Aran Smith (nbadraft.net) : Top NBA Prospects

[MCIGuy]

www.nbadraft.net/2011-maui-invitational-top-prospects

Take this with a grain of salt. This guy has been known to be wrong at times before. But I'm glad to see that three of our guys got some noteworthy pub.

Surprisingly enough Hollis wasn't mentioned. It is surprising because many sources over the net mentioned how well Hollis stood out amongst the scouts. Hollis deserves more mention than guys like Andre Dawkins (really?) and Seth Curry. One guy responding to the list gave a shout out to Jason who was also left off the list. But this is Aran giving us his own two cents.


Otto Porter 6-8 210 SF Georgetown Fr.

Otto PorterPorter is a very intriguing wing prospect due to his length, defensive ability and outside shooting touch. He doesn't have ideal form on his shot but his release point is decent and he shoots the ball the same way every time. He shows a solid motor and "plays within himself", not trying to do more than he's capable. He's a top 50 recruit and has the potential to break into a star in the next few years at Georgetown. I'm very high on Porter and I know scouts were intrigued by him as well in Maui.

Markel Starks 6-1 180 PG Georgetown So.

Starks isn't flashy and wasn't a highly acclaimed player coming out of high school but he shows solid decision making and a wet jumpshot. His form is excellent with a concise, quick release and the range to knock down 3 pointers. While Kansas' guard are flashier (Taylor and Johnson), you can't help but think the Jayhawks would be better off with a floor general like Starks making solid decisions in their offense. It may sound crazy, but Starks could be the top PG prospect from this event.

Henry Sims 6-10 250 C Georgetown Sr.

Sims had a huge 24 point, 8 rebound performance in the Hoyas win over Memphis. While he lacks great fluidity and is a little undersized for the center position, Sims has worked hard to add a consistent jumpshot and improved as an offensive player. Georgetown has a history of producing NBA centers and while Sims appears to be an NBA long shot, his offensive ability should get him an invite to PIT and a shot to impress.


Again someone needs to inform Mr. Smith that Markel isn't a Big East caliber player.

[Ranch Dressing]

I keep catching flak for this. Hahaha.

The early data indicate that Markel may be greatly improved and could turn out to be an above average conference PG. The lack of playing time from last season was reason for many of us to cite Markel's inexperience as a concern heading into the season.

So far, so good. The handle and shot look much more comfortable and consistent.

[MCIGuy]

I hear, ya, Ranch. And I'm not trying to pick on you alone. But my question is why must every freshman who comes off the bench look like a stud (or potentially a stud)? When did it become wrong to allow players time before we started making sweeping judgments regarding their capabilities and potential? We are too quick to give the verdict on what guys can do without remembering that even in this modern era there are players who don't look great coming out the gate but become fantastic over time. I'm not trying to make Markel out to be Chris Paul, but I thought it was unfair that people wanted to dismiss him after such a smal sampling last season. Then again there were probably those on the other side arguing the total opposite even though they had little to go by as well last season (no, high school exploits don't count).

What really ticks me off (and it is a pet peeve of mine) is there are Hoya fans on Georgetown sites who will make every excuse in the world for players on UConn, Syracuse, Villanova, etc. If those players have a so-so beginning like Markel, Hoya fans will still claim those dudes are the real deal. It is such a grass-is-greener-on -the-other-side mentality. I don't want people to be homers but I wish they would more often be fans. fans who support the underclassmen who come into the program rather than always wishing they had one of the knuckleheads from Syracuse on the Gtown roster.

Truth is Markle still has a lot to prove and has not as of yet done ianything of note in the Big East. Let's be patient, though, and see what happens.

[Ranch Dressing]

With respect to Markel, I think I forgot that the biggest leap a player will make usually will be between his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Of course, this doesn't seem to be the case for Nate. And was definitely not the case for Henry.

To my defense, I was never rooting against Nate, Henry, and Markel and defending other teams' player development. I was trying to make an objective assessment with data in hand and keep expectations grounded for myself. It's just a thing with me - I have to think we are going lose to help dull the pain I feel if we do lose. I'm a basket case psychologically.

I do think as a fan base we are all probably a bit too high after our win against Memphis. They are probably one of the few teams around that is so undisciplined and poorly coached that they are apt to underperform an inexperienced team like ours in a close game under 5 minutes.

We will have our ups and downs this year and I maintain a .500 conference record and NCAA invitation is an excellent bogey for this team. Anything better and we have exceeded nearly everyone's expectations coming into the season.

[CTHoya08]

While we're on the topic of NBA prospects, I have a Hollis question. There's a lot of discussion here and on Casualhoya about Hollis being on pace to graduate after this year. Do we actually know that this is the case?

I know he enrolled a semester early, but enrolling a semester early does not automatically put one on pace to graduate two semesters early. I seem to remember someone suggesting that he could be on pace to graduate early when everyone was freaking out about him throwing his name into the draft last year. That Hollis will have his degree at the end of this year seems to have morphed into gospel truth around here. But do we actually have any confirmation of this?

[HoyaSinceBirth]

No confirmation, but one would think with 1 semester early plus Summer classes he very likely will be. He's had at least 3 Summer's of classes unclear how many classes players take in summer session but there's a good chance he'll have the 120 credit's necessary to graduate, whether or not he's completed the requirement's for a major and completed the core requirements is the other consideration. That one is less likely to be completed.

[lichoya68]

a little birdie told me A HE HAD SOME CREDITS BEFORE COMING TO THE HILLLTOP pretty smart dude and B came a semester early and C he did do summer classes so i think hollis just might be able to graduate this year. hope not for us but a pretty smart dude from what i hear. go hoyas go hollis THIS YEAR MAN

[ephoya04]

Didn't want to start a whole new thread for this, but Chad Ford did a similar write up, but it is Insider only...I've pasted the Georgetown portion:

Georgetown


Otto Porter, F, freshman -- Porter was one of my favorite players in Maui this year. He's a ways away from the NBA right now, but he's got good size as a small forward, is a good athlete who plays hard and has a smooth mid-range game. He needs to add more consistency on his 3-point shot and add some strength, but he's a potential first-round pick someday.


Henry Sims, C, senior -- Sims played well against Kansas and Memphis. He is a fluid athlete who runs the floor, can score around the basket and seems to finally, after three seasons playing a backup role at Georgetown, be ready for the spotlight. I'm always leery of older big men who suddenly break out -- especially when your career game is against Memphis' weak interior defense. But when you look at what scouts were saying about him as a high school prospect, he's worth a closer look as a potential second-round prospect if he keeps playing like that.


Jason Clark, G, senior -- Clark hasn't really been a strong NBA prospect because he lacks ideal size for the 2 position. He's essentially a 6-foot-2 scoring guard in the body of a point guard. But it's tough to ignore what Clark is doing right now. He's always been known as an aggressive defender and a solid shooter, but the way he's scoring right now, while still giving effort on the defensive end, is impressive.

The rest of the article is here: insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog/_/name/nba_draft/id/7278256/scouting-lessons-maui-invitational-cbb