Koufos going pro?
Right: Koufos is entering the NBA draft, but will not hire an agent. AP Photo/Terry Gilliam
The fine publication in northeastern Ohio known as the Canton Repository is reporting that 7-foot freshman center Kosta Koufos is declaring for June’s NBA Draft.
Huh?
Koufos averaged 14.4 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Buckeyes this past season while playing some really good basketball down the stretch, particularly in the National Invitational Tournament, as he earned the Most Outstanding Player award against lesser talent and smaller centers.
But how did Koufos fare against the big boys?
Against 6-foot-9 Tyler Hansbrough and the North Carolina Tar Heels, Koufos scored a mere four points with three rebounds in a 66-55 loss.
Going toe-to-toe with Texas A&M’s 7-foot center DeAndre Jordan, Koufos had 10 points and five rebounds as the Buckeyes lost big to the Aggies, 70-47.
In two games playing against 6-foot-11 center Shaun Pruitt from Illinois, Koufos averaged 10 points and 4.5 rebounds.
Koufos, who graduated from Canton’s GlenOak High School, is quoting as saying this Canton Rep’s Mike Popovich:
I am declaring for the 2008 NBA Draft but not hiring an agent and maintaining my college eligibility.”
Whew! That’s good. Koufos better take some time to think this through because RealGM.com has him going to the Dallas Mavericks with the 24th overall pick, and is one of the few that actually puts an abbreviated scouting report along with their mock draft, and here’s what they said about Koufos:
He shoots the ball from anywhere with ease, confidence and very good form, especially for such a young 7-footer. Koufos sees the court well but he can’t physically complete some of the passes he recognizes, but that will progress in time. He takes too long to collect himself to finish a dunk, which puts the ball in danger of being blocked. He is a decent athlete and his quick to ball on offensive rebounds, but his lateral movements are unquestionably on the slow side. He easily could be a lottery pick in 2009, but clearly needs more fine-tuning.”
That last sentence says it all, and I’m left wondering why anyone would leave early when you are not even a lottery pick?
Last year, head coach Thad Matta had three freshman who left early, center Greg Oden, point guard Mike Conley Jr., and shooting guard Daequan Cook. Oden and Conley were lottery picks as the center was the No. 1 overall selection by the Portland Trail Blazers, and Conley was the fourth pick by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Cook, though, was a different story. He was picked 21st and eventually landed with the Miami Heat.
Cook played in 59 games for the Heat this past season, starting in 19 of those, and averaged 8.8 points in 24.5 minutes per game. But he was also was sent down by Miami head coach Pat Riley to the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League.
Cook appeared in three games (all starts) for the Energy, averaging 19.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.33 steals in 39.7 minutes of action.
By the way, Miami finished the season with a record of 15-67.
So what does it mean when the NBA’s worst team sends you down to the D-League? Clearly, Cook would of benefited from staying at least one more year at Ohio State.
I think staying at least one more year and working on his interior game while getting stronger should obviously benefit Koufos and improve his draft stock.
Here’s what other 2008 NBA mock drafts have Koufos projected as of press time. Please note, a good number of these mock drafts are dominated by college players in the U.S., as many of the international players have yet to be evaluated. As draft day nears, those names will be added, and could alter where Koufos is projected to be picked:
MyNBADraft.com has Koufos as the 28th overall selection by the Memphis Grizzlies. They don’t list second round picks.
NBADraft.net does not list Koufos as of yet, but does have Othello Hunter as a second round (54th overall) pick to the Houston Rockets.
DraftExpress.com has Koufos going to the Denver Nuggets as the 20th overall pick.
CollegeHoops.net does not list Koufos in the first or second rounds as of press time, but does ranked him as just a two-star pro prospect.
