you're miscontruing my words. He's all of a sudden the unanimous #1 pick which hasn't been set in stone til now. Or at least thats what all the talking heads are trying to spin. if he held his own against duncan then there is a lot of legitimacy to his game. time will tell. maybe larry brown can move up in the draft and then pass on him.
From the Febr. 21st edition of SI I just went and found... "Just six months after his star turn on Australia's Olympic team, Bogut has emerged as the best big man in college basketball..." He averaged 20.0 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and shot 64.5% from the field. His team won 16 straight games (at the time of printing)-by an average of 17.4 ppg. "Bogut is an impossible matchup," says New Mexico Coach Ritchie McKay, who watched as Bogut dropped 24 points and 20 rebounds on his Lobos on January 22nd. "He's the best big-man passer I've ever seen at this level. He makes everyone on his team better, and that's rare for a post player." Bogut can catch, pass, and shoot equally well with either hand, has been cmopared with Vlade Divac, Karl Malone, Bill Walton, and especially a young Arvydas Sabonis. "That's who Bogut reminds me of," says Arizona Coach Lute Olson, whose Wildcats were the last team to beat Utah, in a 67-62 squeaker in Tucson on December 11th. "Unbelievable hands. Catches everything close to him. Runs the court. Has great moves. And he has unbelievable shot-blocking timing. It's hard to get a shot off against him." NBA scouts, who almost unanimously project Bogut as a top five pick at worst, if, as expected, he gives up his final two years of NCAA eligibility, love his court awareness and his toughness.
high praise for the big boy. the times ive watched him I agree he is definitely the best big man ive seen this year in the ncaa. and the hornets may likely get the first pick. rumor has it they are gonna draft pollack if the saints dont nab him. actually their pick is believed to be marvin williams who is possibly the best prospect of anyone and hes only a freshman. possibly the best overall prospect in the country and he comes off the bench for UNC. thats pretty sick.
Also, tirk...Bogut JUST turned 20...Which means he's not that much older, and for a big man, he's still adjusting to playing with that size, and the position itself. He experienced two growth spurts...at 12 & 16...and at those times, he played the post position...Until he started playing for elite level club teams in Aussieland at 17, he had been on the perimeter in the time between the end of the 2nd spurt, right at 16... So, before age 12, and between the time he turned 16 & the time he joined the club teams in Australia at 17, he was a perimeter player...This guy hasn't developed to his true potential in the low post...Which is a scary thought... Another positive from the article I took was a full color spread of him posting up...You look down at his feet...He's got on Basketball Shox...Socks pulled up...but NO ankle tapes or wraps...You can tell he's not taping/wrapping ankles...Doesn't mean 100% health for years to come, but always a good sign...
The dude is a monster. He sort of has that protoypical foreign player feel to him. He's 6'10 and rebounds like a monster. Not only that, he shoots weel from the inside and outside. Very good player. I remember listening to the LSU/ Utah game and he had something like 17 boards and 20+ points. But, as someone mentioned, if Atlanta gets the Number 1 pick, he doesnt seem to fit. They need someone to help in attendence. The Aussi doesnt seem to fit in Hotlanta.
duke haters are funny. he's only near the top of the ncaa's in scoring and 3pt shooting, and playing for a #1 seed and perennial powerhouse...yeah, what is up with the media being all up in his jock? i know what it is to be a duke hater...before i came here for grad school, i hated them too...but i realized it was only because of jealousy...they are a great school, yet they have a great basketball tradition, the best game environment in the country (outside of tiger stadium, of course), a coach who turned down the lakers to stay, and the best bball fans. so don't hate, appreciate! go duke and geaux tigers.
This is why Auburn fans shouldn't be allowed to post in LSU forums. How could have Atlanta possibly drafted Lebron. The Cavs wouldn't traded that pick for anything.
