Austin Rivers, Freshman, Shooting Guard, Duke
Overview:
There is not much Austin Rivers cannot do. According to many pundits he was the top player in the recruiting class of 2011 and it is hard to argue with that. At the least, he is the best scorer coming out of high school. The 6-4, 189 pound Winter Park, Florida native is a superb shooter from anywhere on the floor. He even tends to save his best shots for the biggest moments and throughout his collegiate and professional career, Rivers will make some huge shots.
What makes Rivers different than every other scorer is the fact that he can handle the ball as well. Rivers is not just a shooter; he can create shots for himself with his superb ball handling skills. That means Rivers can be a point guard or a shooting guard at the next level.
Final Projection:
However, when projecting to the NBA, Rivers is a better fit at the point. Rivers is not a strong rebounder and most NBA teams would expect better work on the glass from a 6-4 shooting guard. That may change in time as Rivers continues to add bulk and strength to his slim frame, but if he was headed to the NBA and not to Duke, he would have to be a point guard. A year at Duke may solve that problem and a year with Duke should also improve his average defensive skills.
5/31/12 Update by Dan Levine
Rivers was the No. 1 recruit in high school two seasons ago. He did not disappoint at Duke. He was consistent and fearless. Perhaps most importantly, he was clutch at the end of games (UNC knows about that). After just one year in college, the sky is the limit. He will be a lottery pick in June.
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