March here and as much as we love the madness, it means that we will no longer be able to see some of these stars play at the college level again. This year’s freshmen class has brought us some incredible moments already and it will be remembered for years to come. This year’s draft class has big time potential. A lot of players coming out can be dominant NBA players and future NBA stars.
Below are ten college basketball players that will succeed in the NBA in the future.
Honorable Mention:
Doug McDermott
Marcus Paige
Dante Exum
Dario Saric
Glenn Robinson III
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10. Nik Stauskas
G, Michigan
The Michigan shooting guard has been the center point for the Wolverines this season and is a big reason why they sit atop the Big Ten. Stauskas is just so versatile on offense and can fill it up at will. He is 6-6, very good size for the shooting guard position and has good leaping ability. He isn’t the greatest athlete in the world but he knows how to get his shot off. Stauskas is an excellent shooter, averaging 17.1 points a game this season for Michigan. He shoots 48.1 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range. He also is a fantastic free throw shooter.
He doesn’t have great athletic ability and definitely will need to add size to play in the NBA. He reminds me a little bit of J.J. Redick. Once Redick realized he needed to become a better defender, he became an impact player in Orlando. Stauskas will have to pick up his game on the defensive end if he wants to have an immediate impact. If he can do that, with his ability to shoot the ball, he will earn a starting spot right away in the NBA. Players who can spread the floor because they are so dangerous from behind the arc are very valuable in the NBA. Stauskas has good handles and will need to improve them a little more in order to be able to create his own shot at the next level. But if you can knock down shots, there will always be a spot on an NBA roster for you.
9. Gary Harris
G, Michigan State
The Michigan State guard is a solid prospect but is a little undersized for a shooting guard heading into the NBA. Harris is a strong, physical guard that can get to the basket and finish around the rim. Harris definitely improved his game off the dribble this year after lacking that in his arsenal last year when the Spartans slipped up in the Elite Eight. He is a very good athlete and handles the ball very well.
What I like about Harris is he is always in attack mode. He is a little bit of a streaky shooter but can light it up at times. He averages 17.9 points per game for the Spartans but only shoots 42 percent from the field. Harris is also shooting 34.7 percent from three this year, after shooting over 40 percent last year. I don’t think that will cause his to drop in the draft, but he will need to improve other parts of his game in the NBA. Harris isn’t much more than a scorer but I think he’ll be a reliable option in the league. A little bit of an improvement on defense and Harris will instantly find himself in a starting role.
8. Tyler Ennis
G, Syracuse
Tyler Ennis has been huge in big moments this year and is a main reason Syracuse got off to its best start in school history (25-0). He hit a miraculous buzzer-beater to escape an upset bid from Pittsburgh on the road, and had nine assists and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line in their win verse Duke. Ennis is averaging 12.1 points and 5.5 assists a game, along with 2.0 steals in his freshman season for the Orange.
Ennis definitely has proven he has top ten talents this year and has the type of game that can transition over into the NBA. Ennis has great vision for a point guard and is a great passer in space. He’s very quick when handling the ball and is great at driving and finding the right pass to make. Ennis has been great at Syracuse this year, recording a 3.3 assist-to-turnover ratio.
As good a drive-and-kick player as he is, he’s also a solid shooter. He isn’t great, shooting 36.5 percent from long range and 41.2 percent from the field, but he has only taken 279 shots, which is fourth highest among starters. One knock I hear on Ennis is that he isn’t a great athlete but Ennis is very young. He is only 19 years old and at 6-2 and 180 pounds, he can build onto his frame. If Ennis can improve his jump shot and get a little bit stronger, I think he can come in and start for an NBA team.
7. Aaron Gordon
F, Arizona
Aaron Gordon is an interesting prospect to look at. He doesn’t dominate the game but does all the little things really, really well for Arizona. He scores 12.2 points a game for the Wildcats and is their leading rebounder, grabbing 8.0 boards per contest. Gordon shoots a good percentage at 49.5 percent but most of his shots are around the rim. His inability to make midrange jump shots is something he must work on if he wants to be successful in the NBA.
What Gordon gives you is explosiveness. He is a hustle player with a high motor and can leap out of the building. Gordon is very athletic and has great handles for a big man. Gordon’s game is very Blake Griffin-like. Griffin was an athletic big man in college that couldn’t really shoot the midrange but developed it over time in the NBA. I think Gordon can develop a midrange game and be an effective NBA player.
Gordon, at 6-8, is looked at as a tweener heading into the NBA Draft, but his 6-11 wingspan is intriguing. With his leaping ability he will play a lot taller than he is and can be an effective forward down low. Gordon is a prospect with big upside and I think he will come in and make a difference for an NBA team.
6. Rodney Hood
F, Duke
Rodney Hood is the oldest of this group at age 21 but he might end up being one of the best players from this year’s draft. Hood has been fantastic this year for Duke, scoring 16.3 points per game and is shooting 47.6 percent from the field. He stands at 6-8, and at 180 pounds has great size for his position.
Hood has a great all-around offensive game. He can get to the basket very well and finishes strong at the rim. He has great handles for his size and has a smooth lefty jumper. He can hit the midrange game and knock down the long ball. Hood shoots 43.6 percent from three-point range and uses numerous moves to get shots off. He is a skilled shooter and if he can just develop a little bit of a low post game, he can be a very good scorer in the NBA.
Strength is a concern for Hood and he must get stronger if he wants to have success at the next level. If he can get a little thicker it will help him become a better defender and rebounder. Hood is very good on offense but needs to develop his all-around game more fully if he wants to be a dominant NBA player.
5. Marcus Smart
G, Oklahoma State
Marcus Smart could have been a top-3 pick in last year’s NBA Draft if he decided to leave Oklahoma State last season. However, Smart elected to return to school to solidify his game and work on his jump shot. Early in the season the Cowboys were rolling and much of their success was due to the play of Smart.
Smart does a little bit of everything for a point guard. He is strong and physical, and his 6-4, 225-pound frame makes him a unique point guard. He uses his size to get into the lane and finish strong at the rim. He penetrates well and has the skill to finish at the basket or find the open shooter. Smart has a great motor and rebounds the ball fantastically for a guard. He averages 17.6 points, 4.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Defense is something Smart excels in. He is a tremendous competitor and has great hands on defense. He records 2.6 steals per game, and can suffocate ballhandlers. What Smart needs to improve on is his maturity and his jump shot. Smart had a blow up at Texas Tech a few weeks ago and is known to be a very emotional player. If he can learn how to have self-control on the court, I think that problem will vanish quickly. He is a young kid and with the team struggling, he branched out. I’d rather see some emotion then see him put his tail between his legs. He went too far but I think the media blowup actually will help this to never happen again.
His jump shot is something he must improve at the next level. Smart is shooting 42 percent from the field, but an ugly 29 percent from three-point range. If he wants to be a star point guard in the NBA, he will have to threaten defenders with a jump shot or he will be seen as a liability on the offensive end of the floor.
4. Joel Embiid
C, Kansas
Athletic, coordinated 7-foot centers don’t come around very often in the NBA. With that being said, Embiid is probably the player in the draft that has the most upside. Embiid doesn’t have much experience playing basketball but at age 19, the 250-pound center has plenty of time to learn.
Embiid is very athletic and has great lateral movement for a center. He can block shots and rebound the ball very well. His 7-5 wingspan helps him average 2.6 blocks and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Jayhawks. However, Embiid is more than just a big force down low. He is an athletic center and has the ability to handle the ball, shoot the midrange shot and pass the ball out of the post.
Embiid needs to add some strength to be more effective in the NBA but I don’t think that will be much of an issue. He is an efficient scorer and will only improve offensively in the NBA. This season for Kansas, he averages 11.2 points a game but shoots 62.6 percent from the field. He has made 107 of his 171 field goals attempted this year. I think as he gains more knowledge about the game he will display more of his aggressive, physical play and become a great two-way NBA player.
3. Andrew Wiggins
F, Kansas
I have to be honest, I was very skeptical about Andrew Wiggins early in the season. I thought that he was much more of an athlete than he was a basketball player. In his matchup verse Jabari Parker early in the season, I got the feeling Parker was a true basketball player and Wiggins was just a freakish athlete. I withdraw my statement however after seeing Wiggins progress throughout this season.
Wiggins, at 6-8, has a 7-foot wingspan that he uses to his advantage in many different ways. Wiggins is capable of playing the 2, 3 and 4 positions on the floor and can score from just about anywhere. His length gives defenders nightmares and his quickness laterally is something many players struggle to defend. Wiggins explosiveness makes him a great leaper and his ability to make plays above the rim makes him an elite finisher around the bucket. He is averaging 16.3 points per game and is shooting 44.1 percent from the field. Wiggins is a very good shooter, even though his numbers may prove otherwise (34.3 percent from three). He has a good stroke and with a little work, I think he’ll be able to shoot it consistently in the NBA.
In big games, Wiggins hasn’t shied away. He recorded 22 points and eight rebounds against Duke and 26 points and 11 rebounds against Florida. Against Iowa State he scored 29; Texas, he tallied 21 points and had 22 points against the Wildcats of Kansas State. Wiggins is going to be a star in the NBA–he just needs to put on some size and strength.
2. Julius Randle
F, Kentucky
Julius Randle is the best low post player in this draft. Joel Embiid may have greater upside due to his athletic ability and size, but Randle’s ability to play with his back to the basket and face up defenders makes him a better pro prospect at this point in time. You may think Randle is a tweener at 6-9 but he plays a lot bigger and his motor never stops.
Randle is leading the Wildcats with 15.5 points per game and his 10.4 rebounds a night are a big reason why Kentucky ranks sixth best in the nation in rebounding. Randle just never stops hustling when he is on the floor and, in result, is an elite rebounder. He is explosive and super athletic, making up for his lack of size down low. I believe he will only improve those attributes once he is placed into an NBA weight program.
Zach Randolph is one player I heard Randle being compared to and you can see why when you watch him play. He has great low-post moves that allow him to finish strong at the basket and get to the free throw line. Randle needs to improve his midrange jumper and get better defensively for him to be successful in the NBA. I think Randle is headed toward stardom in the league because of his motor and work ethic, and those are things you can’t just teach.
1. Jabari Parker
F, Duke
Jabari Parker might be the best NBA prospect I’ve seen in a long time, probably since fellow Chicago native Derrick Rose was coming out of Memphis. I have seen a lot of Duke basketball games and I can honestly say there isn’t much Parker can’t do on the floor. Now don’t get me wrong, he has a lot to learn and still needs to mature and develop parts of his game. However, I do think that he will headline this draft class in the future. Parker has that killer instinct and will to do whatever it takes to win and that is something not many players possess.
The freshman star is a talent. He is super skilled at 6-8 and has an NBA-ready body at 241 pounds. His 7-foot wingspan allows him to make momentum changing plays above the rim. He is an explosive player and can score from anywhere on the floor. He can drive to the basket and take the ball coast-to-coast with his excellent handles for a forward. He’s an exceptional dunker and can be dominant in the low post at times. Parker shoots 47.9 from the field, resulting in 18.8 points per game for the Blue Devils. He shot the ball very well in the beginning of the year but has struggled with his jumper as of late. I still think that is a result of freshman fatigue and he will be a very good shooter in the NBA.
Parker has a great work ethic and shows that will to win every time he’s on the floor. He has a great basketball IQ and good instincts. He is a good passer and rebounds the ball very well. Parker averages 8.9 rebounds a night and has recorded 12 double-doubles this season. He plays big in big moments scoring 27 against Kansas, 19 verse Arizona and 23 against UCLA. I think Parker obtains all the skills needed to be a future star and what excites me most about him is the intangibles he possesses that can’t be coached.
Who do you think will start right away next year in the NBA?
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