Stick-in-the-mud college professor takes on LeBron's pregame ritual

You guys can have the beer. I'll keep the wenches for myself.

 

He can't

 

OK, I will post this then do a count.
1974:
Moses Malone (Petersburg, Va.)
-- 22nd overall pick (3rd round); by Utah (ABA).
success

1975:
Darryl Dawkins (Evans, Orlando Fla.)
-- 5th overall pick (1st round); by Philadelphia.
For that slot, he was a bust.

Bill Willoughby (Morrow, Englewood, N.J.)
-- 19th overall pick (2nd round); by Atlanta.
Marginal NBA career.

1989:
Shawn Kemp (Concord, Elkhart, Ind.)
-- 17th overall pick (1st round); by Seattle.
I don't think he every played up to his talent.

1995:
Kevin Garnett (Farragut, Chicago, Ill.)
-- 5th overall pick (1st round); by Minnesota.
I still think Pierce was the best player on the Celtics last year, but he has had a great career.

1996:
Kobe Bryant (Lower Merion, Ardmore, Pa.)
-- 13th overall pick (1st round); by Charlotte (then traded to L.A. Lakers).
Great career.


Jermaine O'Neal (Eau Claire, Columbia, S.C.)
-- 17th overall pick (1st round); by Portland.
Good NBA career.

Taj McDavid (Palmetto, Williamston SC)
-- not selected.

1997:
Tracy McGrady (Mt. Zion Academy, Durham, N.C.)
-- 9th overall pick (1st round); by Toronto Raptors.
Tracy McGrady was the No. 9 pick of the 1997 NBA Draft but in retrospect should have been picked earlier.
Never lived up to his potential.


1998:
Al Harrington (St. Patrick's, Elizabeth, N.J.)
-- 25th overall pick (1st round); by Indiana.
Good NBA career.


Rashard Lewis (Elsik, Alief, Texas)
-- 32nd overall pick (2nd round); by Seattle.
Good NBA career.

Korleone Young (Hargrave Military Academy, Chatham, Va.)
-- 40th overall pick (2nd round); by Detroit.
Terrible

Ellis Richardson (Poly, Sun Valley, Calif.)
-- not selected.

1999:
Jonathan Bender (Picayune, Miss.)
-- 5th overall pick (1st round); by Toronto.
Bust

Leon Smith (M.L. King, Chicago, Ill.)
-- 29th overall pick (1st round); by San Antonio.
Bust

2000:
Darius Miles (East St. Louis, Ill.)
-- 3rd overall pick (1st round); by L.A. Clippers.
Bust

Tyson Chandler
Good career so far, but maybe not as good as his drafted position.

and East St. Louis' Darius Miles
Bust

DeShawn Stevenson (Washington, Easton, Calif.)
-- 23rd overall pick (1st round); by Utah.
Marginal NBA player

2001:
Kwame Brown (Glynn Academy, Brunswick, Ga.)
-- 1st overall pick (1st round); by Washington.
Bust

Tyson Chandler (Dominguez, Compton, Calif.)
-- 2nd overall pick (1st round); by L.A. Clippers (traded to Chicago).
Not worth this pick but a good NBA career.

Eddy Curry (Thornwood, South Holland, Ill.)
-- 4th overall pick (1st round); by Chicago.
Bust

DeSagana Diop (Oak Hill, Mouth of Wilson, Calif.)
-- 8th overall pick (1st round); by Cleveland.
Not worth that pick.

Ousmane Cisse (St. Jude Catholic, Montgomery, Ala.)
-- 47th overall pick (2nd round); by Denver.
Bust

Tony Key (Centennial, Compton, Calif.)
-- not selected.


2002:
Amare Stoudemire (Cypress Creek, Orlando, Fla.)
-- 9th overall pick (1st round); by Phoenix.
Great player


NYC playground star Lenny Cooke was just too raw to stick in the NBA.

DeAngelo Collins (Inglewood, Ca.)
-- not selected.


Lenny Cooke (North Regional Valley, Old Tappan, N. J.)
-- not selected.
2003:
LeBron James (St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, Oh.)
-- 1st Overall pick (1st round); by Cleveland
Great player

Travis Outlaw (Starkville, Ms.)
-- 23rd Overall pick (first round); by Portland
Decent NBA player.

Ndudi Ebi (Westbury Christian, Houston, Tx.)
-- 26th Overall pick (first round); by Minnesota
Who is he?.

Kendrick Perkins (Ozen, Beaumont, Tx.)
-- 27th Overall pick (first round); by Memphis
Playing well for that draft position.

James Lang (Central Park Christian, Birmingham, Al.)
--48th Overall pick (second round); by New Orleans
Is he in the league?



Dwight Howard (SW Atlanta Christian Academy, Atlanta, Ga.)
-- 1st Overall pick (first round); by Orlando
Fantastic player

Shaun Livingston (Peoria Central, Peoria, Il.)
-- 4th Overall pick (first round); by Los Angeles Clippers
Not worth that pick

Robert Swift (Bakersfield, Ca.)
--12th Overall pick (first round); by Seattle
Not worth that pick

Sebastian Telfair (Lincoln, Brooklyn, N.Y.)
-- 13th Overall pick (first round); by Portland
Not worth that pick.

Al Jefferson (Prentiss, Ms.)
--15th Overall pick (first round); by Boston
Great player.

Josh Smith (Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
-- 17th Overall pick (first round); by Atlanta
Good player.

J.R. Smith (St. Benedict's Prep, Newark, N.J.)
-- 18th Overall pick (first round); by New Orleans
Good player.

Dorell Wright (South Kent Prep, South Kent, Ct.)
--19th Overall pick (first round); by Miami
Not worth that pick.

Jackie Butler (McComb, Ms.)
--not selected


Tom Hauck


2005:
Martell Webster (Seattle Prep, Wa.)
--6th Overall pick (first round); by Portland
Not worth that pick

Gerald Green (Gulf Shores Academy, Houston, Tx.)
--18th Overall pick (first round); by Boston
Good player

C.J. Miles (Skyline, Dallas, Tx.)
--34th Overall pick (second round); by Utah
Good player for that pick.

Ricky Sanchez (IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fl.)
--35th Overall pick (second round); by Portland
The Scoop: This Puerto Rican native is currently not in the NBA.

Monta Ellis (Lanier, Jackson, Ms.)
--40th Overall pick (second round); by Golden State
Good player

Louis Williams (South Gwinnett, Snellville, Ga.)
--45th Overall pick (second round); by Philadelphia
Good player.

Andray Blatche (South Kent Prep, Ct.)
--49th Overall pick (second round); by Washington
Good player for that pick.

Amir Johnson (Westchester, Los Angeles, Ca.)
--56th Overall pick (second round); by Detroit
Good player for that pick.

 

I'll take the readhead on the right









And the brunette on the left









And the blondes in between

 

That's cool, y'all. I'll invite some Ole Miss coeds to join the fun.

 

Now do that with college seniors and which percentage is higher. Would like to wager on that?

 

OK, I think I have 22 that panned out and 30 that crapped out or were grossly overrated.


Of these 52 players, who were so good they did not need college basketball mind you, that three (Malone, Bryant and Garnett) were the backbones of NBA championship teams. And I am conceeding Bryant and Garnett because I do not think they were the backbones but very good support players instead.

 

If you let me look at the NBA drafts from 1978-1988... I think I the success rate is about .500.

 

Yes, because when I think of Kobe and KG, the first phrase that comes to mind is "NBA role player"

 

The current rate of senior will naturally be lower because the better players are not becoming seniors.

I want the basketball of the early 1980s to return where players earned their reputations in college and not in AAU Tournaments.

 

I think of them more as McHale or a Pippen. Mind you better, but I don't think Garnett would have won a title on most of the NBA teams. He needed Pierce.

 

And what difference does that make?