ADEDS 2013 NBA Draft Prospects: 'Getting Defensive?'

Overrated.

Nerlens Noel, Center, Kentucky. & Victor Oladipo, Guard, Indiana.

Noel can block shots but doesn't do much else at this point.

Both of these guys have the potential to be very good if they can ever learn to play offense.  Noel has been slated to be the top pick of this draft for over a year now, but did very little to solidify that in his one year in Lexington, as he struggled to develop any kind of low post game.  Oladipo has drawn the Tony Allen comparisons and rightfully so.  But does that type of player warrant a top five pick as most pundits have him projected as?

Underrated.

Shane Larkin, Guard, Miami (FL).
The primary player involved in the "U" being talked about more in basketball than football last season is ready for prime time.  Larkin is one of the most athletic players in this draft (44-inch vertical leap at 2013 NBA Draft Combine) and orchestrated the Miami offense mostly out of the pick-and-roll.  Strikes defenders with a quick first step and can penetrate to the basket or burry the outside shot using a devastating step back.  Low risk of the spotlight getting to his head as he's had to deal with it his whole life being the son of a guy whose name is in Cooperstown.

Myck Kabongo, Guard, Texas.
Quick, shifty, point guard that can get his own shot fairly easily in isolation   Inconsistent outside shot but always a threat to drive.  Has shown the ability to score in bunches in games, such as Feb. 28 when Texas hosted Oklahoma.  Kabongo led the Longhorns to a 22-point comeback win while scoring a  career-high 31 points with 28 of them coming in the second half and overtime.


We Could Have Something Here.

Len is a big man with coveted low post skills.

Alex Len, Center, Maryland.
Smooth offensively for a player that is still very raw.  Long arms with a slight build but doesn't shy away from contact.  Decent faceup game and can play with his back to the basket but needs to get better as a passer in that capacity.  Could possibly be a Roy Hibbert-type pivot man in the future.

Michael Carter-Williams, Guard, Syracuse.
Big point guards haven't faired well in the NBA in recent years (see Shaun Livingston) but Carter-Williams is trying to end that trend in 2013.  At 6-6 and with long arms, the Hamilton, MA native will be a pest on the defensive end for smaller point guards without question.  If he can develop a consistent jumpshot and take better care of the basketball, we could be looking at Anfernee Hardaway 2.0.



Gotta Have 'Em.

Ben McLemore, Guard, Kansas.
Played inconsistent basketball in his only year at Lawrence but there's no denying the raw ability McLemore owns.  He has top-of-the-square ups and the release on his jumpshot is very reminiscent of 2012 NBA Draft Lottery pick Bradley Beal's.  Has the quickness and strength to guard three positions.  Best case scenario: he's a slightly better version of Paul George.


Otto Porter, Jr., Forward, Georgetown.

Porter is clutch...and clutch is everything.

His stock took a big hit after the Hoyas lost to Florida Gulf Coast in the 1st round (2nd round?) of the NCAA Tournament, when many college basketball experts had him as a frontrunner for Naismith Player of the Year.  Despite not being able to help his team pull out the W that day, Porter is still a player with the potential for NBA stardom.  Learning offense in John Thompson's Princeton-style offense will help Porter transition easily to being a facilitator, but the kid can score if called upon, too.  He scored a career high 33 points against Syracuse Feb. 23.  Porter is also has a knack for coming through in the clutch.  He led Georgetown to a double overtime win over UConn earlier this year while making a play on every key offensive and defensive possession down the stretch. 

ADEDS NCAA Basketball Update 2-27-13: 'From Me To U'

The 'Canes look to tackle the NCAA tournament field.

Pretty soon South Beach could be known for great weather and scenery, night spots, and championship basketball.  Not only are the defending NBA champion Miami Heat doing their thing in the pro ranks, the University of Miami (FL) Hurricanes in 2012-13 have a squad that has all the makings of a contender for a NCAA National Championship.  What makes this team special is their combination of size, speed, and veteran leadership, all under the tutelage of head coach Jim Larranaga; who famously led mid-major George Mason to an unpredictable run to the Final Four in 2006.  The size in the frontcourt starts with 5th year senior Kenny Kadji; a seven-footer with NBA potential that can grab boards and initiate the fastbreak off the bounce and also has range extended beyond the collegiate 3-point line.  Senior forwards Reggie Johnson (6-10, 292 lbs.) and Julian Gamble (6-10, 250 lbs.) are like a couple of bookend tackles protecting the Miami paint on the defensive end, and making themselves available for easy finishes off pick-and-roll on the offensive end.  The guy that really gets the mojo going for the U is sophomore point guard Shane Larkin.  His defensive ball pressure on opposing guards is nearly unparalleled in the country (2.1 spg, leads ACC) and turnovers forced by him usually turn into quick transition buckets.  Not to mention, Larkin is a whiz in the pick-and-roll offense with his ability to penetrate past defenders for layups and his efficient perimeter shooting (41.6% 3-point).  Add in four-year starting senior guard Durand Scott (13.3 ppg. leads team), and a pair of athletic wing guards in junior Rion Brown and senior Trey McKinney Jones, and the Hurricanes have a strong chance of making Miami the championship basketball capitol of America.

Rising up.
Georgetown

No moment is too big for Porter, Jr.

Second leading scorer Greg Whittington was ruled academically ineligible for the season in January, but that hasn't stopped the Hoyas from putting together a 10-game win streak, including a 57-46 win at rival Syracuse Feb. 23 in the final scheduled Big East game between the two schools.  Otto Porter, Jr. is a future NBA lottery pick that does his best work in crunch time.  Freshman guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera is coming into the limelight after dropping a career-high 33 points Feb. 20 vs. DePaul.

Oklahoma State
Freshman guard Marcus Smart is on the rise on NBA draft boards and has Travis Ford's folks poised to make a run at the Big 12 Title.  Markel Brown's team leading 15.9 ppg and 38.9-percent 3-point shooting prove that he's more than just an elite dunker.

Michigan State
Tom Izzo has yet another brawlic frontcourt in the likes of Branden Dawson, Adreian Payne, and Derrick Nix.  Keith Appling and Gary Harris, Jr. form a backcourt that can run circles around you once they get hot.

Gonzaga
Mark Few has never had a squad ranked this high, but the talent and depth of the roster remains.  Eight guys average over 15 minutes per game.  Kevin Pangos (44.8% 3-pt) can knock down the 3 with the best of 'em.

Kansas needs Tharpe to contribute key minutes.

Falling off.

Kansas

Bill Self's team might not be the worst to ever suit up in Lawrence, but recent lack luster performances in conference against TCU and Oklahoma are major cause for concern.  The insertion of sophomore guard Naadir Tharpe into the rotation may be the key for the Jayhawks turnaround.

Florida
When the 3's aren't falling, the Gators are rather mediocre.  They went 5-3 in February when it looked like they would dominate the conference in a down SEC year.  Still, this is a dangerous team when Kenny Boynton, Mike Rosario, and Scottie Wilbekin are hitting from the perimeter.  Patric Young is a grown man in the paint.

Louisville
The lack of depth at guard means the Cardinals have to rely heavily on Russ Smith and Peyton Siva to varying degrees of success.  Smith leads the team in scoring at 18.4 ppg but is only shooting 40.2-percent from the field and 31.8-percent from 3-point.  Gorgui Dieng and Chane Behanan will have to be huge in games where the guards get in foul trouble.

Kentucky
This was a shaky team even before Nerlens Noel went down with the season ending ACL injury.  Considering that, the rebuild-and-reload Wildcats of recent years look like they are in danger of missing the NCAA tournament altogether.  What's more troubling for John Calipari is that this losing probably won't affect the decision of players such as Noel, Archie Goodwin, Alex Poythress, and Willie Cauley-Stein from putting their names into the 2013 NBA draft.  Which means Cal will have to start with basically a new starting five yet again in 2013-14.

Oladipo is like Tony Allen with better ball skills.

ADEDS Players to Watch:
Jared Berggren - Wisconsin
Markel Starks - G'Town
Gary Harris, Jr. - Michigan State
Jeran Grant - Notre Dame
D.J. Richardson - Illinois
Tim Hardaway, Jr. - Michigan
Victor Oladipo - Indiana
Shane Larkin - Miami (FL)
Marcus Smart - Oklahoma St.
Pierre Jackson - Baylor
Victor Rudd, Jr. - South Florida
Markel Brown - Oklahoma St.
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera - G'Town
Richard Howell - N.C. State
Zeke Marshall - Akron
D.J. Cooper - Ohio
Kelly Olynyk - Gonzaga