Meet Your Longshot NBA Draft Prospect: Matt Bouldin

Matt Bouldin was the unlikely superstar during the latter half of his career at Gonzaga.

During his time as a Zag, there were teammates who scored more, who were faster, who were more emotional, who were better ballhandlers, passers and shooters. Bouldin was not spectacular in any one area. But he was solid in every area.

And as it turned out, that made him the perfect type of player for Mark Few's system of college basketball. When Bouldin's senior season rolled around in 2009 and the more one-dimensional stars had left the Kennel, it allowed Bouldin to take the reigns and utilize his multiple talents as the star.

In the world of Gonzaga basketball, Bouldin was just about as perfect of a player as you could ask for.

Unfortunately, that may end up being his undoing in the NBA Draft.

Bouldin may end up becoming a victim of the same system that made him look great in college. Playing in the WCC, you need a player who has good court awareness, who can control the tempo of the game with the ball in his hands. Teams in the conference aren't overly athletic, but they make up for it with scrapiness and good decision-making. A player like Bouldin can see the openings in systems like that and use his skills to take advantage. He never had to overpower, outshoot, or run past a team on his own; only wait for the openings and operate with a surgeon's precision.

But the NBA is about raw athleticism, which makes up for any lapses and closes those openings quickly. Someone like Steve Nash can take advantage of situations because he is an excellent passer with incredible court vision. Someone like Brandon Roy isn't overly athletic, but he can control the tempo of a game simply because he is a great scorer.

Believe it or not, in the NBA, having one or two great skills can be more effective than having 3 or 4 good skills.

Bouldin is hoping to be the exception to that rule.

For more perspective on the Gonzaga guard's outlook, I've turned to former Gonzaga Bulletin colleague Ben Pearson, who now writes a blog called The Left Coast Bias:

The NBA Draft is all about raw players with potential rather than proven players with experience. In other words, Matt Bouldin gets the short end of the stick at a critical time in his career. After a successful four-year career at Gonzaga, there is a very good chance Bouldin will not hear his name called on June 24th.

There is not a college coach in the country that wouldn’t have wanted Mr. Bouldin on his team. He has a high basketball IQ, good work ethic, and is an unselfish player. He took the traditional path by staying in college all four years with his role increasing each year. He answered by raising his scoring average each season, but that’s not always enough in the eyes on NBA GMs.

Bouldin is an all-around player, but in a way that is his problem. He is skilled in so many areas, but he doesn’t do any one thing great. There are many players who exploit their one superior skill and end up having lengthy NBA careers because of it. Bouldin will need to carve out his niche to last.

Bouldin’s biggest asset to a NBA team would be his vision. He has the size to see over most point guards and has a great feel for the game, always knowing where his teammates are on the floor. Bouldin would play the point in the NBA, a position he never played at GU, but I don’t think the transition would be very difficult for him. He has always possessed the ball handling and passing skills of a point guard, but with Jeremy Pargo playing alongside him for three years, it never made sense to have the offense run through him.

There are people out there who claim that Bouldin can’t play against athletic teams. I was skeptical myself as well. I remember the Duke game in December in which he had more turnovers (5) than points (4) and I can’t forget that he ended his college career going 3-13 against Syracuse. I went back and did some research comparing his performance against BCS schools to how he did against small conference schools.

In 40 career games against BCS schools:
12.38 points, 43 FG %, 4.42 Rebounds, 3.25 assists 2.55 TOs

In 93 career games against non-BCS schools:
12.77 points, 48 FG %, 3.86 rebounds, 3.38 assists, 1.92 TOs

Those differences aren’t that alarming, but a five percent dip in field goal percentage is somewhat significant given the amount of games. Also his assist-turnover ratio is discouraging, especially since he would be handling the ball even more as a point in the NBA.

What doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is his defensive performance against these BCS schools. While Bouldin has some speed off the dribble, his lack of agility and lateral quickness is what will probably end up keeping him out of the draft. With Gonzaga match-up zone, Bouldin’s sub par one-on-one defense never was really exploited. But could you imagine Bouldin trying to stay in front of Derrick Rose or Rajon Rondo?

I think Bouldin could be a solid backup point guard in the right system. For example, I think he would be a great fit in Phil Jackson’s triangle offense (Jordan Farmar is a free agent). That being said, there are too many teams that would not have room on their roster for a player like Bouldin. His lack of athleticism, paired with the fact that he has never exclusively played the point, don’t bode well for him.

My thanks to Ben for helping me out. Go check out The Left Coast Bias, where Ben is doing some NBA Draft Previews of his own.

For Bouldin, it may have been the system at Gonzaga making him look like a superstar, but that's what you want for your team and star player - a perfect fit. While on the surface, Bouldin may not look like the ideal NBA player, under the right coach and the right system, he might just end up finding a place in the league after all.


For last season's installments of Meet Your Longshot NBA Draft Prospect, click here.

Meet Your NBA Draft Prospect part 4: Austin Daye

Note- With the June 25 NBA draft poised to be the weakest in years, it seems like every player has a shot of being picked. With the help of some special guests, we're going to take an in-depth look at some players whose names NBA GM's might not have heard about.

He's such a talent that I took the word "Longshot" out of the series title for this post. Daye will be drafted.

Without a doubt, Austin Daye has been the most analyzed and criticized of any Gonzaga player in this year's NBA draft. In fact, he's been that way since the moment he stepped onto the floor for the Zags.

The son of former NBA player Darren Daye. One of the top recruits from the West Coast. Seemingly limitless game and the ability to play multiple positions. In my mind, this kid was the most highly touted recruit in Gonzaga history.

You could see the potential for greatness in him. The way he made it seem so effortless driving to the basket. The way his arms stretched for yards to make an impossible block. His ability to make his jump shots seem so smooth. A player with his kind of talent and physical tools doesn't come around often. Give him time and hand him the reins, and this kid could be something special.

But for every moment of pure talent, there was a flash of immaturity. The complaining after foul calls. The eye rolls. The whining to coach Mark Few when he was taken out of the game. And every so often, even with all his superior skills in a weak conference, he would disappear: 5-15 shooting in a loss at home to Portland State, or a meager six points against Memphis on national TV.

You got to thinking when this kid finally grows up, he has the talent to dominate.

But after his sophomore season in which he averaged 12.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 2.1 blocks, Daye felt that he had proven himself enough to make it in the NBA. We never saw him fully grow up. We never saw him put on muscle. And we never saw just how good he could've been. So from now until his rookie season begins, Daye will leave everyone wondering just how great he can become.

For an expert opinion on Daye, once again I've turned to my go-to source: Kevin O'Brien of The Ex-Call Taker:

On potential and upside alone, there is no better candidate in this draft than Austin Daye. He’s a 6-foot 11-inch small forward that can put it on the floor, hit from beyond the arc, block shots and is a matchup nightmare for even the best small forwards in the NBA. On paper alone, how can you defend him? You take your chances with a small forward or do you put a less skilled but stronger power forward? Either way you are going to get hurt in one way or the other. That is how difficult it is to game plan a guy like Austin Daye.

But the knock on Daye has never been his God-given skills. Rather, it has been his mental game that has frequently been put in question. He is more known around Spokane circles for his constant complaining to the referees during games than his ability to make inbounds plays downright hellish for opponents. He is more known for being skinny and “soft” than blocking shots and making big ones on the offensive end. The negatives of Austin Daye’s career have somehow outshone his positives and it’s safe to say, that there may be a majority of Gonzaga fans that are actually glad the highly touted forward is gone.

Granted, whether or not he was beloved as a Zag, really has no merit on his future NBA career. On skills alone, Daye can compete at the next level. If anything, his style of play would excel in the NBA. He excelled in one-on-one matchups, and has good touch around the rim in addition to an excellent long-distance shot. Furthermore, the guy has a keen sense when it comes to blocking shots and not fouling. He knows how to come and swat a guy from behind, even if he gets beat off the dribble. I would like to see another player in the college game today that can recover as well as him after getting beat. Maybe one, two guys at most could even be put in the conversation (Vanardo from Mississippi State is the only candidate I can think of). And unlike guys like Dwight Howard or even Josh Heytvelt, Daye has that Bill Russell-esque awareness to block shots and keep them in play to set up the transition offense (something Vanardo doesn’t do). IQ wise, I think Daye has what it takes to play in the NBA, and I’m sure a boat load of that credit goes to his dad Darren Daye who made a career with NBA champion Boston Celtics.

Unfortunately, his IQ doesn’t always show from time to time. The knock on him and most frustrating image for Zag fans has been Daye shaking his head after missed shots, jogging back down on defense, not picking up his man or getting into position on the zone. The guy has more brain farts on a consistent basis than Miss Teen South Carolina had at the Miss Teen USA pageant. The thing about Daye is that at times, he has the confidence and the swagger that can produce a winning attitude, but at the same time, he exhibits the selfishness and immaturity that can bring down even the most talented teams. You know when Daye isn’t happy out there or not playing his best, and it is not only a frustrating trait for fans to watch, but it is also a humongous weakness strategically. I guarantee on many occasions, the opposing coach was saying to his players in the timeout “You see Daye? He’s out of it mentally. Drive it on him every chance you got!” And that’s just college. Imagine what they would do to him in the NBA.

There is no question Daye can be successful at the next level and that is why his draft stock is going as high as Top 10. He’s a special player, the kind of player that you don’t see very often. But for all the endearing qualities about him there are plenty of knocks: lack of good competition in college, needs to gain weight, not that fast, maturity etc. How will those things affect his draft status? Who knows. Despite the warnings though, some team will take a waiver on him. You just can’t pass him up considering his pedigree and what he brings to the table skill wise. If I was a GM, I certainly would use a first round pick on Daye. He has that much upside in my eyes.

The only sad part of this is how he departed GU. There was great hope when Morrison left for the NBA. Same thing with Ronny Turiaf, Dan Dickau and even Blake Stepp. But you can’t get the feeling as if somehow a majority of fans are almost glad that Daye is leaving for the NBA. Like I said before, that has no impact on how good of an NBA player he will be, but considering this guy was considered the best recruit ever to come through Gonzaga, well…you can’t help but feel this was a bitter breakup between Zag fans and Daye, eerily similar to Shannon Doherty leaving an Aaron Spelling show.

Once again, huge thanks to Kevin for helping with this series. I can't thank him enough for the hard work he put in to his contributions. Go read The Ex-Call Taker and see why he's one of the best in the biz.

Something tells me that Daye is going to turn out well. He has too much talent and too much potential to not end up being a successful NBA player. Sure, there are valid criticisms, it still remains to be seen when his talent will truly come to ths surface, if at all.

But that's the thing I learned from two years of seeing Austin Daye play. Love him or hate him, he always keeps you watching.

Best Case Scenario: Given time and a gym membership, has the potential to be in the mold of Dirk Nowitzki.

Meet Your Longshot NBA Draft Prospect part 3: Micah Downs

Note- With the June 25 NBA draft poised to be the weakest in years, it seems like every player has a shot of being picked. With the help of some special guests, we're going to take an in-depth look at some players whose names NBA GM's might not have heard about.

Micah Downs is the kind of player that my Dad loves.

Back in March when Gonzaga was in town for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, I took my Dad down to the Rose Garden to watch the Zags' open scrimmage. My Dad had watched a few Gonzaga games here and there, but he had never seen them in person, so when we sat down in our seats, he immediately started assessing the players, based on his first impression.

Matt Bouldin was "goofy-looking." Austin Daye was "the skinny kid." Will Foster was "the big oaf."

And then he watched small forward Micah Downs as he drained 3-pointer after 3-pointer. As other players joked around and goofed off, Downs wore a look of steely determination as he hoisted up his shots.

"I like that guy. Who's he?" My Dad asked.

"That's Micah Downs. Transferred from Kansas," I said.

"Micah Downs..." he said. "Well they should have been getting the ball to him all season!"

I started to protest, saying that it was Heytvelt and Daye and Pargo who were our main options, but then I stopped. Why hasn't Micah Downs been getting the ball all season?

Downs is tall, at 6-foot-8, and he's got some muscle on him (a much better small forward frame than Daye). He could slash and jump out of the gym. But during his time at Gonzaga, Downs' role was to stand in the corner and shoot 3-pointers.

Except during flashes, the Gonzaga system didn't showcase what Downs had the potential to offer.

Downs is perhaps the most intriguing of all of the Zags in the 2009 NBA Draft. Daye will be drafed on potential alone. Pargo and Josh Heytvelt have been disected enough over four years. But Downs is different; his game says one thing, his stats say another, and at this point, the jury is still out.

His numbers aren't very exciting: 9.6 PPG, 1.1 Assists, 4.6 rebounds. But he was a decent enough 3-point shooter, hitting at a rate of .387%, and considering the fact that over half of his shots were 3-pointers, you have to like that number.

The thing that most intrigues me about Downs is that he seemingly has all the physical tools to be an effective small forward. He showed his athleticism by skying for dunks. He showed his ability to defend on the perimeter one-on-one. And of course, there was his 3-point shooting. The trend in the NBA is to have small forwards who can camp on the perimeter and knock down 3's, and be able to slash on occasion. Downs can give you some of that.

His size also translates well to the position. With the exception of someone like Ron Artest, many NBA small forwards are most like converted shooting guards. They're long, lanky and quick. Downs has the correct body type that the position is moving toward.

Of course, let's be honest, Downs doesn't have the skills to be a star in the NBA, but where I'm going with this is to show that Downs does have the physical tools necessary to be a serviceable small forward. But can he fully utilize those tools consistently and effectively? That still remains to be seen. But Downs has shown that he is willing to alter his game to fit the system.

One of the biggest problems I had with Downs when he first showed up at Gonzaga was his over-willingness to launch unnecessary 3-pointers. During his first year with the team, Downs had one move: Catch, jab-step, launch a contested 30-footer. When it went in, it was spectacular, but it still drove me crazy. I remember thinking that he can shoot his team out of a game like that, and every once in a while, he did.

But he seemed to understand his problems and tried to correct them. As his career went on, he started to move without the ball more, which provided more open looks for 3's. He also started to cut to the basket and take advantage of his height as he caught lobs from Jeremy Pargo.

If nothing else, he's willing to adapt.

One player I often compare him with is Adam Morrison. Both had similar frames (they both are 6-8, Morrison weighs 204, Downs is listed at 198), they both didn't rebound often, and had poor assist numbers. But they had different games. Morrison created his own shots and controlled the ball. whereas Downs was a role player with the same role every game. And yet, Downs could possibly end up more successful as an NBA small forward that Morrison, because Morrison's game didn't translate over to being an NBA small forward, where he had to be a spot-up shooter who didn't control the ball. Morrison wasn't built for that. At the very least, Downs has the advantage of already having been in the role of a spot-up, 3rd or 4th option.

But he still needs a lot. He needs to play better one-on-one D against faster swingmen, he needs to dare to venture inside the paint, and he needs to prove he can consistently put the ball on the floor. The good small forwards in the NBA make you respect their outside shooting, then burn you with the good extra pass or the good drive and kick. Downs hasn't shown that knack.

He may not get drafted, and based on his stats and the number of other talented swingmen in the Draft, he probably won't be. But he could end up being a summer-league or D-league surprise. He just seems like the kind of guy you bring off the bench to hit a couple 3's while the starters rest.

Best Case Scenario: He's a more athletic Sasha Pavlovic or Kyle Korver, possibly an 8th or 9th man off the bench.

Meet Your Longshot NBA Draft Prospect part 2: Jeremy Pargo

Note- With the June 25 NBA draft poised to be the weakest in years, it seems like every player has a shot of being picked. With the help of some special guests, we're going to take an in-depth look at some players whose names NBA GM's might not have heard about.

We're going to jump right into things today as we discuss Gonzaga guard Jeremy Pargo. Once again, I've enlisted the aid of Kevin O'Brien of The Ex-Call Taker, who provided his perspective on the polarizing Zags point guard.

No point guard in the history of Gonzaga garnered as much hype as Jeremy Pargo did when he arrived on campus four years ago. And that’s not exactly a small measurement either, especially considering this is a program that produced Hall of Famer John Stockton and All-American Dan Dickau.

Guys like Pargo simply didn’t come to Gonzaga. Guys who come from hoop meccas such as Chicago and have NBA family pedigrees (his brother played for the New Orleans Hornets before opting to go to CSK Moscow this year for more dough), usually go for the bigger schools in the nation, but lo and behold Pargo came to Gonzaga and the talk about him was that he could be the most explosive and athletic guard the school ever produced.

In some ways, Pargo accomplished what people expected from him…somewhat. He displayed incredible feats of athleticism that many fans hadn’t seen in the McCarthey Center and brought a swagger that was not typical to your usual Mark Few-coached Gonzaga team. Pargo brought hype, Pargo brought that Chicago-flair to Spokane and Pargo brought a highlight show that made you check ESPN every night just in case you missed the game.

But in terms of substance and not style, Pargo is a disappointment. We thought we were seeing flashes of greatness his sophomore year. Sure, you could look at the stats and say he averaged 12. 1 ppg in his first season as a starter, but in reality, the hope came at MSG against North Carolina (which ironically was the stepping stone for two other guys as well: Matt Bouldin and Josh Heytvelt). Pargo showed explosiveness to the hoop. Pargo showed game savvy. And surprisingly, he outplayed a more hyped, and more lauded point guard in Ty Lawson. Check out this highlight reel and try to convince yourself to say he didn’t make you think that he was going to be something beyond special.

However, like Heytvelt, Pargo peaked sophomore year. He had less turnovers and more assists his junior year en route to being WCC Player of the Year, and put up balanced numbers his senior year, but in no way was his third or fourth year dramatically different from his sophomore year. He didn’t have any big games. He didn’t have any performances that made you say “This guy is going to be big.” Morrison had those. Dickau had those. Turiaf had those. Pargo on other hand? Nada.

And the reason why? For as much good as he did, he always followed it up with something bad…in the same game. The guy was more schizophrenic than Jim Carrey in “Me, Myself and Irene.” For every massive dunk, there was a stupid play he made where he coughed the ball up. For every big shot, there was that time when he drained the clock only to chuck up a bad shot twenty feet out with one second left. You see…Pargo may have had great performances statistically, but stats only tell so much. Just look at his stat line his senior year when they played No. 2 Uconn: 16 points 7 assists. Good huh? Until you see the other stat: five turnovers and that doesn’t count that all his turnovers seemed to come in the fourth quarter and overtime. The stupid halfcourt pass. The ridiculous drive he made at the end which got blocked. If Gonzaga had won that game, we may have said that was Pargo’s breakout performance, because statistically it looks great. But because he made bonehead play after bonehead play, fate denied him that great performance truly excellent players have.

And that is what makes him so lost in this draft. Sure he is athletic. You could argue that he is just as athletic as any guy in this draft. Jeff Teague? Pargo’s more experienced and stronger. Brandon Jennings? You think Pargo’s jump shot is bad, Jennings is worse. Ty Lawson? Great, but when you have Wayne Ellington, Danny Green and Tyler Hansbrough in the lineup, even Pargo would look as good.

But the problem with Pargo is nothing physical (even though he has lost a step speed-wise since sophomore year) but all mental. He can’t play 30-plus minutes of consistent ball. He just makes too many dumb decisions, makes too many mistakes and just can’t handle it in the crunch. People will argue “Well, people make dumb mistakes all the time in the NBA,” but that’s at the NBA level. Sure, Jameer Nelson was making error after error in the Finals, but he wasn’t doing that at St. Joe’s. In fact, he was one of the most efficient guards in St. Joe’s history and he is struggling to be consistent at the NBA level. You think Pargo can be an efficient NBA player if he can’t be consistent at the collegiate level?

Pargo came back another year because scouts wanted him to improve his efficiency. Unfortunately that didn’t happen and now he may have gone from fringe first round pick to fringe pick altogether. It’s a sad story because you know Pargo, even if he makes the NBA, won’t be anything more than an eighth man-type. His brother had a good NBA career, but his brother could shoot. Pargo can’t. His brother Jannero had no hype at Arkansas and thus went under the radar. Jeremy has been in the spotlight since freshman year. Granted, this isn’t a rare thing. It happened to Keith Bogans from Kentucky, who sophomore year worked out for scouts, came back and massively underachieved the following year.

But Bogans actually got drafted in the second round. It’s hard pressed to believe that Pargo will be that lucky.

My big thanks to Kevin once again for helping me out with this series. Again, if you haven't checked out The Ex-Call Taker yet, you're missing out.

I have to add in my 2 cents before we go. Like Kevin and other Gonzaga fans, I found myself perplexed by Jeremy Pargo because of his inconsistency. On more than one occasion after a bad pass or a forced shot, I found myself saying that Pargo "was the worst point guard Gonzaga has ever had."

Obviously that was a bit much, and a total exaggeration, but you can see just how crazy he drove fans at times.

But I will say this about Pargo: the guy was a leader, and always wanted to win. Over his time at Gonzaga, we saw him evolve into the outspoken team captain; the unquestioned leader of the team. It was always Pargo who spoke on behalf of the team to the media. It was always Pargo who rallied the troops when things fell apart.

As I found out during the NCAA Tournament, Pargo took losing very hard, and put it on his own shoulders to try to carry the team when they needed him. Say what you want about his skills, but I will always respect Jeremy Pargo for his drive and determination.

But then he turns the ball over while trying to throw a jumping, cross-court pass, and it makes you realize that, sadly, desire alone won't do it for you.

Best Case Scenario: Jarrett Jack's build, Jarrett Jack's desire, none of Jarrett Jack's skills.

Special Thanks to Hanne Zak Photography for use of the photos.

Meet Your Longshot NBA Draft Prospect part 1: Josh Heytvelt

Note- With the June 25 NBA draft poised to be the weakest in years, it seems like every player has a shot of being picked. With the help of some special guests, we're going to take an in-depth look at some players whose names NBA GM's might not have heard about.

Believe it or not, at one point Josh Heytvelt was a can't-miss NBA prospect.

That was two years ago, when Heytvelt was in the midst of a stellar sophomore season at Gonzaga. He was averaging 15.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game, and was the breakout star for the Zags.

What was most impressive about Heytvelt was how well the Zags played when he was the focal point of the offense, and how dominant he was becoming because of it. 19 points and 7 rebounds against North Carolina. 27 points and 22 rebounds against Pepperdine. The 2007 Zags were stacked with shooters like Derek Raivio and Jeremy Pargo, but the Zags were only effective when they fed Heytvelt the ball in the post.

The kid was a star.

But then, it all came unraveled. Heytvelt was arrested for posession of psychedelic mushrooms and suspended for the rest of the season. He tried to return the next season under heavy scrutiny, only to drop a weight on his foot and miss 11 games. Since then, he hasn't been the same.

The dominance was gone. The aggression was missing, replaced by a fondness for jump shooting.

What was worse, he seemed like a shell of his former self both on and off the court. He never opened up to reporters, and even as his team swept WCC play and cruised into the NCAA Tournament, he just seemed bored with it all. In the Sweet Sixteen against North Carolina, when the Zags needed him most, Heytvelt responded with a measly 14 points and 0 rebounds. In the locker room after the game, you wouldn't have been able to tell the Zags lost, based on Heytvelt's generic, indifferent expression.

Why did Heytvelt turn out the way he did? For the answer, we turn to my friend Kevin O'Brien, author of The Ex-Call Taker. If you haven't checked it out, do it right now, it's one of the best sports blogs out there. Kevin and I both covered the Zags for The Gonzaga Bulletin, so we got to see the Zags up close. He recently wrote a piece for The Ex-Call Taker diagnosing Heytvelt's problems:

So what happened? Truth be told, it is hard to determine. There are so many "ifs" and variables that there probably is no direct reason why Heytvelt was never the same player he was his sophomore year when many weren't only talking about him as a bonafide draft pick, but a possible first rounder. His sophomore year he could block shots, had great touch around the rim and could step back and hit the three pointer with ease. He had such a great all-around game that many Bulldog fans during his sophomore season felt that he could have been one of the best big men in the history of Gonzaga basketball.

And then toward the tail end of his sophomore season he got in trouble with the law. His junior year he was hurt, not to mention got in the dog house from Mark Few (he was forced to come off the bench midway through the year). And his senior year, well...he just kind of became a perimeter player. His senior year shows it statistically. In the big games, when they needed him in the post, he settled for threes. The games he shot the most three pointers were against Washington State, UConn and Memphis. They beat Washington State, but lost to the other two. Heytvelt was needed to bang, but instead was pushed out to the perimeter, forced to settle for outside jumpers and three point shots.

...One possible explanation for Heytvelt becoming the settling jump shooter he was last season? Gonzaga had no traditional big men for the first time in his tenure there and he had grown so accustomed to his role as the jump shooting center that when he was asked to be a center, he just wasn't ready nor accustomed to do so. His redshirt freshman year he played with Batista. His sophomore year he played with Sean Mallon. Junior year, it was Abdullahi Kuso and Robert Sacre. Heytvelt didn't have that big guy help his senior year. Kuso graduated, Sacre was hurt, and Foster didn't play nearly enough or was as competent down low either. Austin Daye, the starting four man, in reality is not a power forward. He's tall enough to be one, but his game is one of a small forward. It always has been. Thus, Heytvelt didn't have someone to make up for and hide his inadequacies on the court. In the past, it would have been Mallon or Kuso banging and hacking against Samhan or Bryant. He didn't have that guy this year and the guy we were enamored with sophomore year suddenly was not only shown as mortal, but filled with flaws. Senior year showed he didn't have the strength or the post game to bang against the better centers. Senior year showed he wasn't as great a defender or rebounder as we once thought he was. That possible first rounder, two years later became just a possible draft pick, no longer bonifide.

It's hard to dispute the evidence. Heytvelt may have the physical tools to become a good power forward, but based on his track record, it would be hard to imagine him putting it together to step away from his perimeter game.

With NBA teams moving back to the traditional, banging post player, Heytvelt has his work cut out for him in order to make it. The fact it, there isn't a big market out there for a big man who doesn't rebound or play down low.

Best case scenario: He's Channing Frye without the personality.