VITALS: 6-8, 240, LSU OVERVIEW: This season, Bass became the first Southeastern Conference Player of the Year from LSU since Shaquille O'Neal in 1992. The powerfully-built sophomore averaged 17.3 points and 9.1 rebounds while shooting a conference-best 57 percent from the floor and 78 percent from the line. He had 25 points and 12 rebounds in a first-round loss to UAB in the NCAA Tournament. He declared for NBA Draft after earning SEC Freshman of the Year in 2003-04, averaging 12.8 points and 7.4 rebounds. LIKELY DRAFT POSITION: Early second round. COMPARATIVE UPSIDE: Corliss Williamson COMPARATIVE DOWNSIDE: George Lynch ROLE PROJECTION: Combination forward off the bench. POSITIVES: Bass is a confident and effective low-post scoring threat and is a good free-throw shooter. He rarely ventures far away from the basket and has a good understanding of his range and his limitations. He has better leaping ability than you might think, given his thick, muscular appearance. He is an active defender and uses his strength for leverage in pushing bigger bodies off the block. SHORTCOMINGS: Bass spent only two years in college. For a player who needs to develop some face-the-basket skills to be more effective in the NBA, he could have used more time at the college level. Bass is only 20 years old and still has some holes in his game. Now he will have to try to fill them in while receiving limited playing time in his first season.
