Emmanuel Akot – Syndication Server

2022 NBA Draft Big Board 1.0: Debut rankings of the top 101 prospects

Let’s be honest. Ranking the best NBA draft prospects is a fool’s errand. But evaluating this class is an especially challenging assignment.

One of the top pre-season prospects (Patrick Baldwin Jr.) is playing for a mid-major program that has just two wins so far this season. Other top prospects (AJ Griffin and Peyton Watson) are not getting much playing time for their high-major programs. Meanwhile, guard Jean Montero is playing in the inaugural Overtime Elite league. How do we compare his productivity to other prospects? I’m frankly not sure.

But nevertheless, my big board exists. Rather than going small, I decided to blow it up and do the opposite. Why did I go ahead and rank 101 prospects if this class has been so challenging to evaluate? There are two distinct reasons.

One is that I’m absolutely crazy and get a very fulfilling satisfaction with the completion of a mock draft and big board because it feels complete. It looks awesome seeing as many names as I can fit on one article, even if the science behind the rankings is a bit inconclusive.

The other reason is that as I make more big boards throughout the year, it’s interesting to track the progress (and regression) of certain prospects. I am inevitably wrong about most of these placements! But this article serves as a barometer for where I feel certain players are at in their development right now.

Note that several notable prospects (e.g. freshmen Max Christie, Matthew Cleveland, Nolan Hickman, Hunter Sallis, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Jeremy Sochan, Kobe Bufkin) were excluded because I expect them to go back to school to improve their draft stock.

More likely than not, some of those players will declare for the 2022 NBA draft. When that happens, I obviously will not have them outside of my top 101.

Until then, as we prepare to turn the calendar into a new year, here are the debut rankings for 101 of my favorite prospects.

All stats are accurate as of Dec. 14 and are from Sports-Reference unless noted otherwise.

Ten Sit-out Transfers To Watch Out For In 2020-2021

10 Sit-out Transfers To Watch In 2020-2021 They did their time on the bench this past season while their teammates did the heavy lifting, now it’s their turn. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Malachi Flynn or Jalen Harris? Who’s got next in …

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10 Sit-out Transfers To Watch In 2020-2021

They did their time on the bench this past season while their teammates did the heavy lifting, now it’s their turn.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Malachi Flynn or Jalen Harris? Who’s got next in the Mountain West come 2020-2021?

It was originally announced that the NCAA Division I council could take an official vote regarding a one-time transfer waiver granting all first time transfers currently sitting in the transfer portal immediate eligibility. That vote was scheduled to take place yesterday May 20th during their next meeting, but it appears to have been pushed back to as late as January of next year.

This was the fear of some after the NCAA’s Board of Directors announced there was no necessary legislation to the current system at this time, earlier this month. This coming despite advice from the very group they assigned to brainstorm the ongoing transfer influx problem in favor of a one-time waive, the Transfer Waiver Working Group.

It’s an interesting debate for fans, as having a much-needed player sooner rather than later could make or break a season for some teams. But on the other side, what if that year away from live games, simply adjusting to your new program and evolving your game is what makes the impact players like Jalen Harris or Malachi Flynn have possible? It’s easy to argue for the former from the fan perspective, but some don’t think the proposed headaches coaching staffs would suffer building rosters year in and year out is a big deal given their current freedom of movement within the same structure.

Either way, any constructive discussion on the matter by the folks in charge has simply been delayed, so for now the tradition of sitting out a year for “some” players won’t change in time for next season. So for the guys who have paid their dues to the NCAA, let’s take a look at ten transfers who actually sat out the 2019-2020 season per the established rules a little deeper.

Andrew Dieckhoff gave a very similar preview last June, but rosters have changed in a year’s time and there are some new names added to the list as well as a couple missing because of even furthering transferring.

First up: The Lone Wolves

Ignas Sargiunas | Junior Guard | Colorado State

Formerly Of: Georgia (SEC)

Measurables: 6-5 205 lbs

Past Stats: 1.8 PPG 0.5 APG & 0.5 RPG in 20 games (0 starts) in 2018-2019

Sargiunas is going to be just one of many talented guards on this Colorado State team next season. The backcourt became a little less crowded with a transfer or two at the end of the season but should be one of the deeper ones in the conference with the likes of reigning Mountain West Freshman of the Year Isaiah Stevens and more.

Sargiunas is a former four-star recruit coming to the states from his native Lithuania in the class of 2018. He brings plenty of national team experience at the U-15 through U-17 levels, winning Medals throughout. But he couldn’t find a place in the SEC at Georgia and opted for a move out west before the start of last season. With one of the best floor generals in the conference, Sargiunas may find himself on the wing as a shooter than as a primary ball handler, which should work out fine either way.

Marco Anthony | Junior Guard | Utah State

Formerly Of: Virginia (ACC)

Measurables: 6-5 225 lbs

Past Stats: 1.2 PPG 0.5 RPG & 0.5 APG in 22 games (0 starts) in 2018-2019

Though seldom used at Virginia, Anthony was a part of a NCAA championship squad with some spurts of promise during his time with the Cavaliers. It’s questionable to say if his year sitting out and past experience will translate to a role as Sam Merrill‘s replacement, but it’s possible. He may not be the offensive weapon Merrill was (who is though?), but his combination of size at the two spot and athleticism should fit nicely with an already solid returning group.

Next up: The Four Horsemen

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The Transfer Game: Can Boise State Play Effectively?

Basketball Recruiting: With Four Sit Out Transfers, What Can We Expect Of The Broncos Next Season? Boise State adds mid-season transfer in Devonaire Doutrive. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Leon Rice has to figure out how to put some pieces …

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Basketball Recruiting: With Four Sit Out Transfers, What Can We Expect Of The Broncos Next Season?

Boise State adds mid-season transfer in Devonaire Doutrive.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Leon Rice has to figure out how to put some pieces together next year.

Boise State in part has been a small player in the transfer market that has effected low, mid, and high-majors alike. Where other teams around the Mountain West have either been on the benefiting end of the graduate transfer rule or have seen their best players year in and year out looking for greener pastures.

Boise State has seen little to any departures that change the landscape of their team overnight and has partaken minimally in bringing graduate transfers in from other programs to provide an instant boost to their roster.

This is the world college basketball fans live in now, and your star player could catch the eyes of a high major coaching staff one game and be on a plane at semester break before you blink. Or your coach’s reputation will precede him nationally and you could build a small dynasty around transfers in the biggest little city in the world.

Now your team could be on either end of this and we have seen team’s across the country either benefit from it or have their talent pool wiped clean annually from it, but it’s something Boise State’s head coach Leon Rice has slightly avoided during his time in charge of the Bronco’s program.

Rice has found success during his time in Boise after coming over as an associate head coach from powerhouse Gonzaga under arguably one of the best coaches of the century, Mark Few. His first season in charge was the Bronco’s last in the WAC and he took a team that finished eighth the previous year to second the next.

He then took the program to the Mountain West to compete at a level that only those inside the program may have thought they were capable of. Rice is only the second coach at Boise State to have taken the program to multiple NCAA tournament appearances and the only one to reach seven 20-win seasons in its history.

Now, in a college landscape that witnesses names entering the transfer portal day in and day out Rice has weathered the storm. He hasn’t needed to bring in transfers in bulk like we’ve seen at Nevada or New Mexico, or has he lost his most talented players to bigger programs like Colorado State or San Jose State.

Rice has been able to ride it out by bringing in relatively unknown talent and developing them at a high rate which has been relatively unnoticed around the conference, well besides on game day.

This isn’t to say he has completely abstained from bringing in transfers all together, but up until this past off season there was a very countable four players brought in from other division one schools during his tenure. Guard Lonnie Jackson came over from Boston College for the 2015-16 season as a graduate transfer. Followed by guard James Reid who sat out the 2015-16 season after coming over from Arkansas-Little Rock.

Lastly the additions of graduate transfers Lexus Williams (Valparaiso) and Christian Sengfelder (Fordham), who helped boost a talented 2017-18 squad to a second place finish in the conference and a NIT appearance.

Other than that, Rice has found a competitive formula that includes recruiting guys out of high school, international players mostly out of Australia and bringing guys in from junior college. Each outlet for recruits proving effective for him and his coaching staff throughout the years. Star Broncos Derrick Marks, Chandler Hutchinson and Paris Austin were all recruited to Boise out of high school.

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