Mock Draft TrackerBy:

Rising

Ben McLemore 6’5 Kansas, SG

McLemore had a brilliant appearance on prime time television in KU’s OT win over Iowa State. He was close to perfection going for 33 points on 6 for 6 from downtown, 10-12 from the floor and also knocked down a last second three to tie the game and put it into overtime.

He’s been very impressive showing off those A-list shooting mechanics that make misses look good. With noticeable elevation, balance, rhythm and no wasted movements, it’s hard not to think of Jesus Shuttlesworth when McLemore is rising and firing. He has also shown an improved defensive effort in recent weeks.

He’s a first-class athlete who can explode towards the basket and finish above the rim, or stretch the floor off the ball and spot-up from long-range. McLemore is effective slashing in line-drives, but is still somewhat limited isolating and creating offense east and west off the dribble, though he shown some solid developments over the past month. Being able to separate with a stop and pop in the midrange will be his next challenge offensively.

With no standout number one overall pick in the draft class, McLemore presents the best ratio of safety to upside. With the ability to shoot, slash, defend, and no physical question marks, he offers minimal risk and substantial reward. McLemore has recently taken over the number one spot on the 2013 mock draft.

Cory Jefferson 6’9, Baylor PF

Cory Jefferson’s improvement has been eye-opening, standing out visibly with that long, built NBA frame and fluid interior presence. Because of his length and athleticism, he’s able to get his own shot deep in the post and finish above the rim with regularity. Jefferson’s strong frame, leaping abilities and length make him a tough assignment on the boards and a physical matchup inside.

Creating offense from the high post will be the next challenge in his development moving forward, but he passes all the tests for a low block presence. Jefferson has moved up to the early second round on the 2013 mock draft

Kelly Olynyk 7’0, Gonzaga C

After red-shirting last year instead of playing behind Robert Sacre, Olynyk has exploded onto the NBA radar illustrating an intriguing offensive package. At 7’0” Olynyk can knock down shots on the perimeter and finagle points inside.

He’s not the most electric athlete, but his footwork and instincts allow him to score off counter-moves in the post. He does a really good job of sealing off his defender down low to create easy baskets for himself at the rim. While he lacks great explosiveness and foot speed, scouts have really fallen in love with his offensive repertoire. He’s leapfrogged centers such as Jeff Withey and even Rudy Gobert on some team’s boards.

He scored 33 against Santa Clara and 31 against Saint Mary’s in back to back games, and has moved up to 19 on the mock over the past two weeks.

Otto Porter 6’8 Georgetown, SF

Porter has really stepped up his game in Conference play. He has been on fire lately going for 19 or more in four straight games, which is surprising considering Georgetown’s system limits individual scoring. He went for 19 and 14 against St. John’s, 20 and 8 against Providence, 21 and 6 against South Florida, and 19 and 9 against Notre Dame, helping Georgetown go 3-1 during that span.

He’s become one of the most complete players in the nation with the ability to lock down opponents, as well as create baskets on the offensive end in a variety of ways. We’ve had Porter pegged as a top 10 pick all season and he has jumped back above Maryland center Alex Len into the 6 spot on the most recent mock update. Porter has a legitimate chance to be a top 5 pick in this year’s draft with all of the positive attributes that he brings to the table.

AJ Hammons 7’0 Purdue, C

AJ Hammons is big and strong at 7’0 280 with a monstrous wingspan. The freshman has been productive in his 22 minutes a game, averaging 10, 6 and 1.8 blocks. He’s got a good feel for the rim inside, and though he doesn’t have that above the rim athleticism, his strength allows him to overpower contesting arms.

Hammons needs another year to get more touches in the post and give scouts a better glimpse of his upside, but seven-footers who produce will almost never go unnoticed.

Falling

Alex Poythress 6’8 Kentucky, SF/PF

Poythress’ inability to create his own offense causes him to disappear throughout stretches of a game. He only attempted 4 shots against Louisville and 3 against Vanderbilt. He’s shooting an high percentage because most of his attempts are uncontested finishes or wide open jumpers.

His off-the-ball game is effective, but without much to offer off the dribble, his ceiling is capped. I’m not sure his particular services at the moment offer top twenty overall upside. We’ve moved him into the late lottery in the 2014 mock draft.

He’s got the talent to be a mid first rounder in 2013, but unless he turns things around in a hurry, his one and done possibilities may vanish.

Archie Goodwin 6’4 Kentucky, SG

Poythress’ fellow UK one-and-done hopeful Goodwin has hit the proverbial freshman wall. He’s really pressing, as he struggles to make decisions when attacking the basket forcing way too many passes and getting the ball stolen while handling it. His shot has also taken a vacation as he’s hit just 4 of 25 on 3 point shots over the Wildcats last 10 games. He remains UK’s top scoring threat but if his tailspin continues it may no longer be a given that he leaves after just one season. Which would likely cause some issues considering the recruiting class the Wildcats have coming in.

Goodwin has seen his stock fall from a once projected top 10 pick to the (17th pick) mid first round.

Andre Roberson 6-7 210 SF/PF Colorado Jr.

Roberson has really struggled over the past few weeks. He just cannot seem to find the basket and his confidence in his shooting has really fallen. He’s scored 5 points or less in 3 of his last 5 and his scoring numbers and shooting percentages are down from last year accross the board. 10.5 ppg, 48% fg, 52% ft. He shoots a surprising 38% from 3 but shows a very weak mid range game.

He is able to help his team win in other ways with his with his rebounding and defense, and is a top shelf athlete. But for him to leave this year and be a first rounder, he’ll need to improve upon his offensive skills, shooting and scoring. He’s fallen to the end of the first round (26th pick), and could be forced to return for his senior year if he’s not able to improve his offensive efficiency.

Mason Plumlee 6’11 Duke, PF

Plumlee was drawing Player of the Year hype early in the year but has fallen on hard times of late. After scoring 16 or more points in each of his first 12 games he has scored 16 or less in his last 6.

He remains one of the nation’s leading rebounders who teams like because he can be counted on for energy and effort. Plumlee cracked the lottery at one point this year but his statistics have trailed off noticeably in recent weeks.

His scoring ability has improved, but it’s unlikely that he will be more than an average offensive player at the NBA level. As a senior, look for him to fall into a similar draft range as Tyler Zeller did last year, with teams liking his readiness but knocking him some due to lack of upside.

Deonte Burton 34149 6’1 PG/SG, Nevada

Burton is putting up scoring numbers, but his team is losing and he’s not facilitating. Nevada has now lost four out of five, with Burton averaging just over 2 assists over that stretch.

We know he’s more of a gunner than a point guard, but NBA teams won’t be looking for a 6’1” guard who dominates the basketball as a scorer. His shot-making ability is unquestioned, but he at least has to try and pretend he’s interested in creating offense for teammates.

Burton had previously been projected in the 2013 first round but has been moved to the end of the 2014 first round mock.