
Position: Small Forward
Mock Draft Consensus: Late First to Early Second
Cheatum, along with NBA's Robert Horry, James Robinson and Latrell Sprewell, helped lead Alabama to three NCAA tournaments with two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances and three SEC tournament titles. It was Cheatum, not Horry, who was often asked to be the key player in tight situations. In college he often relied on his athleticism, finishing ability, rebounding, solid defensive ability and great running of the floor to produce. Yet as a draft prospect, Cheatum lacked the size and height to be an NBA power forward, and lacked perimeter shooting and passing to be a legit small forward. Being a tweener proved too much for him to overcome on draft night.

Brian Shorter
Position: Small Forward
Mock Draft Consensus: Late first to Early Second
Coming out of high school Shorter was often ranked among the top 10 players in the nation. This McDonald’s All American did not disappoint, earning Big East Rookie of the Year and two All-Big East 1st team selections. Expectations were high as Shorter headed into his senior year. Pittsburgh was also armed with future draftee Darren Morningstar. But an unusual viral infection plagued Shorter's production and overall ability. As Pitt's medical staff struggled to diagnose the infection, the virus worked its way through Shorter’s system, attacking his muscles to the point where his stamina, upper body strength and leaping ability were severely diminished. To compound issues, Shorter’s lack of height and inability to handle the ball or shoot with range all but sealed his fate on draft night.

1992
Joe Harvell
Position: Small Forward
Mock Draft Consensus: Late First to Earl Second
Harvell was a scoring machine in the SEC, averaging 25 points a game. He definitely had the look of a potential draftee. He played in a conference that housed 1st round picks like Shaq O’Neal, Robert Horry and Latrell Sprewell. Many felt Harvell was offensively advanced over Horry & Sprewell, but defensively they were better. Harvell stayed, only to clash with a new coach in a new system where he saw his stock take hits that he would never recover from.

One has to wonder if a year earlier could have made the difference. (L to R) Thurman & Forrest

Details

Written by The Draft Review

Published: 03 January 2014

Created: 03 January 2014

Last Updated: 20 September 2017

The 1991 Runnin’ Rebels are the greatest college basketball team of all time. That’s right I said it. Re-read that line a couple times. Let it burn into your cranium. Now I know what everyone will say - they didn’t even win the title that year! They lost to Duke. Yes, I know that. But let’s cut through all the PC rules and regulations when it comes to picking the best team of all time and just come out honest and swinging.

For those who think the argument ends with the fact they didn’t win. Just stop it. That’s like saying the 1983 North Carolina State Wolfpack’s victory over Phi Slamma Jamma meant they were better. That’s the beauty of college basketball and its blemish. You only have to beat a team once to win. This isn’t the NBA where you need to be consistent in a best of seven series.

Hell, I’ll even go on record and say the 1990 UNLV squad belongs in the top 10 of all time teams. I call this a fact that few can argue, yet there are few that will even take on that argument because of all the variables at play with the hated Runnin’ Rebels. But the 1990 team is for another article at another time. Today is about the 1991 team.

Here’s an important piece of the UNLV puzzle. Everyone, and I mean everyone, hated UNLV. People can try to deny this, but UNLV was like the Yankees in baseball, the Notre Dame of college football and the Mike Tyson of boxing. Why, you might ask? Because they were vicious and explosive, while destroying everyone by an average of 26.7 points. It’s a record that still stands 5th all time. During the UNLV golden age they won an impressive 45 games straight when you include their final 11 games of the 1990 championship season. Say what you want about level of competition, but while the Big West wasn’t the Pac-10 or ACC, think of Memphis in conference USA. Some teams were ranked. Most weren’t that great. But unlike Conference USA with its marginal prospects, the Big West had several solid pro prospects in Randy Brown, Cedric Ceballos, Lucious Harris and Byron Russell. To make things interesting Coach Jerry Tarkanian always scheduled a tough out of conference schedule that, in 1991, included Arkansas (2), Michigan State (4), and Louisville (23), all top 25 opponents at the time.

Even the Late John Wooden couldn’t stand the idea that the 1991 Rebels were better than any of his teams. When talk began to hit the Wizard of Westwood ear’s, the typically humble and reserved Wooden quickly spoke that his UCLA teams were better than UNLV, but also quickly recanted in a separate interview proclaiming that 1991 UNLV is up there and no college basketball team is the best ever.

Details

Written by The Draft Review

Published: 14 July 2011

Created: 14 July 2011

Last Updated: 20 September 2017

Read more ...

The Case for Chris Street

For many Big Ten basketball observers in the early 1990's, the league had an amazing amount of talent. If you were a fan during this time, there were usually two things you either hated or loved, depending on your loyalties. For many, it was the hot-dogging of Michigan's Fab Five, and for others, it was Iowa's physical ball club. The focal point for opponents and fans often resided with Chris Street and his aggressive pursuit of rebounds, mastered with the rare ability to pick up the spirits of the Iowa faithful with a mere fist pump.

When people talk about Chris Street's basketball ability, you won’t hear about 40-point games or ridiculous stats. His real talents aren’t found in the quick glimpse of his player profile. To discover Street’s worth, you had to see him play. More than anything, his willingness to compete against anyone or do anything, from diving on the floor to providing a tough box out, endeared him with all of Iowa. No just the university – the entire state of Iowa.

If you were from Iowa, you liked Chris Street. It was that simple. But for the rest of the country, proof of his talent concedes with what he accomplished in his three years with the Iowa Hawkeye program. Street appeared on scout's radar following a solid freshman year. During that time he became a full time starter and ended the year among the Big Ten’s leaders in field goal percentage and rebounds. Despite playing in a conference that would produce 13 draft picks in the span of the two years (1993 & 1994) Street remained consistent and ever improving.

Details

Written by The Draft Review

Published: 17 August 2010

Created: 17 August 2010

Last Updated: 20 September 2017

Read more ...

In cities across America there are basketball legends who are embraced locally. Anfernee Hardaway gets this respect in Memphis. In many ways he can be considered the king in Memphis – royalty in basketball as best to ever grace the city’s courts. And like every king with his royal heritage, there will be others who possess similar noble swag. Lorenzen Wright can be counted among nobles in that city. He is the Baron of Memphis basketball.

Lorenzen Wright at Memphis

Wright can claim such status in this city due to his University of Memphis pedigree and the upbringing of his father, Herb, who was a talented basketball player in his own right. Wright’s lineage is marked with basketball royalty only shared by a select few. From a young age he learned perseverance and toughness as he witnessed his father overcome adversity after being wheelchair bound. Herb played professionally and starred at Oral Roberts, although not a spectacular player, he understood the game and dabbled overseas before returning to Memphis.

While at a local community center, thugs shot Herb in the back in retaliation for his breaking up a fight earlier that evening. Despite this adversity he continued to teach Lorenzen the game and even earned a head coaching spot at Shelby Community College on the women’s team.

Wright’s grandmother raised him in Oxford, Mississippi for most of his life. With his parents in Memphis, Wright would frequently visit his father and spent a good portion of the summer months with his parents receiving training on his game. Wright played his first two years at Lafayette high school in Mississippi, taking his team to the state title as a sophomore before losing to Mississippi powerhouse Lanier (led by Georgetown bound Jerry Nichols).

But how could a player born and, for the most part, raised in Mississippi endear himself to the people of Memphis? After a fateful conversation with his parents, Lorenzen made the difficult decision to leave Lafayette High School and play his remaining years at Booker T. Washington in Memphis. The decision proved to be a great move, as he raised his profile on the court, averaging 27.6 points, 18.1 rebounds, and 6.6 blocks per game in his senior year while leading his team to the Tennessee state quarterfinals. Wright also earned a spot on McDonald’s prestigious All American team and was often viewed as a top 20 player in his class.

Details

Written by The Draft Review

Published: 30 July 2010

Created: 30 July 2010

Last Updated: 20 September 2017

Read more ...