Since the NCAA Tournament has ended I’ve been doing some research and watching film on quite a few prospects. While doing this I’ve came across some players who I feel like just haven’t been getting talked about enough. This could be because they’re underrated or because their games are just misunderstood. I’ll give a short description of each prospects game and how I think they will translate to the NBA. Feel free to comment your opinions on these guys as well as others who you feel like are overlooked!
Oscar Tshiebwe
It is a little weird to list the unanimous player of the year as a prospect who isn’t getting talked about enough, but here we are. It goes without saying that Oscar is an elite rebounder. He also is a good finisher and rim protector. He also gets a fair amount of steals. Throughout the year he showed growth as a shooter and passer. The obvious knock against him is his size and lack of elite athleticism. Both things that are highly valued in big men.
Despite the concerns, I feel like he will end up being a very good pro. I think he is a starter level big man who could potential sneak his way into an all star appearance or all nba team due to the crazy numbers he is capable of putting up. I believe he is strong enough to not be pushed around down low and that he will do better than most bigs when having to guard on the perimeter. The rebounding will obviously translate. In my opinion you can’t pass up on a prospect who has a true elite skill as very few prospects have one. I believe he’s a late first - early second round pick.
Trevor Keels
Keels is a very intriguing prospect to me. He already has an NBA ready body, is a pretty good athlete, and seems to play very physical. You would think those tools would make him an elite defender, but he doesn’t put up great STOCKS. Offensively he is a big question mark in my opinion. He has games where he looks amazing and he has others where he looks lost.
Despite some of the concerns I have with his game, I don’t think you can pass up on a guy with the physical tools he has. Those are things you just can’t teach. While he doesn’t put up great STOCKS numbers, I do still think he will be a really good defender in the league. I think he could wind up being a less consistent and stronger/more athletic version of a guy like Marcus Smart or Dillon Brooks. He should project as a guy who can potentially guard the other teams best guard while knocking down open shots in offense. He could also potentially provide some shot creation if needed. I project him as a late first - early second round pick.
KC Ndefo
While Ndefo didn’t get as much media hype as some of his teammates, he was unquestionably one of the main reasons for their deep run. He is an elite defender who puts up ridiculously good STOCKS numbers. Along with his defense he is also an average - good rebounder and passer. The biggest knock on his game is his shooting. Throughout his career he has been pretty poor from both the 3PT and FT line. He makes up for this by scoring off of drives and post ups.
Due to his elite defense I think Ndefo will be a really good pro. His defense will translate, but his other skills (mainly shooting) will determine how good his career is. His shot isn’t terrible looking which is promising. With the help of a good shooting coach I believe he can become a serviceable shooter. I could see him as a starting PF who could also run small ball C. If he can improve on his shooting, ball handling, and passing I could see him also being able to play some SF. Due to his age and lack of a jump shot I believe he will be a late second round - undrafted guy. I do believe if he goes undrafted he will be a priority FA for a ton of teams.
Mike Miles
This may be a surprising name to many as he put up pretty inefficient numbers this year at TCU. While his inefficiency is troublesome, I believe it will not be a problem once he gets to the NBA. At TCU he was asked to do everything and then some on both sides of the ball which is what led to his inefficient numbers. Despite his inefficiency you could see flashes of his ability to operate as a floor general who can make tough shots when needed.
Being a true floor general with tons of talent around him is something Miles is used to as that is the role he played on the stacked U19 team he was a member of. In the NBA I could see him having a role similar to that of a Tyus Jones or a Monte Morris. Guys who are great backups or good starters who just run the show for their teams and score when needed. Like both Jones and Morris, Miles is a small and quick guard. Along with his speed he is also very strong. This is something that isn’t typically associate with small guards and is something that I believe could benefit him greatly. I believe Miles will be a mid second round pick. When looking back at this draft he could be seen as a major steal for a team in that spot.
Caleb Love
Despite loves great NCAA Tournament performance, I still don’t believe he is being talked about enough. Love is a combo guard who he is a great shooter. He can also create shots for himself off of the dribble and is able to get to the rim. The knock on his game is his sometimes questionable decision making. He occasionally makes some JR Smith esque decisions with the ball. He will have hit a few shot and fire up a step back heat check from deep early in the shot clock for seemingly no reason. He also has a tendency to make quite a few turnovers when he tries to do too much. He isn’t a terrible defender, but he is nothing special on that end either.
Despite some of the concerns, I would consider Love to be a fairly safe prospect. I feel like at worst he is a knock down shooter. At best he is a shooter who can make plays off the bounce as well as be a serviceable defender. In order to reach is full potential he will have to work on some of his decision making and shot selection issues. I think some of those issues will resolve themselves as he will be asked to do less in an NBA offense. Defensively I feel like he has the potential to be very good, but he just has to show more want to on that end of the floor. I think he is an early - mid second round pick.