Dudley runs at peak efficiency; Cook intrigues scouts

	Jared Dudley would immediately bring size, strength, versatility and a high basketball I.Q. to the NBA club that drafts him. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.

I always think of this oft-quoted passage from Ecclesiastes in The Bible when I watch Jared Dudley of Boston College play basketball. Dudley is not the fastest runner, highest leaper or best shooter among prospects vying for a spot in the 2007 NBA Draft. But at the end of the day, he always seems to get a lot of different things done to help his team win.

Such was the case on Friday, when he checked back into a game his team was trailing by three points with 2:38 remaining. Dudley first notched a three-point play on a drive and free throw to bring his team within one; and later, he answered baskets by the opposing team with a pull-up jumper and a clever putback to get his team within one point again and again. Teammates Rashaun Freeman of Massachusetts and Jamaal Tatum of Southern Illinois made the key shots down the stretch to help Dudley's team prevail, 95-93, but it was Dudley's presence and his points that spurred his team to victory.

Dudley, named Second Team All-America by The Associated Press in March, was Mr. Everything for the Eagles as a senior, averaging 19 points, 8.3 rebounds and three assists per game, leading the team to a 21-12 record -- quite an achievement after fellow draft hopeful Sean Williams was dismissed from the team after only 15 games. In Friday's final game, Dudley had another highly efficient effort with 12 points, six rebounds and two steals in just 18 minutes. For three games in Florida, Dudley shot 60 percent from the field, 89 percent from the line and averaged 10.7 points and five rebounds per game.

It will be interesting to watch how Dudley fares in the draft. Some scouts say the draft is all about potential, which hurts players like Dudley, whose upside may not approach those of more athletic players. However, what Dudley brings -- a well-rounded game, an astute basketball mind, a tireless work ethic -- isn't something you have to hope he'll develop. It's there right now. The NBA is full of talented young athletic players who teams hope will someday "get it," NBA parlance for players who learn what the game is all about. In Dudley, they could have someone who already "gets it" and is ready to contribute right away.

Other thoughts and observations, as the playing portion of the camp draws to a close:

• It seems impossible this could be the last series of scouting events with Jerry West in attendance. He's a living legend who joined the league as a player with the Minneapolis Lakers in 1960 and has been a fixture in the NBA ever since. Watching West sitting with fellow West Virginia icon Rod Thorn, president of the New Jersey Nets, in the stands at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, the mind is almost overwhelmed when considering the accomplishments of the man who earned the nickname "Mr. Clutch" as a player and is regarded by most NBA scouts as the league's top talent evaluator and architect of championship teams. West will leave the Memphis Grizzlies following the draft, with retirement a possibility. But anyone lucky enough to be in the presence of West in scouting situations can attest the man has lost none of his passion or zeal for competition. The NBA without Jerry West? Unimaginable.