NBA Draft Profiles: Demetri McCamey, Illinois

Bjorn Zetterberg of SwishScout.com will be helping us out with all of our NBA Draft Profiles this year. You can follow him on twitter @swishscout.

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Stats: 14.6 ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.4 rpg, 45.1 3PT%, 2.9 t/o's

Age: 22, senior

Size:

• Listed: 6'3", 200 lb
• Official: 6'1.75" (no shoes), 6'3" (with shoes), 6'6.25" (wingspan), 8'3.5" (reach), 204 lb

Strengths: Skillwise, McCamey is an attractive prospect. He's not the most explosive or the quickest player on the floor, but he's got a tight handle and the ability to get by his man. He also not only has the ability to shoot the ball from deep (he hit over 45% of his threes this year), but he's a terrific passer that can really set up his teammates. His size in beneficial to him, as he will likely be able to play off the ball at times.

Weaknesses: McCamey is not an ideal NBA athlete. There are questions about whether or not he is quick enough laterally (or has the desire) to defend at the NBA level. He also lacks the explosion to consistently beat his man off the dribble and struggles finishing around the rim with an average vertical. The bigger issues, however, are in his leadership ability. McCamey put up impressive numbers over his last two seasons at Illinois, but those Illini teams never lived up to expectations. He had a long-standing and public feud with head coach Bruce Weber, likely the result of McCamey's so-so work ethic, questionable shot-selection, and coachability. He's not exactly proven to be an ideal candidate to lead a team.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: A poor man's Chauncey Billups or a better shooting Jamaal Tinsley. McCamey has a similar build and style of play to Billups. Both players shoot the ball well and want to take the shot in crunch time. They both are good passers while lacking in the ability to create off the dribble. With Tinsley, both he and McCamey can rack up the assists, but Tinsley was a good starting point guard in the NBA for a number of years. I don't think McCamey will ever be more than a back-up at the next level.


• Worst Case Scenario: Its tough to come up with a worst case scenario for McCamey, because his worst-case scenario won't have anything to do with his ability on the floor. Out-of-shape point guards that don't defend and shoot too much don't last long in the NBA.

Outlook: McCamey has had off-the-court red flags seemingly his entire career at Illinois. His longstanding feud with Bruce Weber finally boiled over when the coach called him out for his work ethic in February, which is a less-than-ideal time for a star player to be coasting. Its a shame that his career ended the way it did, because McCamey was tearing up the competition early in the year. He was making smart decisions with the ball, he was distributing to his teammates, he was hitting seemingly every shot that he put up, and he had Illinois looking like a legitimate sleeper in the Big Ten. But as the season wore on, McCamey became more selfish and seemed to lose his explosiveness, once again raising the red flags -- work ethic, shot selection, decision making, and conditioning. In terms of his skill-set, there may actually be a place in the NBA for McCamey. He can flat out shoot the ball and he is a very effective player in the pick-and-roll, two things that NBA GM's look for in point guards. But his lack of defensive intensity and the apathy he seems to display towards his team and his improvement may eventually be his downfall.

Draft Range: Mid-to-Late 2nd round

And the experts say...

• Draft Express: "Much of the evaluation that NBA teams will need to do with McCamey will center around gathering information on his character and commitment to the game. His size, feel for the game, and shooting ability are all very attractive to teams searching for point guards, but scouts will need to get a better feel for whether or not they believe that he'll ever fully dedicate himself to working on his game and getting his body into the type of condition to where he can maximize his talents. He'll have opportunities to boost his stock with workouts and interviews with teams between now and this summer's draft, but his senior season will likely have NBA decision-makers using more caution in projecting his NBA future."


• Swish Scout: "Veteran senior point guard who killed teams with his confident deep shooting, playmaking passes for teammates, and solid ball handling skills to get where he needed. Doesn’t always make the right decisions, take the greatest shots, or play the best D, but McCamey is a risk taker who has potential to play PG in the NBA because of his solid build and efficient talents."

Highlights: (There are not a lot of good videos out there for McCamey. You might want to turn the volume down before you hit play.)


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Illinois is the same team as last season, and that's not necessarily a good thing

This article can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

NEW YORK - Florida has as much talent on their roster as just about any team in the country.

What's more is that the Gators returned essentially every one from last season. The most basic formula for determining preseason projections is talent plus returners, so its no wonder that Florida was considered the favorite to win the SEC and made an appearance on quite a few preseason top tens.

But what Florida proved on Tuesday night during the Tip-Off Marathon -- a point that was made by more than one person during the game -- was that we, the media covering college hoops, neglected to look at the make-up of the team that was returning. Florida brought in uber-talented freshman forward Partic Young to help shore up their interior, but they did nothing to address their biggest weakness: the lack of a true point guard that can turn a jumbled mess of talented players into a team that can win games.

Ohio State exposed them. The Buckeyes torched the Gators in the second half, making many question whether Florida's lack of roster turnover was, in fact, an achilles heel in disguise.

After watching Illinois suffer a disappointing, 90-84 overtime loss to Texas in the night cap of the Coaches vs. Cancer semifinals at Madison Square Garden, I can't help but ask those same questions of Illinois.


The Illini are a talented team. There is no questioning that. Demetri McCamey is a scoring guard that became the nation's leader in assists last season. Brandon Paul and DJ Richardson, known last year as a promising but inconsistent freshmen duo, are back for their sophomore seasons and McCamey's sidekicks. Mike Tisdale, Mike Davis, and Meyers Leonard provide a long and versatile front court, while Bill Cole and Jereme Richmond are combo-forwards that give Bruce Weber the option of playing really big or really small.

On paper, this is a team that is good enough to contend for the Final Four.

But projected success on paper is far from a sure thing once the teams take the court.

And that was evident tonight for Illinois.

Look, I understand that the better team can take a loss on any given night in this sport. And I understand that, regardless of your opinion on Texas and Illinois, when the Illini get 9-31 shooting from Richardson and Paul and Texas has two kids play as well as Jordan Hamilton and Tristan Thompson did, its tough for Illinois to be victorious.

But I also know what I saw. I saw McCamey disappear in crunch time despite how well he was playing all game. I saw him make some of the same mistakes that he made last season -- questionable shot selection, poor decision making. And he did all of this despite wowing everyone in attendance, including myself, with an NBA level handle, court vision, and offensive repertoire.

Illinois will get better; they didn't play well tonight. Richardson and Paul will shoot better than this the majority of the time. The Illini will become better defensively as the season progresses. They always do. There is no doubt in my mind that this team will compete for a spot in the top ten nationally and in the top three in the Big East.

But the difference between being competitive in a championship race and being a champion comes down to execution in the clutch. The teams that can gets the bucket, or the stop, when they have to have it are the teams that win the close games. The teams that win the close games are the teams that hang banners.

And tonight's performance only strenghened my concern that Illinois is not a team that can perform down the stretch.

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2010 NBA Draft Early Entrants: The biggest impact

The NBA Draft's Early Entry deadline came and went on Sunday. Today, we will provide you with a bit of fodder over how some of this year's decisions could sway the 2010-11 college basketball season. For a complete list of this year's crop of early entrants, click here.

While we all have issues with the earlier withdrawal deadline, the good news is that there actually is an option to withdraw from the draft. As you all know, players are allowed to test the waters one time -- they can enter the draft, go to some of the workouts with NBA teams, get a feel for where they would be getting drafted and what they can do to improve that standings, and then return to school to improve their overall game.

Who are the guys who can change the landscape of college basketball if they decide to return?


Jordan Crawford, Xavier, sophomore: Crawford had the kind of NCAA Tournament performance that makes a player an NBA Draft prospect. He was nothing short of incredible has he averaged 29.0 ppg in leading a young and relatively inexperienced Xavier team into the Sweet 16. The Muskies return most of that young talent as well, with power forward Jason Love the only player that is graduating.

Jordan Crawford could make Xavier next year's Butler.
(photo credit: Indy Star)

If Crawford stays in the draft, which is something many expect him to do -- he has a shot of going in the first round -- Xavier still should end up being a tournament team. A back court of Terrell Holloway, Mark Lyons, and Dante Jackson combined with a front line anchored by seven-footer Kenny Frease should be enough to get the Muskies an at-large bid. But with Crawford on the roster, is it too much to say that Xavier would be the hands down favorite in the Atlantic 10, and a team that may sneak into some top 10's?


E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, Purdue, juniors: Both Moore and Johnson said back in March that they would be returning to school next season, and like we said back then, you always need to take that kind of statement with a grain of salt. Both juniors have declared for the draft, but both would be better suited by returning to school for their senior seasons.

E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson could lead Purdue to heights they didn't reach this season.
(photo credit: SLAM)

Moore will likely not be drafted. As good as he is at the college level, he lacks the size and the explosiveness of an NBA two-guard. Johnson has some potential, but he still has quite a thin frame and settles too much for perimeter jumpers. Johnson has a better shot of going somewhere in the second round than Moore, but with the amount of talent available in this year's class, Johnson would probably have a better chance of getting that guaranteed contract if he came back.

Purdue has a chance to, once again, be a Final Four contender. With Robbie Hummel coming back from knee surgery and guys like Lewis Jackson, Kelsey Barlow, John Hart returning as well, the Boilermakers have a solid core. If they can get Moore and Johnson back, this is a team that can compete for a Final Four and potentially a national title. If they don't, Purdue may struggle to even make the NCAA tournament.


Gordon Hayward, Butler, sophomore: Butler became the feel good story of the decade in college basketball when they made their run to the national title game in their home city. The crazy part about that run was that it was made a year early. In other words, with the youth on Butler's roster, they have a chance to be even better next season, pending Hayward's NBA Draft decision. Willie Veasely and Avery Jukes both graduated, but the rest of Butler's roster will be back next season, including Matt Howard, Shelvin Mack, Ronald Nored, and even Brad Stevens.

If Hayward does return, Butler could end up being a top five team in the preseason. But he has a realistic shot at being a mid-to-late first round pick. It will be interesting to see what Hayward does.


Demetri McCamey and Mike Davis, Illinois, juniors: Illinois has a chance to be very good next season. The only player of significance that they graduate is Dominique Keller, they return both of their vaunted freshmen in the back court, and bring in a very good recruiting class. This is likely a tournament team if McCamey and Davis stay in the draft. But neither player is a lock to be a first rounder. Davis isn't even a lock to be drafted, while Draft Express is predicting McCamey to go somewhere in the second round.

McCamey really came on down the stretch last season. He has always been a talent at the point, McCamey's problem was shot selection and decision making. He's also had an attitude problem, at one point this season storming off the floor and bumping Bruce Weber as he walked by. Davis simply is not strong enough yet. A 6'9" forward, he does most of his damage on the offensive end with his jumper. That isn't going to cut it in the league.

With these two back in the line-up, Illinois has a chance to compete in what should once again be a top heavy Big Ten. And if McCamey can continue to improve from where he left off last season, seeing Illinois as a potential Final Four team is not out of the question.


Samardo Samuels, Louisville, forward: Let's face it: Samuels is not yet ready for the NBA. He's a bit undersized and not quite as athletic as NBA teams would like. While he does have a pretty advanced post game, he just simply doesn't have the tools that an NBA team is looking for in a post player. He's around 6'8" and 250 lb, but he's more of a center than a power forward. 6'8" centers don't last in the NBA.

Louisville certainly could use him. They lose Jerry Smith, Edgar Sosa, and Reginald Delk, Terrence Jennings has yet to prove he can be a consistent post presence, and Rick Pitino is hemorrhaging recruits. With Samuels, Louisville might be able to steal one of the four byes in the Big East tournament. Without him, they very well could be playing on the tourney's first day.

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No. 24: 2009-2010 Team Preview: Illinois Fighting Illini

2008-2009 Record: 24-10, 11-7 Big Ten (t-2nd)

Key Losses: Chester Frazier (5.7 ppg, 5.3 apg), Trent Meachem (10.2 ppg, 42% 3's)

Key Returners: Mike Davis (11.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg), Mike Tisdale (10.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Demetri McCamey (11.5 ppg, 4.6 apg)

Newcomers: DJ Richardson, Joseph Betrand, Tyler Griffey, Brandon Paul

Mike Davis is healthy and ready to anchor the Illini front line after breaking his ankle in June.
(photo credit: Lexington Herald-Review)

Illinois rebounded from a subpar 2007-2008 season to finish second in the Big Ten last year. The Illini lose Chester Frazier and Trent Meachem - their starting back court last season - to graduation, but return a team that has an outside shot of winning the Big Ten.

Bruce Weber is going to rely on his front court to be the constant for this team as he gets back Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale, both juniors. If there is anyone on this Illinois team with star potential, it is the 6'9" Davis. Still a bit slender for a big man in the Big Ten, Davis has a very good offensive arsenal. He has a solid face-up game with catch-and-shoot ability out to about 18 feet, and despite being unable to back down a stronger opponent, he has shown flashes of being a good low post scorer. His lack of strength makes him vulnerable at times defensively, especially down low, but he is a very good rebounder and a solid passer. With an inexperienced back court, I think Weber will run his offense through Davis. Expect the big fella to make a national name for himself this season.

Tisdale is pretty similar to Davis. Not quite the athlete that Davis is (and Davis isn't an overwhelming athlete either), the 7'1" Tisdale relies on a variety of jump hooks and 15 foot jumpers to be effective on the offensive end. Tisdale is a bit weak inside, and I'm sure Weber hopes that he can continue to develop as a defensive presence at the rim. There will be some depth in the Illini front court. Senior Dominique Keller is a 6'7" combo forward. Strong enough to bang with the big boys down low, Keller creates a match-up problem at the offensive end with his ability to knock down three's. 6'8" freshman Tyler Griffey and 6'10" junior Richard Semrau will also see minutes up front.

The back court is going to be the bigger question for the Illini. They do return Demetri McCamey and Alex Legion. McCamey, a 6'3" junior, was the Illini's leading scorer and second leading assist man, but truth be told, he was far from as productive as he could have been. McCamey had a tendency to force too many tough shots (he finished the year shooting just 31% from deep) and turn the ball over a bit more than you would like (2.4 per contest). That said, McCamey has a ton of scoring potential, and when he gets hot can easily go for 25 points. Legion is a 6'5" wing who transferred into Illinois from Kentucky and was not eligible, per transfer rules, until midway through the season. He showed some promise in his first few games, scoring 15 against Michigan State and 12 against Purdue, but he lost his rhythm and by the end of the year had mostly fallen out of the rotation. Legion is a talented kid, and with consistent minutes opening up as Frazier and Meachem move on, Legion will be relied upon for some points, be it off the bench or as a starter.

The rest of the Illinois back court will be made up of freshman. DJ Richardson and Brandon Paul are both top 50 recruits that will compete for a starting spot. Richardson, who is 6'3", is a scoring guard that is at his best when he is attacking. He does have three-point range, but his biggest asset for Weber is going to be his defensive intensity. A strong kid, Richardson has shown no issue with playing hard-nosed defense, and excels in jumping passing lanes. Paul, who is an inch taller than Richardson, is much more of a pure two guard. He isn't quite the defender Richardson is, and relies more on his jump shot. Joseph Bertrand, the third freshman, injured his knee in early September. He should be back and ready to go by the start of the season. Jeff Jordan, Michael's son, was a walk-on but left the team for academic reasons (good ones - to pursue his degree). He has toyed with the idea of returning, and if he does will provide experience, leadership, and tough defense to Weber's back court.

Outlook: With Weber's Illini teams, it has always been about defense, especially out on the perimeter where he loves to have his guards pressure the ball. With so many freshman in the back court rotation, it could take a while for Weber to get them to but into the system. The one thing those freshman are, however, is talented, and if given the opportunity I'd expect Weber to get them to succeed. A key factor will be how good of a player Davis ends up being. Will he be a 11 and 8 guy like last season, or will Davis develop into a go-to offensive player, averaging upwards of 15-16 ppg? Regardless, the Illini have enough for a top three finish in the league and a top six seed in the dance.
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