With the NBA surpassing it’s halfway point of the season and the All-Star Game festivities taking place only a few weeks from now, the NBA Draft is a full week closer than it was last week! Really, all jokes aside, this is the point where we start to see a lot of trade talk, and when I think teams will really start thinking about the 2022 NBA Draft.
The elite prospects like Jabari Smith and Paolo Banchero have distanced themselves from the rest of the pack. This makes it much easier to focus in on a couple of guys who realistically might be on the Cleveland Cavaliers next season. Sure I’d love to have the number one player on my big board, as I’m sure he is on most if not all other big boards, Jabri Smith. But, if the Cavs keep winning, the chances of getting a shot at Smith or even Banchero, will be close to zero, and I’m not complaining. We love us some winning basketball in Cleveland.
As for the big board, there are no big updates this week. I had Smith first on my board last week, and now after he had a fantastic weekend, he’s at the top of the majority of them across the league. Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren have both been solid the past week, with the big man from Duke dropping 23 in a win over Virginia Tech this past week. Jaden Ivey continues to impress with a Purdue squad that has a good chance to go deep in the NCAA Tournament.
A new name has been added to the board, though, as the class of 2022’s consensus number one prospect, Shaedon Sharpe, enters the fray. It’s still unclear if he will be in the 2022 or 2023 NBA Draft, but in either, he could be a top 8 pick right now.
Another new name in my top 10 is AJ Griffin from Duke, who’s playing more and more each week, from there.
Unfortunately some names dropped out of the top 10, such as TyTy Washington, who suffered an injury over the weekend, and did not play in Tuesday’s game versus Mississippi State. So without further ado, here’s my updated big board, followed by three games you are going to want to watch this weekend in the college hoops world.
The updated Big Board Top 10
- Jabari Smith, Wing/Forward, Auburn (-)
- Paolo Banchero, Forward, Duke (-)
- Chet Holmgren, Center, Gonzaga (-)
- Jaden Ivey, Guard, Purdue (-)
- Bennedict Mathurin, Wing, Arizona (-)
- Johnny Davis, Guard, Wisconsin (Up 1)
- Shaedon Sharpe, Guard, Kentucky (New)
- Jaden Hardy, Guard, G-League Ignite (Down 2)
- Keegan Murray, Wing, Iowa (Up 1)
- AJ Griffin, Wing, Duke (New)
Jabari Smith, as I mentioned, stayed still in the top spot. He’s really starting to turn heads around the NBA it seems. Over the weekend his Auburn team took down Kentucky, where he contributed 14 points. He’s the best prospect I’ve seen coming out of college since Anthony Davis. He’s a unique guy in the fact that his ceiling is sky-high, but so is his floor.
Banchero and Holmgren are producing at a high rate on top 10 teams, and Ivey has continued to look great for the Boilermakers this year, and his teammate, 7-footer Zach Edey, is starting to get on some NBA teams’ radars. Sharpe is intriguing, because we don’t know if he’ll play the second half of this season and go to the draft or wait until the 2023 draft, and play for John Calipari next year. Sharpe doesn’t seem to know himself what his plans are, but that will sort it self out in time.
Hardy has not looked good in the G-League, and has often been outshined by his teammates like Dyson Daniels and even Scoot Henderson. However, the guy can still shoot it out of the gym, so Hardy’s likely to stay in my good graces for a while.
Personally, I like Griffin for the Cavs more than Murray. Griffin is very young, and has a lot of untapped potential. With that being said, I’d happily take Murray if he fell to the Cavaliers. He is starting to heat up from the floor, and his all-around game would mix well with the Cavs’ environment.
So before I get into some of the other games you should watch this weekend, there are also some chances to watch some of the top guys this weekend. Banchero, Griffin and Duke will take on Louisville on Saturday in Kentucky. Also on the slate is the SEC-Big 12 Challenge that will feature Jabari Smith and number one-ranked Auburn host Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon.
Oh and if you want to tune in late on Saturday night, Chet Holmgren and Gonzaga will take on Portland at 9. However, let’s take a look at some of the realistic options for the Cavaliers next year, and where to watch them this weekend.
Three to watch this weekend, beginning with the first in the Big Ten
As always, there are multiple games this weekend that have NCAA Tournament implications. Aside from the matchups I mentioned earlier, this weekend is a great time to check out some realistic guys that could be on the Cavs next season. With the Cavs holding strong in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, we’re going to take a look at three prospects that should be available at picks 23-30. So without further notice, let’s get started.
Rutgers at Nebraska (Saturday, Jan. 29 at 6:30 PM ET, Big Ten Network) Player to Watch: Wing Bryce McGowens of Nebraska
McGowens is a player that is rising up nearly all 2022 NBA Draft boards. The 6-foot-7 freshman from South Carolina is averaging over 16 points per game, while grabbing five rebounds, and dishing out two assists per night. He’s rail-thin right now but should be able to add muscle throughout his career.
He’s a very good player on a very bad team, so his talent is going to be hard to judge. On top of that, he’s a volume shooter, and isn’t that efficient. He’s shooting a paltry 39 percent from the floor and an even worse 25 percent from deep. However, his shooting form is there so he should be able to be a good shooter at the NBA level. With all this being said, you may come away from this game thinking McGowens isn’t a guy for the Cavaliers to look at. Even still, he fits the mold of a Cavs player.
His defense is okay right now, but he has the body type and drive to become an above average defender at the NBA level. On top of that, once his shot starts falling, that’s when he can really hurt you. If anyone closes out too hard on this guy, he’ll go right around them and finish at the rim.
Overall, we’ll have to monitor how McGowens is playing throughout the season. Even though he is eligibile for this year’s draft, it might be wise for him to stay another year at Nebraska, or hopefully somewhere else. I like McGowens a lot right now, and I think he could carve out a nice space on the Cavaliers roster.
Two other matchups to tune into this weekend
(16) Ohio State at (6) Purdue (Sunday, Jan. 30 at Noon ET, CBS) Player to Watch: E.J. Liddell of Ohio State
Well this is a bit of a treat for the viewers, as you will get to see Jaden Ivey take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Regardless, in this article we’re not focusing on the explosive guard in Ivey, but Ohio State’s leading scorer E.J. Liddell.
Liddell was always going to be a tough scouting report because of his size and position. The junior forward is a menacing 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, so he’s not afraid of contact. This year he’s averaging just under 20 points per game for the Buckeyes, while also bringing in over seven rebounds, and even dishing out three assists a night.
And Liddell could actually be the best addition to the Cavs “big” lineup. If Lauri Markkanen needs to head to the bench at some point (when healthy), Liddell can slip in there at the three.
However, if Isaac Okoro needs a blow he could also play as a bigger guard. His handles and quickness are nothing to get excited about but he’s a good, polished player, that brings a lot of energy to his team. I could very easily see him in Wine and Gold next season.
Wake Forest vs. Syracuse (Saturday, Jan. 29 at 8:00 PM ET, ACC Network) Player to Watch: Alondes Williams of Wake Forest
I’m just going to come out and say it, I love Alondes Williams’ fit with the Cavs, but I hate his age. By this time next year he will already be 23, which is a bit disheartening, but alas we move on.
The senior guard is averaging 20.4 points per game this season, to go along with seven rebounds, and five assists. He’s raised his three-point average to about 34 percent, which is a major upgrade from last year’s percentage. Williams also has the basketball instincts that you look for in a player, and in the Cavaliers’ situation, he could even become a young leader early on.
Like I said, I don’t love drafting guys this high in the draft when they are a certain age, but I might be able to make an exception for Williams.