Tag: Terrence Clarke

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 4.0: Checking in after March Madness

Which future NBA players played the best during March Madness? Who has made the most significant improvements to their draft stock since our last update?

Which future NBA players played the best during March Madness? Which prospects made the most significant improvements to their draft stock?

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, SB Nation and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

Since our previous update last month, these are the players who have improved their stock and are trending up on mock drafts: Davion Mitchell (Baylor), Josh Giddey (Adelaide), Chris Duarte (Oregon), Miles McBride (West Virginia), Aaron Henry (Michigan State), Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona), Kessler Edwards (Pepperdine), Trey Murphy (Virginia) and Neemias Queta (Utah State).

Some of the names that did not make the list last time but now appear among the Top 60 include Isaiah Todd (G League Ignite), Johnny Juzang (UCLA), Max Abmas (Oral Roberts), RaiQuan Gray (Florida State), Santi Aldama (Loyola Maryland and Austin Reaves (Oklahoma).

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 Draft Tracker: The full list of early-entrant prospects

Rookie Wire took a look at those prospects that have opted to enter the NBA draft as an early-entrant candidate.

With March Madness in full swing, the sports world has been yet again enthralled with some outstanding individual performances on the biggest stage in college basketball.

Of course, with teams’ seasons ending and players exiting the NCAA bubble in Indianapolis, Indiana, some notable prospects will begin to look ahead and plan for their respective futures and take the next steps in their basketball careers.

Several high-profile prospects have already started to declare for the 2021 NBA draft in order to test the waters. Others, who are still playing, will eventually reach that point and throw their names into the hat as the collegiate season winds down.

As players look ahead to the 2021 NBA draft, the process this year will look a bit different based on the ongoing circumstances regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Among the changes, seniors will now need to petition the NBA to be draft-eligible this year.

In past seasons, seniors were not required to declare early for the draft. However, with the NCAA granting winter athletes an additional year of eligibility for the 2021-22 season, those seniors must now declare early for the draft.

Rookie Wire took a look at those prospects that have opted to enter the NBA draft as an early-entrant. With a record number of prospects expected to be eligible this year, we will continue to update this list throughout the pre-draft process.

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0: Top prospects playing in March Madness

This includes some names to watch in the men’s tourney.

March Madness is set to begin, which means for college basketball fans, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. But it’s also one of the busiest times for scouts and executives around the NBA.

Last season, the men’s NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, which makes the stakes even higher for those involved in this year’s event. It will be a fascinating few weeks of basketball, all unfolding in Indiana, and the games are sure to further illuminate who may be most worth targeting in the 2021 NBA Draft.

But in addition to the spotlight of college basketball fully underway, we have now also seen the entirety of the 2021 G League season. That included the inaugural campaign for the Ignite, a pathway to the NBA for top talents who sought an alternative to the NCAA. Their exciting playoff run taught us more about prospects including Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga.

So with those results in mind, and with the college basketball postseason on the horizon, we have ranked the Top 100 prospects most likely set to make the jump to the NBA next season.

Our methodology for the rankings includes conversations with folks around the league, learning the general consensus surrounding a player, as well as a deep dive into stats and game film.

To put everything in perspective, we have also included everyone’s previous ranks from our last update, published on Jan. 22. This helps show whether a player is trending up or trending down and also helps illuminate how much can change in just two months of action.

As the madness begins during the men’s NCAA Tournament, follow along to see how these players are performing, as many will make a case to move up or down once the nets are cut on Apr. 5, 2021.

Why aren’t Duke and Kentucky playing in the NCAA tournament?

For the first time since 1976, the NCAA tournament will not include appearances from either the Duke Blue Devils or the Kentucky Wildcats.

For the first time since 1976, the NCAA tournament will not include appearances from either the Duke Blue Devils or the Kentucky Wildcats.

March Madness will look different without these two programs, which together compose the largest share of the talent pool in the NBA. Both had incredibly disappointing campaigns in 2020-21 and neither gained any of the momentum necessary to receive invitations to the tournament.

So how did both Duke and Kentucky fail to earn a trip to March Madness?

DUKE

Duke began the season ranked No. 9 in the nation but the success never materialized on the floor. They returned just four players from last season, losing the rest either to the pros or the transfer portal.

Meanwhile, consensus five-star recruit Jalen Johnson suffered a foot injury early into his freshman season and ultimately decided to focus on his NBA career. The team struggled on the defensive side of the floor and was never able to separate themselves as a legitimate threat.

Duke’s disappointing 2020-21 campaign (13-11) included three different three-game losing streaks, including back-to-back overtime heartbreakers in two of their final regular-season appearances.

The Blue Devils last missed a tournament in 1995, a season in which coach Mike Krzyzewski was largely absent due to a back injury. Their streak, which was extended over 24 seasons, was the third-longest among all NCAA teams.

Despite a middling record, Duke could have earned an automatic bid to the big dance if they were able to win the ACC tournament in Greensboro, N.C. After winning their first two games, the Blue Devils were set to play in the quarterfinals against Florida State.

After one of their walk-on players tested positive for COVID-19, the school announced on Thursday morning, the program was forced to bow out for the remainder of the games.

While the Blue Devils were still eligible for an at-large bid, the committee ultimately decided that the invitation was better suited for a team with less of a middling performance on the season.

KENTUCKY

Kentucky, a college basketball powerhouse that consistently produces NBA-caliber talent, also did not receive an invitation to the tournament. This was only the second time that the Wildcats were excluded since head coach John Calipari was hired in 2009.

Quite simply, this was a particularly young and inexperienced squad for the Wildcats (9-16) that never gelled on the floor. That reared its head early as Kentucky lost six of their first seven games on the season.

In fairness, this team returned just 7.6 percent of minutes from last season, far and away one of the lowest marks in the nation. The program also lost longtime assistant coach Kenny Payne, who was hired as an assistant for the New York Knicks.

Calipari was heavily relying on productivity from freshmen like BJ Boston, who was a preseason projected lottery pick. Boston, however, never made an impact for the Wildcats and was held scoreless when they were eliminated in the first round of the SEC tournament.

Kentucky also received just eight games from Terrence Clarke, a consensus five-star recruit who was widely considered a first-round talent as well, who was oft-injured.

Outside of promising defensive potential from freshman Isaiah Jackson, there was very little worth celebrating during this season for the Wildcats.

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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.

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 2.0: How has the NCAA season changed rankings?

Now that the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball season is underway, we are getting a more clear picture of the top prospects in the upcoming class.

Now that the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball season is underway, we are getting a more clear picture of the top prospects in the upcoming class.

Former top recruits like Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs have made a great first impression and have confirmed why many already feel they are going to be solid future professionals in the NBA.

Of course, considering the unusual nature of the college basketball season, some players are struggling a bit more than others. The performance on the court will likely stray closer to the mean with a larger sample size as the year continues.

But to get a better sense of where everyone stands 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.

We highlighted the prospects who have been the biggest risers since we published our last edition of this exercise.

College basketball standouts who have most drastically improved their draft stock through the early parts of the season include Keon Johnson (Tennessee), James Bouknight (UCONN), Jared Butler (Baylor), Corey Kispert (Gonzaga), Day’Ron Sharpe (UNC), Aaron Henry (Michigan State), Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois), Marcus Bagley (Arizona State), Moussa Cisse (Memphis), Charles Bassey (Western Kentucky), Jason Preston (Ohio) and Luka Garza (Iowa).

Below are the rankings based on the latest mock drafts from top analysts and experts:

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Mike Brey Speaks Ahead of Notre Dame’s Game at Kentucky

Having lost two of its first three games to ranked Big Ten teams in Michigan State and Ohio State, Notre Dame can see where it stands.

Having lost two of its first three games to ranked Big Ten teams in Michigan State and Ohio State, Notre Dame can see where it stands. Fresh off a difficult, injury-riddled season, improvement doesn’t appear to be that obvious, and the team still is very thin. Still, Mike Brey sees it as a learning experience for a team led by juniors Prentiss Hubb, Nate Laszewski and Dane Goodwin.

“We are older, and I think we’ve kind of found out a little more about ourselves through these first three games,” Brey said during a Thursday news conference.

The Irish will face another underachieving team in Kentucky on Saturday. After a season-opening win over Morehead State, the Wildcats have dropped three in a row. That means a lot of pressure from a rabid fan base expecting more out of a team led by BJ Boston and Terrence Clarke, two freshmen currently projected as lottery picks in next year’s NBA draft. Brey expected excitement when he worked with John Calipari to get these teams together for the first time since their thrilling 2015 Elite Eight matchup, but he probably didn’t expect it would pair up teams trying to find their footing.

“I think both teams have their backs up against the wall right now,” Brey said.

The Wildcats have enough talent that a win in Lexington would mean the world to the Irish. It would give them a great boost heading into ACC play, and they need one. The conference is stacked this year, so there’s almost no game the Irish can waltz right into expecting things to go easily.

“If you look further into our schedule, it’s not like we’ve got one week and say, ‘Hey, there’s a win where we can feel better about ourselves,’ ” Brey said.

What Brey can feel better about is knowing that whatever the Irish do runs through Hubb. It’s difficult to come to any other conclusion regarding the team leader in scoring (22.3) and assists (5.3). Hubb also is one of four players averaging at least 35 minutes a game. But even if the Irish weren’t so stretched out, would Hubb playing so much necessarily be a bad thing?

“It all comes off of [Prentiss],” Brey said. “It’s hard to take him out of the game.”

Hubb’s 37.7 minutes a game are tied with Cormac Ryan, who had a frustrating game against the Buckeyes. He was shut out in the second half leading all scorers with 15 in the first. Though he was guarded more closely after the first 20 minutes, he also might have run out of gas. He had to sit out last season after transferring from Stanford, and now, he’s playing almost entire games.

“Overall, Cormac’s really trying,” Brey said. “His body is getting conditioned into extended minutes…It’s very new territory for Cormac.”

2021 NBA Mock Draft: Predicting all 60 picks, starting with Cade Cunningham

Now that the 2020-21 NCAA Men’s Basketball season is in full swing, we examined what the 2021 NBA draft class is shaping up to look like.

Now that the 2020-21 NCAA Men’s Basketball season is in full swing, we examined what the 2021 NBA draft class is shaping up to look like.

Consider this an introduction to the top players in college, as well as those on 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. We’ll also look at international prospects who are playing abroad.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, this is going to be an unusual season for all hopeful pros. The bizarre offseason made it hard to get in the swing of things and some may struggle early as they adjust accordingly. As they already have been, games will inevitably be postponed or outright canceled.

Even in a normal season, a mock draft this early is a bold move. With these circumstances in mind, our mock draft is obviously going to look very different from how the actual night will shake out next offseason.

But it does offer a general starting range to encapsulate where the top prospects may be selected if they draft were held now. It also gives some insight on the kinds of players who may be available when your favorite team is on the clock.

The draft order was determined by projected wins from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, whose projected real plus-minus has “outperformed” the over-under figures from Las Vegas since 2015. Pick swaps and trades were pulled from the future draft picks section on RealGM.

Note that all 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. Statistics for 2020-21 college basketball freshmen were calculated from their most recent AAU season via Open Look Analytics.