The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.
In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from Draft Express (ESPN), Aran Smith (NBADraft.net), Sam Vecenie (The Athletic), Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report), Chad Ford (NBA Big Board), Krysten Peek (Yahoo), Matt Babcock (Basketball News) as well as USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.
Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score in order to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion. Predictions for a first overall pick earned a player 58 points while the second overall pick earned 57 points, the third overall earned 56 points, and so on.
AJ Griffin (Duke), Alondes Williams (Wake Forrest), Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State), Orlando Robinson (Fresno State), Walker Kessler (Fresno State), Justin Lewis (Marquette), Christian Braun (Kansas), and Tari Eason (LSU) have improved their draft stock the most since our most recent update last month.\
The most notable prospects who made their debut on our rankings were Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky), David Roddy (Colorado State), and Jaylin Williams (Arkansas).
Meanwhile, the top prospects who were not included in any of these recent mock drafts are Daimion Collins (Kentucky), Alex Fudge (LSU), Justin Moore (Villanova), Darius Days (LSU), Jared Rhoden (Seton Hall), Tre Mitchell (Texas), Dawson Garcia (North Carolina), and more.
Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.
HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report
Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. highlighted the prospects on the rise in the latest Rookie Wire Mock Draft.
With the 2021-22 basketball season in full swing, scouts and front-office executives have had an extended look at the next wave of prospects set to enter the NBA.
Prior to the beginning of the season, Duke forward Paolo Banchero and Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren dominated the conversation atop most draft boards. However, the top of the draft looks to be changing with Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. emerging in a big way this season.
Rookie Wire took a look at the next rookie class and projected every pick based on the latest information at hand. Of course, with much of the season left to play, these rankings will change but here is how we see things at the moment.
Note: The order of the draft was pulled from Tankathon as of Jan. 19. The 2022 draft may only have 58 picks after the Bucks and Heat were stripped of their second-round picks by the NBA.
The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.
The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.
In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from Draft Express (ESPN), Aran Smith (NBADraft.net), Sam Vecenie (The Athletic), Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report), Jeremy Woo (Sports Illustrated), Krysten Peek (Yahoo), Matt Babcock (Basketball News) as well as USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.
Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score in order to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion. Predictions for a first overall pick earned a player 58 points while the second overall pick earned 57 points, the third overall earned 56 points, and so on.
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin), Jeremy Sochan (Baylor), Harrison Ingram (Stanford), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), Wendell Moore (Duke), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame), and Walker Kessler (Auburn) have improved their draft stock the most since our most recent update last month.
The most notable prospects making their debut on our rankings are Tari Eason (LSU), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown), Dereon Seabron (NC State), Christian Braun (Kansas), Trevion Williams (Purdue) and Orlando Robinson (Fresno State).
Some of the top prospects who were not included in any of these most recent mock drafts include Matthew Cleveland (Florida State), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Max Abmas (Oral Roberts), Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Alex Fudge (LSU), Buddy Boeheim (Syracuse), Josh Minott (Memphis) and Kadary Richmond (Seton Hall).
Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.
HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report
The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.
In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from Draft Express (ESPN), Aran Smith (NBADraft.net), Sam Vecenie (The Athletic), Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report), Jeremy Woo (Sports Illustrated), Krysten Peek (Yahoo), Matt Babcock (Basketball News) as well as USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.
Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score in order to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion. Predictions for a first overall pick earned a player 58 points while the second overall pick earned 57 points, the third overall earned 56 points, and so on.
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin), Jeremy Sochan (Baylor), Harrison Ingram (Stanford), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), Wendell Moore (Duke), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame), and Walker Kessler (Auburn) have improved their draft stock the most since our most recent update last month.
The most notable prospects making their debut on our rankings are Tari Eason (LSU), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown), Dereon Seabron (NC State), Christian Braun (Kansas), Trevion Williams (Purdue) and Orlando Robinson (Fresno State).
Some of the top prospects who were not included in any of these most recent mock drafts include Matthew Cleveland (Florida State), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Max Abmas (Oral Roberts), Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Alex Fudge (LSU), Buddy Boeheim (Syracuse), Josh Minott (Memphis) and Kadary Richmond (Seton Hall).
Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.
HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report
Wendell Moore, 6-foot-5 with a 7-foot wingspan, is the point guard for Duke. He is a junior but only four months older than Chet Holmgren.
Wendell Moore Jr. was a high school McDonald’s All-American who was a five-star recruit. When he committed to Duke, he was a projected first-round pick expected to play just one collegiate season.
As a freshman, things didn’t go according to plan for Moore. With a chiseled frame and a 7-foot wingspan, the 6-foot-6 wing showed promise on defense. But he averaged fewer points per possession in a set offense than 88 percent of all college players. He recorded just 7.4 points per game and he recorded more turnovers than assists. Mock drafts quickly forgot about him.
Flash forward and now a junior, Duke needed Moore to make the proverbial leap in order for the team to have success during Coach K’s final season as head coach of the Blue Devils. Moore is Duke’s elder statesman and he is one of the most athletically gifted players as well.
Rather than moving him off-ball, Duke decided to lean in and make him a bigger part of its offensive attack. The risk paid off and not only does he look much better on the floor but the numbers say so, too, as he leads the ACC in the catch-all metric box plus-minus.
Moore is currently reaching thresholds of averaging 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Over the course of a full season, only six players on record have actually accomplished as much before their senior year. Four of those six were Penny Hardaway (3rd overall in 1993), Jason Kidd (2nd overall in 1994), Chauncey Billups (3rd overall in 1997) and Evan Turner (2nd overall in 2010). All were top 3 picks when selected in the NBA draft.
Maybe those are lofty expectations for someone who averaged less than 9.0 ppg during his first two collegiate campaigns. But things are very different for Moore, who on Nov. 12 became the fifth player in Duke history to record a triple-double, now that his role has changed.
Moore, who is 6-foot-5, is effectively the point guard for the Blue Devils these days. He actually leads his conference in assist percentage (30.4 percent) and when he is running the pick and roll, he is averaging more points per possession (1.22 PPP) than 95 percent of college players.
Meanwhile, as a freshman, Moore had just four three-pointers and three dunks and he missed about half his shots at the rim. Those were arguably the biggest offensive concerns he needed to address.
These days, his jumper has gotten better both off the catch and off the bounce. But just as notably, after just eight games, Moore has already thrown down more dunks than he did in either his freshman year or in his sophomore year. He has also increased his field-goal percentage at the rim all the way up to nearly 75 percent at the rim and most of those looks have been unassisted.
The craziest part is that Moore is going to be just 20 years old on the night of the draft, which makes him just four months older than Gonzaga freshman Chet Holmgren.
Moore, who was always a versatile defensive player, clearly put in the work during the offseason. As a result, he is someone who is going to start appearing in the first round on future NBA mock drafts once again.
In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, Basketball News and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.
Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion.
Since our last update, the players who have improved the most spots are Ismael Kamagate (Paris), Moussa Diabate (Michigan), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Hugo Besson (New Zealand), Efe Abogidi (Washington State), Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State), Justin Lewis (Marquette), Max Christie (Michigan State), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), and Ochai Agbaji (Kansas).
The most notable prospects making their debut on our rankings are Trevor Keels (Duke), Bryce McGowens (Nebraska), MarJon Beauchamp (G League Ignite), Keon Ellis (Alabama), Christian Koloko (Arizona), Wendell Moore (Duke), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame), Josh Minott (Memphis), Zach Edey (Purdue), and Johnny Davis (Wisconsin).
Some of the top prospects who did not make the cut this time included Hunter Sallis (Gonzaga), Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Tennesse), Kobe Bufkin (Michigan), Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State), Jahvon Quinerly (Albama), Adam Flagler (Baylor), Jaylin Williams (Auburn), Matthieu Gauzin (Le Mans), Isaiah Wong (Miami), Marcus Williams (Texas A&M), and Tyson Etienne (Wichita State).
Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.
HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report
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.
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
After over a month of the college basketball season, we are starting to get a better picture of what the 2020 NBA Draft will look like.
After over a month of the college basketball season, we are starting to get a better picture of what the 2020 NBA draft will look like.
For example, Georgia Bulldogs freshman Anthony Edwards is beginning to separate himself as a near-consensus No. 1 overall pick. On the other side of the coin, though, several of the projected top selections (LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, Cole Anthony and RJ Hampton) will miss extended time due to either injury or suspension.
In order to get a better read of the bigger picture, we collected opinions from the top experts and analysts that cover the draft. The latest 2020 NBA mock drafts from ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net, The Athletic as well as USA Today Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire were used for these rankings.
Cassius Winston, Aaron Henry, Xavier Tillman in top-45 of The Athletic's NBA Draft Big Board https://t.co/LFrVsMcvZD
One of the most interesting takeaways is that the Michigan State Spartans have three players (Cassius Winston, Aaron Henry and Xavier Tillman) all trending up.
After making the Final Four in last year’s March Madness, the program was expected to take another leap forward for their 2019-20 campaign.
Despite three losses in their first 10 games, the Spartans still rank No. 15 overall this season. This can be attributed to the fact Michigan State currently has the third-best offense in college basketball, per KenPom.com.
They also have three of the most improved players since our last aggregate mock draft. The full list, and more on each of the MSU players moving up draft boards, is included below.
Since our last AMD, this has moved up 17 spots in our rankings.
Despite already being 21 years old, the 6-foot-1 guard currently has a first-round grade from ESPN as well as Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports.
Winston has been one of the best distributors since he began at MSU. 67.1 percent of all field goals for the Spartans have been assisted, which is the sixth-most among all teams so far this season. His career assist rate (44.1 percent) ranks No. 1 overall among all college players who have played at least 50 games since 2009-10, via Sports-Reference.
With 7 assists today vs Rutgers, Cassius Winston now has the 2nd-most career assists (770) in Big Ten History, passing Illinois’ Bruce Douglas.
Winston is now just 46 assists behind Mateen Cleaves for the conference career record (816). pic.twitter.com/BLzMQGjpzx
During his freshman season, he had the second-best assist rate (46.7 percent) in the NCAA. Then as a sophomore, his assist rate (43.5 percent) trailed only Trae Young for the best in college basketball. Last season, his assist mark (44.8 percent) ranked third-best and behind only Ja Morant among all who played for teams that made the tournament.
But he has also shown strength as one of the more accurate shooters in the NCAA.
Winston was 75-for-151 (49.7 percent) from beyond the arc in 2017-18. That helped him join the exclusive 50-40-90 club for field-goal percentage, three-point percentage and free-throw percentage. Even as a sophomore then, the guard was one of the few to have a membership with at least two three-point attempts per game.
There is some enough NBA readiness to show he can contribute right away for a winning team.
Aaron Henry, Wing
AMD Rank: 33
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Since our last AMD, this has moved up 26 spots in our rankings.
Henry was of the players who helped himself the most during the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Then a freshman, he put up 20 points with 6 rebounds and 6 assists during a victory over LSU.
While he has not yet taken the leap some expected as a sophomore, draft experts still have confidence in him as a prospect. His highest ranking right now comes from Jonathan Wasserman, who has him at No. 28 overall (via Bleacher Report):
“The eye test on Henry looks more convincing than the numbers. He isn’t a high-level creator, which limits him in Michigan State’s offense. But the 6’6″ guard is hitting open shots, capitalizing on driving lanes and making impact defensive plays. This late, teams will overlook Henry’s production for his fit.”
Perhaps the best news for the wing is that there is room for improvement. However, there have also been moments that show what Henry is capable of accomplishing at the next level.
This season, for example, the sophomore has been one of the most effective shooters off the catch. He is averaging 1.78 points per possession on catch-and-shoot attempts in a set offense, per Synergy Sports, which ranks in the 98th percentile.
Henry is also shooting 72.7 percent at the rim, which is an especially solid rate for a wing. Overall, he looks like someone capable of being a 3-and-D player in an NBA rotation.
Xavier Tillman, Big
AMD Rank: 50
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Since our last AMD, this has moved up 13 spots in our rankings.
Michigan State has always been a team that plays better with Tillman on the court. Last season, for example, the big actually had the third-best box plus-minus in the NCAA — trailing only Zion Williamson and Brandon Clarke.
Jeremy Woo recently helped contextualize what professional teams may like about the 6-foot-8 junior (via SI.com):
“Tillman specializes in doing the dirty work and has been a largely unheralded yet invaluable piece of the Spartans’ success dating back to last season. He’s not particularly tall for a center but has a chance to be a quality rotational big in the pros with what he adds defensively and on the glass. Tillman has worked on extending his shooting range, and if he ends up being able to shoot the three, he’ll have a fairly strong window of opportunity as a role player. A lot of the things he does as a screener and defender don’t show up in the box score, and while he’ll never be more than a fourth or fifth offensive option, he might be able to thrive in that capacity.”
His best trait so far this season has been his ability to cut to the basket. He is shooting 15-for-17 (88.2 percent) on these attempts, per Synergy.
But he has also added value on the offensive glass and as a rim protector for Michigan State. His willingness and ability to make the most of time on the floor makes him a draftable professional prospect.
