NBA Draft: Better Know a Brooklyn Prospect; It's Pronounced 'With-ey'

With the Nets picking No. 22 in the 2013 NBA Draft, and with everyone -- and I mean everyone -- being a NBA Draft expert and great talent evaluator, we figured it might be helpful to put together some posts as we close in on the Draft with all the pertinent information about players who are believed to be sitting there when the Nets draft at No. 22.

Today, we'll take a look at Kansas 7-foot center, Jeff Withey.

Brooklyn connection: As a sophomore in high school, Withey led his team to the California Division IV title, beating a team in the semis that consisted of brothers Robin and Brook Lopez, who were seniors at the time.

Commitment Issues: Withey initially committed to play for Louisville, then switched to Arizona, then after playing one season at Arizona transferred to Kansas.

The Best Withey Story Ever?: Naturally, there is a fake Jeff Withey Twitter account. Naturally. Well, it turned out that during a December 8 game in Kansas between the Jayhawks and Colorado, the dude who runs the fake account happened to be sitting next to Withey's mom -- coincidental. Well, Withey's mom busted him when she saw the dude tweeting a Withey update and, yes, sure enough, Withey and the fake Withey became close friends.

NBADraft.net Notes: "Appears to have the attributes to be a longtime NBA back up center ... Considered a potential late first round draft pick ... Measured 6'11.5 (in shoes) 229 lbs, with a 7'1.5 wingspan at the 2012 LeBron James Skills Academy."

Chad Ford notes: "Mid first-round pick... Long, mobile big man... Good shot-blocker... Can convert at the rim... Needs to add strength... Improve low-post moves."

Age: 23... BUT that only matters with projects, the Nets need a player to contribute now.

Block Party: He averaged 7.8 blocks per game as a senior in high school, and 3.8 blocks per game in his junior and senior years at Kansas.

DraftExpress Video:

My thoughts: He's a defensive big man, aged, which is fine for this team, who can step in and play 10-15 minutes off the bench behind Brook Lopez. That would allow for the Nets to move Andray Blatche to power forward as needed, and at the very least give them options in rotating their bigs. It doesn't solve the problem, but it helps.

So, that's Jeff Withey. I'll let you guys know if he joins NetsDaily. Until then, let's assume he has and say hello with a warm welcome in the comments section.