While foreign players have made great inroads in the NBA at every position, nowhere have they had a bigger impact on the NBA than at a center position. Expanding the NBA world has meant finding several players with size that has been relatively unparalleled in NBA history. 7-3 Arvydas Sabonis was the leader of this trend, with Houston's Yao Ming, from China, now carrying the torch. He's far from alone.

Pavel Podkolzine and Jaber Rouzbahani are two young foreign centers with high ceilings. Jeramie McPeek/Suns Photos

This year, it seems likely that three of the top six centers taken will be foreigners with no college experience. Another of the top prospects is Brazilian Rafael Araujo, who does have NCAA experience. The second round could see another group of projects chosen in the hopes that someday they can put their immense frames to good use in the middle at both ends of the court, as Yao has in Houston.

Foreign or not, this crop of centers is dominated by potential as opposed to past performance. High schooler Robert Swift is one of the most highly-regarded centers and could end up being the first one taken. Even many of the college centers that are second-round possibilities played at smaller schools and will need to develop to contribute at the NBA level. Araujo is the most NBA-ready player in the group, and David Harrison of Colorado might be the only other one to see heavy action as a rookie.

Sonics Outlook: The Sonics have three centers, but the position is also their most unsettled long-term with the contracts of Jerome James and Vitaly Potapenko expiring after this season. As a result, center is a definite possibility with any of the Sonics three picks, though indications are that they will not reach on a player in order to fill the position.

Unless otherwise noted (*), all heights (with shoes) and weights are from Chicago Pre-Draft Camp measurements, rounded to nearest inch/5 pounds.

Rafael Araujo
(NBA.com profile)
The measurements: 6-11, 290*
From: BYU/Brazil
The skinny: A Brazilian product by way of Arizona Western CC and BYU, Araujo bears little resemblance to his fellow foreign products. Not only has Araujo proven himself at the college level, he's married and will turn 24 by the start of the season. That means Araujo's upside is more limited compared to the other centers in this draft, but he's also a much, much surer bet than the rest of them. ("He won't fail," concluded Sonics Director of Player Personnel Dave Pendergraft.) Araujo averaged 18.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season, especially impressive given he played less than 30 minutes per game. He also won over a lot of support with 24 points and 12 rebounds against Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament this spring. There's little question about Araujo's ability to score and rebound, but his defensive presence is more iffy, as Araujo is not particularly athletic and not a shot-blocker.

Robert Swift
(NBA.com profile)
The measurements: 7-0, 245*
From: Bakersfield H.S.
The skinny: Swift is the mystery of the NBA Draft. When it's all said and done, it wouldn't be completely shocking if Swift was the first center taken tomorrow. According to David Locke, writing for the Seattle P-I, Swift, Al Jefferson and Shaun Livingston are considered the three players in this Draft with the most upside. This is despite the fact that Swift hasn't worked out for teams, leading to rumors he has a promise from the Boston Celtics to take him with their 15th pick. Still, someone might take Swift even before that on the basis of his impressive performance in prep All-Star games and his high school record (including 18.8 ppg, 15.9 rpg and 6.2 bpg last season). Swift had a great EA Sports Roundball Classic, scoring 17 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. His lanky frame and long arms give him great shot-blocking potential, but he might get pushed around for a few years as his body develops. Today's hot rumor is that Dallas, which has reportedly acquired the fifth pick from Washington, might be looking to get Swift.

Pavel Podkolzine
(NBA.com profile)
The measurements: 7-5, 260*
From: Russia
The skinny: Chad Ford's favorite prospect was rumored as high as the fourth pick last June before pulling out of the Draft shortly after it was revealed he suffered from acromegaly, a hormonal disorder related to the pituitary gland that gives him his 7-5 height. Gheorge Muresan, one of the tallest players in NBA history at 7-7, saw his career cut short by the same disorder. Podkolzine's decision to withdraw looks like a mistake; a year later, he's little closer to contributing and there are more center prospects in this year's Draft. Podkolzine averaged just 2.6 ppg in Italian league play with Varese, and while he's athletically skilled, his basketball ability remains limited. Still, that 7-5 frame is bound to tempt at least one team in the top 20 picks, possibly in the lottery.

Peter John Ramos
(NBA.com profile)
The measurements: 7-3, 275*
From: Puerto Rico
The skinny: A funny trend in Draft Web sites - while Ford and ESPN Insider, as well as NBADraft.net, tout Podkolzine, DraftCity.com has been pushing Ramos for some time now. It will be interesting to see on Draft night who ends up going first. Ramos is just 19, but he's been playing with his Caguas team in Puerto Rico for four years now. He broke out this season, averaging 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. What's difficult to discern is what level of competition these numbers were put up against, but it's likely comparable to an American minor league. Ramos spent much of his youth in New York, so language and cultural concerns aren't as important. He is more skilled in the post than many of the young center prospects, but also athletically talented.

David Harrison
(NBA.com profile)
The measurements: 7-0, 250*
From: Colorado
The skinny: Harrison topped Pendergraft's "Fear List", showing how uncertain the NBA is about his potential. At the other end of the spectrum, Locke quoted one scout as saying of Harrison, "He isn't a bust because nobody should think he is any good." Harrison's work ethic is a question mark, but there's little doubt he has the skills. Pendergraft reported that Harrison was outrunning guards when he worked out for the Sonics, and he has great leaping ability. Harrison has translated that skill on the court, averaging 17.1 points and 8.8 rebounds during his junior season at Colorado. He is fourth on the Big 12's list of shot blockers and was fourth in the country in shooting percentage last year, hitting 63.1% of his shots. Araujo was the only college center superior to Harrison last year.

Ha Seung-Jin
(NBA.com profile)
The measurements: 7-3, 305*
From: Korea
The skinny: Potentially the first NBA player from Korea, Seung-Jin is another youngster (19 in August) with excellent size. Unlike many of the foreigners, Seung-Jin's size is genetic; his father and sister are both 6-6. He's also much heavier than these players, weighing in at greater than 300 pounds, which would make him one of the NBA's biggest players. Naturally, he's incredibly raw at this point of his development, but possesses great potential. His size is a great asset in the post, and Seung-Jin is still learning how to best harness it for his benefit. As the first Korean player in the league, Seung-Jin could also be valuable to teams from a marketing standpoint. It's unlikely he lasts too long into the second round.

Ales Chan
The measurements: 7-2, 255
From: Seton Hill
The skinny: No, not Seton Hall, Seton Hill. This university is a small Catholic one located in western Pennsylvania. A native of the Czech Republic, Chan first went to West Virginia, where he found playing time difficult to come by. As a result, he transferred to Seton Hill for his senior year. Working with Coach Tony Morocco, Chan has developed quickly and averaged 17.1 points and 10.4 rebounds against NAIA competition. His size and the potential for future improvement has made Chan a potential second-round pick. He was one of the few center prospects to play in Chicago, where he struggled with fouls but did pull down 16 rebounds in 55 minutes of action. Someone will likely use a pick on him.

Chris Garnett
(NBA.com profile)
The measurements: 6-10, 260
From: Indiana Southeast
The skinny: Amazingly, Garnett is a second NBA prospect who transferred from West Virginia to the NAIA to get more playing time. You'll notice that no players actually from West Virginia are NBA prospects this year. Garnett averaged 20.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game while shooting 61.4% from the field. After playing for three different college and with limited high school experience, Garnett is raw despite turning 24 earlier this year. That limits his upside potential. Garnett is pretty athletic for a center, but is also a true back-to-the-basket player.

Nigel Dixon
(NBA.com profile)
The measurements: 6-11, 320*
From: Western Kentucky
The skinny: For the second straight year, Western Kentucky has produced a center prospect with massive size. Last year, Chris Marcus went undrafted before signing with the Denver Nuggets. This year, 320-pound Dixon could go in the second round. Dixon is yet another player who transferred looking for a chance to dominate. After three years at Florida State where he never scored double-figures (though he did start as a sophomore and a junior), Dixon spent his senior year with the Hilltoppers, averaging 15.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. More impressively, Dixon's 67.8% shooting led the NCAA. Dixon's size gives him an advantage in the post, but also makes him a liability in terms of getting up and down the court. Someone will give him a chance hoping he can slim down while retaining his powerful play in the paint, a la Robert Traylor.

Jaber Rouzbahani
The measurements: 7-5, 260
From: Iran
The skinny: Rouzbahani is another intriguing young foreign center prospect. Like Podkolzine, he derives his incredible height from acromegaly, though he's already undergone surgery to correct the problem. A native of Iran, Rouzbahani had limited basketball instruction before coming to the United States this year to work out and learn the country. Rouzbahani's claim to fame (besides an incredible unibrow) to date is holding Yao Ming to 15 points in an Asian tournament Yao otherwise dominated. Rouzbahani's freakish size - he can dunk without jumping at all - gives him immense potential for a second-round pick.

Honorable Mentions:
Aleksandar Djuric, Serbia/Montenegro