Griffin, Carolina Backcourt Top NBA Draft List | Zagsblog
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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Saturday / April 20.
  • Griffin, Carolina Backcourt Top NBA Draft List

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    Oklahoma sophomore forward Blake Griffin, the National Player of the Year and likely No. 1 pick, is among the 103 players listed as early entry candidates for the 2009 NBA draft.

    The league announced Thursday that 74 players from U.S. colleges and 29 international players had filed for early entry before the April 26 deadline. The draft is set for June 25 and players without agents must withdraw their names by June 15.

    Griffin, who led the nation in double-doubles last season, announced his intention to turn pro April 7 after one year with the Sooners.

    Joining Griffin on the list is the North Carolina backcourt ofpoint guard Ty Lawson and shooting guard Wayne Ellington.

    Among the Big East players who declared are: DeJuan Blair (Pitt); Earl Clark (Louisville); Eric Devendorf (Syracuse); Jonny Flynn (Syracuse); Luke Harangody (Notre Dame); Paul Harris (Syracuse); Mac Koshwal (DePaul); Ater Majok (UConn); Scottie Reynolds (Villanova); DaJuan Summers (Georgetown); Hasheem Thabeet (UConn) and Dar Tucker (DePaul).

    U.S. COLLEGES

    Darion Anderson, 6-2, G, Soph., Northern Illinois
    Ryan Anderson, 6-4, SG, Jr., Nebraska
    Dominique Archie, 6-7, F, Jr., South Carolina
    DeJuan Blair, 6-7, PF, Soph., Pittsburgh
    Derrick Brown, 6-8, F, Jr., Xavier
    Chase Budinger, 6-7, SF, Jr., Arizona
    Nick Calathes, 6-6, G, Soph., Florida
    Earl Clark, 6-9, SF, Jr., Louisville
    Dwayne Collins, 6-7, PF, Jr., Miami
    Kareem Cooper, 6-10, C, Jr., UTEP
    Kenneth Cooper, 6-10, C, Jr., Louisiana Tech
    Brandon Costner, 6-8, PF, Jr., N.C. State
    Stephen Curry, 6-3, G, Jr., Davidson
    Bryan Davis, 6-9, PF, Jr., Texas A&M
    Austin Daye, 6-10, PF, Soph., Gonzaga
    DeMar DeRozan, 6-6, SF, Fr., USC
    Eric Devendorf, 6-2, SG, Jr., Syracuse
    Devan Downey, 5-9, PG, Jr., South Carolina
    Osiris Eldridge, 6-3, G, Jr., Illinois State
    Wayne Ellington, 6-4, SG, Jr., North Carolina
    Chinemelu Elonu, 6-10, C, Jr., Texas A&M
    Tyreke Evans, 6-5, G, Fr., Memphis
    Gary Flowers, 6-8, F, Soph., Chipola JC
    Jonny Flynn, 6-0, PG, Soph., Syracuse
    Jonathan Gibson, 6-2, G, Jr., New Mexico State
    Kyle Gibson, 6-5, F, Jr., Louisiana Tech
    Taj Gibson, 6-9, PF, Jr., USC
    Blake Griffin, 6-10, PF, Soph., Oklahoma
    D’mond Grismore, 6-6, F, Jr., Huston-Tillotson (Texas)
    Roger Guignard, 5-11, G, Jr., UT Arlington
    Daniel Hackett, 6-5, G, Jr., USC
    Luke Harangody, 6-8, PF, Jr., Notre Dame
    James Harden, 6-5, SG, Soph., Arizona State
    Kevin Harris, 5-11, G, Soph., NW Mississippi JC
    Paul Harris, 6-5, SF, Jr., Syracuse
    Gerald Henderson Jr., 6-5, SG, Jr., Duke
    Jordan Hill, 6-10, PF/C, Jr., Arizona
    Jrue Holiday, 6-2, G, Fr., UCLA
    Damion James, 6-7, F, Jr., Texas
    Brandon Jennings, 6-2, PG, Italy
    James Johnson, 6-8, F, Soph., Wake Forest
    Mac Koshwal, 6-9, PF, Soph., DePaul
    Gani Lawal, 6-9, PF, Soph., Georgia Tech
    Ty Lawson, 5-11, PG, Jr., North Carolina
    James Lewis, 6-4, G, Jr., Fresno Pacific
    Darnell Lindsay, 6-4, G, Jr., Tennessee Tech
    Dior Lawhorn, 6-7, F, Jr., San Francisco
    Ater Majok, 6-10, F. Fr., UConn
    Jodie Meeks, 6-3, SG, Jr., Kentucky
    Nate Miles, 6-7, SG, Fr., College of Southern Idaho
    Patrick Mills, 6-0, PG, Soph., Saint Mary’s
    Tasmin Mitchell, 6-7, F, Jr., LSU
    B.J. Mullens, 7-1, C, Fr., Ohio State
    Ronald Ogoke, 7-0, C, Jr., Paul Quinn College (Texas)
    Patrick Patterson, 6-9, PF, Soph., Kentucky
    Scottie Reynolds, 6-2, G, Jr., Villanova
    D.J. Rivera, 6-4, G, Jr., Binghamton
    Terrence Roderick, 6-6, SF, Soph., UAB
    Magnum Rolle 6-11, C, Jr., Louisiana Tech
    Junior Salters, 6-1, G, Jr., Wofford
    Donald Sloan, 6-3, G, Jr., Texas A&M
    Tyler Smith, 6-7, F, Jr., Tennessee
    DaJuan Summers, 6-8, SF, Jr., Georgetown
    Shawn Taggart, 6-9, PF, Jr., Memphis
    Jonathan Tavernari, 6-6, F, Jr., BYU
    Jeff Teague, 6-2, G, Soph., Wake Forest
    Hasheem Thabeet, 7-3, C, Jr., UConn
    Malcolm Thomas, 6-9, F, Soph., San Diego City College

    Dar Tucker, 6-5, SF, Soph., DePaul
    Jarvis Varnado, 6-9, C, Jr., Mississippi State
    Greivis Vasquez, 6-5, G, Jr., Maryland
    Martez Walker, 6-6, SF, Fr., Riverside CC
    Michael Washington, 6-9, PF, Jr., Arkansas
    Jeremy Wise, 6-2, G, Jr., Southern Mississippi
    Nic Wise, 5-10, PG, Jr., Arizona


    INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS

    Amadou Aboubakar Zaki, 7-1, Nancy (France)
    Rodrigue Beaubois, 6-0, Cholet (France)
    Nemanja Bjelica, 6-10, Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)
    Georgios Bogris, 6-10, Ilysiakos (Greece)
    Omri Casspi, 6-9, Maccabi Elite (Israel)
    Victor Claver, 6-9, Pamesa Valencia (Spain)
    Christian Eyenga, 6-5, DKV Joventut (Spain)
    Vitor Faverani, 6-10, Unicaja Malaga (Spain)
    Sergey Gladyr, 6-5, Mykolaiv (Ukraine)
    Adam Hanga, 6-7, Albacomp (Hungary)
    Baris Hersek, 6-9, Efes Pilsen (Turkey)
    Rudy Jomby, 6-6, Le Havre (France)
    Tanel Kurbas, 6-6, Kalev/Cramo (Estonia)
    Milan Macvan, 6-9, Hemofarm (Serbia)
    Boban Marjanovic, 7-4, Hemofarm (Serbia)
    Tim Ohlbrecht, 6-11, Bamberg (Germany)
    Carl Ona Embo, 6-1, Biella (Italy)
    Nikolaos Pappas, 6-5, Real Madrid II (Spain)
    Amnton Ponomarev, 6-10, Astana Tigers (Kazakhstan)
    Paulo Prestes, 6-11, Unicaja Malaga (Spain)
    Mirolslav Raduljica, FMP Zeleznik (Serbia)
    Fernando Raposo, 6-9, Pau Orthez (France)
    Ricky Rubio, 6-4, DKV Joventut (Spain)
    Evangelos Sakellariou, 6-5, Pagrati (Greece)
    Alexandros Sigkounas, 6-7, Olimpia Larissa (Greece)
    Ludovic Vaty, 6-9, Pau Orthez (France)
    Ibrahim Yildrim, 6-3, Banvit (Turkey)
    Artem Zabelin, 7-1, CSKA Moscow (Russia)

    Written by

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    Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.

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