A possible draft move
We are unsure at this point if he’s leaving school for the draft, NBADraft.net lists him as the number eight choice on their site while he is six on DraftExpress. Dragan Bender 7-1 220 pounds is rated higher on both sites however he’s playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv and is difficult to access. The last bit of information its likely Bender arrives in the NBA as a power forward. Do the Lakers take a chance and draft 7-1 245 pound Jakob Poelti? The Lakers desperately need a small forward however center play is dreadful.
I’ve written previously my disappointment with former Pacer center Roy Hibbert. There are several reasons the Lakers should consider drafting Poelti. He’s playing at Utah so there has been time to evaluate his game especially since he’s a now a sophomore. Scouting reports emphasis Poelti has a defensive presence in the middle. As for the numbers you can check he scores at nearly 18 points and 9 rebounds a game. Although Poelti is from Austria he will not arrive in the NBA in the manner of Kristpas Porzingis we are acquainted with his game already.
Another honor
Jayson Tatum Rivals 5-star prospect and the number three prospect in the Class of 2016 received another honor. The 6-8 forward is headed to Duke in the fall, Tatum was recently chosen Gatorade High School Player of the Year. He attends Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis (MO). Tatum becomes the second Chaminade graduate to be honored with this award. In 2011 the Wizards Bradley Bill was the 2011 beneficiary.
He’s on the way
The announcement of Yao Ming as a Hall of Fame candidate saw bunches of responses most of them negative in tone. “How can this be, his career didn’t last long enough.” That might have been among the nicer comments made. The critical remarks have come from fans and the media too so it’s not from one element. They are correct in one instance Yao Ming’s NBA career only lasted a brief eight years and was curtailed by foot and ankle injuries.
Folks should take into account his entry into the hall is more than the game numbers he generated. I believe those opposed to Yao Ming’s entry fail to realize the impact he made on the NBA especially in China. The NBA was already viable in China but it would reach astronomical numbers with Yao Ming playing for the Houston Rockets, congratulations Yao Ming.
Winning
A college team will never dominate the NCAA Division I Championship in a manner similar to UCLA. From 1964 through 1975 UCLA won every the championship ever year with the exception of two. In 1966 Texas Western (Texas El-Paseo) upset Kentucky in the historic game that changed the college basketball landscape. Texas Western started five black players against all white Kentucky. In 2006 a movie based on this event was released titled Glory Road. In 1974 David Thompson’s North Carolina State was able to interrupt UCLA’s reign.
Those days are long gone college basketball has a national presence it lacked in those days; talent was spread among a small number of schools. With AAU basketball and the explosion in popularity of the game few are unknown. In addition the rush to play for pay impacts college programs ability to retain talent. Like it or not Kentucky has managed its way around the one and done player by the manner they recruit talent even though it’s gone after a year. In 2006 and 2007 Florida managed to win two successive NCAA Championships a feat that had not been accomplished since the 1991 and 1992 Duke teams.
