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The End of An Era?

© Chris Lin

Remember the days of Hakeem vs. Patrick? How about Shaq at LSU? There was a time when Lew Alcindor starred at UCLA. Those days may fast be coming to an end. After several years which have failed to produce a star big man, the last being Shaq, the dominating center in college may be gone forever. With a promising class of 7-footers gone to the NBA draft, college hoops may never the see the 21st Century versions of Hakeem or Kareem.

The class of 2001 was supposedly one of the best ever, because of two huge talents from California. They may have been the two best players in the high school game a year ago. Tyson Chandler, a 7’1”, 230 pound specimen, was supposedly the more polished of the two, while Eddy Curry, at 6’11”, 300 pounds, was drawing comparisons to Shaq. In a head-to-head matchup between the two 18-year olds, Chandler dominated with quickness. However, they were only in high school, and who knew the potential of these promising players. Curry committed to DuPaul, but soon applied for the NBA draft soon after Chandler decided to forego his college career. This was certainly not the end of the pro frenzy. DeSagana Diop, a raw but physically imposing prospect at 7’0”, 250 lbs., only averaged around 15 points per game, but he decided to test the NBA draft waters as well. Even though his numbers were far from ideal, he will likely be drafted, simply because of his enormous potential and size.

The question is why big men, even though their high school numbers may be far from spectacular, choose to go to the NBA draft. The reason is simple – NBA teams are willing to take risks on size. In a league where Shaq is unstoppable, teams are desperate to find somebody who will either mature into the next great center or at least put a body on the Lakers star. That is why Curry is such an intriguing prospect – with his size, he will not be pushed around that easily like some of the other power forwards who masquerade as centers in the NBA today. Diop also has the size to hold firm in the middle. Even if their offensive skills are far from polished, their innate instincts on the defensive end cannot be ignored.

Of course, this past season has produced some legitimate big men in the college game. Brendan Haywood and Loren Woods were two of the best centers in college, and both were over 7 feet tall. Still, Woods, with his lanky frame, will need to bulk up to be successful in the physical play of the NBA. Haywood certainly has the body, but may not have the quickness to excel on offense. Both will certainly be very valuable defensively, but are they in the same league as a David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, or Hakeem early in their careers? Probably not.

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