Print and Go Back ESPN.com: College Basketball Rumors [Print without images]

Wednesday, February 20, 2013
 NBA future for Gathers?
By Joe Kaiser

 UPDATE: Last month, we discussed the possibility that Baylor freshman Rico Gathers just might be able to make an NBA future for himself someday. Our own Jason King talked to former Bears forward -- and current Toronto Raptor -- Quincy Acy, who recently spoken with Gathers about that possibility.

"I told him to look at every rebound and every loose ball as a dollar sign," Acy said. "I wasn't the most skilled guy in college, but I played hard and I hustled. Rico is in that same boat. I told him he needs to do the little things to help his team win, because players on winning teams are the players who get noticed {by NBA scouts}."

Not a bad mentor to have, and not a bad path for Gathers to take. If he is able to make the jump, it won't happen anytime soon for the freshman. But he has plenty of time and seems to be on the right track to at least make a good name for himself. King has more below on the youngster's upside.

---


Two seasons ago, Morehead State's Kenneth Faried became the NCAA's all-time leading rebounder and eventually went on to become a first-round pick by the Denver Nuggets. Could Faried's big impact early in his NBA career cause the draft stock to soar for a similar player like Baylor freshman Rico Gathers? We have to think it could.

Gathers is built like a truck and at 6-foot-8, 260 pounds he looks nothing like a typical freshman. He has an advanced body, a NBA body in fact, and while it's doubtful he'll ever challenge the career rebounding numbers Faried put up he is starting to make the most of additional playing time.

Rebounding is often mentioned as one of the skills that translates the best from one level to the next, and it's difficult to overlook what Gathers is doing in that department as a first-year player in Waco. His 18.7 offensive rebounding percentage ranks No. 6 nationally, per KenPom.com, and he is coming off a career-high 13-round performance against Kansas. Just speculating here, but if Gathers can continue to pull down rebounds at a high rate and show improvement offensively, don't be surprised if there's talk of him leaving school early for the NBA. If and when that happens, we'll let you know.

Jason King
Built for the NBA?
"One of the few bright spots for Baylor lately has been freshman Ricardo Gathers, a 6-foot-8, 260-pound forward who is built like an All-Pro football player -- or better yet, a WWE wrestler. Gathers averages 6.2 rebounds in just 17.1 minutes off the bench. Recently Baylor coach Scott Drew compared Gathers to former forward Quincy Acy, who led the Bears to two Elite Eights in the past three years before being drafted by the Toronto Raptors last spring. Acy is an inch shorter and 25 pounds lighter than Gathers."