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There seems to be a lottery hangover going on in the media that has produced a minimal amount of draft links this week. I guess there must be more important things to talk about like UFC and dog fighting. Nevertheless, the links will be brief this week.

 

Continuing this week's series of positional analysis, I move on to the small forwards. This is an amazingly deep group of kids. Wilson Chandler, down at #10, is about as talented as the 3rd or 4th best point guard.

1) Kevin Durant - Texas - There's nothing I can say hear that you don't know already. Except for the fact that Durant might be underrated. As a big man, Oden has a chance to be a dynastic, Tim Duncan-like winner. Durant might not win a handful of championships, but he's probably even a bigger lock to be a consistent all-star.

NORMAN, Okla. – University of Oklahoma men's basketball head coach Jeff Capel announced a new member of his team today. Ryan Wright, a 6-8, 240-pound forward from Mississauga, Ontario, is transferring from UCLA to OU and will have two years of eligibility after he sits out the 2007-08 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

This is a follow up to yesterday's analysis of the point guard prospects. Tomorrow will be the small forwards. Shooting guard has some uncertainty as guys like Cook or Afflalo could (and I'd say should) return to school.

AUSTIN, TX - Point guard Dogus Balbay (Istanbul, Turkey) has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball next season at The University of Texas, head coach Rick Barnes announced today. The addition of Balbay finalizes a four-man recruiting class that includes forwards Clint Chapman, Gary Johnson and Alexis Wangmene.

Daequan Cook (Ohio State)

Roy Hibbert (Georgetown)

Dominic James (Marquette)

Joseph Jones (Texas A&M)

Thaddeus Young (Georgia Tech)

Kevin Durant

Greg Oden

So the NCAA Rules Committee has recommended moving the three-point line back a foot, from 19’ 9” from the hoop to 20’ 9”. Over the past several days I have read numerous reactions to this proposed modification, which, if approved, will be implemented in the 2008-2009 season. Responses run the gamut from supportive to bitterly opposed, with quite a few doses of relative indifference lying indolently in the middle.

NORMAN, Okla. – First-team National Junior College Athletic Association All-American point guard Omar Leary has signed a national letter of intent with Oklahoma, announced OU men's basketball head coach Jeff Capel today. Leary will join the Sooners for the 2007-08 season and will have two years of eligibility.