When Brandon Bass graduated from Capital High School in 2003 as a McDonald’s, Parade and Adidas All-American, he could have decided to attend an out-of-state university, but he chose to stay in Baton Rouge and attend LSU instead.
Bass’ career was again at a crossroads Tuesday night in the 2005 NBA draft in New York City, but this time his future was in the hands of NBA general managers and coaches.
The New Orleans Hornets drafted 6-foot-8-inch, 240 pound Bass with the 33rd overall pick, which made him the first Tiger selected in the draft since Stromile Swift and Jabari Smith were chosen in 2000.
“I just feel blessed,” Bass said on lsusports.net. “I think the Hornets are a great situation. I’m glad that this will give the fans of LSU and Baton Rouge and New Orleans a chance to watch me grow in the NBA.”
After drafting Wake Forest University point guard Chris Paul with the fourth overall pick, the Hornets selected Bass with the third pick of the second round.
Hornets coach Byron Scott said on the team’s Web site that he was impressed with Bass’ work ethic, athleticism and strength after evaluating his predaft workout with the team.
“He’s about as strong as anybody we have on this team right now,” Scott said. “He probably works as hard as anyone on this team – on and off the court.”
Scott said Bass showed better ball handling in his workout than he had expected, and it was obvious Bass had been practicing since the end of the season to improve his perimeter skills.
He does not label Bass as a small forward or power forward, but just as a forward who has an opportunity to come in and help the team.
“He’s a basketball player,” Scott said. “He was terrific in our workouts plus he’s a great kid. He’s a very, very intelligent young man, and he’s going to be a tremendous asset to this organization.”
Allan Bristow, the Hornets’ general manager, said the team has followed Bass’ career the last three years, and his maturity was one of the reasons they liked him.
“When he first went to LSU, he was overweight,” Bristow said. “I thought that he was just really going to play center for his collegiate career. I thought he had no shot for developing into any kind of NBA potential player, but in the last two years, his body did a transformation.”
Bristow said Bass’ body is now as sculpted as they come, and he compares Bass to former NBA forward Larry Johnson, who played for UNLV in college and the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks in the NBA.
Bass entered the draft after his sophomore season with the Tigers.
He averaged 17.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game this season, and shot 56.7 percent from the field and 77.7 percent from the free-throw line.
He was awarded the 2005 Southeastern Conference Player and Scholar-Athlete of the Year in men’s basketball and was named an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American.