Andre Woolridge

Joshbrown

Joshbrown

Well-Known Member
IIRC he was a prep All-American and lead the Big Ten his senior year in scoring and assists. I read several publications back then projecting him as an NBA draft pick. Some of them projected him into the first round.

Someone explain to me what happened? He is one of my all-time favorites and I can't understand why he got screwed.
 
Joshbrown said:
IIRC he was a prep All-American and lead the Big Ten his senior year in scoring and assists. I read several publications back then projecting him as an NBA draft pick. Some of them projected him into the first round.

Someone explain to me what happened? He is one of my all-time favorites and I can't understand why he got screwed.
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Here's my theory. A couple of things about Andre's game didn't translate well into the NBA game.
1) Andre tended to make space for his shot and for plays with his physicality. The NBA likes guys to do this with more speed than he had.
2) Andre could shoot the 3 but this wasn't his forte.
So, by NBA standards, this reasoning would have it that he was a short, physical guard, without elite speed, who couldn't carry a team with his long-range shooting. The fact that he could still get it done was secondary. Teams would have to adjust their game to his talents and they weren't willing to do that.
 
UncleHawk said:
Here's my theory. A couple of things about Andre's game didn't translate well into the NBA game.
1) Andre tended to make space for his shot and for plays with his physicality. The NBA likes guys to do this with more speed than he had.
2) Andre could shoot the 3 but this wasn't his forte.
So, by NBA standards, this reasoning would have it that he was a short, physical guard, without elite speed, who couldn't carry a team with his long-range shooting. The fact that he could still get it done was secondary. Teams would have to adjust their game to his talents and they weren't willing to do that.
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I'd say this sums it up pretty well. He did play 12 years overseas, though. So he did alright for himself.
He's my favorite all time Hawkeye. Just amazing to watch.
To lead the league in scoring AND assists is mind blowing and Woolridge was the first ever to do it in the B1G.
 
The margin is pretty thin. I thought he was as good or better then Bobby Jackson was at MN about the same time he was and he went on to a long NBA career. Andre wasn't as quick/fast or good of an outside shooter. But I thought he should have had more of a shot then he got too...
 
I remember he single handedly beat Kentucky's press his last game in the tourney.
And UK had a nasty press. Woolridge was not phased at all by it.

I heard the Bobby Jackson selection had some effect on his future, not sure how tho. I think he was pretty deflated he didn't get the award.
 
GotTimDodge said:
I remember he single handedly beat Kentucky's press his last game in the tourney.
And UK had a nasty press. Woolridge was not phased at all by it.

I heard the Bobby Jackson selection had some effect on his future, not sure how tho. I think he was pretty deflated he didn't get the award.
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Yeah I bet he was bummed. The guy played and looked like a fullback playing PG. He had guys just bounce off his shoulders all the time. I can't think of anybody to really compare him to. Has anyone led the league in pts and assists in the same year since?
 
Couldn't go left.
Didn't have any quickness.
Wasn't a great on- the -ball defender.
Made big shots, but at best he was an average outside shooter.

He got into the lane because of his size and strength, he had this low dribble where it was almost impossible to swipe at the ball. He would go right and everyone knew it, but you couldn't stop him.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
The margin is pretty thin. I thought he was as good or better then Bobby Jackson was at MN about the same time he was and he went on to a long NBA career. Andre wasn't as quick/fast or good of an outside shooter. But I thought he should have had more of a shot then he got too...
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ehhh, Andre deserved to be the MVP of conference that year, but Jackson had better upside as a pro. Jackson played 10 or so years in the NBA, was a big part of those early 2000's really good Sacramento King teams. The margin was a little bit bigger than what you it was.
 
trj said:
ehhh, Andre deserved to be the MVP of conference that year, but Jackson had better upside as a pro. Jackson played 10 or so years in the NBA, was a big part of those early 2000's really good Sacramento King teams. The margin was a little bit bigger than what you it was.
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Andre got jobbed by Bobby cheating Jackson and the cheating Gophers that year. At least the Hawks wins stand, the Goofs had to forfeit their big run that year.
 
trj said:
ehhh, Andre deserved to be the MVP of conference that year, but Jackson had better upside as a pro. Jackson played 10 or so years in the NBA, was a big part of those early 2000's really good Sacramento King teams. The margin was a little bit bigger than what you it was.
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When the two of them were on the floor at the same time Andre more then held his own. Now I understand what you mean by Bobby having the 'pro potential' and all. I think so much of it is opportunity. Could Andre have ran with it if he was given more of a chance? We'll never know. Jackson had a long NBA career but you mentioned that Kings team he was on. Webber/Divac/Stoyachovic were all really good. If it wasn't for Shaq/Kobe they'd have probably won a ring. It was a heck of a team Bobby only had to fill his role as a distributer and defender which he was good at. He didn't even start behind Bibby I don't think did he? Seems like most of the time he was a 6th man
 
Hawkfnntn said:
When the two of them were on the floor at the same time Andre more then held his own. Now I understand what you mean by Bobby having the 'pro potential' and all. I think so much of it is opportunity. Could Andre have ran with it if he was given more of a chance? We'll never know. Jackson had a long NBA career but you mentioned that Kings team he was on. Webber/Divac/Stoyachovic were all really good. If it wasn't for Shaq/Kobe they'd have probably won a ring. It was a heck of a team Bobby only had to fill his role as a distributer and defender which he was good at. He didn't even start behind Bibby I don't think did he? Seems like most of the time he was a 6th man
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AW wasn't a great defender and he lacked lateral quickness and overall foot speed to go up against average NBA point guards at that time. Imo, with his skill set, he needed to be a scorer coming off the bench, giving you 8 to 12 a night. Which you could find all over the place, dudes who were much better athletes. His weaknesses were just to great for him to overcome and survive in that league.
 
I watched every round of that draft, expecting Andre to be picked in the second round.....

As the picks wound down, I was surprised that he wasn't picked, then one of the last picks was Tony Parker from France. I was somewhat shocked, never having heard of Tony Parker. Apparently he was one of the best Last picks ever.....

:cool:
 
trj said:
Couldn't go left.
Didn't have any quickness.
Wasn't a great on- the -ball defender.
Made big shots, but at best he was an average outside shooter.

He got into the lane because of his size and strength, he had this low dribble where it was almost impossible to swipe at the ball. He would go right and everyone knew it, but you couldn't stop him.
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This pretty much sums it up. He was strong but he wasn't very tall. I think he was about 2 inches shorter than me when we played together and I'm 6'. Not a very good on ball defender. His left hand wasn't the best. I loved playing with him at the Field House. He could get his shot off. A lot of great college guards don't pan out in the NBA.
 
thedukeofearl said:
I watched every round of that draft, expecting Andre to be picked in the second round.....

As the picks wound down, I was surprised that he wasn't picked, then one of the last picks was Tony Parker from France. I was somewhat shocked, never having heard of Tony Parker. Apparently he was one of the best Last picks ever.....

:cool:
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Parker wasn't drafted until 2001, four years after Andre's senior year. But I too expected Andre to get drafted in 1997, or at least get a cup of coffee, 10 day contract at some point. But you just never know who will make the NBA. Dean Oliver, Guy Rucker, Jared Reiner all made it, Recker, Haluska, Woolridge didn't. Ryan Bowen had a very successful career, and I never viewed him as THE guy a single year at Iowa, even as a senior he had Ricky Davis as a freshman.
 
Hawkalum2002 said:
Parker wasn't drafted until 2001, four years after Andre's senior year. But I too expected Andre to get drafted in 1997, or at least get a cup of coffee, 10 day contract at some point. But you just never know who will make the NBA. Dean Oliver, Guy Rucker, Jared Reiner all made it, Recker, Haluska, Woolridge didn't. Ryan Bowen had a very successful career, and I never viewed him as THE guy a single year at Iowa, even as a senior he had Ricky Davis as a freshman.
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Thanks, must have been thinking of someone else.....

Always difficult to see who will make the cut.....

:cool:
 
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