FINAL 2024 BIG BOARD
My final Big Board is here!
I have been working on this board through this entire draft cycle, and I am finally at a point where I feel comfortable with putting it out. It is just an ordered list of guys with my scouting notes on them attached, so this is in no way a formal article. I wanted to do 75 guys but then I found out Judah Mintz stayed in the draft, and I had a write-up for him sitting in the 2nd round of my early 2025 board, so I pasted it over here. Excuse any typos or grammar issues and this isn’t really an article just my raw notes, and frankly I wasn’t going through and fixing all of these. I hope you enjoy the read, as I took much too long to find photos of every single player on this board!
TIER 1: Projectable All-NBA
No Players in Tier
TIER 2: Projectable All-Star
No Players in Tier
TIER 3: Projectable High-Level Starters With Upside
Alex Sarr Big|Perth NBL|7’1”
Photo via CBS Sports DPOY Potential as a prospect, can be used very similarly to Claxton in switchability. So much ground coverage. He stays connected to perimeter players in a way few 7-footers can, to the point where sometimes he reminds me of a 7-foot Bam Adebayo. He has great hands in PnR and is able to utilize his long arms to disrupt drives. Sometimes he plays too close to the screen, which can easily be fixed. He gives good 2nd and 3rd efforts.
Offense still has so many questions, he has good touch but a poor handle. The world where he is a unicorn kind of big is there, but he has also shown success in the NBL playoffs but just running the floor hard and getting to the rim. I could see a world where he potentially becomes Kristaps Porzingis, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the middle-of-the-road outcome is closer to what Isaiah Hartenstein was this season as long as Sarr puts on weight, where he can roll to the rim, make some plays out of short roll, and be an awesome finisher.
Flashes as a short-roll playmaker right now. Able to roll to the nail and hit a cutter. Makes solid kickouts.
Super-fluid as an athlete. You can tell he might only be scratching the surface of his ability on the offensive end. His first step isn’t super explosive and it is more so just long. He doesn’t offer anything in terms of posting up either. He basically never did it this past season, and when he did so he only operated at half a point per possession.
Sarr is currently a quality lob threat. He uses his obvious size and explosiveness to be able to get nearly any ball.
He ended up shooting 27.5% from 3 on 2 attempts per game this season, and has a clear side spin on the ball. Needs work to get guarded and be a real Pick and Pop guy. Still willing to shoot, which is promising. He knows when to roll and when to pop, it just is that the shooting is not 100% there yet.
His rebounding is a bit concerning. He just isn’t too aggressive on the board, and if he can’t shoot or rebound, I have a lot of reservations about his role on the court. He wouldn’t be able to play the 4 or the 5.
Stephon Castle Guard|UConn|6’6”
Photo via UConn Athletics Super engaged as an off-ball defender. When on-ball can use his length and fluidity to cut off drives. Has good, quick footwork, which helps him slide well, and he is very strong.
Great at chasing Baylor Scheierman. Forced Baylor to take a lot of tough shots. He looks great on defense when you give him a task like chasing someone around or defending at the PoA. I thought he was worst when he was weakside.
When posting up he has really good footwork and hip speed to be able to use a lethal spin move. Good at utilizing pump fakes when under the rim.
Comfortable in the mid-range. He doesn’t get too eager to make something happen in isolation, every move is calculated and with purpose. Began using a floater at around 8 feet, looks super clean with good touch. Gets it off quickly. Clearly reluctant to take 3s.
Getting more comfortable as a shooter and shoots it with less hesitation, but it still isn’t at a high clip.
Doesn’t stare down his passes, and uses good eye manipulation to just hold the defense ever so slightly.
When Castle drives it is all very calculated. You can see him feeling the defender on his hip or body and plays off of it accordingly. He isn’t afraid of contact and will initiate it. He's super strong. Hs footwork is so good he is able to change the length and speed of his steps accordingly, and that is something that will always be a skill
6’6” Siakam??
Reed Sheppard Guard|Kentucky|6’3”
Photo via USA Today Sheppard is an incredible passer not only as a secondary playmaker but as a connective playmaker. Reed is really good at seeing transition opportunities and making the right play.
He is shooting 50% from 3 right now (December), and obviously, he won’t be shooting 50% forever, but he is most definitely a lethal shooter. HE IS STILL SHOOTING 50% (February)
He has a quick first step and is a fantastic decision-maker off the catch. Will athletically hold up in the league.
He understands how to move without the ball, is a smart cutter, spaces the floor well, and understands what to do when closed out on, or when guarded face up. He does some fun stuff out of passing and then into relocation, and he progressively got better at that throughout the season.
Defensively he is amazing off-ball, and is an amazing rotator. I remember one possession in particular against Kansas (when he had 4 steals) when his man cut through to clear space for a Dickenson post-up, and he perfectly timed the rotation to be able to contest Dickenson’s shot and cut off the pass, which is something even the best NBA player tend to struggle with.
In transition, he is fantastic due to being able to cut off seals by using his wingspan which is at least pretty solid (measurements unknown), and his willingness to be physical. Plays transition passing lanes so well and creates so many steals and deflections.
I only have questions about his role, due to the fact he is 6'2" with minimal length, and I am not sure he holds up physically in a defensive setting in switches with a bigger wing. If he can do that he will be an all-time role player at a minimum.
Donovan Clingan Center|UConn|7’2”
Photo via AP Good in his role. Of the defensive centers in college ball, he is easily the most mobile. He looks a lot more in shape this year. Sometimes he is just so long and so big he can contain guards on the perimeter, but his movement is just so much better this year. The footwork looks great.
Takes up so much space on the interior, and can be so hard for other big men to score on inside. Obviously he is a great shot blocker, but he also just alters or deters so many just by existing and being so huge.
Great in drop, doesn’t do anything else is the issue. He can struggle to play at the level, but he does have the length to disrupt shooters coming off of the ball screen. In drop he is awesome at being able to backpedal and recover to stop people inside of the lane.
A fantastic screen and roll big. Clingan is so damn big it is just so tough for people to get around his screens. He has been so much better this year as an offensive hub. He is great at hitting cutters and open shooters.
Zaccharie Risacher Wing|JL Bourg|6’9”
Photo via CBS Sports The 3PT shot looks so much better this year. Shows tangible desire for growth. Ended up shooting 40% from 3. Looks comfortable using a dribble to relocate after a fly-by, and can shoot well off a couple of different footwork sets. He has a super quick release if he needs it, but also takes his time if he has it, it shows a real awareness of his ability as a shooter. The free throw shooting really scares me. It is only 70% and this is the only season he has ever shot well from 3.
Attacks closeouts well in either direction. When closed out on he makes decisions off of the catch really quickly. He relocates pretty well after moving the ball.
He has some passing chops off the catch, being able to read a defense from the weak side and make the right read, but he is nowhere near a primary creator.
Risacher struggles to finish on offense. He was 52% at the rim in the halfcourt which is alarmingly bad.
Can’t separate on offense super well, and his handle isn’t super creative, along with being loose.
Good defensive footwork navigating ball screens, and is really good at getting skinning to get around quickly. He really is good at staying in front of his defender and utilizes his length well. He has fluid hips as well and is able to give 2nd and 3rd efforts.
Nikola Topic Point Guard|Red Star|6’6”
Photo via Eurohoops Legitimate PnR threat at the NBA level.
He shot 30% but shot well before and shot well last year, not sure if he is the kinda guy to shoot over drop coverage, but will be able to space when off-ball. It mainly looks like he has no rhythm as a pull-up 3pt shooter, but the CnS looks rigid but good.
Has a great burst with the ball in his hands. Slightly reminiscent of Tony Parker in that sense that he just gets by defenders without it looking like he has any means to get by them. He is also an awesome finisher once he gets to the rim. He played in leagues with real grown men this year, and he didn’t struggle with their size.
Good passing vocabulary, and does so while playing at a good pace. He is also good at manipulating defenders with his eyes, and did so really well against USC in their games, along with being basically perfect at making high-level kickouts when reading the backside in PnR. He has been near perfect all season at reading the backside helper, and will also make the right read of manipulation of another defender when he needs to. If someone is cutting to the lane and is open when he is driving, he can throw a great pass off of either hand in order to hit the cutter.
He is great at playing in transition, often making the right read or using his speed to score over defenders with either hand, but with Mega, it almost looked like they wouldn’t let him do so.
The defense is just kinda bad. Isn’t super athletic and doesn’t have length on that end to utilize. His footspeed can also be very lacking at times. Nikola is also a pretty good rebounder, his height can help and he seems to understand leverage when boxing out.
He is an awesome finisher. He was 68% at the rim the entire season, and was 80% in transition, 67% in the halfcourt.
He played a lot better role late in the year when playing for Red Star compared to Mega. He was able to do some cutting, do a little bit of the off-ball stuff, and truly fit in as a piece, while still doing his thing when he had the ball in his hands. He even looked a bit better on defense off the ball.
TIER 4: Projectable Starters/Upside Swings
Dalton Knecht Wing|Tennessee|6’6”
Photo via New York Times He is willing to shoot and is shoot 40% from beyond the arc right now, which looks to stay that well. Runs well off a ton of actions to get into open space. He is elite at leveraging this and attacking a closeout, as well as using 1 or 2 dribbles after coming off movement to create a shot.
Has some vertical explosiveness, and is a good finisher around the rim. Lots of craft when getting to the rim. On top of that explosiveness, he is pretty fast and has good speed on his first step.
A true polished 3-level scorer who can do it by outright beating his man, or by using craft.
Defensively is a bit of a project right now. He is pretty poor on the ball and doesn’t bring anything right now in terms of off-ball playmaking. He doesn’t really get down in a stance at all, and he tends to not slide well because of that.
Devin Carter Guard|Providence|6’3”
Phot via the Hoop Post Devin is a super high-level defender at the point-of-attack who excels in both technique and effort. He plays a lot bigger than his size and has the frame to hold up. His hands are incredible, and he is super strong.
Tons of confidence while understanding how to play within himself. A lot more promise as a shooter this year, and is a smart ball handler.
Processes the game well. Great transition player who understands how to fill a lane, along with having the skill and vision to hit cutters and is a playmaker on the break as well.
One of the best rebounders for a guard I have ever seen in CBB. He just goes up with a ton of force and can outmuscle and hustle any player despite them being bigger than him.
Lacks the self-creation right now to be a lead guard in the NBA. Could potentially be a quality starter next to a wing creator. He knows how to attack a closeout super well. He can use some pretty good deceleration to be able to get inside the lane and score.
He is an incredible athlete, and that contributes to his defense. His length is real at a 6’9” wingspan, and he has true pop and lateral ability.
Jared McCain Guard|Duke|6’3”
Photo via Duke Athletics Fantastic jump shot both from 3pt and 2pt range. Able to get to a 3-point shot from different places, both off movement and in a stagnant position. Great at getting into a rhythm.
Started to show a lot more self-creation later in the year, with the FSU game being a stand-out. McCain doesn’t waste dribbles and knows when he can operate with only a little bit of space.
Going to be able to shoot well in different scenarios in the NBA off-ball. Repositions really well.
A lot of the playmaking shows flashes. He isn’t asked to do it a whole lot, but when he has to do it he basically does it perfectly. He makes the right read and plays at a good pace. As a PnR operator, he is good at hitting the big as well.
Rebounds the ball super well. He boxes out and chases the ball off the rim.
Defensively he isn’t super long or quick, so he isn’t a total plus, but he is stocky-er so he is able to use that size to be able to cut off driving lanes when he gets to the offensive player’s spot.
Ron Holland Wing|G League Ignite|6’6”
Photo via Getty Images His athleticism pops. Ron can get inside the lane pretty easily when there is some spacing. He has long strides and a great first step. He is awesome at getting his shoulder into defenders and is able to push them off balance. He is comfortable at driving and finishing with either hand as well.
Holland is a total freak in transition. His speed and his ability to drive absolutely wreak havoc, and he is able to use his strength to score.
High motor, but I am not sure if he is truly an elite defender, tends to fly around when not truly necessary if that makes sense. Sometimes he just gets caught out a bit in his footwork, but I think a lot of that can be cleaned up and focused, and he can become a truly great defender on effort alone.
Committing a lot of turnovers by making poor reads or just getting stripped due to a poor handle. He isn’t a super comfortable passer who can create opportunities for others on his drives.
Holland has been super inefficient this season, as per Synergy, he has a 41.7 true shooting percentage in ball screens, a 41.8 true shooting percentage out of handoffs, a 39.5 true shooting percentage on spot-ups, and a 47 true shooting percentage in isolation situations.
Cody Williams Wing|Colorado|6’9”
Photo via Yahoo Sports Needs to get bigger, I hate starting with a negative, but if he wants to get to his spots in the NBA, which he does well in college right now, he needs to put on muscle.
The huge upside is passing. He makes quick reads as a passer and can handle well as a secondary creator. His handle is pretty loose right now and that limits him in terms of his self-creation.
Long wingspan that allows him to be a mismatch against most NBA players.
I like what I have seen from him as a ball handler, is good at keeping his handle away from defenders, but I would want to see him operate more face up to the basket, a lot of the time right now he turns his body away, and that limits separation.
Incredible nice touch around the rim and a creative finisher as well. Again more muscle would help this translate immediately to the NBA level. Good jump-stop floater.
Limited jump shot. Not a willing jump shooter and is someone who will take time to really get respected from 3. He has a weird dip in his form but the touch is clearly there. He shot at a 40% clip from 3 this year but it was on less than 2 attempts per game. He can’t really pull up in the mid range either and he is still developing a floater.
Gives off point-guard energy while understanding how to move off the ball and being a good processor.
On the defensive end he has awesome length and the ability to develop a frame. The strength isn’t there right now for him to be able to do a whole lot, and he often gets moved around. His effort is there and he was injured for a large part of the year, so I think it projects a lot better than it may look right now.
Off-ball he struggles with screen navigation. This is something really common in high center of gravity, lengthy players like Cody, and he is no exception.
Rob Dillingham Guard|Kentucky|6’1”
Photo via Kentucky Athletics A super quick guard who has a scoring arsenal that isn’t normal. He has super high-level footwork that can separate him as an isolation scorer from most players in this class.
Can space the floor well when he is off the ball at an EXTREMELY high level.
Natural ability to change speeds and stop on a dime.
Has outright generational touch with the basketball, both in his ability to quickly change angles with the ball in his hands and to shoot and finish.
Creative once he gets inside the paint. Loves to throw the lob and uses good finishing angles to be able to score. Has a fantastic floater.
Is great as a passer when it is there but is wired to score. Not a negative at all, but it is when you take in the fact he is undersized for the NBA level. Doesn’t have any length and can be targeted on an NBA floor.
If he isn’t hitting shots that night he doesn’t do anything.
Legitimately might be the worst defender I have ever seen. He is undersized, is too handsy and he fouls too much. He doesn’t put in enough effort, he gets torched, and sometimes he is just unplayable. He might be the best offensive player and worst defensive player in the entire class.
Tidjane Salaun Wing|Cholet Basket|6’10”
Photo via CBS Sports Tons of defensive motor from Tidjane, along with versatility due to his frame. That being said, the footspeed is poor and the hips look very stiff. If this could improve he could be a plus defender.
He shot 31% from 3 with some advanced footwork from beyond the arc that allows him to be able to capably score off the ball. He is 36% off the catch and 23% on pull-ups. Super high release point that makes him unbothered by most contests. There is a concern he isn’t truly a great shooter because he isn’t amazing from the FT line and this is his first year of improved 3pt shooting, but it looks so good from beyond the arc when it goes in I think I buy it?
He has basically zero semblance of a mid-range game and was only 17% on pull-up 2s.
Super athletic with very long strides, explosive off those strides with no slowing down.
If he can’t just dunk it at the rim he is a poor finisher, as he doesn’t really understand angles he has to finish with at the rim. He basically has no semblance of a floater.
The handle looks awkward and slow, and his body is often moving faster than his handle when he is driving.
Tons of confidence, which can be a negative due to shot selection, but I would rather that than no confidence, so it is a positive with a downside.
Passing and feel are poor at the moment. He's a bad team defender and will often miss wide-open teammates when driving to the rim, along with not making super-quick decisions off of the catch. His off-the-ball feel is quite a bit better, and he often makes higher-level cuts.
Matas Buzelis Wing|G Ignite|6’10”
Photo via The Athletic A good shooter in high school, but he has appeared to struggle with the NBA line. He is only shooting 27% from 3, and most of his misses are short. The real alarming part is he hasn’t been good from the FT line. Matas is only shooting 70% from the line in his games in the G League this year, and that is so alarming. If he doesn’t project well as a shooter long term that heavily impacts his draftability and NBA role.
Attacks closeouts strong, and usually gets to a good mid-range jumper, and has a good floater.
Contact can really throw him off of balance on his drives, but if he is able to maintain this balance he has such huge strides it can be hard to stop him getting to the rim.
Sometimes I feel like he will just go invisible in games. I noticed this a lot in the preseason games against Perth, but once he came back from injury it happened a bit as well. He has games where he just doesn’t make anything happen in transition, along with not creating anything for himself in the halfcourt, and since the Ignite is so bad offensively, he doesn’t have teammates who can create an opportunity or two for him in a game, which can really make him struggle. A lot of this isn’t his fault because of the Ignite situation, but it can still be worrisome.
Hypothetically he will wreak havoc in transition. The combination of size, touch, and fluidity is real.
The handle is quite poor. He often gets it stripped when he drives into a collapsed paint which happens quite a bit due to the awful spacing of the Ignite. His center of gravity is also not low at all, and if you look at a lot of the best scorers in the NBA this helps them keep the ball safe. Even someone who Matas gets a lot of comparison to in Franz Wagner, keeps the ball a lot lower than him and has a naturally lower center of gravity, which can be pretty hard to teach.
Defensively he looked pretty bad around screens.His wingspan being neutral compared to his height can be an issue, as that would make guarding the lengthy wings in the NBA more difficult. He isn’t a quick-twitch athlete, which limits his offensive and defensive capabilities. Particularly on defense he can struggle to compete with a lot of higher level athletes first step.
Off-ball on defense he is a lot better. He looks comfortable on the weak side, and he can erase shots.
Bub Carrington Point Guard|Pitt|6’5”
Photo via Pitt Athletics Bub is a developed pull-up shooter for his age. He loves to operate in the mid-range, and was awesome from there all year. He is still extending his range to the 3pt line, but I suspect he will be able to shoot from there sooner rather than later.
In the PnR he has it all. He can snake screens to get to a shot, hit the roll man in tons of ways, or outright pull up into drop.
Off the catch Bub doesn’t offer anything as a shooter, and he looks all out of rhythm. The touch is there, I think you just got to tweak the form slightly.
The huge glaring issue is Carrington cannot get to the rim. He was only 54% at the rim when he got there, and if a team overplays his right hand, he virtually has no driving ability with his left and he isn’t able to get to the rim. His burst is good, and sometimes it looks like he tends to take a mid-range jumper because he wants to. He sees it as a good shot and takes it and there is nothing terrible about that, I would just want him to try to get to the rim more.
His passing shows real flashes. He can’t throw passes off of his left hand, and it's a ton of jump passes, but no in the Tyrese Haliburton way where he makes the read and uses the jump to get a better angle or read the defense. Bub seems to be reading while jumping. The vision is clearly there though.
His handle is just slightly too loose and needs to be tightened. He turns the ball over a bit too much.
He improved a lot on defense all season. He slides solid, has good length, and on the “bear down” defensive possessions he is able to do a lot more.
Isaiah Collier Guard|USC|6’3”
Photo via USC Athletics Can create for himself and his teammates due to his frame. Doesn’t get moved on his drive which will translate to the NBA level immediately. Collier also has a huge and quick first step, sometimes just teleporting into the paint. Once he gets there he is a fantastic and creative finisher as well, both using advanced angles. He is super fast in the open court, and a freak in transition.
He is a bit one-dimensional as a driver. He doesn’t have a runner or an ability to pull up in the mid-range, and it makes it so teams can stack the paint and force him to take a bad shot or outright turn it over if the floor isn’t perfectly spaced. Ideally in the NBA this wouldn’t be an issue, but the floor isn’t always going to be perfectly spaced.
Shot well early, then it dipped a lot and returned to good form coming back from his wrist injury. It stabilized at 33% by the end of the year. He shoots only 67% from the line, so it's a real question if he can shoot it long-term. His form looks pretty good but a lot of his misses are long, and he doesn’t always looks like his legs are consistent.
Turning the ball over too often, a lot of which are charges and just have to change, the rest just some poor decision-making sometimes. Doesn’t have amazing vision at certain points. While he is on the move he seems to somehow be a better passer, and he is amazing at throwing a lob or dump-off pass while he is moving at full speed.
Defensively has average rotations with solid hands. Matched up well against Topic in their overseas games. Had one possession in transition in a game against Brown that stood out as being very high motor and using his frame to end the play by himself, as well as rotating well once his teammates got back. At other times in the year, it was poor, but I can’t blame a guy too much when you look at the overall seriousness of this USC team.
Tristan da Silva Wing|Colorado|6’8”
Photo via Colorado Athletics An impactful team defender due to his ability to rotate, switch, and box out all at a high level. This makes da Silva increase the amount of things a team can run schematically. He helps super well, rarely over or under helping, and clearly just has an awesome feel for that side of the ball. He also talks a lot on the defensive end.
On-ball da Silva slides well along with having good hips, making him good on that end as well. I don’t think he projects as an all defense guy, maybe closer to a quality defender who will never be taken off the floor or targeted.
Off the ball on offense da Silva is a super smart player. He shoots it super well, along with being a quality cutter who can create some opportunities for himself and his teammates when the play gets stagnant. He knows how to space. He doesn’t force shots and likely won't have the offensive gravity of a pure shooter, but he makes up for it in the shot quality being so high.
He is limited as an on-ball creator due to having a pretty poor handle, which can mean when he attacks closeouts he doesn’t always get to the rim. He is a pretty good passer out of closeouts, and almost never turns it over. He is also good out of DHOs.
He isn’t a bad finisher, and this is kinda a nitpick, but he seems slightly reluctant to finish with his left hand sometimes. He can, and I have seen him do it well, but he doesn’t always seem to want to and usually gets it back to his right. Super high level rim protectors can take advantage of this.
Pacôme Dadiet Wing|Ratiopharm|6’8”
Photo via Ratiopharm A high upside swing. I really think Dadiet can shoot it. He profiles well as a FT shooter and always has, but he has been getting more consistent as a 3pt shooter. Off the catch, he has a good lower half, and off both the catch and dribble he has awesome rhythm and a repeatable motion at the release. He also knows how to leverage his ability as a shooter to open up other skills. He was only 31% from 3 this year off the dribble, but if he gets a little bit stronger I think it could fix some of the form things there.
On defense he has a real frame, and has good anticipation for the ball in the open floor, along with doing a good job at using his hands on the ball. His length is pretty good, and he contests shots pretty well. He ball-watches a bit much, but a lot of that might be age.
He rebounds well on the offensive end and is a great second-chance player. He even gets some putbacks. He times his rebounds well on both ends, and he already has a good frame, making it so he is able to get some tough boards.
There are some real flashes as a passer and cutter, but Dadiet has the ball in his hands so little on a pretty talented Ratiopharm with Juan Nunez and some former NBA players that he really doesn’t get to showcase the passing. In limited possessions Dadiet was 93rd percentile as a PnR ball handler this year, and was able to score and pass out of them. He makes good extra passes, and shows a real unselfishness. The cutting is just totally awesome. He sees space super well and knows the speed at which he needs to cut to it.
He has the finishing ability to be awesome on the inside after he cuts, and shows a penchant for being able to use different angles on the glass.
He doesn’t play a lot in transition a lot just due to Ratiopharm’s game, but I think in an upped pace system he can do a lot. He can grab and go, and use his length, athleticism, and size to finish plays there.
His shot selection is quite good for a player of his age, and it shows a true desire to play in a role long-term.
TIER 5: Rotation Players/Upside Swing
Tyler Smith Forward/Big|G League Ignite| 6’10”
Photo via NBA.com Smith has been the player for the Ignite I have been the most certain of what the tape means this year.
Very comfortable shooter and cutter, and truly understands how to play off-ball. He has looked very quality running off screens this year albeit in limited quantity, but one thing I love a bunch as a shooter with him is how comfortable he is shooting off of a ton of different sets of footwork, and he never looks off balance. Off the dribble it also looks pretty good, and he keeps it simple but still gets separation.
Has good hands that allow him to be able to catch and finish in tight spaces. He also has great bounce to be a great lob finisher.
Showed an improving face-up game throughout the season. Looks particularly comfortable with using a jab step and working around that. Has a below-average handle going to his left, and can really only go right.
Is an outright negative playmaker right now. He doesn’t make the right read basically ever.
Still missing a lot on defense, tends to rotate poorly, and doesn’t pay enough attention in help, but will occasionally get one right and erase a shot. On the ball, it's not remotely good at all either. He opens and closes his hips too often, but also isn’t physically capable of being a drop coverage big.
If he can truly play center I would be a lot higher on him right now, but I am not sure of that and that limits his draftability.
Kyle Filipowski Center|Duke|6’11”
Photo via Duke Athletics I have slight worries about Filipowski as a shooter. He shot 28% as a freshman, and 35% as a sophomore (35% of the catch), but in his sophomore year his FT percentage went down from 76% to 67%. That makes me slightly worried he hovers around 30-31% from the NBA 3pt line, which would put him in the Vucevic line as a shooter. Workouts should be a good indicator for how good of a shooter he is.
Good and physical in the post, but tends to rely on bully ball a bit too much for my liking, and he isn’t an outright freak who can do it possession after possession. He has good touch around the rim. He shot 64% and was able to use force and finesse.
When he rolls to the rim he seems to do it with some intent, but it is more of a flow to the rim than a hard roll. This could limit his ability to punish certain defenses, but he “flows” to the rim with a good amount of skill, and is good at operating with the ball once he gets it in that space.
Solid passer. He sees a lot of stuff out of short roll, as well as being able to hit good kick out when he drives. His handle is also very good for the size, and Flip is able to keep it pretty safe just because of the fact he is so big. He is still developing as someone who can drive the basketball reliably.
Looks a tad more mobile than last year, did have surgery. The defense is still a bit low in my opinion. I don’t really see him contributing too much on that end. He won’t be some level of defender that is taking a bunch off the court, but I don’t see a world where he adds anything.
Athletic limitations. His first step might not be good enough to attack closeouts on medium-upper mobility NBA big men.
Tyler Kolek Point Guard|Marquette|6’3”
Photo via Marquette Athletics Just a smart basketball player, an incredible leader, I hate to do the white stereotypes, but Kolek absolutely embodies being an emotional leader who is super competitive. Will probably make a great coach one day if he wants to go down that route.
Likely will be able to run backup point guard minutes.
Good and willing shooter, shooting 41% from 3 over the past 2 years.
Great PnR operator, and has a more advanced passing vocabulary than you may think, but is also able to hit quick passes on the move with either hand.
Plays with a good pace that can be hard to guard
Solid finisher around the rim, particularly against big who only go straight up.
Good at attacking baseline closeouts, and is able to keep the defender on his hip to open up and easily kick out to the corner.
Below-average athlete, and has also struggled a bit when teams overplay his left hand, but his left hand is so good it can be hard to overplay. UConn is the only team that has been able to do it super well.
Ja’Kobe Walter Wing|Baylor|6’6”
Photo via USA Today Has good footwork getting into his jump shots. Going to the rim his footwork is bad. He doesn’t seem to get his feet under him. Not a ton of wiggle. Good at changing speeds.
Ja’Kobe is a good finisher inside, especially once accounting for the degree of difficulty on a lot of his shots.
His 3pt shot looks awesome off of the catch, Walter has a quick release and has little dip to his shot. His feet are always squared. He is super comfortable coming off of screens. His off-the-dribble shot looks good as well, it just isn’t going in at the clip I would want it to as well. He takes some difficult shots and I would want him to take some easier ones.
Gets a lot of steals being aggressive. Will sometimes fall asleep off the ball which isn’t great, but he can be very communicative on defense, often pointing at where teammates need to be, things like, “get out” calling out help, etc.
Gets to the free throw line well just off the basis of blowing by a lot of defenders and initiating contact well. He tends to go right just outright more than left. It does not look bad left, he just goes right more.
The playmaking has gotten a bit better throughout the season. I expect him to be able to be a tertiary ball handler in the NBA before I expected. Solid in the PnR.
Zach Edey Center|Purdue|7’4”
Photo via Getty Images Outright elite screener.
Able to establish a position in the post on outright anyone. He is legitimately elite at it.
Elite rebounder just due to the size. He also has pretty good hands and is able to corral shots well.
Edey is a plus finisher and is able to finish over some of the best big men.
Only able to run deep drop coverage with him. If you are a team and need a big to play 15 minutes a night in drop coverage and screen and finish, Edey is your guy. I don’t think the ceiling is anything higher than that, but I would argue he is the only guy in the class who 100% will not be a bad NBA player.
I believe he will become a bit better as a rim protector in the NBA because he won’t have to worry about getting into foul trouble.
Ajay Mitchell Guard|UCSB|6’4”
Photo via The Santa Barbara Independent Big guard who is super crafty at getting to his shot, his shot profile reminds me a lot of Jalen Brunson. Can’t separate as well as him, but tends to get to the same spots. Never settles and is always looking for a better look, be it for himself or a teammate. One element on his drives that concerns me is his strength in his lower half. He doesn’t get super low on his drives and he is often standing straight up, which against the best NBA defenders can be a lot easier to guard.
Great footwork and change of speed. Will likely develop into a threat to get to the FT line. He plays off two feet super well, and he does have some real burst he can turn on if he needs it, he isn’t just slow.
Out-of-ball screens he understands what pace he needs to play at not only to get to his shot but to help his big on the way to the rim. Clearly plays with a plan, but he also understands when he needs to react to an action from a defender, and has a plethora of counters he can use. He is awesome at throwing lobs.
He finishes well and ended the season at 60%. He has good touch and uses angles well.
Defensively is willing to use his body, and is physical and bought in on that end.
He finished the season shooting 37% from three. Huge jump from the rest of his career, but it looks super real, and the FT% has jumped a bit as well, which makes me more confident in him as a long term shooter.
DaRon Holmes II Big|Dayton|6’10”
Photo via Dayton Athletics Physical big man who explodes towards the rim. Able to use quick footwork to get to the spots he needs to to score. Above average finisher.
A solid driver who can use a lethal spin move in space. Outside of the spin he has a few bit of moves he is able to use to devastate defenders. He offers a lot in terms of being able to quickly score without totally swallowing a possession. His handle isn’t always the best when driving, but his strides are so so long.
Aggressive rebounder. He has a good ability to quickly pop off the floor after a miss for a putback, and is stronger than most other bigs and in the A10 and is able to out-muscle them on the glass, despite not being super huge in his frame.
Shooting well this year which can make him a real stretch big.
He turns the ball over a bit too much. Sometimes it is poor passing reads but a lot of the time it is more charges and poorly timed bumps.
He doesn’t offer a ton of the defensive end and won’t be a flashy rim protector. His hand placement in ball screens isn’t outright bad it is slightly passive for someone who can’t swallow shots.
Jaylon Tyson Wing|Cal|6’7”
Photo via PAC-12 Do it all wing who can shoot, score, and dribble. His handle is nice and tight, and he has all the counters available to wear down a defender. He is awesome at changing speeds and being able to recognize what space he needs to take.
Confidence and ability to pull up and shoot off the ball. Doesn’t just make pull-ups, but truly understands when to take them. His form can look a bit robotic, but it is a repeatable motion. Good footwork on midrange pull-ups, along with being able to mimic this footwork for a good hesitation into a drive to the rim. He has a lot of feel for when to take the shot, compared to when to threaten the shot.
Really strong, able to absorb contact when going to the rim.
Operating as a lead ball handler at Berkley, and some of the turnovers are bad, but I buy the flashes a bit more, as his teammates aren’t doing him a lot of help in terms of the assist numbers. Looks comfortable out of the PnR. His passes are more reactionary compared to reading the defense. He will see a 2nd defender come to help on his drive, and then throw the kick-out, instead of predetermining his read. He is good at throwing passes while moving.
His defense is a mixed bag. He looked pretty disengaged on defense this year at Berkley, but it looked a lot better at Texas Tech, where he had a lower offensive load. I buy into the fact that with lower load he might defend better, but he isn’t some lockdown guy on the perimeter.
Baylor Scheierman Wing|Creighton|6’7”
Photo via The Athletic Lights out shooter from beyond the arc.
Has some good length to him, and seeing him up close in Lincoln you can tell there is some size to him.
Has a high release which will make it hard for people to contest his shot, but he struggles when contested.
Quick trigger, also knows when to attack a closeout. Occasionally pulls a shot from really deep in scenarios with little clock left, but he probably won’t due that in the NBA due to having less of a green light. (I mean he shot 19 3s against Nebraska)
Shoots it well in set situations, and is a lot less confident off movement.
There are some flashes as a passer, he will occasionally throw down a pass or two in a game that just looks great and is a fantastic read.
Pretty poor defender there is just no way around it. Will get targeted in an NBA environment. He rebounds pretty solid though.
Forced to always hate you for torching Nebraska. Love your game Baylor
TIER 6: Second-Round Picks
AJ Johnson Guard/Wing|Illawarra|6’5”
Photo via NBL Johnson has good balance on his shot, but his release point can be inconsistent. I tend to believe in him as a shooter, and all the touch indicators are there.
Got to and shot well at the rim in AAU, but is now shooting poorly at the rim with the Hawks. Seems to solely be because of physical limitations when compared to the often grown men of the NBL. Great Euro Step around the rim, and shows some good craft in that area. I want him to develop a floater as teams pack the paint.
He can use his burst to explode into cuts off the ball, and he does a good job at recognizing when his man is ball-watching.
He steadily improved in his ability to read the game as the season went on. He has huge flashes and particularly had some in the combine. I really think he can run ball screens, and a lot of the time he was able to patiently react to the defense and make the right read, and more creative reads.
Works hard on defense, it just isn’t all there physically. Has the footspeed to cut off drives. He competed super hard late in the year, and really carved out more of a role there.
Cam Christie Guard/Wing|Minnesota|6’6”
Photo via Sports Illustrated Quality shooter who is comfortable using ball screens to attack off of one or two dribbles. Good at squaring his hips in the air to be able to hit a 3 off of one dribble. Good balance. He finished the year shooting 42%, 43% off the catch, 42% off the dribble, and 41% from NBA range. It is safe to say Christie is an awesome shooter. He doesn’t shoot coming off of screens really ever, which is more of a product of the Minnesota offense. Christie is a super comfortable shooter out of handoffs, which projects well as a potential shooter off of screens in the NBA. He has great feet when he is shooting, and is never off balance, with high level body control.
Has good length on the defensive end. Isn’t as twitchy as his brother Max so the defensive ceiling is a bit lower. Still projects as a more than capable defender.He opens his hips up more than I would like, but his hips are fluid. He is a solid team defender, and fill lanes well. His closeouts are nice and controlled, particularly for his age. On rare occasions he will hop at the end of a closeout and get blown by, but he really just has to not do that and he will be fine in my opinion. He can struggle to get through screens, but I think a lot of that is an issue with his frame, and he will be fine in time. Normally his lower half gets around before his upper half.
Doesn’t separate from defenders too well. Suited more to play without the ball in his hands. He does some good things as a passer, but he isn’t a primary creator at all. He is good in 4v3 situations. He doesn’t turn it over pretty much at all, which is impressive for a freshman.
He is a pretty poor finisher. He only converted 36% of his shots at the rim, and he doesn’t get there very often.
Kyshawn George Wing|Miami|6’8”
Photo via Miami Athletics Plus shooter off of the catch. He has a super quick release. Off the dribble it all looks very good. He definitely prefers to gather off of his left hand, and tends to struggle in the mid range. He has shown a desire to shoot into drop coverage.
Recently grown into a new body and it is pretty obvious when you watch him move. Looks goofy. Hurts him most when he gets to the rim because he also doesn’t have the size at the moment to handle hard contact. He tends to outright shy away from contact.
He has a very tight handle, able to get some penetration whilst keeping the ball safe from defenders.
Has some real passing chops. Clearly played point guard most of his life, and is able to use a bit of hesitation to hit a teammate. He makes advanced skip passes and is good at throwing lobs. Strong passing vocabulary.
Defense is a mixed bag. Can be a bit lazy with his feet, but understands how to use his length. Sometimes has lapses in focus off the ball. His defensive ability in the NBA could just come down to the coach.
I have some real concerns for him athletically. He doesn’t even pop at the college level.
Bobi Klintman Forward|NBL Taipans|6’10”
Photo via ESPN Long and lean at 6’10, 225 pounds, with the potential to add muscle easily. Grew 2 inches taller during his lone season at Wake Forest, indicating further physical development. Fluidly athletic but can lack some explosiveness, meaning he can’t always get by defenders.
In halfcourt offense he struggles with turnovers due to a poor handle and often just making the wrong read when driving to the lane for a kickout.
He is a totally awesome and smart cutter. Bobi is able to look for good timing and is able to get in the lane and is easily found by his defenders.
Spaced the floor solidly at Wake Forest at 37% from 3 and is now shooting 35% from 3 in the NBL. Perimeter skills are still developing. Clearly has good touch on the shot, and good mechanics. He struggles to shoot off the dribble.
Defensively there is a ton of potential, as he already looks comfortable guarding larger forwards. Is still learning how to guard perimeter players, but there is a ton of potential switchability. Will need to get stronger for the NBA. He is really quick laterally and can cut off drives by just outright beating someone to the spot. He rotates a bit slow for my liking, but it is passable for now.
In transition, he runs the floor well as a scorer and passer. Able to make the right read in transition and uses his length and fluidity to score.
Not a good finisher at the rim due to an outright inability to finish through contact. Being able to finish will make or break Klintman as an NBA player.
Yves Missi Big|Baylor|6’10”
Photo Via Baylor Athletics Has a good feel for how to roll to the basket and what space to occupy, reminiscent of Clint Capela in that way. He sets great seals on the inside as well after rolling.
Missi has good hands on the roll and is able to catch some lobs with a degree of difficulty.
High motor for rebounds. He is good with his hands to be able to get around other bigs on the inside and force himself into the spot he needs to be in to get the board. He really corrals the ball.
Good at sliding his feet in a soft drop. One people get inside on him he is able to absolutely eviscerate some shots inside. He has some real length and coordination when going up for the ball.
Sometimes his touch can be a bit questionable with his left hand. A lot of the times when he misses a layup he isn’t supposed to with his left he will get the offensive rebound so it doesn’t really matter, but it is still pretty concerning.
Jonathan Mogbo Big|San Francisco|6’8”
Photo via San Francisco Athletics Mogbo is a great finisher inside converting at a 74% rate there. He is a great lob threat despite being slightly undersized because he pops off of the floor, and he has good touch around the rim. He has an awesome frame and a lot of defenders just bounce off of him and he has great balance with the ball in his hands. He has super strong shoulders and he does this thing when posting up where he is able to seal the defender and hold him with the upper part of his arm and shoulder to then receive the pass and score.
Due to being incredibly fast for someone his size he is an absolute unit in transition. Mogbo is able to get to the rim against anyone, and is an awesome transition threat.
He is a physical rebounder who is able to use his strength and pop off of the floor to be able to be a menace on the glass.
The huge swing skill is Mogbo as a passer. Mogbo is able to hit cutters in a way not a lot of players his size can. As a short roll playmaker he is fantastic as well. When I was scouting him, one play in particular jumped out against Purdue Fort Wayne where he caught the ball in a crowded space and in midair, off balance, instantly hit a cutting player from the baseline.
Defensively Mogbo is a hard worker and has the footspeed to compete with perimeter players. Mogbo is also super strong and is able to hold up inside against big men. I love his versatility and ability to force turnovers and block shots on that end.
He has no semblance of a jump shot. He can’t even stretch the floor out to the midrange and knock down shots from there. He doesn’t shoot the FT particularly well either.
Johnny Furphy Wing|Kansas|6’9”
Photo via Kansas Athletics The defense is awful on the ball. The closeouts just look funny. Looks like he kinda wants to defend but doesn’t have any technique. He opens and closes his hips way too much. Off-ball he can do a lot more just due to his size.
Athleticism is real. Has legit vertical pop along with the fluidity and body control to allow him to stay within himself when he has the ball in his hands.
Outright devastating transition weapon on offense. He runs out super hard, and understands how to fill a lane, and uses that aforementioned athleticism and size to be able to be basically unstoppable at the rim.
He has been an amazing finisher at the rim. He is shooting around 80% at the rim which is an incredible number.
Shooting is amazing when spotting up. He is great at setting his feet on a spot up, meaning a hop step, step into, or something along those lines. There is some semblance of movement shooting, but I wouldn’t call it a skill right now.
Plays off-ball super smart. Furphy can use his quickness and understanding of space to find a little slot to get to a 3, or cut into space on the interior and finish over a player. He is a true zone killer due to this cutting and shooting ability, and him being on the floor almost outright eliminates the chance of an opposing team playing zone.
Good rebounder, particularly on offense.
Not at all a creator on offense for himself or for others, but he does at least keep the ball moving. To improve he would need to be able to come off a DHO and playmake for himself and others there.
Oso Ighodaro Center|Marquette|6’11”
Photo via Marquette Athletics Scoring-wise, Oso has an amazing floater. Unfortunately, that is about it. Needs to get better at going over his right shoulder, right now it's all left shoulder. An above-average lob threat.
Fortunately, Oso is a super smart basketball player and is great in ball screens and DHO’s. Particularly in DHOs he understands how to roll out of them, and the space his guards (Kolek and Jones) need to operate in space, and is great at sealing off defenders and creating easy opportunities for himself. This is a desirable skill for an NBA bench center to have, and I am confident a team would want to add him to their bench to be able to improve their offense.
In these DHOs he's great at using high-level ball fakes to make a help defender cheat over and then flip it to the man across the floor in the corner. Super smart and understands how to use these. Keeps the ball safe when faking.
He is also a pretty good team defender as well. He rotates well, understands how to use his length, and does well to alter shots from bigs. Isn’t athletic enough to deal with an Embiid type, but is anyone really? He is relatively switchable onto wings and has been good at not getting caught out in space.
Needs to rebound better to play some more real NBA minutes. He has good motor as a rebounder, but he doesn't quite understand leverage and angles on the glass.
Ryan Dunn Wing/Forward|Virginia|6’7”
Photo via TheSabre.com Could instantly defend on an NBA court, with room to grow (Anunoby-level ceiling potentially)
Flies around the court, rotates timely, does it with anticipation, and forces turnovers. He was legitimately the best defender in college ball; if I threw him on an NBA court tomorrow I believe he would excel.
On-ball is amazing as well. He is able to use his fluidity in his hips along with his length and athleticism to completely smother offensive players at every level on defense.
Shot well in HS but has not in 2 years at UV. It looks boxy and his footwork begins wide and then comes closed. I don't know how to describe it. He is also out of rhythm. It looks bad and like a HUGE project.
Gets to the FT line a solid amount and is making them at a 58% clip which shows even less promise to shoot.
His finishing is pretty awesome. He can go up with either hand and outright finish over people. He can get to the rim well off the ball. He dives well off of screens, and can cut when stagnant as well. His handle is not bad at all. He can drive to the rim pretty well and get there. But if he is up against a better defender and gets cut off he has to take a jump shot and that just isn’t good.
He is an awesome rebounder on offense or defense. He is super strong when rebounding, and he is able to crash on offense with tons of authority.
Jamal Shead Point Guard|Houston|6’1”
Photo via AP A tough defender who has real chops to be special at the next level. Shead is undersized in his height, but his wingspan is pretty good at 6’6” and he has real strength and width to his frame while remaining agile. He is awesome on and off the ball, and he has an outright elite ability on that end.
His team’s offense at Houston is so bad that a lot of possessions come down to him being forced to create a tough shot so his efficiency isn’t what I would want, however, he isn’t a complete dud on that end.
3pt shooting leaves a lot to be desired but he has real midrange touch and is at least willing to shoot 3s.
Is both a good finisher at the rim and has a good floater, both of which are super important for his size.
Shead is a good passer who will hit the open man pretty much every time. His passing vocabulary is nothing special and won’t wow but he make the right read often.
Kel’el Ware Center|Indiana|7’0”
Photo via ESPN Toolsy big man who is able to use his elite size and quality touch to impact the game.
He can struggle when dealing with real size inside. He doesn’t have a whole lot of strength in his core and chest
Shooting teases to make him potentially be an elite lob threat and a pick and pop threat. 11-25 as of 2/2/24.
Mental lapse and effort issues on both sides of the ball. Tends to shy away from contact. He can struggle to be disciplined around the rim, and pretty much leaves his feet for every single opportunity for a block and never just contests.
He can be poor at handling double teams and often just turns it over outright. He doesn’t have counters he kicked it out and had to reset the offense.
Adem Bona Big|UCLA|6’9”
Photo via ESPN Flies around the floor defensively, is amazing in a pseudo-drop coverage that UCLA utilizes, along with being fast enough to hedge.
Pops off the floor vertically, which is also great for rebounding. He rebounds with force and is fantastic both offensively and defensively. Sometimes he doesn’t always find himself in the right place and that limits his potential as a rebounder.
He just fouls way too much. He needs to be more disciplined.
This sophomore season has resulted in more offense being played around him and both the tape and numbers indicate that this just isn’t something Bona can do at the NBA level. For him, it's going to be a lot of sitting in the dunker spot and rim running. Struggles with double teams in particular a lot.
Playing more on the perimeter defensively due to the presence of Aday Mara early in the season for UCLA and it just shows how versatile he is because he is thriving out there. He uses his size properly on switches and knows when to commit to an option of a smaller player. He is also just outright stronger than most of them.
Poor finisher around the rim when he can’t just posterize someone. Has a particularly bad left hand
Pelle Larsson Guard/Wing|Arizona|6’6”
Photo via Arizona Athletics Larsson is a tried and true guard with positional size, that allows him to slide to the wing and not have a whole lot of downsides.
Larsson has a good frame, and is able to use this frame along with soft touch to be an awesome finisher inside. He doesn’t struggle with contact.
He is an awesome shooter off of the catch. He can leverage both this and some solid athleticism to get inside the lane.
He has some real passing chops and can runs some offensive sets out of DHOs, or just outright ball screens. When he drives he often looks first to pass before he goes to the rim. He really looks OVER defenders because of his size. He is pretty unselfish and makes great decisions despite his lower usage.
He has a lot of interesting short roll passing tape. He ran some Guard-Wing PnR at Arizona and was able to score and pass. The passing isn’t quite as good, but I think he clearly has the vision to be able to continue to get better at this and make the right pass.
Sometimes he just outright disappears in games. He won’t make proactive decisions with the ball in his hands and will just kinda sit off ball and just not do anything.
He is an ok defender. He doesn’t stop guys from driving, he just makes it slightly more difficult, which is sometimes the best you can ask for. It isn’t anything groundbreaking, but he does enough to hang around. Sometimes he fouls a bit much with aggressive hands.
Dillon Jones Guard/Wing|Weber State|6’6”
Photo via KSL Sports Despite being righty Jones is super comfortable going to his left. Changes speed super well on his drives, and invites contact because he knows he can handle it. Uses angles really well around the rim.
Handle is good enough to get his separation in both isolation and PnR.
Only a two-level scorer right now. Jones can either shoot the middy or get to the rim, he cannot reliably shoot the 3-point pull-up right now, but I buy the off-ball shooting.
Really good at making next-level passing reads. Not to outright flame his big man at Weber, but Jones doesn’t quite have a strong roll man, so his nearly 5 assists a game look much more impressive when you realize they all come from PnR kickouts. Uses his eyes well.
Isn’t a very explosive athlete. Won’t pop in the NBA.
Quality rebounder. He is pretty physical and does a lot there. He has good length and that helps him there.
The defense is a bit in between. Jones is a smart team defender but the on-ball defense worries me due to the aforementioned lack of athleticism. Doesn’t have super active hands. Weber State did hide him as if he got in foul trouble they automatically lost. He could be better.
I am mildly concerned he will struggle at transitioning to more off-ball in the NBA, but the ability to go get a bucket and pass really pops.
Cam Spencer Guard|UConn|6’4”
Photo via UConn Athletics A lights-out shooter from beyond the arc. Spencer can use his shooting gravity to attack hard closeouts and get into his mid-range pull-up.
Cam is also a smart passer. He doesn’t do anything amazing, but he can operate off of a DHO or be able to advance the ball when necessary quickly inside of an offense.
He can struggle to finish inside against larger players.
Cam is a tough defender and gives a lot of effort, but he just is too small to guard super well at the next level. He is a guy who is going to go for every single loose ball, every chance for an offensive rebound, and make big effort plays.
Terrence Shannon Jr. Guard|Illinois|6’6”
Photo via Illinois Athletics One of the oldest players in the class, as Shannon is in his 5th year of college ball
One of the most productive guards in the country, the lefty Shannon can create a lot of opportunities for himself. Put up an uber-efficient 33 on FAU, and when the shot wasn’t falling against an amazing Tennessee defense, got to the line 11 times to still push his team to the wing.
The offensive gameplan does scare me. He tends to drive with reckless abandon and he doesn’t decelerate well at all. His decision making isn’t particularly good, and he doesn’t offer a lot as a passer.
Good size for his position, and could slide down to the 3, OR potentially guard PoA in a larger lineup alongside a primary wing creator in the Tatum-PG archetype who takes care of primary ball-handling duties.
Inconsistent shooter throughout his career, but this year has doubled his volume and shoot 36%. 35% career shooter. He was only 34% on CnS this season, and I am not sure how many on-ball 3s he is going to be taking.
A high-level athlete who could become an even better defender as time goes on.
Legal situation has no impact on placement. He was acquitted but I am still not sure how teams feel about drafting him.
Melvin Ajinca Wing|Saint Quentin|6’8”
Photo via Basket Europe Ajinca is a wing with a good frame. He still needs to get some size in his lower half in my opinion, but there is a good start.
Ajinca is a solid shooter as well. He is able to shoot more so than just off the catch, and has a little stepback he likes to get to when relocating off a closeout, along with running off of screens pretty well.
He is good at using his strength to get into the lane. He struggles once he gets there and will turn it over or take a poor shot.
He doesn’t offer a whole lot a passer, and he doesn’t look like he will improve that much on that end.
He is a very switchable defender. Ajinca knows how to compete on that end. He can end up being a bit undisciplined but he is passable right now on that end, with switchable upside. Most good tape comes from FIBA. Saint Quentin almost exclusively ran zone.
Antonio Reeves Guard/Wing|Kentucky|6’4”
Photo via Kentucky A quality off-ball scorer who uses his gravity as a good shooter to be able to get into the lane. When in the lane Reeves has a couple of different things he can do. He LOVES the floater and is pretty efficient at taking it, along with being good at the rim.
He doesn’t offer a ton from the mid-range because he can’t always stretch that floater out to Anfernee Simons’ floater range.
Is good at coming off DHO’s and that really is the only place we see any creation from him, as he is solid at hitting the big man once there.
Poor defender both from a technique and effort perspective. He doesn’t really have the footspeed or hands to defend at a high level, and you can tell it isn’t really a focus for him.
Enrique Freeman Big|Akron|6’8”
Photo via Akron Beacon Journal He can post up pretty well, but his frame is a bit thin and I am not sure that is going to be the long-term role for him, especially if he is going to be playing small ball 5. He can definitely post up smaller 4s, and his footwork on post-ups is incredible. He is patient and great at drawing fouls.
This patience translates to Freeman being a good passer. He calmly handles doubles and can do some fun stuff in hitting cutters and more advanced skip passes.
His shooting is an absolute X-factor. He shot 37% from 3, but it was only 54 attempts. His form looked a lot different in his Combine tape than in games, so I don’t know if he has tweaked it a lot, so I really just have no idea if he is able to shoot. The FT stuff has improved year by year, but it still just isn’t great.
Freeman was a dominant rebounder this past season. While he is only 6’8” he measured in with a 7’3” wingspan, and he has a super high motor for his rebounds. This length also has some upside in his rim protection. He can often come from the weakside and offer some rim protection. I have some concerns about his vertical pop, as he only measured in with a 35-inch vertical, and it is sometimes evident on tape. When you combine that with his questionable height, that makes me concerned about his ability to be able to contest NBA bigs.
He is pretty switchable and has good feet, and he showed that well in the G League combine and the NBA combine. His team defense is also pretty good, and he just often ends up in the correct spot. He plays pretty maturely.
KJ Simpson Point Guard|Colorado|6’2”
Photo via Colorado Athletics Undersized guard who plays with good craft in order to pick his spots. Isn’t a super explosive athlete, but is intelligent in the way he attacks defenders.
Quality shooter, but doesn’t do it well off movement. He has a solid base. Didn’t display a ton of NBA range, but nothing suggests he can’t shoot from there.
Smart passer, but doesn’t have a ton of vocabulary. Good at making the pass to a rolling big man.
The defense is kinda bad, doesn’t have size as I mentioned earlier, and doesn’t get in front of defenders well.
Juan Nunez Guard|Ratiopharm|6’3”
Photo via FIBA Won U20 Euro MVP in 2022
Quick and creative lead guard who is able to be a quality bench scorer with upside in the NBA
Nunez is able to use his good burst with the ball in his hands to get to the rim. This burst combined with his great touch allows him to take angles a lot of other players can’t at the rim. Changes speeds really well when attacking in isolation.
Nunez can finish well off either foot. Utilizes a floater.
Has some creative passing chops with some INTENSE flair. He doesn’t make the perfect pass 100% of the time, but throws out 1 to 3 passes a game that just wow. Able to throw passes with equal ability off of both hands. He can struggle when forced to drive with his right. If teams overplay his left hand he can struggle to get into the lane.
The shooting is a huge concern. He displayed some improvement before his 2023 season but has largely remained stagnant since then. The FT shooting isn’t elite either so it doesn’t project too well.
Poor defender doesn’t have the size, length, or footspeed to be a plus individual defender. He often gets caught ball watching, and doesn’t offer anything at all on the defensive end.
Trentyn Flowers Guard/Wing|NBL 36ers|6’8”
Photo via NBL Trentyn is ideally a jumbo point guard who can handle the ball as a secondary creator. Struggled with this a lot at first in the NBL, and has moved more off-ball. Since moving off-ball, he has begun shooting the ball better and ended up shooting 35% from 3, which piques my interest a bit more.
Flowers is very athletic. He has a great first step, and just kinda looks like an NBA player out there.
Flowers tends to attack the rim with absolutely zero regard sometimes. He can definitely get to the rim, but it's often with the entire paint collapsed, and he can’t finish. It isn’t that he can’t pass, its that he seems to make a decision on if he is going to pass BEFORE he needs to, and won’t make it or does. He does have a real ability to decelerate when going to the rim, and has some wiggle.
He can’t really pass off the dribble right now. That outright limits his ability to play right now, and his handle is a bit out of control. It is just kinda loose.
Flowers rebounds pretty well on the defensive end. That's about it for positives on defense. He will get targeted in ball screens, he takes a lot of risks, and he just outright isn’t very good. He is bad at getting around screens off the ball as well.
Nikola Djurisic Wing|KK Mega|6’8”
Photo via Basketball Sphere Creative player on the court. He is able to see some angles on the court a lot of players, particularly at his size don’t see.
He tends to need the ball in his hands and I am just not too sure about his role. The bad shooting is the clear one, but he doesn’t do a lot in terms of cutting or any kind of off-ball moving. He doesn’t run DHOs, there is NOTHING in terms of a translatable role.
He often drives to the rim without a plan. He kinda just gets to the rim and throws up something dumb or kicks a pass out of bounds.
His vision is pretty good, and he throws super quick passes. He looks off passes well, and is clearly capable of creating for himself and others at lower levels.
The shooting is improved, but it is a super flat jump shot and I don’t love it at all, and still think there are a lot of questions.
His defense is pretty bad. He isn’t super disciplined while he slides or closes outs, and he jumps for every single pump fake. He doesn’t rebound like at all.
Quinten Post Big|Boston College|7’0”
Photo via Boston College Athletics Post is a big who is solid at everything.
He can step out and shoot it . He shot 43% the past two seasons on great volume. He has some great coordination that makes he pretty good operating out of the short roll, along with being able to run DHOs. He often makes the right read and keeps it simple.
On the interior he is a solid rim protector. He mainly affects shooters rather than outright erasing shots, but he doesn’t foul and is able to play within himself down low. He has solidly fluid hips that helps with his footspeed, and is able to do a little bit on the perimeter. He isn’t outright dead out there.
He isn’t explosive at all, which limits him a bit as a lob threat, along with limited his rim protection ceiling.
His post-up game is very limited, but he is able to play face up and drive to the rim pretty well. His handle is ok and good enough for oppsoing bigs to not be able to pickpocket. I am not sure how much of this he is going to do at the NBA level, but it should translate.
Jaylen Wells Wing|Washington State|6’7”
Photo via Washington State Athletics Awesome shooter. He can shoot it from real range and has a super quick trigger. He has some ability to put the ball on the floor, but he can’t really finish at the rim. He isn’t very strong and struggles when he goes to the rim. He settles a lot for mid-range jumpers, which isn’t a terrible shot for him, but I want to see him get to the rim more.
He has awesome touch on the floater and is clearly able to make those, but he doesn’t always have the space to.
He doesn’t really do anything with the ball in his hands. His handle is ok, he doesn’t separate super well, and he isn’t a bad passer who will throw the ball in the stands or anything, but he isn’t a playmaker.
Doesn’t slide very well on defense. He is very skinny as well, and he will likely get bullied on that end. As a team defender, he is solid, but he just does not do anything in terms of defensive playmaking, making him a total negative on this end.
TIER 7: Stash/Two-Way Contracts/Exhibit 10s
Tristen Newton Guard|UConn|6’5”
Photo via UConn Athletics Newton offers a little bit of everything on a basketball court. He has a real ability to affect the game as both a passer and a scorer, and has an ability to turn to whatever skill the game needs at the moment. His 3pt shot is still only ok, but a lot of his 3s are self created, and he has always been an awesome free throw shooter.
He has some good shake to his game and is able to separate from even some of the best defenders in the country. He is good as using this little shake in ball screens, navigating his way towards the paint. He did have one of the easiest targets to hit on PnR in the country in Clingan, but he still did it well.
Newton was never super effective in transition, but that was never UConn’s style of play. He does have enough athleticism I could see him excelling in a bit faster paced game.
Newton is a pretty smart passer. There is not a ton of flash but he is good enough at making the right read.
He doesn’t offer anything special on defense. He has some good length, but that is pretty much counteracted by his slight frame. He won’t be a player who gets exposed or anything on defense, but he isn’t offering anything in particular.
Keshad Johnson Wing|Arizona|6’6”
Photo via ESPN Johnson’s versatility shows most on the defensive end. He has a good frame and slides his feet very well. He has a good stance. Switchable 1-4. He rotates very well on the defensive end, and is always in the right place. He was a large reason Arizona’s defense was so good, as he had a huge role in helping Oumar Ballo stay in the paint and rim protect.
He doesn’t jump passing lanes well or have a whole lot of ability to block shots or pickpocket ball handlers.
He shoots the ball pretty well. He shot 40% on CnS 3s, which is the majority of his attempts. He only shot it starting this season, so I have some questions about his true ability. I reckon he shoots closer to 36% in the NBA.
His handle is very limited, and he can’t really attack the lane.
His passing is also limited, or even outright poor. He just doesn’t really have high feel for how to make the right pass.
Kevin McCullar Wing|Kansas|6’6”
Photo via Getty Images His first step is good and his handle is good as well. He is good at recognizing space to get downhill into the lane. I think he struggles when he doesn’t get to the FT line. I also don’t think he will get to the line in the NBA with the way that NBA defenders (particularly help defenders) are so much more disciplined.
Gets off balance easily from contact. Likely needs to improve his core strength to do so but is already a 5th year college player.
The defense has taken a step back this year. Likely due to an increased offensive role. Sometimes gambles too hard for my liking, but has super active hands and has the potential to be a sub-all-defensive player in the NBA. His technique is great but he doesn’t have the athletic tools to rely on that, and he has to be dialed in all the time to be a good defender.
Great rebounder who is willing to crash and does it with aggression.
His shooting is kinda of alarming. He has never really improved as a shooter in his entire college career and did get to 33% this year from a career average of 31%, but that isn’t a tangible improvement for me to bill him as 3 and D. His 2pt jump shooting is also quite poor and that makes me concerned that he just outright doesn’t have the ability to score via jumpers.
Seems to play a bit too out of control for my liking. Doesn’t always look like he has a plan.
I don’t believe the ceiling is anywhere near that of a starting NBA player. There is a total chance he is a solid backup for 8 years in the league but even that I am bullish on due to decision-making and shooting inconsistency.
Injury concerns as well, it's been some ankle stuff, some knee stuff as well. This does factor a bit in my placement, despite not having the official medicals.
Ariel Hukporti Big|NBL Melbourne|7’0”
Photo via NBL Has athletic pop to his game. Is also a quality screener who can either get a pass and finish or go get a lob. Rolls to the rim well.
Probably the best rebounder in the entire class. Does so with authority. He has perfect box-out technique along with also high pointing the ball well. He uses his muscle to just move guys.
Can absolutely erase some shots. Has improved throughout the season with his defensive decision-making.
Not remotely switchable on the defensive end. He can also struggle with foul struggle.
He doesn’t have a whole lot of offensive game outside of the rim.
Trey Alexander Guard|Creighton|6’4”
Photo via Creighton Athletics He was an inconsistent shooter this year, but he is a quality spacer and he is likely going to project as a good off-ball shooter.
A great rebounder. He gives a lot of effort.
Good at knowing what he wants to do, and can use craft or wiggle when necessary, and that is something else I think is important for his game as well.
Hangs his handle a lot, easier for NBA-level defenders to strip
Takes a lot of mid-range shots right now, and I am not sure if an NBA team would actually let him take these early on, but he is great at converting them. Has good hips in the air.
Has poor footwork on mid-post possessions specifically when he is guarded by heavier players. If you compete with his first step, he isn’t comfortable when bumped left. He can struggle to get into the paint.
Armel Traore Wing|Blois|6’9”
Photo via Sports Illustrated Traore is an explosive athlete in many ways. He leverages this and a high motor to be an impact defender. He also has a good frame.
He rotates well on defense.
He gets out in transition to leverage his length and athleticism, as well as outright out-hustling guys to the rim.
He finishes well. He can get above the rim while also having some solid touch.
He isn’t a shooter or creator right now. His handle is poor and his jumper is boxy. Those are the swing skills right now.
He gets over aggressive on defense and can foul too much.
Jaelen House Guard|New Mexico|6’1”
Photo via Getty Images House is an outright competitor on the defensive end. He has near-perfect technique, with awesome hands, and good footwork. He can simultaneously pick up his man full court, but also wreak havoc in the backline as a free safety type of role. He did foul a lot more this year compared to last year, so he has to lower that again. He also just doesn’t get the best contests off due to his lack of size and length.
He is a creative passer for others, but also turns the ball over a bit more than I would like. His passing also took a dip this year due to roster construction.
His jump shot really worries me. It looks off-balance, and despite being awesome from the FT line, he never really looks confident in his shot.
As a pick-and-roll player House is able to utlize his quickness and understanding of space to score. He is limited at getting to the rim due to his size.
House is a true competitor who really cares about basketball. If he doesn’t eventually make it in the league he will be super successful in the NBL or potentially even the Spanish League.
Justin Edwards Wing|Kentucky|6’7”
Photo via Sports Illustrated Edwards has a quick first step, but he sometimes looks like he is playing at too fast of a speed. He has impressive body control, but he just doesn’t always look like he has a plan. This can limit his ability to get to the rim.
He cuts well. He doesn’t need a screen and can do it out of structure. He is also a pretty good finisher and can convert a lot of these looks well.
His jump shot has looked a lot better recently. He lower half looks great, and he looks like he gets good touch off the release, which is pretty high. He doesn’t shoot it well off the dribble.
The defense steadily improved through the season. I feel like he is finally at a place where he doesn’t look lost off-ball, and will show some flashes of defensive playmaking in passing lanes. On the ball he still looks mediocre. His hips are a bit stiff, and he sometimes is a bit too passive. His closeouts are still poor, and he is often in a kind of no-mans-land where he isn’t really defending the shot well, and he isn’t playing the drive, along with being off balance.
There are some connective playmaking things there with Edwards that really pop. He ended up being pretty awesome in Kentucky’s transition offense, and made some pretty good outlets. He is a willing passer but the vision isn’t super special or anything.
PJ Hall Big|Clemson|6’10”
Photo via ESPN Quality finisher on the inside and has solid touch around the rim. Super strong. Has real potential to pick and pop, shoots with confidence, but is shooting at only an ok clip right now.
Rebounds super well, understands leverage on the glass and gets into position super well.
Quality cutter. He moves solid in space when off the ball.
The defense is ok, he isn’t very mobile, but he also is good in individual defense against bigs.
Jalen Bridges Wing|Baylor|6’7”
Photo via Sports Illustrated A wing wired to score off-ball who can do so because he has been an elite shooter this year. He is 40% on the year, which is a huge jump from previous years. It looks good and he shoots it with a ton of confidence.
Bridges is an good cutter and is really good at subtly altering his teammates he is open.
Defends players with size well but can occasionally need help with the quickest players. He will lean more toward defense positive than negative. Knows how to navigate a ball screen. He keeps his arms out at all times. Kinda reminds me of Royce O’Neale.
Only super comfortable attacking closeouts to his left, and needs to add a couple more moves out of a closeout to his arsenal. He struggles to put the ball on the ground. His first step isn’t good either.
Jaylin Williams Forward|Auburn|6’8”
Photo via Auburn Athletics He was a great finisher inside, not only being good directly at the rim, but he also has some hook shots he can use to counter defenders. His finishing package is a bit awkward looking, but it goes in so I can just look past it. He can get to the rim well via cuts and lobs. He has some real vertical pop and is able to throw down some nasty slams.
He shot 40% on some of the ugliest form I have ever seen in a jump shot of that percentage. He shot is pretty well his entire college career, so I guess he can shoot. It is mainly from the corner and isn’t self created at all, but he can at least punish teams who over-help. His handle isn’t great and he won’t be able to create in the NBA, and I am not even sure he can attack a closeout.
Williams is a do-it all wing who is able to impact the game in a few different ways. He has a strong frame and good wingspan. This frame and wingspan makes him able to compete with people driving inside. He can use his strong lower half and length to erase some shots. He isn’t a weakside rim protector but more of an on-ball shot blocker.
On the perimiter he can impact on defense as well. He competes super hard and never gives up on plays. He doesn’t have the athletic tools to be a wall on defense, but he is solid.
N’Faly Dante Big|Oregon|6’11”
Photo via Sports Illustrated Dante has an awesome frame, with a 7’6” wingspan and being listed at 265. He is clearly able to handle contact and there won’t be a learning curve for him at all adapting to the league’s physicality.
Dante is also one of the nation’s highest level finishers. He pretty much dunks everything, and does so super efficiently. Even when he doesn’t dunk, he still understands angles to use off the glass and has some pretty soft touch.
Defensively there is a lot to like. He pops off the floor pretty quickly, and he isn’t some insane leaper, but he definitely is able to get to shots quickly.He is an awesome rebounder as well, he is physical and willing to get dirty. He has pretty good hand placement in PnR,and he slides in a way that allows him to use his length.
Isaiah Crawford Wing/Forward|LA Tech|6’6”
Photo via LA Tech Athletics Crawford has an NBA ready frame with a 7 foot wingspan. He has very fluid hips and some quickness that can allow him to become a great defender at the next level. Right now he is able to guard 1-4, as he has the speed to be able to operate on the perimeter, but the vertical pop and length to compete inside. To guard larger 4s in the NBA he would need to add a bit more weight, but he isn’t particulaly skinny right now. He does some fun stuff in terms of rim protection due to his athleticism and length, and I think he can be run in basically any spot regardless of scheme.
He is a power driver more than a quickness driver, and Crawford can sometimes struggle to get all the way to the rim. Once he gets to the rim he is a good finisher. He does some fun things as a screener and being able to relocate. I would want to see him develop this more in the G League, along with being able to operate out of the short roll, as it isn’t something he was asked to do a whole lot.
His shooting numbers are good, but I don’t love that it takes him quite a while to get 3s off. His load is just pretty slow, and that concerns me in the NBA where closeouts come fast. In addition he doesn’t pass it well. It just isn’t something he was ever asked to do and it isn’t a skill.
He has had multiple ACL tears in his past and I don’t know any other intel on that, but it can obviously be scary. I have him a solid bit lower because of that.
Boogie Ellis Guard|USC|6’2”
Photo via Yahoo Sports Ellis is a creative ball handler and scorer who is limited in his role. He can score off the PnR and being run of screens. He has a real ability to simply just put the ball in the hole, but he doesn’t do a lot in terms of his creation for others. If he is coming off a screen, or running the PnR, he is always looking to score. He isn’t ever looking to create for others.
He shoots it often and well, along with good range.
He is not only short, but he is super skinny and will get outright targeted on the defensive end. He does compete pretty well and move well laterally, along with having length, but when you combine his age and frame it isn’t very promising.
He doesn’t have a whole lot of vertical pop and that limits him as a finisher. He can’t every get above the rim and he struggles with huge centers.
Ulrich Chomche Big|Cameroon NBA Academy Africa|6’10”
Photo via Getty Images Ulrich reportedly measures in at 6’11” with a 7’5” wingspan, and I have read some stuff that he may still be growing.
Potentially a game-changing defender. Super quick vertical leaper with excellent shot-blocking ability.
Already a dominant transition player (bear the level of competition) and is able to finish over people with ease. Good hands off the catch.
Aggressively attacks the rim, using his length to step around, over, or through defenders. Takes HUGE strides, and enjoys contact.
Surprisingly a smart passer. He makes smart passes in transition and will find cutters. Doesn’t hold the ball too long and keeps the offense moving.
Reportedly has a great work ethic and is very humble.
Super raw in the half-court offense. Has ZERO jump shot right now, and according to REALGM shot 2-27 from 3 last year. In the 3 qualifier games in the BAL, he did shoot 8-21. It looks slightly more fluid this year, but it's way too small of a sample to call him anything other than a minus shooter. The handle is also a bit poor.
At Hoop Summit he just looked a bit lost. He didn’t rebound super well, and he wasn’t able to deal with physicality.
Emanuel Miller Wing|TCU|6’6”
Photo via TCU Athletics Miller is a high energy wing, with a high motor, good size, real athleticism, and the desire to compete. He defends well by just throwing his frame at guys, and he has some rebounding pop. He competes on the glass on offense and defense, and just plays harder than everyone on the court. He could give some small ball 4 versatility.
He sees the floor solidly as a passer, it is nothing super impressive, but he keeps the ball moving.
I have real questions as a shooter. He doesn’t have better splits unguarded or not which doesn’t project super well for me, but if he ends up just competing and shooting well, he could end up being solid.
Harrison Ingram Wing|North Carolina|6’7”
Photo via ESPN Do everything wing who really has two different scouting reports to pull from in college.
At UNC Ingram was an elite off-ball player, succeeding as a cutter, solid to above average shooter, and good play finisher, along with being able to reliably guard 2-4.
At Stanford Ingram was more of a primary ball handler who could operate as a wing creator, being good in PnR. He still flashes this occasionally at UNC, but it is limited.
Ingram is a switchable defender but his defensive ability does not jump off the page, he is merely average. He isn’t super twitchy to compete with the best ball handlers. He survives off of strength.
The upside as a high-level starter is not remotely there for Ingram. He lacks the athleticism to play in the NBA in my opinion.
Jaedon LeDee Forward|San Diego State|6’9”
Photo via AP Physical forward who is great at getting to the free throw line. A good FT shooter.
Great transition player, and uses his size well.
Solid roll-man in PnR, has good hands on the catch, and can finish at a strong level.
An emerging face-up jump-shooting game, and can knock down open mid-range jumpers, but also is stretching it out to the 3-point line a bit this year, and is currently shooting 40% on 1.3 attempts per game.
LeDee was originally a guard who hit a growth spurt and has some flashes as a smart passer.
Riley Minix Wing|Morehead State|6’8”
Photo via Morehead State Athletics Minix was an NAIA player for 4 years who transferred to Morehead this last year. Late growth spurt guy.
He shoots it well and a lot of his 3s were self-created. He can use 1 dribble off the catch to find a bit more space.
Minix is a bigger guy who can play through contact when driving to the lane. He is good at leveraging his shooting to drive into the lane. Attacks closeouts to either side.
He also has an in-between game. He can work in post mismatches but he probably won’t get those shots in the league. He can also shoot the middy well.
On defense is where I struggle. He gives effort but he just isn’t the athlete to be an impact player on that end, and he won’t be asked to put up the usage he does at Morehead.
He also is not much of a passer either. Occasionally he throws some really good passes, but he is wired to score, not pass.
Bronny James Guard|USC|6’3”
Photo via AP A guard who can theoretically shoot. He seems to shoot super well in workouts, but his numbers in games aren’t great. From what I watch it looks like when he gets into a game he speeds up his mechanics and doesn’t look comfortable.
Defensively there is a lot to like. He is pretty strong with good athleticism. He rotates well, has solid feet, and slides well. He navigates through screens well, and has fluid hips, along with a good wingspan.
He is a high level athlete. He has some real vertical pop and quickness.
His handle is just outright not good enough to play in the NBA. He needs to improve there in order to play with the ball in his hands, which is likely needed due to his size.
As a passer he makes smart passes, but I don’t think he makes passes that are primary creator passes. Also needs to improve there in order to play with the ball in his hands. He tends to play overly safe with the ball and that can limit him.
He overall has a very high basketball IQ. You can tell his dad is LeBron. He’s not LeBron smart, but he is smarter than most college freshman.
Anton Watson Forward|Gonzaga|6’8”
Photo via Sports Illustrated Watson is an interesting 4/5 who is able to play well inside. He has grown a lot as a shooter this year, but it was a huge jump and isn’t a whole lot of volume.
Watson does some fun stuff as a short roll playmaker, and he begun to pick and pop.
He has good hands on defense and is able to get his hands inside on drives in order to poke the ball away. He is quick on his feet and has good length. He has some real versatility and I think he can guard 3-5, and can impact the game in a lot of ways, but he doesn’t have a calling card of a skill.
His feel is good, and he is able to move the ball well, and be in the right spot at the right time.
Reece Beekman Point Guard|Virginia|6’2”
Photo via Sports Illustated Beekman is an undersized point guard who excels at setting up teammates. He is a good passer who consistently makes the right read.
Beekman is a limited 3 point shooter who doesn’t exactly space the floor in any capacity right now. He struggles to play without the ball in his hands.
He is a smaller player who can get targeted defensively, but he has some athletic tools to hold his own, along with good technique. Only wings will bully him, not guards.
Isaac Jones Big|Washington State|6’8”
Photo via Washington State Athletics Jones is kind of a tweener on the court. He has solid length but he doesn’t look used to playing against bigger 5s. He slides ok on the perimeter.
As a team defender I don’t love him. He rotates kinda late a lot of the time.
Offensively he is going to be asked to roll to the rim. He has solid hands and can catch and finish. He is a solid finisher around the rim.
His handle is solid, and he can do some creation in the mid post.
He is a non-shooter and non-passer. He doesn’t do anything in short roll, along with not spacing the floor remotely.
Judah Mintz Guard|Syracuse|6’4”
Photo via Syracuse Athletics Mintz stands out as a high-scoring talent, showcasing flair that is pretty high.
He has scoring prowess, the ability to take shots from virtually anywhere on the court, and has unwavering confidence. He is pretty explosive.
I have concerns about his 3-point shooting, shot selection, and slender physique.
Mintz has a penchant for the mid-range pull-up jumper, but his effectiveness drops to a mere 22% when shooting off the dribble. To be honest he just didn’t make jump shots at all this year, and he doesn’t showcase an ability to play off the ball. He isn’t a very good off-ball shooter.
Issues with decision-making and shot quality. Most suited for a microwave scorer role in the NBA, IE someone like Lonnie Walker.
He doesn’t defend. He is low-effort and is one of the worst ball screen navigators I have ever seen.
Closing Thoughts:
Thank you to anyone who made it this far. Please subscribe to this Substack to support my work. It is totally free, and I will be doing a couple more articles going further into the guys I am higher and lower on and why, along with draft night reactions to both day 1 and 2 going up the day after the respective nights. Going into Summer League I will likely cover that as well, along with beginning writing about the 2025 class, which I have already started some scouting for on my board. If you have any comments or questions about rankings or players in general, sound off in the comments or message me on Twitter/X.The few readers of this Substack (so far!) thanks for being here. It is only up from here!