After a rather quiet week along the college basketball front, a couple of things came to my mind. One of the first things I thought about was last year’s college basketball season. It wasn’t a pretty one, but at least it was basketball on a regular schedule. The COVID-19 pandemic seemed to put a damper on all of sports. But having college basketball back in my life was a huge plus. However, then I got to thinking about how Cade Cunningham stayed as the No. 1 prospect throughout the entire year.
There were a couple of times where people in the media would mention Jalen Suggs, or ESPN would show a highlight of Jalen Green in the G-League. However, for the most part it was pretty expected that whoever got the first overall pick was going to take the wing from Oklahoma State and the famed Montverde Academy. That said, when you look at this college basketball season, it’s safe to say no one has really distanced themselves as the clear cut number one. Which, in my opinion, leaves it up for debate.
The case for Chet Holmgren and Paulo Banchero
While a number one pick hasn’t distanced themselves, coming into the season, it sure seemed like the media had hand-picked Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paulo Banchero to lead the way. Granted, they had very good reason.
Holmgren is a 7-foot-1 freshman center from Minnesota that has a chance to be even better than Cleveland Cavaliers phenom Evan Mobley on the defensive end. Don’t worry Cavs fans, Mobley is truly one of a kind, but Holmgren is also a, “once in a generation” type player that will have a much bigger impact on the defensive end than he will on the offensive end. Right away at least. Hell, Mobley’s defensive play has gotten so good, we often miss how well he is improving his all-around offensive game. But I digress.
This season Holmgren is averaging 13.3 points per game, while also snagging 7.4 rebounds per game, and swatting nearly four shots per game. His shooting splits are 66/30/68 percent which are rather impressive for a big man. His three-point shooting has kind of taken a back seat during his early games with Gonzaga, but that should only become better over time. Personally, if I had the first pick in the 2022 NBA Draft I would take Holmgren.
He’s going to be a stud on the defensive end, and after 1-2 years in the league, he could become an offensive weapon at any spot on the floor. I am concerned with his weight, though. If you think Evan Mobley is skinny, wait until you see Holmgren. He will naturally put on weight as he gets older, but the question with him is, how much? He seems like the type of guy that will eat whatever he wants, whenever, yet can’t seem to gain weight. However, with all the programs these universities and professional teams have for body health, it would seem he would find a way to add muscle.
As for Paolo Banchero out of Duke, I am not as high on him. Yes, I hate Duke and I dislike Coach K for his selfish retirement tour, but in all reality Mike Krzyzewski does know how to find players with NBA-ready skills and bodies. That is the mold for freshman wing Paolo Banchero. Standing at 6-foot-10 with a strong frame, he can impact a basketball game from anywhere on the court.
His outside shooting (33 percent this season) could use some improvement, but that will come with time. He’s averaging nearly 18 points a contest while hauling in seven rebounds and two assists per night as well. But, early on he has had a couple issues staying hydrated and on the court.
There have been a few instances this season that Banchero was removed from games because he was simply cramping up and could not continue. I have no doubt Duke will find a way to fix this problem, but for now it’s enough to slot him down ever so slightly in my prospect rankings.
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.
One game, two sleepers
While the majority of the 2022 NBA Draft talk within college basketball has circulated around Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, and Jabari Smith, there are still a lot of other players who would love to find themselves being selected anywhere in the NBA Draft. That’s why this weekend I have a little bit of a treat for you guys.
Since conference play is just opening up around the country, there aren’t a lot of big-time prospect vs big-time prospect games happening lately. So, this Saturday at noon on The Big Ten Network is a great time to check out E.J. Liddell from the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Wisconsin Badgers, who are led by none other than Johnny Davis.
This matchup between Wisconsin (22) and Ohio State (21) Saturday at noon on Big Ten Network is one you should tune into.
Davis and Liddell both thought about testing the NBA last season before ultimately deciding to return to school, and it has benefited them greatly. Liddell has been the Buckeyes’ go-to player. He’s averaging 20 points per game this season, while hauling in seven rebounds and blocking over three shots per contest. The only negative with Liddell is that he’s a bit undersized for a big, considering he’s only 6-foot-7. However, that has not hampered him at all this season, as he’s shooting over 54 percent from the field and 36 percent from deep. With that being said, the NBA has a history of passing up on guys like Liddell, undersized, and not elite in any certain skill.
However, with that I direct you to towards his one-time teammate Jae’Sean Tate who is playing for the Houston Rockets. At 6-foot-4 he’s undersized for a wing but that hasn’t stopped him. He’s improving on his impressive rookie year, and is now averaging over 12 points per game and is one of the key cogs in a young Houston Rockets unit.
As for Davis, he’s the kind of player that you give the ball to him and you just get out of his way. He’s an incredible moving force of power and speed that is nearly impossible to slow down. I had a friend in high school who played like Davis. One of the best athletes I’ve ever seen. Unlike Davis, he couldn’t shoot, but he was unstoppable when attacking the basket. Davis is now averaging over 20 points a contest as well, and is doing it while shooting 46 percent from the field and 40 percent from three.
In my opinion, he’s been one of the most impressive players in all of college basketball this season.
Unfortunately the two probably won’t match up, but be sure to tune in, because Davis could end up in the late lottery and Liddell will be a steal for any team in the late first round.