Tag: Sandro Mamukelashvili

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 3.0: Checking in before March Madness

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.

So in order to get a better sense of where all of the prospects stand right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, The Athletic and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

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

2021 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Latest updates before March Madness

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.

We’re rapidly approaching March Madness and top prospects like Jonathan Kuminga have started their long-awaited season, which means the 2021 NBA draft finally has some more clarity.

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.

All relevant statistics are from BartTorvik.com, KenPom.com, Sports-Reference, RealGM and Synergy Sports Tech. Data is accurate as of February 11, 2021.

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 1.0: Who are the top players to know?

While the college basketball season has been strange, we have a more clear idea of which top prospects are expected in the 2021 NBA draft.

While the college basketball season has been strange, we have a more clear idea of which top prospects are expected in the 2021 NBA draft.

Unfortunately, putting together a big board at this point in the year is an incomplete task. The inaugural NBA G League Ignite team, a new developmental team that plays exhibitions and is meant to serve as an alternative to college for some players, has not yet begun their season.

That makes it impossible to track development for top prospects like Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Green as well as potential risers like Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix.

While there are some honorable mentions included for some fringe prospects, several names (e.g. Duke’s DJ Steward, UNC’s Caleb Love, Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon, Miami’s Earl Timberlake) were omitted on account of projected returns to the NCAA. As of right now, however, it is still a great challenge to predict who will be in this class.

The key to this draft is fluidity and being willing to accept that things will change quickly. Players will have slumps and some may be slow to adapt to the new normal. Rankings now are hardly reflective of where they will be as we get closer to March Madness.

Note that any conversations with NBA scouts mentioned in the article were held under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on behalf of their teams.

All relevant statistics are from BartTorvik.com, KenPom.com, Sports-Reference, RealGM and Synergy Sports Tech. Data is accurate as of January 22, 2021.

The 6-foot-10 native of the Republic of …

The 6-foot-10 native of the Republic of Georgia told ZAGSBLOG he will withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to campus for one more season. He met via Zoom with 17 NBA teams, including the Knicks, but did not receive an invite to the NBA Combine. The NBA withdrawal deadline is Monday. “There were a lot of options on the table but last year we started something special and we all took it personally that we couldn’t finish it,” he said Saturday by phone ahead of his public announcement. “Just going back right now and having summer workouts and being around the teammates, we all want to make history and we all just want to go back and show everybody what we couldn’t accomplish. I just want to finish business and show everybody that I can be a leader and the key player. And also I feel like I trust Coach [Kevin Willard] and the staff and with their help, I can make something special with my career and maybe I can make the early first-round or middle of the first round next year.”

Seton Hall junior forward Sandro …

Seton Hall junior forward Sandro Mamukelashvili has had Zoom calls with close to 20 NBA teams, including the Knicks. The 6-foot-10 native of the Republic of Georgia is testing the NBA Draft waters ahead of the Oct. 16 NBA Draft, and said he’s still undecided about his future plans. The NBA withdrawal deadline is Aug. 3. “I’m taking my time and evaluating all of my options,” he said Friday. “I had a lot of interviews and I want to think about my plans.”

Seton Hall junior forward Sandro …

Seton Hall junior forward Sandro Mamukelashvili has a dozen interviews lined up with NBA teams but is “open to possibilities,” including potentially returning to campus for his senior season. The 6-foot-11 native of the Republic of Georgia is testing the NBA Draft waters, but cannot meet with NBA teams in person or work out for them due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, he will have virtual meetings with a dozen teams. “Mamu,” as he is known, is not currently projected on most major mock drafts.

Seton Hall at DePaul odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s Seton Hall Pirates vs. DePaul Blue Demons Blue Demons sports betting odds and lines, with NCAA basketball betting picks.

The Seton Hall Pirates (8-4) and DePaul Blue Demons (12-1) open the conference schedule at Wintrust Arena in suburban Chicago at 8:30 p.m. ET Monday. We analyze the Seton Hall-DePaul odds and betting lines, while providing college basketball betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Seton Hall at DePaul: Three things you need to know

1. The Pirates have been banged up, but they have ripped off two straight wins while playing at less than 100%. They surprised Maryland as seven-point underdogs Dec. 19, and thumped Prairie View A&M as 17.5-point favorites, winning by 20. The Under has hit in four straight for the Pirates.

2. DePaul suffered a stunning 74-69 loss to Buffalo Dec. 8, falling as a 10.5-point favorite. But the Blue Demons have rattled off three wins in a row since, including a solid 83-78 victory over crosstown rival Northwestern.

3. The underdog has connected in four of the past five meetings in this series.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Seton Hall at DePaul: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

DePaul 70, Seton Hall 63

Moneyline (ML)

There was no moneyline available at the time of publishing, probably because of the 1-point spread.

Against the Spread (ATS)

DEPAUL (+1, -110) is the play at home, mainly due to health. G Myles Powell (concussion) and F Sandro Mamukelashvili (wrist) are out for Seton Hall, and the Pirates can’t continue to tick off wins without two of their top scorers.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 137 (-110) is worth a small-unit play, as the Pirates will likely look to slow it down without Powell and Mamukelashvili in the conference opener on the road. The Under is 4-0 in the past four for SHU, and 5-2 in DePaul’s past seven against teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better.

New to sports betting? Every $1.10 wagered on the Under will profit $1 if the combined total score is 136 points or less.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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