There’s something about evaluating basketball prospects that lends itself to comparisons. Ricky Rubio is the next Pistol Pete. Blake Griffin is the next Karl Malone. So on and so on.
So in a new segment at Lost Lettermen, we will be comparing college basketball’s brightest stars to past greats with similar games.
First up, Kansas freshman phenom Xavier Henry and former KU legend Paul Pierce.
Stay connected with LostLettermen.com via Facebook, Twitter, E-Mail & RSS Follow @lostlettermen 
| Xavier Henry | Paul Pierce | |
| Hometown | Oklahoma City, OK | Inglewood, CA |
| Position | Small Forward | Small Forward |
| Height | 6-6 | 6-7 |
| Weight | 225 | 235 |
| Freshman Year Stats | 18.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.8 APG | 11.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.8 APG |
| Advantage | Conditioning | Defense |
Similarities:
• NBA build
• Pure stroke
• Shooting range
• Uber-competitive
• Rebounding ability
• Steals
Skinny: There’s something oddly familiar about Henry’s silky smooth jumper, freakishly NBA-ready body and remarkable range. Maybe that’s because Henry is a carbon-copy of Paul Pierce, who tore through opposing defense for three years in Lawrence. KU will be lucky to have Henry for two.
While Henry is a lefty, both combine a scoring touch with a knack for crashing the boards. A workout warrior, Henry’s much better conditioned than the pudgy Pierce was on campus. But like any young player in this one-and-done era, Henry needs more focus on the defensive end.
Neither has ideal explosiveness, which resulted in Pierce sliding to 10th in the 1998 Draft behind Tractor Traylor and Jason Williams. That didn’t stop “The Truth” from becoming a 7-time All-Star and NBA Finals MVP. Look for Henry to also go in the top 10 next June though Pierce’s NBA productivity will be tough to match.
