After a senior season in which Miles Plumlee averaged 6.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, Miles Plumlee entered the draft process with his stock in need of a boost.
Plumlee aced his draft workouts, however, and was selected 26th overall by the Indiana Pacers, surprising many by making it into the first round.
Despite his pedestrian collegiate statistics, Plumlee's athleticism intrigued scouts after he registered a 41-inch vertical in one of his workouts, a leap unprecedented for a player of his height, 6-foot-11.
Plumlee also played the best basketball of his career down the stretch last season following a breakout performance against Maryland in which he grabbed 22 rebounds and notched 13 points. Over the final 10 games of the season, he averaged 10.3 boards per contest.
His potential to contribute in the NBA as a rebounder and defender has been compared to Jeff Foster, a comparison that is particularly prescient given that he is going to the Pacers. Foster, a 6-foot-11 center, played his entire career with the Pacers, averaging 4.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
In Indiana, Plumlee joins a squad that was fourth in the NBA 43.9 rebounds per game. In the frontcourt, he joins David West, Danny Granger, former Tar Heel Tyler Hansbrough and Jeff Pendergraph.
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