Loren Woods
From Hoopedia
Loren Gerard Woods (born June 21, 1978, in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Houston Rockets.
Woods attended high school at Cardinal Ritter College Prep, where he teamed with ex-NBA player Jahidi White and Duke University standout Chris Carrawell.
He started his college career at Wake Forest University, where was supposed to take over the center position once Tim Duncan left. However he transferred to the University of Arizona. Woods was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft.
Woods had been viewed as a lock to be a first-round selection by many NBA draft analysts. At 7'1, 245 lbs, many scouts considered him to have the size and athleticism to be a quality NBA center. Some journalists speculated that General Managers with higher draft picks intentionally selected other players to help Minnesota Timberwolves after the NBA stripped them of several first-round draft picks, as punishment for the Joe Smith scandal.
Others, however, believed that Woods' lower than expected draft position was based on concerns about his perceived reputation of having a volatile personality. During the summer games following his selection, he fought with fellow 2001 draft pick Brendan Haywood, leading some to claim validation of the latter theory.
Since his selection, Woods' career has been unremarkable. After leaving the Minnesota Timberwolves, he played for the Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors, where he appeared in 45 games during the 2004-05 season and posted a career best 3.9 points per game. On August 15, 2006, Woods signed with the Sacramento Kings as a backup center. He was waived by the Kings before the season began.
He joined Lithuanian giants Žalgiris Kaunas midway through the 2006-07 season. In June 2007, he joined Turkish side Efes Pilsen.
On March 20, 2008 he signed a 10-day contract with the Houston Rockets.
