Height: 6’2
Weight: 190
Year: Sophomore
Position: Point Guard
2014-2015 NCAA Statistics:
17.1 PTS 5.6 REB 3.0 AST 2.0 STL 41.1 FG% 30.6 3PT% 79.0 FT%
Draft Projection: Late 1st Round/Early 2nd Round
NBA Player Comparison: Jeff Teague
Terry Rozier is extremely underrated. It’s not right that he is falling late in the 1st round in some mock drafts and even early in the 2nd in others. Rozier is an incredible offensive threat. He was the leader for Louisville offensively and had to do everything for them. No one else could create their own shot on that team. Terry Rozier is ready for the NBA and it’s only a matter of time before he gets serious playing time on a team.
I can’t wait to watch Rozier in the NBA Summer League. Terry has a grit about his game that is so incredible. Some have compared him to Dwyane Wade in the way he finishes and shoots the ball. Now, I’m not ready to call Terry Rozier a Hall of Famer yet, but he does have a similar arsenal to Wade. The FG% he had at Louisville has to be overlooked because of what was asked of him. The demand for his offensive game was too much at times. Rozier will have to learn to get others into the game as he hadn’t had the luxury of having good teammates around him. That will change.
Yes, it would have been nice to see Terry Rozier stay another year with the Cardinals to have the chance to be a lottery pick, but he didn’t have a choice. He declared for the NBA draft for his mother’s sake who had to work all day to get him through school. Coach Patino said it himself:
“Terry looks at home and sees his mom working two jobs, and she’s going 16, 17 hours a day,” Pitino told reporters Monday. “And he says, ‘OK, maybe I wouldn’t be drafted as high as I would be if I waited one more year, but I’d rather sacrifice that for my mom not having to work two jobs.’
I love what Patino says here, and it shows you what kind of character Terry Rozier has. He’s a smart kid and knows that he might be losing money and a chance at a higher pick next year by going into the draft now, but decides to declare for the draft because he doesn’t want his mother to work all day for him. That’s what I love about Terry.
I’ve compared Rozier to Jeff Teague because of his strong takes to the rim, great mid-range and average outside shot, and fine handles. I do believe Terry Rozier has a fantastic career ahead of him and while he won’t be one of the first guards drafted, he might very well have the best career out of all of them.
Future Professional Potential: Future All-Star