This is via Seth Davis at Sports Illustrated who has collected the opinion of an anonymous scout he calls "Finch" on the current class of NBA prospects. Here is what he has to say about Brice Johnson.
Brice Johnson, 6'11" senior forward, North Carolina: "Best rebounder in the draft. Quick off his feet. Best paint finisher in college this year, so I don't see how that guy fails. Didn't block as many shots as you'd think but they needed him to stay on the floor so he couldn't foul. Guys who rebound at that pace, they can do it at the next level. I don't think he always plays hard. I believe he's eventually going to be an NBA three-point shooter because he's got a good stroke. He's got rounded shoulders so he's not going to be able to score in the low post."
Rounded shoulders? That's a new one.
Best rebounder in the draft is high praise but perhaps the most positive part of this is noting Johnson's rebounding rate should translate to the NBA. Johnson finished this season with the best defensive rebounding rate ever under Roy Williams which is saying something given the company he's in. Concerns about his effort will persist until he proves otherwise. You could argue he answered some of those concerns his senior year but still had moments here and there.
It will be interesting to see how Johnson develops, especially if he can in fact become a reliable three point shooter.
Related to that post is Seth Davis talking about Johnson and his NBA prospects
