LB Community Big Board: Kevon Looney takes No. 14

When Kentucky and UCLA met at the United Center in Chicago on December 20, the Wildcats were so terrific John Calipari delivered this post game quote: "They're not machines and they're not computers." Devin Booker led Kentucky's 83-44 romp, scoring 19 points off the bench. The Wildcats held UCLA to just 7 points in the entire first half — the lowest point total in a half in the many years of UCLA basketball.

History didn't repeat itself in the LB Community Big Board, as UCLA big man Kevin Looney edged out Booker and fellow Wildcat Trey Lyles to claim the 14th spot.

Looney is a prospect I'm not particularly high on. He has a bothersome case of asthma that has limited his conditioning — your Anthony Bennett senses should be tingling — which will make it hard for him to transition to the the perimeter. And at 6'9 and only 222 pounds, he's very undersized to play in an NBA front court based on his strength. To me, he's the tweener forward in the worst kind of way. I'm far higher on Jerami Grant, who the Sixers selected 39th last season, than I am on Looney. That's not a recipe for a lottery pick, in my humble opinion.

But this isn't my big board. It's yours, the people — I hope at least two of you read that in a Bane voice.

Looney does have some redeeming qualities, of course. He's got great length with a 7'3 wingspan and was an animal on the glass at UCLA. If he can develop a jump shot, he's got the potential to be a nice stretch-four in today's game.

Still, if the Sixers took Looney when Trey Lyles was still on the board, that would be a colossal mistake.

With the way the voting's been going, I expect Lyles will be next up.