• Draft Prospect Profiles

In the days leading up to the 2008 NBA Draft, NYKnicks.com will profile many of the top players available. 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 26 Draft at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

We continue our series with a profile of Syracuse forward Donte Greene, a projected first-round pick, according to major scouting services and numerous publications.

• Donte Greene Photo Gallery

When Donte Greene announced his plans to attend Syracuse University, Orange fans rejoiced with thoughts of the team's last big name recruit, Carmelo Anthony, dancing in their heads.

That was quite a comparison, since current NBA star Anthony led Syracuse to its only NCAA Championship title in his lone college season of 2002-03.

While Greene could not live up to those almost impossible expectations on a young, injury-depleted team that missed the NCAA tournament, he still enjoyed a very impressive freshman year and won his share of fans among scouts and draft pundits.

At 6-foot-11, 226-pounds, Greene has been known to excel in every aspect of the game -- averaging 17.7 points, 7.2 boards, 2.0 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals per game as a freshman. He also earned Second-Team All-Big East honors and was named to the league's All-Rookie Team.

The 20-year old, who was born in Germany, led his team in scoring, and his 620 total points rank second behind Anthony as the most for a freshman in Syracuse history. Greene also set a new school record for three-pointers by a freshman in a season with 90, passing Gerry McNamara who previously held the record with 85 treys. At the same time, he ranked second on his team in rebounds and finished fifth in the conference in blocked shots.

Scouts project Greene as a versatile NBA forward who could play either the three or the four position in the same mold as Rashard Lewis and Marvin Williams. The combination of his body type and overall athleticism make him an offensive force who can score in a variety of ways.

As if his ability to attack the rim weren't difficult enough for the opposition to guard against, Greene is also said to have a picture-perfect jump shot with a high release point, and it's a weapon he's not afraid to use. Greene also developed a solid post game as the season progressed, although he isn't as proficient in that regard as he is at scoring by driving to the hoop or pulling up for a jumper.

Defensively, Greene is known as a great shot-blocker and he made a statement in his first collegiate game with five rejections against Siena. His supporters say that what he lacks in lateral quickness he makes up for with pure athleticism and natural instincts.

Draft pundits believe Greene is one of the most talented prospects in the draft, but worry that he might be drafted lower than his skills would dictate, because he is very raw and would require good coaching to reach his potential. Nevertheless, they say that Greene possesses the confident demeanor and offensive ability NBA teams covet, and he should thrive as he continues to mature.