Point Guards
Trae Young, Freshman PG Oklahoma
It’s a really bold statement, but Trae Young is the next
Steph Curry. He’s got a sky-high
basketball IQ, and he has every skill you’d want your point guard to have with
the aggressive mentality to stay on the attack at all times.
Young is a great ball handler with a lightning quick first
step. He can easily get by his man
whenever he wants, and once he does he has every option at his disposal. He can take it to the rim and finish from all
angles, stop short with a floater, or find the open man with his excellent
vision and passing ability. Young can
create his own shot at any time, and his extremely quick release allows him to
get his shot off from anywhere. He’s
accurate with all kinds of shots including step-backs and fadaways. He has incredibly deep range as well, so you
can’t relax even for a second when guarding him.
Young is the ultimate floor general, leading the nation in
scoring and assists. One could certainly
make a great argument for taking him #1 overall, and if you’re a team in need of
a point guard he would be a great choice.
With he and his team’s late-season struggles, he may even fall a bit
further in the draft than he should and become a steal.
It’s hard to find faults with his game, but right now he
turns it over a little too much and takes some pretty bad shots at times. However, like Curry he makes a lot of shots
that would be considered terrible attempts for most players, so you’ll live
with him taking some silly ones from time to time.
He’s got a slight frame and isn’t the best defender in the
world, but he’s smart and knows where he needs to be to be a solid
defender. I think he realizes his importance
to his team and has played even worse defense to make sure he stays out of foul
trouble. While I understand what he’s
doing, he does need to be much better on that end of the floor, and once he
gets stronger I think he will be. Despite
any of these criticisms, I fully expect him to continue working to clean up any
shortcomings and develop into one of the best point guards in the world.
Collin Sexton, Freshman PG Alabama
Collin Sexton has the potential to be an elite point guard in
the mold of Russell Westbrook. While
he’s not quite as explosive or competitive as Westbrook, no one in the world
is, and he comes about as close as anyone.
Sexton is a better long-range shooter than Russell, and he has a higher
basketball IQ than Russ did at his age as well.
Sexton has elite speed, athleticism, and competitive drive,
and he stays on the attack on both ends of the floor. He’s extremely strong and aggressive,
attributes that allow him to get to the rim or create his own shot whenever he
wants. When he drives he takes it to the
basket hard and tries to finish with power, but he’s usually smart enough to
find the open man when the shot isn’t there for him.
Sexton has a great handle that allows him to go anywhere he
pleases, and he’s more than capable of making any play on the basketball
court. He can make tough shots from all
angles including floaters, step-backs, and fadaways, and while his shot is a
little streaky right now, I expect it to continually get better year after
year.
Sexton is extremely tough defensively as well, relentlessly
hounding his opponent throughout the game.
Sometimes he gets in foul trouble as a result, but I think he’ll
continue getting smarter in this area of the game. I absolutely love this kid’s game, and while
I would likely take Trae Young above him when selecting a point guard from this
class, Sexton is probably the second choice.
Shooting Guards
Lonnie Walker IV, Freshman SG/SF Miami
Lonnie Walker is an explosive
shooting guard who is raising his level with each passing game. He had a slow start to the year coming off an
injury, but he’s taken his game to another level the last few weeks. He’s beginning to impose his will on the game
most each and every night, and I’m starting to see greatness in his future.
Walker has elite athleticism, and he
uses that speed and leaping ability to get pretty much anything he wants on the
basketball court. He has a very good
handle, and he’s able to use it to get by his man easily. Once he does he can take it all the way to
the basket for an explosive finish above the rim, stop short with a floater or
mid-range jumper, or find an open teammate for a better look. He’s a great shooter with deep range, and he
wants the ball when the game is on the line.
He’s shown the ability to make fadaways, step-backs, and other difficult
shots from all angles.
I love Walker’s competitive
fire. He plays with all-out effort on
both ends of the floor, and you can tell he wants to win more than just about
anyone. I watched him hold back a little
early in the season, seemingly not wanting to step on the toes of Miami’s
upperclassmen, but each game now he’s taking on more of a leadership role. Walker is a dominant player on both ends, and
I’d be thrilled to add him to my team.
Allonzo Trier, Junior SG/PG Arizona
Allonzo Trier is one of the best competitors in college
basketball. He is constantly in attack
mode on both ends, relentlessly putting pressure on the opponent without
tiring. He attacks the rim at will and
uses his elite athleticism to convert acrobatic finishes in traffic. His aggressive mentality makes him a tough
defender as well, and while he still needs to continue learning the intricacies
of the game, he’s a very impactful player.
Trier was very good last year, and this season he has taken
his game up a notch and become more efficient.
His shooting averages are up across the board, and he seems to be
improving in all aspects of his game. Trier
has substantially improved his handle this season, making it even easier to create
his own shot. He’s a guy that thrives in
pressure situations and always wants the ball in his hands with the game on the
line, a trait that could lead to big things later in his career
Trier’s biggest weakness is his passing and court
vision. He’s gotten a little better in
this area, but it’s still far from a strength of his game. Despite this and his suspension for PED’s
last season, I love Trier’s tenacity and competitive fire and look for him to
continue improving year after year.
Trevon Bluiett, Senior SG Xavier
Trevon Bluiett has an extremely quick release and is a great
shooter from all over the floor. He
almost single-handedly carried his Xavier team to an Elite 8 appearance in the
NCAA tournament last year, showing all the skills you’d want from a 2-guard in
the NBA. The team could have easily
sulked and fallen off after losing their point guard Edmond Sumner to a
gruesome knee injury, but Bluiett refused to let that happen.
Bluiett is a tough competitor that plays with a lot of grit
and fire. He’s very strong for his
position and uses that strength effectively on both ends of the floor and on
the boards. Defensively he knows where
to be and uses his strength and toughness to stifle opponents. I’d like to see him use his power a little
more offensively and add a post-game to his repertoire.
Bluiett is a high IQ player who generally makes the right
play, and he’s proven to be good with the pressure is at its highest. He’s capable of making tough shots with the
game on the line, and he knows when his team needs a basket and usually
delivers.
He needs to work on his quickness and athleticism to get to
the rim and finish a little better against size, but he’s not bad in this area
and I expect him to get better. His lack
of explosiveness will likely keep him from being great, but I love his game and
I’d take him on my team at any level.
Rawle Alkins, Sophomore SF/SG Arizona
Rawle Alkins is strong and athletic and is much like a
smaller Draymond Green. He plays
extremely hard and is usually the first to a loose ball. He makes all the hustle plays, and his
strong, physical, aggressive playing style makes him capable of guarding bigger
players. He’s also quick enough to guard
smaller players, and he does a great job whether he’s challenged with slowing
down a point guard or a power forward.
Alkins is a very good passer and playmaker from the wing
position. He’s a solid shooter with
decent 3-point range, certainly enough to keep the defenses honest, but he’s
great from 15 feet and in. He has a
decent handle and can find open teammates off the drive or finish with power
around the rim. He can easily create his
own shot, and he’s deadly off the bounce from mid-range. He’s got step-backs, fadaways, and floaters
in his arsenal, and he’s gonna fill up the stat sheet every single night.
Alkins is extremely tough and brings great energy, passion,
and aggression to the team. His will to
win is among the best, so any team he plays on will likely be successful. He hasn’t always had to do a lot of scoring
on a loaded Arizona squad, but he’s a big contributor in every aspect of the
game and will be at the next level as well.
Small Forwards
Oshae Brissett, Freshman SF/PF Syracuse
Oshae Brissett has great size, length, and athleticism, and
he plays with phenomenal effort on both ends of the floor. He’s one of the most consistently impactful
players at the college level this season, and he’s just scratching the surface
of what he’ll be able to do.
Oshae has a solid handle and can create his own shot. He’s shown the ability to hit step backs,
fadaways and deep threes, as well as get to the rim and finish in traffic. He thrives when the pressure is at its
highest, and he always wants the ball in his hands with the game on the
line. If the shot isn’t there for him,
Brissett is smart enough to use his vision and passing ability to make the
right play.
Brissett is extremely strong with the ball and around the
basket, and you can see him getting better every single game. He’s a very good rebounder on the offensive
and defensive boards, and he has the length, speed, and instincts that make him
a great defender as well. I see the
drive and determination in him to be great, and he may be a guy that gets
overlooked a bit.
Mikal Bridges, Junior SF Villanova
Mikal Bridges is extremely long and athletic and plays with
great passion, energy, and aggression at all times. Bridges is a very good shooter with deep
range, and he’s also capable of putting the ball on the floor and getting to
the rim. He’s a smart team player who
never stops moving offensively, but where he’s most valuable is on the
defensive end of the floor.
Bridges is a lock-down defender, and he’s capable of guarding
4 positions. His crazy length,
quickness, and effort level make him great, and he’s just a relentless pest for
anyone to face. He wears down an
opponent with his constant pressure, and his long arms results in tons of
steals and deflections.
He’s still getting better offensively, and with a work ethic
like he has, the sky is the limit. He’s
already shown flashes of creating his own shot and finishing from all over the
floor, and I believe he’ll continue to get better in this area. Bridges does all the little things that help
a team win, and the success of his Villanova squad is in large part to his
work.
Miles Bridges, Sophomore SF Michigan St.
Miles Bridges is an incredible athlete, one of the best in
college basketball. He’s extremely
aggressive and physical on both ends of the floor, and he never fails to impose
his will on the game in some way.
Bridges is a phenomenal rebounder who attacks the ball with a tenacity
rarely matched by his opponents.
He plays way above the rim and tries to dunk every chance he
gets, and when he’s on the attack offensively he’s nearly impossible to stop. There have been several games when he has
been pretty passive offensively, often settling for 3-point shots rather than
putting pressure on his defender. It
seems pretty clear that the NBA people told him he needed to work on his long-
range jumper after last season, and he obviously wanted to prove that he had a
little too much early in the season. Lately
he’s starting to get back to the game I loved last year, and both he and his
Spartans seem to be back on track.
Bridges plays with as much energy, passion, and intensity as just
about anyone. Sometimes this gets him in
trouble, but I’ll always take a guy with this mentality and work on helping him
channel it. Bridges sees the floor well
and makes great passes, but he turns the ball over a little too much at times
and really needs to work on his handle.
Bridges’ elite athleticism and work ethic make him a great
defender, and he’s extremely dangerous blocking shots from the help
position. While he needs to get a little
more under control, work on his touch around the rim and his ball handling, and
assert himself a little more offensively, I still love this kid’s game and
think he can be a starter for years to come at the NBA level. Right now he’s probably thinking too much
instead of just playing, but I think we’ll see the game slow down for him in
the next few years.
Quinton Rose, Sophomore
PG/SG/SF Temple
I loved Quinton Rose
last year as a freshman, and I still like what I see this season. Rose is an extremely versatile wing player
that makes a huge impact on the game at both ends of the floor. He has great size, length, and athleticism,
and he uses it to dominate opponents in every way imaginable. When Rose is in ultra-aggressive mode, there
isn’t much anyone can do about it.
In almost every game
I’ve seen of his, Rose has always been on the attack. He wasn’t getting enough playing time for
most of last season, but when he was in he was very effective. It’s a little concerning that his team hasn’t
been better now that he’s the unquestioned leader and best player, but they did
win at SMU, against Wichita St., and they’re on a good roll now so maybe they’ve
turned the corner.
Rose has a very good
handle, allowing him to get by his man at will.
Once he does he has every option at his disposal, from driving to the
rim and finishing among the bigs with his size and length, stopping short for a
mid-range pull-up or floater, or kicking it out to an open teammate for a
better look. He has very good vision and
usually makes the right play, but his teammates often haven’t taken advantage.
Rose has a good shot
with deep range, and when he gets hot from deep, look out. He has an array of moves and shows flashes of
brilliance as often as almost anyone nationwide, and he really has every skill
you’d want out of a well-rounded wing player.
Defensively Rose can
be spectacular as well. His extreme
length and quickness make him a terror both on the ball and in the passing
lanes, and he doesn’t seem to ever get tired.
He’s having to carry a pretty big weight with his team right now, but
put him amongst other great players and watch his level rise. Like a lot of young players he needs to get
stronger, but he plays tougher than his slender frame and I look for him to
continue adding strength.
Keita Bates-Diop, Senior SF Ohio St.
Keita Bates-Diop is a versatile wing with great skill and
length. He’s a great mid-range shooter,
and he knocks down shots off the pass and the bounce. He’s got a solid handle, allowing him to get
to the rim or create his own shot. He
has a deadly step-back jumper, and his length allows him to get it off against
almost anyone. His shot is good all the
way out to 3-point range.
Bates-Diop is a great rebounder who always seems to be in the
right spot. It seems the game has really
slowed down for him this season, as it just looks easy for him to get what he
wants. He’s a tough competitor who gets
it done when his team needs him most, and there’s really nothing Bates-Diop
doesn’t bring to the table offensively.
The size and length of Keita Bates-Diop makes him a very good
defender as well. He understands where
to be position-wise, and he’s tough to get around on the ball and around the
rim. His build and skill-set allow him
to guard multiple positions, and if you’re looking for a versatile wing he
might just be your guy.
Power Forwards
Marvin Bagley III, Freshman PF/C Duke
It’s tough to find a weakness when watching Marvin Bagley III
play basketball. Offensively he’s nearly
perfect. He has a great handle for
someone his size, and with it he’s able to create his own shot or find the open
man for a better look.
He’s a very good shooter with 3-point range, and he’s
absolutely deadly around the rim. He’s
masterful at gaining position both in the post and on the boards, and he uses
this skill to convert countless easy baskets around the rim and dominate the
glass. He has an extremely aggressive
mentality and tries to dunk with power at every opportunity. He sees the court very well and seemingly
makes the right play every time.
Defensively he’s pretty damn good as well. He has incredible timing on his jump,
allowing him to challenge and block a lot of shots at the rim. He sees the game several plays ahead, helping
him to wreak havoc in the passing lanes.
Bagley’s only weaknesses are his slight frame and his free throw
shooting, both things I’m sure he will continue to build on as he gets
older.
Even though he may not have the bulk to bang with many power
forwards in the NBA just yet, his all-around skill-set will still make him a
matchup nightmare the minute he steps on the floor as a professional. Bagley should definitely be in the mix for
the #1 pick.
Wendell Carter Jr.,
Freshman PF/C Duke
Wendell Carter Jr. is an absolute beast in the paint. He plays with relentless aggression, passion,
and intensity, resulting in tons of rebounds and loose balls. He tries to dunk everything around the
basket, but he’s also shown a nice shooting touch from all over the floor. He’s also able to put the ball on the floor
and drive to the basket, as well as find the open man when the defense collapses
on him. He’s certainly been overshadowed
by all the attention that Marvin Bagley III has been getting, but Carter is a
phenomenal talent who’s shown the ability to do everything offensively.
Defensively Carter’s effort makes up for a lot of little
mistakes at this point in his career.
Much like many of his other young Duke teammates, Carter hasn’t
completely figured out where to be in help position. Despite this I have no doubt that he will
learn, and likely even become one of the better defenders in the league. He’s clearly a smart kid, and with a work
ethic like he has he will continue to get better in every aspect of the game
throughout his career.
Robert Williams, Sophomore
PF Texas A&M
At times Robert
Williams looks like one of the best competitors and most aggressive players in
college basketball. When he plays like
that he’s a tremendous rebounder who goes after every ball with a ferocious
tenacity, and more often than not he ends up with it in his grasp. In these moments Williams plays with
tremendous energy and passion, and he really sets the tone physically for his
team.
Offensively he has a
nice touch around the rim, and he tries to dunk everything even remotely
close. He sees the floor well and
usually makes the right pass when the shot isn’t there for him. However, sometimes he struggles to catch the
ball, and you can see him lose confidence when things aren’t going his
way. He doesn’t understand the little
intricacies of the game, and it shows against elite competition. He’s had games where he makes very little impact,
and that is something that concerns me.
He’s still very raw and could stand to improve in every aspect
offensively, but he’s got all the physical tools to be great.
Defensively Williams
can be an absolute monster. He tries to
block every shot, and once he gets a little more disciplined he’s got a chance
to be an elite defender for years to come.
He has great size, length, and athleticism, and if he can gain a better
understanding of the game the future is really bright for this kid. I’m afraid if he goes pro too early he could
end up losing confidence and never become the player he’s capable of being, so
I’d be a little scared to take him with an early pick right now.
Centers
Deandre Ayton, Freshman C Arizona
Deandre Ayton is an amazing physical specimen with an
incredible skill-set. He has great size
and athleticism, and he has the strength and knowledge to play effectively on
the professional level right away.
Ayton is light years ahead of most big men at his age, as he
already has a great feel for all the intricacies of the game. He’s great in the pick and roll, reads double
teams well and makes the right play out of them, and instinctively knows when
to attack the rim or pull up for a jumper.
He’s a great shooter with 3-point range, and he’s an extremely good
finisher at the rim, often with thunderous dunks.
Ayton is extremely long with great leaping ability, making
him a complete beast on the boards.
He
moves incredibly well for a man of his size, making him nearly impossible to
deal with on either end of the floor.
He
sees the ball and man perfectly and is almost always in the right position
defensively.
If Ayton had a mean streak and a more aggressive mentality I
would be talking about him as a lock for the #1 pick and potentially one of the
greatest players of all time. However,
he seems like a nice guy who doesn’t necessarily look to absolutely crush his opponent,
something that may hold him back just a little bit. Despite this mentality he’s just way too
skilled not to become a monster in the NBA, and it would be hard to pass on him
with any pick in the 2018 draft.
Brandon McCoy, Freshman C UNLV
Brandon McCoy is an extremely skilled offensive player who
has a chance to be one of the best centers in the NBA one day. He has great size and coordination combined
with an aggressive mindset to dominate his opponents. He finishes very well around the rim with
either hand, often with powerful dunks in traffic. He has a nice mid-range jumper as well, and I
expect him to continue to increase his range out to the 3-point line.
Defensively McCoy has a lot of improvements to make. Right now he doesn’t see his man and the ball
on many occasions, and as a result he often finds himself out of position. This obviously hurts his team’s defense and
makes it hard for him to defend the rim effectively, but this lack of
understanding of position also has a negative effect on his rebounding
ability.
Despite these deficiencies he still grabs plenty of rebounds
and changes his fair share of shots at the rim, and it’s easy to imagine McCoy
dominating the NBA once he improves his understanding of the game’s
intricacies. He battled DeAndre Ayton to
a draw in their head-to-head battle early this season, and I’d say McCoy has a
lot more room to improve than Ayton. I’d
be thrilled to add McCoy to my roster, but he’s not ready to play big minutes
on an NBA team just yet. He has a ton
left to learn, but if he’s able to do it he could be great.
