USA TODAY Sports released a new NBA mock draft on Tuesday morning with Jeff Zillgitt and Scooby Axson pairing prospects with their professional destinations. The duo included both Blue Devils on the draft board and even assigned them both to recently successful playoff teams.
[autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag] went 15th overall to the Miami Heat and [autotag]Kyle Filipowski[/autotag] went 22nd overall to the Phoenix Suns.
McCain, the freshman who shot better than 40% from 3-point range last season, averaged 14.3 points per game in his debut collegiate season. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he’s marginally undersized, but his ability with the ball in his hands makes him a potent weapon anyway.
The projection paired him with Miami stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, and the Heat won the Eastern Conference in both 2020 and 2023.
Filipowski, the 7-foot sophomore who made the Second Team All-American squad last season, averaged 16.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He also offers some offensive versatility with 2.8 assists and a 34.8% clip from long range.
“A low-post big who uses his size, strength and athleticism,” Zillgitt and Axson wrote. “He can step outside and hit 3s and go to the bucket for dunks and layups.”
The Suns made the Finals in 2021 and have since added future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant and three-time All-Star Bradley Beal.
Both respective fits were listed as one of Duke Wire’s ideal destinations for the duo. McCain’s five best fits can be found here while Filipowski’s can be read here.