As we go through the Tier 1 conferences with these mock drafts, I am beginning to think that mock drafts might be the greatest thing about fantasy sports. It's all pleasure with none of the pain. I've long maintained that the best thing about fantasy sports is the draft. Everyone is involved and hopeful. Nobody loses at the draft, but you can certainly criticize people's picks (or even your own). It's fun. We had five people show for the SEC draft, and you can see that even with just 30 picks, we get to see the dregs. Centers are not plentiful in the SEC, but the conference has a pretty good stock of freshmen. Thank you, John Calipari.
Round 1
1. rjaymoose: Terrence Jones, Kentucky, SO, F
2. Thrash13: Anthony Davis, Kentucky, FR, F
3. Big Chief: Dee Bost, Mississippi State, SR, G
4. big5guy: JaMychal Green, Alabama, SR, F
5. asatyss: Festus Ezeli, Vanderbilt, SR, C
I happen to think that Davis will be more productive than Jones, but I can certainly see the argument for the sophomore who averaged 15.7 points and 8.8 rebounds as a first year player. Jones' rebounding rate will certainly decline with Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist on the same frontline, but it is possible that he will score more. Maybe an apt comparison would be Patrick Patterson from two years ago. Patterson was mainly a low post player who became a below average perimeter player when Calipari brought in his first ridiculous recruiting class. Patterson averaged 14.3 points and 7.4 rebounds as a junior (his last year in Lexington), but he provided 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds as a sophomore. Sound familiar? I have nothing against Jones, but I am a little worried about his continued production. I took Bost yet again. He is easily the best point guard option in the conference. I briefly thought about Green, who is the best non-Kentucky frontcourt option. Harry took the big Crimson Tide forward for the second straight draft. Asa, who was unable to attend the draft, was on autopilot, but took the league's most consistent center option: the Festus for the rest of us.
Round 2
1. asatyss: Doron Lamb, Kentucky, SO, G
2. big5guy: John Jenkins, Vanderbilt, JR, G
3. Big Chief: Renardo Sidney, Mississippi State, JR, F-C
4. Thrash13: Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt, SR, G-F
5. rjaymoose: Bruce Ellington, South Carolina, SO, G
Calipari might have called Lamb his "best basketball player," but that did not get the sophomore guard drafted in our Tier 1 draft. He will be the Wildcats' best perimeter shooter, but how many opportunities will he get? He is not a bad risk, but I think Jenkins is a better (and similar) player. The Commodore guard won't help with rebounds and assists, but he may lead the SEC in scoring. I stayed in Starksville for my second pick. My team will likely lead the league in suspensions. Sidney could easily be the most productive center-eligible player in the league, so I was willing to take a risk on the malcontent. Cody added Taylor to Davis for a nice foundation to his team. The third Commodore to be chosen gets more assists than most forwards and more rebounds than most guards. The Gamecocks have a lot of question marks. Ellington, who is currently on their football team, will likely get a lot of opportunity when he crosses over to the basketball team. He hasn't had much action for the Ole Ball Coach yet, so maybe he won't take too many hits. Coach Darrin Horn prefers to let his guards work and Ellington will have the ball in his hands a lot.
Round 3
1. rjaymoose: Marquis Teague, Kentucky, FR, G
2. Thrash13: Erving Walker, Florida, SR, G
3. Big Chief: Tony Mitchell, Alabama, JR, F
4. big5guy: Johnny O'Bryant, LSU, FR, F
5. asatyss: Brad Tinsley, Vanderbilt, SR, G
Raphielle certainly likes Teague, who is Jeff Teague's younger brother. Teague will lead the Wildcat attack and should get plenty of assists, if he isn't the ballhog that his older brother was. Ellington and Teague are an intriguing backcourt combo that could really pay off. Walker was the first Gator chosen and he should lead the team in assists and maybe points as well. I am not a fan, but Cody needed a guard and Walker is a pretty decent one at this point. I was surprised that Mitchell fell to me. His stats weren't wholly different from Green's last year. He gives me the forward I needed. I was hoping O'Bryant would slide to me in the fourth round, but Harry nabbed him from me. I predicted big things for him. In his last autodraft pick, Asa took Tinsley who is a quietly effective option. His team needed a point guard and he planned it out well.
Round 4
1. asatyss: Marshawn Powell, Arkansas, JR, F
2. big5guy: Patric Young, Florida, SO, F-C
3. Big Chief: Trevor Releford, Alabama, SO, G
4. Thrash13: Kenny Gabriel, Auburn, SR, F
5. rjaymoose: Bradley Beal, Florida, FR, G
I took over for Asa starting in Round 4 and I think I did pretty well for him … in round 4. Powell had an off sophomore season because he came into the year with a broken foot. Now that he is healed, he could bounce back to his freshman production (14.9 points, 6.7 rebounds). Powell could be a nice fit for coach Mike Anderson's style. Harry took the last decent center on the board with the Gators' Young. He played well in international competition over the summer and is the best frontcourt option for Florida. I returned to the backcourt with Releford. As a freshman, he provided 11.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists for Alabama. I had bad luck with Crimson Tide point guards (I may never get over Ronald Steele) in the past, but I am ready to give them another shot. The first Tiger went off the board with Gabriel, who averaged 10.4 points and 5.9 rebounds last year. Raphielle commented in the Tier 1 draft that he didn't think Beal would get enough playing time to be productive with Florida. Apparently, he changed his mind and doubled up on freshmen.
Round 5
1. rjaymoose: Lance Goulbourne, Vanderbilt, SR, G-F
2. Thrash13: Gerald Robinson, Georgia, SR, G
3. Big Chief: Murphy Holloway, South Carolina, JR, F
4. big5guy: Kenny Boynton, Jr., Florida, JR, G
5. asatyss: B.J. Young, Arkansas, FR, G
Goulbourne is a great rebounding option for a guard even though Raphielle's team is full up on the perimeter. Cody broke the Auburn hearts and did the same for Georgia with Robinson, who was productive as the third option for the Bulldogs last year. He'll have more responsibility this year. I went with Holloway who transferred from Ole Miss and should be a decent rebounder for the Gamecocks. Boynton is a decent scorer and fits Harry's team well. Asa needed a freshman, so I went with the highest rated guy in Young, his second straight Razorback under my steering.
Round 6
1. asatyss: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky, FR, F
2. big5guy: Dustin Ware, Georgia, SR, G
3. Big Chief: Jelan Kendrick, Mississippi, FR, G
4. Thrash13: Robert Chubb, Auburn, JR, F-C
5. rjaymoose: Wendell Lewis, Mississippi State, JR, C
I figured I'd double Asa's freshmen pleasure (or trouble) with Kidd-Gilchrist who comes with a reputation as a hard-nosed defender and rebounder. Whether that translates to fantasy success is a big question. Harry's team needed an infusion of assists and Ware was the top point guard on the board. I still needed a freshman and went with Kendrick, who won't be available to the Rebels until December. He spent a short time at Memphis and is a 6-foot-6 guard with a variety of skills. Cody and Raphielle finished the draft with bottom-of-the-barrel centers. Chubb actually isn't a bad option at this point. He averaged 7.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 20.2 minutes. Lewis is a big body for the Bulldogs (6-foot-8, 253 pounds), but he only received 15.0 minutes as a sophomore.
So, who has the best team? I think my team would be competitive in all three categories with a core of Bost-Sidney-Mitchell. My team could also have a tendency for trouble (especially Sidney and my frosh Kendrick). Harry's (Big5guy)team has a chance to dominate points and rebounds. I really liked his O'Bryant and Young picks. Raphielle's team could be a great perimeter squad if Ellington and Teague pan out. Cody's first two picks were very strong and he filled the gaps well in his last four picks. Asa's own picks were good and I like adding Powell to his team. Had he been at the draft, he probably would have taken a freshman earlier, but the combination of Young and Kidd-Gilchrist may be decent.
One player we completely blew it on was Mississippi State forward Arnett Moultrie. While Sidney may be in and out of trouble, Moultrie could be a consistent scoring and rebounding force. When I remembered him and knew that I had taken Holloway, it was like a punch in the gut.