Greg Whittington Draft Prospects

[HeartAttackHoya]

Greg is showing up on numerous mock drafts as a top 20 selection in THIS year's draft.

We would be in some trouble next year should these projections pan out but also probably means this time will have made a pretty deep tourney run. The talent is obviously there but always considered him a 3 year player.

Thoughts?

[Deleted]

Not realistic at this point….

[SFHoya99]

He'll play in the NBA, but if he's a Top 20 pick this year, we'll have been a really good team. He's nowhere near playing at that level right now.

Also: Draft Express -- while I'm not a huge fan -- is one of the more reliable, and Greg is neither in their Top 100 nor either their 2013 or 2014 mocks.

So where are you seeing this? If the words "bleacher" "report" or "forum" are involved in the answer, I don't see much point in posting.

[Boz]

SILENCE!!!!

Move along. Nothing to see here.

[nychoya3]

Yeah, can we see some links here? He's obviously an NBA prospect at his size, but he has a lot to prove. Like, can he shoot?

[wahoohoya]

Well here's one link: beforeitsnews.com/sports/2012/12/2013-nba-mock-draft-first-round-121912-2485102.html

Not sure why this would be met with such disbelief on this board. Seems like everybody here thinks Greg will be playing in the NBA at some point. And we all know that the NBA drafts on potential. If I was a betting man, I would say Greg stays another year, but I wouldn't bet much.

[rockhoya]

Numerous mock drafts? Like which ones?

Greg is a first rounder next year, but if we have a deep tourney run this year it really wouldn't be too surprising to see him regarded as a first rounder in this draft. And by deep tourney run I mean two games in Indy....a lot of work has to be done for us to get to that point though.

[boxout05]

Can't believe it. His shot has been awful this year, which makes him a long, fairly atheletic defender with some potential.

[Deleted]

Dec 20, 2012 15:52:08 GMT -5 wahoohoya said:

Well here's one link: beforeitsnews.com/sports/2012/12/2013-nba-mock-draft-first-round-121912-2485102.html

Not sure why this would be met with such disbelief on this board. Seems like everybody here thinks Greg will be playing in the NBA at some point. And we all know that the NBA drafts on potential. If I was a betting man, I would say Greg stays another year, but I wouldn't bet much.

When you see his name popping up on Chad Fords list or Draftexpress you can worry. They actually talk to NBA GM’s and Scouts.

There’s a humongous difference in talent level between college and the NBA. Greg is a great prospect, maybe the best long range prospect on the team but he’s not ready yet...

[strummer8526]

I love how indignant we get when one of our players is left off a list, and then how we savage the player when he is included.

Not saying any of the posts here are wrong. Just funny.

[rockhoya]

Even if he's not ready, NBA drafts on potential. Remember that. If some people on this board really are blind to the kind of player Whitt has the potential to become 5 years down the road then you gotta go get an eye exam, just sayin'.

[HeartAttackHoya]

www.thesportsbank.net/illinois-illini/2013-nba-mock-draft-first-round-11612/

[CO_Hoya]

Dec 20, 2012 16:28:54 GMT -5 HeartAttackHoya said:

www.thesportsbank.net/illinois-illini/2013-nba-mock-draft-first-round-11612/

Same author as the first link from Wahoo

[HoyaSinceBirth]

I mean I think Greg will be a top 20 pick, but I'm hoping it's not till after next year at the earliest. He's definitely an NBA player. Once he gets his shot consistent he's definitely a first round draft pick.

[jgalt]

Yeah but what are aaron bowen's draft prospects?

[SFHoya99]

Dec 20, 2012 16:25:00 GMT -5 rockhoya said:

Even if he's not ready, NBA drafts on potential. Remember that. If some people on this board really are blind to the kind of player Whitt has the potential to become 5 years down the road then you gotta go get an eye exam, just sayin'.

They draft on potential, but I doubt there are a lot of scouting directors projecting Whit to be an NBA star.

Right now, I think a lot of people think he can play the Bruce Bowen role - strong defender who could develop a consistent three shot.

But I don't think anyone believes he's a guy who is going to be an offensive creator at the NBA level. Which is the potential we're talking about for a perimeter player.

I'd draft Whit. I really think he could be a valuable NBA player. But I don't think he's shown enough yet for people to even view him as a potential NBA star.

[rockhoya]

Dec 20, 2012 17:37:14 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

Dec 20, 2012 16:25:00 GMT -5 rockhoya said:

Even if he's not ready, NBA drafts on potential. Remember that. If some people on this board really are blind to the kind of player Whitt has the potential to become 5 years down the road then you gotta go get an eye exam, just sayin'.

They draft on potential, but I doubt there are a lot of scouting directors projecting Whit to be an NBA star.

Right now, I think a lot of people think he can play the Bruce Bowen role - strong defender who could develop a consistent three shot.

But I don't think anyone believes he's a guy who is going to be an offensive creator at the NBA level. Which is the potential we're talking about for a perimeter player.

I'd draft Whit. I really think he could be a valuable NBA player. But I don't think he's shown enough yet for people to even view him as a potential NBA star.

First, I don't think anyone is saying Greg being a first rounder makes him an NBA star. I do think that 1+ years is enough body of work to show enough for scouts. He's far from a finished product, but the tools are there.

I agree with your post, but I think I have a different opinion of his ceiling. How was Paul George when he was still in college? Nowhere as good as he is now. Im not trying to say that Greg will reach his level, but I do think it's too early to say that his ceiling is Bruce Bowen. He has an improving handle that still has plenty of room to get better. He's a streaky shooter so far this year, but for the latter part of last year he was pretty solid. Shot like 44% from 3 in BE play. He's quick enough, and pretty athletic.

We'll see what happens, but in my opinion his ceiling is different that Bowen. Could be a good 6th/7th man in the NBA down the road. Either way I think NBA gm's already have a good idea of him as a player. There may not be tons of buzz around him, but he's still on their radar.

[hoyspaul]

Upcoming draft likely viewed as not strong compared to last year. That is one reason it is sorta sad Hollis did not wait a year as he might have had a good shot to be a first rounder

[SFHoya99]

hoyspaul - Hollis went undrafted. It wasn't strength of draft that kept him out of the first round.

rock - Actually, I think you and I probably (also) have completely different views of Bruce Bowen. At his best, Bowen was the league's elite perimeter defender who also made himself useful offensively by hitting threes at a good clip. An incredibly valuable player right behind efficient offensive superstars and bigs who control the lane.

I think Greg would be happy to be as valuable as Bowen. I guess it's my way of saying I can see Greg being a plus defender, Greg becoming a plus shooter, but I don't see him being a guy that NBA teams run an offense through and have them create. (Which is essentially Jeff's issue in the NBA. He's that style of player. But he's not good enough.)

We have a tendency to overrate our players' pro prospects. Putting bigs aside -- because if you are 6'10" plus there's always a chance -- it takes a lot to be drafted and a lot to be drafted in the Top 20 picks.

Players like Chris, Austin, Henry never really had a shot. They didn't meet the drafted profile. I hope they all make it on the back end. Hollis had stylistically more NBA chance but he lacked production.

Greg's toolset is even better for the NBA than Hollis' from a size and athleticism standpoint. But the production needs to be there. Right now he's averaging 13 and 8 (rounding up), shooting poorly, and he doesn't have any hype behind him.

Yes, if he goes on a tear in the NCAAs average 20 ppg and taking over, sure. But as of this moment he's not going in the Top 20 picks. Which should not be taken as an insult.

I think Paul George isn't a bad comp -- he did average 17 ppg by the end of the season and was more instrumental in Fresno St.'s offense. He also had much more of a slashing game that let him get to the hoop. But George is probably the example of how a guy like Greg gets drafted that high. If Greg had a great off the dribble game, he would be gone -- and he'd be averaging 20ppg on this team.

I think there's a lot of guys with that body type that don't exhibit that quickness and skillset -- I don't think Greg is as athletic as George -- and they don't go that high (or at all).

[rockhoya]

Dec 21, 2012 10:59:39 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

hoyspaul - Hollis went undrafted. It wasn't strength of draft that kept him out of the first round.

Yeah, it was the fact that he had a sports hernia and was already a second rounder.

But re: Bowen, I think Greg is a different player. I can't really envision him becoming that type of player, but that's just me.

And re: George I think he was able to showcase his slashing game and be more featured in the offense because he played on a team that isn't as good as this Hoya team. We all saw how much more aggressive Greg became when Otto was out. I do think Paul George is a better athlete with better handle, but the comparison is an example of how they might be viewed as a prospect. If I remember correctly there was not much buzz about George either in the early part of the year before he got drafted.

I think Greg has the potential to be the best wing other than Otto under JT3. He is a first rounder, just not this year unless we comfortably make the final four. He is playing at a similar level to Otto and a deep tourney run would be allow us to showcase both our wings.