2020 NBA Draft Big Board: Latest updates after NCAA regular season

With the near conclusion of the 2019-20 NCAA Men’s Basketball Regular Season, it is worth taking another look at the 2020 NBA Draft prospects.

With the conclusion of the 2019-20 NCAA men’s basketball regular season fast approaching, it’s worth taking another look at the 2020 NBA Draft prospects.

While quite a bit will change on big boards and mock drafts following the conference tournaments and March Madness, some of the top players have already convinced NBA teams that they deserve serious consideration when the draft rolls around on June 25, 2020.

Others still have plenty of time to improve their draft stock on the floor and in workouts and interviews. For what it is worth, former top prospects coming into their freshman campaigns who could go back to school for their sophomore campaigns (for example, Florida’s Scottie Lewis and Duke’s Wendell Moore) were not included on this list.

Note that statistics are pulled from Synergy Sports Tech, Bart-Torvik.com, KenPom.com, RealGM or Sports-Reference.

1. LaMelo Ball, USA

(Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

Guard, 6-foot-7, 18 years old

The main reason to believe in Ball as the top player in the 2020 NBA Draft is because of his ridiculously high upside. With his unique size, he can put up a triple-double on any given night. Even when Ball was playing against much older professional competition in Australia’s NBL, Ball nearly averaged a triple-double per 36 minutes. Meanwhile, his defensive stats were also much better than expected, and his basketball instincts are strong. It is difficult to find an accurate read on Ball, given how many different teams he has played for in recent years. However, there should be enough to like about him for a team to select him with one of the first few picks.

2. Onyeka Okongwu, USC

Big, 6-foot-9, 19 years old

While he’s a bit undersized at 6-9, he can play bigger than his height, given his 7-foot-2 wingspan. For example, his block percentage (10.0%) ranks among the top five of all freshmen this season. He is more celebrated for his defensive ability, but the offense is there, too. Okongwu is averaging 1.14 points per possession as an offensive finisher, per Synergy, which ranks in the 98th percentile among all NCAA players. Put it all together, and the USC big man currently has the best box plus-minus in college basketball. Even if there might not be as much star potential as a player such as Georgia’s Anthony Edwards, he feels much closer to a sure thing in the NBA.

3. Anthony Edwards, Georgia

Wing, 6-foot-5, 18 years old

Under head coach Tom Crean, the University of Georgia freshman has been a revelation in transition offense. Edwards ranks among the top five nationally in total scoring on these plays, per Synergy, averaging 5.7 points per game. He looks his best when his shot attempts come closer to the rim, especially considering his 6-foot-9 wingspan. Farther from the basket, meanwhile, more than half of his 3-pointers have been unassisted. This shows he is capable of creating his own shot. Edwards, however, is shooting just 30.3% from beyond the arc on the season. But the reason to like him as a top-three pick is more about flashes of greatness, and he is averaging 21.8 points per game in February.

4. Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State

Guard, 6-foot-5, 20 years old

Haliburton is a skinny, lengthy guard measured with a 7-foot wingspan though and 170-pound frame. But most important is his valuable 3-and-D skill set. Before his injury, his 3-point percentage (41.9%) and steal percentage (3.8%) were both among the best in the NCAA. As a distributor and lead ballhandler, despite an unusually low usage rate, his assist rate still ranks in the top 10 among all underclassmen at high-major programs. Haliburton has been productive enough to suggest he can take over as the starting point guard in the NBA as soon as next season. There may be a low ceiling, but there is also a very high floor.

5. Killian Hayes, Ratiopharm Ulm

Guard, 6-foot-5, 18 years old

Much like Ball, there is a lot to like about Hayes due to his size and overall upside. He can be a lead ballhandler and has been measured with a 6-foot-7 wingspan. Hayes led France to the silver medal in 2018 at the U17 World Cup, averaging 21.4 points and 4.4 assists with 3.6 steals per 36 minutes. He is shooting 39.0% from beyond the arc in Eurocup action and has been able to produce well as a scorer as he has grown into a bigger role.

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Report: Bengals hosting free-agent DL Chris Smith on visit

The Bengals have a new free-agent visit on tap.

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The Cincinnati Bengals are apparently getting an early jump on the 2020 NFL free agency period via a visit from defensive end Chris Smith.

The report of the visit comes from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Smith is a familiar name for Bengals fans because he spent the 2017 season in Cincinnati, recording three sacks over 16 appearances.

After, Smith spent the last two seasons in Cleveland and largely didn’t make a big impact, falling short of his big three-year deal. He’s now 28 years old and qualifies as interesting rotational depth, if nothing more.

It’s interesting to see the Bengals potentially dip back into a familiar well here with Smith. But even signing him now wouldn’t change much as far as the probable offseason plan goes.

If anything, the interest here merely speaks to how serious the team is at overhauling most of the defense.

After visiting the Panthers on Tuesday, former Browns DL Chris Smith is visiting the Bengals today, per source. Smith knows his way around Cincinnati; he played for the Bengals prior to his stint with the Browns.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2020

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Report: Panthers meeting with free agent DE Chris Smith today

According to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN, the Carolina Panthers are meeting with free agent defensive end Chris Smith today.

Former Browns’ defensive lineman Chris Smith is visiting the Panthers today, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2020

According to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN, the Carolina Panthers are meeting with free agent defensive end Chris Smith today.

Smith was a fifth-round pick by the Jaguars back in the 2014 NFL draft. He put in three years in Jacksonville, followed by one in Cincinnati. He’s played for the Browns the last two seasons.

In 60 games in the NFL, Smith has totaled 8.5 sacks, 19 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles. Carolina probably sees him as a potential backup piece, as he’s only started twice in his career.

As for the rest of the team’s EDGE rotation, last year’s starters Mario Addison and Bruce Irvin are both 32 years old and are about to become free agents, so they probably won’t be coming back. Brian Burns will take one of their spots as a full-time starter in 2020, but there’s no clear No. 2 on the roster right now.

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2020 aggregate NBA mock draft 4.0: Evaluating the rising upperclassmen

Somehow already past the midpoint of the college basketball season, the 2020 NBA Draft is starting to shape up with far more clear rankings.

Somehow already past the midpoint of the college basketball season, the 2020 NBA draft is starting to shape up with far more clear rankings.

As always, we examine the most trusted analysts to give us the best idea of a consensus for what the upcoming draft class will look like in June. The latest 2020 NBA mock drafts from experts at ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net, The Athletic and USA Today Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire were used for these rankings.

The top four players (Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman and Cole Anthony) have remained the exact same despite none of the latter three players being active for various different reasons.

Meanwhile, Iowa State sophomore point guard Tyrese Haliburton entered the Top 5 and replaced 19-year-old Israeli prospect Deni Avdija – who has not seen much playing time in the Euroleague.

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Included below are brief scouting reports for senior guards who have improved their draft stock the most since our last update. These players listed are all four-year NCAA players who could be ready to make the jump to the NBA like Josh Hart and Malcolm Brogdon did in their respective classes.

MARKUS HOWARD, MARQUETTE

Aggregate Mock Draft Rank: 46

One of the most important things to know about Marquette senior Markus Howard is that despite the fact he has four years of collegiate experience, he is just 20 years old. Few teams operate their offense through one player quite like Golden Eagles do with Howard, who has taken 42.5 percent of their total field goal attempts. Fortunately, the guard brags one of the most efficient and prolific jump shots among all NCAA players. Howard operates well when he is shooting off the catch and off the dribble, which will make him a good fit for almost any offense in the NBA. He is currently averaging 28.4 points per game while shooting 42.5 percent on three-pointers. Similarly, no guard in college has been fouled more often than Howard has thus far. He should be a lock win Big East Player of the Year and should be a strong contender for the National Player of the Year, too. As a pro, he can likely become a spark-plug scoring option off the bench. His draft stock has improved from No. 68 up to No. 46 month-over-month.

PAYTON PRITCHARD, OREGON

Aggregate Mock Draft Rank: 47

Oregon senior guard Payton Pritchard was a Top-50 recruit coming into the Pac-12 back in 2016. He attended West Linn High School, where he was able to lead his squad to four consecutive state titles. That accomplishment was an especially impressive feat considering the program had only won the OSAA Boys Basketball Championship once before and it was way back in 1997. He has since played for the Ducks in the Final Four (2017) and also won MVP of the Pac-12 Tournament last season. He is currently averaging 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists with 1.7 steals per game. His assist rate (32.7 percent) is Top 20 among seniors and he has connected on 40.7 percent of his three-pointers. Now more than halfway through the season, he is the heavy favorite to win Pac-12 Player of the Year and could be a sleeper for National Player of the Year as well. He has leaped from No. 96 in December all the way to No. 47 now in January.

SKYLAR MAYS, LSU

Aggregate Mock Draft Rank: 57

During his senior year of high school, Skylar Mays was actually teammates with Howard at Findlay Prep. Also on the roster was 2019 first-rounder PJ Washington and Toronto Raptors two-way wing Oshae Brissett. For what it is worth, their roster also had current college basketball standouts Tristan Clark (Baylor) and Lamine Diane (CSUN). Their team has already sent tons of prospects into the NBA and Mays could very well be the next in line. He is a potential 3-and-D threat, averaging 1.4 three-pointers and 2.1 steals per game for the LSU Tigers as an NCAA senior. Meanwhile, LSU’s adjusted offensive rating (116.6) ranks Top 5 in college basketball. Along with Reggie Perry (Mississippi State) as well as Kerry Blackshear Jr. (Florida), Mays has a strong candidacy to win SEC Player of the Year. He has jumped from No. 90 last month to No. 57 this month.

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2020 aggregate NBA mock draft 3.0: Michigan State players are climbing

After over a month of the college basketball season, we are starting to get a better picture of what the 2020 NBA Draft will look like.

After over a month of the college basketball season, we are starting to get a better picture of what the 2020 NBA draft will look like.

For example, Georgia Bulldogs freshman Anthony Edwards is beginning to separate himself as a near-consensus No. 1 overall pick. On the other side of the coin, though, several of the projected top selections (LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, Cole Anthony and RJ Hampton) will miss extended time due to either injury or suspension.

In order to get a better read of the bigger picture, we collected opinions from the top experts and analysts that cover the draft. The latest 2020 NBA mock drafts from ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net, The Athletic as well as USA Today Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire were used for these rankings.

Cassius Winston, Aaron Henry, Xavier Tillman in top-45 of The Athletic's NBA Draft Big Board https://t.co/LFrVsMcvZD

— SpartansWire (@TheSpartansWire) December 15, 2019

One of the most interesting takeaways is that the Michigan State Spartans have three players (Cassius Winston, Aaron Henry and Xavier Tillman) all trending up.

After making the Final Four in last year’s March Madness, the program was expected to take another leap forward for their 2019-20 campaign.

Despite three losses in their first 10 games, the Spartans still rank No. 15 overall this season. This can be attributed to the fact Michigan State currently has the third-best offense in college basketball, per KenPom.com.

They also have three of the most improved players since our last aggregate mock draft. The full list, and more on each of the MSU players moving up draft boards, is included below.

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Cassius Winston, Guard

AMD Rank: 29

Since our last AMD, this has moved up 17 spots in our rankings.

Despite already being 21 years old, the 6-foot-1 guard currently has a first-round grade from ESPN as well as Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports.

Winston has been one of the best distributors since he began at MSU. 67.1 percent of all field goals for the Spartans have been assisted, which is the sixth-most among all teams so far this season. His career assist rate (44.1 percent) ranks No. 1 overall among all college players who have played at least 50 games since 2009-10, via Sports-Reference.

With 7 assists today vs Rutgers, Cassius Winston now has the 2nd-most career assists (770) in Big Ten History, passing Illinois’ Bruce Douglas.

Winston is now just 46 assists behind Mateen Cleaves for the conference career record (816). pic.twitter.com/BLzMQGjpzx

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 9, 2019

During his freshman season, he had the second-best assist rate (46.7 percent) in the NCAA. Then as a sophomore, his assist rate (43.5 percent) trailed only Trae Young for the best in college basketball. Last season, his assist mark (44.8 percent) ranked third-best and behind only Ja Morant among all who played for teams that made the tournament.

But he has also shown strength as one of the more accurate shooters in the NCAA.

Winston was 75-for-151 (49.7 percent) from beyond the arc in 2017-18. That helped him join the exclusive 50-40-90 club for field-goal percentage, three-point percentage and free-throw percentage. Even as a sophomore then, the guard was one of the few to have a membership with at least two three-point attempts per game.

There is some enough NBA readiness to show he can contribute right away for a winning team.

Aaron Henry, Wing

AMD Rank: 33

Since our last AMD, this has moved up 26 spots in our rankings.

Henry was of the players who helped himself the most during the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Then a freshman, he put up 20 points with 6 rebounds and 6 assists during a victory over LSU.

While he has not yet taken the leap some expected as a sophomore, draft experts still have confidence in him as a prospect. His highest ranking right now comes from Jonathan Wasserman, who has him at No. 28 overall (via Bleacher Report):

“The eye test on Henry looks more convincing than the numbers. He isn’t a high-level creator, which limits him in Michigan State’s offense. But the 6’6″ guard is hitting open shots, capitalizing on driving lanes and making impact defensive plays. This late, teams will overlook Henry’s production for his fit.”

Perhaps the best news for the wing is that there is room for improvement. However, there have also been moments that show what Henry is capable of accomplishing at the next level.

This season, for example, the sophomore has been one of the most effective shooters off the catch. He is averaging 1.78 points per possession on catch-and-shoot attempts in a set offense, per Synergy Sports, which ranks in the 98th percentile.

Henry is also shooting 72.7 percent at the rim, which is an especially solid rate for a wing. Overall, he looks like someone capable of being a 3-and-D player in an NBA rotation.

Xavier Tillman, Big

AMD Rank: 50

Since our last AMD, this has moved up 13 spots in our rankings.

Michigan State has always been a team that plays better with Tillman on the court. Last season, for example, the big actually had the third-best box plus-minus in the NCAA — trailing only Zion Williamson and Brandon Clarke.

Jeremy Woo recently helped contextualize what professional teams may like about the 6-foot-8 junior (via SI.com):

“Tillman specializes in doing the dirty work and has been a largely unheralded yet invaluable piece of the Spartans’ success dating back to last season. He’s not particularly tall for a center but has a chance to be a quality rotational big in the pros with what he adds defensively and on the glass. Tillman has worked on extending his shooting range, and if he ends up being able to shoot the three, he’ll have a fairly strong window of opportunity as a role player. A lot of the things he does as a screener and defender don’t show up in the box score, and while he’ll never be more than a fourth or fifth offensive option, he might be able to thrive in that capacity.”

His best trait so far this season has been his ability to cut to the basket. He is shooting 15-for-17 (88.2 percent) on these attempts, per Synergy.

But he has also added value on the offensive glass and as a rim protector for Michigan State. His willingness and ability to make the most of time on the floor makes him a draftable professional prospect.

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Saints work out free agent pass rushers including Noah Spence, Shane Ray

The New Orleans Saints are managing injuries along their defensive line, so they worked out free agents like Noah Spence and Shane Ray.

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The New Orleans Saints worked out several veteran pass rushers on Tuesday, per a report from Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Wilson reported that players involved in the tryouts included Noah Spence, Shane Ray, and Chris Smith. With two starting defensive linemen sidelined by injuries against the San Francisco 49ers last week (Sheldon Rankins and Marcus Davenport each exited the game) and a top backup on the mend after taking a painful shot to the knee (Trey Hendrickson), it makes sense for the Saints to consider their options.

Spence was frequently connected to the Saints ahead of the 2016 NFL Draft; the team met with him extensively before that year’s Reese’s Senior Bowl and hosted him in New Orleans on an official visit, which reportedly went well. Spence finished his college career at Eastern Kentucky after initially playing with the Ohio State Buckeyes, making him one of several prospects the Saints studied (they ended up drafting both Michael Thomas and Vonn Bell in the second round that year, each of whom played with Spence at Ohio State). However, Spence failed to gain traction after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him, and was waived during roster cuts before the 2019 season.

Ray was a highly-touted former first-round draft pick by the Denver Broncos out of Missouri, but injuries and ineffectiveness resulted in him testing free agency after his contract expired. The Baltimore Ravens took a shot on him over the summer but waived him during roster cuts, and he hasn’t yet caught on with another team.

It’s a similar story for Chris Smith, who spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals before playing for the Cleveland Browns this season. The sixth-year pro was released in early December after signing a three-year contract with the Browns back in March.

At this point in their careers, each of these players are probably going to make their best impact at the end of a pass-rush rotation. Katherine Terrell of The Athletic reported that it doesn’t appear the Saints are looking to add any new players at this time, instead using these veteran workouts as an opportunity to update in-house scouting report.

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Browns release DE Chris Smith months after his girlfriend’s death (Brownswire)

The Browns released defensive end, Chris Smith, two days after the 27-year-old was a healthy scratch versus the Steelers Sunday.

Browns release DE Chris Smith months after his girlfriend’s death

The Browns released defensive end, Chris Smith, two days after the 27-year-old was a healthy scratch versus the Steelers Sunday.

How the Browns will replace Myles Garrett during his suspension

Olivier Vernon, Chad Thomas and others will need to step up

Now that Myles Garrett has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL, the Cleveland Browns will be without their top defensive lineman for the rest of the 2019 season. Replacing the NFL’s current sack leader will not be easy.

Getting Olivier Vernon back into the lineup at full strength will be the biggest help. Vernon has missed the last two games with a knee injury. Prior to that, he was consistently providing pressure off the edge opposite Garrett. In fact, he had more QB pressures on the season than Garrett did through Week 9.

Vernon has not shown the ability to finish his pressures this year, racking up three sacks. That will need to change. He is the best-suited Browns player to become the alpha pass rusher.

Chad Thomas has stepped up nicely in Vernon’s absence, but the pressure is now on the second-year EDGE to be a full-time starter. Thomas has a sack in each of the last two games and also broke up a 4th-down pass attempt (that Mason Rudolph essentially threw into him), so he is making some impact. It will be interesting to see if he can do it more consistently and eliminate the stretches where he’s too easily blocked.

Chris Smith will also need to step up. The veteran reserve has been very quiet in limited duty. Newcomer Bryan Cox Jr. is a bigger, stouter version of Genard Avery, who was traded away earlier this season.

There is still a chance the Browns could look outside the current team. Garrett’s suspension does leave a vacant spot on the 53-man roster. With no defensive linemen on the practice squad, there will probably be a move to at least add someone there.