By: David Kay
Every week The Sports Bank’s resident NBA Draft and college basketball nerd, David Kay takes a look at whose draft stock is on the rise and whose is falling.
Click here for David’s 2010 NBA Mock Draft.
Click here for David’s 2011 NBA Mock Draft.
Click here for a list of scouting reports.
BUY:
DeMarcus Cousins, C, Kentucky, Fr.
The Wildcat freshman is playing like a man. He has posted four straight double-doubles despite seeing limited action in certain games. Against Arkansas, Cousins posted 16 points and 14 boards in just 17 minutes and had 21 and 14 in 24 minutes against Vanderbilt. What stands out is how he has dominated potential second round pick Michael Washington and A.J. Ogilvy. Where Cousins continues to be hurt is with his overwhelming emotions that he shows on the court. He lets other players get in his head, talks massive amounts of noise on the court, and gets into arguments with Kentucky head coach John Calipari. If he can control those emotions, he is without a doubt a top ten pick, but scouts continue to worry about his mental make-up which could effect where he is selected.
Devan Downey, PG, South Carolina, Sr.
The 5-9 point guard was instrumental in the Gamecocks’ upset of then top-ranked Kentucky. Despite his lack of height, Downey can get a shot off whenever he needs. Even though he attempted 29 shots against UK, he dropped 30 going up against the likes of John Wall and Eric Bledsoe. Prior to the UK game, Downey blew up for 36 at Florida and most recently scored 33 versus Georgia, and is averaging 31.6 ppg in SEC play. There is no question he is undersized and a shoot first point guard which might sour some teams, but he has definitely played his way into the second round.
Dominique Jones, SG, South Florida, Jr.
Since scoring a season-low five points at Louisville on December 30th, Jones has been balling out of his mind since the calendar changed to 2010. He is averaging 29.5 points per game during his last seven games including a 46-point, 10 rebound, 8 assist outburst in an overtime win against Providence. The 6-4 junior is still struggling a bit from the outside, but is using his strength and quickness to attack the rim and frequently get to the free throw line. USF has won three straight behind Jones’ efforts including an upset victory against Pitt Sunday in which he dropped 37 points. Jones would be a bubble first round pick if he declared for the draft this summer, but is starting to garner more and more interest as a potential future pro.
Aubrey Coleman, SG, Houston, Sr.
The nation’s leading scorer, Coleman has topped the thirty-point mark in his last three games. While he is not the most efficient outside shooter in college basketball, he is terrific off the bounce and uses his physical frame to earn many trips to the free throw line and also be an aggressive rebounder. If he were a better perimeter shooter, he would have first round potential, but still, Coleman has a solid lock on a second round selection.
Check out the complete Stock Report here.