This year, the Year of the Big Man in this conference, the SEC features big bodies, big draft potential and even a Big Baby.
"You can point to six or eight, maybe even 10 big guys that have legit chances to be first-round (NBA) draft choices," Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury said. "I dont know if theres another league in the country that can say that. I dont know when in our league you could have said that in the past."
The perfect SEC big man in 2007 is versatile, experienced and, unlike five years ago, not quite ready for the NBA due to the influx of international players. That makes a big difference in the post.
With input from conference coaches, weve constructed the perfect SEC big man using traits from the following eight players :
JOAKIM NOAH FLORIDA
Passing and ball skills Dont let his attention-hogging antics fool you. The 6-foot-11, 232-pound Noah unselfishly distributes the ball out of the post and in transition, helping the Gators make a national-best 54.4 percent of their shots. Hes not a liability in coach Billy Donovans up-tempo offense, running the floor and actually ranking third on the team with 57 assists. If opponents collapse on him in the post, Noah has the vision to pass the ball beyond the perimeter. "Noah was not a McDonalds All-American," Donovan said. "Hes just all about competing and winning. Hes all about the team."
GLEN DAVIS LSU
Savvy "Big Baby" Davis is smart. He knows how to delight reporters with humorous stories, and hes thoughtful. It turns out hes the exactly same way on the floor: calm, smooth and intelligent. "What you see is what he is," LSU coach John Brady said. "His personality on and off the floor is just like it is when you see him. I am fortunate to be able to coach a guy like that. A lot of guys are in this business a long time and never get a personality like that who can back it up with his talent and his character and his leadership."
JERMAREO DAVIDSON ALABAMA
Quickness In the first half of a game against Georgia two weeks ago, Davidson received an entry pass in the post and faced budding Georgia star Takais Brown. Davidson made a spin move, pumpfaked, then executed a nifty up-and-under move all in one swift motion to record the basket. The move, triggered by Davidsons quickness, was nearly impossible to defend and one more pro scouts would like to see. Davidsons wiry frame allows him to defend in the post, block shots and run in transition.
RICHARD HENDRIX ALABAMA
Strength At 6-foot-8 and a chiseled 260 pounds, Hendrix didnt look like a teenage freshman when he signed with Alabama and promptly joined Davidson in the post as a starter. He averaged eight rebounds per game as a freshman, showing a knack for making contact inside the paint and overwhelming defenders with his physical nature. No wonder he nearly entered the NBA draft straight out of high school. Hendrix elected to return for his sophomore year and leads the team with 14.6 points per game. Hes also averaging 8.8 rebounds per game.
STEVEN HILL ARKANSAS
Defensive presence Former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson says Hill "is as close to being a firstround draft choice in the NBA as Ive seen in a long time" among Razorback players. South Carolina coach Dave Odom said, "The things Hills doing right now are NBA-like things." All this for a player who averaged 3.3 points through his first 79 games at Arkansas. Hill is just that good on defense. With a 7-foot frame and an even longer wingspan, Hill leads the SEC with three blocks per game and influences the outcome of games more than any other player in the SEC, according to Odom.
CHARLES RHODES MISSISSIPPI STATE
Versatility During his freshman year, Rhodes watched proven post players like Davidson and Davis and felt a little uneasy from his seat on the bench. "It was overwhelming then because youre looking at them out there dominating and stuff like that and youre waiting on your turn," he said. Now he can compete with those big men by not playing like one. Rhodes is a 6-8, 240-pound forward/center in a guards body, able to handle the basketball and shoot with range. Despite a brief stay in Stansburys doghouse following an injury, Rhodes is averaging 11.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
RANDOLPH MORRIS KENTUCKY
Turnaround jump shot "Hes got the best build of all the SEC big men," Arkansas coach Stan Heath said of Morris. "Hes 6-11, 260 pounds and mobile. You dont see that very often." Morris is finally starting to show why he nearly entered the NBA draft out of high school and did put his name on the early-entry list following his freshman year. A year after ranking second in the SEC in shooting percentage at 62.4 percent in league play, Morris leads the team with 15.6 points per game and is shooting 60 percent thanks to the turnaround jumper Heath emphasized when raving about Morris.
AL HORFORD FLORIDA
Rebounding The method to Horfords ability to rebound seems simple hes 6-10 and can jump. But Horford was also a potential NBA lottery pick and averaged 7.6 rebounds per game last year because of his knack for being at the right place on the floor, according to Donovan. "Hes one of the smartest guys Ive ever coached," he said. Horford is even better on the boards this year, ranking fifth in the SEC in rebounding despite missing time with an ankle injury. He grabbed 11 rebounds against Ohio State and Greg Oden despite not starting.
