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March Madness: Who NBA scouts are watching

by Chad Ford

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Also Below: Who they're watching in the Midwest | Would you swap Eddy Curry for Kwame Brown? | Will the war in Iraq slow the NBA down? | Peep Show

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 Midwest bracket. Kentucky may be the No. 1 seed and the top team in the nation, but according to NBA teams, the Wildcats don't have one first-round NBA prospect. Neither does second seed Pittsburgh. When's the last time that has happened?

In fact, the Midwest bracket is really devoid of top young talent. Instead, four juniors, Luke Ridnour, Dwayne Wade, Ricky Paulding and Arthur Johnson, rule the roost.

Thurday, we'll finish up with the Pacific.

Also see: East prospects | South prospects | Tournament Guide | March Madness Sitelines

Who they're watching in the Midwest

1. Luke Ridnour, PG, Oregon

The Skinny: 6-foot-2, 175 lbs, Junior. 19.9 ppg, 6.8 apg, 44 percent shooting from the field.

The Good: Ridnour has a flair for the dramatic, which has won him quite a few fans in the league. Despite his frail-looking frame, scouts say he's tough. Ridnour has great floor vision, is a natural leader and he can really shoot. He's an above average athlete who makes good decisions when he's on the floor.

The Bad: His defense is awful. He's not quick enough to take his defender off the dribble, meaning he's forced to hang out around the perimeter most of the game. Scouts say he has difficulty creating his own shot. Lacks the explosiveness that teams love in their point guards. Has decent foot speed, but no lateral quickness.

The Ugly: Ridnour may have the floppy locks of another Washington point guard, Dan Dickau, who slipped into a death spiral on draft night, but most scouts feel Ridnour is a better prospect. The debate between KU point guard Kirk Hinrich and Ridnour is already raging among scouts. The two went head-to-head earlier this year. Ridnour won the game and a lot of fans with his 25-point, nine-assist, seven-rebound performance. Both players are great leaders with excellent outside shots, but right now it seems like Hinrich (and T.J. Ford if he comes out) is ahead on Ridnour on most draft boards. Still, the word around the league is that Ridnour plans to put his name in the draft. With good workouts or a strong tournament, he's probably in the late lottery.

2. Dwyane Wade, SG, Marquette

The Skinny: 6-foot-4, 210 lbs, Junior. 21.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.1 apg, 50 percent shooting from the field.

The Good: Explosive scorer. Wade's game evokes comparisons to Desmond Mason, Fred Jones and even Jerry Stackhouse from scouts. It's not hard to see why when you look at his combination of a strong frame, leaping ability and defensive presence. One of the best athletes in college hoops. Fearless leader. He's relentless taking it to the basket. Good body control when taking it inside. Really knows how to get to the line. Great finisher. Dominating quickness.

The Bad: He's picked up the dreaded "combo guard" label. He's too small to be a two guard in the NBA, but lacks the instincts to be top-notch point guard. He doesn't have a lot of range on his jumper. He's shown some ability to make threes, but he rarely attempts them.

The Ugly: While scouts are usually terrified of undersized two guards, Wade may be the exception. Three different scouts told me they think he'll be in the lottery when the smoke clears on draft night. He has long arms and a pretty good handle. He never plays out of control, leading some to wonder if he could be turned into a point guard. After seeing how Gilbert Arenas proved everyone wrong, teams are more willing to take a chance on a talent like Wade.

3. Ricky Paulding, SG/SF, Missouri

The Skinny: 6-foot-5, 215 lbs, Junior. 17.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 45 percent shooting from the field.

The Good: Paulding may be the most athletic two-guard in the country. One league executive compared him to a shorter version of Gerald Wallace. Paulding's ability to take it the basket has scouts drooling. Superior leaping ability. He jumps out of the gym. A strong rebounder. He gets a high number of offensive rebounds because he likes to hang around the paint. He's an above-average ball handler.

The Bad: His big weakness is apparent when he gets away from the basket. He shot 38 percent from the three-point line this year, but he's very streaky. He also doesn't possess a consistent mid-range jumper. While he has the ability to do a lot of things on the court, he hasn't figured out how to tap his potential yet. More athlete than skilled player at this point.

The Ugly: Paulding has said he'll stay in school for one more year and scouts are applauding that decision. They think his game is better suited for the NBA than college, but they'd like him to spend one more year learning the nuances of the game and working on that jumper. Right now he's looking at a first-round draft slot in the 20s. He could propel himself into the lottery with a strong senior season.

4. Mo Williams, PG, Alabama

The Skinny: 6-foot-1, 185 lbs, Sophomore. 16.0 ppg, 4 rpg, 4 spg, 40 percent shooting from the field.

The Good: Williams is a slick point guard with all of the requisite tools. He has great ball-handling ability, superb handles and a killer crossover that helps him get the ball to the basket. Loves to drive and dish and is also solid running the pick and roll. Plays in control. Has a nice mid-range game. He's a strong floor leader.

The Bad: Every scout immediately jumped all over him for his lack of defense. He gets abused at times on the defensive end. He has the strength and size to be a good defender, but hasn't shown the effort. He isn't a great athlete. He's quick, but not explosive. He needs to work on his jumper, especially his three ball.

The Ugly: Scouts want him to stay in school, but admit that he's a mid-to-late first-round pick if he came out now. Another year of seasoning, and Williams has the potential to be a lottery pick.

5. Bracey Wright, SG, Indiana

The Skinny: 6-foot-3, 185 lbs, Freshman. 16.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 43 percent shooting from the field.

The Good:Wright, one of the top freshmen in the country, frequently draws comparisons to Rockets two guard Cuttino Mobley. Teams love his combination of athleticism and perimeter shooting ability. He's very tough to guard. If you back off, he'll sink threes all night. If you play him tight, he'll go right by you to the basket. Unbelievable rebounder for someone his size. He's an explosive leaper and very quick. He also has surprising strength for someone his size. Long wingspan allows him to play bigger than he really is.

The Bad: Again scouts aren't crazy about undersized two guards. His athleticism and wingspan help him make up for some of the difference. If he were two or three inches taller, he'd already be a lottery pick.

The Ugly: Everyone expects him to stay in school for at least one more year. If he continues to progress, teams will draft him high and figure out where to play him later.

Sleeper: Arthur Johnson, PF/C, Missouri

The Skinny: 6-foot-9, 265 lbs, Junior. 15.3 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 48 percent shooting from the field.

The Good: Johnson is a load in the middle. When he's on, he can be almost unstoppable in the paint. He uses his weight to create separation in the paint. Can really bang and attacks the offensive glass. He's got a nice wingspan and is an above-average shot blocker. Has soft hands.

The Bad: Makes a lot of stupid fouls. His conditioning has been an issue in the past. It's better this season, but teams still wonder if he'll have a weight problem in the pros. Isn't particularly polished on the offensive end. Not a great athlete.

The Ugly: Johnson has been slowly rising on teams' radar screens. While some wonder whether he's just another Lonny Baxter or Robert Traylor, others think he's more talented. Johnson has already said that he'll return to Missouri for his senior season. However, the Tigers appear to be in a good position to go deep in the tournament. If Johnson puts this team on his shoulders, he could play himself into the first round.

Others to watch: Luke Jackson, SF, Oregon; Keith Bogans, SG, Kentucky; Brandin Knight, G, Pittsburgh; Kirk Penney, G, Wisconsin; Erwin Dudley, F/C, Alabama; Kennedy Winston, G/F, Alabama; Kevin Johnson, F, Tulsa

Would you swap Eddy Curry for Kwame Brown?

Eddy Curry and Jamal Crawford's recent strong play in the middle is eliciting an unusual reaction from some in the Chicago media. Are the Bulls putting them in a position to succeed in an effort to boost their trade value this summer?

Eddy Curry

Forward-Center

Chicago Bulls

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

68 8.6 3.8 0.4 .565 .618

It's not an uncommon thing for teams to "showcase" a player they want to trade. But do the Bulls really want to trade Curry and Crawford? Maybe if they could get Kwame Brown and Brendan Haywood according to Chicago Tribune writer Sam Smith.

Smith, who usually plays Bulls GM on Monday, not Wednesday, has been pushing the Bulls to trade Crawford forever. You can understand why. Neither Crawford or rookie Jay Williams have benefited from the direct head-to-head competition. Both of them have been looking over their shoulders all season. We all know that both of them can't be the Bulls point guard of the future. Sooner or later GM Jerry Krause has to pick one and trade away the other one before both point guards revolt.

But trading Curry? The 6-foot-11, 285 pound bruiser that did a number on Shaq last week (of course now Shaq's claiming he let Curry play well because he didn't want to embarrass him in front of Curry's parents)? The guy who may be the most talented young big (at least on the offensive end) in the league?

Kwame Brown

Forward-Center

Washington Wizards

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

65 7.1 5.2 0.7 .453 .690

Smith is convinced it's the right thing to do if the Bulls can land Brown and Haywood in return.

"The deal would establish Williams as the point guard. It also would give the Bulls an athletic, defensive front line: Tyson Chandler at small forward, Brown, whom the Bulls wanted in that 2001 draft when they got Chandler and Curry, at power forward, and Haywood at center. The Bulls would have a frontcourt of three athletic 7-footers who can defend and block shots. And Chandler should be agile enough to defend at small forward.Why do it, especially with Curry looking like he could become a top scorer at center? Because you win with defense and Brown, held back in Michael Jordan's farewell tour, has the potential for big-time stardom. And it's not likely to happen in Washington."

I love Sam Smith, but let me get this straight. Trade two guys Jordan covets (both Crawford and Curry play with Jordan each summer at Hoops gym) for two guys he can't wait to get rid of? While Jordan isn't the best GM we've ever seen he's played with all four players extensively. Don't you think he has some insight into what each kid brings to the table?

Of course, Smith is probably trying to be provocative. What the story does flesh out is that the Bulls are still a ways away from the playoffs and that Jordan is unhappy with the young building blocks he's trying to build around. Both teams need more balance. The Bulls need another veteran or two (you think they'd rekindle those Jalen Rose for Michael Finley talks this summer). They also need a sweet shooting small forward or at least a solid all around player like Shane Battier.

The Wizards need balance. They have a bunch of slashing two guards, no front line, no point guard and no perimeter shooting. I think Larry Hughes has a chance to be a star if the Wizards move him back to shooting guard next season. If they can land a decent point guard, perhaps move Stackhouse and Brown for an All-Star caliber four or five, and develop Jared Jeffires at the three, they'll be in much better shape down the road.

Hurry, deal Curry

Sam Smith / Chicago Tribune

Shaq Done In by Soft Side

Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times

Will the war in Iraq slow the NBA down?

With a war with Iraq seemingly just hours away, the reaction from the sports world hasn't been the least bit surprising.

Bud Selig is already hiding under his desk. The NCAA is burning bracket sheets. And the NBA? It's moving full steam ahead, war or no war.

Michael Jordan says the game must go on

"We are in a wait-and-see attitude," league spokesman Tim Frank told the San Antonio Express News. "We will take our direction from the appropriate people when the time comes. We are in contact with federal and local agencies."

While that's the official stance, most of the people in the NBA seem to think that the game must and will go on.

"We can only do what the president has asked us to do -- continue on with our lives," Michael Jordan told the Washington Post. "We will try to be as normal as possible. But our eyes will be on it. Some players have family or friends who are over there. We'll be watchful. We'll all have a heavy heart. And we'll hope it doesn't last long."

Wizards coach Doug Collins said that the game can serve as an inspiration for the troops.

"A lot of men and women over there in the military have a favorite team and some of them are Wizards fans," Collins said. "What they are doing is far greater. But we're fighting and clawing so they can see we're giving it our all. It's not anywhere close to what they are doing for our freedom, nowhere close. But we want to play in a way so they can be proud of us as well."

Mavs owner Mark Cuban said that David Stern has done a good job preparing teams for the security precautions they must take.

"I personally think that we have to live our lives as normally as possible," Cuban told the Express News. "We all will have concern for those fighting for us, and we all have to be aware of what is going on around us."

Indiana president Donnie Walsh agrees that the "games should continue with heightened security. They shouldn't be canceled or postponed until there is a reason to do so."

Celtics coach Jim O'Brien was miffed by the question.

O'Brien was asked before the game if the league should be put on hold or continue to play if the country goes to war.

"Is this like a trick question?" he asked the Boston Herald.

When the inquisitor said it wasn't, O'Brien said, "Of course we should keep playing."

Nets coach Byron Scott wasn't so sure.

"Whatever they do is I think going to be OK with everybody involved. We understand that right now is a very, very on edge time for our nation. I think there's a lot of people on edge right now. There's a lot more important things than basketball."

Mavs coach Don Nelson has a unique perspective.

"When I was playing, I went over there to visit some of the hospitals where our guys had been wounded," Nelson told the Dallas Morning News. "I remember going to Japan, Okinawa, Korea and that was tough work because those guys were all messed up. I was close to it, but unless you see what goes on, you never know the full magnitude of war. There were kids there who had seen things a hundred times worse than I saw there."

Of course, not everyone had a rational response. Some players are certainly against the war, and at least one seemed to make light of it. Point guard Tyronn Lue, when asked about the war said, "We also have a war we have to fight, too. The Wizards are trying to make the playoffs. . . . It's pretty much the same thing."

After an outcry from the public, Lue amended his remarks with the increasingly familiar mantra of anyone who is opposed to the war but doesn't want to appear unpatriotic.

"I support the troops," Lue told the Post. "We're going to be praying for their families and friends. We're very supportive of the war, the whole NBA is supportive of our troops."

While games may not be slowed down, expect international scouting to be massively curtailed. Several GMs told Insider on Wednesday that they were canceling scouting trips to Europe over the next month or so. Some teams are even planning on skipping the Euro League Final 4 in Barcelona, Spain.

"From what I understand, Americans will be even bigger targets abroad than they'll be over in the states," one GM told Insider. "Basketball is important, but it's not that important."

With numerous international players expected to declare for the draft in anticipation of an age limit for 2004, NBA teams may be drafting in the dark come draft day.

And the Band Plays On -- Thankfully

Thomas Boswell / Washington Post

Business as usual for NBA cities

Glenn Rogers / San Antonio Express-News

War talk touches Nellie

Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News

War dominates talk

Steve Bulpett / Boston Herald

Lue's Clarification: 'I Support the Troops'

Steve Wyche / Washington Post

Peep Show

Magic: Doctors said Grant Hill's injured left ankle is strong enough for him to attempt another comeback Florida Today reported. Hill underwent a fourth surgery on Tuesday in an attempt to "realign" his ankle. "We found no reason why Grant Hill will not be able to play basketball again for the Orlando Magic," Dr. James Nunley said. "His bone had good strength and good blood supply and we felt good about how the surgery proceeded. Although I feel like he will play basketball again, there is no time frame at the present to when he will be able to return to play." The rehab won't be easy however. Team officials are unsure when Hill will be able to play again, but indications are that he'll certainly miss the start of next season.

Rockets: Coach Rudy Tomjanovich was diagnosed with "transitional cell cancer of the bladder" on Tuesday. Luckily doctors believe that the cancer is treatable without patient care. "I did not want to hear that word," guard Steve Francis, who lost his mother, Brenda, to cancer, told the Houston Chronicle when he heard the news. "But finding this and taking care of it now will help him. They can treat him. It's not that good. There's still something that will bother Coach. I can't say it enough: Going through what I went through last year (battling Meniere's Disease), the way he supported me and helped me through it, I want to support him." Tomjanovich is expected to join the team either Thursday or Friday in Oakland.

Nets: GM Rod Thorn gave coach Byron Scott the dreaded vote of confidence on Thursday. "I think the coach is doing fine," Thorn told the N.Y. Post regarding recent criticism and speculation that the coach is on shaky ground. "The coach doesn't shoot .345 percent, the coach doesn't turn the ball over at critical times, I can't fault the coach for that."

Heat: Pat Riley sounds like he's running on empty. He's tired of all the losing. "I can give you an idea of how I feel," Riley told the Sun Sentinel. "The hardest part is walking in here tonight and knowing we're playing against the Philadelphia 76ers and we are not playing for a divisional title, we're not playing for playoff position. And when I walk through that door right now, that's the feeling that I have. It has nothing to do with what have I learned, has this taught me anything. That is the emptiness of where we are."

Warriors: Coach Eric Mussleman changed his starting line-up for the first time this season. The Warriors had went 66 straight games with Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson, Antawn Jamison, Troy Murphy and Erick Dampier in the starting line-up. They were the only team in the league that has used the same starting line-up all season. An injury to Murphy forced Musselman to start rookie Mike Dunleavy in place of Murphy on Tuesday.

Celtics: While some may believe that the team's recent announcement that ticket prices are going up will be tied to an effort to begin spending on this team again, the Boston Globe's Peter May has a different idea. He believes that someone has to pay for Antoine Walker's likely contract extension this summer. It looks like it will be the fans.

NBA Draft: Darko Milicic had a huge game against Latvia on Tuesday. Milicic scored 37 points, 9 boards, 9 assists on 17-19 shooting in just 30 minutes.

Surgery could allow Hill to return to basketball court

John Denton / Florida Today

Rudy T's cancer can be beaten

Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle

Thorn: Can't Fault The Coach For Collapse

Fred Kerber / New York Post

As season runs out of gas, Riley on empty

Ira Winderman / South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Iron man Murphy forced to sit

Brad Weinstein / San Francisco Chronicle

Payback will be due

Peter May / Boston Globe