[Wizards 2010-11 Player Preview Index: Gilbert Arenas, Hilton Armstrong, Andray Blatche,
Trevor Booker, Kirk Hinrich, Josh Howard, Yi Jianlian, JaVale McGee, Kevin Seraphin,
Al Thornton, John Wall, Nick Young.]

The Transitional Faces of Kirk Hinrich,
as seen around Washington, D.C….

The Intro.

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This was a tough one.

Jarvis Varnado was on the board. Devin Ebanks was on the board. Greivis Vasquez, Stanley Robinson, Darrington Hobson, Trevor Booker, Gani Lawal, Tiny Gallon … all on the board … and obviously Magnum Rolle, Dexter Pittman, Samardo Samuels and Derrick Caracter too.

So who did I take?
(BTW, you can see who was already gone by checking the TrueHoop Network Mock Draft listed at the bottom of this linked post.)

Craig Brackins, the 6’10″ (6’8.5″ without shoes), 230 lbs. big man from Iowa State.

Truth About It.net’s Adam McGinnis covered Brackins with a profile when he worked out for the Wizards on June 15th.

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Five players worked out for the Wizards on Tuesday, highlighted by former Iowa State standout Craig Brackins and Villanova star Scottie Reynolds.

When it comes to making the decision to turn pro, the media routinely hypes up two outcomes: when a kid stays in school and improves his draft status, and when a kid leaves too early and doesn’t get drafted, wasting his remaining college eligibility.  The third scenario, one the media often downplays, is when the player’s draft fortunes decline by staying in school an extra year, costing him NBA millions in the process. This is what transpired with Brackins.

During a monster sophomore campaign (2008-09) for the Cyclones, Brackins averaged 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He was was named first team All-Big 12, honorable mention All-American and  tallied up a career-high 42 points in a contest against powerhouse Kansas. Mocks of the 2009 NBA Draft had Brackins going anywhere from late lottery to mid-20s. He was pretty much a lock for the first round and thus, awarding him the coveted financial security a second round selection does not provide.  Brackins tested the waters and ultimately decided to return for his junior year because he felt he was personally not ready yet.

The 2009-10 Cyclones opened the season with great expectations and some thought they could be a conference sleeper like 2008-9 Missouri. However, injuries, player defections and hard luck contributed to a disappointing 15-16 record. Brackins underachieved, struggled with consistency and his numbers dipped to 16.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg.

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