Carsen Edwards, Purdue Boilermakers

Let’s talk about Carsen Edwards.  The best player in the south regional during the NCAA tournament carrying Purdue all the way to the elite eight until fate intervened for the Virginia Cavaliers.  Edwards has negatives, he is small, defense is questionable, he will undoubtable have to sped up his footwork on that end.  Edwards became accustomed to having the ball in his hands constantly his junior season, that won’t be the case in the NBA. 

Those are the negatives, but there are a lot of positives.  Edwards is a scorer, that is the equivalent to a great hitter in baseball if you can’t play defense they still find a way to use you.  In today’s NBA team defensive concepts have become more of a team concept.  His defensive deficiencies can be masked in the right concept. 

Edwards can score. That works in the NBA.

Louis King, Oregon Ducks

The Oregon Ducks were a force to be reckoned with out of the Pac12 to start the season.  Then the injury to Bol Bol and suddenly they went into a downward spiral.  The Ducks forced their way into the tournament and began their drive to the sweet sixteen.  A big reason why, Louis King.  King seemed to mature overnight waking up NBA scouts from a dream of Zion to a reality of stealing a role player late in the draft. 

King’s measurables are NBA gold.  6’8” 205LBS with a 7foot wingspan.  Those equate to a future potential star in the NBA.  King also developed more as a scorer as the season went on. He shoots the ball at almost 39 percent from beyond the arc and 43.5 percent overall from the floor. He also scored 13.5 points per game while snagging 5.5 rebounds and dishing out 1.3 assists per game.While his overall shooting percentage might be concerning, a lot of that can be chalked up to extra shots taken with his teammate Bol Bol having missed the majority of the season.

King may not be a top pick but he has everything it takes to be a future NBA star.

Admiral Schofield, Tennessee Volunteers

Admiral Schofield is a mystery to me.  Good size, solid shooter a grinder in the paint or outside.  But what kind of NBA player can he be?  Jae Crowder has been the biggest comparison.  That doesn’t seem too bad, but I see more from the Tennessee senior.  Schofield will enter the league with an NBA level body type, he should be able to develop as an event better shooter.  His ability to shoot will be an asset for whatever team chooses to give him a chance, he has the athleticism to become a diverse player on the offensive end.

Dedric Lawson, Kansas Jayhawks

Dedric Lawson lacks one thing the NBA looks for: 3-point shooting.  But he brings with him something that most teams lack, toughness in the paint. We have seen the improvements of Montrez Harrell as an interior scorer that brings toughness.  If Lawson can put on some more mass and improve his footwork he can be a similar type player. 

Lawson will take some time to develop, which is why he is a projected second round pick.  Give him a few years in the league and we see the production.  He is a future force in the middle off of a contenders bench.

Marial Shayok, Iowa State

Seniors in the NBA draft often go overlooked unless they have made a big run the NCAA Tournament.  Marial Shayok out of Iowa State could be that player in the 2019 draft.

Shayok starred at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a showcase for some of the best college basketball seniors in the country. From there, he was invited to the NBA’s G-League Elite training camp. From there, he transferred to the big-time NCAA Draft Combine. Most will forget Shayok spent time with the Virginia Cavaliers where he learned to play defense.  Transitioning over to the more offensive minded Big12 he developed an offensive game.

Shayok will enter the draft at 24 years old, he is a matured player that has played in multiple systems that will allow him to play for almost any NBA team.