It's good the '05 class isn't great

Sporting News, The, May 17, 2004 by Mike DeCourcy

If you listen to the whispers in the stands, you might get the idea that scouting for profound basketball talent in the high school junior class is like looking for actual singing talent on American Idol. You're not going to find a LeBron James or Etta James in either group.

Recruiting analysts, NBA scouts and the shoe guys agree. If more than one player jumps directly from high school into the 2005 NBA draft, it will be a surprise or a serious mistake. That's a long drop-off from this year's draft, which could have six or seven U.S. high schoolers taken in the first round.

Still, the pessimism regarding the class of 2005 is overdone. The players aren't bad; rather, they are good enough to make a difference when they show up in college in 16 months. Given that the brief history of the high school-to-NBA maneuver shows roughly two in three players don't perform up to their draft status, it might be better for prospects such as Julian Wright, Marcus Williams and Eric Devendorf to go to college. That experience could lead them to sustained success.

Those three competed recently at the annual Spiece Run 'N Slam Classic in Fort Wayne, Ind. There were moments--Wright snapping a pass through traffic, Williams landing a jumper from the right corner, Devendorf attacking like a demon from the top of the key--that suggested considerable promise.

The 6-8 Wright, who's from the Chicago suburb of Flossmoor, does not have a defined position. His game has a loose quality to it; he tends not to do things the same way twice. Wright isn't physically powerful, but he is quick, handles the ball nicely and is a sensational passer. He is considering Indiana, Arizona, DePaul, Duke, Illinois and Kansas.

As one of the bigger players on his high school and club teams, Wright looks forward to playing at the USA Basketball Development Festival and the Nike All-America Camp, when he should be teamed with some big men. That will allow Wright the freedom to stray more from the basket.

"I'm trying to get back into a scorer's mentality," he says. "I'm pass first, shoot second. I'm confident, but not comfortable."

Analyst Van Coleman didn't rate Williams in the top 100 on a preliminary list of junior prospects, but Coleman ranked him the No. 1 wing player at Spiece. Williams needs to gain strength, but he has long arms and a silky style. "My game is not really about oohs and aahs," Williams says. "If you're watching the game, it might be difficult to notice me."

Williams, who is from Seattle, is looking at Kansas, Missouri, Washington, Oregon State, Florida, Arizona, N.C. State and Connecticut.

Devendorf, a 6-3 shooting guard from Bay City, Mich., is strong and agile enough to finish tough plays in traffic. He is particularly adept at firing jumpers off the dribble. Devendorf could develop into a primary point guard or the second playmaker in a dual-point attack.

Last fall, Michigan State believed it had locked up Devendorf, but he decided in March to shop some more. The Spartans still have a chance, but Devendorf also will look at Michigan, Syracuse, Florida, Louisville, North Carolina and N.C. State.

"It wasn't that I didn't like Michigan State," says Devendorf, who's expected to transfer to prep power Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. "I got caught up in the hype a little."

These three players alone aren't going to make college fans forget the likes of Shaun Livingston, Josh Smith and Al Jefferson. Then again, we never were formally introduced to those guys before they jetted off to the NBA.

For more news and analysis from the college hardwood, go to www.foxsports.com. keyword: college hoops.

SPEED READ

* JamesOn Curry might not be successful enough to offset the bad public relations that accompanies signing a convicted drug felon. North Carolina dropped him, but Oklahoma State is an ideal fit. Small scoring guards, such as Victor Williams and John Lucas, do well with the Cowboys, and if Curry can't stay out of trouble in Stillwater, he can't do it anywhere.

INSIDE DISH

C David Padgett, the most prominent available transfer, is interested in checking out UCLA. A 2003 McDonald's All-American, Padgett averaged 6.5 points and started 19 games as a freshman at Kansas. Padgett will have three years of eligibility, starting in 2005.... Part of the reason McDonald's All-American SF Malik Hairston of Detroit has taken so long to choose a college is he became torn between joining a team that might be a title contender and one that could allow him to make rapid progress toward early NBA draft entry. Hairston has added Oregon and Oklahoma to a list that already consisted of Kansas, UCLA, Ohio State and Michigan. Hairston is strong and a great shooter.... John Thompson III wants to re-establish Georgetown as a recruiting force in metropolitan Washington, D.C. Although D.C. is one of the most prospect-rich areas in the country, Georgetown has landed few of its best players. Thompson plans to use a juiced-up version of the Princeton offense, similar to the Sacramento Kings' and N.C. State's.... SG Jamar Smith, an Illinois recruit, is looking better every day. A 6-3 junior from Peoria, Ill., Smith has enough ball-handling skill to develop into a point guard. He already is a great shooter. "All their guards are combo guards," Smith says. "I can see myself fitting into that situation." ... If the U.S. Court of Appeals upholds the ruling that struck down the NCAA bylaw limiting teams to two exempt tournaments every four years, the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic will become a 16-team event featuring Syracuse, Duke, Kansas and California. Duke and Kansas will not have exemptions available if the bylaw stands.--M.D.