OhCanada's Mock Draft 1.0

Wow! That’s crazy!!! You straight put a mock with 58 prospects and all teams and all in January!!! I thought I was being ambitious putting a big board out there early… I like your mock – I think Jovic/TyTy/AJ Griffin go slightly higher. All top 10. Seabron could be the steal of the draft if he figures out shooting range.

I think JD Davison comes back unless Alabama can pull of an elite 8 run with him being a big part of it. Patrick Baldwin slips out of first round. I expect Jamarion Sharpe to go back to WKU he’ll have an even bigger year next season maybe go top 15-20. Orlando Robinson and Isaiah Mobley go in first round because they have a very good skill set for the NBA. And a bold prediction but I see Oscar Tshiebwe coming back to Kentucky especially if they don’t make a final 4 run. Otherwise I’d say a pretty good mock it’s still early if you think about it.

I think JD Davison could very well be on a similar curve as Jaden Ivey, and Ivey’s ascension makes a good case for returning. I am not sure he follows that path. I also tend to think Ivey is probably safely inside the top 5. It isn’t often Purdue and Wisconsin have individuals stand out, but Ivey and Davis have done it.

Ochai Agbaji is somewhat tough to place at this point. He shoots it too well to come across as a 2nd rounder. On the other hand, he doesn’t have great size or really impress defensively where elevating him too far starts to feel like Corey Kisperting (and Kispert is physically bigger). Then again, there seems to be more first year eligible players who are not performing near the hype. As such, the risk assessments will probably lead to more diverse assessments and ranks.

Alondes Williams having a breakout year, and frankly breakout opportunity, might result in him rising. He started out at a Juco and then had a number of good guards that kept the ball out of his hands at Oklahoma, but he looks the part at Wake Forest. He has had big games against UNC (a win) and Duke of late. The depth of the ACC is down a bit with FSU, Louisville, Virginia, and Syracuse having off years, but a strong finish in that run against Miami, Duke, and Notre Dame might be able to make him a more prominent name.

Darryl Morsell of Marquette is a name to remember. He was Big Ten defensive POY at Maryland but limited there offensively. He has had a breakout offensive season while still being a great defensive prospect. Going from a career 27% 3-point shooter at Maryland to 37% this year should open doors for him, though as a 5-year senior will probably still be a 2nd round prospect.

It is a shame for Edey that he is Canadaian and cannot get NIL deals. He is the type of guy who might be in a position where he could make more money from NIL than professionally. The NBA does not seem like a lock, and two-ways contracts aren’t guaranteed. The international market has been ravaged by covid, and guys just out of college generally aren’t viewed as worth the risk by the teams with decent money. I have wondered about guys in the college basketball hotbeds like Kansas, Kentucky, and Indiana whether they stick around because it is simply more lucrative. Two of the most likely candidates to test this, Edey and Oscar Tshiebwe, aren’t US citizens. It is possible Trayce Jackson-Davis or Christian Braun could be such guys. I’m sure they could set up youth camps over the summer throughout their state and clean up like coaches do, but they might have enough NBA appeal so that they don’t try.

If Ousmane Dieng keeps his name in the draft I don’t see him getting past the 40th pick.