Love and Collison entering draft

[General Chaos]

Per ESPN they are entering and will hire agents.

 

[Lefty]

Per ESPN they are entering and will hire agents.

ESPN also reporting Westbrook will enter the draft too.

 

[abomb]

I wouldnt touch Love with a round 1 pick.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I wouldnt touch Love with a round 1 pick.

He is a late first rounder IMO.

 

[Russ Smith]

Times has already changed both stories. Love's mom says no decision has been made they meet this weekend in Oregon to discuss it as a family. She told that to the Portland Oregonian the Times is still saying sources say hes gone. They pulled the Collison bit after Collison directly told them no decision has been made.


I still expect both kids to come out but it looks like the Times jumped the gun.

Westbrook is just speculation it's certainly possible he'll come out but ESPN is just reporting a rumor there's a video on a UCLA site I read of Westbrook 2 days ago saying he hasn't even thought about the decision yet he needs to talk to Howland and get feedback from NBA people to even think about it. Times today says Westbrooks family said if he goes early he would consider coming out.


Howland like most coaches will use NBA connections to get an idea where a player would go and then tell the player, earlier this year he told Westbrook he was projected late first to early second round, that may have improved wtih the Memphis game but prior to that he was actually slumping so it's tough to know.

IF I had to guess I think Love and Collison are gone for sure, I think Westbrook stays, I think Aboya leaves(he's graduating wants to do gradschool or work in Cameroon). I think Luc and Shipp both file without an agent and I think Luc stays and Shipp leaves(he's graduating) to go play overseas possibly in Australia where brother Joe Shipp plays.

There's also a rumor from Jeff Goodman of FOX Sports saying that LSU signed J'Mison Morgan will ask out of his LOI (they fired the coach Brady) and will replace Love at UCLA next year.

 

[bko32]

There's also a rumor from Jeff Goodman of FOX Sports saying that LSU signed J'Mison Morgan will ask out of his LOI (they fired the coach Brady) and will replace Love at UCLA next year.

Whoa, this would be great for UCLA. They'll be real young next year, but they'll have loads of talent.

 

[Skkorpion]

I wouldnt touch Love with a round 1 pick.

I would. He's a natural power forward in the pros with a complete inside/outside game. He's good defensively and a good unselfish passer. The guy has no weaknesses. None.

And Collison could play for me any day, every day. I love his game. Westbrook? Who cares?

Both these guys will improve greatly away from Howland's Neanderthal offense. Defensively, Howland gave them a very good foundation.

 

[Russ Smith]

I would. He's a natural power forward in the pros with a complete inside/outside game. He's good defensively and a good unselfish passer. The guy has no weaknesses. None.

And Collison could play for me any day, every day. I love his game. Westbrook? Who cares?

Both these guys will improve greatly away from Howland's Neanderthal offense. Defensively, Howland gave them a very good foundation.

Love is pretty certainly gone but the sporting News is reporting he's furious with the Times for saying he was hiring an agent because he'd just told Howland on Monday he hadn't decided yet. After reading the story Howland called Kevin to get an explanation and Kevin told him it wasn't true he'd just got off the phone with his mom assuring HER he hadn't decided yet.

I think he's gone but he could use another year to get in better shape. He can do that in the NBA too. The family is fairly well off so he doesn't need to go early but I think he's made it pretty clear that's the plan.

I think you'll find Collison will be ineffective in the NBA. Aside from the lack of size and strength he has one fatal flaw, he can't shoot a jumpshot he's a set shooter. UCLA's offense used a ton of highscreens and other methods to get him separation to shoot, but as we saw against Memphis when he's facing a bigger guard he has a very tough time getting his shot off. Couple that with the fact that he's not really a pure PG and I think he'll have a hard time being a starter. Much better defender than Farmar but he doesn't have the feel for PG that Farmar had and even Jordan isn't starting.

Great kid I wish him all the luck in the world he can definitely play in the NBA but unless he gets a real jumpshot he's going to have problems he's not strong enough to finish in the paint in the NBA so he has to be able to make the outside shot. Great shooter but it's a set shot with a very slow release.
Terrific kid he's supposed to graduate a year early. Sometimes better to be lucky than good UCLA only got him because Arizona didn't want him.

 

[Russ Smith]

Interesting comment from howland at today's presser. he was asked about Westbrook and said if he comes back he'll play PG next season. Then was asked what if Collison unexpectedly came back and Howland thought and then said probably still the same, Westbrook at PG "but we'd have more depth."

During the season howland moved Westbrook to PG against zones I guess what he's saying is even if DC came back he'd be the SG, Westbrook the PG and then Holiday as the 3rd guard/SF? DC isn't coming back but you can see where he's going, scouts see Westbrook as an NBA PG, he's not ready, but he's now being told he'll play PG at UCLA if he stays.

 

[bko32]

I would be real leery of Collison if I were a GM. He seems like a great kid, but doesn't have the size and skill to succeed in the NBA. He was destoyed by Derrick Rose. The PG from Western Kentucky outplayed Collison, and he had a few other games where he just didn't play well. If he is to be considered one of the best PGs in college basketball, he shouldn't have had as many subpar games as he's had this year.

He reminds me of Tyus Edney and I think he's going to end up playing overseas rather than in the NBA.

 

[Russ Smith]

I would be real leery of Collison if I were a GM. He seems like a great kid, but doesn't have the size and skill to succeed in the NBA. He was destoyed by Derrick Rose. The PG from Western Kentucky outplayed Collison, and he had a few other games where he just didn't play well. If he is to be considered one of the best PGs in college basketball, he shouldn't have had as many subpar games as he's had this year.

He reminds me of Tyus Edney and I think he's going to end up playing overseas rather than in the NBA.

yeah the lack of a true jumpshot, his size and lack of feel at PG are all working against him. Great kid, but he's too small I think he can play in the NBA but i don't see him being a starter.

Howland clarifired his comment yesterday too he means if DC and Westbrook both came back they'd start together as they did this year. The assumption is he thinks DC is gone so he's talking about Westbrook at PG if he comes back.

Fingers crossed there's some rumor that Westbrook is staying but you never know until it's official. He's not ready for the NBA but if he's a first rounder and he probably is you can understand why he might go.

About half of Howland's presser appeared to be directed at Westbrook talking about how the key to NBA money is the 2nd contract and guys who leave early and aren't ready to "hit the ground running" wind up losing a lot of money in the 2nd contract.

 

[Skkorpion]

The size criticisms directed at Collison are so contradicted by so many successful guard contributors in the NBA they are laughable.

Maybe Collison can't play at that level. We'll find out. If I was an NBA GM, I'd certainly invite him to my camp.

 

[Russ Smith]

The size criticisms directed at Collison are so contradicted by so many successful guard contributors in the NBA they are laughable.

Maybe Collison can't play at that level. We'll find out. If I was an NBA GM, I'd certainly invite him to my camp.

It's not just height it's bulk, the only guy in the NBA that comes to mind that's close to his weight is Brevin Knight? Collison was just over 140 when he arrived at UCLA, he's listed at 160 now I'm not sure he really is.

Great kid and he and Love are both expected to declare with agents this week.

 

[Mulli]

Love should hire a personal trainer before he hires an agent.

 

[Russ Smith]

Love should hire a personal trainer before he hires an agent.

You should have seen Love in HS he's completely reshaped his body since he got to UCLA. He's still in need of better conditioning obviously but he's probably 15 pounds lighter and much leaner. He could clearly use another year at UCLA but you gotta be realistic he openly admits he'd have declared out of HS if not for the rule change.

 

[DWKB]

There's also a rumor from Jeff Goodman of FOX Sports saying that LSU signed J'Mison Morgan will ask out of his LOI (they fired the coach Brady) and will replace Love at UCLA next year.

Lawrence Journal World:

Self is still looking for another big man in recruiting. Dallas AAU coach Jazzy Hartwell said big man J’Mison Morgan would visit with new LSU coach Trent Johnson, then decide whether he’ll remain a future Tiger. If Morgan opts out of his letter of intent, he again would consider KU and UCLA — teams on his original list.

Of recruiting, Self said: “We’ve always been fairly popular. We’ve got some guys calling us now. It (winning title) is not a huge benefit now because there’s not much left out there (in class of ’08). We’ve got to strike while the iron is hot and have a great fall.”

 

[Renz]

If LSU decides to hold Morgan to his LOI then he has to sit out a year, right? Or does he lose a year of eligibility?

 

[Russ Smith]

If LSU decides to hold Morgan to his LOI then he has to sit out a year, right? Or does he lose a year of eligibility?

He could appeal, the rule says a coaching change is not grounds for getting out of an LOI but there's precedent. Ryan Hollins signed with St. Louis, Romar quit for UW, and Hollins asked out. St. Louis refused, he appealed and the NCAA granted it, and he went to UCLA without sitting out a year. Happens fairly often though it's not a guarantee.

I expect Morgan to stay at LSU though, there wsa a story Friday where JOhnson was asked about the assistants and he said he'd like to conviince interim coach Butch Pierre to remain on staff he's local, knows the program and would be a terrific guy to have on staff. What Johnson didn't say is that Morgan's publicly stated he wanted Pierre to be named head coach and since he wasn't he might ask out of his LOI. So Morgan likes Pierre, Johnson gets the job and immediately says he wants to hire Pierre, a guy he readily admits he had never met before he took the LSU job. Basically it's obvious Johnson realized his top recruit would ask out if he didn't retain Pierre so my guess is they'll keep Pierre and Morgan will stay.

And he's no lock for UCLA even if he does opt out as DWKB said Kansas was a finalist too and while UCLA has more immediate PT available that may not be his deciding factor.

 

[Russ Smith]

Looks like Beasley is announcing today he's coming out.

And the Daily News has a story that says USC's Davon Jefferson might file without an agent. The problem there is there are published reports that Jefferson's already in trouble academically and if those are true there's no way he'll be able to test the waters, do all the workouts and stay eligible.
So it would appear if he declares he's gone.

 

[Russ Smith]

Daily News is reporting Love will announce he's gone. Met with parents over the weekend, Howland said his sources say sure lottery pick possibly as high as 4th overall(?). Given that they said it's a foregone conclusion.

I'm surprised the feedback was THAT positive, 4th overall for Love seems high.

 

[Russ Smith]

Goodman of Fox is reporting Love will declare Thursday.

There's actually speculation now that Collison is thinking about staying one more year, in fact there are those who claim Westbrook is more likely to go now than Collison. I still think in the end DC goes, RW stays.

I also hear that Ryan anderson is following through with testing the waters but will probably stay at Cal. One of their recruits just got released from his LOI said he decided to leave after Braun was fired, but everything I hear is that hiring Monty has jumpstarted recruiting(Brendan Lane added Cal back to his list immediately) and that Anderson is excited about playing for Monty.

 

[Russ Smith]

Way too many rumors.

latest is love won't announce tomorrow is waiting until next week.

Collison, Shipp and Westbrook will all declare tomorrow with no agent. Collison figures to go, Shipp figures to come back, Westbrook is on the fence nobody seems to know.

Also rumor has Aboya announcing tomorrow he's ending his basketball career to focus on gradschool either at UCLA or somewhere else. he's applying at UCLA but not guaranteed acceptance there's some thought if he does get accepted he'll then ask Ben if he can come back and presumably Howland would say yes.