Kyle Kuzma, Utah
First Day: 20 minutes: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 4-for-5 three-point
Second Day: Did not play
Perhaps the biggest stock riser based on five-on-five play was the Utah junior who decided to leave a year early and sign with an agent. Kuzma looked like an intriguing offensive weapon, capable of a number of different things thanks to an enhanced shooting stroke that was shaky at times during the season.
With a quicker release and his 6’9.5" size on the wing, Kuzma looked good shooting from three as he canned four on the opening day and opted not to play the second day. With a 7’0.25" wingspan, Kuzma can be a jumbo wing or play a little bit of stretch role at four or five if he’s able to rebound his position and potentially help with his length around the rim.
Frank Jackson, Duke
First Day: 20 minutes: 13 points, 4 assists, 1 steal, 0-for-2 three-point
Second Day: Did not play
After an up-and-down freshman year at Duke, Jackson decided to test the waters and play in the combine. It proved to be a solid decision as Jackson was solid in game action during his first day while looking good in the combine testing section as well.
Signing with an agent after the first day, Jackson interviewed with a lot of confidence about his future as he felt like he played very well on the first day. Showing a scoring touch by attacking, Jackson continued to show deceptive athleticism that he might not have showed enough of at times during his one season at Duke.
Coming in at second place in max vertical leap at 42.5" and first in shuttle run at 2.70 seconds, Jackson has some positive things going for him to be a new-age lead guard.
Jackson will have to shoot the ball a little bit better during workouts then his up-and-down times at Duke and the combine, but he has a positive looking jumper with good lift.
Derrick White, Colorado
First Day: 19 minutes, 16 points, 2 rebounds, 1-for-4 three-point
Second Day: 26 minutes, 9 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 1-for-3 three-point
A former Division II star who became a transfer to Colorado, White opened lot of eyes with his play at guard this week. Measuring with good size at 6’4.5" with a 6’7.5" wingspan, White had the second best three-quarter sprint time (3.08 seconds) and the third overall standing vertical leap (35.5").
On the floor, White will have to show a bit more as a perimeter shooter after a sluggish combine performance in the five-on-five as he didn’t look like the 40 percent marksman that he was with the Buffaloes this season. But he did show crafty capabilities as a scorer in other capacities while also being able to rebound from the perimeter, push tempo and make plays for others.
It’s going to take some time for White to adjust from the speed of D2 to the NBA in two years but he has some unique gifts and great size for the position. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a team believe that he can come in and earn some minutes early in his career.
Tyler Dorsey, Oregon
First Day: 26 minutes, 15 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 3-for-5 three-point
Second Day: 35 minutes, 18 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2-for-4 three-pointers
The Oregon guard left after a solid sophomore season that saw him help the Ducks make the Final Four. Dorsey’s late-season confidence — he was nicknamed Mr. March — seemed to carry over into the combine as he registered two solid outings in five-on-five games.
Showing that he could be a potential second-round pick and second-unit guard, Dorsey showed his trademark scoring touch and craftiness from the perimeter in two games and also showed that could be counted on a little bit with the ball in his hands. Although not a world-class defender or athlete, Dorsey did solid in combine testing and measured at a respectable 6’5" in shoes while also getting second in lane agility at 10.55.
If Dorsey shoots as well as he did and he shows that he can stick some guys on the perimeter, then he could be a solid second-unit guard who can provide some scoring pop.
Jonathan Jeanne, France
First Day: 20 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal, 5-for-9 field goal
Second Day: 26 minutes. 14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals, 7-for-9 field goal
Leading the combine in height (7’2"), wingspan (7’6.5") and standing reach (9’5.5"), Jeanne proved to be a very solid prospect over his two-day run at the event. Showing fluid mobility and coordination that is seldom seen from a player his size, Jeanne is still very skinny at 207 pounds and 8.7 percent body fat, but he has the type of frame where he can add weight and still move effectively.
His length and mobility force him to be an issue on both ends of the floor, as he can finish quickly with dunks around the rim thanks to near rim-level reach. Jeanne also showed some positive qualities in the high pick-and-roll game as he showed a good understanding of screening and adjusting to the defense and his point guard. If Jeanne can continue to show positive skill traits, he should look good in workouts because of his size and coordination, so he looks like one of the more intriguing long term talents.
