A look at the big names you won’t see in this year’s draft.
As we approach the early entry deadline for the 2021 NBA draft, we have a sense of which players are set to return for another year of college basketball.
While scouts are more focused on the draft on July 29, evaluators around the league already have tabs on the best prospects that will continue their time in the NCAA next season.
Note that this list does not include notable names who have declared for the 2020 NBA draft but are just “testing the waters” like Isaiah Jackson, Miles McBride, Marcus Bagley, JT Thor, Matthew Mayer and Jason Preston.
Instead, the following players have either announced that they are returning or are expected to return to their team for the upcoming 2021-22 campaign:
In a recent NBA mock draft, the OKC Thunder took Keon Johnson of Tennessee and Bennedict Mathurin of Arizona in the first round.
The Oklahoma City Thunder could go in quite a few directions with this NBA draft, and much of it depends on their luck in the lottery.
Should they stay at No. 6, ForTheWin’s Bryan Kalbrosky thinks the Thunder should take a “home run swing.”
In his latest mock draft, Kalbrosky had the Thunder selecting wing Keon Johnson out of Tennessee.
“He showed flashes of star potential while at Tennessee, like scoring 27 points against Kentucky. He also has the elite athleticism that Oklahoma City’s front office has often valued in the prospect evaluation process.”
The Thunder have some good young pieces, but they still need a secondary scorer to pair with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The hope in Johnson would be that the 6-foot-6 forward could eventually be that guy to slot in next to SGA and Lu Dort.
Johnson averaged 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He was rather inefficient, shooting 44.9% from the field and just 27.1% from 3.
“The Thunder are collecting assets and with a ton of first-round picks available to use over the next few years, they can take a home run swing on Keon Johnson.”
With the Miami Heat’s pick at No. 19, the Thunder got Arizona’s Bennedict Mathurin.
The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He shot 47.1% from the field and made 41.8% of his 3.5 attempts from behind the arc per game.
“He has a fascinating mix of shooting and athleticism, which gives him the ability to score well near the rim and from the perimeter. With his size, it is not hard to imagine his path to becoming an even better player on the defensive side as well.”
Oklahoma City loves athletic players and the team needs more shooting, so there could be a fit there.
In the second round, the Thunder took Virginia’s Trey Murphy with the No. 31 pick. Over three seasons, the 6-foot-9 wing averaged 11 points and shot 40% from 3.
With pick No. 37, they got 6-foot-10 big Alperen Sengun out of Turkey. Sengun posted averages of 19 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game this season for Besiktas in the Turkish Super League.
The Thunder used the 55th pick on Juhann Begarin, a 6-foot-5 guard out of France. The 18-year-old averaged 11.6 points per game this season for Paris Basketball.
Which future NBA players played the best during March Madness? Who has made the most significant improvements to their draft stock since our last update?
Which future NBA players played the best during March Madness? Which prospects made the most significant improvements to their draft stock?
Since our previous update last month, these are the players who have improved their stock and are trending up on mock drafts: Davion Mitchell (Baylor), Josh Giddey (Adelaide), Chris Duarte (Oregon), Miles McBride (West Virginia), Aaron Henry (Michigan State), Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona), Kessler Edwards (Pepperdine), Trey Murphy (Virginia) and Neemias Queta (Utah State).
Some of the names that did not make the list last time but now appear among the Top 60 include Isaiah Todd (G League Ignite), Johnny Juzang (UCLA), Max Abmas (Oral Roberts), RaiQuan Gray (Florida State), Santi Aldama (Loyola Maryland and Austin Reaves (Oklahoma).
Below are the full rankings based on the latest mock drafts from top analysts and experts.
HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report
Front offices have seen what some of the best prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft have done on the biggest stage.
Now that the NCAA tournament is in the rearview mirror, front offices have seen what the best prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft have done on the biggest stage.
With a new champion crowned, fans have seen the first wave of prospects declare early entry for the draft and forego the remainder of their collegiate eligibility. Others, meanwhile, are testing the waters to gain feedback from teams around the league as they decide whether or not to return to college.
Based on the general consensus learned thus far, now is a great time to offer an update since we last published a mock draft back in February.
The main difference from the big board that I published last month is that my mock also factors intel, team fit, front office evaluation philosophy and roster construction. For example, there are more international players included here because I’m projecting teams with surplus picks will select draft-and-stash players rather than roster four or five rookies next season.
This should act as a barometer for a player’s stock before pre-draft workouts, interviews and the 2021 NBA Draft Combine. As those factors come into the light over the next few months, expect some potentially significant changes.
This draft order, which factors in trades and pick protections, was pulled from the latest Tankathon update following the games on April 12.
This includes some names to watch in the men’s tourney.
March Madness is set to begin, which means for college basketball fans, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. But it’s also one of the busiest times for scouts and executives around the NBA.
Last season, the men’s NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, which makes the stakes even higher for those involved in this year’s event. It will be a fascinating few weeks of basketball, all unfolding in Indiana, and the games are sure to further illuminate who may be most worth targeting in the 2021 NBA Draft.
But in addition to the spotlight of college basketball fully underway, we have now also seen the entirety of the 2021 G League season. That included the inaugural campaign for the Ignite, a pathway to the NBA for top talents who sought an alternative to the NCAA. Their exciting playoff run taught us more about prospects including Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga.
So with those results in mind, and with the college basketball postseason on the horizon, we have ranked the Top 100 prospects most likely set to make the jump to the NBA next season.
Our methodology for the rankings includes conversations with folks around the league, learning the general consensus surrounding a player, as well as a deep dive into stats and game film.
To put everything in perspective, we have also included everyone’s previous ranks from our last update, published on Jan. 22. This helps show whether a player is trending up or trending down and also helps illuminate how much can change in just two months of action.
As the madness begins during the men’s NCAA Tournament, follow along to see how these players are performing, as many will make a case to move up or down once the nets are cut on Apr. 5, 2021.
Which future NBA players will be playing during March Madness? Who have been the best players on the inaugural G League Ignite squad?
Which future NBA players will be playing during March Madness? Who have been the best players on the inaugural G League Ignite squad?
These are the kind of questions that many basketball fans are asking right now, especially if their favorite team is projected to have a lottery pick in the 2021 NBA draft.
Now that the NCAA tournament is on the horizon, and as the G League Ignite’s first year nears the end of the regular season, players have started separating themselves as potential top picks.
Since our last update back in December, these are the players who have improved the most: Kai Jones (Texas), Sharife Cooper (Auburn), Taevion Kinsey (Marshall), Moses Moody (Arkansas), Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga), Davion Mitchell (Baylor), Nah’shon Hyland (VCU) and Corey Kispert (Gonzaga).
Below are the full rankings based on the latest mock drafts from top analysts and experts.
HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report
Even though it took a while for us to see the G League Ignite in action, the bubble season is underway in Florida, giving us a more confident assessment of the full class. Meanwhile, in the NCAA, enough of the regular season has eclipsed to extract meaning from a larger sample size of scouting.
Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the collegiate season due to the ongoing pandemic, this class has multiple players that project as potential stars. Remember, though, this class is incredibly fluid.
This mock should provide an update, if the season ended today, on the talent that could be available when your favorite team is on the clock.
For more information on many of the second-rounders, as well as some sleepers that were not included in this mock draft, I expanded in my big board published late last month.
The main difference from the big board is that this mock factors intel, team fit, front office philosophy and roster construction. For example, there are more international players included here because I’m projecting teams with surplus picks will select draft-and-stash players rather than roster four or five rookies next season.
This draft order, which factors in trades and pick protections, was pulled from the latest Tankathon update following the games on Feb. 11.
Princepal Singh is a 6-foot-10 big man from Firozpur, India who signed a contract to play for the NBA G League Ignite for elite prospects.
Even though India has a population of more than 1.3 billion people, few players in NBA history have ever been of Indian descent. In fact, the first in this lineage was Sim Bhullar in 2015 and since then there have been only three to play in NBA Summer League or the NBA G League.
Princepal Singh, a 19-year-old big man who signed a contract to play for the NBA G League Ignite for elite prospects, is the next who hopes to make a splash as a professional basketball player in the United States. His training with the NBA G League Ignite under head coach Brian Shaw recently began in Walnut Creek, California.
But before he arrived, the 6-foot-10 Singh caught up with HoopsHype to tell us about his experience. Right before our conversation, Singh actually had unexpected guests at his home: A local television station showed up to join the excitement and chat with the basketball prospect.
“It’s been really crazy since the news has come in,” Singh recently told HoopsHype, through a translator. “My house is loaded with people. I’ve seen more people in the last two days than I had seen in the previous four months. People are pouring in and my family is just feeding them snacks to celebrate the announcement. I’m just trying to take it all in.”
Heartiest Congratulations to Princepal Singh from Dera Baba Nanak to be the first basketball player from NBA India to be signed for the select squad of the developmental @nbagleague. I am sure 6'10" tall Princepal Singh will create a name for himself at international level. pic.twitter.com/jhktet0FfD
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) July 29, 2020
One of the best moments for the NBA prospect was when the Chief Minister of Punjab tweeted about his achievements. The praise is more than warranted as he is the first alumni of the NBA Academy to sign a contract with the G League.
Since then, several local celebrities have stopped by his house to offer their congratulations as well. Even if it has been a bit of a whirlwind for Singh and his family, he has kept them at the front of his mind as he continues his path to the NBA.
“We’ve struggled in the past,” said Singh. “If I keep working hard and move on to the next level, I want to help my family as much as I can. I don’t want my family to see those days we’ve seen before.”
Singh, who is 6-foot-10, is still expanding his game but has been successful during his time on the court. He averaged 22.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.0 block and 0.7 steals per game for India during the U16 Asia Championship in 2018. When watching film of his game, it is evident that he has a soft touch and a silky-smooth feel to his approach.
He had the second-most rebounds per game in the tournament, trailing only future teammate Kai Sotto, and also recorded the second-most points per game. He was directly involved with 39.8 of the buckets that India scored in their three games as either the scorer or passer, per RealGM, which was actually the highest rate of all participants.
These impressive marks helped him become the youngest player who has ever been selected to play for the Senior Men’s National Team for India.
Singh likes to play on the short corner and finish from the elbow, though coaches who have watched him in practice tell HoopsHype that he is also starting to expand his game into more high pick-and-roll possessions with pick-and-pop opportunities.
While he only took one shot per game from beyond the arc while he was playing in the U16 Asia Championships, he is working on expanding his game to become more of a floor stretcher in the frontcourt. He is also capable of passing well out of the post, finding open teammates cutting to the basket when multiple defenders collapse onto him.
One of his biggest specialties is his spatial awareness and his ability to read the opposing defense. He can slide to the proper position at the proper time, which often manifests itself on easy offensive rebound putbacks and finishing on the wing in transition.
“There is no substitute for hard work. I’ve lost out on some opportunities in the past but I’ve never looked back,” added Singh, who is lauded for his competitiveness. “I’ve always focused on what I wanted to be.”
Troy Justice, head of international basketball development for the NBA, believes that the “growth and development and improvement” that Singh was showing as a player and personally and professionally helped provide him with the resumé to fit the roster of elite talent mentioned above. He called the prospect a “hungry lion” who knows what he wants and will continue to improve.
“He is very resilient,” said Justice. “He is very determined and focused. On a bad day, he remains tough-minded, singularly-focused and very disciplined. He has the ability to continue to pursue his goals and dreams. It’s been great just to watch his development. He has matured greatly in all areas, year-over-year. That’s one of the reasons we are big believers in Princepal. He has a desire deep within him that allows him to continue on and stay focused and to grow.”
Justice is confident that the NBA G League Select Team will give Singh the opportunity to train with and play against some of the best competition in the world while also working with the best coaching available to him.
His consummate team-first mentality and willingness to create for others, like constantly setting screens, will also help bring out the best in his teammates. Singh can constantly flirt with a double-double but does not need the ball in his hands to make an impact.
He told HoopsHype that he is most excited to train with top prospects in the G League like Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Daishen Nix, Kai Sotto and Isaiah Todd.
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“If you go down the list of the players that he will be playing with and practicing against, it is going to put him in an incredible situation for him to take a huge step forward,” added Justice. “My prediction is he will meet the challenge. We’ve seen him do it before and he will do it again. He has the physical tools and he has the right mindset. He has a love for the game.”
For him to be included among those names is also a huge milestone for the NBA Academy. Singh was part of the inaugural class of athletes to attend the program in India back in 2017.
“The exposure that I got through the NBA Academy was great,” added Singh. “I learned about the importance of weight training and diet. That really helped turn me into the player that I am today.”
Overall, there are 31 players who have attended the NBA Academies that are either attending or have committed to D-I programs in the NCAA. Top prospects include big Oumar Ballo (Gonzaga), wing Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona) and guard Santiago Vescovi (Tennessee).
Seven graduates of the NBA Academy, including Singh, are either playing or are signed to play professionally. Two of the more notable names include Mojave King (Cairns Taipans) and Josh Giddey (Adelaide 36ers), both of whom will play in the Australian National Basketball League Rising Stars program.
Credit: NBA Global Academy
Singh also participated in the NBA Academies at G League Showcase in both 2018 and 2019. Justice said that prospects either sink or swim when facing elite competition and noted that Singh always stepped up. He recalls initial hesitance evolving into a more confident smile, a transformation highlighted by a little extra bounce in his step.
Justice called the journey for Singh to go from the NBA Academy the NBA G League a “natural pathway” for the 19-year-old prospect. Singh knows that if he eventually makes it to the NBA, it will increase the popularity of the sport for children in India.
“I hope to inspire the youth in India,” added Singh. “Kids come up to me a lot of the time when I come back to India. They ask me about my experiences. But I still want to do more for them because they look up to me. This is just the next step that I’ve taken.”
