Prospect Examination: Joel Embiid

"I think Embiid is the best player in the country,” said Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg. “He’s huge, great length, can shoot, has incredible footwork and has been playing the game for about two years."

It's very rare to see two possible No. 1 picks on the same team but something like that happened this past season at Kansas as they had Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid. Wiggins had all the hype and attention entering his freshmen season at Kansas while Embiid was supposed to he known as his sidekick but as the season progressed the Cameroonian center held his own and sometimes outplayed his teammate. Each game Embiid played, his draft stock would increase until his season ended due to a back injury.  The injury might have scared some scouts away but his talent makes him hard to pass up on regardless of health.

"I think Kansas could have the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the draft with [Andrew] Wiggins and Embiid. [Embiid] does everything," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said before the college season started.

Before declaring for the draft on April 9th, Embiid strongly considering staying at KU for his sophomore season; he had meetings with the coaching staff along with Cameroonian native and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Luc Mbah a Moute (Mbah a Moute got Embiid started in basketball after he attended a camp at the age of 16). Embiid taking awhile to declare for the draft showed that he actually thought about it because most college athletes think about it for one day then declare the next.

"I was curious because I want to be great, I want to be the best at my position one day," said Embiid. "I'm trying to learn everything and what other people did. All of the great big men went to college at least two or three years. I think it's a big factor. I don't know if it will always work, but I think it's the best choice."

"He's a bright young man and he's going to weigh his options," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "He's considering coming back and he's obviously also considering leaving. He can't make a bad decision."

Wiggins and Embiid went back and forth this season which surprised some as the '13-14 season went on, but this season benefited Embiid more than Wiggins with his draft stock. The former volleyball player is listed at 7'0" 250-pound with a 7'5" wingspan which obviously makes him a good shot-blocker.

Looking at his stats:

Year	PPG	RPG	APG	BPG	FG%	FT%	MPG
13-14	11.2	8.1	1.4	2.6	62.6%	68.5%	23.1

Embiid has great speed and can finish while on the fastbreak but when he's in a half-court set he's a good post player and if paired up with a good Point Guard, the pick-and-pop will be useful as he has shown that he can hit the mid-range shot. The background he has in volleyball and soccer has helped him gain the shot blocking and footwork needed for a traditional big-man.  His soccer skills has allowed him move like a guard which is tremendous for a center because it will allow him to have a bigger advantage over most at his position.

"His footwork is outstanding," said one league executive. "He moves like a guard. He doesn't back down. He's making mistakes, but all ones that are very fixable. I love him."

The 20-year old center has his weaknesses that haven't been broken down as much as other prospects for unknown reasons. He will need to work on the speed of his post moves and make them identical to Tim Duncan and Al Jefferson. Overall his post game could improve and needs to become the defensive anchor that most dominant big-men are, meaning he will need to become more vocal and aggressive to gain the respect of his teammates and opponents.

Over the course of the season Embiid has gained the admiration of many and has improved vastly thought out the season after starting the season off as bench player for the first eight games. He has lots of potential for a guy that started playing basketball in 2011 and that's why people in NBA front offices are in love with him because of the improvement he can make within a short period of time along with scouts as one recently called him the only "potential franchise player" in the draft-but the short time playing the game is also bad because as he could most likely struggle in the early stages of his career.

As stated earlier, Embiid has suffered a few injuries this season including his back and knee which could raise some red flags since the NBA is much more rougher than the NCAA and with his size he could possibly injury waiting to happen. But then when we look at someone like Andre Drummond who had injuries in the past and how he overcame them it gives Embiid hope to succeed. Keep in mind that Embiid has only played organized basketball in the United States for two years and since everything is new to him it's also new to his body; most if not all players selected in the lottery will have AAU, 4-years of High School experience and a few seasons of collegiate basketball played which prepares them mentally and physically while Embiid is the complete opposite. The NBA will put more stress on his body and the D-league and summer league could be used to help him out as he progresses each game and practice. 

It's quite clear that Embiid has the potential to become special as he takes in all the basketball knowledge from others and like Jared Sullinger his back probably isn't a big problem as others are making it and unlike Sullinger, he won't be slipping the draft as he will most likely be selected in the Top-5 barring any breaking news.

I see Joel Embiid becoming a 15-point game scorer in the NBA and playing more like Roy Hibbert and Andrew Bynum when he was with the Lakers. Embiid has gained comparisons to NBA legends Shaquille O'Neal Tim Duncan & Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon which is completely blasphemous to compare All-Time greats to a 20-year old, he may have similar characteristics but he is nowhere close or possibly will ever be on the level they were at. Back in 2012 New Orleans Pelicans C/F Anthony Davis gained comparisons to Kevin Garnett which raised some eyebrows but was a very accurate comparison if you watched him at Kentucky and in his sophomore season that comparison has come to life, maybe with Embiid he will become one of those legends but as of 2014 I don't see that happening. 

NBA Comparisons: Roy Hibbert & Andrew Bynum

Best fits: Milwaukee Bucks,  Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers & Boston Celtics

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Prospect Examination: Jabari Parker

"Jabari could not have been better," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "He is the epitome of what you would want a basketball player to be -- outstanding every day on the practice court and in the classroom and a very humble young man. He had a fantastic freshman year and is so deserving of the opportunity to play in the NBA and follow his dream."

He was so good that his High School (Simeon) uplifted their "No freshmen on varsity" rule just for him, not even Derrick Rose had that uplifted but Jabari Parker did and having a rule like that uplifted for a freshmen means he's a very good basketball player. Parker has been talked about since his high school senior year and was thought of to be the leader of the "Year of the Freshmen" in college basketball and for the most part he certainly was having one of the best freshmen seasons in recent memory. Despite his surprising early exit in the NCAA Tournament by Mercer he is a virtual lock in the Top-3 of this years draft.

Unlike other college athletes, Parker actually took his time to think about declaring for the NBA Draft. After Duke was upset by Mercer in the round of 32, Parker would go on to call his college career "incomplete" which appeared to indicate that he was leaning towards returning for his sophomore year and team up with another Chicago product, childhood friend, former AAU teammate and 2015 NBA Draft prospect Jahlil Okafor ( cousin of Emeka Okafor ). Parker is the 5th Blue Devil to be one-and-done joining Corey Maggette, Luol Deng, Kyrie Irving and Austin Rivers.

"If I feel like there are things I could improve on or things I left, like during the season, then I will probably come back," Parker said. "A deciding factor is where I'm going to grow the most, whether it's in the NBA or even in college, the learning experiences that I need as far as [growing as] a basketball player."

"I love the whole attitude of ‘staying in college,’ because I want to take advantage of it. Getting a free education is big time in my family." Parker said. "Everything in my city is negative, [The media] try to bring it down so much with the violence and I’m an African-American male in my community…going to college and that’s big time. I want to represent them in the best form, the best manner just to keep them close to my heart so they can see that there’s a young [guy] out on the South Side doing big things."

Despite being the afterthought to Kansas forward Andrew Wiggins, many thought Wiggins had more potential than Parker mainly because of his athletic ability.  The athletic ability of a player should never be the judging point as to how good a player could be because if that was the case then Kevin Love would've never gotten drafted back in '08. Parker may not have dunk contest athletic ability but he is athletic — more like Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony athletic.

Regardless of how you look at it, Parker is to Durant as Wiggins is to LeBron. What I mean when I say that is in all rankings and mock drafts, Parker was ranked No. 2 to Wiggins and in the NBA Durant usually finishes second behind LeBron and it even got to a point where Durant publicly said he hated being known as No. 2 because it's been like that his whole entire life.

Parker excelled tremendously this season at Duke and was very impressive with his high IQ and desire to score along with rebounding at a high rate and despite his low assists totals, he isn't a selfish player as his seasonal stats may fool the naked eye. Parker is a very burly young man with great speed and can get to the rim at will and could finish with a emphatic dunk or a contact layup along with averaging about six free-throws per night .  

Year	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
13-14	19.1	8.7	1.2	1.1	1.2	0.473	0.358	0.748

Year	PER	USG	TS%	ORtg	DRtg	WS	TRB
13-14	28.1	32.7	0.558	115.0	99.3	5.5	17.1

Just looking at Parker's advanced stats you could tell that he was just dominant this season without a unprecedented 28.1 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and a ridiculously high 32.7 Usage Rate (USG)  which shows that he was very active this past season along with sky high  115 Offensive Rating (ORtg) and 99.3 Defensive Rating (DRtg).

Parker has shot better than most forward/guards that have entered the draft in past years. He isn't the best shooter but once he gets hot it's a forgone conclusion and in the NBA his shot will become scary good and evolve just like Anthony's and Durant's. Parker is smart enough to realize that if his shot is having a night off then he should just drive to the rim consistently and being the threat he is, he is likely to be fouled. For a guy 6-8 it's very intriguing to see someone of that size with impressive passing skills and ball-handling skills which makes him a bigger threat on offense as a scorer or play maker.  With his 7'0" wingspan Parker can disrupt passing lanes which helps makeup for his lack of defensive skills.

Parker this season struggled against bigger and longer opponents than him and will struggle against a few Small forwards but as his career matures that won't be much of a problem. The 19-year old also doesn't have great lateral quickness on the defensive end which allowed other forwards to go around him to either make a play or score which led Coach K to bench him sometimes in the closing minutes of a game. He also sometimes becomes unaware of what's going on defense and needs to improve his post defense. There are better players in those categories than Parker but none of them have as great as work ethic as him to improve.

There have been players in the past that have been hyped up but couldn't execute on the court, Parker is not one of those players as he has exceeded expectations. Parker is the most NBA-Ready player in this years draft and Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Joel Embiid (Kansas), Aaron Gordon (Arizona), Julius Randle (Kentucky) and Marcus Smart (Oklahoma St.). Parker is 6'8" 241-pounds which is similar to some current NBA players as in Paul Pierce, Luol Deng and Carmelo Anthony. To me Parker is the best player in this years draft and is a definite future All-Star and is at the top of all his peers in the draft.

This season Parker has been bombarded with multiple comparisons from Luol Deng to Carmelo Anthony to Kevin Durant to Paul Pierce.

"I think he’s having that Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant-type impact on the game," Grant Hill said. "His versatility is through the roof. He can play multiple positions, guard multiple positions, handle the ball, post up, shoot from long range. Then there’s the intellect. And the beauty of his game is his personality. He’s 100% bought in, he’s emotionally invested and that’s the sign of a champion. He has an incredible feel for the game and it’s something that’s hard to quantify."

"There’s a lot of Melo in him as far as guy that can stretch you to the 3-point line," UCLA coach Steve Alford said. "He can drive the basketball. He creates space off the dribble to get jump shots. He can take you to the post, so I just think he’s a very, very talented, gifted player. And you don’t see a lot who are this polished 10, 11 games into their freshman year." But Parker is more satisfied with the comparison to Melo saying It’s a good comparison, He mastered the fundamentals. He’s always good at his craft. He works on it and that’s a person I’ve been looking up to, so yeah, that’s good compliment."

With so many NBA comparisons going on with future NBA prospects, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant points to technology as most of the youngsters in today's game having skills before their time.

"You can basically go to [search] your favorite player and watch film," Durant said. "You can go on YouTube and type in 'LeBron James' and watch every move he does, break it down and work on it. It's simple. When I was coming up you had to figure it out. I'm seeing [young] guys shooting fade-away and Euro-step floaters. Where are they getting this stuff? They're just watching these guys thoroughly [on video] and breaking it down. Some of these kids have access to going to my camp, or LeBron's camp or D-Wade's [Dwyane Wade's camp], getting 1-on-1 instruction. It's amazing. The game is growing."

In today's day-and-age we are so used to seeing athletes declare for the draft or college in fancy ways if it's via press conference, national TV or at a location where something special happened; Jabari Parker is different as he declared for the draft in a well written letter to Sports Illustrated — Who else does that?

"Ultimately, I boiled my decision down to two simple questions," Parker wrote. "Which environment -- college or the NBA -- offers me the best opportunity to grow as a basketball player? Which environment -- college or the NBA -- offers me the best opportunity to grow and develop off the court? The answer to both questions is undeniably the NBA."

"There is something else. My father, Sonny, played in the NBA," Parker wrote. "I know firsthand that the career span of a pro basketball player is finite. The lucky ones play until their mid-30s. With that perspective, I shrink my professional career with each year that I remain in college. It's ironic, but true."

Parker is showing great admiration and appreciation for joining the NBA and is already promising to give it his for whichever team drafts him in June.

"I realize how much of a privilege and an honor it is to join the ranks of the NBA,” Parker wrote.“I will do everything in my power to help deliver championships to the franchise that drafts me. At the same time, I recognize the obligation to represent the league in an admirable way off the court."

I don't get very fascinated with players on and off the court but I am with Jabari Parker as he is what the NBA needs as Parker is becoming a true man before his years and has gained my support and possibly others more than any other college and possibly pro athlete and with something people admire — respect. Parker plans on returning to school to finish what he just started as he is already thinking of life after basketball and he isn't even 20 yet. He had a 3.7 GPA in high school and is a honor student at Duke; despite not completing his Mormon mission, he remained faithful to his religion as he constantly carries the Book of Mormon and does much charity work in his community.

"My days as a Duke student are not [over]. I intend to graduate from Duke while I'm in the NBA," Parker wrote. "I was an honor student when I arrived at Duke, and I'd like to graduate as one. I know some people will say this is unrealistic. Others will say, why bother? The fact is that I have many interests beyond basketball. I'd like to write a children's book. I am interested in various business aspects of the entertainment industry. And I'd like to work with corporate America in one way or another. A college degree from Duke will help with each of these aspirations."

"I want to follow in my father's footsteps as a role model to youth," Parker wrote. "especially those kids who need the most help. My dad created the Sonny Parker Youth Foundation, which has helped countless boys -- including me -- develop into manhood and stay out of trouble."

Jabari Parker clearly has his head straight and is a great example of what a African-American athlete should aspire to become because most of them just don't cut it as role models. 

Some will put on a smile and say some stuff to the youth for the camera trying to boost their image and the next day end up in jail or have a negative report written up about them. Parker and LeBron James are the two role models in the NBA that personify that term. Once drafted, Parker will bring true maturity to the locker room along with a All-Star caliber skill-set which will make him on the better NBA players from now in 10 years and just like Laker legend guard Kobe Bryant, I see "Great Potential" in him.

Best fits: Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers

NBA Comparisons: Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pierce and Kevin Durant

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Prospect Examination: Julius Randle

"Kentucky will always have a special place in my heart, but growing up as a kid," Randle said as he declared for the NBA Draft. "there's always been my dream to play in the NBA, and there's no better opportunity for me to achieve that goal than now."

"I came here to win a national championship. I came here to mature on and off the court, and I did that," Randle said. "I came (up) one game short of winning a national championship, we did as a team. But everything we went through this year was just an experience I'll never forget. That alone kept me at peace."

Before declaring for the draft, Kentucky freshmen forward Julius Randle took his time talking to many to help him make a decision; but ultimately Randle is another “one-and-done” player. Randle had a tremendous season leading the Wildcats to a 29-11 record but a better NCAA Tournament as he led his freshmen dominant team to the championship game for the first time since 2012 but difference is, he lost and the 2012 team won.  

But in general, Randle was a man among boys this season and was constantly in “Beast Mode”showing that he should've deserved the hype in which Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins received from the media and fans. Despite the lack of recognition with his tremendous play the Dallas native has cemented himself as being one of the first few players called in June on draft day as he is elected to be in the Top-5. Watching Randle play and looking at his stats, it's quite evident that he showed inconsistency in his lone season with John Calipari.

League scouts are worried with the 6'11" wingspan which is shorter than other undersized NBA bigs — Paul Millsap (7'1.5"), Brandon Bass (7'2.5") but other players with a exceptional skill-set have a wingspan smaller than 7'0" — Blake Griffin (6'11.3"), Kevin Love (6'11.3") and Thaddeus Young (6'11.5"). Basically Randle is going to need to improve his game vastly if he doesn't want to be lunch meat in the league where veterans and youngsters truly learn the meaning of NBA "No Boys Allowed." Now notice, the players who are either undersized in height or have a wingspan below 7'0" can make perimeter shots and rebound at a high rate, but Randle can't shoot as he shot around 30% outside the paint.

Randle was the best player on a very young Kentucky team which started five freshmen (sound familiar) and gained a abundance of comparisons to the University of Michigan's Fab-5 from the 1990s. Randle shared the spotlight Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, James Young and Dakari Johnson; but it's clear that Michigan had the better Fab-5 with Chris Webber and Jalen Rose but that's another discussion for another day. At 6'9", 250-pounds Randle was thought of to dominate college basketball at his position but didn't do exactly that but did put up respectable stats.

Year	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
13-14	15.0	10.4	1.4	0.5	0.8	0.500	0.167	0.706

Advanced stats

Year	PER	TS%	USG	TRB%	ORtg	DRtg	WS
13-14	24.5	0.567	25.4	19.2	115.9	97.8	5.9

Randle's true value is under his opponents basket on the offensive end as he is bigger than most of his defenders as he plays “Bully Ball” with his 250-pound frame. Randle uses his left hand to get hit shot up and can take contact from defenders and end up at the free-throw line as he scored half of his 599 points there. He has no problem getting into position on the left or right block. But the ugliest part of his game is his jump-shot as it's just flat out weak but if he improves it then he will become a threat on the defensive end of the floor, Randle won't lead the league in blocks but will be a good rebounder and post-defender of that end.  

Just by reading this so far you could tell that Randle is very limited compared to other prospects and just like other soon-to-be draftees he has his notable weaknesses. Many believe Randle would use his intimidating stature more on the low block instead of trying to become a stretch-4 and take jump-shots because at this stage in his development that's not his identity but is could be once he's with a shooting coach. It's quite clear his shot is his huge weakness, but he can become obsessed with it. Randle's obsession with the mid-range is the equivalent to a guy trying to flirt with a girl but not getting the hint that he has no chance because she's not into him but possibly over time if he changes something then he might have a chance.

A major physical problem for Randle which he couldn't control is his wingspan which is ultimately the reason why he has the defensive stats he does. The short arms of Randle has become subject to criticism as he has been called "T-Rex" for his great height and weight but small arms. Just because of his arms, he will struggle on both ends of the court as he will struggle to shoot over his opponent, drive to the hoop etc., which is a good reason why he probably likes being close to the rim.

When drafted Randle will bring toughness, strong rebounding, strength and handles to whoever team takes him. His former college coach John Calipari believes Randle was "Shaq'd" this season as he was alluding to him being constantly double and triple teamed. Randle is a intriguing prospect nonetheless as he was great strengths and scary weaknesses and his defensive skills and shot are a work in progress.

"I think he's the surest thing in the draft," one GM said. "There's nothing he can't do and there just aren't that many bigs in the NBA with that set of skills. He's going to be a 10-time All-Star and will make a major impact on your team in Year 1. Wiggins might have a little more upside and [Parker] is so attractive as well, but if you take someone else, you're really risking your job."

"He's NBA ready, and he's going to be a top-seven pick in this draft," ESPN draft analyst Chad Ford said. "When you look at the motor that he has and the NBA body that he has and his ability to rebound, those are attributes that NBA GMs salivate over. Could he improve his game with another year at Kentucky? Sure. But I think he's one of the two or three most NBA-ready players in the draft."

Best Fits: Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers or Orlando Magic

NBA Comparisons: David Lee, J.J. Hickson, Carl Landry, Zach Randolph and Brandon Bass

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Prospect Examination: Marcus Smart

A year makes a huge difference for most people and that has been the case with Marcus Smart. If he had gone to the NBA after the conclusion of his freshmen season then he would've most likely been the No. 1 pick or in big consideration to be drafted No. 1. In his freshmen season Smart was named  Consensus second team All-American (2013), Big 12 Conference Player of the Year (2013), USBWA National Freshman of the Year (2013), 2× first team All-Big 12 (2013–2014), Big 12 Freshman of the Year (2013) and Big 12 Player of the Year (2013).  Smart earned those accomplishments by averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.0 steals with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The 2013 draft has been known as being lackluster and Smart would easily have been the best player from the draft with having some competition from Michael Carter-Williams.

When Smart announced he was returning to OSU for his sophomore season it was a huge surprise around the basketball community.

"There’s a lot of speculation going. "Smart said when he was defending as to why he returned to school." I’ve been bashed and criticized that I probably made a mistake of coming back here, the NBA will be there, I should have took it, and this year’s draft class is much weaker than next year’s. But I think I made the right decision. All that was telling me, from those people that said that, is they don’t have confidence in my ability and my game to compete with those players next year. You guys have given me that confidence to do that, so I chose to stay here. I’m aware of how much money I am giving up."

Fast forward one year and some are questioning if he hurt or help his draft stock after staying an extra year. There is no definite answer to that because a talent like his is Top-10 material and come June he will become one of the first players to shake the NBA's newly appointed Commissioner Adam Silver's hand.  

Looking at his stats:

Freshmen year: 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 3.0 steals, 40% (FG%), 29% (3P%) and  78% (FT%)

Sophomore year: 18.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.9 steals, 42% (FG%), 30% (3P%) and 73% (FT%)

While looking at Smart's stats one can see that nothing drastic changed about his production and with that he has showed minimal improvement over the course of two seasons and NBA GMs may question his work ethic because for a NBA player those shooting percentages are atrocious and his free-throw percentage shouldn't decrease by 5% but increase by that number.

His sophomore season was filled with lots of twists and turns most notably on February 8th in which he showed an act of immaturity against Texas Tech as he shoved a fan in the stands as the game was coming to conclusion. After the incident Smart told his coach that the fan, Jeff Orr, who is known as a super fan at Texas Tech had called him the N-Word. Orr and many others would go on to deny that happened. Smart would go to serve a 3-game suspension for his actions directed at the fan.

"Unfortunately for Smart, there is going to be a fallout after this," an NBA executive said. "His reputation has taken a hit. That is all people and the media are going to want to talk about with him before and after the draft. Some teams won’t want to deal with that."

As the NCAA Tournament began with the Round of 64 Smart's Cowboys were one of the first teams eliminated as they lost 85-77 to Gonzaga. Smart ended his college career with 23 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals. In that game he did become the first player in Tournament history to have 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 5+ steals in a game.

Smart was brave enough to stay a extra year and can be commended for that because most players are one-and-done as they go to the NBA for financial stability and to further improve their game. Whichever team drafts Smart they will be receiving a mature young man with leadership skills as well as a versatile combo-guard with a tremendous work ethic and isn't scared of any competition. 

Smart needs to improve his mid-range shot when he enters the league as his FG% on 2-point jumpers decreased by 5.6% from 36.3% to 30.7%. It has become quite obvious that all of Smart's shooting mechanics need to be adjusted.

As noted before, Smart is a combo-guard but mainly played the Point Guard position at OSU. He isn't the best point guard in the nation or draft as he is mainly a score-first guard and his ball-handling skills aren't great or horrible but they are decent as he decreased his turnovers from 3.4-2.5 per game this season.

Smart plays NBA-Ready and with a 6'4", 200-pound frame he clearly has the body to be one of the more physical guards in the league. He's great on offense and very active on defense but will struggle against faster guards due to his lack of speed. His ability to guard both positions well be a reason why he will be in the NBA but his jumpshot will be a reason why he will struggle and hurt him from becoming a future star.

NBA Comparisons: Tyreke Evans and Baron Davis

Best Fits: Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic 

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Prospect Examination: Noah Vonleh

"I’m looking out on the floor," Head Coach of Northwestern Chris Collins said. "and they got a guy who’s going to be a top 10 pick in this year’s draft."

You've heard about the best freshmen in college basketball like Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Tyler Ennis, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid but I bet you probably haven't heard about Indiana freshmen forward Noah Vonleh. Vonleh is the first freshmen from Indiana to go "one-and-done" since New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon during the 2007-2008 season. The 18-year old is expected to be a lottery pick with no significant achievements in his freshmen season. When he announced he declaration for the draft he acknowledged how his team didn't make the tournament for the first time since 2011.

"It's going to suck leaving college without an NCAA Tournament," Vonleh said. "But I have to do what's best for me."

Just like any other freshmen that is dominant in college, he was expected to enter the 2014 NBA Draft. The 6'10" 240-pound 2013 McDonald's All-American was hoping to follow the footsteps of last years Indiana alumni Victor Oladipo (No. 2) of the Orlando Magic and Cody Zeller (No. 4) of the Charlotte Bobcats and as recently stated he'll most likely be a lottery selection. 

"I've heard the fourth pick to the 12th pick is wide open," Vonleh said. "[I think I'll be selected] anywhere in that range."

In his only season with the Hoosiers, he averaged 11.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks on 52.3% (FG%), 48.5% (3P%) and 71.6% (FT%). In the final four games of his college career he averaged 15.4 points and 11.8 rebounds which were all against unranked teams. He put up decent stats against ranked teams but failed in comparison to what he did against those without a rank.

The Indiana Hoosiers were 17-15 this season, but a struggling team like that didn't stop Vonleh from his performance and a reason why some scouts are high on him is because he was only part of the teams offensive possessions 22% of the time and put up decent stats. With room to improve into a possible All-Star or good role player with the he was utilized in college he would definitely be a bigger part on a NBA roster.

From his High School senior to the conclusion of his freshmen year his body has shown improvement as he went from about 210-pounds to 240, grew two inches from 6'8" to 6'10" and now has a 7'3" wingspan which makes him a great shot-blocker and will help him with rebounding if he can add to his aggressiveness that'll help him in the long run. With his size and height whomever he is drafted by he will be able to play power forward along with center and be used in small lineups.

Like any other athlete he has his strengths and weaknesses, one of his major weaknesses is his size as he must bulk up, but his main strength is his rebounding ability as he averaged 9.0 per game and had 13 games with 10+ rebounds in 30 games played which also led his conference which was the Big 10. Watching Vonleh play many people have noticed that he is a hustler on the court is willing to dive for extra possessions showing that he is a team player. It's very surprising to see a young stud like him being a team player because typically it's unheard of at that age, he's also known as being a well-coached athlete and that will help coaches and trainers in helping Vonleh reach if full-potential in the NBA.  

Defensively he's pretty good as his defensive win shares were 2.0 which was good enough for second in the Big 10, Defensive rating was 91.7 which ranked I'm 4th in his conference. Vonleh is good enough to get drafted into an exclusive club of 400+ but the question is, Can he stay in the league and improve? Vonleh is for certain a work in project and it should surprise anyone if he spends some time in the D-league. He needs to work on his post game and jump shot since most of his points came around the basket and rarely from outside; he has shown signs of the potential of becoming a good shooter as he was 16-33 this season from the 3-point line and in a game in which more players, teams and big-men are going behind the line, Vonleh will become useful their.

"I think I proved that I’ve got a pretty good skill set," Vonleh said. "I can step out, shoot threes. My post game has gotten a lot better, still a work in progress. I can still improve on it. I can still improve on a lot of things in my shot, getting my release quicker, being able to push the dribble out and do different things like that, just to make myself an overall better player."

There is doubt that Vonleh has the assets to become a solid player in the league and have a defined role, don't expect him to be a difference make until his 3rd or 4th season as I expect he will struggle his first two. What will become interesting is if he's taken before Kentucky freshmen power forward, Julius Randle.

"He'll spend a lot of time in the D-League next year," A NBA general manager said. "He's nowhere near ready to play, but there's no doubt he's got great potential, along with very good character."

NBA Comparisons: Tristan Thompson, Arnett Moultrie & Ed Davis

Best fits: Los Angeles Lakers, Philadplhia 76ers, Orlando Magic & Phoenix Suns

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