2019 NBA Mock Draft (Version 2.0)

Posted on June 7, 2019 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Draft will take place on June 20th and until then we will do our best to predict where everyone will get selected. Some websites do their mock drafts based on “best player available” but we try to focus on team needs: for example, if a team like Phoenix already has Deandre Ayton at the 5-spot then they are probably not selecting a C with the #6 overall pick. So, please see our 1st round predictions below and then tweet us your comments regarding what looks good and what might need a re-pick.

#. TEAM: NAME, POSITION (SCHOOL OR COUNTRY/YEAR)
1. New Orleans: Zion Williamson, PF (Duke/FR)
2. Memphis: Ja Morant, PG (Murray State/SO)
3. New York: RJ Barrett, SG (Duke/FR)
4. LA Lakers: De’Andre Hunter, SF/PF (Virginia/SO)
5. Cleveland: Jarrett Culver, SG (Texas Tech/SO)
6. Phoenix: Darius Garland, PG (Vanderbilt/FR)
7. Chicago: Coby White, PG/SG (North Carolina/FR)
8. Atlanta: Cam Reddish, SG/SF (Duke/FR)
9. Washington: Sekou Doumbouya, SF/PF (France/INTL)
10. Atlanta: Nassir Little, SF (North Carolina/FR)
11. Minnesota: Jaxson Hayes, PF/C (Texas/FR)
12. Charlotte: Rui Hachimura, SF/PF (Gonzaga/JR)
13. Miami: PJ Washington, PF (Kentucky/SO)
14. Boston: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG (Virginia Tech/SO)
15. Detroit: Romeo Langford, SG (Indiana/FR)
16. Orlando: Bol Bol, C (Oregon/FR)
17. Brooklyn: Brandon Clarke, PF/C (Gonzaga/JR)
18. Indiana: Goga Bitadze, C (Republic of Georgia/INTL)
19. San Antonio: Tyler Herro, SG (Kentucky/FR)
20. Boston: Kevin Porter Jr., SG (USC/FR)
21. Oklahoma City: Keldon Johnson, SG/SF (Kentucky/FR)
22. Boston: KZ Okpala, SG/SF (Stanford/SO)
23. Utah: Mfiondu Kabengele, PF/C (Florida State/SO)
24. Philadelphia: Bruno Fernando, C (Maryland/SO)
25. Portland: Nicolas Claxton, PF (Georgia/SO)
26. Cleveland: Cameron Johnson, SF (North Carolina/SR)
27. Brooklyn: Luguentz Dort, SG (Arizona State/FR)
28. Golden State: Matisse Thybulle, SG/SF (Washington/SR)
29. San Antonio: Luka Samanic, PF (Croatia/INTL)
30. Milwaukee: Dylan Windler, SG (Belmont/SR)

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Draft Dreams: HoopsHD interviews NBA prospect Marques Townes

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Jon Teitel

There are only a couple of weeks left for the college kids to impress the scouts before the NBA Draft takes place on June 20th. We will spend that time talking to the stars of tomorrow as they prepare for the next phases of their careers. If you want a player with postseason experience then Marques Townes is your guy: state champion in high school, 2016 NCAA tourney at FDU, and a very shiny moment while helping lead Loyola Chicago all the way to the Final 4 in 2018. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Marques about making a game-winning shot in March and what it would mean to get drafted.

At St. Joseph High School in New Jersey you had a 2-PT win over East Side Newark to win the 2014 state Tournament of Champions for the 1st time in school history: what did it mean to you to win it all? It was a really great experience. We had a great team including guys like Karl-Anthony Towns/Wade Baldwin. We had lost the title game the year before so we wanted to prove to everyone in the state that we were the best.

How good was Towns back in the day, and has he given you any advice about what it takes to make it at the next level? Karl was beyond unstoppable in high school. He would just get all of the rebounds and then throw baseball passes to us at half-court. It was like a show because not only could he dunk everything but he could also make 3-PT shots (before Coach John Calipari made him focus on his low-post play at Kentucky). He told me to just do what I do best, not get outside of my comfort zone, and enjoy the process.

You began your college career at Fairleigh Dickinson, where you made the 2016 NCAA tourney: why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Loyola Chicago (after Googling where it was)? I knew that I wanted to go somewhere else because I thought that I could succeed at a bigger school. My AAU/high school coach helped me out and was calling schools for me. I had a lot of schools interested in me but when I went to Loyola it really felt like home. That is how it was when I was at St. Joe’s: there was an instant connection and a family atmosphere.

Take me through the 2018 NCAA tourney:
In the Sweet 16 you made the game-winning 3-PT shot at the shot-clock buzzer with 6.3 seconds left in a 1-PT win over Nevada: did you think that your shot was going in, and how did it change your life (if at all)? It definitely changed my life: that will be a March Madness memory forever at our university. We were just trying to let the clock tick down, Clay made a good pass to me, and I got a little separation from the defense. All of the hard work I put in every year went into that shot and I knew that it was going in.

In the Elite 8 you scored 13 PTS in a win over Kansas State: how big a deal was it to advance to the school’s 1st Final 4 in 55 years? It was unreal. We also set the record for the most wins in school history so it was definitely a big moment. We took the lead early against Kansas State and kept the momentum during the entire game. It just felt like we were going to win it all: it was an amazing run but we just took it 1 game at a time and knew that we had the pieces to win. Everyone on that team will be remembered forever.

Last summer you represented the Dominican Republic at the Central American and Caribbean Games: everyone knows about all of the great Dominican baseball players, but how big is basketball down there? I think it is the next sport to start developing down there. Baseball is huge but basketball is on the horizon. I will be playing in the World Cup in China as well and we have some really good players. Francisco Garcia (2005 All-American at Louisville) is the president and is really excited to get things going.

In February of 2019 you scored a career-high 32 PTS/11-18 FG in a win over Drake: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? As any player will tell you, once you are in the zone the rim looks like an ocean and everything you put up feels like it is going in. I do not know why but I had some great games against Drake. I was just happy that we got the win.

You finished the season by being named conference POY/Honorable Mention All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It meant a lot to me personally. I was left out of the conference awards the previous year but I have been an underdog my whole life so I put in a lot of work last summer and entered my final season with a chip on my shoulder. It was a personal goal for me to win conference POY so even though we lost the conference tourney it was a great honor.

Your RPG increased during each of your 4 years of college: how were you able to keep improving every single year? You just need to have that mentality as a player. Rebounding is a lost art so I just try to crash into the lane and “rebound down” to help our big men out.

In the NIT last March you suffered a non-displaced fracture in your left thumb during a 9-PT loss to Creighton: how is your health doing at the moment? Not a lot of people knew about that. It happened on 1 of the last plays of the 1st half: I thought that it was just jammed but it was really hurting in the locker room. I put some ice on it but after going back out it still hurt every time that I touched the ball. I am just happy to be healthy now.

What would it mean to you to get drafted? It really would summarize all of the work that I put in, even as a kid. There have been so many practices/workouts to get to this moment that if I get onto that stage I might want to cry. I know that my family would be in tears as well as it is would be a lifelong dream come true.

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Draft Dreams: HoopsHD interviews NBA prospect Trey Porter

Posted on June 5, 2019 by Jon Teitel

There are only a couple of weeks left for the college kids to impress the scouts before the NBA Draft takes place on June 20th. We will spend that time talking to the stars of tomorrow as they prepare for the next phases of their careers. Trey Porter started his college career at GMU, then spent 2 years playing at ODU, and finished up at Nevada with a trip to the NCAA tourney. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Trey about the Wolf Pack’s recent coaching change and what it would mean to get drafted.

You began your college career at George Mason where you played in 30 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I just listened to what the coaches told me to do, did what they said, worked my way into the rotation, and eventually got more playing time.

In 2015 you transferred from George Mason to Old Dominion: why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose the Monarchs? My coach at GMU (Paul Hewitt) got fired so my fellow freshmen and I all ended up transferring to other schools. ODU was 1 of the 1st schools to reach out to me and I wanted to stay close to home. They had recruited me when I was still in high school so I already had a good relationship with them.

In March of 2018 you had 29 PTS/9-12 FG/12 REB/0 TO in a win over Florida Atlantic: where does that rank among the best all-around games of your career? I think it definitely ranks up there: I got pretty hot and stayed pretty hot. It was probably 1 of the best college games I had production-wise.

After graduating from ODU you transferred to Nevada: how did you like playing 1 year for Eric Musselman, and how do you think Steve Alford is going to do in Reno? I liked playing for Coach Musselman: he helped me do what I needed to do to prepare to become a pro player and achieve my dreams. Coach Alford has a proven track record and has won at many different schools so I think he will do phenomenal at Reno and pick up where Coach Musselman left off. I do not think there will be a dip in the team’s number of wins.

In the NCAA tourney last March you had 3 REB in a 9-PT loss to Florida: what did you learn from that loss that will help you going forward? I learned that there are certain things that I need to add to my game to stay on the court longer: I did not play as much as I would have liked.

Your FG% went up during each of your 4 years in college: how were you able to keep improving every single season? I just started dunking the ball a little bit more! About 75% of my points were on dunks and I just got more and more athletic each year.

You were top-10 in BPG in each of the 3 conferences you played in over the past 5 years: what is your secret for blocking shots? Just timing. I let my teammates know that I am back there to support them. I was not as great this past season but still blocked a few shots. Timing is crucial: knowing when to go for a block and when not to (so that you do not give up an offensive rebound).

You are a type 1 diabetic: what impact has that had on you both on and off the court? Some days are a little harder than others but for the most part I have it under control. I think there was only 1 game this year where I had to take a break because my blood sugar was a little low but it was just a 1-time thing. I did not know that people looked up to me but a lot of parents/kids reached out to me and said I was an inspiration to them, which was great. I felt like I was affecting lives even more off the court.

Your mother Caroline played basketball at Radford, your sister Amber played basketball at James Madison, and your sister Erin played college volleyball: who is the best athlete in the family? Oh me: everybody knows that! We are all athletic in our own respect but I am definitely the best athlete.

What would it mean to you to get drafted? It would be mind-blowing. I want to play basketball for as long as I can at the highest level I can. Just being able to lace up my sneakers and play in the NBA would be my own lifelong goal, even if I do not get drafted.

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Happy Draft-iversary!: HoopsHD interviews Scott Stricklin about his Hall of Fame father-in-law Bailey Howell

Posted on June 1, 2019 by Jon Teitel

With the 2019 NBA draft taking place later this month, we will spend the next few weeks taking a walk down memory lane with a choice collection of players who are celebrating an awesome anniversary this year. From a future Hall of Famer selected 2nd overall in 1959 (60th anniversary) through a conference POY picked in the 2nd round in 2009 (10th anniversary), these stars have all seen their dreams come true in past drafts. We begin our series with Scott Stricklin, athletic director at Florida whose wife Anne happens to be the youngest daughter of Hall of Famer Bailey Howell. At Middleton High School Howell set a Tennessee state high school scoring record, then graduated from Mississippi State with the most PTS/REB in school history. After being drafted 2nd overall by Detroit in 1959, he made 6 All-Star games in a 7-year period from 1961-1967 before winning a pair of titles with Boston in 1968/1969. In 1997 he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and in 2006 he was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Scott about the 60th anniversary of his father-in-law getting drafted and the 50th anniversary of winning back-to-back titles.

Your father-in-law grew up in Middleton, TN: what made him choose Mississippi State? My understanding is that he did not want to go too far from home. Coach Babe McCarthy was a great recruiter and really made the entire Howell family feel very comfortable.

He was known for both his hook shot and his work ethic: how did he develop each of these keys to his success? His parents instilled a good work ethic in him and he was a great competitor. He was determined to do everything possible to prepare to be successful. I know from playing family board games that he is an intense competitor: he plays to win!

On February 1, 1957 he set a school record with 34 REB in a game against LSU, and his 1277 career REB remains a school record: what was his secret for being a great rebounder? I know that he was just a tenacious competitor who studied his teammates’ shots and knew where they were going to come off the rim.

In 1959 he was named 1st-team All-American after leading the Bulldogs to a 24-1 record and the 1st SEC title in school history: how on earth was Kentucky the only SEC team to make the NCAA tourney?! Back then only the conference champion was eligible, and Mississippi had a history of not allowing their teams to compete against schools with integrated teams, which is not something we are proud of. In 1963 we defied the wishes of the sitting governor to play against Loyola-Chicago in East Lansing, MI. It was similar to the Texas Western-Kentucky game a few years later and it was great for us to take that stand. Bailey was very disappointed that his team did not get to prove how good it was.

He was drafted 2nd overall in the spring of 1959 by Detroit: what did it mean to him to get drafted? A lot of guys played AAU basketball and had to get real jobs so that they could support their families. The NBA was not a financial boon back then so a lot of guys got off-season jobs. At 1st he was not sure whether to join the league but eventually decided to give it a shot.

He played at least 75 games during each of his 12 years in the NBA: was he just fortunate to escape any serious injuries, or tough enough to play through them, or a little bit of both? Bailey has really taken care of himself with clean living, even to this day. After he retired he was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid, which caused him to feel fatigued. If that happened in the 21st century with today’s medicine then his career would have probably lasted even longer.

Take me through the magical 1968 NBA playoffs when he was a member of the Celtics:
After losing to the 76ers in the 1967 Eastern Division Finals, he scored 17 PTS in a 4-PT win at Philly in Game 7 of the 1968 Eastern Division Finals: how was Boston able to become the 1st team to ever come back from a 3-1 series deficit? Boston won a bunch of titles before he arrived, and I have heard him say that when they lost in 1967 he felt like a bit of a jinx until they won it all the following 2 years.

He scored 30 PTS in Game 6 of the Finals against the Lakers to help the Celtics clinch their 10th title: how did he adjust to having Bill Russell as a player/coach, and what did it mean to him to win a title? It was a pretty veteran group who would sub themselves in and out because they had developed a rotation that respected everyone’s role. It was unusual by today’s standards but pretty normal back then. There was 1 game where Russell could not make it to the arena and Red Auerbach had to step in to coach. Bailey missed his 1st few shots that night but Auerbach told him to keep shooting and he ended up with a career-high scoring night.

In Game 7 of the 1969 Finals he scored 9 PTS in a 2-PT win on the road over the Lakers: how intense was the Boston-LA rivalry back then, and how did they triumph on the road against a team featuring Elgin Baylor/Wilt Chamberlain/Jerry West? Everyone thought that Celtics team was past its prime and during their shoot-around that day there were flyers on the fans’ seats outlining the planned celebration. Boston used that as motivation and despite being a bunch of “old guys” they made sure that the Lakers would not celebrate that night.

After he retired he worked for the Converse shoe company: how did he like the job, and what has he been up to since then? He liked it from the standpoint of providing for his family. He retired more than 20 years ago and has lived in Starkville ever since. He owns some rental properties here, is active in his church, and attends a lot of Bulldog sporting events.

He was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1997 and the College Hall of Fame in 2006: where do these rank among the highlights of his career? Bailey is a pretty humble person but I think he would say that it was a neat experience. In typical fashion I also think that he would be quick to credit everyone else who was a part of his life, but speaking for his family it was neat to see him honored in that way.

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2019 NBA Mock Draft (Version 1.0)

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Draft will take place on June 20th and until then we will do our best to predict where everyone will get selected. Some websites do their mock drafts based on “best player available” but we try to focus on team needs: for example, if a team like Phoenix already has Deandre Ayton at the 5-spot then they are probably not selecting a C with the #6 overall pick. So, please see our 1st round predictions below and then tweet us your comments regarding what looks good and what might need a re-pick.

#. TEAM: NAME, POSITION (SCHOOL OR COUNTRY/YEAR)
1. New Orleans: Zion Williamson, PF (Duke/FR)
2. Memphis: Ja Morant, PG (Murray State/SO)
3. New York: RJ Barrett, SG (Duke/FR)
4. LA Lakers: De’Andre Hunter, SF/PF (Virginia/SO)
5. Cleveland: Jarrett Culver, SG (Texas Tech/SO)
6. Phoenix: Darius Garland, PG (Vanderbilt/FR)
7. Chicago: Coby White, PG/SG (North Carolina/FR)
8. Atlanta: Cam Reddish, SG/SF (Duke/FR)
9. Washington: Jaxson Hayes, PF/C (Texas/FR)
10. Atlanta: Bol Bol, C (Oregon/FR)
11. Minnesota: Sekou Doumbouya, SF/PF (France/INTL)
12. Charlotte: Nassir Little, SF (North Carolina/FR)
13. Miami: Rui Hachimura, SF/PF (Gonzaga/JR)
14. Boston: Romeo Langford, SG (Indiana/FR)
15. Detroit: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG (Virginia Tech/SO)
16. Orlando: Brandon Clarke, PF/C (Gonzaga/JR)
17. Brooklyn: PJ Washington, PF (Kentucky/SO)
18. Indiana: Goga Bitadze, C (Republic of Georgia/INTL)
19. San Antonio: Keldon Johnson, SG/SF (Kentucky/FR)
20. Boston: Tyler Herro, SG (Kentucky/FR)
21. Oklahoma City: Mfiondu Kabengele, PF/C (Florida State/SO)
22. Boston: Dylan Windler, SG (Belmont/SR)
23. Utah: Luka Samanic, PF (Croatia/INTL)
24. Philadelphia: Daniel Gafford, PF/C (Arkansas/SO)
25. Portland: Bruno Fernando, C (Maryland/SO)
26. Cleveland: Kevin Porter Jr., SG (USC/FR)
27. Brooklyn: KZ Okpala, SG/SF (Stanford/SO)
28. Golden State: Cameron Johnson, SF (North Carolina/SR)
29. San Antonio: Talen Horton-Tucker, SF (Iowa State/FR)
30. Milwaukee: Grant Williams, PF (Tennessee/JR)

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The key is Leverage: HoopsHD interviews Knight Commission panelist Eric Chenowith

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Jon Teitel

Last week the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics held its spring meeting in Washington, DC. The 3 main topics of the day were: a report on actions and plans to address remaining challenges in college basketball, an update on NBA changes that impact college basketball development pathways, and hot topics impacting college basketball (including college athlete disability insurance/NCAA player endorsement restriction/state and federal intervention). 1 of the many great panelists was former Kansas basketball star Eric Chenowith, who currently serves as owner of Leverage, a company that provides Disability and Life Insurance Services. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel was in attendance and got to chat with Mr. Chenowith about playing for Roy Williams and what he is now doing at Leverage.

You played for the West in the 1997 McDonald’s All-American Game: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (the Collins twins/Baron Davis/Larry Hughes/Tracy McGrady/other), and how on earth did you lose to the East by double-digits?! Coaching! If I had to pick 1 guy I would say Ron Artest. He stood out during our pick-up games because he was further developed physically than anyone else (and more skilled as well). The game itself is a blur to me now.

You played for Roy Williams at Kansas: what makes him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He is great due to his attention to detail/organization. Everything is planned out to the minute and there is no sloppiness. Everything is regimented/organized and has a purpose, which is a part of his success. He taught me to have a good work ethic: I saw him outwork people both in coaching/recruiting. I still carry that in my professional life to fight through fatigue and the ups and downs of a career.

In the 1999 NCAA tourney you had 11 PTS/10 REB in a 4-PT OT loss to Kentucky (Scott Padgett had 29 PTS/10 REB): how close did you come to pulling off the upset? We had them beat and were up by 3 PTS in the final seconds of regulation. Wayne Turner drove in for a layup so I just let him go by me because even if he made it we would still be in the lead. He missed it, Jamaal Magloire tapped it out to Padgett, who sidestepped our defender and made a 3 to send it into OT. We had it won but the chips just did not fall our way.

After starting all 33 games as a sophomore and being named an Honorable Mention All-American despite playing just 29 minutes/game, you only started 21 games as a junior while playing 22 minutes/game: was it frustrating to see your playing time decrease, or could you simply tell that incoming freshmen Nick Collison/Drew Gooden were going to turn into longtime future NBA players? It was hard but the pie just got split into thirds. I was the main option as a sophomore but my stats/minute remained pretty similar the following season.

Your 242 career BLK remains #3 in school history: what is the key to blocking shots? Blocking them with both hands. Most guys shoot the ball right-handed so I just tried to block them with my left hand. My high school coach taught me how to rotate off of my man and help from the weak side.

In the 2001 NBA draft you were picked 43rd overall by the Knicks (5 spots behind Mehmet Okur): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? It was the accomplishment of a goal but a bit of a disappointment as well. Had I come out of college after my sophomore year I could have been a lottery pick but 2 years later I was a 2nd rounder. A lot of people are just thrilled to be drafted but I had little to no chance of making the Knicks so it was not the best situation for me to go to. It was still great to be drafted but by the time New York released me all of the other NBA rosters were full.

You played pro basketball for several years after college: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? It depends where you are playing. In France it was more run-and-gun, while the NBA was more about half-court sets at the time. It has been interesting to see the NBA morph into the European style of not letting the ball get “sticky”. When I played in Asia it was more iso-ball so a big man like me would always get the ball down on the block.

Jayhawks coach Bill Self has made 16 straight NCAA tourneys in Lawrence but his streak of 14 straight Big 12 titles was broken last year: how proud are you of all that he has accomplished, and how do you describe the atmosphere at the Phog for someone who has never experienced it in person? I do not think that he could have done a better job of taking over the program. It is never easy to take over for a legend like Roy but he has added banners/titles and I hope he stays there forever: I cannot say enough good things about him. I think Dick Vitale said it best when he compared being in Allen Fieldhouse to hearing a jet take off from a runway! The intensity/excitement/passion is incredible: I think it is the best sporting venue not just in college basketball but in the entire world.

Last year you formed a company called Leverage, which helps with insurance planning for some of the best athletes/entertainers in the world: how did you get into the sports disability industry, and what are the biggest challenges you face? I had an insurance policy when I was at Kansas so I was a consumer in college. After I retired as a player I got into coaching for a couple of years but eventually got hired by a very prestigious firm in Beverly Hills. It was a pretty easy transition for me because I already knew everyone in sports. Insurance is not sexy but it eases the pain when you know the guy who is selling it to you. Guys do not dread my calls so I have helped add an element of ease to it. The challenges are other brokers who do not play by the same ethics that I do: a lot of people take shortcuts or take kickbacks but I do not. Those things eventually catch up to people so I will never change.

What insurance/workman’s comp considerations were going through your mind after seeing Zion Williamson get hurt earlier this year? I competed for his insurance but did not win it. I had peace of mind because I knew that he was covered but it was pretty scary for everyone. The next day his company leaked the intimate details to the media so I felt bad for both him and for Duke.

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