Who's left? The college talent pool is getting thinner and thinner, forcing scouts to cast their nets down to high school and over to Europe, South America, and Asia - 2002 NBA Draft Preview - National Basketball Association

Basketball Digest, Summer, 2002 by Tom Kertes

9. AMARE STOUDEMIRE, Cypress Creek H.S. (Fla.)

This long-limbed, lithe 6'10" power forward is the only prep this year who could make an immediate mark on the pro game. Still, he's a major risk: Stoud-ly as Amare may be talent-wise, he's far from mature game-wise Or otherwise. [See "Rising Star" Stoudamire on page 16.]

10. MAYBYNER "NENE" HILARIO, Brazil

You want upside? This 19-year old swiftly runs the floor like a (Hakeem the) Dream and could become a "Kenyon Martin with more offensive skills" one day, according to international scouts. At the moment, Hilario is a 6'10" shot-blocker and leaper who's an extremely aggressive, smooth, and quick pure athlete. However, he lacks good positioning and footwork when rebounding--and he's a very poor free-throw shooter with a Shaq-like hitch.

11. CURTIS BORCHARDT, Stanford

A 7'0" junior with good agility, soft touch, and deep range, Borchardt can do a lot of pivot-al things with both hands. Yet lacking strength and down-n'-dirty dynamism, you wonder if he can enter the oh-so-exclusive group of elite NBA centers.

12. KAREEM RUSH, Missouri

Rush, a supertalented junior swingman, enters early in spite of coming off of a bad year. Why is only one of the questions: The others include major misgivings about his intensity, ball-handling, right hand, and upper-body strength.

13. JARED JEFFRIES, Indiana

This skinny all-arounder has wonderful skills--the ability to dribble the length of the floor (at 6'10"), passing with vision, good hands, and a decent touch--but no true NBA position. And those pesky Oklahoma aggressors--not to mention the Maryland widebodies--sure exposed Jeffries' shortcomings, bouncing him around like a pinball in the Tournament.

14. MARCUS HAISLIP, Tennessee

Haislip is an amazing 6'10" athlete with truly hellacious hops. He may be one of the highest-ceilinged pure talents in the draft. A hard worker--he can bench press 400 pounds--but his rawness, which reaches the point of awkwardness sometimes, scares off some scouts.

15. FRANK WILLIAMS, Illinois

This extremely gifted, albeit inconsistent, point guard needs to increase his intensity and develop a purer outside shot. "Still, he'll be sought out because this is a guy who can make the big play for you under pressure at the end of the game," Hammond says. "There are solid guys everywhere. But, especially when it comes to playmakers, those big-play guys are really hard to find."

16. ROGER MASON JR., Virginia

Mason is a talented scoring guard with good size (6'5", 205) and a streaky stroke who can get to the basket practically at will. "He was forced to play a lot of point last year," NBA scout Walter Szczerbiak says. "But from an NBA point of view, that has actually worked to his advantage."

17. VINCENT YARBROUGH, Tennessee

It's not easy being (coached by Jerry) Green: This long-limbed 6'7" superathlete got his stuff together in a big way last season, but after three years of being "taught" by the ex-Volunteers coach--and we do use the term loosely--Yarbrough still only has half a clue.