By Daniel Seco |
at June 24, 2012 10:24 pm
With the draft just four days away, teams are scurrying to get their plans in order before Thursday evening's big event in Newark, NJ. Saturday saw another full slate of draft rumors and Sunday's already shaping up to look the same. Ft. Worth Star-Telegram's Dwain Price reports the Mavs will be looking to add a rotation-type player with the 17th pick. We'll keep track of all of the day's latest draft news and happenings with the most recent information on top.
- The Rockets are looking to move into the top 10, dangling some combination of picks 14, 16 and Kyle Lowry, says Chad Ford. Ford suspects that the Rockets are eyeing UConn's Andre Drummond and could be speaking with the Kings at pick 5 and the Raptors at pick 8.
- Jodie Valade addresses the comparisons between Bradley Beal and Ray Allen in a story for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, implying that Beal could be more versatile than Allen.
- Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group takes a look at potential Warriors targets Moe Harkless, Terrence Ross and Quincy Miller and where the selection of the three wings would make sense for Golden State.
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Earlier updates:
- The Jazz have a history of striking gold in the second round, writes Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune. The Jazz pick 47th on Thursday, the same pick they have found second round steals Paul Millsap and Mo Williams with in recent drafts.
- Matt Steinmetz from CSN Bay Area has more on Moe Harkless' workout with the Warriors, including video of him answering questions from the media.
- Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops revealed a number of draft related items via Twitter/Sulia feed, including that the Wizards are looking to swap picks with the Bobcats to ensure they land Bradley Beal.
- ESPN's David Thorpe, in an insider piece, takes a look at what the Warriors and Magic should be looking for. Golden State picks seventh and Orlando 19th.
- Frank Fitzpatrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer put together a profile on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who went to high school in New Jersey.
- Kevin Massoth of USA Today examines the tough decision Bradley Beal faced on entering the draft versus returning for his sophomore season at Florida.
- Sam Amick of SI.com tweets that Moe Harkless, after working out for the Warriors (pick seven), will work out for the Kings (pick five) who are showing serious interest. Terrence Ross was supposed to work out against Harkless in Golden State, but couldn't because of an ankle injury (via Rusty Simmons on Twitter).
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune says Royce White, while blessed with immense talent, could be the hardest player to project given his star-crossed journey to the NBA draft.
- The Knicks will work out Erving Walker, Oscar Bellfield, Marcus Denmon and Harouna Mutombo on Monday, tweets Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com.
- The Cavs are currently trying to trade for the Bobcats' No. 2 pick, but FOX Sports Ohio's Sam Amico says he would be surprised if a deal came to fruition (via Twitter).
- The News-Herald's Bob Finnan has the latest news on the Cavs' draft plans and rumors from around the league.
- The Sixers plan to draft for talent rather than to fill a specific need, writes John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal says to look for the Grizzlies to select a shooting guard such as Vanderbilt's John Jenkins with the 25th pick in the draft.
- This year's draft will have more of an American feel as executives have seemingly cooled on the international talent pool, suggests Dwain Price of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram.
- The Sacramento Bee's Ailene Voisin says the Kings will have numerous options to consider as they head into Thursday's draft armed with the fifth overall pick.
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By Chuck Myron |
at June 23, 2012 4:27 pm
We're tracking most of today's draft updates here, but Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com has a piece that deserves some extra attention. Howard-Cooper also wrote about the pressure on new Warriors GM Bob Myers today, as we noted, and he has more here on potential choices for Golden State at No. 7 and a player whose stock is on the rise.
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- A GM told Howard-Cooper not to be surprised if St. John's small forward Moe Harkless winds up in the lottery. We've already heard that Harkess is drawing heavy interest from the Warriors, Blazers and Kings.
- This week's trade with the Wizards increases the Hornets' need for a center with the No. 10 pick. That's bad news for the Blazers and Bucks, also in the market for a big man. Howard-Cooper believes Andre Drummond, Meyers Leonard and Tyler Zeller will all be off the board by the time Portland makes its second pick at No. 11.
- The Warriors are giving strong consideration to drafting Dion Waiters at No. 7 and making him the team's third guard behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The team likes Damian Lillard, too, but he might not be available.
- Royce White, who one executive compares to Anthony Mason, should go somewhere between 15th and 25th.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 22, 2012 12:35 pm
We've already linked one Friday piece from ESPN.com's Chad Ford in our daily Draft Updates post, but Ford is back with another Insider-only column full of draft news and rumors. Here are his newest items on the Pistons, Bucks, Rockets, and more….
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- Meyers Leonard and John Henson appear to be the favorites to be drafted by the Pistons at No. 9, but if Andre Drummond manages to fall, Detroit would likely snap him up. There are scenarios in which Drummond could slip, since he has reportedly struggled in workouts and hasn't received strong feedback from teams.
- If Leonard and Tyler Zeller are both off the board at No. 12, the Bucks could switch gears and draft a wing player, with Jeremy Lamb, Terrence Ross, and Moe Harkless all possibilities.
- Lamb was forced to cancel workouts after suffering a high ankle sprain during a Toronto workout, but would like to get in a few more before the draft, if he can. The Blazers and Suns are among the teams "clamoring to get him in," and the Raptors would like to get a longer look at him too.
- After reporting yesterday that White has received a guarantee from the Celtics, Ford isn't surprised to hear his report being strongly denied. He believes his sources are strong, but cautions that draft promises are hard to nail down and that the guarantee could have come from the Hawks at No. 23.
- The Rockets would love to move up into the top five, but don't want to give up a ton of assets. They feel like the middle of the draft is strong, and have turned down one offer to package picks 14 and 16 for a top-10 choice, according to Ford. While the top big men (Drummond, Leonard, Zeller) may not be around at No. 14, the Rockets have other ways of acquiring a center, and could target Roy Hibbert and Omer Asik in restricted free agency, says Ford.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 21, 2012 11:02 pm
All eyes tonight will be on Game 5 of the NBA Finals, as the Thunder look to stave off elimination in Miami, but exactly one week from now, we'll be gearing up for the 2012 draft. The first draft-related trade of the month was finalized yesterday, when the Wizards sent the No. 46 overall pick to the Hornets along with Rashard Lewis as part of a three-player swap. Will we see another deal consummated today? We'll keep track of the day's latest draft news and rumors right here, with the newest items added up top….
- Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com wonders whether Royce White's decision to pull out of his remaining workout has to do with an injury or his fear of flying instead of a promise from the Celtics (Twitter link). Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune pegs White as a candidate to be picked at No. 18 by the Wolves, and lists the second-round hopefuls the team will be working out Friday.
- Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal sizes up Andrew Nicholson and the chances he'll go to the Cavs at pick No. 24.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com has tweaked his mock draft in the wake of the latest developments (Insider link).
Earlier updates:
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- The Celtics appear to have promised Iowa State power forward Royce White that they will draft him at No. 21, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Sam Amick of SI.com tweets that one of his sources is denying the report.
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News
reports that despite being red-flagged by NBA doctors, Jared Sullinger is unlikely to slip out of the first round, and he'll probably go no lower than the Cavs' 24th pick.
- The picks between No. 27 and No. 29, held by the Heat, Thunder and Bulls, are "very available" for other teams looking to trade for a late first-round selection, a league executive tells Deveney.
- We rounded up news from Sam Amick of SI.com in an earlier post, including word on a potential swap of the second and fourth picks.
- Jonathan Feigen says the Rockets are trying to trade the 14th and 16th picks, as we noted earlier, and also gives us his own mock draft.
- The Sixers will work out Arnett Moultrie, Tyler Zeller, Perry Jones, John Henson and Andrew Nicholson on Saturday, John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer says via Twitter, and Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets a list of possible second-rounders working out Friday for the Jazz.
- Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com has the third version of his mock draft. He opines that the No. 7 pick would be a lot for the Warriors to give up in a rumored deal with the Bulls for Luol Deng (Twitter link).
- The Blazers are shopping both of their first-round picks, at No. 6 and No. 11, but no deal is imminent, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Still, new GM Neil Olshey says, "My gut today is that we would keep the picks," according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (Twitter link).
- The Warriors plan on keeping the seventh pick, and even though they already have two first-round selections, they'd like to add a third, says Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitterlinks).
- The Bobcats will work out six players tomorrow, including Thomas Robinson and Andre Drummond, the team announced. Second-round hopefuls Kent Bazemore, Chris Cooper, Ramone Moore and Josh Owens are the other prospects involved.
- John Canzano of the Oregonian heard from one GM who believes the Blazers will draft Damian Lillard at No. 6 rather than risk him being taken before their 11th pick (Twitter link). ESPN.com's Chad Ford tweets that he's hearing similar rumblings.
- In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, Ford takes a look at how this month's workouts might have affected the draft stock of the top few prospects on the board.
- A day after the Times-Picayune's John DeShazier suggested the Emeka Okafor/Trevor Ariza trade could open up the door for the Hornets to draft Tyler Zeller, his colleague John Reid reports that New Orleans is in fact seriously considering Zeller at No. 10.
- That Hornets/Wizards deal could also increase the chances of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist falling to the Cavaliers at No. 4, says Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
- As Jay Satur of Raptors.com notes, The Raptors have a number of top prospects in town for today's workout, including John Henson, Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones III, and Terrence Jones.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic explores the Suns' backup plan for the 13th pick if there are no shooting guards they like on the board.
- Thomas Robinson and Andre Drummond worked out against each other in Cleveland yesterday, with Robinson clearly coming out on top, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com.
- The Timberwolves will work out six players tomorrow, including Quincy Acy for a second time, the team announced via Twitter.
- Baylor's Quincy Miller thinks he'd be a great fit for the Nuggets, according to Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.
- The Hawks' PR Twitter feed has the details on the team's workouts today (Twitter link).
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By Luke Adams |
at June 15, 2012 7:10 pm
Yesterday's roundup of draft links included a ton of updates on workouts and speculation on where certain players may land. We expect more of the same today, so we'll track today's draft notes right here, adding new items to the top of the list throughout the day….
- Anthony Davis has decided to hire Wasserman Media Group to represent him, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The former Kentucky star will work out for the Hornets on Tuesday, tweets Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com.
- The Jazz will host six players on Saturday for a pre-draft workout, according to a team press release. The participants will include Kim English, Jorge Gutierrez, Noah Hartsock, Robbie Hummel, Toure' Murry and Malik Wayns.
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Earlier updates:
- Perry Jones III, Terrence Jones, Arnett Moultrie, and John Henson will work out against one another for the Suns tomorrow, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
- Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld explores whether John Henson is a perfect fit for the Pistons at No. 9.
- Andre Drummond has an individual workout with the Wizards scheduled for Monday, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
- In a series of tweets, Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News lists the prospects the Pistons have worked out this week.
- We rounded up a handful of draft rumors from ESPN.com's Andy Katz in a separate post.
- Damian Lillard to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian (Twitter link) on the possibility of being drafted by the Trail Blazers: "I could see it happening. And I hope so. I think I really fit in here."
- The Nuggets have a six-player workout scheduled for Monday, according to a team press release. Will Barton, Royce White, Andrew Nicholson, Marquis Teague, Tyshawn Taylor, and Kevin Murphy are the participants.
- Evan Fournier and Will Barton will work out for the Bucks tomorrow, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter).
- ESPN.com's David Thorpe (Insider link) examines potential targets for the 76ers at No. 15, concluding that Terrence Jones could be the best fit.
- The Wizards will work out Harrison Barnes next Tuesday, tweets Michael of the Washington Post.
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist believes the Wizards would be a playoff team if they drafted him third overall, he tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Kidd-Gilchrist is working out alone for Washington, with Austin Rivers, Terrence Ross, and Tomas Satoransky in a group workout, tweets Lee.
- Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has published his latest mock draft for Yahoo! Sports.
- SI.com's Sam Amick takes a look at Andre Drummond's stock, and says the Hornets haven't made a draft-day promise to Austin Rivers.
- At Raptors.com, Jay Satur has the list of prospects working out for the Raptors today.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 13, 2012 11:16 pm
With 15 days remaining until draft night, we'll round up today's notes on draft workouts, stock watches, and potential selections right here, with the latest up top:
Earlier updates:
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- Morley Quatroche of WEEI.com breaks down Michael Kidd-Gilchrist from a Celtics perspective.
- HoopsWorld's Stephen Brotherston looks at whether Kentucky sixth man Darius Miller can be just as valuable as a key reserve in the NBA.
- Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times has the latest on the Bucks' search for a big man.
- Portland native Terrence Jones talks about his workout for the Blazers today in a video posted by Sean Meagher of The Oregonian.
- Warriors.com shares mock drafts put together by broadcasters and well-known bloggers.
- Thomas Robinson worked out for his hometown Wizards today, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post chronicles.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at Andre Drummond as teams try to get a handle on his boom-or-bust potential.
- A number of beat writers have updates on draft workouts for the Trail Blazers, Wizards, and Bucks.
- Don't expect the Jazz to make a trade to get back into the first round of the draft. GM Kevin O'Connor tells Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune that the asking price for first-round picks will be high, and he doesn't anticipate his team will make a move "unless we find something we really like."
- SI.com's Sam Amick shares the list of participants for the Warriors' workout tomorrow.
- The Sixers announced via press release that they'll work out Quincy Miller, Terrence Ross, and Mike Scott tomorrow morning.
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com becomes the latest draft scribe to release an updated version of his mock draft today.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford has provided a ton of draft content today, publishing his new mock draft and answering a number of readers' questions in a chat. Among the highlights of Ford's chat: He believes the Bobcats will trade the No. 2 pick for either multiple picks or a pick and a player.
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio also conducted a chat heavy on draft-related inquiries.
- Harrison Barnes and Damian Lillard were among the lottery prospects to boost their stock in athletic testing, while Jared Sullinger and John Henson's scores didn't help them, says Chad Ford (Insider link).
- Anthony Davis isn't the only player in this draft class with star potential, writes Jay Bilas in an Insider piece for ESPN.com.
- Fab Melo and Andrew Nicholson highlighted the group of prospects in attendance at the Suns' first workout yesterday, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld and SI.com's Sam Amick each released updated versions of their mock drafts today.
- The Raptors worked out six more players today, including Canadian forward Kris Joseph, according to a team press release.
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By Zachary Links |
at June 12, 2012 10:20 pm
Accomplished Italian coach Ettore Messina told Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com that he'll be leaving his job as a consultant for the Lakers to once again take the helm for CSKA Moscow. Messina's contract will include an out clause if he is presented with an NBA head coaching opportunity, however. The 52-year-old has been linked to a handful of NBA teams in recent years and could be an interesting addition to ongoing searches in Orlando, Charlotte, and possibly Portland. More from around the league after the jump..
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- The Trail Blazers are expected to conduct an open head coaching search after the draft but how open that search will be remains to be seen, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Olshey seemed to back coach Kaleb Canales in his introductory presser but will apparently interview potential coaches after getting the roster in order.
- Sixers president and GM Rod Thorn acknowledged that the team has begun a search for his replacement but Thorn will still play a major hand in the draft on June 28th, writes John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The 71-year-old said that he has talked about transitioning into a consulting role with the club for quite some time.
- While there has been speculation about Celtics coach Doc Rivers becoming a finalist for the Magic GM job, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter) doesn't see that happening. If Orlando wanted to pursue him, Robbins reasons, they would have started by now.
- Timberwolves president David Kahn spoke with Royce White about his anxiety issues and didn't come away with any major concerns, writes Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press. Fred Hoiberg, White's college coach, recently explained that the forward's fear of flying never affected his play on the court.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 12, 2012 3:47 pm
We'll track the day's draft-related news and rumors here, with the newest updates up top:
- Jonathon Givony of DraftExpress has measurements from Chicago's draft combine, including max verticals for all the prospects in attendance.
- Neither Perry Jones III or Terrence Jones blew away Warriors management when they worked out for Golden State, writes Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. The Warriors continue to hope they can use their lottery pick to upgrade at small forward, and both Joneses project as power forwards.
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Earlier updates:
- Doron Lamb, Moe Harkless, Royce White, Fab Melo, and Quincy Miller are among the prospects scheduled to work out for the Hawks, the team announced today.
- David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider link) identifies the Hornets, Bobcats, and Celtics as three teams who could see an immediate impact from their draft picks this year.
- Jared Sullinger is among the prospects the Trail Blazers are working out tomorrow, while Tony Wroten will work out with the team next Wednesday, says Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
- Kentucky's Darius Miller tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post that he'd love the chance to play with former Wildcat teammate John Wall on the Wizards.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 11, 2012 8:12 pm
With the NBA draft just 17 days away, we're guaranteed to be following daily rumors and rumblings for the next two and a half weeks. We'll try to make it as easy as possible to follow the latest updates by including most of our draft-related items in a single daily post. Consider this Monday's post, and check back throughout the day for more draft notes, with the newest additions up top:
- In a tweet, AZCentral.com's Paul Coro has wrangled up some news from CBSSports.com's Jeff Goodman and SI.com's Sam Amick. North Carolina teammates Kendall Marshall and John Henson will reportedly work out for the Suns this week.
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Earlier updates:
- On Tuesday, the Wizards will hold a workout to help decide what direction they want to go with their two second round picks (as of today, the team holds both the 32nd and 46th picks in the draft), tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Some notable names Washington plans to workout are Syracuse's Scoop Jardine, and Duke's Miles Plumlee.
- The Trail Blazers will work out North Carolina's John Henson on Tuesday, tweets SI.com's Sam Amick.
- Also from Amick, the Kings will work out several players, including North Carolina's Tyler Zeller, on Tuesday. Sacramento currently holds picks 5 and 36.
- The Hornets plan on bringing in several point guards and shooting guards when they resume workouts next week, writes Nola.com's John Reid.
- After predicting the top 15 picks in the draft last week, TNT's David Aldridge takes a crack at the rest of the first round in this week's NBA.com column.
- Royce White and Jordan Taylor are among the six prospects scheduled to work out for the Timberwolves on Tuesday, says Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- The Pistons are eyeing potential fits for the second round, working out Miles Plumlee and Kyle O'Quinn, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
- Perry Jones III tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that he'd love to play on the Trail Blazers alongside LaMarcus Aldridge.
- The Magic will be prepared for the draft no matter how long it takes to hire a GM, but a lengthy GM search could have other negative effects, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
- If the Hornets decide to deal their tenth overall pick, gaining future draft assets is more important to them than ditching bad contracts, says Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Kyler doesn't expect the Hornets to include players like Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza with the pick in a deal that merely creates cap space. According to Kyler, New Orleans could seeking a 2012 second-rounder along with a future first-rounder in any deal.
- Within the same piece, Kyler adds that the Warriors and Knicks have expressed some interest in Alabama's Tony Mitchell.
- In a pair of tweets, Kyler says Harrison Barnes did not officially meet with the Bulls, and that a brief chat with coach Tom Thibodeau was blown out of proportion.
- The Sixers met with Andre Drummond at the draft combine and could be trying to trade up, since Drummond will be long gone at No. 15, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
- Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com makes some changes in his latest post-combine mock draft.
- The Kings will need some help if they want a shot to land Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
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By Chuck Myron |
at June 8, 2012 7:04 pm
Tons of NBA executives have been in Chicago the past two days for the NBA pre-draft combine, and we've been following the updates throughout. Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com was on hand for the event, which wasn't nearly as revelatory as it could have been, he says, since several top prospects didn't participate in on-court action. Still, teams learned plenty about the draft-eligible field, and Goodman shares his list of winners and losers from the camp.
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Here are the highlights:
- Damian Lillard tops Goodman's list of winners, further distinguishing himself at the draft's top point guard. His perimeter shooting was the best in the camp.
- No one was more impressive in interviews than Iowa State power forward Royce White, NBA sources told Goodman. White has suffered from an anxiety disorder, but Fred Hoiberg, White's college coach, told Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that White's fear of flying "never affected the way he played" (Twitter link).
- Measurements dispelled concerns about height for Jared Sullinger, Thomas Robinson, Austin Rivers and Bradley Beal, all of whom wound up on the tall side of estimates.
- Agent Derek LaFayette pulled Arnett Moultrie out of the workout portion of the combine. Goodman was surprised by this move and counts it as a negative for Moultrie, but earlier today we heard the Pistons are giving Moultrie strong consideration for the No. 9 pick.
- It was a rough camp for Big East players, as Connecticut guard Jeremy Lamb looked disinterested in interviews, sources told Goodman, while Jae Crowder and Kevin Jones, the conference's top two finishers for its player of the year award, struggled on the court.
- Combo guard J'Covan Brown had the highest body fat percentage of anyone at the camp, at 12.5%.
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