This year will mark the 10th anniversary of LeBron James’s grant entrance into the NBA, when he wore an all-white suit (perfect garb for a Savior) to Madison Square Garden and was chosen No. 1 by the Cleveland Cavaliers out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. Two years later, the NBA and the players union instituted the so-called “one-and-done” rule mandating that players had to be 19 years old and a year removed from their high school graduation class in
The first week of the NCAA Tournament is in the books, and one thing is clear — the draft stock of many of the top players did not improve. In fact, Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel’s stock was probably helped the most of any top prospect — and he was unable to play in the NIT because of a torn ACL. But there were certainly others who helped themselves. [Read more…]
With NCAA Tournament action finally underway, two important stories have surfaced today encompassing the highs and lows of this hectic college basketball season. President Barack Obama, who has never been shy about his fascination with the NCAA tournament, released his annual bracket this morning. Obama went mostly “chalk” in the first round, staying away from a bracket filled with upsets. His two upsets of note, No. 11 seed Minnesota over No. 6 UCLA, and No. 11 Belmont over No. 6 Arizona. The
March Madness is right around the corner, so it’s time to circle the wagons and look ahead to the NBA draft after breaking down each position the past five Saturdays. Since the last Big Board, draft stocks have soared or tanked based on performances, injuries, and inconsistencies. As the NCAA Tournament approaches, the lives of NBA scouts will be consumed by the names on this list as they dissect every wrinkle or wart of each prospect. [Read more…]
Just four days ago, the 2013 NBA draft was turned upside down when Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel suffered a devastating knee injury. Over the past month, Noel has separated himself from the pack to be projected as the top pick in June’s draft. Instantly, Twitter blew up with reaction from fans and journalists ranging from the injury to the gruesome images to his draft stock. In the days following it was revealed that Noel suffered a torn ACL and is expected to have
Kentucky freshman big man Nerlens Noel has a torn ACL and is out for the season, which could have a huge impact on the top of the 2013 NBA draft. The school is announcing the extent of the injury. Noel is expected to have surgery in two to three weeks and be sidelined six to eight months. Six months from now is August. Eight months from now is mid-October, which means NBA training camps already will be under way. And there is no
Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel, among the frontrunners to go first overall in the 2013 NBA draft, went down with a left knee injury in Tuesday night’s game at Florida. It has been confirmed that the injury is indeed a torn ACL. Russell Steinberg of SBNation has the breakdown of what happened: [Read more…]
The NBA draft is all about projections and potential. A generation ago, most NBA executives’ strategy was to compare prospects based on their collegiate careers. Then the Fab Five arrived at Michigan, and suddenly the process was flipped upside down. Underclassmen were scrutinized, analyzed and scouted thoroughly by NBA clubs who wanted to get the next big-time prospect. While prospects with high upside are intriguing, they come with more risk than upperclassmen. The lottery is annually dominated by underclassmen, primarily freshmen. [Read