Faried finished his four years at Morehead State as the NCAA’s all-time leading rebounder in the modern era. While he played against far lesser opponents in the Ohio Valley Conference, Faried played just as effectively against top competition when presented with the opportunity. This season, he went for 20 and 18 at Florida, 15 and 12 versus and Ohio State and powered his 13-seed Eagles to a first round upset of Louisville with 12 points and 17 boards.

Faried’s defensive motor is other-worldly. He hustles and pursues the ball every time he steps on the floor. Offensively, he’s unpolished, with a mediocre post-up game and virtually no face-up moves.  He gets into good position though and battles in the low block, scoring most of his points on quick shots off entry passes and put backs off offensive rebounds. He’s undersized at just 6’8”, but he makes up for it with defensive positioning and pure effort on the glass.

Strengths- Tireless defender. The best pound-for-pound rebounder in this class. His post-up moves have improved since the season ended. Fierce competitior. Physical on both sides of the floor. Huge hands. His athleticism and devotion for dirty work should earn him an NBA paycheck for years.

Weaknesses- Undersized at just 6’8”, 225lbs. Very limited offensively, if he isn’t scoring on put-backs, he probably isn’t scoring. Played mostly against lesser competition in college. Turns the ball over at a very high rate. Poor free throw shooter.

Overall- Teams in the mid to late first round in need of rebounding can look no further than Faried. Despite his size, he has proven that he can rebound consistently at any level. He does three things that every team in the league could use- he protects the paint at all costs, he rebounds well and he plays with tireless intensity. Team’s looking for their next low-post scorer should continue down the list, but Faried’s skills can be an asset to plenty of teams in this league. At best he’s Paul Millsap or Udonis Haslem. Worst case scenario- Leon Powe. Look for him to go somewhere between #15 Indiana and #26 Dallas.