Pac-10 Basketball: Power Ranking the Top NBA Draft Prospects
The Pac-10 was abysmal last year, sending just two teams (Cal and Washington) to the NCAA Tournament.
The conference didn't fare much better in the 2010 NBA Draft, with just one player being selected in the first round (Quincy Pondexter of the Huskies) and one in the second (Landry Fields of Stanford).
It seems like there is nowhere to go but up for the Pac-10's draft prospects, but this year isn't looking a whole lot better.
There are a few intriguing players on the fringe of draftability and two who have a shot to crack the lottery, but overall the Pac-10 will have another weak showing in the draft.
Here are the Pac-10's top prospects for the 2011 NBA Draft, in ascending order.
Honorable Mention: Jamelle Horne, SF, Sr., Arizona
1 of 12
'09-'10 Stats: 8.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 0.8 apg
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 209 lbs.
Horne hasn't had much production on the court, but this former 5-star recruit has as much athleticism as any player in the Pac-10. Unless he takes a big step forward this year, he likely won't get drafted, but a player with his tools will at least get a strong look.
NBA Comparison: Marvin Williams
Prediction: Undrafted
10. DeAngelo Casto, PF, Jr., Washington State
2 of 12
'09-'10 Stats: 9.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 2.7 bpg
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 231 lbs.
Casto is an undersized power forward who isn't a great rebounder. He blocked an impressive 2.7 shots per game, but due to his lack of size, that likely won't translate to the NBA. He's a good athlete, but his lack of size and rebounding ability will hurt him.
Prediction: Stays in school
9. Reggie Moore, PG, So., Washington State
3 of 12
'09-'10 Stats: 12.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.4 spg
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 178 lbs.
Arguably the best freshman point guard in the Pac-10 last year, Moore has adequate size and decent athleticism. He doesn't wow you in any areas, but he's a good scorer who has already shown mature point guard skills that may translate to the next level.
Moore vastly outperformed expectations his freshman year and could continue to climb up the board with a solid sophomore year.
NBA Comparison: Carlos Arroyo
Prediction: Stays in school
8. Nikola Vucevic, PF, Jr., USC
4 of 12
'09-'10 Stats: 16 ppg, 11 rpg, 2.4 apg
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 240 lbs.
Vucevic was extremely productive last year and has excellent length for his position, making him a great rebounder. He needs to add muscle to his frame and doesn't have great athleticism, but with another season like last year he will certainly garner draft-day consideration.
NBA Comparison: Kris Humphries
Prediction: Stays in school
7. Abdul Gaddy, So., PG, Washington
5 of 12
'09-'10 Stats: 10.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 4.4 apg
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 174 lbs.
He entered last season as the nation's second-ranked freshman point guard but didn't deliver on his promise. Gaddy has good size but isn't very athletic, struggled with turnovers and didn't prove to be a good shooter. He's still young, but his career has gotten off to a really bad start.
NBA Comparison: Chris Duhon
Prediction: Stays in school
6. Isaiah Thomas, Jr., G, Washington
6 of 12
'09-'10 Stats: 14.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.6 spg
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Thomas is similar to his predecessor, Nate Robinson, in his diminutive stature, top-level quickness and excellent scoring ability. Thomas isn't as good of a leaper as Robinson (an NBA Dunk Contest champion), but he plays a very similar game.
If Thomas can keep up his impressive 45 percent mark on three-point attempts, he may be able to survive in the NBA despite his size.
NBA Comparison: Nate Robinson
Prediction: Stays in school
5. Josh Smith, C, Fr., UCLA
7 of 12
'09-'10 Stats: N/A
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 305 lbs.
Smith is immensely talented, but listed at 305 pounds, he needs to seriously work on his fitness if he wants to be considered an NBA prospect. Reportedly he has worked hard with Ben Howland to get in shape, and if that's true, he could rise quickly.
NBA Comparison: Dexter Pittman
Prediction: Stays in school
4. Klay Thompson, SG, Jr., Washington State
8 of 12
'09-'10 Stats: 23.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 5.3 apg
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 170 lbs.
Thompson is not a great athlete but was one of the country's most prolific scorers last year. He struggled with consistency and turnovers but overall is an excellent shooter. If he can address his streakiness, he should be able to carve out a niche as a shooter in the NBA.
NBA Comparison: Kyle Korver
Prediction: Late second round
3. Malcolm Lee, PG/SG, Jr., UCLA
9 of 12
'09 Stats: 11.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.3 apg
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Lee hasn't been outstanding so far in his career at UCLA, but he has the size, length and athleticism to be a combo guard at the next level. If he bulks up and improves his shooting, his stock could rise tremendously, as Lee has as much potential as any Pac-10 player.
NBA Comparison: Rodney Stuckey
Prediction: Late first round
2. Derrick Williams, PF, So., Arizona
10 of 12
'09-'10 Stats: 21.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 0.8 apg
Height: 6'8
Weight: 235 lbs.
Williams is a strong, pretty athletic but undersized power forward. He gets to the foul line with ease and isn't a bad shooter for a physical banger. If he can improve his range, he'll cement his status as a first-round prospect.
NBA Comparison: Trevor Booker
Prediction: Late first or early second round
1. Tyler Honeycutt, SG/SF, So., UCLA
11 of 12
'09-'10 Stats: 14.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.6 bpg
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 200 lbs.
Honeycutt is a great passer who was a bit too unselfish as a freshman. He needs to bulk up and work on keeping his turnovers in check, but he has the prototypical size, talent, length and athleticism of an NBA small forward.
NBA Comparison: Tayshaun Prince
Prediction: Mid first round
Comments
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What do you think?
Did I leave anyone out?
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Matt Rudnitsky is a student at the University of Michigan and a Featured Columnist/writing intern at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Mattrud.
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