2013 Sleepers

Post #161 » by **Ruzious** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:18 pm

What about a couple of older players - the Releford brothers - Travis and Trevor? They're not considered to be draftable by draftexpress, but they've shown dramatic offensive improvement this season - especially Travis. And they both go after you on defense. It seems to me that Travis has the tools to play in the NBA and just didn't have confidence in his offense the last 3 years.

ManualRam · Post #162 » by **ManualRam** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:09 pm

i think travis has played his way into the 2nd round, mid 2nd possibly.
he used to be a really highly touted prospect who didn't advance much physically in HS and didn't build on his early production (which was hard to do because he was very prolific as an underclassman) which caused him to slip in the rankings every year. this kid was once widely considered a top 10 player in his HS class at one point. the talent was always there.

i think he can make an nba roster off of his defensive ability alone. he's got good length and is a smooth athlete with very good defensive instincts. he was a reluctant scorer prior to this yr, but he's been more aggressive taking it to the hole and is doing a better job finishing. he isnt hesitating on pulling the trigger on 3's this yr, but i still wouldn't call him a good shooter. the bump in FT% is an encouraging sign though. as a former combo guard/ point forward, he does have pretty solid ball skills, so he's a bit of a jack of all trades player to go along with his defensive ability.

i'll post about his brother later.

ManualRam · Post #163 » by **ManualRam** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 10:30 am

khem birch looked fantastic. active, bouncy, athletic, good hands and touch, runs the floor very well. he's filled out a little, looking around 220-225 but his body shows more definition.
he looks like an ed davis type of PF, a little more athletic though.

Post #164 » by **UGA Hayes** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:54 pm

^ I remember really liking him (birch) during the HS circuit and was pretty dissapointed when he transferred out of Pittsburgh. Totally forgot about him otherwise and I think at least based on my initial impression of him is probably a better prospect then most of the guys this year.

Cal_Bears · Post #165 » by **Cal_Bears** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 5:50 pm

I just watched Cory Jefferson play and he looks like a 1st round pick to me. He has great size (looks more like 6'10" 220 than 6'9" 210 as listed) and he is extremely athletic. His skill level is coming around and he looks like a Tyrus Thomas clone to me.

teamjosh04 · Post #166 » by **teamjosh04** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 7:23 pm

Ruzious wrote:What about a couple of older players - the Releford brothers - Travis and Trevor? They're not considered to be draftable by draftexpress, but they've shown dramatic offensive improvement this season - especially Travis. And they both go after you on defense. It seems to me that Travis has the tools to play in the NBA and just didn't have confidence in his offense the last 3 years.

Both are definitely underrated. Travis is one of the best defensive wings in the country and could make the NBA on that alone. He gets a lot of his points off his great defense, but does have a solid shot and ball handling skills. Nothing special, but good enough. He reminds be a bit of DeAndre Liggins, but tougher.

Trevor could ultimately get drafted too, but he needs another year at least to step up his game. His ability to continue shooting the ball at a high percentage is key. Consistency with his shot along with improvement on his passing skills are two things that need to get better for him to have a shot in the league.

He comes off the bench, but is their main scoring weapon when he is in the game. He is patient waiting for screens, likes to shoot off the dribble, and is fearless attacking the basket. He does a nice job drawing contact. Defensively he does get after it but hes obviously undersized.

Terrell Stoglin nearly got drafted and Trevor is a lot more well-rounded so there is a chance for him. He just needs to continue shooting at a Stoglin-esque clip.

teamjosh04 · Post #167 » by **teamjosh04** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 7:28 pm

ManualRam wrote:khem birch looked fantastic. active, bouncy, athletic, good hands and touch, runs the floor very well. he's filled out a little, looking around 220-225 but his body shows more definition.
he looks like an ed davis type of PF, a little more athletic though.

agreed. Birch was great last night just by being active around the rim. there are a lot of things to like about his game.

teamjosh04 · Post #168 » by **teamjosh04** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 7:32 pm

Cal_Bears wrote:I just watched Cory Jefferson play and he looks like a 1st round pick to me. He has great size (looks more like 6'10" 220 than 6'9" 210 as listed) and he is extremely athletic. His skill level is coming around and he looks like a Tyrus Thomas clone to me.

i think hes played stronger this year than last season. definitely doesnt look like he weighs 210lbs. he has a good motor, defends well, gets rebounds, and blocks shots. i like his activity level and the amount of effort he puts into whatever he is suppose to do. he tries to do things right and with urgency whether he has the ball in the post or is just setting an off ball screen for a teammate. he runs the court well too.

i dont see him as a first rounder though. he turns 22 in 3 days and is more of an energy big off the bench at best.

Sterling_Archer · Post #169 » by **Sterling_Archer** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 11:49 pm

No stauskas from Michigan is a huge sleeper for me. He could get drafted just for his three point shooting which he has just gaudy numbers this year over 56% something like 34-61 overall at 6'6 he has to be on someone's radar. A guy who is deadly from beyond the arc with solid size at the two position.

Post #170 » by **jman3134** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 3:06 am

I agree with you on Stauskas, but I wonder if he is looking to be a one-and-done. I think most expect him to play a few years at Michigan first. With that said, it might be a good idea for him to come out early given how weak this draft is and the fact that it will be difficult to replicate shooting 56% from beyond the arc.

ManualRam · Post #171 » by **ManualRam** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 5:35 am

UGA Hayes wrote:^ I remember really liking him (birch) during the HS circuit and was pretty dissapointed when he transferred out of Pittsburgh. Totally forgot about him otherwise and I think at least based on my initial impression of him is probably a better prospect then most of the guys this year.

at the time i thought that it was a bad move for birch because jamie dixon is a good coach and khem would've learned a lot playing for him. in hindsight i think it was the right move though since none of the guys he was sharing the frontcourt with were candidates to declare and they had adams coming in this yr. maybe they would've made adjustments to their rotations, but he would've been playing in a very deep frontcourt regardless.
one of the reasons he gave for transferring was that he wanted to play PF, which sounds like more of an excuse now since he's playing C for UNLV again.

in any case, i think he's a very good big man prospect because of his activity, athleticism, hands and shot blocking instincts. i wouldn't write him off as a possible 2013 draftee even after a late start to his season.

ThatsWhatIShved · Post #172 » by **ThatsWhatIShved** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 3:21 pm

Anyone else like Ryan Kelly? One of the most skilled offensive bigs in this class. Basically a taller version of McDermont with more range. His rebounding and defense are a concern, but i love his ballhandling,post skill, range and touch for a man his size.

23-7 · Post #173 » by **23-7** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 3:39 pm

he is not nearly as good as mcdermott

ThatsWhatIShved · Post #174 » by **ThatsWhatIShved** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:37 pm

^

Maybe not, but I would love to see him play with crap teammates in the cupcakek MVC like Doug gets too

Post #175 » by **jman3134** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 5:22 pm

If they were "crap" teammates, Creighton wouldn't be a top 15/20 team. I like Echenique and there are plenty of other guys on Creighton that can play.

Ryan Kelly does not nearly have the impact of McDermott and I like Kelly.

teamjosh04 · Post #176 » by **teamjosh04** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:55 am

Im a Ryan Kelly fan, but Kelly cant replicate McDermott's toughness and determination. Kelly doesnt have near the motor of McDermott and that cant be attributed to playing on Duke.

Kelly's pro potential is easier to project though, but McDermott is certainly the better college player. Creighton is talented offensively

Post #177 » by **UGA Hayes** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:15 pm

Has anyone seen Eric Moreland play for Oregon St? He is putting up pretty good numbers so far this year and looks like he played pretty well last year too.

teamjosh04 · Post #178 » by **teamjosh04** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 7:19 pm

UGA Hayes wrote:Has anyone seen Eric Moreland play for Oregon St? He is putting up pretty good numbers so far this year and looks like he played pretty well last year too.

Ive seen parts of a couple of their games. Craig Robinson starts him at SF even though he doesn't have any perimeter skills. His role reminds me a bit of Jared Jeffries - he can defend almost anyone, handles it on the perimeter a bit (while achieving nothing noteworthy), and doesnt force anything. He gets most of his points off cuts around the rim and offensive putbacks. He plays with decent energy, but not what you'd like to see from a prospect of his level. Jeffries would be a best case scenario IMO

Post #179 » by **Ruzious** » Sat Dec 29, 2012 4:20 pm

Does anyone have thoughts on Mike Muscalla of Bucknell? He leads the nation in PER, shoots 54% from the field and over 80% from the line, scores nearly 20 a game, rebounds at a terrific rate, even blocks 2.5 shots and passes out 2.5 assists a game, and is 6'11 235. At first glance, he doesn't come close to passing the eye test - he looks totally unathletic and weak, but guys his size sometimes bloom late physically - and he's not an over-aged senior - like a lot of unathletic bigs who put up good numbers in small conferences. Hook him up with a great personal trainer, and maybe he starts looking like David Lee more than Nick Fazekas.

teamjosh04 · Post #180 » by **teamjosh04** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 6:37 am

Ruzious wrote:Does anyone have thoughts on Mike Muscalla of Bucknell? He leads the nation in PER, shoots 54% from the field and over 80% from the line, scores nearly 20 a game, rebounds at a terrific rate, even blocks 2.5 shots and passes out 2.5 assists a game, and is 6'11 235. At first glance, he doesn't come close to passing the eye test - he looks totally unathletic and weak, but guys his size sometimes bloom late physically - and he's not an over-aged senior - like a lot of unathletic bigs who put up good numbers in small conferences. Hook him up with a great personal trainer, and maybe he starts looking like David Lee more than Nick Fazekas.

He has a good understanding of the game and is skilled. He is best in the high post where he can initiate offense or drive ball defenders. He is a solid ball handler with the ability to drive from 15 feet out. He is also very good setting screens and then getting himself open. He moves very well in space for a big man.

He isn't much of a low post presence nor does he project to be above average as a rebounder or defender. And those are the two biggest things a center needs to do in today's NBA. He is coming off of a very impressive game against Loyola with a few scouts (4) in attendance and I think he has a good chance of getting drafted. But I see him as a 3rd big at best.

btw, I came in this thread just to mention Jackie Carmichael. I've been riding the bandwagon all season long and the hype hasn't caught on. With conference play starting, we know may have to wait for the tournament for a breakout game on a big stage so Id figure Id mention him now. he does get two opportunities to play McDermott - one coming up in a few days. Id recommend everyone check out that game.

Carmichael is one of those older guys that could have NBA fans raving about him this time next year. He is a complete player with a post game, athleticism, the body, the post saavy, and defense to make a impact in his first year in the NBA. I think he should be a definite first round pick. While everyone is dissecting JMM, Bennett, Mitchell, and other PFs this is a guy that is more complete than any of them at this point. Watch out for him.