Patrick O'Bryant Declares for NBA Draft

[Da Coach]

The high school class of 2006 is unusualy loaded with centers and forwards, all of whom will have to wait until next year if they want to enter the NBA draft.

Beside Greg Oden, who everyone concedes would be the #1 pick in the NBA draft this year if he was eligible, these are the other big men ranked highly in the class of 2006--

Centers-

http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&cfg=null&c=4&yr=2006&pid=45

Power Forwards-

http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&cfg=null&c=4&yr=2006&pid=44

Small Forwards-

http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&cfg=null&c=4&yr=2006&pid=43

Of these, it has been suggested that Oden, Spencer Hawes, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Brendan Wright, Darrell Arthur, Vernon Macklin, Lance Thomas, Kevin Durant, Thaddeus Young, Chase Budinger, Gerald Henderson, and perhaps others, would be good enough to be potential lottery picks this year if they were eligible.

This is the one year that this type of high school crop is not eligible because of the new NBA age limit rule.
I don't see any way POB could go as high next year as he would this year. I hope he returns to Bradley, but I believe it is a done deal.

[BradleyBrave]

The high school class of 2006 is unusualy loaded with centers and forwards, all of whom will have to wait until next year if they want to enter the NBA draft.

Beside Greg Oden, who everyone concedes would be the #1 pick in the NBA draft this year if he was eligible, these are the other big men ranked highly in the class of 2006--

Centers-

http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&cfg=null&c=4&yr=2006&pid=45

Power Forwards-

http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&cfg=null&c=4&yr=2006&pid=44

Small Forwards-

http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&cfg=null&c=4&yr=2006&pid=43

Of these, it has been suggested that Oden, Spencer Hawes, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Brendan Wright, Darrell Arthur, Vernon Macklin, Lance Thomas, Kevin Durant, Thaddeus Young, Chase Budinger, Gerald Henderson, and perhaps others, would be good enough to be potential lottery picks this year if they were eligible.

This is the one year that this type of high school crop is not eligible because of the new NBA age limit rule.
I don't see any way POB could go as high next year as he would this year. I hope he returns to Bradley, but I believe it is a done deal.

Barring an unfortunate injury, I am afraid you are correct.

[tornado]

Patrick has finished classes at BU for the spring semester and has enrolled at IMG Academy in Florida.
Here is the comment in the PJ Star.

"Braves briefs: Les confirmed sophomore center Patrick O'Bryant has enrolled in the IMG basketball academy in Sarasota, Fla., a training facility for prospective NBA draftees. Les said O'Bryant's college eligibility is not affected by his presence at the academy. O'Bryant, who completed his spring semester last week at BU and then departed for Florida, is expected to be invited to the league's pre-draft camp June 6-12 in Orlando. Most likely, O'Bryant, like other projected top 20 picks, will not participate in the event but will undergo the extensive physical exam offered to potential draftees."

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/051606/BRA_B9R2I63I.076.shtml

For those who might want to see the web site of the IMG Academy, here are a few links.

http://www.imgacademies.com/home/default.sps

http://www.imgacademies.com/basketball/jump.sps

IMG Academy alumni

http://www.imgacademies.com/basketball/default.sps?itype=8002

Here is a report of some of the players' workouts, and Patrick is mentioned (2nd paragraph), but not described in detail.

http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1301

(This writer claims to have already seem Patrick in a workout at IMG. I'll see if I can get a report from the guy for posting here.)


This web site has several different evaluators who all list Patrick as going between 8th and 16th in the draft, it was updated just a couple days ago, and they say this about him:

"There is always a market a size, so seven-footers Patrick O'Bryant and Aaron Gray figure to gauge a lot of interest by just about every team with a top-20 pick. Bradley would be hurt by the loss of O'Bryant, but his stock seems steady and nobody would blame him for taking his talents to the next level."

"....Huge frame with extremely long arms. When it comes down to true centers, Patrick O' Bryant from Bradley will draw tons of attention. The 7-foot, 260 pound center averaged 13.4 points and 8.3 rebounds last season, helping Bradley to the NCAA tournament round of 16 for the first time since 1955. His reported 7-6 wingspan and defensive reputation should make Minnesota think twice on passing on a Blaine Minnesota native. O' Bryant has until June 18 to pull his name out of the draft. He said he would return to Bradley only if he suffered an injury or wasn't pleased with his draft projection by the deadline. Who will shake David Sterns hand first? Bradley???‚¬?„?s 19 year old Patrick O Bryant, or Dukes 23 year old Shelden Williams? Both should crack the top ten."

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_17362.shtml

[chitownBUB]

Re: Joah Tucker

Actually there is another ex-BU player who is being tabbed as an NBA draft pick this year.

I have my serious doubts about him getting drafted, and his best shot might be to have some good workouts and maybe get an opportunity as a free agent, but after a recent interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this is what they say about Joah Tucker.

"Tucker, who is represented by Chicago-based agent Henry Thomas of CSMG, is considered a possible second-round NBA draft pick. He is coming off a respectable showing at the Portsmouth Invitational and could see his stock improve through individual workouts with NBA teams or by receiving an invitation to the annual NBA pre-draft camp in June, which provides another opportunity to impress pro scouts."

I fully expect POB to sign with an agent within the next couple days.

[Da Coach]

Isn't his agent, Henry Thomas, is also a former Bradley player-turned-agent?

[BradleyBrave]

Re: Joah Tucker

Actually there is another ex-BU player who is being tabbed as an NBA draft pick this year.

I have my serious doubts about him getting drafted, and his best shot might be to have some good workouts and maybe get an opportunity as a free agent, but after a recent interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this is what they say about Joah Tucker.

"Tucker, who is represented by Chicago-based agent Henry Thomas of CSMG, is considered a possible second-round NBA draft pick. He is coming off a respectable showing at the Portsmouth Invitational and could see his stock improve through individual workouts with NBA teams or by receiving an invitation to the annual NBA pre-draft camp in June, which provides another opportunity to impress pro scouts."

I fully expect POB to sign with an agent within the next couple days.

Wow, that would be something if Molinari had recruiting a team with 2 NBA players (Granger and Tucker), along with all-conference guards Gilbert and Gillingham. How a team that talented managed to go 9-20 I will never know.

[BU Bill]

I was looking at the list of early entrants in this year's NBA draft, and there is a second player that Jim Les recruited on the list. Japhet McNeil was a very good point guard from New York in 2003, and Les was very interested in him. But as I recall, when Daniel Ruffin committed in January of 2003, BU dropped McNeil. McNeil went to East Carolina U., and was a junior this past season.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/ncaa/early.entries/index.html

http://ecupirates.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/mcneil_japhet00.html

He is also listed by Mike DeCourcy as a "dreamer" in this article about which players have a chance to be drafted.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news;_ylt=A86.I8gDHm1EuXYBUhXevbYF?slug=sitdownyoungmen&prov=tsn&type=lgns

[smitty]

I am not an expert, but I will go on record as predicting that Japhet McNeil will not be getting drafted this year.