Rising
Reed Sheppard
6–3 | 190 | Point Guard | Kentucky | Freshman
The sharpshooting Kentucky native has played his way into becoming the highest rated point guard for this year’s draft, and a projected top 5 pick. Not bad for a guy that came in without a starter guarantee and has played the season as a non-starter. Sheppard doesn’t pass the initial eye test, however the more you watch him the more it becomes apparent that he has “elite qualities” that give him a real chance to shine at the next level. He is this year’s “analytics darling”, with his ability to shoot, rebound, defend, as well as limit turnovers and find teammates with great vision and unselfish play.
Sheppard now has a signature performance, having put up 32 points on 11-14 shooting and 7 assists against Mississippi State, While his scoring has been a bit sporadic, it’s to be expected considering his limited opportunity, coming off the bench. He’s averaging 12.4 ppg in 28.8 mpg and is contending with teammate Rob Dillingham as the top two point guard prospects for the 2024 draft, heading into March Madness.
Rob Dillingham
6–3 | 175 | Point Guard | Kentucky | Freshman
This ultra quick and creative freshman is often in showtime mode. He goes supernova - like earlier in February when he dropped 35 on 20 shots against #5 Tennessee. But he’ll also play a quieter game without much explanation, like when he only took three shots in a loss against Gonzaga, also in February. But the overall talent is oozing from the point guard. In eight games in February, Dillingham knocked down a blistering 60% (21-35) of his threes. NBA teams would love to see some more consistency. He shot just 30% from three through 13 games in December and January.
A big question for Dillingham is whether he projects more as a Colin Sexton type, or whether he can be a lesser version of Kyrie Irving. He is a bit on the small side compared to all of the previous standout Kentucky guards. But so far his freshman year at Kentucky has been sensational, personally, and he continues to climb the draft board. At this point Dillingham is expected to be a mid lottery pick in 2024!
Jaland Lowe
6–3 | 170 | Point Guard | Pittsburgh | Freshman
Freshman combo guard Jaland Lowe makes our Stock Watch for the first time - showing more consistency of late than backcourt mate and likely lottery 2024 draft pick Carlton Carrington. Lowe is impressing scouts and making a name for himself for 2025. Since the new year, Lowe has enjoyed a significant increase in playing time, going from playing less than 20 mpg in the early part of the season (2023} to 30+ minutes in nearly every game so far n 2024. Lowe has a few signature games, like his 17 points and 6 assists in a win over #7 Duke, and 12 points and 4 rebounds, including hitting 2 of 3 from deep, in a win over Virginia. And the freshman has scored in double figures in eight straight heading into March.
Stylistically, Lowe is lightning quick, has a nice floater in the lane, and absorbs contact well. The lefty has an improved shooting stroke - as the season has progressed he’s gotten much more accurate from deep. On the year, Lowe is averaging 9.1 ppg, on a highly efficient 37.9 fg / 35.4 3p / 84.2 ft shooting split.. Lowe has solid size at the point guard position at 6’3″, and and will look to continue proving that his top notch speed and quickness, as well as accuracy from deep, and strength can all continue to develop next season.
Isaiah Collier
6–5 | 210 | Point Guard | USC | Freshman
This is a 6’5″ “running back” who probably could have thrived on the gridiron based on his strength and explosiveness, but chose to play basketball. You won’t find a more powerful and explosive athlete in the nation than USC’s Isaiah Collier. His team sure it struggling - USC has only won six of its last sixteen games, - but Collier has been successful in keeping his name on the top of scouts’ minds. Questions about Collier were (or are) related to his ability to take care of the ball and his scoring efficiency - especially outside shooting. He has shown remarkable improvement in the former. Collier started the season turning the ball over between three and five times per game! That is unacceptable for a top prospect. But in the new year, in ten games he’s turning it over at 2.1 times per game, a major improvement.
The outside shot continues to be an area of concern (32.9% from three). His free throw shooting has improved. But at 66% remains a stat that hurts his analytics. It’s also noteworthy that he’s excellent at drawing the contact and the whistle. Collier’s play remains fairly erratic, but overall becoming more effective and its hard to overlook his combination of strength and explosiveness. Continuing to improve in his consistency and efficiency is the goal for Collier. And in a weak draft, he currently is projected as a potential lottery pick in 2024.
Jaylon Tyson
6–6 | 215 | Shooting Guard/Small Forward | California | Junior
Cal’s top perimeter player was extra hot in January. And while he cooled down a touch in February, he’s still competing at a level where scouts have taken notice. His “signature games” include a Feb 7 overtime win against USC, where he tallied 27 points and 11 rebounds. He also scored 30 points against Colorado in January. USC has top draft prospect Isaiah Collier, and Colorado has our favorite to be the top overall pick in the 2024 draft Cody Williams. Tyson has been looking to play up to his competition and make some noise for the upcoming draft.
On the season, Tyson is averaging 20 ppg / 7 rpg / 3 apg on 47% FG / 35% 3P / 79% FT. He has gotten better as the season has progressed, and he’s also shown excellent improvement compared to his freshman and sophomore years. All of these inputs tell an excellent story for Tyson’s position as a prospect who can ultimately hear his named called in the next NBA draft. Stylistically, Tyson can do a bit of everything, and is a sneaky athlete who can throw it down in the half court off a nice dribble drive.
Dillon Jones
6–6 | 235 | Small Forward | Weber St. | Junior
This senior is a big and strong wing who has improved steadily through his college career, improving his scoring average by about 4 points per game each season from freshman (8 ppg) through senior year (20 ppg). He isn’t the best three point shooter (below 35% this season), but he is an overall efficient scorer (50% from the field and 85% FT shooter). He uses his strength to bully his opponents and get to the free throw line at a high rat
After a rough patch around the new year, Weber State has now won eight of ten, led by Jones. Through February Jones has been doing it all, posting averages of 25 points / 8 rebounds / 6 assists / 2 steals per game. He currently projects as a second rounder but easily could continue to creep up with consistent outside shooting.
AJ Storr
6–7 | 205 | Shooting Guard | Wisconsin | Sophomore
Storr played last season at St. John’s. When Rick Pitino came in, AJ Storr saw himself out. Storr transferred to Wisconsin, where he made a significant and immediate impact. Storr doubled his averages from last season to 16 points and 4 rebounds per game this season.
Storr is an extremely fluid athlete and very fast in the open floor. He is slippery getting to his spot with a mix of deception and ball fakes. And he is a creating finisher around the hoop. He easily passes the eye test as a potentially productive pro. One area where Storr previously showed promise was in his outside shooting. This year he is only converting on 30% of his three point attempts, though he shot 40% on limited attempts a year ago. Storr currently projects as more of a potential 2025 draft pick. But he’s come a long way over this past year and there is a lot to like about this wing, particularly as his shooting improves.
Harrison Ingram
6–7 | 235 | Small Forward | North Carolina | Junior
This big, strong and long forward played his first two seasons of college ball at Stanford. After failing to show clear improvement from his freshman to sophomore season, he transferred to UNC for his Junior campaign. He has shown improvement thanks to the work he put in and a changed role - particularly in his rebounding and outside shooting.
UNC has been up and down lately. But Ingram has been a bright spot. He has been a monster on the boards, and has also improved his scoring output and efficiency. Ingram is averaging 11 rebounds per game in January and February! The burly forward is not currently on the 2024 draft board but scouts are beginning to consider him as a stable presence who is tough and can do a little bit of everything.
DaRon Holmes
6–10 | 235 | Power Forward | Dayton | Junior
This long and lanky junior has been an impactful defender since the day he stepped foot on campus. And he’s shown gradual improvements to all facets of his game each year. But there is one especially noteworthy addition to his arsenal this season- his outside shooting. Holmes only attempted a three pointer about once every three games through his freshman and sophomore seasons. Now, he takes about three triples per game, and converts on a respectable 37%.
Holmes is a threat to catch a lob and runs the floor very well for a big. In the halfcourt, he is comfortable with his back to the basket, creating his own shot near the hoop. He gets to the line often (8.5 FT attempts per game). And he’s also a very capable playmaker. As he continues to develop his overall package, including his outside shooting, this NBA level athlete is becoming increasingly likely to hear his name called on draft night.
Falling
Ronald Holland
6–8 | 205 | Small Forward | G-League | Age 18
Holland was the top ranked high school player of the 2023 class. And he played this past season in the G League. Statistically, his year went reasonably well - he put up averages of 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. One area where Holland failed to prove himself was in his outside shooting. He finishes this season shooting just 24% from outside. His season is already over, due to an injured right thumb. He reportedly could still play if he needed to, and this move is precautionary. For now, the bad news will impact Holland’s status on the mock draft board. Holland was previously shaping up to be a mid-first round pick in 2024. We will be monitoring just how much the injury could impact his draft stock for 2024, but the early consensus is that he’s no longer a lock for the lottery and could slide some depending on how well he shoots the ball in workouts.
