Draft 2024

[somuchyummy]

In Oso's defense, I think he'd be an NBA 5/4 whereas Kyle has always been a 4/3. And there are plenty other 5/4s in the NBA right now who don't have great perimeter games. Like I said earlier, a 6-11 235 player with a 7-5 WS and playmaking skills with a great head on his shoulders - I think he can find a place in the league.

I thought of two players off the bat - Precious Achiuwa and Nick Richards. Are they great players, no. Are they useful to have around at the right price? Absolutely. Both have been in the NBA for four years, both have been in around 200 games, Achiuwa with close to 5000 mins - Richards around 3200. Neither have much offensive game outside the paint, but they provide value in other ways - as i would expect a player like Ighodaru would. You don't necessarily need to land a star with every pick. Often, non-perimeter bigs like Xavier Tillman, Marvin Bagley Jr., Charles Bassey, Goga Bitadze can help a team too.

[SHAFA]

My interest in Kolek and Shead keeps growing.

[somuchyummy]

Kolek would be ok, if u don't expect to resign JMac and u don't see Clark as a PG. But 6-3 190 with limited athleticism - he might find the going too tough in the pros.

As for Shead, nice player, great defender - but with Morris hopefully returning and Clark getting back on the court - plus with NAW and Ant - I just don't see the need. Maybe if he was a deadeye from deep, but that instead is one of of biggest weaknesses. .296 (127 of 429) over four years of college hoops.

I think at that second rounder, I'm hoping either Ighodaru or Scheierman are there.

[witljon]

What are the big names this year at the top of the draft?
Does the men’s basketball have a name as big as the women’s Caitlin Clark?

[somuchyummy]

not really. mocks have usually got Alex Sarr at the top - or sometimes this Zaccharie Risacher kid. but other times, you'll see them at 3 or 4. Cody Williams gets high marks - younger bro of the SF Jalen Williams at OKC. There's a 6-6 PG Nikola Topic who often is top 4 - and then sometimes he's at the back of the lottery.

[somuchyummy]

Terrence Shannon Jr. is a really interesting draft case - and could possibly be available for us at the end of the first round - if we want to take on the baggage. He has a rape charge against him dating from around Christmas (the alleged incident happened months earlier) - and was suspended by the team almost immediately afterwards. Shannon Jr. has denied any wrongdoing and took it to court - I won't attempt to detail the details - but the end result is that his suspension was lifted and he rejoined the team in late January. Legal stuff is still, however, on the docket and will play out in one way or another.

Since his return to the basketball court, he's just been killing it. He finished the season as the third leading scorer in Division I ball at 23 ppg - but has upped that recently, going for a little more than 27 ppg over the last 14 games. He's the main reason the Illini are in the Sweet 16 - they face Iowa State tonight. As a ballplayer - there's a lot to like. Very athletic high flyer who gets to and finishes at the rim with ease - also drawing lots of fouls on way. NBA ready body for a SG - 6-6 225. Five year college player - career shooting 53%/35%/80% - although this season, he's upped that to 59%/36%/82%. Good ballhandler - defensively needs work, but has the tools. Some mocks have him going as early as late lottery - but I still think he'll land at the back end of the first round because of the possible legal/behavior issues AND that he's already 23 years old. My guess is that he'll be an immediate NBA contributor as a legit scoring option off the bench - something that we would love to have behind Ant.

Thoughts? A good option or damaged goods?

[HeHateMe]

Tamin Lipsey seems like a Connelly type. Watching him now vs Kansas.

I'll have to check him out. NBA draft assessment is so fickle though. Case in point, PF Grant Nelson. Got in the draft radar last year as a small school sleeper - NDSU, great 6-11 235 size, very fluid mover with above average handles, great rim protection, able to take defenders off the dribble all the way to the hoop, and one of the best finishers in the country. Mocked late first, early second - but he decided to stay in college - transferred to Alabama and the chance to go against tougher competition. And he's done well. I think 12.3/6.5 along with 1.4 bpg. And this year, he's nowhere to be found on the mocks. Yesterday's news.

Nelson looked pretty damn good last night.

[SHAFA]

Tamin Lipsey seems like a Connelly type. Watching him now vs Kansas.

I'll have to check him out. NBA draft assessment is so fickle though. Case in point, PF Grant Nelson. Got in the draft radar last year as a small school sleeper - NDSU, great 6-11 235 size, very fluid mover with above average handles, great rim protection, able to take defenders off the dribble all the way to the hoop, and one of the best finishers in the country. Mocked late first, early second - but he decided to stay in college - transferred to Alabama and the chance to go against tougher competition. And he's done well. I think 12.3/6.5 along with 1.4 bpg. And this year, he's nowhere to be found on the mocks. Yesterday's news.

Nelson looked pretty damn good last night.

I hate that dude on account of his mustache.

[somuchyummy]

I'll have to check him out. NBA draft assessment is so fickle though. Case in point, PF Grant Nelson. Got in the draft radar last year as a small school sleeper - NDSU, great 6-11 235 size, very fluid mover with above average handles, great rim protection, able to take defenders off the dribble all the way to the hoop, and one of the best finishers in the country. Mocked late first, early second - but he decided to stay in college - transferred to Alabama and the chance to go against tougher competition. And he's done well. I think 12.3/6.5 along with 1.4 bpg. And this year, he's nowhere to be found on the mocks. Yesterday's news.

Nelson looked pretty damn good last night.

I hate that dude on account of his mustache.

He may have just played himself back into second round discussion. Killed it last night with 24/12 and five blocks against number one seed UNC on the big stage.

[witljon]

college ball/draft froobs, help me out here. why is UConn's Donovan Clingan often talked about as a late lottery pick - when Purdue's Zach Edey usually sits back in the first half of the second round? I honestly don't get it.

They are both with major winning programs - so the competition has been similar. I thought age might be a factor - as Clingan is only 20, but then I just found out that Edey is 21. Is Clingan THAT much more mobile and able to get up and down the court? Keep in mind that both are huge young men - Clingan 7-2 280 lbs with a 7-7 WS and Edey 7-4 285 lbs with a 7-10.5 WS. They are simply extremely large.

Here's a comparison of their stats from this season.

DC - 21.9 MPG - 12.5 ppg/ 7.2 rpg/ 1.5 apg/ 0.4 spg/ 2.3 bpg on 65%/33%/57%. Although discount that three pct - in all, he's been 2-7 at UConn. The FT pct isn't great, and should be of concern. The blocks are great considering he's just been playing 22 mpg - BUT he also is averaging 2 fouls in the time, which is more than Edey fouls in 10 mins more per game.

ZE - 31.3 MPG - 24.4 ppg/ 11.7 rpg/ 2.1 apg/ 0.2 spg/ 2.2 bpg on 62%/50%/72%. Again, discount the three pct - Edey is 1-2 in all the time he's been at Purdue. The fouls are better, 1.9 in ten more minutes per game - plus the FT pct is quite good for a young player as massive as he is.

Is it Edey fatigue? We've been hearing his name for too long? Clingan is the bright new flavor? I'm not getting the disparity in the mocks.

I don’t understand why Edey won’t be a lottery pick.

[somuchyummy]

it will be very interesting if it winds up being UConn vs Purdue. Battle of the titans and a chance to see Edey and Clingan head to head. Edey has some definite fire in the belly right now. I think in the last ten games, he's been something like 30/13.

[somuchyummy]

So no one has commented on the Terrence Shannon idea as a bench scorer behind Ant. 27 ppg over his last 14 games - until he laid an egg with a bad shooting performance and just 8 points in Illinois' loss to likely national champ UConn. Maybe that'll help drop him to the late 20s. I'm still interested if froobs think he's an absolute no go considering his legal troubles and possible behavioral issues.

[Mplsfonz]

it will be very interesting if it winds up being UConn vs Purdue. Battle of the titans and a chance to see Edey and Clingan head to head. Edey has some definite fire in the belly right now. I think in the last ten games, he's been something like 30/13.

I think Edey will be a bust. He doesn't show passion. He's just big. NBA bigs and semi bigs will destroy him.

[SHAFA]

it will be very interesting if it winds up being UConn vs Purdue. Battle of the titans and a chance to see Edey and Clingan head to head. Edey has some definite fire in the belly right now. I think in the last ten games, he's been something like 30/13.

I think Edey will be a bust. He doesn't show passion. He's just big. NBA bigs and semi bigs will destroy him.

I could see him being a 12-15 minute backup at most.

[somuchyummy]

Um, did you see his postgame interviews. Some definite fire in the belly there and pissed off at being overlooked. 40/16 against a tough Tennessee squad - you don't blah your way into that. Seems almost personal with him right now. I agree that he'll likely be a backup - but i don't think he's another Marjanovich. He's got way more talent than that - and better mobility.

[BuDG123]

DJ Burns late flyer. Some more muscle down low, clean the glass. 6’9, 290. A more mobile Oliver Miller…

[SO_MONEY]

Um, did you see his postgame interviews. Some definite fire in the belly there and pissed off at being overlooked. 40/16 against a tough Tennessee squad - you don't blah your way into that. Seems almost personal with him right now. I agree that he'll likely be a backup - but i don't think he's another Marjanovich. He's got way more talent than that - and better mobility.

If he was born 15 years sooner he would be a lottery pick.

[somuchyummy]

Well, some of the mocks are coming around. Just saw one, and yeah, they just shuffle things around for effect, but this one was paying big attention to the bigs. Clingan at 3 and Edey at 13.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor just put out one that echoes this. Clingan going 7th to Memphis as a true Center (ala what they had in Adams) to pair with JJJ, who has always been more comfortable at the 4. Then, at the 12th pick, he's got Sam Presti giving Mark Daignault the big Center - Zach Edey - to pair with Chet Holmgren in the frontcourt. This two bigs thing might be catching on. In both of those cases, it is intriguing to get JJJ and Holmgren out of the mosh pit, playing more on the perimeter on O - and then being the roving elite shotblocker on the other end - while their new massive teammates do the dirty work.

[Style]

Edey on OKC is a great fit.

[somuchyummy]

Devils Lake might get a NBA player after all. Grant Nelson has maybe played himself back into the second round with a strong tournament. Didn't fade either - capped it off with a 19/15 game against the best team in the country and a likely lottery pick big man.