Iverson / Sampson pro prospects?

[Mikie S]

Recently the Wolves acquired Ryan Hollins (UCLA) as a back up center. His four year college stats were:

<table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="colhead"><td align="right">GM </td> <td align="right">MIN</td> <td align="right">PTS</td> <td align="right">REB </td> <td align="right">AST</td> <td align="right">TO</td> <td align="right">A/T</td> <td align="right">STL</td> <td align="right">BLK</td> <td align="right">PF</td> <td align="right">FG%</td> <td align="right">FT%</td> <td align="right">3P%</td> <td align="right">PPS</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="oddrow" align="right"><td>24</td><td>16.7</td><td>4.3</td><td>3.5</td><td>0.2</td><td>1.1</td><td>1/5.4</td><td>0.3</td><td>0.9</td><td>1.8</td><td>.594</td><td>.491</td><td>.000</td><td>1.63</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="evenrow" align="right"><td>28</td><td>25.4</td><td>6.5</td><td>4.3</td><td>0.5</td><td>1.7</td><td>1/3.2</td><td>0.4</td><td>1.0</td><td>3.0</td><td>.547</td><td>.581</td><td>.000</td><td>1.56
</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="oddrow" align="right"><td>28</td><td>16.4</td><td>4.5</td><td>3.4</td><td>0.4</td><td>1.5</td><td>1/4.3</td><td>0.0</td><td>0.8</td><td>2.2</td><td>.526</td><td>.677</td><td>1.000</td><td>1.64</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="evenrow" align="right"><td>33</td><td>21.5</td><td>7.0</td><td>4.8</td><td>0.3</td><td>1.2</td><td>1/3.8</td><td>0.2</td><td>0.9</td><td>2.5</td><td>.619</td><td>.602</td><td>.000</td><td>1.72
</td></tr></tbody></table>
Stats for Colt Iverson and Ralph Sampson III as freshmen:

<table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="evenrow" align="right"><td>32</td><td>17.7</td><td>5.4</td><td>3.6</td><td>0.6</td><td>1.4</td><td>1/2.2</td><td>0.4</td><td>1.3</td><td>2.1</td><td>.603</td><td>.507</td><td>.000</td><td>1.5</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="oddrow" align="right"><td>33</td><td>20.8</td><td>6.3</td><td>4.2</td><td>0.8</td><td>0.8</td><td>1/1</td><td>0.3</td><td>1.5</td><td>2.4</td><td>.503</td><td>.758</td><td>.000</td><td>1.30</td></tr></tbody></table>
There's two things that strike me here.

1) Both CI and RSIII put up stats, as freshman, better than the Wolves current back up through three years of college and close to his senior numbers.
2) I sure hope Sampson and Iverson show more improvement as four year players.

 

[BleedGopher]

That's a good question Mike S.

I think the long answer is yes, both are pro prospects. I think any freshman big that gets the type of minutes that both big men got at a school that made it to the NCAA Tournament will be on the radar of pro scouts. As Hollins shows, the NBA amazingly lacks quality big men even if traditional bigs aren't used in the same way they were a decade ago in the NBA.

But the short answer is - they both have a LONG LONG ways to go and need to develop in every aspect of the game. The Texas tourney game exposed their weaknesses ten times over.

If both work hard over the next three years we'll have a heck of a front line. I do think banging with Trevor and Royce to a lesser extent will be a big help in their development.

Go Gophers!!

 

[go 31]

Size and four year with Tubby add to a sure thing for some time in the NBA. Level of effort determines the number of games.

 

[Friend Of Tubby]

Size and four year with Tubby add to a sure thing for some time in the NBA. Level of effort determines the number of games.

Tubby or not, both players need to improve their quickness, defense, and scoring ability to play in the NBA.

Both have the (6-10 or 6-11) part that can't be overlooked.

 

[Down with Goldy]

I'm not sure about Iverson, but I'm expecting Ralph to go pro after his junior year, following up winning Big Ten POY (not Nationally though, unless he sticks around for his senior season).

 

[oleboy41]

Neither of them would get a sniff of an NBA roster spot today. However both have some potential and could develop into NBA guys at some point but they both seem a bit too stiff right now

 

[jmag21]

The stat comparison isn't particularly apt. Hollins is an amazing athlete, and an explosive leaper, with a very, very raw offensive skill set. The reason he's still bouncing around is that he's such a great athlete, he can change games defensively. His stats don't have much to do with it, in my opinion. I don't see Colt or Ralph having that kind of physical potential. Not to say that they can't have pro careers, but they're radically different players than Hollins.

 

[cncmin]

Recently the Wolves acquired Ryan Hollins (UCLA) as a back up center. His four year college stats were:

<table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="colhead"><td align="right">GM </td> <td align="right">MIN</td> <td align="right">PTS</td> <td align="right">REB </td> <td align="right">AST</td> <td align="right">TO</td> <td align="right">A/T</td> <td align="right">STL</td> <td align="right">BLK</td> <td align="right">PF</td> <td align="right">FG%</td> <td align="right">FT%</td> <td align="right">3P%</td> <td align="right">PPS</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="oddrow" align="right"><td>24</td><td>16.7</td><td>4.3</td><td>3.5</td><td>0.2</td><td>1.1</td><td>1/5.4</td><td>0.3</td><td>0.9</td><td>1.8</td><td>.594</td><td>.491</td><td>.000</td><td>1.63</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="evenrow" align="right"><td>28</td><td>25.4</td><td>6.5</td><td>4.3</td><td>0.5</td><td>1.7</td><td>1/3.2</td><td>0.4</td><td>1.0</td><td>3.0</td><td>.547</td><td>.581</td><td>.000</td><td>1.56
</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="oddrow" align="right"><td>28</td><td>16.4</td><td>4.5</td><td>3.4</td><td>0.4</td><td>1.5</td><td>1/4.3</td><td>0.0</td><td>0.8</td><td>2.2</td><td>.526</td><td>.677</td><td>1.000</td><td>1.64</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="evenrow" align="right"><td>33</td><td>21.5</td><td>7.0</td><td>4.8</td><td>0.3</td><td>1.2</td><td>1/3.8</td><td>0.2</td><td>0.9</td><td>2.5</td><td>.619</td><td>.602</td><td>.000</td><td>1.72
</td></tr></tbody></table>
Stats for Colt Iverson and Ralph Sampson III as freshmen:

<table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="evenrow" align="right"><td>32</td><td>17.7</td><td>5.4</td><td>3.6</td><td>0.6</td><td>1.4</td><td>1/2.2</td><td>0.4</td><td>1.3</td><td>2.1</td><td>.603</td><td>.507</td><td>.000</td><td>1.5</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="oddrow" align="right"><td>33</td><td>20.8</td><td>6.3</td><td>4.2</td><td>0.8</td><td>0.8</td><td>1/1</td><td>0.3</td><td>1.5</td><td>2.4</td><td>.503</td><td>.758</td><td>.000</td><td>1.30</td></tr></tbody></table>
There's two things that strike me here.

1) Both CI and RSIII put up stats, as freshman, better than the Wolves current back up through three years of college and close to his senior numbers.
2) I sure hope Sampson and Iverson show more improvement as four year players.

Just using Gophers as examples, if Trevor Winter and Jim Peterson could make an NBA team, then certainly Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson also have very good chances. Moreover, recall how raw John Thomas was his first 2-3 years with the Gophers and he ended up with a short NBA career as well (John's main problem was he was too short as a C). Colton and Ralph have displayed a lot more in their first year than Winter or Thomas did their first couple years.