heypartner: you're absolutely right about Rasheed and Stackhouse and even Daugherty (at least a tier 2). Excuse my poor recollection, it was about 3 AM when I ripped those off the top of a fuzzy head. And let's not forget Alarie and Dawkins! Can I go as far back as Jeff Mullins and Art Heyman?! Damn, I think I'm starting to make your point... ------------------ Time is a great teacher-- only problem is it kills all its pupils. PowerbizOnline.com
oh...now I see where you are coming. You are saying my first comment "Battier is a Bust" has nothing to do with Duke's past. hey man, it was a play on words based on the thread title. I never intended to claim anything about Battier. Hell, I've never seen him play. I just think Duke/Indiana player history is interesting. You are absolutely right...Duke's history has nothing to do with Battier.
As far as "sleeper" schools with a pro pipeline, I think the University of Houston qualifies. Hakeem, Clyde, and Elvin are three of the top 50 and there were several others that played pro ball that I can't recall at the moment. A little help?
Dwight Jones and Dwight Davis played a few years in the NBA from UH, also. Also, Cadillac Anderson. ------------------
Heypartner: You're right in that NC has produced much better NBA talent than Duke... but of late, Duke talent has been rated as highly going IN. That class with Brand, Avery, and Burgess was considered the best in the nation. The one with Dunleavy and Williams was as well. Duke plays with al McDonald's All-Americans, now. I don't think Battier will be a great player... but I wouldn't pass up on Dunleavy in a couple years . (Or Williams, if we didn't have Francis). ------------------ Boston College - Big East -East Division Regular Season Champs Worst to First in 2001!
Um, Battier isn't even the best player on his TEAM. What makes you think he's such a hot commodity in the draft. All those college accolades? He's simply the NCAA posterboy. Great personality. Great student. Stayed in college all 4 years. These are the types of things that'll earn you all sorts of crazy awards in college. Let Chicago draft him, and we'll pick someone with real NBA caliber skills (or at least potential). ------------------ Founding Father of the Refs Suck Club
Alabama has produced: McDyess Sprewell Horry Jason Caffey David Benoit Derrick McKey Roy Rogers Auburn has produced: Charles Barkley Chuck Person Wesley Person Chris Morris Chris Porter Mamadou N'Diaye ------------------ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Adding to the UH list: Sam Mack, Anthony Goldwire. Michael Young was a first-round pick, but I don't know whether he ever played. ------------------ I'm about to boldly go where many men have gone before.
Toast: You're selling Battier short there. He's not a top 10 pick, but he might be the best we'll get in the teens. Batter IS the best defensive player in the nation... and he IS the best player on his team. Jason Williams will likely be a fabulous PG and better than Battier... but he is POROUS on the defensive end. Battier's slightly inferior offense is more than compensated for by this fact. Battier can shoot, pass, play D, and rebound. He'll be a decent starter or terrific sub. ------------------ Boston College - Big East -East Division Regular Season Champs Worst to First in 2001!
Battier is almost exactly what the Rockets need at SF: a good, smart player, great defender, better than avg rebounder, and a decent scorer that can shoot the 3. He is going to be a great role player in the NBA, and the Rockets need role players. ------------------
Battier is a polished player with great fundamentals,but not much upside....You know what your getting...sort of like J.Howard.We'd probably have to move up to get him.Williams,to me,is a top 3 pick.I believe he is one of those rare conventially sized points,like Payton,who is picked high and when his time is done,people will say he was worth it. On UH,Damon Jones and Larry Micheaux(cup of coffee) are two more.Michael Young played his first year with the Celts and then moved on to a lucrative European career.He had the knee problems and couldn't stroke the baseline J,in the NBA.This is a first class guy though... a really good person.Anyway,we've put a lot of guys in over the years.You all have named most,but I'll bet there are a couple more. ------------------ If I had my life to live over,I would have liked to have ended up as a sportswriter - Richard M. Nixon,1969 [This message has been edited by hardwood (edited March 26, 2001).]
And let's not forget ex-Cougar, ex-Rocket Carl Herrera! ------------------ Time is a great teacher-- only problem is it kills all its pupils. PowerbizOnline.com
Alabama, Auburn to name a couple. ------------------ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
U of H is definitely a "sleeper" school (Dream, Clyde, Elvin, Chaney, Outlaw, Birdsong, etc.). I don't know if they would qualify as a "sleeper", but people seem to forget about Michigan and Cal-Berkley when they name some of the best programs at turning out NBA players. Temple is pretty good too, as is Clemson. As far as Battier goes, he won't be a "Bust", but he'll be closer to being a "Bust" than being a "Star". ------------------
For a school that hasn't been to the Final Four since 1960, Cal has produced a surprisingly decent number of NBA players. Bona fide stars include two Olympians: Jason Kidd Shareef Abdur-Rahim KJ Lamond Murray (ok, not quite a star) Also,a couple of scrubs: Sean Marks Michael Stewart Ed Gray (Quitten deal throw-in) (soon to be joined by Sean Lampley) Not exactly Duke or UCLA, but you asked for a sleeper ... Wow, I was typing this while Live mentioned Cal in the post above! ------------------ [This message has been edited by wrath_of_khan (edited March 26, 2001).]
I just can't believe that people would want to take a chance on a player labeled a "project" (see Kelvin Cato) but won't take a player whose only desire is to compete EVERY NIGHT and win. The consumate team player and role player. Doesn't garner the limelight and is the ultimate "role model". It really shows where sports is today. Here is a guy in Battier that has consistantly improved every year he's been in college and comes up big with the game on the line and yet people continue to doubt his abilities. Although I've never been a Duke fan, there is no denying that Battier is a hell of a basketball player and probably the only guy I'ld pay to go see. He's fundamentally sound, mentally and physically tough. He may not be the first player chosen but just like when Paul Pierce slipped in the draft a few years back, the teams that pass Battier over Will regret the day they didn't draft him. Mark these words, Battier will be a solid pro player for whoever drafts him. If there is one person who I'ld compare him to, it would be "Nasty" Nate McMillan. Nuf said! ------------------
Just out of curiosity who has Temple produced for the NBA? All I can think of is Mark Macon and Marc Jackson. Macon disappeared pretty fast. ------------------ Mmmm ... open-faced club sand wedge.
