It’s another typical group of centers for the 2013 draft. At least that’s how I would describe the returning players. The freshmen could actually be something special. The reason is there are so many highly-rated centers in the 2012 recruiting class. Five of the top 8 players and 11 of the top 40 are listed as centers. That’s way out of the norm. The previous 5 classes had 5 centers total in the top 8 and never more than 7 in the top 40 in any one year. So the 2013 incoming freshmen center class comes in with depth and potential rarely seen. Recruiting classes can be fickle though. All the players are a long way from being complete and a lot of wrong things can happen on their way there. But the sheer number of highly-touted prospects makes it likely that there will be one or two freshmen centers who emerge as the top prospect(s) for the 2013 draft.
Since this piece is focusing on the returning centers, it won’t be as glowing. There are a couple of sophs, Alex Len and Amir Williams, who hold some promise. Other than that 2013 features a typically starless group of centers. Many of them are old for college players, but all have shown enough that they’re worth keeping an eye on. Some will improve enough in 2013 to get themselves into the first round discussion. Here are the numbers:
| Player |
2PP |
P40 |
R40 |
A/TO |
B40 |
| Alex Len |
553 |
10.9 |
9.9 |
0.4 |
3.9 |
| Amir Williams |
528 |
10.0 |
12.9 |
0.2 |
4.8 |
| Jeff Withey |
536 |
14.2 |
9.9 |
0.6 |
5.7 |
| Gorgui Dieng |
526 |
10.9 |
10.9 |
0.4 |
3.8 |
| Jordan Henriquez |
544 |
14.4 |
10.9 |
0.4 |
4.5 |
| Gregory Echenique |
607 |
16.2 |
12.1 |
0.4 |
2.7 |
| Joshua Smith |
574 |
23.5 |
11.6 |
0.2 |
1.7 |
| Reggie Johnson |
500 |
15.4 |
11.0 |
1.0 |
1.5 |
| Dwayne Dedmon |
556 |
14.1 |
10.1 |
0.2 |
1.8 |
| Alec Brown |
470 |
17.8 |
10.6 |
0.4 |
3.8 |
| Aziz N’daiye |
522 |
12.6 |
11.8 |
0.2 |
1.6 |
| Zeke Marshall |
547 |
15.6 |
8.0 |
0.5 |
4.2 |
| David Bruce |
493 |
15.9 |
12.6 |
0.2 |
1.4 |
Alex Len, Maryland: Alex Len is a good candidate to become a college basketball force in the 2013 season. His freshman year was promising and he’s a young sophomore, not turning 20 until after the 2013 season. His numbers are more impressive than they look. Len was suspended the first 10 games of the season and missed the opportunity to fatten his numbers up against weaker non-conference competition. For that reason alone his numbers should improve. If his game improves, the numbers will improve that much more. Alex Len is a player to watch.
Amir Williams, Ohio State: He played only 191 minutes as a freshman and the DNPs became more frequent as the season wore on. But he rebounded and blocked shots like a stud when he did play. Williams and Len are the top returning prospect based on upside. Len seems on track for some level of stardom. Williams is promising, but still could go either way at this point.
Jeff Withey, Kansas: I like him because he’s such a prolific shot blocker. That’s the single most important skill for any center prospect. The rest of his resume isn’t so impressive. There are some signs that he could improve though. I do think he’s a better rebounder than what he showed last year. He shared the lane with Thomas Robinson, who was the top rebounder in the nation. His departure alone should improve Withey’s numbers. While Withey didn’t score that often, he did get to the line on a fairly high percentage of his FG attempts, suggesting he’ll be an efficient scorer. The negative is he’ll be 23 in March, which makes him a year older than most seniors. Regardless of the negatives, a player who blocks shots this effectively should find a place.
Gorgui Dieng, Louisville: I liked him quite a bit more last January, before a dip in rebounding and shooting hurt his numbers. Anyone who watched the tournament knows what a force he can be on defense. His upside is something of an unknown. He’ll be 23 in January, which is never a good thing for a developing prospect. Unlike most prospects he’s still kind of new to basketball. His skinny frame could probably handle some more bulk and that won’t hurt his game. If there is a player who can emerge as a 23 year-old junior, Dieng seems like a good candidate. His defense alone should get him drafted in round one.
Jordan Henriquez, Kansas State: Very similar to Withey in more ways than playing in the same state. He’s also a 23 year-old senior who only started getting regular minutes this past season as a junior. Shot blocking is his most impressive skill. He’s an adequate rebounder. He’s a low volume scorer, but gets to the line enough to think he has some potential to score with more efficiency.
Gregory Echenique, Creighton: He’s smallish and plays low minutes, but has been an efficient scorer and solid rebounder most of his career. He’ll be a 5th-year senior this year, but started young so he’s the age of most seniors. His shot blocking was down this past year, but he had been over 3 B40 his previous 3 seasons, with a high of 3.9. Might be more of a PF and I’ll move him to that group if subsequent measurements put him shorter than the 6’9” he’s listed at. Echenique looks like he has potential as a valuable energy player.
Joshua Smith, UCLA: It’s always intriguing to wonder what sort of improvement a player like Smith would see should he drop 50 lbs. Without the weight loss, he’s a promising offensive player who rebounds adequately, but is lacking on defense. The biggest factor affecting Smith going into 2013 is the Bruin recruiting class. It’s probably the top group in the nation. It includes only one big guy, Tony Parker, but the entire look of the team will change and that is certain to affect Smith’s numbers.
Reggie Johnson, Miami: Another older center, Johnson will be 23 in December. He needs to get back to being the player he was as a sophomore, when he hit 59% of his shots, posted a 15.0 R40 and was a better, albeit still substandard shot blocker. As a junior he was more of a finesse player, shooting an occasional 3-pointer and flashing better passing skills.
Dwayne Dedmon, USC: An interesting story. Dedmon didn’t play basketball in high school for religious reasons. He caught the attention of the coach at Antelope Valley CC and started playing the game. He transferred to USC last year and put in a somewhat promising year while he battled injuries. Dedmon is 23, the age of a 5th-year senior. His numbers are those of a 2nd-round draft pick at best. Whether he has more upside than your typical 23 year-old is possible because he started playing so late in life. I’d like him a lot more if he were a better shot blocker.
Alec Brown, Green Bay: A junior with good rebounding and shot blocking numbers. His FG pct. is well below 50% for his career and that makes him a long shot unless he can make drastic improvement.
Aziz N’Daiye, Washington: A 24 year-old senior. Aziz comes up a little short as a prospect. His strength is rebounding. He’s lacking on both offense and defense though.
Zeke Marshall, Akron: He’s worth a mention, because he’s a decent shot blocker. He’s an extremely poor rebounder though and that will hinder his chances.
David Bruce, Hampton: He’s one of the better rebounders here and that makes him worth watching. The rest of his game is pretty weak though and unless he makes some improvement he’s unlikely to be drafted.