Bios and Breakdowns: Andre Drummond

The Basics:
Andre Drummond
8/10/93
Center, University of Connecticut (1 year)
Official Measurements from NBA Combine in Chicago
Height (with shoes): 6'11.75"
Weight: 278 lbs.
Wingspan: 7'6.25"

There is quite the premium placed on quality NBA centers in 2012. These guys don't just grow on trees  and when a legitimate big man is tossed into a pool of prospects they always get special attention. And they should. Having a competent 7 footer to anchor your team is without a doubt a game changer. Andre Drummond, or more importantly the individuals in charge of making his decisions, are not in the least surprised by this news. After what can only be viewed as a disappointing freshman campaign for the big man, he threw his name in the draft confidently cognizant that his stock would remain pretty high regardless of his play last year in Storrs.

Andre drastically raised his stock in the latter half of his high school campaign and opted to reclassify and enter college last year as opposed to spending a year in prep school (a common step prospects whom haven't been playing organized ball for that long take). He chose UCONN over Kentucky, Louisville, West Virginia and other Big East powerhouses which was a semi-surprise because Coach Calhoun doesn't have the best track record in developing big men (oh hey there, Hasheem Thabeet).

Drummond put up respectable numbers last year (averaging 10 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 2.7 BLK in 28 minutes) but was still considered a disappointment given the the hype surrounding him. He is the epitome of raw talent. His footwork is sloppy and inconsistent and he's still trying to figure out how to use his size to his advantage effectively. Andre Drummond is going all in and daring an NBA GM to take a chance on him. He exemplifies high risk/high reward - best case scenario: you end up with a young (he's only 18 years old) strong NBA sized center you can mold into an above average starter and worst case scenario: the kid is too raw physically and too immature mentally and ends up underachieving in the d-league.

In my eyes Andre would be worth the risk for an already established team to grab in the late first round. Under the tutelage of a caring coaching staff willing to put in the time there is a decent shot that this kid can be an NBA starter down the road.