King James Gospel
Fansided

Cavs fans College Hoops Viewing Guide, and who’s going #1 in ’22?

By Justin Brownlow

Johnny Davis, Wisconsin Badgers. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Johnny Davis, Wisconsin Badgers. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Cavs
Jabari Smith, Auburn Tigers. (Photo by Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports) /

Could fast riser Jabari Smith catch them? And a guy to keep your eye on

Before the NBA and college basketball season, Auburn big Jabari Smith was already a lock to go in the lottery of the 2022 NBA Draft. However, as of late he’s gaining a lot of steam. Over at Sports Illustrated, he even overtook Holmgren in their recent 2022 mock draft from a few weeks back. He’s been great this season for Bruce Pearl and Auburn.

Early this season he’s averaging 17 points a night while shooting 46 percent from the field and an astounding 44 percent from three-point range. He can do it all, averaging seven rebounds, one block, nearly two steals, and two assists a night to go along with his 17 points. The only question I have about Smith, is if he can keep playing at this level for even the majority of the season. If he’s able to, he might be the most impressive freshman basketball player we’ve seen in a while.

A name that has seemed to be trending downwards as of late is Jaden Hardy, the teen basketball player who took the route Jalen Green did, and is playing in the G-League for the Ignite. Now, there are two reasons Hardy’s stock has taken a hit. One is because of how incredible Jaden Ivey has been playing for Purdue. Both play the same position, but Ivey playing on national TV often while playing for No. 1 ranked Purdue, is having it’s effect on Hardy’s stock. However, when it comes to Hardy, I’m a hold-steady guy.

As we’ve seen over the past two NBA seasons, there simply is not a skill out there in the basketball world than shooting, and Hardy is one of the best. His range is unlimited and he can fill it up at any moment. Now, objectively, he has struggled a little bit playing in a halfcourt offense. He’s looked sluggish and slow in pick-and-roll opportunities, and often settles for a longer jumper, than trying to draw a foul. With that being said, I reiterate my point; there is nothing in the NBA more important than shooting, and Hardy can do that with the elite.