Aztecs pass yet another road test, beating Boise State on the road to remain unbeaten
San Diego State inched a bit closer to perfection on Sunday, extending their program-best undefeated start to 26-0 with a 72-55 road win over Boise State.
Aztecs guard Malachi Flynn bolstered his case for both All-Ameirca and MW Player of the Year honors, scoring 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Flynn also added six assists, six rebounds, and three steals, acting as an extension of head coach Brian Dutcher on the court.
All five starters were in double figures for San Diego State. Yanni Wetzell scored 14 points and pulled down seven rebounds, while frontcourt mate Matt Mitchell chipped in 11 points, seven boards, and five steals. Guards Jordan Schakel and KJ Feagin scored 12 and 10 points, respectively, combining with Flynn to make eight three-pointers during the game.
Boise State guard Justinian Jessup matched Flynn’s game-high total of 22 points. The senior also extended his Mountain West all-time record for three-pointers, knocking down five shots from beyond the arc in ten attempts.
Unfortunately for Jessup—and head coach Leon Rice—the rest of the Broncos were slow to keep up on the offensive end. Jessup and Derrick Alston Jr. combined to outscore their teammates 34-21.
Alston finished in double figures, but he missed some high-percentage shots that could have raised that total. The lanky junior was playing in front of his father, Derrick Sr., who used the NBA’s All-Star break to sneak away from his post as head coach of the G League’s Westchester Knicks.
The Alston family reunion ultimately did not spark enough momentum to help Boise State contend with a San Diego State squad that has been equal parts immovable object and unstoppable force.
Flynn opened the scoring with a three-pointer for the Aztecs, and they never gave the lead back.
San Diego State led 40-26 at halftime, after a Wetzell field goal that gave the Aztecs their largest lead of the game to that point. The deficit grew as large as 19 in the second half, though a 10-0 Boise State run brought the Broncos within single digits with ten minutes remaining.
The Aztecs managed to keep Boise State at bay, however, and cruised to yet another impressive victory.
POSTSEASON IMPLICATIONS
The win should help San Diego State’s bid for a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, with Boise State almost certain to qualify as either a Quadrant 1 or 2 victory for Brian Dutcher’s team.
The real question will be whether or not the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee will reward the Aztecs with a spot in the West regional–where they would move on to play in Los Angeles’ Staples Center–or if they will be sent out to the East regional in favor of Gonzaga.
Either way, this debate is much better than the preseason questions surrounding whether San Diego State was even a tournament team.
As for Boise State, the loss mainly just solidifies the longstanding conventional wisdom that the Broncos will not be dancing as part of the March Madness festivities. Still, Leon Rice has orchestrated an impressive turnaround from a disappointing start to the season. Boise State will likely be among the invitees to secondary postseason tournaments such as the NIT and CBI.
For now, the loss knocks Boise State back into fifth place in the Mountain West. The Broncos are a full game behind second-place Utah State and a half-game behind both Colorado State and Nevada. Boise State will have their eyes on a top-three seed in the MWC Tournament though, as they would be guaranteed some buffer before a potential rematch with San Diego State.
Regardless of what the future may hold, though, the Broncos will be disappointed not to have earned the distinction of giant killers on Sunday.
UP NEXT
That Aztecs head back home for some well-earned rest. San Diego State plays just once next week, hosting UNLV at Viejas Arena on Saturday. It will be the first of two straight home games for San Diego State, with the second coming against Colorado State on Feb. 25. They finish the regular season in Reno against the Wolf Pack on Feb. 29.
Boise State will travel to San Jose State on Wednesday with hopes of grabbing an easy win from the league’s tenth-best team. If they can avoid the upset, they will gain back some ground—or at least not lose any—in the top-half cluster of teams behind SDSU. The Broncos’ regular season concludes with a home game against New Mexico and a trip to the Thomas & Mack Center to face UNLV.
Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Awards: Top Ten Mountain West Finalists Two Mountain West stars make the cut for college basketball’s best awards at their positions. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Derrick Alston Jr. makes the top …
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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Awards: Top Ten Mountain West Finalists
Two Mountain West stars make the cut for college basketball’s best awards at their positions.
Derrick Alston Jr. makes the top ten for Julius Erving Award and Malachi Flynn for Bob Cousy Award.
On February 4th the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced their top ten finalists for the 2020 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award and Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. The Mountain West had one player make the cut for each list as San Diego State’s Malachi Flynn is a top-10 finalist for the Bob Cousy Award and Boise State’s Derrick Alston Jr. is a top-10 finalist for the Julius Erving Award.
Congrats Mal on being named a Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award finalist.
Both players have been key to their team’s individual successes this season and join some of college basketball’s heavy hitters in the top ten. Malachi Flynn joins the list as one of only two players from a non-group of five team with Marquette guard Markus Howard also on the list. Flynn has been an instant impact player for San Diego State this year and is a big reason the Aztecs currently have an undefeated season, top-5 ranking and the potential for a number one seed in the big dance.
Last year’s winner, another mid-major product Ja Morant was an absolute force in college basketball last year but played for Murray State which wasn’t as well rounded as a team compared to the Aztecs and didn’t have as high of a profile as them either, San Diego State being undefeated at 25-0 and all. Flynn’s numbers aren’t as jaw dropping as Morant’s are either, when put side by side but as previously mentioned their individual situations are completely different.
Derrick Alston Jr. has led his Boise State Broncos to their current third place standing in the Mountain West with a team leading 18.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG. He was also leading the conference in scoring until a certain Wolf Pack member’s recent scoring outburst and has kept Boise State afloat as they’ve waited for mid season transfers to become eligible and others that have found more consistency in mid-February.
Last year’s Julius Erving Award winner was Rui Hachimura, whose situation may closely resemble more Malachi Flynn than Alston Jr. Hachimura’s numbers weren’t eye popping like Morant’s either, but not too many player’s were because he was Ja Morant. But he played on a dominant mid-major (yes I’ve heard the argument) powerhouse in Gonzaga (33-4, 16-0 1st in WCC & #1 seed in NCAA Tournament’s West Region) that sounds a lot like this year’s Aztec team. Hachimura was a solid leader for an uber competitive Bulldogs team. Alston Jr. has been consistent and scored in bunches and his case for further recognition will be based on his performance going forward.
Who is in the running for Player of the Year? Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Fourteen Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Jalen Harris averages 35.0 PPG and Neemias Queta makes his list debut. The staff at …
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Who is in the running for Player of the Year?
Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Fourteen
Jalen Harris averages 35.0 PPG and Neemias Queta makes his list debut.
The staff at the Mountain West Wire wanted to do something a little different this year. We are going to keep track of the top performers from teams around the Mountain West throughout the year and vote on who had the best performances that week.
How it works description now at the bottom of the article
38 points, 4 assists and 6 rebounds against Air Force
32 points, 3 assists and 5 rebounds against San Jose State
Four, that’s how many straight games the Wolf Pack’s Jalen Harris has scored thirty points or more, did I mention that was consecutively? Harris is on fire, and that feels like an understatement as the junior guard has the hot hand for a very neutral temperature Nevada team. Still with week fourteen’s first place finish he is only seven points away from current first place holder Malachi Flynn to make his case of Player of the Year.
Yes Harris is averaging 30.0 PPG over his last five games, but the Wolf Pack are 3-2 in the same span, and like most teams fighting it out in the middle of the Mountain West. Still when he takes the floor he is the most dominant player on the court, no matter the opponent. And he gets his points from everywhere from distance, inside the lane and without the ball as he’s constantly moving looking for a possible alley oop.
Nevada played well last week, earning two wins against Air Force and San Jose State by an average of 26.0 PPG. This may seem like easy pickings but any momentum that can be gained in this middle of the pack heavy Mountain West is useful. Especially seeing that the Wolf Pack drive south to the Thomas and Mack Center on Wednesday and then take a six day break before heading further south to The Pit (i.e. Dreamstyle Arena) next week. Either way I haven’t decided which streak I’m going to be rooting for this weekend, whether it be the Aztecs undefeated streak or hoping for another 30 point performance from Mr. Harris on Wednesday night.
Yanni Wetzell, senior forward San Diego State (1 Point)
How It Works:
Each person will award 15 points in total to five players and should award it as so:
1st place (Player of the week): 5 pts
2nd place: 4 pts
3rd place: 3 pts
4th place: 2 pts
5th place: 1 pt
The player with the most points total will be our player of the week and we will keep track of the point totals every week so that the player who has the most at the end of the year will receive the Mountain West Wire Player of the Year award. Just copy the players below and type your names above it like we do for the pick them docs we get and award your points.
Now some guys made the list and others didn’t. A big thing to think about was consistency throughout the week. Something that hurt some guys was having a decent game one day and a bad one the other day. Guys who made the list had a great game one day and a good one on other days, or good games both days.
This column will come out on Sunday nights or Monday mornings depending on how late some games finish on Sundays.
Who is in the running for Player of the Year? Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Thirteen Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The streak continues and Flynn garners first place for the second straight week. The …
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Who is in the running for Player of the Year?
Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Thirteen
The streak continues and Flynn garners first place for the second straight week.
The staff at the Mountain West Wire wanted to do something a little different this year. We are going to keep track of the top performers from teams around the Mountain West throughout the year and vote on who had the best performances that week.
How it works description now at the bottom of the article
27 Points, 6 Rebounds and 3 Assists against San Jose State
24 Points, 6 Rebounds and 2 Steals against Nevada
Alston Jr. returns to the top of our top-five this week, earning his second first-place finish of the season and making his 5th appearance in our weekly rankings so far. This week’s honor gives him 19 points in total, which has him in second place overall behind Malachi Flynn with 27 points total, and just ahead of Jalen Harris with 18 points total.
By all means, Alston Jr. has had an all-MWC caliber season thus far, leading the conference in scoring until just this past week when a couple of thirty-point performances gave Jalen Harris the lead heading into February. Boise State is also tied for second place with Colorado State and is riding a four-game winning streak, beating teams by an average of 19.9 PPG in that span. Alston Jr. is leading a team that is showing a real spark going into February, and besides leading the team in scoring also leads the team in assists with 3.2 a game.
The Bronco’s future slate of games is tough, with a good mixture of teams from the top and bottom half of the conference standings. They face Utah State (Feb. 8th) at Logan, San Diego State (Feb. 16th) at home and UNLV to finish the regular season (Feb. 26th) in Las Vegas.
The rest of their schedule looks very winnable, especially given how they have played as of late. Plus factor in previous wins against the Aggies and Runnin’ Rebels, and the Broncos should be very confident with the conference tournament in mind.
The only thing that should be keeping Bronco fans up at night is the no. 4 ranked Aztecs, a win against San Diego State at home would go a long way for this team and continuously strong play from their leader will be in demand to make that happen.
Yanni Wetzell, senior forward San Diego State (1 Point)
How It Works:
Each person will award 15 points in total to five players and should award it as so:
1st place (Player of the week): 5 pts
2nd place: 4 pts
3rd place: 3 pts
4th place: 2 pts
5th place: 1 pt
The player with the most points total will be our player of the week and we will keep track of the point totals every week so that the player who has the most at the end of the year will receive the Mountain West Wire Player of the Year award. Just copy the players below and type your names above it like we do for the pick them docs we get and award your points.
Now some guys made the list and others didn’t. A big thing to think about was consistency throughout the week. Something that hurt some guys was having a decent game one day and a bad one the other day. Guys who made the list had a great game one day and a good one on other days, or good games both days.
This column will come out on Sunday nights or Monday mornings depending on how late some games finish on Sundays.
Who has helped bring your team success this year? A list of immediately eligible, sit out, division I or Juco transfers who have taken the court this season for your team and made the most impact. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Mountain …
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Who has helped bring your team success this year?
A list of immediately eligible, sit out, division I or Juco transfers who have taken the court this season for your team and made the most impact.
The Mountain West conference’s most impactful incoming transfers taking the court this season.
Transfers can be the life blood of a program or it’s downfall and that really just depends on if they are coming in or out of your program. Many teams sitting atop the current Mountain West standings have utilized transfers and with major success. While some bring them in just to try and compete.
Our list of all traceable transfers that left the Mountain West with eligibility was released two weeks ago and many enjoyed catching up with familiar faces still playing college basketball across the country at many different levels. But to cover the topic completely here is a ranking of incoming transfers having the most impact on their new teams.
Things to note:
Players listed are graduate transfers, players given immediate eligibility through the acquisition of waivers, sit out transfers and players that came from the junior college ranks.
Players currently sitting out due to transfer rules were not listed.
The eligibility estimator is an estimated amount of seasons and games that player is expected to have left. The amount of games left in the current season could extend out depending on that team’s success in the postseason. Many factors could also cut a career short. Or that player could simply transfer out of the program at years end.
This list is for first year Mountain West players only, if someone transferred into the conference but played last year they aren’t listed below.
Past Stats: 2.0 PPG 0.5 RPG 0.3 APG (18-19, 6 GMS/no starts)
Current Stats: 5.2 PPG 2.3 RPG 0.7 APG in 6 games/no starts
How long do you have them for? (Eligibility estimator): 3 Years and 9 games (19-20 season games remaining with 1 guaranteed conference tournament game)
How long do you have them for? (Eligibility estimator): 2 years and 9 games (19-20 season games remaining with 1 guaranteed conference tournament game)
Past Stats: 7.8 PPG 3.0 RPG 1.5 APG (18-19, 4 games/0 starts)
Current Stats: 10.1 PPG 4.3 RPG 1.5 APG 1.0 SPG in 11 games/4 starts
How long do you have them for? (Eligibility estimator): 2 years and 9 games (19-20 season games remaining with 1 guaranteed conference tournament game)
Previous Stop: South Plains College (NJCAA Region 5)
Past Stats: 11.6 PPG 4.5 RPG 1.9 APG (18-19, 34 games/32 starts)
Current Stats: 9.5 PPG 4.3 RPG 1.1 APG in 16 games/12 starts
How long do you have them for? (Eligibility estimator): 1 year and 10 games (19-20 season games remaining with 1 guaranteed conference tournament game)
Who is in the running for Player of the Year? Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Twelve Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The streak continues and Flynn garners first place for the second straight week. The …
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Who is in the running for Player of the Year?
Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Twelve
The streak continues and Flynn garners first place for the second straight week.
The staff at the Mountain West Wire wanted to do something a little different this year. We are going to keep track of the top performers from teams around the Mountain West throughout the year and vote on who had the best performances that week.
How it works description now at the bottom of the article
The order for the twelfth week is as follows:
1. Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (5 Points)
18 Points, 5 Assists, 5 Rebounds and 4 Steals against Wyoming
21 Points, 3 Rebounds and 2 Steals against UNLV
The streak is now at twenty-one, and Malachi Flynn and the San Diego State Aztecs have their eyes set on a conference championship and NCAA tournament berth. It was a tough week for this San Diego State program as the now No. 4 ranked Aztec’s were faced with one of their toughest opponents in conference play, the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels.
UNLV went into Sunday’s match up as one of the hotter teams in college basketball, winning seven of their last ten and looking to redeem themselves after a painful loss to instate rivals Nevada on the road. The grandeur of this meeting of old Mountain West Conference power houses was eclipsed by the world’s loss of an icon. And players on both sides of the court a long with everyone in the arena was in a state of dismay.
But the players continued on as best they could, and the Runnin’ Rebels proved to be the challenge we thought they’d be for the Aztecs. Trailing by only six points at the break and outscoring San Diego State 39-37 in the second half, ultimately coming up short those four points at the end of regulation. Flynn and his team stayed poised through it all, though struggling to contain a red hot Bryce Hamilton the combined effort of Flynn, Schakel and Pulliam lifted the team past UNLV and in the continued hunt for their ultimate goal.
Yanni Wetzell, senior forward San Diego State (1 Point)
How It Works:
Each person will award 15 points in total to five players and should award it as so:
1st place (Player of the week): 5 pts
2nd place: 4 pts
3rd place: 3 pts
4th place: 2 pts
5th place: 1 pt
The player with the most points total will be our player of the week and we will keep track of the point totals every week so that the player who has the most at the end of the year will receive the Mountain West Wire Player of the Year award. Just copy the players below and type your names above it like we do for the pick them docs we get and award your points.
Now some guys made the list and others didn’t. A big thing to think about was consistency throughout the week. Something that hurt some guys was having a decent game one day and a bad one the other day. Guys who made the list had a great game one day and a good one on other days, or good games both days.
This column will come out on Sunday nights or Monday mornings depending on how late some games finish on Sundays.
The Mountain West conference’s best players according to class.
With the month of February on the horizon and a month even non-college basketball fans around the country know just beyond it. It’s time to take a look at the conference’s top players and their individual performances so far while spotlighting them based on class.
The conference as a whole is in different shape than it was last year, with seven teams enjoying records above .500 and of course San Diego State sitting at atop the conference with a No. 4 ranking nationally and an undefeated season to boot.
Players up and down the stat sheet contribute to that success but some you might never notice or hear about because maybe they aren’t in the starting lineup or they don’t lead the team in scoring but are just as crucial to that team’s success just the same. While these rankings are meant to showcase just that it will remind you of some names you know and maybe some you didn’t.
Letting you see which guys are soon to be in your team’s past (i.e.) seniors or juniors and those who will play a key role in their futures.
If you haven’t checked out our first edition of these rankings released at the onset of December after a strong showing from Mountain West team’s in the month of November you can do so here. Things have changed a bit since then and the second edition of Head of the class reflects that.
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.
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
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
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
(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
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
Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
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.
The list sees a pair of newcomers as UNLV sophomore duo make a splash along with San Diego State big man.
The staff at the Mountain West Wire wanted to do something a little different this year. We are going to keep track of the top performers from teams around the Mountain West throughout the year and vote on who had the best performances that week.
How it works description now at the bottom of the article
The order for the eleventh week is as follows:
1. Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (5 Points)
22 Points, 5 Rebounds and 2 Assists against Fresno State
14 Points, 7 Assists and 5 Rebounds against Nevada
Flynn is separating himself from the pack in late January, with a now 7 point lead over second place JaQuan Lyle who is in a bit of a situation at a struggling New Mexico. A lot of people knew Flynn was going to be a difference maker for the Aztecs, but even I can say I didn’t expect a top-5 ranking, undefeated record through nineteen games and a chance at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament this year.
His role as a leader on this team has made everyone better around him, seeing the emergence of guys like Yanni Wetzell and Matt Mitchell on the court with Flynn at the helm has been key to the Aztecs undefeated run. Even when things aren’t going exactly right he makes the best of his playing time. Though he struggled from the field a bit on Saturday, shooting about 30% on the night. He made sure his presence was felt, distributing the ball well among the Aztecs on his way to 7 assists and a win against a Wolf Pack team who made things interesting most of the way.
The Player of the Year race is his to win or lose at this point as Flynn has the Aztecs on a level most other Mountain West teams cannot get to at this point in the season. The Aztecs just need to make sure if they do suffer a loss in conference play it is from the right team. A bad loss can only hurt their chance at a No. 1 seed and San Jose State is looking for another upset to add to their win column, and the Spartans almost made that happen in Viejas Arena earlier this season. We can only watch and wait as the month of January is almost over and March is on the Horizon.
Yanni Wetzell, senior forward San Diego State (1 Point)
How It Works:
Each person will award 15 points in total to five players and should award it as so:
1st place (Player of the week): 5 pts
2nd place: 4 pts
3rd place: 3 pts
4th place: 2 pts
5th place: 1 pt
The player with the most points total will be our player of the week and we will keep track of the point totals every week so that the player who has the most at the end of the year will receive the Mountain West Wire Player of the Year award. Just copy the players below and type your names above it like we do for the pick them docs we get and award your points.
Now some guys made the list and others didn’t. A big thing to think about was consistency throughout the week. Something that hurt some guys was having a decent game one day and a bad one the other day. Guys who made the list had a great game one day and a good one on other days, or good games both days.
This column will come out on Sunday nights or Monday mornings depending on how late some games finish on Sundays.
We are getting closer to a point in the NCAA and international seasons to get a better idea of what the 2020 NBA Draft class may look like.
We are getting closer to a point in the NCAA and international seasons to get a better idea of what the 2020 NBA Draft class may look like.
Midway through the campaign, it is nearly impossible to predict early entrant decisions. But as the board begins to materialize with a more clear indication of who could be a legitimate help to NBA teams next season, it is worth it to revisit a full mock draft factoring in where each team will be selecting.
Note that some highly-rated freshmen (e.g. Florida’s Scottie Lewis and Tre Mann, Florida State’s Patrick Williams, LSU’s Trendon Watford, Kentucky’s Kahlil Whitney as well as Duke’s Wendell Moore and Matthew Hurt) were not included because of their disappointing first-year campaigns. As such, they are likely to return to school for a sophomore season and improve their draft stock to where it once was.
Typically, selecting the best player available was the biggest factor though team fit was also carefully considered.
All stats are updated through January 14, 2020. The draft order is set via Tankathon on January 15, 2020.
1. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: LaMelo Ball, Illawarra Hawks
(Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
Guard, 6-foot-7, 18 years old
This is a draft where the No. 1 pick might not be selected in that position in prior classes. While there may not be a unanimous selection at this point in the season like Zion Williamson was last season, the youngest Ball brother arguably has the highest ceiling of anyone in this class. He was nearly putting up a triple-double each appearance against professional basketball players in the NBL, scoring 17.1 points with 7.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. He was not as accurate on his jumper as originally expected but he has also not a player who lacks confidence; expect him to keep shooting those and his three will develop over time. With his size and versatility on offense, he makes the most sense in the pole spot and his size would also allow him to guard bigger opponents, making him an option for nearly any team in the league even one as stacked as Golden State.
2. ATLANTA HAWKS: Anthony Edwards, Georgia
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Wing, 6-foot-5, 18 years old
Under head coach Tom Crean, the Georgia freshman has been a standout prospect. He is averaging 18.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game during his first collegiate season. But a lot of his output has been helped by his high usage rate. He is shooting just 28.1 percent on jump shots in a set offense, per Synergy, and is shooting just 24.6 percent off the dribble. He is also taking too many shots from deep midrange, shooting 25.8 percent on these looks. Fortunately, Edwards has been an above-average defender and is averaging 1.4 steals per game. The young star can stay in his hometown for this pick, too.
3. NEW YORK KNICKS: Killian Hayes, Ratiopharm Ulm
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Guard, 6-foot-5, 18 years old
Hayes has exceptional court vision and instincts as well as a true point guard mentality to create opportunities for his teammates. He is averaging 17.2 points and 8.3 assists per 36 minutes while facing professional talent in the Euroleague. He is also capable of creating his own shot off the dribble and many of his own buckets have been unassisted. As noted by Bleacher Report draft expert Jonathan Wasserman, the prospect is shooting 153-of-178 (85.9 percent) on free throws since the start of his 2018-19 campaign. Hayes has a very natural shooting stroke and is someone whose hype should continue to grow.
4. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Onyeka Okongwu, USC
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Big, 6-foot-9, 19 years old
The player who has helped his draft stock the most is Okongwu, who is putting up 16.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He has 32 dunks so far this season, which ranks sixth-best among all NCAA players and can be one of the more immediately impactful lob threats in the NBA. The big man is 13-for-18 (72.2 percent) when rolling to the basket in pick-and-roll sets, which shows how he can fit into a pro scheme. On the defensive end, his block percentage (10.7 percent) trails just one player in college basketball this year. He would play a fantastic two-man game with Darius Garland and he can help their frontcourt depth with the likely departure of Kevin Love.
5. WASHINGTON WIZARDS: RJ Hampton, New Zealand Breakers
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Guard, 6-foot-5, 19 years old
The Washington Wizards are far from being close to a winning franchise but they do have extraordinary talent on the wing with Bradley Beal. If they add to that by selecting Hampton, who can develop under the leadership of Beal, the fans can sell some hope to a franchise that has gotten a taste of it with the impressive play of Rui Hachimura during his rookie campaign thus far. Like Hachimura, however, Hampton will need some time to develop.
6. DETROIT PISTONS: Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State
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Guard, 6-foot-5, 20 years old
The Iowa State sophomore is one of the most polarizing prospects in recent memory. He is producing 16.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game so far this season. The guard has been a solid shooter, connecting on 41.3 percent of his attempts from three-point range. His assist rate (39.1 percent) ranks Top 5 among all underclassmen in the NBA. Haliburton also fits the bill as perhaps the lengthiest guard in this draft class, measured with a 7-foot wingspan. As a defender, the guard is averaging 2.6 steals per game and his steal rate (4.0 percent) ranks third-best in the Big 12. He seems like a perfect point guard of the future for the rebuilding Pistons, who don’t have much of a direction.
7. CHICAGO BULLS: James Wiseman, USA
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Big, 7-foot-1, 19 years old
The biggest reason why Wiseman is this high on draft boards is that he was the No. 1 overall player on RSCI, which combines all of the top high school rankings in the country. The other biggest factor is his massive size, notably his 7-foot-6 wingspan. While it will be hard to see what else he is able to add to his game while he is away from the NCAA following an incredibly brief stint with the Memphis Tigers, he can be an appealing development project. Much like Edwards in New York, the bright lights of Chicago would be an awesome way for Wiseman to start his professional career.
8. CHARLOTTE HORNETS: Isaac Okoro, Auburn
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Wing, 6-foot-6, 19 years old
The hyperathletic freshman wing has shown a nice mix of offensive and defensive upside for his undefeated Auburn team, averaging 13.2 points with 4.5 rebounds per game. His jump shot is still a work in progress but he is finishing well near the basket, connecting on 65-for-88 (73.9 percent) for looks within five feet of the basket. As a defender, he is elite guarding the perimeter and has also averaged 0.9 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. They need a strong defender alongside their young backcourt and after hitting well on the PJ Washington selection, this could be another fantastic pick.
9. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: Obi Toppin, Dayton
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Forward, 6-foot-9, 22 years old
The New Orleans Pelicans are going to be a team likely defined by Zion Williamson for years to come. Much like Williamson, Toppin is a high-flyer who currently leads the NCAA in dunks with 3.2 per game. But he won’t clog the paint from the dunker spot as he is averaging 2.6 three-point shot attempts per game. When determining potential fits for the Pelicans, it is worth considering their ability in transition offense because of their schemes. As such, it is important to note Toppin is 27-for-38 (71.1 percent) on these opportunities.
10. SACRAMENTO KINGS: Vernon Carey, Duke
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Big, 6-foot-10, 18 years old
The Kings could continue their tradition of drafting big men from Duke by adding Carey to the mix. He would join Marvin Bagley and Harry Giles as former Blue Devils in the frontcourt for Sacramento. Carey has been an elite college basketball player, averaging 17.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He leads all freshmen in defensive rebound percentage (28.0 percent), ranks Top 5 among freshmen in total dunks (24) and Top 10 in block percentage (7.8 percent) as well. If he eventually adds a more constant three-pointer to his arsenal, he could be a starter in the NBA very soon.
11. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: Nico Mannion, Arizona
(Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Guard, 6-foot-3, 19 years old
Mannion is averaging 14.4 points and 6.3 assists per game, already an elite distributor at the NCAA level. He is a high-level scorer and passes well out of the pick-and-roll and his assist rate (36.5 percent) currently ranks as third-best among freshman so far this season. His assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3) is a good indication of his instincts. While he may be too young for a starting role next season, he is someone who projects in the first unit for a long time.
12. PHOENIX SUNS: Precious Achiuwa, Memphis
(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Forward, 6-foot-9, 19 years old
After the absence of Wiseman, the Memphis Tigers have turned to Achiuwa as the face of their team under Penny Hardaway. He has responded well and his defensive rebound percentage (25.4 percent) leads the American Athletic Conference. As a defender, his block percentage (7.4 percent) ranks third-best in the conference as well. He has turned it on as a scorer lately but he would not be leaned on as the primary option for a team with Devin Booker leading the charge.
13. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Aleksej Pokusevski, Olympiacos B
Forward, 7-foot, 18 years old
One of the most fascinating, underrated prospects for the 2020 NBA Draft is currently playing in the Greek HEBA A2 league. With a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Pokusevski has the ability to play a bit bigger than his already impressive 7-foot frame. He is averaging 16.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.4 three-pointers per 36 minutes. The Serbian-born prospect has also connected on 32.6 percent from three-point range. As a defender, his size has helped him secure 2.8 blocks per 36 minutes as well. Portland could play him in several different places but could provide his most value as a necessary help on the wing.
14. SAN ANTONIO SPURS: Josh Green, Arizona
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Wing, 6-foot-6, 19 years old
The Arizona freshman was a fantastic scorer on the AAU circuit playing for West Coast Elite, averaging 20.2 points per game. This season, he has put up 12.9 points per game for the Wildcats. Green has also grabbed 5.1 rebounds per game, which has allowed him to be an interesting option operating as the ball handler in a transition offense. Green is currently averaging 1.35 points per possession on these opportunities, per Synergy, which ranks in the 95th percentile. He also has a 6-foot-10 wingspan, which will help him a lot on the defensive side of the ball.
