NBA, Player News / Analysis, NBA Draft
PG Scott Machado (Iona): Many people were shocked that this guy fell out of the top 60. He led the nation in assists with 9.9 playing alongside very little talent. The fact that he comes from such a small school likely is what scared most people off, but keep in mind that while 13th overall pick Kendall Marshall was racking up his assists passing to Harrison Barnes and Tyler Zeller, Machado was getting his passing to, well, Iona players. He also had 13.6 points per game on 49.5% shooting (40.4% from three) and those numbers shouldn't be overlooked. He should get a look from every team that needs another point guard on their roster.PF Kevin Jones (West Virginia): He was an absolute beast last season, averaging 19.9 points and 10.9 rebounds, each of which led the Big East. He's long and has shown good touch on his shot for a big man. He shot an impressive 50.9% from the field last year and showed huge improvement on his free throws, going from 60.4% to 78%. Any team in search of a forward should give him a look.
PG Tu Holloway (Xavier): A score first point guard who was always the focal point of defensive game plans. He managed to average 19.7 and 17.5 points per game the past two seasons. He's quite small at 6'0'' 190 and doesn't shoot a great percentage from the field at 42.9%, but his quickness and ability to put up points should be enough to get him into Summer League.
SG William Buford (Ohio State): Buford could potentially be a nice scoring option off the bench in NBA. He showed great consistency, averaging 14.4, 14.4, and 14.5 points in his final three years at school. He's got good size for a guard at 6'6'' 220 and averaged a solid 5 rebounds per game. What likely dropped him off of team's draft boards was his inept defensive ability, but he should still get a look over the summer.
PF Drew Gordon (New Mexico): After transferring to New Mexico from UCLA, Gordon averaged 10.8 rebounds per game over two seasons. He is athletic and efficient with his shots, as he shot 54.2% from the field last season. At 6'9'' 245 he's got very good size. He was expected to be taken on the early side of the second round last night, so expect teams to at least take a look at him this summer. He'd likely make the final roster of any team that lacks rebounding off the bench.
