NBA Draft Prospects: Xavier Henry, Kansas

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Stats: 13.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 41.8% 3PT, 1.9 t/o's

Size:

• Listed: 6'6", 210 lb, 19 yrs old
  
• Combine: 6'6 1/2" (with shoes), 210 lb, 6'11 1/4" (wingspan)
  

About Him: Xavier Henry looked like he was going to be a superstar early on in the season. With the loaded Jayhawks playing a relatively easy schedule in November and December, Henry shined, hitting over 50% from deep for a while and averaging 17 ppg. He had come back down to earth by the end of his freshman campaign, finishing the season with respectable averages of 13.4 ppg and just under 42% from three point range.

As you might imagine, Henry's game centers around his ability to knock down spot-up jumpers. When he gets he feet set, shoulders squared, and a decent look at the rim, Henry is a dangerous shooter off of the catch. He got quite a few of these looks playing alongside Tyshawn Taylor and Sherron Collins as a freshman, taking nearly 50% of his FGA from beyond the arc.

Henry still needs to develop some all-around offensive polish, however. He really struggles when he is forced to shoot off of the dribble, as he just doesn't look comfortable pulling up. Where his form is picture perfect on a catch-and-release, he looks a bit herky-jerky and far less fluid shooting off the bounce. He also struggles a bit when he is forced to get all the way to the rim. While he can really get up when he is given time and space, he's not quite as explosive in traffic. He's a decent finisher around the rim, but given the fact he has a 36.5" max vert (he's only at 28.5" on a no-step vert, which is a huge increase), an excellent wingspan, and one of the stronger frames at his position in this draft, you would expect him to be a better finisher and better at absorbing contact around the rim.

As a passer, Henry only averaged 1.5 apg, but he showed willingness to move the ball within the Jayhawk offense and also proved to be at least capable of finding the open man when he put the ball on the floor. But again, he didn't put the ball on the floor all that much as a freshman, which limited his opportunities.

One other aspect of Henry's offensive game that impressed me during the season was his ability to get out and run a lane on the break. Granted, he was playing with one of the best point guards in the country, but Henry seemed like he really understood spacing on the break, getting quite a few wide open threes and finishing off highlight reel alley-oops with thunderous dunks.

Defensively is where the question mark resides. Henry is a good, not great, athlete, struggling a bit with his lateral quickness. He seemed to have some trouble staying in front of smaller, quicker guards last season, which could be a problem if he is going to play the two in the NBA. He feasibly could be a three, but at 6'6" he might be a touch on the small side (although he nearly 7'0" wingspan helps in that department). To play for Bill Self, you have to be able to defend, so clearly Henry puts in the effort and, at the very least, has an understanding of the fundamentals.

Comparison:

• Best Case Scenario: Draft Express lists James Posey as Henry's best case, and while I like the comparison as far as roles go, I think Henry has more of an upside than Posey. He's better offensively. How about Jason Richardson late in his career?
• Worst Case Scenario: A CJ Miles or a Martell Webster.

Outlook: Henry doesn't exactly have the upside of an all-star, but that doesn't mean he can't be a very effective player in the league. Perhaps the most important attribute he displayed at Kansas was his willingness to play a role. Even when he was averaging 17 ppg, he was a guy that got his points mostly in transition and off of a catch-and-shoot. If he can find a position to defend and continue to develop the rest of his offensive repertoire, there's no reason he can't be a 12-15 ppg scorer.

Highlights:


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Who is really leading the Big XII Player of the Year race?

At the end of the Longhorn's win over Arkansas on Tuesday, right after Damion James scored a couple big buckets down the stretch to ice the game, ESPN.com writer (and BIAH favorite) Dana O'Neil tweeted this:

Damion James has to be the Big XII player of the year right now in a runaway

This was quite a statement, considering that Damion James wasn't really thought to be a contender for the award when the season started.

So I got to thinking: does he? Is James really the Big XII Player of the Year right now? Is it really a "runaway"?

Let's take a quick peek into the Big XII's POY race:

The Preseason Favorites: For my money, there were really only four guys that I thought had a chance to win the Big XII POY before the season started.

• Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, Kansas: Both Collins and Aldrich were preseason all-americans picks. That's what happens when you were arguably the best center and the best point guard in the country the year before. But neither Collins nor Aldrich has been spectacular this season. Collins is averaging just 15.1 ppg and 4.1 apg while Aldrich is post 11.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg, and 3.7 bpg, a far cry from what they averaged last season, and even farther from what most expected them to do this season.
  
  The problem with just looking at numbers is that they don't take into consideration the rest of the talent on the team. As you know, the Jayhawks are loaded this season. All the youth on last year's roster are now the "experienced" sophomores schooling another group of talented freshman. Collins and Aldrich simply have not needed to carry the load offensively. Collins has orchestrated the offense and Aldrich has own the paint defensively while the two have allowed others, like Xavier Henry and the Morris twins, to get their buckets. But if last night's dogfight with Cornell is any indication, don't write these two off yet. Collins had a career-high 33 points, and Aldrich hit a number of big baskets and made some key defensive plays down the stretch.


• Willie Warren, Oklahoma: Warren is another guy whose numbers will deceive you. After coming back to Oklahoma (despite being considered a lottery pick), Warren has posted much better numbers this season, averaging 18.5 ppg and 4.5 apg. But Oklahoma has struggled as a team, sitting at just 9-5, while Warren struggles with the burden of being a leader. It got to the point that he was suspended for a game during the Great Alaska Shootout by head coach Jeff Capel. Unless Warren can turn around his, and the Sooners', season, he likely won't even be first team all-conference.


• Craig Brackins, Iowa State: It was a bit of a shock that Brackins headed back to Ames this season. He was a first round lock, and the Cyclones were terrible last season. And while ISU is still a long way away from making the tournament, they are a much improved team as the play of Marquis Gilstrap and Diante Garrett makes this team appear, at least on paper, capable of competing in the league. But unless Brackins becomes more aggressive and makes ISU relevant in the conference, I have a tough time seeing him win the award, especially when his numbers are down to 17.0 ppg and 7.9 rpg.

The Freshman

• Xavier Henry, Kansas: All the talk this season about freshman (well, about anyone really) has centered around a young man down in Lexington. But the one that got away from Coach Cal (if you remember, Henry was going to Memphis before Cal left, and almost ended up at Kentucky when Cal arrived) is putting up pretty impressive numbers this year as well. At 16.1 ppg, Henry is the Jayhawk's leading scorer while also posting 4.7 rpg and hitting 47% of his threes. While he has posted some impressive numbers, Henry has feasted on some of KU's lesser competition, struggling in games against Michigan, Memphis, and Cornell. The biggest reason he won't win the award? He may not even be the Jayhawk's best candidate when its all said and done.

The Sleeper

• Ekpe Udoh, Baylor: There's no other way to put it: Udoh has been a monster for the Bears. Ask Morgan State, they learned the hard way. Udoh tore them up to the tune of 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 blocks. In actuality, you can ask pretty much ask anyone that has played Baylor, as Udoh has been more than just a flash in the pan. The Michigan transfer has flourished under Scott Drew, averaging 14.2 ppg, 11.5 rpg, and 4.5 bpg. Baylor is currently sitting at 12-1 this season, and Udoh's play in the paint has been one of the biggest reasons why. If Baylor continues to play this well in conference, Udoh has an actual shot to win.

The Favorites

• Jacob Pullen, Kansas State, and Damion James, Texas: For my money, I can't pick between these two right now. Let's talk Pullen first. He has been nothing short of sensational this season. He's averaging 20.1 ppg (in just 28.2 mpg) while dishing out 3.6 apg and shooting 46% from three. More importantly, however, he has stepped up in Kansas State's biggest wins. In victories over Xavier, Dayton, at UNLV, and at Alabama, Pullen is averaging 25.0 ppg. In their loss to Ole Miss, he had his worst performance of the season, going just 5-15 from the floor and 2-8 from three, finishing with just 17 points. When Pullen is playing well, Kansas State is very, very good. If he continues to play like this, and Kansas State makes a run at the regular season title, he has to be considered a favorite to win.
  
  That said, Damion James has been absolutely fantastic as well. He's posted the best numbers of his career, averaging 16.7 ppg and 10.8 rpg. And, like Pullen, he's stepped up in the biggest games. In the Longhorn's two wins over UNC and Michigan State, James averaged 24.0 ppg and 14.0 rpg. On Tuesday night against Arkansas, he went for 20 points and 9 boards in just 17 foul plagued minutes, which included a number of huge baskets down the stretch, and also went for 20 and 9 against Pitt. With seven double-doubles already this season, James has been the best and most consistent player for one of the best teams in the country.
  

Dana's right. James has been the player of the year in the Big XII. But calling it a runaway is not fair to Jacob Pullen and Ekpe Udoh, because they have best just as good. This award, as is usually the case, is going to be won in conference play.

Just another storyline to follow in what is guaranteed to be an exciting season of hoops.
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No. 1: 2009-2010 Team Preview: Kansas Jayhawks

2008-2009 Record: 27-8, 14-2 Big XII (1st)

Key Losses: None

Key Returners: Sherron Collins (18.9 ppg, 5.0 apg), Cole Aldrich (14.9 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.7 bpg), Tyshawn Taylor 9.7 ppg, 3.0 apg)

Newcomers: Xavier Henry, Jeff Withey, CJ Henry, Thomas Robinson, Elijah Johnson

Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich both may be first team all americans this year.
(photo credit: UMHoops)

Just one year removed from winning a national title and losing his top six players, Bill Self has completely retooled his roster. The Jayhawks are absolutely loaded this season. How loaded? Just take a look at the 12th, 13th, and 14th men on their roster. Travis Releford, a sophomore, was a top 75 recruit out of Kansas, picking the Jayhawks over the likes of Texas, UConn, and North Carolina. Jeff Withey, a redshirt freshman who will be eligible at the end of the 2009 semester after transferring from Arizona, was a top 50 recruit in 2008. CJ Henry was one of the best prospects of the 2005 class before choosing to play baseball in the Yankees organization. Those three guys would start for a number of Big XII schools, and may not even sniff the court for Kansas this year.

The biggest reason for the Jayhawks being the consensus number one team in the country is the inside-outside combination of Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich. Aldrich may be the most dominating presence in the paint this season. At 6'11" with the wingspan of a pterodactyl, he can control the glass and is one of the nation's best shotblockers. Offensively, he didn't show great back to the basket moves, but his jumper (despite being hideous looking) is soft and he is a good finisher at the rim. If he put in the work during the off-season, expect Aldrich to be improved on the block this year. Everyone should know about Collins. Built like a bowling ball, Collins can shoot it, he can drive to score or to pass, and he is a proven clutch performer that isn't afraid to take (and make) a big shot. Collins is a natural leader, which is perfect for a team that is still relatively young. With the amount of talent on this roster, expect Collins' scoring numbers to dip a bit this year as he spreads the ball around more.

The likely starters on the perimeter will be sophomore Tyshawn Taylor and freshman Xavier Henry. Taylor is an excellent role player to stick in the off-guard spot. He has the talent to be a 15 ppg guy, but he is used to filling a role on a loaded roster (his high school team at St. Patrick's had seven D1 players on it). He has the handle and the play-making ability to play a little bit of point guard this year, but where his biggest contribution will be is on the defensive end. His long arms and quick feet will make him a night mare for opposing two guards. Henry might be the missing piece for Self. With a dynamic point guard, size inside, and role players and shooters on the perimeter last year, the one thing this Jayhawk team was missing was a big time scoring talent on the wing. Henry, a strong, 6'6" two-guard, is exactly that. The only concern that Self will have with Henry is his attitude - will he understand that he is not "the man" on this Jayhawk team and defer to Collins and Aldrich?

The rest of the Kansas back court is talented as well. Tyrell Reed, who was the 2008 Kansas high school player of the year, is a shooter first and foremost. A coaches son, he is a smart kid that understands the game and can play a little point if necessary, but where he will be utilized by Self is as a spot-shooter on the perimeter that will help spread the floor. Mario Little is a JuCo transfer that struggled to get time on the court last season. When he did, he produced, averaging 4.7 ppg and 3.2 rpg in just 12 mpg. He is an athletic slasher that is at his best in the open floor. Brady Morningstar is a former walk-on who earned his starting spot last season. A pesky defender and excellent shooter, Morningstar may have cost himself this season with his DUI back in September. He will not return from suspension until the end of the first semester, and by then Self will likely have his rotation figured out.

Of this group, Elijah Johnson probably has the most upside. Similar to a guy like Collins, Johnson is a solidly built, 6'2" point guard. He's explosive, he can get to the rim, he can shoot it from deep, and he makes the game look effortless. His issue is that he has a rep for being lazy, for coasting during games. If Self, or maybe even Collins, can light a fire in this kid, he should be a more than adequate back-up for Collins and may end up being a first round pick down the road.

The most improved players this season may end up being the Morris twins, Markieff and Marcus. Last season, the two showed flashes of potential, but they weren't big or strong enough to handle the rigors of the Big XII. But over the summer, the twins spent quite a bit of time in the weight room, adding strength, mass, and improving their athleticism in the process. Marcus is a bit more developed on the offensive end while Markieff is a better defender at this point in his career. Regardless, expect a big season out of these two as they will provide energy and athleticism for Self, both on the defensive end and on the glass.

The other guy expected to see time in the front court rotation is Thomas Robinson. At 6'9", Robinson is a fantastic athlete that can get out and fill a lane on the break. He isn't the strongest player inside right now, but he can finish above the rim and has shown a decent offensive game around the rim. Similar to Marcus Morris, Robinson can also step out and play the high post. He has a solid 15 foot jumper, and his passing and ball-handling ability will make him a difficult match-up for any opposing post.

Outlook: Kansas had a bit of a tumultuous off-season, as the basketball team's multiple skirmishes with the Jayhawk football team made national headlines. But as much of an issue and as big of an embarrassment as it was for Bill Self, some took it as a good sign. This wasn't one guy on an island fighting 60-some football players. This was the whole team having the back of a couple players with an issue. While there were certainly better ways to solve the issue than to take it to fists, Self has to be happy that he has a team that is close-knit enough that they didn't hesitate to have each other's back. I don't think that it will be much of a distraction at this point. The bigger issue is going to be how Self handles having this much talent on his roster. Will there be enough shots and minutes to go around to keep everyone happy? If he can manage and massage egos, Kansas looks like the clear cut favorite to cut down the nets in Indianapolis.
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No more conditions allowed on Letters of Intent

Letters of Intent (LOI's) are a tricky subject in the realm of college athletics. Run by the Collegiate Commissioner's Association out of the NCAA's Indianapolis headquarters, the National Letter of Intent program is a voluntary system that was put in place to, essentially, end a prospect's recruitment.

Its benefits are twofold; not only is a recruit able to end the constant stream of phone calls and letters from college coaches (well, theoretically at least), it allows those same college coaches a degree of certainty of what their incoming class will look like. In other words, if Bill Self has a point guard in the class of '10 sign an LOI, he can stop recruiting point guards.

DeMarcus Cousins made headlines when he refused to sign with UAB.
(photo credit: AL.com)

As Josh Selby proved this summer, a commitment from a recruit is worth nothing more than the hand it was shaken on. Signing an LOI binds the recruit to the school, with eligibility penalties if he/she does not spend a full year at that institution.

But over the last year, a couple high profile recruits have made headlines due to their LOI's.

Back in November, Seth Davis of SI brought to light an issue with UAB's recruitment of DeMarcus Cousins. You see, Cousins had committed to play for the Blazers, but he refused to sign his LOI unless the school included a clause which allowed Cousins to be released if head coach Mike Davis was no longer the coach.

LOI clauses once again came into the national spotlight this spring when Xavier Henry (and subsequently Nolan Dennis) were allowed out of the LOI's they signed with Memphis when John Calipari left town for Kentucky. Henry and Dennis have since enrolled at Kansas and Baylor, respectively.

Deals such as these will no longer be allowed as the National Letter of Intent Policy and Review Committee has sent a memo to member institutions banning the practice. The memo, which was provided to the Sporting News by a DI coach, states that if any school or any of the school's employees "offers additional conditions, the prospective student-athletes NLI is subject to being declared null and void along with possible institutional penalties." If an athlete wants out of their LOI, they will have to submit a request form, which has been the standard procedure.

Violations of this rule could result in expulsion from the NLI program.

There are a lot of positives with this rule. It eliminates some of the preferential treatment that blue chip recruits receive; the only kids that would have had enough pull to land this type of addendum are the best of the best (sometimes that doesn't even matter - Cousins is a consensus top five recruit and he couldn't get one in his LOI to a C-USA school). It will also be beneficial for guys like Josh Pastner, Calipari's replacement at Memphis, who saw one of the best recruiting classes ever vanish before his eyes as most of Coach Cal's recruits backed out once he left.

The problem that arises is that these kids are not choosing the school they want to go to based on, well, the school. Their choice is centered on which coach they want to play for. This goes against the entire concept of a student-athlete because it makes it obscenely obvious the recruit doesn't care about the schooling he receives or classes he can attend.

But consider this - these kids are choosing a school based on where they think they can receive their best basketball education and who they think is the best basketball "professor". Being a professional basketball player is a profession that can make you a lot of money in a short amount of time. If you want to play for a John Calipari or a Roy Williams (or whatever coach you think will give you the best chance of making the NBA or becoming a successful pro overseas) and that coach leaves the school, isn't it fair to allow the kids enroll at a school with a coach they want to play for (as opposed to whoever the institution hires as a replacement)?

Would anyone complain if a top 10 high school student decided he didn't want to go to Yale because the professor he wanted to study under left?

And that doesn't even take into account the fact that most schools have a drop off in performance when they undergo coaching changes. What if that recruit doesn't want to take part in the rebuilding process while that coach builds a program around "his recruits"?

My hope is that this rule was simply implemented so that the NLI regains control over their program; and that if a recruit no longer wants to attend a certain school due to a coaching change, they will grant him/her their release.

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BREAKING: Xavier Henry staying at Kansas

So says Jeff Goodman:

"I’m going to Kansas," Henry texted to FOXSports.com late Tuesday night. "That’s final."

Jayhawk fans can breath a sigh of relief, and Kentucky fans will have to console themselves with visions of John Wall throwing oops to Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins.

That text put an end to what was a roller coaster ride of a day. What started as an internet rumor based on a "fake" twitter account exploded Tuesday afternoon after Carl Henry, Xavier's father, did an interview with a Kansas radio show where he said that Xavier would have gone to Kentucky had it not been for his mother.

Many people, including myself and just about every Kentuckian on the intrawebs, probably believed it was a done deal that the Henry's would be a part of Big Blue Nation today. When rumors and reports like this spread across the blogs like an online wildfire, they tend to turnout the way people expect.

Not so this time, which is good news for Kansas. As I mentioned in the post yesterday, Henry provides a scoring punch on the wing that Kansas didn't have last year with Brandon Rush's departure.

The Jayhawks are will likely be the consensus preseason #1 team in the country, with the Henry-less Wildcats right on their tail.

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Xavier Henry the latest top 10 recruit to have trouble deciding where to go to school

With Lance Stephenson landing at Cincinnati, you figured the recruiting drama involving the class of 2009 was over, didn't you?

Wrong.

It started with this post from a Kentucky sports blog about a month ago. Was Xavier Henry really considering backing out on his commitment to Bill Self and Kansas? Carl Henry immediately squashed those rumors, saying both his sons were committed to Kansas and would be wearing Jayhawk blue next year.

Then rumors started popping up that Xavier was considering following the Brandon Jennings route and spending his post high school year in Europe, but those, too, were squashed by Pops (apparently, Xavier had offers of $1 million for a season, but Carl didn't want him to go because he didn't know where he would be playing ... wait, what?).

This all seemed like an internet rumor gone crazy. You know, one of those things that makes people hate blogs.

But then Carl Henry decided to do an interview on the "Chris and Cowboy" show on 610 AM in Kansas City. Apparently, Xavier wanted to go to Kentucky all along:

If it wasn't for his momma saying that 'I would not go to Kentucky, I would not move down to Kentucky,' Xavier would have been at Kentucky. He would have been at Kentucky. So Xavier says, 'I'm going to go to Kansas.' Even though that's what he wanted to do is go to Kentucky, play under Coach Cal. That's what he wanted to do. I expressed this to (Kansas) coach (Bill) Self. I told him.

Now, it seems as if Momma doesn't want to be the deciding factor in where her two sons (Xavier and his older brother CJ) go to school:

So guess what? Kid might have a change of mind. That's what I tell coach Self. If he has a change of mind, so what? So be it. He had a change of mind.

Andy Katz picked up on it, and now it seems as if this "rumor" has been certified a "report". Bill Self and Danny Manning went to Oklahoma City to meet with the Henry's on Tuesday night, and many expect a decision to be made by Wednesday. Remember, since Xavier signed a LOI with Memphis (before being released when Coach Cal left for Kentucky), and since you can only sign one LOI, there is nothing keeping Xavier from having a "change of mind."

Needless to say, Kentuckians are going crazy over this (here are some posts: Strait Pinkie, A Sea of Blue, Kentucky Sports Radio, Kentucky Ink, AllKyHoops).

With Jodie Meeks staying in the draft, a lot of minutes have opened up as Kentucky does not really have a true two-guard on their roster. Kentucky also still has a scholarship available, and since CJ is getting his education paid for by the Yankees (who drafted him out of high school), both brothers could theorectically play.

A line-up of John Wall, Xavier Henry, Darnell Dodson, Patrick Patterson, and DeMarcus Cousins, with guys like Eric Bledsoe, Jon Hood, Daniel Orton, Perry Stevenson, and other coming off the bench sounds pretty damn imposing. There could be as many as six first round picks in that bunch.

Kansas would still be loaded. Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich, Tyshawn Taylor, and the Morris twins still make up a potential Big XII champ and Final Four contender. But Xavier would provide the Jayhawks with a potent scoring punch on the wing, something that they would not have on their roster should he head to Lexington.

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Xavier and CJ Henry to Kansas

Jeff Goodman is reporting that both Xavier Henry (the #3 recruit in the country according to Rivals) and his brother CJ, who just finished a season at Memphis, have decided to attend Kansas. Xavier originally committed to Memphis, but was allowed out of his LOI when Calipari left for Kentucky. During his original recruitment, Kansas (where Henry's father went to school) and Memphis were the final two.

If they weren't already, this makes Kansas easily the favorite for the 2010 national title. They return just about everyone of significance (including probable all-americans Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins), and add Henry, who is the dominant wing scorer they were missing last season.

The ripples of this decision may be felt as far away as Queens, NY. Many thought that Lance Stephenson would be headed to Kansas, but if Henry does in fact end up there, it looks like the NYC prodigy will end up somewhere else. If I am Norm Roberts, I am doing everything I can to get "Born Ready" in a Johnnies uniform next season. The kid does have some character issues, but he is a program changer that can push St. John's back into relevance in the Big East. Continue reading...