Bowman and the draft

[1803]

I took a look at NBADRAFT.NET yesterday, and their mock didn't have him taken by anyone. I know that the draft is a fluid situation, but unless he goes to the tryout camp and turns into Reggie Williams, I think we will see him back here next year. If he comes back we should have a real good shot at the tourney which would be a great thing for the program.

[YB]

I think everything you mentioned is exactly what all of us hope will come to pass!

I hope Bowman comes back and blows the heck up, leads us to a deep tourney run and improves his draft standing that way.

[HoyaLawya]

There are nearly 50 underclassmen showing up on lists for the draft, and I think Bowman is wisely using his "free pass" year as a junior to get a feel for what the NBA would want to see from him to make him garner attention next year.

You can only declare without penalty ONCE.

If the age limit passes in the coming year, the "odds" for graduating seniors or even juniors (with minimum age 20) making it into the pro's will increase because of the reduced size of the player pool.

[FOTP]

The gating factor is if he gets invited to the Chicago pre-draft practices. If the answer is no then he'll certainly be back.

The big question is do they invite Seniors, high schoolers or underclassmen who want to see where they stand. If the 3rd is the answer then he may get an invite.

I just hope they don't come calling...come back Brandon!

[RBHoya]

He's not listed in the draft city mock for this year or next year either last time I checked, and thats the other most reliable draft forcasting site along with nbadraft.net. If Brandon pays attention to these sites or the buzz among GM's, he'll know that he isn't on most teams radars, even for the second round. He needs another year to prove that he's really a top player. He's got all the athletic gifts, but he needs to prove that hes an elite level player before anyone will spend a draft pick on him.

The thing is, even though hes not listed on these mock drafts, I've seen a number of underclassmen remain in the draft despite not being listed on sites like these and regreting it later. I can almost guarantee that a number of the guys who currently have not hired agents will remain in the draft, and some of these guys won't get picked. Happens every year. Brandon has until June 21 to withdraw, just under 6 weeks. I wish him all the best of luck and if somehow he gets a guarantee, I wish him the best of luck and hold no hard feelings.

[alleninxis]

hes coming back

[TBird41]

RBHoya said:

The thing is, even though hes not listed on these mock drafts, I've seen a number of underclassmen remain in the draft despite not being listed on sites like these and regreting it later. I can almost guarantee that a number of the guys who currently have not hired agents will remain in the draft, and some of these guys won't get picked. Happens every year. Brandon has until June 21 to withdraw, just under 6 weeks. I wish him all the best of luck and if somehow he gets a guarantee, I wish him the best of luck and hold no hard feelings.

I have to say, I'll be pretty unhappy at Brandon if he doesn't stay, since we need him to make the NCAAs this year (and I don't want the class of 2006 to be like the class of 2005--NCAA less). I'll especially be mad if he stays in and isn't drafted, b/c he would be a wasting an opportunity to get better here and actually get drafted AND creating a major obstacle for the Hoyas to get back to the tourney.

That being said, I don't think he's stupid enough to stay in the draft if he isn't sure he's going to get drafted.

[HoyaNCCT]

Most of us have watched Brandon play for the past 3 years. I think we all know that we don't have much to worry about. He isn't ready. I gotta think he knows that quite well. He still misses routine layups and is scared of contact. You really think he believes his dispy-doodle junk will work in the NBA? Don't think so.

I think he's going to go to a camp or two, get some tryouts. Then, after getting his @$$ handed to him, he will be back to work harder and take this team in the right direction.

[MCIGuy]

Bowman has to work on his ball handling and really has to work on finishing when he gets to the hoop. His idol is Tracy McGrady and that's a guy that knows how to get the ball in the hole when he goes to the rack (just can't get his team to a second round ). Bowman has the physical tools and some skills. But he really is lacking in toughness.

[the_way]

MCIGuy said:

Bowman has to work on his ball handling and really has to work on finishing when he gets to the hoop. His idol is Tracy McGrady and that's a guy that knows how to get the ball in the hole when he goes to the rack (just can't get his team to a second round ). Bowman has the physical tools and some skills. But he really is lacking in toughness.

Toughness!? Bowman has toughness and he is smart. He just needs refinement of his basketball skills.

[JohnJacquesLayup]

the_way said:

Toughness!? Bowman has toughness and he is smart. He just needs refinement of his basketball skills.

If he had become a reliable consistant defender, he could make the jump this draft.

[SFHoya99]

JohnJacquesLayup said:

If he had become a reliable consistant defender, he could make the jump this draft.

Maybe. Other things he needs to work on: a left hand, and his shot. It's not a bad shot but 1) the pros are going to hate the complete lack of arc, believing that he can't improve and 2) he'll need to expand his range to play the 3 in the pros.

[HoyaNCCT]

the_way said:

Toughness!? Bowman has toughness and he is smart. He just needs refinement of his basketball skills.

Are you on crack?!? Usually you are right on point but today I gotta disagree. Bowman is so far from tough. He tried to avoid contact every single time he goes to the basket. That is as far from tough as it gets.

[the_way]

HoyaNCCT said:

Are you on crack?!? Usually you are right on point but today I gotta disagree. Bowman is so far from tough. He tried to avoid contact every single time he goes to the basket. That is as far from tough as it gets.

Excuse me, trying to avoid contact!? Which player are you watching? Brandon's main flaw is knowing when to drive to the hoop and when not to drive. He has never been afraid of contact. His problem is sometimes he drives to the hole where there are 3 defenders standing there waiting to collapse upon him.

[HoyaAlbany]

Hey, I have a great idea - let's see how many ways we can denigrate Brandon's game on this board, that will certainly make him desperately want to come back to play for the Hoya fans next year!!

[SFHoya99]

HoyaAlbany said:

Hey, I have a great idea - let's see how many ways we can denigrate Brandon's game on this board, that will certainly make him desperately want to come back to play for the Hoya fans next year!!

LOL.

I really can't agree with those that think he isn't tough. He by far led our team in old fashioned three point plays, getting contact and finishing.

But I think even Brandon would admit he doesn't have much of a left hand.

I do think he has a shot at the NBA if he stays. I don't see him getting drafted this year.

[RBHoya]

TBird41 said:

I have to say, I'll be pretty unhappy at Brandon if he doesn't stay, since we need him to make the NCAAs this year (and I don't want the class of 2006 to be like the class of 2005--NCAA less). I'll especially be mad if he stays in and isn't drafted, b/c he would be a wasting an opportunity to get better here and actually get drafted AND creating a major obstacle for the Hoyas to get back to the tourney.

He has to do whats best for him, and I wouldn't hold it against him for doing what's best for himself. He doesn't owe us anything as fans. He played his hardest for 3 years and was rewarded with 3 years of top quality education in return. He never made any promises to stay 4 years. Yes, we as fans want him to stay because we're a better team with him. I'd be extremely disappointed if he leaves, and even more disappointed for him if he leaves and doesn't get picked. But I wouldn't be angry at him. It's his choice, not ours, and he needs to do whats best for Brandon Bowman.

And if he does leave, we won't be totally left for dead. We've got a developing wing in Tyler who played well this year and might succeed with more minutes, and we've got two very promising Small forward prospects coming in with Spann and Eggerson. Of course we won't be as good without him as we would be with him, but we'll still compete. The world will keep on turning. It's just the way these things go.

[MCIGuy]

the_way said:

Excuse me, trying to avoid contact!? Which player are you watching? Brandon's main flaw is knowing when to drive to the hoop and when not to drive. He has never been afraid of contact. His problem is sometimes he drives to the hole where there are 3 defenders standing there waiting to collapse upon him.

For days I had to spend time recording copies of the Hoyas games this season for someone. I even ended up watching a bunch of those games again while making the copies. I can't even count how many times Bowman made a great move to the basket (one which hardly any players his height could make) only to blow a dunk, not throw it down forcefully, blow a layup or make a shot harder because he saw some defender approaching and therefore ended up missing terribly altogether. He shot over 50% this season for which he should be applauded. But he would have shot around 54% and been closer to a 20 point game a night player if he attacked the hoop more and actually finished more when he got inside. With his speed, athleticism and height there is no way he shouldn't be putting dents on the rims. I want Bowman to start doing that more in order to take his game to a higher level. And unlike perhaps most people here I want him to get to that level NOT for the sake of the Gtown basketball team, but for himself. He wants to be a pro. He wants to be a good one. Well, if he works on his ballhandling and his finishing he has a great chance of becoming one.

[the_way]

MCIGuy said:

For days I had to spend time recording copies of the Hoyas games this season for someone. I even ended up watching a bunch of those games again while making the copies. I can't even count how many times Bowman made a great move to the basket (one which hardly any players his height could make) only to blow a dunk, not throw it down forcefully, blow a layup or make a shot harder because he saw some defender approaching and therefore ended up missing terribly altogether. He shot over 50% this season for which he should be applauded. But he would have shot around 54% and been closer to a 20 point game a night player if he attacked the hoop more and actually finished more when he got inside. With his speed, athleticism and height there is no way he shouldn't be putting dents on the rims. I want Bowman to start doing that more in order to take his game to a higher level. And unlike perhaps most people here I want him to get to that level NOT for the sake of the Gtown basketball team, but for himself. He wants to be a pro. He wants to be a good one. Well, if he works on his ballhandling and his finishing he has a great chance of becoming one.

I think you are wrong in your assessment. Watching ever game Bowman played or Alonzo Mourning played does not make you an expert on analyzing basketball. You have to do more than just watch the game. You have to study it and also have the ability to study it. Aren't you the same guy who said Mike Sweetney was a better low-post player than Alonzo. . Bowman is trying to make something happen by forcing the situation. He is trying to make a basket. If anything, that is toughness. If he wasn't tough, he wouldn't even drive to the lane. He would just shoot jumpshots all day. I'm glad you are not a GM for an NBA team. Your basketball assessments are quite Scott Layden'ish and Isiah Thomas'ish.

[MCIGuy]

the_way said:

I think you are wrong in your assessment. Watching ever game Bowman played or Alonzo Mourning played does not make you an expert on analyzing basketball. You have to do more than just watch the game. You have to study it and also have the ability to study it. Aren't you the same guy who said Mike Sweetney was a better low-post player than Alonzo. . Bowman is trying to make something happen by forcing the situation. He is trying to make a basket. If anything, that is toughness. If he wasn't tough, he wouldn't even drive to the lane. He would just shoot jumpshots all day. I'm glad you are not a GM for an NBA team. Your basketball assessments are quite Scott Layden'ish and Isiah Thomas'ish.

1)Please show me your basketball credentials and prove to me you know anything about the sport, let alone more than me. Until you produce that information then you’re no better of an expert than me. Right now what you’re clearly better at is getting into an argument with every other person on this site who has the nerve to disagree with your opinion. Fair enough?

2)If Bowman was as tough as you think he is he would get in the paint, take that beating and get those rebounds. His drop off in that category proves he still needs work in the area of toughness. He has to drive more, without turning it over, and take it to opponents. He has to do a lot of things. Over the years I have heard and read a lot of positive comments about Bowman from Hoya fans and those who followed him in high school. “Toughness” was never a word that came up before until you mentioned it.

3)You wrote that Bowman’s forcing the situation is proof of his toughness. Okay. But my point was that he doesn’t attack the basket enough, which translates to he doesn’t drive to the hoop enough, which means he isn’t forcing the situation at all. That may be a result of his trying to get comfortable with the Princeton offense and I can’t hold that against him. What I can hold against him is that he still comes up with too many missed shots when he does drive. He misses too many gimmes, layups or slams. And frankly he has too much athleticism and length to keep missing all those attempts. He lets a defender or contact with a defender throw him off to a point that he often does not finish. You can dismiss all you want watching games and all but the tape doesn’t lie. He needs to finish better. I and others brought up that point during the Kenner League games in which we don’t have the luxury of seeing a recording afterwards. It just stuck with us that he would not finish when he had the opportunity. I noticed that same problems again when I went to actual games this season and when I saw games live on TV. And what a shock when I got through rewatching those games again I was reminded of all those blown opportunities. This is something we have been saying about Bowman for years. I’m sorry you never got the memo. Just don’t act as if the throws it down like he is capable of. He’s playing against college kids and is not finishing. Think about what would happen if he went against pros on a regular basis at the next level. That is why he needs to improve.

4)I think my comments were Sweetney had a better low post game than Mourning. Certainly a better all around feel for how to play with his back to the basket, especially when it came to passing. I stand by that. That low post game is why this past season an out of shape, short, vertically challenged on jumping Sweetney who didn’t run the floor well most games to beat opponents down the court was able to have one of the best field goal percentages in the NBA (putbacks on teammates’ misses helped too). Mourning, on the offensive, end was never a true post player in terms of playing with his back to the basket. He never developed a go-to move. His foot work was good but never outstanding. His passing was lacking which was typical of most big men who played for JT. On and on. Anyone following or covering the Heat when Zo was the main guy there would tell you that during the post season that Mourning’s game would get a bit exposed because no matter how hard he played he could never give you the big baskets on a regular basis because MAN TO MAN defenses could curtail his scoring opportunities in ways most man to man defenses could not do to a big guy with a true low post game. We have gone through this already a few times. No need to bring it up again and again. It comes down to opinion. Frankly I can as easily argue that your insistence that Mourning had better post moves than Sweetney is an indication that you are blind, never saw either one play or simply don’t know a thing about basketball. We’re never going to agree on this issue obviously so let it go already. Pretty please.