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NBA Draft 2010 - June 24, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY SI.comCNN.comNBA Draft from SI.comNBA Draft from SI.comNBA Draft from SI.comNBA Draft from SI.comNBA Draft from SI.com
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
PLAYERS
Samardo Samuels
Position: PF
Class: Sophomore
School: Louisville
Conference: Big East
HT: 6'9"
WT: 260
Biography: A prized recruit coming out of high school in New Jersey, Samuels still has a lot to prove to make a name for himself in the NBA. The bulky forward from Jamaica was solid in two seasons at Louisville, but he didn't deliver on all the promise he had heading in as one of the top high school players in the country. Samuels has shown he can score in the paint, leading the Cardinals with 15.3 points per game while shooting 52.4 percent from the field last season. He even showed flashes of dominance, like his 36-point performance in a double-overtime win over Notre Dame on Feb. 17. However, scouts are concerned he could struggle to remain effective as an undersized power forward at the next level. That doesn't bode well for his rebounding, which was already a weakness in his game. He started all 70 of his college games at either power forward or center yet averaged only 5.9 rebounds. Scouts are also quick to point out that Samuels is a below-average athlete, but that hasn't stopped players like Chuck Hayes, Paul Millsap and Glen Davis from contributing at the No. 4 position in the NBA. Samuels could carve out a similar role for himself if he can find the right fit on draft night, but don't expect that to happen until at least midway through the second round on June 24. If he goes undrafted, he'll certainly get a look as a free agent during summer league play.

Greg Nelson/SI
2009 Statistics
PPG FG% RPG APG FT%
15.3 52.4 7.0 1.2 70.6
 
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