Prospect Profile: Jonny Flynn

In the days leading up to the NBA Draft, NYKnicks.com will look at the top-rated players potentially available to teams with lottery picks in the 2009 NBA Draft. We offer these profiles for fans to familiarize themselves with some of the biggest names in the draft. A player's inclusion in this series of articles is based purely on his rankings in the scouting services and mainstream media and does not necessarily reflect the Knicks organization's preferences for the June 25 Draft at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

We continue our series with a profile of Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn, a consensus top lottery pick according to major scouting services and numerous publications.

Jonny Flynn caught the eyes of hoops fans nationwide with his outstanding performance in Syracuse’s six-overtime win over Connecticut in the Big East tournament in March.

His unique combination of skill, athleticism and heart, however, has caught the eyes of NBA scouts throughout the league. Now, the sophomore point guard is on the verge of becoming a top lottery pick come June 25.

Measuring in at 6-foot-1, 196-pounds, the 20-year old is one of the premier athletes in this year’s draft. Extremely quick with explosive hops, Flynn is able to score in a multitude of ways, making him a nightmare to guard for defenders. Furthermore, he excels at dissecting the opposition to find the open man and is a vocal leader on the court who is loved by both his coaches and teammates.

This is perhaps best evidenced in the epic six-overtime, 127-117 win vs. Connecticut, the longest game in Big East history and second in Division-1 history. Playing a mindboggling 67 minutes, more than any player on either team, Flynn finished with a game-high 34 points, 11 assists and six steals to lead The Orange to the upset win in front of a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd.

Syracuse ended up advancing to the finals, where they fell to Louisville, 76-77. Nonetheless, Flynn was so impressive throughout the tournament that he was still named MVP in the losing cause. He was the first MVP from a losing team since 1996.

Despite the loss, Flynn was instrumental in bringing The Orange back to the NCAA tournament after missing it for two straight seasons. That combination of leadership and skill is ultimately what will lead him to being one of the top picks in the 2009 draft.