LaMarcus Aldridge  PF Texas  Enters NBA

LaMarcus Aldridge, originally from Dallas, Texas, was born on July 19, 1985. He currently plays power forward/center for the Texas Longhorns at the University of Texas, where he is a sophomore. Aldridge is an impressive six-foot-eleven-inches tall and weighs in at 245 pounds.

Aldridge, who played high school basketball for the Seagoville High School, had originally planned to enter the 2004 NBA draft without attending college. However, Shaquille O'Neal reportedly advised him that it would be best to enter university in order to improve as a basketball player and have positive life experiences, so Aldridge withdrew his name from the 2004 draft.

As of May 12, Aldridge was ranked number two in the 2006 NBA  mock draft. He is widely considered to be the top "bigman" draft prospect in the country. Experts say that he is an extremely agile and versatile player for a person of his size. He has an exceptional jump-hook shot and turnaround jump shot, and is a graceful, fast runner. In fact, his excellent coordination and elegant movements are what really set him apart from other players in his size category.

Despite sustaining a hip injury his freshman year that resulted in a surgery to repair torn cartilage, Aldridge has remained a strong player throughout his college career. In addition to playing for the basketball team, Aldridge is a member of the National Honors Society and has volunteered as a mentor for Dallas school children. In college, he chose corporate communications for his major. His Texas jersey number is 23.