PROSPECT PERFOMANCES - 03/23/09 THRU 03/27/09

03/23/09

Stephen Curry: St. Mary's 80, Davidson 68
37 min, 11-27 fg, 4-10 3pt, 0-0 ft, 0 off, 9 reb, 5 ast, 6 to, 2 stl, 0 blk, 4 pf, 26 pts

Patrick Patterson: Kentucky 65, Creighton 63

32 min, 5-11 fg, 0-0 3pt, 2-2 ft, 1 off, 7 reb, 1 ast, 1 to, 0 stl, 2 blk, 3 pf, 13 pts

Jodie Meeks: Kentucky 65, Creighton 63
30 min, 4-9 fg, 1-2 3pt, 7-7 ft, 0 off, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 to, 2 stl, 0 blk, 4 pf, 16 pts

Patrick Mills: St. Mary's 80, Davidson 68
39 min, 9-22 fg, 1-10 3pt, 4-4 ft, 0 off, 0 reb, 10 ast, 1 to, 1 stl, 1 blk, 1 pf, 23 pts





03/24/09

Nick Calathes: Penn St. 71, Florida 62
36 min, 4-12 fg, 0-6 3pt, 4-6 ft, 1 off, 2 reb, 7 ast, 1 to, 0 stl, 1 blk, 2 pf, 10 pts

03/25/09

Luke Harangody: Kentucky 67, Notre Dame 67
36 min, 10-22 fg, 2-4 3pt, 8-11 ft, 2 off, 11 reb, 4 ast, 1 to, 1 stl, 0 blk, 3 pf, 30 pts

Patrick Patterson: Kentucky 67, Notre Dame 67
37 min, 6-12 fg, 0-0 3pt, 6-8 ft, 1 off, 7 reb, 3 ast, 0 to, 0 stl, 3 blk, 2 pf, 18 pts

Jodie Meeks: Kentucky 67, Notre Dame 67
35 min, 6-10 fg, 5-8 3pt, 4-4 ft, 0 off, 3 reb, 2 ast, 0 to, 1 stl, 0 blk, 1 pf, 21 pts

Patrick Mills: St. Mary's 66, San Diego St. 70
40 min, 7-24 fg, 4-13 3pt, 0-1 ft, 0 off, 1 reb, 5 ast, 5 to, 1 stl, 0 blk, 5 pf, 18 pts




03/26/09

Tyreke Evans: Memphis 91, MIssouri 102
39 min, 12-25 fg, 0-3 3pt, 9-9 ft, 1 off, 5 reb, 4 ast, 5 to, 2 stl, 0 blk, 1 pf, 33 pts

Hasheem Thabeet: Connecticut 72, Texas A&M 60
36 min, 6-7 fg, 0-0 3pt, 3-6 ft, 4 off, 15 reb, 0 ast, 4 to, 1 stl, 4 blk, 1 pf, 15 pts

Kyle Singler: Duke 54, Villanova 77
36 min, 5-13 fg, 1-6 3pt, 4-7 ft, 1 off, 6 reb, 1 ast, 3 to, 2 stl, 0 blk, 3 pf, 15 pts

Gerald Henderson: Duke 54, Villanova 77
28 min, 1-14 fg, 1-5 3pt, 4-4 ft, 0 off, 9 reb, 1 ast, 2 to, 0 stl, 1 blk, 4 pf, 7 pts

DeJuan Blair: Pittsburgh 60, Xavier 55
35 min, 5-16 fg, 0-0 3pt, 0-1 ft, 8 off, 17 reb, 1 ast, 0 to, 3 stl, 2 blk, 3 pf, 10 pts

Sam Young: Pittsburgh 60, Xavier 55
40 min, 7-16 fg, 1-2 3pt, 4-4 ft, 1 off, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 to, 1 stl, 0 blk, 1 pf, 19 pts



03/27/09

Earl Clark: Louisville 103, Arizona 64
31 min, 7-12 fg, 2-3 3pt, 3-3 ft, 4 off, 9 reb, 2 ast, 1 to, 0 stl, 0 blk, 3 pf, 19 pts

Terrence Williams: Louisville 103, Arizona 64
33 min, 5-12 fg, 4-7 3pt, 0-0 ft, 0 off, 7 reb, 6 ast, 2 to, 2 stl, 0 blk, 2 pf, 14 pts

Samardo Samuels: Louisville 103, Arizona 64
26 min, 4-5 fg, 0-0 3pt, 6-6 ft, 2 off, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1 to, 1 stl, 2 blk, 2 pf, 14 pts

Chase Budinger: Louisville 103, Arizona 64
36 min, 9-15 fg, 2-6 3pt, 2-3 ft, 0 off, 2 reb, 3 ast, 3 to, 0 stl, 1 blk, 1 pf, 22 pts

Jordan Hill: Louisville 103, Arizona 64
32 min, 6-18 fg, 0-0 3pt, 2-2 ft, 8 off, 11 reb, 2 ast, 4 to, 1 stl, 0 blk, 3 pf, 14 pts

Cole Aldrich: Michigan St. 67, Kansas 62
34 min, 6-13 fg, 0-0 3pt, 5-6 ft, 5 off, 14 reb, 4 ast, 4 to, 2 stl, 4 blk, 1 pf, 17 pts

Blake Griffin: Oklahoma 84, Syracuse 71
33 min, 12-15 fg, 0-0 3pt, 6-10 ft, 8 off, 14 reb, 3 ast, 1 to, 1 stl, 0 blk, 2 pf, 30 pts

Willie Warren: Oklahoma 84, Syracuse 71
36 min, 2-7 fg, 2-5 3pt, 0-0 ft, 0 off, 4 reb, 5 ast, 5 to, 1 stl, 0 blk, 1 pf, 6 pts

Jonny Flynn: Oklahoma 84, Syracuse 71
39 min, 9-16 fg, 1-4 3pt, 3-3 ft, 1 off, 2 reb, 6 ast, 5 to, 0 stl, 0 blk, 1 pf, 22 pts

Tyler Hansbrough: North Carolina 98, Gonzaga 77
34 min, 8-10 fg, 0-0 3pt, 8-9 ft, 3 off, 10 reb, 0 ast, 2 to, 2 stl, 0 blk, 2 pf, 24 pts

Wayne Ellington: North Carolina 98, Gonzaga 77
30 min, 7-13 fg, 2-6 3pt, 3-4 ft, 0 off, 7 reb, 4 ast, 3 to, 0 stl, 0 blk, 2 pf, 19 pts

Austin Daye: North Carolina 98, Gonzaga 77
32 min, 3-8 fg, 2-3 3pt, 2-2 ft, 0 off, 11 reb, 2 ast, 3 to, 0 stl, 4 blk, 4 pf, 10 pts

NBA 2009 MOCK DRAFT 1.0

Based on standings as of March 24, 2009

1. Kings - Blake Griffin
2. Wizards - Ricky Rubio
3. Clippers - Greg Monroe
   
4. Grizzlies - Jordan Hill
   
5. Timberwolves - Brandon Jennings
   
6. Thunder - Hasheem Thabeet
   
7. Warriors - James Harden
   
8. Raptors - DeMar DeRozan
   
9. Knicks - Cole Aldrich
   
10. Pacers - Tyreke Evans
    
11. Nets - Al-Farouq Aminu
    
12. Bucks - Earl Clark
    
13. Bobcats - Willie Warren
    
14. Suns - Gerald Henderson
    
15. Bulls - Patrick Patterson
16. Pistons - Ty Lawson
17. 76ers - Jrue Holiday
18. Timberwolves - Stephen Curry
19. Hawks - Eric Maynor
20. Mavericks - Patrick Mills
21. Trail Blazers - Terrence Williams
22. Jazz - Kyle Singler
23. Bulls - B.J. Mullens
24. Hornets - Jerome Jordan
25. Thunder - DeJuan Blair
26. Kings - Nick Calathes
27. Magic - Craig Brackins
28. Celtics - Tyler Hansbrough
29. Lakers - Chase Budinger
    
30. Cavaliers - Wayne Ellington

On the bubble: Darren Collison, Tyler Smith, A.J. Ogilvy, James Johnson, Marcus Thornton, Omri Casspi, Donatas Motiejunas, Gani Lawal, Damion James, DaJuan Summers, Sam Young

Assumed out of draft: Austin Daye, Jeff Teague, Jonny Flynn, Ed Davis, Evan Turner

HARDEN'S STOCK TAKES A HIT

James Harden's woefully disappointing performance in the Big Dance almost certainly drops him out of the top 3. He looked nothing like I was accustomed to seeing in the regular season. He was passive, too unselfish, and did not rise to the occasion when his team needed him the most. Harden usually plays it cool in the first half then takes over the game when it's crunch time. His stock should fall a few spots, and perhaps the Warriors will get a chance to draft him at #8 or #9. That all depends on how much weight scouts and GM's put into tournament play.

The PAC-10 Player of the Year is now in danger of being knocked off as the top shooting guard in the draft. DeMar DeRozan, who has come on strong as of late, may be the guy that does it. Harden is hands-down, the best passer among the SG's but his disappearing act the last few games shakes my confidence in his pro future a little. If one judges him by his entire body of work while at USC rather than just the last 3 games, few would have a problem taking him at #8 or #9. Unfortunately for Harden (and possibly to the benefit of the Warriors), those last three games are what many scouts remember the most.

If Harden wants to regain his status as the top SG in the draft, he'll go straight to Tim Grover and go to work on improving his strength, athleticism, stamina, and game.


Tim Grover's A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics Training Center
jgivony



From Draft Express:

On the other hand, James Harden had yet another underwhelming NCAA tournament performance, concluding a weekend that will raise eyebrows even amongst his biggest supporters, and clearly opening up the discussion for who the third best prospect in the draft is after Blake Griffin and Ricky Rubio (if he declares). The concerns around Harden have always revolved around whether or not he has enough of a go-to mentality to warrant being picked in the top-5, as most teams would obviously like to get a franchise caliber talent that high in the draft. This weekend put those questions right back onto the table.

Harden had yet another passive, lethargic start, similar to the way he performed in the first half against Temple. He actually finished the first half without a single point, and wasn’t able to pick up a field goal until the 9:30 mark in the second half. There is no question that Syracuse’s defensive game-plan had a lot to do with the way Harden played, as they adjusted their 2-3 zone significantly to try and deny him the ball, at the risk of leaving other players—such as Rihard Kuksiks (6/13 3P) and Ty Abbot (6/10 3P) wide open.

It was a little bit concerning to see the lack of aggressiveness Harden showed trying to overcome that, though, as he gave up the ball quite easily on numerous possessions without even looking at the rim, and just didn’t display much urgency trying to make things happen. Late in the game (just like against Temple) Harden got a lot more aggressive and immediately started making things happen on the floor, putting the ball on the floor and getting to the free throw line a few times, picking up a nice steal, grabbing a crucial offensive rebound and making some great passes. It was too little, too late, though, and you have to wonder why it took him so long to get going. He also had problems finishing around the basket, which is not surprising considering that he’s not terribly explosive.

Harden’s resume speaks for itself, and there is no question that he is the top shooting guard prospect in this draft. Considering that he’s only 19 years old, he’s only going to improve as he continues to gain experience and understands how to better utilize his incredible all-around talent. His performance here in the NCAA tournament didn’t help his draft stock, though, and definitely opens up the door for him to be leapfrogged by other players. At the end of the day, that might not be the end of the world, as he’s clearly the type of player who needs to find the right fit.

Related Links
Blogging Through the NCAA Tournament (Day Four) - Draft Express
Harden: No decision yet on NBA draft - Associated Press
Scouting the NCAAs: James Harden goes out so quietly you could hear his draft stock drop - Tim Kawakami
Big Dance, bigger mistakes - Ric Bucher
Orange Shut Down Harden, and Sun Devils Follow - New York Times
The transition game, from college to pro - Los Angeles Times
ASU’s James Harden named Pac-10 Player of the Year - Arizona Sports Examiner

PROSPECT PERFOMANCES - 03/22/09

Sam Young: Pittsburgh 84, Oklahoma St. 76
40 min, 12-20 fg, 4-10 3pt, 4-5 ft, 5 off, 8 reb, 2 ast, 4 to, 0 stl, 3 blk, 0 pf, 32 pts

DeJuan Blair: Pittsburgh 84, Oklahoma St. 76
31 min, 3-7 fg, 0-0 3pt, 4-7 ft, 6 off, 12 reb, 1 ast, 2 to, 1 stl, 1 blk, 3 pf, 10 pts

Cole Aldrich: Kansas 60, Dayton 43
31 min, 6-12 fg, 0-0 3pt, 1-3 ft, 6 off, 20 reb, 1 ast, 5 to, 0 stl, 10 blk, 2 pf, 13 pts

Chase Budinger: Arizona 71, Cleveland St. 57
39 min, 6-12 fg, 1-4 3pt, 2-4 ft, 0 off, 5 reb, 0 ast, 3 to, 1 stl, 0 blk, 3 pf, 15 pts

Jordan Hill: Arizona 71, Cleveland St. 57
32 min, 5-11 fg, 0-0 3pt, 6-7 ft, 3 off, 9 reb, 2 ast, 2 to, 1 stl, 1 blk, 4 pf, 16 pts

DeMar DeRozan: MIchigan St. 74, USC 69
37 min, 6-13 fg, 0-3 3pt, 6-7 ft, 0 off, 5 reb, 2 ast, 2 to, 0 stl, 0 blk, 2 pf, 18 pts

Earl Clark: Louisville 79, Siena 72
39 min, 6-14 fg, 0-0 3pt, 0-0 ft, 6 off, 12 reb, 4 ast, 5 to, 0 stl, 2 blk, 3 pf, 12 pts

Terrance Williams: Louisville 79, Siena 72
38 min, 9-14 fg, 4-6 3pt, 2-3 ft, 2 off, 15 reb, 4 ast, 3 to, 2 stl, 0 blk, 1 pf, 24 pts

Samardo Samuels: Louisville 79, Siena 72
33 min, 6-12 fg, 0-0 3pt, 1-5 ft, 5 off, 8 reb, 1 ast, 3 to, 0 stl, 5 blk, 3 pf, 13 pts

James Harden: Syracuse 78, Arizona St. 67
40 min, 2-10 fg, 0-5 3pt, 6-8 ft, 1 off, 6 reb, 5 ast, 2 to, 1 stl, 0 blk, 2 pf, 10 pts

Jonny Flynn: Syracuse 78, Arizona St. 67
40 min, 3-6 fg, 1-2 3pt, 4-4 ft, 0 off, 1 reb, 7 ast, 2 to, 0 stl, 0 blk, 3 pf, 11 pts