I did something today that I can't really believe I hadn't done recently: check to see how various different NBA draft sites are ranking Greivis Vasquez. We as Maryland fans have collectively believed that he'll be around, oh, #35 to #45 in the draft. Unfortunately, we're a little bit biased - he's a Terp, and we probably have selective memory, so we give him a bump. In order to get some unbiased opinions, I decided to take a look around some various popular mock draft sites to see where they had him. Remember, the common opinion is that if he's around 35 or higher, he's gone.
NBADraft.net - Ah yes, the website with the insanely search optimized name. They don't have "normal" rankings (as in the top 100 prospects - at least none that I could find) but they don't have Greivis going anywhere in their 2009 mock. Originally I had considered the possibility that this was because he hadn't officially declared yet, but others in his situation - like Gani Lawal - are in the mock. In the 2010 mock, he's going #57 to the Nuggets.
Draft Express - Generally seen as more accurate than NBADraft.net, Draft Express is more kind to our beloved GV, but only slightly - they have him going #56 to the Trailblazers. They also have him as the 18th best PG available, which I consider waaay too low.
CBS Sports - Even kinder than Draft Express, CBS Sports ranks him as the 51st best prospect in the draft, still well below the considered threshold of him declaring.
ESPN - Even though they don't list Greivis in their top 13 PGs in the draft (I can't believe people still consider him a shooting guard), they do have him as the #46 prospect overall, which is the only ranking that starts to rub up against that 35ish level. He's also not in their first-round mock, unsurprisingly.
In non-rankings news, Andy Katz, writes a decent amount of nothing in his blurb on Vaz, but some info is better than none:
Terrapin coach Gary Williams was at the Attack Athletics gym supporting Vasquez. "If he's a legit top-25 pick then I do think that's something he'll look at," Williams said. "If there's any question about that, then I think he'll come back to school to put him in that position (top 25) next year." Vasquez concurred. He was just giddy to be at the combine, working out against other top point guards like Lawson, Mills and Davidson's Stephen Curry.
"I'm a true point guard and this is fun to go against them," Vasquez said. "I love competing. I want to do this to benefit my game." Vasquez was hoping there would be five-on-five games, but that wasn't on the agenda. He also said having Williams in attendance meant a lot to him. "He's a great guy, person and friend," Vasquez said. "It means a lot to me."
Soungs pretty good for us, if you ask me.
NBADraft.net, which obviously didn't like Greivis from the start, still doesn't like him, calling him "out of place with all the cat-quick guards" at the combine. Not overly damning, but definitely not positive.
Meanwhile, friend of Testudo Times Rush the Court concurs with the belief that he'll be staying for one more year:
Vasquez measured well for a combo guard, and his quotes made it sound like this was just for show. He has little to no shot at the first round this year, and it appeared that he acknowledged as much. He should be back in College Park next season.
It's been over a month, meaning it's time for another poll. Remember, last time 58% of you said he was definitely coming back, but a lot has changed since then. (Yeah, I know that he's ruled out Europe - just go with it).