Jordan outplays Whiteside again

For the 3rd time this season Tulsa senior Jerome Jordan has outplayed Marshall frosh phenom Hassan Whiteside. This is news, because Whiteside appears to be a likely top 10 pick and could go higher should some team go all Olowokandi over him during the combine. Jordan meanwhile remains what he was coming into the season. He's a guy who seems likely to be drafted somewhere in round 2 and might stick around the league awhile because he's 7' tall.
What this shows is how raw Whiteside is as a player and that there are serious risks in drafting him too high. In addition to the fact that he can't figure out an ordinary prospect like Jerome Jordan, here are a few other issues Whiteside is dealing with:

• Turnovers. Right now his A/TO is 0.15. This is the biggest problem he faces. Players with a number this low typically are busts. The fact that this problem has gotten worse as the season progressed magnifies it. He is just a freshman and should get this improved. But that leads to another issue...
• Age. Whiteside will be 21 on draft day, meaning he is closer to the age of a typical NCAA junior than freshman. Not a huge deal as many of his numbers are outstanding, but it does shorten the learning curve on a player who is definitely a project.
• Fouls. Jordan had him in foul trouble all 3 games. Again, if a Jerome Jordan can put this guy on the bench for fouls, it is scary to think what the likes of Stoudemire and Howard will do to him.

Because he is a long 7' and has been blocking shots like few players ever, Whiteside is certain to be one of the stories leading up to the draft. Most of this is valid, as he has proven himself to be a solid rebounder in addition to his shot blocking. but he is far from being a sure thing.

Garcia declares

Seattle U's Charles Garcia declared for the draft yesterday. I've never given Garcia much thought as a prospect. His numbers never passed the first look test with me, so I've never really ranked him. I'll probably have to include him, simply to weigh in on a guy who might get drafted. There are numerous flaws here and very few positives. The flaws include a high TO rate, poor defensive numbers and a sub-.500 FG pct. He has posted a high P40 and R40, but I suspect those numbers will fall back to normal once I do pace adjustments. Garcia's numbers would be weak if he were a major conference player. Playing in a small conference, it is fairly ridiculous to think such a player is ready to make the jump to the NBA.