Over the course of the next month until the NBA Draft on June 23, RTC will be rolling out comprehensive profiles of the 35 collegians we feel have the best chance to hear their names called by David Stern in the first round that night. There won’t be any particular order to the list, but you can scroll back through all the finished profiles by clicking here.

Player Name: Chris Singleton

School: Florida State

Height/Weight: 6’9/230 lbs.

NBA Position: Small Forward/Power Forward

Projected Draft Range: Mid-First Round

Overview: Few, if any, collegiate draft candidates possess the defensive acumen that Chris Singleton exhibits. Singleton arrived in Tallahassee from Canton, Georgia, with McDonald’s All-American honors in tow. He played 26 minutes per game as a freshman, and after his 17-rebound debut against Jacksonville, it quickly became apparent that defense and tenacity would be his hallmark. While he only tallied eight points per game in the 2008-09 season, he averaged 6.8 rebounds and altered numerous shots as the Seminoles scored an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 1998. As a sophomore, his performance increased with more playing time, averaging over 30 minutes per contest, and he flashed surprising range for a player his size, nailing 35 threes. While he never evolved into a major offensive threat in Leonard Hamilton’s methodical system, he averaged ten points per game, second on the team, while continuing to polish his defense. That year he garnered the first of two consecutive ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors while leading the Seminoles back to the NCAA Tournament. His junior year saw gradual improvement on offense, and with the ‘Noles turning heads towards the hardwood, Singleton scored 18 points in a January upset over #1 Duke. His value was further realized when Florida State went 3-3 while Singleton spent much of late February and March recovering from a broken foot. However, he would return in time to lead the Seminoles to the Sweet Sixteen, where they were dispatched in a thrilling overtime loss by VCU.

Singleton Is a Very Intriguing Prospect to Many Teams

Will Translate to the NBA: While Singleton may have to move down to the small forward position, there’s no doubting that he has all the tools to handle the challenge. At 230 pounds, he already has terrific size and strength to impede any path to the hoop, and that’s without considering the incredible instincts that make him a lockdown defender. His athleticism and length will allow him to corral rebounds at a decent rate and while he won’t be counted on to provide much offense, he can hit jumpers out to the collegiate three-point line and beyond if left open. Singleton can also finish in transition due to his ability to run the floor with the agility of most guards.

Read the rest of this entry »

Over the course of the next month until the NBA Draft on June 23, RTC will be rolling out comprehensive profiles of the 35 collegians we feel have the best chance to hear their names called by David Stern in the first round that night. There won’t be any particular order to the list, but you can scroll back through all the finished profiles by clicking here.

Player name: Travis Leslie

School: Georgia

Height/Weight: 6’4, 205 lbs.

NBA Position: Shooting Guard

Projected Draft Range: Early to Mid-Second Round

Overview: Travis Leslie logged three fine years at Georgia playing a combination of shooting guard and small forward, and it’s the common practice, by reflex, to assume a guy will play down a position as he moves from the college to professional ranks. This is especially easy when you notice a player with dimensions like those of Leslie, meaning a fellow who checks in anywhere from 6’4 and 205 pounds. Leslie is significantly more physically imposing than his frame indicates on paper, though, and along with his advanced phyiscal condition he brings incredible quickness. He’s also one of the best offensive-rebounding guards in this year’s group, and for all of these reasons he’ll probably see more time in the NBA as a small forward than he will at the two. He might be severely undersized as a three, and even moderately so as a two, but he has other gifts that — cliche’ alert, here — help him to play bigger than he is. In fact, let’s just get this bit of video out of the way early, because it’s not only impressive on its own, but it serves as a fair reminder of the type of athlete we’re dealing with:

Will Translate to the NBA: As far as quickness, physical condition, and killer instinct are concerned, Leslie is NBA-ready. You’ll never have to tell him to get on the glass, as this seems to come instictively to him. He will happily (and easily) blow by you with a preposterously quick first step. Once he’s by you, he can either finish at the rim with ferocity (as Mr. Cousins, above, can attest) or finesse, but if he chooses to pull up and shoot, his jumper is reliable out to about 15 feet. On the defensive side, his quickness will allow coaches to use him to cover opposing ones, twos, and threes, a quality that endears him to many teams looking for a sneaky second-round pickup. He was second in scoring (14.4 PPG) for the Bulldogs last year, but was also second (as a guard, mind you) on the team with 7.2 boards per contest. His 49.2% from the field and 16.3 efficiency score were both team bests, indicating that he can be trusted to make good decisions whenever the ball’s in his hands.

Read the rest of this entry »

Over the course of the next month until the NBA Draft on June 23, RTC will be rolling out comprehensive profiles of the 35 collegians we feel have the best chance to hear their names called by David Stern in the first round that night. There won’t be any particular order to the list, but you can scroll back through all the finished profiles by clicking here.

Player Name: Kyle Singler

School: Duke

Height/Weight: 6’9, 225 lbs.

NBA Position: Small Forward/Power Forward

Projected Draft Range: Late First Round

Overview: Although he was unable to lead the Blue Devils to a repeat national championship, Singler leaves Duke as one of the most decorated players in the school’s history. Throughout his four years in Cameron, Singler put up solid if not spectacular numbers. While he doesn’t have a single skill that jumps out at you as being “great,” he does possess a solid overall game that will attract no shortage of NBA scouts and executives. One of the more interesting aspects in evaluating Singler is that while he has puts  up good numbers in all four years at Duke, he never really took the next step as his production appeared to level off around his sophomore season. Prior to his arrival at Duke, Singler was a highly recruited prospect out of Oregon whose team actually beat Kevin Love in the state tournament in their senior year. To his credit, unlike many highly recruited prospects, Singler lived up to the hype although he never developed into a dominant superstar that many had earlier hoped for. It is true that Singler has improved certain aspects of his game (most notably his free throw shooting), but at some level it is also concerning that Singler’s game hasn’t progressed as one might hope. Some of this may be attributable to the improvement in the players around him with Kyrie Irving arriving for Singler’s senior season (albeit briefly) and Nolan Smith showing a dramatic improvement at the same time. This leads to the obvious concern that despite playing for one of the greatest college coaches of all-time Singler’s game may have plateaued and he may not demonstrate the improvement that many players show after making the transition to the NBA. Of course, it could also just be a case of Singler needing to get into new surroundings and playing in a different system that utilizes his all-around game more than was done at Duke.

Singler Has a Lot to Offer an NBA Team in Versatility

Will Translate to the NBA: Singler’s function in the NBA will be a role player. While this might concern some fans, it is also about the risk/reward of a draft pick at the point in the first round that a team would be considering Singler. It is extremely unlikely that a team would be able to land a franchise player in the late first round particularly in this year’s weak draft. On the other hand, it is unlikely that Singler will be a bust. Out of any player in the draft pool, Singler may have the most defined role on his future team–that of a solid rotation player who might start for a team that doesn’t make the playoffs or come off the bench for a playoff team. Obviously there will be some overlap there, but don’t count on Singler being the star of a NBA championship team any time soon. He will probably end up being a solid role player who does a little bit of everything well and becomes a fan favorite because of his fundamentals and willingness to give up his body for this team even if he won’t be putting up many 20+ point games.

Read the rest of this entry »

Player Name: Jon Leuer

School: Wisconsin

Height/Weight: 6’10/ 228 lbs.

NBA Position: Small/Power Forward

Projected Draft Range: Late First/Early Second Round

Overview: As a freshman playing for Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin Badgers, Leuer often times looked lost on the floor—nearly a “deer in the headlights” type of lost. He is not one of the more athletic big men in this year’s draft—this was especially apparent during his early years as a Badger—but his flawless shot and ability to create his own shot developed into the best parts of his game during his junior and senior seasons at Wisconsin. Standing just shy of seven feet, Leuer plays much closer to a shooting guard or small forward than a center. For his size, he is a below average rebounder—probably because he spends a good deal of time outside of the painted area—but he can tickle the twine with the best of them at his size and position. He has always shot a high percentage from the field (48.2%) and from three (37%), but it is free throw shooting that has markedly improved throughout his career. Leuer will be drafted for his offensive capabilities, so the drastic improvement on his three-point shot and performance from the charity stripe has really improved his stock. As a freshman, he shot a paltry 48% from the line, but this number improved every year (60% as a sophomore, 72% as a junior, and 84% as a senior). When scrutinizing Leuer’s ability to venture beyond the arc and hit a three regularly, he has become a much more polished shooter. During his first three years he was a combined 46-126 (36.5%) from behind the line, but in his final year he significantly upped his output from distance, hitting eight more treys than the previous three seasons combined (54-146 for 37%). The ability to stretch opposing defenses beyond the arc, as well as being able to create his own shot off the dribble (he is quicker and has a better handle than you’d think) makes him a very appealing draft candidate for a team looking to stretch defenses.

Leuer's Size and Skill Set Makes For an Intriguing Prospect

Will Translate to the NBA: Known more for his offense, Leuer will be asked to extend defenses and add a “European-type” offensive flare to his future NBA team. When studying his game, Leuer plays like the traditional European big player would as he is an excellent shooter, a sound defensive player, and has a fundamentally strong understanding of the game. There is always room for shooters in the League—especially big men—so Leuer will have little trouble finding his niche.

Read the rest of this entry »

Over the course of the next month until the NBA Draft on June 23, RTC will be rolling out comprehensive profiles of the 35 collegians we feel have the best chance to hear their names called by David Stern in the first round that night. There won’t be any particular order to the list, but you can scroll back through all the finished profiles by clicking here.

Player Name: Kawhi Leonard

School: San Diego State

Height/Weight: 6’6, 227 lbs.

NBA Position: Combo Forward

Projected Draft Range: Mid- to Late Lottery

Overview: In his two seasons under Steve Fisher at San Diego State, Leonard took the Mountain West by storm. He won the MWC Tournament MVP as a freshman after grabbing 21 rebounds in the championship game, then backed that up by notching a second-team All-American spot as a sophomore. Leonard didn’t really bloom until his senior year of high school, and even then was still just the 56th-best prospect in the nation (according to ESPNU), but he averaged over ten rebounds per game in his time on the Mesa and developed into a versatile full-court threat, capable of pulling down a monster rebound over a seven-footer on the defensive end, turning and pushing the ball upcourt and either finishing at the rim, pulling up for a midrange jumper or finding a teammate on the break. Despite measuring out at an underwhelming 6’6, Leonard is plenty long enough to play the power forward in the NBA, with a 7’3 wingspan and a 8’10 standing reach. However, Leonard’s terrific ballhandling skills, ever-improving jumper and ability to defend a wide range of offensive players means he is just as capable of playing the three at the next level. In fact, at SDSU, Leonard was most often seen working out with the guards rather than the big men. Leonard’s athletic testing at the NBA Combine returned some very average numbers (just a 32.5-inch vertical leap and just three reps at 185 pounds), but Leonard’s frame can definitely get stronger and he’s done just fine so far without jaw-dropping leaping ability.

Kawhi Leonard Led SDSU To Its Best Season Ever

Will Translate to the NBA: Leonard’s versatility gives him any number of ways to help out his future team. A tenacious defender, capable of guarding the two, three or four spot, he could develop into a lockdown caliber player. And his rebounding isn’t going anywhere, as he’ll be at least the equal of most fours in the league on the glass, while immediately putting his name in the hat for best rebounding small forward on the planet. Throw in the fact that Leonard is a tireless worker both on and off the floor and he’s got a very bright future.

Read the rest of this entry »

Over the course of the next month until the NBA Draft on June 23, RTC will be rolling out comprehensive profiles of the 35 collegians we feel have the best chance to hear their names called by David Stern in the first round that night. There won’t be any particular order to the list, but you can scroll back through all the finished profiles by clicking here.

Player Name: Darius Morris

School: Michigan

Height/Weight: 6’5, 190 lbs.

NBA Position: Point Guard

Projected Draft Range: Mid- to Late First Round

Overview: Few prospects in this year’s NBA Draft pool were virtually unknown commodities this time last year, but Darius Morris is one of those such players.  He entered Michigan not even a top 100 player in the Class of 2009 (according to RSCI Hoops), and after averaging a mere 4.4 PPG and 2.6 APG during his freshman season in Ann Arbor, he was considered a promising player with a steep learning curve ahead of him.  Something clicked much sooner than expected by anybody, though, as the sophomore not only tripled his scoring average to 15.0 PPG and his assist average to a Big Ten-leading 6.7 APG, he also led the Wolverines back to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year absence, dominating Tennessee before losing a tight Third Round game to #1 seed Duke.  Morris flirted with returning to Michigan for another year, but he instead decided to strike while his iron was hot; at 6’5, he has prototypical size for an NBA point guard and he’s already shown a demonstrated ability to lead a team from that position.  In this year’s draft pool, he falls a notch below the Kyrie Irving/Brandon Knight/Kemba Walker/Jimmer Fredette crew, but with his size and proven ability to penetrate, score and act as a distributor, someone in the bottom third of the first wound will undoubtedly pick him up.

Darius Morris Floored People With His Improvement Last Season

Will Translate to the NBA:  As mentioned above, his size is exactly what NBA general managers love to see in a point guard — he stands 6’5 with a wingspan that ranks among the best of that position.  This size and his innate aggressiveness will translate very well at the next level because he gets to the cup very well and has the length and ability to finish the play in traffic.  There’s also something to be said for his extremely quick developmental arc, suggestive of a hunger to learn and work on his game that usually cannot be taught.

Read the rest of this entry »

Over the course of the next month until the NBA Draft on June 23, RTC will be rolling out comprehensive profiles of the 35 collegians we feel have the best chance to hear their names called by David Stern in the first round that night. There won’t be any particular order to the list, but you can scroll back through all the finished profiles by clicking here.

Player Name: Nikola Vucevic

School: USC

Height/Weight:  6’10, 240 lbs.

NBA Position:  Power Forward/Center

Projected Draft Range:  Late First Round

Overview: USC center Nikola Vucevic may have been the least hyped all-Pac-10 first team center that the conference has ever had.  It’s a guarantee that when his name is called on draft night, most people around the country will assume “another European player” without any knowledge that the athletic 6’10, 260-pounder played college ball in sunny Los Angeles for the last three years.  One of the reasons for that is because the Trojan program has spent the last two seasons recovering from the OJ Mayo/Tim Floyd debacle, and this year, even though USC ultimately made the NCAA Tournament as a #11 seed, they were summarily dismissed in the First Four by a soon-to-be-Cinderella VCU Rams.  But don’t let that fool you — Vucevic was the lone offensive bright spot on a team that scrapped and defended its way to 19 wins and a berth in the postseason that most west coast observers thought unlikely.  His consistent post game, shooting range, care with the ball and knack for rebounding anchored a Trojan team that had little else to hang its hat on; but it could count on a double-double from the big Montenegran almost every night out (22 last season).  He averaged 17.1 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 1.4 BPG in nearly 35 minutes of action each night, and his efficiency in both shooting the ball (75% of FTs; 54% of twos; 35% of threes) and rebounding (he grabbed 26% of boards on the defensive glass) makes you wonder why a guy with such a nice low-post game isn’t getting more buzz as a sleeper pick this year. 

Vucevic is Fairly Unknown But Showed an All-Around Game at USC

Will Translate to the NBA:  You certainly can’t teach size, and Vucevic has a body built for banging around in the paint at the next level.  His draft measurements put him at the very top of this year’s class in terms of height (just a shade under seven feet with shoes on) and reach (nearly nine-and-a-half feet).  His draft weight is also ideal because he’ll ultimately be asked to hold his position defensively against some of the elite NBA bigs inside, and although he can stand to become a bit stronger, he’s already very far along in this area.  The other area where he’s already at an NBA level is his exceptionally nice touch with the ball in terms of shooting ability.  He has an established and consistent mid-range game and shoots the ball well from the foul line.  After making only eight three-pointers in his first two seasons at USC, he nearly quadrupled that number last season (29).  There’s no reason to believe he can’t become an excellent shooter when he finds openings in the defense.

Read the rest of this entry »

Over the course of the next month until the NBA Draft on June 23, RTC will be rolling out comprehensive profiles of the 35 collegians we feel have the best chance to hear their names called by David Stern in the first round that night. There won’t be any particular order to the list, but you can scroll back through all the finished profiles by clicking here.

Player Name: Reggie Jackson

School: Boston College

Height/Weight: 6’3/208 lbs.

NBA Position: Point Guard

Projected Draft Range: Late First Round

Overview: Reggie Jackson came to Boston College all the way from Colorado Springs as a heralded shooting guard. Making an early impact for former head coach Al Skinner, Jackson averaged seven points per contests in 20 minutes in his freshman season, including a season-high 17 on the road against North Carolina during the Tar Heels’ run to a national title. With surprisingly long arms for someone his size (his wingspan has been measured at seven feet), Jackson pulled down more rebounds than you would typically expect from a 6’3 guard. Juggling an increase in playing time with new full-time starting point guard responsibilities, Jackson improved steadily in his sophomore season, though he struggled shooting the ball (especially from the perimeter) where he failed to crack 30% beyond the arc in both of his first two seasons. His floor general skills shone through, however, as he posted one of the ACC’s top assist-to-turnover ratios in 2009-10. He continued to improve, but few could predict his spectacular 42% performance from beyond the arc in 2010-11, which played a major role in his shooting percentage rising from 43% from 50% last season. With several seniors graduating, Jackson decided to leave school a year early rather than play out the first stage of a massive rebuilding project in Chestnut Hill in 2011-12. Without a strong supporting cast, a return to BC would have spelled a rather strenuous workload as a senior.

Jackson is an Athletic Guard With Substantial Upside

Will Translate to the NBA: Jackson’s appeal stems from his athleticism and wingspan, which makes him a very explosive player on both ends of the court. Once he adds more muscle to his frame, scouts are confident that he’ll be good to go. He’s already a very good finisher on the break and can succeed in half-court sets as well, especially in the pick-and-roll. Jackson worked hard to improve his jumper last season, which will help him get by as he adds the weight necessary to drive and absorb contact in the lane.

Read the rest of this entry »

Over the course of the next month until the NBA Draft on June 23, RTC will be rolling out comprehensive profiles of the 35 collegians we feel have the best chance to hear their names called by David Stern in the first round that night. There won’t be any particular order to the list, but you can scroll back through all the finished profiles by clicking here.

Player Name: Klay Thompson

School: Washington State

Height/Weight: 6’6, 206 lbs.

NBA Position: Shooting Guard

Projected Draft Range: Mid to Late First Round

Overview: Klay Thompson is on the very short list of contenders for the title of best pure shooter in the draft. After shooting 41% from three and 42% from the field as a freshman, Thompson saw his averages dip a bit as a sophomore mostly as a result of a significantly increased role in the Cougar offense, as by last year he used 32% of his team’s possessions (good for 15th in the nation). Thompson led the Cougs in scoring in his final two seasons on the Paloose, and despite leaving a year of eligibility on the table, he comes to the draft as a pretty complete offensive player, with an NBA-ready game and a history of improving every year. As a freshman, he was more or less “just a shooter,” but he has since added a deft mid-range game, has become very comfortable with the ball in his hands, and has shown a crafty ability to get to the line, shooting 185 free throws as a junior, a drastic jump from the mere 31 he attempted from the line as a freshman in nearly as many minutes. Thompson is average at best athletically, and as a result does not project to be a great defender, but his 1.6 steals per game as a junior indicate that he is active enough to contribute defensively. He did get dinged with a possession of marijuana charge at the end of last year that raised some eyebrows, but that is generally just regarded as a minor blip for a good character kid.

Thompson Has Classic NBA Shooting Guard Skills

Will Translate to the NBA: When you can stroke it from deep like Thompson can, you’ve got a spot in the NBA. At 6’6, Thompson has the length to be able to get off his shot with ease, and is just good enough off the bounce and on the move to keep defenders honest and earn him clean looks from three. Thompson shot 39% from three in his career at WSU, and given that he was almost always the focal point of the opposition’s defense, that’s a mighty impressive number.

Read the rest of this entry »

Over the course of the next month until the NBA Draft on June 23, RTC will be rolling out comprehensive profiles of the 35 collegians we feel have the best chance to hear their names called by David Stern in the first round that night. There won’t be any particular order to the list, but you can scroll back through all the finished profiles by clicking here.

Player Name: Charles Jenkins

School: Hofstra

Height/Weight: 6’3/220 lbs.

NBA Position: Shooting Guard

Projected Draft Range: Early Second Round

Overview: One of the most explosive scorers in the country who can score from virtually anywhere on the floor, Charles Jenkins has been the face of the Hofstra basketball program for the past few seasons. In fact, the Pride retired Jenkins’ jersey before his senior season was even over. His electric quickness, strong first step, and pure jump shot make him such a potent scoring threat—it is no wonder he is Hofstra’s all-time leading scoring with 2,513 points. His shot from distance has drastically improved since his sophomore year when he shot a paltry 31% to 42% as a senior. One would think that Jenkins would have a rather slim frame for being such a quick guard, but he is built like a Mack truck checking in at 220 solid pounds. Suffice it to say, Jenkins does not shy away from contact and is able to finish in traffic with the best of them. His ability to distribute the ball should not be overlooked either, as he averaged just shy of five dimes a game and boasted a 2.16 assist to turnover ratio. Jenkins is the prototypical “instant offense” kind of player that simply knows how to put the ball in the hole.

Jenkins Had a Spectacular Career at Hofstra

Will Translate to the NBA: Jenkins will be asked to be a scorer, plain and simple. While not a terrible defender, he is certainly no Bruce Bowen that will lock down the opposition’s top guy. The knock on Jenkins has often been his size and whether he will play the point guard or two guard position in the League; both questions we believe are non-factors. First off, there is no such thing as an “undersized” player in the NBA. If you can play, you can play. Allen Iverson never had any trouble playing off the ball, and he was a very generous 6’0. There will always be room for scorers in the NBA, and Jenkins is as good as they come in this department. With that being said, Jenkins would contribute more as a shooting guard thanks to his superior shooting ability.

Read the rest of this entry »