The 2012-13 NCAA Knicks fan March Madness Bracket group

[Johnny Hoops]

Roberson from CU is intriguing.

I live in Denver area and watch CU some --- kid is an outstanding athlete.

He is thin, maybe 6'8" but a great rebounder. He was 3rd in nation last year and right now I think he's #2.

His offensive game is very limited and he needs development on that side.

Would love to see him focus on playing defense and keep up his rebounding --- would be a nice defensive SF option off the bench.

You going to the Nuggets game when the Knicks are in town? I lived there too but my Brother will be there in Knicks regalia.

I will probably be there -- a bit worried about that game as Nuggets and entire Denver area will be wanting to blow us completely out of the building.

Hoping our deep Denver history (Melo, JR, Felton, Camby) has our entire team equally jacked up for that game.

Should be an entertaining game.

[yaboynyp]

I know its early but who do you guys think would be a good fit for us late in the draft? Think we need a pg or a big man? I cant help but get excited for the draft every year. So many talented players at all points in the draft, we could get a gem that could really improve an already good team.

Consider that the Knicks will most likely select late in the first round which sort of limits the ability to really find a star player. They should definitely be able to find good rotation players who can help immediately and take a spot from some of the aging veterans who most likely wont be back next year anyways (Camby, Sheed, Kidd, KT). As I said earlier in this thread Lorenzo Brown would be a great point guard for the Knicks with his size and ability to run a team but unfortunately I dont think he will be available when we pick. Here are some other options which I could see helping the Knicks next year and beyond:

Brandon Paul (SG, Illinois)
Richard Howell (PF, NC State)
Jordan Henriquez (C, Kansas State)
Will Clyburn (SF, Iowa State)
Phil Pressey (PG, Missouri)
Greg Whittington (SF, Georgetown)
Patric Young (PF/C, Florida)
Gorgui Dieng (C, Louisville)

Now you'll never know who declares or what will happen between now and March. I didn't include surefire lottery picks like Otto Porter, Anthony Bennett or Nerlens Noel as they will most likely be out of the Knicks reach.

I’m a Gtown fan so I’ve seen pretty much every game Greg Whittington’s played in College. Dudes potential is through the roof, 6’9 and has guard skills. His mechanics on his shot we’re inconsistent this year but this can be easily corrected and he shot it well from three last year as a freshman. He can also go off the dribble and post you effectively also.

Defensively is where he shines though. He can guard 1-4 and in shut down fashion. Long arms quick lateral feet and the ability to finish the poss off with the rebound (7.1 reb a game). He’s a better defender than Otto, and Otto is pretty dam good tbh..

I would love to see the Knicks grab dood, but he would be dumb as chit to leave this year. He’s out for academics right now and it isn’t likely he gets reinstated. He would be borderline late first to undrafted and he has 2 years left in school, so no rush really. After Otto leaves he would be the go to guy, and could probably go late lottery next year or at least 1st round if he does what he’s supposed to do.. Otto in some ways is Greg with more polish..

I like Dieng he’s shown better offense this year, Patrick Young looks like one of those guys that gets drafted low but somehow manages to play in the league for 8-10 years by rebounding and playing good defense. Pressey, BP do not want. Howell is like Young but I like him better for some reason.

How has Henriquez looked this year has he put on any weight?

[ibraheim718]

Roberson from CU is intriguing.

I live in Denver area and watch CU some --- kid is an outstanding athlete.

He is thin, maybe 6'8" but a great rebounder. He was 3rd in nation last year and right now I think he's #2.

His offensive game is very limited and he needs development on that side.

Would love to see him focus on playing defense and keep up his rebounding --- would be a nice defensive SF option off the bench.

You going to the Nuggets game when the Knicks are in town? I lived there too but my Brother will be there in Knicks regalia.

I will probably be there -- a bit worried about that game as Nuggets and entire Denver area will be wanting to blow us completely out of the building.

Hoping our deep Denver history (Melo, JR, Felton, Camby) has our entire team equally jacked up for that game.

Should be an entertaining game.

My Lil Bro will probably splurge for tickets... When I lived there I went to about 7 or 8 games. He'll probably have his starks jersey on. I worked for this really wealthy stock broker in Denver and he had courtside tickets which sometimes trickled down to me.. fun place to watch a game. Although the real show is Rocky.

[SkyMason21]

Great game between Ohio State and Michigan. Trey Burke is a hell of a pull up jump shooter. Craft played him great and he still finished with 16 pts on 6-12 (4-7 from 3), 8 dimes and only 2 turnovers. Should have had one more but McGary missed and easy layup.

Mitch McGary is one of my favorite bigs atm, love the energy and hustle he plays with. Good rebounder too.

[Ignitowsky]

Great game between Ohio State and Michigan. Trey Burke is a hell of a pull up jump shooter. Craft played him great and he still finished with 16 pts on 6-12 (4-7 from 3), 8 dimes and only 2 turnovers. Should have had one more but McGary missed and easy layup.

Mitch McGary is one of my favorite bigs atm, love the energy and hustle he plays with. Good rebounder too.

I have my eye on Stouskas, who has Novak-like 3 point range but a much better all around game, plus is far more athletic. I expect him to emerge as one of their stars when Hardaway and Burke leave.

[Johnny Hoops]

Great game between Ohio State and Michigan. Trey Burke is a hell of a pull up jump shooter. Craft played him great and he still finished with 16 pts on 6-12 (4-7 from 3), 8 dimes and only 2 turnovers. Should have had one more but McGary missed and easy layup.

Mitch McGary is one of my favorite bigs atm, love the energy and hustle he plays with. Good rebounder too.

Had a chance to watch Burke play against both Indiana and Michigan the past week and I'm just not overly impressed. When you are talking about the best PG in the country -- the kid has to show something special. To me he struggles to get into the paint and he takes awful shots.

It's not like he is the only player on his squad -- this is a team that was recently ranked #1 and has other weapons and I just don't see the hype for this kid.

Don't see a great athlete and don't see great instincts / b-ball IQ.

Now - I haven't seen that many other college games so I don't know who's better but Burke doesn't look like a great pro to me. Could be the small sample size.

[SkyMason21]

Had a chance to watch Burke play against both Indiana and Michigan the past week and I'm just not overly impressed. When you are talking about the best PG in the country -- the kid has to show something special. To me he struggles to get into the paint and he takes awful shots.

It's not like he is the only player on his squad -- this is a team that was recently ranked #1 and has other weapons and I just don't see the hype for this kid.

Don't see a great athlete and don't see great instincts / b-ball IQ.

Now - I haven't seen that many other college games so I don't know who's better but Burke doesn't look like a great pro to me. Could be the small sample size.

Too be somewhat fair in these past too games he faced two of the best perimeter defenders the BIG 10 has to offer in Olaipo and Craft, but he definitely struggled to find any space in midrange or getting to the basket( unless it was in transition), and against Craft he could only shake him if he got a good screen from McGary in the high pick & roll. He's not a great athlete but I thought he showed strong IQ in the Ohio State game. There were times he had to force it because he really is the only one on his team that can make contested shots off the dribble, but he still balanced his scoring with finding his teammates when he had space to work.

The best prospect on the team is Glenn Robinson but he can't create for himself at all (he hasn't really even tried most of the year). Hardaway can create but still can't create space a lot to get his shot off. Nik was the other ball handler for awhile but he's hit a wall in Big 10 play. So everything falls on Burke to get guys shots against tough half court defenses.

He isn't the best pg prospect but i still think he can have success in the pros.

[Jmonty580]

I really like


Gorgui Dieng , and Russ Smith from Louisville. especially Smith, i think he has the potential to be a REALLY good gaurd in the NBA. i could see this kid going under the radar like a Rondo getting on a team like ours and having a huge affect.

[Johnny Hoops]

Russ Smith needs to play the point in the pro's but unfortunately he has played very little point in college and doesn't show much if any pass-first mentality.

That said -- he is a dynamic little player -- his tape reminds me of Nate Robinson a bit.

[moocow007]

Russ Smith needs to play the point in the pro's but unfortunately he has played very little point in college and doesn't show much if any pass-first mentality.

That said -- he is a dynamic little player -- his tape reminds me of Nate Robinson a bit.

I want to say he kinda reminds me of a Mahmoud Abdul Rauf (aka Chris Jackson). But yeah he should be fine. He's not going to be a starter but he should be able to provide the same kind of energy that guys like Nate Robinson and Jerryd Bayless does coming off the bench in sort of a combo guard role. He may not be as athletic or explosive as either Robinson or Bayless but he's still got a lot of pop, can put points up driving as well as shooting and is about as fearless a player as you can get. I wouldn't mind if he ended up with the Knicks.

[mrpoetryNmotion]

Indiana with the major collapse

[BRIGGS]

Russ Smith needs to play the point in the pro's but unfortunately he has played very little point in college and doesn't show much if any pass-first mentality.

That said -- he is a dynamic little player -- his tape reminds me of Nate Robinson a bit.

I want to say he kinda reminds me of a Mahmoud Abdul Rauf (aka Chris Jackson). But yeah he should be fine. He's not going to be a starter but he should be able to provide the same kind of energy that guys like Nate Robinson and Jerryd Bayless does coming off the bench in sort of a combo guard role. He may not be as athletic or explosive as either Robinson or Bayless but he's still got a lot of pop, can put points up driving as well as shooting and is about as fearless a player as you can get. I wouldn't mind if he ended up with the Knicks.

What Smith is absolutely nothing like Chris Jackson. Jackson was a spot up shooter a great one although only 6-1. A good comparison to Russ Smith would be a shorter Gilbert Arenas--Arenas was 6-3 and Smith is barely 6-0 and that is a BIG difference in the NBA.

[Ignitowsky]

Great game between Ohio State and Michigan. Trey Burke is a hell of a pull up jump shooter. Craft played him great and he still finished with 16 pts on 6-12 (4-7 from 3), 8 dimes and only 2 turnovers. Should have had one more but McGary missed and easy layup.

Mitch McGary is one of my favorite bigs atm, love the energy and hustle he plays with. Good rebounder too.

Had a chance to watch Burke play against both Indiana and Michigan the past week and I'm just not overly impressed. When you are talking about the best PG in the country -- the kid has to show something special. To me he struggles to get into the paint and he takes awful shots.

It's not like he is the only player on his squad -- this is a team that was recently ranked #1 and has other weapons and I just don't see the hype for this kid.

Don't see a great athlete and don't see great instincts / b-ball IQ.

Now - I haven't seen that many other college games so I don't know who's better but Burke doesn't look like a great pro to me. Could be the small sample size.

I agree with this . I've watched every michigan game this year, and if I was advising burke I'd tell him to stay in school for another year. I think that at best he's a mid first round pick, and he'll be owned at the pro level.

[Johnny Hoops]

How about Russ Smith / Monte Ellis comparison.

Smith may not be as explosive as young Monte and is probably a bit smaller but Smith does like to get into the paint.

[yaboynyp]

Smith gets into guys on defense for sure but I still don’t get why people think he is an NBA player…

He’s 6’0 160 and he has no PG skills whatsoever.. none… Unless volume shooting is an attribute of a PG 40% fg and 33% from 3 with a 1-1 assist to turnover ratio… smh

[yaboynyp]

Great game between Ohio State and Michigan. Trey Burke is a hell of a pull up jump shooter. Craft played him great and he still finished with 16 pts on 6-12 (4-7 from 3), 8 dimes and only 2 turnovers. Should have had one more but McGary missed and easy layup.

Mitch McGary is one of my favorite bigs atm, love the energy and hustle he plays with. Good rebounder too.

Had a chance to watch Burke play against both Indiana and Michigan the past week and I'm just not overly impressed. When you are talking about the best PG in the country -- the kid has to show something special. To me he struggles to get into the paint and he takes awful shots.

It's not like he is the only player on his squad -- this is a team that was recently ranked #1 and has other weapons and I just don't see the hype for this kid.

Don't see a great athlete and don't see great instincts / b-ball IQ.

Now - I haven't seen that many other college games so I don't know who's better but Burke doesn't look like a great pro to me. Could be the small sample size.

I agree with this . I've watched every michigan game this year, and if I was advising burke I'd tell him to stay in school for another year. I think that at best he's a mid first round pick, and he'll be owned at the pro level.

That’s his ceiling though.. He’s pretty much maxing out right now plus next years draft will be a lot stronger

[SkyMason21]

5 OT game between ND and Louisville really showed Russ Smith's lack of BBall IQ. Poor clock recognition, shot selection, and decision making at the point. Gorgui disappointed me a lot tonight, got out muscled on the inside a lot and it felt like he played soft (foul trouble attributed to that but it felt like that early as well).

Jerian Grant just went bananas in that last 47 seconds, really like him as a combo guard. Knew there would be multiple OT's going into this game but didn't think it would hit 5 until the way the first 2 went. It seemed like ND had the momentum behind them after the Grant plays and it was gonna go on until Louisville got worn down.

[yaboynyp]

5 OT game between ND and Louisville really showed Russ Smith's lack of BBall IQ. Poor clock recognition, shot selection, and decision making at the point. Gorgui disappointed me a lot tonight, got out muscled on the inside a lot and it felt like he played soft (foul trouble attributed to that but it felt like that early as well).

Jerian Grant just went bananas in that last 47 seconds, really like him as a combo guard. Knew there would be multiple OT's going into this game but didn't think it would hit 5 until the way the first 2 went. It seemed like ND had the momentum behind them after the Grant plays and it was gonna go on until Louisville got worn down.

5 OT’s??????? Wow can’t believe I missed that, had to work..smh Gotta watch the replay on WatchEspn for sure… Grant can go but he's still trying to get that consistency though… How did Behanan and Harrell play?

[SkyMason21]

5 OT game between ND and Louisville really showed Russ Smith's lack of BBall IQ. Poor clock recognition, shot selection, and decision making at the point. Gorgui disappointed me a lot tonight, got out muscled on the inside a lot and it felt like he played soft (foul trouble attributed to that but it felt like that early as well).

Jerian Grant just went bananas in that last 47 seconds, really like him as a combo guard. Knew there would be multiple OT's going into this game but didn't think it would hit 5 until the way the first 2 went. It seemed like ND had the momentum behind them after the Grant plays and it was gonna go on until Louisville got worn down.

5 OT’s??????? Wow can’t believe I missed that, had to work..smh Gotta watch the replay on WatchEspn for sure… Grant can go but he's still trying to get that consistency though… How did Behanan and Harrell play?

30 and 15 from Behanan. Was great in the post, hit at least 4-5 turn around jumpers, couple hook shots and the usually dunks. Harrell didn't get to play because of early mistakes and then got throwing into the game in the 5th OT. Got fouled bricked the first and airballed the second. Looked disheartened after that but he'll be fine.

[yaboynyp]

5 OT game between ND and Louisville really showed Russ Smith's lack of BBall IQ. Poor clock recognition, shot selection, and decision making at the point. Gorgui disappointed me a lot tonight, got out muscled on the inside a lot and it felt like he played soft (foul trouble attributed to that but it felt like that early as well).

Jerian Grant just went bananas in that last 47 seconds, really like him as a combo guard. Knew there would be multiple OT's going into this game but didn't think it would hit 5 until the way the first 2 went. It seemed like ND had the momentum behind them after the Grant plays and it was gonna go on until Louisville got worn down.

5 OT’s??????? Wow can’t believe I missed that, had to work..smh Gotta watch the replay on WatchEspn for sure… Grant can go but he's still trying to get that consistency though… How did Behanan and Harrell play?

30 and 15 from Behanan. Was great in the post, hit at least 4-5 turn around jumpers, couple hook shots and the usually dunks. Harrell didn't get to play because of early mistakes and then got throwing into the game in the 5th OT. Got fouled bricked the first and airballed the second. Looked disheartened after that but he'll be fine.

Rewatched it last night and all I can say is wow…Funny quote by Jack Cooley after the game sums it up..

"That play with Russ where they had 30 seconds left and he drove it in?" Cooley said. "I think Coach Pitino lost two years off his life tonight. He might have to put that horse down.”

Fyi Weirdo Pitino buys race horses and names them after his players.. His latest horse he named Russdiculous...