Andre Drummond: UConn Center's Pre-Draft Conditioning Will Land Him at No. 2
Connecticut center Andre Drummond is looking lean and mean heading into the NBA draft, and his hard work will be rewarded when he is chosen second overall.
ESPN's Chad Ford is excited about Drummond as a prospect and reported this update on the center's conditioning, via his Twitter account.
"Drummond has lost 22 pounds since ending the season. He's at 268 now. He's very quick laterally for a big guy. VERY QUICK
— Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) May 29, 2012"
Drummond will be dancing around NBA big men next season if he stays at this weight.
The UConn star averaged 10 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game for the Huskies. Drummond will need to improve his decision-making, which will help him be more confident on the offensive end, but all the raw skills are there.
At 6’11” with a 7’5” wingspan, he has incredible length. He is also remarkably athletic with great leaping ability, which allowed him to record such solid block numbers during his only year at Connecticut.
Offensively, he is surprisingly skilled. He can step out and hit jumpers but also does well with his back to the basket. He used his talents efficiently last season, shooting 53.8 percent from the field.
All these qualities have made Drummond an exciting prospect and put him in contention to be chosen at pick No. 2 in the upcoming draft.
Kentucky’s Anthony Davis is clearly the top prospect, while his teammate, Michel Kidd-Gilchrist is another player who many believe could go second. The third player who has gone behind Davis in many mock drafts is Florida’s Bradley Beal.
Kidd-Gilchrist, a small forward, is electric in the open floor and is a lock-down perimeter defender. His weakness comes on the offensive end where he lacks a consistent outside shot.
Beal, on the other hand, has no problem knocking down jumpers. He has unlimited range and can score from anywhere on the floor, but at 6’4”, he lacks ideal size for a shooting guard.
Drummond’s biggest concern comes with his lack of confidence on the offensive end and he really should have averaged more than 10 points per game last year.
All three of these prospects have big upsides with minor flaws in their game. It is difficult to choose one of them as the favorite to be taken second right now, and that is why Drummond’s weight-loss will have a major impact.
One of these players needs to separate himself from the other two in order to be taken No. 2, and Drummond appears to be doing that. The slimmed-down center showed he’s willing do to whatever he has to in order to succeed at the next level, and this will influence the team that picks second in the draft.
