Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 25, 1995 TAG: 9506260041
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RALEIGH, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
NBA general managers take your pick - a ready-to-go package, a raw talent or consistent numbers.
Whatever your choice for the top selection in Wednesday's draft, it likely will come from among the ACC trio of North Carolina's Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace and Maryland's Joe Smith.
With four underclassmen from the league in the draft, along with several talented seniors, this could be a record year for the ACC. The previous high for the league has been six first-round draft picks, accomplished five times, including 1993.
``And if Tim Duncan would have come out, he would have been the No.1 pick,'' said Philadelphia 76ers scout Tony DiLeo, referring to Wake Forest's sophomore center. ``The ACC this year is just loaded.
``They are all young players and they all are going to develop to be very good NBA players,'' DiLeo said of Stackhouse, Wallace and Smith, all sophomores who left school early to play professional basketball. ``It's just a little tricky trying to project just which one will be better three years from now.''
The ACC had the first three players chosen in the 1986 NBA draft when North Carolina's Brad Daugherty went to Cleveland, Maryland's Len Bias was picked by Boston and North Carolina State's Chris Washburn went to Golden State.
It was the first and only time the first three players taken in the NBA draft came from the same conference.
``It's always a pretty good year; it's one of the better conferences,'' said Marty Blake, longtime director of scouting for the NBA. ``It's a very good draft of college players.
``I've never thought about that because I don't care where they come from as long as they come,'' Blake said when asked about the ACC's potential for numerous first-round picks. ``There should be four guys in the top eight or nine.''
DiLeo said Stackhouse can step in and play in the NBA, while Wallace has the potential to be a superstar down the road. But the Sixers scout is equally impressed with the 6-foot-9 Smith.
``Smith probably doesn't have the athletic ability of Rasheed or Stackhouse, but he has that determination, that drive, that work ethic,'' DiLeo said. ``He just comes up with numbers. Not being a highly recruited player, being named ACC freshman of the year and averaging 20 points a game ... you can't deny those stats.''
Blake and others said Duke's Cherokee Parks also could be one of the top eight or nine players chosen.
``His biggest asset is he can shoot from the outside and a lot of teams like to have their center be able to shoot outside jump shots,'' DiLeo said.
In addition to the big three, ACC players who have a chance to be selected in the draft include: Junior Burrough and Cory Alexander of Virginia; Donald Williams of North Carolina; Erik Meek of Duke; Randolph Childress of Wake Forest; Bob Sura of Florida State; and Travis Best and James Forrest of Georgia Tech.
``The biggest thing is it's a deep draft and guys 10-20 have visited all the teams, so just be happy with the guy you get,'' Blake said, noting that Childress and Sura also are probable first-round picks.Some teams have wondered whether Childress, who is 6-2, can play point guard or is big enough to play shooting guard.
``I don't measure those guys; it's the fire in the belly. I like Childress,'' Blake said of the ACC tournament's Most Valuable Player.
``I like Sura because he is a tough, hard-nosed player and he makes things happen,'' DiLeo said. ``If he can develop a consistent outside shot, he should be very good in the league.''
Blake said others in the ACC's draft class could sneak into the top 29 picks.
``If somebody likes them, it only takes one,'' Blake said. ``This is the time of year we drag out all the cliches. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.''
by CNB