Written by: Andrew Wittry
With only two rounds in the NBA Draft, a handful of talented graduated
seniors and second round hopefuls are passed on and left to sign as
undrafted free agents, play overseas, or start their post-basketball lives.
Scouting reports of “He can’t create his own shot” or “undersized” or a
recent injury scare teams off. Whatever the case may be, there was no
shortage of undrafted talent this year.
Scott Machado, PG - Iona
Machado lead the Iona Gaels to a 25-8 record and a berth in the NCAA
Tournament as a 14 seed. He averaged 13.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, and an NCAA-leading
9.9 apg. If his assist numbers aren’t enough for a point guard prospect,
Scott Machado shot 49.5% from the field and 40% from behind the arc.
According to the New York Post, Machado has heard from the Bobcats,
Raptors, Cavaliers, Hawks and Rockets. The Atlanta Hawks are the best team
on the Iona product’s radar, with a 40-26 record and a playoff berth last
season. Between Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Jeff Teague, the
Hawks have a number of offensive weapons for Machado to be successful in
the NBA.
Kevin Jones, F - West Virginia
Jones was the heart and soul of West Virginia’s men’s basketball
team. As a senior, he averaged a double-double with twenty points and
eleven rebounds per game. Jones was a major reason why the Mountaineers
made appearances in the NCAA Tournament all four years that Jones was at
West Virginia, including a Final Four run in 2010. Kevin Jones had interest
from the Charlotte Bobcats as well as the Cleveland Cavaliers and signed
with the Cavs yesterday to a three-year, partially guaranteed contract.
Tu Holloway, PG - Xavier
Sadly, Holloway will forever be remember for his role in the 2011
Crosstown Shootout brawl instead of his fantastic play as a Xavier
Musketeer. Last season, Holloway lead the charge for the Muskies, who
finished with a 23-13 record and made their third Sweet Sixteen appearance
since Holloway’s freshman year. He averaged seventeen points, five assists,
and four rebounds during his senior year. Holloway worked out for fourteen
NBA teams before this year’s draft so it is likely that he will be invited
to participate in the NBA’s summer league in Las Vegas in mid-July.
William Buford, SG - Ohio State
Buford played significant minutes from his first year on campus at
Ohio State. He averaged double-digits in points per game all four years as
a Buckeye. His senior year averages were 14.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 2.9 apg.
His biggest contribution to Ohio State was his spot-up jump shooting and he
can be a marginal player when outside of that role as a shooter. Buford was
a member of the Buckeyes when they made it to two Sweet Sixteens and a
Final Four. The Ohio State graduate has not had any offers from NBA teams
but the international route is definitely available if he would like to
continue his basketball career.
Henry Sims, C - Georgetown
Sims took great strides in his off-seasons at Georgetown to progress
from a player who averaged less than two points and two rebounds per game
to a starter who averaged twelve points, six rebounds, and four assists per
game his senior year. Watching Sims have the game of his life by putting up
22 and 15 against Yancy Gates and the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Big East
Tournament showed me what kind of player he can be when at his best. Scouts
questioned his passion for the game and why it took three seasons for him
to put up the numbers that he did last year. The Washington Wizards worked
out Henry Sims before the draft but with four players who can play center
on their roster, it would be extremely difficult for Sims to make the team
if they do invite him to join their summer league team.
Hollis Thompson, F - Georgetown
After averaging thirteen points and six rebounds per game for Georgetown
during his junior year, Thompson forgoed his senior year to enter
the NBA Draft and must be regretting that decision after not hearing his
name called for any of the sixty picks in the draft. Thompson is an
excellent shooter, especially from the outside considering his size as a
6’8″ forward. He was a 44% three-point shooter during his three years as a
Hoya and made an impressive 46% of his shots from behind the arc during his
sophomore year. He worked out for the Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers
and will likely spark interest from an NBA team because of his combination
of size and excellent shooting ability.
J’Covan Brown, G - Texas
It is hard to believe that a player who averaged twenty points per game in
the Big 12 could go undrafted. Somehow, J’Covan Brown of Texas managed to
do so. Similarly to Hollis Thompson, Brown left school after his junior
year for the NBA Draft. Last season, he had four thirty-point games,
including a thirty-four point performance, going 6-7 on three-pointers,
against then #9 Missouri. While his rebound and assist numbers are low, Brown is a proven scorer and those categories are not critical to a
shooting guard’s success. The 2011-2012 Big 12 scoring leader will not be
upset for long about being undrafted because he was picked up by the
defending NBA Champions the Miami Heat as a free agent. The Heat could use
some fresh legs and a good shooter like Brown to go along side of veterans
Mike Miller, Shane Battier, and Ray Allen (if the NBA’s all-time leader in
three-pointers made decides to sign there).
Casper Ware, G - Long Beach State
Long Beach State had more last year than just a cool name, sweet jerseys,
and an NCAA Tournament appearance. They also had senior shooting guard
Casper Ware, who averaged 17.4 points per game. Ware was one of the leaders
on the 49′ers and helped them to a 25-9 record last season. His best
performances were his 28, 29, 30, 33, and 38-point games in the regular
season, two of which were against Pittsburgh and North Carolina. Of Ware’s
three offers, from the Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons,
he chose to become a Piston as a member of their summer league team.
Jordan Taylor, G - Wisconsin
Taylor’s best season as a Wisconsin Badger was his junior year, in
which he averaged eighteen points, five assists, and four rebounds per
game. He shot 43% from the field and from behind the arc and had an 83%
free throw percentage. While his senior year numbers weren’t quite as
remarkable, he was still a very competitive player in the Big Ten and lead
Wisconsin to the NCAA Tournament, where they lost by one point to the
Syracuse Orange. Taylor drew interest from the Milwaukee Bucks and the
Atlanta Hawks and settled on the Hawks because they start their summer
league games earlier.
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