Alex Len: What's the Big Deal?

In a draft class that has everyone drooling over the potential of Andrew Wiggins, dreaming about the possibilities of Andrew Harrison and Julius Randle, and buzzing with excitement for Jahii Carson, it is one quiet big man in the ACC who has been Chad Ford's #1 prospect overall for the past three months.

"It comes down to impact," said Ford when asked about his decision. "Historically, great big men have always made a bigger impact than great wing players. This isn't a knock against Wiggins, this is me saying how dominant I think Len is going to be. Here's a big man who shows great defensive instincts, very good rebounding abilities, and a knack for scoring and doing so efficiently."

Len is currently leading Maryland in scoring at 13.4 points per game, as well as pulling down 8.7 rebounds per game and has already notched five double doubles this season. He's also been known for defending opposing teams top post threats and neutralizing them.

"Basketball is played on both sides of the court," Len commented after their win over Ohio State, a game in which Len scored 19 points and held DeShaun Thomas to single digits. "I can't just play one half of the court and consider myself a basketball player. That's why I emphasize being successful on both ends."

The knock on Len is that he can sometimes be a bit passive offensively. Some argue that it's due to his exertion on defense, while others say that he's just not a natural scorer. He has some savvy post moves and has always been an efficient scorer: he's currently shooting 53% from the floor. He doesn't look to score every time, however, and that may be something that can be taught to him once he gets to the next level. Even if he doesn't develop a dominant offensive game, he shows the ability to be one of the best rebounders in the league, as well as a great defender on multiple levels.

"Alex actually reminds me a lot of what we all thought Andrew Bogut was going to become," an anonymous Eastern Conference scout said. "We all thought Bogut was going to become a more dynamic offensive player, but Len has the potential to be as good as he is on the defensive end and as a rebounder. If Bogut had turned into the post scorer the Bucks thought he would, then we'd see almost an identical image to what we picture Len to be. That's the kind of big man that can anchor a franchise for years."

Whether or not that's worth picking 1st overall over the other tantalizing young players is up to whoever wins the lottery, but it's looking like Alex Len could indeed be worth the gamble.