When Bryce Drew, Indiana's Mr. Basketball of 1994, decided to
attend Valparaiso instead of Notre Dame four years ago,
conventional wisdom had it that Drew, a 6'3" guard, would
disappear from the nation's radar screen, untelevised and
therefore uncelebrated. While it's true that Drew sacrificed
major air time to play for his father, Homer, at a basketball
backwater—he has been on national TV just five times in four
years at Valparaiso—his labors have not gone completely
unnoticed. The most prodigious three-point shooter in
Mid-Continent Conference history, Drew is considered to be "one
of the best guards in the country," according to NBA director of
scouting Marty Blake. "Bryce is a good pro prospect and one of
the few players who handles the point and scoring guard
positions well."
Is Drew a hidden gem on the level of the Chicago Bulls' Ron
Harper (Miami of Ohio), Scottie Pippen (Central Arkansas) or
Dennis Rodman (Southeastern Oklahoma State)? Only time—and a
scouting combine or two—will tell. Meanwhile, here are some
other underexposed pro prospects emerging from college
basketball's less publicized precincts.
Center Brian Skinner, 6'10", 245, Baylor. After resisting the
urging of his mother, Gladys, to quit basketball during high
school because of the pain caused by a growth spurt, Skinner was
averaging 18.3 points, 9.6 boards and 3.3 blocks a game through
Sunday. Kansas center Raef LaFrentz calls Skinner "the toughest
defender in the Big 12," and NBA scouts are calling him a top 15
pick. "He's active, and he can rebound and block shots," says
Mavericks director of player personnel Keith Grant. "Those guys
make it in our league."
Forward Bonzi Wells, 6'5", 210, Ball State. Wells (SI, Jan.
12, 1998) had 2,382 points through Sunday, five more than the
Mid-American Conference career record set by Harper in 1986, and
his 335 steals were also a league mark. Says Darrell Hedric, the
Cavaliers' head scout, "I think he'll be a high first-round
draft choice."
Guard Saddi Washington, 6'3", 180, Western Michigan. Lightly
recruited coming out of Lansing (Mich.) Sexton High, Washington
picked Western Michigan for its business program but has
expanded his career options by battling back from surgery on
both knees. He was scoring 22.0 points a game and can turn it on
against the big boys: He had 33 points against Michigan and 25
against Indiana this season, and he was named MVP of the Hoosier
Classic, the first non-Indiana player to win the award in the
tournament's 16-year history.
Forward Shawn Marion, 6'7", 210, Vincennes (Ind.) junior
college. Recruited by Tennessee and Vanderbilt as a senior at
Clarksville (Tenn.) High, he landed at Vincennes when he didn't
qualify academically. Though Marion, who was averaging 23.4
points and 11.9 rebounds a game for the Trailblazers, has signed
a letter of intent with UNLV, he says there is "a big chance"
he'll jump to the pros next year. A Pippen type who can pass,
run the floor and "get in two jumps in the time most people take
for one," according to his coach, Dan Sparks, Marion has been
getting a hard look from just about everyone, including Bulls
general manager Jerry Krause, who may soon be Pippen-less. "He's
one of those guys who's ultraquick in everything he does," says
Courtney Witte, a former scout for the Indiana Pacers. "He's
definitely a prospect. You can see where he really projects as a
player."
Well, right at the moment you can't, given Vincennes's
nonexistent TV schedule. But if this scouting report holds true,
the TV blackout on these players will end soon enough.
Issue date: March 2, 1998
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