The numbers were sickening. The SEC's basketball coaches knew how tough their league was -- they're the ones that had to play in it every day. They knew it was a case where every time your team walked onto the floor, it got punched in the mouth.[details]
HEADER NICHOLAS CALATHES Point Guard/Shooting Guard/Small Forward Panathinaikos, Greece University of Florida Gators #33 6:05.6-194 Casselberry, Florida Lake Howell High School
OVERVIEW One of the top playmaking guards in the nation, Calathes ranked in the top 10 in nine of 13 possible categories during Southeastern Conference play as a sophomore. The All-SEC first-team selection was the only player in the nation to average better than 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in 2008-09.
Calathes has broken the UF records for assists and assists per game in each of his first two years, totaling 221 as a freshman (6.1 per game) and 231 (6.4 per game) as a sophomore. He ranks third in UF history in career assists after just two seasons. His 1,160 points scored were the most ever by a Gator in his freshman and sophomore seasons, topping the previous mark of 1,121 points by Ronnie Williams (1979-81).
The SEC Newcomer of the Year and the SEC co-Freshman of the Year in 2008, Calathes led UF in scoring and assists. His versatility proved invaluable, as he played point guard, shooting guard and small forward for the Gators, as his almost 6-foot-6 frame caused matchup problems.
Prior to his final season at Florida, Calathes earned MVP honors at the Chris Paul Camp in Winston-Salem in June, excelling among a group of 23 promising young college guards. He also played for the Greece Under-21 National Team last summer. He shocked most National Basketball Association executives and scouts when he recently signed a three-year contract to play for powerful Panathinaikos , the reigning Euroleague Basketball champion club based in Greece.
With his Greek heritage and dual citizenship, Calathes figures to be a popular figure in Athens. The move also will put Calathes closer to his older brother, Pat, the former St. Joseph's standout who plays for Maroussi, another Greek team in the Euroleague.
Panathinaikos (also known as PAO) has won 29 Greek national championships, five Euroleague titles and in 2007 became the first Greek club to play exhibition games against NBA teams. The list of past players to suit up for Panathinaikos includes Dominique Wilkins, Byron Scott, Antonio Davis, Tony Delk and John Salley.
Calathes, who averaged 17.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and led the Southeastern Conference with 6.2 assists per game as a sophomore last season, applied for early entry into the NBA draft, but held off from hiring a agent in the event he changed his mind and opted to return to school. Draft analysts projected him to go late in the first round.
Dallas, picking 22nd, was believed to be very interested after hosting the first-team All-SEC selection for a workout a week prior to him signing with the Greek team. NBA teams still could select Calathes in the June 25 draft and would retain his future rights. The contract with Panathinaikos is believed to have a buyout option.
Calathes, 20, is the latest to join the trend of American players taking their games overseas. Josh Childress, the former first-round pick of the Atlanta Hawks, last year signed a three-year, $32.5 million deal with Olympiakos, the team currently battling Panathinaikos in the Greek national championship series. Jennaro Pargo, a six-year NBA veteran, also signed with Olympiakos last season.
Brandon Jennings, the Compton, California national high school player of the year in 2008, bypassed playing in college for a $2 million contract from Pallacanestro Virtus Roma in the Italian League, while another California superstar -- 6-11 Jeremy Tyler -- announced in April he plans to forgo his senior year of high school to play in Europe.
At Lake Howell High School, Calathes was a McDonald's, Parade and Michael Jordan All-American selection. The Gatorade Player of the Year and the two-time Mr. Basketball for the state of Florida became only the third player to ever win the Mr. Basketball award for the state of Florida twice. He finished his career as the leading scoring in Seminole County history (also ranks third in Central Florida annals).
At Lake Howell, Calathes teamed with Gator teammate Chandler Parsons to help lead the squad to a 31-3 record and a state title in 2006-07 and reach the Final Four in each of his four years in high school. He averaged 27.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game during his senior year.
After graduation, Calathes played in the McDonald's All-American game in 2007, scoring 13 points, dishing out six assists and pulling down five rebounds. He also played in the Jordan All-American Capital Classic at Madison Square Garden.
Calathes enrolled at the University of Florida, where the All-Southeastern Conference second-team pick added SEC Newcomer of the Year and co-SEC Freshman of the Year (along with Patrick Patterson of Kentucky) honors in 2007-08. He led UF in scoring with 15.3 points per game, the highest total ever by a Billy Donovan freshman.
Calathes set school freshman records for points (552), assists (221), assists per game (6.1), free throws made (144) and free throws attempted (199). He led the league in assists and assists per game, breaking the 20-year-old Gators' record for assists and the 25-year-old UF record for assists per game.
Calathes played for the Greece Under-21 National Team in the summer of 2008, but upon his return to the states, he suffered a hip flexor. The injury limited his offseason training program after doctors shut him down for over five weeks.
In 2008-09, Calathes was named first-team All-SEC by a unanimous vote, as he broke his own school record of 221 assists, finishing the year with 231 and has the two highest totals in UF history. The only player in the country to average more than 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game in 2008-09, he led the Gators in scoring (17.2 per game), assists (6.4 per game), and steals (68).
2008-09 SEASON All-Southeastern Conference first-team selection...Started 35 of 36 games, seeing action at both guard positions, in addition to playing small forward...Missed five weeks of conditioning prior to the season opener while recovering from a hip flexor...Broke his own school season-record with 231 assists (6.4 per game), the sixth-best season total in Atlantic Coast Conference history...Became the fifth player in Gators annals to score over 600 points (618, 17.2 per game) in a season, as he logged 1,200 minutes of action, the seventh-best season total in school history...Hit on 205 of 425 field goals (48.2 percent), 73 of 187 3-pointers (39.0 percent) and 135 of 191 free throws (70.7 percent)...Pulled down 192 rebounds (5.3 per game), as he blocked six shots, had 68 steals (third-best season total in school history, 1.9 per game) and was charged with 119 turnovers...Was the only player in the country to average more than 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game during the season, as he finished the year fourth in the ACC in scoring, eighth in field goal percentage, first in assists, sixth in 3-point field goals made and fourth with an assist/turnover ratio of plus 1.8.
2007-08 SEASON All-Southeastern Conference second-team choice, adding SEC Newcomer of the Year and co-SEC Freshman of the Year (along with Patrick Patterson of Kentucky) honors, as Calathes led UF in scoring with 15.3 points per game, the highest total ever by a Billy Donovan-coached freshman...NABC and USBWA All-District selection...Set the school freshman records for points (552), assists (221), assists per game (6.1), free throws made (144) and free throws attempted (199)...Led the SEC in assists and assists per game, breaking the 20-year-old UF record for assists and the 25-year-old UF record for assists per game... Averaged a team-high 16.9 points per game in league play...Scored in double-figures 31 times in 36 games, leading UF in scoring 14 times and in assists 30 times...Started all 36 games...Tied for the team lead with nine 20-points games, and had three double-doubles.
CAREER NOTES Started 71 of 72 games at Florida, seeing action at small forward, shooting guard and point guard...His 1,170 points scored are the most by a Florida player in their freshman and sophomore seasons combined, topping the previous record of 1,121 points by Ronnie Williams (1979-81)...Registered 126 steals, ranking second in school history with an average of 1.8 steals per game, topped by Richard Glasper (1.83 steals per game, 1976-78)...His 68 steals in 2008-09 rank third and his 58 in 2007-08 rank ninth on the Gators' season-record chart...Ranks third in school history with 452 assists, topped by Ronnie Montgomery (503, 1985-88) and Eddie Shannon (493, 1996-99)...His 231 assists in 2008-09 set the school season-record and rank sixth on the Atlantic Coast Conference's annual record list...His 221 assists in 2007-08 rank second on that school season-record chart...His average of 6.28 assists per game also placed sixth on the ACC career-record list and set the Florida all-time mark, surpassing Richard Glasper (4.26 assists per game, 1977-78)...Became the fifth player in school history to score over 600 points (618 in 2008-09) in a season, joining Andy Owens (676, 1969-70), Neal Walk (663 in 1967-68 and 649 in 1968-69) and Vernon Maxwell (648, 1985-86)...Scored 20 or more points in 13 contests during 2008-09, the most by a Gator player since Anthony Roberson had 15 20-point games in 2003-04.
HIGH SCHOOL Attended Lake Howell (Fla.) High School, where he was a McDonald's, Parade and Michael Jordan All-American selection...The Gatorade Player of the Year and the two-time Mr. Basketball for the state of Florida became only the third player to ever win the Mr. Basket-ball award for the state of Florida twice...Finished his career as the leading scoring in Seminole County history...Joined current Gator teammate Chandler Parsons to help lead the squad to a 31-3 record and a state title in 2006-07 and reach the Final Four in each of his four years in high school...Averaged 27.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game during his senior year...Is the third all-time leading scorer in Central Florida annals.
INJURY REPORT 2008: Was sidelined for five weeks during the summer with a strained hip flexor.
OTHER TOURNAMENTS/TEAMS SUMMER LEAGUE: After graduating from high school, Calathes played in the McDonald's All-American game in 2007, scoring 13 points, dishing out six assists and pulling down five rebounds...Also played in the Jordan All-American Capital Classic at Madison Square Garden...In 2008, he competed on the Greece U-21National Team.
PERSONAL Business Administration major...Brother, Pat, was a forward at St. Joseph's and is presently playing professional basketball in Greece for Maroussi in the Euroleague...Born 2/07/89...Resides in Casselberry, Florida.
SCOUTING REPORT Positives: Lacks great athleticism and court speed (struggles to cover the quickest guards), but compensates with very high basketball IQ...Might be taller than most point guards, but has a tight handle and is highly effective with his crisp passing skills...Best with the ball in his hands creating for others and his vision and no hesitation sees him quickly kick the ball out to an open target (holds the top two spots on the school's season assists record book)...Lacks explosive quickness, but knows how to vary speed, combining that with a nice array of fakes and a deceptive hesitation move to get the defender off-balance as he manages to slip past and into the lane...His versatility is a major plus -- can play both backcourt positions, in addition to picking up minutes each game at the "three" spot...Plays with a low center of gravity, keeping his dribble tight and close...Is an efficient ball-handler who avoids turnover issues when he keeps the ball on the floor for long stretches...Gets bounced around some by bigger forwards, but works hard to finish around the basket...Not the type that can mirror the quicker point guard's moves on perimeter defense, but uses his body well to box out and set up screens, as he is also capable of spinning out in help defense...Smart player who does a nice job controlling the pace of the game, as his ball-handling lets him push the ball up court on the fast break and his intelligence lets him know when to slow the action and play the half court...While he is a decent scorer from the perimeter, he realizes he gets most of his success as a facilitator...Can make the tough passes with either hand and doesn't force the issue when facing double teams...Not the type who needs to shoot to make his presence felt...Can slip through traffic and finish around the basket when he takes the best path to the rim rather than trying to take awkward shots for the sake of getting the ball up...Delivers crisp passes on dish-and-drive plays and is always looking to keep teammates involved...Has a smooth and effortless shooting stroke, with enough range to be consistent from NBA 3-point range...Uses his frame to get into the paint, drawing contact to get to the foul line...Creates scoring mismatches vs. most point guards with his tall frame and uses his size effectively to get passes up and over the defender to an open teammate.
Negatives: Much more comfortable playing the point, but does not have the timed speed or lateral movement skills to prevent slashing point guards from getting the angle to the bucket and is usually a step behind...Needs to add more bulk and strength to hold up at the wing and does not have the power to handle NBA forwards one-on-one...Moves well on the court, but he does not have the timed speed or explosive first step to simply race by a defender...Efficient percentage shooter when uncontested, but 20 percent of his contested shots resulted in turnovers (averaged 3.31 turnovers per game in 2008-09, but still had close to a 2:1 assist/turnover ratio)...Does a good job of drawing contact on the way to the basket, but needs to refine his shooting technique at the charity stripe...His lack of strength is evident when he struggles to split a double team...Does not have the lateral quickness to maintain position in front of perimeter shooters and despite having a great height advantage on most point guards, he has marginal statistics as a shot blocker (nine in 72 games encompassing 2,374 minutes).
Compares To: MANU GINOBILI, San Antonio -- Calathes bolted for Greece and with him his hopes of being selected in the first round of the NBA draft. Still, he is a very unselfish player and excellent ball handler who will draw interest from an established team in the second round, as that organization can afford to be patient while he either plays out his contract or buys it out after one year of international competition.
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