A Statistical Look at the Top Prospects Part V
This will be the fifth and final part of the series. The names of the top prospects come from the NBADraft.net mock draft and the numbers come from www.kenpom.com.
Austin Daye, Sophomore Small Forward from Gonzaga
At 6-11, Daye is a very large small forward. He uses that size to block a lot of shots and grab a lot of defensive rebounds, two categories in which he excels and ranks relatively high nationally. Daye creates the most offense of anyone on the team, but he hasn’t been very efficient so far. His supporting cast is the reason Gonzaga ranks 12th in the country in offensive efficiency. His shooting percentages are decent enough, but he doesn’t contribute to the offense by getting assists or offensive rebounds. He’s an intriguing prospect nonetheless.
DeJuan Blair, Sophomore Power Forward from Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh has one of the best teams in the country, and the next two guys I’m about to discuss are the biggest reasons why. First, let’s talk about Blair. Blair is an absolute beast on the boards. His offensive rebound rate of 25.3% is the best in the country. In other words, when he’s on the floor, he grabs one out of every four of his team’s misses. That is an incredible number. On defense he’s no slouch either and ranks fourth. Blair is only 6-7, but he’s got a large frame and can’t be boxed out down low.
Besides the rebounding, Blair has a number of other impressive skills as well. His Offensive Rating, thanks to his rebounding and relatively efficient shooting, is 16th in the nation. He’s great at not turning the ball over, losing it just 9.8% of the time. He also blocks shots well and gets a lot of steals for a big man. Guys like him are always underrated as prospects and often end up being underrated when they reach the pros. Look no further than Paul Millsap.
Sam Young, Senior Small Forward from Pittsburgh
Like Blair, Young has good size and is an asset on defense. Offensively, he carries most of the team’s workload, posting a high usage rate. His Offensive Rating is good but not spectacular. However, given that he’s the main man for one of the country’s top teams, you can’t be too disappointed with an Offensive Rating of 113.9. He’s got relatively good range but needs to work on his free throw shooting if he wants to excel in the NBA.
Tyler Smith, Junior Small Forward from Tennessee
Smith’s numbers are great but not superb. In a way, his numbers kind of reflect his team’s performance thus far this year – decent, but it could be better. Smith is the biggest contributor in the Volunteers’ offense and he’s been relatively efficient in the process. He also has a good assist-to-turnover ratio and gets to the free throw line relatively often.
Tyler Hansbrough, Senior Power Forward from North Carolina
Arguably the most talked about player in college basketball, Hansbrogh’s potential as an NBA player has been discussed heavily as well. Whatever the final verdict may be, he’s one heck of a college player. He’s the go-to guy for the best offense in the nation and one of the best teams overall. Despite all the talent around him, he still produces a lot of offense and does it in an efficient manner. Three things separate him from most players. First of all, as awkward as he may look sometimes, he does a great job of not turning the ball over. Secondly, he gets to free throw line better than anyone in the country. Thirdly, when he gets to the line, he converts. Hansbrough’s free throw percentage of 84.2% is impressive for a big man. Besides his offensive skills, he’s a smart defensive anchor. He rarely blocks shots or gets steals, but he does a good job of always being in the right position.
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