In the days leading up to the NBA's May 20 Draft Lottery, NYKnicks.com will look at the top-rated players potentially available to teams with lottery picks in the 2008 NBA Draft. We offer these profiles for fans to familiarize themselves with some of the biggest names in the draft. A player's inclusion in this series of articles is based purely on his rankings in the scouting services and mainstream media and does not necessarily reflect the Knicks organization's preferences for the June 26 Draft at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

We continue our series with a profile of Indiana's Eric Gordon, a projected first-round pick, according to major scouting services and numerous publications.

In the long and storied history of Indiana University basketball, no Hoosiers freshman had ever been named to an All-America team.

Then along came Eric Gordon.

A 6-foot-4, 215-pound two-guard, Gordon was a CBSSports.com first team All-American, a second team Sports Illustrated All-American, and a third team Associated Press All-American in his only collegiate season.

Gordon was also named to the Sporting News All-Freshman team, and was voted by conference coaches as a first team All-Big Ten honoree, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and to the All-Big Ten freshman team. Members of the media also made Gordon a unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection and Big Ten Freshman of the Year

The 19-year old Indiana native is often described by scouts as "a bigger, better version" of Chicago Bulls' star Ben Gordon (no relation) due to his explosive scoring ability. In fact, his go-to mentality and scoring instincts show the potential to make him a big-time NBA player.

Known for being a solid ball-handler, Gordon's low center of gravity allows him to change directions on a dime, and he has the speed to beat most defenders. Undersized but very strong, he is referred to as a supreme athlete with explosive leaping ability who knows how to get the crowd involved with rim-rocking dunks and gravity defying plays. All of that has led to his being nicknamed "Air Gordon."

Draft pundits say Gordon is equally adept at shooting his jumper as he is at slashing at the basket, and has deep NBA range on his three's. His shot is marked by a quick release and high arc that more often than not hits the bottom of the net. While his shot selection has been a source of criticism, he strives to be in position to score from anywhere on the court. Gordon is also a capable defender, averaging 1.3 steals per game.

Voted Mr. Basketball following his senior year at Indianapolis' North Central High School, in which he averaged 29 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists, Gordon's transition to the college game was remarkably smooth. He averaged 20.9 points, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and a very respectable 3.3 boards per game, and was a leader of his team, often carrying the Hoosiers to victory.

Gordon led the Big Ten in scoring despite being a freshman, and also became the first Hoosiers freshman to average more than 20 points per game. His 669 total points set an Indiana and Big Ten freshman record, and in his very first collegiate game, he set the school record for points in a Hoosiers debut with 33 vs. Chattanooga. Gordon grabbed national headlines when he notched 30 points or more in three of his first four games to kick off the season.

Scouts say Gordon's NBA Draft outlook has been clouded a bit after he struggled down the stretch due to a wrist injury and the controversy swirling around deposed IU head coach Kelvin Sampson. Still, the flashes of brilliance he showed when healthy will surely make him a welcome addition to any NBA team next month.