Greece - Koufos is a big man with touch

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Back when he was a ninth grader living in his hometown of Canton, Ohio, Kosta Koufos began showing up at LeBron James' open gyms in Akron. His enormous frame and boundless talent were hard to ignore.

Ever since, it hasn't been a matter if Koufos would land in the NBA, but when he would get there.

Now, having declared for the draft following a strong freshman season at Ohio State, the 7-foot-1, 265-pounder is on the Sixers' radar as a potential choice as the 16th pick of Thursday's NBA draft.

"He's a very skilled player and he's a 7-footer bare foot," Sixers vice president of basketball operations Tony DiLeo said last week. "He's 19 years old, he can really shoot the ball from the outside and he can handle the ball."

In a joint pre-draft individual workout with the Nets held in New Jersey, Sixers personnel received a first-hand look at Koufos. According to DiLeo, the workout was conducted "a couple of weeks ago" and he liked what he saw.

"Anytime you have a big man that can shoot the ball, it's a big advantage," he said.

Considered a fringe lottery pick, Koufos is a viable option for the Sixers. Having entered Ohio State with the daunting job of replacing Greg Oden - last year's No. 1 overall pick - he averaged 14.4 points and 6.7 rebounds in 27.1 minutes per game. His numbers weren't too far off Oden's stat line of 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds. After some early-season struggles, including a 1-for-10 performance against North Carolina, he notched double-figure points in 19 of his last 20 games with the Buckeyes.

In replacing the irreplaceable, Koufos did about as well as he could.

In the summer of 2007, prior to arriving in Columbus, he participated in the Under-18 European championships in Spain as a member of the Greek national team (both parents are Greece natives). All he did there was win tournament MVP honors after averaging 26.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots per game. On the way to leading the Greek team to the silver medal, Koufos notched a memorable 37-point, 20-rebound performance in the semifinal game against Lithuania.

Widely praised as an outstanding shooter for his size, Koufos is extremely versatile on the offensive side of the floor. He possesses a smooth mid-range jumper and can stretch his range to the arc. On the blocks, he can score with an array of low-post moves and consistently hits a nice right-handed hook shot. Body control and good footwork make him a formidable offensive presence in the lane, although he is not a tremendously strong passer out of the post.

On the defensive end, Koufos is an aggressive shot blocker who stays out of foul trouble. In 37 games with Ohio State, he didn't foul out of a single contest and reached four fouls only three times. He averaged 1.8 blocks per game in his lone collegiate season.

Although Koufos is not seen as a tremendous athlete, he could fit in with the Sixers' up-tempo offense due to his talent as a natural scorer. The team has made it no secret that they're leaning toward drafting a frontcourt player, and Koufos could fill their need.

Last year, three Buckeyes - Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook - heard their names called over the course of the first round. On Thursday, there will be only one.

The question is, will it be the Sixers doing the calling?