The good news for former Georgia Bulldogs basketball players Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie is that the NBA Draft Combine is just the beginning of the draft process for the 2011 hopefuls. Neither player did a lot to stand out positively on the court and further raises red flags that both possibly could have used another season at Georgia.
Leslie made news for a comment he made in an interview with Draft Express writer Jonathon Givony. During the broadcast, Leslie was compared to current Memphis Grizzlies forward Tony Allen. When asked about it, Leslie responded with "I feel like I am better than Tony Allen." Confidence is one thing, but in this internet age it wasn't long before Allen responded via Twitter. In the grand scheme of things Leslie's quotes won't mean a whole lot to a team that drafts him but it could be an interesting thing to watch the first time he crosses paths with Allen.
Trey Thompkins began his junior season at Georgia by being named Preseason Player of the Year in the SEC. That no doubt added high expectations to his season. After suffering an ankle injury during the preseason, Thompkins had a solid but no spectacular junior season in Athens. Thompkins measured well for an NBA power forward coming in at six-foot-eight without shoes. The biggest negative for Thompkins was his 15.5 body fat percentage that was the highest for any player at the combine.
ESPN's Andy Katz listed both Thompkins and Leslie as players that possibly should have stayed in school. Others named by Katz include Tennessee's Scotty Hopson and Kentucky's DeAndre Liggins.
Georgia Tech's Iman Shumpert avoided any negative marks in the drills, measurements, and interview process but is fighting an uphill battle in terms of point guard depth in the draft. Atlanta Journal Constitution writer Ken Sugiura reports that Shumpert remains on the second round to undrafted bubble.
Shumpert finds himself competing with the likes of Duke's Kyrie Irving, Kentucky's Brandon Knight, and UConn's Kemba Walker. Even further down the draft list you can find more guard depth like Butler's Shelvin Mack and Duke's Nolan Smith. Even in a weak draft, Shumpert is facing some stiff competition for attention.