When the NBA draft begins today, the first round most likely will not consist of any LSU Tigers.
The NBA draft, unlike other drafts in the sports world, consists of only two rounds, and those who are not picked are sometimes left in the dust.
However, many current NBA stars, such as Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace, are not drafted and later go on to court dominance.
First in a “three-man draft,” 18-year-old LeBron James has dominated the press recently with his straight-out-of-high-school-skills and record $90 million endorsement deal with Nike. The 6-foot-8-inch small forward from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in Akron, Ohio, is a lock for the first pick.
The second man in the draft is 17-year-old Serbian prodigy Darko Milicic. The 7-foot power forward with Dirk Nowitizki-like skills is projected by many sports authorities to be the second pick in the draft.
Carmelo Anthony is the final piece of the threesome. Any other year, Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan said, the 6-foot-8-inch forward might have been the No. 1 pick, but James and Milicic have pushed him down.
Anthony arguably is the most experienced and best player in the draft. He declared for the draft after his freshman national championship season at Syracuse. From there, it’s anybody’s game. The plethora of European and young players dominating the draft have some teams simply picking out of a hat.
LSU’s basketball season consisted of a roller coaster ride filled with No. 1 upsets and heartbreaking losses. Of the six eligible draftees from LSU, only three contributed significantly on the court for LSU.
Small forward Ronald Dupree is LSU’s sure bet for the draft – Dupree has worked out for 15 NBA teams, according to his agent Mark Bartelstein. The 6-foot-7-inch Dupree averaged 15.8 points and 7.8 rebounds a game this season.
An LSU player hasn’t been selected in the first round of the NBA draft since the Vancouver Grizzlies drafted Stromile Swift in 2000. The last LSU player who was picked early in the draft was Shaquille O’Neal in 1992. Ronald Dupree hopes to be the next on that short list.
“We think he’s going to go late first or early second,” Bartelstein said. “He’s been here in Chicago working on his game, and he’s done really well.”
LSU guard Collis Temple III, who avereged 10.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, told The Advocate he does not expect to be drafted. But 6-foot-7-inch, 218-pound Temple has received interest from the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.
Temple also told The Advocate he plans to be in an NBA camp next fall. Temple, who holds a masters in sports administration from LSU, plans to continue to work for his doctorate in education.
Torris Bright, the 6-foot-4-inch guard from Slidell, told The Advocate he also did not expect to be drafted. ESPN.com said his 11.1 points per game and versatility at the guard/small forward spot could land him on an NBA roster. Many players like Bright often play for the National Basketball Development League.
Brad Bridgewater, Brian Green and Thomas Davis were all seniors on the 2002-2003 Tigers squad. These three did not get enough exposure or playing time this season. The probability of their being drafted is minute.
Draft Dreams
June 25, 2003