VITALS: 6-10, 245, Florida OVERVIEW: A key figure in Florida's back-to-back national championship teams, Horford moved out from behind the shadow of teammate Joakim Noah in his junior season, averaging 13.2 points and a team-best 9.5 rebounds. The son of former NBA player Tito Horford, he also blocked 1.8 shots. Despite squaring off against probable No. 1 pick Greg Oden, Horford scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against Ohio State in the national title game. Twice named to the Final Four All-Tournament team. Ended career second all-time for the Gators with 189 blocks and seventh with 864 rebounds. Named to the All-Southeastern Conference first team as a junior. Had 18 points and 12 rebounds vs. Arkansas in the SEC tournament final and was named the MVP. Scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds vs. Tennessee. Ranked sixth in the SEC in rebounds (7.6 rpg) and blocks (1.7 bpg) as a sophomore. Finished fourth on the team in scoring (11.3 ppg). Had 12 points and 15 rebounds vs. Villanova in the 2006 Regional Finals. Helped the Gators to three Southeastern Conference tournament titles. LIKELY DRAFT POSITION: 3-6. COMPARATIVE UPSIDE: Elvin Hayes COMPARATIVE DOWNSIDE: Horace Grant ROLE PROJECTION: Starting power forward. POSITIVES: Horford dominated college forwards so easily you almost had to feel sorry for them. His development during his three years at Florida was as dramatic as any in college basketball in recent memory. Horford has amazingly strong hands that enable him to snatch rebounds away from players in better position to get the ball. He is an efficient low-post beast, someone who not only scores but wears out the opposition. It won't take long for NBA advance scouts to tab Horford as someone who needs to be "doubled on the catch," meaning that double-teamers should go to him before he even dribbles the ball. SHORTCOMINGS: Horford is a steadily improving free-throw shooter but still made only 64.4 percent as a junior, and that will have to improve. Free-throw percentages may not be paramount for a shooting guard, but for a low-box performer like Horford, it's the difference between defenders playing him honestly and simply clubbing him when he gets the ball down low. Only in his final half-season at Florida did Horford start to see double-teams. He'll have to improve his anticipation of those, identify targets quickly and execute good passes to teammates.
With how much improvement Horford's mid-range shot has become I wouldn't be surprised to see him improve his FT shooting up close to 70%. No one has seen his entire arsenal because the Gators "held him back" for the good of the balance of the team. This guy is going to make an instant impact.
