One only needs to look at the NBA projected draft boards to find validation that the SEC was down this season.
Kentucky’s Patrick Patterson is the only SEC player projected to be selected in the first round of the 2009 draft according to NBAdraft.net — a web site on which draft status is followed year-round.
LSU’s Marcus Thornton and Chris Johnson are projected second-round picks.
Should junior Tyler Smith return to Tennessee, he’s projected to be the second-highest SEC player selected in the 2010 draft behind Mississippi State shot-blocker Jarvis Varnado, according to NBADraft.net.
Other SEC players — Vanderbilt’s A.J. Ogilvy, Florida’s Nick Calathes, Arkansas’ Michael Washington, Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks and LSU’s Tasmin Mitchell — are projected to be picked behind Smith in the 2010 NBA Draft.
Kentucky signee DeMarcus Cousins, however, is picked to be selected No. 16 in the draft 2010 and point guard John Wall, who is considering Kentucky, is projected as the No. 1 pick.
NBADraft.net projects that UT junior wing J.P. Prince, who projects to play shooting guard at the next level, will be picked No. 53 next year.
The site ranks the players by class, and Smith is ranked as the No. 9 junior while Prince is No. 38 and Wayne Chism is No. 47.
Among the Tennessee freshmen, Scotty Hopson is No. 14 in his class, Renaldo Woolridge is No. 46 and Emmanuel Negedu is No. 47.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 7
utfpmd writes:
"NBADraft.net projects that UT junior wing J.P. Prince, who projects to play shooting guard at the next level, will be picked No. 53 next year."
Don't you have be able to shoot in order to play shooting guard?
golfballs03 writes:
I think they lose all credibility with a comment like that.
golfballs03 writes:
Ok wait a second... this year is a weak draft class and Tyler is most likely an early-second round pick. But next year he is automatically a 1st rounder??? I think that is bogus. The only way I see that happening is if he has a year like Sam Young at Pitt. If he were 19, Young would be a lottery pick, but at 24 he is a late 1st rounder (and that is in a weak class). But what has helped him tremendously is his move to SF. This year he played more from the perimeter and put up fantastic numbers. He proved to scouts that he can play that position in the league. If the same thing can happen to Tyler then I see him as a late 1st rounder next year. But most likely he will be back in the 2nd round and will have essentially wasted a year. I would love to see him come back, but that might not be what's best for him.
Colliervol writes:
Good point.
pms151 writes:
WHO CARES? The 2010 draft is non existent. The 2009 is BS. For those of you not familiar with the NBA nothing is a given. Without an agent he will be back.
1stPoliceJustSayNoToPosting1st writes:
Great info, lets hope PP goes and TS stays!!!
GO VOLS!
jasonn1970 writes:
Somebody must project Prince as a defensive specialist in the NBA. Either that or they've never seen him shoot a jumper.
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