Jaaber and the NBA?

Thought this was an interesting little find. Among SI's Chris Ekstrand's list of mid-major players with a legitimate shot at playing in the NBA was none other than Ibby Jaaber .

This isn't the first time that "pro" and "Jaaber" have been heard in the same sentence. Just-fired Harvard coach Frank Sullivan has said that Ibby has "pro hands and pro quickness." While this may not be the best time to reference Frank Sullivan's basketball knowledge, Jaaber does possess some pro tools.

Firstly, he's third in the entire NCAA in steals per game. Weak conference or not, that's significant. Secondly, he's proven that he can play well even against strong opponents -- he went 8-for-12 with 21 points, eight assists, and only two turnovers against UNC and their pressure defense. Finally, he's a great athlete. Sullivan already talked about his hands and quickness, but Jaaber also has good elevation and great stamina, as he routinely plays 35+ minutes a night.

While Ekstrand is right that Jaaber's shot is shaky (and his poor free throw shooting doesn't help), he is excellent at getting into the lane and as a result he shoots over 50% from the floor.

Everyone at Penn should be rooting for Ibby on draft day. While he may not ever play more than 10 minutes a night if he does get drafted, he's already done a lot for Penn and we should all be grateful for that.