by joeygraham on Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:38 pm
Small But not Forgotten
Their schools may be small but their game certainly is not.
Odds are you haven’t heard of Davis Marshall. He’s just a 5’9, 176-pound sophomore point guard from the Mid-American East Conference. He plays for Bowling Green. If you’re just an average college hoops fan, you likely don’t know about them. If you’re really keen, you might have seen how Marshall is leading the team to an unparalleled level of success in the conference. If you don’t follow the college game, you’ll first get a whiff of him in June as he’s an expected first-round selection. And he’s not the only talent coming from the smaller conferences.
The West Coast has two entrants in the 2008 NBA Draft: Samario Clancy from Pepperdine and Devin Cheaney from St. Mary’s (CA). Clancy, 22, is finishing his final year and the starting shooting guard for the Waves. He’s been a key component to their success though not the go-to guy when a shot needs to be taken. Defensively, however, he’s a phenom. He has good anticipation and quick hands and feet, which is great for getting out on the break where he excels. Cheaney, 21, may be coming out a little early and certainly could use an additional year at the college level, but he’s a legitimate 7-foot center. He’s among the top offensive-rebounders in college and has a couple of low-post moves to get to the basket. While standing 7’0, he needs to muscle up, weighing in at 240 pounds. He gets his rebounds by hustling, not by out-muscling. Success moving up the big leagues will rely heavily on an improved shooting touch and bulking up. Both are anticipated to be late first-rounders to early second-round picks.
The Summit Conference offers the 6’1 point guard Sam Harrick, a senior from Western Illinois. He’s gaining notoriety for his pin-point passing and court awareness. Unfortunately, his low shooting percentages have allowed teams to leave him hanging around the three point line and while he is more of a slasher than a jump-shooter, he does not possess the fleetest of feet. He’s an anticipated late-second round pick.
Point guards seem to be the most frequent entrant from the smaller schools. While 6’1 sophomore Adam Heger of Pacific and 6’4 senior Rashawn Brailsford of Iona are long shots to be picked on draft night, both are entering and could find themselves in a training camp. Heger is a shooter with a decent three-point touch and has a good ball control though his speed is his downfall. Brailsford, on the other hand, is the defender with quick feet and quicker hands but cannot sink a shot, not even from the charity stripe. Armon Chambers, a 6’4 sophomore from Hofstra, however, is geared to have his name called late in the second round. His value has been slipping though as his poor inside scoring and free throw shooting are being exploited. He’s a threat from deep and will hang around the perimeter for two reasons: one, he can’t get inside and, two, he can’t run with the other point guards. If he stuck around for two more years he would easily be a first round selection; his ego, however, has vaulted him into this year’s draft and into the late second round. Someone might take a flyer on him for his potential, size and shot and it has a fair chance of being a success story.
From Fresno State, 6’11 small forward sophomore Lydell Walker will likely get picked up in the mid-second round. He’s a guard trapped in a big man’s body and when he figures out how to use that better he will be a force to be reckoned with. For now, he’s a large part of his school’s success, though he’s capable of much more. He’s an outstanding shooter with legitimate NBA range but he’s atrocious from the line and never attempts to outrace an opponent as he can only beat out slew-footed centers. He’s a knack for passing and seeing the court and can get rebounds by out-leaping though not by out-positioning. He’s another case of a player who could stand to stay in school, learn a few things and get a guaranteed four year contract in two years time but is foolishly leaving prematurely.
SF sophomore Kyle Schrage (Marist) and senior C Lorenzen Croker (Appalaichan State) both are unexpected to make a splash on draft day. Schrage can dunk and block but is limited to that. Croker is a big man who can D up his man but offers little on the offensive end at the professional level save a couple dunks and close, unguarded jumpers.
The big ticket item for the smaller schools is Davis Marshall. He’s a tremendous athlete and he certainly has to be, given his small stature. He can shoot and is a competent three-point shooter but prefers to slash and draw the foul where he’s money from the line. He can also get up and down the court speedily and has run Bowling Green past some much better opponents. He’s a clutch player and is a student of the game, a rare quality in early entrants. He’s often the first man to the gym and last to leave, leaving him in great shape. He currently is averaging over 34 minutes a game and post-game hardly looks like he’s broken a sweat. His biggest weakness is his lack of a first step and his ability to get beaten off the draw by other point guards. Unable to use his size to play his man, he often needs help to man the point. In spite of this, he has the tools to be a successful NBA point guard and at 21 has the time to evolve.