After an year in the Italian league, spent mostly on the bench, Brandon Jennings' draft stock slipped so far he decided not to wait in the "green room" on draft night. Since then, he's made the teams that let him slip to tenth overall look very, very foolish.

Quick Facts

• Date of Birth: September 23, 1989
• Home Town: Los Angeles, California
• College Team: None
• Position: Point Guard
• Height and Weight: 6'1", 170

• Drafted: 2009, #10 overall by the Milwaukee Bucks

A Basketball Pioneer?

A highly-touted recruit and McDonald's All-American, Jennings was set to play for the Arizona Wildcats. But when he had trouble achieving the SAT scores necessary to compete in the NCAA, he looked for other options. Because of the NBA's age limit, going pro in America wasn't an option. Italy's Lega A has no such prohibition.
Jennings signed with Lottomatica Roma for a reported $1.65 million -- and then added a $2 million endorsement deal with Under Armour. On the court, things didn't go as well... European coaches traditionally don't give major minutes to youngsters and Jennings was no exception, playing just 17 minutes per game in 27 Italian League games and 19.6 per in 17 Euroleague contests.

The 2009 Draft

As the 2009 NBA Draft approached, scouts had a difficult time figuring out where to "slot" Jennings. His talent was unquestioned -- but the word most often associated with Jennings' game was "raw." His status was so uncertain, Jennings opted not to attend the draft in person -- for fear of being the last player left in the "green room."
The Milwaukee Bucks ended the suspense early, taking Jennings with the tenth overall pick.

Jennings quickly made the trip from his hotel room to shake hands with NBA commissioner David Stern and put on his Milwaukee cap.

A Quick Starter

During the preseason, Jennings boasted that he expected to beat out veteran Luke Ridnour for the starting job. But he backed up his claims, winning the job -- and posting a near triple-double in his NBA debut (17 points, nine assists, nine rebounds).
Game seven of his American professional career was even more impressive. Jennings scored 55 points against the Golden State Warriors on November 14th -- setting a new franchise record for points in a game by a rookie. The old record-holder? None other than Lew Alcindor -- better known as NBA all-time scoring leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Scouting Report

Jennings' game is speed. There are very few players in the NBA who have the lateral quickness to stay in front of Jennings -- and with hand-checking on the perimeter a distant memory, that means he can get into the lane at will. It also makes his slight build much less of a liability.
Jennings' outside shot was considered a weakness heading into the draft -- he shot in the 20-25% range while playing in Italy. But early in his NBA career, that weakness has turned into a strength. He shot 7-for-8 from long range during his 55-point outburst against the Warriors.