Alright, in my pimping of Keith Clark, I was reminded by 14ers media maven Chad Andrus (BIG UPS!) that Trey Gilder is also draft eligible.
Gilder, another guy I haven't talked much about this season, is a skinny 6'9", 185 pound forward that is a solid scorer, good rebounder, with his strength really the only question about him. (185 is a biiiiiiiit small)
Trey is doing big things over the past month with one of the better teams in the D-League. Gilder, who played his college ball at Northwestern State had planned to return there this fall. Unfortunately, after a mix-up over his freshman season at McNeese State where he redshirted, Gilder had run out of basketball eligibility and thus signed a D-League contract.
The 14ers drafted Gilder in the second round, and the rest is on its way to making history. The rookie has stepped up big when the 14ers have needed him, averaging 18.3 points per game over the past month, including an impressive 3-game stretch of games at the end of January when the totalled 83 points.
This is definitely going to help him out during draft time, as his coach, Robert MacKinnon, explains.
"Trey has been a constant offensive force for us. He's someone who can create his own shot and get his own opportunities, so at the offensive end I feel he's definitely a strong NBA prospect," said MacKinnon. "This year he's learned how to work as a professional and has earned great respect among his teammates. He's put himself in a position now that he's played a year of professional ball that he will have less of a learning curve in the NBA."
He's also starring on youtube like fellow draft-eligible player Keith Clark. Gilder seems to have a personality to go along with the skills he's been showing out on the court: