Bobcats Newest Draft Picks Introduced
July 2, 2007

The Charlotte Bobcats two 2007 draft picks, Boston College's Jared Dudley (22nd overall) and Alabama's Jermareo Davidson (36th overall), were in town to meet with the local media for the first time on Monday at Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

Dudley finished his collegiate career ranked fifth on Boston College’s all-time career scoring list (2,071 points). The 6-7, 225-pound versatile forward was named the 2006-07 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year after scoring in double-digits in all 30 games while averaging career-bests in points (19.0) and rebounds (8.3). He was a unanimous All-ACC First Team selection and was also a Wooden Award finalist while leading the Eagles to a 21-12 overall record and berth in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, where they topped Texas Tech in the opening round before falling to Georgetown in the round of 32. He is one of only two BC players all-time (Sean Marshall) to make four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with the Eagles.

Davidson was named to the All-Southeastern Conference Second Team in 2006-07 by the coaches and Honorable Mention All-SEC by the Associated Press after finishing first on Alabama in blocked shots (70) and second in scoring (14.0 points) and rebounding (8.2). The 6-10, 230-pound forward averaged 10.2 points and 7.3 rebounds in his four-year career with the Crimson Tide, while starting in 121 of 126 contests.

The following is the press conference transcript:

BOBCATS HEAD COACH SAM VINCENT
(Opening statements)
Good afternoon everybody. This is obviously an exciting day for me as the new head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats to be involved in with the first draft, but more importantly bringing the guys in and having a chance just to chat with these guys. It’s a pretty exciting moment. We’ll take a little time and introduce these guys and let them express some of their comments on how they feel about this opportunity. But before we do that, let me just say I thought the draft went very well. We were excited about the trade that we were able to make to get, what we feel, is a proven NBA scorer—a guy that can come in and we can use as a go-to guy and a guy that has had a successful scoring record to this point. So we are excited about Jason Richardson. We’re looking forward to him coming in and having the opportunity to spend some time with him and, of course, introduce him to you as well.

(On Jared Dudley)
Obviously you guys know him. He was the ACC Player of the Year. He’s a guy that I was really impressed with when he came in for the workouts, a guy that we followed, a hard-nosed player, a guy that can score the ball, and a guy that we believe is going to come in and give us some of the things we’re looking for. Obviously it’s got to be pretty tough for a young guy coming into the city with all the excitement that surrounds being drafted and coming into the NBA. But I can honestly tell you from what we’ve seen on film and from just some of our early conversations with Jared, guys we think this is going to be a great pick. It’s going to be a guy that we already know, like I said earlier, can score the ball and is a good defensive player. But we’re looking for winners. And we’ve talked about it all along; we’re not going to sacrifice talent for good people. So a big part of this draft is not only about identifying good players but more importantly, it’s been about identifying good people. And we know that the media is going to hold us accountable and we know that every single person that comes in and works on the staff or on the coaching staff or one of the players has got a high standard to live up to. These are the kinds of people that we want to make sure we bring in.

(On Jermareo Davidson)
Jermareo, again, was a guy that as we talked about what we wanted to fill in our draft, we wanted to get scoring. We thought Jason Richardson was a proven scorer. We felt Jared Dudley was an up-and-coming scorer. But another need that we identified was a big athletic power forward or five. We just felt like that was something we wanted to get stronger in that capacity of having somebody that could be a shot blocker, a low post scorer and just an athletic big. So as we started to get to the end of the draft, and we weren’t sure what was still going to be on the table, we were all surprised that Jermareo was still there. Jermareo came in for the workout and did a real good job. We feel like he has a lot of those skills that we were looking for, so we’re excited to have him. We got him a little bit later in the draft, but we think he comes in and he fulfills a need that we think we need on this team.

(On never having too many bigs on the roster)
To answer that question, I think we are comfortable with where we are right now. I think a lot of evaluation will go through the rest of the summer in terms of Jake (Voskuhl), you mentioned, is unrestricted and has opted out. So we’ll continue, I guess, to try and sign him and we’ll see how that goes. We’ll have a chance now to see Jermareo play over the next few weeks for summer league in Orlando and get a feel for his game. We know some of the other big guys that we have. If we feel that through this evaluation process that we need to get a little bit bigger, from what I understand, we still have some free agency money available and there are still a lot of guys out there looking for job opportunities. We’ll go out and make those moves at the necessary time. As of right now, we are comfortable with the decisions that we have made.

(On both guys impressing in their predraft workouts for the Bobcats)
Jared came in and got in a little bit late and was working out with some guys that weren’t necessarily his size. Jermareo actually came in with some guys that weren’t necessarily his size. But all along, we’ve said that it wasn’t going to be necessarily the workouts that were going to determine who we were selecting in this draft. It was more the body of their work over the last few years. We weren’t overly concerned with the fact that Jared came in and was a little bit late. We were more focused on the fact that he had a solid career at BC (Boston College). And it’s been the same with Jermareo. We felt that after watching a lot of video, that this was a guy that could come in and give us some specific things that we were looking for. So the individual workouts that lasted for an hour really weren’t the deciding factors on these selections.

(On now having to replace Brevin Knight at the backup point guard spot)
Yep, well we feel pretty confident that we’re going to have to replace him. When you look at our roster right now, probably the one area where we’ve got to strengthen up a little bit is the point guard spot. Brevin Knight, we know he’s been popular in this area and he’s been a solid player on this team. But there was a joint decision made that we wanted to move a different direction. So right now, we’ve got some free agent experienced point guards on the board, and we’ve got some young guys that we’re going to look at down in Orlando. It’s also part of the evaluation process, just seeing what we can figure out to come in and sure up that back court in our point guard spot. We feel confident that we will be able to find some help in this point guard spot.

(On what he means by “a joint decision”)
“Joint decision” meaning discussions with Bernie (Bickerstaff) and how things went for the team last year, discussions with Rod (Higgins) in terms of the direction of how we’re trying to move, and then also some conversation obviously with Michael (Jordan). So I think a lot of the decisions are kind of based on where this organization has been, how we’re going to improve, and what it’s going to take to improve. And obviously you’ve got different people with different opinions, but ultimately we like to get on the same page at the end and move in that direction.

(On if Jeff McInnis is the answer at the backup point guard spot)
It’s premature for me to answer that question right now. I think that’s probably another discussion that we need to have on exactly where Jeff McInnis fits into it, and we really haven’t gotten into that one yet. I’m sure we will at some point real soon, but probably not something I can discuss right now.

(On the pressure rookies and other players might face on the Bobcats with Michael Jordan watching)
Michael’s presence has just been incredible. And I say that because his standard – his level of excellence when it comes to basketball – is just so high. But I don’t think it’s intimidating for the guys and I don’t think it will be. I think it will be in a nurturing, supportive kind of role. And from a coaching staff, our position is that we want to drive this team towards excellence whether that’s on offense or on defense. We kind of see him as sitting up here (holds hands up high) and that’s kind of our driving force to where we’re trying to go. I see it as nothing but purely positive. It’s really nice to have someone of his stature and everything that he’s meant to the game of basketball involved in an organization.

(On what Jason Richardson adds to the roster)
Well I think it adds 20-plus points to it. When I think about my wings running in the lanes and I think about my two and my three, Jason Richardson obviously gives you a two that can pull up and shoot the three. He’s incredibly athletic. He can get to the rim. He’s just a phenomenal shooter and a definite go-to guy that can give you points. So it adds a lot of offensive strength. I think defensively probably hasn’t been his strong point in the past, but definitely a guy that can play defense. This is a guy that is 6-6, athletic, he’s strong, he’s fast, and he’s quick. From everything I’ve heard, he’s a guy that really comes in works hard and has a great work ethic and does what the coaches need him to do. In terms of defensively, I expect him to come in and be the kind of defensive guy that we also need because he has the capability to do it. So in terms of how it affects the roster, I see it as a complete enhancement. We’ve got a proven NBA guy that can score the ball with a great work ethic and is great in the community. So that makes our team that much better.

BOBCATS FORWARD JARED DUDLEY (22ND OVERALL)
(Opening statements)
Thanks for having me. Being drafted in the NBA has always been a dream of mine. I am very excited to come to Charlotte. I have a lot of family in Wilmington, North Carolina. When I came out here to work out, I saw the coaching staff and everything that is going on with this city. I’m excited to be a part of a new, upcoming, young team with a good head coach. I’m just looking for the opportunity to come in and do whatever I can do for this team to help them win and get to the next level, and I feel that there are some things that I can offer on the court. I am a good person on and off the court, and hopefully I can help this team get to the next level. Thank you.

(On if he thinks he made a good impression in his workout)
I thought I played well in my workout. I was working out with bigs in Herbert Hill and Chris Richard, so the drills were a little bit different. The Bobcats had, if not the hardest workout, one of the hardest workouts out of all of them. They go hard and it was intense. I thought I did pretty well and I was definitely shocked, but happy, to be drafted by Charlotte.

(On why he was shocked to be drafted by Charlotte)
I just didn’t get much feedback from Charlotte or my agent. I knew I played well, I liked the coaching staff and I thought we got along well. I didn’t get a phone call from my agent that I was going to be selected.

(On what he believes will be his best position in the NBA)
My whole life I have been a 3/4. I’ve been able to guard low post players by using my basketball IQ. I’m comfortable in any position. I’m just here to help the team win, whether it is playing defense, rebounding the ball or taking charges. I feel like my role here is to do the little things I did in college.

(On what he knows about Charlotte)
I don’t know that much. My Dad is from Wilmington and I came here during the summer, so I’ve been to Charlotte a couple of times. I know there are a lot of trees and a lot of green, and it gets hot in the summer (laughter). It’s different from Boston, it’s a lot warmer, so I’ll be a lot happier. The fans support their teams as you see with the (Carolina) Panthers and now the Bobcats. This is exciting to move in and have this be my new home, and I’m going to embrace it as much as I can.

(On playing for a Michael Jordan-led organization)
If anyone told me that I was going to be playing under Michael Jordan when I was younger, I would have told them that they were lying. This is a dream come true. He is the best, he expects the best, and I do that to myself. I expect myself to give 100 percent on and off the court. I expect to come in here wanting to play and doing everything I can to get on the court.

(On if it is intimidating to play under Michael Jordan)
It is intimidating, but not in a negative way, he is someone that keeps you accountable. He’s been where you want to go and he’s done it all. He’s someone that you can go to for advice. Maybe you are in awe at first, but now this is basketball, and we’ve been playing it our whole lives.

(On how emotion enhances his game)
It’s something that I’ve had since I was younger. I expect that not only from myself, but from my teammates. During the year, we only played seven or eight guys, and a lot of guys played some big minutes on our team. There were times throughout the year that we needed a spark and I felt that my energy as well as Sean Marshall’s energy helped that. You are going to need that, especially in the ACC, when you are going into battle with the likes of Duke and North Carolina. It’s basically the 12 guys on our roster versus 20,000 people. Anything that I can do to help us win games or give us a spark to play harder and get a defensive stop, I’m willing to do that.

(On what game at Boston College he considers his best memory)
I would say beating North Carolina at Chapel Hill, just because growing up, I was a huge Tar Heels fan. I dreamed of going to North Carolina growing up and to finally go there and win was a dream come true.

BOBCATS FORWARD/CENTER JERMAREO DAVIDSON (36TH OVERALL)
(Opening statements)
I’m pretty excited to be here myself. I’m ready to get started, I wish we could start today. I’m close to home and I’m excited about the team’s up-tempo play. I’m ready to come in and fit in wherever possible, whether it is going hard in practice or cheering my teammates on and getting everybody going. I’m just ready.

(On where he thought he was going to be drafted)
I wasn’t too sure. I kept getting the same feedback that I was going to be a player in this league one day, I just didn’t know where I would fit in. It was a nervous situation throughout the whole process. I had family there with me and my agent let me know that he was going to get something going, so it was just a matter of time.

(On if he thought the Bobcats were a possible destination after his workout)
I wasn’t sure. I was getting feedback but it all sounded the same, so I couldn’t really take anything out of it. I had a pretty decent workout here. Like Jared (Dudley) said, it was the hardest workout that I had been to.

(On what he knows about Charlotte)
What (Dudley) said. (laughter) I don’t know too much about it, but it’s close to my home.

(On if being drafted was more emotional after all the personal tragedies that he has been through)
Yes, of course it did. I’m the type that tries to turn a bad situation into a good one, and I try to look on the bright side of things. I look at it as it all starting to unfold and pay off.

(On playing for a Michael Jordan-led organization)
I’m pretty excited about the opportunity. I know that he accepts nothing but hard work, so I’m willing to come in and do that.