On Friday, I examined the top five picks the BayHawks acquired in last Thursday's D-League Draft. This morning, it's time to round out the evaluation, examining the late round picks made by the BayHawks. One only has to look back to Erie's 9th-round pick from 2008, Cliff Clinkscales, to find an example of a late-round pick contributing to the team.
Between their draftees, returning, and allocated players, Erie is slated to have 18 players in training camp, competing for only 10 roster spots. Competition will be fierce. Without further ado, here's a look at the final four draft choices:
5th round: Rod Wilmont, SG, 6'4", 215 lbs, Indiana
What I know: Wilmont played the 2007-08 season in the D-League with Fort Wayne before spending last year playing in Italy and Turkey. He has decent size for a shooting guard but has been labeled a streaker shooter.
What I want to find out: I'd be interested to learn why Fort Wayne didn't look to bring him back since he not only played for the Mad Ants but was a local college star as well. Erie sees Fort Wayne in a preseason matchup on Nov. 20, so that could be an interesting game to watch Wilmont's performance against his former team.
6th round: Jeff Skemp, C, 6'10", 270 lbs, Wisconsin-Platteville
What I know: Skemp was a two-time NCAA Division III All-American and West Region player of the year in 2008-09, averaging an efficient 16.9 points per game on 63.2 percent shooting.
What I want to find out: Erie drafted two players listed 6'10" or taller ahead of him, returns 6'10" Jarvis Gunter and also has allocated 6'10" Gannon University center Kyle Goldcamp. I'm not sure how many bigs Coach Treloar plans to keep, but you have to figure at least one will be cut. How will Skemp work to show that he deserves to be kept over one of the other bigs in camp for the BayHawks?
7th round: Ryan Troutman, G, 6'2", 165 lbs, Tusculum
What I know: Troutman caught the eye of Erie's coaching staff at the Erie free agent tryout back in October. In two years at Tusculum, he set the SAC record by averaging 5.73 assists per game.
What I want to find out: Impressing the coaching staff at the free agent tryout is a start, but it's a big step to impress them enough to make the final cut. Clearly his strength is as a pass-first point guard. But can he show that he can handle the ball against pressure, hit the open shot, and defend the other guards in training camp?
8th round: Zach Sowers, SG, 6'3", 205 lbs, William Jessup
What I know: Sowers spent the first three years of his college career at Akron before averaging 17.8 points per game for William Jessup in NAIA competition as a senior.
What I want to find out: Sowers has his work cut out for him, battling for a roster spot in a crowded BayHawks backcourt headed to training camp. Obviously, the deck is stacked against him as the eighth-round pick, but clearly he showed the team something to get them to take a flyer on him, so who knows. Maybe Sowers is this year's Clinkscales, a diamond in the rough, emerging on the roster as a late-round pick. Only time will tell.
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