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Chas McFarland

Height: 7'0" (213 cm)
Weight: 235 lbs (107 kg)
Position: C
High School: Worcester Academy (Massachusetts)
Hometown: Lovington, IL
College: Wake Forest
Current Team: Wake Forest
Win - Loss: 20 - 13

Articles

Top NBA Draft Prospects in the ACC Part Four (#16-20)

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Scott Nadler
Scott Nadler
Kyle Nelson
Kyle Nelson
Joey Whelan
Joey Whelan
Oct 28, 2009, 10:29 pm
Jonathan Givony

Yet another solid cog in what might be the deepest frontcourt rotation in college basketball, Chas McFarland will be fighting to continue to see minutes and in the process establish himself as a legit NBA prospect.

McFarland’s main intrigue lies in his physical attributes, starting with his excellent 7'0 height and well proportioned and developed frame. McFarland has solid length and above average athleticism for a college center, even if he probably would not be considered a standout at the NBA level. The big man runs the floor well and is reasonably mobile for a player his size, but is not particularly explosive around the basket, which limits his potential somewhat.

Offensively, McFarland is a traditional, inside oriented 7-foot center, which is somewhat of a rarity these days. He’s not afraid to throw his big body around inside, as he’s a fairly active player who can make good things happen for his team when he’s dialed in and managing to keep mistakes to a minimum. McFarland is not what you would call an overly skilled player with his back to the basket, but he’s regardless a nice target to have as a finisher on pick and roll plays and simple cuts to the rim, as he’s got a wide body, good hands and possesses reasonably soft touch. He draws fouls at a very nice rate, converts his free throws on solid (72%) percentages, and shows some signs of a spot-up 15-footer or a turnaround jumper in the post, although neither can be relied on consistently just yet.

On the downside, McFarland is not a good decision maker, being very turnover prone and showing very little in the ways of passing skills when double-teamed in the post. He garners three turnovers for every one assist he dishes out, and generally does not have a very good feel for the game. His back to the basket repertoire is underdeveloped and he struggles to finish around the rim in traffic at times due to his average leaping ability. Facing the basket, he is very limited as you might expect.

Defensively, McFarland can be a presence at the college level with his excellent size and high motor, but is likely to be considered a liability on this end of the floor when stacked up against most NBA prospects. His fundamentals here are not ideal, as he tends to lose his focus easily after falling asleep on plays and give his man deep position in the post. On top of that, he doesn’t show great explosiveness contesting shots around the basket and lacks the lateral quickness to be effective stepping away from the paint. He’s fairly foul prone in turn, which tends to limit his minutes in certain contests. On the plus side, he is a solid rebounder on a per-minute basis due to the energy with which he plays with.

McFarland is not in an ideal situation going into his college season, playing on a very fast-paced guard oriented team that is absolutely stacked at his position. Regardless, he should have the opportunity to show what he can do over the course of the college schedule thanks to the amount of exposure he’ll receive playing in the super-competitive ACC. Unless he’s made some huge strides with his game over the course of his summer he’s unlikely to be considered a great NBA prospect come draft time, but at the very least should get some looks from teams and will surely be able to make a solid paycheck overseas.