A lovely piece of art by  Ada_OZ detailing my 2014 FBA draft submission Jake Turner and  Akkarri 's Benjamin Durby. Both are submitting thier names for this year's draft, and Akkarri and I attempted to emulate a magazine photo/scouting report article.

FBA is owned and created by  BuckHopper

And yes, the text in the image isn't what is detailed below

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Scouting Profile : Jake "Burner" Turner

Jake Turner has been a household name since before he could talk. Go back to the 1997 FBA finals and you'll catch sight of him on his mom’s lap waving to the camera. Little did we imagine then that the little kit might have a chance to step out of his mom’s shadow and play in the big leagues, let alone the add to the family legacy.


The younger Turner has an incredible combination of size, athleticism and offensive skill. There aren't many 7'3, 245-pound big furs in the FBA, let alone ones with Jake’s impressive athletic skills, strong size to speed ratio and inside scoring abilities. Jake has the talent to impact the game on both sides of the ball, as the vulpine has clearly inherited his Mom’s reaction time, keen basketball IQ and without question, her dead as a doornail shot.


The kid knows how to ball, drawing many comparisons to a young Lance Freewell, displaying elite level scoring and rebounding talents. The younger fox has proven himself to be an unstoppable offensive force in the European University scene- averaging an incredible 26.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 5 blocks per game. However, like most dominant scorers, Turner’s defense left much to be desired as a freshman. Early in his FBA career, he will give up as many points as he scores. However when the fox plays to his strengths, his speed and athleticism, he can remain competitive when on the guard.


While it might be unfair given the teenager’s age, many scouts think he might be too thin to go against some of the biggest FBA centers- some of which will literally be twice his size. And while Turner has done very well against many of Europe’s biggest and best centers, he’s not a lockdown defender. There’s been some talk at starting him at power forward as he gets his groove in the league but without question, Jake has to learn some counter moves and get stronger. Thankfully he isn’t the first top-notch center to come into the FBA with that problem and coming to America, gaining mass that shouldn’t be an issue. We hear he’s a big fan of fried chicken after all…


Like 2013’s Siegfried Romanoren, Jake Turner is another big man with potential to go in the lottery. And while Turner has great size and length, and an undeniable scoring talent- he’ll need to add additional weight once he joins the next level. But at 18 year’s old? The upside is very high with this second generation baller.


-James Kanter FSBNation.com



Scouting Profile Benjamin “Big Ben” Durby


Well, what can I say, quite a field of big bodied furs in the upcoming draft season. So many writing about Jake Turner (Insert additional names here). All of these hopefuls are excellent candidates, all earning and deserving the attention they’re receiving from the scouts and the general managers eyeing to add their prowess to their rosters. But so many excellent candidates to write about in each new correspondence and so little time to give these players the attention they have earned and deserve. But today I want to focus on a fur that might be flying just under the main radar and hype that many of the prime candidates are gaining but who may prove to be an excellent pick in the long run.



Benjamin “Big Ben” Durby, another draftee who, like Jake Turner, is from the UK is a British fur we’ve actually been able to watch in person in the states many times. Originally coming from Bristol, he was a noted athlete who spent time in sports, splitting his time between playing basketball and Soccer from elementary and through his high school career. By high school he had grown into playing as a center and power forward in basketball and as a goalie with a long reach in soccer. It appeared that he grew tired of playing soccer and wished to take up study at Cervine University of Michigan by the time he exited high school. And since then some of us have been able to keep an eye on the seven foot three inch fallow buck. And in my opinion, even though CU of M hadn’t had the best season overall this year, I think he showed plenty of potential even among his fellow candidates and competitors.



Over the season, he showed great defense as a center with offensive ability and potential that is not to be underestimated. He led his team in rebounds in both offense and defense with quick and excellent sense of eye-to-hand coordination, reflexes, and anticipation for the ball and his opponent. It’s possibly a side effect of his time playing as a goalie in high-school soccer. He also exhibits strong athleticism and good strength for his size, boxing out opponents and finding ways to become quite a wall out on the court, often using his strength to help prevent him from being pushed around by an aggressive offense. He also exhibits the ability to get the ball back out to an open fur, using a sense of awareness around the court to keep track of his teammates, and appears to work well with the team mechanics.



On offense, Durby has shown the ability to play aggressively below the hoop providing strong competition to many of the centers he had played against. He showed a strong ability to get at a loose ball on offense to give his team ample second chances on offense. He performs well under pressure, not afraid of taking a hit, and with his standing layups and strong dunks in the past college season, often showed his ability to use his strength and size to his advantage under the rim. His strength and aggressiveness in his position helps to give him more than ample potential to grow into a very solid center for the upcoming selections.



On top of that, Ben appears to have good team play, focus, and interacts well with other players. Additionally he works well with coaches and trainers and seems to be eager to constantly improve and be challenged both during games and practice. This shows that he is a candidate that is very likely to improve with the challenge, coaching, and training that is offered to the professional ranks. From his interactions with his team-mates, it appears that he tries his best to work well with most of his teammates as well as works with them to try and inspire confidence in them and doesn’t appear to deride his teammate’s mistakes.



Beyond the court and speaking with his coach gives additional insights to this young buck’s attitude. He has been known to volunteer for and assist at the university youth basketball camps to help inspire and teach young players and fans of the game. Within his own team, he has been noted for working with his teammates and especially the upcoming freshmen and sophomores to try and help them improve their skills as well as confidence. These are useful traits to an extent as this seemed to help with their team cohesion on the court. Outside of this, he has been noted as a friend of fellow draft candidate and center Jacob Turner, with whom he had played against back in England. In some ways, this makes them both friends and competition but this could also be seen as a driving force for both players to continue their improvements.



So, in conclusion, Durby may not be on the high end of many draft lists being generated by the general managers and their analysts, especially as several names seem to be topping the lists and discussion among my peers. But in my own humble opinion as a reporter, this “Big Ben” could be a strong choice among the upcoming candidates. Between his strong defensive abilities, favorable attitude, and ability to adapt to team mechanics, he could be a surprising choice that is hiding just below the radar. But only time will tell when he gets out onto the radar and has a chance to show what he can deliver.


-D. Chonway FSBNation.com