Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond
College University of Connecticut
Conference Big East
Sport Basketball
Position Center
Jersey # 12
Class Freshman
Height 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Weight 270 lb (122 kg)
Nationality American
Born August 10, 1993 (1993-08-10) (age 18)
Mount Vernon, New York
High school St. Thomas More (Oakdale, Connecticut)

Andre Jamal Drummond (born August 10, 1993) is an American college basketball player for the University of Connecticut. He was one of the top rated basketball players in the class of 2012, but announced his intention to attend the University of Connecticut in the fall of 2011.

Contents

High school career

From St. Thomas More in Oakdale, Connecticut, Drummond was one of the most dominating centers in high school basketball.[1] He spent two years at St. Thomas More and led the team to the national prep championship in 2011. He graduated in the spring that year.[2]

He was rated as the #1 player in the class of 2012 by ESPN and NBADraft.net, while being ranked #2 player by Rivals.com and Scout.com.[3][4]

In the summer of 2010, Drummond was a member of the gold medal winning United States team at the 2010 FIBA Under-17 World Championship. He helped lead team USA to a 111-80 victory over Poland in the gold medal game.[5]

College career

Drummond initially declared he would spend a post-graduate year at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in 2011–12.[2][6] Two weeks later on August 26, 2011, he announced via Twitter that instead intended to attend the University of Connecticut.[7] According to ESPN, the decision "created a media frenzy due to the sheer surprise."[1] Drummond had also been considering attending Kentucky, Louisville, Georgetown, or West Virginia.[7] Connecticut did not have any scholarships to offer Drummond until center Michael Bradley agreed to surrender his scholarship and apply for financial aid.[8][9][10]

NBA eligibility

Drummond may be eligible for the 2012 NBA Draft depending on the draft eligibility rules for 19-year olds, which was still being discussed even after the the NBA lockout was ended.[7][11] In May 2011, ESPN wrote he has "a chance to be the No. 1 overall player in any draft he's involved with."[12]

Player profile

Drummond possesses NBA-like size and can rebound and block shots. In 2011, ESPN wrote that he has a developing offensive game and the ability to pass the ball in a high-low setting or with his back to the basket.[1] He can defend in the low or high post, and he is an intimidator. Drummond needs to become comfortable with his size, and avoid overaggressive play which results in foul calls.[1][12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Biancardi, Paul; Finkelstein, Adam (August 26, 2011). "Andre Drummond to UConn surprises". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/61FmZLGtG. 
  2. ^ a b Chardis, Phil (August 11, 2011). "UConn basketball: Drummond opts for post-graduate year". Journal Inquirer. http://www.journalinquirer.com/articles/2011/08/11/sports/doc4e43e6a4f0cd3656861423.txt. "Andre Drummond, the 6-foot-11 center from Middletown who is considered to be one of the top scholastic basketball players in the country and a prime recruiting target for the University of Connecticut, announced Wednesday that he will spend a post-graduate year at Wilbraham & Monson Academy (Wilbraham, Mass.) in 2011-12." 
  3. ^ Demling, Jody (July 5, 2011). "Kentucky recruiting board - Class of 2012". The Courier-Journal. Archived from the original on August 27, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/61FtgpfWy. 
  4. ^ "2012 Mock Draft". NBADraft.net. Sports Phenoms, Inc. August 15, 2011. Archived from the original on August 27, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/61FsoYyd3. 
  5. ^ "USA Men's U17 Team Runs Away With Gold, Destroys Poland 111-80". Basketball.TeamUSA.org. July 11, 2010. http://basketball.teamusa.org/news/2010/07/11/usa-men-s-u17-team-runs-away-with-gold-destroys-poland-111-80/37198. Retrieved January 21, 2011. 
  6. ^ "Despite The Class, Andre Drummond Will Still Be The Best Center". CollegiateHoops.net. http://www.collegiatehoops.net/2010/08/despite-class-andre-drummond-will-still.html. Retrieved January 21, 2011. 
  7. ^ a b c Amore, Dom (August 26, 2011). "Drummond Heading to UConn". The Hartford Courant. http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-men/hc-andre-drummond-uconn-20110826,0,7964481.story. Retrieved August 26, 2011. 
  8. ^ Amore, Dom (September 1, 2011). "Drummond Officially On UConn Roster; Bradley Gives Up Scholarship". The Hartford Courant. http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-men/hc-uconn-men-drummond-bradley-0903-20110901,0,4839104.story. Retrieved September 1, 2011. 
  9. ^ "Writer roundtable: Three big questions". ESPN.com. August 29, 2011. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/6905615/writers-roundtable-our-experts-answer-three-big-questions. Retrieved September 1, 2011. 
  10. ^ Borges, David (August 30, 2011). "UConn exploring options with Michael Bradley, Andre Drummond". Houston Chronicle. http://www.chron.com/news/article/UConn-exploring-options-with-Michael-Bradley-2146918.php. Retrieved September 1, 2011. 
  11. ^ Zillgit, Jeff (December 7, 2011). "Hunter's memo to players details NBA CBA". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/story/2011-12-07/hunters-memo-to-players-details-nba-cba/51722458/1. Retrieved December 12, 2011. 
  12. ^ a b "Basketball Recruiting - Andre Drummond - Player Profiles". ESPN.com. May 24, 2011. http://insider.espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/evaluation?id=61194. Retrieved August 27, 2011. (subscription required)

External links