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March Madness: Who NBA scouts are watching

by Chad Ford

Send an Email to Chad Ford

Also Below: Who they're watching in the South | Ricky Davis embarrasses Cavs | Karl can't get Glove to fit | Peep Show

It's March Madness, baby! It's the big stage for some of college basketball's best players to show off their games. NBA scouts and general managers will be out in force over the next few weeks scouting everyone in the Big Dance.

A great March can really help a player's stock. Last year, Maryland's Chris Wilcox and Indiana's Jared Jeffries rode strong tournament performances into the lottery. In 2001, Arizona's Richard Jefferson used the tournament to catapult into the lottery. In 2000, it was Florida's Mike Miller and Donnell Harvey riding a surprising run. In 1999, it was Wally Szczerbiak and Rip Hamilton using strong March performances as springboards into the lottery.

Who will it be this year? ESPN Insider talked to multiple NBA scouts and GMs to give you a look at the Top 5 NBA prospects they'll be watching in each NCAA region.

Today, Insider will take a look at the South bracket. Tuesday, we'll tackle the East.

For the inside scoop on every team in the tournament, check out Insider's in-depth Tournament Guide.

Who they're watching in the South

Okafor

1. Emeka Okafor, PF, Connecticut

The Skinny: 6-foot-9, 240 lbs, Sophomore. 15.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 4.7 bpg, 58 percent shooting from the field.

The Good: Perhaps the best low-post defender in college hoops. Has drawn comparisons to everyone from Alonzo Mourning to Bill Russell. He has an NBA body, inside toughness, is a strong rebounder and fierce shot blocker. Scouts are impressed with how he's improved his game on the offensive end of the court. He's added a soft shooting touch and a nice mid-range jumper to his game this season. Very intelligent.

The Bad: He's a terrible free throw shooter. He actually shot better from the field this season (58 percent) than he did from the line (57 percent). While is offensive game has improved, it still needs more work. He could really use a signature go to move in the paint.

The Ugly: He's projected as a top-five pick in this year's draft if he declares. However, Okafor, who is an exceptional student, is actually on pace to graduate, a la Jay Williams, after his junior year. The preliminary word is that Okafor will return to UConn for his junior season, regardless of where he's projected in the draft.

2. T.J. Ford, PG, Texas

The Skinny: 5-foot-10, 165 lbs, Sophomore. 15.1 ppg, 7.2 apg, 3.7 rpg, 42 percent shooting from the field.

The Good: The top point guard in college hoops. May be the fastest player in basketball, pro or college. Has an uncanny ability to see the floor and deliver it with laser-like accuracy. Call it a kind of point guard sixth sense -- the same stuff that fuels Jason Kidd's mojo.

The Bad: Size matters in the league. Currently, only nine players in the NBA are under 6-feet. In the last five years, only one player under 6-feet, Speedy Claxton, has been drafted in the first round. His outside jumper is suspect, and at times this season, he's been turnover prone.

The Ugly: Teams love him. Earl Boykins has almost single handedly led to a paradigm shift for little point guards. If he were to come out after the season, he'd be a lock for the lottery. However, Ford has maintained all season that he'll return for his junior season. If No. 1 seeded Texas wins it all, would he have a change of heart?

3. David West, SF/PF, Xavier

The Skinny: 6-foot-8, 232 lbs, Senior. 20.3 ppg, 12 rpg, 3.3 apg, 52 percent shooting from the field.

The Good: West has been one of the pre-eminent low-post players in the country the last two seasons, but it's been the emergence of his perimeter game that has caught scouts eyes this season. West had developed a nice mid-range jumper and has even shown some three-point range this season. He's very tough and plays with a lot of aggression. He give maximum effort every night, is a beast on the glass, a capable defender and a good passer out of the post.

The Bad: He's undersized at his position. He doesn't have the atleticism or lateral quickness to be a great defender or shot blocker in the pros. He could stand to add another 10 or 15 pounds of muscle.

The Ugly: He's picked up the dreaded tweener label among scouts. Teams feel he's closer to 6-7 than 6-9. There isn't much he can do to help his stock in the tournament. The key will come at the Chicago pre-draft camp. If he measures bigger than expected (it's happened in the past) his stock will be on the rise. If he doesn't, look for him to go in the mid-to-late first round.

4. David Harrison, C, Colorado

The Skinny: 7-foot-0, 250 lbs, Sophomore. 13.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 3.2 bpg, 55 percent shooting from the field.

The Good: He's huge. He's got the height and the body to be a legitmate center in the NBA. He can be a dominating rebounder when he wants to be, especially on the offensive glass. A solid shot blocker (he blocked 11 shots versus Nebrasksa a week ago). His offensive game is beginning to emerge.

The Bad: Showed up out of shape for his freshman season. He's in better shape this year, but not great shape, causing scouts to wonder about his work ethic. Not particularly athletic. Terrible passer. Can be turnover prone. Doesn't play with passion every night.

The Ugly: Scouts still aren't sold. They love his size, but believe his attitude is still getting in the way of him becoming a great player. A strong tournament run could help change the perception. This is a weak draft for big men. Right now he's looking at the mid-to-late first round if he declared. If Harrison can prove to scouts that he can play hard, his stock could soar.

5. David Lee, F, Florida

The Skinny: 6-foot-9, 225 lbs, Sophomore. 10.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 64 percent shooting from the field.

The Good: Scouts love his athleticism and quickness with the ball. He's developed some polished moves in the post. Has a nice mid-range jumper. Great speed and leaping ability. Loves to run the floor. Can take his man off the dribble. Gets most of his points off dunks. Lee has been great on the boards and a tough defender for Florida this season.

The Bad: He's also picking up the tweener label. Scouts wish he would develop more of a perimeter game. Lee hasn't taken a three-pointer all year. That could be his downfall. You can blame part of that on the role Lee has played this year for the Gators. Coach Billy Donovan has asked Lee to step in at center this season.

The Ugly: Scouts claim he's in for a major position change when he gets to the pros. Can he make the transition from center to small forward in the NBA? Without a consistent jumper, scouts worry.

Sleeper: Rafael Araujo, C, BYU

The Skinny: 6-foot-11, 260 lbs, Junior. 12.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 57 percent shooting from the field.

The Good: This Brazilian big man has the size and toughness inside to play center in the NBA. He's physically strong, is tough on the glass and has an emerging offensive game. Like many international players, he's fundamentally sound. Has really come on of late. Scored 31 points on 13 of 16 shooting against Air Force. Averaging 17.3 ppg and 10.5 rpg over his last six games.

The Bad: Arajou's still very raw. He isn't particularly athletic, doesn't block shots and has struggled with turnovers all season.

The Ugly: A gaggle of NBA scouts flocked to Vegas to check out Arajou at the Mountain West conference tournament. Most of them came away convinced that he's a legit first-round prospect in the draft. They'll be watching his matchup with Okafor when BYU takes on UConn in the first round very closely.

Others to watch: Josh Childress, 6-8, G, So., Stanford; Ben Gordon, 6-2, G, So., UConn; Steve Blake, 6-3, G, Sr., Maryland; Anthony Roberson, 6-1, G, Fr., Florida; Christjan Drejer, 6-9, G, Fr., Florida; Matt Walsh, 6-6, G, Fr., Florida

Ricky Davis embarrasses Cavs

About this time last year, Cavs coach John Lucas was calling Ricky Davis the next Michael Jordan.

One year later, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan is calling him Anthony Bowie.

Ricky Davis

Guard-Forward

Cleveland Cavaliers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

63 20.8 4.8 5.0 .408 .755

Davis, who has had his fair share of bizarre incidents this season, topped them all Sunday when he took a shot at the Jazz's basket with six seconds left in an attempt to collect the first triple double of his career.

Thankfully, DeShawn Stevenson ran over and hammered Davis before he could collect the rebound. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was livid.

"I would have knocked him on his ass," Sloan told the Salt Lake Tribune. "You try to embarrass a team [with] a 20-point lead, you're [censored] right I'd knock him down. This is not school-yard basketball. These guys are getting paid. I was glad DeShawn tried to knock him down. They can put me in jail or whatever they want for saying that, but that's the way it is."

"That's garbage," Stevenson said. "There are too many people who have done too much in this sport to act like that. I saw that as real disrespect. This is the NBA. You've got to be professional and that's not professional."

Ironically, Sunday was the night that Jazz point guard Mark Jackson legitimately became the NBA's second-leading assist man. Jackson couldn't believe what Davis did.

"Classless," Jackson said. "If he doesn't regret it tonight, he will one day. I truly encourage the people around him, whether it's teammates, coaches or the organization, to pull him aside and explain it to him. When you try to embarrass someone, you really end up embarrassing yourself."

This isn't the first time a player has sunk to new depths in an effort to get a record. Former Magic player Anthony Bowie once called a timeout with three seconds left (and the Magic up by 20 points) in an attempt to have one more shot at a 10th assist and his first-career triple double. Pistons coach Doug Collins was so angry he refused to let his players take the court for the final play. Bowie passed to a teammate for an uncontested basket.

Cavs interim coach Keith Smart apologized to Sloan after the game. Davis' stupidity ruined what was otherwise one of the best games the Cavs have played all season.

"I don't want it to sour what we accomplished as a basketball team," he told the Morning Journal. "We had a great afternoon and we didn't want to distract anything from what we accomplished as a basketball team. Just like the situation in the Miami game (March 11), it's a situation where he'll probably never do that again."

If the Cavs have their way this summer, he may not have the chance. Several NBA sources, including one inside the Cavs, told Insider last week that Cavs were already considering trading their leading scorer this summer.

From the Cavs' side of things, they believe that Davis is expendable because of the upside of Darius Miles and Dajuan Wagner. If the Cavs land the first pick in the draft, and LeBron James, or even if they get their hands on Carmelo Anthony, then moving Davis is a no brainer.

The coaching staff has been unhappy with how selfish Davis has played this season. He was suspended for two games by former coach John Lucas, after getting into an argument with Tyrone Hill earlier this season. The team has also struggled to get Davis to play within the offense.

"Ricky needs to understand that no one player is bigger than the team,'' GM Jim Paxson told the Akron Beacon Journal after he fired Lucas. "We are talking about maturity.''

Obviously he hasn't learned much. Smart has already benched Davis since then and Sunday night's pathetic display could be the final nail in the coffin.

With Davis' reasonable contract (his base-year comp status expires July 21st) and his scoring ability, the Cavs are hoping that someone will be willing to part with a big point guard or an athletic power forward in return.

"It's tough enough to rebuild with young players," one source said. "But when you have a kid like that on your team, no amount of talent can make up for the damage he does in the locker room and on the court. The Cavs will take a big step forward once he's gone."

Davis comes up one brain shy in rare rout

Bob Finnan / Lorain Morning Journal

Davis Adds Insult to Injury as Cavs Trounce Jazz

Phil Miller / Salt Lake Tribune

Karl can't get Glove to fit

Gary Payton was supposed to save the Bucks' season and George Karl's job. One month into the Bucks' big experiment, it looks like the Glove can't do either.

The Bucks have lost four straight and are just 5-8 since making the trade. Sunday's loss to the Knicks put the Bucks a half game behind the Wizards for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

No one is happy.

Gary Payton

Point Guard

Milwaukee Bucks

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

65 20.7 4.5 8.6 .448 .699

"One night we come out and play well and the next night we come out and play like crap," Payton told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We've got to stop being up and down."

Ironically, the additon of Payton was supposed to make the Bucks a more consistent, better defensive team. It seems to have had the opposite effect. The team is giving up almost 106 points per game since adding Payton and Mason.

What gives?

"When we made the trade we thought we were going to do it with defense," Karl said. "But in a strange way we haven't shown that yet. We've played some good offensive teams, that's the only excuse we have now. You can't win on the road giving up this many points."

Payton has different ideas. While Allan Houston was lighting up the Bucks for 50 points on Sunday, Karl had Payton, the team's best defender, guarding the likes of Shandon Anderson, Howard Eisley and Charlie Ward.

Even Houston couldn't believe that his outburst didn't draw the attention of Payton.

"I was a little surprised," Houston said.

So was the Glove.

"That's coach's decision," Payton told the N.Y. Daily News. "I don't know what was up. I just played who coach told me to play."

Why didn't Payton demand that he guard Houston?

"You don't do that," he said. "That's selfishness, to me. That's real selfish. To go over there and to say, 'I'll stop him,' that's showing up your teammates. You don't do that."

The Bucks better do something quick. If this team fails to make the playoffs, Payton may not want to hang around, even if it means taking less money elsewhere.

Knicks fire away at defenseless Bucks

Tom Enlund / Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Who gets blame? For coach Karl, it fits like Glove

Mitch Lawrence / New York Daily News

So, Where Was The Glove?

Mark Hale / New York Post

Peep Show

San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan is down. Can he get back up? X-rays on his sprained ankle came back negative, but the team will give him an MRI today. "You guys know Tim," Malik Rose told the San Antonio Express News. "He'll be OK."

Cleveland Cavaliers: Speaking of the Cavs. . . GM Jim Paxson may not be around to trade Ricky Davis this summer. The News Herald reported on Sunday that owner Gordan Gund has been poking around lately and asking about Paxson's performance. Paxson has just one year left on his contract once the season ends. . . Rookie Dajuan Wanger will undergo an arthroscopic procedure for a torn meniscus of his right knee effectively ending his season. "Based on what they saw in the MRI, now is the best time to have the procedure done," Paxson told the Akron Beacon Journal. "Hopefully, he can start working out in May. But we're not going to try to bring him back for the last few games of the season."

Houston Rockets: Coach Rudy Tomjanovich will undergo a biopsy today to determine if an abnormality that was found on his bladder last week is cancerous, the Houston Chronicle reported. His condition means that he'll likely miss that start of the team's road trip. "It can always have some seriousness when they've got to go in and do those tests," Tomjanovich said. "The doctors have made me pretty comfortable. I've just got to get through this; there are a lot of emotions coming through me right now. Fear is one, of course. I feel grateful. I could have been walking around with something and not even known. I just think I've got a chance. Even if this thing turns out positive, with the way things are, you've got a fighting chance. That's all I want."

Memphis Grizzlies: Hubie Brown for Coach of the Year? The Grizzlies have won six games in a row and Jerry West is starting his campaign "If there's any gratification from this, it's that all everyone talked about was how old he was," West told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "But he's got more brains and more energy than half of the people that are 40 years of age. You just can't say enough about the job that he's done. I think you could make a great case for him being the Coach of the Year." But perhaps Lorenzen Wright put it the best. "Sometimes I sit back and see other teams and say, 'If Hubie was their coach, they'd be winning,' We've got the best coach in the league. He's made us trust and believe. Everything that's happened, he predicted when he got here."

Miami Heat: Miami is still desperate to clear enough cap room to be a player in the free-agent market this summer. The Heat have already convinced LaPhonso Ellis to waive an incentive option that will save them $3.5 million in cap space next summer. Now they're working on Anthony Carter. Carter has a player option for next year. If the Heat dump him before he has a chance to exercise the $4.1 option, they could save more money. Of course, the NBPA will have something to say about it, which is why the two sides are already negotiating a buyout, according to the Sun Sentinel. If the Heat could get Carter's numbers off the books completely, they'd be looking at around $9 million in cap space.

A win, maybe a big loss

Johnny Ludden / San Antonio Express-News

Knee surgery to shelve Wagner rest of season

David Lee Morgan Jr. / Akron Beacon Journal

Rudy T undergoes tests; to miss start of road trip

Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle

Games pale in comparison to Rudy T's looming health crisis

Fran Blinebury / Houston Chronicle

Red-hot Griz squash Hawks

Ronald Tillery / Memphis Commercial-Appeal

Heat may be player ... in summer

Ira Winderman / South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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- no sportsmanship shown at all! does this man have any sense of honor and respect to this game?

total embarassment... all NBA players should tease him for the rest of the year... maybe 2 years.

total embarassment

- as for payton... hes right! thats showing up ur teammates. Karl should have assigned him to Houston when Houston was catching on fire.

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