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Preparing for the Draft

What is it like to get ready for the NBA Draft process? "Crazy," California sophomore forward Ryan Anderson said tersely, referring to the juggling act he's performing with schoolwork, training, plus his commitments to the Cal basketball program. On top of all the craziness, Anderson's workout schedule is subject to travel, alternating his workouts between Berkeley and his native Sacramento. So it's not cool when a train is late.

"Yeah, my train was late," Anderson said, smirking. "It was delayed 90 minutes. It's okay though, I got some sleep finally."

Along with having to deal with the train schedule, Anderson's wheels around Berkeley – a scooter he bought over 18 months ago – is currently down.

"The battery went out and just a whole mess of things are wrong with it," Anderson added. "What can you do?

Of course, towards the end of June, Anderson might not have to worry much about trains or scooters. He might be in the planned stage of purchasing his first house or condo, plus a clean ride with which to get around in. That would all be standard additions as part of having a new job in a new city in the NBA. He could forget train travel, or riding up and down Berkeley's Telegraph Avenue. With a job that pays a first-round selection the minimum of $1.6 million guaranteed over the first two years, plus two team option years for a combined $2.5 million plus, being selected in the Top 30 of the NBA Draft is no joke.

Shooting Star: Mike Taylor Sparks Stampede To Title

Mike Taylor had just scored 27 points to lead the Idaho Stampede to the 2008 D-League Championship, but he still had plenty of energy after the game while he led the cutting down of the nets in Qwest Arena. The 6-2 guard, who has been of the league's best players that came off the bench this season, found it hard to express his emotions after winning a title to put an exclamation point on his first professional season.

"It feels really good, it feels wonderful," said Taylor as he put on a D-League Champions hat and t-shirt. "I've never been in a championship situation like this before, and to come in during my first professional season and win a championship kind of captures everything all at once. I'm so excited, I am kind of speechless right now."

Taylor's coach and teammates were quick to give him credit for the major contribution he made in bringing a D-League championship to Idaho.

 

Anderson doing it all (again)
A.W. Prince... BearTerritory.net Senior Writer
 

A lot has happened around Cal basketball in the past month. Former head coach Ben Braun was dismissed. Two assistant coaches are no longer with the program, and in an odd twist, a new staff led by former Stanford legend Mike Montgomery, is now in charge. Despite those significant changes, Ryan Anderson, who announced his decision to declare for the 2008 NBA Draft between Braun's dismissal and Montgomery's hiring, remains the most prominent story to Cal's immediate success next year. We caught up with the recently named 2007-08 Cal Basketball MVP to ask him about the process to date.

Anderson is one busy dude. He's currently doing two-a-day workouts in Berkeley, then spending weekends in his native Sacramento doing the same thing. He's been training with prominent Sacramento area guru Guss Armstead in both locations. Along with his workout schedule, Anderson is also keeping up with his studies at Cal. The Pac-10 scoring champ recently joined his teammates for their first workout under Coach Montgomery and the new Cal staff.

 

 

Mike Wilks: Unwavering Devotion

The world of professional sports is going through a period of economic prosperity.  Fan attendance and viewership is up, contracts are outrageous and the athletes who comprise this world have reached a new level of popularity.  Along with the notoriety that these players bring to their respective sports, there is a heightened level of scrutiny into their personal lives.  It is a sad reality of modern journalism but sex sells and so do scandals.  This is why the stories of the Mitchell Report (accusations of steroid use by many major league baseball players), Michael Vick (federal charges of dogfighting) and Tim Donaghy (federal charges of gambling) continue to make headlines throughout the country.

However, contrary to popular belief, there are persons in the NBA and in sports in general who portray a different sort of values - one of family, significance and conscience.  One such player is veteran point guard Mike Wilks who has recently signed with the Washington Wizards.  In Wilks, the Wizards receive a player with no scandals, no tabloid fodder and no extra-marital affairs.  Rather, Mike has decided to uplift the community and the game of basketball by incorporating the values and ideals of his religion into his daily life.

"The Bible teaches us to be a light.  We are to witness at all times and speak when necessary," says Wilks.  "That means carrying myself in a certain manner.  Because of what I do [professionally] and the fact that I'm a Christian, people are looking at my actions and how I conduct myself more than anything." read more

Duke's Nelson scores 21 to lead National team to All-Star game victory

Duke's DeMarcus Nelson scored 21 points to help the National team beat the American team 106-100 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches college All-Star game Friday.

Nelson finished 6-for-12 from the field to go with five rebounds in 26 minutes to earn MVP honors.

Anderson has options, not agent

Now comes the hard part for Ryan Anderson.

After making what he acknowledged was a "no-brainer" decision to test the waters at the NBA draft, Cal's sophomore forward must determine whether he'll stay in the deep end of the pool.

"This is something I've always wanted to do," Anderson said of the prospect of playing professional basketball. "I'm leaving my options open so I can just gain information and see where I'm at with NBA teams."

Because he does not intend to hire an agent, Anderson has until June 16 to withdraw his name from consideration for the June 26 draft and retain his college eligibility.

The Pac-10 scoring leader at 21.1 points per game this season and a first-team all-conference selection, Anderson said he hopes to show NBA scouts and personnel people what he can do, get their feedback, then make an informed decision.

 

Ryan Anderson - Diamond in the Rough

Ryan Anderson may have his junior high teammates to thank for his prolific scoring ability.

Today, the 6-foot-10 sophomore talent is widely considered to be one of the best-and most underrated-amateur players in the nation.

Seven years ago, he spent time as the laughingstock of his middle school basketball team.

A seventh grader on the eighth grade squad, Anderson's potential was recognized but not fully developed. During one pregame shootaround, Anderson caught the ball and hoisted a jump shot into the air-from his waist.

"The whole team was making fun of me. I was devastated," says a wide-eyed Anderson, before breaking out into a good-natured grin. "I couldn't shoot at all. I remember the first three I made was a bank at the buzzer at one game. I didn't even mean to make it. Nobody had taught me how to shoot-I kind of did it on my own."

Traumatized by the experience, Anderson fashioned his jump shot after the best player from that eighth-grade team, and gradually molded it into what is now one of the most effective strokes in the Pac-10.

 

Pack basketball: McGee says time was right to make jump to NBA

JaVale McGee faced a difficult decision whether to turn pro or return to the Nevada basketball team for his junior season. And even though he knew it could change the course of his life, he wanted to make it quick. His mother gathered information from NBA scouts and general managers. He asked himself whether he believed he was ready for the rigors of the NBA. In the end, his dream of playing in the NBA was too close for him to turn down.

“I just decided I would like to go and I’m predicted to go in the first round, so this felt like the right time,” McGee told the RGJ, when reached Sunday night. Although McGee said he feels like he made the right decision to hire an agent and enter the draft, it certainly wasn’t an easy decision.

“Of course it was a real tough decision,” McGee said. The 20-year-old said his mother — Pam McGee, a former professional player herself — played a big role in his decision-making process.

Pack basketball: McGee is long on potential, could be bound for NBA

He is a work in progress, far from complete, but he offers tantalizing glimpses of his future.

JaVale McGee has already established himself as an amazing shot blocker. At times, he's like a hockey goaltender swatting away shots. Unfortunately, there are times game officials are pretty sure he's goaltending and call him on it.

Still, McGee is having one of the best shot-blocking seasons of any player in program history. He leads the Western Athletic Conference in blocked shots at 2.79 per game (which ties him for 13th in Div. I). With 81 blocks, he is 15 shy of the Nevada single-season record set by Edgar Jones in the 1977-78 season.

McGee is averaging 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds as Nevada prepares to close its regular season at Fresno State on Saturday night.

"The big fella, when he plays, he's probably the most imposing guy in the conference," Boise State coach Greg Graham said.

Staying or leaving? Cal's Anderson not ready to say

LOS ANGELES -- Here's a question Cal basketball fans probably don't want to consider: Could tonight's Pac-10 tournament game against Washington be the last in a college uniform for sophomore Ryan Anderson? Actually, it's not a question Anderson is ready to consider, either.

"Obviously, we're pretty pumped up after that UCLA game," said Anderson, reflecting on last Saturday's controversial 81-80 loss at Pauley Pavilion.

"I think we're ready to come out and do some damage in the Pac-10 tournament," he said. "That's really where my head's at right now."

 

John Smallwood: Young Sixers learn from Ollie

SOMETIMES, IT'S not all about how many All-Star teams a player has made or how fat his contract is.

Sometimes, respect comes simply because of the man - the way he carries himself; handles his business as a professional; approaches life as a human being.

As a player, Kevin Ollie hasn't had that dramatic of an impact on the 76ers. But as a person, his fingerprints are all over a surprising young team that has defined itself through grit, determination and work ethic.

"It's funny that you should mention Allen Iverson or Andre Iguodala," Sixers third-year guard Lou Williams said. "Those guys who mentored me also look up to K.O. [Ollie] as well.

 

Likable Brown now on the other coast, as a coach

Mention Chucky Brown and one hears only glowing remarks. Maybe it is his happy-go-lucky personality or that he bounced from team to team in the NBA while somehow captivating fans.

Maybe it is because when one goes to his biographical information, they see where he escaped New York City, his birthplace, and relocated to rural Navassa as a 10th grader and attended North Brunswick High.

Or maybe it is because he is a blue-collar worker who lived out a dream in the NBA, where he became immensely popular, even though he played for 12 teams in 13 seasons before retiring after the 2002 season.

He also grew in stature, even though he scored a modest 4,125 career points, and played in the Continental Basketball Association and in Italy to re-establish himself.
 

Ten Potential GATORADE Call-Ups

February 29, 2008: There have been a total of 15 GATORADE Call-Ups this season, with a total of 12 different players heading to the NBA. With 10-day contracts in effect and many NBA teams needing roster help due to injuries or looking to audition new talent for the future, it is likely that many more players from the D-League will be getting the call in the next few weeks. Here are ten players, some with prior NBA experience, who are likely to candidates for a GATORADE Call-Up. Last season 16 players received a total of 22 call-ups to the NBA, while 105 call-ups have taken place in the D-League's history. Some notable players to take the route from the D-League to the NBA include Sacarmento's Mikki Moore, Charlotte's Matt Carroll, Houston's Chuck Hayes, and Golden State's Kelenna Azubuike. Visit the All-Time Call-Ups page to view all 105 call-ups since 2001.

Taylor's heroics save the Stampede

Idaho Stampede fans usually get their money's worth when the Colorado 14ers come to town.

It was no different Friday night at Qwest Arena, as the Stampede defeated the 14ers 97-94 with some late-game heroics from guard Mike Taylor.

Trailing 94-93 with 11 seconds remaining, Taylor ran the length of the floor and hit a driving layup to give the Stampede a 95-94 lead. Two free throws by Idaho center Lance Allred nailed down the victory.

"You knew this one was going to come down to the end," said Stampede coach Bryan Gates, whose team won the previous meeting against Colorado this season by one point.

This back-and-forth rivalry can be summed up with this fact: Idaho edged Colorado for the regular-season division title last season, and then Colorado knocked Idaho out of the playoffs.

Idaho (13-5) extended its winning

 

Taylor still has sights on NBA

While he's found recent success in the NBA's Development League, Mike Taylor says the first weeks after leaving Iowa State left him thinking his basketball career was finished.

After being kicked off the team in July, Taylor returned home to Milwaukee. He considered playing Division II basketball, even enrolling in classes, but ultimately decided he wasn't interested. Then his AAU coach suggested another option.

Taylor decided to hire and agent, officially becoming a professional athlete and forfeiting his remaining NCAA eligibility. He moved to Sacramento, Calif., where he worked out up to three times per day with other professional basketball players.

Iowa Energy: Dismissed ISU player moves on to lead Idaho

Mike Taylor finally feels settled after a life-changing seven months.  “And just taking every day as a blessing,” said the former Iowa State player. Taylor was dismissed from Iowa State’s men’s basketball team last summer and has since adjusted to life in the NBA Development League.  He made sure his return trip to central Iowa was a memorable one Monday.

He's no backup now... Powe's caddie at Cal, Benson will play in NBA D-League all-star game

On his Web site, toomuchrodbenson.com, the former Cal basketball player gets right to the point: "Everybody has a story," Rod Benson writes. "Mine just happens to be ridiculous."

There is nothing ordinary about the 23-year-old who once let a homeless man live in his van in Berkeley. Benson, who battled injuries and played behind Leon Powe during a Cal career that ended in 2006, finally is blossoming. In Bismarck, N.D., of all places.

He is averaging 12.7 points and a league-leading 12.1 rebounds per game for the Dakota Wizards of the NBA Developmental League. Back on Dec.9, he had 28 points and a D-League single-game record 28 rebounds in a 115-105 win over the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

This weekend, Benson is in New Orleans, hoping to rub shoulders with the game's biggest stars. He is playing today in the D-League all-star game, then will fly back to Dakota for a game Sunday while the NBA stars take center stage.

Basketball is a business now for Benson, who nonetheless finds a way to have fun with even the most serious aspects of his life. He is the founder of what he calls the "Boom Tho Movement," in which he and his fans try to promote the use of "Boom Tho!" as an exclamation point on anything exciting.

Cal's Anderson keeps on truckin', sans flash

Ryan Anderson is from El Dorado Hills, an affluent community east of Sacramento in which children are regularly handed keys to shiny, new cars on their 16th birthdays.

When it came time for Anderson to obtain transportation, he gave his grandfather $1 for a self-described "old, beat-up truck."

"My friends always had the newest thing and the best cars, but my parents would always ask how I would appreciate it if I didn't have to work for it," Anderson said. "My truck may not be pretty, but it's the best-running car in our family."

That truck has become Anderson's prized possession, and, in many ways, it acts as a symbol of his basketball career.