Vuchato

Point Guards

Shawn Mack PG/SG, Maryland, 6'6, 22

Last year, one of the most discussed NCAA topics was who would become the better KVBL PG, Jeff Thomson or Shawn Mack. Both have amazing vision, passing, and creating abilities, and they are two of the biggest PGs in a while. Thomson does have a couple inches on Mack, and is a better rebounder as well, but with Thomson having ups and downs as a KVBL rookie, and Mack fine tuning his game further in college, it's clear that Mack is more skilled at this point. Thomson is still rather raw, he makes many mistakes on both sides of the ball, while Mack is much more polished. He's great on the break, has a very strong drive game, and he loves to post up smaller players. He's better inside the arc but still solid from three, probably will wind up the 2nd or 3rd option on most teams. He gets to the line a lot, but his free throw shooting is one aspect that he could stand to improve. He's an effective defender, will get about as many steals as the average point guard, and about as many blocks as the average 6'6 player. And while he isn't as good as Thomson on the glass, he is still good for a PG.

Takashi Satou PG, UC Berkeley, 5'11, 22

Takashi Satou is one of the rare players with NBA talent who decided not to jump straight to the money and fame of the KVBL, though many GM's, agents, and even at one point his college coach attempted to get him to. Throughout his college career he steadily became more and more skilled as well, as his volume skyrocketed and his points in his senior season hit their unreasonably high mark of 31.3 PPG. Satou ended his college career as UC Berkeley's all time leading scorer, on top of graduating with a degree in engineering and a 3.7 GPA. His intelligence is unquestioned, but what has some scouts worried is the track record for scoring point guards of Satou's stature in the KVBL. He's much to small to play the shooting guard spot, but his undeniable strength is his scoring game, as his passing game is solid but not great. But Satou is constantly attacking and probing defenses, getting efficient shots off and generally making the right play at the right time. Some scouts see a lot of Tony Spence in Satou's game, and if Satou were a half foot taller that'd be a great comparison. Questions abound about this prospect, but he has the potential to be a franchise player if he lands in the right spot and his game translates as well as GM's hope.

Damian Huber PG/SG/SF, Southern Illinois, 6'2, 20

Led the Salukis to the Sweet 16 with an unbelievable second half of the season. Gifted passer who can score. Played better D as the year went on, but one scout who saw him said that he still looked lost on that side of the floor. Was best at the point, but still played SF a lot because of size. Still a bricklayer at the line, but gets there often enough to pad his stats. Held to 12 against Joshua Rhett, but had a quadruple double that game anyway.

Wally Ride PG, Murray State, 6'2, 20

A former McDonald’s All-American with a troubled past whose life so far could simply be described as a wild ride. Born in Compton, CA, Wally-real name Terrance-was born with a crack whore for a mother and a pimp for a father. Wally was raised by his grandmother in Watts, CA until the age of 9 when both his mother and grandmother were killed in a drive by shooting orchestrated by his father. After that incident Wally spent the next three years of his life in an orphanage, mainly keeping to himself and showing destructive qualities which scared off most couples looking to adopt except one. At the age of 12 a Christian loving couple from Florida that had already raised and sent three of their own flesh and blood to college adopted him out of the good of their heart. The next three years of his life were great, Wally was starting to open up a little was doing well in school. Everything was going great until his freshman year of high school when information from his past was given by his adopted mother at a PTA meeting. This information quickly became material students used to bully Wally, causing him to start to lashing out which resulted in him engaging in several fights and getting him sent to a reform school where he met Coach Thomas. Coach Thomas taught Wally the game of basketball and got him to fall in love with basketball and is one of the reasons Wally is such a quality defender. Sadly, Coach Thomas was probably the only positive influence he met at reform school where Wally started hanging out with the wrong crowd and developed the addiction to marijuana and pills that got him kicked out of the University of Florida before his Freshman season and forced him to transfer to Murray State. Season Stats: 14.0 PPG 4.5 APG 3.5 RPG 42.5 FG%

Shooting Guards

Joshua Rhett SG/SF, South Carolina, 6'5, 20

All-time leading scorer at South Carolina, this kid can do it all. Consistent 55/40/90 percentages, and 3 SPG playing on the best wings. Played balls-out defense, and can even block a few shots. Only real weakness is turnovers right now, but he's improving his ballhandling immeasurably. He's going to be a dominant wing for awhile because even his weaknesses are better than many guys' strengths. The greatest thing one can say about Rhett is that he put South Carolina in the Elite 8. That's saying something in and of itself. Had his way with several high picks, and put up 50 in a 1 point loss at Rupp Arena to Kentucky

Percy Suggs SG/SF, Arizona State, 6'4, 20

Freak of nature. Explosive with the ball in his hands. Relentless attacking. Makes it all count by getting to the line. Efficient scorer who won't take a ton of shots. Not a threat from the outside, but has some ability to post up. Heady game. OK rebounder for his position. Defensive side, he's average on perimeter but because of his intelligence and freakish athleticism, he has outstanding ability to stave off drives.

Jack Greenway SG/SF, Oregon, 6'7, 19

Greenway played his one season in Oregon and, generally, didn't really impress scouts in the ways that you would expect from a guy who is one and done. But he is an absolute athletic freak who already possesses amazing fundamentals on defense, and a tenacious mean streak that makes him everyone's least favorite player to match up against. Realistically his absence of a real offensive skill set could hurt him while he's making his jump to the next level, but he knows where his strengths and weaknesses are and doesn't chuck shots up like some other players.

Adrian Morales SG/PG, Colorado, 6'0, 19

Magician with the ball when it comes to passing but can make a few mistakes. Nice penetrator. Solid shooter. Low volume. Not much of defender. Just OK all around. Not due to lack of effort. Has all the desire in the world.

Small Forwards

Malcolm Xavier SF/PF, Syracuse, 6'9", 20

Introducing Malcolm X. He's a point-forward mentality, with good court vision, always looking to make the right pass. Working within a team structure which may get misinterpreted as sometimes passive. Solid all around offensively in post skills, driving. Creates a ton of mismatches. He's not the threat of an outside shooter but capable. He's a good rebounder and stands enough ground to play in the post with his lanky frame. Has the athletic ability to guard the perimeter.

Luigi Jinkins SF, Maryland, 6'9, 23

This season, Maryland witnessed the final year of one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA history. 33.6 ppg puts Luigi Jinkins in the top 30 seasons ever for an NCAA scorer, and is the most ever for a national champion. He also broke Darrin Fitzgerald's 36 year record for threes made in a season with 173, which is nearly 6 per game and accounted for more than half of his points. Unfortunately, as is the case with many great collegiate scorers, his best years are probably behind him already. He doesn't have many strengths aside from his ability to shoot and score. His ability to rebound, pass, and defend are all decent, but not his role so not his focus. Scoring will be the reason he plays, but I don't think he'll ever break 30 ppg in the KVBL. Defenders are bigger, his teammates will be more assertive, and perhaps most importantly, he's not likely to have anyone who can get him as many great looks as Shawn Mack got him. People often point to Mack as the whole reason he did have such a good year, and he certainly helped, but Luigi does have the ability to make things happen for himself. He can hit threes consistently from half court, so a defender always has to be on him. He utilizes a pump fake to get open jumpers often, and he can even drive and score in traffic. Some teams may view him as a spark off the bench, others could see him as their #1 option.

Walter Morgan SF/PF, Kansas, 6'8, 20

Intelligent player. Great rebounder for his lack of size at the 4. Can play some 3. Solid post game. Efficient. Low volume. Won't give you too much offensively. Adequate defense. Gives you enough to not be a liability.

Power Forwards

Ned White PF/SF, California, 6'8, 21

The 6'8, 255 pound forward out of California has caused a lot of headaches, both from his own coaches and opposing coaches. A true combo forward in every sense of the word, but in this case, it's not a derogatory title. Ned White plays well at both the small forward and power forward spots, using his size, intelligence and surprising quickness for a guy his size in conjunction with his stellar outside shot and mid-range game to cause matchup problems all over the floor. It's hard to tell whether he's better at the small forward or power forward spot, but you can expect a guy who will play well on the offensive side of the floor and, worst case scenario, give you great effort on the other end.

Reggie Wright PF/C, Colorado State, 6'11, 21

Played in the shadow of better players and deferred to them...a lot. HS teammate of Jelani Gregory, and learned a lot from him. Post defender who shoots well when he puts it up. Real strength is blocking shots. Shot 88% from the foul line as a senior, which led the conference. The free throw is his best offensive weapon, as he has never taken a 3 in his life. Set conference record with a 20 rebound/15 block game where he took 1 shot from the field. Transferred from Kentucky after he was found to be actually eligible to play in Division 1.

Emeka Sambo PF/C, UCLA, 6'9, 21

The Nigerian Terror a disruptive force on the defensive end. Thanks to his amazing 7'3” wingspan he is one of the best shot blockers in this draft. On the offensive side of the ball Emeka rarely looks for his own shot and never really knows what to do with the ball in his hands. Due to him being in America for only two years one at Oak Hill Academy and last year at UCLA there is a bit of a language barrier between him and his teammates/coaches that the team that drafts him will have to work around.

Jose Santos PF/SF, Tulsa, 6'8, 20

Jose Santos is a player blessed with skill but cursed with no true position. He's likely to wind up at power forward, but he doesn't have the size necessary to be a good rebounder, and his defense is average at best, though it is much better in the post than on the perimeter. He is amazing with the ball though. His ball handling, vision, and creativity are all top notch. He always had the ball in his hands at Tulsa, he lead the team in points and assists both years he was there, though he's more likely to become a third option and a secondary ballhandler in the KVBL. His ability to drive can cause big problems for some opposing PFs.

Centers

Greg Hope C, Baylor, 7'2, 20

Greg Hope comes out of Baylor with some staggering numbers, being one of the few big men to average over 7 assists a game while playing for a team that made the NCAA tourney every year he was on the team. His touch around the rim is great, and his rebounding is amazing, but the skill that really stands out is how well he runs the team from the high and low post, hitting cutters off of screens and making excellent outlet passes on the fast break. Made it through to the elite 8 in last year's tourney despite a relatively unremarkable supporting cast, averaging 17.6 points, 16.4 rebounds and 8.1 assists in his staggering 36.4 MPG during the tourney. Could be a franchise changer for the team that drafts him... but a lot of the same questions scouts had about Kevin Love abound when talking about Hope. He's very big, and uses his 7'2, 310 pound frame well, but he's not terribly athletic and has a hard time keeping up with the more athletic guys out there. If his game translates to the next level, he could very well make a GM quiet happy, like a more talented Vlade Divac who doesn't smoke six packs of cigarettes a day.

Tom Andrews C/PF, Illinois, 6'6, 22

The heart and soul of last year's Cinderella story the Fighting Illinis who despite having a losing record going into the B1G Tournament managed to win that tournament to get an NCAA tournament bid and make it to the Elite 8. A two time captain Tom Andrews is a leader of men who despite being greatly undersized to play Center is one the best post defenders in the draft. As to be expected Andrews struggles when it comes to scoring in the post but is one of the best jump shooting bigs in the draft and is an excellent passer for his position.

Benson Ridgeway C/PF, Arizona, 6'10, 21

Benson Ridgeway had a lot of success bullying smaller players in the post at Arizona, but he's going to have a wake up call when he gets to the KVBL. His strength isn't particularly impressive for a pro, and he really has little skill in the post, but with his aggressive attitude I expect him to continue to take a lot of attempts. The good news is that he's always right there for his own rebound. He's much more effective away from the basket, with a pretty nice shot and good ballhandling, but he stays inside most of the time. Good defender, hard-nosed and aggressive, goes for the ball often and is ok at guarding his man as well.

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KVBL Las Vegas Timberwolves
Kenny Fugere/CJ Sampson/Walter Pelfrey
Hollis Davies/Vytautas Jokubaitas
Tayerone Blackman/Charlie Fineman/Willy Grant/Scott Diamond
Mac Moore/Kobe Danielson/Kong Randolph
Rafa Salvadores/Sam Sagan/Mick Scragg

BlakeJesus

Sorry I didn't help out with this batch guys, been super busy lately. Rookie crop looks great though, Greg Hope is a BOSS.

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Smath

Malcolm Xavier sounds very nice! Greg Hope sounds like a beast =p

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KVBL/FRSL - Miami Heat GM

Vuchato

It's nice that we have enough people working on it that it doesn't matter too much if someone can't do it.

Hope does look like he could be incredible. I just hope his middle name is Wyatt. The Greg Wyatt Hope

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KVBL Las Vegas Timberwolves
Kenny Fugere/CJ Sampson/Walter Pelfrey
Hollis Davies/Vytautas Jokubaitas
Tayerone Blackman/Charlie Fineman/Willy Grant/Scott Diamond
Mac Moore/Kobe Danielson/Kong Randolph
Rafa Salvadores/Sam Sagan/Mick Scragg

awaywehappened

8.1 assists in NCAA tourney :O
Awesome!

Vuchato

Like I mentioned in the twitter thread, I thought Mack, Rhett, and Hope looked the best based on these, but that can change. just about everyone else looks like they could be amazing or pretty bad depending on how KJ feels. Should be fun to see grades and scouting (but when isn't it?)

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KVBL Las Vegas Timberwolves
Kenny Fugere/CJ Sampson/Walter Pelfrey
Hollis Davies/Vytautas Jokubaitas
Tayerone Blackman/Charlie Fineman/Willy Grant/Scott Diamond
Mac Moore/Kobe Danielson/Kong Randolph
Rafa Salvadores/Sam Sagan/Mick Scragg

King Joseus

Grades!

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Interested in joining the KVBL? PM me for information.

Smath

draft looks weak on avg , on first impression of the sheet hehe , can't know for sure untill we scout I guss.

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KVBL/FRSL - Miami Heat GM

Vuchato

yeah it doesn't seem as deep as they had been. Still, the top of the draft looks pretty nice, and there are more than 15 players I wanted to scout, so the 1st round should be pretty good. A lot of guys that look like they could be hard to fit onto a team, but would be great for the right team.

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KVBL Las Vegas Timberwolves
Kenny Fugere/CJ Sampson/Walter Pelfrey
Hollis Davies/Vytautas Jokubaitas
Tayerone Blackman/Charlie Fineman/Willy Grant/Scott Diamond
Mac Moore/Kobe Danielson/Kong Randolph
Rafa Salvadores/Sam Sagan/Mick Scragg