What about Ekene Ibekwe? He avg 10.4 points 7.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in only 25 minutes last season.
Hardin has signed with an agent: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/06/17/SPG8LQGSUE1.DTL Hardin would be an awesome addition, basically the best possible fit for the Rocks. Whoever said Hardin was undersized has obviously never seen him play. He is a Wilcox sized player. But he isn't a sleeper. I will be suprised if he makes it to 26.
Another euro that the Rockets are rumored to be interested in. He sounds like 7-0 Chuck Hayes. http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2121
Chuch Hayes is a tweener, he 6'6" and plays in the 4 spot. Ibekwe is 6'9", but with those long arms he has the wingspan of a 7 footer. He's a little on the thin side, but if he can get rebounds and block shots and put up 10 points a game, his weight is not that big of an issue in my mind. I think he is much more of a number 4 than anything else really. The Rockets should consider trading down and picking him up in the late 2nd round, in my opinion (assuming Williams and other decent options at PF are gone by #26).
so you wanna trade all the way down from 26 to the 40's...to get ibekwe...who is a garbage man? thats alot of talent to be passing up on to get a 2nd rounder who has no real skills. he's 6'9 with long arms...but 208lbs? he's been the same weight for a while now and doesnt really have the frame to add another 20-25lbs. he'd get punished by bigger PF's.
First hes a tweener, now hes a garbage man? I agree with you that he is skinny. But trading down is a good option for the Rockets because we have no second round pick, and there are some great players that can be taken in the second round (boozer). Getting an extra pick would be very helpful, unless there is a standout player (preferably PF) available at 26. As for Ibekwe getting punished by bigger PF's, he held his own pretty well in the olympics. Im not suggesting he gets the start immediately, but he would be good off the bench. I would be cool with Harding tho, or somebody else as long as we get a #4 who can get rebs, block shots, play defense, and contribute some points. Ibekwe's numbers imply that he can do all of the above.
by garbage man i mean another chuck hayes type...cept he's friggan 208lbs. i guess he compares to hakim warrick, cept ibekwe has no offensive game at all. its not worth it to pass up so much talent JUST for ibekwe. he might even go undrafted.
Actually, that's not what the story says: Oakland Tribune: Meanwhile, a thread on a Cal site claims that Hardin's dad posted on Rivals.com that his son will return to Cal. But in the same thread, someone says they heard on the radio that Hardin signed with an agent. We probably won't know for sure until the end of the day, but if it's true that Golden State promised not to let him fall past 18, then I'm sure he's coming out. Great call. It's now looking like he may go in the late teens. Even I, as a Cal fan, didn't think he'd go that high. Also, it looks like B.I.G. might have come through with the scoop on this one. FWIW, I don't think he's perfect for the Rockets. I think the Rockets need someone who can step in right away and give us solid minutes and a reliable 15-17 foot jump shot. Hardin is not that guy (raw, with limited offensive skills as of now).
Awesome -- DeVon's coming back to the Bears! Great news for the program and probably the right decision for him. (Egg on the face of the SF Chron, though.) http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2007/news/story?id=2908057 Hardin takes name out of NBA draft By Andy Katz ESPN.com DeVon Hardin wants to be a lottery pick when he leaves for the NBA and, because of that, he has decided to withdraw from the draft and return to Cal for his senior season, Hardin's father said Monday. The news comes on the heels of a San Francisco Chronicle story Sunday that said Hardin will sign with an agent. Michael Hardin told ESPN.com on Monday afternoon that "the report was inaccurate. We have pulled his name out." The deadline to withdraw for the June 28th draft is 5 p.m. ET Monday. The decision is a huge boon for Cal, which now has one of the top frontcourt tandems in the West with Hardin and Ryan Anderson for the 2007-08 season. Hardin suffered a stress fracture last season and played in only 11 games. But his stock was soaring through workouts. Michael Hardin father said DeVon worked out for New Jersey, New York (in the same workout), Houston, Miami, Washington, Philadelphia, Detroit, Golden State and the L.A. Lakers. Hardin said he paid the expenses for the trip, which allows DeVon to retain his eligibility. "It was a dent, but it's part of it," Michael said. "It's what you have to do." Hardin said his son's decision came down to wanting to be a lottery pick next season. "We thought do that rather than rush in it this year," Hardin said. "That was the main decision in spite of the positive feedback." Hardin said his son was told that he needs to improve defensively in some areas but that "athletically they thought he was off the charts. This is a kid who wants to play. He doesn't want to be put in the D League. He's got an absolutely great shot at making himself a lottery pick next year." Hardin immediately becomes one of the premier big men returning to college next season in a Pac-10 Conference that is loaded up front with Stanford sophomore Brook Lopez, UCLA incoming freshman Kevin Love, USC sophomore Taj Gibson and Washington's Jon Brockman. Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com
