<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Why, then, do the NBA scouts look at Wilkinson and yawn in unison? The NBA draft is Tuesday and it is unlikely that Wilkinson will be one of the 60 players selected. Unknown foreigners and starry-eyed high schoolers will hear their names called, but probably not UW's All-Big Ten Conference forward. The abridged version of Wilkinson's NBA scouting report is that he's too small to play power forward and doesn't possess the perimeter offensive skills to play small forward. In a league where opinions tend to gain momentum, that's become the consensus. Well, I have one thing to say to any scout who thinks Wilkinson can't play in the NBA: You're wrong. I may be a minority of one, but I have no doubts that Wilkinson, if given a chance in the right system, can become a solid NBA role player, not unlike former Purdue forward Brian Cardinal. I know the NBA and college basketball are two very different animals. I know a certain degree of size and athletic ability is necessary for success in the NBA, and that some players, no matter how skilled they are, can't physically compete at that level. And I know Wilkinson isn't blessed with great size or athleticism. However, I also know Wilkinson is fundamentally sound, strong and coachable. I know he's much better in a five-on-five setting than in the one-on-one and two-on-two auditions he's been participating in for NBA teams. And I know something the NBA scouts don't know about Wilkinson: With work, he could become a deadly outside shooter in a league that sorely needs outside shooting. It has always been my belief that Wilkinson's shooting suffered at UW because there was so much on his plate. He worked so hard to perfect his low-post moves that his outside shot became streaky. And he spent so much time in the middle slugging it out with bigger, stronger centers that his legs weren't always fresh when he went outside to shoot. Wilkinson auditioned before 15 or 20 scouts at a workout held in conjunction with the Chicago pre-draft camp and will have private workouts with four teams. He shot the ball OK in those sessions, but he hasn't blown anybody away, which is what he needed to do in order to catch the eyes of the scouts, coaches and executives and convince them he can play effectively on the perimeter.</div> Source Schaddy did you write this article?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post"> Schaddy did you write this article? </div> I wish I'd written it. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">However, I also know Wilkinson is fundamentally sound, strong and coachable. I know he's much better in a five-on-five setting than in the one-on-one and two-on-two auditions he's been participating in for NBA teams. And I know something the NBA scouts don't know about Wilkinson: With work, he could become a deadly outside shooter in a league that sorely needs outside shooting.</div> TRUTH You know, Mike doesn't mind. He's gonna go home to his family farm and not worry about not playing in the NBA. He's gonna have all the memories of a great run during his 4 years with the Badgers, and he'll always be in the hearts of Badger fans as a blue collar hero. You're my boy, Mike!
