Luke Harangody is making a strong move. Not to the rim but to the NBA, he hopes. The NBA draft takes place tonight, Thursday, July 24th.

Luke is projected to be a second round pick according to many sources if drafted at all.

The dominating Notre Dame center put up impressive numbers in the 2010 season, averaging over 21 points and nine rebounds a game as an All-American. His mid-season knee injury unfortunately left him sidelined during the second half of the campaign.

Harangody came up short in big games against Marquette in the Big East tournament (10 PTS, 3 REB) and in a first round matchup in the NCAA Tournament against Old Dominion (4 Points, 7 Rebounds) in two Notre Dame Losses.

He is predicted to be a mediocre NBA prospect.

 Harangody would be undersized at 6’6” and 230 pounds as a power forward. His athleticism would make him a liability against taller power forwards and speedier small forwards. At the NBA combine, The Notre Dame player tested very poorly in speed and agility tests and his horizontal was more vertical.

Harngody’s shot, thought effective in college, would be very weak in its low release and lack of spring in his knees.

There are qualities that could make him valuable asset however. Luke proved himself to be deft college scorer, defender, and rebounder. His domination around the rim was due to his length (8’10” at the combine) and his strength, setting a record for bench press reps (23 reps at 185 lbs.) there as well.

 His strong work ethic and competitiveness made him the leader of a successful Notre Dame team and will force him to get his game up to snuff at the next level. Harangody’s passing ability has also improved over his career. The big man has a knack for getting to the free throw line as well. 

He could serve as a valuable bench player. According to “The Two Man Game’s” Rob Mahoney, “Harangody’s ability to hit shots from mid-range, work around the rim, overpower his opponents, and hit the glass will make him a welcome addition to any team’s reserve core.”

Harangoody is keeping a positive, upbeat attitude in spite of all the criticism of his game and NBA ability. “In life? No matter how hard something is, if you work at something hard enough you're going to be able to do it. That's what my father always told me and I think that's why I'm so successful in my career,” Harangoody is quoted as saying in a recent interview.

Who knows? With the luck of the Irish, Harangody will be drafted and succeed at the next level.