Is Brockman Really a Surefire Pro?

Despite two impressive home wins against the Oregon schools, the Huskies are still very likely to be on the outside looking in come NCAA selection time. But Steve Kelley's column today should give Dawg hoop loyalists cause for optimism, pointing to the relative youth of UW's key players and recent improved play of freshmen Venoy Overton and Matthew Bryan-Amaning as Exhibits A, B, and C. The column balances out its optimism by repeating the mantra that Lorenzo Romar will be lucky if Jon Brockman decides to come back for his senior year. Brockman playing in the NBA seems to be a foregone conclusion amongst local media. I'm not so sure; Brockman is a wonderful college player -- maybe the best hustle player this side of Tyler Hansbrough in the country -- but he's a 6'7" power forward with average hops and not much of a dribble-drive or post game. While these sort of players often find their way to the ends of NBA benches for respectable lengths of time, they're rarely considered sure things. So not only am I betting Brockman returns for his senior year (hopefully making his gridiron debut as well as Ty Willingham's first-string tight end, where he would be a can't miss pro prospect), but I think his offensive game is in need of serious refinement before he's mentioned in the same breath as the Kevin Loves and Roy Hibberts of the world.