Brandon Rush SELECTED BY: Portland Trail Blazers, Round 1(13) traded to Pacers

SI Rank 7 GRADING SYSTEM

BIOGRAPHY: Rush is one of the best-known players in the draft after leading Kansas to the NCAA championship, but he likely won't be one of the first players taken off the board. The shooting guard also declared for the 2007 draft after his sophomore season, but never hired an agent and withdrew after suffering a knee injury. Rush recovered to enjoy a stellar junior year with the Jayhawks, although his 13.3 scoring average was slightly down from the previous two seasons (13.5 in 2005-06, 13.8 in 2006-07). He hit his stride on offense in the postseason, scoring a career-high 28 points against Texas A&M in the Big 12 tournament and pouring in 25 points against top-ranked North Carolina to lead Kansas to an 84-66 win in the national semifinals. Although Rush had only 12 points in the national title game, his stellar defensive job against Memphis star Chris Douglas-Roberts was instrumental in Kansas' 75-68 overtime win. Rush is an excellent shooter with 3-point range. He is also good on the boards for his size, as his 5.5 career collegiate rebounding average attests. He often drew the opponent's top scorer on defense in college. Rush turns 23 years old July 7, so NBA teams may have reason to wonder how much more he will improve. He projects as a possible late first-round selection.