NBA Draft 2011: Jimmer Fredette, Kemba Walker, Top 50 Prospects Compared To Pros
Now that Connecticut has won the NCAA tournament, the next thing on many college players' minds is the NBA draft.
For the last few months, this class has been regarded as one that doesn't have nearly as much talent as the classes of the last few years.
However, players like Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette still make this a very interesting group.
Here are my top 50 prospects and current pros to compare them to...
50: Ben Hansbrough
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Comparison: Luke Ridnour/Tyler Hansbrough
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 203
Age: 23
Hansbrough was the Big East Player of the Year, but he's not getting much, if any, attention as an NBA prospect.
He'll be a very mature rookie, with great leadership qualities. He works and plays extremely hard and with a ton of intensity.
He could be a low-risk selection in the second round. One can only hope the Pacers take him with the 45th pick so we can see some pick-and-rolls with the Hansbrough brothers.
He's a bit like Ridnour in terms of size and game, but his fiery demeanor is very much like his brother Tyler's.
49: Demetri McCamey
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Comparison: Deron Williams/Jason Kidd
Position: PG
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 200 lbs
Age: 22
Over the last couple years, McCamey has put up some great assist numbers (6.1 a game this year and 7.1 last year). And this year, he's added a three-point shot (45 percent from three-point range).
He's a great distributor, and his size and strength make him comparable to Williams and Kidd.
48: Chandler Parsons
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Comparison: Landry Fields/Gordon Hayward
Position: SF/SG
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 218 lbs
Age: 22
Chandler Parsons is one of the smartest players in the draft, but he almost certainly won't be selected in the first round because scouts have questioned his attitude at times.
He's a great passer and rebounder for a wing, and he's also demonstrated the ability to knock down threes. Like Hayward and Fields, he needs to get more aggressive with his own shot selection.
47: Charles Jenkins
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Comparison: Kyle Lowry/Stephen Jackson
Position: SG/PG
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 220
Age: 22
Jenkins has been a fantastic scorer this year. He's averaging 22.6 points a game while shooting 52 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point range.
His position and body are a bit like Lowry's (only wider), but he plays fairly low to the ground like Jackson.
He's extremely tough and could play differently in the league than just about any other guard.
46: Reggie Jackson
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Comparison: Jrue Holiday
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 208 lbs
Age: 20
Jackson's stock has been rocketing up most experts' boards over the last couple weeks. His seven-foot wingspan is insane for a point guard, and he's very athletic too.
He has a lot of the same qualities that had scouts drooling over Jrue Holiday's potential.
45: Scotty Hopson
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Comparison: Tracy McGrady
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 200 lbs
Age: 21
Hopson has been a very solid scorer in the SEC this season. However, even as a junior, he needs to polish just about every aspect of his game.
In terms of raw tools and abilities, he's slightly reminiscent of Tracy McGrady.
44: Kyle Singler
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Comparison: Mike Dunleavy
Position: SF
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 235 lbs
Age: 22
Singler came back to Duke this year to win a second national championship. He didn't, and he may have hurt his draft stock in the process.
Pretty much across the board, his stats dipped a bit, and he didn't look nearly as consistent this year as he has in the past.
Rest assured, I didn't compare him to Dunleavy just because they're both white and played at Duke. They actually have very similar bodies and numbers, Krzyzewski recruits players to fit his system and these two had the same role.
43: Norris Cole
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Comparison: Brandon Jennings
Position: PG
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 175 lbs
Age: 22
Cole's statistics are fantastic, but of course, they could be at least partially attributed to playing in such a small-time conference.
He averaged over 21 points, five rebounds and five assists a game, but he wasn't the most efficient scorer (much like Jennings). Plus, they've both sported the high-top fade.
42: Patric Young
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Comparison: Derrick Favors/Daniel Orton
Position: C/PF
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 245 lbs
Age: 19
I'm never a fan of drafting players purely on potential. He averaged 3.4 points and 3.8 rebounds a game this year, but many still think he may go in the first round.
I tend to think if a player has first-round talent, he'll play more than 17 minutes a game (even if he is a freshman).
His physical tools are a bit like Favors, but his situation and (in my opinion) career might mirror Daniel Orton.
41: Jeff Taylor
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Comparison: Rodney Carney/Corey Brewer
Position: SF
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 225 lbs
Age: 21
Taylor is a very athletic wing, who defends well and has had a solid three-year career at Vanderbilt.
He needs to become a bit more consistent with his perimeter shot and ball handling. I think he'll end up filling roles similar to those Corey Brewer has.
40: Lucas Nogueira
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Comparison: Tyson Chandler
Position: C
Height: 6'11"
Weight: 218 lbs
Age: 18
This is another young, raw player who will be drafted largely based on potential.
One part of his game that should translate fairly quickly into the NBA is his defense (particularly shot blocking).
As he grows up, he may become a solid leader on defense (much like Chandler).
39: Tyler Honeycutt
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Comparison: Landry Fields/Josh Childress
Position: SG/SF
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 180 lbs
Age: 20
In terms of numbers, Honeycutt's season at UCLA has been very similar to Chandler Parsons' at Florida.
He rebounds and passes well but is never terribly aggressive as a scorer.
His game is a bit like fellow Pac-10 guy Fields, while his physical tools are similar to Childress's.
38: Khris Middleton
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Comparison: Corey Brewer/Brandon Roy
Position: SF
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 215 lbs
Age: 19
Middleton has been pretty productive this year, averaging 14 points, five rebounds and three assists a game.
He could become a solid all-around wing like Roy with the length of a player like Brewer.
37: Travis Leslie
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Comparison: Tony Allen
Position: SG
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 205
Age: 21
Travis Leslie is a bit undersized, but he may be one of the most athletic shooting guards in the draft.
That athleticism has led to plenty of highlight-reel dunks over the course of his career at Georgia. Plus, it's helped him become a fantastic rebounder for a 6'4" player (7.2 a game).
His body and athleticism are a lot like that of Tony Allen.
36: Klay Thompson
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Comparison: Rasual Butler/Gordon Hayward
Position: SG
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 202 lbs
Age: 21
He's not an elite athlete by NBA standards, but his shooting ability should almost certainly translate to the next level.
He's been a fantastic scorer over his three years at Washington State and could become an outside shooting specialist like Butler.
35: Darius Morris
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Comparison: Jrue Holiday/Jason Kidd
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 190 lbs
Age: 20
Morris is a true point guard who enjoys the blessing of being a few inches taller than most at his position.
He averaged 15 points and nearly seven assists a game this season.
He'll probably slip into the second round and would be a great fit for the triangle offense. We all know the Lakers need a point guard.
34: JaJuan Johnson
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Comparison: Hakim Warrick/Amare Stoudemire
Position: PF
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 215 lbs
Age: 22
Purdue got knocked out in their second game of the tourney, but you can't blame Johnson. He scored 41 points and grabbed 30 rebounds in those two contests.
He had a great season at Purdue, and his solid all-around game could help him stay in the league for a while.
He's shown great athleticism and a decent mid-range game all year. In a best case scenario, he could develop into a player like Stoudemire. Or, he could be a career backup like Hakim Warrick.
33: Josh Selby
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Comparison: O.J. Mayo
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 183 lbs
Age: 20
Selby may return to Kansas to work on a lot of the fundamentals he didn't display during his freshman year
The potential and raw skills that got him to KU may still get him drafted in the first round.
His body, and shoot-first mentality remind me a bit of Mayo.
32: Tobias Harris
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Comparison: James Johnson
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 226 lbs
Age: 18
Harris does just about everything well, but nothing really well.
He could very well be drafted in the first round but may have a hard time finding his way onto the court during his rookie season.
31: Mason Plumlee
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Comparison: Jordan Hill
Position: C/PF
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 230 lbs
Age: 21
Much like Patric Young, Plumlee will get plucked up by some team because of his size and potential.
He's pretty athletic for a big man, but he needs to get stronger and polish just about every aspect of his game.
30: Keith Benson
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Comparison: Roy Hibbert
Position: PF/C
Height: 6'11"
Weight: 230 lbs
Age: 22
Benson is a solid all-around player with good size and skills. He's long, rebounds and defends very well and can knock down jump shots (shot 39 percent from three-point range this year).
He may never be a star at the next level, but in a league almost devoid of elite centers, he could easily develop into a starter.
29: Shelvin Mack
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Comparison: Ben Gordon/Kyle Lowry
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 215
Age: 21
Despite his shaky title game (one of the only players from that night who could be categorized as anything other than terrible), Mack has solidified his status as a legitimate pro prospect.
He's a big-time shooter, handles well and plays really strong for his position.
Right now, he doesn't really have a true point guard's mentality, but he's probably too small to be an elite shooting guard. Sounds a bit like Ben Gordon to me.
28: Nolan Smith
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Comparison: Devin Harris
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 185 lbs
Age: 22
Nolan Smith had a fantastic senior season. At about 21, five and five, he averaged career highs in points, rebounds and assists.
He played point guard for most of this season but has a skill set that may be more suited for shooting guard.
He could be a perfect fit for the Bulls who have two picks at the end of the first round.
27: C.J. Leslie
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Comparison: Thaddeus Young/Julian Wright
Position: PF/SF
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 206 lbs
Age: 19
He has a lot of potential and great athleticism, but he still needs a lot of work on his overall game.
If he fixes his weaknesses, he could be a lot like Thaddeus Young. If not, he could be a lot like Julian Wright.
26: Chris Singleton
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Comparison: Shawn Marion/Corey Brewer
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 225 lbs
Age: 21
Singleton could become a great perimeter defender at the next level. He's very long and athletic and could give some of the league's small forwards a few headaches.
His offensive game needs a lot of work, but his defense could help him be an impact player early.
25: Thomas Robinson
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Comparison: Darrell Arthur
Position: PF
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 237 lbs
Age: 20
Of all the Jayhawks in the draft, many think Robinson may have the most potential. But like I've said before, it's tough for me to buy his stock when he hasn't taken on a bigger role as a sophomore.
He played just 15 minutes a game but looked decent while he was on the floor.
24: Justin Harper
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Comparison: Channing Frye/Andrea Bargnani
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 225 lbs
Age: 21
Harper has a great outside game for a big man but still needs a ton of work on his rebounding, defense and low-post skills.
On the year, he averaged 18 points and seven rebounds a game while shooting 53 percent from the field and 45 percent from three-point range.
His outside shooting could help him be a role player as early as his rookie year.
23: Trey Thompkins
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Comparison: Channing Frye
Position: PF/C
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 245 lbs
Age: 20
Here is another solid inside-out big man, but Thompkins inside game is a bit further along than Justin Harper's.
22: Markieff Morris
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Comparison: Carlos Boozer/Al Harrington
Position: PF/C
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 245 lbs
Age: 21
Markieff is certainly the better defender and rebounder of the Morris twins and actually shot a better three-point percentage (42 for the year).
However, his overall offensive games isn't quite as polished as Marcus's.
You'll notice that the comparison for the twins is the same, only flipped. Markieff is a little more Boozer, while Marcus is a little more Harrington.
21: Donatas Motiejunas
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Comparison: Andrea Bargnani/Kevin Durant
Position: C/PF
Height: 7'0"
Weight: 220 lbs
Age: 20
His game is a lot like Bargnani's, and his toothpickish arms and legs are reminiscent of Kevin Durant (when he was a freshman at Texas).
He needs to get a lot stronger and needs to develop every part of his game, but he could become a decent big man.
20: Marcus Morris
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Comparison: Al Harrington/Carlos Boozer
Position: PF
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 235 lbs
Age: 21
As I said in the Markieff slide, Marcus is a better all-around offensive player. Plus, a lot of scouts think he has a bit more upside.
19: Jordan Hamilton
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Comparison: Kyle Korver/Brandon Roy
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 220 lbs
Age: 20
Hamilton has been a fantastic offensive player this year, averaging 19 points and eight rebounds a game. He shot 44 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range.
His numbers are pretty similar to what Kyle Korver put up in college (plus they have similar builds). However, I think he might develop into a better all-around player.
18: Bismack Biyombo
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Comparison: DeJuan Blair
Position: PF/C
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 243 lbs
Age: 18
Biyombo has burst onto the scene of this draft class in the last couple weeks.
He's come out of nowhere to become a very legitimate first-round possibility.
He's long and athletic, but like most 18-year-old prospects—very raw.
17: Nikola Mirotic
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Comparison: Linas Kleiza/Andrea Bargnani
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 226 lbs
Age: 20
It seems like people are looking for the next Dirk Nowitzki every year. Unfortunately, that has led to a lot of Nikoloz Tskitishvilis.
That's sort of the best-case/worst-case for Mirotic.
16: Tyler Zeller
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Comparison: Tim Duncan
Position: C/PF
Height: 7'0"
Weight: 250 lbs
Age: 21
This is the first of three Tar Heels on this list, but there's a decent chance that they'll all return to Chapel Hill next year.
Zeller is very fundamentally sound. He has great feet, touch around the basket and runs the floor very well for a big man.
If he improves his rebounding, he could become a stalwart in the post. He probably won't be an all-time great like Duncan, but there are a few similarities.
15: John Henson
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Comparison: Tyson Chandler/Ed Davis
Position: PF/C
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 210 lbs
Age: 20
Roy Williams has sent a lot of young big men to the league over the last few years. John Henson may have the potential to be the best.
He's already a great rebounder and defender, averaging 10 boards and three blocks a game for the year. His offense has developed quite a bit as well as he put up 12 points a game this season.
With his length, athleticism and defensive abilities, he should be able to impact games early in his career.
14: Kawhi Leonard
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Comparison: Shawn Marion
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 225 lbs
Age: 19
Kawhi Leonard is anything but polished on offense, but his athleticism, intensity and defensive prowess could get him drafted in the lottery.
Plus, he's an elite rebounder for a 6'7" player (he averaged nearly 11 a game this year).
If he plays with a great distributor like Marion did for much of his career, he could put up some solid numbers.
13: Kenneth Faried
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Comparison: Paul Millsap/Louis Amundson
Position: PF/C
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 225 lbs
Age: 21
He may be undersized, but he has everything else that a great rebounder needs (work ethic, wingspan, explosiveness).
He led the nation in rebounding at nearly 15 a game (after averaging 13 in each of the last two years).
He should follow the example of Paul Millsap and work hard on every aspect of his offensive game.
12: Terrence Jones
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Comparison: Lamar Odom
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 244
Age: 19
Calipari continues to send multiple one-and-dones into the league each year.
Terrence Jones has a great deal of potential. He's very athletic and naturally talented, but he also already has a decent skill set as well.
He needs to become more consistent from the perimeter, but his versatility could help him become a great player for years to come.
11: Alec Burks
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Comparison: Brandon Roy
Position: SG/SF
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 195 lbs
Age: 19
Alec Burks is my dark horse pick for 2012 Rookie of the Year (for a lot of the same reasons I thought Brandon Roy would win it).
He's a very polished, complete scorer. He has a prototypical NBA shooting guard's build. He's long and athletic. In addition to being a great scorer, he does just about everything else well too.
10: Brandon Knight
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Comparison: Tyreke Evans/Jason Terry
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 185 lbs
Age: 18
Knight's draft stock steadily climbed as he led Kentucky to the Final Four.
He displayed the ability to score in a variety of ways and led a team as a freshman.
This season, he averaged 17 points, four rebounds and four assists a game while shooting 38 percent from three-point range.
9: Jan Vesely
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Comparison: Tyrus Thomas
Position: PF/C
Height: 6'11"
Weight: 240 lbs
Age: 20
He needs to get a lot stronger and work on his back-to-the-basket game, but Vesely has solid upside.
He's athletic, long and finishes well at the rim.
8: Jonas Valanciunas
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Comparison: Nenad Krstic
Position: PF/C
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 230 lbs
Age: 18
He still needs to add a lot of strength, but his solid fundamentals should help him transition into the NBA.
7: Kemba Walker
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Comparison: Brandon Jennings/Ben Gordon
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 172 lbs
Age: 20
Kemba Walker led his Huskies on one of the most ridiculous runs in the history of college basketball this month. He did so with more than just his scoring.
He's a solid distributor, an underrated rebounder and he works hard on defense.
On the season, he averaged 23.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
He's not a very efficient scorer (43 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range), but he has a hunger that may be unparalleled in this draft class.
He's proven to be a great leader, and his success in March could very well get him drafted in the top five.
6: Jimmer Fredette
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Comparison: Deron Williams/Stephen Curry
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 195 lbs
Age: 22
I'm sure plenty of you will be up in arms when you realize I've ranked Jimmer Fredette above Kemba Walker.
This isn't going to make things any easier for me, but I'll say it anyway. This ranking isn't suggesting that Jimmer will get drafted first (he won't), but I do think he's the better player.
There's no question that he's the better shooter, so we won't even get into that.
The biggest questions surrounding Jimmer concern his athleticism and defense.
In terms of athleticism, Fredette may be as underrated as anyone in the country. Experts lead us to believe he's slow and glued to the ground. But that's simply not true.
He has a 36-inch vertical leap and was also recruited to play Division-I football while he was in high school. He was a fantastic wide receiver and return specialist, and his quarterback had this to say about him:
"I remember him being just a straight-out athlete—I could put the ball anywhere, and he'd catch it. He's one of the most gifted athletes I've ever known. He still is a lot quicker and faster than people give him credit for."
All that is nice evidence for Jimmer's athleticism, but anyone who actually watched him play more than a few games this year already knew he was a great athlete.
The elevation he gets on his jump shots, the way he makes defenders look foolish with his extremely quick crossover and his acrobatic finishes at the rim are all great displays of his physical abilities (the ones the experts tell us he doesn't have).
Plus, he went right by Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton whenever he wanted to when BYU met Florida in the NCAA tournament (both were supposed to be vastly superior athletes).
As for his defense, the questions there are legitimate. The thing is, we didn't really see what he's capable of defensively because of coaching.
Dave Rose had BYU run a zone for most of every game and allowed Jimmer to stand around at the top of the zone. Many have speculated that this is because the team wanted him to save himself on that end of the floor and stay out of foul trouble.
Defense is all about athleticism and desire. Anyone who can average 29 points a game, scoring in such a wide variety of ways, has the athleticism to play solid defense.
The desire part can still be developed. You see, despite everything we've heard to the contrary, Jimmer Fredette does have potential and will get better at the things he isn't already great at.
He has a bigger, stronger, more NBA-ready body than Kemba Walker. His size and strength are reminiscent of Deron Williams, as is the style with which he handles the basketball.
His ability to make shots from anywhere on the court in the blink of an eye is the parallel with Stephen Curry.
He should be a good player no matter where he ends up. But he can be a superstar if he lands in the right system and learns from a coaching staff that helps him overcome all his weaknesses and possibly even turn them into strengths.
5: Enes Kanter
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Comparison: Luis Scola
Position: C/PF
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 255 lbs
Age: 18
We didn't get a chance to see Kanter at all this year because he played professional basketball overseas before he came to play for Kentucky.
Even still, it looks like he's almost a lock to be selected in the top 10 of this year's draft.
Think of him as a longer, more athletic version of Luis Scola.
4: Perry Jones
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Comparison: Tracy McGrady/Anthony Randolph
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6'11"
Weight: 220 lbs
Age: 19
For most of this season, Perry Jones has been the top overall prospect for most experts. The great play of a few guys in the tournament has knocked Jones off that peak.
The scouts' excitement over this prospect is all about his potential and athleticism. He's extremely long, runs the floor incredibly well and can leap with anyone in the country.
He has a lot of the same upside McGrady had coming out of high school, but he's three inches taller. He's a bit of a gamble considering how raw he is, but he has the potential to be an absolute superstar.
3: Harrison Barnes
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Comparison: Tracy McGrady/Chase Budinger
Position: SG/SF
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 210 lbs
Age: 18
Barnes was fantastic in the NCAA tournament, but his hot streak started months ago.
He's shown the ability to score all over the floor. He's athletic, long, smooth and has a good head on his shoulders.
The thing is, a lot of reports are suggesting that he may be returning to North Carolina for his sophomore season.
If Barnes, Henson and Zeller all go back to school, the Tar Heels should dominate all season.
2: Kyrie Irving
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Comparison: Chris Paul
Position: PG
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 180 lbs
Age: 19
A lot of people are ranking Irving as the top overall prospect right now.
While I realize he has the potential to be great, I've got him at No. 2 for one reason—point guards have not been hard to come by lately.
Over the last few years, several players with starting point guard talent have been drafted, and there are a few more this year.
A lot of teams are building around point guards right now, and I don't think it would be a bad decision to take him first overall—but there's one prospect that I'd select before him.
1: Derrick Williams
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Comparison: Michael Beasley
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 241 lbs
Age: 19
Derrick Williams officially became a legitimate top overall-pick possibility after he thrashed Duke.
In that game, he scored 32 points on 11-of-17 shooting (including five out of six threes) and grabbed 13 rebounds.
That was his signature game, but he's been nothing short of spectacular all season long.
For the year, he averaged 19.5 points and 8.3 rebounds a game. Plus, he shot 60 percent from the field and 57 percent from three-point range.
He's athletic, smart, has a great attitude and is extremely versatile.
The Cavaliers have the best shot at the top pick and can use help at every position, but the biggest hole in their roster is still the one that LeBron James left behind.
They could also go with Irving here, but they can address that need with their second lottery pick.
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