Dante Cunningham

[yupitsme]

7 Minutes of highlights from this past season
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07eyQ-rnXvw

Dunked on Durant his freshman year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5PNYDYoDbA

Highlights vs Texas (his coming out party)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll2XG-sStyY

Putting some guy from Seton Hall on a poster
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNej7Xktfkw

undersized but still a beast....hustles, works hard, automatic from inside the arc (jumpshot), good athleticism, plays defense. You can say an overachiever (scout/rivals rated him as a 3-star coming out of hs, but hardwork can get you far) . Well coached by Jay Wright, never got in trouble off the court.

HUGE PART of Nova's Final Four team.

[riehldeal]

what position can he guard? that is my main question/concern amongst others

[ecuhus1981]

Is he Udonis Haslem, or Sharrod Ford? For every one of the former, there's at least a hundred of the latter...

[yupitsme]

what position can he guard? that is my main question/concern amongst others

That is a good question, I would say he has the ability to guard other undersized pf's that come off the bench. (let's not forget, there are a lot of players in the league that can't guard anybody)

if that doesn't answer it.... how about he goes to Phoenix or Golden State and then he doesn't have to worry about defense.

I also like to look at it like what if he gets drafted by a horrible team, who cares if he plays defense they suck and will lose most of their games anyway.

[yupitsme]

what position can he guard? that is my main question/concern amongst others

That is a good question, I would say he has the ability to guard other undersized pf's that come off the bench. (let's not forget, there are a lot of players in the league that can't guard anybody)

if that doesn't answer it.... how about he goes to Phoenix or Golden State and then he doesn't have to worry about defense.

I also like to look at it like what if he gets drafted by a horrible team, who cares if he plays defense they suck and will lose most of their games anyway.

Haslem isn't a bad comparison. I like to think of him as a smaller Joe Smith.

[ManualRam]

Is he Udonis Haslem, or Sharrod Ford? For every one of the former, there's at least a hundred of the latter...

ryan gomes

[call.me.dude]

He was definitely one of my favourite college players this season.

IMO the big question is whether he will stay a PF or develop more and more SF skills. If he does the latter, I could see him being a good rotation guy, even on a pretty good team.
Once he has a consistent 3pt shot and a good understanding of his team's defensive schemes and system, he is a 20mpg SF/PF who brings hustle, solid D, is active on the boards, sets good screens and is productive on offense. He seems to be a hard working guy, so I could also see him improving his ball-handling a lot, which would make him even more of a legit SF.

If he doesn't focus on his SF skills and stays a PF, he'd have to get drafted by an up-and-down team to get this amount of playing time IMO.

Haha, just was about to finish this post when I found some article on Cunningham and now I'm pretty optimistic he will be a SF.

"I like to say I am working on becoming more guard-oriented," he says. "I have been working a lot on ballhandling and perimeter shooting. Any time I have a chance to get better I am taking advantage of it. The next two months are about being serious about the business I am interviewing for."

http://www.villanova.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/050509aaa.html

Exactly what I want him to do.
And good that he knows what he has to work on. He's very quick for a PF, moves without the ball, is a good athlete (as seen in those videos above, not sure why some draft sites calls him an average athlete at PF), has that sweet mid-range J and some crafty post moves. If he wants to, he can be a good SF in the NBA.

edit:

what position can he guard? that is my main question/concern amongst others

Cunningham in college was pretty good at covering perimeter guys on defensive switches, blocking their shots, stealing the ball from them or just staying in front of them and putting them under pressure. Obviously it's a bit different against NBA perimeter guys. But IMO he will still be solid in this aspect in the NBA.

Defending PFs, he will be weaker than many of his opponents and thus have some problems (obviously). His activity and effort will help him and prevent him from being a liability on defense though.

[SeattleJazzFan]

Haslem, Landry, Millsap, Bass, Craig Smith, Powe, Reggie Evans, Gomes...

The NBA is dotted with these undersized PF/tweener/SF types who come off the bench, hustle like crazy, play some defense, get some boards, run the floor and hit open 12-15 footers. I think they can be extremely valuable and don't see why Cunningham can't be another of the same.

[NetsForce]

Having had the opportunity to see him live the last couple of years I can safely say that he's not a SF at the next level. Cunningham is not very adept off the dribble (he has no pull-up moves), has sub-par ball-handling, and appears to have (nearly) maxed out the range on his jumpshot (given its current form).

In the post he's not especially skilled but as of the end of the 2008-2009 NCAA basketball season I still see Dante being more of a PF than a SF in the NBA.

[ChrisTheFuturePaul]

I think he'll find a home quite easily in the NBA, and a year of full time basketball with the best will polish off his game, definately a small forward in the league or pf for a small ball unit.

[daddyfivestar]

Lakers at 42

[jman3134]

I don't see him as anything more than a roster spot in the NBA, but then again, with his work ethic, he could prove me wrong. I have watched him play at length for a while now, and he has made some notable improvements in his game. The huge problem I foresee which should keep him from being a rotation player is his inability to put the ball on the floor. While he is agile and extremely athletic, it does not often translate to in-game situations. He's not explosive off the dribble and his handle needs a lot of work. He can keep defenses honest with his perimeter shot, which is valuable for a PF at the NBA level. This is probably his greatest strength. He is fundamentally sound in the post with a nice array of moves including a pull up jumper and some nice footwork. He will struggle against much bigger players and I feel that his frame will only allow him to put on so much weight. So the quote that he provided regarding him trying to become more SF-like is a nice strategy. This doesn't mean that he will ever be a SF or be capable of guarding SFs. But, it does mean that he is trying to perfect his face up game. That can only help his stock.

[Heyvoon24]

Haslem, Landry, Millsap, Bass, Craig Smith, Powe, Reggie Evans, Gomes...

The NBA is dotted with these undersized PF/tweener/SF types who come off the bench, hustle like crazy, play some defense, get some boards, run the floor and hit open 12-15 footers. I think they can be extremely valuable and don't see why Cunningham can't be another of the same.

+1

[yupitsme]

Villanova's Cunningham promises to keep up hard work

By BOB HURST

For the Daily News

CHICAGO - Dante Cunningham doesn't know when or whether he'll get selected at next month's NBA draft, but he wants coaches and general managers to know he'll give it all he's got.

"Honestly, I think for me it could be 50-50," Cunningham said about his draft expectations. "It just all depends on teams, where they go, what picks they get."

Cunningham, who helped lead Villanova to this season's NCAA Final Four, isn't quite big enough for a power forward position in the NBA, and his ballhandling is subpar, but he's willing to get his hands dirty and do whatever it takes to win.

The Big East's Most Improved Player of the Year, Cunningham averaged 16.1 points per game and 7.5 rebounds.

"I get better every day that I hit the court," said Cunningham, who is participating in this week's NBA draft combine workouts. "I'm not exactly the tallest; my midrange game is getting better. My ability to guard '1' to '5,' rebounding, do the dirty work, anything to get a win; I'm willing to get that done.

"I feel that my work ethic and my ability to just want to get better is going to allow me to continue to make strides."

Cunningham hopes that an NBA coach will take notice, as his coach at Villanova, Jay Wright, did in his first season with the Wildcats.

"Freshman year, I wanted to play, obviously; I wanted to get on the court," Cunningham said. "I saw myself getting 20 minutes a game by playing defense, getting rebounds, things like that. There's things that the coach will see and say, 'He's committed; he wants to be on the court.'

"As time went along, I got more rebounds, played better defense. I started to add scoring, and over the years, I just got better and better. By the time my senior year came, I was the primary option in the offense and getting it done."

Cunningham envisioned the type of player he would be in the NBA.

"The Ben Wallace type that gets rebounds, plays defense," he said. "On the other hand, I'm the type of player that can pick and pop and stay in the mix with everything that's going on on the court."

Cunningham has a favorite NBA player whom he likes to model his play after.

"My favorite of all time is Kevin Garnett," Cunningham said. "I love his intensity, his work ethic, how he controls his team. Even when he's hurt, you can see him on the sideline yelling and screaming, getting everybody going. I love that about him."

It's a long road to the NBA, and Cunningham is experiencing that now. He has worked out for the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. He's taking part in the 2-day NBA draft combine.

"This is tremendous, being in the top 52 players invited out here," Cunningham said. "It's a great feeling. It's another step to get closer to your goal."

Cunningham has labored hard each year to improve, and to get to this point in his basketball career. If and when he gets drafted, he likely will continue to do whatever it takes to succeed. *

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/ ... _work.html

Other standouts included DeJuan Blair, who appears to have lost considerable weight, the extra-explosive Gani Lawal, and the super-polished and professional Dante Cunningham. Jeff Pendergraph also earned some praise from teams.

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/j ... index.html

[babyjax13]

I really like Cunningham from what little I have seen. He sort of reminds me a bit of Hakim Warrick. I think he has the speed to guard a small forward if he really needs to, but if he can add a bit of weight he will be 'adequate' for guarding power forwards.

[yupitsme]

nba pre-draft measurements

6'11 wingspan
4.8 body fat (the lowest of any big man and 3rd best out of everybody)
35 inch vertical
11.18 lane agility (better than players like Tyreke Evans, Sam Young, Austin Daye, DeJuan Blair, James Johnson)
3.26 - 3/4 court spring (better than players like Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, DeMar Derozan, Sam Young, DeJuan Blair, Austin Daye, Earl Clark, Jordan Hill)
18 bench reps (tied for 4th best)

[MYoung23]

When you talk post up threes you have to look at a comparison to Eric Williams

[yupitsme]

Villanova's Dante Cunningham Wants To Do the Dirty Work

Q: I was just talking to Sam Young about this same topic. Do you see advantages in being a veteran college guy that had to work hard for everything you achieved at the college level, rather than being drafted as a one-and-done based on potential?

A: Definitely, at this point we have the experience. We’ve been through pretty much everything that most of these younger guys haven’t. The NCAA Tournament every year, the Final Four, and the grind in every sense that you’re going to come up against that maybe you don’t get after one year or two years.

Q: What are the best qualities that you bring to the table for an NBA franchise?

A: My work ethic and ability to continue to get better. Doing the defense and rebounding and all the dirty work that most people don’t want to do that I’ll get out there and do it day in and day out.

Q: Have you had workouts for teams yet and where have you been training?

A: I had two workouts, Miami and San Antonio. I’m still at school. My coach, Doug West, does my individual workouts.

Q: Your mom and dad are in the Air Force. Have you heard Hasheem Thabeet’s working out with Navy Seals? You’re not doing any military training?

A: (Laughs) No, nothing crazy like that. I’ve got a weight trainer that pretty much should’ve been in the Army or something. He’s very hardcore and doing everything right to get me ready.

Q: You improved your scoring average every season at Villanova. I was at in Villanova covering your game against Syracuse for the SU media, and you torched the Orange for 31 points. How much did your ability to step out and shoot the mid-range jumper help you offensively this season?

A: I definitely made a great effort in extending my range out to the 15- to 17-foot area. Right now I’m still working on extending out to the three-point line.

I think I’ll be a great power forward just because I’m strong enough to handle a four man. I can also guard guards, but also as a pick-and-pop four when the come out on me. I can give them pump fakes and go around them and things like that.

Q: Last thing, my mom loves Jay Wright. Every time you play on TV she mentions what a great dresser and good-looking guy he is. Would you agree that he’s the best dressed coach around?

A: (Laughs) Of course. He stays in his sharp suits. You hardly ever see him with his tie down or messed up. He always looks the same when he comes into the game and leaves the game.

Q: Didn’t he also have a lucky pig or something for the NCAA Tournament?

A: His daughter gave him a little toy pig and it was good luck. All of a sudden it got out, and by the end of the tournament, everyone on our coaching staff had a pig somewhere. We all had pigs. It was something that was good luck, and it was working.

Q: So he’s a good dresser and a good dad?

A: (Laughs) Good dresser, great dad.



NBA Pre-draft Combine Results

Height w/o shoes: 6'7"
Height w/ shoes: 6'8.25"
Weight: 227
Wingspan: 6'11"
Standing Reach: 8'10.5"
Body Fat: 4.8 percent
No Step Vert. 28.0
Max Vert. 35.0
Bench Press: 18
Lane Agility: 11.18
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.26 sec.