Chad Ford on James

[MU Chi_IL]

Not sure if this was posted, but it is from Chad Ford's Monday insider blog

"Other prospects who will get first-round looks include OSU's Conley, Texas' D. J. Augustin (who threw up a dud against USC), Georgia Tech's Javaris Crittenton (also had a dud of a game in the opening round) and USC's Gabriel Pruitt (who is quickly gaining traction as a sleeper late first rounder). UCLA's Darren Collison, Jackson State's Trey Johnson, Marquette's Dominic James and KU's Chalmers also are potential first rounders. Collison, Johnson and Chalmers have all been great in the tournament. James' stock continues to slip.

[MU Chi_IL]

at least James was not in this section:

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up

• On one hand, Josh McRoberts' numbers in the opening-game loss to VCU look respectable, but his inability to lead Duke over a inferior opponent, especially in crunch time when he was needed, just continues the downward trend in McRoberts' draft stock. Over the past few weeks I keep hearing Austin Croshere. That can't be good.

• I'm not sure why everyone in the media is bagging on Thaddeus Young and Crittenton for their disappointing seasons. They are freshmen who both averaged better numbers than guys like Marvin Williams and Rudy Gay did as freshmen. Compared to Durant, they're both disappointments. But compared with the rest of the freshman class, they've more than held their own.

Young averaged 14.4 ppg, shot 48 percent from the field and 42 percent from three. Crittenton got off to a slow start, but still ended up averaging 14.4 ppg, 5.8 apg and shooting 45 percent from the field. That's not too shabby for ACC freshmen.

Both were playing their best basketball at the end of the season and both stumbled terribly in a big loss to UNLV. Of course, after watching UNLV dispatch Wisconsin and Big 10 player of the year Alando Tucker on Sunday ... maybe it wasn't such a big loss.

Neither player's stock will take a terrible hit because both are upside guys anyway. Despite Young's and Crittenton's uneven seasons, it's what scouts think they're capable of down the road that makes them intriguing prospects.

Young is still a possible lottery pick if he declares and Crittenton seems like a lock for the mid-to-late first round. Both could certainly use another year in school and would likely improve their draft stock if they did. But if they came out now, they'll get lots of love.

• Stanford's Brook Lopez has been on fire of late, and his numbers looked really good against Vanderbilt on Thursday. But dig deeper and you'll see that Lopez didn't have it in the first half and put up most of his numbers after the Cardinal were cooked.

• Wisconsin's Tucker went just 10-for-28 from the field in the tournament, raising fears about his ability to get his own shot in the pros.

Watching Nevada's Nick Fazekas get pushed around by Memphis stoked the fears of scouts wondering if he's too soft.

Virginia Tech's Zabian Dowdell picked a bad time to put up two of his worst games of the season.

[mviale]

I think a better team would take James in a second ~ Just think of Miami with James

[77ncaachamps]

I think James would be- at best - a late second round curiousity.

NBA teams, who don't want to waste a pick at that time, are probably more tempted to draft the rights to a young Euro star than to draft an undersized but athletic PG who can't shoot.

[Coobeys Oil Depot]

I think a better team would take James in a second ~ Just think of Miami with James

I agree with this thought. It may be better for James to slip into the second round and work his way into a "better" NBA club that can take the time and work his skills into the league. Hell, Travis Diener got a 2 year deal and I'm sure James could get one as well.

[DAtruth]

i see dj right now  as a mid-late 2nd round..he stays...its gonna take 1st round money..i believe..also on the little piece on mcroberts..nothing different in my eyes..i seen a sectional game in h.s. where a team with eric gordon who was a soph at the time made second half run and beat jm heavily favored team and ended his senior season ..gordon with like 30pts in the 2nd half..jm was clearly the 2nd best player on the court that night..role player..not a star