RealGM Basketball Wiretap

Andre Roberson Left Colorado To Develop Game Quicker For NBA

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:10:41 EDT

Andre Roberson left Colorado a year early so he could develop his game quicker for the NBA, his father said Wednesday.

John Roberson, who played 12 years professionally overseas, shed light on his son’s decision.

“For him, it was just development and where he saw he'd be developing more,” John said from his home in San Antonio. "You look at all the different dynamics. You have what he'd be doing in Colorado versus the NBA. We felt it best for him to forgo his senior year."

John Roberson didn't feel Colorado developed his son to play in the NBA.

"That's the struggle he was fighting," John said. "Was it more about Dre and fulfilling his dream or more about getting wins?

"I think it has to go both ways. If you're going to develop him, develop him. Don't just take the point of view of, 'We need Dre so we can have a Final Four team or a top-10 team.' Now, if you look at it that way, it's selfish as opposed to (Andre) being selfish."

Roberson is currently projected as a second-round pick in this June's draft.

Marcus Smart Eager To Prove He Can Compete With Next Year's Draft Class

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:29:18 EDT

Marcus Smart took on critics who have questioned why he didn’t declare for the NBA draft.

Smart was projected as a top-five pick.

“First thing this morning I hear Skip Bayless say I had to go,” Smart said during a news conference announcing his draft intentions. “In my mind I'm like, ‘No disrespect, but why?' He says it's because the draft class is weaker this year than next year. Well, that's telling me, from a competitor standpoint, you have no respect for my game and my ability to compete with those guys.

“You tell a competitor that, it just fuels his energy to go out there and prove him wrong. It got me fired up. I wanted to go out there and start working out right then. And it definitely fueled my energy to come back here and start preparing for next year and getting better.”

The 2014 draft class is expected to be rich with talent, led by Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker.

Myck Kabongo Declares For NBA Draft

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:09:11 EDT

Myck Kabongo will bypass his final two years of eligibility at Texas and enter the NBA draft.

Kabongo was suspended 23 games at the start of the season for accepting improper benefits and providing false information to NCAA investigators.

During the 11 games he played, Kabongo averaged 14.6 points, 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 37.3 minutes per contest.

Kabongo is projected as a fringe first-round pick.

NBA Scout: McLemore Is A 'Better Version' Of Ray Allen

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:08:08 EDT

On condition of anonymity, an NBA scout assessed how Ben McLemore’s skill set will translate to the NBA.

“McLemore is a better version of Ray Allen. He will play shooting guard the way it is supposed to be played,” the talent evaluator said. “The only negative to his game is sometimes he defers. He could definitely use another year in college to learn to take over games.

“Obviously, he had to go (pro),” the scout quickly added. “The draft is only about potential now.”

McLemore’s shooting stroke has drawn raves from NBA observers.

McLemore shot 49.5 percent from the floor, including 42 percent from the three-point line, during his redshirt season at Kansas.

Marcus Smart Remains Undecided On NBA Draft

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:34:02 EDT

Marcus Smart is still pondering whether to enter the NBA draft or return for his sophomore season at Oklahoma State.

Smart took to Twitter to refute rumors that a decision has been reached.

Smart and his family were scheduled to meet with Cowboys coach Travis Ford at some time on Friday, likely discussing the pros and cons of both sides.

McLemore Defers Decision On NBA Draft

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 15:25:33 EDT

Ben McLemore deferred talk of his NBA future after the Kansas Jayhawks’ 87-85 overtime loss to Michigan.

“No, not at all, I haven’t thought about what I’m going to do,” McLemore said. “Not right now, not yet. I’ve spent this year focused on playing college ball and getting better each and every day.”

McLemore led the Jayhawks with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, further solidifying his projection as a top-5 pick.

Bill Self plans to sit down with McLemore and his family, after gathering pertinent information from league insiders, and go over the pros and cons.

“I’ll support whatever direction (McLemore) and his family wants to go,” Self said. “And he needs to explore. He needs to look into doing what would be potentially great for his family, and if it’s the right time, he needs to go.

“But if it’s not, he should stay. But we’ll discuss it.”

Hoiberg Agrees To 10-Year, $20M Extension To Remain At Iowa State

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:26:46 EDT

Fred Hoiberg agreed to a 10-year, $20 million deal that will keep him at Iowa State through the 2022-23 season.

“I wanted to be here,” Hoiberg said after the contract was announced. “I’m thankful this deal got done. I’m excited to be the coach of the Cyclones for a very long time.”

Hoiberg acknowledged that he received coaching inquiries from NBA franchises.

“It's been great for me to be home,” Hoiberg told reporters at last week’s NCAA Tournament. “I grew up five blocks from Hilton Coliseum, used to walk to games. I was a ball boy as a kid. I was a ball boy for the football team, and I've just always had such a great passion for Cyclone athletics.

“To be back there coaching now, it's a dream come true for me.”

Amath M'Baye Forgoes Senior Season, Enters Draft

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 21:56:28 EDT

Amath M’Baye will forgo his senior season of eligibility to enter the NBA draft.

M'Baye, a native of France, is a longshot to make an NBA roster next year.

"I grew up watching the Euro league stuff. I can tell you it's not that bad over there," he said. "They make a great living for themselves. It's a great environment to play in. The NBA is definitely a dream. It's still a goal of mine. But the options are not bad at all."

M’Baye is set to graduate from the University of Oklahoma in May.

Marcus Smart Defers Decision On NBA Draft

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:30:51 EDT

Marcus Smart hasn’t decided whether to enter the NBA draft.

Smart was held to 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting in Oklahoma State's first round loss to Oregon.

“I don't know,” Smart said on multiple occasions, brushing off any talk of his draft plans. “I have no idea. We just came off this loss. I'm going to get back home and go from there.”

Travis Ford said the probability was “50/50 at this point.”

“It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Marcus wanted to come back,” Ford said. “Or if he left, it wouldn't surprise me.”

Ford praised Smart’s focused sense of preparation.

“His intent on winning is the best I've ever seen,” Ford said. “This season he's had a great impact. We had a total team effort, but no question, we had the best freshman in America on our team. The force he played with. He brings it every day in practice.”

Wiggins Still Weighing College Options

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:05:02 EDT

Andrew Wiggins is still contemplating his college choice.

"I really don't know when I'm going to sign," said Wiggins. "When I know where I want to go, I'll sign. But I just don't know."

Huntington Prep coach Rob Fulford made up an Excel chart for Wiggins, so he could rank his final four schools -- Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina – in areas of interest such as atmosphere, fans, weather, coaching style, play style, campus, general feel and more.

"With the sheet, we want to help him to figure out exactly what is most important to him, what might not be most important and rank them among those schools," Fulford said. "At the end, you add it up and see who is leading. That doesn't necessarily determine the final decision, but that gives you a solid basis to build off of."

Get Your Latest NBA News From RealGM's Basketball Wiretap

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:17:04 EDT

Get all the latest news and happenings from around the NBA with RealGM's Basketball Wiretap.