http://teammash.com/l/181059/http:/...nues-rise-toward-lottery/?utm_source=teammash Cody Zeller ESPN: (7)*Draft Express: (4)*NBADraft.net: (3) ·*Analysis:*Zeller’s stock has remained as a high lottery pick, but the talk of him going No. 1 overall has cooled considerably since the initial 2013 mock drafts were revealed. But when you take a closer look, it’s hard to pinpoint a legitimate reason for much, if any, change in his stock. In one of the nation’s most balanced and efficient offenses, Zeller is the key cog. His recent play has him right back in the thick of things in the national player of the year and Big Ten player of the year discussion. He won co-Big Ten player of the week honors after Indiana beat Purdue and Michigan last week and through nine conference games, Zeller is averaging 16.1 points and 8.8 rebounds. Perhaps NBA scouts want to see more Zeller dominant games more frequently, but on a team with six guys who are capable of going out and scoring 20, that’s unlikely to happen. ·*Expert opinion: “Zeller played with extraordinary energy and toughness against Michigan. When he plays like that, there isn’t a better offensive big man in the country. He doesn’t give that effort every night, but he does it enough that it’s hard to argue that anyone else in college basketball is obviously better.” – ESPN.com’s Chad Ford
is anyone an espn insider? http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-col...12411/jay-bilas-chad-ford-nation-best-big-men ^ i wanna look into that article but can't..
Haha, every single article I want to read man. They put the most enticing things for fans on that insider.
Zeller doesn't seem to leave it all on the floor every game and his athleticism by NBA standards isn't all that great. I don't see him being an impact player but he should have a good NBA career.
I agree to a point. I'm not sure how big of an impact CZ will have in the NBA but, he does have it in him to be very good. Runs the floor and finishes as well as any big in college. He still doesn't demand the ball like he should deep in the post, that's been disappointing. I think part of that is the way Indiana plays. If IU isn't running, they are driving and dishing in their halfcourt offense. As far as not leaving it out on the court, CZ is very unselfish, I'd like to see him take charge more. If you upset him or challenge him, he responds in a big way, that is how he should play all of the time. So I totally see where you're coming from with that.
The discussion: Who are the best big men in the nation? Jay Bilas: I consider a big man to be one who can play and guard the pivot, not necessarily a face-up 4 or an inside-out forward such as Doug McDermott of Creighton, Anthony Bennett of UNLV, Ryan Kelly of Duke or Kenny Kadji of Miami. I am talking more about a center or a 5 who can score and guard in the post, and is the man in the middle. The one player I had trouble leaving off of this list is Nerlens Noel of Kentucky, who is as good as any big man as a shot-blocker, rebounder and energy guy, but does not have a reliable post game or an offensive skill set beyond playing off of penetration, rim runs and offensive rebounding. Another player I considered was Louisville center Gorgui Dieng, who is an outstanding shot-blocker and rebounder (leading the Big East in rebounding) but is not yet the offensive player that these other players are. Of mid-major bigs, I went back and forth on the inclusion of Akron's Zeke Marshall, a skilled and efficient 7-footer who shoots better than 70 percent from the field, but he's not a high-volume rebounder, averaging 6.8 rebounds per game. 5. Mike Muscala, Bucknell Bison Muscala is not a big-time athlete, but he does a great job of blocking shots, rebounding at a high rate and scoring facing up or with his back to the basket. Muscala averages 19 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks while shooting better than 52 percent from the field and 78 percent from the line on 7.1 free throw attempts per game. Muscala makes Bucknell a real threat in the NCAA tournament because he can score and guard in the post. 4. Mason Plumlee, Duke Blue Devils Plumlee has come a long way as an offensive player, and has matured into a legitimate star on the college level. He's an outstanding athlete who can really change ends and get off the floor with quickness and power. Plumlee has improved his production in every single category, and has done it with more defensive attention on him. Plumlee averages 18 points and 10.8 rebounds per game while shooting 60 percent from the field and 64 percent from the line, the latter of which is a major improvement. Plumlee is a good passer, has developed a much better feel in the post and has proved to be a reliable scorer. 3. Jeff Withey, Kansas Jayhawks Withey's worth as a player comes from neither his 13 points per game nor 8.3 rebounds per game, but rather his ability to block and change shots. Withey blocks 4.2 shots per game, and changes much more than that. Withey's blocks stay in bounds and allow his team to take the ball the other way and turn defense into offense. Also, Withey protects the rim and can still score in the post and make free throws. Noel of Kentucky is a superior athlete and prospect, but right now Withey is the better all-around player. 2. Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga Bulldogs The big man came to Gonzaga as a skilled face-up shooter, and after a redshirt season has transformed into one of the most efficient back-to-the-basket scorers in the country. Olynyk is averaging 18 points, 7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting 64 percent from the field and 78 percent from the line in just 25 minutes per game. Olynyk is not a great athlete, but he's a player who has a great feel for the game, knows how to play and knows how to use his body. 1. Cody Zeller, Indiana Hoosiers The super-skilled Hoosier is the best runner among bigs in the college game, and he can really change ends and run the floor. His speed in transition drags the defense and opens up things for others, and his productivity and efficiency are truly outstanding. Zeller is an intelligent and alert help defender who, while not a double-figure rebounder, does a great job on the offensive glass and can pass, block a shot and use his quickness and anticipation to get steals. Zeller needs to get stronger -- especially on finishing opportunities near the basket -- but his ability to drive the ball and make plays sets him apart. Zeller averages 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 60 percent from the field and 74 percent from the line. He is all about winning and being a great teammate. Chad Ford: I'll start this the same way I started our discussion on the best point guard in the country: It depends on what you mean by "best." If you are talking about the best big man in college basketball right now, I'd have to go with Indiana's Zeller, especially after that awesome performance against Michigan on Saturday. Zeller, who was coming off two subpar games against Penn State and Michigan State, was outstanding against the Wolverines, scoring 19 points, grabbing 10 boards and blocking two shots on 8-for-10 shooting. He showed off his versatility hitting step backs, putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim and flushing home a number of dunks off of offensive rebounds. But the top play of the game was his hustle play to recover a loose ball with 1:45 left that sealed the deal for Indiana. Zeller played with extraordinary energy and toughness against Michigan. When he plays like that, there isn't a better offensive big man in the country. He doesn't give that effort every night, but he does it enough that it's hard to argue that anyone else in college basketball is obviously better. His main competition, to me, is Bucknell's Muscala, Gonzaga's Olynyk, Duke's Plumlee and Kansas' Withey. All are having terrific seasons and could hear their names called in the first round of this year's draft. Florida's Erik Murphy and Duke's Kelly would get honorable mention as stretch 4s having great seasons. But if the question is getting at which player has the best NBA future, it gets a little more complicated. Zeller is still in the mix; while scouts have been cooling on Zeller a bit thanks to some less-than-inspired play in January and serious questions about how he fits at the next level, the NBA interest is still obviously there. He sits at No. 7 on our Big Board and obviously could go a few spots higher than that. There are two other college big men, however, who are getting even stronger looks from NBA scouts and GMs. Kentucky's Noel is the best defensive big man in the country and many scouts feel he's the best long-term prospect in the draft, period. The public perception has been that Noel has been a bit of a disappointment thanks in large part to his 10.6 points per game scoring average. But virtually every NBA executive I've spoken with hasn't been particularly fazed by that. Noel is raw offensively and Kentucky just doesn't run many plays for him. But Noel has been outstanding in virtually every other statistical category. He's averaging 9.5 rebounds, 4.6 blocks and a remarkable 2.3 steals per game while shooting 59 percent from the field. He rarely gets into foul trouble and even when he does, he has found a way to stay on the floor and still be a defensive presence. He also has proved to be an adept passer, plays with terrific energy and has been willing to do everything that John Calipari has asked him to. Maybe most important, he's getting better. Over the past few weeks, Noel has been the best player on Kentucky's roster and a huge reason the team has won five of its past six games. He has sat at No. 1 on our Big Board all season and with his recent play, doesn't seem to be going anywhere. His main competition is Maryland's Alex Len. Len is a much more polished offensive player than Noel who can score with his back to the basket and can step out and shoot the jumper. He's also several inches taller than Noel and a good rebounder and shot-blocker in his own right. Like Noel, his numbers can be misleading. His guards rarely feed him the ball or run plays for him. Len isn't the athlete that Noel is -- if he was, he'd probably be No. 1 on the Big Board. Regardless, scouts see him as a likely top-five pick come draft night. Plumlee is the other big man who is a likely lottery pick. Withey, Olynyk, Willie Cauley-Stein and Steven Adams are potential first-round picks as well. Prospect on the rise Ford: Marcus Smart, G, Oklahoma State Cowboys This is the second time I've featured Smart in this spot. The first time was Nov. 19 after he dissected Lorenzo Brown and NC State. At that time, it looked clear that Smart was going to be a potential lottery pick in this year's draft. This time, the bump happens after a stellar performance against Kansas on Saturday in which Smart had 25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals in a huge win on the road. Smart was terrific all game, but was huge in the final two minutes while Oklahoma State clung to a five-point lead, posting 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals (including a huge strip of Elijah Johnson with four seconds left) and an assist to Phil Forte for the game-sealing bucket. Two games don't determine a player's draft status, but big games do emphasize to scouts what players are capable of when the stakes are high. Smart has the NBA body, athletic ability, leadership skills, defensive prowess and intangibles that scouts love in point guards. He's still a work in progress. His jump shot needs work and he is prone to turn over the ball. But with Michael Carter-Williams struggling a bit in Big East play, Smart has moved into the pole position as the top point guard in the draft and a possible top-six pick. Bilas: Erick Green, G, Virginia Tech Hokies The 6-foot-3 senior guard is having a special season. Despite the difficulty his young team has in providing him with help, Green is dynamic in the open floor and can create his own shot. He uses his body well and can get to the foul line, shooting 8.3 free throws per game. Overall, Green averages 25 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals per contest while shooting 49 percent from the field and 82 percent from the line. Green is terrific off of screen/roll situations, is an excellent pull-up jump-shooter in half-court situations and can be truly outstanding in transition. Green is more than just a hungry player putting up good numbers on a bad team -- he can play.
Chad Ford @chadfordinsider Cody Zeller dominating some ball handling skills. pic.twitter.com/Aw1EL08SDX Cody Zeller shooting the ball VERY well. 72% from NBA 3 point line in drills. Now, I've watched every minute of every game that Cody played at IU. Indiana used him primarily in the post. CZ's agent has often compared him to Dirk. Big words and words I haven't agreed with. I know Cody has range on his jumper, but I had no idea he was capable of this. If in fact he is, he will make one Hell of a stretch four.
Zeller is going to help some team if they know how to use him correctly. He is on the softer side like all the critics say, but he's also not a center. He really is a stretch 4. I think he gets a bum wrap from a lot of fans because they're judging him as something he isn't.
He must have been shooting out of his mind then. I doubt there is more than a handful of current NBA players that can shoot 72% at 3 during drill.
Disagree. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it Boki Nachbar that shot something like 21-22 during his Rockets pre-draft workout? It happens.
You are right that it does happen, but this is not to say that Zeller can consistently shoot the 3 at 70% clip. Heck I've had stretches where I'd make 25/30 from 3 (albeit college line). He has a good touch for a big guy, but I don't think he can even average 50+% during daily drills.
Outside shooting is Zeller's key to making an impact in the NBA because he won't be finishing around the rim much.
Both of them are key. Cody is our type of player. He goes aggressively to the rim and gets fouled a ton. He may not be a Lebron finisher but kid knows how to get to the FT line and knock them down. And now we know he can shoot the 3. And we also know he's plenty athletic. He's the perfect 4 fit for us alongside Howard and Asik.
From what we know now, Zeller could be very good next to Howard in the half court. We already knew he runs the floor well, plays smart and would mesh with the Rockets perimeter players. I like your thinking.
I didn't day anything about CZ shooting 70% consistently, not gonna happen. I'm saying I knew he had range. I had no idea he could shoot the three well enough to be a consistent threat from there. Not sure it's all that underrated. He had the highest standing vert of any big at the combine in the last ten years, killed the top guards on cone drills and shuttle runs.
