Before I came to the College of Knowledge, I got my basketball fix by following the NBA. Growing up I would follow the Maryland Terps but that was about as deep into college basketball as i would go. Upon my admission into CofC I started following the whole NCAA scene a little more and fell in love with the upsets, passion and excitement that went into every game. I still follow the NBA and keep tabs on teams other than my hometown Wizards.
That's why I thought it would be interesting to not only compare each CofC player to their closest NBA counterpart, but also give each Cougar a role model for their development. So without further ado...
Willis Hall-Kevin Love
I swear I didn't pair these two because they look alike. Kevin Love and Willis Hall both play the power forward position at a smaller stature than their competition. As of late, Willis has proven he can hang and bang with the bigger players in the league and that his biggest advantage is superior basketball intelligence. As you NBA fans probably know, despite Love's size, he's putting up absolutely insane rebounding numbers. Love is able to accomplish this because of his never-ending motor and tactical positioning after a missed shot. Not only that, but like our boy Willis, Love is a fantastic 3-point shooter. If Willis can learn the ins and outs of rebounding as an undersized power forward, he'd be a force next year.
Trent Wiedeman- Carlos Boozer
Trent's a tricky one because I still don't know for sure what his true offensive potential is. Right now he does all the little things to help the team win and lets the veterans take all the credit. He gets offensive rebounds, usually guards the opponent's center and finishes with some crafty moves after drawing contact. His body type definitely makes him a banger in the paint, but I was hesitant to compare him to a strictly fat and slow player like Glen Davis. Carlos Boozer on the other hand could be a favorable model for "The Freak". Boozer plays with an enormous amount of intensity every night. He's bulky enough to fight for rebounds and push his defender around and still converts field goals at a very high rate. Boozer's post up game is also pretty good and maybe his style could rub off on Trent's game.
Antwaine Wiggins-Tayshaun Prince (circa 2004-2006)
Wiggins is essentially the "Tayshaun Prince" of the Cougars already. The similarities between each wing player are obvious. Both use their length and athleticism to player stellar defense against all 5 positions. Both can also contribute as a second or third scoring option and hit some shots. At first I wanted to compare Antwaine to Carmelo Anthony (a guy can dream right?) because of his recent scoring outbursts. Instead I'll stick with Prince. If Antwaine can keep improving his ball handling and shooting mechanics, he'll improve to be more than just a great defender.
Donovan Monroe- Derek Fisher
The old-school, wily veteran sharing the backcourt with the superstar. Had to put these two together. Fisher has never been considered one of the premier point guards in the league. However, he brings other things to the table: leadership, a tough mentality and a coolness under pressure. Monroe has been through it all as a senior Cougar. The tough times and the good. He's always willing to play second fiddle to Goudelock, but Cremins refers to him as the "heart of the team". Monroe is a better athlete (comparatively) and more of a scorer, but you get the point I'm trying to make. Donovan should do whatever it takes to get his Cougars a victory, and that's what he does every game.
Andrew Goudelock- Stephen Curry
Nope, not Kobe Bryant. I'd hate to join the list of coaches, NBA scouts and ESPN analysts who compare Goudelock to Curry; but it's unavoidable. Both are nationally recognized scorers, both from the SoCon, both looked to improve their draft stock by running the point and both have great shooting mechanics. If Goudelock wants to take his game to the next level, he'll have to follow some of Steph's leads. We've already seen Drew distribute the ball more this year. He'll probably have to play point guard professionally because of his size. Drew will also need to showcase in individual workouts his entire skill set. Most important of all, a put-the-team-on-my-back performance in the NCAA Tournament (like Curry's) would place Drew on the national radar.
So there you have it. A starting lineup of Derek Fisher, Steph Curry playing the 2, Tayshaun Prince to take away a scorer, Kevin Love to stretch the defense and vacuum in rebounds and Carlos Boozer to bring some toughness. Not a bad starting lineup if I do say so myself.
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