NBA Draft preview: USC Trojans (Part I)

Matt Sayles/Associated Press

No Trojans player has grown over the last three seasons quite like point guard and floor general, Daniel Hackett. After registering decent numbers in his freshman campaign (5.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.8 apg), Hackett took over the starting point guard position in his sophomore year and has been a steady hand for the Men of Troy on and off the court. Hackett’s game has improved in all three years with the Trojans with a stat-line of 8.6 ppg, 3.2 apg, 3.8 rpg as a sophomore and 12.3 ppg, 4.7 apg, and 4.2 rpg in his junior-year season.

It has been a whirlwind of emotions for the Trojans men’s basketball program with Hackett, Taj Gibson, and DeMar DeRozan all throwing their hats into the NBA Draft mix. Coupled with the allegations surrounding Tim Floyd, Southern California fans must be pulling their hair out as they wait for final decisions regarding the players as well as the coach himself.

Daniel Hackett, after hiring an agent, is cashing in his collegiate chips and looks to take his game to the next level. His most likely role at the next level would be as a combo-guard; Hackett has great size (6’5” and 205lbs) for the point position as well as the ability to defend the off-guard spot if need be. His versatility is something that will help him tremendously at the post-collegiate level, whether that is in the NBA or somewhere else.

Somewhere else is a real possibility. Hackett holds dual citizenship (Italy as well as the United States) and has ties to the Italian national team, for whom he played last year. His Italian citizenship has teams in the Italian league salivating because of the fact that Hackett would not take up a roster spot otherwise designated for foreigners.

It is very much a possibility that Hackett might decide to go the route of Nick Calathes, the guard out of Florida, who recently decided to forgo the NBA Draft and sign directly with the Greek team, Panathinaikos. Not only is this a great money move for Calathes, who will net 1.1 million dollars his first year and receive a number of perks, it is also a great move because Calathes has now made himself a lot more attractive to teams drafting in the second round of the NBA Draft.

With economic woes impacting all areas of life in the United States, professional sports included, teams are looking for ways to stash players overseas. The benefit of this is that, until the player reaches the actual team roster, the organization is not required to pay them contractually, making it a great way to hold a player’s rights and develop their talent for a few years before bringing them back over to the U.S.

This is a major possibility for Hackett, who, like Calathes, has the benefit of having dual citizenship. Several months ago, I thought it was a long shot for Hackett to get drafted at all into the NBA and that he might go the D-League route. That being said, if he does head overseas, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see a team such as the San Antonio Spurs (who have done wonders with their second-round draft choices) pick him up late in the second round and have him develop overseas for a few years.

For More Info:

NBA Draft preview: USC Trojans (Part II)

NBA Draft preview:USC Trojans (Part III)