Al Horford, a 6-10, 245 forward/center from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, could be picked first of the four Gators who declared eligibility for the 2007 NBA Draft. Along with Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green, Horford decided to forego his senior season and declared for the draft following Florida’s second consecutive NCAA Championship run.

 

Of the quartet’s April 5 announcement to enter the draft, Horford said he was “very happy to have been able to play with these guys and coach. It’s been a great experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything… We kind of already knew when the time was right. I think if one of us would stay behind, it wouldn’t have felt right, it would have been different, but we all pretty much know it’s time to do this.”

 

In his junior season, Horford was the team’s second-leading scorer, putting up 13.2 points per game (behind Green’s 13.3 and tied with Brewer) while shooting 60.8 percent from the field to go with averages of 9.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. In SEC games, he improved his averages in points (team-best 13.4 ppg) and blocks (team-best 1.9 bpg).

 

According to ESPN.com, Horford is NBA-ready in respect to his rebounding, shot blocking and ball handling abilities, but needs to continue to improve his offensive skills in the post.

 

Thanks to an impressive NCAA Tournament in which he averaged 13.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 31.7 minutes, Horford should be a Top 10 pick and may even become a Top 5 prospect.