Obviously, I know why you come to Ridiculous Upside: it's because you want the goods.
Well, kids, I've got the goods.
The Korean Basketball League's import player draft took place Thursday night in the Monte Carlo Hotel's ballroom down in beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada following two and a half days of tryouts - and I have the results.
Typically this sort of thing wouldn't be news around these parts, but because there was a rather large amount of big men that either played in the NBA Development League or in the recent NBA Summer League I decided to follow it as closely as I could (which meant via texts from a coach that happened to be down in Vegas since ESPN apparently didn't deem it appropriate for Thursday afternoon television).
The KBL has a few peculiar rules (players have to be three years removed from any NBA experience and at least two years removed from European experience unless that experience came in Spain, Turkey, Italy, Israel, Russia, Greece or China) and, beginning this year, teams are only allowed one import for the entire game - a change from last season when teams could play both of their imports during the first and fourth quarter of each game.
All that aside, they make up for it by signing imports to $400,000 contracts - $73,604 less than the NBA minimum contract that the majority of these players would have to fight through an NBA training camp to earn.
Notable players that weren't selected include Memphis Grizzlies Summer Leaguer Jeff Adrien, Nuggets Summer Leaguer (and former Dakota Wizard) Romel Beck, Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, Utah Flash big man Bennet Davis, Spurs Summer Leaguer Bryan Davis, Hornets Summer Leaguer Kyle Hines, former Phoenix Sun Dan Langhi, former perennial Jazz Summer Leaguer Kevin Lyde, 37-year-old NBA journeyman Amal McCaskill, Michigan State alums Drew Naymick and Raymar Morgan, Bulls Summer Leaguer A.J. Ogilvy, Tulsa 66ers stud Larry Owens, Fort Wayne big men Jared Reiner and Sean Sonderleiter, former Golden State Warrior draft pick Chris Taft, and last, but not least, motherfrickin' Samaki Walker.
Okay, so that's who wasn't drafted. Who was drafted? Find out after the jump!
| Pick | Name | College |
| 1 | Jasper Johnson | Delta State |
| 2 | Chris Alexander | Iowa State |
| 3 | Glen McGowan | Pepperdine |
| 4 | David Simon | IPFW |
| 5 | Herbert Hill | Providence |
| 6 | Terrence Leather | South Florida |
| 7 | Chris Daniels | Texas A&M - Corpus Christi |
| 8 | Rod Benson | Cal |
| 9 | Noel Felix | Fresno State |
| 10 | Micah Brand | Massachusetts |
| Second Round | Name | College |
| 11 | Laurence Ekperegin | LeMoyne |
| 12 | Aaron Haynes | Boise State |
| 13 | Victor Thomas | LaSalle |
| 14 | Eric Dawson | Midwestern |
| 15 | Michael Haynes | Fordham |
| 16 | Ousmane Barro | Marquette |
| 17 | Gavin Edwards | Connecticut |
| 18 | Otis George | Louisville |
| 19 | Marcus Hubbard | Angelo State |
| 20 | Charles Rhodes | Mississippi State |
The majority of these players had previous KBL experience as Johnson, Alexander, Hill, Leather, Daniels, Brand, Haynes and Thomas all played in Korea last season - most of which were in the top 10 in scoring.
The rest, well, it's a rather eclectic bunch, though Ekperegin will be the only rookie import - something that could be challenging for the small school player who looked decent with the Denver Nuggets in Vegas. Johnson, Alexander, McGowan, Hill, Benson, Felix, Dawson and Hubbard all have D-League experience.
Comments
/Jeremy LIn joke
on a serious note, are all these guys locks to go over there?
By fetch13 on 07.23.10 12:00am
Last year
Greg Stiemsma didn’t report, but I’m fairly certain everyone else did.
It doesn’t make sense not to go unless you think you’re going to make the NBA (which Stiemsma just barely did).
By Scott Schroeder on 07.23.10 12:08am
Rhodes
Charles Rhodes is a beast. We drafted him in Eastern Kentucky in 2008 and almost got him to come before an overseas offer came in. Hope he decides to stay in the states and play one year but can’t turn down that money.
By Brian Levy on 07.23.10 12:16am
Jeff Adrien/Kyle Hines
I liked them in Las Vegas. Would like to see them try the D-League this season.
By M Brennan on 07.23.10 12:56am
Hmmm
I’d like all of the undrafted players to try the D-League this season. Can you imagine Samaki Walker versus Kevin Lyde? Ticket sales would be through the roof.
By Scott Schroeder on 07.23.10 1:07am
Whose roof?
By Michael Levin on 07.23.10 11:29am
It’s a metaphor.
By Scott Schroeder on 07.23.10 12:40pm
Whose metaphor?
By Michael Levin on 07.23.10 12:59pm
According to my research, Rock Master Scott’s. Please refer to me as that from now on.
By Scott Schroeder on 07.23.10 3:46pm
Ah RMS: PMS’s Raging Cousin.
By Michael Levin on 07.23.10 5:23pm
More like Ragin' Cajun.
By Scott Schroeder on 07.23.10 5:31pm
a whataphor? Okafor?
By fetch13 on 07.26.10 6:42pm
When did Israel and China start counting as “European experience?”
By JRose on 07.23.10 1:08pm
You're not my friend
But that’s how the Korean Times intern put it here.
By Scott Schroeder on 07.23.10 3:45pm
I do my best!
By Michael Levin on 07.23.10 5:23pm
Korean Times...
is a rag, just to let you know.
By rickpidero on 07.24.10 1:44am
Lame
It sounds legit!
By Scott Schroeder on 07.24.10 2:17am
haha, ok...
so, what are the chances he comes here?
By rickpidero on 07.25.10 9:11pm
100%.
By Scott Schroeder on 07.25.10 11:19pm
Nice! (for me)
By rickpidero on 07.27.10 12:47am
As a...
person residing in Korea I really hope Boom-Tho makes it over here! (if he doesn’t make the NBA) Go Incheon Elephants!
By rickpidero on 07.24.10 1:46am