In the cases of Gallon, Mason-Griffin, 'F' doesn't stand for future
Published: 4/27/2010 12:03 AM
Last Modified: 4/27/2010 12:03 AM
I thought Eamonn Brennan of ESPN.com was being a little rough when, grading the decisions of college basketball underclassmen to declare for the NBA draft, he gave Oklahoma's Willie Warren a C.
Then I scrolled down to the five players who received Fs. Two of them are Sooners.
Warren got off easy.
Here's what Brennan wrote about Tiny Gallon: "No one who's seen him play would call him NBA-ready. Gallon's decision might have more to do with Oklahoma's issues -- including an internal investigation into money allegedly wired to Gallon's account from a financier in Florida -- than with his likelihood of sticking in the pros. Gallon probably can't stay at Oklahoma, even if he wanted to, but that doesn't make the decision any less terrible."
As for Tommy Mason-Griffin, Brennan wrote that he "is similar to Gallon in that both players had nice freshman seasons, but neither player is anywhere near being ready for the NBA. Mason-Griffin is undersized and lacks the athleticism necessary to succeed at the point guard spot in the NBA. He simply needs more time."
For what it's worth, Mason-Griffin does not appear on the latest mock draft on NBADraft.net (it's dated April 20). Warren is there at No. 43 overall to the Lakers. Gallon checks in at No. 51 to the OKC Thunder, one pick after Tulsa's Jerome Jordan but two picks ahead of Texas' Dexter Pittman.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
