What were Honeycutt and Lee thinking?

What were Honeycutt and Lee thinking?

posted by Adam Maya, staff writer
Orange County Register, UCLA Blog
June 24th, 2011, 11:00 am


Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee had no guarantees upon leaving UCLA early. They have none entering the NBA, not even so much as a contract after falling to the second round Thursday night.

The underlying question is, Why?

Why run to a league that is all but certain to have a lockout? Why enter a draft in which most experts have pegged you to go in the second round? Why leave the most storied program in the sport and spurn the advice of your coach when you might contend for a national title if you return?

What sounds like a complicated set of questions has a simple answer: above everything else, they believe in themselves.

Like many of their peers, this has been Honeycutt’s and Lee’s mindset throughout their basketball lives, and it’s what has gotten them this far.

“There were no teams giving any promises,” said Honeycutt, who went No. 35 overall to the Sacramento Kings. “I heard from 12-30, my range was so wide (before turning pro). There was no telling where I could go.

“I’m going to go out there to try to show a lot of teams they made a mistake today. But I’m not doing it for them, I’m doing it for me. I’ve been doubted a lot in my career, told what I can and can’t do. I have great confidence in my ability and what I can do.”

This is the way he thinks, the way players think.

When asked why he thought he slipped out of the first round despite initial projections to land there, Honeycutt made what might prove to be a salient point should he ultimately prosper in the NBA.

“A lot of it I think is my body and wondering if I could play at the next level at my weight,” the 6-8, 187-pound Honeycutt said. “There are a lot of things you can’t see and weight is something you can see.”

Honeycutt then offered his own take on that: “I think I’m the most athletic player in this draft.”

Lee’s confidence after being selected by Chicago at No. 43 and then traded to Minnesota was just as resolute. He even believes he’s going to make it as a point guard, despite most analysts pegging him as a 2-guard.

“I’m real confident,” Lee said. “I’m just going to go in there and compete. I know they’re loaded with point guards but I just feel like I can also play the point. I want to show them I can play the point.”

It was interesting to hear Lee and Honeycutt each categorize their situation as a “blessing in disguise.” It’s exactly the sort of thing people say after making what everybody else would consider a bad decision.

“I’m not a regretful man,” Lee said. “I look at it as a perfect situation. I’d do it again. It’s been my dream ever since I was little. They could have said I was going to go 60.”

It’s that type of conviction that now has both Lee and Honeycutt in the NBA, ready or not.

Is Georgia’s No. 1 prospect headed to the West Coast?

courtcred.com/You Tube


Is Georgia’s No. 1 prospect headed to the West Coast?

10:30 am June 24, 2011, by Michael Carvell
ajc.com


Some people think Georgia’s No. 1 college basketball prospect is already starting to pack his bags for UCLA.

Shaq Goodwin, the 6-foot-8 power forward from Southwest DeKalb High School, said that’s not the case. He’s heard the rumors, about how he will follow his AAU basketball coach to UCLA, and he said they are untrue because he’s undecided. However, Goodwin confirms that UCLA is one of his leaders, along with UGA, Memphis, Florida and Alabama.

“I havent’ decided anything,” Goodwin told the AJC.

Goodwin got a “shout out” when his AAU teammate with the Atlanta Celtics, Jordan Adams, committed to UCLA earlier this week.

“I want Shaq Goodwin to come with me [to UCLA],” said Adams, the former Central Gwinnett shooting guard who transferred to Oak Hill (Va.) prep school last year.

Goodwin heard the words loud and clear. He attended the announcement of his longtime summer club buddy. “That was cool; I expected it [Adams to commit to UCLA]. He had some good reasons for going to UCLA. We’ll see what happens with me.”

Discussion of the Georgia-to-UCLA recruiting pipeline started after the Bruins hired Korey McCray as an assistant coach a few weeks ago. McCray was the CEO of the Altanta Celtics, and Adams cited McCray’s hiring as a major factor in his decision. Goodwin admits it gives UCLA an advantage, too.

“It will be a little bit of a factor he’s the reason I got most of my looks from the colleges,” Goodwin said. “But I don’t think it would be the only reason for me to go there, if I picked UCLA.”

Goodwin said he will try to take two unofficial visits over the summer — to UCLA and Memphis.

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Shaq Goodwin on recruiting and his name


Posted on June 22, 2011 by Jody Demling
ajc.com


One name that had been connected with Kentucky in recruiting was Shaq Goodwin, a 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward from Decatur, Ga.

Goodwin said he has “everybody calling” him from colleges “except UConn, Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse and I’m waiting on Syracuse.”

Goodwin played at the NBA Players Association top 100 Camp and said he hasn’t heard form Kentucky in a while but noted he was “still wide open.”

“I talk to a lot of other players at my position to see who has offered,” he said. “Kentucky has offered a couple of guys at my position, so I don’t know.

“The recruiting process is just crazy for me.”

Goodwin was asked how he got the name “Shaq” and he started laughing and said he had to tell the story about how him mom named him.

“When I was born my mom told me 21 inches or longer my middle name would be Shaquille,” he said. “If I was shorter than 21 inches then I was going to have my dad’s middle name – Stephania. That would have been pretty weird.

“I’m glad I got 21 inches.”

For more on Shaq Goodwin, see earlier post.

The men's basketball team will have new talent on the courts to regain its reputation and fill in the gaps with the Wear twins and Tyler Lamb

Joshua to Reeves: "CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?!?"

The men's basketball team will have new talent on the courts to regain its reputation and fill in the gaps with the Wear twins and Tyler Lamb


By JACOB RUFFMAN
Daily Bruin
Published June 26, 2011, 11:51 pm in Men's Basketball, Sports


It has been well documented that UCLA’s basketball program is known for being one of the elite powers in the nation, and this season will be a building block proving that the Bruins will return to the upper echelon of college basketball in the near future.

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Men’s basketball season preview

Key incomer:

De’End Parker, junior small forward
The versatile Parker should come in and play big minutes from the get-go. He will also see time as a point guard or shooting guard.

Key returners:

Reeves Nelson, #22, junior power forward
As the Bruins’ leading scorer and rebounder last season, Nelson will take the reigns as the team’s leader this season.

Joshua Smith, #34, sophomore center
The big-bodied Smith is a mastermind in the low post. If he can stay out of foul trouble this season, he could be the key to a UCLA run in the NCAA Tournament.

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UCLA lost two starters and All Pac-10 first teamers in shooting guard Malcolm Lee and small forward Tyler Honeycutt, both of whom were selected in the second round of the NBA Draft.

The backcourt will not be quite as strong as last season with the losses of Lee and Honeycutt. Senior point guards Lazeric Jones and Jerime Anderson will split time at the point while rising sophomore Tyler Lamb will fill in for Lee as the starting shooting guard next season.

Shooting guard Norman Powell is the Bruin’s lone incoming freshman, and he will be a crucial part of the UCLA backcourt next season thanks to his athleticism and defensive prowess.

Junior college transfer De’End Parker will also be a major player for the Bruins next season, as he has the ability to play anywhere from point guard to small forward. He is expected to step in and start in place of Honeycutt.

Undoubtedly, the Bruins’ strength will be their frontcourt. Former McDonalds All-Americans Travis and David Wear will be eligible to play after sitting out a year following their transfer from North Carolina and they should be major contributors from day one.

UCLA basketball also returns its starting frontcourt in rising junior power forward Reeves Nelson, who led the team in scoring and rebounding last season and also named in the All Pac-10 first team, and rising sophomore center Joshua Smith, who has the potential to be one of the most dominant post players in the nation.

Rising redshirt sophomore center Anthony Stover will act as a firm defensive presence, while spelling Smith and rising junior forward Brendan Lane will be a versatile frontcourt player.

While the Bruins are not anticipated to be contenders for the national title, UCLA should be one of the frontrunners to win the first Pac-12 title while also making some noise at the NCAA Tournament in March.

Daily Bruin on Honeycutt and Lee

NBA draft: Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee both second-round picks

By RYAN MENEZES
Daily Bruin
Published June 23, 2011 in Sports: Bruin Sights
Updated:June 23, 2011, 9:27 PM



UCLA coach Ben Howland is fine with his players leaving early for the NBA, so long as they’re projected to go in the first round of the draft, where the team commitment is stronger and the money is guaranteed.

Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee added their names to a long list of Bruins to leave UCLA early, but on Thursday at the 2011 NBA draft in Newark, N.J., neither could find the landing spot in the first round many of their predecessors did.

Honeycutt was the first Bruin to be selected, going with the fifth pick in the second round, No. 35 overall, to the Sacramento Kings. Lee followed shortly after, going No. 43 to the Chicago Bulls, who are reportedly sending Lee’s draft rights to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Honeycutt averaged 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore last year. The 6-foot-8-inch forward also led the Pac-10 in blocks (68) and garnered all-Pac-10 first-team honors. Lee was the Bruins’ second-leading scorer as a junior (13.1 points per game) but made his name with his tough perimeter defense. Howland hailed him as one of the best defenders in the country, and Lee landed on the Pac-10’s all-defensive team.

More to come, with reactions from Honeycutt and Lee, later tonight on dailybruin.com/sports.

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NBA draft second round: Tyler Honeycutt selected by the Sacramento Kings at No. 35 and Malcolm Lee selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 43


By RYAN MENEZES
Daily Bruin
Published June 24, 2011, 1:55 am in Men's Basketball, Sports


While Tyler Honeycutt settled into his seat at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Thursday evening for the 2011 NBA draft, Malcolm Lee was at a movie theater across the country, choosing to keep his draft day draft-free.

And while Honeycutt was there to hear his name called, Lee stayed in Southern California and heard of his selection through a friend but not until he had finished watching “Super 8.”

The two Bruins who left UCLA early for the pros had vastly different experiences taking in the draft, but by Thursday night, both had found landing spots as second-round selections. Honeycutt was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 35th overall pick, while the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired the rights to Lee – taken just eight selections later – during the draft.

Neither player achieved his goal of going in the first round, but neither had regrets about leaving UCLA early.

“I entered this draft not based on where I was going to go,” Lee said. “I’m just trying to get in the league because it’s been my dream ever since I was little.”

First-rounders are guaranteed five-year contracts according to the NBA’s rookie wage scale, while second-round picks are not. Honeycutt and Lee hoped to join former Bruins Jordan Farmar (No. 26 in 2006), Arron Afflalo (No. 27 in 2007), Russell Westbrook (No. 4 in 2008), Kevin Love (No. 5 in 2008) and Jrue Holiday (No. 17 in 2009) as early entry first-round selections but failed to do so.

Getting picked in the second round is far from an NBA death sentence, however. The pair find themselves in a situation similar to that of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who passed up his senior season at UCLA and was selected with the 37th pick in 2008. Mbah a Moute has become a starter for the Milwaukee Bucks and one of the best defensive small forwards in the league.

“It might be a blessing in disguise for me,” Honeycutt said of his selection.

When he declared for the draft in late March, projections had Honeycutt as a mid-first round pick. By Thursday, he knew there “wasn’t really any telling of where I could go.”

Despite the late selection, Honeycutt was pleased where he ended up. Sacramento – which selected Brigham Young standout Jimmer Fredette with its first-round pick – had a need for a small forward, and for Honeycutt, being just a short plane ride away from his hometown of Sylmar doesn’t hurt either.

“The only thing better could have been the Clippers or the Lakers,” said Honeycutt, who averaged 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore last year while leading the Pac-10 in blocks.
The 6-foot-8-inch, 200-pound Honeycutt knows that most of the concerns about him revolve around his slender build, which could have caused him to slip out of the first round. He won’t get the benefit of the rookie summer league in Las Vegas, which was cancelled this year as an NBA work stoppage looms, but he is focused on packing on some bulk.

“Now I’m going to have a lot of time – especially with no summer league – to make sure I’m eating right and take care of my body and make sure I’m doing what I need to do to gain weight,” he said.

Six players from the Pac-10’s 2011 all-conference first team were selected: Arizona’s Derrick Williams (No. 2, Minnesota), Washington State’s Klay Thompson (No. 11, Golden State), USC’s Nikola Vucevic (No. 16, Philadelphia), Washington’s Isaiah Thomas (No. 60, Sacramento), Honeycutt and Lee.

Lee, who made his name as a tough perimeter defender, said he’s looking to play point guard for Minnesota. He saw time at the position in the 2009-2010 season with UCLA but was used almost exclusively as a shooting guard in his junior year. Lee joins a team that has two other point guards under contract, including Spain’s Ricky Rubio, who signed with the Timberwolves on Friday.

“I’m a (point guard), but I can play off the ball. If I end up playing off the ball, it is what it is, but I just wanted to show people I can play the point,” said Lee, a Pac-10 all-defensive team selection in 2011.

Lee was faced with the challenge of guarding the opposing team’s best player every night in college, but even he couldn’t come face a television when it came time to move on to the pros.

“The whole feeling of suspense, just watching, hearing the names called – I just felt like my nerves would be better if I didn’t watch it.”

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The low draft picks of Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee result in extra effort to make their decision of going professional worthwhile


By DANIEL KHAYAT
Daily Bruin
Published June 27, 2011, 1:27 am in Opinion Columns, Sports



The 2011 NBA Draft is over, which means two things: We don’t need to hear ESPN analyst Jay Bilas rave about a prospect’s “rejumpability” for at least another year, and people will finally get to see whether former Bruins Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee made the right decision by forgoing their final years in Westwood to make the leap to the pros.

But whether their decision was the right one or not, there’s nothing anyone can do about it now. Both their names were called on Thursday night in New Jersey.

However, it was deputy commissioner Adam Silver who announced their respective new teams, not actual commissioner David Stern, which meant that both Bruins slipped into the second round despite hopes to the contrary.

Honeycutt was taken 35th overall by the lowly Sacramento Kings. Lee was drafted with the 43rd pick by the Chicago Bulls, who then traded him to the even lowlier Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a preconceived deal.

There are perks that come with being on two teams that won a combined 41 games in 2010-2011 and occupied the bottom two slots in the Western Conference at season’s end.

There’s a few reasons why the teams were terrible, but one stands out: a lack of quality players.

Make no mistake about it – both Lee and Honeycutt will make their new teams’ NBA rosters coming out of training camp (assuming the season isn’t obliterated by a lockout). It’s not like either of them is Chukw…

Chukwudiebe…

That guy the Lakers took with the 56th pick who somehow averaged less than one point per game in the D-League last year.

Having said that, however, it remains to be seen just how much playing time either of them will receive, both this year and going forward.

Honeycutt finds himself in an awkward situation as a small forward with the Kings – Sacramento already has Omri Casspi, Donte Greene and Francisco Garcia on the wings, and traded for John Salmons on draft day.

Unless he improves his strength significantly and becomes a more consistent offensive presence, I think Honeycutt could end up lost in the shuffle. He’s 6-foot-8-inch, but weighs only 200 pounds after a few dozen tacos and reportedly couldn’t bench 185 pounds even one time at a pre-draft workout.

You’re telling me he’s supposed to guard LeBron when the Heat come to town?

Lee’s situation is a bit more favorable, since the T-Wolves are thin on talent at … well, everywhere, but especially guard. Lee should contribute right away simply because of his defensive prowess – this is the same guy who held lottery picks Jimmer Fredette and Klay Thompson to two-of-eight and six-of-17 shooting, respectively, within two weeks of each other last season.

In short, don’t expect to hear the names of either of these former Bruins blaring through the P.A. system in any NBA arena too often this year.

However, look for them to contribute in any way they possibly can. On such bad teams, opportunities to prove themselves will come along far more often than they would on teams with deeper benches.

If you have any idea how to spell the 56th pick’s name, email Khayat at dkhayat@media.ucla.edu.

A couple of "no regrets" stories

Tyler Honeycutt, Malcolm Lee express no regrets after slipping to second round of NBA draft



Ben Bolch | Los Angeles Times | June 23, 2011 | 10:42pm


For two players who were selected in the second round of the NBA draft Thursday, UCLA's Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee seemed almost defiant about their decisions to leave college early.

"I think I'm the most athletic player in this draft," Honeycutt, a small forward who was selected 35th overall by the Sacramento Kings, said during a teleconference with reporters, pointing out his 41-inch vertical leap during predraft workouts.

Said Lee, a shooting guard who was picked No. 43 by the Chicago Bulls only to be immediately traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves: "I look at it as a perfect situation."

It's certainly not as ideal as it would have been had they been taken in the first round.

By falling into the second round, neither player is guaranteed a contract, meaning their ability to make a season-opening roster is somewhat tenuous. Their situations are made all the more precarious by the looming lockout that is expected to wipe out the NBA's summer leagues, a proving ground for young players.

Honeycutt, who left the Bruins after a sophomore season in which he scored more than 20 points in only one game, dropped precipitously from some projections that had him as a borderline lottery pick a few months ago.

"I'm going to go there and try and show a lot of teams they made a mistake," he said.


Lee, who departed after a junior season in which he established himself as a lockdown defender but was a streaky scorer, had long been projected as a second-round pick. He had hoped his decision to withdraw from school and focus on the draft would help him move up in predraft workouts.

"I feel like I competed hard, played defense and showed people I have the ability to play point guard and score," said Lee, who twice worked out for the Timberwolves. "I feel like I played real well."

Neither player expressed concern about making an NBA roster.

"I'm real confident," Lee said. "That's the competitor I am. I'm going to go in there and compete and show them I can help this team better themselves."

Honeycutt, who is 6 feet 8 and 200 pounds, acknowledged that his strength might have contributed to his draft slide. He reportedly could not bench press 185 pounds during one workout.

"A lot of it I think is my body and people wondering if I can play at the next level at my weight," he said. "... It's something I want to improve on, need to improve on and will improve on."

Honeycutt also said being drafted so late would "make me work harder in a way. I've been doubted a lot in my career and told what I can and can't do. I've been told I couldn't make it to a Division I school. Now I'm in the NBA and I'm going to keep working hard."

While Honeycutt traveled to New Jersey for the draft, Lee remained in Southern California and didn't even watch the proceedings on television. Instead, he went to see the film "Super 8," in which a train derails.

"It was just nerves and just the whole suspense of watching, people getting their names called and stuff like that," Lee said.

Lee said he was excited to become a teammate of former Bruins star Kevin Love and didn't think the Timberwolves' logjam at point guard would necessarily preclude him from playing the position at the next level.

Both Honeycutt and Lee said they had no regrets about their decisions, insisting they would declare for the draft again even if someone told them beforehand they would be taken in the second round.

"Once the season ended and I knew this is what I wanted to do, I made sure there weren't any regrets," Honeycutt said. "I don't regret it at all."

Said Lee: "Getting in the league is my dream since I was little. If they said I would go 60, I would go."

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NBA draft: UCLA’s Honeycutt, Lee are regret free

posted by Adam Maya, staff writer
Orange County Register, UCLA Blog
June 23rd, 2011, 9:45 pm


Neither Tyler Honeycutt nor Malcolm Lee was betting they’d be a lottery pick when they left UCLA early for the NBA this past spring. They just hoped they would be first-round picks.

They lost that gamble Thursday night, as Honeycutt fell to the Sacramento Kings in the second round with the 35th overall pick, and Lee went No. 43 to the Chicago Bulls, who then traded Lee to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Lee had made a trade of his own earlier Thursday, opting to go to the movies to see “Super 8” rather than watch the draft on TV.

“A lot of mixed feelings,” Lee said. “I definitely thought I was going to squeeze in there (in the first round). I just got to work from here. I got one foot in the door.”

Lee might be alluding to the fact second-round picks are not offered guaranteed contracts. The 6-5, 198-pound guard, widely considered one of the best defenders in college basketball last season, said his current situation does not have him regretting his decision to leave UCLA after his junior year.

“I’d do it again,” Lee said. “It’s been my dream ever since I was little. They could have said I was going to go 60.”

Honeycutt echoed Lee’s sentiments, believing he would go in the first round but not questioning his choice to come out early.

“It was a little frustrating and the nerves set in,” Honeycutt said of the draft experience, which he took in first hand in New Jersey. “I expected to go earlier. I’m going to make the best of my situation. I don’t have any regrets. Once this season ended, I knew this is what I wanted to do.”

“I think I’m the most athletic player in this draft,” the 6-8, 187-pound Honeycutt added. “I have great confidence in my ability. I’ve been doubted a lot in my career.”

The UCLA duo became the 11th and 12th players drafted during the Ben Howland era at UCLA.

After seeing "Super 8," Malcolm Lee goes to the Bulls in 2nd Round #43 overall but end up with kluv and Ricky Rubio in Minnesota.

Malcolm Lee drafted by Bulls, traded to Minnesota

By Peter Yoon
ESPNLA.com
June, 23, 2011
10:44 PM PT



Malcolm Lee went on a 16-city tour over 40 days in preparing for the NBA draft, and his travels continued even during Thursday night's draft.

The Chicago Bulls selected Lee with the 13th pick in the second round (No. 43 overall) and then immediately traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a draft-day deal.

"I feel good," Lee said in a conference call with reporters after he was drafted. "I just have to work from here. I got one foot in the door and I just have to keep it going."

The middle of the second round is pretty much where most experts had Lee pegged to go. A 6-foot-6 combo guard, Lee is a staunch defender who shut down many of the country's top scorers last season while at UCLA. He has some offensive deficiencies but has nice quickness and good size for a guard.

"I thought I was going to squeeze into the first [round], but it is what it is," Lee said. "You can’t dwell on it, you just have to keep moving on."

Lee said he was too nervous to watch the draft, so he instead went to an afternoon showing of the movie "Super 8." By the time he got out, the first round was almost over, but he still stayed away from televisions.

"I felt like my nerves would be better if I didn't watch it," he said.

Lee visited Minnesota twice during his month-long journey across the country to showcase his skills for NBA teams. When he got a call back from the Timberwolves, he said he figured something might be up.

"I kind of knew they were interested," he said. "But I didn't know if they were going to pick me."

It turns out they didn't actually pick him, but the trade with the Bulls had already happened, meaning the Bulls basically picked Lee on behalf of the Timberwolves. In the deal, the Timberwolves sent Nikola Mirotic to Chicago for Lee and Norris Cole. Minnesota then traded Cole to the Miami Heat.

"I look at it as a perfect situation," Lee said of landing in Minnesota, where he will have the chance to play alongside former Bruin Kevin Love.

Second-round picks are not given guaranteed contracts, so Lee still has some work to do if he wants to stay in the NBA. Even so, he said he has no regrets about leaving UCLA after his junior season instead of coming back and trying to improve his draft position.

"I entered this draft not based on where I was going to go, but just trying to get in the league because that was my dream," Lee said. "I felt like it was the right time. If someone told me I would go 43, I would still do it."

And, he said, he's confident he can make the Timberwolves glad they selected him.

"The competitor I am, I just feel like I’m going to go in there and compete and show them that I can help this team out to better themselves," he said.

Lee is the 109th UCLA player drafted by an NBA team, the most of any school. North Carolina and Kentucky are tied for second with 101. The last UCLA player selected with the 43rd pick was Trevor Ariza by the New York Knicks in 2004. Ariza was the first player drafted in the Ben Howland era.

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NBA draft: Bulls select Malcolm Lee in 2nd round

posted by Adam Maya, staff writer, UCLA Blog
Orange County Register
June 23rd, 2011, 8:13 pm



The Bruins are off the board. The Chicago Bulls selected Malcolm Lee in the second round with the 43rd overall pick.

Lee, like Tyler Honeycutt, left UCLA early in hopes of going in the first round. Instead he joins the team with the top regular-season record in the NBA last year.

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas called Lee, who left UCLA after his junior year, a streaky shooter who can defend anywhere on the court. The 6-5, 198-pound Lee was unsuccessful in brief stints as a point guard at UCLA and is a virtual lock to play 2-guard in the NBA.

“His primary value is as a defender,” Bilas said.

Lee is the 12th NBA draft pick for UCLA during the Ben Howland era.

“I’m really excited for Malcolm Lee,” Howland said. “He did a great job in his workouts for the NBA teams. He has worked very hard and has a great career and future ahead of him.”

As a junior, Lee started in 33 of 34 games at shooting guard while helping the Bruins compile a record of 23-11 and a runner-up finish in the Pac-10 Conference (13-5) in 2010-11. As a first team All-Pac-10 performer in 2010-11, Lee was second on the team in scoring (13.1 ppg, ranked 14th in the Pac-10) and was selected to the Pac-10 All-Defensive Team.

Honeycutt taken 2nd Round #35 overall by Sacramento, vows revenge to the haters

Tyler Honeycutt slips out of first round

By Blair Angulo
ESPNLA.com
June, 23, 2011
7:54 PM PT


Well, that didn't unfold how Tyler Honeycutt had originally planned.

There was no hesitation in Honeycutt's voice when he declared for the NBA draft in March, 10 days after UCLA was bounced from the NCAA tournament. He confidently backed his decision, saying simply: "I think it's in my best interest to enter the draft."

Honeycutt, by all accounts, believed he had a shot to crack the lottery portion of the draft (the first 14 picks). He left school despite the looming threat of an NBA lockout, despite some glaring holes in his game, perhaps driven by the thought that his stock was higher than it ever would be.

The Sylmar native couldn't have imagined he'd slip out of the first round, but that's exactly what happened Thursday as Honeycutt fell to the Sacramento Kings at 35th overall, the fifth pick in the second round.

He was in attendance at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and appeared to breathe a sigh of relief when his name was called. As recently as this week, Honeycutt was ranked No. 26 overall by ESPN.com's Chad Ford.

Honeycutt turned out to be the fourth Pac-10 player taken, after Arizona's Derrick Williams (second overall, Minnesota Timberwolves), Washington State's Klay Thompson (11th overall, Golden State Warriors) and USC's Nikola Vucevic (16th overall, Philadelphia 76ers).

Heading into Thursday, UCLA was tied with Kentucky and Ohio State for the most first-round selections in the last five years with six each. Of those three programs, only Kentucky had a player taken in the first -- guard Brandon Knight went eighth overall to the Detroit Pistons.

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VIDEO: Honeycutt discusses his NBA draft experience

ESPNLA.com
June, 23, 2011
11:57 PM PT

ESPNLosAngeles.com's Arash Markazi catches up with Tyler Honeycutt after the former Bruin was taken by the Sacramento Kings in the second round of the NBA draft with the No. 35 overall pick.




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Honeycutt remains confident after slipping

By Peter Yoon
ESPNLA.com
June, 24, 2011
12:11 AM PT




Tyler Honeycutt had pretty high hopes for the NBA draft, so high, in fact, that he was in attendance at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., expecting to hear his name called during the first round.

But as the picks went on and the first round turned to the second, Honeycutt sat in the audience without a hat to put on until the Sacramento Kings took him with the fifth pick in the second round (35th overall).

"A little frustrating, a little nervousness when the first went into the second," Honeycutt said in a conference call with reporters after the draft. "I expected to go a little earlier, but it is what it is and I’m going to try and make the best of my situation."

Honeycutt left UCLA after his sophomore season and most mock drafts had him going late in the first round. Some had him as high as the top 15, so it was somewhat of a surprise that he slipped to the early part of the second round. Honeycutt said his body type -- he's 6 feet 8 but only 188 pounds --might have scared off some teams.

"A lot of it I think is just my body and people wondering if I can play at the next level because of my weight," he said. "You can teach certain things and weight is one of those things you can teach. That is something I want to improve on, need to improve on and will improve on."

He said he plans to hit the weight room hard, something he acknowledged he didn't do much of during his two seasons at UCLA, and said he was confident in his ability to succeed at the NBA level.

"I'm going to go out there to try to show a lot of teams they made a mistake today," he said.

He cited Wesley Matthews as an example of someone who had done exactly that. Matthews was undrafted in 2009, but became a starter on the Utah Jazz that season and last season signed a five-year, $34-million free agent deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.

"He did what he had to do to make sure his second contract was big and he’s making more money than Blake Griffin now," Honeycutt said.

Honeycutt, an athletic small forward, is a top-flight set shooter with good court vision, but lacks on-ball defensive prowess and has extended periods when he checks out mentally. He said getting picked in the second round will serve as motivation to correct his weaknesses.

"It’s not going to slow me down or discourage me at all," he said. "It’s going to make me work harder. I’ve been doubted a lot in my career about what I can and can’t do."

As a second-round selection, Honeycutt will have to work harder to earn his way onto the team and with a potential lockout looming, he might not have too much time in front of the decision makers to prove himself. Still, Honeycutt is confident he already has made a good impression.

"They’ve seen me work out and I can only show them more of my athleticism," he said. "I think I’m the most athletic player in this draft."

Even after he fell to the 35th pick?

"Certain teams are looking for certain things and a lot of it plays into politics," he said. "But I left that to guys who were going to make that decision tonight and it played out very well for me."

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NBA draft: Kings select Honeycutt in 2nd round

posted by Adam Maya, staff writer
Orange County Register, UCLA Blog
June 23rd, 2011, 7:40 pm

Maybe NBA Commissioner David Stern could have brought a smile to Tyler Honeycutt‘s face. The UCLA swingman attended the NBA Draft on Thursday in New Jersey, where he sat and listened with a straight face upon Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver announcement that he had been selected in the second round.

Honeycutt, who left UCLA after his sophomore year, was taken by the Sacramento Kings with the 35th pick overall.

Upon declaring for the the draft in March, Honeycutt talked about this being a weak draft and expecting to go in the first round.

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas praised 6-8, 187-pound Honeycutt’s athleticism, noting he is a good passer and sees the floor well but needs to get stronger and improve his ball-handling.

Honeycutt is the 11th NBA draft pick for UCLA during the Ben Howland era.

“I’m elated for Tyler Honeycutt,” Howland said. “He’ll be a long-time pro in the NBA. He is going to continue to improve each and every year he plays the game.”

As a sophomore, Honeycutt started in 33 of 34 games at small forward while helping the Bruins compile a record of 23-11 and a runner-up finish in the Pac-10 Conference (13-5) in 2010-11. As a first team All-Pac-10 performer in 2010-11, Honeycutt was third on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg, ranked 15th in the Pac-10) and was second in rebounding (7.2 rpg, ranked 7th in the league). He led the team and the Pac-10 in blocked shots at 2.1 bpg (68 blocks), which ranks third on the UCLA single season charts.