JoeCitizens.com has released a potential candidate field for the 2010 Tennessee Governor position. After months of extensive research, the complied list provides a springboard for rumor and political conjecture. Like most Mock Drafts the field is wide open with a few surprises.
According to Tom Guleff of JoeCitizens.com, “Most have not declared themselves open to the draft, yet. Someone is going to run, and he or she is going to win. There’s a lot talent out there, and the money will follow it.”
According to Tom Guleff of JoeCitizens.com, “Most have not declared themselves open to the draft, yet. Someone is going to run, and he or she is going to win. There’s a lot talent out there, and the money will follow it.”
Here’s the Mock Draft 2010 Tennessee Governor Field (not in draft order):
Republicans
1. Ron Ramsey
2. Bill Frist
3. Mark Norris
4. Marsha Blackburn
5. Ed Bryant
6. John Ryder
7. Stacey Campfield
8. Jim Coley
9. Zach Wamp
10. Bill Gibbons
11. Jim Bryson
12. Bill Haslam
13. Bill Hobbs
14. Carl Whitaker
Democrats
1. Steve Cohen
2. Kim McMillan
3. Harold Ford Jr
4. AC Wharton
5. Lincoln Davis
6. Bill Purcell
7. Dave Cooley
8. Bart Gordon
9. John Tanner
10. Rosalind Kurita
SCOUTING REPORTS
Here are the basketball scouting reports on their game:
Ron Ramsey
Ramsey could have put up 18 a game whenever he wanted, and would have scored even more points on a team with additional players. While he has the toughness you want out of a true center, he should be a lock to get lots of points and rebounds per game. Ron seems like he'd fit best on republican teams that love to score with the ball.
Bill Frist
Frist has nothing left to prove in the state, beyond showing that he can single-handily will a team to the tournament. I would have to imagine Bill will eventually sign with an agent and focus on the draft. It’s hard to imagine he’ll go much higher in the draft, and I think his stock in media mock drafts is lower because no one is sure what he will do. Bill has the most developed offensive game of any player in the draft.
Mark Norris
Norris is perhaps the most physically intriguing of the players, Mark is a more prototypical center, the type that most teams lack. Expect tough play.
Marsha Blackburn
Some have been enamored with Blackburn’s speed since the first day she suited up. The biggest question with Marsha is simply her overall fast break dunking skills. One thing you have to like is her progression in the half-court offense, as she’s continually worked on her shot and has improved from a 40% shooter, to 42%, and 46% last year. We’ve seen mock drafts list Marsha 3rd or 4th, but it still seems likely the GOP will grab her before then.
Ed Bryant
Ed Bryant’s stock really grew towards the latter part of 2006, although statistically he was pretty similar to his previous outings. If you’ve ever seen Ed play, you can tell in just a few seconds that he’s the classic baller stuck between being a forward and a center. Bryant’s got nice soft hands, but he’ll really earn his bread in the state by proving that he can use his arms to be a force in the zone defense. Lots of teams are looking for size in this draft, and Bryant makes sense for a lot of teams who are picking in the middle of the 1st round.
Jim Coley
Remember Reece Gaines? Neither do I. No doubt Jim has a bit of toughness and leadership qualities that Gaines didn’t have, but the question is, what does Jim do better than other guys? Jim’s lack of height shouldn’t be too much of a problem, and could really surprise people with his ability to transition into the larger game like others have. This sounds crazy, but he is a gamer.
Zach Wamp
After his workouts in contemplation of earlier drafts, Zach certainly decided to take his game in a more expanded direction. He lost some weight, and looked better than ever heading into the season, and improved his outside shot to prove to scouts he could score in other ways than just showing off his touch down low. After not hitting a single three in elementary school, Wamp had developed his range to the point that he shot 38% from behind the arc. He’s probably one of the most overlooked guys in the draft, and is sitting on the 1st Round fence. Wamp would be a valuable asset for a team that needs offensive help in the half-court.
John Ryder
John Ryder is certainly a physical specimen, who impresses with his size and leaping ability. But his pure strength and athleticism will be less of an advantage against others who all possess those qualities. Scouts like Ryder’s soft touch and range out to 20 feet, where he can be a bonus stretching the defense. He’s even shot over 47% in past seasons, giving voter’s some numbers to drool over. Perhaps John’s biggest fault is that because he’s already played a few years, and already seems to have peaked physically, it’s hard to imagine him ever getting that much better than he is now.
Stacey Campfield
Campfield played the best ball of his whole career this year. Statistically, he does it all and has done it all for the past seasons. He’s worked hard over the years to extend his range, as he used to score almost every one of his baskets down low. Stacey usually has a knack for getting to the free-throw line, and he backs that up by being a very solid 75% free-throw shooter. Perhaps the thing that jumps off his stat sheet the most is that he averaged over 2 blocks and 2 steals per game. These numbers are not really inflated by playing against lesser talent, but he just is a very intense and focused defender.
Bill Gibbons
Bill’s stock kept rising as the years go on. Scouts might be more gung ho on Gibsons than some other guys, but from a pure physicality standpoint, it’s hard to ask for much more. I’m also extremely intrigued by the fact that Gibbons was a late bloomer, who only became a commodity on the state lately. Since that time, Gibbons has only gotten better and better, and it only seems likely that he will get better and better in the coming years. Voters who pass on Gibbons for the likes of Jim Cooley may look foolish a few years down the line.
Jim Bryson
Jim’s height shouldn’t be too much of a problem, and could really surprise people with his ability to transition into the larger game like others have.
Steve Cohen
Cohen’s ability to score has never been doubted, but it will much tougher for him making the transition to the game because of his size. He’s not really a traditional two-guard, and teams often would rather have scorers at the three, but pure shooters at the two. Much was made about Steve’s attitude adjustment this past year, but whatever problems he had in the past were generally overrated. For him to ever develop into a big-time scorer, he’ll need to work on catching and shooting coming off curls, or shooting off the dribble. Steve seems like he'd fit best on democratic teams that love to score with the ball.
Dave Cooley
Others would be very happy to take Dave with the 3rd pick. In some ways, his statistics this past season look disappointing, as they were very similar across the board to other season with just a lower fg%. Don’t let the numbers fool you though, most of his low output games were in large wins against lesser teams, and he only had one or two bona fide off games all season. One of only a few potentially special talents in this draft.
Rosalind Kurita
Kurita is easily the most overlooked prospect out there right now. No doubt in some minds that she will end up being a better pro than others. Rosalind could end up being the most devastating offensive player in her class, even better than the highly touted Wilder. If she ends up in the position, she could be a legitimate 20 point scorer. Doesn’t quite have the pure physicality like others, nor the polish, but she has a knack for scoring the ball that simply can’t be overlooked.
Lincoln Davis
Similar to fellow vote getters, Davis’ greatest asset has always been his mature, physically developed body. The questions about Lincoln are the same you ask about most forwards: when you take away the pure physical advantage, what can he really do that great? So much of Lincoln’s was about overpowering guys down low, so he’ll need to refine his post moves, and work on moving without the ball. It would also be nice if he could be an inch or two taller or be a better shot blocker.
John Tanner
Tanner simply has more natural talent than fellow big men. Regardless of the injury risk, he’s too good of a talent, and big man who can bang down low are too high of a priority, for him to drop into the 2nd round.
Harold Ford Jr
Outside of Bill Frist, Ford is really the only other can’t miss prospect in the draft. Ford has a perfect body for playing shooting guard in the game. He’s got a smooth stroke and a better mid-range game than you’d expect from a prospect. The biggest adjustment he’ll need to make heading to the game is that he’ll need to prove to defenders that he can beat them off the dribble, or he’ll find it very hard to create space for open shots. Harold’s prep career peaked exactly when you want it to, right at the end, and it’s amazing how often the guys who look the best in the post-season all-star games end up being the guys who have success in the league.
AC Wharton
It’s hard to figure that AC will go in the first round, but he might be an underrated commodity at this point. Wharton can score with the best of them, but he didn’t have a particularly strong showing in the all-star game “sweeps” period, and at 5’-9” teams want him to play the point. His best bet at success in the game is proving to scouts that he can become an offensive spark. AC plays with heart.
Bill Purcell
Folks have had Bill as the top ranked prospect in this draft since early in the season, even ahead of Ford. He showed late in the tournament that he’s still a bit raw, and needs to work on his shot selection and developing a go-to move. But he’s simply the best athlete in this draft, and he’ll become more polished over time.
Bart Gordon
Gordon was pretty much a lock for 18 to 20 points on a given night, but for whatever reasons, no one pays attention. He’ll go in the first round because of his solid size and ability to score the ball. You’d like to see Bart work harder off the ball, or focus more on being able to handle the ball better to spell the point guard. More likely though, you’ll see Gordon start spending an inordinate amount of time working on his three-point shot to develop his range.
Kim McMillan
Kim is a lock for the 1st round, and some even project to move into the top 15. Playing on a past team, she doesn’t have the name recognition as most of the other players in the draft, and very few fans have ever seen her play. Like most players in the draft, she’ll be in the hunt early.
Bill Hobbs
The latter half of the season, his stock has rose again behind strong workouts and his performance in the Pre-Draft Camp. Hobbs has the best shot of any 2nd round point-guard to stick in the league, and he could be a surprisingly successful player.
Bill Haslam
Haslam had a great Pre-Draft Camp, and suddenly played himself into early 2nd round consideration. Developing a consistent 40% three-point shot was the best thing that ever happened to his game, but the question is whether he can hit those shots coming off movement, with bigger defenders in his face, while he's farther from the basket. Unlike others, Bill has shown a bit more versatility in his game and better ball-handling skills.
Carl is ready to be an defender in the league. He has the arm length, speed, and tenacity to dog an offensive player. He is athletic, able to finish on the break, mentally tough, and moves non-stop on the court. His offensive game isn't as polished as a team would want, but he never gives up. Never count him out of the fight.
