2016 SEC Players Potentially Entering the NBA

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 7h7 hours ago Manhattan, NY

In 2016, Kentucky now has 4 projected picks per @DraftExpress : 1. Skal Labissiere 21. Jamal Murray 28. Marcus Lee 56. Alex Poythress

[jbcarol]

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2016/

1. Skal

3. Ben Roberts, LS

6. Malik Newman, MS

18. Damian Jones, VU

21. Jamal Murray, UK

28. Marcus Lee, UK

49. Dorian Finney-Smith, UF

50. Danuel House, A&M

56. Poythress, UK

[jbcarol]

Who are the names to watch for the 2016 NBA Draft?

Skal Labissiere, Kentucky: Labissiere overtook Ben Simmons as the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2015 this spring, and it's no surprise why. He's a seven-footer with a soft shooting touch, three-point range, a face-up post game and the ability to block shots at the rim. He'll draw comparisons to the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge, which should give you an idea of what his ceiling is.

Ben Simmons, LSU: Simmons was long considered the best player in the 2015 class, and while many outlets dropped him off of that top spot in their more recent rankings, he could still end up being the No. 1 pick in the 2016 BA Draft. A strong-bodied 6-foot-9 forward, Simmons is actually at his best with the ball in his hands, playing a point forward role. He has terrific vision and is tough to stay in front of off the dribble. He's a jumper away from being unguardable.

Malik Newman, Mississippi State: Newman can score. There is no question about that. The 6-foot-3 all-american, who doubles as the best guard prospect in the Class of 2015, will have ample opportunity to showcase that skill after picking the Bulldogs over Kentucky. He could average 20 next season — points and shot attempts per game.

Jamal Murray, Kentucky: Murray may be the most interesting name on this list. He was ranked in the 30s in the Class of 2016 until he showed out for the World team in the Nike Hoop Summit. A 6-foot-5 combo-guard that doubles as a terrific shooter is always tantalizing, but is he being overhyped off of his play in one game?

[jbcarol]

CBS Sports Never Too Early 2016 Mock Draft Lottery picks

1. Skal Labissiere (Kentucky)
Labissierre was born in Haiti but has spent the past several years living in a suburb of Memphis in north Mississippi. While there, he developed into a 7-0 power forward with a unique offensive skillset perfectly suited for the NBA, then signed a letter of intent with Kentucky. So, yes, the Wildcats should have the top pick in the NBA Draft again next June.

2. Ben Simmons (LSU)
Simmons, like Labissierre, is an international prospect who will play college basketball in the United States -- specifically in the SEC. The 6-10 forward from Australia will be the star of the Tigers thanks to the same versatility that'll someday make him a millionaire. It won't take long for fans to realize why LSU coach Johnny Jones hired Simmons' godfather (assistant David Patrick) while Simmons was just a sophomore in high school.

3. Jamal Murray (Kentucky)
Murray recently reclassified to 2015 and committed to Kentucky, at which point he became the missing piece to yet another national-title contender. The 6-5 guard will play with Tyler Ulis and Isaiah Briscoe in Kentucky's backcourt for a season, then probably join Labissierre as names John Calipari can add to his growing list of NBA Draft picks.

8. Malik Newman (Mississippi State)
The NBA continues to evolve into a game where attacking guards who can both handle the ball and score are valued, and Newman is undeniably one of those. I'll be surprised if he doesn't lead the SEC in scoring next season.

The only SEC players ever to be drafted first by the NBA are Shaq, John Wall, Anthony Davis, and Towns.

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik Jun 29

Billy Kennedy on proposed changes to draft process: "If John Calipari says it's good, I believe him."

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 51m51 minutes ago

Kentucky Guards Murray, Briscoe Move Up in 2016 Mock Draft; Kentucky, North Carolina Have Five Projected Picks http://zagsblog.com/articles/kentucky-guards-murray-briscoe-move-up-in-2016-mock-draft-kentucky-north-carolina-have-five-projected-picks/ ...

Also of note in the @DraftExpress 2016 Mock:
Malik Newman of MSU No. 6 ...

[jbcarol]

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2016


1.         Skal Labissiere   
PF/C (Bluff City Legends - HS Senior)
19.2 years old | 7'0" | 216 lbs

2.         Ben Simmons   
SF/PF (Montverde Academy - HS Senior)
18.9 years old | 6'10" | 239 lbs

6.         Malik Newman   
SG (Jackson Tigers - HS Senior)
18.3 years old | 6'4" | 179 lbs

15.         Damian Jones   
PF/C (Vanderbilt - Sophomore)
20.0 years old | 6'10" | 248 lbs

16.         Jamal Murray   
PG/SG (Canada - HS Junior)
18.3 years old | 6'5" | 201 lbs

19.         Isaiah Briscoe   
PG/SG (HS Senior)
19.2 years old | 6'3" | 218 lbs

29.         Marcus Lee   
PF (Kentucky - Sophomore)
20.8 years old | 6'10" | 199 lbs

52.         Dorian Finney-Smith   
SF (Florida - Junior)
22.1 years old | 6'8" | 205 lbs

53.         Danuel House   
SF (Texas A&M - Junior)
22.0 years old | 6'7" | 183 lbs

57.         Alex Poythress   
SF/PF (Kentucky - Junior)
21.8 years old | 6'8" | 239 lbs

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 4h4 hours ago

Kentucky now has 2 of the top 6 and 3 of the top 19 projected picks in 2016 per @DraftExpress http://zagsblog.com/kentucky/fresh-off-silver-medal-in-pan-am-games-jamal-murray-skyrockets-to-no-6-in-2016-mock-draft/ ...

Fresh off leading Canada to a silver medal in the Pan American Games, incoming Kentucky point guard Jamal Murray has skyrocketed to No. 6 in the DraftExpress.com 2016 mock draft.

The 6-foot-5 Murray had recently been No. 16 and before that was No. 21.

The top five players ahead of Murray include fellow Kentucky pledge Skal Labissiere at No. 1; LSU freshman Ben Simmons at No. 2...

Incoming Kentucky guard Isaiah Briscoe is No. 19, meaning Kentucky has three of the top 19 projected picks, plus Marcus Lee at No. 30 and Alex Poythress at No. 57.

[jbcarol]

ESPN.com NBA analyst Chad Ford's self-described "Way Too Early Mock Draft" for next year includes only 30 players...

LSU freshman Ben Simmons, California freshman Jaylen Brown and international power forward Dragan Bender are the Nos. 1, 3 and 5 overall picks...

Skal Labissiere is projected as the No. 2 overall selection... Jamal Murray is the No. 4 pick... Isaiah Briscoe goes No. 26.

[jbcarol]

Blue Ribbon Yearbook, one of the best college basketball preseason publications on the market, has released an image of the cover of the book.

And on the cover is their preseason all-american team. Three seniors and two freshmen made the cut.

The freshmen are Kentucky's Skal Labissiere and LSU's Ben Simmons, the two guys that are favored to be, in some order, the first and second pick in the NBA Draft.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/646728735878721536

[jbcarol]

Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress 21h21 hours ago

New on DX: Top NBA Prospects in the SEC, #4: Malik Newman Scouting Video http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-4-Malik-Newman-Scouting-Video-5264 ...



Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress Sep 25

DX: Top NBA Prospects in the SEC, #3: Jamal Murray Scouting Video http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-3-Jamal-Murray-Scouting-Video-5263 ... (via @Mike_Schmitz)



Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress Sep 24

DX: Top NBA Prospects in the SEC, Part 2: Potential #1 pick Ben Simmons (Scouting Video) http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-2-Ben-Simmons-Scouting-Video-5262 ...

[jbcarol]

Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress 17h17 hours ago

DX (Final) Top-20 NBA Draft Prospects in the SEC. Read/Learn More Here: http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Top-NBA-Prospects-in-the-SEC-Part-Ten-Prospects-15-20-5272 ...

[jbcarol]

Vanderbilt star Damian Jones to enter NBA Draft

It's rare that you hear players come out and say it this early in the season, but Vanderbilt's junior center Damian Jones will be leaving for the NBA after this season.

"This is my last go-around," Jones told the Tennessean. "But all that means is that I want to give it all I've got. I want to push this team and get to that next step while I'm here."

Jones declaring for the draft wouldn't really shock anyone. He's currently as the No. 16 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by Draft Express, while other outlets have him pegged as a lottery pick.

"If he is going to get picked anywhere near where they are projecting him to be picked, he'll leave after this season," Stallings said.

[jbcarol]

ESPN's Ford assesses NBA Draft prospects

In the spirit of John Calipari saying Kentucky's top priority last season was to produce first-round picks, and because it's never too early these days to look ahead, let's skip over the upcoming season and get to what's supposedly important.

■ Tyler Ulis
"I love him as a player," Ford said. "I know so many NBA teams that love him as a player. But we all know 5-8 or 5-9 is a real challenge in the NBA.

"It's size, and only size, for him. It's the only thing that's holding him back."

What Ford called "a sort of renaissance of point guards" in the NBA jeopardizes Ulis' chances of a pro career.

"So many good ones," Ford said of the NBA's point guards. "Can you imagine him trying to stop Russell Westbrook? Or Steph Curry?"

Summing up, Ford saw Labissiere and Murray as lottery picks.

"After that, it gets a little fuzzier," he said. "Those two guys are the two clear-cut, elite NBA prospects. ...

"Right now, Lee, Poythress and Ulis are probably second-rounders. But all of them, especially Lee and Poythress, if they had big years, could leap right back up because they have all the physical tools you'd want in a player."

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 2m2 minutes ago

More Than 60 NBA Personnel Expected at Champions Classic http://zagsblog.com/articles/more-than-60-nba-personnel-expected-at-champions-classic-2/ ... via @adamzagoria

More than 60 NBA personnel are expected at the Champions Classic Tuesday in Chicago, sources told SNY.tv.

Defending national champion Duke plays Kentucky in the first game  of the doubleheader at the United Center and Michigan State meets Kansas in the other.

The first game will feature three of the top six projected picks in the 2016 NBA Draft according to DraftExpress.com.

Kentucky's Skal Labissiere is the projected No. 1 pick, Duke's Brandon Ingram is No. 3 and Kentucky's Jamal Murray is No. 6. All three are freshmen.

Kansas freshman Cheick Diallo, who has yet to be cleared by the NCAA, is the projected No. 11 pick in 2016.

After that, Kansas' Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is projected at No. 17, Kentucky's Isaiah Briscoe at No. 18 and Kentucky's Marcus Lee at 29. Michigan State's Denzell Valentine is projected at No. 47 and Kentucky's Alex Poythress at No. 58.

[jbcarol]

 Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 51m51 minutes ago

NBA Draft stock tumbles on MSU's Malik Newman and Maryland's Diamond Stone https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/labissiere-falls-to-no-3-in-latest-mock-draft-ben-simmons-brandon-ingram-now-1-2/158821622?tcid=tw_article_158821622 ... @joshua_newman

Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere has fallen from the No. 1 spot on the DraftExpress.com Mock Draft for 2016.

Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com had kept the 7-foot Haitian at No. 1 -- ahead of LSU superstar frosh Ben Simmons -- until Friday morning when he dropped Labissiere to No. 3.

Simmons is the new No. 1.

Kentucky guard Jamal Murray at No. 7...

**Mississippi State freshman guard Malik Newman tumbled to No. 18 from No. 4.

**Kentucky freshman guard Isaiah Briscoe moved down a few spots to No. 20.

**Vanderbilt sophomore guard Wade Baldwin made a big jump from off the board to No. 28.

**Florida sophomroe forward Devin Robinson moved into the first round at No. 29.

**Among Kentucky players, sophomore guard Tyler Ulis is No. 42, junior forward Marcus Lee is 44 and senior forward Alex Poythress is now off the board.

[jbcarol]

Chad Ford ‏@chadfordinsider 3h3 hours ago

Mock Draft 2.0 is here! @BenSimmons25 is the clear No. 1...

Mock 2.0 has Skal Labissiere going No. 2 to Lakers, but Brandon Ingram & Dragan Bender also legit options at No. 2

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 2h2 hours ago
Jerry Colangelo on Line 1....
Kevin Boyle Says 'half the league' has called about Ben Simmons
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/kevin-boyle-says-half-the-league-has-called-about-ben-simmons/159334792?tcid=tw_article_159334792 ... via @SNYtv

As I've said before some outside-the-box AD should give @coachkevinboyle a college job. Guy's had as many No. 1, 2 & 3 picks as UK or Duke

[jbcarol]

Randy Rosetta ‏@RandyRosetta 27m27 minutes ago

Shooting touch has been elusive, but confidence hasn't wavered for #LSU's Antonio Blakeney http://s.nola.com/cgpJFsC  via @nolanews

Blakeney is ready to test his shooting touch, which had abandoned him in the four games previous to the break for finals.

It's been ugly for the former Florida prep star who was one of the highest volume scorers in the Class of 2015. After hitting 18-of-35 field goals in the first three games, including 8-of-17 from outside the 3-point arc, Blakeney has gone ice-cold.

Starting with a 0-for-6 performance from deep against Marquette, Blakeney is 10-for-44 overall from the field and 3-for-23 from 3-point territory.

"I've slumped before, but not this bad in consecutive games," Blakeney said.

"I've been there before and have gotten out of it, so my confidence hasn't been affected. My preparation is the same whether I have good game or bad game. The big thing for me is that I have to stay the course, keep working and maintain belief in my shot."

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 3h3 hours ago

At Least 10 NBA Teams Have Reached Out on Kentucky's Jamal Murray: AAU Coach https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/at-least-10-nba-teams-have-reached-out-on-kentuckys-jamal-murray-aau-coach/159725898 ... via @SNYtv

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 12m12 minutes ago

ICYMI: Carmelo Anthony Says Kentucky's Isaiah Briscoe Will 'Absolutely' Play in the NBA https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/carmelo-anthony-says-kentuckys-isaiah-briscoe-will-absolutely-play-in-the-nba/159794930 ...

Melo, whose team doesn't own a first-round pick in 2016, believes it's only a matter of time before the former New Jersey high school star makes his way to the NBA.

"Oh, for sure, I absolutely see him in this league one day," Anthony told me. "I just want him to continue to focus in on what he gotta focus on, and don't even worry about this NBA stuff. It's gonna happen if he do what he gotta do."

Anthony added: "I've seen him work out, I've watched him work out. I mean, he's a hell of a talent. Big body, big guard."

Briscoe won't be available to the media until Thursday, but his father said his son looks up to Anthony in a big way.

"'Saiah loves Carmelo," George Briscoe said by phone. "When somebody recognizes your talent, especially at Carmelo's level. Come on, Carmelo's a Hall of Famer, that just thrills Isaiah. Isaiah loves Carmelo, he always talks about Carmelo, 'Dad, Carmelo scores like this, he does this,' so he thinks the world of Carmelo."

For the season, Briscoe is averaging 12.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He's coming off an impressive game in which he scored nine consecutive points in the second half of a 72-58 win over Bobby Hurley and Arizona State...

[jbcarol]

 Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 8h8 hours ago

NBA Exec: 'Malik Newman needs to stay in school'
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/ben-simmons-could-be-first-no-1-pick-since-michael-olowokandi-in-1998-to-miss-the-ncaa-tournament/159983708 ...

Would know.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 1h1 hour ago

Imagine Jamal Murray didn't reclassify? #BBN

[jbcarol]

Zags and SEC updates from last week:

Ben Simmons could make some history this year, and not in a good way.

The 6-foot-10 LSU freshman could become the first American college player drafted No. 1 overall to miss the NCAA Tournament because his team failed to qualify since Michael Olowokandi in 1998. Simmons wasn't yet 2 years old when Olowokandi was drafted No. 1 out of the University of Pacific by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Outside of Okowokandi, the last No. 1 pick not to play in the NCAA Tournament was Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin in 2000. The Bearcats qualified, but Martin missed the Big Dance with a broken leg.

Tigers have an RPI of 160 and are projected to finish with an RPI of 188. The site projects LSU's final record to be 14-17, 6-12 in the SEC.

State freshman guard Malik Newman could also miss the Big Dance.

The Bulldogs are currently 4-5 with RPI Rank of 201 and an SOS rank of 151.

Meantime, the 6-4 Newman hasn't played well, either.

Projected as the No. 4 pick in the NBA Draft back in May by DraftExpress.com, Newman has now plummeted to No. 22 in the latest mock.

One NBA executive told me, "Simmons will go No. 1 no matter how LSU finishes."


MALIK NEWMAN COULD ALSO MISS THE BIG DANCE
"Newman is playing poorly on top of [Mississippi State's play]," Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com said. "That's not a good combination."

Said the NBA executive: "Malik Newman needs to stay in school."

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 55m55 minutes ago

Skal Labissiere's Draft Stock Continues to Fall As Dragan Bender, Kris Dunn Move Up https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/skal-labissieres-draft-stock-continues-to-fall-as-dragan-bender-kris-dunn-move-up/160137938?tcid=tw_article_160137938 ... via @SNYtv

DraftExpress.com shifted the 6-foot-11 Labissiere to No. 5 in the 2016 Draft from No. 3. The site initially had Labissiere as the projected No. 1 pick before moving him down to No. 3 earlier this month.

LSU freshman forward Ben Simmons remains No. 1, followed by Duke small forward Brandon Ingram at No. 2, European big man Dragan Bender at No. 3 and Providence point guard Kris Dunn at No. 4.

"Sometimes its easy to forget how little organized basketball he's actually played," Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress told SNY.tv earlier this month of Labissiere. "He didn't have anything close to a normal AAU or high school career so not only is he way behind physically, but also in terms of his experience-level and basketball IQ. His rebounding has been particularly lackluster.

"Some may have hoped that his body would have filled out a little bit more by now considering he turns 20 in March, but he's operating on his own timetable."

"I'd take [Utah's Jakob] Poeltl over Skal right now," one scout who has watched both players extensively told SheridanHoops. "[Poeltl] is more advanced skill-wise right now. I think Skal was a little bit overrated."

[jbcarol]

 Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress Dec 21

We're now 25-30% of the way through the college season. New 2015 mock draft released on DraftExpress today http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2016/ ...

1.         Ben Simmons   SF/PF (LSU - Freshman)

5.         Skal Labissiere    PF/C (Kentucky - Freshman) 

7.         Jamal Murray   PG/SG (Kentucky - Freshman)

13.         Damian Jones   PF/C (Vanderbilt - Junior) 

18.         Wade BaldwinPG (Vanderbilt - Sophomore)

22.         Isaiah Briscoe   PG/SG (Kentucky - Freshman)

29.         Devin Robinson   SF (Florida - Sophomore)

30.         Malik Newman   PG/SG (Mississippi St. - Freshman)

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 18h18 hours ago

NBA Draft Profiles/Coverage on ZAGS:
https://www.sny.tv/NBA%20Draft/tag/ ...

Tag for NBA draft prospect articles including SEC players.

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 45m45 minutes ago

#ICYMI: @DraftExpress breaks down NBA draft prospects in Saturday's Cats/Cards showdown. A look at each guy's stock. http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2015/12/23/nba-hopefuls-abound-cats-cards-rivalry-game/77849526/ ...

Wildcats: Skal Labissiere, Jamal Murray, Isaiah Briscoe, Tyler Ulis and Marcus Lee. The website slots them fifth, seventh, 22nd, 42nd and 44th overall, respectively. Cardinals Chinanu Onuaku and Damion Lee are projected to go 34th and 54th.

Many of the UK players – including senior Alex Poythress, who DraftExpress does not currently have in its mock draft – are looking to improve suddenly sagging stock. Labissiere was the site's projected No. 1 pick until his recent struggles.

About 15 NBA scouts are expected at Rupp Arena for Saturday's game...

F Skal Labissiere, UK, projected 5th: "(His season) certainly hasn't helped him so far...

...

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 27m27 minutes ago

NBA Scout Praises Kentucky's Tyler Ulis, Crushes Skal Labissiere
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/nba-scout-praises-kentuckys-tyler-ulis-crushes-skal-labissiere/160507684 ...

NBA Scout on Skal Labissiere: "Big Skal, no strength, no toughness, no game"

The list of NBA players under 6-feet tall to be drafted and then enjoy success is few and far between.

Isaiah Thomas, the Mr. Irrelevant of the 2011 NBA Draft because he was taken by the Sacramento Kings with the 60th and final pick, is now thriving with the Boston Celtics. The 5-foot-9 Thomas is averaging 20.9 points, 6.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds.

Kentucky sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis could turn out to be the next player under 6-feet to enjoy some NBA success. The 5-9 Ulis is currently projected at No. 43 by DraftExpress.com, and at least one scout who watched Ulis help Kentucky beat Louisville on Saturday believes the diminutive floor general will get drafted.

"Yes he can [play in the NBA] and he will be drafted," said the scout who attended Kentucky's 75-73 win over Louisville at Rupp Arena. "The question is where. He's a first-round talent and he's got middle-school size."

The scout added: "He's the smartest player [on Kentucky], he's the most highly skilled, he has the best understanding of how to play. He's a coach on the floor. He loves the big stage. He had 21 points, he had 8 assists, 1 turnover. He carried Big Blue Nation on his little 5-foot-9 shoulders."

As for 6-foot-11 big man Skal Labissiere, who has now managed just 4 combined points in his last three games and 22 points in his last six, the scout was not nearly as kind.

"Big Skal, no strength, no toughness, no game," the scout said. "Comes off the bench, plays 10 minutes, had 2 points, 3 rebounds, 0-for-3 from the floor. Shot an air ball on an easy hook.

"That guy is what you call a 'Paper Tiger,' a mock draft myth. He's a ------ fantasy, that guy."

Told that DraftExpress.com had Labissiere projected as the No. 5 pick in the draft after he was once at No. 1, the scout said: "No. 5, he's not No. 1, he's not No. 5, he's not No. 51. That's a joke.

"He's not going to play anymore for Kentucky, I don't think. There's nothing he could do. The Louisville big men are mediocre at best. Truth be told, they're below mediocre. He couldn't do nothing with them. He's a fraud. The thing is going the other way fast."

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria  11m11 minutes ago Manhattan, NY
Adam Zagoria Retweeted kc
Thanks Ben Bradlee but NBA scouts can't comment publicly on college kids like college coaches can't on HS recruits.

[jbcarol]

Matt Jones ‏@KySportsRadio  5h5 hours ago
John Calipari Responds To an anonymous NBA Scout's Comments about Skal Labissiere http://bit.ly/1kmrNbM  #BBN

The scout praised Ulis and Murray, but had harsh words for Skal. Coach Cal responded to the criticism as only he could.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again: Every one of my players is on their own timetable. Kids grow at their own pace & shouldn't be judged by anyone else's timetable. We're here to serve these kids & help them reach their dreams. Ultimately they've got to do it, but if anyone wants to attack one of my kids personally, they won't be welcomed here. Evaluating guys is one thing, personal attacks are another. These are young kids and they deserve better."

[jbcarol]

Calipari, NBA scout defend UK's Labissiere

"My staff's saying I'm too hard on Skal and I need to back up," Calipari said after he finally benched Labissiere in Saturday's win over Louisville. "But ... if I'm going to be hard on Derek Willis and I'm going to be hard on Dom (Hawkins), if I'm not hard on Skal, they've got to know why. Maybe he can't handle it as much."

Even so, and despite his staff's urging, Calipari "still killed him" during the last game, when Labissiere came off the bench for the first time this season, played just 10 minutes and produced only two points and three rebounds. The 6-11 forward sailed a hook shot completely over the basket, had an easy rebound ripped away from him and at one point tripped over his own feet.

"I wanted to leave him in the game," Calipari said, but "that one rebound he could not bring in – we gotta win the game. I told him, 'You're better. You're way better. Let's just keep this going and see what happens.' ... He's growing, (going through) the growing pains of this."

NBA scout who spoke with The Courier-Journal on Monday:

"He obviously is not playing well, but my thing with all that is: It's not his fault that people had him rated in the top five in the preseason," the scout said. "If he went to a small school in Wisconsin and was under-recruited, no one would know about him and they'd be very excited about his future. So I think it's unfair to the kid, but that's the world we live in.

"He's still 6-11 and is long and athletic and can shoot the ball and block shots. If the draft were today, I still think he'd be a first-round pick on potential. What I saw at the combine was pretty impressive. Now, he will need strength and toughness..."

And what about his fellow scout who took such pointed shots at Labissiere?

"That's a very ignorant comment. What if that was your son?" said the scout who spoke with The Courier-Journal.

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts ‏@NextCats 31 Dec 2015

Top b-ball links: Latest from Jarrett Allen; Big win for Bam Adebayo; New video of Malik Monk; Cal/NBA; 2016 draft http://bit.ly/ILFf7c

We're halfway through the 2015-16 college basketball season and about six months out from the NBA Draft. That means it's time to update the CBS Sports Big Board for the 2016 draft.

This draft is shaping up to be the weakest since the 2013 draft, and is also trending to be considerably weaker than the 2017 iteration. The reason for that largely has to do with the lack of players who have truly stepped forward as elite prospects to this point.

Ben Simmons has been as good as advertised at LSU, but he's far from a perfect prospect due to his lack of shooting ability and defense.

Kentucky's Skal Labissiere has truly underwhelmed, driving his stock down from its preseason heights. Guys like Jamal Murray and Jaylen Brown have merely been fine.

Basically, no one has really stepped up and taken spots away from other players. That could change as we continue to push through the season. It's also worth noting that this draft could end up having a particular amount of depth as players could declare in order to avoid the 2017 draft, which already looks to feature an elite high school class as well as an elite international class. But for now, the lack of starpower and high level upside in the lottery -- especially beyond the top-three -- makes this class one of the more underwhelming ones we've seen recently.

Guys who have fallen include Labissiere, Malik Newman, Malik Pope, and Diamond Stone. Labissiere only moves to No. 6 because, again, very few players have really stepped up and made it totally worthwhile to pass his upside.

16. Baldwin IVandy

18. Briscoe  UK

26. Damian Jones  Vandy

35. Malik Newman  MSSt

47.  Ulis  UK

61.  Luke Kornet  Vandy

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 3h3 hours ago

LSU expecting 25-26 NBA scouts/personnel for tomorrow night's game against Kentucky.

[jbcarol]

Matt Jones ‏@KySportsRadio 1h1 hour ago

Cats are Falling in Draft Express' Latest NBA Mock Draft http://bit.ly/1O3y4E3

All of them took a hit...except for Skal Labissiere.

Where they stand in the 2016 draft as of right now (with their previous spot in parenthesis):

    5.  Skal Labissiere (#5)

    9.  Jamal Murray (#7)

    24.  Isaiah Brisco (#22)

    44.  Tyler Ulis (#42)

    46.  Marcus Lee (#44)

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 2h2 hours ago

Rising NBA Draft Stock: Cal's Rabb, Vandy's Baldwin, Oklahoma's Hield
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/top-5-remain-the-same-in-2016-mock-draft-cals-rabb-vandys-baldwin-oklahomas-hield-move-up/161068608?tcid=tw_article_161068608 ...

LSU's Ben Simmons remains at No. 1, followed by Duke's Brandon Ingram, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Dragan Bender, Providence's Kris Dunn and Kentucky's Skal Labissiere.

Picks 6-10 now feature Cal's Jaylen Brown, Marquette's Henry Ellenson, Utah's Jacob Poeltl, Kentucky's Jamal Murray and Cal's Ivan Rabb. Murray moved down two spots to No. 9.

Seven of those players would be one-and-dones, with Dunn and Poeltl the only upperclassmen and Bender a foreign player.

Cal's Rabb, Vanderbilt's Wade Baldwin and Oklahoma's Buddy Hield were among those who saw their stock rise.

The 6-3 Baldwin, a former teammate of Karl-Anthony Towns at St. Joe's-Metuchen who has become a star in his own right, has moved into the lottery at No. 14 after he was completely off the board last May.

**Also of note, Mississippi State freshman guard Malik Newman continued to tumble to No. 33 after he was once at No. 4.

**Among Kentucky players, freshman guard Isaiah Briscoe is No. 24, sophomore guard Tyler Ulis is No. 44, junior forward Marcus Lee is 46 and senior forward Alex Poythress remains off the board.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/684892953370734592

Ben Simmons is arguably the most productive player in all of college basketball, averaging 22.4 points, 14.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists (59% 2P%) per-40 minutes, while posting a stellar 36.8 PER (2nd best in the NCAA)

LSU sported just an 8-5 record going into [the Kentucky game], with a non-conference strength of schedule ranked in the 300s according to KenPom

[jbcarol]

Simmons, Skal, Murray among SEC players on Chad Ford's Big Board

UK freshman Skal Labissiere dropped six spots on the latest ESPN Big Board for the 2016 NBA Draft, but he's still considered a possible Top 10 pick.

Labissiere fell from fourth to 10th on the updated Big Board, which was released Monday morning. He started the season at No. 2 behind LSU freshman Ben Simmons, who remains in the No. 1 spot.

Fellow UK freshman Jamal Murray remained in the No. 8 spot on the Big Board. Murray and Labissiere are the only two Wildcats on the list, which includes 30 players.

[jbcarol]

Michael Bonner ‏@MikeBBonner  32m32 minutes ago
Cal invited all of UK's players to his house. Bought 15 Powerball tickets. Let each player have a ticket.

He then told them the odds of actually winning and said, they have their own ticket, with better odds, their talent.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/MrsTylerKSR/status/687102294408695808

[jbcarol]

NCAA ‏@NCAA 3h3 hours ago

DI Council pushes back date by which men's basketball players must remove name from NBA draft to 10 days after conclusion of draft combine.

Students can also enter NBA draft multiple times without jeopardizing eligibility & participate in combine & 1 tryout per NBA team per year.

[jbcarol]

Hugh Kellenberger ‏@HKellenbergerCL 2h2 hours ago

Why today's NCAA decision regarding the NBA Draft helps the Malik Newmans of college basketball. http://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/columnists/kellenberger/2016/01/13/kellenberger-ncaa-got-one-right/78757584/ ...

Instead of a April 24 deadline for early entry into the NBA Draft, players will have until 10 days after the combine (which is scheduled for May 11-15 this year). And athletes can also enter the NBA Draft multiple times without jeopardizing their eligibility, allowing them to participate in both the combine and one workout per NBA team per year.

So let's say you're Mississippi State freshman Malik Newman, and at the beginning of the season everyone was saying you're a one-and-done prospect. Even your coach [Ben Howland] was. But then the season started, and it's going just OK (13.1 points per game, 38.4 percent from 3-point range). Certainly you're not living up to the considerable hype, and we're no closer to knowing your NBA position (point guard, combo guard or undersized 2-guard) than we were when you were a McDonald's All-American.

As a result there's a lot of buzz that Newman should come back to Mississippi State for his sophomore season. But under this rule Newman could "declare," go through the combine and team workouts and find out for himself.

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria  2h2 hours ago
ICYMI: Maryland's Stone Moves Up in Latest Mock Draft, Kentucky's Briscoe Falls
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/marylands-stone-moves-up-in-latest-mock-draft-kentuckys-briscoe-falls/161939376?tcid=tw_article_161939376 ...

6-3 Briscoe dropped to the second round at No. 31 from No. 24. Kansas freshman forward Cheick Diallo also fell slightly to No. 15 from No. 11.

LSU's Ben Simmons remains at No. 1, followed by Duke's Brandon Ingram, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Dragan Bender, Providence's Kris Dunn and Kentucky's Skal Labissiere.

Picks 6-10 now feature Cal's Jaylen Brown, Marquette's Henry Ellenson, Utah's Jacob Poeltl, Kentucky's Jamal Murray and Cal's Ivan Rabb.

Mississippi State freshman guard Malik Newman remained at No. 33.

Among Kentucky players, sophomore guard Tyler Ulis is now at No. 47, junior forward Marcus Lee is 56 and senior forward Alex Poythress remains off the board.

[jbcarol]

NCAA ‏@NCAA 3h3 hours ago

DI Council pushes back date by which men's basketball players must remove name from NBA draft to 10 days after conclusion of draft combine.

Students can also enter NBA draft multiple times without jeopardizing eligibility & participate in combine & 1 tryout per NBA team per year.

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria  4h4 hours ago
NBA exec: "I do not think the [new draft rules] impact Skal because he will probably not participate in Chicago"
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/john-calipari-nba-personnel-like-new-draft-rules-but-scouts-say-they-create-more-work/161961196?tcid=tw_article_161961196 ...

One NBA executive said he thinks it benefits both the players and the NBA teams charged with making draft evaluations.

"I think it is good for both sides," the executive said. "More evaluation for both sides. The longer period of time can benefit both the player and the NBA. Better feedback to the player to make a better decision."

One NBA scout, however, pointed out that the new rules -- which also allow early-entry candidates to enter their names in the draft for multiple years and to work out for one NBA team a year without jeopardizing their eligibility -- will create more work for NBA scouting departments.

"We will have to be even more aware of the younger guys because they lose nothing by testing the waters now," the scout said.

"Any talented young guy will want and be able to get feedback from the NBA by coming for a workout. It's definitely more work for the scouting departments."

Said Calipari: "So what will happen is, just about every player on your team should declare for the draft to see if they get invited to the combine. Now, if they don't get invited to the combine, probably you're not getting drafted. Maybe."

[jbcarol]

Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress Jan 13

New on DX: Malik Newman vs Kentucky Video Analysis - Evaluating the Good+Bad, on Both Ends http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Malik-Newman-vs-Kentucky-Video-Analysis-5349 ...

Beyond the Game

Malik Newman struggled somewhat coming out of the gates for Mississippi State, posting a near 1/1 assist to turnover ratio and a fairly mediocre 17 PER (4th worst among all collegiates in our Top-100 rankings).

Via Mike Schmitz, here's a five minute video breakdown of some of the more notable things NBA scouts were able to see from Malik Newman last night, both good and bad, on either end of the floor. (via link above)

[jbcarol]

Jonathan Givony makes NBA Draft projections for the website DraftExpress.com. In a recent update, he dropped UK freshman Skal Labissiere to the sixth pick.

He said he based that projection, which is still well within the lottery, on conversations with NBA scouts who saw Labissiere play in the Nike Hoop Summit.

"Everybody who saw him in Portland (Ore.) thinks he's a much better player than he's shown at Kentucky," Givony said. "If you only saw him at Kentucky, you'd think I'm a lunatic."

By the way, Givony projected another UK freshman, Jamal Murray, as the ninth player picked.

[jbcarol]

 Evan Daniels ‏@EvanDaniels 19h19 hours ago

Despite rumblings, Kentucky signee Wenyen Gabriel isn't eligible for the upcoming NBA Draft. The league notified the Wildcats, per a source.

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts ‏@NextCats 35m35 minutes ago

Ben Roberts Retweeted Chad Ford

Jamal Murray and Skal Labissiere are both top-10 picks ... 


Assume Simmons is #1 on the ESPN board.

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 11h11 hours ago Manhattan, NY

Tyler Ulis 24 points, 5 assists, 1 TO in 80-66 win over Arkansas.
Projected at No. 47 in NBA Draft by @DraftExpress