Draft prospects - Who do we want?

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

ok cam, it's a kaminsky, portis espn doubleheader. My guy vs yours

[Papalrep]

Damn I'm gonna miss NCIS

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

ok cam, it's a kaminsky, portis espn doubleheader. My guy vs yours

Both guys looked and played well, but there can only be one champion of this doubleheader. Portis takes the W.

[TRKO [enjin:12664595]]

I've been tough of Okafor, but when you go watch him play offense you tell yourself that some way you can make his defense work. I wonder if someone like Garnett could get to him to bring up his defensive intensity. Wishful thinking probably. Okafor improves our offense majorly.

[bleedspeed]

Portis - http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12373946/wisconsin-badgers-big-man-frank-kaminsky-tops-list-best-players-college-basketball

Portis suffers from category trouble. At 6-11 he's an outstanding scorer in the paint but he also shoots an occasional 3 -- not often enough to be a Kaminsky, but with sufficient frequency to not be an Okafor. He's also a very good but not dominant rebounder.

See a need, fill a need: I say the right category for Portis is workhorse. Not many guys at his size and with his talent could play better than 70 percent of the minutes for a pressing defense on one of the fastest-paced teams in the country. Then add in the fact that he is said team's featured scorer, and a very good one at that. With his microscopically low foul and turnover rates for an Arkansas team that wants to run end to end, Portis has shown a rare combination of talent and hoops sense.

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Fell asleep and didn't get to see Portis. I'll have to take your word cam. Frank leads the badgers in every possible category. That's very unusual for a 7 footer.

[bleedspeed]

Same link as above. Ranked #1 as a college player.


Frank Kaminsky most likely will not have the best pro career of any player on this list, and several of the players found at Nos. 2-25 here will be drafted before Bo Ryan's star hears his name called. But Frank the Tank is having the best 2014-15 of any player in Division I, and recognizing that fact is written into this list's mission statement.

There are a small number of players nationally -- crazed hoarders of sustained "unsustainable" accuracy from both sides of the arc, mostly -- who can reasonably stake a claim to having had as good a season as Kaminsky's on offense: Seth Tuttle, Kyle Wiltjer, Tyler Haws, Corey Hawkins, etc., etc.; you know, the usual suspects. A certain Jahlil Okafor might even be able to mount a case in that same direction. But none of these guys, Okafor included, can compete with Kaminsky when we include the game's other 20 minutes as well.

Half your time in this sport is spent when your team doesn't have the ball. Kaminsky's no Karl-Anthony Towns at the rim, certainly, but he'll block more shots than Okafor does, and he'll definitely clean up the defensive glass for you. That's a pretty fair defensive portfolio for the featured scorer in one of the best offenses we've seen in the last 10 years.

Ryan seems to know offense fairly well, and he chose to give Kaminsky a larger load of possessions than any player has carried in Madison since the days of Jon Leuer. Ryan's decision appears to have worked out pretty well: Wisconsin is scoring 1.23 points per possession in Big Ten play and that is after a couple of down games for the Badgers' offense (seriously). This is the Kaminsky Era at Wisconsin, and the valuable defender is powering an extraordinary offense. He's having the best season of any player in the country.

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Thanks Bleed. I dont watch too many college games, so I don't have any good comps on Frank, but I certainly don't believe he'll drop past 25. I think the only reason he may drop is because of his age, and due to our log jam at the PF/C position, I don't think we're even looking at him.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Portis - http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12373946/wisconsin-badgers-big-man-frank-kaminsky-tops-list-best-players-college-basketball

Portis suffers from category trouble. At 6-11 he's an outstanding scorer in the paint but he also shoots an occasional 3 -- not often enough to be a Kaminsky, but with sufficient frequency to not be an Okafor. He's also a very good but not dominant rebounder.

See a need, fill a need: I say the right category for Portis is workhorse. Not many guys at his size and with his talent could play better than 70 percent of the minutes for a pressing defense on one of the fastest-paced teams in the country. Then add in the fact that he is said team's featured scorer, and a very good one at that. With his microscopically low foul and turnover rates for an Arkansas team that wants to run end to end, Portis has shown a rare combination of talent and hoops sense.

That basically says it all, AND he's a sophomore. Could also argue that it's even more impressive what he does on a night to night basis based on the fact opposing team's know he's Arkansas only legitimate option offensively. Qualls and Beard can have a hot night once a month, but coaches have been throwing their gameplans singularly around Portis. Very good college player, think he'll be a good player in the NBA as well.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

http://www.ozarksfirst.com/story/d/story/future-hog-bobby-portis-breaks-down-the-turnaround/33430/ky3_kr16JkSeoC9Ai_-6eA

This is two years old, but Portis breaking down the turnaround J. Keep in mind he's about 6'11, 250 now with that shot in his arsenal and stretching to the college three-point line. Hmmm... that sounds familiar.

http://thesportsseer.com/2012/12/19/exclusive-qa-w-bobby-portis-arkansas-best-big-man-since-corliss/

Q&A with Portis as a recruit. Get a feel for his work ethic and drive.

Q: What else do you feel like you do really well?

A: I think my best attribute is making my teammates better. It comes from confidence in myself and confidence my teammates. Because if I trust them, then they'll trust me. If I play hard, then they'll play hard. If they see me going to work out, then they'll work out. And they will be better, then the team will be better overall.

...

Q: What college or NBA player do you most want to model your game after?

A: I don't model my game after anyone, but I like LeBron James. He's an all-around basketball player. He does it all on the court. Among post players, Kevin Garnett.

You can definitely see some KG in Portis. He's not as athletic or explosive, but the skill set / mentality / perimeter game on offense and defense / post offense / drive / etc. He's a vital part of Arkansas' pressure defense carrying them to a 23-5 record (12-3 conf; 2nd in SEC) and a likely top-five seed in the tourney.

I expect him to rise up draft boards quickly if he decides to take his talents to the NBA after the season. Currently 20th on DraftExpress, which is too low in my estimation.