Over June 7 and 8 ESPNU will present eight hours from the 2012 NBA Draft Combine at the Flames Athletic Center in Chicago. Coverage will begin each day at 10 a.m. ET and will be highlighted by interviews with top draft picks, NBA and college coaches and general managers. The Draft Combine will also be available on ESPN3.
In addition to live reporting and analysis, viewers will get an inside look at how the expected top draft picks fair in the following skills challenges:
· Standing Vertical Leap
· Maximum Vertical Leap
· Lane Agility Drill
· Modified Lane Agility Drill
· 3/4 Court Sprint
Ryen Russillo will host the two-day event with analysis from the network’s college and NBA experts. Analysts Fran Frascilla and Jay Williams will contribute their in-depth knowledge of each draftees college skill set, while Andy Katz reports from the court.
In addition, NBA analysts Chad Ford and Tom Penn will provide expert knowledge and understanding of the needs of each NBA team.
Of the 60 players confirmed to participate in the combine, No. 1 – 40 on Ford’s Top 100 prospects for 2012 are all represented. The list is highlighted by No. 1 Anthony Davis and No. 2 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. During the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery on ESPN Wednesday, May 30 college basketball analyst Jay Bilas made the following evaluations of the top picks:
On Anthony Davis (Kentucky):
He will do whatever it takes to win. He’s going to get stronger and he’s got a great aptitude for the game. He’s just scratching the surface of how great he’s going to be.
On Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky):
I don’t think there’s a player in this draft that plays harder or more consistently throughout the course of a game than him. And, he’s very versatile on the defensive end. He plays his tail off
Ford’s annual “Mock Draft, Version 5.0” notes Davis is a “huge win for the Hornets” who lost a superstar this season, but emphasizes the NBA Draft Combine will “dramatically alter the face of the draft.”
ESPNU will continue its draft coverage following the combine with daily hour-long preview specials at 4:30 p.m. June 25-28 and a Post-Draft Special June 29 at midnight. ESPN will present the 2012 NBA Draft on Thursday, June 28, at 7 p.m.
Join the NBA Draft Combine Conversation: #NBADraftCombine
Follow ESPN’s Combine Reporting: @ryenarussillo / @FranFraschilla / @RealJayWilliams / @ChadFordInsider / @1TomPenn / @ESPNAndyKatz
Read ESPN Front Row’s Behind the Scenes at the NBA Draft Lottery: http://bit.ly/NBALottery
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