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Gransberry Hoping For Shot At NBA

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By JOEY JOHNSTON The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 23, 2008

Kentrell Gransberry, the University of South Florida's focal point for two dominating seasons, now finds himself scrambling to attract attention.

From some team. Any team.

Gransberry, the former Bulls center who twice led the Big East Conference in rebounding, might be doing enough for selection in Thursday's NBA draft.

Or maybe not.

Unlike his newfound buddy Michael Beasley of Kansas State - they share an agent, Joel Bell, and a workout base in Philadelphia - Gransberry's status is uncertain. Beasley, meanwhile, is expected to go first or second overall.

"All I can do is work hard," Gransberry said. "Work on every loose ball. Work to get every rebound. Do anything they ask of me. Just hope they notice."

That wasn't a problem at the recent Orlando pre-draft camp.

"The first thing you notice with Kentrell - without question - is his big body," said former Western Kentucky guard Tyrone Brazelton, one of Gransberry's teammates during the scrimmages. "You do not want to run into the guy. He'll mow you down. He's imposing."

"He has improved - a lot," said former Vanderbilt standout Shan Foster, the SEC Player of the Year, who competed against Gransberry in Louisiana high-school basketball. "He finishes. He plays with a lot of heart. I think he has NBA-like skills."

It's difficult to argue with Gransberry's college numbers.

After transferring to USF from junior college - including a brief layover at his hometown school, LSU - he averaged 11.0 rebounds in his 36 Big East games, the second-highest career total in league history.

Overall, he ranked third nationally in rebounding as a junior (11.4) and second as a senior (10.8). He averaged 15.8 points per game and registered 27 career double-doubles.

Then there are the other numbers.

At USF, Gransberry was listed as 6-foot-9, 270 pounds.

At Orlando, Gransberry's actual numbers were revealed - 6 feet, 73/4 inches, 290 pounds and a body-fat rating of 17.4 percent (highest in the pre-draft camp).

His vertical leap was 27.5 inches (six players topped the 40-inch mark, including camp champ Patrick Ewing Jr., at 42 inches and O.J. Mayo at 41).

"Now it's just a matter of doing what I've been doing my whole life, just at a higher level," Gransberry said. "I know what my strengths are - offensive rebounding, score when needed, play hard. I'm not trying to be something I'm not."

But more than likely, Gransberry will need to add layers to his offensive game.

One NBA scout, who asked to not be identified, compared Gransberry to former North Carolina center Sean May, whose production increased as conditioning led to a more svelte frame.

"You look at Gransberry and you would think he's just a beast, just a bully," said Atlanta Hawks assistant coach David Fizdale, who worked with Gransberry in Orlando. "He's more than that. There are soft hands and great footwork. It's a nice skill set.

"But for a guy that size, not the tallest, it wouldn't hurt for him to develop a nice 15-footer. He should get confident with a pick-and-pop 15-footer, along with some up-and-under moves to keep guys honest on his post-ups."

Make no mistake about the quality that could get Gransberry drafted, though.

Rebounding.

"What an outstanding feat to lead the Big East in rebounding twice," said former USF coach Robert McCullum, who recruited Gransberry. "But we all know the drafting of a professional player entails more than your stats, your conference, where you played in college. It's how you fit what they want you to do.

"He's going to be making some money somewhere. Of course, we hope it's in the NBA."

Gransberry shares that hope.

"I've been coming every day with focus, with enthusiasm, trying to not give them a reason to write my name off their list," Gransberry said. "I have to think if I play my game, people are going to notice."

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353 or jjohnston@tampatrib.com.

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