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Draft info: top college players and Sonics slant

Luke Jackson

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About this group

Perhaps this year will mark the return of prominence for the college players who were overshadowed in recent years by high-profile prepsters and overhyped international prospects.

Among this group, which includes Emeka Okafor, Jameer Nelson, Luke Jackson and Rafael Araujo, all three will likely be selected among the top 15 draft picks, while Okafor may be chosen No. 1 overall.

The appeal of Okafor and Jackson is their ability to contribute immediately. However, the player with the most potential might be Arizona freshman guard Andre Iguodala. Athletically, Iguodala is ready for the NBA, but his jump shot is inconsistent, and he is limited offensively off of the dribble.

Keep an eye on Wisconsin junior Devin Harris and Connecticut junior Ben Gordon, who are rated higher at the point-guard position than Nelson, the consensus player of the year. Because of that trio and unheralded Kris Snyder out of Nevada, this draft may be remembered for its dearth of point guards.

Sonics slant

Another Oregon Duck heads north to Seattle? Could be. A year after selecting Luke Ridnour with the No. 14 pick in the draft, the Sonics may again return to the Eugene, Ore., pond and snare Jackson.

Originally considered a second-round prospect, his recent workouts have propelled him higher in the draft than many expected and possibly into the lottery.

If Josh Childress should somehow fall this far — and that's highly unlikely — then he would be a nice fit for the Sonics, who aren't expected to re-sign free agent Ansu Sesay and need a backup for Rashard Lewis.

Most draft experts believe Seattle will select a center because of the lack of production generated from that position over the past two seasons.

If that's true, then Brigham Young's Rafael Araujo would be a fine addition. He was the best true center in college last season.

Drafting from this group makes the most sense for Seattle, which needs immediate help.

— Percy Allen

The Top 10 College Prospects
Pos.	Player	Ht. Wt.	School	Class	Age	Ppg.*	A/R*
C	Rafael Araujo	6-11 280	BYU	Senior	23	18.4	10.1 R
Despite size, not renowned for shot-blocking skills. Above-average rebounder.
SF	Josh Childress	6-7-1/4 196	Stanford	Junior	20	15.7	7.4 R
Finesse player who shoots well. Reminds many of a young Reggie Miller.
SF	Luol Deng	6-8 220	Duke	Fresh.	19	15.1	6.7 R
Member of Dinka tribe, which produces some of the world's tallest people.
PG	Ben Gordon	6-2-1/4 192	Connecticut	Junior	21	18.5	4.6 A
Combo guard and superb scorer. Solid rebounder. High basketball IQ.
PG	Devin Harris	6-3 170	Wisconsin	Junior	21	19.5	4.4 A
Combo guard who spent the past season at PG. Silky smooth shooter.
SG	Andre Iguodala	6-6-3/4 217	Arizona	Soph.	20	12.9	8.8 R
Extremely athletic. Cleared 6-7 in high jump as prep junior. Suspect shooter.
SF	Luke Jackson	6-7 212	Oregon	Senior	22	21.2	7.2 R
Tenacious player. Outstanding workouts have moved him into the lottery.
PG	Jameer Nelson	6-1/2 199	St. Joseph's	Senior	22	20.6	5.3A
A starter every year. National Player of the Year. Led Hawks to 30-2 record.
PF	Emeka Okafor	6-10 257	Connecticut	Senior	21	17.6	11.5 R
Compared to Ben Wallace, but has more offensive skills. Back injury has healed.
PG	Kirk Snyder	6-6-3/4 228	Nevada	Junior	21	18.8	5.7 R
Scored at least 10 pts. in 30 of 32 games. Led WAC with 12 double- doubles.
*2003-04 season. Players listed alphabetically.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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