Tag: Jaden Ivey

Players with best odds of becoming No. 1 pick after draft lottery

Rookie Wire took a look at the players with the best odds of becoming the No. 1 pick after the lottery, according to @Tipico.

The Orlando Magic were rewarded the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft on Tuesday and the conversation surrounding which player will be the top pick will begin to heat up now that the order is set.

The consensus is that Duke forward Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren and Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. are the three front-runners to hear their names called first on June 23. According to one report, the race may even now be between Holmgren and Smith.

With the top pick in tow, the Magic will now begin to ramp up their preparations by hosting those prospects for workouts and interviews. The team will do its homework on each player to best determine who will be the best long-term fit.

With the draft order now set, Rookie Wire took a look at the prospects with the best odds of becoming the No. 1 pick, according to the Tipico Sportsbook. The odds will certainly change before the draft but here is how things stand:

2022 NBA draft: Jabari Smith has highest odds of becoming No. 1 pick

Rookie Wire took a look at those prospects with the highest odds of becoming the No. 1 pick this year, according to @Tipico.

On Sunday, the first major deadline of the NBA pre-draft process arrived as the date marked the last opportunity that underclassmen could declare as early-entry candidates.

The top prospects all opted to enter the draft as the deadline offered little drama regarding their respective decisions. Some decided to hire an agent and forgo their remaining collegiate eligibility while others left the door open to return to school.

With the first step in the pre-draft process this year completed, Rookie Wire took a look at the prospects with the highest odds of becoming the No. 1 pick, according to the Tipico Sportsbook. The odds will certainly change before the draft on June 23 but here is how things stand now.

2022 NBA mock drafts: Houston Rockets pick projections at end of regular season

With the 2021-22 regular season complete, Auburn’s Jabari Smith and Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren are increasingly popular Houston Rockets projections in the latest wave of NBA mock drafts.

The 2021-22 regular season is now complete, so we have a much better picture as it pertains to the 2022 NBA draft order in June.

In the first round, where the Houston Rockets own both their own pick and one from Brooklyn, the order is set from No. 15 onward. These are for playoff teams, such as the Nets, who are at No. 17 overall.

The top 14, however, won’t be set until the May 17 draft lottery. That weighted lottery determines the top-four picks, with the next 10 slots seeded by record (the worst record goes first and the best record last).

Because the Rockets finished the regular season with the NBA’s worst record (20-62), they are now guaranteed a top-five draft pick — because even if they do not win one of the four lottery picks, they would inherently have the worst record among non-lottery teams.

Given the additional clarity on the order, let’s check in with the experts and peruse the latest wave of mock drafts for the 2022 first round.

Potential top-five pick Jaden Ivey declares for 2022 NBA draft

Ivey was one of just two players in the country to record at least 600 points, 175 rebounds, 100 assists, 30 steals and 20 blocked shots.

Purdue Boilermakers sophomore Jaden Ivey on Thursday announced that he will declare for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining collegiate eligibility.

Ivey, who was a consensus All-American, averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 36 games. He finished as one of just two players in the country (Paolo Banchero, Duke) to record at least 600 points, 175 rebounds, 100 assists, 30 steals and 20 blocked shots.

With Ivey leading the way, the Boilermakers advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 16.3 points, five rebounds and two assists in three games on 37.5% shooting from 3-point range as Purdue lost to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s.

The 6-foot-4 guard was considered one of the top returning players this season, and that decision to come back paid off in a big way. Ivey boosted his draft stock throughout the season and appears to be a lock as a top-five pick on June 23.

Ivey is as explosive as they come with the ball in his hands, something that can fit in with any NBA team. His decision-making and shot creation seem to have improved throughout the season, which should help him now that he is transitioning to the next level.

The 20-year-old projects to be a dynamic player at the next level that can eventually develop into a franchise cornerstone. He accomplished quite a bit in just two years in college and will be looking to carry that momentum into the pre-draft process.

Underclassmen have until April 24 to declare for the NBA draft.

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NCAA Sweet 16 matchups for potential Houston Rockets draft picks

Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero are so close to an Elite Eight showdown. Here’s our look at who Rockets fans should watch in the Sweet 16 for 2022 NBA draft purposes.

For some of the elite 2022 NBA draft prospects, their stay in “March Madness” was an abbreviated one after a loss in the first or second round of the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tounament.

Top prospects that saw their teams lose on the opening weekend included Auburn’s Jabari Smith, Iowa’s Keegan Murray, Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis, Memphis’ Jalen Duren, and Kentucky’s TyTy Washington. All are projected in the top 10 of our latest consensus NBA mock draft.

Others, however — led by Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero — remain in the mix. Should those teams win Thursday, Banchero and Holmgren would be on course to face off in one of Saturday’s regional final games, with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

Fans of the Rockets, of course, are watching intently. Not only does Houston (18-54) have its own draft pick, which currently is in the No. 1 positioning slot for the 2022 NBA draft lottery, but they also own a pick from Brooklyn that is tracking to be at No. 16 in the first round, as of now.

With those draft parameters in mind, here’s a look at college prospects from the top 20 of the latest consensus mock draft who will be in action on Thursday or Friday in the “Sweet 16” round. Should that prospect’s team advance, Elite Eight games would be held on Saturday (for Thursday’s winners) and Sunday (for Friday’s winners).

With the tournament field culled from 68 teams to 16, the good news is that nearly every matchup from the Sweet 16 onward features a quality opponent. Thus, from a scouting perspective, it’s an ideal opportunity to see how the elite 2022 NBA draft hopefuls perform under pressure.

Scroll on for tournament highlights, statistics, and television details pertaining to each of the remaining top prospects in March Madness.

Jaden Ivey is quickly putting himself …

Jaden Ivey is quickly putting himself in position to be the top overall pick in this year’s NBA draft. Today’s NBA has progressively become guard-centric with “high usage” players essentially seen as having the importance of an NBA team’s quarterback. It’s not just Ivey’s elite speed and athleticism that makes him unique. His isolation ability, and creativity getting to the basket or pulling up from the perimeter is quickly becoming elite. Ivey’s game parallels players such as Donovan Mitchell and Russell Westbrook with his dynamic explosiveness and ability to beat opponents off the dribble.

NCAA Tournament: Saint Peter’s lead top performances from opening weekend

With the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament complete, Rookie Wire took a look at several of the top performances from the first four days.

The first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament are in the books as the opening weekend provided plenty of high-level basketball performances from teams and players alike.

Of course, the top story from the first four days of action was the play of 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s from Jersey City. With two stunning upsets, they became just the third 15th seed to reach the Sweet 16, joining Florida Gulf Coast (2013) and Oral Roberts (2021).

The tournament also saw several outstanding performances by those players projected to be drafted in the NBA this year. The Big Dance can often help prospects put their names on the map and improve their draft stock, and that was once again the case this year.

With the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament complete, Rookie Wire took a look at several of the top performances by players and teams from the first four days of action.

Texas’ season ends with a hard-fought loss to Purdue

Texas comes up just short of the Sweet 16.

Chris Beard’s first season at Texas has come to an end in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Purdue’s size and athleticism were just too much for this Texas team.

Jaden Ivey put a dagger through the heart of Texas fans everywhere with a deep step-back three-pointer giving the Boilermakers a six point lead with a minute left. The shot put the game away as Purdue held on to win 81-71.

Perhaps the most eye-catching stat of the game was the free-throw discrepancy. Purdue shot 43 free throws compared to just 12 for Texas. A big moment in the game came when the Horns leading scorer Timmy Allen fouled out with six minutes left in the second half.

The loss should not overshadow a remarkable performance from Texas point guard Marcus Carr. He was everything for the Texas offense, finishing with a game-high 23 points and seven assists.

Texas accomplished a lot in the 2021-22 season. Winning over 20 regular season games and winning the programs first NCAA tournament game since 2014 are both signs Texas is heading in the right direction.

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