There's not much to choose from among this year's crop of college and international centers. Well, if you're not picking first. But many of these guys will spend a decade filling rosters and causing heads to turn in airports all over the world.

Here is a look at centers available in Thursday's NBA draft. Rankings are based on conversations with pro and college coaches, NBA general managers, scouts and player-personnel directors.

1. Greg Oden

7 feet, freshman

Ohio State

The whole package, he had emerging offensive skills, footwork, defensive presence — eighth in the country at 3.3 blocks per game; 17th in rebounding, 9.6 nightly — good strength and amazing agility for a man his size. Plus, he's as genuinely nice a man as has come down the pike in some time. "This kid went out of his way to sign autographs for people," says a personnel guy from a team that has met with Oden. "He's going to anchor your franchise. Because not only has he got the talent, he's got everything else that comes with it. He's as solid as they come. I don't know how you don't take him." He played his best game in his biggest game, against Florida for the NCAA title, and dominated lottery picks Al Horford and Joakim Noah. His offense will get better with time, an he should fit right into the biggest big-men pantheon alongside George Mikan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan.

Projected pick: First or second.

2. Spencer Hawes

7-0, junior

Washington

It took a while for him to decide to stay in the draft, but he made the right call. He has impressed teams throughout the lottery. "I think he has a chance to be special," says the general manager of a top-five team. "He can shoot it. He's got good hands. He's not the greatest athlete, but for his size, he's pretty good." He had good post moves, is a good passer and has a good touch around the basket. He's not particularly athletic but still gets it done in the post. Says a Pacific Division scout: "He's going to have trouble reading and reacting, but he's going to score enough to make himself worthwhile if you've got something around him. He's feisty. When people try to challenge him or try to punk him, he doesn't back down."

Projected pick: sixth to 10th.

3. Kyle Visser

6-11, senior

Wake Forest

He got things done as a senior for the Deacons, becoming a solid go-to option in the paint, where he shot 58 percent from the floor. He went to the line a lot for a non-dominant big man (7.5 per game). "He's got some potential," says an ACC assistant coach. "He's got some skills. ... He can score in the post. He gets great position down low." But Visser's lack of quickness at the next level will be problematic for him.

Projected pick: second round.

4. Marc Gasol

7-1

Girona, Spain

He has become much more than Pau's little brother. He has a legitimate prospect in his own right at 22. He has shown dramatic improvement from when he returned overseas in 2003 after playing two years of high school ball in Memphis. He's no leaper. "He plays below the rim, like Spencer Hawes," says a Central Division scout who has seen Gasol extensively in Europe. But he's got a big, strong body, and he's not afraid of contact. We're not telling Memphis what to do, but Portland does have four second-round picks (the highest at 37), and it might help smooth things with big brother to get one of them to take Marc.

Projected pick: Second round.

5. Kyrylo Fesenko

7-1

Cherkassy, Ukraine

He worked his way into the discussion with some good workouts after bolting the draft at the last minute last year. Fesenko's got no subtleties to his game. He's a low-post bruiser. One scout who has seen him abroad says Fesenko would go anywhere from 17 to 30 if he played in the States. "Real cocky. But he's good," the scout said. But one man's cocky is another man's immature: "The intel on him is that he's just a nut," said an NBA assistant coach whose team worked out Fesenko. "He's just a loose cannon. He would get angry at himself easily, which isn't the worst thing. But it was just done in a very childlike fashion. His emotional maturity is high school. ... He's nowhere near (Oleksiy) Pecherov," the first-round pick of the Wizards last season.

Projected pick: second round.

Best of the rest

Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh; Darryl Watkins, Syracuse; Stanko Barac, Siroki, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

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