DraftExpress: Big East's Top NBA Prospects

Top 5
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-One-1-5--3022/

6-10
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Two-6-10--3025/

11-15
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Three-11-15--3027/

They should have the last installment, 16-20, tomorrow.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-Four--Part-Four-16-20--3029/

So far, out of the top twenty,
UConn: 4 players
Marquette:3
Louisville:2
Pitt:2
Syracuse:2
Georgetown:2
Nova:2
USF:1
DePaul:1
Notre Dame:1

Mason was once predicted as a 2nd round pick I guess not anymore , It would be great for recruiting & for Mason if he can land at the end of the first round go to LAL as a back SG & learn from the best player on this planet

Mason was once predicted as a 2nd round pick I guess not anymore , It would be great for recruiting & for Mason if he can land at the end of the first round go to LAL as a back SG & learn from the best player on this planet

if he's going to even sniff to the nba, he has to be tougher.

Quote from: KAHNIGHT on November 03, 2008, 02:54:53 PM

Mason was once predicted as a 2nd round pick I guess not anymore , It would be great for recruiting & for Mason if he can land at the end of the first round go to LAL as a back SG & learn from the best player on this planet

if he's going to even sniff to the nba, he has to be tougher.

and get a left hand

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Big-East--Part-Five-21-25--3030/

#22 Justin Burrell, 6-9, Sophomore, Power Forward, St. John’s

Scott Nadler

Justin Burrell is coming off a solid, not spectacular freshman season where he averaged 10.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in heavy minutes in one of the toughest conferences in the country. Playing for a depleted St. John’s squad, Burrell was forced to play big time starter minutes (32 mpg) – perhaps more than he was ready for. Even though he is older than his class (He played a 5th year of high school at Bridgton Academy Prep) Burrell looked inexperienced and outmatched fairly often. With that said, however, Burrell’s potential is unquestionable as he displays the physical gifts of an NBA power forward. It’s going to be interesting to see if the experience he gained last season will translate to improved production this season.

As mentioned previously, Burrell is blessed with a strong physique. At 6”9 and 225 lbs, he uses his strength well - whether it be establishing position in the post or attacking the boards. Additionally, he has shown willingness to run the floor as he appears to be well conditioned and plays with a good amount of energy. Furthermore, he is a good athlete, but not an incredible one.

On the offensive end, Burrell is fairly raw right now, but has shown signs that he can become effective. Currently, the majority of his offensive game is with his back to the basket (32.14% according to Synergy Sports Technology) where he will have to make major improvements if his stock is going to rise. He has a tendency to force up shots when in the painted area – playing far too rushed, which contributes to him squandering easy opportunities under the basket. He is also unwilling to pass out of the post to re-establish better position. Other times he seems a bit indecisive – almost as if he’s thinking about what move to make instead of reacting to what the defense is giving him.

All these factors contribute to his extremely low shooting percentage (42.9 %), along with his poor footwork as well. He has a propensity to make a move and then get stuck, which consequently forces him off balance and often leads to a turnover. Turnovers are another area which he will need to improve, as he commits nearly three a game. This is due in large part to his lack of hand strength in the post and his poor decision making abilities. When he’s balanced and plays off of his instincts, he can be very efficient and a definite low post presence.

Despite the low shooting percentage, Burrell displays a nice shooting stroke with range that extends to about 15 feet. To improve that range, Burrell will have to get more arc on his shot, which will inevitably raise his percentages, as it’s presently rather flat. He has shown a soft touch and if he can consistently knock down mid range shots, his inside game will open up. Additionally, his lack of a pump fake inside contributes to point blank misses and only 3.3 free throw attempts a game. With patience he’ll be able to draw more fouls and make things easier for himself inside. If he can consistently maintain his balance and play at a pace he’s comfortable with, his shooting percentage will increase considerably.

On the defensive end, Burrell has a lot of room to grow. He doesn’t have terrible lateral quickness, but he does struggle with versatile bigs who can take him away from the basket. He has a long wingspan and that helps with his ability to contest outside shots, but is not enough when he is in close out situations. His post defense must improve as well. He allows his opponent to get good position on him in the post as he is often found behind his man which makes for easier post entries. The physicality that he has shown on offense is yet to be seen on defense. He’s often the one getting muscled around inside and is not a shot blocker either. He must work harder in the post and make his man catch the ball outside of the paint and away from the block.

Even though Burrell is a project right now, there is definite potential in him. With the physical tools and the ability that he has shown, it’s clear that he has upside. It’s going to be up to him as to how good he can be.

#24 Anthony Mason Jr, 6-7, Junior, SF/PF, St. John’s

Jonathan Givony

Former New York Knick enforcer Anthony Mason’s son, Anthony Mason Jr, was the leading scorer on St. John’s last season. This is somewhat of a dubious distinction, though, considering that the team has gone 38-49 in his three seasons so far, and finished 14th in the Big East last year.

On paper, we’re talking about a (potentially) fairly interesting NBA prospect. Standing 6-7, with a nice frame, long arms, and terrific athletic ability, Mason Jr fits the ball physically for what scouts look for at the small forward position.

Offensively, Mason Jr is fairly talented as well, showing potential with his ability to hit shots off the dribble and particularly beyond the arc, where he hit 38% of his 3-point attempts. Scoring 14 points per game in the Big East is nothing to sneer at, but unfortunately Mason Jr needed an unbelievable amount of shots each game to get to that number. His 16.8 field goal attempts per-40 minutes ranked him 6th in the Big East last season, of which he converted only a dismal 42%. Add in the fact that he rarely gets to the free throw line (and only converts 67% of his free throw attempts once there), and you realize that we’re talking about an extremely inefficient offensive player.

Mason Jr has two major and very much related issues which he will have to resolve if he’s to have any chance at playing in the NBA—his ball-handling skills and shot-selection. He struggles badly to create shots for himself off the bounce (especially with his left hand), sporting a very high dribble, and looking very limited in his ability to change directions with the ball and get to the rim. For that reason, he relies very heavily on his pull-up jumper from mid-range, not hesitating in the least bit to go one on one and then shoot an incredibly difficult fade-away jumper off his back heel with a hand in his face. According to Synergy Sports Technology, 50% of Mason Jr’s jumpers came off the dribble, which is a very high rate.

Mason Jr’s inability to create high-percentage scoring opportunities makes him extremely predictable in this aspect, and thus very easy to guard—hence the poor shooting numbers, and consequently (at least partially), his team’s record last season. He’s a fairly good passer, but turns the ball over so much that he largely negates that. Despite possessing excellent size for a small forward, he rarely takes advantage of that by posting up smaller players inside.

Defensively, we find mostly a mixed bag as well. He has excellent tools here, a nice frame, good length, and the athleticism needed to make an impact. The problem is that his fundamentals are extremely poor, losing focus easily, not doing a great job containing his man on the perimeter, and gambling excessively in the passing lanes. He’s also a fairly mediocre rebounder considering that his physical tools, which has everything to do with toughness and effort, traits that Mason Jr currently does not stand out in.

There is no question that Mason Jr would have to significantly change his mentality and overall approach to the game if he’s to draw even remote interest from the NBA. Fortunately for him, his athleticism, pedigree and numbers in a strong level of competition such as the Big East will get him a fair amount of looks in the form of workouts and invites to places like Portsmouth and possibly the NBA pre-draft camp, should he fare well there. It’s not too late for him to turn a new leaf, and it’s possible that some of his struggles last season had to do with the eight games he missed due to injury.

wow I thought this might have been the best analysis I've seen on our guys yet. Pretty on point and fair on each.

wow I thought this might have been the best analysis I've seen on our guys yet. Pretty on point and fair on each.

Wow, very very agreed, and very true, every single point.  Joe Alexander exposed Burrell badly last year on drives to the hoop, and I hope Justin's improved his defense in that area.

DJ kennedy will be on this list as top 20 next year....

DJ kennedy will be on this list as top 20 next year....

WHAT..?

i dont think its that far off of a predection. dj has the size the toughness, his athleticsim inst that far away. who knows how much better his offensive  game has gotten this year