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Wednesday, Jun. 30
Lari Ketner
Drafted by:
Chicago, Round 2, pick 49.
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EXPERT ANALYSIS
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"Lari Ketner is a classic underachiever that has shown flashes of brilliance during his career at UMass. Sometimes brooding, Ketner showed the strain of being the oppositions target, and spent part of the season wondering whether he should just quit. Really, what Ketner had was a loss of confidence, and struggled with expectations of stardom. He was finally supposed to break out and dominate, and when he didnt do that, he had some problems dealing with it.
At 6-10, Ketner is a superior athlete who can run, jump and finish. He had the misfortune of playing in a league where he got a lot of touch fouls and did not learn how to avoid them, which only compounded his confidence problems.
The questions about Ketner are not physical, because he has all the tools to be a solid pro. Rather, they are mental. Can Ketner play hard all the time, instead of when he feels like it? Since he didnt dominate in the Atlantic 10, how can he be expected to dominate in the NBA? Ketner is raw in the post, but he has tools. In January, the first round looked impossible, but after a solid tour of the postseason all-star events, Ketner could be a first round pick. After all, who else is there in his size class?"
-- ESPN's Jay Bilas
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College: Massachusetts
Height: 6-10
Weight: 285 pounds
Position: Center
/ Forward
Age: 22
(Feb. 1, 1977)
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pa.
Career highlights
Massachusetts' third-leading career shotblocker with 204 rejections over three seasons (2.17 bpg)
Tied for 23rd in career scoring with 1,148 points
Reached double figures in scoring 63 times and rebounding 24 times in college career
Named to all-tournament team at Nike Desert Classic after averaging 13.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, shooting 54 percent from the field and 80 percent from the line
College highlights
Senior
After being named to several preseason All-America teams, grabbed a career-high 8.3 rebounds per game to rank fifth in the Atlantic 10, but scoring average dipped to 10.8 ppg
Ranked second in conference with 64 blocks (2.21 bpg)
Posted a season-high 21 points against Fordham and tallied 20 points against Xavier, including game-winning tip-in during the final minute of the second overtime
Scored a team-high 15 points against top-ranked Connecticut and had 15 points in upset win over Kansas
Junior
Enjoyed best season, leading UMass in scoring (15.2 ppg) and shotblocking (2.09 bpg) and ranking second in rebounding (7.4 rpg)
His 67 blocks ranked fifth in the Atlantic 10 and were the seventh-highest single-season total in school history
Scored in double figures in 25 of 32 games and had 20 or more points eight times
Posted seven double-doubles and blocked at least three shots 12 times
Scored a career-high 34 points against St. Joseph's and tallied 33 against Dayton
Named to the All-Tournament team at the Great Alaska Shootout after averaging 17.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.00 blocks in three games
In Atlantic 10 tourney, had 21 points and a season-high 15 rebounds against Virginia Tech and 22 points and four rebounds against George Washington
Sophomore
Earned Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honors as a sophomore, averaging 10.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.21 blocks per game
Led A-10 with 73 blocks and was named National Newcomer of the Year by Basketball Times
Played in all 33 games, starting the last 29
Blocked at least four shots in a game nine times, getting five each against Drexel, Rhode Island and Fordham
Scored in double figures 19 times, including 14 of his final 19 games
Field goal percentage of .557 was ninth-best in school history
Named A-10 Rookie of the Week on consecutive Feb.15 and again on Feb. 22
Had a season-high 19 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and four assists in upset of 10th ranked Maryland
Matched those 19 points three games later at St. Joseph's
Grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds to go along with 15 points and five blocks against Fordham
Freshman
Sat out 1995-96 season while fulfilling NCAA eligibility requirements
College statistics
SEASON |
G |
FGM |
FGA |
PCT |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT |
REB |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
SEASON | G | FGM | FGA | PCT | FTM | FTA | PCT | REB | AST | PTS | AVG | 1996-97 | 33 | 141 | 253 | .557 | 67 | 114 | .588 | 175 | 23 | 349 | 10.6 | 1997-98 | 32 | 195 | 373 | .523 | 96 | 149 | .644 | 238 | 16 | 486 | 15.2 | 1998-99 | 29 | 128 | 303 | .422 | 57 | 102 | .559 | 242 | 35 | 313 | 10.8 | TOTALS | 94 | 464 | 929 | .499 | 220 | 365 | .603 | 655 | 74 | 1,148 | 12.2 | Three-point field goals: 1996-97, 0-for-1 (.000; 1997-98, 0-for-0 (.000); 1998-99, 0-for-0 (.000). Totals: 0-for-1 (.000). | |
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