Our top college scout, Dave Maron, came up with this list of our ten best NBA prospects who participated at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. We cannot pretend to know what a particular team values. For example, many teams in the second round draft specialty players such as stretch fours, fives who are "projects", etc. The players are listed based on their NBA potential.
1) JaMychal Green (Alabama) An athletic four who runs the court well, is quick off his feet and has a 7'2 ½" wingspan (+7). Green can also step out and hit mid-range shots. He has a nice release point. He is a good weakside shot blocker. He had some personal issues at Alabama that resulted in suspensions and our rating is based on his maturing.
2) Henry Sims (Georgetown) Sims is a very cerebral player. He is an adept passer who thrived in the high post. We liked the fact that he was active on the boards and had several quick putbacks at the PIT. He is not a great athlete, but we feel he is an underrated one. He has a good mid-range game, decent footwork, and can play with his back to the basket. He also possesses a 7'4" wing span (+ 6). We also rate him this high due to the current lack of strong big men in the NBA.
3) Terrance Henry (Mississippi) Henry is another gifted SEC Athlete who is developing the skill set needed to participate at a high level. He has an extremely quick first step which is accentuated by his long strides. He also has an effective mid-range game and can step out and hit shots from distance. His release can vary and this affects his shot. He is quick off his feet. He is not particularly long. He possesses a 6'11 ½" wingspan (+ 3). He also must get stronger to defend in the paint. He tends to drift on the perimeter which resulted in an average of only 4.3 rebounds per game during this past season.
4) Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State) burst on the scene after his performance against Missouri during the NCAA tournament. He is an extremely active rebounder, has a good face up game and is a good weakside shot blocker. He works extremely hard on the offensive boards. He does possess decent footwork, although he is tentative in making his post moves which often leads to his opponent blocking his shot. He has a nice mid-range game out to 15'. He will take the occasional three point shot, but unless he is wide open, this is not a good option. He has a 7'5" wingspan which is a plus 8 ½ (standard height variance with wingspan-6'8 without sneakers and 7'3" wingspan equals a +7").
5) Bradford Burgess (VCU) has a very good feel for the game. He knows where he is supposed to be on the court and where his teammates are. He is a streaky three point shooter. He is strong enough to finish at the basket and can guard three positions. He does not consistently show the ability to put the ball on the floor and beat his opponent off the dribble. He is a strong rebounder for his size and position. He has a 6'10" wingspan (+5 ½").
6) Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech) is a scorer. He has a very good first step which allows him to finish at the hoop. He can handle the ball well. He moves well laterally, has quick hands, and is a good man defender. He also has the size to rebound well as shown by his 5.3 rpg's per game this past season. He is solid shooter from distance (42.9). Murphy is quick and has an above average leap. He only has a 6'7" wingspan (+1). We believe he can play the three.
7) Kyle Weems (Missouri State) has very good size. He is 6'6 ½" with sneakers and is a solid 225 lbs. He has three point range (40.4). He has a quick, high release with good rotation. He can mix it up inside and is a solid rebounder (7.2 rpg). He is a physical defender and moves very well for a big, physical player. He has a 6'10"wingspan (+4 ½").
8) Rakim Sanders (Fairfield) was extremely solid at the PIT. He is very strong. He is 6'5" with sneakers and is a solid 225 lbs. He has exceptional with step and no step leap. He has a good mid-range game and can finish at the basket. He can occasionally step out and hit the three. Sanders is an exceptional rebounder for his size. He does not possess a great first step and has only average quickness. He can handle the ball well, but often makes ill advised decisions. He has a 6'10 ½" wingspan (+7").
9) Yancy Gates (Cincinnati) It is hard not to be intrigued by Gates size. He is 6'10" with sneakers and an imposing 288lbs. He does not possess a great motor. He is often tentative when receiving the ball in the low post. With his size and base, he should be able to post up most fours that he faces. He does not have three point range and does not have good balance, release, or rotation from the free throw line. This makes us suspect that he may never develop an effective mid-range game. He possesses a 7'3" wingspan (+6.75). We feel that his size and wingspan leads one to expect more than he delivers.
10) Chris Johnson (Dayton) impressed us at the PIT for the talents he displayed that he often did not exhibit during the season. He worked extremely hard on the offensive boards. He showed great effort. He was constantly instructing his teammates where to be. He was enthusiastic and supportive. He hit several clutch spot up and catch and shoot threes. He is very athletic with a good step and no step leap. He possesses an impressive 6'11" wingspan (+7.5"). However, in order to play at the next level, he must get stronger and show the ability to beat his opponent off the dribble.
Carl Berman is a Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. NetScouts Basketball can be followed on twitter here.