We all know about the NBA Draft combine. Every year, the future All-Stars and Hall of Famers get tested on everything from standing reach to their hand size. But this year marked the first year the NBA put together a combine for potential draftees and underclassmen still deciding whether or not to stay in the Draft. On May 7-8, 44 underclassmen, even including a few seniors, RSVD’d to attend the “testing the waters” combine. For them, it was another opportunity to showcase themselves and get a feel for what their value would be should they stay in the draft.
More often than not, the results are forgotten within weeks. What’s most fun is going back years later to check up on them. That way, we can find interesting facts, like how Dwight Howard is sometimes referred to as a seven-footer even though he measured just 6-9 without shoes on. Some other cool stuff is finding out that of all the players who went on to have at least somewhat decent careers, Nick Collison had the highest body fat percentage (17) while Matt Santangelo (remember him?) somehow had a 43-inch max vertical…yes, the same number as Vince Carter.
Anyways, here are some highlights from this combine. Remember, these candidates are just testing the waters so there probably aren’t any potential Lottery picks here.
*** *** ***
–Reggie Johnson (Miami) was the combine’s heaviest player at 307 pounds while Ravern Johnson (Mississippi St.) weighed just 175 pounds even though he’s 6-7 with shoes on.
-Johnson also had by far the highest body fat percentage (22.4). For perimeter players, Georgetown’s Austin Freeman needs to hit the gym. His number was 13.1 percent.
-Washington’s Isaiah Thomas measured out at just over 5-10 with shoes on while Chris Wright from Georgetown was just over 6-1 with shoes on.
-Tennessee’s Scotty Hopson had great measurements at just below 6-7 with a 6-11 wingspan. He also had one of the best sprint times at 3.82 seconds.
–Tu Holloway from Xavier had a crazy wingspan, 6-5, even though he was barely 5-10 with shoes on. Same thing with Kentucky’s DeAndre Liggins, who was just short of a seven-foot wingspan.
–Gary Flowers from Southern Miss. had a nearly 7-5 wingspan. He also might’ve been the combine’s most explosive player with a no-step vert of 35.5 inches.
–Guy Marc-Michel from Indiana had a crazy standing reach (9-7).
–Mustapha Farrakhan from Virginia maxed out with a vertical of 41.5 inches, easily the best of the results.
-the fastest sprint came from Charleston’s Andrew Goudelock at 3.78 seconds. Syracuse’s Rick Jackson had one of the higher times for the big men (3.99).
Are there any players from this list that will be sleepers in the Draft?
Follow Sean on Twitter at @SEANesweeney.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
