Shagari's NBA Dreams

Well, THIS was sure a surprise. Our old pal Shagari Alleyne -- he of the dunks, rumored poor class attendance and permanent VIP pass to the doghouse -- has entered his name into the NBA draft.

Given he's super tall and has nothing to lose by burning his one draft card, it's not the strangest thing ever. But this is a guy who hasn't played in a year and couldn't make it at Kentucky. Hard to imagine he'll be hanging on NBA rims anytime soon.

But the news does raise questions about what player development means, and what exactly happened to the incoming Class of 2003.

Shagari Alleyne tries out green. (Manhattan Coll.)

Of the four players signed that year -- Bobby Perry, Shagari, Woo Obrzut and Sheray Thomas -- only Alleyne ever showed anything professional caliber: a stretch his sophomore year against Indiana, Louisville and some lesser opponents.

That isn't to say that Alleyne was NBA caliber. But though he lacked speed or coordination, Shagari was the best "ceiling player" of the four. He was also, if memory serves, the highest rated coming out of high school.

I don't expect Alleyne to stay in the draft or to really do much at Manhattan. Unless things have changed considerably, he seems indifferent to working truly hard and to overcoming his prominent deficiencies.

But of the four guys we now regard as the class that ushered out the Tubby Smith era, only Alleyne showed flashes of professional ability.