2013 NBA Draft Profile: Syracuse F James Southerland

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Southerland has been on fire

Adam Zagoria covers the New York Knicks, Big East hoops and U.S. Open tennis for NBA.com and SNY.tv. He also appears as a Big East Basketball Insider on SNY and 1050 ESPN Radio.

With the 2013 NBA draft coming up next month, we spoke with Zagoria for a look at Syracuse forward James Southerland’s prospects in the NBA.

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Southerland is one of the best outside shooters in the draft

Adam Zagoria’s take: I talked to Ron Naclerio who was James Southerland’s high school coach (Cardozo High School) and he said he’s been hearing from some NBA personnel about James, comparing him to guy like Steve Novak, guys who come off the bench and shoot 3s. I think there’s a place on someone’s bench for James Southerland, a long athletic guy that can shoot the 3. I’m not sure if he’ll get drafted, but he can sign on with a summer league team and work his way on to an NBA roster.

» Related: Brandon Triche draft profile

The Juice Online’s Scouting Report:

  • Strengths: Unbelievable range on his jumper… Excellent size at 6’8″ and high release point for a 3-point specialist… A great athlete who has produced some highlight reel dunks in exhibitions… Solid rebounder.
  • Weaknesses: Struggles to find ways to contribute when his shot isn’t falling… Doesn’t have much of an offensive game other than long-range shooting… Non-existent dribble drive… Was lost at times in the 2-3 zone.

Vitals:

  • Birthdate: April 28, 1990
  • Hometown: Bayside, New York
  • Position: Forward
  • School: Syracuse ’13
  • Height, 6’8″
  • Weight, 215 lbs

Projections:

Career Highlights at Syracuse: Played in 29.5 minutes in his senior season, and averaged 13.3 points and 5.2 rebounds. He tied a single-game school record with nine 3-pointers for 35 points against Arkansas. He also set a Big East tournament record with 17 3-pointers, including a perfect 6-for-6 start against Pittsburgh, and was named to the Big East All-Tournament Team.

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About Wes Cheng 2907 Articles
Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also been a contributing writer for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), for SportsNet New York (SNY) as a news desk writer covering all of New York professional sports, and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. Contact him at wes[at]sujuiceonline.com.